Solomon McCown &

We all know social media has changed brand communications and crisis management. The latest example of the trend is Disney. Account Coordinator Amey Owen reflects on the issue:

Recently, Disney crowned Merida, the main character of the popular Walt Disney Pixar movie "Brave," the 11th Princess in the Disney brand. To conform Merida to the appearance of the other princesses, Disney redesigned her to have a more slender waist, slightly larger bust, make-up, tamer hair, and no appearance of her trademark weaponry.

Soon after this change was made, social media buzzed as thousands of people, predominately women, voiced opposition to the princess's redesigned appearance. This buzz quickly let to a Change.org online petition ("Disney: Say No to the Merida Makeover, Keep Our Hero Brave!"), which gained over 213,300 signatures in less than two weeks. Talk about a movement.

Despite initially refusing to budge (issuing a statement saying that the "new" Merida "remains the same strong and determined Merida from the movie whose inner qualities have inspired moms and daughters around the world"), Disney ultimately responded to the outcry by quietly returning Merida to her original character design on their official princess website.

As one pundit added, "Social media obviously allows for rapid fire communication, and when savvy opponents got wind of what Disney was planning, they took the now well worn path of Twitter, Facebook and online campaigns and created an online buzz that Disney couldn't ignore."

Lesson learned?

Social media changes the pace of everything. Twitter and Facebook have made it incredibly easy for people to express their concerns, vent even more if frustrations go unanswered, and team up with like-minded people to create change - all with a few keystrokes and a click of a button.

This creates uncomfortable situations for brands caught in crossfire and emphasizes the growing need for crisis communications. Social media cannot-and should not-be ignored. To keep up with the often explosive nature of social media, businesses need to proactively listen and be prepared with clear messaging to provide consumers and/or customers with an answer.

SM& President and crisis communications expert Ashley McCown was featured in Bloomberg Businessweek on the balance of good PR in tough situations. More specifically, the piece highlights best practices for responding to unexpected good press, as McDonald's did when the man who famously rescued three missing girls in Cleveland, Ohio remarked in a television interview that he was eating McDonald's when he heard the girls' cries for help.

Ashley's bottom line? React publicity without appearing self-promotional. Click here to read the details.

In her recent article, "Is Facebook Worth the Hassle for Smaller Nonprofits?,"Joanna Fritz, Ph.D., talks about the importance of social media for nonprofits.

For many nonprofits, especially smaller ones, Joanna recognizes entering the social media world can be a challenging one.  However, she says, "in a multichannel world, where people get their information from a variety of sources, playing the social media game is just as important as setting up a website, sending out press releases, and mailing out fundraising appeals."

If one thing is clear, it's that social media is not going away anytime soon. It's something every organization should be taking advantage of. Facebook, Joanna advises, can be a great jumping off point for many nonprofits looking to make their way into the social media world and take advantage of an engaging and listening audience.

In looking at the nonprofits I follow on Facebook, I can't think of a small nonprofit leverging Facebook better than Be like Brit. As a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the children of Haiti, Be Like Brit aims to continue the compassionate life and legacy of Britney Gengel, a 19-year-old Lynn University sophomore who was tragically killed in the 2010 Haitian earthquake. The organization has established a safe, nurturing and sustainable orphanage in an environment where children can grow, learn and thrive.

On Facebook, Be Like Britdoes an excellent job of constantly keeping their readers updated with pictures and videos. Despite the orphanage being located in Haiti, through the organization's posts, photos, videos and stories, I feel as though I am there and know each and every one of the children at the orphanage (from Love-Na to Kerby) personally.

The same goes for Britney. Although I never met her, Brit's personality and passion for service live on in the photos and stories that the page provides. The Facebook posts are simple, yet colorful, informative and engaging--which is why it's no surprise the Facebook page has over 13,500 likes.

Be Like Brit is a great example of how a smaller nonprofit can thrive on a social media environment. I'm amazed at not only the incredible mission of Be Like Brit, which grew from the four members of Britney's immediate family, but its' ability to constantly interact and communicate effectively on social media through itsFacebook page, Twitter handle, YouTube channel and blogs (http://belikebrit.org/blog/ and http://belikebrit.org/category/jonathans-blog/).

As Joanna states, if nonprofits do take the plunge to join social media, they should be prepared for a long road of hard work, learning, and experimentation. But, as I'm sure Be Like Brit can attest, putting effort into social media is totally worth it and can create very exciting results.

