There’s been a lot of debate over the future of PR.  From PRSA’s #PRDefined initiative focused on revitalizing the definition of PR, to the evolving role of communications professionals and agencies. Historically, “traditional PR” has been heavily defined by media relations. And while media relations remains important, the industry is increasingly seeing our function becoming something much bigger. PR’s success focuses on building companies’ brands and growing their businesses – using storytelling and compelling messages to communicate to the people your company wants to influence, and ultimately influencing their behavior.

Digital and social are certainly major components of this discussion. A front page feature in the Wall Street Journal is valuable but if a blog post from the leading cloud computing expert generates more hits to your website and coverts to more sales, which has more value? The way people are consuming media and are influenced has evolved, and communications is no longer solely defined by the ability to generate media attention for a brand. Rather, we can take these conversations direct to influencers and to customers via social channels, knowing the benefit of them then sharing the content with their network(s).

We’ll continue this discussion around the evolving function of PR, influencers and content creation in this session at Social Media Week San Francisco, taking place on Monday, February 13 at 10am at Trulia SF. I encourage you to register, join the discussion and hear from a former reporter turned corporate blogger; the corporate communications director at Cisco who operates “The Network: Cisco’s Technology News Site”; ad:tech’s content director; and, myself (communications and digital at Text 100).

And, please let me know what topics you’d like to hear discussed in the panel in the comments section or on Twitter (@chanslor).

Picture credit: The phone is ringing by Kerolic on Flickr (cc)

Editor’s note: This post originally appeared on the Social Media Week San Francisco blog and is re-published in support of Text 100′s involvement in the event.

The winning campaigns were:

• Nokia Rangers for best “Multi-Country” campaign in APAC, conducted by Text 100 Malaysia and Text 100 Singapore.
• Cisco Flip Your Profile for best “Social Media Campaign” in APAC, conducted by Text 100 Singapore. This campaign also won a global SABRE in the same category in September 2011.
• Are You Lenovo? for best “Marketing-to-Consumers” campaign in APAC, conducted by Text 100 Singapore and its Thailand affiliate, Spark Communications. This campaign was also a finalist in the global SABRE awards.

These campaigns demonstrate our strengths in social media, consumer and regional campaigns. Congratulations to all the teams, both winners and finalists!

Yvette Yeo, David Lian, Julian Chow, Mabel Chiang, Phillip Raskin, Radiance Leong, Beatrice Wang and Marc Ha from Text along with Aaron Kong and Derrick Koh of Lenovo celebrate our hat trick

CONSUMER MARKETING (EXISTING PRODUCT): Are You Lenovo?, Lenovo with Spark Communications/Text 100, Asia

BLOGGER OUTREACH: Flip Your Profile, Cisco Consumer Products with Text 100, Singapore

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN: Nokia Rangers, Nokia with Text 100

PUBLICITY STUNT: Sending a Strong Signal to Save Lives, NXP Semiconductors with Text 100, EMEA

We’d like to thank all of our clients that bring us such interesting and diverse challenges. Creating campaigns that create tangible business results for our clients is what drives us each and every day. The recognition from the industry and our peers is the icing on top.

We’re particularly pleased that our work in the area of integrated digital communications has been recognised as it’s an area that we have focused heavily on, investing on an ongoing basis in the skills of all our consultants.

In addition to the global SABRE awards, Text 100 has a further 12 campaigns as finalists in the APAC SABRE awards to be announced on November 3 in Singapore.

Congratulations to everyone that worked on these campaigns and fingers crossed for the awards night!

SXSW 2012 just opened its PanelPicker proposals today for the community to vote and comment on through Friday, 9/2 (11:59 p.m. CST). The public votes make up 30% of the weight in the panel selection process, with the remaining 70% being determined by SXSW staff and the advisory board. We’ve put forward three Text 100 panels that need your votes!

