"Digital runs through everything!" - Keynoter Rob Brown/Staniforth im Interview

Das  PR 2.0 FORUM am 15. Dezember in Hamburg wird Rob Brown von Staniforth in Manchester mit seiner Keynote eröffnen. Der Buchautor von "Public Relations and the Social Web" leitet die Geschäfte der Agentur in Großbritannien und diskutiert in der Eröffnungsrede die Herausforderungen an die Kommunikation in Zeiten von inflationär-zunehmenden Online-Gesprächen.

Rob, can you please introduce yourself briefly: What agency are you working for and what is your field of specialization?

I'm Managing Director of Staniforth\. We are a PR company and part of the TBWA\ UK Group and have offices in Manchester and London. I'm a PR generalist working in corporate, consumer and B2B communications. I have always had an interest in digital channels but I don't think it should be regarded as a specialisation. Digital runs through everything.

How important is Social Media today for Public Relations? And what changes did it bring upon?

It's essential to understand it as it changes the dynamics of what we do. The changes are fundamental. Communications was broadly linear now it is far more complex.

At our upcoming PR 2.0 FORUM we have invited you as our keynote speaker. You will talk about the "Challenges for Communications in an Age of Communications". Can you give us a short outlook on what we can expect you to talk about?

I'm going to briefly comment on the changes that we have experienced. I'm going to describe the challenges and risks to the Public Relations profession and I'm going to explore the opportunities. I'll make the case for redefining the practise of public relations to take account of the new landscape; how reputation must be managed, how PR impacts on SEO and SEM. I'll also discuss why traditional PR skills are vital in the modern practise on marketing communications.

Can you agree on the main theme of our conference in regards to the increasing challenge (or even problem) for communication activities within the "overflowing" river of social communications?

The sheer scale and diversity of content on the web makes the practise of PR far more complex than it was. The challenge is to make sense of what is going on. We need to identify where influence lies and the dynamics of online communications. There are lots of tools to help us and many ways to do this.

By what means can PR ensure a successful dialogue with consumers?

There are lots of ways to engage in dialogue but whatever route we choose it needs to be manageable and ultimately valuable to organisation, companies and brands as well as to their consumers.  It needs to be meaningful dialogue.

Would you agree to the statement that back-to-the-roots grounded content strategies win over fast-paced "fan"-collecting concepts?

The vital component is to ensure that the strategy meets the objectives. Content is vital and so it the need for authenticity and a down to earth relationship with the consumer. Building communities around fans or followers is not a bad thing but it is essential that these communities are relevant.

Thank you for the interview, see you next week!

Weitere Infos zur Konferenz finden Sie auf www.pr20forum.de. Für Junioren/Freelancer/Kleinagenturen gibt es wie immer Sonderpreise.