Accelerating the Conversation

When I joined Edelman earlier this year, Richard Edelman made it clear on his blog that digital is the future of the agency. Over the last two months I have seen that the entire workforce shares this same vision. We want to get as many of our clients engaged in horizontal conversation as possible. We realize the days of PR as monologue are over. 

To accomplish this, Edelman is setting up a dedicated group to identify, test, incubate and champion new forms of communications that get people talking across new platforms and channels. The global practice, called Me2Revolution, is focused on helping account teams incorporate emerging technologies and platforms into client programs. Rick Murray is heading it up as President. I am on board as a Senior Vice President in the group as is PR blogging pioneer Phil Gomes and several others worldwide.   

The Me2Revolution group is deliberately small. If you read the recent BusinessWeek cover stories on speed and innovation, a common theme emerges. Big companies are setting up small groups inside to test new concepts - almost like labs, if you will. That's the idea behind Me2Revolution. 

From a personal level, this is a thrill. In two years I have moved from managing PR campaigns to becoming a member of a team that will help Edelman test new concepts in conversational marketing worldwide. I promise there will be lots to talk about in the months ahead. If you have ideas or you work for a company you feel we should be talking to, I would love to hear from you.

Technorati Tags: Edelman, Me2, Me2Revolution, Public Relations

Comments

[Lee White]

Looking forward to see how this progresses. I don't have much influence but I am in contact with the marketing folks here at GSK. As the opportunity arise, I will be sure to make sure Edelman is on the radar screen. I am certain this is the right direction!

[hugh macleod]

Interesting...

[Ed]

In the spirit of shameless self promotion - if you're ever looking to expand, especially in Canada, please send me an email!

Good luck with an exciting venture in a very exciting time for Public Relations.

[owen]

awesome steve. you have the coolest job in the world. ok, one of the coolest. as you experiment with this stuff, don't forget the video! while web video is exploding right now i still haven't seen good examples of video (vlogs, vodcasts, etc) integrated into larger campaigns that include WOM, events, and good old ads. it's great that you are helping PR evolve into a role that includes creating content...there are so many stories to be told, and so many voices to tell them.

[Julie Fredrickson]

I am thrilled to hear that Edelman so thoroughly understands PR as conversation.

As the Managing Partner of Coutorture Media, a fashion blogging network with over 50 partners, I am often called on to represent the interests of the community in furthering PR dialogues with our many partners and PR firms.

Fashion PR agencies haven't quite caught to the fact that fashion bloggers represent some of their most engaged and dedicated consumers but they are starting to pay attention to us as our numbers grow.

Swarovski was extremely welcoming to Coutorture at their press conference yesterday and honestly they will get great PR in the blogosphere because of their aknowledgement.

If Me2 Revolution ever wants to understand the fashion blogging community and PR better feel free to drop us a line. This is a topic I (and my blogging network partners) are extremely passioniate about.

No one has more interest in brand loyality and aspirational and authentic PR messages diseminated through the blogosphere than us fashion bloggers.