There's a big bag of tools now to help make life easier for the stressed out PR practitioner. If you haven't taken a root around in it yet they range from Planning campaigns such as Search Trend tools from Google, Researching campaigns including Keyword tools and a Consumer Barometer that shows how people around the world are using the internet. Need to test the mood online about your brand or company? Then reach no further than the Social Media Sentiment tool.

Or if it's about gathering feedback then grab one of the online survey tools. Social media listening is sorted too, give BrandWatch a try. As for stakeholder identification and management, that's a 'piece of cake' with the help of Buzzsumo, Audiense and friends. Plenty of campaign management tools in there too such as Tweetdeck. Analytics, Audio Content, Written and Visual Content are all 'in the bag' too. We can even create newsrooms and distribute to the masses.

But lurking deep down inside that bag is one that no-one ever want to have to use. (I'll give you a guess, it's bit like the emergency telephone number for the Plumber.) Yes, it's a tool for Crisis Planning.

It is truly remarkable how easy PR has become with all these tools at our disposal. Or has it? Don't get me wrong there are some very useful things in there that can be added to the PR weaponry. But I won't be getting sucked into the attraction of a shiny new tool without really thinking through the objectives and strategy first face-to-face with my client.