Communicating at light speed – that’s the new norm. We PR practitioners need to get accustomed to it or become dinosaurs.
That was never so evident than when the marketing/PR/communications team for the Susan G. Komen Foundation was blindsided with the concerted effort of Planned Parenthood recently. No matter what side of the argument you land on, it was clear to anyone watching this national controversy unfold that one side was communicating effectively and powerfully, while the other was getting pounded.
Komen had decided to publicity announce that it had pulled its funding from Planned Parenthood. They politely and quietly made their announcement apparently unknowing what was about to happen. They were unprepared for the social media firestorm.
I have no idea how Planned Parenthood was able to secure its grassroots armies of social media troops throughout the country to attack Komen so quickly. Did they have prior knowledge of the announcement? Was it solely the passion behind the cause that fueled the storm and efforts so quickly?
Whatever it was, they communicated via Facebook and Twitter in a concerted and effective method. So much so, I believe, that it was the single most significant reason Komen reversed its decision. From their standpoint, thousands of people were hammering them over and over again with targeted negative messages. This hammering was preventing them from getting their messaging out. Even a PR person for Komen tweeted on day No. 2 of the controversy that her office was full of #idiots for not recognizing this would happen.
Another recent example proves that social media is more than just a social playground. JC Penney named Ellen DeGeneres as its spokesperson. Because she is gay, an organization called the One Million Moms began an online protest. Again, I think the organization may have been surprised by the response they received.
Ellen, with the power of her television show and passionate following, addressed the protest head-on. In response, supporters of Ellen have offered to shop at JC Penney… even if they’ve never shopped there before by posting thousands of Facebook and Twitter messages – all pointed directly at One Million Moms. Probably not what they expected! Ultimately, I was pleased JC Penney stood by its decision and didn’t let an organization bully them with threats of boycotts and value complaints.
I’m writing this blog post today because I was asked by a Kansas City TV station to be a social media/public relations expert for a news segment last week. I figured… if I gathered my thoughts enough for the TV interview, I should at least get some use out of it and put it down in a blog! 
The interview occurred before Komen reversed its decision to fund grants to Planned Parenthood. It’s interesting… at the speed of communication today; things can change in a split second. You have to stay on top of the issues or you’re left arguing for (or against?) a topic that is no longer relevant!
