Social Media Debate

In the past four weeks, we have explored several facets and virtues of Social Media Marketing (SMM). Mostly, the discussions tended to be on the positive side- the key characteristics and the potential SMM has to transform marketing and business as we know it. As you all know, very soon, we will start discussing in detail various tools that constitute social media and how they fit into the overall marketing puzzle.


This week stands at the cusp of this transition. Before we get into the minutiae of SMM, I would like all of us to take a step back and see the other side of SM. As future managers, you will have access to several SM tools and tactics that can be used to connect with your consumers. However, these tools are also quite intrusive (both overtly and covertly) and recent media reports suggest that many companies (and the Government) are (mis)using these tools to collect information about and monitor us in several ways that fall way outside the original mandate. In addition, SM tools have also blurred the traditional work-life boundaries in many ways. In essence, the new media has fostered several issues that fall in the so called ‘grey area’. 


The questions that arise at this point are:

1.       What are the pros and cons of using social media tools for both work and life?
2.    What are the ethical responsibilities of managers who use SM tools for both marketing and management purposes (Of course, we all agree that SM pervades all the functions of modern organizations. So the distinction between Management and Marketing is quite blurred)

These two questions motivate the discussions this week. The agenda is quite simple.  

On Tuesday Oct 4, we will watch a BBC documentary titled “Virtual Revolution: The Cost of Free”. This award winning documentary explores the darker side of SM tools including The Internet, and how business organizations are exploiting these tools for various purposes.   

-   On Thursday Oct 6, we will engage in a debate on the pros and cons of using SM for both marketing and management. To this end, I have invited two professors from the MMGB department, Dr. Shaffer and Dr. Brock. Dr. Shaffer is a modern-day Neanderthal and is strictly against using any form of SM. Obviously he has several strong reasons for believing so! Dr. Brock is an expert on business ethics (her PhD thesis explores the use of SM in work places). Obviously, I, Dr. Racherla, will also be involved.

Here is what you have to do:

a.     Please enjoy the documentary and take notes on some of the salient themes. Please get together with your team member and conduct some research on the pros and cons of social media.
Please look for specific examples that you can cite to support your arguments.
b.   On Thursday, we will divide the class into two teams, one arguing the pros and the other the cons.
c.       Hopefully, we should engage in a lively discussion and explore the two sides of this emerging new media and what they mean for the future of business (and managers). 
d.       The blog post this week will be essentially a summary of your perspectives on the debate and the key takeaways.