My response to Niall Cook

Niall, I don't think its about ego. I think its about fundamental structures and attitudes to business and the practices that follow from those structures and attitudes.

Here is the text of the email I got from a branch of your organisation earlier this year: I've deleted the text of the email because Niall Cook says it is either illegal or unethical. I don't know if it is or not. They didn't ask me to delete it but if its a drama for them? But basically, they disinvited me after I accepted because they didn't want me on the stage at a H&K event. Which seems to me not to be in keeping with the idea of open and / or naked conversations.

How does that stack up against this excerpt from Scoble's corporate blogging manifesto:

"18) Link to your competitors and say nice things about them. Remember, you're part of an industry and if the entire industry gets bigger, you'll probably win more than your fair share of business and you'll get bigger too. Be better than your competitors -- people remember that. I remember sending lots of customers over to the camera shop that competed with me and many of those folks came back to me and said "I'd rather buy it from you, can you get me that?" Remember how Bill Gates got DOS? He sent IBM to get it from DRI Research. They weren't all that helpful, so IBM said "hey, why don't you get us an OS?"

When I was invited by H&K to participate my initial reaction was: why should I help them out? But I accepted because I was influenced by Scoble and others and felt we need to get over some of these petty industry practices if blogging is going to be more than just another product.

Back in October 2004 when Edelman started the blog in question, my colleague Keith Jackson posted a link and welcoming note onthis site. "Our fraternal congratulations to Richard Edelman".

I'm glad H&K is now participating in Global PR Blog Week, an event that I initiated and worked with a group of independent and small agency PR practitioners to make happen in 2004. The purpose of this event was to create a sense of community among PR bloggers and to encourage other PR practitioners to start blogging.

Steve RubelIn my view, no big company could or would do something like this. Big PR companies are interested in maximising their market share and they want, as the H&K email above demonstrates, branded events.

One spin-off of the Global PR Blog week exercise was the new pr wiki, created and largely maintained by the ever-dedicated Constantin Basturea (who did most, or much, of the work to make global pr blog week happen). Constantin has also done other community building efforts like PR Headlines, PR blog list on bloglines and the PR pubsub list. Compare constantin's efforts with Edelman's disdain to even acknowledge the existence of other PR bloggers.

Recently on the pr wiki, Steve Rubel tried to get a discussion going among big pr companies, which I noticed you were a participant in. Unfortunately, the discussion seems to have petered out. No sign of a contribution from Richard Edelman, or anyone else from that putative cluetrain organisation.

So that's my point. When I see big companies not just participating in the conversation (as you and one or two other big company people are doing) but actually initiating and driving online activities that help create a new social-media focused PR then I'll change my view. But until then, I continue to hold that change will not come from the centre (the big global businesses that unfortunately dominate the PR industry) but from the fringes; from independents and small agency people who can break free and try new approaches.

Tags: PR, Public Relations, Blogging, Cluetrain, Conversation, Global PR Blog Week, Edelman, Niall Cook,  New PR Wiki, Steve Rubel

Comments

[Niall Cook]

Trevor, I won't try and speak on behalf on my Australian colleagues but now you have posted the private email you received, maybe they will comment.

You make some good points here, although I think there is a difference between "sharing the stage" (the issue I was commenting on) and driving change.

On the latter I agree with you - effecting change hardly ever happens at the centre, even though it may often be initiated there.

[Trevor Cook]

I'll look forward to their contribution

[Jozef Imrich]

Without risk there is no faith, and the greater the risk the greater the faith.
—Sören Kierkegaard

Dissent Protects Democracy, even in the PR context ... Indies are not just rocking the boat but also mainstream rivers.

"I continue to hold that change will not come from the centre (the big global businesses that unfortunately dominate the PR industry) but from the fringes; from independents and small agency people who can break free and try new approaches."

Well expressed, Trevor ...

[Jeremy Pepper]

I remember when you had posted about the H&K invite and disinvite earlier this year (Happy New Year, btw) and thought it was an interesting commentary. But, PR has never been a friendly sandbox, but more like territorial snow forts all playing in an open field. And pelting the crap out of each other.

And, change always starts at the fringes and on the edge: Martin Luther, Martin Luther King ... well, there are tons of examples out there.

[Trevor Cook]

Yes Jeremy I think its likely that a disruptive technology will change the shape and structure of the PR industry.