Hi-tech Startups: Life After the Crash

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In the wake of the dot-com meltdown, PR people are asking themselves, "what can PR do now that the IPOs have dried up? Where's the story?" This roundtable featured PR experts with answers like the following:

• "This whole dot-com thing finally killed branding. The '80s was the age of positioning; the '90s was the age of branding. We are currently in the age of narrative."
• "I disagree about narrative...It's about demonstration."
• "All I'm saying is the short fixes--the quick buzz approaches--don't work anymore."
• "We are talking about our clients who are groping for more media attention, and we're saying, 'Ha, silly them, it's not about having a cool buzz anymore.' It's about showing value. Well, at the same time we are saying we can't demonstrate our own value. This is our biggest problem."