• Social Media in the Underground World of B2B – http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/8760 — How do the world’s leading B2B brands handle social media? Hear from IBM’s Ethan McCarty, Cisco Systems’ Jeanette Gibson, Xerox’s Duane Schulz and NVIDIA’s Shanee Ben-Zur (moderated by Melissa Chanslor, Text 100)
• Mud Wrestling: Hacks vs. Flacks – http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/11019 — It’s no secret that PR professionals and journalists have a love/hate relationship, this panel will discuss the current state of this relationship and why it has escalated to the point of negative campaigning. Featuring Will Willis, Bite Communications, and Tom Foremski, Silicon Valley Watcher (moderated by Jessica Casano-Antonellis, Text 100).
• @TVEngagement: Does social media drive tv ratings? – http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/10516 –This session will look at spikes in viewership associated with spikes in social media and strong social media campaigns through various case studies and examples. Panelists include Food Network/Cooking Channel’s Susie Fogelson, MTV Networks’ Colin Helms, Shazam Entertainment’s David L. Jones (moderated by Text 100’s Tara O’Donnell).

And if you haven’t booked your hotels, get on it. Just last week I booked and nearly all the downtown rooms were booked!

 The panel shared plenty of insightful content and best practices. I’ve captured the highlights and key takeaways below:

• “90% of brands using social media see business benefits” - Michael Chui
• In order to have success with internal collaboration tools, such as Yammer and Chatter, organizations need to look at the bigger picture and the workflow and beyond the tool itself. The tool should provide employees with access to information that they can’t get elsewhere.  
• Brands are increasingly using crowd sourcing tools within the enterprise, as well as externally, to discover the best ideas. A good example is GE’s Ecomagination Challenge.
• It’s critical for companies to nurture their advocates. 
• The industry is challenged with how to integrate social with traditional advertising, and the brands that crack this code will be successful. For example, with a paid TV spot, how do you engage and go beyond encouraging viewers to go to your Facebook page?
• The key to measurement is tying it to business objectives, as well as mapping it to core influencers and engagement. This goes far beyond quantity (ie Twitter followers, Facebook fans), and is centered on driving purchase decisions. 
• Businesses that allow employees to use social tools at work have higher retention because employees will fee lthat the organization trusts them.

 While some of the topics discussed remain ongoing conversations, rather than answers, it’s helpful for professionals to learn how other brands and organizations are plowing through similar hurdles and successes. This becomes especially important as the industry evolves and social media continues to be a staple in every day practice,

 To hear more from the panel, you can tune in to the full podcast on ZDNet here. 

Tweetcloud capture of what was said across the Twittersphere around Tuesday’s panel

We’ve covered infographics on Hypertext before, and we’re seeing graphical representations of information and data increasingly being used by journalists. I’m not only talking about infographics along the lines of the Royal Wedding Social Media Snapshot posted by Mashable or one of my favorites, salaries of professional athletes. Rest assured there’s a myriad of opportunities for B2B and B2C brands as well. Publications are looking to charts, graphs and other images that provide readers with an at-a-glance visual view of data that makes it much more digestible and easy to interpret, including Fast Company’s Infographic of the Day and USA Today’s Snapshot. And there’s value that goes even beyond generating the attention of the news media as we see readers and influencers sharing infographics via social platforms.

Photo credit: Mashable

What most interested me was the discussion about personal brands as a tool for companies. Having admired the ability of Ford’s Scott Monty and Cisco’s Padmasree Warrior [disclosure: Cisco is a Text 100 client] to humanize their brands and trigger information sharing at an individual rather than institutional level, I didn’t need to be sold on their value. Jeremiah framed up the spectrum of social media presences currently used by brands – corporate, hybrid and personal – highlighting that as organizational control increases, trust from your audience decreases. The panel used two recent social media brand crises to put the corporate and hybrid presence in context:

• Corporate: When a staffer at Chrysler’s social media agency tweeted a disparaging, obscene remark about Detroit drivers from the brand’s Twitter account, the company responded the corporate way, deleting the tweet and posting on its blog later that day apologizing for the actions of the New Media Strategies employee, stating it doesn’t “tolerate inappropriate language or behavior.” (Chrysler explains its approach here)

• Hybrid: Contrast a similar incident with the American Red Cross when a staffer accidentally posted they were drinking Dogfish Head beer and “#gettngslizzerd.” The organization responded by using a personal, relatable voice, assuring followers that “The Red Cross [was] sober.” Ensuing apologies were light-hearted stating that the brand handles crisis everyday and this isn’t one, reiterating that “while we’re a 130 year-old humanitarian organization, we’re also made of up human beings.”

