Execs from Pepsi, Southwest Airlines and others debate the new media mix

Thirty executives from PepsiCo, Southwest Airlines and leading PR, marketing, advertising and social media firms argued Tuesday that getting the mix right – between news articles, company blogs and sponsored ads – is critical for success in today’s crowded marketplace. The hour-long discussion took place during “The Future of Media: Radical Integration” webinar hosted by Cision.
While there was expected disagreement on the value and benefits that PR vs. marketing vs. advertising bring to a company’s bottom line, all participants agreed that social media is changing the equation by amplifying campaigns and closing the gap between companies and their customers. Social media’s value – its ability to interact directly with customers and engage them in conversations that result in priceless insight on what they need/want – exceeds the scale of advertising, immediacy of marketing efforts and credibility of articles in The New York Times and other trusted outlets.
PR practitioners, as natural storytellers, are the best equipped to own the social media outreach as connections with self-publishers on YouTube, Twitter and Yelp are just as important as traditional media outlets.