Category: Smart Bloggers

Get Your Head Out of the Clouds!

Innovation, Smart Bloggers, Social Media, Web 2.0

Day 86 – Head in the Clouds
Originally uploaded by margolove

Greg Verdino’s challenging post Beyond Knowledge has generated some great discussion on the nature of knowledge and the impact of the Internet/Web 2.0 on how we all tap into this massive "crowdsourced brain". I have been fascinated by the concept of knowledge management for years and actually ran a KM group for IBM years ago — and what I learned then (and what Greg clearly identifies upfront) is that knowledge is not the domain of technology (yet) but of people.

You see, there are lots of really smart people out there in the world. They can be working in your business, they might be sitting in the cube next to you, or they could be on the other side of the planet. But how do you know what they know? How can they manifest this in a way that allows their expertise to shine out and reach the person who needs it? For this to happen you need a couple of things — you need:

  • A platform for communication
  • A method of organising the data
  • A way of connecting it all up

In the web 2.0 world, we have platforms coming out our ears — we have blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, podcasts etc. We also have tagging and bookmarking to categorise and share our interests. And we have search engines and rating systems etc to connect it all up. But all this lives in the cloud and is the domain of cloud computing.

It is using all these elements that you, dear reader, are able to find my often misguided marketing meanderings. It is what allows the thoughts and ideas of one individual to reach out beyond the circles of life limited by time and geography. But why does this breakthrough? As Greg points out, I think it has to do with seeing the value in a shift from knowledge to conversation (or as Greg says, "connection").

When I worked at IBM we held seminars and meetings. Lots of them. We showcased ideas and project work. We wrote about them on the intranet. We championed the individuals whose efforts and breakthroughs made innovation possible. And we talked. And the thing that worked most effectively was the lunchtime meetings … having one person tell the story of how they solved a problem. It was like a lightening rod … conversation erupted, ideas leaped across the room. It was great.

So we decided to go bigger. While the virtual meetings were well subscribed, there was a demand for face-to-face storytelling. Everyone loved the ideas but also wanted to see the face behind the innovation — and our first series of seminars filled lecture halls to overflowing.

We were building a forum for ideas. But there was a business purpose here … I was also looking at commercial viability. I needed to be able to see a future opportunity — a patent perhaps or the licensing of code. But I also needed to see something else — a personal champion. As Greg points out, with knowledge freely available it becomes a commodity. A great idea can string separate knowledge chunks together — but it takes a resilient person and a network of supporters to push through the barriers of innovation apathy to turn an idea into something tangible. It’s no longer a case of "what you know" nor of "who you know" but of:

"who knows you + knows what you know".

And this is where Web 2.0 comes in. It is now far easier to create and enable these conversations via technology (in fact, this post is part of a conversation that is also occuring points out) or the sheer human pull of a good storyteller to make knowledge valuable.

Greg Verdino also promises another couple of posts extending this topic. I am looking forward to more conversation!

The Dream of Influence and the Democracy of Action

Blogging, Digital Strategy, Old Media, Smart Bloggers, Social Media, Strategy

Touchgraph Over the last couple of days there has been a rash of conversation, discussion and analysis around the concept of "influence" — driven by the publication of Duncan Watts and Peter Dodds article on Influentials, Networks, and Public Opinion Formation. David Reich points out that the Fast Company article, Is the Tipping Point Toast, offers a little more context on Duncan Watts and his area of research; and this great post by Noah Brier drills down into the concepts even further.

Basically, Watts and Dodds are challenging the notion that influentials ("a minority of individuals who influence an exceptional number of their peers") are important to the formation of public opinion. This flies in the face of accepted marketing theory and the popularity of The Tipping Point. It also challenges the notion that marketers have of influence — and the way in which this notion of influence makes our lives easier. After all, it helps us target our messaging, our communication and our schmoozing efforts. This is why we dream of influence — it is aspirational. As marketers we like to feel that we have a finger on the pulse of society … but what happens when that pulse flatlines — or simply proves to be a phantom?

Late last year I wrote about the strength of weak ties. This fascinates me. The findings of Mark Granovetter’s research into social networks demonstrated that it is the WEAK ties that lead to action. If this is the case, then influence may only play an important role in the very early stages of branding efforts — to facilitate AWARENESS. But as consumers begin to engage with the brand messaging and various forms of communication, it appears that the power of the social network lies not in the level of influence of any select group but in the susceptibility of the audience to contagion.

Why is this relevant? Because on some level, our role as marketers, strategists or activists is not simply to raise awareness. Our job is to change the way that people think, or act — we want to prompt a change in perception or in behaviour. As marketers then, perhaps our best efforts — and probably our strongest DIGITAL STRATEGY lies in activating the weak links and leaving influence to the mass/traditional media (or to those bloggers who have mass audiences).

It is the democracy of action that drives much of my interest in social media … take a look at what is hot on YouTube or on Technorati. Think about BSP and the way in which a number of people "suddenly" begin writing on a similar topic. It is not the "influentials" who are going to instigate a new trend … they are merely documenting its early rise out of a network of weak links. So while my heart tells me that influencers are important, my head is telling me to go for the gold — and that seems to be quite a turnaround. Now … if only I could model it! 

