Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.7.2, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site.

# Servant of Chaos

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://www.servantofchaos.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [The Science of Serendipity](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2025/08/06/the-science-of-serendipity/) - Place can play an extraordinary role in the creative or innovation processes, but very rarely do we think through the way that place can create the opportunity for serendipity. I used to think about this as "directed serendipity". Over more than a decade of working with youth entrepreneurship organisation Vibewire, I developed a model called
- [Aldi reminds us - be a part of your customer's world](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2025/07/29/aldi-reminds-us-be-a-part-of-your-customers-world/) - "Voice of the customer" can be a challenging concept for brands. Listening to, engaging with, capturing and analysing what customers are saying, thinking and expecting of your brand, products and services can be confronting. Years ago, working with a global retailer, there was a moment where court action was imminent - a customer had taken
- [Astronomer and Brand Bravery: From Brand Crisis to Conversion](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2025/07/27/astronomer-and-brand-bravery-from-brand-crisis-to-conversion/) - One of things about marketing that you don't realise until you do it - is that you are working out loud. Many of your actions, decisions and choices are played out in front of an audience. That means that the people who count - your customers, partners and collaborators - and your bosses - all
- [Tracking Brand Visibility in AI Search](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2025/07/24/tracking-brand-visibility-in-ai-search/) - How do you track brand visibility across AI? This infographic will get you started.
- [Another Me](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2025/05/07/another-me/) - How many times have you thought, "if only I could clone myself" - to get the work done that there's never enough time to do? Well now, thanks to AI, the concept of the "digital twin" is no longer a fantasy. Built using Hour One's AI platform, LinkedIn founder, Reid Hoffman, shows what is possible.
- [Casting the Client as the Villain](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2024/08/09/casting-the-client-as-the-villain/) - Loving this ad for Teamwork.com - casting clients as the evil villain and the agency team as the struggling hero seeking a resolution.
- [Logos and the Psychology of Colour](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/02/logos-and-the-psychology-of-colour/) - In the process of building new brands, there are three steps that I love: Naming: The naming of your new brand can be fraught – but should be fun. Coming up with a name that is descriptive enough for your customers but imaginative enough to draw them in can take far longer than you can
- [Unleashing the power of storytelling](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2023/10/15/unleashing-the-power-of-storytelling/) - re:invention - a series exploring creators, creativity and living with purpose
- [Strategy Then and Now - Lessons for strategists in an AI-activated world](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2023/07/14/strategy-then-and-now-lessons-for-strategists-in-an-ai-activated-world/) - When we are constantly working, grinding, learning and delivering our work, it's easy to forget to stop, reflect and share our thinking. So it was great this week to take a moment to pause and reflect on some of my strategy work, sharing with the team over at Sling & Stone. Brian Giesen had asked
- [A ChatGPT Beer Worth Drinking?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2023/06/05/a-chatgpt-beer-worth-drinking/) - Maybe AI beer will lead us into the future. Here's how one brewer took the technology to task.
- [Don't Feed the Trolls - How to Respond on Social Media and Keep Your Cool](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2023/05/20/dont-feed-the-trolls-how-to-respond-on-social-media-and-keep-your-cool/) - How do you respond to trolls? This handy chart can come in handy - right when you need it.
- [Can ChatGPT Boost Your Marketing? It Depends What You Mean by "Marketing"](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2023/05/07/can-chatgpt-boost-your-marketing-it-depends-what-you-mean-by-marketing/) - Last week I began experimenting with ChatGPT to learn how it might apply to parts of the work I do in marketing. There's clearly more work and experiments to undertake.
- [Unconvinced: Can ChatGPT Really Boost Your Marketing Efforts?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2023/05/03/unconvinced-can-chatgpt-really-boost-your-marketing-efforts/) - I am not convinced that ChatGPT can truly boost your marketing efforts.
- [How Visual is Your Marketing?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2022/09/08/how-visual-is-your-marketing/) - I have always been a fan of images and visuals, but I like the thinking here from Orbit Media Studios. When working on customer journeys and marketing funnels, we can spend a lot of time thinking about the messaging, the calls to action and the pre-emptive activities that we can put in place to reduce
- [Account based marketing overtakes leadgen as a marketing challenge](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2022/09/05/account-based-marketing-overtakes-leadgen-as-a-marketing-challenge/) - Green Hat's annual B2B marketing outlook report has seen account based marketing displace lead generation as a top marketing challenge. But measuring brand awareness and health resolutely remains #1. Given that the last 18-24 months has been driven by Pandemic thinking, it's no surprise to see this shift in focus in the lower rankings -
- [Netflix disrupts the Australian ad market](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2022/09/05/netflix-disrupts-the-australian-ad-market/) - It has been quite some time since there has been a tantalising new advertising offering in the Australian marketplace. But recent announcements indicate that digital streaming goliath, Netflix, is briefing media buyers ahead of an Australian launch. Launching before the end of 2022, Netflix aims to sell audiences to advertisers via Microsoft’s ad team and
- [Data-driven marketing doesn't mean colour by numbers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2022/08/04/data-driven-marketing-doesnt-mean-colour-by-numbers/) - In my business, Disruptors Co, we work with a lot of large companies wanting to innovate like startups and plenty of scaleup businesses wanting to become enterprises. It's an interesting space filled with tension and possibility. But it can also be an environment filled with potholes, roadblocks and other infrastructure metaphors. One of the marketing
- [ABC iview and its dirty little privacy secret](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2022/03/18/abc-iview-and-its-dirty-little-privacy-secret/) - When the ABC announced that its digital TV streaming service would require a user ID and password a few months ago, I was concerned. After all, why would a public broadcaster NEED its users (ie the general public) to register? What would be the user benefit? Remember - as we learned from Google and Facebook,
- [I'm Not a Climate Activist But ...](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2021/11/05/im-not-a-climate-activist-but/) - Ever feel frustrated at the slow pace of change? Ever feel like you'd like to something, anything, but don't quite know where, or how to start? This flow chart - from 2018 - provides an interesting way of helping us move from idea to action. It helps us understand our own tolerance for action and
- [Putting Strategy to Work](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2021/08/26/putting-strategy-to-work/) - When we think of "strategy", we often think of a document that is written, placed on a shelf, and forgotten. But in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world, strategy must come closer to operations for every business. In fact, we must learn to operationalise strategy in new, responsive and scalable ways. And in
- [Video - testimonials on steroids](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2021/06/05/video-testimonials-on-steroids/) - We all know that testimonials and case studies can have a powerful impact on your brand's products, sales cycles and reputation. But just as video has transformed a whole range of customer touchpoints, from advertising to onboarding and education - we are now seeing a greater use of video in the development and distribution of
- [Is it time to double down on influencer marketing?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2021/02/16/is-it-time-to-double-down-on-influencer-marketing/) - In the face of the pandemic, marketers continue to look for opportunities for growth. Perhaps it's to be found in the world of influencers.
- [Rethinking verification at Twitter](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2020/11/25/rethinking-verification-at-twitter/) - There has always been conjecture around exactly what it takes, or what or who qualifies for the Twitter "check mark". This small icon appears on "verified" accounts indicates a certain online and offline status. No doubt you would have seen a range of journalists appearing with the check mark, but there are also politicians, celebrities,
- [Now is the moment you've been waiting for](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2020/07/22/now-is-the-moment-youve-been-waiting-for/) - There are a great many "changemakers" who have been working diligently to create positive social change in their communities around the world. They create systems, reimagine futures and galvanise communities to bring this change to life. Sometimes this manifests as consultation, social impact hackathons, or placemaking innovation. Other times, it involves developing peer support networks,
- [Building a Brand by Design](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2020/06/09/building-a-brand-by-design/) - These days a lot of my work centres on innovation, change and business consulting, but from time to time I get the chance to dive deeply into branding. Now, as a strong believer in the power of brands and marketing to create change and impact, I see a natural affinity between culture and system change,
- [New communications for new times - the next 100 seconds](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2020/04/06/new-communications-for-new-times-the-next-100-seconds/) - Communications, marketing and media don't operate in a vacuum. They are part of the culture of our times. It's why we look back on old advertising with a sense of "days gone by" - after all good advertising and communications convey a story and context that goes far beyond the simple message. So it is
- [Safe on Social Media? Don't Bank on It](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2019/10/21/safe-on-social-media-dont-bank-on-it/) - Often when we hear of "hacking" or more correctly "cyber hacking", we hear about how personally identifiable information or secure information has been compromised. This can take the form of files and images or it can be photos, information that confirms our identity and more. And while a great deal of attention is spent on
- [The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2019/10/19/the-gift-and-power-of-emotional-courage/) - You know when you hear a story how it can inspire, engage and move you? Sometimes you can feel it happening. Sometimes you know it is happening intellectually but can't quite put your finger on the trigger. It often feels that we are focusing on positivity over truth - but when an emotional truth breaks
- [Blogging into the future](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2019/10/05/blogging-into-the-future/) - When I started this blog, way back in 2005, I began with a hypothesis. I wanted to write 999 articles exploring the collision of consumer culture and business - and my focus was on proving or disproving a topic at a time. I began by writing anonymously - fearing that my personal explorations here might
- [Merit wins out, right?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2019/10/01/merit-wins-out-right/) - The idea of meritocracy - that innate talent and hard work are the drivers of success - is often promoted as the reason that we should turn away from diversity quotas. But political philosopher Michael Sandel provides a refreshing critique.
- [Apple Mac Pro or Cheese Grater](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2019/06/12/apple-mac-pro-or-cheese-grater/) - There are some things I like about Apple products. When they "just work" they are great - but over the last few years, the limits of a closed ecosystem have been exposed. These days we are looking further afield for our design-conscious devices, content and computing. Even the once transformative iTunes is closing down. But
- [Getting to Know the Twitter Algorithm](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2019/06/02/getting-to-know-the-twitter-algorithm/) - Each of the social media platforms continually evolve their platforms, approaches and algorithms. Sometimes these changes are noticeable and require us to reset our expectations and use. Other times, the changes appear invisible - yet impact our ways of working. For marketers this can prove frustrating - and occasionally exciting, with new benefits emerging. Digital
- [Generating Leads with Infographics](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2019/04/10/generating-leads-with-infographics/) - Visual content attracts people to your site and services. But visual content - and in particular - infographics -have a very specific job to do. They have to help progress your customer’s journey. Around 60% of customers have already done research and are thinking about buying by the time they find your website. This means:
- [Dear Tech: Let's Do Better](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2019/02/13/dear-tech-lets-do-better/) - We all want to believe in something larger than ourselves. We want to believe that our words, deeds and actions can make a difference in the world - what Steve Jobs described as "making a dent in the universe". But over the last decade, it feels like we have all been knuckling down, focusing on
- [16 Tips for Your Next Trade Show](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2019/02/11/16-tips-for-your-next-trade-show/) - I have long been a fan of checklists. I have them for a whole range of marketing and project activities - from events to workshops, website and product launches to employee onboarding. And while I often remember most of what needs to be done, there are some best practices - or nuances - that make
- [Join Us for #CoffeeMornings in #Singapore this Friday](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2018/05/13/join-us-for-coffeemornings-in-singapore-this-friday/) - Update: it seems the very first #coffeemornings in #singapore has outgrown itself. We'll now be at Pickleville, 140 Robinson Road - Level 4. For over 10 years now, we have been hosting a meeting of various strategy, digital, social media, innovation and tech types each Friday morning in Sydney's Surry Hills. We have seen the
- [Why Design Matters](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2018/07/30/why-design-matters/) - I have always loved colour and type. Even when I worked as an editor - where my focus was words - I was particularly interested in the way that design, typography, words and imagery could combine to create an amazing emotional and intellectual response. Some of my interest here was intuitive, and some was studied.
- [The Marketing Therapist](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2018/11/07/the-marketing-therapist/) - It's interesting when I think back on it. Years before I became an all-in marketer I worked in publishing. I honed my craft (and it felt very much like a craft), learned about as many aspects of the industry as possible and revelled in the thought that I was part of a profession that reached
- [Be Curious and Have a Point of View](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/08/15/be-curious-and-have-a-point-of-view/) - In this always-connected, digital world, I often see and hear things that I agree with. Or disagree with. Some of this is deep content - articles or videos that take time to engage with. But some of the content is simple, cursory, scrollable. I can look at it and move on with barely a moment’s
- [Putting the You in YouTube](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/10/16/putting-the-you-in-youtube/) - We all know that YouTube has become an internet powerhouse. It's the one place that we spend more time on than Facebook, and it's the world's second largest search engine. There are many more statistics and stories to tell in this interesting infographic from Filmora. But the most interesting thing - for me at least
- [Facebook Steps in to Train Journalists](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/10/25/facebook-steps-in-to-train-journalists/) - Software companies have built and scaled their businesses by creating and nurturing developer ecosystems for decades. They start with a few, dedicated and passionate evangelists and stoke that passion with fire, autonomy and cool technology. Just look at the dedicated developer programs like those run by SAP or Microsoft, Salesforce or even IBM. Years ago,
- [Hacking Liveability in a Smart City](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2018/11/21/hacking-liveability-in-a-smart-city/) - When it comes to city life, there are many dimensions to "liveability". We can look at infrastructure and its impacts - like how long it takes for citizens to commute from home to their workplace. We can look at life expectancy. Or use of communal space. We can think about the future and how we'd
- [When it Comes to Startups, Storytelling Make the Difference](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2018/11/26/when-it-comes-to-startups-storytelling-make-the-difference/) - When we build innovation teams, we always ask for skill diversity - we want hackers, hipsters, hustlers AND humanitarians all working together. It's a magical combination of skills, perspectives and interests. Often, however, we struggle to find enough marketers and sales people to contribute. Interestingly, it's also something we often find in the makeup of
- [Surprise and Delight: Sometimes Advertising Wins](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2018/05/07/surprise-and-delight-sometimes-advertising-wins/) - I have to admit that most advertising bores me. It's like watching a brochure being made. You know the point that is being made, understand the style and brand consistency, and wait for the call to action. Now I also know how difficult it is to take a brief, design creative work to deliver against
- [Putting the Tech into SexTech](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2018/05/03/putting-the-tech-into-sextech/) - “The condom was probably invented by a middle-aged man sitting in a well lit room.” From pinpoint accurate insights, hackathons can deliver amazing products. And this was never more evident than in the recent SexTech Hackathon held in Sydney by FutureOfSex.org. Now, the “future of sex” is likely to raise an eyebrow or two, but
- [Kindness is the new Transformation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/10/30/kindness-is-the-new-transformation/) - I have always believed that trust is essential to create lasting change. No matter whether you are changing a business process, convincing a customer that your solution is the most useful, or introducing new technology to a large user base, trust is essential. The same applies to those who work in social justice, government and
- [Go #SocialFirst for Customer Care](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/08/29/go-socialfirst-for-customer-care/) - Remember when "Digital First" was the marketing catch-cry? Or "Mobile First"? Living in a world of constant change means that, as marketers, we have to continuously refine our approach. We need to test and tweak our messaging, adjust our spend and targeting, and reconsider and re-evaluate our technology stack. That's right, increasingly, marketing is a
- [Southern Rail UK Breathes Life Back into Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/07/12/southern-rail-uk-breathes-life-back-into-social-media/) - Topics of conversation have become depressingly heavy across most social media channels. What with Brexit, Trumpmania, Climate Change and a general sense of dystopia pervading Twitter and Facebook, not even the #inspiration hashtag of Instagram can compete. Years ago, when I worked on digital and promotional strategy for McDonald’s, we’d constantly return to the simple
- [Buzz Aldrin Gives No F***s](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/07/04/buzz-aldrin-gives-no-fs/) - When you've been beyond Earth's orbit, I expect you have a different view of the world, it's people and it's leaders. And as someone who has "the right stuff", Buzz Aldrin, certainly can lay claim to having firm views and a sharp ability to analyse the data laid out before him. Here he is providing
- [Snapchat Ghost Mode - and how to protect your child from snap stalkers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/07/04/snapchat-ghost-mode-and-how-to-protect-your-child-from-snap-stalkers/) - Technology shifts and changes so quickly that it can be hard to keep up. Almost every day there are updates to your computers, “patches” to fix software, improvements to the apps on your phone and more. If you are like me, you’ll have automatic updates on so that these changes take place in the background
- [If You Can Only Try](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/06/08/if-you-can-only-try/) - Living, as we do, in a time of rapid change. Of transformation and uncertainty. It can be difficult to see what our long term future holds. You can see it in the words we use to describe our lives. These words are flat. Uninspired. Transactional. We have entire governments swept to power on the back
- [The Sundays on a Sunday](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/05/27/the-sundays-on-a-sunday/) - One of my favourite bands from the 80s, The Sundays, slipped from public view in the late 1990s. And yet their alternative, melodic pop still sounds as sweet today as I remember it decades ago. When I play their music, it makes me feel like I am padding my way through the Enmore Theatre, shoes
- [Hey BizCover Insurance, Welcome to the Internet](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/05/27/hey-bizcover-insurance-welcome-to-the-internet/) - For the last few years I have been using BizCover for business insurance. It has been very competitive and convenient. Until now. A couple of weeks ago, my bank noticed a suspicious transaction on my account and alerted me. After a quick call, we realised that it was entirely fraudulent – which meant that my
- [Marketing Dividends – Is it Time to Re-evaluate Digital?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/05/10/marketing-dividends-is-it-time-to-re-evaluate-digital/) - The promise of digital targeting has had marketers salivating for years. We would be able to identify, reach, engage and convert consumers one-to-one at scale thanks to technology. Better yet, with mobile devices, we could bring an offer to a consumer who was physically close to our retail outlet thanks to big data, mapping and
- [Digital rule #1: Don’t host where you register](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/03/25/digital-rule-1-dont-host-where-you-register/) - One of the challenges of digital strategy is that you are - in most instances - wedded to a history of previous technology decisions. So while you may come in to an organisation to overhaul the strategy, you might find yourself constrained by some bad search engine optimisation, platform and publishing choices or hosting restrictions.
- [Bursting the Blandness Bubble](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/03/18/bursting-the-blandness-bubble/) - So much advertising is bland, characterless, unimaginative. It makes me wonder how agencies are briefed and sometimes why. But it’s easy to live in a bubble and only see what you are directed to see. Some days you need to burst that bubble. You are welcome.
