Ellie Bonn

1 October 2019
PRS 340
Short Response Statement

Hi Mr. Scott,
My name is Ellie Bonn and I am a junior at the University of Rhode Island studying
public relations and business. I understand how intrigued you are with social media and the new
ways of communicating. I have watched your overview video on Youtube and understand that
the old way of doing business in public relations is much different than it is today. In the past, it
was all about getting your boss on the front page of the paper, pitching stories to the media in
hopes for some attention, and one-way dialogue with the media. Today is much different. Today
people are doing independent research and coming armed with tons of information when ready to
make a big purchase. With the advances in social media, consumers communicate instantly in
real time. You have found that the best content for any business is to educate first, and then sell.
In your overview video, you mentioned the example of the trip you and your wife were looking
into. You chose to go through the website that was interactive with you through social media,
and whose website had lots of information on the area and the trip before they tried to sell you.
The company that got your business was not the cheapest or most famous, but it was the one who
took the time to engage with you. I am also intrigued by your sharing more than selling rule.
That companies share and engage 85% of the time, 10% creating content and then 5% or less is
promotional efforts. It is interesting to see how times have changed in the marketing world. Your
concept makes perfect sense and it is something that I am going to keep in mind and let my
employers know about.
I would like to invite you to lunch with me at the Capital Grille in Providence, RI on
November 6, 2019 to discuss the best ways to achieve success in the public relations field. You
are such an energetic and content rich speaker, I am intrigued and looking to earn some
knowledge through chatting and getting insight on what I should be doing in order to achieve
success in my field of study. I agree completely with what you were stating in your overview
video in the fact that social media has advanced and we need to keep up with the changing times.
Companies need to move quickly and use social media to their full advantage. These days,
everyone is connected to social media wherever they are through their smartphone devices.
Content is one of the best online forms of marketing and like you said, “you are what you
publish.”