By: Amey Owen, SM& Account Coordinator

That has to be the conclusion of watching, listening and reading the news of the Marathon bombing and its aftermath for the last week.  While social media sites like Twitter were ablaze with bits and bites of information crossing at lightning speed and Reddit was putting out information from police scanners, there was still so much that was reported that was just wrong.  Most notably, CNN reported that authorities had a suspect in custody two days before that was the case and The New York Post erroneously had photos of innocent individuals labeled as the perpetrators.  What struck me throughout this ordeal was that when there was live action to watch - like Friday's chase down of "Suspect #2"-TV and in this case, local TV, was the place to get the news. In fact, you couldn't stop watching.  It was like viewing a real life episode of "Homeland".  But early on, in the immediate aftermath of the bombings, local TV seemed locked into their "storm coverage" formula of repeating the same thing over and over again without advancing the story.  In the meantime, The Boston Globe sent reporters to find personal stories of survivors, first responders and victims, which gave us a fuller picture of what had happened.  It's clear that the inevitable and understandable race to be first is as intense as ever.  But in the 24/7 world of social media, accuracy may be a casualty that makes the job of filtering fact from fiction harder than it's ever been and the role of the reporter one that still has real value. Because just as we all fashion ourselves detectives from watching enough Law and Order and CSI episodes, we're not; and just as we might like to think that we are all reporters, we're not.

Reporters are trained to ask tough questions, to sift through raw information and find the facts and tell the story.  We need that now as much as we ever have.  We're fooling ourselves to think otherwise.

By Michal Regunberg, Senior Vice President at Solomon McCown & Company @MRInTouch

Today I had the experience of attending a luncheon hosted by The Commonwealth Institute (TCI), featuring the eloquent, intelligent, and incredibly motivational Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook.  After blazing through her captivating new book Lean In in just a matter of hours last week, I could hardly wait for the opportunity to hear her speak in person and perhaps offer a taste of the secret recipe that has helped her become the respected business-woman she is today.

Just as I was hoping and fully expected, Sandberg's talk closely mirrored the ideas in her book, and I walked away feeling stronger and even prouder to be a woman than when I walked through the elegant conference hall doors just a few hours earlier.  As a young woman just entering the workforce myself, Sandberg's message, illustrated both in Lean In and by her discussion at the TCI luncheon, strikes a particularly strong chord.  For me, today's event was the perfect opportunity to see first-hand how hundreds of women in the Boston area are breaking gender stereotypes in the work place and embracing their gender as an asset rather than shying away from it, taking their hard-earned "seats the table," as Sandberg puts it.

Sandberg's central argument is there needs to be some serious gender reform in the United States, particularly in the workforce, and she calls on both men and women to jumpstart the conversation.  She especially encourages women to take control of breaking down gender stereotypes in the workplace by leaping into their careers with heads held high and beaming senses of self-confidence.  After all, according to Sandberg, "One of the best ways to break down an institution is to run it."  At the luncheon, she explained that a heated national conversation about gender is a great place to start the reform - it's time to talk openly about barriers to women's success openly, and then take these barriers and work together as a society to tear them down.

My first few months as a working woman fully "leaning in" to my job have been exciting and fast-paced, and I fully intend to take Sandberg's words to heart when she stresses the importance of young women entering their blossoming careers with no anticipated roadblocks already in mind.  Instead, as women, we must enter the work place with the expectation that we can, and will, be just as successful as our male colleagues, and that it is completely possible to have both a fulfilling personal life and full-time career.

I will remember Sandberg's main tokens of advice, which I believe are: run confidently into challenges rather than meagerly tip-toe away, take the time to connect and build meaningful relationships with the people around you, and perhaps most important, do not under any circumstance underestimate your own worth and capabilities.  So, as I continue to lean forward into my own career, my professional goal is to someday achieve an influential and respected voice in the working world; my personal goal, however, is to earn this status in a society that no longer punishes successful women with harsh judgments and instead celebrates them for their success, intelligence, and invaluable contributions to their workplaces, homes, and communities.

By Molly Chase, Account Coordinator at Solomon McCown & Company

While watching the State of the Union Address on Tuesday night, two additions to the program stood out: the use of graphics during the speech and the use of social media in the days that follow.

One addition that amplified the President's speech was the enhanced version available on the White House website. Aided by tables, charts, and personal photos, President Obama's points were enhanced by visuals that corresponded to the topic. These graphics attracted visual learners providing them new way to listen and understand the issues.

The second addition is the use of social media in the days that follow the Address. For the first time, the White House is holding "interactive events" allowing people to Tweet, Facebook, and Google + their questions into the Administration throughout the week. This includes a "Fireside Hangout" with President Obama himself. Needless to say, American interaction has come a long way since the Fireside Chats of Franklin Roosevelt; from evening radio addresses in the 1930's to tweeting and messaging the White House, President Obama, and senior advisors at any time of the day. For the first time, this virtual Q & A session allows people to discuss given topics in more depth and with the policy makers themselves.

