PR 2.0 and the Enterprise

PR 2.0 has emerged as the term that captures the movement of applying social media tools and techniques in public relations. Whether you agree with the term or not, the fact is everything has changed and will continue to do so at an accelerating rate. And yet there are still many, many companies, particularly those that sell to the enterprise, that have barely dipped their toes in the water.  

We've all heard many reasons for this. Do my customers really use social media? What kind of time commitment would this require? What is the ROI? Robert Scoble, who is largely credited with making corporate blogging viable through his Scobleizer blog on Microsoft, was recently interviewed by CIO Insights, in which he touches on why so many enterprises fall short in the application of social media tools.

Maybe companies feel so overwhelmed because there are so many tools and they just aren't sure where and how to begin. A good PR person or agency will help them make these decisions. But I believe these are more tactical issues that can be resolved easily. The biggest factor holding companies back is that they don't understand the strategic importance of doing so and how it will be essential to the long term success of their business. In particular, they need to see themselves as publishers of content for their customers and prospects. They just don't produce products or services. They also produce ideas, conversations and community. 

Yes, I believe that there will be a third party media channel, but what it will look like in five, heck, even two years, I don't know.  But what is clear is to me is that enterprises now more than ever must adopt that academic ethic -- publish or perish.