Technological advances continue to push media work: the pressures to be creative and innovative

In today’s society, we often describe the field of Public Relations (PR) as one that is young and still developing. This means that there are a myriad of definitions attempting to define what this field is. PR is thus referred to as still developing and adapting to the technological advances of the twenty-first century. A common ground on most definitions explores how PR is essentially about managing communication in order to build stronger relationships and mutual understanding between an organisation and its audiences. However, how far will these technological pressures push PR firms in regards to being creative and innovative?

It is in no doubt that digital transformation continue to push media work everyday. With its constant developments and changes, practitioners and enterprises are forced to adapt to these new modes of communication. We live in a constantly changing era where fast-paced workplace environments are essential to maintain success. Managers are now required to acknowledge that in order for them to remain competitive, their employees need to actively and creatively engage in their work. This also means that although it is usually the management teams who have the powerful potential to enhance the process of innovation, it is up to the individual who becomes the source of new ideas.

Creativity is considered a valuable feature in enterprises such as firms, cultural institutions and social networks. In today’s knowledge economy, it is no doubt that the value of creativity is increasing. So what motivates firms to change and be creative?

Rapid changes in technology and global competition ultimately means the success of many organisations has become more dependent on their ability to bring innovative products and skills to the workplace market. But innovation relies on the generation of creativity, new ideas and thus creativity and innovation are integral terms utilised to describe the elements of change media and cannot be simultaneously used.

The terms creativity and innovation are sometimes used simultaneously to emphasise the need for change. However, the definition of creativity needs to be differentiated from the definition of innovation. While the constructs of both these terms are related, they are essentially different. Creativity involves creating useful processes and services whereas innovation refers to the implementation of ideas at the individual, group or organisation level. In this way, creativity is perceived as the first step required for the innovative process.

A study conducted on PR practitioners’ new technology use found that technological innovations in the last 25 years have influenced many aspects of PR practice. The use of computers first became dominant for word processing, budgeting and media database management. Shortly after, it was the prime communicative tool for PR practitioners to communicate with their colleagues and clients to the point where even tele-communication innovations brought along satellite video feeds. Today, PR has entered what is called the fourth wave of technological change where questions arise of its influence and impact in reaching audiences.

So what is change and what drives it? Is it externally driven because technology is now a dominant source? Or is it strategic, in its aim to reach new audiences, hence in turn, achieving organisational objectives? The answer is, it could be both.

Essentially, technology is changing innovation at its finest by allowing companies to experiment new ideas at speeds and prices not possible just a decade ago. They can manually measure results from online campaigns, and work on ways to boost productivity just as quickly. This means that innovation initiatives can be completed in a few seconds. However, as this rapid speed of work is proving to make almost everything digital possible, PR firms are urged to stay up-to-date with these digital transformations. International enterprises can easily communicate with their other branches with the press of an email and more employees are expected to engage in the creative process. I have seen companies who now operate all their tasks in-house with content producers working with the in-house communications team. Andrew Giles, head of communications and PR at Canon Australia believes that the in-house team and the agency team need to work together cohesively. This change is new however, considering some agencies still believe that outsourcing their communication work can bring fresh outside perspectives. For example, Canon PR continues to outsource its account to another PR firm, Ogilvy PR. In this case, it is Ogilvy PR who pitches the stories for Canon.

Thus, creativity and innovation is becoming more prevalent and highly prized as we spend more time on our laptops, tablets and mobile phones. This emphasis on two-way communication has allowed and impacted PR firms to connect virtually as well as physically. Ultimately, Media and Communication firms face the challenge to connect with their audiences through these devices and platforms predominantly used and in developing campaign strategies that work across all social media, and e-commerce. This results in modern day PR firms being required to implement new ways to connect in order to combat these challenges. New technology channels produce communication techniques that have the powerful potential to enhance and generate a unique creative environment that is considered an arena of innovation.

Areas that have been transformed by the digital change, include the speed, relevance and reach of campaigns. Digital marketing has also increased the relevance of messages. With a multitude of ways for customers to access media, whether through news websites, Facebook, YouTube or via mobile and tablet apps, an idea can easily be transferred. The issue is that practitioners need to up-skill and stay updated in this fast-moving communications enterprise. Working with web developers and social media professionals is now almost an obligation and outsourcing may not be as useful, thus content producers are required to work in-house. Practitioners need to be more tech-savvy, with knowledge on data and analytics. Fundamentally, the technically minded staff on the digital side need to be more creative. Technical knowledge is the biggest challenge in order for campaigns to still be effective, and thus people must work hand-in-hand with different teams. In this way, entrepreneurs will need to ensure their teams lead the change.

The digital transformation is a significant one. We see the impact of technology on PR practitioners’ roles and how this has changed considerably. With the arrival of technology, change has become an inevitable part of innovation. The internet is now considered a core element in the media mix. Its main goal is to improve both one-way and two-way communication and many organisations are relying on the use of social media services to convey messages and enhance the connection with their audience. It also allows communication on an international scale. Thus, it is only by enterprises being open to adapt to these changes that they can continue the highly-prized cycle of creativity and innovation, and therefore, achieve success.

References:

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