Sound Bytes

Well, I was struggling with how to launch this blog. But, after remembering that the purpose of a blog is to open a dialogue, I just start writing, and this blog is now open.

As a communication professional, I tend to analyze anything that impacts a brand -- a call into the organization’s sales or service area, an advertisement, a YouTube video, an event, an interview on NPR, a CEO’s blog, an innovative product launch, a trendy promotion.

This leads me to my first topic: convergence. You may know this as integrated communications, and while many agencies have supported integration for years, few have practiced it well. But today, there are more reasons to converge.

I first heard the term used in the context of marketing communications at the 2007 PRSA International Conference by Susan Bartel, APR, professor, Stevens College and co-chair of PRSA’s MBA Initiative. So I Googled it recently and found this from the University of Kansas:

"There was a time when a news reporter only worked for a newspaper, broadcast station or a magazine. Times have changed. Today’s news reporter is likely to deliver the same story different ways: for print, broadcast and online audiences.

It's the same on the business communications side. Yesterday, you worked in advertising, or public relations, or marketing. Today, one person may implement all those efforts.

That's convergence. Newspapers, broadcasting and the Web move toward one another as partnerships among media increase. Advertising, public relations and marketing come together to create what is often called integrated marketing communications.

The old divisions are dissolving. And that means what we teach, and how we teach it, also must change.”

With that, I end this first post by saying I agree. It’s a good time to be a public relations professional , but we need to embrace and lead the convergence change effort.