As for measurement, I don’t agree with you there. All companies (and the agencies they select) should have plans that measure for success… otherwise how will you know if you are making any strides? The reason there is no perceived value in marketing is because of the lack of planning, measuring and re-planning. Most folks don’t want to be held accountable, so the result is shotgun marketing that is worthless and ignored (in most cases, there are always exceptions).

@CourtneyBensen, Knowing Geoff and his team, I don’t think there is any issue with change…they are change agents when it comes to social media. As well, it’s doubtful that CRT/tanaka would have purchased LComm if they didn’t embrace social media.

@LarryIrons, not sure I agree with this one: “Those listening for a brand, whether employees or outside agencies, require an understanding of how a complaint, product suggestion, opportunity, or request heard on a social media channel (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) relates to the brand’s business services and the processes that regulate them.”

If I understand your meaning, I’d say that’s an inside out, not outside in, viewpoint. The statement, from a social media perspective, should be something like:

“Those listening for a brand, whether employees or outside agencies, require an understanding of how a complaint, product suggestion, opportunity, or request heard on a social media channel (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) can be used to enhance, revise, etc. the brand’s business services and the processes that regulate them.”

Also, I haven’t seen any examples or case studies of agencies taking social media across silos or corporate structures…most have been one-off marketing campaigns. The one exception that I have seen recently is Sea World San Antonio; they are using social media tools across the organization. Kami Huyse is involved in that social media initiative.

@DonLafferty, thanks for adding a local reality check. From where I sit, I don’t see a lot of local agencies or embracing social media (and I don’t mean embracing the tools, I mean embracing the new mindset). It will be interesting to see what happens…

@SharonAdams, best of luck with your community!

While there will always be boutique-ish [read: low cost; low overhead] options for procuring services on a shoe string, I see more and more agencies and in-house MARCOM orgs talking about converting freelance social media resources to full time assets.

The toughest part about these agency melds is managing the resulting overlap, created over the last few years by agencies and freelance social media consultants wearing lots of hats in their effort to satisfy clients during this new media (re)evolution.