- [Interaction: GroupM's Take on Digital](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/03/17/interaction-groupms-take-on-digital/) - I am always interested to see how different lenses on the same subject reveal insights. For example, B2B marketers have a particular skew when it comes to digital and social media - it is hard edged, data driven and technology enabled. This is particularly true for large scale tech companies - but is an approach
- [A Market Like No Other For Goodness Sake](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/03/10/a-market-like-no-other-for-goodness-sake/) - When I was a vegan I became fascinated by the machinery of modern agriculture. And I don’t just mean the tractors - I mean the massive supply chain, refrigeration, logistics, buying and planning mechanisms that bring fresh food to our tables. It seemed that there were more than a million miles between the source of
- [Game Changers: So Bad it's Good](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/03/02/game-changers-so-bad-its-good/) - Is this ad, "The Game Changers" from the Department of Finance, the worst waste of taxpayer's money or the most ingenious? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zlEFTgk1tg Clearly performed by members of the Australian Public Service and not by professional actors, the dialogue comes across as clunky and cliched. Creative Edge's Dee Madigan calls the ad "hilariously bad". But I
- [The Importance of Being Informal](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/02/05/the-importance-of-being-informal/) - For the last (almost 10 years), a group of marketing and social media enthusiasts have been meeting for coffee. We arrive around 8am each Friday at Sydney's Single O cafe in Surry Hills for coffee and conversation. Some of us work in social or digital media as a profession. Some of us are involved as
- [Why Serious Marketers Aren't Taking Snapchat Seriously, Yet](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/02/01/why-serious-marketers-arent-taking-snapchat-seriously-yet/) - In my first "official" marketing job, I dealt a lot with branding. And print. We did brochures and collateral. There were events to host, conferences to attend and exhibition booths to use for conversion. And there was this largely irrelevant thing called "the website". But I had an inkling that there might be something to
- [Wordfence Launches Cyber Attack Activity Report](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/01/20/wordfence-launches-cyber-attack-activity-report/) - No matter whether you run a personal blog or a professional website, you will find yourself at some stage, the victim of a cyber attack. These cyber attacks, often referred to incorrectly in the mainstream media as "hacking" can take a variety of forms including: DDOS - distributed denial of service attacks engage networks of
- [Sleeping Giants Take on Fake News and Brands - Is Your Brand Ready?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2017/01/11/sleeping-giants-take-on-fake-news-and-brands-is-your-brand-ready/) - We have all heard about the vast network of fake news sites that spread disinformation during the recent US Presidential Campaign. These sites use the same clickbait strategies that propelled sites like Upworthy to the top of the digital media scrapheap - inflammatory headlines, sensationalist stories and catchy hooks that tempt you to click just
- [Mapping the Internet - 1973 to Now](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/12/11/mapping-the-internet-1973-to-now/) - Believe it or not, there was a time that the Internet was knowable. There were defined limits. Connections. Points of reference. When going through some of his father's papers, David Newbury, lead developer with Carnegie Museum of Art, found a map of the Internet from 1973. Back then, it wasn't even called "the internet" (with
- [Peddling Influence in the Digital Age](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/12/05/peddling-influence-in-the-digital-age/) - There once was a time when we knew who to trust. We knew the organisations and people. We knew the media and channels. And we even knew the professionals. I can remember the awe and esteem my Nan bestowed on her slightly dodgy and doddery GP. His word was gold. So was media personality, John
- [The best marketing investment you'll make all year](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/11/14/the-best-marketing-investment-youll-make-all-year/) - In conversation after conversation with marketing directors and CMOs I keep reaching the same conclusion: our efforts at skill building are woefully inadequate to keep up with the pace of customer change. There are two factors at play here: Senior marketers remain risk averse so pursue conservative strategies Junior marketers willing to work with and
- [Get Started with Your Startup with #StartupSundays](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/09/18/get-started-with-your-startup-with-startupsundays/) - Once upon a time, we all had a dream of writing a novel. In fact, many of us are fond of explaining that we have that Great Australian Novel locked away in a drawer – or more likely – a computer file, gathering dust. One day … we say, we’ll dust it off and finish
- [New Journeys in Product Development with the Qantas Hackathon](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/09/01/new-journeys-in-product-development-with-the-qantas-hackathon/) - For the last two years, Disruptor’s Handbook have been working with Qantas to create an innovation program that brings the power, agility and speed of the startups into their customer journeys. With a focus on customer experience, these weekend intensives, known as the Codeshare Hackathons, expose Qantas business challenges to the scrutiny – and creativity
- [If Only Climate Denialists Checked Their Rage to Read Your Twitter Bio](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/08/23/if-only-climate-denialists-checked-their-rage-to-read-your-twitter-bio/) - Humans can be delightful. Whimsical. Entertaining and surprising. But they can also be frustrating. Embarrassing. Comically inept. And one of the amazing things about humans is that they can be all these things at the same time. And the fact that humans invented Twitter – and bring it to life each and every day –
- [Share Your #CoffeeMornings Moments](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/08/14/share-your-coffeemornings-moments/) - It’s amazing how a relatively random event can turn into a “thing”. It’s what happens when you bring people together and find a spark. Well over nine years ago, I walked into a cafe where I knew no one. Emily Reed waved to Katie Chatfield and I, and the first ever #CoffeeMornings became a reality.
- [Enter the Constellation Supernova Awards](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/07/12/enter-the-constellation-supernova-awards/) - I’m judging the 2016 Constellation SuperNova Awards again this year. It has been a while, but I am excited to see the innovation that is emerging from enterprises around the world. Every year the Constellation SuperNova Awards recognise individuals for their leadership in digital business. and the great thing is, you don't have to be a
- [The Importance of Brands in the Social Media Sphere](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/07/07/the-importance-of-brands-in-the-social-media-sphere/) - Facts and figures are boring. Yet almost every B2B brand relies on facts and figures to tell the story of their products or services. Countless whitepapers, videos and presentations wheel out the features and functions or a particular platform, technology or product line, yet everything that we know, as marketers, as data analysts, tells us
- [ISMA: Are Social Media Terms of Service Enforceable in Australia?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/07/06/isma-are-social-media-terms-of-service-enforceable-in-australia/) - You know what it's like ... Gripped by bright and shiny object syndrome, you drop in your email address, add a password and click "sign up". This brand new platform is the future. Everyone will be here - but for now, it's you. The early adopter. Rule breaker and innovation maker. In a couple of
- [Walking a Mile in the Shoes of an Old(er) Person](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/06/09/walking-a-mile-in-the-shoes-of-an-older-person/) - At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet -- Plato One of the great challenges of age is empathy. As a child, I viewed my father not as the young, vigorous man that he was, but as an old man. A keeper of knowledge and secrets. As a young man I saw my elders
- [Australian Businesses Finally Get Social with #SensisSocial](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/06/02/australian-businesses-finally-get-social-with-sensissocial/) - https://youtu.be/MLtbvb6NmNo Throughout the year I am consistently asked for the state of the social nation. Business leaders and Boards ask about strategy and the shifting digital trends. Executives ask about statistics, business models and ROI, and community managers and social media strategists get into the social media plumbing – what’s hot, how can you prove
- [B2B Marketing Leader Interviews: Andrew Cornell, Managing Editor, ANZ BlueNotes](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/05/19/b2b-marketing-leader-interviews-andrew-cornell-managing-editor-anz-bluenotes/) - In the leadup to the B2B Marketing Leaders Forum APAC 2016, I took the opportunity to speak with the Andrew Cornell, Managing Editor of BlueNotes, the ANZ newsroom about brand publishing, strategy and content. Gavin Heaton: Earlier this year, eConsultancy published an article saying that the trend of brands becoming publishers is a nonsense. But
- [B2B Marketing Leader Interviews: Emma Rugge-Price](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/05/18/b2b-marketing-leader-interviews-emma-rugge-price/) - In the leadup to the B2B Marketing Leaders Forum APAC 2016, I took the opportunity to speak with GE’s Vice President of Brand & Communications for GE Australia & New Zealand, Emma Rugge-Price about B2B content marketing and what it means to move from “interruption to interaction”. Gavin Heaton: GE has taken a novel approach
- [After the Spark of Innovation Comes the Grind of Transformation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/05/17/after-the-spark-of-innovation-comes-the-grind-of-transformation/) - For the corporate entrepreneur or intrapreneur, innovation is seductive. It’s the nod and a wink that catches your attention out of the corner of your eye. Often, by the time that you’ve doubled back to start a conversation, it has disappeared into the corporate ether. But that glance holds you in thrall. You know that
- [B2B Marketing Leader Interviews: Jarther Taylor](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/05/16/b2b-marketing-leader-interviews-jarther-taylor/) - In the leadup to the B2B Marketing Leaders Forum APAC 2016, I took the opportunity to speak with Telstra’s GM Marketing, Jarther Taylor about the state of B2B marketing, the challenges that lay ahead, and the surprising ways technology and a focus on customer experience is changing the marketing and sales landscape. Gavin Heaton:
- [Uncertain? You're Not Alone at Vibewire's #fastBREAK](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/05/09/uncertain-youre-not-alone-at-vibewires-fastbreak/) - If there is one thing that we can all agree upon, it’s that we all feel UNCERTAIN. It could be about work. Our partners. Our future. Do you have a calling or a mission? Do you feel out of touch? Let down? Discombobulated? Chances are, you’re not alone. In fact, Vibewire’s upcoming fastBREAK breakfast on
- [Demand Generation and the New Marketing Order with Carlos Hidalgo](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/04/27/demand-generation-and-the-new-marketing-order-with-carlos-hidalgo/) - Despite numerous attempts to live stream a discussion on demand generation with author Carlos Hidalgo, I was forced to revert to Plan B. And Plan B involved a cup of coffee, a quiet room and a Skype video call with CEO of the B2B demand strategy firm, Annuitas, and upcoming keynote speaker at the B2B
- [Join Me and Carlos Hidalgo and Meet the Modern Buyer](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/04/25/join-me-and-carlos-hidalgo-and-meet-the-modern-buyer/) - Marketers are doing more, spending more and creating more – yet only seeing marginal results. These days, B2B marketers need to transform the way they do the work of marketing. It’s about changing culture, thinking about demand generation in a new way and thinking from the outside-in to focus not on what and when we
- [Five Mistakes that Derail Your New Business Efforts](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/04/20/five-mistakes-that-derail-your-new-business-efforts/) - New business development will make or break your business. And agency owners often find themselves suffering a famine or a feast of new business. But there are some common mistakes that can be relatively easily overcome. The Agency Management Institute has a great presentation on this topic, with FIVE clear tips that will help you
- [Investing in the Future of Young People](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/04/18/investing-in-the-future-of-young-people/) - Through Vibewire I have been working with young people for over seven years. It’s a not for profit association whose aim is to be a launchpad for young change makers. In the time that I have been involved, I have been astounded by the way that, given an opportunity and some nurturing, young people can
- [When the App is Free, You are the Product. Swipe Buster Brings a New Level of Reality](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/04/05/when-the-app-is-free-you-are-the-product-swipe-buster-brings-a-new-level-of-reality/) - How often to we blithely click “ACCEPT” on the terms and conditions of a new website or app, hungry to explore the digital domain before us? How often do we happily hand over personal information without a second thought? In the world of social media, it is claimed that we have come to a grudging
- [It’s Time for an #EqualFuture](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/04/01/its-time-for-an-equalfuture/) - Facts and figures only tell part of the story. They ignore our sense of justice, the emotional impact of our daily realities and the aspirations parents hold for the next generations. But there are things that we can do. And should do. Ask yourself: What have you committed to changing today? What did you achieve?
- [Data vs Insight: The Albatross Around the Marketer's Neck](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/30/data-vs-insight-the-albatross-around-the-marketers-neck/) - We have so much data at our fingertips. Every touch, interaction, click, email, webpage view. It all results in data. Even when we walk from one room to the next our phones are counting the steps, movement, changes in latitude and longitude. We are measured to within an inch of our lives. Some of this
- [Lufthansa Takes You on a Virtual Journey](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/29/lufthansa-takes-you-on-a-virtual-journey/) - One of the key marketing challenges that we face in the customer journey is moving from awareness to trial. That is, we want potential customers to “try out” our products or services. This can be particularly challenging when your product or service has a substantial price tag attached. Think of travel. There are a whole
- [The Top 5 Marketing Technology Categories in 2016](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/22/the-top-5-marketing-technology-categories-in-2016/) - Each year, Scott Brinker goes through the laborious process of identifying and categorising thousands of technologies for his Marketing Technology Landscape supergraphic. As in past years, there are hundreds of new entrants – this year there are 3874 solutions identified on a single page. This means, for the marketing technologist (and that really means everyone
- [How Do We Do More? CityTalks Inspires Questions](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/21/how-do-we-do-more-citytalks-inspires-questions/) - Sitting in the audience of the City of Sydney’s #SydCityTalk event featuring human rights advocate and former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, it was clear that she was preaching to the choir. The message of “people first” deeply resonated with the audience and spread out like a shock wave from the stalls back. It wasn’t
- [The Industrial Internet, Accelerator in a Box and Retail Disruption on #DisrupTV](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/19/the-industrial-internet-accelerator-in-a-box-and-retail-disruption-on-disruptv/) - Each week, Vala Afshar and R “Ray” Wang host a web series DisrupTV. It’s a 30 minute deep dive into the world of digital transformation featuring the people and organizations that are leading that change. This week’s episode featured GE’s Chief Digital Officer, Ganesh Bell, Constellation Research Principal Analyst, Guy Courtin and myself. Setting a
- [Marketers as Innovators – Join the DisrupTV Live Stream](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/17/marketers-as-innovators-join-the-disruptv-live-stream/) - This weekend – at 5am Australian daylight time – I will be joining the hosts of DisrupTV, R “Ray” Wang and Valar Afshar to talk marketing-led innovation, and provide a snapshot of the Australian innovation landscape. This weekly web series is streamed live on Blab.im and is focused on leadership, innovation and disruption in the
- [For Many B2B Marketers, It’s Time to Set the Foundations](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/15/for-many-b2b-marketers-its-time-to-set-the-foundations/) - For all the how-to guides, blog posts on best practices, tips and tricks, there is a simple reality to modern marketing that we often overlook. In our rush to use the technology, spend our budget and brief our agencies, we forget that good marketing is established on firm foundations. A recent study by B2B International
- [When the View from the Penthouse is not What’s Expected](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/11/when-the-view-from-the-penthouse-is-not-whats-expected/) - It’s not everyday that I notice the tweets from Penthouse Australia in my Twitter feed. But after the marketing industry’s Mumbrella website published this article, it seemed to send the publisher’s Twitter feed viral. Penthouse AU, @penthouseau is now trending in Australia https://t.co/giFpgT62Zv — Trends Australia (@TrendsAustralia) March 11, 2016 While I only really read
- [The Price of Marketing is Innovation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/09/the-price-of-marketing-is-innovation/) - Marketing teams everywhere are experiencing a profound disruption. It’s a change in thinking, planning, analytics and platforms unlike anything that we have experienced previously. And while the changes happening to us as marketers are unsettling, far more troubling are the changes happening around us as marketers, business people and consumers. We are living on the
- [Bringing the Glitz to B2B Marketing #b2bmktg16](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/08/bringing-the-glitz-to-b2b-marketing-b2bmktg16/) - B2B marketing is often seen as the nerdy, slightly less glamorous cousin of B2C marketing. And sure, there are fewer celebrity endorsements and precious little in the way of mainstream news and media coverage. We often struggle to even get a write up in Mumbrella, unless something goes wrong. But a quick search on LinkedIn
- [Creating New Business Patterns for Social Impact](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/03/creating-new-business-patterns-for-social-impact/) - I have always believed that a sense of purpose would drive change, no matter whether that change was behavioural, economic or cultural. And as such, my work in marketing has always been driven by an interest in psychology, behaviour and action. The reality is, is that I am curiously interested in people and what makes
- [Opportunities for Agencies: Innovation Can Be Learned](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/03/01/opportunities-for-agencies-innovation-can-be-learned/) - One of the most interesting and useful podcasts that I listen to is Drew McLellan’s Build a Better Agency podcast. Each week, Drew serves up fascinating and tangible tips, tricks and proven approaches to help agency owners grow their business. It’s a great combination of tactics and strategy, capability building and new ideas. A couple
- [Hack the Hacker: Using Analytics to Respond to Cyber Security Threats](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/02/24/hack-the-hacker-using-analytics-to-respond-to-cyber-security-threats/) - When your computer network, PC or laptop is compromised you know you are in for a world of pain. Not only do you face significant down time, there are additional problems: Identity theft - have stored passwords been harvested and shared via dark nets like 4chan? Credit card fraud – have your credit card details
- [Does Your Personal Brand Make You Look Like an Idiot?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/02/18/does-your-personal-brand-make-you-look-like-an-idiot/) - I can remember advertising for new employees a few years back and being overwhelmed by the number of resumes that would be delivered. We had one job opening and there would be hundreds of applications. It was daunting and depressing. Somewhere in that massive pile of paper was my next team member. I just didn’t
- [Forget Data. Let's Talk Revelation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/02/17/forget-data-lets-talk-revelation/) - I love data. I love the way that it can be collected, crushed, crunched and reported. I love its beautiful, malleable nature and the way that it sticks incongruously to information. I particularly love the way that data can be wrestled into shape to yield an answer. Years ago, I was able to accurately predict
- [Cyber Security is Now an Important Part of Your Brand](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/02/10/cyber-security-is-now-an-important-part-of-your-brand/) - In workshops, presentations and executive briefings, I continue to push one clear message. Experience is the Currency of Your Brand. This new consumerverse that we have found ourselves in goes beyond the simple notion of being “customer centric” – to the heart of what it means to be invited into the lives of our customers.
- [When Your Dev is the Centre of Your Universe](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/02/08/when-your-dev-is-the-centre-of-your-universe/) - I like to think that when I ran a digital agency that my team loved me. I like to think that my demands were, for the most part, not unreasonable. Or that my scoping and project planning came close enough to achievable. But I also know that my expectations would sometimes be unreasonable. Or that
- [11 Types of Content to Make Your B2B Marketing Sing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/02/02/11-types-of-content-to-make-your-b2b-marketing-sing/) - Be under no illusions – content marketing is hard work. It takes planning, resources and focus. But it is also one of the most rewarding forms of marketing that you can do professionally and individually. Not only does content marketing challenge you to clearly communicate – it often brings you up close and personal with
- [Done Right, Content Marketing is No Swindle](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/02/02/done-right-content-marketing-is-no-swindle/) - In my first real marketing role, I felt like a complete fraud. I had stumbled into marketing and strategy while working for IBM and had the good fortune to work with a “startup” (whatever that was) developing a platform for online communities. I was simultaneously a product manager, sales exec, marketing director, tech support and
- [Reputation Even Over a Resume: Why Personal Branding Matters in 2016](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/01/27/reputation-even-over-a-resume-why-personal-branding-matters-in-2016/) - Take a moment to look back over your career. Even if you are “new” to the workforce, you’re likely to see a hotchpotch of connected experiences. There will be paid and unpaid work, some volunteering maybe. You’ll have passion projects that took weeks or months of your time – like the time you decided to
- [Big Data and the Trust Paradox](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/01/22/big-data-and-the-trust-paradox/) - We have all become blasé about the information that we share on the internet. We openly tweet, share updates, create photos and post images about where we are, what we are doing and who we are with. We carry our mobile phones with us everywhere – and have become so reliant upon them that we
- [The Slow March of Digital Disruption](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2016/01/21/the-slow-march-of-digital-disruption/) - The editing work that started my career was laboriously done with pen and paper. Each day, I would literally cut and paste strips of text from one printed book over a new version, proofread and check the flow of the text, package it up in a large yellow envelope and send it “downstairs” for typesetting.
