#PRForum: In a digital world, there must be interaction

Bucharest hosted today the 5th edition of PR Forum, an event dedicated to PR and communication specialists that focused on digital, corporate and crisis communication and online communication.

The event started with a session of discussions focused on “Leadership in communication in the digital era”

The speakers of this session were Teodor Frolu, Managing Partner DC Communication, Silviu Hotaran, ex-Microsoft Romania and Managing Director GKTI Semper Human, Dan Bulucea – Country Manager Google Romania, Marius Ghenea – antrepreneur, Stephen Davies – Consultant 3W PR, Alan Parker – Head of Digital GolinHarris, Cristina Bazavan – Editor in Chief Tabu Magazine, and Bobby Voicu – Independent Consultant.

Dan Bulucea: There was a major shift in marketing

Dan Bulucea said Google Romania wants “to be local, to adapt locally and to build together with the local industry” on the digital front.

In his opinion, there are companies that have very good businesses nowadays, as the internet created opportunities that didn’t exist before.

There are many dimensions through which we can see the internet, from social to mobile, personal and local. There was a major shift in marketing, with accent on digital marketing

He also mentioned that now people can talk about marketing in a digital world and explained that the shifts were from control in communication to collaboration, that means interacting with the consumers in building messages, involving the consumer in building the way a brand is presented or expresses itself and others.

Also, Bulcea said that the message an user is sending regarding a service is more important now than the message crafted by marketing departments.  
According to him, one must accept that users want and can create image and develop content for one’s product, but their copyrights must be respected and offer them some sort of benefits.

Dan Bulucea also added that the well done online / digital activities generate results, especially as they allow interactivity and customization.

He also recommended one of Google’s tools, Google Insights for Search, to be used for online campaigns.

We do have the tendency to consider online locally, but it’s not quite so. We must look at it at least at EU’s level

Marius Ghenea: Adapting to the new context, the biggest challenge in 2011

During the 1st session at PR Forum, Marius Ghenea, one of the most successful Romanian entrepreneurs, said that the biggest challenge for 2011 will continue to be adapting to the new situation appeared after the economical crisis.

He referred to financial data, saying that a challenge will be also for companies in their efforts to adjust their expenses and costs and find better solutions to earn bigger revenues.

Talking about the challenge for the communication industry to keep the pace with the developments of internet and online technologies, Ghenea thinks that cannot be realized that simple anymore.

It isn’t that simple anymore to be above the client in what concerns the online knowledge as it was the situation a few years ago. Now, company’s employees know what CPT and CPM are and have some knowledge in what Googe AdWords is and does.

Cristina Bazavan: Media must learn and find its own way in the digital world

Cristina Bazavan is editor-in-chief of the Romanian magazine Tabu, a print publication that remarkably adapted and started to use digital to develop and innovate.

Media must humbly learn in order to find its own way in the digital world

When it comes about digital, Bazavan thinks media needs a good coach that will be close to it every step of the way.

She also thinks the PR of the future will be similar to a marathon runner, adding that you must know how to chose the partners for a long run. Bazavan also mentioned that perfect in the digital world is possible, but it can be done only with the help of a very good trainer.

Bobby Voicu: Companies must now shift from being present online to interacting online

Bobby Voicu, Romanian independent consultant, said, at PR Forum, that many companies understood they need to be present online, but they now must make the shift from being present online to interact online.

“We are at that stage when we have to convince the managers that their companies must communicate online. The communication is transforming, becoming multi-way, but there isn’t still a standard solution for everyone in achieving online success”, Voicu said.

The communication specialist  used to send the message from inside the company towards exterior, but now comes with reaction from the exterior for the internal departments of the company. Because it gathers feedback from consumers, the communicator becomes part of the research department and the info he comes up with is very important, as a classical research will be expensive and won’t generate same quality answers.

Talking about companies and online, Bobby Voicu says those must understand online, to perceive its means and methods, but not to a whole detailed level.