Brands — Are Bloggers in Your Sights?

Blogging, Branding, Corporate Social Responsibility, Digital Strategy, Old Media, Smart Bloggers, Social Media

Minilarson03 From the outside, the "blogosphere" is a weird, anarchic and slightly self-obsessed world. With over 70 million blogs and countless thousands starting up each day, it is little wonder that most brand managers, marketing directors and CEOs have no idea where to start.

But have you thought about it? Who are these people who write blogs? And how would you respond if a "blogger" contacted you? Do you have a strategy? A policy? Any idea?

Here is how one leading brand responded to an inquiry about their latest ad campaign:

“Unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because [we do not] … participate with nontraditional media outlets. This practice is in place to allow us to focus on publications that reach our core guest".

Can you guess which brand this is? Have you heard about it already?

To my surprise, this was the response that was sent by Target to Amy Jussel, Executive Director of Shaping Youth. Amy had written to Target protesting about the depiction on their latest billboard — they are, after all, a family brand and one which should have an affinity with organisations such as Shaping Youth. Indeed, Target’s "values" include the following statement:

From national partnerships to local initiatives to our own programs, Target is committed to making our communities better places to live.

This story has now been picked up by the New York Times … and has spread like wildfire. And while the focus of discussion by NYT has been around whether brands should treat bloggers the same as traditional media outlets, there are other things to consider. Amy is not your average blogger — she runs a professional and high profile not-for-profit organisation. She is a parent and she is a regular patron of Target. Before this episode, there was clear a affinity between Amy, Shaping Youth and the Target brand. But the actions (or non-actions) of one of Target’s employees (or PR team) has had an amplified reaction. What could have been done better. Let’s take a look:

  • Keep it real: Clearly Target has a digital/social media strategy of some sort. They have done some high profile work with Facebook and have amassed over 20,000 members to their group — so clearly the response was not completely honest.
  • Quick research: In the time it takes to send a form response to an inquiry, you can easily do a search on the domain, the blog or the profile of the person writing in. In Amy’s case, Shaping Youth clearly appears at the top of a Google search with the following description — "Shaping Youth is a consortium of media and marketing professionals concerned about harmful media messages to children". A moment’s research can help guide your response.
  • Blog it for free: Time and time again, companies ask whether they should blog or not. Clearly a consumer brand could actively use a blog to engage, converse and discuss a range of topics. A blog would have provided a space for this discussion and would have allowed them to enter this conversation in a more natural and harmonious way.

For brands, the question might be "are bloggers in your sights"? The reverse is certainly true — brands are in the sights of bloggers. And while one blogger acting alone may have limited impact, en-masse, it is a very different ball game. Perhaps Target could benefit from the social media insight and skills of Mack Collier, Drew McLellan or Christina Kerley.

What do you think? Is TargetGate a parallel to Dell Hell?

There Are Only 90 Days Left!

Smart Bloggers

When CK first started talking about getting a few bloggers together I wondered whether it would really be possible. After all, many of us live in far flung places … with busy lives, work commitments and (let’s face it), budgets to live within. But I did like the idea (first meetup in NY and the following year in Venice – yay Gianandrea) and loved the thought of meeting face-to-face with some of the bloggers that I have come to call "friends".

But now, thanks to a monumental effort from the Blogger Social Organising Committee, the dream is close to being a reality. Watch this video to see the faces of those who have already confirmed … and then go HERE and register yourself. Remember, you have until February 15 to confirm your attendance … but as always, it helps us to plan if you register early!

Big thanks to Mark Goren for his help with making this video and the above collage. All information on Blogger Social ’08, including registration is available here.

And if you wan to know who is coming along … the list includes: Susan Bird Tim Brunelle Katie Chatfield Terry Dagrosa Matt Dickman Luc Debaisieux Gianandrea Facchini Mark Goren Gavin Heaton Sean Howard CK Valeria Maltoni Drew McLellan Doug Meacham Marilyn Pratt Steve Roesler Greg Verdino CB Whittemore Steve Woodruff Paul McEnany Ann Handley David Reich Tangerine Toad Kristin Gorski Mack Collier David Armano Ryan Barrett Lori Magno Tim McHale Gene DeWitt Mario Vellandi Arun Rajagopal Darryl Ohrt Joseph Jaffe Rohit Bhargava Anna Farmery Marianne Richmond Thomas Clifford Lewis Green Geoff Livingston Kris Hoet Connie Reece CeCe Lee Jonathan Trenn Toby Bloomberg Seni Thomas

