Social media strategies and practices of integrated media companies

Abstract

Media companies are increasingly active on all kinds of different platforms—combining print and broadcast already was developed in the US more than several decades before. From the mid nineties on media companies expanded by launching websites, often with content coming from other platforms like newspapers, magazines or TV. In the last years—as social media emerged—these platforms multiplies as professionals were expected not only to publish for different media but also to communicate with users, readers, viewers and listeners on their platforms.The obvious rationale for media companies to integrate the efforts on different platforms is that there is synergy in combining content, personal and resources. Theoretically this indeed offers cost cutting options and chances for more efficiency. On the other hand it goes against the idea that people and organizations are specialists and have a competitive advantage because of their specialization. Integration—in other words—could result in either more efficiency and better performance but also in inefficiency and underperformance. With the importance of social media increasing the challenge for media professionals and management increases as well. In this chapter we will focus on how companies deal with the integration issue—especially when it comes to activities in social media by these companies. We will use examples from integrated companies but also from companies that disintegrated their offline and online efforts.