How Social Media Affects Your Business

Philip M. Gomes, Vice President, Senior Counsel, Online Communications, Edelman

Communications & Marketing Committee

Want to know why social media (the online practices used to develop and engage in conversation) is keeping US business/marketing leaders awake at night? Social media is one of the most powerful vehicles to drive word-of-mouth, which influences 80% of all purchase decisions. Philip M. Gomes will share case studies of how social media can make or break a company and why businesses should start paying attention to the power of social media, especially when new forms of information dissemination like newsgroups, blogs and YouTube are becoming increasingly popular in Hong Kong and across Asia. As information travels more quickly with the help of these social media tools, it is crucial for companies to be able to respond to the public's discussion in time (for instance, JetBlue's CEO saved the company's reputation by addressing his latest crisis promptly in a YouTube video.)

Mr. Gomes will also touch upon the following topics:
* Overview of key tools PR2.0 Pros need to know (RSS Reader, Storycrafter, hosted conversations and Podcasting)
* How to craft an employee blogging/social media policy

Phil Gomes serves as Edelman's vice president and senior counsel, Online Communications, working from the agency's offices in Los Angeles. Mr. Gomes is responsible for crafting the online engagement policies and standards for the agency and its clients, as well as serving as an in-house educator and counselor with regard to blogs, social media, and online communities.

Supporting Organization: