The use of social media in public relations in Poland and the United Kingdom – case studies from automotive industry

Current changes in technology and the role of the Internet open up new opportunities for companies both to communicate with the public and organisational functionality of its own structure. The fact that Social Media entered the business landscape, can be globally experience in the novel ways of communication, particularly between all stakeholders in organisation’s environment, but also in growing tendency in search for the new knowledge and expertise in digital environment. Organisations existing in brick-and-mortar landscape, observing ongoing and continues development of the digital technologies that ubiquitously transforming the way we perceive a role of marketing and making Public Relations more fascinating discipline in the XXI century. Becoming more exposed to the public, marketers needs to understand importance of their role in the new age of digital era but more importantly to be able to adapt to a new environment by building their digital presence with accordance to tomorrow’s reality and prevailing expectations. Every geographical region has its own unique approach in practicing public relations and building their own understanding of that concept. What is more, one also has to take into consideration the relations between corporate culture and organizational environment and it’s influence on certain managerial practices. Broadening the traditional perspective and communication by the new and growing acceptance of the dot.com era, internet is defining new rules, that continuously supported by the visionary and innovatory approach of modern organisations, not only modelling PR and marketing but companies as a whole. The aim of this article is to identify the changing trends of the new PR model that continuously evolve in the digital era and changing our way of building robust two-direction communication channel. The article presents four case studies (Poland and the UK) of social media in PR on the automotive market.