The Public Relations industry has faced dramatic changes in the past few years in terms of new technology and media channels as well as new opportunities for communicating with clients and businesses. The main reason for this is the emergence of social media networking which enabled customers to easily and quickly engage in a two-way communication process with companies. For businesses on the other hand this represents a huge challenge of how to effectively handle the new forms of engagement so that they now realize the increasing importance of Public Relations as an organisational function. However, social media is still a big challenge for the PR industry itself. That is why the project aimed to research this new development and find comprehensive insights into what exactly happened and how should PR practitioners better approach new media opportunities.
The age of ‘we talk, you listen’ style of company communication is gone; the dialogue with stakeholders is the only way forward, because the emergence of social media has changed the way consumers form opinions and make decisions (Flint, 2009). Therefore, many PR specialists, including Brown, Solis, Scott and others believe that we are now at the peak of a magnificent era for the PR practice. It also means that there are new tools and new techniques needed to meet client’s needs and requirements. Butterick (2011) also mentions that the rise of digital media has transformed our channels of communication and the journalism practice (closely linked to PR), which in turn has had and will continue having an enormous impact on public relations.
As social media changes constantly there is a continuous need to frequently investigate how social media is altering the PR practice, which is the main justification and objective for this research. A first step in this study was examining a vast amount of recent literature sources. This critical review played the role of a basis to develop the following primary research and determine its focus according to the identified gaps in the literature. The report presents a number of existing evidence illustrating how greatly social media has changed and continues to change the PR industry.
Another purpose of the research was to examine the reasons for this phenomenon. To do so the research also aimed to investigate how practitioners themselves use social media and how it has been integrated into the Marketing Mix. As Brown summarizes: “Now we are seeing altogether new ways
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
:- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Public Relations
- What is PR?
- A New Definition is Needed
- Main Functions and Activities of PROs
- The PR Industry
- Growing Importance
- Still Bad Reputation?
- The Internet Evolution
- Social Media
- Defining Web 2.0
- Defining Social Media
- From Monologue to Dialogue
- Traditional Media vs. New Media
- Social Media Revolution and the ‘Now’ Factor
- Changing Consumer Behaviour
- Integrating PR and Social Media in the Marketing Mix
- The Traditional Marketing Mix Today
- New Tools for the Traditional Marketing Mix
- Integrated Marketing Communications
- Social Media’s Impact on PR
- How about PR Theory?
- Impact? How? Why?
- What is New PR?
- Social Media Activities, Tools and Skills for PR professionals
- And in Reality – How is Social Media being used by PR professionals?
- Conclusions
- Public Relations
- Research Methodology
- Research Objectives
- Research Philosophies and Paradigms
- Research Strategy
- Research Methods
- Quantitative Methods
- Survey Structure and Design
- Sampling and Survey Distribution
- Qualitative Methods
- Interview Structure and Design
- Sampling and Conduction of Interviews
- Consideration on Ethical Issues
- Conclusions
- Quantitative Methods
- Research Findings and Discussion
- Quantitative Data Findings
- Participants’ Profile
- RQ1: Impact of Social Media on the PR Industry
- RQ2: Social Media Usage by PR Professionals
- Qualitative Data Findings
- Participants’ Profile
- RQ1: Impact of Social Media on the PR Industry
- RQ2: Social Media Usage by PR Professionals
- RQ3: Measurement and Monitoring Issues
- Discussion
- Quantitative Data Findings
- Conclusions and Recommendations
- Main Conclusions
- Limitations
- Recommendations for Future Research
- References
- Bibliography
- Appendices
- Appendix 1: Questionnaire Design and Structure
- Appendix 2: Questionnaire Results
- Appendix 3: Interview Design and Structure
- Appendix 4: Interview Transcripts
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
: This research investigates the influence of social media on the PR industry. The study seeks to identify how social media has altered PR practices and explore the ways PR professionals utilize these new tools and platforms. The main objectives are to examine:- The impact of social media on PR, both positive and negative.
- The ways PR professionals use social media in their work and personal lives.
- The challenges of measuring and monitoring PR and social media activities.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
: The Introduction outlines the research topic, its purpose, and the structure of the report. The Literature Review provides a comprehensive overview of public relations, the PR industry, social media, and their integration within the marketing mix. It delves into the impact of social media on PR, exploring new tools, activities, and skills required for PR professionals. The Research Methodology section details the research objectives, philosophies, paradigms, and strategies employed, including the rationale for choosing both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The Research Findings and Discussion chapter presents the results of the survey and interviews, offering insights into how social media has impacted the PR industry and the ways practitioners utilize these platforms. The Discussion section compares and contrasts the findings from the literature review with the primary research results. Finally, the Conclusions and Recommendations chapter summarizes the key findings, acknowledges limitations of the study, and provides recommendations for future research.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
: The primary keywords and concepts explored in this work include social media, public relations, PR industry, social media impact on PR, PR 2.0, marketing mix, integrated marketing communications, measurement and monitoring, PR skills, and digital natives.- Quote paper
- Iliyana Stareva (Author), 2012, The Impact of Social Media on the PR Industry, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/262473
