Little Tweets From Big Cheeses

In October, Google's Rubin tweeted one other time, taking a shot at Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs with a cryptic definition of open source: "mkdir android ; cd android ; repo init --u git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/manifest.git; repo sync ; make."

Jobs had earlier criticized the downside of Android's open source system. Rubin's widely reported retort was another example of his whimsical yet effective approach to public relations. It also represents an ongoing public relations revolution that started with a migration to Web-based services such as Newswise and Eurekalert.

"Google sent a tweet rather than a press release in hopes that thousands of people would retweet, with potential impressions into the millions," said Jake Wengroff, global director for corporate communications at Frost & Sullivan. "Journalists, PR people, techies, analysts, consumers are all more likely to read and share a tweet, rather than a press release."

Although Rubin's tweets don't yet represent a new norm in public relations, they are no longer the exception, said Marino Organization public relations representative Joe O'Donnell.

"It is becoming more and more prevalent to release information via the social network, where you are targeting an engaged and substantial audience," O'Donnell told TechNewsWorld.

"It's to be expected that businesses will use all means possible to generate their buzz online, and Google is just setting the pace," added Vivian Hood, a vice president with Jaffe PR.

Commonly criticized for a national short attention span, Americans in particular have taken to Twitter and other social media platforms as "messaging has evolved into short, to-the-point bursts of information,"explained Rob Douthit, director of media relations at the University of West Georgia. "Where long, more contextual missives were the norm, social media is all about immediacy, and for organizations looking to disseminate timely messages, it has become an important factor."