Until just a few years ago, the role of PR was largely what it’d always had been:  storytelling.  PR was responsible for taking the four “P’s” of a company’s identity – people, products, philosophy, plans – and wrapping it up into a narrative that would meet two criteria:

1. Positive enough to advance the company’s business objectives
2. Credible enough to be believed by the journalists that stood between the company and public

Then the future hit the industry with a ruthless combination of search rank, social networks, inbound marketing, disintermediation and distrust.  This led some really smart people to ask, “Is PR dead?”

I’ll answer that question with a question.  Is Frankenstein dead?  Technically, yes, he is.  But as a practical matter, he walks and talks.   PR is alive, sorta.  It just no longer resembles what it was. 

Today’s PR profession is the marketing equivalent of an automotive “chop shop” – a place where thieves disassemble stolen cars to resell the parts.  PR has become a “parts are greater than the sum” industry. 

Let’s look at the bread-and-butter of the PR trade: the press release.  Last week I spoke with two CEOs about press releases.  One said, “Use videos.  Nobody reads anymore.”  The other said, “We don’t even issue press releases.  We just write to our blog.”

Both are right; both are wrong.  Frankenstein is dead and alive. 

Press releases – written press releases – are cars for PR’s chop shop.  As soon as they are issued, they are taken apart and repackaged up as trackable links for Twitter, name-dropping for Google News feeds, quotes for marketing collateral, brags for blogs, excuses for emails, and inbound links for search engines.  They are also opportunities to bundle additional media (like video, images and slides) into a broader, richer distribution.  The assumption that no one reads is flawed.  Google reads.  Why not have it read your blog and your press release?

Welcome to the chop shop, PR pros.  It’s your new office.