I am still in awe over how someone from 3M could NOT have understood the ramifications of their decision regarding their 3M post it note scandal regardless of their knowledge of social media.

Its equatable to taking the idea from a novel and spinning it into a marketing campaign and expecting to NOT compensate or acknowledge the originating idea and author.

Maybe 3M should focus less on hiring people with degrees and more on hiring those with common sense

If you haven’t heard yet, Scott Ableman was contacted by 3M after he and some colleagues placed over 1000 post its on a car and their photos went viral. 3M wanted to use the photos but offered a ridiculous amount for the royalty fees to use the photos in their back to school promotions. They then took the idea and ‘created’ their own knock off images piggy backing on the already established viral photos.

I can’t believe 3M doesn’t understand the value of the image they attempted to ‘buy’ for pennies. However, maybe they don’t since they obviously underestimated the viral nature of the resulting PR issues.

Social Media is used by the ‘ next generation’ of entrepreneurs. Wouldn’t that be one of 3m’s audiences ? The same audience they have just hugely offended ?

I have been doing quite a bit of reading about the 3M issue, this morning David Scott’s comments on Web Inked got me thinking about Social Media Guidelines for corporations. He suggests 5 on the Web Inked Blog. You may want to check them out.