- [My New Book: Skills for the 21st Century – It’s Marketing But Not As We Know It](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/12/22/my-new-book-skills-for-the-21st-century-its-marketing-but-not-as-we-know-it/) - Buy It's Marketing But Not As We Know It: Skills for the 21st Century It is clear that the skills that brought us through the 20th Century have not prepared us for the next 100 years. Or even the next decade. Technology, social media and consumerisation has disrupted industry after industry, and while marketing operates
- [How to Avoid Busy Brain](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/11/26/how-to-avoid-busy-brain/) - There is no doubt that we all feel overwhelmed from time to time. It’s natural. But a few years ago I noticed that the pace of change had markedly accelerated to the point where it was changing other things. It was changing our capacity to create and innovate. It was crippling our ability to effectively
- [Don't Tweet at Me in that Tone of Voice](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/11/24/dont-tweet-at-me-in-that-tone-of-voice/) - Setting tone of voice in social media is a challenge. How do you balance the assertiveness and authority with a sense of engagement and approachability? How do you strike a tone that delights your customers and attracts new prospects? And what is that “distinctive” personality that can only be expressed through text and how do
- [Marketing Skills of the Future, Now](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/11/23/marketing-skills-of-the-future-now/) - I have dozens of conversations with marketers every week. And in almost every conversation, the topic turns to skills. Skills shortages. Employee capabilities. And technology. The rapidly changing marketing technology landscape shifts each quarter with new features, functions, platforms and data coming into play. Meanwhile, universities are pumping out graduates whose capabilities are already out
- [#CoffeeMornings for Evening People](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/11/20/coffeemornings-for-evening-people/) - The Sydney institution that is #CoffeeMornings has now been running regularly for the last nine years. And while we have many who turn up each Friday regularly, there are some that come only occasionally. Rarely. Hardly at all. Some people even tell me that they “just can’t get up early enough to make it to
- [Influencers and Social Recommendation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/11/17/influencers-and-social-recommendation/) - In a world where the impact of traditional advertising is shrinking and where the option to simply block ads from our internet use is an easy option, it is clear that marketers the world over are having to rethink the way that they do business. In fact, they’re having to rethink the way that they
- [Talking Social and Digital Trends on the Echo Junction Podcast](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/11/16/talking-social-and-digital-trends-on-the-echo-junction-podcast/) - Podcasts are one of my newly discovered joys. A well curated list of subscriptions basically means that you can remain up-to-date with your fields of interest independently of the mainstream media. This is particularly useful for topics that are too niche for the media or too controversial – which is why my personal subscription list
- [Beyond Innovation Bingo: Doing Business with Government in the Digital Age](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/11/02/beyond-innovation-bingo-doing-business-with-government-in-the-digital-age/) - We have been living in the 21st Century for almost 15 years, and at last it seems, that governments at all levels in Australia have finally got the carrier pigeon. With Primer Minister, Malcolm Turnbull’s very public recalibration of the business conversation towards “innovation”, there has been a remarkable level of energy and dynamism pumped
- [Does Medium Matter?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/11/02/does-medium-matter/) - When publishing platform Medium burst onto the internet a while back, it seemed like fresh life had been breathed into a stale medium (no pun intended). The integrated comments, sharing and community building capabilities were a fantastic way to turn the one-way, author-to-reader format on its head. And the limited release, invitation only availability drove
- [Improve Your Innovation Fitness: Make Yourself Redundant](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/10/28/improve-your-innovation-fitness-make-yourself-redundant/) - "Waves are not measured in feet and inches, they are measured in increments of fear." Buzzy Trent When we talk about technology – and when we talk about change – we often talk about “waves”. Like surfers talk. Except it’s nowhere near as interesting or compelling. Except when we add a tinge of fear to
- [Taking Digital Leadership to a New Level](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/10/27/taking-digital-leadership-to-a-new-level/) - When I started this blog ten years ago, it began with a rant. A call to action. It was a poetic exploration of what it might mean to focus on your customer above all else. It was also a warning about what would happen if businesses refused to do so. There are more to the
- [Minimum Viable Policy - the Pitches from Australia's First #PolicyHack](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/10/24/minimum-viable-policy-the-pitches-from-australias-first-policyhack/) - On 17 October 2015, Wyatt Roy, the assistant minister for innovation co-hosted Australia’s first policy hackathon with startup accelerator Blue Chilli. It was a great opportunity to get up close and personal with the machinery of government, and hopefully use a little disruptive thinking to bring about changes in policy for the “innovation industry”. Working
- [DiG Festival – Australia’s Best Conference You’ve Never Heard Of](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/10/22/dig-festival-australias-best-conference-youve-never-heard-of/) - There is a low murmur sweeping in to the auditorium from outside. There are people moving in and out – greeting each other, chattering, delivering coffee (yes, true, and more on that below). On stage, author and digital transformation leader, Jesper Lowgren, is stepping through the “new thinking and new doing” required by businesses to
- [Coffee Mornings Reaches a New Milestone](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/10/22/coffee-mornings-reaches-a-new-milestone/) - I remember it like it was yesterday. A little cafe in North Sydney on a Friday morning. A touch of trepidation. The smell of coffee. Walking in, I scanned the room looking for a familiar face. There wasn’t anyone I recognised. Or knew. I was almost ready to leave when I caught Emily’s eye. Yes,
- [State of the Nation: Australian Community Management 2015](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/10/16/state-of-the-nation-australian-community-management-2015/) - Community management has, over the last decade, a professional, high growth industry. Touching on social media, knowledge transfer, customer service, PR and marketing, today’s community manager wears many hats, is often the most recognised representative of your company and has become a vital business asset. Yet despite the importance of the role, there is surprisingly
- [60 Seconds to a Startup Future](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/10/15/60-seconds-to-a-startup-future/) - Got a problem worth solving? A solution to that challenge? A market and a team to tackle it? Then it’s time to step into the spotlight at the Muru-D 60 second pitch competition. What is involved? Muru-D and Seven West Media are providing you with the opportunity to pitch your startup to Annie Parker, Clive
- [MediaScope Blab: Australian Ad and Media Industry Round-Up](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/10/10/mediascope-blab-australian-ad-and-media-industry-round-up/) - The rise of streaming social media continues to produce surprising results. We have Meerkat and Periscope putting powerful, real time streaming capabilities into our hands at the touch of a button, we have Facebook Live Video in selected release - and now, one of my new favourites, Blab.im offering a virtual, live streaming app for
- [Thrive in an Age of Disruption](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/10/06/thrive-in-an-age-of-disruption/) - Disruption is the new normal. Everywhere we look we find traditional business models under threat from emerging players, technology creating new opportunities for fast-moving businesses and the creaking bones of industrial age enterprises labouring to stay current, fresh or even just relevant. The darlings of our blue chip stock markets have given way to tighter,
- [New Course: Mastering Twitter for Business this Weekend for Free](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/09/26/new-course-mastering-twitter-for-business-this-weekend-for-free/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2d-ZVSiqjI UPDATE 2: Thanks for the great feedback via Twitter and email. I am pleased you are finding the course useful. As we have already hit the limit on the previous discount coupon, I have released another code. Use THIS LINK before midnight on Sunday to enrol. UPDATE: The special 100% discount sold out. But
- [Forget Millennials - Trust is the Secret Sauce of Online Commerce](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/09/20/forget-millennials-trust-is-the-secret-sauce-of-online-commerce/) - The topic of “trust” is one that we return to over and over again. No matter whether we are wanting to build awareness, consideration or purchase for our business, or establish ourselves online as thought leaders, every word we write, every video we produce and every image we take and share online has ONE CLEAR
- [The Barrier to Entry is You](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/09/19/the-barrier-to-entry-is-you/) - Everything makes sense in hindsight. If only you had taken a chance on that young startup, Microsoft. If only you had gone on that blind date. If only you had risked all like a young Richard Branson. And if only you had bought property when the prices were low(er). The thing is, we are all,
- [Will Social Media Make Politicians More Likeable?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/09/18/will-social-media-make-politicians-more-likeable/) - Over the last few days, Australia has found itself with yet another Prime Minister. It is our fifth Prime Minister in five years. What is fascinating is not just that there has been so much change but the speed with which that change has taken place. In fact, some time ago I suggested that with
- [Three Reasons Distributed R&D is the "New Innovation"](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/09/17/three-reasons-distributed-rd-is-the-new-innovation/) - We all know that innovation is good for business. We all know it’s good for our brands. And we all know it’s good for people – our employees, customers, suppliers and so on. But we also know that innovation is difficult. Problematic. And prone to failure. In fact, when visionary analyst, R “Ray” Wang looked
- [Digital and the Future of Marketing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/09/10/digital-and-the-future-of-marketing/) - When we think of the future of marketing, we often think of our customers. What trends are they adopting? Which devices? Where are they and how can I reach them? But there’s a double-sided impact to the future of marketing – and that is to do with the future of marketers. There have been some
- [IT's Big Secret - Platforming: Bringing IT and Marketing Together](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/09/03/its-big-secret-platforming-bringing-it-and-marketing-together/) - The big IT companies have a secret. And it’s a secret that can radically transform your business. For the last decade or so, technology has been converging – with different technology stacks coming into alignment, sharing interfaces, connecting data and improving the process of software development and deployment. As a result, we have seen huge
- [Thinking Ahead of the Agency Curve](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/27/thinking-ahead-of-the-agency-curve/) - Many years ago I was setting up a digital team within an agency and a great brief came across my desk. It was a make or break opportunity. It came from our largest client and it took quite a deal of negotiation to even be included – and all eyes turned towards what was then,
- [How to Get Your Board Onboard with Digital](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/24/how-to-get-your-board-onboard-with-digital/) - When the eConsultancy/Marketo State of Digital Marketing report for Australia and New Zealand was released recently, it revealed a number of worrying trends. Not only was knowledge of digital ranked as “very poor” in 10% of organisations – up from 4% in 2014 – but a massive 63% rated this knowledge at “Okay” or less.
- [Autobots, Decepticons, Technology and the New World Order #MarketingNation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/21/autobots-decepticons-technology-and-the-new-world-order-marketingnation/) - We all say that the world has changed. That the customer is at the centre of our business and marketing strategies. We say that our marketing teams are going to spend more on technology than our tech teams. And we say that customer experience is at the heart of what we do as businesses. But
- [When a Brand Ambassador Takes Control](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/15/when-a-brand-ambassador-takes-control/) - They say that you can’t control social media. They say that the message is in the hands of your customers. But is it really? What happens when that customer is on your side. And which side, exactly, is that? During the US summer, Target received a range of online complaints about gender focused signage. In
- [The State of Social Media in 2015 - A Future Business Roadmap](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/14/the-state-of-social-media-in-2015-a-future-business-roadmap/) - I do love a review of social media. It reminds me of how far we’ve come and maybe gives an inkling of where we might go. It can also provide a guide by which you can assess, review and benchmark your clients and their activities. BUT. And with social media there is always a BUT.
- [Google Goes Back to the Garage with Alphabet](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/11/google-goes-back-to-the-garage-with-alphabet/) - When a company the size of Google makes a massive change in their structure and the way that they do business, it’s big news. Today, Google announced the formation of Alphabet, a holding company that will stable the portfolio of companies formerly known as “Google” – giving the organisation potentially a new lease on life
- [It's Not Stalking, It's Social Selling. Three Lessons for Corporate Social Success](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/11/its-not-stalking-its-social-selling-three-lessons-for-corporate-social-success/) - A few years ago, while working with SAP, I setup a social selling program for our leading global sales team. Given their initial reluctance – and the bad wrap that social media held within corporate circles – I developed a deck with the title “It’s Not Stalking, It’s Social Selling”. The title alone got us
- [The secret lesson for corporates from the world of startups](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/06/the-secret-lesson-for-corporates-from-the-world-of-startups/) - When ANZ chief economist, Warren Hogan recently explained Australian business’ aversion to risk, it made a lot of sense. Not only are corporates concerned about project success, they are also geared and structured towards large projects which makes it more difficult to innovate in a more “agile” manner. This gives rise to several other challenges.
- [Hootsuite and the Instagram Integration You’re Still Waiting For](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/06/hootsuite-and-the-instagram-integration-youre-still-waiting-for/) - Instagram has been wildly successful in building an alternative and deeply connected community of users. And I say “community” for a reason. Far more than the one-to-one-to-one connection that has made Facebook so popular and adoptable, Instagram’s connection architecture provides an easy way to connect people with similar interests and passions. And it does so
- [Periscope Captures from the ADMA Global Forum](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/04/periscope-captures-from-the-adma-global-forum/) - Live streaming using apps like Periscope and Meerkat have revolutionised conferences of all kinds. No matter whether you are hosting a small lunchtime gathering of friends, colleagues or experts, or attending a massive conference, these easy-to-use apps allow you to share what you are seeing with the wider world. Or at least those who follow
- [ADMA Global Forum in Pictures](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/04/adma-global-forum-in-pictures/) - [View the story "ADMA Global Forum Highlights" on Storify]
- [Five Insights into the Psychology of Twitter](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/08/02/five-insights-into-the-psychology-of-twitter/) - Statistics and sampling are an amazing thing. Even if, like me, you have a healthy scepticism about the way that data is analysed and interpreted, it is difficult – if not foolhardy – to downplay the inevitability of data. Just look at the various disputes around the veracity of climate change – where statistically irrelevant
- [How to Make a Privacy Complaint](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/07/30/how-to-make-a-privacy-complaint/) - When Disruptor’s Handbook and Constellation Research hosted an evening meetup recently for the Australian launch of Ray Wang’s Disrupting Digital Business book, we were hoping to get some conversation going amongst the audience. We talked all manner of disruption – from innovation to technology, big data to marketing – and everywhere in between. But it
- [Your Input Requested: IoT Design Manifesto](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/07/28/iot-design-manifesto/) - You know that an industry is starting to get serious about business standards and models when it starts to corral people. And the Internet of Things (IoT) industry is no different. When Elizabeth Eisenstein investigated the invention of the printing press, she identified five impacts of new media: Experts coming under pressure from new voices
- [Surprising differences between B2B and B2C marketing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/07/25/surprising-differences-between-b2b-and-b2c-marketing/) - The Econsultancy and Adobe report on “B2B Digital Trends 2015” is based on a survey of more than 800 global B2B digital marketing professionals. Seeking to understand the key priorities, trends and challenges for B2B digital marketing, it contrasts the B2C focus to reveal similar priorities – but with a couple of key differences. First
- [Fulfilling the Promise of Digital Marketing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/07/21/fulfilling-the-promise-of-digital-marketing/) - From my first line of HTML I fell in love. Like almost everybody, I started with two simple words loaded into a browser. “hello world”. And with that I was hooked. I could sense, right here beneath my fingertips, that the world was shifting. And again, years later, working with “Koz Community” at IBM –
- [Five Lessons from a Year of Disruption](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/07/20/five-lessons-from-a-year-of-disruption/) - When you are head down working on projects, developing new business and just keeping it all together, it’s easy to miss business milestones – like your first year in business. The initial idea for Disruptor’s Handbook came from a lunchtime meeting with my former colleagues at PwC. We were talking about the concept of “disruption”
- ["Receiving the knowledge" and other youthful fancies](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/07/14/receiving-the-knowledge-and-other-youthful-fancies/) - I recently met with an old colleague to catch up after many years apart. While we settled very quickly into an easy conversation – almost like the time had never passed – it also gave me cause to reflect. It made me think about my business behaviour and some of the decisions I made on
- [Forget Big Data, It's Time for Big Narratives](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/07/13/forget-big-data-its-time-for-big-narratives/) - It is easy to get excited about big data. After all, it’s lots of small pieces of data woven together into a patchwork that stretches our imaginative capacity. Just think, we’re creating more data every two days than was produced from the dawn of civilisation up to 2003 (or so Google’s Eric Schmidt claims). That
- [Retail Disrupted-Consumers Get Smarter says IBM Study](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/07/07/retail-disrupted-consumers-get-smarter-says-ibm-study/) - I have a love-hate relationship with shopping. Actually, when I think about it, I quite like shopping as an experience. What I don’t like the way retail transforms that experience. You see, retail shopping is filled with frustration: There’s no or limited stock Loyalty programs are more of a burden than a benefit The digital
- [The Best Case Study Music in the World](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/07/03/the-best-case-study-music-in-the-world/) - I have written case studies, I have submitted case studies for awards. And I have judged awards. But they can often be an unemotional slog. By their nature, case studies tend toward the factual. They’re often devoid of “feelings” – and struggle to tell story of impact. But what if there was the case study
- [Is It Time for a Chief Brand Storyteller?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/07/01/is-it-time-for-a-chief-brand-storyteller/) - This great presentation on content marketing and storytelling by Jonathan Crossfield got me thinking. What is it about brands, storytelling and technology that we continue to struggle with - and why is this struggle so pervasive? Let Me Tell You a Story: Finding the Narrative in Your Content Marketing from Jonathan Crossfield Now, I see
- [Why You Need to FOCUS - Forget Ideas, Start with Problems](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/06/23/why-you-need-to-focus-forget-ideas-start-with-problems/) - In the rush to innovate, we jump to solutions, look for silver bullets. We cool hunt. Crowd source. Idea storm. But there is a problem with ideas. Sure they are fantastic for a fledgling startup, but they are dangerous, time consuming and unproductive for most corporates. Unfortunately, one of the first responses to a “call”
- [Selling on the Web - Landing Pages that Work](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/06/19/selling-on-the-web-landing-pages-that-work/) - While brand websites attract the lion’s share of marketing budgets, the great, largely hidden, power of selling on the web is driven by landing pages. How do landing pages work? I prefer to create landing pages with a single job in mind – to help the web visitor take the next step in the buyer’s
- [Consumer Behaviour Has Changed. Your Content Marketing Needs to Change Too](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/06/18/consumer-behaviour-has-changed-your-content-marketing-needs-to-change-too/) - It wasn’t really until Joe Pulizzi came along and started talking seriously and meaningfully about content marketing that anyone realised that’s what we were doing. As marketers we had been creating collateral, whitepapers, insights, case studies, quizzes, articles and presentations forever. And I mean forever. But we had been producing all this content from a
- [Qantas Hackathon: Feels Like Innovation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/06/01/qantas-hackathon-feels-like-innovation/) - After a busy first day of briefings and coding, the stage was set for the last, desperate rush to the midday deadline. Pitches were scheduled and rehearsed, last minute bug fixes were released and some even found time for a relaxing morning tea. But what, really could be created in a mere 24 hours. Would
- [The Inaugural Qantas Hackathon](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/05/31/the-inaugural-qantas-hackathon/) - Held over the weekend of 30-31 May, we’ve been working with Qantas to host a hackathon that brings together teams of developers from across the country. How will these innovations play out? What will the teams deliver? Only time – 24 hours to be exact – will tell. Here’s the wrap of the first day.
