Modern bridges

OF ALL the technological marvels invented in the 20th century, perhaps none may have had a more profound influence to society than the Internet. Besides serving up information at lightning speed, the almost unlimited network has brought people closer together through advanced communications.

Industries, in turn, are becoming increasingly reliant on these advancements. For instance, businesses that were once confined to the four walls of their establishments can now market products and offer services globally with relative ease.

For a profession that largely banks on effective communication like the public relations or PR practice, proficiency in these advancements would perhaps be even more crucial.

Jeremy Galbraith, chief strategy officer of Burson-Marsteller, a multinational public relations firm based in New York City, acknowledged that the most influential trends in the industry are based on the advancements of communication technology, particularly the increasingly popular smartphones.

“The biggest trend with the greatest immediate impact on communication is the shift to mobile. Global mobile traffic currently represents 17.4% of all internet traffic and is rapidly increasing,” Mr. Galbraith reported in an article titled “10 Global Communication Trends in 2014.” Published early last year, the report said that mobile access of the Internet is expected to surpass traditional desktop Internet use in the forthcoming years and that “mobile has become so deeply embedded in our lives by offering convenience through immediacy, simplicity, and context.”

The heavy usage of mobile devices to access the Internet is only starting to take root. Through mobile — and soon wearable — technology, he continued, each “of us can receive individualized content which also points to another major trend, that of personalisation.”

The lofty endeavor would provide personalized content to individuals which would “be a perfect example of tapping into our emotional desire to be seen as unique personalities.” Public relations professionals should be the ones to take on the job of convincing companies to move on from more traditional tactics in favor of “smarter approaches that extend their personalisation capabilities beyond the PC.”

“The ability to deliver relevant communication across multiple channels will transform these marketing efforts from an unwanted intrusion into valued services,” he added.

With myriad information being spread in multiple platforms, public relations professionals need to keep pace with the fast- evolving environment. “The challenge is dealing every day with two huge data explosions: the expanding universe of ‘digital influencers’ and the massive volume of social media conversations and real-time mentions that concern your brand, industry and competition.”

With the volume of mentions, brands and PR practitioners need to prioritize more than ever. “Find out who matters,” he shared, adding that what is being said, how this will be able to sway the public, and how to best engage with them need to be determined as well.

“Balancing the emotional or the dialogue with the rational or the measurement of influence is the key,” he said.

However, the ability to spread information rapidly and in multiple platforms is a double-edged sword. It can damage a brand the same it can help in building it.

“In our hyper-connected world, the trend is increasingly towards hypertransparent communication,” he said. “Consumers and other stakeholders have many more channels at their disposal for exposing and discrediting companies for any lack of honesty.”

Whether what is being disseminated is a fact or a fabrication, the key to countering negative publicity would be transparency.

“As difficult a concept as that is for many, transparency is the only answer and any failures in this area are punished with alarming speed and efficiency. Brands that embrace this hyper- honesty trend will reap the benefits in consumer trust.”