As this presentation outlines, the answer is 'both.' Social CEOs - using digital communications platforms effectively real-time and in tune with community emotion - can intercept and attenuate most corporate issues and incidents to prevent them from becoming full-blown PR disasters.

1. PR disasters!
Is social media the problem
…or the solution?
2018.02.27 American University PRSSA

2. Kylie Tweets…

3. …then SNAP stock plummets

4. This is now being debated

5. Canadian PM Trudeau’s trip to India

7. Social media seen as most damaging
A large majority believe that social media has the capacity to do
the greatest damage to an individual or organization’s image.
84% 71% 71%
Social Media Online News Broadcast
Television
52% 48%
Print
Newspapers
Radio
Nanos Research, RDD dual frame hybrid telephone and online random survey, March 31st to
April 4th 2016, n=1000, accurate to 3.1 percentage points plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.

8. Social media seen driving PR disasters
More than half of Canadians (54%) say that social media is a major contributor to PR disasters
for companies. Roughly a third of (35%) feel that social media is a minor contributor and five
percent (5%) say that social media is not a contributor to PR disasters. Six percent are unsure.
Would you say that social media like Twitter and Facebook are major contributors,
minor contributors or not contributors to public relations disasters for companies?
Nanos Research, RDD dual frame hybrid telephone and online random survey, May 24th
to 25th 2017, n=1000, accurate to 3.1 percentage points plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.
5435
5 6
Major contributor
Minor contributor
Not contributor
Unsure

9. Social media is making PR more key
When asked about the importance of PR today compared to 10 years ago, more than three-
quarters (76%) feel that PR is more important, 16 percent (16%) say that it is as important
while five percent (5%) say it is less important and three percent (3%) are unsure.
Do you think that with the rise of social media, public relations, also known as PR, is becoming
more important, less important or as important for organizations today compared to 10 years ago?
Nanos Research, RDD dual frame hybrid telephone and online random survey, May 24th to
25th 2017, n=1000, accurate to 3.1 percentage points plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.
76
16
5 3 More important
As important
Less important
Unsure

10. Best way to respond in a PR disaster
Just over seven in ten (70%) say that the best way for a troubled organization to respond is
to “acknowledge the problem and communicate on social media.” Twenty-three percent
(23%) say organizations should “acknowledge the problem but not communicate on social
media.” Two percent (2%) said they should “communicate nothing” and five percent (5%) are
unsure.
When an organization has a PR disaster on social media like Twitter or Facebook,
what would you say is the best way for the troubled organization to respond?
Nanos Research, RDD dual frame hybrid telephone and online random survey, May 24th to
25th 2017, n=1000, accurate to 3.1 percentage points plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.
70
23
2 5 Acknowledge and communicate
Acknowledge but don't communicate
Communicate nothing
Unsure

11. The importance of
communication skills for
leaders continues to increase

13. Social media is now the most
powerful communication
platform

15. Alas, many leaders are
struggling with social media

18. Social media sentiment about CEOs
DATACONOMY (2017)

19. Spheres of social CEO PR influence
DATACONOMY (2017)

20. Risk-averse chiefs are
cautious to avoid making
big social media mistakes

22. When something goes
wrong (and it always
does), all eyes go online
looking for the leader

24. The absence of leaders creates
an information vacuum that is
filled by critics and naysayers

29. Just about everything that
goes wrong in a famous way
is now called a ‘PR disaster’

31. Meanwhile, inside many
companies, digital has been
taken over by marketers who
see social as a way to sell
stuff, not build relationships

33. Companies are now
expected to communicate
like real people, not like
machines or things

35. The leader is the ultimate
personification of the brand

37. For leaders, social media
should be about relationships,
custom connectivity and
listening with real people

38. “Make the other
person feel
important – and
do it sincerely”

40. Tuning into people’s emotions,
channeling their ideas, sensing
their sentiments, rallying them
to shared purposes

41. Communication that prevents PR disaster

43. “Providing information as we get it”

44. “This is my worse nightmare”

45. If they fail to ‘feel,’ leaders
will magnify mistakes
when inevitable crisis
situations occur…

46. Communication that causes PR disaster

47. …causing one PR disaster
after another!

48. Next-gen leaders will be social CEOs

49. The six dimensions
of social-media-literate leadership
McKinsey Quarterly (2013)

52. “We think we know someone,
but the truth is that we only
know the version of them that
they have chosen to show us”
— Taylor Swift

53. The looking glass self

54. Thank you !
@BobPickard
2018.02.27 American University PRSSA