- [The Cheating Strategist's Guide to Mary Meeker's Digital Trends](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/05/29/the-cheating-strategists-guide-to-mary-meekers-digital-trends/) - Each year around this time, the web goes into a slow motion melt down over the much anticipated Meeker Report into internet trends. This year is no different. And as I did last year, I will encourage you to reflect on your own business and priorities before diving head first into the report. I call
- [Why Digital Marketing Transformation is Important](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/05/23/why-digital-marketing-transformation-is-important/) - I recently spent time with IBM travelling as part of their IBM Connect conference series in Auckland, Sydney and Melbourne. At each location, I hosted a panel discussion that centred on the “voice of the customer” – drawing out the experience and knowledge of panels that included ADMA’s CEO, Jodie Sangster, CIO of Tennis Australia,
- [Social: The Present is Mobile. The Future is Wearable](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/05/17/social-the-present-is-mobile-the-future-is-wearable/) - There was a time when the battle for social media was simply one of recognition. For some time, brands and businesses held out. Restricting firewall access to social networks. Directing marketing spend to broadcast. Ignoring the trending shift to digital across a range of categories – from marketing to HR, supply chain to finance. Now,
- [Live a Rewarding Life – Pay it Forward with Annie Parker](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/05/08/live-a-rewarding-life-pay-it-forward-with-annie-parker/) - “We rise by lifting others” Do you ever wonder what you want to be when you grow up? Have you asked this at age 20? 30? 40? 50? Beyond? Do you look at your career, your choices and your reflection in the mirror and wonder how you have arrived where you have found yourself? Too
- [Don't Throw Out Marketing Skills with the Digital Bathwater](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/05/08/dont-throw-out-marketing-skills-with-the-digital-bathwater/) - The marketing skills gap is a hot topic right now. No matter how many clients, colleagues or competitors that I speak with, it’s clear that the marketing industry is facing a skills crisis. And the questions and discussions are often the same: Do we have the right people? How do we understand data and put
- [Voice of the Customer @ #IBMconnect](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/05/06/voice-of-the-customer-ibmconnect/) - The IBM Connect roadshow moves from Auckland to Sydney and then to Melbourne over the next few days. Come along and learn how you can turn data into business value. [View the story "The Voice of the Customer @ #IBMconnect" on Storify]
- [The Known Unknowns - Small Steps Big Gains with Watson Analytics](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/04/30/the-known-unknowns-small-steps-big-gains-with-watson-analytics/) - Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns –
- [By the Numbers: Facebook in Australia](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/04/20/by-the-numbers-facebook-in-australia/) - No doubt you’ve seen them huddling around the bottoms of buildings, near the entrances and exits. On the benches and in the cafes. Their eyes are downcast, their heads bent, shoulders hunched. A decade ago you’d be right to think that these people were spending their morning or afternoon break smoking. These days, the crowds
- [Australian Social Media Cheat Sheet](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/04/15/australian-social-media-cheat-sheet/) - Update: High quality image here. PLUS check out the update to the Facebook stats. Detailed statistics and information on social media in Australia continues to be a challenge. While there are pockets of data here and there – we rarely see a side-by-side comparison of user data and benchmarking information. So it is great to
- [Decyphering Bitcoin and the Blockchain](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/04/13/decyphering-bitcoin-and-the-blockchain/) - No doubt you’ll have heard about Bitcoin by now. It’s that disruptive technology that is keeping Financial Services CEOs awake at night. JP Morgan CEO, Jamie Dimon, in his annual letter to shareholders warned investors and the banking industry that “Silicon Valley is coming” – suggesting that there are hundreds of startups focusing on the
- [Why Digital Disruption Sneaks Up On You](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/04/08/why-digital-disruption-sneaks-up-on-you/) - Digital disruption is a popular theme in any business discussion. No matter whether I am speaking with technology companies, startups, industrial product manufacturers, professional service firms or pharmaceutical companies, eventually the topic arises. But it is hardly ever a direct conversation. More often than not, we approach “disruption” from the side. You see, when we
- [The Thought Leader Journey](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/03/30/the-thought-leader-journey/) - Up until recently, I have rarely listened to podcasts. They just did not seem to work for me. I didn’t have the regularity of travel or the time to focus. But podcasting seems to be riding a wave of new popularity – and an explosion in the type and number of podcasts combined with easy
- [Last Chance to Enter Telstra Australian Business Awards](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/03/23/last-chance-to-enter-telstra-australian-business-awards/) - You have a week to get your entry in for this year’s Telstra Australian Business Awards. The awards close on Monday, 30 March 2015. The Awards program has recognised the achievements of brilliant Australian small and medium businesses across five awards categories - Startup, Micro, Small, Medium and Regional. Obviously there are some great opportunities
- [Disrupting the Disruptors - Follow Me on Meerkat](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/03/19/disrupting-the-disruptors-follow-me-on-meerkat/) - I feel it. I’m sure you feel it too. Launch fatigue. It is what happens when you can’t bring yourself to click a link or open yet another email announcement about the app or website that is going to change your life. After all, our lives are pretty much the same as they were last
- [Mean Tweets–The Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young Tweets Back](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/03/19/mean-tweetsthe-greens-sarah-hanson-young-tweets-back/) - Public figures attract a lot of bile on social media. But there is a special kind of hatred that seems to be reserved for politicians – especially female politicians. The very public campaigning against Australia’s first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, will certainly be remembered for the dog whistling and sexism that passed for public
- [The First Rule of the Consumerverse](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/03/18/the-first-rule-of-the-consumerverse/) - Let’s face it, big numbers are sexy. The bigger they are, the more business leaders, marketers and yes, even economists, become excited. So any report on social media that delves into those massive network numbers is bound to cause a flurry of activity. But the big numbers are not what should be interesting us in
- [Even Your Boring Brand Can Be Sexy on Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/03/17/even-your-boring-brand-can-be-sexy-on-social-media/) - I often wonder if there is such a thing as a “boring brand”. Sure we have exciting, innovative and even “cool” brands – these are easy to spot. Big budgets. Celebrities. Airplanes. But not all of us work for or with these kinds of brands. And that is the real opportunity. But to understand that
- [Is TV Dying or Are Its Best Years Still Ahead?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/03/12/is-tv-dying-or-are-its-best-years-still-ahead/) - We’ve been heralding the death of TV ever since we plugged a 2.8k modem into our phone lines. Sure it meant we couldn’t make a phone call while “online”, but we were living the future. It just required some patience. Or maybe an overnight download. But the possibility of downloading a TV show that had
- [How to Set Your Fees](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/03/12/how-to-set-your-fees/) - No matter whether you are an individual consultant or freelancer, or an entrepreneur starting up a new business, it is always difficult to determine how much you should charge for your services. It may seem simple at first – decide on an hourly rate, multiply it out to create a day rate and maybe even
- [Experience is the Currency of Your Brand](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/03/09/experience-is-the-currency-of-your-brand/) - Back in 2007 when Drew McLellan and I got together with 100 other marketers from around the world to create the first edition of The Age of Conversation, we did so with a particular plan in mind. Social media was in its early stages and we weren’t yet clear about how it would play out.
- [The Sum of All Your Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/02/27/the-sum-of-all-your-social-media/) - What happens when two of your social media friends get together? Well, this week Sum All, the social media dashboard and Buffer, the social media management tool, hooked up to share some salacious social data. By working together they were able to compare the the effectiveness of posting frequency. And they came up with some
- [How IBM and AusOpen Tennis are rethinking the "sportacular"](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/02/18/how-ibm-and-ausopen-tennis-are-rethinking-the-sportacular/) - The spectacle is not a collection of images, but a social relation among people, mediated by images. -- Guy DeBord, Society of the Spectacle One of the most transformative trends of the last decade has been the shift from inside-out to outside-in thinking. It can be applied to almost any industry or area of expertise.
- [The True Value of Social Business is Still to be Unlocked](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/02/17/the-true-value-of-social-business-is-still-to-be-unlocked/) - Realising the value of any business initiative – especially when it involves some form of transformation or change management – can take months or even years. In fact, the benefits of some changes can continue to accrue for decades. Little wonder then, that business is taking time to bring its social media / social business
- [Rethinking Marketing: From Media to Experience](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/02/17/rethinking-marketing-from-media-to-experience/) - In the marketing industry, we have been talking, writing and even creating a shift in the way that we do business for over a decade. Early blogs and (what is now called) social media provided an inkling into where the shift was going – away from paid media into “owned” and “earned” media. This was
- [Marketing and Dating: How to Get a Date by the Numbers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/02/16/marketing-and-dating-how-to-get-a-date-by-the-numbers/) - Dating is big business. There are generic dating sites designed to help you find a date, a life partner or someone just to hang out with. There are also incredibly focused dating sites that are designed to introduce you to other people who have the same particular passions and interests as you. Maybe you are
- [How to be a Digital Survivor](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/02/11/how-to-be-a-digital-survivor/) - Whether we like it or not, we live in an outside-in world. It is no longer good enough for our marketing to be “good enough”. It’s no longer safe to “play it safe”. And it’s time we learned to adapt in the same way that our customers have learned to adapt – with social intelligence,
- [Data is Eating Marketing: Digital, Social and Mobile in 2015](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/02/11/data-is-eating-marketing-digital-social-and-mobile-in-2015/) - Data. It’s out there. And there is plenty of it. We create data with every status update, photo shared or website viewed. Each search we make is being monitored, sorted, indexed and analysed. Every purchase we make is being correlated, cross-matched and fed into supply chain systems. And every phone call we make is being
- [How to Remember Passwords Like Sherlock Holmes](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/02/10/how-to-remember-passwords-like-sherlock-holmes/) - One of the greatest challenges of the internet age has nothing to do with technology and everything to do with being human. It is the act of remembering passwords. There was a time – and yes it was a simpler time – when we really only needed to remember one or two passwords. There was
- [Where's My Hoverboard? The Evolution of the Employee and the Future of Work](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/02/04/wheres-my-hoverboard-the-evolution-of-the-employee-and-the-future-of-work/) - I have been fascinated by the future of work for some time. Ever since I first wobbled out of the office, became “freelance” and started my first business many years ago, I felt that change was coming and that organisations as well as individuals would transform the nature of their relationship. But the amazing thing
- [With Social Media We Are All Swinging Voters Now](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/02/03/with-social-media-we-are-all-swinging-voters-now/) - State and Federal elections are a galvanising moment in our society for many reasons. It’s the chance for the masses to “have their say” about the policies, processes, interests and focuses of the political rulers, an opportunity to change what is – for what will be, and it sets in train a framework that governments
- [Tech, Media, Telco - Trends, Predictions and Maybe Some Good Guesses](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/02/02/tech-media-telco-trends-predictions-and-maybe-some-good-guesses/) - The challenge of digital is not one of technology. It is that it is relentless. From December through January each year, we look back over our shoulder at what has happened and then look ahead, towards the horizon, seeking to map out the future. It’s a time honoured ritual that happens on a range of
- [Time for Parents to Step Up as Digital Role Models](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/01/28/time-for-parents-to-step-up-as-digital-role-models/) - Working in digital and social media means you are often drawn into quite personal conversations with people. And by “conversations” I don’t just mean “discussions” or “chats” – but one way broadcasts where your only interaction may be to virtually “nod” (via a “Like”), acknowledge or amplify a situation (via sharing or a retweet). For
- [Look at Me-When Screen Time Changes Lives](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/01/22/look-at-me-when-screen-time-changes-lives/) - Walk tall, walk straight and look the world right in the eye -- Val Doonican In my childhood home we listened to both kinds of music – country and western. There was none of this “modern” country – it was heavily loaded with Johnny Cash, Charlie Pride and Waylon Jennings. There was a smattering of
- [Improve your Business and Your Mind with Slideshare](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/01/21/improve-your-business-and-your-mind-with-slideshare/) - The idea of continuously learning seems like a “no brainer” to me. Being naturally curious, I have always sought out knowledge – and have been lucky to find it in abundance. But my efforts have never been idle – they have never been for the sake of knowledge alone. For while I love acquiring knowledge,
- [Australian Online Retail Grows - But Did You?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2015/01/15/australian-online-retail-grows-but-did-you/) - An interesting report has been released by eWay – the online payments gateway that powers more than 17,000 Australian online stores. Showing a 20 percent year-on-year growth for the mid-November to mid-January period, the results bode well for the struggling retail industry. The report reveals that with traditional sales kicking in on Boxing Day (26
- [Top Social Media Trends for 2015](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/12/18/top-social-media-trends-for-2015/) - In the world of social media and content marketing, we talk about the “Three Bs” of content. You can either: Buy – pay for the creation of content Build – make content yourself Borrow – share the great work of other And around this time of year, we start seeing blog posts, articles and presentations
- [Celebrate the Stuff You Already Own](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/12/08/celebrate-the-stuff-you-already-own/) - I never wanted to be a businessman. All I wanted was to do my craft … and climb mountains. -- Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z20CjCim8DM Origin stories are vitally important for your business. They are vital for the way that your customers perceive and engage with you and they are vital for your employees.
- [Six Marketing Visionaries Look to the Future](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/12/04/six-marketing-visionaries-look-to-the-future/) - The Economist Intelligence Unit has interviewed six marketing visionaries who are sharing their insights of what the future of marketing looks like. The “Future of Marketing” initiative is sponsored by Marketo, and publishes conversations with Seth Godin, John Hagel, Aditya Joshi, Marc Mathieu, Jim Stengel and myself. It makes for great, and varied reading, with
- [Why Clients Really Fire Agencies-And other insights from the SoDA Report](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/12/02/why-clients-really-fire-agencies-and-other-insights-from-the-soda-report/) - No matter whether there is a change in CMO or marketing director or whether it’s time for a review, agency management can be an emotional challenge. Over years of collaboration, organisations build collaborative ways of working together – processes, systems and tools become intertwined. People become friends. Colleagues. Even partners. So what really happens when
- [Facebook Charts the Course to 2025](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/12/01/facebook-charts-the-course-to-2025/) - #474640369 / gettyimages.com Strong third quarter earnings were posted by Facebook this week, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg set the stage for a year of investment ahead, with a ten year horizon. Facebook’s expenses are expected to grow between 50% and 70% next year, and the company looks set to not only aggressively scale its various
- [The Surprising Truth about Transforming the Customer Experience with Digital](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/12/01/the-surprising-truth-about-transforming-the-customer-experience-with-digital/) - Are your employees doing the right thing? Are your teams empowered to make the right decision for your customers? At the Constellation Research Connected Enterprise conference, moderator, Esteban Kolsky, Board of Advisor, Constellation Research, grilled a panel of customer experience innovators on just how “digital” was transforming the customer experience. The panel included: Dan Steinman,
- [Three Newsletters for Digital Leaders](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/12/01/three-newsletters-for-digital-leaders/) - As much as we write about the end of this or the end of that, one consistent form of communication that refuses to die, is email. Love it or hate it, newsletters and the like continue to go from strength to strength. And there is nothing more telling about the role of email than when
- [Oracle and the Future of Enterprise Software](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/25/oracle-and-the-future-of-enterprise-software/) - Constellation Research’s annual customer conference, Connected Enterprise is like no other conference you’ll have the pleasure of attending. It is two intense days of keynotes, forums and meetups. But it’s also immensely collegiate. Anyone you meet in the audience at this conference could have been presenting on the stage. In between sessions you will rub
- [Igniting Marketing Ideas at Firebrand](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/25/igniting-marketing-ideas-at-firebrand/) - Over the last couple of years, Carolyn Hyams has been building out the Firebrand Ideas Ignition blog as part of her role as Marketing Director for Aquent, Firebrand Talent and Vitamin T in Australia. With posts from the Firebrand team and a host of guest bloggers, it has become a great place to get the
- [Content Marketing in Australia 2015 - Are you creating content worth sharing?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/22/content-marketing-in-australia-2015-are-you-creating-content-worth-sharing/) - At a recent event hosted by Livefyre, Neal Mann, digital strategist for News Corp Australia posed a challenging question – would you share the last piece of content that you created? Answering his own question, Neal revealed the single largest challenge facing Australian brands and marketers using content marketing as part of their strategy: Most
- [#Digitalks: Digital Disruption - how to thrive through change](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/21/digitalks-digital-disruption-how-to-thrive-through-change/) - Each quarter, Firebrand host a lunch time seminar for the Sydney marketing community. This quarter, hosted by Adobe, I presented on the topic of digital disruption – and how marketers and innovators can apply the principles of the lean startup to transform their businesses. We covered the three things you’ll need to pay attention to
- [Disrupting Banking? It happened in a snap](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/19/disrupting-banking-it-happened-in-a-snap/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBwjxBmMszQ When we think of banking, as consumers we rarely think of the complex mechanisms behind the scenes. We just think of our financial institutions as very large, powerful brands – rather than individual businesses that focus on deposits, investments, mortgages and loans, payments and clearing, risk management and insurance, broking etc. But the reality
- [Disrupting Work: 2015 is here. Are you ready?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/14/disrupting-work-2015-is-here-are-you-ready/) - Some years ago, while working at SAP, I was involved in a global workforce enablement program. Our challenge was to look ahead to 2015 (yes, we are now almost there), model the future demand for software, services and skills and put in place programs that would ensure there were enough skilled and experienced SAP practitioners
- [The Amazing Case of the Disappearing Technology](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/14/the-amazing-case-of-the-disappearing-technology/) - Technology is stuff that doesn’t work yet. -- Bran Ferren Bran Ferren’s words echo across the wifi to us like a premonition. The former President of R&D at Walt Disney Imagineering’s deep understanding of the way people use and engage with technology is only starting to play out in the devices that we so readily
- [No Left v Right Brain – And Other Mythconceptions](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/10/no-left-v-right-brain-and-other-mythconceptions/) - I love this infographic on various urban myths that permeate our modern existence. By author, David McCandless, it visualises some of the most Googled myths and misconceptions – with larger bubbles indicating that it is a common search term. Some of my personal favourites include: That you SHOULD wake sleepwalkers That bats are NOT blind
- [Who Needs Another Day in Password Land?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/06/who-needs-another-day-in-password-land/) - I have a sneaking suspicion that the most successful call to action in the world is Forgot Password?. That small link that sits below a password field is my friend. After all, I have passwords for every blog, social media site, news sites, business sites, bank, retailer and online tool or cloud provider that I
- [Brewing Disruption: Percolate's Future of Retail](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/06/brewing-disruption-percolates-future-of-retail/) - When it first launched, Noah Brier’s Percolate was a daily filter of quality social media content delivered directly to your inbox. But there was a deeper, darker and stronger agenda lurking beneath the surface of the Percolate news – a marketing platform that seeks to become the system of record for marketing. Now boasting clients
- [Six Principles to Build a Great Content Brand](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/05/six-principles-to-build-a-great-content-brand/) - All brands should start to act like publishers. -- Every consultant No doubt you’ll have heard that brands need to start to act like publishers. And I am as guilty as the next person/consultant of using this concept – but I do so advisedly. You see, many moons ago, I worked in publishing. And now
- [Fresh Ideas-Woolworths launches innovation program for startups](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/05/fresh-ideas-woolworths-launches-innovation-program-for-startups/) - One of the greatest challenges any startup faces is distribution. How do you get your new product or service into the hot little hands of your customers? How do you do it quickly and with a high conversion rate? Gone are the days when you could drop your new app into the Apple App Store
- [Holidays Ahead: All aboard the content marketing express](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/03/holidays-ahead-all-aboard-the-content-marketing-express/) - At the beginning of the year, Oracle Eloqua released a State of Content Marketing Survey Report that revealed the trends that were impacting content marketing and approaches that would be taken through 2014. And now, as we are closing in on what is possibly the most explosive time of year for content marketing (yes, I
- [80s Awareness - a message from Kevin Bacon](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/11/01/80s-awareness-a-message-from-kevin-bacon/) - Over the last decade, 80s awareness has been in very steep decline. Thank goodness that Kevin Bacon is supporting this important cause. Please give your 30 second attention span to help.
