New Media, opportunity or limitation?

Companies view social media as the solution to most of their communications gaps. As indicated in this article, Corporates are increasing turning to social media for reputation management even as research shows that 70% of agencies blame social media as the main cause of crisis for companies. Social media, however viewed to be effective, is one tool that most have difficulties in getting right. The fact that companies have to work with the in an industry that is full of blogger and "twitters" it is actually important to get it right.

Social media as it is, should be very significant in how messages are disseminated because the existing social groups are constrained by geographical boundaries and cultural differences. Al Qaeida has used social media to spread messages of fear and terror, they are fully in control of how and when messages go across. Clearly, there is no need for a center, the web is a virtual portable homeland.

Facebook has 350million users worldwide according The Virtual Revolution -Enemy of the State, aired on BBC 2. How then do we use this important medium that has over 350million people involved? PR has often used social media for successful viral campaigns such as "Bring Back Wispa", and "Obama Presidential Campaign" proving that new media provides one of the most effective tools of communication.


PRWeek, (2010), Corporates increasingly turn to social media to mend damaged reputation