Richard Branson talks PR theory (at least how I see it)

This Q&A with Richard Branson about Virgin Atlantic's "social relations team" is a good case illustrating some points from theory and research.

real interaction (i.e., contingency interactivity)

"As a first step in addressing your problem, make sure your site is set up not just to handle transactions, but also for communication – and that when customers leave comments or send emails your team always follows up."

distributed public relations

"Beyond customer service, you may need to consider that the old divisions between advertising, marketing and public relations have broken down..."

I like how he includes advertising, marketing and public relations on top of customer service -- the more points of contact with the organization, the better. It makes for a better ratio of communicators in the organization to communicators in the publics.

recruiting/retaining the internally motivated (i.e., believers) for the job

"To succeed, such efforts must be supported from the top. David Cush, CEO of Virgin America, freed up the management of these social media channels from the company’s classic hierarchy. His social media team is made up of 20-somethings who have been given broad guidelines and then let loose.These employees, who were 'born digital,' have placed Facebook and Twitter at the center of the company’s communication strategy."

Also worth noting is how Branson handles his communication with Entrepreneur readers. He says he has tried to answer much of his own e-mail at Virgin. Obviously, he can't have one-on-one conversations with everyone, but along with the team mentioned above, the Q&A format shows a bit of voice.

"Editor's Note: Entrepreneur Richard Branson regularly shares his business experience and advice with readers. What follows is the latest edited round of insightful responses. Ask him a question and your query might be the inspiration for a future column."