Thursday, October 25, 2007

Social Media Takeaways #3

This is a busy week - coming off of the great Boston Web Community dinner, courtesy of EMC, where I got to see some of my favorite new media folks (Jeremiah Owyang, Chris Brogan, Laura Fitton, John Wall, Sarah Wurrey, Steve Garfield, Dan Schawbel, Peter Kim, Yianni Garcia, Julia Roy) and meet new ones (Jeff Glasson, Christine Perkett, Amanda Gravel). In addition, I'm gearing up for PodCamp Boston 2, where I'll be speaking.

But that doesn't mean there wasn't still a bit of time for a few Social Media Takeaways:

My Apple Is a Lemon
No, this isn't David Armano's way of trying to score some free bling for his blog (like some other people we know). It turns out this is David's 2nd Macbook Pro that's given him inexplicable trouble, so he decided to write about it.

SMT: Uh-oh. Apple should be concerned. First they fired 800 employees for taking a $100 voucher on their free iPhones, now they've got a prominent blogger who's pissed off. I hope they're listening. But I like what Matt Dickman had to say on twitter: @Armano: I bet Dell responds before Apple does ;-)

Quick, Fire That Customer
It's not a good week to be a customer. Seth Godin and the Ad-Vocate both opine that the customer is not always right and call for certain customers to be fired. I like Seth's rejoinder to the phrase "the customer's always right": when they're wrong, they're not your customer any more.

SMT: Listen up. Get to know your customers well, through whatever space they inhabit. Find out what they're saying about you and join the conversation if you can. But realize when you'll never convert them and know when to let go.

Fa¢ebook
At this point, Facebook is steering clear of Google and instead opting for the cold hard cash from our friends at Micro$oft - a cool $278 million, to be exact. This amount, a 1.6% stake in Facebook, entitles the software behemoth to be the exclusive U.S. and international advertiser with the social network through 2011.

SMT: A $15 billion valuation for Facebook? What-ever. If the ad revenue can continue to stream in - and with Facebook's ability to target different demographics, it's an attractive site for advertisers - then perhaps it's not totaly off-base. But with today's fickle youth, I wonder if Facebook isn't going to be old school before 2008 is out. The only hope is continuing to get the more mature generations involved. And I wouldn't rule out additional funding for Facebook from other sources...

Labels: Apple, customer relations, David Armano, facebook, social media, social media takeaways

Posted by Scott Monty at 5:13 AM

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Nothing Lasts Forever

This has to be one of the funniest videos I've placed on this blog. Usually I keep this kind of fun reserved for Friday, but by then it'll be everywhere, as it totally skewers the advertising world. Let's start the weekend a little early!

The video, called The Break Up, is about the end of a relationship - in this case the relationship between an advertiser and a consumer. Things have changed, but Advertising is still the same unidirectional self-absorbed jerk. Consumer isn't pleased, as she wants genuine love, affection and conversation.

Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions initiated this project and has a blog running called Bring the Love Back to promote the process and ideas, and both the marketing manager and the agency are contributing to it. It's genius.

And one of the coolest parts? It was inspired/supported by David Armano's BusinessWeek article It's the Conversation Economy, Stupid.

Via David Armano at Logic + Emotion.

Labels: Advertising, David Armano, Friday Fun, fun, Video

Posted by Scott Monty at 8:04 PM

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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Try It, You'll Like It

What would David Ogilvy do? That's the question I've been asking myself, and I think I've got the answer.

First, a little background. One of the social media colleagues I've had a chance to meet over the last couple of weeks was Greg Verdino. His recent blog post mentions his attendance at Virtual Worlds 2007 conference, in which he noted how few marketers and agency executives were present. So profound was it that David Armano made it his Thought of the Day.

Far from surprising Greg (or me), it reinforced what we both discussed when we met: the majority of marketers are trying to figure out ways t harness the field of new marketing strategies (blogging / podcasting / Second Life / social network) without the benefit of actually using the technologies. When did this - giving advice on something you don't understand - become the hallmark of a successful marketer?

Think about it for a minute: would an agency exec work on a television commercial without ever having seen one? Would any good creative director design a print ad without looking through a magazine to see what the surrounding material is like? Not on your life. Yet they throw the social media terms around as if they just represent another channel.

