Bill Bourdon reacts to a May 2010 Fast Company article by Ben Paynter on the proliferation of social media tools and how major consumer brands are using them to build customer loyalty.

We were pleased to announce this week the addition of CoreMedia of Hamburg, Germany and StepStone Solutions of the U.K. to our expanding client roster of national and global brands.

Behold the April Fool’s Day edition of the Bateman Buzz Meter (technically #4), our semi-regular ranking of recent newsworthy events based on PR and Social Media effectiveness.

We know 2010 will be another fast-paced year filled with new and exciting opportunities for the Bateman Group. January was a growth month for the firm and February is forecast to be one of our busiest on record. In order to maintain our superior service levels (and some semblence of sanity), we need to expand our team. We’re seeking exceptional candidates to come in and interview for both Associate and Senior Associate positions at the firm immediately.

Is Facebook’s usefulness as a social media and marketing tool beginning to lose its cache? As PR practitioners, how do we best advise our clients which social media tools are right for their business and for how long? Bateman Group’s Lisa Melsted shares her insightful personal observations and goes out on a limb with some predictions of her own.

In 2009, marketers, PR professionals, industry analysts, media and bloggers have debated ad nauseum over whether or not engaging in sponsored online conversations represents a legitimate, ethical form of new media marketing. The latest general consensus is yes, it’s legit, if managed the right way. But who’s most qualified to be managing your sponsored conversations? PR or advertising? Bill Bourdon makes the case for PR on Bateman Banter.