About a year ago we started using the term “Convergent PR” to describe the blend of traditional PR techniques and the new, 2.0/social media PR techniques. I was thinking recently about what I’ve learned since then. Most significantly, it’s that PR and search can – and in most cases should – be integrated in a way that delivers impressive results – results like I’ve never seen before or even imagined possible. We’re seeing that play out for a number of clients.

I also asked some other members of our PR team what they’ve learned about the so-called “new PR.” A sampling of their answers follows, and may provide some things to consider for your own PR program.

Matt Gaffney, PR copy director: Social media/2.0 has evolved as a direct, parallel response to the way our lives and businesses have evolved
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I’ve never been a “GE glorifier”, but I have been paying a little more attention to GE lately, as a student of business. Specifically, the strategic leadership of CEO Jeffrey Immelt. In my opinion, he's finally stepped out of the giant shadow of his predecessor and mentor, Jack Welch. Since December 2002, Immelt has sold off more than $75 billion in GE businesses such as its plastics and insurance units, and most recently, appliances (a business once synonymous with its brand name) while spending more than $50 billion on acquisitions in faster-growing sectors including wind power and aviation. Strategy in action.

Mr. Immelt has a very good sense of what he wants the GE brand to stand for going forward - innovation in emerging businesses in the 21st century (for now, that means big investments in health-care and energy.) Much of the growth in GE’s strategy will come
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I’ve been involved in some interesting discussions about brand strategy, and one of the topics that keeps coming up is “living the brand” from the inside out. Consistency distinguishes many great B-to-B brands, and a clear brand vision needs to be shared and understood by a company’s employees (and I mean *all* employees, not only the marketing department and sales organization). At every touch point employees have the opportunity to enhance the brand and to build customer trust and confidence. Of course, external branding efforts are important, but employees literally are the voice and face of the brand. Here’s a reality check: do some “walking around research” in your company to see if employees can articulate your brand vision. If you find many are “off-message,” how can your company possibly deliver a consistent and positive brand experience to your customers? And, what will you do to address this internal branding challenge
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Every company wants to tell its success stories. They go by different names -- testimonials, case studies, proof points, application stories -- and they take different forms (some longer, some more technical). But they usually come down to the same basic idea: our company has a solution to this customer's problem and they are willing to endorse it publicly.

Many of the success stories I've encountered for business-to-business clients have taken longer to complete and seemed more difficult than they should have. While I can't guarantee smooth sailing every time, I can share seven sure-fire ways to reduce the obstacles, frustration and time required to complete a customer success story:

1. Make sure it fits your core communications strategy.  It might be a great project or a big sale, but if it doesn't highlight a success that fits your current go-to-market strategy it may get shot down by your own management.  Stick close to
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