2. Introduction
• Wayne Schepens has spent more than four years
serving as the vice president of W2
Communications, a marketing and
communications firm based out of Baltimore,
Maryland. In this position Wayne Schepens
helps clients focus on online security and utilize
social media for public relations purposes.
3. The Role of PR and Social Media
• Among the many responsibilities of a public relations
professional is immediacy. Social media is a great aid in
taking control of how a story is disseminated to the public in a
matter of seconds. With that in mind, analysts are expecting
social media to continue to influence how PR is handled
throughout 2014. One trend that will continue to gain
momentum sees businesses allowing fans and customers to do
their advertising for them. Word-of-mouth advertising has
been valued by companies for years, and companies are
starting to seek out the customers who are particularly zealous
about a product or brand and reciprocating the love. By
fueling these super-fans, PR agents can essentially create a
fleet of assistants all over the world who are continuously
bolstering the company’s reputation.
4. Conclusion
• Similarly, 2014 social media trends will lead to big companies
relinquishing some control of their brand to the customers
and fans; copyright infringement may be harmful, but fan-
made artwork, videos, and music that uses brand logos and
marketing slogans should be viewed as free promotion.
Instead of censoring this kind of work, businesses are
beginning to use social media platforms to share it and
embrace the partnership between the brand and the buyer.
Finally, 2014 will be dominated by brands and businesses that
provide helpful and creative content. Marketers and PR
representatives who fill Twitter feeds with generic promos
and pay to show up on the entire world’s Facebook wall will be
reaping far fewer benefits than those who strategically place
well-crafted content in a place where interested parties can
find.
