June 21, 2012

When All Media is Social: Edelman and Media X at Stanford University Host 2012 Academic Summit — Nearly 100 Academic Leaders from 70+ Universities and Eight Countries to Discuss the Future of Communications

Edelman and Media X at Stanford University are hosting a three-day academic summit, When All Media is Social: Navigating the Future of Communications, at Stanford University through Friday. The summit focuses on the evolution of the total media landscape and the integral role social media plays within it. This year's summit is the fifth held by Edelman, and will bring together corporate executives, brand marketers, and digital and media thought leaders to share social media strategies and tactics as well as case studies with deans and professors from 70 universities. Among the 40 brands presenting at the summit are Facebook, LinkedIn, BuzzFeed, Microsoft, Starbucks, Adobe, Volkswagen, PwC and Chevron. Case studies from eBay, HP and Charles Schwab will provide in-depth examples of successful digital communications strategies, and thought leaders from companies such as Experian, Juniper Networks, RIM, Qualcomm, News360, Tumblr, Pulse, Kred, Storify and YouTube will explore themes like "Storytelling in a Digital Age" and "The Content Imperative." "The growth and evolution of the media landscape has significantly changed the public relations industry," said Richard Edelman, president and CEO of Edelman, and keynote speaker at the Summit, in a news release. "With that, comes a need for well-educated, top talent that will fuel the growth of the industry. This has challenged academic programs to rapidly embrace and understand the factors that are driving the development of traditional and social media, and to include it in their communications programs." The event kicks off today at 8:30 a.m. PT. Get more info, such as registration details and live stream links, here.

In addition to the mentioned presenters and case studies, Kinsey Wilson, EVP & chief content officer at NPR, will discuss NPR's digital evolution, and filmmaker Kevin Breslin will screen his movie #whilewewatch and discuss the impact of citizen journalism. Google's Richard Gingras will also share his perspectives on the future of news. Other presenters at the Summit include Altimeter Group, Meltwater, All Things D, Jess3, Muckrack, PopTent, Funny or Die and the Location Based Marketing Association.

"In fast-moving fields such as digital communications and social media, collaboration is essential in order to stay at the frontier," said Roy Pea, professor of education and learning sciences, and faculty director of Media X, in the release. "Edelman's 2012 Academic Summit plays a vital role by facilitating the exchange of ideas between industry and academic, as well as among academicians."

"We constantly look for opportunities for collaborative discovery that allow our members and our research community to do things together that neither could do alone," said Dr. Martha Russell, executive director of Media X at Stanford University, in the release. "The Academic Summit is exactly this type of opportunity. The Bay Area is home to both new and established companies in social media, video, mobile and location-based media. Understanding how and when to use these new media tools requires collaboration between business and academia."

The Academic Summit is presented by Edelman and Media X, with media partner PRWeek.