• Miami Herald, Monday, August 10, 2009 11 AM

In a story laden with examples, Clifford M. Marks charts the convergence of traditional advertising and public relations agencies even as they stand at a crossroads formed by emerging social media venues such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

"This is business Darwinism right now,'' Sissy DeMaria, president of PR firm Kreps DeMaria tells him. "You're going to see a lot of consolidation in the industry, and only the strongest will survive." She talks about how her agency is moving into video production, for example -- something it would not have done just a few years ago.

Cori Rice, head of Miami office Hill & Knowlton, cites an integrated campaign for Denny's. A 30-second TV spot raised awareness for a free Grand Slam breakfast promotion, but H&K used traditional PR tactics and social media to saturate blogs and news sites with buzz about the offer.

"In order to cut through the marketplace to get to the consumer, you have to scream," she says. "There's nothing normal about this environment, and if you retreat, you're out of business."

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