PR Evolves into a Service Center

Many of us dreamed of the day that PR would be so important—an indispensable function that becomes the responsibility of the entire organization. Our dream has come true and then some. But it’s much bigger than just boxing it into the existing PR paradigm. As we alluded to earlier, Social Media impacts every department. In many cases, PR will eventually coalign with outbound customer service as a new form of unmarketing. The marketing hats come off, and your listening skills kick into gear. And because communities are, at the very least, opportunities to engage, these opportunities are presented as questions, complaints, observations, or general conversations. PR and customer service can work together to position the company as an industry resource.

Social Media is rooted in conversations between online peers, regardless of the technology that facilitates the conversation, and every day these conversations take place across blogs, networks, forums, micromedia, and online groups. And each day, with the creation of every new community and social tool that is introduced, brands, products, and services are actively discussed, supported, and sometimes disputed and disassembled. Some companies are listening, whereas many others aren’t even paying attention.