My intent in this blog is perhaps a slight bit different than that of many other in the PR and Marketing Communications world. The aim here is to present information mainly for the generalist manager and business owner, identifying the power and potential of communications as a tool that can leverage everything else they are doing and, in turn, help drive success. In other words it is not intended to be another resource for professional PR, advertising and kindred professionals.
But I step aside from the generalist perspective to salute Ogilvy PR for developing a code of ethics designed to guide those of us who are professional communicators in our dealings with bloggers. I noticed the alert this evening in a post by Ed Cotton at InfluxInsights, who relays a post by Karl Long at Experience Curve. The original was posted Thursday on Ogilvy’s 360 Digital Influemce Blog. The Ogilvy tenets are a Beta list for discussion and subsequent refinement.
It arrives at the right time. Ed Cotton’s asksthe ad community, “Who is going after the bloggers first - media planners or PR?” The important point is not that PR may be leading advertising this time around, but rather that bloggers may well find themselves even more overwhelmed as the entire communications infrastructure reaches to them. Does anyone else remember the noise that erupted with CB radio?
The long-tail value of micro-segments than are becoming attractive market targets can mean an increase in the caucaphony of of voices pitching the bloggers who serve these micro communities of interest, It is not jst just publicists but potentially media buyers and maybe even others of us who working in the “markeing mix.” Bloggers are clearly a very tempting SPAM target.
PR people have some level of etiquette training. For how many years now have journalists, appearing as panelists at innumerable conferences advised (pleaded?) with the forever refreshed crop of PR pratitioners to “please read the publication [see the TV show, hear the radio program, etc...],” to “understand” what it is we cover! Please don’t think casting bread upon the water will see your item miracuously appear?” Today we’d call that spamming the media. It doesn’t work with the media nor with bloggers for the same reason.
What I like about PR driving the bus versus advertising is that — when we practice what we have learned –we can keep our relations with bloggers personal, that is aimed to meet their needs. What I like about Ogilvy PR’s Outreach Code of Ethics is that we can keep the process respectful.