Meredith Bradshaw, director of the digital practice at Fleishman-Hillard London, remembers back to when the Internet was in its infancy and looks forward to a digital future that is beyond our dreams.

“This time a decade ago, AOL Time Warner was the newly formed Goliath of the Internet; Google was a toddler and testing models for monetizing search; and the mobile phone was just making its path from a yuppie accessory to mainstream. In the PR world, we were sending out media kits by post and pitching stories by phone to journalists at newspapers and magazines.

“Today? Social media is now mainstream media; Google dominates; and the mobile phone is ubiquitous and functions as a video camera, music player and more. “What does this mean for PROs?

Earned and shared media

First in terms of media: the days of long-lead and short-lead publications have been replaced by a world of paid media, earned media, owned media, shared media – all happening in real time with immediate global distribution.

“In PR, we quite rightfully work in the earned and shared media spaces. As a result, we’re now telling corporate stories on YouTube, Wikipedia, across blogs, on Facebook and in communities, forums and microblogging, among other platforms. Not only that, we’re crowdsourcing – inviting the universe to contribute to the conversation, share ideas and offer solutions.  It’s a new world of communities and empowered individuals.

“As PROs, our role is to facilitate debate and increase mindshare in this interactive and highly dynamic landscape. It’s not without challenges. Yet even in the highly regulated pharmaceutical environment, innovation is happening. Case in point, CMLearth, a Novartis- sponsored social community for those affected by Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia.

The rise and rise of Google 

“Then there’s Google: ever the trailblazer, Google is about to change the dynamics of the game once again. For companies and PROs, take note of Google Sidewiki. This technology allows anyone with the current version of the Google Toolbar to leave comments on any website. It is virtual graffiti, making marks on client’s websites, for good or bad.

“Google is also in beta with Google Wave, ‘a personal communication and collaboration tool.’ Essentially, it’s designed to merge instant messaging, email, wikis and social networking. You start a conversation, invite people, add videos, images and other content. It’s micro-personalizing the web even further. Consider Google’s moves into display and mobile advertising; along with the rise of Android phones, its mobile search and location-based services and you’ve got a powerful combination. Who do you want to reach, where and how? Google knows and can help get you there.

Convergence 

“Last, there’s convergence: we’re already living in the cross-platform and multi-dimensional world. Television, internet, mobile, gaming platforms – it’s all converging. Looking to do product placement? Check out virtual worlds in games. Targeting audiences in the developing world? Go with the mobile Internet. Want to make your event poster engaging? Add a 2-D barcode that allows viewers to launch a website on their mobile or enables augmented reality so that the person can view other relevant content, such as a mapping of nearby landmarks or the ability to purchase tickets.

“Where will we be a decade from now? Still communicating – in new ways we can’t imagine yet.”