Communications Council looks to launch social media body
The Communications Council is looking to establish a new social media body before the end of April, Encore can reveal.
The new body is likely to be aimed at providing benchmarks for agencies using the medium, sharing best practice and social media training.
“We are looking to set up a social media body underneath the Communications Council,” said Kim McKay, director of Klick Communications. “We are looking to set up something similar to the PR Council, but a social media council.” The PRC was set up last year.
The move comes after discussions between a number of leading agency people involved in social media.
“There was a realisation that there was the need for an official industry body to have a proper forum that can really benchmark our work,” said McKay. Among those involved in the steering committee for the proposed new body are Nicola Swankie, Leo Burnett Sydney, Mandi Bateson, Mindshare, James Quinlan, DDB Group, Tiphereth Gloria, VML, Mark Bulgin, Ebay and McKay.
The committee has asked the Communications Council to survey its members about what they are looking for from a social media-focused body. “It will be a separate body within the Communications Council,” said McKay. “Ultimately we see it as benchmarking at the moment – we are all measuring campaigns independently with no way outside of your agency to know how know how well your work is tracking.”
“We see the need for benchmarking, training and also ensuring the work you are doing is best class.”
The survey is open until April 8. The committee will meet next month to discuss the results.
“We have our initial assumptions (about what is needed) but the survey has been put in place to see if this is the case and if it is, then that’s what we’ll keep working on in terms of our mission.”
“But the survey might take us in a different direction completely.”
Click here to complete the survey.
Nic Christensen
This story first appeared in the weekly edition of Encore available for iPad and Android tablets. Visit encore.com.au for a preview of the app or click below to download.
I just hope that the Sydney-based steering committee will make the time to connect with social media practitioners around the nation – and not just the ones who are marketers or agency representatives. Social media provides such diverse opportunities across all industries as a tool for co-creation, collaboration and conversation. It’d be unfair if community managers were left out of the equation when exploring the role of a social media peak body in Australia.
(PS – I’ve shared the link already with my social media mates.)
@RubinaCarlson
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This is a positive move for the industry. I agree with Rubina. I hope that they include those in the industry far and wide to represent opinions of us all.
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