This document summarizes 12 truths about modern public relations and corporate communications in the age of social technology. It discusses how people consume content selfishly now and are losing control over privacy and reputation online. Communication is becoming more about listening than talking, and apologies now require sincerity over legal defenses. Digital storytelling and curating compelling content across platforms is key. People crave deeper meaning beyond surface-level digital interactions and communities are challenging to manage at a large scale.

1. Corporate communicationsin the age of social technology The 12 Truths of Modern PR Seoul, Korea 2011.10.11

2. 1. People consume content selfishly ‘making the other person feel important’ has always been part of persuasion listening to the sound of one’s voice clicking ‘like’ generates ‘likes’ narcissism and know-it-all-ism sharing ‘what makes you look good’

3. We keep losing control of our time of our privacy of our own reputation of the conversation topic of the corporate communications narrative 2.

4. 3. Communication is becoming ‘female’ communication is more and more about listening and not just talking vertical hierarchy being eclipsed by peer-to-peer horizontal a shift in the quantity & tonality of content more and more corporate communicators are women

5. 4. Sorry is no longer enough the global rise of apology communications most companies will have a crisis in the next year, but most are not prepared lawyers are losing more client debates holding statements look weak and defensive; ‘hiding behind a shield’ apologies must be sincere and genuine

6. Digital is becoming tired there’s a backlash to digital jargon ‘Face’ is more important than Facebook inaccessibility a barrier to adoption the gurus say: most people ‘don’t get it’ but there’s only so much to ‘get’ social brand > social business > blabla diminishing returns are setting in 5.

7. Attention spans keep collapsing the myth of multitasking debunked constant restless scrolling and clicking the speed of change is accelerating ‘what’s trending’ is often utter drivel raw emotion – especially anger – is trumping thinking and reflection there’s no time to tell stories anymore 6.

8. Digital storytelling is key the simplification of complexity the rapid rise of infographics where data meets design is the sweet spot ‘brain drain’ from journalism to PR when ‘every company can be a media company’ Guardian announcement today: The Guardian displays newslist to public online 7.

9. PR & customer service are merging blurring of and confusion between traditional boundaries between disciplines real-time rapid response plus savvy content curation is easy but vexing the rise of dedicated digital teams expanding the power of corporate communications and the CCO 8.

10. It’s all about the content content must tell a compelling digital story PR is becoming about programming content for communities there’s too much noise, not enough signal there’s a ‘TED’ constituency out there content must be repurposeable across platforms, which change relentlessly 9.

12. where the online meets the offline is key

13. offline = the reality of everyday life

15. Asian companies are going digital 12. Percentage of companies using a branded social media platform