Something bothers me when I read statements such as the KLM blog’s response to the now notorious, and in some quarters celebrated, #NEDMEX 2014 World Cup tweet. The explanation for an ill-judged tweet at a sensitive moment rests largely on the idea that online activity is a process of “learning by doing it wrong”. But honestly, after ten years of LinkedIn, eight years of Twitter and six years of Facebook, should we not be past that stage? Surely seasoned professionals now work in digital and social communications? And I assume KLM’s PR department has long been closely integrated with its excellent social team.
That last point is the subject of a lively debate in our industry: the value, effectiveness and respective roles of traditional PR, media relations and inspiring online strategies. Social media has made a balanced mix of public relations and marketing more important than ever. After all, a reputation is built through consistent communication. Recent research also suggests that an increasingly fragmented media landscape makes it more important to speak with one voice. The industry is now eager to emphasise that social platforms must be an integral part of every marketing communications strategy.
That is a good development. Yet it makes it odd that companies get away so easily with social media mistakes. There are plenty of examples of communications professionals getting things badly wrong, both personally and professionally, often with disastrous career consequences. I am not saying someone at KLM should have been fired. But KLM’s weak excuse feels outdated. In marketing communications, you also face public criticism if your press release is full of mistakes or you put every journalist in the CC field of your email.
Our industry is shaped by technological developments, with traditional and innovative perspectives influencing its direction. Of course there must be room to experiment and refine concepts and execution in good time. Still, it would be more professional to stop relying on outdated excuses across the entire marketing mix, including social media. This is where PR departments and agencies can demonstrate their value. They understand strategic positioning and how to strengthen corporate and brand reputations. They can both create and safeguard. Communications activities therefore need to become more closely integrated with social media. To me, old-school attention to detail remains an essential part of a communications professional’s DNA, rather than something to replace with a weak excuse.
Stella
This blog also appeared as a column on Nederlands Media Netwerk.
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