"Original G" PR

This post was inspired by a comment I made here on Doug Haslam's Blog.

In an effort to educate myself further beyond blogs, Twitter, and hands on experiences, I did something that was a bit out of character for me. I went to a bookstore. Yes, one of those magical, mystical places where words are held together by physical bindings and not by code. My mission? Try to find out more about the roots of traditional public relations.

Going in, I wanted to be objective and open minded to any and all new ideas (or old ones) about PR. I obviously have a slightly different take on PR than a lot of the people who wrote the books I wanted to read. Perusing the business section and marketing/public relations section I saw a lot of familiar faces (David Meerman Scott, Seth Godin, Brian Solis, etc.).  However, I wasn't here to learn more from these guys, I wanted to see where my baseline knowledge was and possibly augment my skills with something I hadn't considered.

The old adage of "All I needed to know, I learned in kindergarten" could be a description of the PR path I have taken in my career. I majored in English back at Bates and have primarily worked in-house for smaller companies, so I have learned most of the important lessons of PR over a drink, laptop, or from a great business contact.

I attribute my aptitude for PR and marketing as the result of my experiences online and reading blogs. The experience with social networks that I've used since 1999 (starting with Bolt) prepared me on how to create, drive and promote content. My college education taught me how to write and communicate in a more effective manner. Pair practical experience and a background in English together, and you will find that you have one hell of an effective communicator.

So what did I find in the Marketing/PR section? Textbooks, leadership classics, and social media, but not a lot on traditional pr. However, as I dug deeper I began seeing some more comprehensive and detailed analyses. I actually fell in love with a "Marketing Plans" textbook but decided not to bite ($50). Some of the things in there were pretty damn cool.

Here's what I decided to go with: I found a nice blend of new and old in Richard Laermer's Full Frontal PR (which I'm about halfway through now) and I also thumbed through two "For Dummies" (Public Relations and Branding) books. Personally, I love reading "For Dummies" books...crisp dialogue, sixth grade reading level and a ton of information. They certainly beat the heck out of reading Tristam Shandy.

It always feels good to be validated by traditionalists. I've been reading blogs, studying PR, and gaining every competitive edge I could since I've been out of college. However, it never hurts to look at classic concepts and try to apply new ideas and implement new strategies around them. Knowing the old school is just as valuable as knowing the new school, in my opinion.

Want to know what separates me from a traditional marketer? A willingness to look at all the options; not just the ones you know.

tagged as old school pr, original g, original g pr, pr teaching, Public Relations, traditional pr