It still seems to me that many companies are not taking social media as seriously as they should – they either don’t believe in its potential as a communications and engagement channel or they don’t put enough effort into their activities to foster real relationships. This in my opinion really is a missed opportunity, so I wonder: What is it that is going to make skeptics open their eyes?

Social media has been around for over a decade now and has been gaining more and more power and relevance as it has become a normal part of people’s everyday life. It’s certainly not a hype, nor a fad. To substantiate this with some actual data, here’s what a research performed by Experian Hitwise found: In 2012 the UK spent 37 billion hours online; 13 minutes of each hour were dedicated entirely to social media.

One of the main reasons why businesses are still ‘scared’ to jump on the bandwagon and put themselves out there on social media platforms is because of the potential criticism and negative comments they might receive from users. Indeed, such negative reviews can be damaging to a company’s reputation, but hiding behind the scenes is no good either – these conversations are happening with or without the company’s involvement, so businesses might as well start participating in them to potentially change people’s minds, gather ideas how to improve their products and services and so drive the conversations into a positive direction.

Similar applies to negative media coverage. A new academic study coming from the US, Burr Under the Saddle: How Media Coverage Influences Strategic Change (registration required), shows that even though negative press is unpleasant and especially unwelcome by the C-suite, it can also influence strategic decisions to make significant company improvements. As the authors of the paper identify, “the media is neither an enemy nor an ally to upper management... but one of a number of key stakeholders that can significantly shift a firm’s direction, often for the better.”

On 22 April 2013 approaches yet another Earth Day. This international movement that aims to protect the planet and secure a sustainable future has been around for 43 years and now has more than 22,000 network partners in 192 countries participating in the event and supporting the activities. This year more than 1 billion people are going to take part in Earth Day. Are you?

The theme of the movement this year is “The Face of Climate Change.”

The other day I came across a fantastic surprise PR stunt about the reopening of the Rijksmuseum – Amsterdam’s National Museum of Art and History – on 13 April this year. Especially those who are fans of art and creativity will appreciate the thoughtfulness and the efforts behind this really cool idea.

The surprise campaign took place at a busy shopping mall and amazingly recreated Rembrandt’s Night Watch (considered one of the most famous paintings in the world) in the form of a flashmob! Brilliant, right?

Totally unexpected, over twenty members of the Shooting Company of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq – the common name for Rembrandt's famous painting – just started their performance with the mission to ‘capture a 17th-century rogue.’ This was indeed such an outstanding way of promoting the reopening of the museum, don't you think? (I envy those people who were at the shopping mall – I really want to witness such a stunt!)

As some of you know I served a five month internship at Montpellier Public Relations – a PR consultancy in the UK – between September last year and February this year. This was an invaluable professional experience. It not only taught me a lot, but it also proved that I have made the right career choice, which is why I decided to share with you what I’ve learned and what I would advise others who want to work in PR.

While serving this internship I gained firsthand insights into how exactly a PR agency functions and how relationships with clients are being established and maintained. I developed thorough understanding and appreciation of the management and business model of a full service PR and marketing communications consultancy operating across a range of clients from various sectors – from healthcare, facilities management, professional services to recruitment. This helped me realise that really comprehending client expectations is the first and probably even the most important step towards meeting client needs.

First of all, I am glad that I chose a smaller agency, because I was given a lot of work, which I very much enjoyed, and I had the chance to learn a lot both on my own and with the supervision of the team. Working in a smaller rather than a large consultancy has allowed me to take on more responsibilities, be in a direct contact with clients and the media and so progress faster and develop a set of essential PR and marketing skills.