Month: February 2008

I am the Weakest Link

Australian Blogs, Memes, Smart Bloggers, Social Media

Sparkling Water
Originally uploaded by Othon Leon

We all agree. Well mostly. At least in the places where I roam online. Occasionally there are some disagreements — sometimes gentle argument, but all-in-all there is little dissent. Mack Collier has been pondering the nature of this general affability in the marketing end of the blogosphere, contrasting the inclusive debates engendered by the crowd at The Daily Fix with the scrummage that occurs over at Robert Scoble’s house of rambunctious squattors.

A la Scoble, Mack succeeds in generating quite an interesting discussion (well worth checking out) — and one of the questions he asks is, how does Scoble do it? Fundamentally, I think that Scoble challenges our curiosity. He asks the questions of himself that we find we are answering. He mocks and goads his readers. He dares them and sometimes berates them. MarketingProfs is a whole different kettle of fish.

But the debate is not really about different communities and their style, it is a question of lifeblood. I don’t know about you, but at certain points in time I like to venture far and wide across the blogosphere. I like to run across those weak links. I like to mine the unexpected. It is one of the reasons that I like memes … to me they serve a special purpose in the blogosphere — they introduce new blood into the thinking systems of our social networks. These new sites, in fact, help to keep us all healthy.

This randomness is what appealed to me about the Entrecard widget that you can see at the top of my blog. I don’t have it there for advertising … I have it there for connection. For chance. And while I know that Marcus doesn’t agree, I must admit to finding it slightly useful — and have happened upon a couple of sites that I like.

MarketingFM covers a lot of topics that are obviously of interest to me.

Overall, though, I find my uncontrolled meanderings through Entrecard to be an eye-opener. This is social media in the raw. It is local and it is expansive. It is poetic and well designed. It is real people telling their own stories, making some money and finding new friends, communities and even enemies. It is the space where we live.

It all serves to remind us that our blog is just another drop in an ocean of influence.

B2B 2.0 — Free Seminar from MarketingProfs

Conferences

Mprofslogob2b201 It is not often that a QUALITY, free conference comes along. But the gang at MarketingProfs have put together a fantastic line-up of marketing professionals for your interactive pleasure. That’s right, it is a B2B 2.0 marketing expo — the location? Wherever you are.

Running for the day on March 5, 2008, the conference will feature a keynote address from David Meerman Scott, discussion panels on social media, research, email marketing and one of my favourite topics, measurement.

It is all FREE. All you need to do is REGISTER.

Yes We Can … And You Should

Politics

It is voting day in the US. The opportunities provided by democracy is often taken for granted by citizens — I myself have woken many times on voting days, thinking that I "can’t be bothered" going to vote. I couldn’t be bothered fighting the pamphleteers. My apathy was overwhelming. My disillusion with the choices on offer, profound and unsettling. I just wondered how much the fine would be (voting is compulsory in Australia).

Yet for those without the luxuries and protections provided by democracy, voting is seen as a far off, utopian dream. It is something to aspire to. It heralds not apathy, but action. Potential. To all my American readers who are thinking of not voting, please reconsider. Your right to vote was hard won. Your choices affect many lives — within and outside of the borders of your nation. It is a choice that contains mighty power. Regardless of who you vote for or which party you follow, please vote. It’s in all our interests.

Now, if only we were possessed of speech makers with a vision here in this country. Seems I am not alone in this lament 😉

Towards a Holistic Brand

Branding

No matter what you think of Microsoft or the philanthopic efforts of Bill Gates, there is no doubt that Gates’ work is having a significant impact. It seems that Gates is now taking on the influences of writers such as CK Prahalad and Hans Rosling — and considering that money — that economic power, may not just be the force for change. In this WSJ article, Gates calls for a "kinder" form of capitalism that cares for the poor as well as the rich.

Dino Demopoulos discusses this in a great post, Doing Well By Doing Good. In it he touches on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and a renewed rejection of it by The Economist. But in a empassioned plea for a more inclusive future, Dino hopes that CSR is not stamped out in a purely rational vision of the corporate future:

Social entrepreneurism, "creative" capitalism or whatever else it is being dubbed is a good thing that we’re hearing more and more of. I know that sounds blissfully ignorant, kind of superficial and overly optimistic, but it’s what I believe.

The fact that Bill Gates has taken a step back to consider the short-comings of capitalism is a milestone. Not that the world’s richest man is proposing some radical change — he is simply focusing on an outcome that he wants to achieve and then considering and planning how he can get there. He is combining strategy with execution.

I think we should turn debate around a little and ask, how this approach applies to brands, to markets and to the consumers/marketers/strategists/participants in global conversation that we all are (in one form or another)? Sure we need to consider the business of marketing and of brands. We need to ensure healthy consumer relationships, brand equity and ongoing sales and profit margins. But these can no longer be seen in isolation … they have to be seen as part of the interconnected flow of economies that encompass our personal, professional, political, creative and ethical dimensions. All these impact our decision making, our identity and inform the choices that we make about who we work for and why, how we live our lives and how we spend our time and our resources.

