Social Media is dangerous for companies, organisations and governments. It’s like walking through a minefield and even with the best and brightest PR/Ad agency minds prodding you along, all it takes is one ‘mine’ to de-rail the entire focus. So my recommendation to organisations is to totally avoid social media. It’s a mess.
But hang on, our customers are in social media, and Gen Y (and GenX and even older folk) are no longer watching TV, listening to radio, or reading the newspapers. They are busy in on-demand platforms like YouTube/Flickr, or listening to iPods, or reading independent online news, participating in social networks, or living in virtual worlds.
Social media is sprouting in every conceivable industry from finance, technology, FMCG, electronics, mobile, entertainment and more…. Social media is changing the face of politics and media stakeholders.
We are no longer making contact or influencing consumer opinions anymore. Consumers are influencing themselves. This is a problem, and there has to be a solution.