Comments on: Is the PR Industry Just Sleepwalking Between 9 and 5? http://www.davidhenderson.com/2010/09/17/is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5 Writer, communications strategist, Emmy Award winning former CBS News correspondent Tue, 22 May 2012 15:13:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Kyle Rhodes http://www.davidhenderson.com/2010/09/17/is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5/#comment-8186 Kyle Rhodes Tue, 16 Nov 2010 03:12:43 +0000 http://www.davidhenderson.com/?p=7133#comment-8186 Nice post David - thanks for giving me more evidence to help justify my policy of taking the time to build a legitimate media contacts list and writing specific pitches for individual journalists. Besides Vocus, Cision and other CRM solutions that have their own media lists, do you recommend any CRM tools to PR professionals who already have a good number of contacts and mainly want to better manager them? Nice post David – thanks for giving me more evidence to help justify my policy of taking the time to build a legitimate media contacts list and writing specific pitches for individual journalists.

Besides Vocus, Cision and other CRM solutions that have their own media lists, do you recommend any CRM tools to PR professionals who already have a good number of contacts and mainly want to better manager them?

]]> By: DH http://www.davidhenderson.com/2010/09/17/is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5/#comment-5927 DH Sun, 19 Sep 2010 17:01:03 +0000 http://www.davidhenderson.com/?p=7133#comment-5927 Okay, Frank. You are certainly welcome to your opinion. But others at Vocus, including a founder, have had a different story. Okay, Frank. You are certainly welcome to your opinion. But others at Vocus, including a founder, have had a different story.

]]> By: Frank Strong http://www.davidhenderson.com/2010/09/17/is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5/#comment-5899 Frank Strong Sat, 18 Sep 2010 13:56:52 +0000 http://www.davidhenderson.com/?p=7133#comment-5899 David - I'm sorry, but your last comment simply is not accurate. In fact, I've pointed out the opposite in my previous comments. If 2004 is the last time you spoke to someone from the company, or saw the software, then my offer still stands: since we are both local, I'd be happy to sit down with you in person. A lot can happen in six years. David – I’m sorry, but your last comment simply is not accurate. In fact, I’ve pointed out the opposite in my previous comments. If 2004 is the last time you spoke to someone from the company, or saw the software, then my offer still stands: since we are both local, I’d be happy to sit down with you in person. A lot can happen in six years.

]]> By: DH http://www.davidhenderson.com/2010/09/17/is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5/#comment-5898 DH Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:45:27 +0000 http://www.davidhenderson.com/?p=7133#comment-5898 Frank, Actually, I got a different story from one of the company's founders when I interviewed him in 2001. He told me that Vocus, when originally located in Reston, had worked on data collection software for the medical profession but saw better potential in the field of PR. None of them had any experience in either field. Interestingly, his story was repeated to me in 2004 by the newly hired VP of Marketing for Vocus who said pretty much the same thing. So, it is possible, Frank, that you have been sold a bit of corporate revisionist history. While I know Vocus sells to PR people and agencies who have not bothered to take the time to develop meaningful media contacts, the company could be far more valuable and meaningful were it to provide enhanced guidance on how communications is managed in today's digital era, rather than just hustle the promise of reaching hundreds of thousand of media contacts. David Frank,

Actually, I got a different story from one of the company’s founders when I interviewed him in 2001. He told me that Vocus, when originally located in Reston, had worked on data collection software for the medical profession but saw better potential in the field of PR. None of them had any experience in either field. Interestingly, his story was repeated to me in 2004 by the newly hired VP of Marketing for Vocus who said pretty much the same thing. So, it is possible, Frank, that you have been sold a bit of corporate revisionist history.
While I know Vocus sells to PR people and agencies who have not bothered to take the time to develop meaningful media contacts, the company could be far more valuable and meaningful were it to provide enhanced guidance on how communications is managed in today’s digital era, rather than just hustle the promise of reaching hundreds of thousand of media contacts.

David

]]> By: Frank Strong http://www.davidhenderson.com/2010/09/17/is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5/#comment-5889 Frank Strong Fri, 17 Sep 2010 23:14:00 +0000 http://www.davidhenderson.com/?p=7133#comment-5889 David: Vocus was never a data collection software -- and it never catered to the medical profession. It did start off as PAC software, a product that still exists and is used by many clients today (has nothing to do with media relations). However it grew to evolve into PR around 1999 -- SaaS before SaaS was cool. Though I'm an in-house guy now, I was then at an agency and a beta customer. Perhaps one of it's first customers. Today I'd like to think I'm one of it's toughest customers, though I clearly advocate for the company, I take comments like yours quite seriously - as does the company. Like I wrote before, I don't disagree with your comment in principle -- the right information, to the right people, at the right time. That's where Vocus is a great tool. Smarter. Not more. That said, the media relations component, is just one piece of a bigger puzzle now, given social media and social media monitoring. David: Vocus was never a data collection software — and it never catered to the medical profession. It did start off as PAC software, a product that still exists and is used by many clients today (has nothing to do with media relations). However it grew to evolve into PR around 1999 — SaaS before SaaS was cool. Though I’m an in-house guy now, I was then at an agency and a beta customer. Perhaps one of it’s first customers. Today I’d like to think I’m one of it’s toughest customers, though I clearly advocate for the company, I take comments like yours quite seriously – as does the company.

Like I wrote before, I don’t disagree with your comment in principle — the right information, to the right people, at the right time. That’s where Vocus is a great tool. Smarter. Not more.

That said, the media relations component, is just one piece of a bigger puzzle now, given social media and social media monitoring.

