If 27 per cent of PR departments own social media in their organisation, do they top the list? ('Three-quarters of marketing chiefs say in-house PR should not handle social media', prweek.com/uk, 7 December.) Ten per cent say their IT department does - wait while I pick myself up off the carpet. Rob Wheeler of Whizz-Kidz is spot on when he says Twitter needs to be backed by PR.
Ross Furlong
- It is an enabler, not a controller of comms
We have many talented marketers in the UK, so I am amazed even one would want to entrust a key stakeholder relations activity to IT. IT is essentially the enabler of the social media delivery channel, not its controller - just as printers are the enablers of the printed channel.
Alistair MacDonald
- Would you leave your marketing in IT's hands?
This sounds too ridiculous to be true. Social media have an intrinsic link to corporate reputation and consumer engagement. Handing this role to non-marketing professionals is dangerous, if not negligent ... It would be like leaving your marketing team in charge of your IT system.
Simon Francis
- Work together to achieve the best results
Handling social media should be a collaborative responsibility across disciplines. The question is who is tasked with doing what? IT may well be best placed for creating platforms that integrate with an organisation's existing digital presence, but devising strategy for content generation and ongoing engagement sits better with the marketing/PR team.
Jon Clements.
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