It is ten years since Pyra labs in San Francisco launched Blogger, and today an estimated 270,000 words are added every minute to the 100m-plus blogs around the world. Facebook launched in 2004 and now has more than 200m users; if it was a country it would be the world’s fifth largest, bigger than Russia, Brazil or Mexico. Twitter, launched just three years ago, now boasts more than 25m users – and at least 80 per cent of all Twitter usage is now on mobile devices.

The size of this transformation is staggering, as is the impact across so many different groups. Only 33 per cent of 18-34 year olds have ever viewed a show on DVR/TiVo – but 70 per cent have watched TV on the Web. Facebook’s fastest growing segment is not teenagers but women
aged 55-65. 

Social media is now omnipresent. Peer-to-peer networks and powerful new online communities are transforming powers in and around business, and that is influencing communications and engagement with all key audiences. It is hard to be recognized as a tomorrow company – one forging real innovation – on the wrong side of the digital divide. There will be winners and losers, so the key is to move quickly and strategically now.

It is not an easy route to travel alone. Rupert Murdoch, interviewed in the first edition of the Brunswick Review, has said elsewhere that the world is now divided into digital natives and digital tourists. This is as true for companies as it is for individuals. But social media is so new for most companies that it can be hard to hire enough digital natives to stay abreast of the digital revolution, let alone get ahead of it.

At Brunswick we find ourselves living on the front lines of this revolution, helping create best practices for our clients. We have the privilege of working with some wonderful people across all sectors, and we see enormous potential for really good digital communications to deliver even greater results. 

This edition also looks at the state of the climate debate through the eyes of some very senior figures in government, business and NGOs. The Climate Perspectives section speaks both to the significance of the Copenhagen conference and the commitment of companies and organizations to be a positive central force in finding sustainable solutions. 

Elsewhere in this edition, articles highlight a number of issues that Brunswick has addressed this year: the relationship between government and business, which has been growing in importance; the continuing effects of the financial crises; and the challenge of keeping up with best practices in the fast evolving world of corporate relations. I hope the publication reflects some of the challenges and complexities of the current environment. As before, we have tried to consider subjects from different points of view, including global perspectives on guidance, the rise of the commentary class, and variations in how technologies are utilized across markets and geographies. 

We are grateful to all writers for their insights: the contributions of people such as Hank Paulson, Mark Thompson, Arianna Huffington and Jim Lawrence set a high standard for us all. If there are topics you think we should be considering for future editions, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Alan Parker – Chairman, Brunswick Group