Thursday’s PR Business magazine had a full page on next Friday’s Delivering the New PR Conference (PDF flyer) in London where I’m one of the speakers. PR Business doesn’t yet have a website so I’ve copied the story below:
How small blogs bring big changes
Weblogs are having a significant impact on the way organisations communicate but many of the biggest successes are outside the public view, according to experts who will speak in London next month.
Although some use weblogs to reach a broad market, the most significant impact is on how organisations speak to niche, often internal, audiences, argues Stuart Bruce, one of six speakers at the University of Sunderland’s Delivering the New PR conference on May 12.
Bruce, a partner in Leeds-based BMA PR and a high profile PR blogger, lists two major finance companies, a police force and a publisher among examples of organisations using weblogs to break new ground in internal communications.
He said: "It is a year since the cover story of BusinessWeek claimed ‘blogs will change your business’ and put blogging on the boardroom agenda. But if they are being honest, some of the early champions were finding it difficult to find UK examples where blogs were making a difference.
"Now all that is changing, and much of the change is coming as people realise the power of blogs to improve and stimulate communications with specialist and niche audiences."
And Philip Young, senior lecturer in Public Relations at the University of Sunderland and a lead researcher in the EuroBlog 2006 survey which tracks the impact of blogs on PR practice in 33 countries, agrees: "With experience people are realising that blogs are different than ordinary websites, which are often little more than static noticeboards. A good blog encourages dialogue, and it thrives on personal insights and a natural tone of voice.
"Crucially, a blog need only have a relatively small readership to make a difference and the quick, cheap and easy blog format provides a new way of networking. Many of the high profile blogs featured in newspapers are little different than any other page on a website; the ones that are shaping businesses thrive of links, comments and interactivity, all things which work better in a small circle of like-minded people. Tom Murphy, Paris-based social networking expert Elizabeth Albrycht, and podcast specialist Neville Hobson. With American partner Shel Holtz, Hobson produces the twice-weekly For Immediate Release podcast, regarded as the most influential voice on new PR issues.
Bruce added: "Many of the best uses of professional blogs aren’t trying to reach mass consumer audiences but are conversations with specific groups of stakeholders such as a bank’s chief executive having a direct conversation with thousands of employees or a neighbourhood police office talking with the local community."
Other speakers at Delivering the New PR include blog pioneer and Microsoft Ireland PR
University of Sunderland head of journalism and PR Chris Rushton will present new research about how changes in technology and practice in both newsrooms and PR offices have changed the way news releases are handled and decisions about whether to use them are made. He will provide specific tips on how to take advantage of these changes to increase a PRO’s hit rate.
Young said: "EuroBlog 2006 painted a picture of a two-speed Europe, with one in three practitioners already seeing benefits from blogs, podcasts and other social softwares, but with a similar number not seeing a relevance to them or their clients.
"The high level of interest in Delivering the New PR is just one more sign that practitioners, from blue chips to charities and community groups are beginning to see past the hype and find ways of harnessing the new technologies in a way that makes a real difference to their work."
Delivering the New PR
How Blogs, Podcasts and RSS Can Work for You
Venue: London Marriott Hotel, Regents Park
Date: Friday 12 May 2006
Times: 10am – 4pm
Delegate tickets £175 + VAT for CIPR members, £195 + VAT for non members. To book please contact Nicky Wake at Don’t Panic Projects Ltd on 01706 828855, e-mail nicky@dontpanicprojects.com or book on line at http://www.dontpanicprojects.com/booking.htm
This is specially relevant as big companies are also now targetting blogs to send in their product releases,and other corporate news.
Just check out the techology blogs and they are filled with new products and discussion on them etc.
Oh I so agree…an example for you:
1 call by two bloggers in Oct 2005 for bloggers globally to test Starbucks on a promise they make.
209 blogs (including some biggies) rise to the 'Starbucks Challenge' and take part in one form or another.
331 challenges result and are logged @ http://del.icio.us/starbuckschallenge
13 countries and 29 states (& DC) are represented.
Starbucks admit they have a problem and engage with the challenge.
Phase 4 (http://cityhippy.blogspot.com/2006/05/feature-starbucks-challenge-40.html) of the challenge has just begun and aims to assess if Starbucks have improved now that they know there is a problem.
Results in early June. Companies now have to put their money where their mouth is. The end of 1 way Broadcast Marketing/PR is here and the age of 2 (or more?) Sustainable Marketing/PR is upon us. Thank god!
Activism 2.0? (http://cityhippy.blogspot.com/2005/10/feature-activism-20.html)
Namaste
Al