So what does this mean for the Obama Administration and its use of graphics and social media in the future? To put it simply, they are here to stay. The Administration is using Q & A sessions to connect with the public and put forth a more transparent government interaction. The use of graphics allowed individuals to better understand complicated issues and statistics, creating better informed public. With the White House at the tip of your fingers and the click of a mouse, citizens are becoming more engaged and now have better platforms to get their voices heard.

By Caitlin Culver, Co-op at Solomon McCown & Company

Whether you believe Deadspin's account, or the official statement from Notre Dame Heisman candidate Manti Te'o, there is one undeniable truth that's come out of the recent Great Girlfriend Hoax: social media leaves no stone unturned.

Technical innovations aside, this story would never have come to light twenty years ago. If Manti Te'o were playing for Lou Holtz in Notre Dame Football's last national championship run in 1988, it would have taken an astounding amount of research and pluck for any enterprising reporter to figure out a star player's girlfriend didn't exist. Similarly, it would have taken an incredible amount of time and effort - burgeoning on what may qualify as a full time job - for someone to develop a fake long-distance relationship with Te'o.

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

We use social media to get ourselves and our clients out there, engaging with other users and developing relationships around similar interests. As we've seen, social media is the bread and butter for reactive organizations working to reach their key constituents.

Yet Manti Te'o's hoax is a strong reminder that we control our idea of reality through what we project on social media, and that we should be wary of those around us social media. Like that State Farm commercial we like to think that "you can't put anything on the internet that's not true." But as MTV's new series Catfish proves, there are often more lies than truths when it comes to online interactions.

Fortunately, or potentially unfortunately as it may turn out for Manti Te'o, social media has also become one of the most transparent and fact-driven tools we have. Now when a news story breaks on Twitter, users from reporters to civilians are looking for hard evidence of the true story. Rumor is now quickly overtaken by verified fact; this was well documented in last year's sudden death of Whitney Houston.

Social media has made us savvy, refined consumers of news media which is a good thing - it pushes us to come clean and project a "real" reality to other users. We should all strive to be "truth vigilantes" when it comes to social media, whether in our personal or professional use of the tools at hand. Otherwise, we'll be living in a world of blarney.

By Caroline Pepek, Assistant Account Executive at Solomon McCown

Our client, Reproductive Science Center of New England (RSC New England), was featured on Boston Magazine's Hub Health blog, for its new partnership with My Egg Bank North America (MEB-NA), the first multi-center network of egg banks offering egg freezing technology. The article discusses the benefits of MEBNA's rapid egg freezing technology, or vitrification, which is more efficient than the traditional methods of fresh egg donations and slow freeze technology. Prior to this, MEB-NA's rapid egg freezing technology was only available to patients in Atlanta. Now hopeful couples throughout Massachusetts looking to conceive using donor eggs can do so, right in Lexington. The infographic below, created by the SM& team, was also featured on the blog to represent the future of egg donation. Click here for the full article.

Our client Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI) State Director Jesse Mermell talks about the many ways to make the holiday season brighter for visually impaired relatives on The Caregivers Voice Blog.

We've all heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But this year, there's a more powerful and heartwarming way to kick off the holiday gift giving season: #GivingTuesday.

#GivingTuesday, a social media driven campaign debuting this year on November 27, was created by a group of charities and corporations to make the Tuesday after Thanksgiving a day of giving to those in need.

#GivingTuesday aims to deter a disappointing trend in our society. With the recession hitting Americans hard, it's no surprise that last year, as Giving USA reports, Americans gave $298 billion to charities, well below the peak of $310 billion in 2007. However, in the same year, there was a near $1 billion uptick of retail sales on Black Friday, wherein buyers spent $11.4 billion-all in one day. The idea behind the campaign is to gain as much enthusiasm, as seen at store fronts and malls on Black Friday, towards volunteering and giving to causes all around the nation.

Only a few days away, I can already see the promise in this campaign. Not only is it armed with a resourceful website, a blog with endless content and a major presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Tumblr and Twitter, #GivingTuesday has a major asset on his side: simplicity. The campaign is adaptable and allows every individual, family, organization and business the ability to find a way to give or promote giving on social media and beyond.

In the coming days, I hope everyone will take a break from the "shop 'til you drop" mentality and join this important movement, whether it's giving money, goods, services, blood, time-or by simply spreading awareness about the campaign.

I expect #GivingTuesday will show what I know to be true: nothing can overcome the power of social media and generosity.