Welcome to “kblog” and the new Ketner Group website! We’re excited to be launching our new site, and the timing couldn’t be better. With all the unprecedented changes that are reshaping the media and the ways that we practice PR and marketing, it’s the perfect time for us to put a “fresh face” on Ketner Group and open up this new channel of communication with you.
I’ve been in this business for over 30 years now, spending five years as a working journalist before crossing over to the “other side” as a PR and marketing professional. And I can honestly say I’m having more fun than ever. It’s an exciting, dynamic time to be in this business, as the media landscape continues to change at an accelerating pace and all the old assumptions are turned topsy-turvy.
Social media is all the rage. Twitter is experiencing explosive growth, yet the retention rate for new users is only 40 percent, according to a recent Nielsen Online study. Ad spending has dropped precipitously as a result of the recession, resulting in fewer publications, lower page counts, and a scarcity of available space for PR-generated stories. And while the web has democratized information by creating unlimited possibilities for people to publish and consume information, the online shift and the economic downturn have opened up huge cracks in the Fourth Estate that’s been a mainstay of our democracy. It’s a sad day when venerable publications such as the Seattle Post-Intelligencer , the Rocky Mountain Daily News and others close their doors, and when Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters are in the unemployment lines.
And yet with change comes opportunity. As the media rules are being rewritten, the ability to create effective PR campaigns is wide open, and the value of PR in building a brand has never been greater. As I said, it’s an exhilarating time to be in this business.
On this blog we’ll address a number of issues that we feel passionately about, and we’ll offer our perspectives on some of the key issues affecting our clients and the way we approach PR and marketing. We’ll share ideas on effective strategies for working with analysts; incorporating social media into your PR program; treating the media like valued customers; and much more. You’ll hear both from the team at Ketner Group as well as our good friends and colleagues. If you have ideas for articles, please email us. We hope to create an ongoing dialogue with many of you.
Stay tuned!
Jeff Ketner
Austin
