When a Republican Chairman scuppers his party's chances of luring a renegade Democratic Senator into the fold, by Twittering about it and consequently warning the opposition, that's when (full story here).

Not so long ago a similar story did the rounds. When Ketchum's James Anderson angered FedEx employees by Twittering, on arrivial for a meeting about social media at their HQ in Memphis that "I would die if I had to live here", industry commentators fell on the tale like hungry hyenas on a corpse (full story here).

Both cases demonstrate a pretty amazing level of naivety from the men involved, but it seems unfair to lambast them too heavily. Social media is based on personal and emotive opinions and reactions, and companies are often lauded when they engage with an idiosyncratic and vulnerable personal voice. Balancing this with an awareness that, even if your personal hat is on, your professional self will be held accountable, is an increasingly tricky problem for those of us who have strong personal and professional presences online. Brands need clear strategies about how to juggle these issues, rather than waiting for some over-enthusiastic employee to become their fall guy. This will help ensure that their openness is seen as the virtue that it is.