- [The SMEG Police Brought to You by Adobe](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/30/the-smeg-police-brought-to-you-by-adobe/) - You’ve probably met the type – or had them pitch you. They’re the FUD masters, sewing fear, uncertainty and doubt, knowing that at the end of the conversation they have a lead to follow up or maybe even a project. They talk big numbers, after all, 40% of the Australian population use Facebook, 3 million
- [Disrupting Retail: Three myths about digital and in-store shopping](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/29/disrupting-retail-three-myths-about-digital-and-in-store-shopping/) - A couple of weeks back I had the opportunity to speak at the DiG Festival about the future of retail. The panel hosted by retail guru, Nancy Georges evolved very quickly away from a simple notion of retail to one augmented by digital technology, mobile connectivity and dominated by a focus on customer experience. And
- [Eleven Startups Catch the Next Wave at Muru-D](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/24/eleven-startups-catch-the-next-wave-at-muru-d/) - You could hear the noise in the lift on the way up. Over 150 people were packed into the open area of Muru-D, Telstra’s startup accelerator, awaiting the announcement of the ten teams who would participate in the second class of the Muru-D academy. For the teams that were selected, there was excitement. For those
- [Do CMOs Like to Play the Field?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/22/do-cmos-like-to-play-the-field/) - CMOs are a funny breed. They work with a constant tension – half living in the shadow of the former incumbent and half looking towards their own future vision. And with a tenure that lasts about 45 months, that means that there is about two years’ worth of clean air for the marketing chief to
- [Don't Bore Your Audience: Use the Pixar Pitch](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/21/dont-bore-your-audience-use-the-pixar-pitch/) - When I studied literature, I was fascinated by form. By the words. Arrangement. Layout. And narrative. I loved the way that John Fowles would create untrustworthy narrators that led the story in new, unexpected directions. And I loved Antonin Artaud’s dangerous writings. Or Christopher Barnett’s language that was so revolutionary it broke the words. I
- [Disrupting Graphics: Now Design’s at Your Fingertips with Canva for iPad](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/15/disrupting-graphics-now-designs-at-your-fingertips-with-canva-for-ipad/) - One of the great local startup success stories, Canva – the platform that lets us all create great graphic design in an amazingly simple way – has reached a milestone – 850,000 users. This is no mean feat – especially in a world where every startup, every mature business and hoards of consultants, freelancers and
- [ADMA-Telstra Young Marketer and Young Creative of the Year Finalists](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/15/adma-telstra-young-marketer-and-young-creative-of-the-year-finalists/) - There was a time where I wore a rather cynical hat when it came to awards. I’d look at the projects that won and the effort that would go into creating the award pitches and see holes, sub-standard work or missed opportunities. But with more experience on both client and agency sides, I am far
- [Disrupting the Music Industry - Vodafone and Spotify buddy-up](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/14/disrupting-the-music-industry-vodafone-and-spotify-buddy-up/) - Today’s announcement making Spotify Premium available to Vodafone mobile subscribers amps up the pressure on the music and media industries with more disruption on the horizon. They say that the number one reason that startups fail is due to distribution. It’s not a poorly designed product, or an inexperienced team or even bad customer experience.
- [Audience Disruption and Lessons from the Music Business - How to cultivate and amplify a fragmented audience](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/13/audience-disruption-and-lessons-from-the-music-business-how-to-cultivate-and-amplify-a-fragmented-audience/) - It doesn’t take a genius to know that the days of mass marketing are over. But it is taking some time for us to disentangle ourselves from old ways of thinking. Gone are the days when you could produce an ad and blast it out to the compliant masses who would watch, absorb and then
- [10 Must-See Presentations at the DiG Festival](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/10/10-must-see-presentations-at-the-dig-festival/) - Last year’s DiG Festival was one of the best conferences of the year. The DiG founders had worked hard to secure sponsors, speakers and workshop hosts – but in its first year there was a sense of uncertainty. In reality, the vibe, energy and focus proved well worth the 90 minute drive to Newcastle to
- [Disrupting Failure - The Secret to Success](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/09/disrupting-failure-the-secret-to-success/) - In the world of startups we have been obsessed with failure. And learning. Or what Mick Liubinskas from muru-D calls “flearning”. You will, no doubt, have heard of the concept of “fail-fast” – a term borrowed from system design and applied to software engineering – where the focus is on fast, iterative design that irons
- [Disruption is the Future of Work: The All Consuming Employee](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/10/07/disruption-is-the-future-of-work-the-all-consuming-employee/) - It’s not hard to see the future of work. In fact, it’s right there in front of our faces. It is happening under our noses. At the desks, in the hallways and foyers of our organisations. It is even happening in the homes of our staff, executives and customers. And it is changing even what
- [Must-See Sessions at Social Media Week, Sydney](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/09/20/must-see-sessions-at-social-media-week-sydney/) - Social Media Week, Sydney is just around the corner. It is the first time that the event has been run in Australia but the organising team, Simon Micarone, David Wesson and Will Ockenden have high hopes for it becoming a regular feature on the Australian conference landscape. Running all week, from 22 September through to
- [Marketing Led Sales – a new era for Hubspot and CRM](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/09/19/marketing-led-sales-a-new-era-for-hubspot-and-crm/) - Back in the beginning of 2013, I released a research report into the field of marketing automation. It investigated the challenges faced by marketers – from the explosion in digital and social channels to the newly emerging connected consumer and sought to map out the strengths of the various marketing technology vendors and their software
- [13 Trends in Online Communities](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/09/15/13-trends-in-online-communities/) - In July 2014, the folks over at GetSatisfaction surveyed professionals working in marketing, product development and support to understand their use of online communities. With more than 800 responses, the report reveals that, in many instances, companies are in the early stages of community building. Sixty-one percent of respondents have a customer community, and 33%
- [Ready, Set, Startup at Muru-D. You've Just Got the Weekend](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/09/12/ready-set-startup-at-muru-d-youve-just-got-the-weekend/) - Now that the dust has settled on the first intake of startups into the Muru-D incubator, the team are ramping up the next round of startups. But the thing is, you’ve now only got the weekend to apply. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P9Q7GfNlPQ The startups who secure a spot at Muru-D benefit from six months of tailored support designed
- [Bye, Bye Buyosphere – A journey of disruption, disrupted](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/09/10/bye-bye-buyosphere-a-journey-of-disruption-disrupted/) - Focusing on the customer journey is never easy. After all, customers are fickle, transitory, loyal and contradictory. I am somebody’s customer. You are. We are all somebody’s customer. And being a customer is an emotional experience. We buy on whim, impulse or trigger. We may plan, research and save as long as we like, but
- [Twitter Kills More of Its Darlings-Tweet Analytics for All](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/08/28/twitter-kills-more-of-its-darlings-tweet-analytics-for-all/) - In writing, you must kill your darlings. -- William Faulkner Ever since my first reading, I have loved William Faulkner. His genius leapt through the page to punch the reader in the throat. And while this quote about murdering your darlings – your favourites, your supporters, your most dearly treasured – can truly be attributed
- [Why Do People Leave Jobs?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/08/27/why-do-people-leave-jobs/) - When I begin working with clients I work to understand what their ambassadors think about them. I look to their customers and suppliers to get a sense of what is working and what is not. But there is no better source of insight than a company’s employees. These are the people who are actively engaging
- [Disruption from the Medieval to the Digital World](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/08/25/disruption-from-the-medieval-to-the-digital-world/) - One of the most exciting and interesting projects I came across during my time working with IBM was the digitisation of the Vatican Library. A great humanist project, the Vatican Library was created during the Renaissance when books were literally hand crafted. Scribes, illuminators, binders and printers would work together to create objects that were
- [Candy Everybody Wants–Even Accountants](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/08/22/candy-everybody-wantseven-accountants/) - Let me start with a confession. Many years ago – a time lost in the mists – my first job was as an accountant. Actually, it was as a “trainee accountant” – I studied at night at worked by day. It was a hard slog – and it wasn’t a job that I loved. Eventually
- [Forget the Internet of Things. Think the "Internet of Me"](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/08/22/forget-the-internet-of-things-think-the-internet-of-me/) - It’s easy to get excited about devices – about the latest, newest and shiniest phone, band, tablet or watch. It’s also cool to think about how internet enabling our other devices makes our lives better, more efficient or simpler. Internet enabled TVs for example, play in this space. Same with internet-connected refrigerators, light bulbs, or
- [It's Gruen for Innovation - That Startup Show](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/08/20/its-gruen-for-innovation-that-startup-show/) - What is a startup? How is it different from a small business? And what role does innovation and/or technology play in a startup? These are some of the first topics addressed by the new “entertainment startup” web-cast show, That Startup Show. Hosted by Dan Ilic and streamed live, the show takes a leaf out of
- [Influence: Be the First to Give](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/08/19/influence-be-the-first-to-give/) - In the digital world we are fascinated by influence. We want to know who has influence and we want to know who is influenced by whom. We strive for influence in our personal and professional lives and we reject the overt nature of influence that impacts us through advertising and messaging (even though it still
- [Disrupt Your Strategy - Planning for Audiences not Generations](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/08/13/disrupt-your-planning-its-time-we-ditched-lazy-profiling/) - I have never been a fan of demographic profiling. Sure, this information, at scale, can reveal certain things about a population – and this can be useful to understand whether there might be a connection between our age and (for example) our propensity to over-eat. Or contract disease. Or buy new cars every four years.
- [More Waves of Digital Disruption: From DoubleClick to Twitter via Facebook](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/08/12/more-waves-of-digital-disruption-from-doubleclick-to-twitter-via-facebook/) - When DoubleClick launched their self-service advertising network it was a revelation. It provided marketers with a powerful sense of control over their advertising, its placement and spend. At the same time, it caused a level of disintermediation – with marketers taking on the media planning that was once the domain of agencies. Technology was, in
- [Who Do You Think You Are? Coming face to face with your ancestors in a world of big data](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/08/12/who-do-you-think-you-are-coming-face-to-face-with-your-ancestors-in-a-world-of-big-data/) - I have been working on a family tree for some years. It’s a project that progresses in fits and starts. And like many things in my life, it began because it was easy to start doing it online. In the early days I had multiple accounts on various websites. I was using Ancestry.com for their
- [Creating a sustainable food culture with @OzHarvest for #ThinkEatSave](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/07/21/creating-a-sustainable-food-culture-with-ozharvest-for-thinkeatsave/) - In 2013, OzHarvest set themselves the goal to “feed the 5000” using rescued food. And after that first successful initiative, in 2014, the aim was to grow the one-day event significantly. For ThinkEatSave, OzHarvest partnered with with the United Nations to tackle the issues of food and nutrition security and sustainable food systems. Some of
- [Challenges Facing the Digital Economy #SMWsyd](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/07/16/challenges-facing-the-digital-economy-smwsyd/) - As part of the planning and advisory work that I am doing with Social Media Week, Sydney, we took a few moments out recently to share our thinking on the challenges that are facing Australia’s digital economy. This video captures the hot topics according to Tiphereth Gloria, Joanne Jacobs, Katie Chatfield, Ross Dawson, Jeff Bullas
- [Speak Up About Mental Health](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/07/14/speak-up-about-mental-health/) - Years ago when Mark Pollard and I were working on The Perfect Gift for a Man, we felt like we were doing something important – encouraging people, men in particular – to speak up, write and share their stories. And it wasn’t just the fact that young men commit suicide at more than three times
- [Going Viral for all the Wrong Reasons](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/06/15/going-viral-for-all-the-wrong-reasons/) - Every time someone reads, clicks or shares a link or piece of content that we have created, it sends a small dose of dopamine into our brain. This release provides us with a sense or reward, pleasure – and encouragement. It’s why (for the marketer) digital marketing or social media can be addictive. It is
- [Tales of the One in Ten](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/06/05/tales-of-the-one-in-ten/) - Disadvantage can shape an entire life. This short, animated film by The Smith Family called, David & the Big Heavy, follows the true story of a young boy struggling to cope with issues at home and school as his family adjusts to life in a new country. But then something happens that he could never
- [Three Whats and a Why - Mary Meeker Meltdown](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/06/02/three-whats-and-a-why-mary-meeker-meltdown/) - It’s that time of year when Mary Meeker releases her internet trends report. It’s the one that melts the internet. Now, I will leave you to your own devices to go through the 164 slides in your own time. There is plenty to read, review and digest. But I’d also encourage you to look at
- [The Twitter Mirror Reveals All at Vibewire fastBREAK](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/05/20/the-twitter-mirror-reveals-all-at-vibewire-fastbreak/) - This Sunday, 25 May, as part of Vivid Sydney, Vibewire and the Powerhouse Museum will be hosting the biggest and boldest fastBREAK event ever. From 10:30am, you will be treated to a barrage of ideas and topics from 10 great speakers. There will be a band as well as breakfast. And for those who are
- [Young people put their mark on the future at Vivid Sydney](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/05/18/young-people-put-their-mark-on-the-future-at-vivid-sydney/) - On the last Friday of every month, Vibewire in conjunction with The Powerhouse Museum, host fastBREAK, a rapid fire event showcasing young innovators. Starting at 8am, five speakers are given five minutes to tell the story of their innovation – and why it chose them (or why they chose it). But this month the format
- [Earned Audiences–Where Twitter Meets TV](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/05/14/earned-audienceswhere-twitter-meets-tv/) - There was a time when sitting down in front of the TV was a family affair. It was me, Dad, Mum and maybe a dog. The little brother was tucked up in bed and the little sister, well, she was far off into the future. And while there would be the occasional conversation – mostly
- [Tell the Story of Your #BigData with QuillEngage](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/05/01/tell-the-story-of-your-bigdata-with-quillengage/) - Big data, small data, analytics. Blah blah blah. It all sounds like a load of waffle, right? At least until we find a thread of narrative running through the information. For many of us, the closest we are likely to get to a large amount of usable data is on our own websites. And believe
- [Making Friends and Influencing People](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/04/17/making-friends-and-influencing-people/) - Some light reading for your Easter weekend, this time courtesy of those clever folks at We Are Social Singapore. This easily digestible deck on social media debunks some of the many myths and provides “10 commendments” – things that you could do if you were so inclined. My favourite? “Be in it for the long
- [The A-Z of Personal Branding](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/04/15/the-a-z-of-personal-branding/) - What do you do before a meeting? Do you Google the person you are meeting? Do you look up their profile on LinkedIn? Do you stalk them on Facebook? Do you go to the trouble of talking to people that you know in common? No doubt, a large part of this research will be done
- [LinkedIn Publishing - Where the Personal and Professional Brand Meets](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/04/06/linkedin-publishing-where-the-personal-and-professional-brand-meets/) - When LinkedIn started publishing content via its LinkedIn Influencers program, it moved the social network for business professionals in a completely different direction. For many business leaders, this was a great, simple and powerful way to share business philosophy and insight. It was blogging without needing to have or create a blog. And because each
- [Take the Australian Social Business Survey 2014](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/04/01/take-the-australian-social-business-survey-2014/) - To call out the term “social business” seems almost anachronistic in 2014. After all, aren’t we all now working in “social businesses”? Haven’t we all been part of the digital transformation sweeping every business? Well, yes and no. When I ran my first social business survey back in 2011, I was interested to gather some
- [ADMA Experts – 56 Trends Shaping Australian Marketing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/03/19/adma-experts-56-trends-shaping-australian-marketing/) - Each couple of months, Association of Data-driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA) convenes their expert groups on a wide range of topics. Drawn from across the marketing landscape, these groups hash out important, practical topics and challenges that impact their daily work. There are groups that focus on multi-channel, and acquisition and lead generation through email,
- [Pew Research's Conrad Hackett Has a Beautiful Tweetstream](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/03/17/pew-researchs-conrad-hackett-has-a-beautiful-tweetstream/) - Pew Research is the US-based, non-partisan “fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world”. It regularly makes a splash in social media by the regular release of research data on a wide variety of topics. And as the Edelman Trust Barometer suggests, in a world saturated
- [One Privacy Act to Rule them All](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/03/11/one-privacy-act-to-rule-them-all/) - Reform to Australia’s Privacy legislation began in 2004 – and as of tomorrow, 12 March 2014, there will be a raft of changes to the way in which our privacy is regulated. The Australian Privacy Commissioner, Timothy Pilgrim, provides a high level of overview of the changes in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6x2V870Y2k Australian Privacy Principles The
- [What's in a Story? 50 Tips to Bring Sense to the Static](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/03/03/whats-in-a-story-50-tips-to-bring-sense-to-the-static/) - Storytelling is hard work. It’s intricate, nuanced and can be expensive. But we crave it, know it and hold good storytelling and storytellers close to our hearts. After all, we all have books that we’d fight for. But in this world of digital media, simple tools for content creation, video production, worldwide publishing and distribution,
- [Breathing New Life into PowerPoint with SlideDocs](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/02/26/breathing-new-life-into-powerpoint-with-slidedocs/) - I have always been a fan of storytelling. But not everyone is keen to be a story reader. Or a listener. For in our time crunched lives, our own attention is our most limited resource. Accordingly, communication has been concatenated, shrunk, manipulated. We’ve got our 30 second, 60 second and elevator pitches down pat. But
- [ANZ Bank Retains Most Valuable Banking Brand for 2014](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/02/20/anz-bank-retains-most-valuable-banking-brand-for-2014/) - Rankings. I can take them or leave them. But Brand Directory’s evaluation of banking brands for 2014, in association with The Banker, does an interesting job of placing a monetary value on the intangible asset that is an organisation’s brand. And this year, as shown below, ANZ pips CommBank at the post, to take out
- [When Big and Data got together, it was love at first Like](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/02/19/when-big-and-data-got-together-it-was-love-at-first-like/) - Breathless. Heart beating. We all know the feeling. It’s all heart, feeling, emotion. We’re waiting for the brain to kick in – but there is no relief. It’s really a sign of madness. Love is merely a madness: and, I tell you, deserves as as well a dark house and a whip, as madmen do:
- [Synthalitics - setting a new benchmark for customer engagement](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/02/15/synthalitics-setting-a-new-benchmark-for-customer-engagement/) - Have you noticed recently that your web browsing experience is becoming narrower, more confined and focused? What about those pesky ads that follow you from one website to another? Do they annoy or help you? It seems that all it takes is one visit to a retail website, and next thing you know, that retailer’s
- [Why One in Ten Australian Children Live with Disadvantage and We Don't Do Anything About It](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/02/05/why-one-in-ten-australian-children-live-with-disadvantage-and-we-dont-do-anything-about-it/) - We hear empty promises all the time – from our cultural, political and business leaders. They pass over the airwaves, across the internet and through our minds. In many instances, we filter them out – discard them as spin doctoring or static in an already-too-noisy world. Often these claims are backed up by statistics or
- [Gut Feel Wins Out - 50 Planners to Watch in 2014](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/02/04/gut-feel-wins-out-50-planners-to-watch-in-2014/) - When we have a question, we search the web with Google. When we want to get or share an opinion, we turn to Twitter. And when we want to learn or share, we read blogs, take a Skillshare class or watch a YouTube video. There is no doubt that a great deal of our contemporary
- [The Buyer’s Journey Takes the Long Road](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/02/03/the-buyers-journey-takes-the-long-road/) - A marketer’s job would be so much easier of customers followed a set path. In fact, if buyers could fit into a convenient model that allowed us to identify, track, monitor, engage and convert them, life would be rosy. But this is never the case. If we take a moment to consider the buyer’s journey
- [Hold Your Breath](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/02/01/hold-your-breath/) - Given that I have the lung capacity of a goldfish, this video of “freediver” Guillaume Nery, strikes fear into my heart. Here he is diving into Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas. Watch in awe. Guillaume Nery base jumping at Dean's Blue Hole, filmed on breath hold by Julie Gautier from Umblu Liber on Vimeo.
