No Substitute for Face to Face
I arrived at RSA, the largest tradeshow in the security industry, and in no fewer than 15 minutes had run into a dozen industry people. The main security reporters, analysts and key vendors (including numerous Schwartz clients) within IT security are here.
It got me thinking about Facebook, Twitter and the other social media applications I have been testing for some time. Without question, these applications have their uses, but when it comes down to it, there is no substitute for seeing someone face to face.
When I first started at Schwartz in 1997, we would organize elaborate tours to introduce companies to reporters and analysts who would follow their wares. Tours would typically involve multiple cities and would be timed to coincide with a company product launch (the news hook).
Such tours are rarely planned now in certain industries. Reporters tend to be far more geographically dispersed than they were in the late 90's. More importantly, reporters are busier than they have ever been--a result of many changes in the publishing industry. It's too hard to coordinate schedules to make a tour worth the effort.
For that reason, tradeshows are the best way to meet and catch up with the influencers in a given industry. They provide central gathering points. Also for that reason, perhaps, have I noticed that many aspects of RSA have not changed much. And perhaps, for just that reason, the show seems more crowded this year than in recent years.
Tags: rsa conference, security
Posted by Ross Levanto on April 8, 2008 at 8:35 PM
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As social media grows increasingly popular, it is very important to always remember that face to face is the absolute best way to meet and greet. It allows you to stand apart from the crowd and that is always important in the field of PR.
Posted by: Caitlin Regan | April 15, 2008 3:39 PM