I was fascinated to read some takeouts of the World Advertising Research Center conference. The context was set as ‘people power, participation and the herd effect’. The conference particularly highlighted the growth of Word of Mouth (WOM) and Consumer Generated Media (CGM). Whilst the investment in these new media is yet to make much of a splash next to advertising, the ad industry does recognise its role is changing.
They see themselves moving away from ending conversations and towards starting them. But isn’t this what PR has been doing forever? So whats stopping PR Professionals taking ownership of these media?
The conference made an important distinction between types communications assets such that relevant measurement could be applied. The suggested asset types were:
- Rented – Advertising
- Earned – WOM, Reputation
- Owned – Instore, installed base
The point was made that clients can achieve stand-out by focusing spend on the last two and leverage their existing advantages in these. My interpretation of this is:
- Earned – encourage/support customer discussion. Something PR excels at, particularly via third party endorsement.
- Owned - seen through usage (installed base) and/or in-store. This is what ‘buzz’ PR is so good at creating.
With advertisers and PR professionals both playing on the same communications oval, I find it curious to reflect on how well they are actually playing to their strengths...and for the team!
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