I often take for granted how technology has made my life so much easier. How often do you think about it? This morning I have already checked my email on my iPhone when I woke up, made a hands-free call via my car's built-in bluetooth and, of course, am writing a blog post on my laptop to the thousands of people that read our blog :)

It's hard to imagine the world of PR before there was email and the World Wide Web. How was news ever reported in a timely manner? Clients today expect to see immediate coverage within the first HOUR of a major announcement - waiting a week for coverage in the local newspaper would never pass as satisfactory. That being said, the personal interaction and relationship building of old PR I'm sure has lost its way in the email age. PR people today can get results without really working for it - send a quick press release to the right contacts and BAM! You have yourself some coverage.

Despite this truth, one thing that we do exceptionally well here at BLAST is continue to build personal relationships with both our clients and the members of the press. While we begin many relationships over the phone or via email, I am always impressed with how wide our network of BLASTmedia "friends" grows every day. We still send hand-written thank you notes in the mail to editors when we get great coverage, and we also know all about our clients families and vacations - not just their product.

It easy to get sucked into the instant-gratification world of today, but it's important to remember that strong relationships and personal communication are still the basis of any great business. We don't need all the flashy tech tools to build a relationship - just genuine excitement for your work and a willingness to extend yourself beyond the internet and cable lines. This little dude isn't impressed with our technology - check out the YouTube video below for proof that we don't need "flashy toys..."