Power Struggles of the Advocate Age - The Social MBA

Max Tatton-Brown

Nov 25, 2011 • 2 min read

I really never thought I’d say this after only three years in PR but, come January, I’m going to be a published author. And I think that’s both quite humbling and seriously cool.

A little while ago, I was kindly invited by Christer Holloman to contribute a chapter to what became The Social Media MBA – a guide for marketers of all levels to emerging trends, supported by tips to help them execute advanced strategies.

I know right, you can’t wait to read it? Well, you have to. But I can tell you a little about my chapter – the rest is a closely guarded secret.

To many of you, it’s contents should be largely familiar, especially if we’ve spoken recently. What I wanted to create was not a “look at me, I’m so clever”, navel-exam that would go over people’s heads but a piece that developed from a basic structure right up to more sophisticated stuff so that everyone would gain some useful advice. Whether or not I achieved that, we shall see…

So here’s the synopsis:

(Alternatively pre-order your copy here and ask Siri to set you a countdown until the day Amazon publishes.)

From the looks of things, there are plenty of smart people in there – In particular I’m looking forward to taking a proper look at chapters from Ged Carrol, Jed Hallam and Tim Hoang – so give it a glance, you might just like what you find.

It’s commonly suggested that brands are more vulnerable today than they have ever been. For better or worse, the days of influencers wearing a hat with “PRESS” tucked into the rim and filing stories every 24 hours are a distant memory.

The verbal assassination of your brand is now a constant, inevitable and very public reality. For many, this has been a painful slap in the face – others have taken it as a wake up call.

But (luckily) it swings both ways. If social media has empowered citizens, then this includes their ability to show support for brands they appreciate. Peer recommendation is still the number one influencer on buying decisions, both in B2C and B2B. And it’s up for grabs.