Here is a really interesting report (IBM CEO survey: ‘Leading through Connections’), because it reinforces what we have been writing about, concerning CEO attitudes to the increasing power of social media versus the diminishing role of traditional media.
The really important chapter for us starts on page 29, with a critical bar-graph on page 35. It shows that in 2012 websites, blogsites and social media are more important than traditional media for reaching consumers (39% cf 63%). The summary is on page 40.
We are not just talking about consumer PR here, but across the board communications including B2B. The report states:
“The CEOs of business-to-business (B2B) organizations were also quick to note that social media is not just a business-to-consumer phenomenon. As a U.K. CEO from the media and entertainment industry pointed out,
“Our B2B customers are also consumers of social media; you cannot split the two”.
Even if we assume an inherent bias because the report was written by IBM, but the results are consistent with so many other reports.
The other important aspect, which the report discusses is the importance of the way we are increasingly engaging with consumers – an honest, two-way dialogue – listen first, then respond.
