The Past, Present and Future of Change in PR and Communications

It's no secret that the practice of PR -- and the mindset of PR professionals -- has evolved in recent years.  But one wonders if those of us who are on the front lines every day -- finding new ways to tell  the stories of the companies we represent --  appreciate how dramatically our lives have changed.

This hit home for me earlier this year, when Ragan’s PR Daily contacted me to follow up on a 2007 article I wrote for the Public Relations Society of America newsletter, in which I talked about the gap that then existed between traditional PR and social media.  As was pointed out in a Ragan’s blog post that appeared just this week, we've successfully bridged this gap.

I reflected on all this in another blog post for Pilot Communications Group, an agency that embodies this new world of integrated communications.

What can we take away from all this?  While we know changes have taken place, it's worthwhile to stop and think about how far we've come and how all of us -- PR and communications practitioners as well as the companies we support -- have benefited.  

And it's a reminder that we should continue to embrace change, for based on what we're seeing today, I think there are even more benefits to be realized by those in the PR and communications world who adapt and evolve.

 

 

 

Remembering IDG's Pat McGovern: A Life that Reflects the Evolution of Technology and the Media

Given my background in tech PR, there's a distinct focus on technology in this Communications Watch blog, and there was sad news yesterday that bridges these two worlds: the passing of IDG founder Pat McGovern. Pat started a computer publishing, research and community-building empire more than 50 years ago, and since then, anyone who has touched the technology industry became familiar with publications like Computerworld, Network World and PC World; the analyst firm IDC; and conferences like SNW -- all part of the IDG empire.  The history of Pat McGovern's IDG is a reflection of the ebbs and flows of the computer industry and the evolution of the media.  His publications blossomed during the computer heyday, his analyst firm expanded its focus to address technology's broadening reach, and the rise of his IT conferences reflected new ways to address the needs of the tech community.  And through it all, tech PR and communication people like me watched and worked with these IDG properties. I was not only one of these folks -- I was fortunate to have an opportunity to have IDG as a PR client for several years.  But for anyone who was or is a follower of, or participant in, today's world of technology owes a debt to a man who did more to provide us insights into this industry than any other I can recall.  Thanks Pat McGovern.

Reflections on the Media...and a Media "Star"

I just saw this obit, and it reminded me that I've seen Bob Thomas' byline on AP Hollywood news stories over the years. I bet most of us have, since he holds the record for most consecutive Oscar shows covered by an entertainment reporter (66 -- from 1944-2010).  He also was in the Ambassador Hotel in 1968 when Robert Kennedy was shot, and he delivered this bulletin to the AP.   We hear a lot about the sad state of the media, and one wonders if we'll ever see reporter with longevity of Bob Thomas given the increasing influence of social media citizen journalists.  Perhaps not, but as a former reporter myself, and as a PR person who values the role  plays the media in the news we're charged with delivering, I hope there is always a place for professional reporters -- even if they're not around for six decades.

SXWS Shows Us: "We're All Technies" (and that's good news for tech PR and comms)

In recent years, SXSW has cemented its position as a leading spotlight for the intersection of technology and entertainment.  The 2014 conference -- taking place this week -- is no exception, with a focus that ranges from the debate over bitcoin and crypto-currency to panel discussions featuring the likes of TV's Mindy Kaling.  We've seen tech start-ups and sports superstars, representatives from major corporations and visitors from nations like New Zealand and Chili.  There is a message across all this -- one captured in a Wall Street Journal "Reporter's Journal" piece today entitled "We're All Techies".  It reinforces a point we've seen coming for years: how technology is becoming increasingly mainstream.  This article points out that few industries or parts of our personal lives go untouched at SXSW, a fact that highlights that tech is clearly at the center of the new economy.  As someone who early on decided to focus his communications career on technology, that's good news.   Technology PR is so much more interesting today than years ago, thanks to tech's increasing reach.  More important, it's also good news for all of us who reap the benefits of technology every day -- in how we communicate with and interact with others, in how we work, in how we protect ourselves and loved ones, in  how we play....and on and on. Because truly, we are all techies today.

