One thing that defines Capstrat is that we always try to be a step ahead in the communications industry. Our expertise in public affairs defined us early on. Today, as power in the financial sector shifts from Wall Street to Washington, our clients can benefit from those political insights.
We are surrounded by predictions. What’s the weather going to be like? Who’s going to be elected? Based on the international markets, what will the Dow do today? Knowing what’s coming might not be as important as being able to handle it when it arrives.
Niche marketing as a concept is decidedly not new. Companies and individuals have been successfully using this strategy for decades. What’s new is using self-identified specialty audiences via the Internet to reach the niches who gather there.
No one knows exactly how many millions of e-mail addresses the Obama campaign captured during his run for the presidency. But his emotional appeal to the electorate, coupled with a low-cost, instantaneous connection to millions of supporters, has the potential to fundamentally change the way public affairs is practiced in the United States.
I wonder if asking, “What will the future of PR bring?” is the right question. I think a better question might be, “How will communications agencies evolve to handle global relations?”