Alluding to the power of a personal brand presence, Jeremiah posed hypothetically to the audience: what would have been the reaction to the auto controversy if it had been Scott Monty who issued the tweet? Would Ford had fared better than Chrysler? Implying that the relationships and trust people have with a personal brand like Scott, and subsequently Ford, create a more forgiving environment to make mistakes. “Imagine if a personal brand like Scott would have followed up the tweet like ‘I’m offering free driving lessons at XYZ dealership in Detroit,’ Jeremiah suggested. [Side note: Jeremiah also predicted that as a result of these two incidents, we'll see less junior people running accounts, more process and more workflow tools used to manage brands in social channels.]

The panelists agreed companies should find, cultivate and reward the personal brands in their organization. But Jeremiah cautioned that companies need to understand the RISK of personal brands. As referenced above, corporations have less control over personal brands, but there’s also a danger in your brand’s community being built around one person – who could leave your organization at anytime. For example, what if one of Dell’s evangelists like Chris Byrd left? How would Dell retain a relationship with Chris’ 15K followers on Twitter? I asked the panel for succession planning advice and here are their recommendations:

• Be wary of co-branding –  Many personal brands bring their company’s branding into their usernames such as @comcastbill and @richardatdell. While this allows people to quickly understand their affiliation and sets expectations for the type of content and information shared, if Bill and Richard were to leave their organizations they would take the Twitter accounts with them and can change the username at anytime. What Comcast does right is that it allows co-branding, but doesn’t rely on it. The main activities happen through the @comcastcares account, which remains property of the organization and can be “re-assigned” as needed.
• Bring out the talents of the team – It can be tempting to find an influential personal brand and hire them to be the voice of your organization in social media, but it’s very clear that brands who are most successful are involving an entire cast of people with different points of view and strengths. This helps both manage workflow and a growing community, but also eliminates the risk of one singular voice/brand.
• Think through the transition – When Frank Eliason resigned from Comcast, the company was losing its trusted personal brand and the human behind @comcastcares, but it made a concerted effort to introduce his replacement (@comcastbill) properly. Frank introduced Bill, which was important. People needed to know that Frank trusted him and that Bill had been a critical piece of Comcast’s social media team. After Frank’s last tweet, Bill followed with an introductory tweet making sure that he picked up the torch properly and @comcastcares didn’t miss a beat.

Check out the SXSW session hashtag #personalbrand for more insight and tips.

We asked Dan to give us a sneak peek of his panel and Cisco’s plans at SXSW.

What is the Cisco Media Solutions Group and what insight are you hoping to provide attendees during your panel at SXSW?

The Cisco Media Solutions Group is a specialized business unit within Cisco focused on the unique challenges media companies are facing in the digital disruption that’s happening to the business and experience of entertainment.  At SXSW we’re going to be focused on the opportunity content have around “social entertainment” — the combination of social, interactive features with high-quality, branded content.  The combination of quality content with the ability to interact with, and around, that content creates huge value for both the media company and the consumer.

How has the Media & Entertainment industry changed since you launched Cisco Eos®?

It’s changed in numerous ways since we first started working on Cisco Eos.  As it relates to our efforts, there have been two significant shifts:

1) media companies have recognized that “digital” is not just another silo or distribution channel.  They’ve recognized that it is a new format for storytelling, and that there is real, new value in creating differentiated consumer experiences specifically for digital

2) media companies recognize the distraction technology development is having on their core business of content development and monetization.  In the past, most companies felt they had to create their own tech platforms in order to get any value.  Now they’re recognizing the opportunity to refocus on content, and get out of the business of being mediocre tech companies.

In the music industry specifically, do you think these changes benefits mostly the label, artist or the fan?

