• by Gary McCormick , December 3, 2010

The last decade has been a fascinating time to work in marketing and public relations, with a bevy of new technologies and practices enabling us to reach and influence audiences in ways never dreamed of before. From blogging going mainstream to Twitter taking us all (pleasantly) by surprise, and several other innovations in between, we're truly in a marketing renaissance.

Yet, with these newfound opportunities and touchpoints comes an urgent responsibility on the part of practitioners to ensure they have performed thorough due diligence on the new technologies and practices they engage in, and that they fully understand the impact and potential influence that new theories and tactics may have on their audiences.

In essence, the next decade of marketing and public relations may come down to how well professionals balance the inherent opportunities stemming from new technologies and within emerging markets with their professional responsibility to develop practices and campaigns that are ethical and comply with respected industry standards.

It's quite a conundrum.

Marketing, public relations and advertising are professions made up of highly intelligent, innovative and savvy practitioners who are often a step or two ahead of the general public when it comes to adopting new technologies and theories for best reaching and influencing others. That ability to foresee how some new theory or tactic will deliver big results six months, a year or five years down the line is often what separates the great practitioners from those who languish behind their peers.

But should we always be champing at the bit to get our clients or employers engaged in "the next big thing" if we haven't quite done the full research necessary to understand if it's in the best interests of our clients or customers? And what steps are we taking to ensure that emerging industry practices meet the same set of standards and ethical guidelines as well-established strategies?

I was reminded of these two questions recently while reading a fascinating column in the Sunday New York Times business section on the emerging practice of neuromarketing. The column described how the practice uses biometrics and techniques from neuroscience to evaluate consumers' perceptions of content, messaging and advertising.

Like other still-emerging practices, neuromarketing presents tremendous opportunities to savvy marketers who can envision how its blending of technology, biometrics and traditional marketing practices might benefit their clients.

But we should take it upon ourselves, as a profession and as individual practitioners, to thoroughly understand the potential impact that any new technology may have on our customers, stakeholders and other key audiences before devoting our time and resources to something that may or may not be "the next big thing."

In a letter to the editor of The New York Times that I submitted on behalf of the Public Relations Society of America, of which I am chairman and CEO, I expressed similar concerns, noting: "Advancements in technology have given marketers exciting, often highly successful methods of reaching and influencing consumers. But for each new technology, there is a need for proper research to establish ethical practices and standards."

Ultimately, we are judged on our ability to influence consumer behavior and shape the public discourse about our products, services and clients. And emerging practices, such as neuromarketing, continue to provide exceptionally innovative new methods for doing just that. But it's imperative that we take a step back, from time to time, to ensure that we fully understand the impact of every strategy we engage in, whether it's of the traditional or emerging variety.

Otherwise, we risk being viewed as a knee-jerk, opportunistic profession, which will only serve to diminish our strategic value to the business community.