A few weeks ago, print publishers added to the pessimistic chorus of an imminent ad slump when The New York Times reported dismal Q3 numbers. That seems like a distant memory today as a new forecast predicts yet more bullish growth for one brash new sector – social networks.

Ah, the road trip. Is there an activity more symbolic of fun and freedom than piling into a car with your favorite people and taking off to an unknown destination, listening to great tunes along the way? Hardly, and so Nissan has tapped into the psyche of road trip adventurers for a social media campaign promoting its new 2012 Versa sedan.

We’re beginning to see the downside of the social media land rush mentality that compelled big brands, organizations and corporates to set up shop on the likes of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Foursquare over the past two years. A much-cited new survey tells us that companies are being increasingly hit with a new type of reputation-bruising crisis, one that emerges and spreads via social media channels. Social crises are on the rise and companies are increasingly unprepared to resolve them.

Panasonic’s Asian arm has launched a new campaign aiming to turn its followers into environmental champions.

Turns out the Japanese are blog-addicted, with the average blog visitor there spending more than one hour a month perusing others’ posts. It got us thinking about other interesting national social media consumption habits that just might tell us a bit more about these cultures.

As London descended into chaos last night, social media became the focus for following the riots’ latest developments.

With more social media screw ups than points scored, it’s no surprise many coaches and managers ban their players from Twitter and Facebook. Oklahoma State University, however, is using these online platforms in a ground-breaking way.

It’s particularly bad news these days when you find yourself at the center of a Twitter malfeasance story that’s got everyone in the Washington and tech press corps buzzing. The big question this morning facing the Newt Gingrich camp is: did he pad his Twitter following by paying for a bunch of spambots and other dubious characters?

So says Publicis Modem UK in a forward-looking Slideshare presentation that covers what the new social network is about and what impact it will have on digital business. The more interesting question might be: will Google+ become a lynchpin of your business strategy?

Long favored as the gamers’ snack of choice, it’s fitting that Doritos has launched its own video game to complement its latest marketing campaign.