Top >> Business_Marketing PR Trends: Challenges for communicators in 2006 published February-March 2006 As we begin a new year, here are four challenges for those managing or implementing marketing communication to contemplate. Tell less - inform and educate more Buyers (both consumers and business) are overwhelmed with product choice as   our world is filled with products exhibiting less and less differentiation. Those marketers who want to stand out will need to do less talking about all the features of a product and more education regarding how the product will benefit a consumer.  Products need to be put in context and made relevant.  Don’t get too clever with WoM marketing At its best, WoM (word of mouth) marketing can be brilliant. But there have been recent examples of marketers trying to be too clever by half and ending up with egg on their face - and sceptical consumers.  The key to success (as it has always been) is honesty and transparency.  Trying to artificially create campaigns, and then hiding or disguising their source, will not only rebound on those who promulgate such campaigns - but undermine those who do it properly. Be aware that Blogs are shifting power to the consumer Marketers need to be aware that control of communication is fast moving from them to the consumer.  Marketers can still buy media in the form of advertising, and gain editorial coverage via PR, but they must expect to see a rapid expansion of blogs in Australia during 2006 (following the US experience in 2005) which will increasingly shift the balance of power to the consumer. Blogs give every disgruntled consumer and nutter alike the power to personally publish their dislikes of companies and products and for this to spread like a bushfire through the online community.  Marketers need to adopt new techniques to monitor and respond to this phenomenon Learn to harness the web and Google  As more and more buyers (both consumer and business) use the Internet to search for products and services that meet their needs, marketers need to ensure they get their share of penetration on the web through the major search engines.  The easy way is to buy listings (down the right hand column) - but the most credibility comes from being listed and ranked by the search engines (especially Google). Sadly, many major marketers just don’t seem to understand the keys to success in this medium (link to other article). If you wish to discuss ways your organisation can rise to meet these challenges then email us here and be sure to include your contact details.

PR Influences Australian Public Relations Newsletter. Article: Public relations: Challenges for communicators in 2006. Information Content: Marketing