Valley PR Blog

For marketers, a controlled chaos scenario

By Dan Wool on August 17th, 2009 In Hype!

Len Gutman blogged here last week about Bob Garfield’s new book The Chaos Scenario. Garfield and I traded comments on the post. He called me “in denial” and “pathetic”. I think I’ve never been as honored as I was misunderstood.

The fact is, that’s about the only thing the guy’s wrong about (and I’m really looking forward to his book).  I am just tired of (”adapt or die!”) exclamation points about social media in general.  The PR blogosphere is beating a dead horse – nonetheless, it’s a horse tied to a rocket.

For PR folks, social media has indeed been an evolution, not revolution. Once again, we are adding types and outlets to reach. In the early 20^th Century, radio was added to newspapers. Mid-Century, it was television. In the 90’s we added the Web.  Now, it’s social media.

What is new is the fragmentation. And that it’s global and constant and no longer top-down. Garfield is right: the order of things is exploding and it will be transformative. His scenario spells long-term decline – if not extinction — for TV news, print publications and traditional ad agencies. They can no longer earn high values on their services.

But people will still read newspapers. People will still listen to radio. People will still watch TV. These are simply becoming minority media. They are not going away, they are becoming outnumbered. What was once an extension of the mass media will become the massive media.

The fulcrum of influence has shifted. And PR people will remain influence strategists.

It requires a little more work and thought to get at. But, it has never been easier, cheaper or more effective to reach people. (Garfield describes a “post-advertising world” — I love that term).

Instead of finding the target audience by guesstimate, they now exist in plain sight — easily searched online, loudly overheard, neatly placed into categories and ranked by reach and authority. And, we can start natural conversations with them. (Another great term from Garfield: “listenomics”).

Garfield’s “chaos scenario” for traditional media and the advertisers who support them is a really “controlled chaos scenario” for PR people. It does not fundamentally change our jobs.  Marketing and PR pros continue to be responsible for reaching the right audience, in the right place with the right message.

Consumers will still desire products and services – more than ever.  Brands – especially new entrants and old guards defending their turf– will need our help. As they always have, people who know how to effectively manage chaos and reach consumers will be in high demand and they’ll still take their vigs.

“The flack-o-sphere is extremely well positioned in a post-media world,” Garfield commented.  I couldn’t agree more — pathetically or otherwise.

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