Carve Consulting’s Paul Harrison and Jon Fernandes from Beament Leslie Thomas illustrate the need for companies to embrace social media.

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The first of a series of worldwide Media 140 mini-events was held in London last week - here’s an interview with Carve’s Managing Partner, Paul Harrison, by Glenn Le Santo from the night.

Paul talks about how many corporates are now realising that social media will not go away and are being driven mainly by fear and the idea they are missing an opportunity. The fear, he says, is that their brand is being defined by people external to them. Paul also says that companies are realising that if they get social right, it is the most powerful, unprecedented opportunities to engage their customers in dialogue and the best ones are starting to get it.

Here’s a bit of background about the Media 140 mini-events from the Media 140 website:

These mini-events will focus on journalism, brands, advertising, media, technology, politics, the third sector and education. They are aimed at getting individuals from diverse backgrounds together to share their experiences over good food and drink, meet industry professionals and learn from case studies.

Media140’s meeting in the Square Mile was attended by some of social media’s top minds, personalities that may one day turn out to be the Jobs, Wozniaks or Gates of this brand new industry’s future.