How PR has changed in the last 25 years

Posted on

David Landis_Headshot 2016 Headshot 2 TMCBy David Landis, President
Here at Landis Communications we’re celebrating our 25th anniversary, which got me thinking about how things have changed during that time – the PR industry was certainly a lot different before the Internet! From typewriters to laptops and from huge client report books to PDFs, the way we work has changed dramatically.
I took a trip down memory lane to think about what else has changed since the LCI doors opened for the first time.
 

What’s the biggest change in the PR industry you’ve noticed from when you first began working in the business to now? Leave a comment below or tweet me @david_landis.

9 thoughts on “How PR has changed in the last 25 years”

  1. David, thank you for the trip down memory lane. I can’t get over the giant monthly report binders. One entirely new aspect of PR that didn’t exist 25 years ago was social media. It’s interesting to see PR and social media evolve almost daily for brands. Reporters are also stretched so thin now. It’s very likely to see a journalist covering multiple news beats, which really didn’t happen 25 years ago.

  2. Great blog David! I haven’t been in PR long enough to witness huge changes, so it was fascinating to see how it was 25 years ago – thanks!

  4. David, I loved that vlog! Brought back so many memories! I have a few more examples to add to your list of what has changed:
    – Transparencies: (you had slides, but I remember also needing to order color transparencies that we would FedEx to the media if they wanted images)
    – Bike Messengers! We used messengers ALL the time to get documents, photos etc. to and from clients and to the media. We didn’t have email or any means to transport digitally.
    – Fax machines – oh yes, I did use fax machines for client and media communication
    – Stuffing envelopes with pitch letters and mailing them
    – Slicks/reprints: I remember ordering re-prints for top media coverage. Although I’m sure this service is still available, we now mostly mock up our own coverage and print ourselves.
    Finally, I completely agree, the one that that has NOT changed in the past 25 years is relationships. Having drinks or lunch or dinner with clients and with the media is the best way to build trust and lasting relationships.
    Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
    – Jennifer

  5. David,
    Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Remember when we thought green screens and Word Perfect were such great innovations? And, spell check was known as physical proof reading?
    Sean

  6. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, David. I still remember my first week at an agency and flipping through the pages of a media catalog. Thank goodness my PR firm had just subscribed to Vocus and I never had to use one of those dreadful books.

  7. Wow, David, I haven’t thought about so many of these “formerly first class” PR tactics in a long time! My favorite old-school memory is having to run to Federal Express (the official name of FedEx, for you young ‘uns) in order to make the 5 p.m. East Coast pickup. I had more than my fair share of sprints down the street to catch the driver before he sped off. Thanks for the great blog and here’s to the next 25 years!!
    David C.

  9. When I’m making a video 25 years from now on the same topic….I wonder what I will be showing!

Comments are closed.