A call-out to PR Week

Today I received my usual copy of PR Week. Before I even tear off the plastic cover the sigh comes...why oh why am I so uninspired by the trade title for my industry? Because I can predict that only big brands and big agencies will be covered in any detail and that it will just be a mish mash of new appointments (of a big-wig to a big agency or a big brand) or new client wins (of a big client by a big agency). All the also-rans, the little people, will be very lucky if they get a nib down the side of the page.

OK, so I run a small agency (although it is part of a much more significantly sized US firm) and naturally I am biased but I genuinely am interested in what other small agency owners and managers are doing. I want to learn about how they met and faced challenges. I really don’t see any value in long articles about why Cadbury's chose Big Agency A.

I also despair at the lack of content or reviews of the plethora of services that are out there for the PR industry. All PR Week can be bothered to do is run the odd feature on measurement or broadcast. I want to know who provides these services, how they have benefited clients and how much they cost so I can keep up to date with all the new developments.

Yesterday I wrote an opinion piece about how PR agencies are going to have to reinvent themselves with the rise of the power of the consumer as indicated by the rapid growth of social media. How on earth are we to be able to do this when our own trade paper refuses to acknowledge that we need to know what tools and services are out there to help us do our jobs better? PR week should take a leaf out of NMA's (New Media Age) book and really embrace everyone in the industry and not single out the powerful few.

Comments

[Sarah]

I whole-heartedly agree with your comments regarding PR Week. Instead of using its leading position to provide insightful and helpful information to PR professionals, PR Week's editorial staff appear to revel in searching out the negative in a story. PR Week has never been relevant to me (apart from looking for jobs), not as a junior account executive or now as an account director … and by the sounds of things it never will be!