ex(PR)essed

Yesterday was a double whammy confirmation of a dawning realization that I have feared for quite some time: I am being left behind in the dust of technology.

A few of us participated in a webinar yesterday about how podcasting can help build your corporate reputation. The webinar began with a very interesting conversation about how social media is changing corporate communication, a trend we are certainly seeing at Messiah: Prospective students now place more value and trust in student blogs and informal conversations about Messiah on Facebook than they do on officials admissions and promotional materials from the College. As a matter of fact, many consumers in general are skeptical of official spokespersons and professional communications, both of which consumer perceive as sanitized in a day and age when they can shape their media choices based on their very specific preferences.

Obviously, these types of consumer perceptions are having profound effects on the public relations world. Even doing PR for a small-ish organization in central Pennsylvania, I understand that while communicating clearly will certainly remain the core of my job, I must think creatively about which outlets I will use to most effectively communicate to Messiah’s various audiences. I can no longer simply rely on this blog as my big foray into Web 2.0!

Last night, my 20-year-old friend Brenda came to our house to mooch off our neighbor’s wireless internet connection. Brenda attends college in northern California, and at 8 p.m. (EST) she was auditioning for a part in a California community theater’s musical production of “The Secret Garden.” She was auditioning for a part more than 3,000 miles away from our loft! Using her Mac’s video chat capabilities, Brenda sang for and talked with the play’s director while Jeff and I tidied up around the house. She performed acapella, but not without once again using a feature on her Mac to “find her first note.” Amazing.

What’s great is that I don’t necessarily feel overwhelmed by the advancing technology…I feel excited about the potential and possibilities! I feel challenged to think creatively, to think beyond my blog or my Facebook page and start exploring the myriad opportunities out there!