Social Media Rap

Chuck at Pop Labs raps about social media:

I surf the web, I used to watch TV
now I'm logged into Joost, it's commercial free
lets see where I want to go
and who I want to know
connecting people with people with web 2.0
I don't use email unless I'm at my job
want the next post, I subscribe to the blog
I'm easy to find
I'm always online
social networking sites, I think I have nine
I use myspace to promote my music
I get friends and album sales that's how I do it
but tell me have you heard
about the new word
something like myspace but they call it virb
always something new, I'm a start creatin
I'll make a brand new facebook application
uploading pictures and mp3's
update my profile and hit ctrl D
can't stop what I started, it's getting ridiculous
social book mark it, add it del.icio.us
some can't take it but I just can't quit
go to Imeem and listen to my playlist
watching videos on my You Tube channel
clickin so much, my mouse smoking like a candle
I'm online for hours, addicted to the power
10 tabs open on a firefox browser
I must be going crazy cause I can't get enough
I guess I'm addicted to social media

Creativity

This is the latest masterpiece from my kid. She's in pre-school now and a pattern evolves: The schools believe you need to box creativity. As you see above, forms are being created that kids are filling in with their color ideas. (Obviously, my kid did an amazing job!)



My idea of creativity are more unruly and unconventional. Yes, I like the flower above and see the value of it. But I find it much more charming and innovative to invite our dog to a session of Yoga. As parents we walk this fine line of telling our kids what to do/not to do and, at the same time, nurture their abbility to learn this world new (After all, we didn't do such a good job so far.)

Reminds me of the new marketing reality: We need to take our learnings from the past but apply new thinking and ideas to evolving opportunities. Exciting times all around.

Do you know this guy?

His name is Momus, a Scottish artist. Why should you know him?
Because he moved us from Andy Warhol's 15 minutes of fame to famous for 15 people:

“The future will be a lot of musical shrapnel… The old unifying stars like Madonna and Michael Jackson will be seen as the last of their kind, global monoliths, relics of an age of monopoly capitalism which has been smashed to smithereens.”

Putting his own spin on Andy Warhol’s “fifteen minutes of fame” adage, Momus suggested a different dynamic. In the future, he wrote, “Everyone will be famous for fifteen people.”

This idea of microcelebrity is fairly new and Clive Thompson describes it really well in his December column:

"Adapting to microcelebrity means learning to manage our own identity and "message" almost like a self-contained public relations department. "People are using the same techniques employed on Madison Avenue to manage their personal lives," says Theresa Senft, a media studies professor and one of the first to identify the rise of microcelebrity. "Corporations are getting humanized, and humans are getting corporatized.

You could regard this as a sad development — the whole Brand Called You meme brought to its grim apotheosis. But haven't our lives always been a little bit public and stage-managed? Small-town living is a hotbed of bloglike gossip. Every time we get dressed — in power suits, nerdy casual wear, or goth-chick piercings — we're broadcasting a message about ourselves. Microcelebrity simply makes the social engineering we've always done a little more overt — and maybe a little more honest."

In general, I agree with his small town assessment. Growing up in one myself, I remember those little social signals that turned into gossip and categorizing people.

There are good reasons for people to social engineer their social media experience: The mother that doesn't want to show pictures of her neighborhood, fearing possible stalkers. The entrepreneur who's fallen on hard times and doesn't share his problems with his audience because his blog was meant to be inspiring and uplifting. The social media blog that doesn't criticize specific clients because, well, they are clients.
That's social engineering.

But there's a fine line between social engineering and self-censorship. Sure, not everybody can be as open and honest asGeorge Parker (Is there a better word in the English language than Douchenozzle?) but are we censoring ourselves too often? I do. Often for good reasons, often for not so good reasons.

I think it's mostly a maturation of the blogosphere and social media space. We're still learning. And exploring how to interact with each other. And the world.

The big debate

Scored a 7th row seat at the debate yesterday. Always interesting to see the media machine working: tons of satellite trucks in front of the Kodak Theatre, hundreds of Obama and Hillary supporters being silly and screaming their respective names, lines after lines, celebrity sightings (Stevie Wonder, Jason Alexander, Leonardo di Caprio, Christina Applegate, just to name a few) and Democrats doing a lot of self-congratulating.

When you're up close at that spectacle, you understand how hungry and how powerful the TV machine is. It's about the show, it's about the lights, the celebrities, the little tiffs, the looks between Hillary and Obama. Utter bullshit.

On my way home, I was thinking about the visionary Neil Postman and his book: Amusing ourselves to death - Public Discourse in the age of show business.

