The "Brand" New World of PR

Our generation takes the web for granted. We have grown up with email and instant messaging and have been on Facebook since it first began. So it is understandable how we can forget what a great tool it is in branding and communicating messages with consumers.

As a public relations student and future practitioner social media is one of the best tools in my toolbox. As Deidre Breakenridge outlines in her article "PR 2.0: A Communicator's Manifesto" "PR puts the public back in public relations."

For the first time consumers are in charge of what communication they receive. With so many different social media outlets now available it is the role of public relations to choose which channels are best and for which brand. With more brand transparency than ever before it is crucial that web branding represents what the brands wants to communicate. As Breakenridge says "Companies can no longer hide behind monikers" their human side is exposed.

The brand also has to be attractive. Since consumers can end communication at the click of the button the PR professional has to make sure the brand is appealing enough to remain on the computer screen.

That being said, you need to practice what you preach. No company will trust you to develop their online personality if they can't see evidence of you doing it for yourself. As a result the most important brand is you. You need to ensure that you put your best self out there. This can be done in a variety of ways. From as basic as Twitter or LinkedIn to more involved such as podcasts or blogging.

The importance of personal branding is best summed up by Mitch Joel in his blog "Six Pixels of Separation" where he discusses just how crucial branding is to success. It is a unique way of creating relationships online that would not be able to occur in the "real world". The human element is what keeps people interested.

Regardless of if it is your own personal brand or a client's the bottom line in the same. Branding through social media and PR 2.0 creates connections. The more connections you have the more communication you can engage in and the more people you reach.

Is Rothko Seeing Red?

From the first time that I saw a Mark Rothko painting I was hooked. His artistic use of colour as a means of conveying emotion was something that I instantly connected with. I didn't care that what he painted was a way of illustrating his depression and hatred of the world. To me it elicited feelings of calmness and serenity.

He painted his paintings for himself, knowing that whoever looked at them would have a different interpretation. That is the beauty of his art. It is a means of conveying feeling specific and personal to the viewer.

So I was surprised and disappointed when I heard that they were making a Broadway play, Red, based on the life of Rothko. Several things ran through my mind:

• I doubted this were something that Rothko himself ever would have approved of. He took his own life because he couldn't deal with the state of society. I doubt he would want the theatre going public to entertain themselves with his life.
• And I believe his art is refreshing because he doesn't tell you what to think or feel about it. I don't want to know that something that he painted while he contemplated his eventual suicide is the same painting that makes me want to tell my sister I love her.

I generally support the crossover of different mediums of art. However, this time I feel like I have to put my foot down. Rothko is a popular artist with many of his paintings breaking records at auctions worldwide. It seems to me that Broadway is trying to capitalize on his popularity without taking into consideration the values of the man himself.