Recently, Guy Kawasaki published the top ten reasons why PR doesn't work over on his blog. Instead of reiterating his list or further explaining why some of the points he makes are actually true, I would rather talk about how to fix it.

When it comes to public relations in the traditional sense, the truth is that both PR and company executives are to blame when things don't work - it's a two-way street. The difference today is that smart PR companies are far more valuable than ever before…what people say to each other in a market context usually matters far more than any advertising message or branding/PR strategy. If the market conversation turns against you or dismisses you, all the brand awareness in the world won't save you. So I ask, why not participate in, and ultimately lead the market conversation?

In this new media world, organizations have the opportunity to communicate directly with their customers, partners and prospects like never before. Why spend thousands on a traditional PR retainer to get the attention of this audience via the mainstream media (who doesn't really care) when you can reach out to them directly? It is in these conversations where future survival lay for any business. The prominence of blogs, wikis, forums, podcasts and other conversational media are becoming too important to be ignored.  

Does this mean the old tactics are completely obsolete? Not quite. In fact, an integrated program combining the traditional with the new is still the most powerful communications option available today.

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