PewInternet.org

The Future is Yesterday: Public Relations in the Networked Era

Public Relations Society

September 20, 2012

Lee Rainie: Director, Pew Internet Project

Email: Lrainie@pewinternet.org

Twitter: @Lrainie

2

“Tweckle (twek’ul) vt. To

abuse a speaker to Twitter

followers in the audience

while he/she is speaking.”

we need a tshirt, "I survived the

keynote disaster of 09"

it's awesome in the "I don't want to

turn away from the accident because I

might see a severed head" way

too bad they took my utensils away w/

my plate. I could have jammed the

butter knife into my temple.

Digital Revolution 1: Broadband Internet (85%) and Broadband at home (66%)

Networked creators among internet users

• 69% are social networking site users

• 59% share photos and videos

• 37% contribute rankings and ratings

• 33% create content tags

• 30% share personal creations

• 26% post comments on sites and blogs

• 15% have personal website

• 15% are content remixers

• 16% use Twitter

• 14% are bloggers

• … of smartphone owners, 18% share their locations; 74% get location info and do location sharing

Revolution 2: Mobile – 89% of adults

331.6

Total U.S. population: 315.5 million

2011

Revolution 3: Social networking 59% of adults

New Reality 1) The world is full of networked individuals using networked information

Image attribution: Flickrverse, Expanding Ever with New Galaxies Forming Cobalt123 http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobalt/34248855/sizes/z/in/photostream/

New Reality 2) The is no high-tech secret sauce for effective message content

New Reality 2) Corollaries

• Credibility is assessed through multiple filters

– Trusted information sources (including search engines)

– Personal beliefs/experiences

– Social networks

– Aggressive fact checking

• Yes, bad information hangs around, but it can be attacked in several ways

– Recanting

– Better information, especially from multiple sources

New Reality 3) Mass-media megaphones still matter to getting a story out, but new messaging opportunities have emerged and new influencers can be identified

David Edelman: “Branding in the Digital Age: You’re Spending Your Money in All the Wrong Places,” Harvard Business Review http://hbr.org/2010/12/branding-in-the-digital-age-youre-spending-your-money-in-all-the-wrong-places/ar/1

apps

New Reality 4) Real-time, just-in-time, “my time” messages/data are powerful

New Reality 5) Be findable … and always be ready for your closeup

Gloria Swanson as “Norma Desmond” in Sunset Boulevard http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043014/

New Reality 6) There are stages of engagement with audiences and each has a different weight

http://www.idealware.org/articles/engagement-pyramid-six-levels-connecting-people-and-social-change

New reality 6) Corollaries

• The social media space is a “fifth estate” with a different civic sensibility

• Facebook is different from Twitter

• Social media users are semi-elite, they do not represent everybody

• Lurkers matter as an audience that is watching and assessing

New Reality 7) Influence is migrating from organizations to networks and new “experts”

Traditional experts with new platforms, esp. blogs

Amateur experts who are avid contributors – sometimes with tribes

New algorithmic authorities

New Reality 7) Corollaries Social networks are more influential and are

differently segmented and layered

Sentries

New Reality 7) Corollaries

Evaluators

Social networks are more influential and are differently segmented and layered

New Reality 7) Corollaries

Audience

Social networks are more influential and are differently segmented and layered

• Continuous partial attention to media streams

• Immersion in deep dives

• Info-snacking in free moments

New Reality 8) The flow of information has changed – and so have people’s attention zones

New Reality 9) All organizations are under more scrutiny … transparency is a new marker of trust

Surveillance – powerful watch the ordinary

Sousveillance – ordinary watch powerful

Coveillance – peers stalk peers

New Reality 10) The age of big data is upon us – and will give new power to analytics

New Reality 11) Critical uncertainties remain

The architecture itself

Information policies

Social norms and attitudes

Eat food Not too much Mostly plants. Eat pie. Very good pie. Not often.

Call Mom. Let her talk. Don’t argue.

Make promises. Don’t break them. Find loopholes.

Be unforgettable. Engage the crowd. Adjust accordingly.

Public Relations Rules - 1

Share ideas On many platforms. Listen hard.

Public Relations Rules - 2

Recruit influencers. Distribute your stuff. Go mobile.

Public Relations Rules - 3

Be not afraid

Thank you!