Earlier this week was the fourth Throng; a monthly get-together of social media types over drinks in downtown Toronto. Despite competing for the time-slot with Geek Dinner, we had a couple of new PR and blogging faces including Maggie Fox, and four High Road staff Martin Hoffman, Heather Anderson, Nicole Flippance, and Natasha Compton, as well as regulars Boyd Neil, Sean Moffitt, Ketchum’s Melody Gaukel, Mark Daley of MacLaren McCann and Doug Walker.
The planned topic was whether we’re going to see a new communications agency model emerge in Canada to deal with the needs of companies looking at web 2.0 strategies. Something like Crayon, which according to its launch press release, “...will help marketers, advertisers and public relations professionals better understand the tremendous changes, challenges and opportunities in today's dynamic and complex world of fragmented attention, increasing consumer control and hardening attitudes towards marketing communication.” As far as I can tell, Crayon is primarily virtual (based in Second Life), but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar agency with its feet on real ground, comprised of former heavy-hitting ad and PR agency types, pop up next year. Social media, online, viral, word of mouth, communities, etc could become the anvil that a new communications model will be forged upon. What's the name of that agency going to be in Canada?
So much for that conversation; it didn’t happen to the extent I was hoping because we got too excited about finding out what our new bloggy joinees are into. Got into a discussion with Martin Hoffman (of Canuck PR toolbar fame) about a topic recently discussed on Joe Thornley's blog; the employer’s dilemma around supporting personal business blogs when those bloggers sometimes leave the agency which helped them build blog fame, and whether there are differences in freedom of writing for each of those models.
Also had a chat with Maggie of Social Media Group about the agencies leading the social media charge. Maggie is a former on-air broadcast journalist with a great presence and clear thinking about communications. I suspect she knows what makes for a good media and blog pitch. Next time I want to talk to her about how PR and disciplines like word of mouth, advertising and direct are meeting in the social media blur. I'm not sure whether Canadian companies care what type of agency executes their social media strategies, and I suspect many types of agencies are offering similiar solutions. Surely it all comes down to who you trust to figure it out on your behalf?
Boyd wanted to discuss whether blogging helps build political consensus or creates too many diverse opinions to be effectively synthesized in public policy. Doug is continuing that discussion over here.
Next Throng is in January.
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