PR and reputation management

While in the process of completing an assignment, I came across a recent article by washingtonpost.com highlighting how Google is being used to manage our online reputation. Because of the simple fact that Google indexes millions of pages a day, information previously only accessible via hardcopy records are now freely available over the internet. If there is an online identity, there is online reputation vis a vis social networks, blogs and community oriented sites like YouTube.

The article mentioned a new company called Reputation Defender. I visited their website and found that, unsurprisingly, most of the founders and management team are actually non-communications professionals with prior expertise in areas like technology, law, software application and business development. The magic behind online reputation management is actually search-engine optimization (SEO) techniques. Theoretically, anyone who knows their way around the internet and who are tech-savvy can employ SEO techniques in the same way Reputation Defender does.

I feel that the problem with such “reputation specialists”, is that without the benefit of  formal training in public relations, how would they see the bigger picture because the truth is you cannot separate online reputation from the ‘offline’ reputation because one affects the other. These should be managed synergistically. Reputation management therefore is best left to PR professionals. In the same vein, PR and communication agencies must learn to harness this technology because reputation management, whether online or offline, will be an important element in the communication mix of the wired generation. As PR continues to evolve, online reputation management will become an important aspect in the overall communication strategy.

IBM report: The Advertising Armageddon?

I read with interest the recent report “The End of Advertising as We Know It” issued by IBM which forecasts “greater disruption for the advertising industry in the next five years than occurred in the previous 50.”. The report can be view here.

Whoa. Very doomsday-like with IBM predicting drastic upheavals in the advertising industry. I wouldn’t exactly call it the end of advertising. This is the beginning of a critical shift that will cause traditional advertising to evolve, NOT go kaput. We are beginning to glimpse the changes that are to come: Google’s OpenSocial and Facebook’s SocialAds, which delivers personalised advertising content based on users’ interests.

Remember the Tom Cruise movie Minority Report? There were scenes that showed him running through a metro train and a shopping mall in the midst of his escapade from the baddies. Very tiny machines scanned his retina and flashed personalised ad contents based on his purchasing history, interests etc.

When I saw that, it was all very wow and futuristic. In probably 10-15 years time, we may not be too far off from that future.

Google Print Ads

The word’s been out for some time already but search engine giant Google has officially launched Google Print Ads, which is basically a version of its Google Adwords incarnated in print form.

It is interesting to note how Google is extending its reach beyond that of the internet sphere and muscling in on territories traditionally dominated by advertising agencies and other media companies. I can imagine them peeing in their pants now. Should they be worried at all? What’s to stop Google from moving on to the radio and television mediums? The Google empire is growing every year and they are on the prowl for other lucrative channels.

Personally I find the idea a little disturbing. Imagine seeing Google EVERYWHERE you turn… Google Radio Ads, Google Television Ads, Google Bus Ads, Google Billboards, Google YellowPages. It’s a freaking scary thought.

No doubt Google may be trying to grab a slice of the pie, but its mainstay and strongest influence is still the internet medium. At this point, it may be too early to tell whether Google Print Ads will create any impact on the media landscape.