Robert Gibbs, President Obama’s former press secretary, gave a talk at the Council of PR Firm’s Critical Issues Forum two weeks ago about the state of communications. His comments on social media are particularly relevant as we sit just one year out from the 2012 elections.

Gibbs credited social media with generating the social change that ultimately elected President Obama in 2008, and he said the foundation of the 2012 will be similarly focused on re-engaging and activating those same audiences. He’s right that these same voters must be re-energized in order to ensure a second term, but it’s worth noting that there are several key differences between this election and 2008.

For one, Twitter was just on the verge of becoming big in 2008. Since then, its popularity has exploded, shaping the political conversation online and driving much of what’s being covered in the mainstream media.   Twitter no longer just follows the news, but is a critical source for breaking the news.  The old news cycles no longer apply.  Campaigns need to think and act at the speed of Twitter or be left behind as the news takes on a life of its own.

For another, Gibbs’ last days in the White House coincided with Egyptian President Mubarak’s final days in power. The Arab Spring…and now Occupy Wall Street and its national and global outposts… are proving that social media can do more than move large groups of people on the first Tuesday in November every four years – it can motivate the masses to come together on any given day of the year. While Gibbs is correct in his assertion that Occupy Wall Street is the manifestation of frustrations built up over the last 20-30 years, it will be critical for all of the Presidential candidates’ social media teams to tell that story and put this movement in context.  Frankly, it is critical for them to put this story… and the next…and the one after that… into context or risk having the story told for them.

Another difference from 2008: campaign PR professionals are much more social media savvy. Three years ago, Obama for America had the monopoly on sound social media strategy, and it paid off at the polls. But that differentiation has narrowed considerably.. The New York Times reported last month how the GOP is actively embracing Twitter as a key strategy for rapid response and pushing out their message.

That means the same strategies that won President Obama the presidency in 2008 just won’t work in 2012 – for either party.  Just as the PR professionals have gotten savvier, so has the voting public. As Gibbs said, no politician, government official, or business is immune to public scrutiny.

But Gibbs is also an example of how social media’s power goes both ways. As Press Secretary, he could watch Twitter during press conferences as a real-time measure of what reporters were thinking as they were thinking it.

I made that point recently at a forum hosted by City Hall focused on how media and government are using digital media. I said that companies and candidates have more control over their message than they think. It’s all about speed to market.

It was an interesting discussion with Ben Smith from Politico and NYC Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson, along with other media and digital pros. You can watch the panel or read the transcript, part of a four-part series on digital communications and government.

There may be only 365 days before the 2012 election, but we’re still trillions of Tweets, blogs, comments, and media stories away. Anything can and certainly will happen…but take it from a pro like Gibbs, those “who are transparent, who go beyond the press release, listen and respond” will have the edge with the American public.