When companies, organisations and even individuals want to get a message out to the public or some specific target audience, they approach a number of different types of companies & professionals to assist them in doing so.

These range from PR consultancies to advertising agencies, branding agencies, media companies, new media, event managers, design studios and general communications consultancies.

What influences companies to use a specific type of communication? Why do certain companies naturally gravitate towards PR rather than new media, or above the line rather than direct marketing? It’s not always the appropriateness but sometimes they just haven’t thought about anything else. It also seems there is a fear to reach out in new ways.

We’re at a point in the development of communication technologies and methodologies, where we’re leaving behind us many old ways and embracing new methods of interacting with each other as a society. Companies are slowly taking up the challenge of developing more human ways of interacting with their customers and clients.

What do you think will be the next shift in the way companies relate to people and society in general?

• What does new school communication look like?

• Is it only about web 2.0 & social media?

• Do companies need to change the way they function fundamentally?

• What new processes, methods and mechanisms of communication do you think companies need to embrace to keep in tune with changes in society?

• How do you think people want to interact with businesses & brands.

• How do you think companies need to change their marketing approaches.

• Do companies still need to speak in a specific kind of language?

I think communications professionals perpetuate the same approaches and patterns, creating an expectation from both businesses and individuals in terms of how companies are meant to interact with society. Regular conversation and relationships requires change, challenging ideas and points of interest and inspiration to hold our attention. This is no different when applied to the interaction between businesses and individuals. Alot has changed with the shift in web communication and the proliferation on web 2.0 but not enough of the thinking behind these interactions have filtered down into the offline space.

Why do you think most of the business world has kept itself stuck behind the corporate veil and not embraced the new openness which social media has unleashed?

I particularly admire Cerebra & Huddlemind locally for the manner in which they interact with their respective markets. I’m also particularly interested in the services & approach of Ethical Media based in the UK as well as The Ethical Agency. Skyrove’s approach impresses me as well in terms of it’s keenness on developing real meaningful relationships with the community it serves.

It’s more than just about social media. In fact the technology has only served to facilitate the inherent human need to connect, communicate, collaborate and have a meaningful conversation.

The way business people are starting to understand real value or values, is moving closer to a more human-centric vision of business.

How can communications agencies and consultancies change mindsets so the old models can get some “CLUE“s to where the human “TRAIN” is headed.

This has been a random rant and thought storm thrown together in short disconnected bursts :), let me know what you think and if you have any answers to any of these questions. Or add a few of your own randomly profound brainwaves and lets talk.

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