What A Tangled Web...

Business Communications Management has noted the benefits of social networking sites for business for a little while now, so let's take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly:

The Good - Kleenmaid Directors' Response on YouTube

THE directors of collapsed whitegood company Kleenmaid have posted a video on YouTube in an "Official Address to the Nation".

The video, posted this morning, features unapologetic directors Andrew and Bradley Young addressing customers and thanking them for their patience.

Without going into the issues behind Kleenmaid's receivership, the use of YouTube to get out a message unfiltered by the media is one of the best uses of new media.

While journalists endeavour to get both sides of the story, their primary interest in getting a 'good' story - one which may not be in the best interest of you or your company.

The Bad - Lawyers In Vogue Take On Twitter

THE tweets have turned to squawks in the offices of Vogue Australia, where fashionable feathers are flying over a fake page on Twitter.

"Damien Woolnough is outraged by the fake Vogue Australia Twitter page," Woolnough, the magazine's online editor, wrote on Twitter.

Vogue Australia has engaged its lawyers in an attempt to shut down the page, and the magazine contacted Twitter, the free social networking site, to demand the material be removed, The Australian reports.

It seems like 'snooze, you lose' when it comes to Web 2.0.

Says a commenter:

Perhaps this is just a person wishing to express the generic phrase "Vogue Australia" meaning "hip" or "happening" Australia. Actually companies have no legal right to simply take-over words from the English language. It would be very interesting to see this person fight back by claiming that no relationship exists to Vague Australia for fashion purposes. In fact, Vogue Australia would then have no right to continue threatening that person because they registered the name... all in all I find this article really quite arrogant and written without any real understanding for legal process...
Posted by: IP Lawyer of Melbourne, Australia 1:45am today

It will be interesting to see what emerges from this since prior use and intent will play a large part in the outcome.

The lesson for businesses is clear, register and use this new technology before someone else beats you to it.

In 2001, prior to starting Business Communications Management, Jacqui created a PR gold mine for the IT company she worked for after being alerted by a media outlet that someone from the company had registered peterbeattie.com. The registration, done as lark with no ill-intent by a young network engineer. By the end of the week the team had registered robborbidge.com and queenslandelection.com and created a nation-wide buzz.

The Ugly - Debt Collector Wracks Up $25,000
A US Debt collector who harassed a debtor on her MySpace page - which can be publicly viewed - has been fined $25,000 for harassment.

Debt collectors are not permitted to publicise your debt or discuss it with anyone other than you. They can only phone you between certain hours. If you ask them to deal with you by letter, they must do so.

Quite apart from that, there is the risk that the communication - the post on the MySpace wall - could be deemed defamation.

If you'd like to know more about the media or how the Internet can work more effectively for your business, then call us today.

Half day media training programs are available with special discount rates available for company bookings.