Boca a Boca
Boca a Boca – or word of mouth seems to still be a very important business communications tool in Argentina but the country, which used to be in the age of information, now to me, seems to be in the age of recommendation.
Make way for the blog and social media revolution impacting all areas of public relations, including public affairs. With their Mediterranean rather than Anglo Saxon approach – they are fluid in the way they address issues and are open to debate, while they get to grips and embrace technological change.
At the 1st Conferencia Internacional de Relaciones Publicas in Buenos Aires there was one theme that ran through the entire conference – social media. Practitioners of all ages were embracing not just the notion of social media but the issue of making sure that their public relations is truly interactive.
They wanted to ensure that public relations in Argentina can exist with both the traditional and the new. Yet, in summing up, they agreed that in terms of lobbying especially, they need to regulate - making more formal the influencing process.
The conference was inspiring and educational. The first PR conference to be held in Argentina, they staged a professional event, attracted a wide variety of people from across a close knit, supportive industry.
While UK PR is seen as a global leader, we have much to learn from Argentina. I admire their informal approach and their keenness to learn. With only 300 members, the Consejo Professional de Relaciones Publicas de la Republica Argentina still managed to attract more than 200 people to their conference. Their open dialogue, their desire to support their national institute highlights British apathy.
With such a friendly industry and a proactive approach – my advice is to watch the PR industry in Argentina carefully as, with their membership of the Global Alliance, it will shortly explode onto the international scene.
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