Fullsail | Summit discusses how N.B. can grow economy

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By KYLE MULLIN
mullin.kyle@dailygleaner.com

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Whether you work for a local firm or a foreign multinational, Tod Maffin says you'll need social networking to take flight in this economic downturn.

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Sharing their expertise: Rahaf Harfoush, left, a member of U.S. President Barack Obama’s social media team, and Tod Maffin, a CBC broadcaster who specializes in technology issues, were panellists Monday at the third annual Fullsail Summit being held at the Delta Fredericton Hotel. They spoke about Moving Beyond Today with John Ibbitson, a correspondent for the Globe and Mail newspaper.

Maffin, a CBC broadcaster who specializes in technology issues, was a panel member at the third annual Fullsail Summit, where entrepreneurs, investors and other experts discuss and debate the province's economic future.

Maffin said companies of every sort need social networks to forge tighter ties with their customers.

He said the old corporate method of only reaching customers through traditional advertising won't work in an age where customers control the medium and the message on Facebook and Twitter.

"Every company that fails to be an active member in the swarm will eventually get bitten, and bitten hard, because of the way young people want to engage with a company. They want to have that relationship."

He said forming that relationship can be done with a few easy Twitter messages, or by creating a Facebook group about the company and what it has to offer.

As that method becomes the norm, Maffin said, smaller economies such as New Brunswick will be better suited to build a tightly knit online community.

"I think smaller businesses and smaller economies like New Brunswick have a much greater opportunity than big New York companies," he said.

"The closer you are to the ground with the people you're trying to reach, the easier it will be to make that connection."

Rahaf Harfoush, associate director for the Global Cooperation Initiative at the World Economic Forum and a volunteer on U.S. President Barack Obama's social media team, said companies need to embrace feedback and accept they'll be forced to share their brand with their customers.

She used the example of U.S. rapper Will.i.am's Yes We Can YouTube video, which had 26 million hits. However, the video also featured unauthorized footage of Obama's campaign.

Rather than asking the Black Eyed Peas singer to remove it from YouTube, Obama's campaign team backed the video as if it was its own.

Harfoush said the Obama team also used the MyBO social network to personalize Obama's message to each member. By compiling survey answers, personal messages were given to volunteers, asking them to contribute within their means and along their interests.

"There are a lot of similarities between the Obama campaign and a small economy," she said. "Social media can level the playing field. So it doesn't matter if you have two employees or 200; if you use it effectively, you can get your voice out there to just as many people.

"Small businesses that are more rural without a lot of access to people (can) bypass conventional media and get the word out."

But Maffin said companies shouldn't get overzealous with their online campaigns.

One of the worst online experiences he could remember was when he once tried to ease his cold symptoms by researching what type of Kleenex came laced with lotion, only to be bombarded by a three-page online survey.

"I didn't want a one-on-one relationship with their vice-president of marketing; I wanted to blow my nose and get on with my life," he said.

"Don't try to fit old advertising square pegs into the round holes of social media - personalize your sites, let the customer get involved, and we'll build an economy of trust together."