---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ultimately, the purpose of a…"
description: "\"“Ultimately, the purpose of a certification is to establish a particular level of proficiency in a discipline. Unfortunately, “social media” in and of ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a65/olivier-blanchard-70390_crisis-management_ultimately-the-purpose-of-a-certificatio_1471247.jpg"
---

#  Ultimately, the purpose of a certification is to establish…

![“Ultimately, the purpose of a certification is to establish a particular level of proficiency in a discipline. Unfortunately, “social media” in and of itself, is not a discipline. Digital crisis management, on the other hand, is. So are digital customer service and online community management. This…” quote by Olivier Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a65/olivier-blanchard-70390_crisis-management_ultimately-the-purpose-of-a-certificatio_1471247.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a65/olivier-blanchard-70390_crisis-management_ultimately-the-purpose-of-a-certificatio_1471247.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a65/olivier-blanchard-70390_crisis-management_ultimately-the-purpose-of-a-certificatio_1471247.jpg)

> ““Ultimately, the purpose of a certification is to establish a particular level of proficiency in a discipline. Unfortunately, “social media” in and of itself, is not a discipline. Digital crisis management, on the other hand, is. So are digital customer service and online community management. This means that a certification program that focuses on social media without addressing each specific business function adapted to social media won’t end up certifying anyone in much of anything.””

[Olivier Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-blanchard/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Certifications should measure real expertise in specific digital functions, not vague social media skills.

**In simple terms:** Certifications need clear, functional focus.

Key Takeaway

Design programs around concrete digital roles.

Themes

education digital skills certification

Mood

critical analytical

Type

professional instructional

When to use this quote

- Hiring
- career development
- training curriculum
- industry standards

Key Concepts

Professional standards skill validation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can certifications stay relevant as digital roles evolve?
- What core competencies should be measured?

A Different Perspective

May overlook interdisciplinary skills needed in fast‑changing media landscapes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Certification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certification-3931421/) [Certification Program](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certification-program-3022137/) [Crisis management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis-management/) [Customer service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-service/) [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Discipline Digital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline-digital-5339056/) [Kindlehighlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindlehighlight/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Means Certification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-certification-5339055/) [Purpose Certification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-certification-5339054/) [Social media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-media/) [Twitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twitter/)

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> [Being constantly the hub of a network of potential interruptions provides the excitement and importance of crisis management. As well as the false sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-foley/being-constantly-the-hub-of-a-network-of-potential-interruptions/)

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> [There's a lot of stuff they don't teach you in the mythical editors' school. They don't teach you that you're going to have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/there-s-a-lot-of-stuff-they-don-t-teach-you-in-the-mythical-editors/)

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> [I often say that good crisis management is good decision-making under stress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-fink/i-often-say-that-good-crisis-management-is-good-decision-making-under/)

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> [“Address the solvable first, instructs the father by way of teaching his son crisis management. That way, he counsels, there is less distraction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/address-the-solvable-first-instructs-the-father-by-way-of-teaching/)

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> [Unfortunately, today's colleges and universities, and especially our business schools, do not offer pragmatic crisis management teachings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-fink/unfortunately-today-s-colleges-and-universities-and-especially-our/)

[Steven Fink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-fink/)

## More by Olivier Blanchard

> [“You see, the thing about working with pirates is that they know what they are doing. They already know more than you do because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-blanchard/you-see-the-thing-about-working-with-pirates-is-that-they-know-what/)

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> [“Myth Number 4: Social Media Is the Shiny New Thing. Two Years from Now, That Bubble Will Burst Yes, it is the shiny new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-blanchard/myth-number-4-social-media-is-the-shiny-new-thing-two-years-from-now/)

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> [If you don't choose to do it in leadership time up front, you do it in crisis management time down the road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/if-you-don-t-choose-to-do-it-in-leadership-time-up-front-you-do-it-in/)

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[Jaap de Hoop Scheffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaap-de-hoop-scheffer/)

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> [When I wrote my first book, Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable, it was endorsed by the American Management Association, and consequently was read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-fink/when-i-wrote-my-first-book-crisis-management-planning-for-the/)

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