- [Trust is Up across Australia–Edelman Trust Barometer](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/01/31/trust-is-up-across-australiaedelman-trust-barometer/) - One of the more useful and interesting regular reports is the Edelman Trust Barometer. Each year, thousands of people are surveyed – and the global and national results for 2014 have now been published. It’s well worth a deep dive into the information, statistics and analysis. But one of the standout observations is that “Trust
- [Michael Hill Launches Valentine’s Day with Shoppable Video](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/01/29/michael-hill-launches-valentines-day-with-shoppable-video/) - I have been complaining about a lack of retail innovation – especially digital-oriented innovation – for some time. So it’s nice to see Australian jeweller / retailer, Michael Hill, taking on the challenge in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day. Using Brightcove’s video cloud, Michael Hill combine video content – in this case, behind the scenes
- [What if Google was a Guy. In an Office](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/01/25/what-if-google-was-a-guy-in-an-office/) - We’re so lucky that Mr Google doesn’t take things personally. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuOBzWF0Aws Trey Ratcliff via Compfight
- [Pungent Granularity - Penn and Teller take on the Anti-Vaccination Conversation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/01/24/pungent-granularity-penn-and-teller-take-on-the-anti-vaccination-conversation/) - Social media has a powerful ability to stimulate and create conversation. But when you are planning your communications, it’s essential to know your audience. And these days, “knowing” your audience isn’t just about mapping, analysing and researching. It’s about understanding their “pungent granularity”. Pungent granularity and the social audience To survive in a world where
- [An Alien Tweet (Almost)](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/01/22/an-alien-tweet-almost/) - There is something that tickles me about this tweet from the (now) out of hibernation Rosetta space probe. “Hello, world!" — ESA Rosetta Mission (@ESA_Rosetta) January 20, 2014 After three years of hibernation, the probe which is on a mission to intercept a comet (yes, in real life, not fantasy), was awoken and signalled its
- [Time to Bring Down the Search and Social Silos](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/01/20/time-to-bring-down-the-search-and-social-silos/) - When I first joined the ADMA expert group for social media, there was a separate expert group for search. But as we met and discussions flowed, it seemed obvious that the two should merge. After all, when it comes to all things digital, search and social were – in most cases – essential collaborators. Or
- [Get More from Instagram](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/01/15/get-more-from-instagram/) - I have been a fan of Instagram for some time. Not just because of the filters … but because it has developed an interesting and engaged community of users. Instagram has become the Flickr that the internet didn’t forget. But there is a vast difference between using Instagram as an individual and using it as
- [QUT Staff Think About the Future with Staff Giving Program](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/01/14/qut-staff-think-about-the-future-with-staff-giving-program/) - Employee giving programs are a powerful way of maximising your personal charitable giving. Charities gain reliable, regular funds and by making pre-tax donations to charities through workplace giving, the impact of your donations can go much further. In fact, with employer matching in place - where every dollar that you donate is matched by your
- [You Are What You Endorse–Google Shared Endorsements](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/01/11/you-are-what-you-endorsegoogle-shared-endorsements/) - Remember that old saying that “when the product is FREE, the product is YOU”? Well Google are putting their advertiser’s money where your mouth is – with shared endorsements now being incorporated into search results. This brings together two powerful web transformation engines – search and social – in the one interface. That means that
- [Australian Social Media Users–Distracted by Distraction](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2014/01/08/australian-social-media-usersdistracted-by-distraction/) - No matter whether we are at home, work, attending a social event or even in the car, social media is increasingly an integrated part of our lives. And while social media is being used by brands to engage their customers, the vast majority of people use social media outside of their professional lives – it
- [#WhipIt–Pantene tackles workplace perceptions of women](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/12/14/whipitpantene-tackles-workplace-perceptions-of-women/) - When I was a teenager I felt that my generation was going to be the one to combat all the issues of injustice that plagued the world. As I got older, I realised that almost every teenage generation thinks the same way – that they can, armed with fresh insight, a new perspective and abundant
- [This Holiday Season, Get Your Social Media House in Order](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/12/10/this-holiday-season-get-your-social-media-house-in-order/) - It’s been a long year, and I know you are tired. Worn out. Ready for a break. But how READY are you? Because when it comes to social media, you need to be business READY, and by that I mean: Responsive Don’t bury your head in the sand. An issue can turn into a crisis
- [Ash Donaldson - Predicting Irrational Decisions](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/12/05/ash-donaldson-predicting-irrational-decisions/) - I don’t know about you, but I am completely logical. Focused. Directed. I am completely in charge of my own decisions and behaviour. Or so I thought. A couple of weeks ago, I caught up with Ash Donaldson, caffeine aficionado and behavioural design guru. We got talking about mobile app design and human behaviour and
- [A Collection of Social Media Case Studies](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/11/19/a-collection-of-social-media-case-studies/) - Some organisations are well ahead of the digital innovation curve – and are maturing their digital business practices. Others, however, are in the early stages, feeling their way, gathering information and trying to figure out just HOW digital can be part of their businesses. If you (or your organisation) are in the early stages, it
- [The New Physics of the Consumerverse](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/11/10/the-new-physics-of-the-consumerverse/) - If you weren’t able to get along to the inaugural DiG Festival in Newcastle, you certainly missed an amazing event. But not all is lost. The DiG Festival team are making a great number of presentationsavailable for viewing. They’ve just posted mine – and it seems they’ve nicely edited out some of the glitches I
- [The Digital Tool Landscape](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/11/07/the-digital-tool-landscape/) - For years, I have been collecting tools that help me get things done. Some of them run on my computer or on a web platform. Some of them have become obsolete or were closed down when the startup money ran out. But almost always, digital tools have some value to the marketer – even if
- [Faithful – Creativity and Hope from L-FRESH the LION](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/10/25/faithful-creativity-and-hope-from-l-fresh-the-lion/) - I stay faithful Though tomorrow may never come Still I wait for the day We can return to the sun. I grew up in a different age. In the age of collections and artefacts. Where the dusty smell and the near transparent pages of old books seemed to corral the imaginations of every person who
- [Nick Aronson – The Future of Payments @ DiG Festival](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/10/20/nick-aronson-the-future-of-payments-dig-festival/) - The folks at the DiG Festival in Newcastle have started posting videos of the keynote presentations. Here, Nick Aronson from the Commonwealth Bank talks about the future of payments. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMjbWuToJx8
- [MotoCorsa Portland Show Us How to Sell Ducatis](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/10/15/motocorsa-portland-show-us-how-to-sell-ducatis/) - When I sold my last motorbike, I almost cried as its new owner rode into the cold, afternoon sun. Ever since I started riding as a teenager, I had dreamed of owning a Ducati – and here I was, many years on, relinquishing my much-loved Ducati Monster. But once you have owned one Ducati, it’s
- [Coming Soon to a Google Ad -> You](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/10/14/coming-soon-to-a-google-ad-you/) - A couple of years back, Facebook changed their terms of service that allowed your images to start appearing in contextual advertisements offered across the social network. More recently, they announced plans to remove a feature that allows people to prevent their names being found in search results. This means that those using Facebook can now
- [To Be Talked About Online, Be Hyper-real](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/10/09/to-be-talked-about-online-be-hyper-real/) - About a million years ago, when I studied theatre and movement, I was fascinated by what appeared “real” on stage and what looked like it was a person slouching across an open space. There was a real difference between an actor who was able to inhabit and own the stage and someone who seemed to
- [Stop Talking at Me, No one is Listening-Slides from the DiG Festival](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/10/07/stop-talking-at-me-no-one-is-listening-slides-from-the-dig-festival/) - I have just returned (and recovered) from Newcastle’s DiG Festival. I had expected it to be an Australian SXSW and I was not disappointed. Newcastle in NSW’s Hunter Region, turned on the weather and the charm, playing host to hundreds of festival participants, local businesses and a swarm of innovators keen to connect. The festival
- [ADMA Young Marketer of the Year Finalists Announced](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/09/24/adma-young-marketer-of-the-year-finalists-announced/) - The finalists for the ADMA Young Marketer and Young Creative of the Year have been announced, celebrating and showcasing the work of the Australians under the age of 30. It’s hotly contested, with winners flying to New York City in 2014 on an all-expenses paid trip to meet with leading marketers, creatives and agencies including
- [Brandwatch Vizia Shakes Up Social Media Command Centers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/09/19/brandwatch-vizia-shakes-up-social-media-command-centers/) - The concept of social media monitoring seems like a no-brainer. Marketers use keyword driven technology tools to tap into the vast oceans of social media data to reveal mentions of their brand, products and company and then determine how best to respond. It’s a model that replicates the traditional “media monitoring” approaches that have been
- [Spoken and Unspoken Rules of Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/09/16/spoken-and-unspoken-rules-of-social-media/) - When I first started blogging I voraciously read Darren Rowse’s Problogger website. It seemed like every conceivable issue I was facing had already been tackled and fixed by Darren. Similarly, I followed Yaro Starak’s advice, thinking I’d tread the entrepreneurial path. And when it came to marketing, I’d look to Olivier Blanchard’s insightful Brand Builder
- [Telling a Data-Driven Story](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/09/15/telling-a-data-driven-story/) - During the last election, I was constantly amazed by the way that politicians of all persuasions bored us to death with FACTS. It was as if they were following a mantra which was to wheel out fact after fact as though they would eventually convince us through the weight of their overburdened arguments alone. We
- [The Way to Wealth by Chicago Professor](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/09/08/the-way-to-wealth-by-chicago-professor/) - I love this advice written on the back of an index card by University of Chicago Professor, Harold Pollack. In clear, simple terms, he explains the dos and don’ts of building wealth over time. Of course, like all advice, it's easy to hear and hard to put into action. My favourite point is “The person
- [Food for Thought Friday: A Manifesto for a Deeper Future](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/09/06/food-for-thought-friday-a-manifesto-for-a-deeper-future/) - Increasingly our public discourse is dominated by three word slogans, catch phrases and sound bites. We suffer from an attention deficit – are time poor, over worked and under valued. We’re overwhelmed by technology, choices and our inbox. And we think that the answer it to skim closer to the surface. To read the tweets
- [Digital is Getting More Fragmented Not Less](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/09/03/digital-is-getting-more-fragmented-not-less/) - There was a time when the only “digital” device in your home was likely to be an alarm clock. These days, we live with a range of internet connected devices from refrigerators to lightbulbs, and CCTV systems to VOIP phones. And that’s before we start counting computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. When network security firm
- [DiG Festival - Finally a SXSW for Australia](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/09/02/dig-festival-finally-a-sxsw-for-australia/) - When the South by SouthWest (SXSW) Festival burst onto the scene in 1987, the music and media conference in Austin, Texas attracted just 700 participants. By 1992, when one of my favourite alt-country acts, Michelle Shocked keynoted (and caused all kinds of controversy), there were 3000 registrants. By 1994, film and multimedia was included in
- [Are You Ready to Race to the Future?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/09/01/are-you-ready-to-race-to-the-future/) - Do you remember the Palm Pilot? Billed as a “PDA” – a personal digital assistant, it was a phone with an address book, could read your writing and translate it into text and it could even do basic emailing if you worked it hard enough. In many ways it was ahead of its time. Since
- [A Cup of Chaos #80: Dino Prank](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/08/30/a-cup-of-chaos-80-dino-prank/) - I have not done a cup of chaos on a Friday for sometime … but this just seemed too delicious to ignore. http://youtu.be/zZGNk8pUj4Y Jes via Compfight
- [Why Social Media Has Failed the Federal Election](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/08/29/why-social-media-has-failed-the-federal-election/) - In the last federal election, social media showed its potential to engage and influence the voting public. We saw some tentative steps into the world of social media – some tweets, Facebook updates and the occasional blog post. And the public – largely ignored in terms of digital citizenry – leapt at the opportunity to
- [We Are Smarter Than TV](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/08/26/we-are-smarter-than-tv/) - Back in 2007, Drew McLellan and I embarked on a journey of crowdsourcing discovery. Inspired by the We Are Smarter Than Me collaborative writing project, we wanted to see whether the collective intelligence of marketers across the globe could make sense of the emerging social media landscape. Three months later, the first edition of The
- [Put Some Play into Your Day](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/08/24/put-some-play-into-your-day/) - For a long time I have been a fan of the concept of “play”. It brings a great deal of creativity into what can often be a very serious approach to business. In fact, I used PLAY as a metaphor for brand engagement, precisely to provide a creative nuance not only to “kids marketing” but
- [Marketing Provocations from We Are Social, Singapore](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/08/22/marketing-provocations-from-we-are-social-singapore/) - The WeAreSocial team in Singapore consistently produce thought provoking research and showcase the powerhouse that is Asia. Their regular reports (available on Slideshare) aggregate data from across the web and make connections between the trends and the reality on the ground. And for those wanting to understand the shifts in marketing in Asia, they provide
- [You’ve Got an Extension! Enter ADMA’s Young Marketer of the Year](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/08/16/youve-got-an-extension-enter-admas-young-marketer-of-the-year/) - Are you Australia’s best young marketer? Or best young creative? Then here is your chance to win an all expenses paid trip to New York. Simply visit the High Five ADMA website (ok, don’t blame me, I didn’t come up with it) and put your case forward. What’s involved? For marketers: To enter the competition
- [Tablet Market Up for Grabs](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/08/12/tablet-market-up-for-grabs/) - When the iPad appeared on the scene its dominance was all encompassing. But just as the battle for marketshare in the smartphone market is shifting away from Apple’s iPhone towards the plethora of various Android powered devices, the tablet market is seeing a similar pattern emerge. Apple now holds less than 30% of the tablet
- [Kickstart Your Campaign with Video](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/08/10/kickstart-your-campaign-with-video/) - The crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, is a fascinating microcosm – it brings together all the elements and challenges of a business often before that business exists. So in many ways, a Kickstarter project is a pre-startup startup – and accordingly it faces many of the same immediate challenges. But where startups sprint towards product, Kickstarter forces
- [Get Along to the ADMA Global Forum](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/08/05/get-along-to-the-adma-global-forum/) - These days with the rapid changes in technology, new thinking in digital and social media and constant experimentation with both, every week seems to be a "big week". But this week, the ADMA Global Forum is running - bringing marketers and technologists face to face. There are some interesting masterclasses on branding, creativity, data/analytics and
- [This Weekend, Join Me in Twitter Poetry](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/08/04/this-weekend-join-me-in-twitter-poetry/) - I was excited to receive a message this morning from Beth Wellington that more and more poets are starting to use Twitter. @gracebauerpoet @_JoyCastro http://t.co/SNTpLtZMnj & @TellMeMoreNPR #tmmpoetry Poetry Month & @servantofchaos's @TwitterPoetry — BethWellington (@BethWellington) August 3, 2013 This article, published in The Independent, talks about the way Twitter is allowing poets of all
- [Social Recommendation in Action](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/08/01/social-recommendation-in-action/) - I like marketing and branding, but I have always been more interested in action. In movement. In change. And how we make decisions in a digitally connected world. I like seeing the way that words, image (and sometimes) music, can set a ball rolling. And this is precisely why social media is fascinating. Take today
- [Clearing the Marketing Cloud Fog - Adobe Completes Neolane Acquisition](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/07/24/clearing-the-marketing-cloud-fog-adobe-completes-neolane-acquisition/) - When I began researching the marketing automation market late last year, it seemed like a crowded market. It seemed clear at the time that the competitive fog produced by the various marketing platforms was obscuring the very real benefits that technology delivers to marketers, and that the end result would be consolidation. Yesterday, Adobe helped
- [Vibewire's #fastBREAK - Take Action](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/07/19/vibewires-fastbreak-take-action/) - On the last Friday of every month, Vibewire in partnership with the Powerhouse Museum, hosts fastBREAK. Now in its third year, fastBREAK has become an essential part of the Australian creative industries scene – providing a vital showcase for young innovators, artists, creatives and entrepreneurs. The event attracts an eclectic audience, with artists mixing with
- [Adobe Symposium Sydney - Sets the Eagles Amongst the Clouds](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/07/16/adobe-symposium-sydney-sets-the-eagles-amongst-the-clouds/) - Over the last few years, Adobe has been quietly acquiring companies, building and extending their enterprise focused suite of products and - to some surprise - integrating and consolidating their marketing software into a powerful "marketing cloud". At today's digital marketing symposium, Adobe showcased much of this hard work - with products that are focused
- [Data-Driven Code of Practice Updated](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/07/15/data-driven-code-of-practice-updated/) - There has been a great deal of change in marketing practice over the last decade. There are new channels like social and mobile, new technologies like apps and new ways to measure effectiveness. To take account of the changes, ADMA is kicking off a consultation process to engage marketers with the aim of updating the
- [Don’t Market Like it’s 2003. Get With the Program](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/07/11/dont-market-like-its-2003-get-with-the-program/) - Over the last six months or so, I have taken a deep dive into the world of Marketing Automation, Digital Disruption and Mobility and Marketing Trends. And with every report, I see evidence of the situation playing over and over again – there is a growing distance between business and customers. It’s not just a
- [Mid-Year Digital Marketing Trends 2013](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/07/05/mid-year-digital-marketing-trends-2013/) - As we begin to ramp up our efforts for the second half of 2013, it’s always worth taking a moment to reflect on what has emerged, what is emerging and the gaps that are becoming obvious in our marketing strategy and tactics. For me, one of the things that has solidified is the notion that
- [Travel Like a Local - AndableTV](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/07/05/travel-like-a-local-andabletv/) - Travelling for business can be pretty boring. Once you fight off the jetlag and close out the meetings, many business travellers find themselves hanging out in their hotel. In the bar. In the lounge. Or in the room. It’s almost the opposite of being social. But what if there were ways to tap into the
- [News Analysis: Adobe Acquires Cross Channel Marketing Expert Neolane For $600M](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/06/28/news-analysis-adobe-acquires-cross-channel-marketing-expert-neolane-for-600m/) - On June 27th, Adobe announced a letter of intent to acquire Neolane for $600M. Neolane is a privately held, French-headquartered marketing automation software company with 47 of the top Fortune 500 companies as customers. Marketers are thinking less about "digital marketing" and more about how to market in a world driven by digital engagement, interaction
- [Digital Ad Spend Grows But What About the Investment?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/06/25/digital-ad-spend-grows-but-what-about-the-investment/) - When I look at infographics, I am looking not just at the facts and figures (boring) – I am looking a the underlying story. I want to understand what is taking place behind the numbers. I seek insight and connection between the sources of information, the behaviours of the industry and opportunities for the future.
