Why I love social media’s impact on the corporate world

I love the fact that social media has been ruffling the feathers of the corporate world. Gone are the days when you could buy your way into convincing people that you are a reputable brand by buying out expensive PR/Ad campaigns. I embrace the fact that social media is bringing companies to account for all their actions, and that carefully crafted and controlled ad campaigns are blowing up in their faces.  Case and point: BP’s millions of dollars advertising investment in filling up print and broadcast media and the Internet with messages of how wonderful they are. Check out this post by David Henderson BP’s Litany of PR Gaffes, and this posting about BP’s expenditure on Internet ad campaigns, http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/100609-140554.

David Woodward wrote a very interesting article earlier this month about the power of social media in bringing down a brand through negative PR, Reputations at Risk.  I concur 100% with his simple conclusion that brands can fight back negative social media PR by converting criticism into meaningful customer relationships. If you open up your brand to social media (which you have no choice but to this day and age), you have to prepare yourself to handle criticism as well as praise. If handled properly, criticism can actually be a terrific opportunity to build your brand and your reputation. You can channel the negativity and turn it into a positive.   Word of warning though, don’t depend on established/traditional PR & advertising agencies to be able to do this right for you though.  Many of these agencies are still in the pen and paper age.  David Jones, chief executive of Havas Worldwide, an advertising and marketing agency that represents Nestlé, in a statement made a couple of months ago labelled social media platforms as being “inherently negative”. Needless to say, never look at Nestlé for tips on how to use social media effectively.  They have failed woefully in this regard to date.

I believe that effective corporate communications (and this includes social media) boils down to four essential core components and these are truthfulness, transparency, humility, and helpfulness. If people see that you are reflecting these qualities on your website, in the news, in your ads, and on social media platforms, they will sing your praises. Stop trying to hide.

BTW, examples of large companies that are doing social media well include Cisco, Intel, Burger King, and Starbucks.

Tags: ad campaigns, BP, brand reputation, corporate communications, corporate social media, corporate social responsibility, david henderson, David Woodward, helpfulness, humility, Nestle, PR campaigns, social media, social networking, transparency, truthfulness

Category: Social Media