Category Archives: News and links

Right now on Mashable.com there is an article about Burberry, a fashion company that has plunged into the world of multimedia. The article describes how publishing photos via Twitter helped generate buzz for a fashion show. Another time Burberry produced a livestream event that aired on its Website, via Facebook and You Tube, and in retail stores. Instagram has also been used to get images uploaded to the Web during fashion events. The Chief Creative Officer of the company is quoted saying “Burberry is now as much a media-content company as we are a design company.” Sounds good to me. See the original article here.

I think a lot more companies could benefit from this media publishing habit. One of the exciting things about the technologies that Burberry is using is how fast the content gets online. The social media tools provide a real time insider’s look at what is happening with the brand. For people who care about fashion, the people that matter to the brand, that’s a big deal.

The thing about being fast is it can also be tricky. It requires preparation, flexibility, and good decision making. Any gains are easily wiped out by one false move on the Internet. That’s why I believe the task of producing and publishing online content must fall on communications professionals who work for the company they are representing. Every company should consider creating media in-house. Someone needs to attend to the brand’s online identity every day. Someone needs to be publishing engaging content, and reacting to feedback on a regular basis in order to really build an online community. Someday I hope to take on a role like that. Hopefully more brands will see the value in moonlighting as media companies.