- [Bridging the Social Chasm](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/06/20/bridging-the-social-chasm/) - When IBM’s Center for Business Value released its 2011 report into the relationship between social media, marketing and brands, it revealed a “perception gap”. On the one hand, marketers had an understanding that their connected consumers “wanted” or even “expected” a certain style of interaction through social media. And on the other hand, there was
- [Is Facebook the New Las Vegas?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/06/13/is-facebook-the-new-las-vegas/) - You know how it goes at the international airport check-in counter. Greet customer: “Hello sir” Determine destination: “Where are you travelling to today?” Check passport, print boarding pass etc It’s all pretty functional. From time to time, there might be some off-script personality sneaking through, but it’s rare. Unless you are travelling to Vegas. When
- [The Participatory Revolution](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/06/03/the-participatory-revolution/) - As part of the Vivid Ideas Festival, innovator, Michelle Williams (founder of Ideaction) curated a knock out event designed to transform the thinking of business, creative and innovation professionals. The resulting one day conference brought together an eclectic mix of speakers, audience members and yes, active participants. If you were like me and could not
- [Note to Brands: Make Things People Want](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/06/02/note-to-brands-make-things-people-want/) - Have you ever wondered why marketing and advertising is such hard work? We are constantly trying to change the way that people behave and think – positioning brands and businesses in the centre of a relationship that is only ever on the peripheral of our customers’ worlds. And while for us – for the business
- [Pitch the Future–Young Social Innovators in Action](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/31/pitch-the-futureyoung-social-innovators-in-action/) - You know what it’s like when inspiration hits … an idea galvanises in your mind like a bolt of electricity, sending your pulse racing. And the more you think on it, the more you feel your nerve fibres tingling. But what happens when you tell someone about your idea? Your mouth dries. The words tumble
- [Twitter + TV Goes Beyond the 30 Second Spot](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/30/twitter-tv-goes-beyond-the-30-second-spot/) - Many companies spend a great deal of time, money and effort getting people to do something. Like switching brands. Trying a new product. Or watching a TV show. And to do this, they use advertising. TV has been the great transformer of the 20th Century – it has educated us, engaged us and even amazed
- [Lead Your Life the Right Way, the Dreams Will Come to You](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/29/lead-your-life-the-right-way-the-dreams-will-come-to-you/) - One of the amazing things about the web is that we are constantly in a state of renewal. We read, consume, engage and move on. Great ideas, applications, innovations – and even people – come into our sphere of attention and leave. Sometimes without a trace. Or sometimes with only a line or two in
- [A Date with Lindsay Lohan. Or How Celebrity Adds Punch to Your Brand](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/26/a-date-with-lindsay-lohan-or-how-celebrity-adds-punch-to-your-brand/) - If there is one thing I love, its when people are publicly honest. Or self-deprecatingly honest. Or self-deprecatingly honest in public. But I love this even more when the person at the centre of the confession is famous. Or hyper-famous, like Lindsay Lohan. So, imagine that you are the brand manager for eHarmony, the dating
- [SuccessConnect – Where Talent and Social Collide at the SuccessFactors Conference](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/25/successconnect-where-talent-and-social-collide-at-the-successfactors-conference/)
- [Passwords – One for the Money, Two for the Show](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/23/passwords-one-for-the-money-two-for-the-show/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Ond-OwgU8 I am always going to love an Elvis quote. We don’t see enough of it in the world of business. And we should. After all, he was “The King”. So this quick guide to unhackable passwords from McAfee and Intel caught my attention straight away. The guide points out that you need multiple passwords:
- [Forget your raison d'être. What’s your raison pour le faire?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/22/forget-your-raison-dtre-whats-your-raison-pour-le-faire/) - I am a fan of deep thinking. Really I am. And I am a fan of long copy advertising. Documentaries. And books. Those old fashioned paper products that immerse you in other worlds. I love them and collect them and will continue to do so. Each of these sing to my soul. They ground me
- [Did the Job You’re In Exist When You Were Studying?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/16/did-the-job-youre-in-exist-when-you-were-studying/) - Stéfan via CompfightPredicting the future is incredibly difficult. Ask any psychic. Or marketer. We don’t need research to tell us that the world is changing, or that the future will be different from the past. The challenge is magnified not only by the amount of change that we are seeing in almost every industry, but
- [Putting Experience Back into Customer Experience](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/15/putting-experience-back-into-customer-experience/) - Yesterday I wrote about the importance of reading mean tweets. It’s a post about the rough and tumble nature of online conversation and what can happen when you step out into the gaze (and full throttle voice) of the social web. And then today, almost on cue, comes what BuzzFeed calls the most epic brand
- [Reading Mean Tweets – Social Media Beyond the Magic Mirror](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/14/reading-mean-tweets-social-media-beyond-the-magic-mirror/) - Are you an executive stepping into the world of social media? Are you a leader learning to tweet? Or are you in charge of a social media account or community site for a brand? If so, you may have experienced a flurry of mean tweets. And by “mean” I nasty. Mirror, mirror on the wall,
- [Five Must-Read Posts](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/13/five-must-read-posts/) - From innovation to execution and from twitter to real world impact, this week’s five must-read posts run the gamut. Theo Priestley reminds us that you are what you tweet. And that employers are scouring social media sites to learn more about your history, behaviour and suitability. The more things change, the more things stay the
- [A Minute is a Long Time–On the Internet](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/09/a-minute-is-a-long-timeon-the-internet/) - They say that a week is a long time in politics. That was certainly the case when there was a “daily” news cycle. Any announcements or revelations needed to be revealed in time for stories to be written, edited, photographs to be prepared, processed and newspapers to be printed. Breaking news was the domain of
- [Your Manifesto for Success](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/08/your-manifesto-for-success/) - It's a cliché to say that the only constant in life is change. And yet, like all clichés, it reveals a deep truth that we all must grapple with. Business owners and entrepreneurs are well aware of the underlying truth of this cliché - yet are often the most unprepared for the disruption that comes
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/05/07/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-54/) - If you are like me, when life get busy, the first thing that stops is writing. And when life gets busier still, the next thing that disappears is reading. But it’s not that reading and writing disappears completely. It’s more that the type and style changes. The choice narrows. We self-select. Rataionalise. Focus only on
- [Don't Give Up](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/04/29/dont-give-up/) - Creativity is hard work. Actually, work, life, everything is hard work. For every 100 good ideas that you put up, you’ll be lucky to see one take root. For every “yes” that you get, there’ll be dozens of “nos”. And for every spark you ignite in others, there’ll be whole audiences of blank faces. Remember,
- [Marketing to Marketers – Just Add ICE](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/04/29/marketing-to-marketers-just-add-ice/) - The five forces of the Consumerization of Information Technology (CoIT) do not just affect the chief information officer (CIO). The impact of social media, Big Data, analytics, mobility, cloud computing and unified communications will be felt across every business unit and across every enterprise. However, it is the office of the CMO - the organizational
- [Consuming Big Data–The Internet in 2015](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/04/16/consuming-big-datathe-internet-in-2015/) - Everything that we do on an internet connected device leaves a digital trail. Whether it is an internet enabled refrigerator, a PC, smartphone or tablet – somewhere there is a log file recording of what your device did, what it connected to and when. And if that involves sending files, or creating or consuming content
- [Startups - How Do You Like Them Apples?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/04/15/startups-how-do-you-like-them-apples/) - Starting a business is like flying by the seat of your pants. Even experienced entrepreneurs experience the simultaneous challenges of validating and launching a product, marketing, resourcing, managing staff, engaging stakeholders and securing funding. Often – in the whirlwind – a strategic approach to marketing is lost. Or worse – ignored. My view (as it
- [Do You Hire Well? A Lesson From HubSpot](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/04/15/do-you-hire-well-a-lesson-from-hubspot/) - I have been a fan of HubSpot for some time. I love the way that they relentlessly connect the dots between marketing and action, between marketers and their customers, and the web and the business of marketing. Over the years, the HubSpot team have developed and driven the concept of inbound marketing – releasing free
- [Getting a Handle on Bitcoin](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/04/11/getting-a-handle-on-bitcoin/) - I must admit to being more than a little intrigued by Bitcoin, the open source, peer-to-peer digital currency. In fact, anything with the words “open source, peer-to-peer and digital” in its description is likely to pique my interest. But as a currency, Bitcoin operates independently of central banks or a central organisation – which in
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/04/08/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-53/) - A blast of innovation this week with a focus on ideas, creativity and transforming them into something useful. Like work. Or customers. Or a change in the world we’re living in. What’s not to love? If there is one thing we crave, it is surety. But, of course, everything we face is uncertain – which
- [It's Not Charity: It's Social Enterprise-investing in the future](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/03/28/its-not-charity-its-social-enterprise-investing-in-the-future/) - When I give money to charity, I look closely at the aims of the organisation. I listen to the story and look for the downstream impact. And I look at the finances. I am keen to know how much of the money that is donated goes to programs and how much goes to administration. Over
- [Convergent Storytelling - or how to tell a mofo of a story](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/03/26/convergent-storytelling-or-how-to-tell-a-mofo-of-a-story/) - When we think of convergence, we tend to think of the obvious - of like things coming together. “Convergent media” for example is often seen as a force for disruption – yet for me, it’s far from disruptive. In fact, I’d go so far to say that it is assertive. But what happens when the
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/03/25/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-52/) - What is creativity? How do we link it to business – and how do we make a business OUT of that creative impulse? These are all questions that link the five must-read posts from last week. And interestingly, at least for me, the answer is not what you’d expect. When Google decided to shut down
- [Brand Storytelling: Teradata's Case of the Tainted Lasagna](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/03/15/brand-storytelling-teradatas-case-of-the-tainted-lasagna/) - Brand storytelling can be hard work. Not only are there all the internal hurdles to overcome, sign-offs and legal checks and so on – there is also the challenge of subject matter. What do you do if you have a complex product or solution that you are trying to explain? Which channels do you choose
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/03/11/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-51/) - Over the last week there have been dozens of brilliant articles published. But these five posts really caught my attention – with original thinking and expression and a point of view that is hard to ignore. Hope you enjoy them all! A welcome return post by Rob Campbell delights us all. Paul Wallbank shares yet
- [Hands-on Guide to Social Media Channel Selection](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/03/10/hands-on-guide-to-social-media-channel-selection/) - I have always been a fan of the CMO.com guide to channel selection. Each year for the last few years, the CMO.com folks have put together a handy guide that explains exactly how each of the main social media channels can be best used. This year, rather than producing an infographic (as in previous years),
- [SocietyOne Eyes Off Disruption in Personal Lending](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/03/04/societyone-eyes-off-disruption-in-personal-lending/) - For decades, many Australian business sectors have been asleep at the wheel – underinvesting in digital technology, employee skills and strategic thinking. Which sectors? They’re the ones people complain about on Twitter and Facebook – retail, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and financial services. And you can add utilities into that list (but that’s a subject for a
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/03/04/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-50/) - These days we see a lot of blog posts masquerading as news – about the industry, media, technology and so on. But there is often not a lot of insight, or action. There’s opinion and sometimes a few ideas – but precious few wrestle with what it means to live in media-saturated, always connected age.
- [It's Not Risk. It's Gaining Trust](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/03/03/its-not-risk-its-gaining-trust/) - We often (still) hear stories of businesses and individuals fearing social media. And if you listen closely to what is being said, you will hear the fear. You will hear anxiety. And when you hear about those folks who brave social media – who push the envelope within their organisation, you will hear them talk
- [Scale Your Digital Marketing with Marketing Automation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/03/01/scale-your-digital-marketing-with-marketing-automation/) - In these challenging times, we are all asked to do more with less. For marketers, this means coping with an explosion of channels, transformation in the expectations of our customers and an abundance of data that can, in equal parts, obscure or facilitate insight. So where can you turn to scale your marketing efforts? The
- [I'm Just a Little Bit in Love with This](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/28/im-just-a-little-bit-in-love-with-this/) - I’m just a little bit in love with a great presentation by Martin Weigel. How to (not) Fail from Martin Weigel I didn’t want to get in the way between you and this presentation – but it’s important to remember that there is a huge perception gap between what WE think consumers want, and what
- [Content Marketing in Australia Needs a Wakeup Call](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/26/content-marketing-in-australia-needs-a-wakeup-call/) - The Content Marketing Institute’s new report on Content Marketing in Australia is timed nicely for the upcoming Content Marketing Conference (4-6 March 2013). The report contrasts the content marketing approaches taken by marketers in Australia vs the USA and reinforces much that we already know: Over 60% of marketers expect to increase or significantly increase
- [You Thought Siri Was Cool Until You Got Google Glass](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/22/you-thought-siri-was-cool-until-you-got-google-glass/) - I can remember my first bulky personal digital assistant (PDA). It was cumbersome, hard to use and ugly. Very ugly. But I loved it. It felt like a ripple in the fabric of the future. While at university, I took notes on this PDA, scrambling to jot bullet points into the slim LED screen and
- [Group Buying Code of Practice Tightens](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/19/group-buying-code-of-practice-tightens/) - Group buying has proven popular in Australia. In 2012, the market generated $504 million, and according to a December 2012 study by Telsyte, the top five sites showed year-on-year growth of over 9%. However, it is not all roses. Competition is fierce and the size of the market is not expected to grow as strongly
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/18/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-49/) - This week there has been plenty of discussion around the world of digital. From metrics to trust and selling to strategy, it feels like digital – as a disruptive force – is itself being disrupted. This reinforces the sense that we must continuously update our skills and expertise – and work with one foot in
- [Waving Goodbye to Posterous](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/16/waving-goodbye-to-posterous/) - I have long been a fan of Posterous. It was a platform that was ridiculously easy to use – and was a great introduction to social media for those who were (or remain) cautious of technology and online publishing. But when Twitter acquired Posterous in 2012, it was only a matter of time before it
- [What’s in Your Startup DNA](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/13/whats-in-your-startup-dna/) - There’s plenty of hype around startups – and around the founders of those startups. We buy books (books, really? Yes!) written by startup entrepreneurs, attend talks, download podcasts and go to conferences. Sometimes it can feel like meeting a rockstar rather than a business person. But for every startup, there are countless others, often behind
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/11/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-48/) - The last week seems to have been introspective – a looking back rather than looking forward. And also a sense of pausing before the next onward push. Maybe it is to do with the (now) Chinese Year of the Snake. Or maybe it’s just a collective deep breath. Either way, these five must-read posts from
- [Gustin Shows Why Retailers Still Don’t Get Digital](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/07/gustin-shows-why-retailers-still-dont-get-digital/) - For years, Australian retailers have under-invested in digital. They held back technology investment, closed down innovation programs and hired traditional marketers when they should have been growing their own breed of tech-savvy innovators. And while retailers had their heads in the sand, the world changed. Recent failures like ClickFrenzy have been down played and it’s
- [Let Your Customers Tell the Story of Your Brand](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/06/let-your-customers-tell-the-story-of-your-brand/) - We have lived for many years with the illusion of control. We believed that we could: Control the experience of our brand Manage the way our brand was represented Dictate the messaging people used when discussing our brand To administer this, and to reinforce our sense of ownership of our brand, we created processes, guidelines
- [The Brand Behind Your Buttons](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/05/the-brand-behind-your-buttons/) - Sometimes the most important aspects of brand experience happen below the level of our consciousness. Think of the sound that is made when you close the door of your car. Manufacturers spend millions researching, designing and engineering that experience. Same with the exhaust note of a Harley Davidson. All of this careful thinking and planning
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/04/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-47/) - Let’s face it, we all love a bit of drama. Some of us like to create it. Some of us like to clean it up. And many of us just like to grab a beer and watch it unfold before our very eyes. This week’s five must-read posts have more than a touch of drama
- [Advertising in 2020 - Let's Hope There's Fire](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/02/01/advertising-in-2020-lets-hope-theres-fire/) - John Willshire and Mark Earls make you think. They chisel and shape ideas until they are sharp enough to be carved into your mind. As part of the Wharton Future of Advertising program, they put together this presentation that provokes a conversation around advertising and what it might look like in the year ahead. Take
- [Vibewire's 6 Under 26 - Australia's Hottest Young Innovators](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/01/31/vibewires-6-under-26-australias-hottest-young-innovators/) - When we think and talk about innovation our attention naturally tends towards a vision for the future. But more often than not, that vision of the future is being set by middle aged women and men. Leaders of political parties, “captains of industry”, and community leaders of every size and shape tend to achieve their
- [Yammer's Community Management Playbook](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/01/31/yammers-community-management-playbook/) - As a boy I can remember my Nanna holding court at a friend’s house. We were sitting at a 50s laminex kitchen table (you know the kind with the fake marbling and the shiny metal edging) and there were copious cups of tea, home made cakes, scones and biscuits carefully laid out. But no one
- [Lend Jai Some Muscle for the Cole Classic](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/01/30/lend-jai-some-muscle-for-the-cole-classic/) - The Cole Classic is Australia’s largest ocean swim, covering about 9km from Sydney’s Dee Why beach to the iconic sands of Manly. In this, it’s 30th year, the Cole Classic has attracted thousands of swimmers from around the world who each commit to raising funds for local charities. But this year’s competitors won’t just be
- [Organic Search Remains King in B2B](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/01/30/organic-search-remains-king-in-b2b/) - If you are looking for marketing advice, you don’t need to look very far. There are literally hundreds of marketing blogs, websites and platform vendors who offer up various levels of expertise and advice. So no matter whether you are an enterprise marketer or running your own business, you’ll easily find some ideas, strategies and
- [I Love Dick](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/01/23/i-love-dick/) - On Australia Day a wave of patriotism spreads across the nation like vegemite on hot, buttered toast. Australian flags appear on cars and clothes. Australian songs dominate the airwaves (or should I say the playlists) and we celebrate one exemplary individual as Australian of the Year (yes, I know, it’s likely to be a sports
- [End Fat Wallet Syndrome with NU Lifestyle](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/01/03/end-fat-wallet-syndrome-with-nu-lifestyle/) - I love gadgets. Sometimes they are things I will use for work, sometimes it is software. Sometimes it’s just something fun – or that I “always wanted”. But rather than keeping it to myself, I thought I’d share it with you – as part of my Gadget Weekend posts. At the beginning of each year
- [The Rise of the Social Prescription](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2013/01/03/the-rise-of-the-social-prescription-a-tweet-a-day-keeps-the-doctor-away/) - For decades, many industries have resisted the shift to digital. Retail, pharmaceutical, financial services, healthcare and even the media have fortified themselves against the changes taking place in the global consumer marketplaces. But one-by-one, all industries must, sooner or later, engage with those customers who have already made the digital transformation or risk losing businesses
- [A Cup of Chaos #79:  Eagle Snatches Kid](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/21/a-cup-of-chaos-79-eagle-snatches-kid/) - Imagine … you’re just out at the local park doing some bird watching. It’s cold but the kids are still out playing and enjoying themselves. In the sky you see a great eagle and you marvel at its majesty. You track it as it banks on the air currents and then watch in horror as
- [The Mayan Apocalypse? No, Just Eloqua's Early Christmas Joy](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/21/the-mayan-apocalypse-no-just-eloquas-early-christmas-joy/) - Sneaking a last minute deal in before the holiday break, Oracle announced an $871 million acquisition of marketing automation vendor, Eloqua. Representing a 10x multiple on Eloqua’s annual revenues, it marks the first of what is likely to be a string of consolidations in the marketing technology space over the next 12 months. The deal
- [Free Your Instagram Photos with FreeThePhotos](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/20/free-your-instagram-photos-with-freethephotos/) - Remember when Flickr was cool? It has the no-brainer business model of $25 per year, in-built community functions like sets, groups and connections, and it helped manage copyright through various licensing arrangements. And the open API meant we could do cool things like But then it lost its way. Yahoo! stopped telling us about what
- [Instagram Don't Want Your Pictures, They Want Your Influence](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/19/instagram-dont-want-your-pictures-they-want-your-influence/) - Over the last 24 hours, the changes to the Instagram social network’s terms of use have rippled across the web. Many took to Twitter to voice their displeasure, while others determined it was a non event. In many respects, it was only a matter of time before Facebook began to expect a return on their
- [Instagram Dumps Early Adopters for a Shot at the Mainstream](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/18/instagram-rings-its-own-death-knell-and-leaps-to-the-mainstream/) - When Instagram burst onto the scene with its mobile only platform and funky photo filters it came armed with a secret. It wasn’t just about the photos. Sure, the vast range of photo filters were appealing. They provided a layer of nostalgia for the Gen Xers raised on Kodak round edged photos and soft focus
- [What Facebook's Year in Review Reveals About Us](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/17/what-facebooks-year-in-review-reveals-about-us/) - The promise of big data is that it can reveal to us the truth in our behaviours, not just our beliefs. Just think, for example, about your internet use over the last year. Or month. Or even week. What did you do? What sites did you visit? What did you click on? Why did you
