Joining WeissComm Group

[Update Oct 2: If you see the comments to this post, you will see so many messages with warm wishes. It’s almost overwhelming. See the end of this post for my audio response to everyone.]

Big decisions sometimes don’t require a great deal of time to make. That’s certainly the case in a decision I made just a few weeks ago that involves my shift from independent communication consulting to taking on a corporate mantle once again.

Today marks the first day of a new role with a new company and with a new title. As a press release that went out a few minutes ago says, I’ve joined WeissComm Group (WCG), a San Francisco-headquartered communications firm, as their Head of Social Media Europe, a new role, based in their London office.

Instrumental to my desire and thus decision to join forces with WCG is Bob Pearson, my new boss and the spearhead for the broad business area we’ll be paying attention to as we work to help clients’ meet their communication objectives on an international level. As you probably know, Bob also serves as president of the Social Media Business Council, the US-based organization that represents social media leaders in large organizations. He came to WCG from Dell where he was vice president of communities and conversations (I interviewed Bob last December when he was still at Dell).

Our focus is social media, yet it’s not really about social media. It about business goals and the role of social media and how it fits into traditional public relations and marketing.

Whatever people call it – social media, social software, Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0, social business – it’s really about business issues, organization change and behaviour shifts: things that actually matter to organizations from a strategic perspective.

So I’m thrilled to be part of a dynamic team of people and build up a new business offering that I believe will help clients really connect with the people who are important to them. Although WCG has a strong presence, credibility and reputation in the healthcare industry, that industry isn’t the only focus of what we’re going to be doing in the coming months. Watch and see what happens.

So that’s my big news for today. I’ll have more to say about what I’m doing in the coming weeks including a new podcast with some of my new colleagues. I’ll also be joining Bob and other WCG colleagues writing on our blog.

What about my other activities, the various other hats I wear from time to time? Well, I’m hanging up those hats. I’ve discussed my changed circumstances with my colleagues in those ventures and we’ve agreed that I can give no less than 100% to my new role with WCG.

And what about FIR, the podcast series I co-founded with Shel Holtz in 2005, and especially The Hobson and Holtz Report, our twice-weekly show? If you’re a listener, you’ll be pleased to know that it continues as before. I will be on Skype as usual with Shel later today UK time as we record episode number 488.

So I’ll be in London a bit more frequently than I have been of late. I might even make it to a Tuttle/Social Media Cafe get-together now and again as I used to last year.

Now, let’s get cracking.

[Update Oct 2] Thank you to everyone who has left a comment on this post, or tweeted, with so many warm wishes and such goodwill.

The best way I thought of acknowledging all your good wishes is in this ipadio audio comment.

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