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Trial of the Century-Online on Trial

Participants in a mock trial returned a strong “not guilty” verdict for Twitbook, a fictitious social media company accused of damaging attendance at the World Widget Federation’s crucial annual conference.
A representative for the faux federation said WWF had hired Twitbook to promote its conference, which usually attracts 500 participants, many of whom are older. The organization blamed Twitbook when the conference drew only 180 people.

“The outcome was the lowest in the organization’s history,” said Deborah Gardner, CMP. “The WWF had certain needs, and Twitbook did not meet them. Technology is to blame.” Twitbook’s representative argued that WWF expected too much from the social media company.

“Any good marketer will tell you it’s fool’s gold to put all your marketing on one entity,” said James Spellos, president of Meeting U. “Do you blame the convention and visitors bureau for decreased attendance? Do you blame ground transportation or the AV company? You cannot blame one component.”

Spellos said WWF did not understand its group well enough, and did not select technology that was right for its group. Members of the mock jury agreed, saying a company should communicate with its customers in whatever way the customer desires.

“You have to define customer service according to your demographic,” one participant said.
Mock-jurists said it was unlikely that Twitbook had promised to deliver more than a social media service, and that social media opportunities are just one tool, not an end in themselves. Other participants said businesses should embrace social media, despite an apparent lack of cross-generational appeal.

“If you don’t control your content, someone will control it for you,” a participant said. He cited the recent instance of a music star who was refused entrance to the first class section of a trans-Atlantic Delta flight, and who used YouTube to communicate his dissatisfaction. By the time the plane landed, the video had gone viral and Delta officials were on hand to make amends.

Participants also said social media outlets were not responsible for “driving a wedge between the generations” and could actually enhance customer service.