Industry Watcher Takes a Look at the Massachusetts Tech Scene

A few weeks ago, I commented on the tech media drop-off in Massachusetts -- a decline that doesn't seem to align with promising developments around technology in this region.  Well, one of the industry-watchers keeping an eye trained on Boston just weighed in on the strength of the region's tech community.  In this article, Mashable spotlights 15 of the region's behind-the-scenes influencers and got their perspective on what makes Boston and surrounding communities a tech hot-bed.  The list is an impressive one, and while I don't disagree with their choices -- or with the thoughts these influencers shared on makes our region special -- I can think of may more folks who are contributing to our tech scene.  More than anything, I'm pleased to see yet another positive viewpoint on the innovation and entrepreneurship that continues to define the region.

Massachusetts Tech Sector is Looking Up -- But What About Tech Media

A few days ago, the Mass Technology Leadership Council released a “State of Technology” report benchmarking the tech sector’s impact on the Massachusetts economy – and the story was a positive one.  There was data detailing the jobs and wages created by tech – in that sector, in businesses technology helped to create (like clean energy and biopharma), in those industries increasingly enabled by technology (healthcare and financial services), and finally in those business that support tech companies (restaurants and delivery services).  There were anecdotes from those who are helping to advance the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that makes the state a “global gateway” for tech companies. And there were snapshots of the Massachusetts firms creating the broad spectrum of technologies that are changing our world.

Fortune.com didn’t paint as positive a picture in their report on the technology community in Massachusetts that appeared a few weeks earlier.

Actually, there some commonalities. The MassTLC report emphasized the need to business, government and the state’s unmatched academic community to work together to help tech reach its potential and attract more companies and create more jobs in Massachusetts.   The report also show us how the state matched up against other tech hot-spots.

The Fortune.com article made an interesting point about some of the reasons behind the challenge they saw for Massachusetts as the state battles for tech leadership with other regions:  the dearth of local tech reporters.

As a PR professional who has worked with tech media for many years, I can understand this point.  There are clearly fewer tech publications based here and far fewer reporters assigned to cover technology.  Some of this can be traced to the media consolidation that is taking place industry-wide.

But as Fortune.com reporter Dan Primack points out:

 “TechCrunch does not have a single Boston-based reporter. Neither does Re/Code, Pando. The Verge, nor VentureBeat. And the same goes for more mainstream business outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg or Reuters. As for Fortune, I'm one of just two local reporters -- and neither of us primarily cover technology.”

There are some bright spots – and in some cases, the work being done today surpasses what we saw in the boom days for tech media in the region. 

Primack talks about the tech community in NY benefiting from the concentration of media in the Big Apple, and the positive buzz in Silicon Valley that results from that region’s “incestuous tech scene” which includes an unparalleled cluster of technology media.

In his conclusion, Primack suggests that if more tech reporters return to region, Massachusetts we would see a resurgence of tech industry activity.

Perhaps that’s true, but I believe that if the MassTLC report is on the mark – and I think it is – the tech media will return to the region because of what’s happening in a rejuvenated and increasing influential and impactful Massachusetts technology community.

A Promising Start to the New Year for Followers of Technology

I took a break from blogging over the holidays and now plan to go quiet for another few days while on vacation.  But one recent news item bears mention here -- a Boston Globe report on the nearly $1 billion in venture capital Massachusetts received in 2013.  As a communications professional who stumbled into the technology world many years ago, this is welcome news as we look ahead to 2014.  I feel fortunate to live and work in a region where so much of the technology that impacts our lives today is created -- technology that designs the products we use, enables us to better communicate with one another, entertains us when we're bored, informs us when we're curious, aids us when we're sick.  Now its true we're not alone as a technology hub, but no other region has the history and the resilience that our state can claim.  I look forward to continuing to tell those stories of those companies that make up the Massachusetts tech community.  And there will be many stories -- as this Globe story reports, while this level of investment made for a positive 2013, technology companies have a lot to look forward to in the year ahead.