Here's his foreword:

We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn't, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The roots of liberal democracy had held. Wherever else the terror had happened, we, at least, had not been visited by Orwellian nightmares.
But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell's dark vision, there was another - slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing. Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.

What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions". In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.

This book is about the possibility that Huxley, not Orwell, was right.

Social Media and Web 2.0 tools give me the hope that sometime in the future our votes will be based on real conversations about issues and challenges. Currently, we're discussing $400 haircuts.

Social networks

I read 100 blogs weekly. Some daily, some weekly.
I follow more than 100 people on twitter.
Have bunches of 'friends' on Facebook.

Keeps me busy, alright. But there are days that leave me uninspired. Days where you click from blog to blog and you feel like nothing has been produced. Same old, tired ideas. (Defining 'old' as the prime age of 1 week.)

Then I discovered this article from the NY Times:

"'People who live in the intersection of social worlds,'' Mr. Burt writes, ''are at higher risk of having good ideas.'"

People with cohesive social networks, whether offices, cliques or industries, tend to think and act the same, he explains. In the long run, this homogeneity deadens creativity. As Mr. Burt's research has repeatedly shown, people who reach outside their social network not only are often the first to learn about new and useful information, but they are also able to see how different kinds of groups solve similar problems."

I'm refining my approach. I started with Twitter, finding interesting people outside of the social media circle. Blogs to follow. Facebook? I can wait.
I'll keep you posted.

Only the dead have seen the end of war

Andrew Olmsted, a United States Army major who blogged for The Rocky Mountain News, wrote about his own death in July 2007 and prepared for the possibility of not returning to the US and his loved ones. The 3,000-word piece took on a new meaning when he was killed January 3, 2008 by insurgents in Sadiyah.

Andrew Olmsted wrote:

"I do ask (not that I'm in a position to enforce this) that no one try to use my death to further their political purposes. I went to Iraq and did what I did for my reasons, not yours. My life isn't a chit to be used to bludgeon people to silence on either side. If you think the U.S. should stay in Iraq, don't drag me into it by claiming that somehow my death demands us staying in Iraq. If you think the U.S. ought to get out tomorrow, don't cite my name as an example of someone's life who was wasted by our mission in Iraq. I have my own opinions about what we should do about Iraq, but since I'm not around to expound on them I'd prefer others not try and use me as some kind of moral capital to support a position I probably didn't support. Further, this is tough enough on my family without their having to see my picture being used in some rally or my name being cited for some political purpose. You can fight political battles without hurting my family, and I'd prefer that you did so.

On a similar note, while you're free to think whatever you like about my life and death, if you think I wasted my life, I'll tell you you're wrong. We're all going to die of something. I died doing a job I loved. When your time comes, I hope you are as fortunate as I was."

And the heartbreaking closing words:

"This is the hardest part. While I certainly have no desire to die, at this point I no longer have any worries. That is not true of the woman who made my life something to enjoy rather than something merely to survive. She put up with all of my faults, and they are myriad, she endured separations again and again...I cannot imagine being more fortunate in love than I have been with Amanda. Now she has to go on without me, and while a cynic might observe she's better off, I know that this is a terrible burden I have placed on her, and I would give almost anything if she would not have to bear it. It seems that is not an option. I cannot imagine anything more painful than that, and if there is an afterlife, this is a pain I'll bear forever.

I wasn't the greatest husband. I could have done so much more, a realization that, as it so often does, comes too late to matter. But I cherished every day I was married to Amanda. When everything else in my life seemed dark, she was always there to light the darkness. It is difficult to imagine my life being worth living without her having been in it. I hope and pray that she goes on without me and enjoys her life as much as she deserves. I can think of no one more deserving of happiness than her.

"I will see you again, in the place where no shadows fall."
Ambassador Delenn, Babylon 5

I don't know if there is an afterlife; I tend to doubt it, to be perfectly honest. But if there is any way possible, Amanda, then I will live up to Delenn's words, somehow, some way. I love you."

It's amazing how personal and intimate this whole phenomenon of Social/Participatory Media has become. Especially marketers sometimes forget that social networking is more than just an application. We live such a commercialized life and the Web allows us to believe that only specific connections link us together. But we all have the need and desire to connect across differences. That's what makes us human.

And the one thing we need is more humanity.

RIP, Andrew Olmsted.

Please make sure to read his complete, final post.

I do know how to quit you

Is this your Facebook inbox? Too many friends, too many invitations, too much crapola. Some early adopters are starting to leave Facebook because they don't see the value and ragard the site as a time-suck.