Jeremiah’s Instant Meme – J-list Trumps the Z-list for Speed

Smart Bloggers, Social Media

Memes are great, messy, chaotic fun. They lead you to places, websites and even videos that you would NEVER discover in a million hours of web surfing. But they do take a little time. Well, they do when I participate in a meme … I start by reading through the list of participants and discovering something about their blog. If there is a post that catches my attention, I will leave a comment or two. Occasionally, I find a blog that fascinates me, and I will spend ages clicking through, burning my elbow to new levels of RSI, caught in the excitement of new discovery. Then, after a discovery phase, I will come back to my own blog, find a picture on Flickr and write a post that introduces the meme. I normally thank the tagger who prompted me to participate, and then hit publish. Over the next few days or even weeks, I notice some links trickling in. A few comments saying "thanks for linking" will filter through … and then quiet. Back to normal. Earlier today, I was commenting on this post by David Armano. He was talking about the way that Twitter seems to be exploding, and I was wondering whether this was the case — or whether Twitter was just facilitating a whole range of cross-connections among and across specialist communities that had not yet been realized by blogging. Then, almost in answer, Jeremiah Owyang single-handedly kick-started an avalanche of Twitter connections. In a matter of hours, Jeremiah had amassed over 300 comments and simultaneously shared his network of Twitter followers. Where the Z-list took weeks (and even months) to spread across the Internet, the J-list took only a matter of hours. In the time since then, I have followed and been followed by many new folks — some that I have heard of, some that are new, and some others that remain mysterious. But speed is not everything. In fact, just as it can hasten adoption of a new product, it can also rapidly cause its decline. Will a multiplicity of new ties strengthen the Twitter network or will it accelerate its decline? My first thought was yes, this could be a problem … but, now, remembering the strength that comes from WEAK ties, it could be the opposite. Hmmm. Would love your thoughts.

Update: Jeremiah reflects on a day’s work completed in a moment; Stephen Collins talk tsunamis

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Eureka!

Smart Bloggers

When diggers on the goldfields discovered the precious metal, they would stand up and cry "Eureka!". And when I am so lucky as to happen across a fantastic blog, I do the same. Now, I may be late to this party, but Jen has a fantastic, provocative and insightful blog. Check it out, and be amazed. And yes, she is a local Sydneysider. And for a taste of what is to come … check out one of her presentations on Second Life. Too good.

Buyer Beware!

Smart Bloggers

VW Polo Dune
Originally uploaded by 4mul8

I have always loved VWs. As a kid, some of my earliest memories are of driving around with my mum in her Beetle. There was stuffing coming out of the seats and it smelled like a cross between straw and stale beach holidays. But we loved it.

A few years ago I bought a VW Golf. It was great. Reliable. Fun to drive. And it kept going and going. At the time I lived a long way from my place of work and I was driving 110kms to the office each way. The Golf never missed a beat in four years. I would gladly have another.

So I can understand Leisa Reichhelt’s interest in buying a VW Polo. Another great car. But Leisa’s story is also about caution and about Internet scams. Take a look and see how she unravels a scammer’s communications. See how the design cues of the website and the email correspondence inspired MISTRUST and fear. And see also how a little real world investigation saved a lot of money and heartache.

Love and Discipline in Creativity

Creativity, Smart Bloggers, Storytelling

I have been in love with notebooks for years. I first started carrying one during my time at university — not for lecture notes — but for important things — ideas and inspiration. You see, I loved writing and reading … and I wanted to be able to capture great thoughts or snippets of quotes wherever I might find them. I spent a great deal of time in the library reading, in the bar and cafe watching, reading, writing (and even knitting), and my notebook became my constant companion. We were hardly ever apart. Really, it was a love affair of sorts.

Over the years, I experimented with types of notebook. There were the desk-style, leatherette varieties (with built-in calculator — whatever that was for!), there was the moleskin, the handmade, the mass produced and the ringbound. There were a range of optional extras … the brushed aluminium mini-brief case, the leather folder, the ballpoints, fountain pens, ratchet pencils, and everything in-between. Each of these artefacts drew me deeper into the world of words. Each sentence that I wrote confirmed my love.

After I had completed the first few notebooks and placed them on my shelf for reference, I realised that I was building a creative diary of my life. Almost like an autobiography of my own (often questionable) creativity. For these notebooks were pre-digital mashups — a tangle of concepts, sources, research, quotes and action points. There were to do lists, recommendations and new connections made. Reading back over these now there is a sense of excitement and fresh innovation … but also some staleness, some pretentious creativity feeding on its own cleverness.

But perhaps more important than the content written in these notebooks was the process and discipline that has served me so well ever since. You see, there is some tangible link between creativity and writing that we know or can sense, but can’t quite define. When I read a brief, I will quickly write my response and leave it, coming back later to see whether my gut instinct was on target. More often than not, this initial reaction can be easily folded back into the overall response generated by my team — and often to great effect. It seems to add a richness to the flavour of our response.

What does this have to do with social media or Web 2.0? My first post for this blog was actually written in a notebook and many of the ideas that I write about come directly from the same place. Often, if I can’t quite figure out a post I will sketch out the linkage between ideas in my notebook before starting to write a post. While it doesn’t work for everyone, it certainly does for me. And it is a wonderful discipline for any writer to employ. And if you want to give the notebook driven approach to creativity a try, The Staufenbergers have a great offer at the moment. There are TWO and only two beautiful handmade notebooks waiting for the person with the most compelling story. Get over there quicksmart!

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