PR 2.0 Isn't Web 2.0

It’s fascinating to see how the "PR 2.0" manifesto has spread through a natural and intelligent set of influencers over the last 10 years, without attracting “opportunistic” PR professionals to jump on the bandwagon – until now.



Now with Web 2.0 starting to crossover into the mainstream, PR 2.0 (and everything 2.0) has become the golden ticket for misguided marketing professionals.

Just a side point though, how many people can accurately define launched with a similar intent of documenting the transformation of business in a new, online economy (e-conomy for those who remember).

Instead of publishing a magazine however, many savvy marketers decided to use PR 2.0 as a philosophy and practice to improve the quality of work, change the game, and participate in a more informed and intelligent way.

We envisioned fusing the intelligence of market analysts, the mechanics of Web marketing, the credibility of market influencers, and the conviction and reach of passionate evangelists. And to this day, this is still the case.

However, marketers are starting to link PR 2.0 with the social carnival of Web 2.0, offering services to help clients and companies tap into “the power of blogs, social networks, etc.” Many of these people were also guilty of offering hollow “new media” services during the first boom and others are just too young to remember the transformations that were already set in place in the 90s.
The problem is that very few professionals across the generations actually understand the premise behind the evolution, let alone the ideas and more importantly, the technology, behind most things legitimately 2.0.

Selling services without respecting and understanding the playing field truly is the dark side of PR.

PR 2.0 was not at all inspired by Web 2.0. It is, however, influenced by it – just as it was by Web 1.0, search engine marketing (SEM) and social media.

It is the art and science of learning from, and practicing, the pearls of wisdom that shake out from the ongoing street brawl between traditional, social, and new media, as they fight for survival and the ability to influence.

It truly is PR redux, and there are those who are carrying the flag with a true working knowledge and honest conviction in order to improve an industry, long plagued and hampered by the lack of PR for itself.

Unfortunately, the PR industry has positioned itself as a necessary evil or the bastard, oft-misunderstood step child of marketing communications.

There’s been very little done about it, outside of the echo chamber.

Then, to add to the mix, there’s social media…which is also a hot topic as a different set of capital-driven marketers are also
In all honesty, the best new media practitioners are using social tools to conduct so-called PR 2.0 transparently. At the end of the day it's about the conversations you start, not by how many people in the industry understand how you did it.

Most web and marketing savvy pros prefer not categorize significant movements with a simple number - especially if it represents such incredible change. I concur. But in the absence of qualified, representative categories, I ask that we all agree that something is taking place here, and has been shifting for the last ten-fifteen years (at least).

us whatno
A senior PR person recently presented at a local PRSA meeting and claimed that PR 2.0 was created by Web 2.0 and the crowd believed it. Some PR consultants and agencies entitled, “Web 2.0 Drives PR 2.0” the author claims that blogs require PR 2.0, “Given these dynamics, organizations must rethink their marketing and PR strategy, and identify how to harness the power of the geographically dispersed specialist PR 2.0 must target bloggers…” We simply call that blogger or influencer relations…
posts, not presenting. This post was actually pretty informative, but I vehemently disagree that conversations are based on persuasion. It is about knowledge, the understanding of the needs and pain points of the people you’re trying to reach (note: there are many different groups) and the ability to effectively and transparently communicate with them.

I found that the PRSA Boston blog shares my distaste for linking Web 2.0 and PR 2.0 as trendy labels. I don’t at all agree with the rev cycles in this post,For more on Social Media, take a look at SMC.