You remember clip books that were actual books, and fax machines that were
absolutely revolutionary
Can you imagine pitching media without email or distributing a press release
without online forms? Think about how long that would take.
It’s been
less than 20 years since people started adopting Web-based email as one of their
main forms of communication, and using the Internet as the tool to do everything
from read a trade publication to download a virtual press kit.
Some of
the tools and activities of veteran public relations professionals would seem
foreign to those entering the workforce today. For those of you who’ve been in
PR for a while, you know you’re old when you remember:
1.
Stuffing envelopes. And snail mailing press releases.
2. Blasting client news via fax. It seemed like a
revelation.
3. Editing press releases—with red pens and
proofreader’s marks.
4. Mailing press kit folders instead of
virtual ones—not to mention attaching executive photos, business cards,
etc.
5. Conducting press tours—in person.
6. Clipping client media coverage. This meant
physically cutting newspaper and magazine articles and pasting them onto a piece
of paper for clip books, which you bound into physical books and sent in the
mail to clients.
7. Your clients went to COMDEX instead of CES.
8. Flipping through Bacon’s Directories. That
was how you found media contact information.
9. Checking into
the office meant calling from a landline, maybe even a pay phone. It
didn’t mean accessing email or voice messages on your smartphone, tablet, or
laptop.
10. Scheduling meetings on a Palm Pilot.
What other “old school” tools and activities do you remember?
Michelle Sieling is an account manager at Vantage Communications
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