Comments on: Collision Course 1 – Aftermath

By: Do Bloggers and PR folk really mix well together or will it never work?

Do Bloggers and PR folk really mix well together or will it never work? — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:50:13 +0000

[...] this opened a can of worms that I have been thinking about since I attended an event that Damien organized bringing Bloggers together with PR folk to try and find some common ground [...]

By: The Alexandria Quartet ‘Rock and Roll’ : Alexia Golez

The Alexandria Quartet ‘Rock and Roll’ : Alexia Golez — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:40:32 +0000

[...] all the Collision Course who-ha on how PR people don’t have billable hours to waste mailing bloggers, it was refreshing. The [...]

By: You’re cordially invited: Pre-launch event by one of Irelands largest companies « Damien Mulley

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:48:37 +0000

[...] in the future. Your feedback might directly change how a big Irish company works. Looks like Collision Course is making an [...]

By: Neil O'Gorman

Neil O'Gorman — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:16:18 +0000

Good points, Damien. Particularly the R in PR. Like all aspects of communication, you need to know the lay of the land. PR is no different. You don’t (or shouldn’t ever) send something to anyone in the media without knowing that it will interest them at some level.

The issue is that even where this has been common practice to date, it has been low risk. Irritating, but low risk in that it just gets ignored. Doesn’t do you any favours with media when you want a meaningful conversation. It also is habit forming and PR agencies seem to be applying these bad habits to bloggers. Bad news!

Bloggers have made it very clear … don’t spam, don’t think of me as a journo and know what I write and care about. You need to get to know people, from a distance first if necessary, before you start expecting them to acknolwedge you or responding to you. So, from our end, we need to learn and quickly.

Why do I get a feeling there’s going to be much more on this. N

By: Thomas Brunkard

Thomas Brunkard — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:43:51 +0000

I am a poor blogger as I have been unclear. I do not think that bloggers think they are are journalists. However, I am concerned that bloggers thought they should be treated as journalists with regards the freebies thing which started to sound a little vulgar and classless to me the more it got repeated.

I took the scenario of bloggers poisoned by PR gifting as an extreme example of what might happen once blogging becomes rewarded with treasures from PR as bloggers are answerable to nobody. I was a tad tongue in cheek with this but I still think that there is more than a modicum of truth in it.

On the points of relationship building and information offering we have a concord. And in fact I would extend that methodology to all media interactions. What shocked me the most is that it had to be asked how to engage with a blogger as though they are a new species of alien and not a human being.

Anyway, fair play to you and Piaras, Alexi and Donnchadh for getting it up and running. I hope Collision Course continues to shape best practice for all parties.

Thomas