In response to the election of Pope Francis I in Rome yesterday, social media agency fishbat Inc. sends their kind regards to the new pope and discusses the potential for a rise in papal social media.
In response to the election of Pope Francis I in Rome yesterday, social media agency fishbat Inc. sends their kind regards to the new pope and discusses the potential for a rise in papal social media.
On March 14, the award-winning social media agency fishbat, Inc. issues a statement in response to a New York Times article which discusses the newly elected Pope Francis I.
According to the article published by The New York Times, cardinals elected Jorge Bergolgio of Argentina as the new pope yesterday. Bergoglio took the name Francis as he was appointed the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. The 76-year-old Pope Francis I is the first Jesuit and the first non-European pope in over 1,200 years.
Justin Maas, Vice President of Client Relations for social media agency fishbat, says the election of the new pope is a new start and could possibly lead to more digital or social interaction from the Vatican. “Pope Francis I is known to be an extremely humble man, who addresses people as brothers and sisters,” Maas says. “At his home in Argentina, he reportedly takes public transportation and doesn’t even own a car. It seems that this pope really considers himself part of ‘the people.’ He is known to be a social reformer, which could mean he’ll be open to being active with social media, which is the platform on which all social revolutions start these days.”
Maas says that the Vatican’s social media blackout was lifted immediately following the announcement of the new pope. “Less than an hour after the conclave’s decision was announced, the Vatican reactivated the Pope’s Twitter account, @Pontifex,” he says. “That’s extremely fast, and shows the Vatican is treating their social media activity as a pretty high priority. I think it’s the start of a truly interactive Pope that wants to engage with the people.”
Argentina, the country where Pope Francis was born and raised, is part of the widely social region of Latin America. Maas says Latin America is the most social region in the world. “There are more users on social media in Latin America than anywhere in the world,” he says. “A ComScore study from last year revealed that over 127 million people use social media in Latin America, which is a 12 percent increase from 2011. Social media use in Latin America is booming and it’s continuing to rise each year. After living there his whole life and evolving his understanding of social issues within this culture, it’s hard to believe the Pope would not use social media to his advantage.”
fishbat, Inc. is a full service online marketing firm. Through social media management, search engine optimization (SEO), web design, and public relations, fishbat strives as a marketing firm to raise awareness about your brand and strengthen your corporate image.
