My, how things change. Being a Detroit PR guru, I’ve
included the phrase “The Big Three” in a news release or two in my career. No
more. I was just invited to a conference on today’s Big Three: Twitter, Pinterest
and facebook.
Want a presence on social media? The assumption of this conference is that Facebook
and Twitter are the compulsory sites for communicators who want to actively convey
information about their products or services and connect with their audience. Rounding out the “Big 3” is Pinterest, which
continues to make great strides with registered “pinners” who post or “pin”
things they find appealing, connecting people through shared tastes or
interests. I guess at this point I would have not ignored
LinkedIn, as it shares a similar
principle as the other social networks but the new “Big 3” zero in on consumer brands
and LinkedIn’s focus is more on a business-to-business audience.
Okay, so Chrysler, General Motors and Ford Motor Company are
not only not the Big Three, the big three are not even cars – or manufactured products.
Because the Internet is global, I think it’s still safe to refer to our former
Big Three as the Domestic Big Three, but it does make me a bit nostalgic for
the days when The Big Three stood for something I could touch, feel and
purchase (or lease), as well as a place that either directly or indirectly
employed the majority of my hometown. Oh well, here’s to high hopes for the New
Big Three. (It certainly plays a big role in my employment!)