If you've ever read the seminal book Ogilvy on Advertising, you'll know that David Ogilvy made two very important points in the book - points that defined his career:

Research is crucial. Understand the client, understand their customer and what motivates them. This was so important that he named himself Research Director at his agency.
Live the brand. It didn't matter if the client was Rolls Royce, Schweppes or Sears, Ogilvy always bought his clients' products and experienced them just as any customer would, which made him much more effective when he wrote about them.

So, if David Ogilvy were to counsel a client on the social media space today, would he have a blog? A MySpace profile? Would he listen to podcasts? You bet your life he would.

While social media is considered as just another facet to an integrated marketing program (and rightfully so), it's a more complex than most agency execs and marketers think. This is a conversation medium, one that requires understanding and finessing. You wouldn't show up at a sophisticated cocktail party dressed poorly and proceed to interrupt a conversation, grab a handful of hors d'oeuvres and smash your face down in the punch bowl, would you?

Well that's the equivalent of a marketer inexperienced in the field of new marketing / social media showing up to Second Life, starting a blog, etc. without having taken the time to participate in and understand the space.

Labels: Advertising, blogs, David Armano, Marketing, New Media, Podcasting, Second Life, social media

Posted by Scott Monty at 8:50 PM

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Sunday, March 18, 2007

The Wall Street Journal is All A-Twitter

It seems that Twitter has really gone mainstream. The March 16 issue of the Wall Street Journal contained an article about Twitter. One of the Twitterers interviewed had the same response that I did when I first heard about it: "I didn't get it at first." But once you try it, it's Twitdicting.

But more than being simply a waste of time, there are some business applications here. At a party tonight (ironically with a 1920s/30s theme), I introduced Twitter to a couple of people. One could immediately see a use with his geographically-dispersed sales team. Unlikely to check email often, the team is all about their mobile phones, and Twitter is perfectly suited to that channel.

Steve Rubel tweets that many good business ideas will emerge via Twitter. Certainly. Beyond ideas, what about actual business uses of Twitter? Web Worker Daily has 8 ways Twitter is useful professional. Personally, I'm using it to do some networking for a social media job search.

We'll probably see more selectivity and thinning of friends on Twitter as people begin to get tired of hearing what someone is planning for dinner or when they're picking up the kids from little league practice. Twitter has its use for the social set, but those who are using Twitter as part of their business - like the Twitter feed set up by Bryan Person - will quickly fine-tune it to their liking.

Props to Dave Armano for the Twitter link to the WSJ article.

Labels: David Armano, tools, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 1:36 AM

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Tuesday, March 13, 2007

It's Social Media, You Twit!

I have to admit, I'm woefully behind on this trend. I went away on vacation in late February, missed all of the NewComm Forum coverage, and am trying to catch up on real work.

In the meantime, Twitter has rocketed to the forefront of the social media space. Take a look at these traffic statistics from Alexa since last October:

For those of you who may not know Twitter, it's a very simple tool that allows you to share thoughts on the fly, either via the Web, phone or IM. You can Twitter away into the ether, or you can develop a group of friends and let them know what you're up to. If you'd like to be my Twitter friend, you can find me at: www.twitter.com/scottmonty

Steve Rubel, one of the most enthusiastic early adopters (or a lot of social media tools!) questioned how to best use Twitter vis a vis blogging. While it may be good for sharing quick ideas on the fly, it's no substitution for a well thought out blog post with deeper perspective. It's like the difference between IM and email.

Others have varying opinions of Twitter: Dave Armano is clearly a fan, while Kevin Dugan loathes it. Todd Defren argues that it helps him connect to colleagues across the country. Armano makes the argument that it's at least worth checking out before you ignore, so you know what it's capable of. I was guilty of pooh-poohing it, until I signed up yesterday and I can see how it would be addictive.

Twitter is inherently more useful to me than Second Life because it requires so little attention and is so easy to use. Twitter is relevant to my daily activities and helps keep me focused on them, rather than drawing me into an artificial world that keeps me from being productive. It's also much more personal than Second Life. Hey! How about that? A social media tool that helps you be more social!

Labels: David Armano, social media, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 6:26 PM

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Monday, October 23, 2006

Why Blogging Matters

As usual, Logic + Emotion has a great perspective on blogging. This time, Dave Armano has taken part in a group post with other high-power bloggers.

Together, they develop 6 Degrees of Perspective on Why Blogging Matters:. I'll just cover the highlights here; definitely check our their longer post if you need some proof points to incorporate blogging as a standard practice in your company's or client's marketing efforts.

