IPA Social

Back in January, the IPA ran an event to launch their Social Media Futures report. It caused quite a kerfuffle at the time because for something about social media the whole thing was, well, distinctly unsocial. It felt like another missed opportunity. But then something interesting happened – they listened.

A bunch of people (including me) from across the industry who had opinions they wanted to express sat down with the IPA and got to talking about how things could be done differently. The group have worked up ten principles to capture the breadth and depth of change that social means for our industry:

1. People not consumers – Mark Earls

2. Social agenda not business agenda – Le’Nise Brothers

3. Continuous conversation not campaigning – John V Willshire

4. Long term impacts not quick fixes – Faris Yakob

5. Marketing with people not to people – Katy Lindemann

6. Being authentic not persuasive – Neil Perkin

7. Perpetual beta – Jamie Coomber

8. Technology changes, people don’t – Amelia Torode

9. Change will never be this slow again – Graeme Wood

10. Measurement – Asi Sharabi

The principles are not definitive, but are intended as conversation starters. So the authors will be posting their initial thoughts on individual principles next week (look out for mine), inviting feedback and comment, and the conversation will be pulled together on an IPA blog. This conversation will continue at an event at the IPA (at which I'll be speaking) on 6th October. So please join the debate, come to the event.

Anything which helps push the debate is a good thing, but I think the IPA should be applauded for listening and taking action. I guess the point is that this time the process is more open, collaborative and far more, well, social.

#ipasocial