Articles by Dave Forstrom

…that is the question: Whether tis’ nobler of Auburn’s students to explore the unknown depths of the blogosphere, Or to sit back on the sidelines questioning the value of such an endeavor. 

Okay, poetry has never been my forte, and yet this is the question posed to our peers recently by our fearless, trail-blazing leader, Robert French.  Let us recap:

(a) Do you believe college PR students reading and blogging about PR practices is a viable and valuable endeavor?
(b) What are the key concepts/lessons that should be included in such an exercise?
(c) How might a future employer react to a student’s PR blogging efforts?
(d) What tactics by the students will best exhibit PR knowledge through their blogging efforts?

Do I believe you and other college PR students reading and blogging about PR practices is a viable and valuable endeavor?  YES (that’s a resounding yes)!  And what’s key is that you’re reading and blogging about PR, not just about your latest favorite movie or Auburn’s latest win or how much your statistics class bugs, but about PR.  It’s not about the blog, but rather the opportunity for experiential learning like never before that is literally mouseclicks away, as well as the ability to find your voice, demonstrate and increase your value as a future professional, and to collectively expand your exposure to, and knowledge of, the practice of the next generation of communications.

As far as key concepts and lessons to be included, this is where I’ve really recognized the evolution in Auburn’s approach to this exercise.  Over the past year, the approach to the student blogs has grown to be more PR-centric (i.e. getting away from the “what’s going on in my life or what interests me” type mindset to a more focused PR-centric view).  This is very important.  Several years ago when I was in school, I recall analyzing a few case studies or current news events to understand the “PR in it.”  But this was such a small portion of our studies, and certainly didn’t condition me to look for the PR in things.  But with an endeavor like this–blogging integrated into the curriculum; both listening and participating–you are exposed to a wealth of issues, exchanges, stories, resources, etc., where you can deduce the “PR in it.”  You can begin to see and understand what works and why, and where things go wrong.  It in turns empowers you to become more solution-minded–a key attribute for any upcoming professional.

Now on to my reaction to students’ PR blogging efforts or blogging in general, I think it’s an issue of value.  As one who interviews new job candidates often, would blogging stand out to me on a resume?  You bet it would.  Because it demonstrates and adeptness or interest in the application of emerging communications channels.  But (oh no, the dreaded “but”), I’d have to know more.  Again it’s not about the blog, but the content.  In the past, we could read writing samples, but now we can really look into the character and insight of candidates through their blogs.  Personal ramblings are okay, and have their place and time, and style/type of blog, but from a student learning perspective, valuable thought will definitely stand out–you see it day in and day out; it engages communities of blog readers/followers, and it will engage employers.

Finally, what tactics best exhibit PR knowledge through blogging?  I think this encompasses a lot of what I’ve been sharing here–value, insight, being able to identify the “PR in it.”  I love Robert’s encouragement for students to do some research on the Web and in blogs and then incorporate that collective learning into comments on posts.  I learn so much from these exchanges and am so impressed by the aptitude that is conveyed through the Auburn PR bloggers. 

Understand that you–this upcoming workforce of PR professionals, Generation 2.0, are ushering in new school PR.  You get this–the intersection of new media, technology, PR, business, etc.–and because of that, the bar will, and is, being raised.  Many thanks to people like Robert for having the initiative and foresight to recognize the potential behind an endeavor like this.  It makes sense, and needs to be carried elsewhere, and is.  So immerse yourselves in the experiment/experience now and then go on and make your mark…let’s take this practice from good to great.

 

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I remember a great story of a university whose future more than a hundred years ago looked very bleak. Enrollment was down, the economic outlook wasn’t promising, and support was waning. However the school president wouldn’t accept such a fate. He envisioned a day when thousands and thousands of students, with manuals and notebooks in hand, would literally pour over the hillside and flood campus walkways and hallways. Today that university is nationally recognized for its strong undergraduate and graduate programs with more than 30,000 students enrolled annually.

What does that story have to do with marcom? Well, some have said and continue to say that PR is dead, or you could substitute marcom, or you could substitute mainstream media. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Haven’t you seen it or sensed it? Something is happening. That’s actually a popular phrase on the streets of Silicon Valley these days. But it’s not a left coast, right coast thing.

You are, we are, involved in a transformation of Epic proportion (you’ve seen this so a slight pun is intended, and works given the context of this post).

In the midst of generations labeled Baby Boom, X, and Y, there has emerged a niche of individuals that is changing and reviving the “business� in the concept of “business as usual,� as we know it.

They represent a hope tied to an ever-growing buzz around what’s possible. A new workforce is being programmed and re-programmed—a workforce that has been transformed by innovation; a workforce that will transform industries as we know them (business, media, PR).

They will not be labeled with a letter, but rather a version number. Like the cycle of product development in the world of technology (sorry, I’m a tech PR guy), they reflect a transition from the first version to the next generation—version 2.0. Not Gen-X, not Gen-Y, but Generation 2.0.

Off the cuff and by no means comprehensive, let’s consider the 2.0 big picture. Web 2.0 development (technology) fuels the Business 2.0 environment (business), which in turn empowers new media producers (from the likes of A-listers like Scoble and Battelle to even the most obscure zz-listers like myself or better yet my sister in-law and her army of MySpace friends). As consumers begin to collect more information from new media producers, marketing and advertising begin to stand at attention. Mainstream media is challenged and counters by complementing their information distribution with new media channels like blogs, video, and podcasts. Grassroots advertising emerges within the new media channels (i.e. Firefox). PR recognizes the possibilities and ramifications, so hence you have the rise of PR bloggers (favorites like Rubel, Pepper, and Murphy, and not to mention my contributor cohorts) and rumblings that blogs may solve everything—we see some successes and lots of failures. Advertising services are developed to target new media (i.e. Blogads, etc.). New Web 2.0 developments are advanced that are leveraged by PR, marketing, and advertising. PR services emerge that are devoted solely to new media strategies, such as the MWW Group’s DialogueMedia (PR 2.0). Faced with an identity crisis of sorts, mainstream media now incorporates more new media techniques signaling a pending transition to interactive multimedia organizations (Media 2.0). Conferences are developed, promoted, and filled to the gills with attendees who are trying to wrap their arms around this transformation—what it means to them and what they must do. Even universities are beginning to integrate studies of new media techniques and direct participation (ala Robert’s efforts) into their curriculum.

Never has a generational workforce been so well positioned to change business and operations as we know them. Envision the flood of individuals, only this time rather than manuals and notebooks, they carry laptops and smartphones as they walk the streets and hallways of corporate America. They are media producers and believe in the power of collaboration and collective intelligence. Theirs is a culture of participation and interaction. They engage in the business of connections, which is governed by transparency, advocacy, and evangelism.

Will you, will we, answer the call? A call to step up and deliver on such limitless potential. Will the current workforce—old school and traditional—hear the call? A wake-up call to recognize this transformation and respond by embracing and adapting to its principles, or face the music.

Call it what you may…a paradigm shift, the transition from old school to new school, natural evolution, or much ado about nothing. The fact remains that these industries are changing and a new generation of professionals is emerging pre-installed, or re-programmed, with a 2.0 mindset. I think Generation 2.0 is befitting. What do you think?

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