On Monday, January 24, 2011, one of my favorite DC Flacks members, Tod Plotkin, is hosting a day-long conference here in Washington, D.C. I’m going and you should, too. What’s Next DC promises a lean, mean, highly-relevant communications conference experience. View speakers and an agenda here.

Here’s the official word from Tod:

“There are no sales commercials masquerading as presentations here, or sleepy Q & A sessions where only 1 of 8 questions apply to your business. What’s Next DC is about brainstorming, case studies, energy, networking, strategy and – best of all – personalized solutions to your company’s most important challenges.

By jamming as much information into the day as possible. We’ll have floating experts in a variety of fields available, so if you hear something you like and want to bounce ideas around right there on the spot, you can! We’ve scheduled group brainstorming/strategy sessions and niche learning sessions where you can discuss your areas of interest and expertise. There will also be an area dedicated solely to networking all day long.”

The thing a lot of folks overlook about digital public relations is that core skills like strategically utilizing social media, writing for search engine optimization and directing metrics-driven Web strategy aren’t usually sharpened from 9 to 5.

Digital flacks do most of their research and development at home and for themselves. They blog,write columns, speak on/host panels and plan happy hours. They Twitter, Buzz and Facebook. They read countless articles, surf Mashable and attend conferences. All on personal time. I’m not talking about “social media gurus.” These people are traditional PR pros, but with the added bonus of a highly sought-after, enhanced digital skill set.

Because digital flacks rarely leave the practice bubble of the all-seeing, insanely reactive, Very Public Internet, they are getting more PR practice than you. As a result, they may possess a greater understanding of crisis communications strategy; they receive public accolades and enhanced credibility, and are often a client’s one-stop resource in today’s increasingly tech-centric PR profession. Read More…

From Wikipedia — the definition of PR:

Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing the flow of information between an organization and its publics. Public relations – often referred to as PR – gains an organization or individual exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment. Because public relations places exposure in credible third-party outlets, it offers a third-party legitimacy that advertising does not have.

Do you agree? Is this a good summary?

It continues:

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) claimed in 1988: “Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other.” According to the PRSA, the essential functions of public relations include research, planning, communications dialogue and evaluation.

And FYI, if the word “publics” makes you go “whaa?” It’s okay. I hate that word, too.

Well said!

Hat tip, Media Bistro/PRNewser

On the importance of candor, from Vegas firm Stern and Company‘s blog:

Whereas marketing and advertising groups must, by definition, be defenders of their specific products, the public relations department has no such mandated allegiance. Public relations should be the corporate conscience. An organization???s public relations professionals should enjoy enough autonomy to tell it to management ???like it is.??? If an idea doesn???t make sense, if a product is flawed, if the general institutional wisdom is wrong, it is the duty of the public relations professional to challenge the consensus. And, in absolute candor, if your company???s PR function isn???t saying ???no??? with great vigor from time to time, you???re probably not being well served and could well be headed for problems.

Who among us hasn’t thought (or maybe even said aloud), “this whole PR viewpoint/opinion thing, it’s what you are paying me for.  If you want a yes man, clearly I’m not the flack for you.”