#1 - PR and Blogging – A Love Story or Peaceful Coexistence
Covered by Dan Greenfield, VP of Corporate Communications at Earthlink -Bernaisesource

#2 – Blogging and the “new influencers”
As seen by Eric Kintz, VP of Global Marketing Strategy at Hewlett-Packard - Marketing Excellence

#3 – The role of blogging in the changing world of advertising
From the perspective of Will Waugh, Senior Director of Communications at ANA - Marketing Maestros

#4 – The role of blogging as part of an integrated web strategy
With a view from David Charbuck, VP of Global Web Marketing at Lenovo - Charbuck

#5 – Drive Harmony in Conversational Touchpoints
The opinion of Peter Blackshaw, CMO, Neilsen Buzz Metrics - Consumer Generated Media

#6 - Creativity, Innovation + Blogging
As host, David Armano, VP at Digitas gets to go last, with some sub-points on the usefulness of blogs:

Instant feedback from a qualified network of peers
A digital journal, scrapbook and sketchpad
The ultimate marketing and brand challenge

Labels: b2b, blogs, David Armano, Marketing, strategy

Posted by Scott Monty at 9:31 PM

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Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Do You Want New Media with That?

As usual, David Armano at Logic+Emotion makes a great case by analogy, both in writing and with one of his really cool images. He's a creative type, and does this much better than this humble account guy, so I'll let his work speak for itself:

"Today’s marketing mix has its own challenges. RSS feeds, Podcasts, Blogs, Viral content—it all sounds so yummy and immediately gratifying. Just like fast food. But We all know what fast food leads to. Putting together a marketing mix that looks like “one Social Media Network with a side of Viral, hold the mayo”—may not be the best thing for your business and brand."

I've said it before on these pages, but allow me to reiterate it by extending Armano's analogy. If you think of your marketing plan like a diet, we all know that it's best to strive for a well-balanced diet. To live only on junk food - or on a single food group - is unhealthy.

Now, there are certain individuals who can't eat sugar, or who are allergic to gluten, nuts or lactose. And there are those who make a conscious choice to abtain from eating meat or carbohydrates. Any good nutritionist (or in this case marketing advisor) needs to have a conversation with the patient (client) to understand what is feasible and what is not, before recommending an approach.

For example, I have a client in the biotech/pharma space who is very open to hearing about new media. However, she steers clear of a corporate blog, because of the legal and regulatory issues that would be overwhelming in that industry. Creating an informative podcast is another story - one that is much better suited to their disposition, needs and strategy. But this is all backed up with a solid and comprehensive marketing plan across all media.

In western Massachusetts, there's an annual food/agriculture/cultural festival called The Big E. It just wrapped up its nearly 3-week stint, but not without offering a handy guide "The Big E Diet -- how to survive on 5,000 calories/day." From the morning sticky bun (560 calories) to the large fries at lunch (578 calories), to the modest snack of a turkey leg (148 calories), all the way through a late-night dessert of a cream puff (a whopping 618 calories), it's a mashup of comfort food and a cardiologist's nightmare.

The point is you just can't live like that. For normal people, a pork chop sandwich with a side of cream of broccoli soup in a bread bowl is an anomoly or a curiosity. So do a frank assessment of your marketing diet and see what you have the appetite for. Maybe every once in a while, a cream puff is just the thing the doctor ordered.

But please, make sure you keep eating apples.

Labels: Advertising, David Armano, Marketing, New Media, strategy

Posted by Scott Monty at 9:38 AM

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006

It's All Geek to Me

David Armano over at Logic+Emotion has posted an uproariously funny graphic, along with a perspective on geekdom.

The Geek-types who used to be social outcasts (well, let's face it, some still are) are now at the pinnacle of the 2.0 phenomenon. According to Wikipedia, "geek" is defined as:

A person who is fascinated, perhaps obsessively, by obscure or very specific areas of knowledge and imagination, usually electronic or virual in nature.

But to step it up from Geek 1.0, according to Armano, "these aren't your parents' Geeks. These are the Geeks that invent the Facebook's Firefoxes and Flickr's of the world."

Bottom line: anyone with a passion about something specific, with a profound knowledge in that area - technology, literature, sports, music - is (or can be) a Geek. Hell, I'm a Marketing Geek!

Thanks to a number of well-placed and innovative Geeks, we now have the ability to share our geekiness through user-generated experiences, creating opportunities for others to share our knowledge and enjoy the thing each of us is passionate about.

The Geeks shall inherit the earth!

Labels: 2.0, David Armano, New Media

Posted by Scott Monty at 11:33 AM

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