New technology can be a threat for many companies. An example we’ve seen in class would be Blackberry’s financial problems because they couldn’t compete with the innovation of competitors. One industry threatened by new technology is media, such as the Television and Newsprint companies struggling with online video streaming and news being easily accessible and free. Faced with threatening competitors with state-of-the-art technology, media companies are feeling the pressure.

But not everyone! In her article, Mia Pearson writes of companies learning how to fit in to their changed industries. This is an excellent example of companies recognizing and overcoming threats, which we’ve learned is an important role of management. Pearson explains that several establishments have succeeded in combining ‘old’ and ‘new’ forms of media and are attempting to make them more interactive for their audience. One example is Coca Cola, who allowed viewers of a TV commercial to be live on the add by using a hashtag on twitter.

New technology is threatening many companies, but with the right creativity, the menacing threat can turn into an empowering opportunity.

Coca-Cola combines Twitter and Television to interact with their advertising audience.