I think there is value being created across the music experience.  Thinking specifically of social entertainment experiences like those delivered by Cisco Eos for some 70+ Warner Music Group artists, the fans get more direct access to their favorite artists, access to more content, and a place to interact with everyone else who loves the band.  The artist gets a direct connection to their fan, the ability to know who their fans really are, and the ability to build a long-term relationship with them.  The label gets added promotional reach from all the social interaction, as well as an opportunity to have fans “pay” for music content through a variety of means, whether that be merchandizing sales, advertising, subscription or fan club services, and sponsorships.

Ultimately, technology is creating new, high-value experiences.  For an example of what’s possible in this new world, take a look at what we’re doing with Atlantic Records and Elektra Records with the Cee Lo Green, Lupe Fiasco, Wiz Khalifa showcase at SXSW.  They’re going to be streaming the concert live from the event web site (www.killerslaserspapers.com), the artists’ individual sites and to RollingStone.com.  In addition to watching the stream, you’re going to have the ability to interact with other fans through all the Eos-enabled social features.

What else is Cisco doing at SXSW?

Cisco is engaged in some exciting activities at SXSW this year!  Besides the panel, we are also working together with Atlantic Records as a presenting sponsor for two shows in Austin:  the Killers, Lasers, Papers show featuring Grammy-winner Cee Lo Green, Grammy-winner Lupe Fiasco, and Wiz Khalifa at La Zona Rosa on Thursday March 17th and the Chop Shop Records showcase at Brush Square Park on Saturday, March 19th. For badge-holders in Austin, attendees of each show have the opportunity to enter to win several contests. For the Killers, Lasers, Papers show, specifically, Atlantic has delivered the Eos-enabled Killers Lasers Papers website—where attendees going to the show can enter to win a prize pack by indicating “I’m going to the show”, and those who are not in Austin can watch a live streaming of the event and participate in an online scavenger hunt contest.

Cisco will also have a stand at the convention center, where people can drop by to learn more about Cisco Eos and enter to win a Flip Video™.

If you’re attending the show, we hope to see you there and welcome comments about what else you’d like to hear from this panel.

The festival turns 25 this year. Mashable has a cool infographic that walks you through the growth from a music event to a music, film and interactive “behemoth.” While last year’s event generated a lot of debate about whether SxSW has jumped the shark or is still awesome, as a first timer, I’m attending the show with an open mind and fresh perspective, but knowing the best insights, connections and experiences are uncovered through a discerning eye.

Jessica Casano-Antonellis, Melissa Chanslor, Star Meza and I are each taking a different beat at the show. Jessica will be tracking the intersection of entertainment and social media, Melissa is on the hunt for the latest product trends from a payment, mobile and developer perspective, Star will be watching what’s working for brands in community building and I’ll be taking a deep dive into brand journalism and measurement.

Some of the panels we’re looking forward to include:

• Social Media Mythbusters
• The Science of Influence
• It’s Not Tv, It’s Social Tv
• Marketing Budgets Have Gone Social – Is It Working?
• Community Engagement Strategies: Rational Debate or Herding Cats?
• Benefits of Highly Responsive Community Engagement Strategy
• Kicking Community Ass: Building Better Influence
• Brave New World: Debating Brands’ Role as Publishers
• iPhone Developer Meet Up
• NFC and RFID, How It Will Change Mobile

We’ll share sneak peeks into some of our clients’ panels leading up to the show.

Watch this space and follow @Text 100 for real-time reporting and opinion, as well as interviews with entrepreneurs, tech execs and social media influencers.

If there’s a panel or event you wish you were attending, let us know we’ll do our best to attend and share our thoughts.

Attending SXSW? Let’s meet up – we’d love to connect.

• How to create a stand-out video that’ll benefit your brand
• How to reach your audience with video
• What makes a successful video

It was a good, dynamic conversation where panelists came from different backgrounds – from online video distributors, to a hosted software provider for media & entertainment companies, to me – a communications and digital consultant for Text 100 clients. But don’t take my word for it, take a look at this video clip on YouTube from the panel.