Many b-to-b marketers are turning to PR as their budgets are slashed and they struggle to maintain a marketing presence in their industries, according to a recent article in B2B. The article points out that in a recession, it's more important than ever to have your story told by credible third-party media.

Journalists worldwide are routinely threatened and intimidated, or worse, resulting in a climate of fear that endangers freedom of the press from Latin America to Southeast Asia, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. This follows the trend outlined in a previous issue of Strategic Media Relations Report last August. The report chronicles the gulf that is widening between technology and censorship - and underlines the importance of technology in today's media. 

Too many marketers view the media as an ad-hoc advertising vehicle. Instead of treating the media as another marketing tool, try to think of it as one of your best customers. While media technologies change, the rules governing media relations remain the same. Ingratiate yourself to the key media members that cover your particular industry, and you will find that you have developed a solid relationship that will pay off in more ways than you could imagine. 

There's a reason why the marketing programs of the auto industry, the airline industry, and many other industries are not only ineffective, but bogged down by chaos and confusion, according to a recent book from Al and Laura Ries, the authors of "The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR."