Is social networking the new WOM?

We love it when the lowly consumer gets back at the big bad corporation.

Just look at the success of the “United Breaks Guitars" video on YouTube (5.4 million views and counting). Not bad for content that was posted on the 11th July 2009.

Of course the number of views is trivial compared to the viral effect of the video (like what you are reading now).

As we have seen in Iran, where there are zillions of disgruntled citizens going around with their mobiles videoing the awful violence of the fascist state, there are no hiding places.

In the UK there is great concern about the way in which older people are treated in care institutions and hospitals. This has extracted the traditional knee-jerk political reaction that will will result in a few committees and czars being appointed and no action.

What will get things changed is when hundreds, maybe thousands of people start posting videos of the terrible state of some of these institutions.

My guess is that combination of contributed content and ubiquitous video cameras will become a major force for change. Custome care departments beware. It cannot come too soon. Dick Stroud