Each new day gives me a new excitement. I am happy I am making progress and that I am involved in shaping the new paradigm in my country. Now it may not make enough sense but after a while, we will wake up to the reality of time. It is now obvious that treating new media or what I like to refer to as social media with levity is tantamount to brand destruction.

I love the way one online author defines new media. He says ‘new media refer to here as a wide spectrum of content production and dissemination frameworks that use the internet & web’. This show there may not be clear cut difference in new media and social media as some experts want us to believe. This online writer went on to say ‘the emphasis of new media is on information produced by citizens for the benefit of the commons. This also point to the fact that the online citizens care less about any brand that does not value them. They want to reach their community members with burning information that affect them either positively or negatively. God helps any brand that falls on the wrong side.

To ignore the conversation today is dangerous and given the fact that citizens’ access to information can not be controlled, it will be wise to initiate a process that will put your brand where the conversation is. In our clime, we keep saying the population is still insignificant hence why the noise/fuss about social media application. Butt my concern like any other forward thinking individual; brand is that one does not need an entire population to destroy anything. Recently a major print media is involved in online reputation damage due to mismanagement of internal communication process. I stand to be corrected. while I am still thinking and frowned at why such vital document leaked to the hands of online media I am of the opinion that( with regards to our discourse here) such can serve as a good case study.

About five major brands were also mentioned as accomplice. Up till now, none of the affected brands have seen any justifiable reason to say something. That is a sign of our ignorance of the power of social media. I am particularly concerned about this issue because it has been reproduced in a platform that has over 173 countries membership with an average of 350 million members around the world where the statistic have also shown that an average of one hundred million log on are recorded daily.

Whatever the cause of this damage is not of our concern in this piece, our emphasis is the need for brands here to wake up to the reality of what new media can do to any brand that ignores it. My fear for brands that continue to overlook the importance of new media agrees with an online writer that says ‘With the introduction of vernacular language capable mobile phone handsets and the increasing affordability of multimedia mobile devices, it is increasingly difficult for brands to stifle voices from the ground’

While everyone is becoming content provider and speaking their minds, why are our brands here keeping silent and pretending that nothing has changed? Why are they waiting for the day of doom to start the process of incorporating social media in their communication/marketing plans? Why are they going on with the old paradigm that regular media will always holds the sway. There is an urgent need to embrace, hire the services of new media experts who can help position their brands against the raining days and more importantly save their brands from colossal shame that online community can cause them. I am still waiting and monitoring how the above mentioned case will be resolved when it has become international issue that bothers on hard earned image the brand has. If I must conclude I love all the major brands involved with passion but why are they not using the same medium to undo the damage done.

We must also remember that Google does not forget. Every information is archived by Google. An African adage says when you hear carry it, carry it and you keep quiet, they may drop it at your doorstep/backyard. We all have an equalized platform in new/social media to build support, understanding, engagement, strong reputation, reduce, and eliminate impact of damage. Silence may not be golden now except it is a worthwhile strategy. The danger of ignoring the new/social media is traceable to its viral effect as well as the buzz. It can be associated with the Yoruba adage that says ‘the god of thunder does not know any boundary when it fights’. New/social media does not know any boundary. It crosses every nation, tribe, clan, settlement

Related posts:

1. Brands: how to differentiate your social media efforts
2. Social media and Nigeria’s market/brands
3. Brands: how to guarantee social media activities’ success
4. Social media club International, Nigeria chapter
5. New media: a proof that it works