CorpComms Magazine

first direct, the 24/7 bank owned by HSBC, has become the first UK bank to launch a social media newsroom aimed at journalists, bloggers and 'prosumers'.

The move follows the successful launch of first direct on Twitter, which it uses to promote services but also to offer news about staff activities, such as fundraising for charities.

The social media site uses sites such as Flickr and YouTube and allows users to share text, images and video across blogs and social networks.

This week it has highlighted a new innovation intranet site, launched during National Ideas Week, which has saved the bank more than £50,000 since it was launched on 13 May.

Amanda Brown, PR and communications manager for first direct, said: 'Increasingly, people are turning to online methods of media consumption and as a brand we have to go where our audience are. With the social media newsroom, we wanted to create one central hub and we wanted to make those communications as portable and shareable online as possible.'

The site was created in collaboration with consultancy Wolfstar and digital marketing agency MadeByPi.

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