The following entry is in response to: "Write a short update for your textbook: How is collective intelligence being used in the professions/your profession?"
Collective intelligence has existed for the same period of time as human existence and has evolved over time. In 1911, William Morton Wheeler observed a colony of ants working together and saw them not as individuals, rather a sole entity, which he called a “superorganism,” (Guite, 2010). Progressively, in 1912, Emilie Durkheim identified society to be the single driving force of human logic (Guite, 2010). These two concepts form the basis for the definition of collective intelligence, “a general term for user participation and the resulting added value” (Bastiaens, 2010, p10). The collective intelligence referred to in modern society is driven by the innovation of Web 2.0. which allows individuals to access and exchange information on a glocal level. Thus meaning that global communication and information can be accessed locally and at any time. “Global Village,” a term coined by Marshall Mcluhan in 1964, supports this in explaining that as technology evolves, all nations are further connected as a whole community and are seemingly boundless. Moreover, collective intelligence can be divided into two sections; the collective intelligence of connected and of unconnected individuals (Bastiaens, 2010, p12). The collective intelligence of unconnected individuals arrises when the individuals act independently from each other. This results in an aggregated outcome, which is the sum of the individual outputs (Bastiaens, 2010, p12). Where as, the collective intelligence of connected individuals occurs when a relationship and element of dependency is formed amongst individuals (Bastiaens, 2010, p12). This then relates back to the ant concept, where the individuals are a part of a superorganism (Guite 2010). The model below is a visual representation of the two elements of collective intelligence.
Collective Intelligence has been described as, “the heart of Web 2.0” (Nations, 2008). Web 2.0. saw an increase in two major fields; encouraged user interactivity and social networking (Nations, 2008). Social media captures and acts as an aggregator of collective intelligence. Given the power and accessibility of social media, especially as a communication platform, collective intelligence is of utmost importance to the public relations industry. This is supported the view that, “social media is essentially public relations, in the online world” (Falls, 2008, para 8). Furthermore, given the unity of individual intelligence, which social media presents, it is vital that public relations practitioners constantly monitor social media and ensure that the intended positive image is being received. Failing this, collective intelligence also holds the potential to be highly destructive from a public relations perspective.
A hugely successful public relations campaign, which highlights the power of effective use of social media is the 2008 Barak Obama social media campaign. Obama’s communications team tapped into the power of a strong, positive presence on social networking. They leveraged that power to help him gain the votes of the public and consequently win the presidential election in 2008. There was a section on his website which allowed people to both blog and share the latest news of the election. He had a regularly updated blog, which promoted conversation and was a modern alternative to the traditional media release. Photo’s from the campaigning were constantly uploaded to sharing sites such as Flickr. Obama’s “Yes We Can” speech and consequent song were uploaded to his Youtube channel, which received over 1.8 million views (Evans, 2008). Discussions and questions were posted on Linked in, which the communications team promptly responded to. Twitter was utilised to keep users informed of the events and stops throughout his campaigning. Obama also had a strong presence on numerous social networking sites, such as; Facebook, Myspace, Black Planet and Asian Avenue (Evans, 2008). As discussed in the video below, Barak Obama utilised the power of collective intelligence to make his campaign about the people, more so than himself.
The merge of Web 2.0. has seen an even stronger presence of the term collective intelligence. With increased user interactivity and rise in the leveraging of social media, individuals have the power to connect and collaborate unimaginable possibilities in the future, as a global community. Given that social media is seen to be the most powerful form of public relations in the online world, an exciting and influential career bodes in this sector.
References
Bastiaens, T. (2010). On Collective Intelligence. Retrieved 25 October, 2011. From http://books.google.com.au/books?id=mqpDpvQYF5EC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=phenomenon+of+collective+intelligence&source=bl&ots=A-WTzqjBV_&sig=uv0uBgz-Wv6TOZ6AQOW6G5p9dxw&hl=en&ei=qeelTvbjHcWViAe_ypC4Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CGkQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=phenomenon%20of%20collective%20intelligence&f=false
Evans, Li. 2008, November 5. Barak Obama The First Social Media President? Retrieved 25 October, 2011. From http://www.searchmarketinggurus.com/search_marketing_gurus/2008/11/barack-obama-the-first-social-media-president.html
Falls, J. 2008, July 18. Social Media is the Responsibility of Public Relations. Retrieved 25 October, 2011. From http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/online-public-relations/social-media-is-the-responsibility-of-public-relations/
Guite, F. 2010. Collective Intelligence. Retrieved 25 October, 2011. From http://www.slideshare.net/evilmonkey89/collective-intelligence-2484496
Nations, D. 2008, April 28. The Collective Intelligence and Importance of Marketing in Web 2.0. Retrieved 25 October, 2011. From http://webtrends.about.com/b/2008/04/24/the-collective-intelligence-and-importance-of-marketing-in-web-20.htm
Media
How Obama won using digital and social media: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFB5FtMfwNo&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLA0024151FA53A415
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