Direct-to-Consumer PR Reflects Power of DIY

MarketingProfs, again, provided a great article on media and PR. Titled Direct-to-Consumer PR Reflects Power of DIY, this article suggests marketers and PR professionals may need to take a different approach. "Over the last decade, consumers have learned the do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. They scan and bag their own groceries, pump their own gas, and serve themselves at restaurants from coolers or a buffet line. Consumers also have become their own music producers, creating custom MP3 mixes from iTunes; their own retail outlets through eBay; and one-person TV stations with YouTube. So it was inevitable, perhaps, that consumers would also come to realize that they don't need traditional media to consume the product and services information that used to use media as its channel" (Martin, 2008).

To create successful direct-to-consumer PR Gail Martin recommends the following:

1. Think like a consumer
2. Realize that consumers and reporters need different things
3. Recognize that Boomers and Millennials are shifting rapidly away from traditional media
4. Maximize your PR "searchability"
5. Create a two-way conversation

In regards to Boomers and millennials shifting away from traditional media Martin reminds us that "newspaper and magazine readership has been declining for quite a while. Broadcast TV has been supplanted by 800 cable channels, Netflix, and TiVo, all of which make it easy to skip commercials. Satellite radio and MP3 players mean fewer listeners to regular radio.
Many consumers have abandoned traditional media altogether, preferring to have their own news choices delivered via RSS, downloading their own music, and following their favorite TV shows via YouTube, DVD, or pay-per-view. The world has changed since the days when everyone watched the same three channels and saw the same ads. Your message must be where your consumers have chosen to go" (Martin, 2008).

Gail Martin's article reminds us of the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT). "UGT focuses on why a person uses the media. Specifically, UGT maintains that because humans have options and free will, individuals will make specific decisions about which media to use and when to use them" (Dainton & Zelley, 2005).

More choices for the consumer, more choices for the PR and marketing professionals. The challenge remains picking the right vehicle for the audience.

References:
Dainton, M., & Zelley, E. (2005). Applying communication theory for professional life: A practical introduction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Martin, G. (2008, September 2). Direct-to-consumer PR reflects power of DIY. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from MarketingProfs Web site: http://www.marketingprofs.com/8/direct-to-consumer-pr-martin.asp