Instant PR & Customer Service

Responding to the changes caused by the rise of social media and real-time content, in 2010 many PR teams and agencies stepped up with approaches that enabled a type of “instant PR,” as customer service became not only a tool for servicing existing customers but also a hugely powerful marketing channel.

During a nationally televised Monday Night Football game, the commentators referred to the NY Giants wide receivers as JetBlue. An alert employee tweeted about it, the tweet was mentioned on air, and JetBlue showed millions of Americans that they are connected to the real world.  Similarly, shoe and clothing line Zappos’s real-time customer service has become the gold standard in customer care thanks to its focus on phone — not digital — customer service. With its phone number front and center on the website, the brand encourages meaningful and delightful experiences with their customer service agent and swears by its effectiveness in generating customer loyalty.

Today, strong social media and public relations strategies will prioritize customer service in a world where consumers develop opinions of brands based on the attention they receive from them.