Social media has helped to reignite the PR profession. PR professionals are expanding their roles, as they shift from communication facilitators and handlers to strategic PR champions and influencers. Their organizations are requiring they take on different responsibilities, which are not only exciting, but also challenging at the same time. How do PR professionals take on these new challenges, and change and grow in their profession? Deirdre Breakenridge addresses these questions in her presentation, Eight New Strategic Practices for the PR Professional, which focuses on shifting the PR mindset to create more efficient processes and internal collaboration, increased guidance of new media communications, stronger connections with customers by analyzing and engaging in relationships, and the better use of technology during the PR planning process. All eight of the new practices will be highlighted. They include: The Policymaker, Internal Collaboration Generator, COMMS Organizer, Tech Tester, Pre-Crisis Doctor, Relationship Organizer, Reputation Task Force Member and the Master of the Metrics.

Deirdre Breakenridge also participate in the Social Talk PR
Is the Dutch PR industry in crisis? Traditional (Dutch) PR agencies have increasing difficulty to keep their customers satisfied. These PR-agencies might disappear in the future if they don’t transform themselves into ‘social’ PR-agencies. Most of the award winning PR ideas are created by new online oriented interactive ad agencies. Their customers expect them to develop integrated social media strategies in the end. In the United States, the usefulness and necessity of this transition by PR pro’s are better understood and quickly applied successfully. So what does the PR agency of the future look like? An exchange of ideas in this Social Talk with three experts. Roland Kroes is a spokesman who balances from day-to-day in between the usage of mass media and social media and he knows what he expect from a social minded PR agency in the year 2012. Deirdre Breakenridge can compare the Dutch and U.S. market situation for PR agencies. Jos Govaart has a clear vision as a trendsetter in the emerging Dutch PR 2.0 industry.

Biography
Deidre has been working with PR and marketing for over 20 years, helping senior executives in midsize to large organizations communicate to their stakeholders. She’s a PR strategist and worked together with her clients on many different types of communications programs, including thought leadership, image and reputation management, crisis communications, media relations, PR 2.0 and social media programs. Her goal is to use her knowledge and experience, and give it back to the PR industry by writing books, speaking on the topic and by teaching on college and university level.