If you are old enough to remember the BBC’s long running revolutionary sitcom, ‘Citizen Smith’ you would have been tempted to clench your fist in a Wolfie-like salute and nostalgically cry, “Power to the people”, when hearing the news last week.
Citizen journalism’s power could increase further following Google’s announcement that it has evolved the wiki concept with the introduction of its Sidewiki. The tool allows consumers to write comments next to a brand’s website, allowing them to publicly comment on their service.
Banks, telecoms and rail companies, often cited as the worst examples of an indifferent approach, at best, to the great British public, will be having sleepless nights. Their only likely comfort is that Sidewikis are only viewable by users who’ve uploaded the technology to their browser bar.
In the Netherlands, citizen van-Wolfie, aka Pieter Lakeman, who runs Holland’s Mortgage Grievances Foundation appeared on Dutch television and told customers it was "in their personal and collective interest to take their money out" of DSD bank in response to the aggressive way it approached its customers. Almost immediately customers began withdrawing their money en masse. Reports in the Dutch press said that €600 million, about a quarter of the bank’s assets, had been taken out within a few days of the interview. Soon after, the court placed the bank into receivership.
Banks, telecoms and rail companies will be having sleepless nights
Closer to home Joanna Lumley was named communicator of the year in the PR Week Awards with not a spin doctor in sight. Despite being absolutely fabulous, Lumley’s citation praised her for taking on the government in support of the Gurkhas and winning – not really a fair contest many of you might say. Her blend of celebrity good looks and dulcet tones were the perfect talents to mix with the kukuri-carrying, volunteer soldiers from the mountains of Nepal. But more importantly it showed that if you get the people on your side, as well as the media who are not slow in spotting a winner, government legislation can be changed overnight.
Ignore the public at your peril!
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You have hit the nail firmly on the head. With Twitter and Sidewikis arriving on Google, public facing companies need to beware. The days when social media was just a minor irritant, is becoming a fond memory for the corporate monoliths. PR is now more about listening and responding with meaningful answers and less about talking to the sofa-bound public.