Maybe it's just the pendulum swinging the other way: People are starting to understand that you can't manage hundreds of contacts/friends, especially when you barely know these people. Facebook can have an amazing value if we can start to extend our real-life connections to the internet. Just like your first email address that turned into spam account, Facebook might become just another network that becomes less and less valuable. Just another AOL.

And, in case you're ready to quit - follow these instructions.
I'll stay on for a while. And see where it goes.

And if you invited, poked, gifted me and wait for a response: Stay tuned. There are more important things in my life I have to take care of.

Together as one

When I discovered electronic music years ago, it wasn't really the music at first that excited me. It was more of that sweaty, human masses, unique, thank-God-I'm here experience. Sasha & Digweed at the Mayan in LA come to mind, Coachella at sunset with Bjork, Carl Cox at Giant, Roger Sanchez on a rooftop in Miami. We all crave these events. It might be an NFL game, NASCAR racing, Burning Man, Pamplona bull running - whatever strikes your fancy.

These events have become more valuable since many of our other experiences can be time-shifted, paused and re-started whenever you have time for it. Events are different: You can consume 24 hours of media in 8 hours but you have only so many weekends available where you indulge in 8 hours of music/sports/arts communality.
No wonder brands are craving to attach themselves to events.

Digital Marketing will only advance to the next stage if we find innovative ways to develop spectacles that create this community feeling. Facebook and Second Life have their limitations and they can't replicate this sweaty, mass feeling when you're one with the crowd. But social media is the key in developing, creating and spreading the word about these events. You can only create amazing events if you know what connects with people. And only events that create this 'Together as one' moment will ensure that the audience will spread the word for you.

Big Blue chimes in

From today's AdWeek:

"About 30 percent of the advertising revenue now resting in the coffers of traditional media companies will shift to online ad exchanges like Yahoo! and Google in the next five years, according to a new report from IBM Global Business Services."
(...)
Indeed, IBM concludes that "as the advertising value chain reconfigures, broadcasters, advertising agencies and media distributors in particular will need to make a number of 'no regret' moves" in key areas such as how to better connect with consumers in a multi-channel world and how to create new business models.

"There is no question that the future of advertising will look radically different from the past. The push for control of attention, creativity, measurements and inventory will reshape the advertising value chain and shift the balance of power," per the report summary. "For both incumbent and new players, it is imperative to plan for multiple consumer futures, craft agile strategies and build new capabilities before advertising as we know it disappears."

But that's only part of the story. The other part is the shift from traditional media to social media: We talked already about SNCR/Jaffe study claiming that by 2013 advertisers and marketers will be expected to spend more on conversational media than on advertising through traditional media.

An earlier study by Prospero reported that 88% of businesses expected to increase Social Media Spending in 2008.

More signs are pointing into one direction. Let's make sure we support this shift with big ideas and small ideas.

The Facebook (R)evolution

Connie Bensen writes about the newly introduced advertising opportunities on Facebook and she's very skeptical about the overall user experience.
And Seth Godin compares Hotmail to Facebook. Not a flattering comparison.

My take? Something reaks. Rather awful.

It's almost feels like Facebook was the pot dealer in the school yard, giving away free joints and, after we all got hooked and shared our personal information, they are trying to sell the real drugs to us. Needles in the arm, baby. And the advertisers are waiting around the corner to provide the dealers with more stuff to support the addiction and reap the benefits.

Now, the big questions is: Can Facebook turn their new advertising model into Google's AdSense? My answer: No way. I smell a bit of desperation here. Facebook was developed with the user in mind and they never thought about a real advertising model, a model that could make Mark Zuckerberg a real billionaire, instead of a paper billionaire.

Nick Carr says it best:

"Facebook, which distinguished itself by being the anti-MySpace, is now determined to out-MySpace MySpace. It's a nifty system: First you get your users to entrust their personal data to you, and then you not only sell that data to advertisers but you get the users to be the vector for the ads. And what do the users get in return? An animated Sprite Sips character to interact with."

Is it time to write off Facebook? Not quite yet. But they are one of those boxers that win decisively the first round, already pronounced the winner until the opening bell of the second round rings and they get hit hard in the head.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Can they come back? I wouldn't bet on it. There are many young fighters out there, waiting for their chance. They are hungrier, will learn from this mistake and don't get sucked in by reading and believing their own clippings.

Time is now

The first morning keynote at the Forrester Consumer Forum featured Josh Bernoff, VP at Forrester Research, gave brands an accessible road map to break into the Social Networking space and he reminded them that the time is now to make practical use these social technologies.
Instead of focusing on technologies, brands need to focus on objectives to be successful and get the buy-in from senior executives.

