Nimbleness. For communicators, in my view staying one step ahead of the digital revolution is not a nicety; it’s a necessity. Online media is changing PR and more broadly communications at a lightning speed and I believe only the committed will thrive.
I spend about half and hour a day (before work) studying, learning. Just to stay one step ahead is a steep learning curve. I study other people’s blogs and grow and edit my list of ‘friends’. I’d be interested in knowing how others are staying ahead.
Back to nimbleness… An excellent article in a recent Weekend Australian’s colour supplement (7/8 November, ‘Commander in Chief’ by Cameron Stewart) describes in scary detail the frenetic pace in the current Australian Prime Minister’s media office.
“The game has changed,” says one (minder). “There is not a media cycle anymore, there is a media cyclone. There is so much news out there that if you don’t maintain discipline, whatever you are trying to say gets scattered and atomised.” Hence the need to stay on-message. “The modern news cycle feeds on disputes and inconsistencies, so you either feed the beast with the opposition or the beast feeds on you,” he says. “So we are very focused on maintaining discipline and consistency, but that’s not a reflection on our governing style, it’s a reflection of the modern media cycle. Ignore that at your peril.”
The Government has become a media outlet in its own right now, tweeting, blogging and releasing photos, text and policies on its website.”
We can all see the impact of this on the circulation and rating in traditional media outlets, but what relevance does it have for the world of corporate and consumer communications? I say plenty for those who need to win. I offer this: the nimblest debater, not the best argument, is often the winner. Activists, politicians and the great salespeople have known this for years. Online media has brought it more sharply into focus because a fraction of an hour, instead of one day or one week, can be the difference between success and failure. Hence the current stampede for online dominance. I think we ignore social media at our peril.
That’s why I’m making time to learn. New Media (read New PR) is a huge headache for old-style media experts and an enormous opportunity for the sharp and the nimble.