]]> By: DH http://www.davidhenderson.com/2010/09/17/is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5/#comment-5883 DH Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:22:10 +0000 http://www.davidhenderson.com/?p=7133#comment-5883 Frank, It's David. Appreciate your comment. I've followed Vocus since about 2003 when it moved from being data collection software for the medical profession to the PR uses, and I know how Vocus has asked clients initially for their media lists which are not always accurate or valid. Sort of a garbage in-garbage out approach, in my opinion. But, more than that, today's most effective methods for meaningful communications are not about promising to reach vast numbers but rather about providing influence, incisive value and ROI. Unfortunately, Vocus - through no particular fault of your company - is used too often by lazy and/or insecure PR people and agencies in attempting to prove results through numbers, an approach that is neither relevant nor particularly honest. David Frank,

It’s David.

Appreciate your comment. I’ve followed Vocus since about 2003 when it moved from being data collection software for the medical profession to the PR uses, and I know how Vocus has asked clients initially for their media lists which are not always accurate or valid. Sort of a garbage in-garbage out approach, in my opinion. But, more than that, today’s most effective methods for meaningful communications are not about promising to reach vast numbers but rather about providing influence, incisive value and ROI. Unfortunately, Vocus – through no particular fault of your company – is used too often by lazy and/or insecure PR people and agencies in attempting to prove results through numbers, an approach that is neither relevant nor particularly honest.

David

]]> By: Frank Strong http://www.davidhenderson.com/2010/09/17/is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5/#comment-5882 Frank Strong Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:14:43 +0000 http://www.davidhenderson.com/?p=7133#comment-5882 Dave -- I've long read your (many) posts with a sideways comment about Vocus. I don't disagree with the principle of what you say, but I also don't think you understand what the software does. It's designed for relationship building; think: CRM for PR professionals. Interaction tracking, information gathering and aggregation all geared towards understanding what a writer is interested in, in order to reach them with relevant content. The best PR pros understand this: relationships matter. No doubt about it. Can technology be misused? Absolutely. Still there's countless cases -- mail-merge e-mail comes to mind. I'd be happy to show you what we do -- or since we're both local, sit down and chat anytime. Cheers, Frank / fstrong-at-vocus.com Dave — I’ve long read your (many) posts with a sideways comment about Vocus. I don’t disagree with the principle of what you say, but I also don’t think you understand what the software does. It’s designed for relationship building; think: CRM for PR professionals. Interaction tracking, information gathering and aggregation all geared towards understanding what a writer is interested in, in order to reach them with relevant content. The best PR pros understand this: relationships matter. No doubt about it. Can technology be misused? Absolutely. Still there’s countless cases — mail-merge e-mail comes to mind. I’d be happy to show you what we do — or since we’re both local, sit down and chat anytime.

Cheers,
Frank / fstrong-at-vocus.com

]]> By: DH http://www.davidhenderson.com/2010/09/17/is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5/#comment-5877 DH Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:09:53 +0000 http://www.davidhenderson.com/?p=7133#comment-5877 A number of forward-thinking individuals are working to refine the social media release, and that's an exciting direction. A number of forward-thinking individuals are working to refine the social media release, and that’s an exciting direction.

]]> By: DH http://www.davidhenderson.com/2010/09/17/is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5/#comment-5876 DH Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:08:59 +0000 http://www.davidhenderson.com/?p=7133#comment-5876 Fair enough, Keith, and your comment is much appreciated. But too many of today's crop of PR people ... even the junior ones ... are locked into "1975." Fair enough, Keith, and your comment is much appreciated. But too many of today’s crop of PR people … even the junior ones … are locked into “1975.”

]]> By: Keith Trivitt http://www.davidhenderson.com/2010/09/17/is-the-pr-industry-just-sleepwalking-between-9-and-5/#comment-5875 Keith Trivitt Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:06:22 +0000 http://www.davidhenderson.com/?p=7133#comment-5875 Interesting thoughts, David, and thanks for sharing your perspective. While I think its a bit of a stretch to ask if PR professionals are sleepwalking throughout the day in terms of their work and obligations to clients based off just the one anecdote you provide, I do agree with you that in certain cases, we still see PR pros acting as though this is 1975 and the mere thought of anything digital scares the crap out of them. The biggest takeaway from your post for me is that PR pros need to be more in tune with what today's media needs. And that is increasingly help on getting a story or blog post out faster than ever before, and with very limited staff and resources to do so, they need images, quotes they can pull directly from an e-mail correspondence with them, stats, facts, figures, etc. that they can easily pull and drop into a story. Increasingly, I find us as PR pros becoming more a part of the reporting process than ever before, which, IMO, means our efforts and strategic counsel for clients are necessary and will be in demand increasingly so, but it also means we will have greater ethical demands placed on us, not only to clients, but to media as a whole. @KeithTrivitt Interesting thoughts, David, and thanks for sharing your perspective. While I think its a bit of a stretch to ask if PR professionals are sleepwalking throughout the day in terms of their work and obligations to clients based off just the one anecdote you provide, I do agree with you that in certain cases, we still see PR pros acting as though this is 1975 and the mere thought of anything digital scares the crap out of them.

The biggest takeaway from your post for me is that PR pros need to be more in tune with what today’s media needs. And that is increasingly help on getting a story or blog post out faster than ever before, and with very limited staff and resources to do so, they need images, quotes they can pull directly from an e-mail correspondence with them, stats, facts, figures, etc. that they can easily pull and drop into a story.

Increasingly, I find us as PR pros becoming more a part of the reporting process than ever before, which, IMO, means our efforts and strategic counsel for clients are necessary and will be in demand increasingly so, but it also means we will have greater ethical demands placed on us, not only to clients, but to media as a whole.

@KeithTrivitt

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