Great post by Colin Bryne, CEO of Weber Shandwick looking at news management and peer2peer influence. He refers to a survey done by them on sources of influence (link to report summary from web site home page) or advocacy as they call it.

Edelman PR have their Annual Trust report which shows essentially the same.

People are more cynical of 'fed' information and prefer 'authentic' voice. This is having a huge impact on traditional news and media sources. People (especially younger people) are watching and reading less. They are consuming more online and through SMS, texting, e-mail and now social media communication are connected to networks and super-networks and take information from these sources.

In my youth (it does take a while to look back that far) there were a few people in my circle of friends who were subject matter 'experts'. We would refer and defer to them. But their range of influence was small. Our network was groups on the school bus, the sports teams and after school mates. Some people were in all these groups but many were not. This was their physical limit of influence. Fast foward to today and the internet and mobile phones have made a massive difference to the scope, range and size of 'crowd wisdom' and influence.

Colin talks about the impact on politics and message management. I know nothing of what world. He also mentions business. That is my area.

I spent 25 years in corporates. The last 10 as Director of Marketing and then Corporate Communications.

If I was doing that job today I would be wondering just how I could engage in the peer2peer networks and be coversing with 'influencers' and 'decision makers'. My carefully crafted corporate marketing message would be increasingly ignored. People want authentic conversations - raw not necessarily rude and certainly not spun. They want to talk to real people in the organisation not some script following and outsourced contractor.

Not everyone, but a significant number (growing all the time as technology makes it easier) want to participate in the conversation. Look at Dell, Lego, GM and others. All have blogs and forums where customers are providing input to products and services. An open two-way communication circle.

For corporations and business people the world is changing. The sources of influence and channels of communication are changing. Like the dinosaurs it is time to adopt or face decline and replacement by other animals.