This blog post was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

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Raluca Bragarea

Head of Communications, Bucharest

Part of UK in Romania

28th March 2011 Bucharest, Romania

Social media, from avant-garde to mainstream

We are almost half-year into the exploration of opportunities brought forth by the new media and I could say we have made really good progress. We started with a “corporate” blog last spring, which took new speed early in the autumn, with the arrival of the new ambassador.

We launched the embassy Facebook and Twitter channels in September, and have made over 1,000 new friends, who not only follow us closely but also give us the occasional e-kick to do new things.

We have also designed a survey asking our key media contacts how useful is the blog for their work. Some of their comments are now reflected in the new layout of the blog. You can tell us what you think by answering the survey questions, which will take less than 5 minutes.

I am personally aiming that our social media channels become more interactive, and we will come up with online quizzes and contest to this end; we will begin promotion of the London 2012 Olympics, and I hope to get

as many people as possible tuned in to our efforts so watch this

e-space!

About Raluca Bragarea

I joined the British Embassy in 2004, and have ever since enjoyed one of the most diverse and challenging jobs as a professional communicator, from partnering up with MTV Romania…

I joined the British Embassy in 2004, and have ever since
enjoyed one of the most diverse and challenging jobs as a professional
communicator, from partnering up with MTV Romania to promote the UN
anti-poverty agenda to handling Prince Charles’ press conference on a
hill top in picturesque Transylvania. One of the highlights working for
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been the introduction of an
internship scheme in the Embassy; we bring along students from various
backgrounds to help us deliver our objectives while they get a unique
opportunity to learn hands-on about diplomacy.
I am a former TV journalist, specialising in foreign affairs, and a
Fulbright scholar. I hold a Master of Arts in Information and
Communication Studies with California State University at Chico.
I am a major cafe latte fan and like to collect hand-painted icons.
My other hobbies include travelling and watching movies with friends,
particularly Quentin Tarantino’s. The latest memorable film I watched
was District 9, a superb science fiction with a social twist – anybody
seen it?

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