The Evolution of an “Agent”

For several years now, the PR industry – one of the richest and most-established disciplines in the general marketing arena – has had to respond that what is perhaps the most serious challenge in its history. The advent of social media, with its practical and philosophical bent on DIY (“do it yourself”) has forced leaders in the profession to examine not only what it does in this world (the services provided by practitioners), but also who in fact should do the work. Perhaps the simplest way to frame the question is, what is the role of the agent – a professional who performs a task on behalf of the client – in a world where the client is supposedly empowered to perform the task him or herself. For PR leaders who are struggling to answer this question, this is not merely about the viability of one’s business. It’s more fundamental than that. It’s about one’s identity.