In Defense of Public Relations

So the PRWeek/PR Newswire Media survey came out yesterday to practically no fanfare. Maybe I was blind or plain crazed yesterday that I didn’t see any PR pro tweet about the findings save for Shel Holtz who challenged technology blogger/editor Robert Scoble to respond to his open query.  Apparently, Shel takes issue with some of Scoble’s attitude towards PR pitches and PR people in general.

Shel got his answer. Scoble ain’t backing down and posted this in response.

My take.  Both have valid points, but as a PR pro, I’ll have to side with Holtz on this one. Yes, there are crappy pitches out there, and it’s in your inbox, so simply click delete. It’s nothing personal. If reporters only knew the kind of pressure PR people are under and the amount of time we have in a day to service clients.  We try to be as smart and strategic as possible, I hope, but do we really have the time to research every reporter’s and/or blogger’s past articles to ensure pitches are targeted? In front of clients, we say YES, but in reality, who’s got the time?

If I had to research every reporter/blogger and figure out whether they’re an appropriate target, I’d be 7/11, that means working 24/7.  No one wants that even in this sad economy.  To put it mildly, be happy we’re pitching you, and the fact that you work in the media means you’re a target.  Just think of yourselves as celebrities, but not as pretty, and PR pros as the paparazzi, but not as sleazy.

The year was 1997. The Internet was changing how we communicate. Print newspapers were worried about readers moving online. The Dow Jones was above 6500. Wait, that sounds an awful like today.

The difference between 1997 and today is the state of the economy. Back in 1997, the economy was growing at such a fast pace, while today, it’s shrinking just as fast.

I remember landing my first job in PR right out of college in 1997. I joined a PR/advertising agency that handled mainly food and beverage clients. It was a boutique agency, which I didn’t know back then meant, sweatshop. The company had one email address and a dial-up Internet connection. Phone pitching was the norm and blast “fax,” yes,”fax” was fairly standard.

With the Dow Jones figures at 1997 levels, I’ve become somewhat nostalgic for the years leading up to implosion of the dotcom bubble. Here are some of the things I remember from the era:

1) Mahir-I Kiss You! — The first example of viral marketing on the Web.

2) VC Funding — Build a Website and you get money.

3) Dotcom Bust — Ten of the top dotcom flops.

4) Urban Legends — Remember the one about the chihuahua from Mexico.

5)Netscape vs. Internet Explorer — The browser wars.

If you’d like to join me in reminiscing, please feel free to comment.