He introduced 5 key objectives:

Listening

Learning from what customers are saying by developing sounding boards for researching decisions (Communispace/Think Passenger, Market Tools)

Monitor buzz to measure ongoing trends and perceptions (Brand monitoring – Nielsen Buzz Metrics, etc.)

Talking:

Two-way conversation, not just shouting
Let fans spread message more easily (Social Networks)
Communicate continually and monitor responses (Blogs)


Helping your customers to recruit others

Energizing with ratings and reviews
Use customer opinions to boost sales - Ratings and reviews (Bazaarvoice, etc.)
Designate lead customers to energize others - Brand ambassador programs


Supporting

Enabling your customers to support each other
Enable customers to solve each others’ problems (Support Forum)
Enable customers to build solutions together (Wikis)


Embracing

Involving customers in your product development
Harvest customer ideas in a public setting - Idea community (Salesforce.com)
Cultivate dedicated idea generating community - Private community

He also recommended to calculate the ROI of Conversational Marketing. This would change the perception of SN initiatives within organizations and allows for bigger budgets

He emphasized that diving into social media initiatives will change your company:

Customer feedback in all your processes
Much faster development cycles
Frequent trial balloons
Faster, smaller failures
Internal boundaries break down

And, as a last carrot for the brand managers in the audience:
If you tap into the power of SN, you will get more powerful within your organization.

Can you see brand managers developing SN initiatives this weekend?
I do.

The newest contender

Whenever you come too late to a party, it can go two ways: The party is at its peak, it takes for you too long to get into it and join the festivities. You can leave disappointed and swear never to be late again.
Or the party is going great but your arrival adds value to the party and makes it an even more memorable event.

Yahoo! just arrived late to the party with their social networking product called Mash. Fairly surprising that it took them so long to join the party since they have all capabilities and properties (Answers, Flickr, Del.icio.us, Answers, just to name a few) to enhance a social network and turn it into a monster party.

After signing up for Mash (it's still in beta) and exploring it for a while, I have the nagging suspicion that Yahoo! might have missed the peak and the party might be going on somewhere. A lot of features are missing (consistent RSS feeds, sparse outside development), it lacks interactivity and personalization options offered by the two big guns. It feels very sparse but not in a positive Craigslist kind of way.

Even though they might not be able to compete with Facebook and MySpace, Yahoo! has an enormous user base and Mash could possibly allow users to consolidate the profiles on MyYahoo, Flickr, etc.

The jury is still out on Mash. Yahoo has a long way to go to make it a remarkable experience. But they might have found a way to get Yahooligans return more frequently to Yahoo properties. With two big parties going on at the same time, Mash might be the ultimate block party.

Jump on it before it's too late

Many moons ago, while working for one of the most innovative agencies in Germany, one of our main competitors came up with a brilliant idea for a car rental company: While customers were waiting for their luggage in the arrival hall, the conveyor belt carried two suitcases with clever lines (Lost Orientation? Try our cars with Navigation System). People were hypnotized by the suitcases and airport rentals went through the roof. It worked so well because nobody ever thought of advertising in arrival halls, except for the typical hotel ads. When you walk today thorugh German airports, you can still see the suitcases but the value of this marketing technique has dramatically increased.

Innovation and outstanding ideas don't stay innovative and outstanding. Competitors caught on to their ideas, came up with different ideas to market to bored passengers and cluttered arrival halls with billboards and monitors.

Social and Emerging Media are beginning to gain traction in the marketing world. What's new today will be an integral part of the marketing mix in the next years. Many brands ask: When is the right time to utilize social and emerging media in their marketing mix?

Frankly, the time was yesterday. Or, at least, today.

Emerging and Social Media will always be effective. But the value of both will decline in the future when everybody begins jumping on that bandwagon. Now is the time to experiment with social/emergine media. Remember BMW Films, Subserviant Chicken and the Doritos Superbowl Ads. The first movers claimed the benefits, the second movers looked like cheap plagiarists and produced sub-par results.

Jump on it already.

I finally got an intern

Or better: We all do.
The newest social media experiment is sponsored by Mentos and it's an interesting variation of Burger King's Subservient Chicken.

Trevor, the intern, is a student at the University of Cinicnnati and is a summer intern for Mentos. Your job is it to fill his day with tasks, such as proofreading, catching up on your favorite TV show, etc. While I was checking him out, he was naming frogs...:)

Given Mentos' target audience, this could be really successful. Mentos always had a quirky image and this experiment will enhance it. I was hoping for more interesting tasks but, hey, I'm not in the target audience. What do I know?

Map of Social Media

Interesting approach to visualizing social media. It feels a bit dated now since social media is evolving hourly.