So many issues – where on earth to start?

I’ve so much sympathy for your frustration, but in some ways it’s a pretty good spot to be in. At least you have people in the business who know what FB is even if they don’t know how to utilize it (I think!?).

It’s an incredibly delicate art being able to turn people’s short burst of enthusiasm about something new on the web into a more sustained, practical and beneficial approach – but at least that’s easier than trying to convert people with no understanding what so ever. If you do crack it though, let me know.

One of the key things I think is a business unit that filters through the ideas that have merit based on priority (ROI, business case, etc). That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a research budget (aka experimental time allocation, etc) but it can be quite handy to give this a number (1 day a week, 1 a month?) so that you’ve got a chance to balance things. Then let the designers/developers get on and have a go at it – with a UCD focus of course.