It is time we thought through the holistic brand … and how it changes the way we define what it is that we "do".

Measuring Audience 2.0

Branding, Digital Strategy, FutureVisions, Measurement, Social Media

  Eyeballing 
  Originally uploaded by fotologic

So I am sitting there in a meeting in a far-off Asian country. Seated all around me are marketing managers and directors from my client’s company. My colleagues and I are slightly jet lagged but hyped — the countdown to our presentation is only minutes away. We just have to wait through one more presentation on "digital strategy" from another agency. The irony is not lost on us … we are, after all, about to present a solution to the challenge of digital strategy — and we feel like we have nailed it.

Then it starts. Well, I thought — "I don’t know a lot about digitial". Hmmm. "But what I do know, is you can’t measure it". What? I stifle the intake of my breath. This is not the time. This is not the place.

To my surprise I look around the room and observe a sea of nodding heads. Not a dissenting voice. Not one.

As I mentioned in this post on measurement some time ago, the idea of tracking hits and even page views seemed quaint and outdated. But what if there really was an AUTOMATED way of measuring what your audience … or what your PARTICIPANTS were interested in? What if you could use this to refine your site/project/marketing efforts — on the fly?

Josh Catone has an interesting article on the new Alenty  site engagement measurement tool. Sure it seems to be focused on banners, but I have a feeling that it would be much more beneficially deployed under the hood of your community system. Imagine if Microsoft turned this on for Facebook? How about a widget for Typepad that allows bloggers to tap into the data about their blogs? Or imagine what this would mean for game developers?

In the future, this sort of technology will be mandatory for all branded content. Not only that, when combined with upstream and downstream analytics, the potential for us all to understand what works, what doesn’t and the IMPACTS of our cohesive branding, design and experience efforts will transform the business of branding. And yes, it really is all about the audience. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Kevin Rudd Announces Australian 2020 Summit

Digital Strategy, FutureVisions, Smart Bloggers, Social Media

Kevin Rudd
Originally uploaded by nicholasjohnfield

Laurel Papworth follows up on PM Kevin Rudd’s announcement of a 2020 Summit this April — to discuss directions ahead for the next 10 years. See unembeddable video here (c’mon ABC, get with it).

The summit that will bring together 1000 of Australia’s brightest minds will cover:

  • Future directions for the economy, including education, skills, training, science and innovation (this one interests me most
  • Economic infrastructure, the digital economy and the future of Australia’s cities (but I am loving this too)
  • Population, sustainability, climate change, water
  • Rural industries and communities
  • National health strategy
  • Families, communities and social inclusion
  • Indigenous Australia
  • The future of Australia’s arts, film and design
  • Democracy, open government, the role of the media, the structure of federation, citizens’ rights and responsibilities
  • Future security and prosperity

(Source: Prime Minister’s office)

Laurel is voting for Mark Pesce and for herself (which is fair enough — check out her new profile).

It is great to see some big picture agenda setting. But is there anyone else out there you would like to see in the 1000 strong delegate list? Oh, and do blog this and link to Laurel’s post — we want to make sure that Australian digital media has some representation — even if it is only on Google.

UPDATE: There are a bunch of other folks talking this up:

Stephen Collins – setup 2020Summit.org so we can all talk it up
Prime Ministers Media Release
Tim Longhurst blog
SmartCompany article
Stephen Collins blog post
Freedom to Differ blog
Nick Hodge nominates Laurel
Peter Martin blog
Tangler forum

Competition – Target Your Message

Competitions

Targetcompetition

Following up on last week’s mini-storm around Target, I thought it might be fun to run a small competition that tests your copywriting skills (actually the idea was Drew’s). This one is called "Target Your Message". This is how it works:

  • Go here and read the background
  • Download TargetCompetition.jpg  the sample Target Billboard ad
  • Add your own message
  • Write it up for your blog and link back to this post (so that I can find you)

The winner will be drawn out of a hat NEXT MONDAY — 11 February, so that you will still have a few days to hit Valentines Day without getting yourself into trouble. And what do you win? A $50 Amazon gift voucher — or if you prefer, an eGift card from Target. Your choice 😉

Note: Judge’s (ie me) decision is final. No correspondence may be entered into.

Authors — It’s Your Last Chance

Age of Conversation

Last Chance!!!
Originally uploaded by taMz perspECtive

The votes are in and Drew is scrutinising the results — and we will be announcing the focus of the next global, collaborative publishing effort very soon. But in the meantime, if you still have not signed on as an author for the Age of Conversation (the sequel), then you only have a couple of days to do so. That’s right, the deadline for admission is this SUNDAY, February 3.

First up, read Drew’s announcement (and check out all the great comments from previous and new participants) so that you know what you are in for. Then send Drew an email and let him know you are in.

We have a real bevvy of sophistocated, attractive and persuasive writers already signed up — but there is room for one or two more. Go on, take the plunge. It’s worth it!