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/17/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-46/) - Each week I collect articles that inspire me. Sometimes that means that I have dozens of extra tabs open in my web browser, and sometimes I rely on the astounding feedly feed reader. In both cases this week, I ended with a surfeit of great articles. Here are the best five of about 20 that
- [Should You Work for Free](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/16/should-you-work-for-free/) - Almost everyone I know has been asked to work for free at some stage in their career. The question may have come from: A family member: perhaps your parents need help with their computer. Maybe your brother needs a website or some graphic design help. Perhaps your sister wants to shoot and edit a video
- [Here’s to the Curious](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/14/heres-to-the-curious/) - What did we search for in 2012 – and more importantly, what did we find? Google’s Zeitgeist 2012 reveals the remarkable personal, international and social events that brought us together. And those that tore us apart. http://youtu.be/xY_MUB8adEQ
- [The Perfect Gift this Holiday](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/14/the-perfect-gift-this-holiday/) - Way back in 2009, Mark Pollard and I set out to change the online conversation about men’s health, depression, suicide and alcohol dependency. As part of the Inspire Foundation’s Manweek campaign, we collected stories that would help reinvent manhood. We even had author of Manhood and Raising Boys, Steve Biddulph write an introduction. This is
- [The Long Trail of Digital's Long Tail](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/13/the-long-trail-of-digitals-long-tail/) - For the last couple of months I have been researching the digital marketing automation market – speaking with vendors, watching demos, listening to customers and analysing features, statistics and case studies. It’s a crowded market with a wide variety of feature sets and capabilities. But if there is one thing that is obvious in all
- [Trend: I'm Fricken Michaelangelo](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/13/trend-im-fricken-michaelangelo/) - I’m overwhelmed by the sheer number of trend announcements and insights for 2013 that are circulating the web at the moment. It seems that we have an abundance of opinion yet live in the desert of insight. Almost everyone says the same thing in a different way. Or with a quirky direction. Almost always there
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/11/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-45/) - It seems that we are accelerating towards the end of the year – not winding down. And while last week I focused on posts that kept away from trends and predictions, this week it’s been hard to avoid them. Here are some top quality reads to get your brain in gear: There is a reason
- [A Little Joy to Start Your Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/10/a-little-joy-to-start-your-week/) - http://youtu.be/GBaHPND2QJg Flashmobs tend to feel too smug to be joyous. But this one produced for Spanish bank, Banco Sabadell works wonderfully. As explained: Earlier this summer, the bank brought together 100 musicians and singers from the Orchestra Simfonica del Valles, Amics de l’Opera de Sabadell, Coral Belles Arts, and Cor Lieder Camera to perform the
- [Friday's Famous Tweets](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/07/fridays-famous-tweets/) - Each Monday I write up a summary of the best five articles that from the previous week. This curated “Five Must Read Posts” series serves a series of purposes: Improves the signal to noise ratio: I only post the most useful and interesting of articles that I have read or noticed over the previous seven
- [A Cup of Chaos #78: Newcastle – This Place is Pretty  Good](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/07/a-cup-of-chaos-78-newcastle-this-place-is-pretty-good/) - It’s been a long time between drinks, but this video from comedian, Rob Bukey necessitated a return. It is a rap song/video about Newcastle, Australia – and captures many of its aspects (location, economy, local government, leisure) beautifully. Great fun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEglk8a1vpA
- [Light Up Someone's Life This Holiday with Moore's Cloud](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/06/light-up-someones-life-this-holiday-with-moores-cloud/) - Admit it. You’re more than a little geeky. There is a drawer somewhere in your house with old mobile phones, cameras, and pieces of technology. For all I know, you probably have a Newton gathering dust under your desk. If this sounds like you, then you may just want to add Light to your Holiday
- [Dell Launches Social Business Services](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/05/dell-launches-social-business-services/) - Much lauded for its own social business transformation, Dell is now taking its social media expertise to market, launching a new range of offerings through a collaboration between its marketing and services teams. Targeting enterprise and medium sized business customers, the first offerings provide: Education – best practice seminars for a range of industries Advisory
- [Reduce Marketing Risk with ADMA’s Compliance Hub](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/05/reduce-marketing-risk-with-admas-compliance-hub/) - With recent changes to Australia’s privacy legislation, marketers now face a slew of regulatory responsibilities or risk significant fines of up to $1.1 million. Marketers and advertisers have been given 15 months to comply with the recent changes – and the Association for data-driven marketing and advertising (ADMA) has launched the ADMA Compliance Hub to
- [The Many Colours of Digital Disruption](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/05/the-many-colours-of-digital-disruption/) - From almost any angle, businesses are under pressure. Connected customers are out-flanking business efforts to control the flow of goods and services and manage relationships in an increasingly connected economy. The global economy continues to struggle under the weight of misguided policies, sovereign debt and an entitled corporatocracy that aims to “maximize the status quo”
- [Disruption is the New Normal - The Internet @ December 2012](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/04/disruption-is-the-new-normal-the-internet-december-2012/) - There are few trend reports that generate the kind of excitement that Mary Meeker is able to elicit. The well known partner at VC group Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers has just released a year-end update to her 2012 internet trends presentation. It is an 88 slide information overload that will provide plenty to ponder
- [Is Mobile Working For You?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/04/is-mobile-working-for-you/) - At the beginning of the year, digital traffic on mobile devices was sitting at about 5%. This was a small but important segment – but very few websites were optimised for mobile devices. And those that were offered slimmed down functionality. Even Facebook was slow to deliver on a mobile experience. But through the year,
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/12/03/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-44/) - By now you will have seen a bunch of prediction articles for 2013 and trend documents looking back over the last year (or at least the last 11 months). I will endeavour to avoid these and focus on must-read articles that will kick start your thinking and not make you wonder off into future space
- [From Big Data Science to Big Data Action](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/29/from-big-data-science-to-big-data-action/) - From the dawn of civilisation through to the year 2003, Google calculates that humans have produced 5 exabytes of data. That’s a lot of stone tablets. But with the explosion of mobile devices, 3G and 4G networks and social networks, we now produce 5 exabytes of data every two days. That means that every photo
- [Hey Sexy Lady - It's Servant of Chaos Style](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/29/hey-sexy-lady-its-servant-of-chaos-style/) - It’s that time of year … projects are being finalised for the holiday rush, colleagues are moving on to new roles or new employers and everyone is about ready to let off a little steam. But what happens when a christmas party gets a little out of hand? I have a feeling that we’ll be
- [Mobile Isn’t Just a Marketing Conversation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/28/mobile-isnt-just-a-marketing-conversation/) - “Mobile first” won’t cut it – businesses need to think “mobile only” It’s time for CMOs to climb aboard the technology bus CIOs need to buy-into the marketing conversation Could it be that 2013 will indeed be the “year of mobile”? Mobile internet traffic is now accounting for 20-30% of total web traffic working from
- [Event Report: ConnectingUp.org's Social Media Forum](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/27/event-report-connectingup-orgs-social-media-forum/) - Connecting Up is a not for profit organisation that provides vital products, resources and programs designed to make the Australian not for profit and community sector stronger and more resilient. As part of this charter, Connecting Up recently held a social media forum in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, showcasing the work of local organisations and
- [Marketing the First Step for Retailers Matrix Commerce](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/27/marketing-the-first-step-for-retailers-matrix-commerce/) - Australian retailers have lost a decade on their US-based rivals. Since the early 2000s, many of the US retailers have been actively gathering and analysing the mountains of behaviour-oriented data generated by web traffic and putting it to work. Sites like eBay and Amazon use this information to transform their business from the outside-in –
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/26/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-43/) - Where do you draw the line? Are you forwards thinking or a procrastinator? Are you a talker or a walker? Do you feel safest putting your ideas and thoughts out into the world or do you huddle them together and prize them like a ring of power? This week’s five must-read posts tread the line
- [A Change as Good as a Holiday](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/25/a-change-as-good-as-a-holiday/) - For the last three or four years I have been thinking about switching from Typepad to Wordpress. I had originally chosen Typepad because it was easy, simple and powerful, but it is essentially the same platform that I began using seven or more years ago. Wordpress, on the other hand, continues to improve. With a
- [Trust is Up for Financial Services’ Connected Consumers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/22/trust-is-up-for-financial-services-connected-consumers/) - While the retail sector continues to flounder, the Financial Services industry seems to finally have cottoned on to the digital business opportunity presented by social media. A new report published by ING shows that frequent social media users (ie that lucrative and market-making early adopter segment) view social media as being as reliable as other
- [How ClickFrenzy Became a ClickFizzer](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/21/how-clickfrenzy-became-a-clickfizzer/) - It should have been a raging online success for Australian retailers – a pre-Christmas event bringing together hundreds of local stores to create an online marketplace unrivalled in Australia’s digital history. The aptly named ClickFrenzy was designed to kick start the holiday purchasing season with an Australian flavour – with local retailers aiming for a
- [Funnel Conversion: Make it About Your Customers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/20/funnel-conversion-make-it-about-your-customers/) - It’s one thing to have a marketing insight, but quite another to do something valuable with it. Living as we do with an abundance of data, what marketers increasingly need is a way to filter the information, distil it for insight and apply their business and brand knowledge in a way that creates value for
- [Event Report: Constellation Research Connected Enterprise](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/20/event-report-constellation-research-connected-enterprise/) - At some events, all eyes are turned towards the shining stars on the stage, but at Connected Enterprise, Constellation Research’s annual conference, the lines are blurred. This weekend long conference is an intimate innovation event for senior business leaders who not only have an interest in disruptive technology – they’re putting it to work within
- [The Shift from Mobile First to Mobile Only](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/17/the-shift-from-mobile-first-to-mobile-only/) - Every year the mobile marketing industry boldly announces that THIS will be the “year of mobile”. In 2005, Sony Ericsson, O2 and Samsung added new features and capabilities to their mobile handsets, delivering 2Mb cameras and GPS to blur the lines between the personal digital assistant and the cellular phone. It was the year that
- [Who Really Uses Facebook?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/15/who-really-uses-facebook/) - When you think of Facebook, the scale can be confronting: 1 billion members 45% of the North American population 42% of Oceania 35% of South America 270 million members in Asia But who really uses Facebook? What do they look like? How would you characterize them? The clever folks from Soap Creative have done us
- [Re-invent Your Organisation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/13/re-invent-your-organisation/) - Almost every day we are reminded of the constant onslaught of change. Our customers are outflanking our businesses – challenging us to be more connected, transparent in our dealings and impact not only shareholder value but the world at large. These expectations have permeated our employee cultures, partner ecosystems and business networks. Taken together, they
- [Driving Retail from Digital to Destination](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/05/driving-retail-from-digital-to-destination/) - The marketing funnel has imploded under its own inadequacy Marketers must respond to the shift to digital with the 5 Ds of consumer engagement Analytics is essential to understand the path to conversion For decades, Australian retailers have under-invested in technology and online innovation. After all there was no “burning platform.” People still bought goods
- [Mobile Disruption Catches Retailers Off-guard](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/11/01/mobile-disruption-catches-retailers-off-guard/) - We are now deep into the last quarter for 2012. Marketers are pre-occupied by two challenges – planning for 2013 and preparing to launch Q4 campaigns designed to close out the year on a sales high. Innovation in the customer buying journey has, however, changed the game. We are all retailers now and the ground
- [Three Things Cycling Taught Me About Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/30/three-things-cycling-taught-me-about-social-media/) - I must admit to being a reluctant cyclist. Sure, I like the benefits and I even like getting out in the weather – but it can be hard to overcome the initial inertia. There is one thing, however, that fascinates me about cycling – and that is the way that your mind begins to make
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/29/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-3/) - We all want our communications to “cut through” – to reach the people who matter and have an impact (no matter how small) in their lives. But in our push to make this happen, we often contribute to the noise rather than strengthening the signal. This is where strategy and tactics combine. But which comes
- [B2B Marketing Benchmarks and Trends + Two Insights for Content Marketers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/25/b2b-marketing-benchmarks-and-trends/) - The Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs today launched the 2013 edition of their B2B marketing benchmarks and trends report. Based on a survey of over 1400 marketers in North America, the report reveals the trends impacting corporate marketers across the full spectrum of business size: Content marketing remains a priority: With 90% of marketers
- [Report - CMOs: Time to Re-Cast the Marketing Funnel](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/24/report-cmos-time-to-re-cast-the-marketing-funnel/) - It is often said that companies only have two functions - marketing and innovation. Despite this, most corporate marketing practices are based on century old theories and frameworks that no longer adequately accommodate the complexities faced by today's CMO. Rather than the inside-out view offered by the traditional marketing funnel, marketers need to develop a
- [A Palpable Dis-Ease - Graham Brown’s Mobile Youth](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/23/a-palpable-dis-ease-graham-browns-mobile-youth/) - (Graham Brown) The Mobile Youth: Voices of the mobile generation from Graham Brown (mobileYouth) We don’t have to look far to see that we are living in a digital world. On my desk sits half a dozen connected devices, wifi enabled, flashing, beeping, spewing updates from sites, friends and acquaintances thousands of miles away. But
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/22/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2/) - The profusion of digital media – not just in terms of technology but also in terms of content – can be overwhelming. Brands, businesses and bloggers are all working to create a toehold in your imagination – creating content aimed to attract, entice and engage. But sometimes we don’t need something new, we just need
- [Men … How Dense Are You?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/18/men-how-dense-are-you/) - While osteoporosis more frequently affects women than men, men with hip fractures have a mortality rate two-to-three times higher than women. And as 30-to-40 per cent of fractures due to osteoporosis occur in men, it’s clearly an issue that men should be (cough) seeing their doctors about. The only way men can find out if
- [What Your Purchases Reveal About You](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/17/what-your-purchases-reveal-about-you/) - The promise of big data is that it produces a win-win outcome for the customer and the business. As consumers, we relinquish our fears over (and some rights to) privacy, and in return receive a range of benefits – free access to networking tools, file and photo sharing, email and so on. It’s a well-worn
- [Why a Facebook Only Strategy is Doomed to Fail](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/16/why-a-facebook-only-strategy-is-doomed-to-fail/) - Facebook’s recent decision to shut down The Cool Hunter’s Facebook page should have sent shivers down the spine of every marketer. For years the vast scale of Facebook has attracted brands like a moth to the social media flame. Promising TVC-like reach with the added benefits of interactivity, community building and interest-graph targeting, it seemed
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/15/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1/) - Some of the articles from last week took my breath away. They are artfully written and deliver a slap to the face and a jolt to the brain. Some are by local writers – but as usual I source the best writing from all parts of the world. I trust that these five posts will
- [Australian Marketers Rock Up to the Marketo Rockstar Tour](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/14/australian-marketers-rock-up-to-the-marketo-rockstar-tour/) - If marketing technology vendors had doubted Australian marketers’ hunger for innovation, then the recent turnout to the Marketo Rockstar Tour laid those doubts to rest. Stretching out of the main bar at Sydney’s Establishment Hotel and down George Street, a queue of 300 or so patiently made their way to the upstairs ballroom to learn
- [Asian Connections: Embracing the Digital Trajectory](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/12/asian-connections-embracing-the-digital-trajectory/) - Fifty four percent of the world’s population lives in Asia. That’s 3.7 billion people. And according to We Are Social, Singapore’s recent report, Asia is home to over 1 billion internet users – 80% of whom use social media (see full report below). The numbers are impressive. And yet, they tell only part of the
- [Blog Monetisation at Social Media Club, Sydney](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/09/blog-monetisation-at-social-media-club-sydney/) - It was a welcome return and a good, vocal crowd at the Shelbourne Hotel, for the topic of Blog Monetisation at Sydney’s Social Media Club event. A panel comprising bloggers, agency folks, digital publishers, journalists, PR and digital strategists kept the conversation going and got the crowd tweeting. Hannah De Milta from Rocketman Media moderated
- [Go Where Others Don’t - The Digital Newsroom of Medecins Sans Frontieres Australia](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/09/go-where-others-dont-the-digital-newsroom-of-medecins-sans-frontieres-australia/) - There is a lot of talk about brands becoming publishers – as if it was a simple transformation achieved by the stroke of a budget making biro. But what does it really take? In Australia, Medicins Sans Frontieres or “doctors without borders” aim to put this to the test. Médecins Sans Frontières is the world’s
- [News Analysis: Google Takes on Financial Services](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/08/news-analysis-google-takes-on-financial-services/) - In the UK, Google is set to launch a new financial services division with a new credit business the first product to market. As Adam Clark Estes reports, the initial offering will provide businesses with a small line of credit linked specifically to Google’s AdWords program. A number of items within the announcement are worthy
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/08/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week/) - It feels a bit like back to the future this week – but with a touch of foresight! Most of the must-reads that I have pulled out of the thousands of articles skimmed, checked and read last week come from those writers that I was most influenced by in my early blogging days. To this
- [#PMdigital–The Australian Prime Minister’s Digital Forum](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/07/pmdigitalthe-australian-prime-ministers-digital-forum/) - On Friday, October 5, the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, hosted a forum on the digital economy. Streamed via the web it brought together business leaders, academics, politicians and small business owners. Through out the day, speakers returned to the themes that are driving change in our lives – what we refer to as the
- [You Had Me at Hello–20 Tips for Social Media Engagement](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/04/you-had-me-at-hello20-tips-for-social-media-engagement/) - “I don’t have time for that”. How many times have you heard those lines? It is often the first reaction to a new technology. It is the cold fish, slap-in-the-face of the overwhelmed. The desperate cry of the overworked. Many times we let technology get in the way. It can confuse us or stop us
- [Trust and the Marketer](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/10/02/trust-and-the-marketer/) - Consumers have always suspected marketers. Of something. But this “something” has always been elusive. Hard to pin down. In the back of the mind of most consumers, there is a small voice – a remnant of our evolutionary instinct – that warns us of a potential risk, a trap. The limbic system is part of
- [The Common Sense of Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/28/the-common-sense-of-social-media/) - Are you old enough to remember the people who ran the corner shop? Do you even remember a time when there WAS a corner shop? What about a milk man? Or a baker who home delivered? These were people who knew your name. They knew where you lived. Their kids went to school with your
- [CMO to CIO - It’s Time We Talked](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/25/cmo-to-cio-its-time-we-talked/) - When we crowdsourced the first The Age of Conversation book back in 2008, the idea of working from the outside-in was untested. Over 100 marketing innovators from 15 countries shared their thoughts and early experiences and Drew McLellan and I produced a book that would go on to create a community, showcase the early adopters
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/24/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-2/) - Some weeks, reading across the web can feel light on. At other times, it feels like there is an explosion of critical thinking and devastating insight. Last week, it was the latter – with dozens of great articles challenging perceptions and charting a path into the future. These are the best five: Following your passion
- [Don’t Like Me - Hire Me: Recruiting Goes Social](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/19/dont-like-me-hire-me-recruiting-goes-social/) - The 2012 Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey reports that 92% of US companies have used social media to identify talent and potential employees. The survey also indicates that 43% of companies using social recruiting have seen an increase in candidate quality – with 73% successfully hiring. Increasingly this means that personal brands and employer brands are
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/17/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-2/) - Each week I seek out articles that indicate a shift in something – cultural thinking, consumer behaviour, strategy, communications, work practices … anything that opens the door to the unexpected. It’s easy to find information that confirms what we already think or know, but it’s better to not only push the envelope of our own
- [Invisible Digital is the Force for Next Generation Branding](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/16/invisible-digital-is-the-force-for-next-generation-branding/) - Next Generation Branding Happens from the Outside In Apple does it. Amazon does it. Nike does it. Google does it too. All are ranked in the top 50 of the 2012 BrandZ most valuable global brands report. Yet even within this exclusive collection of brands, some stand out from others. It’s not just that they
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/10/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-4/) - From analysis to how-to, this week’s five must-read posts have a little something for everyone. Read them all and dazzle your colleagues with your insight, knowledge and pure awesomeness. Paul Wallbank’s blistering commentary on the Australian retail sector resonates with a lot of the readers over at Smart Company. It’s the real e-myth and it’s
- [Creativity and the Practice of Empathy](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/07/creativity-and-the-practice-of-empathy/) - I can remember seeing a friend after university holidays – and asking “how was your break?” It’s the natural conversation starter. But when he answered, it was not what I expected. Rather than the polite “great thanks … yours?” response, I was delivered a bombshell. There was no seaside holiday or relaxing overseas trip. There
- [I am Joining Constellation Research](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/07/i-am-joining-constellation-research/) - Gavin Heaton joins award winning Constellation Research to provide digital marketing research and advisory services.
- [Twitter 101: A Crash Course from Mandi Bateson](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/06/twitter-101-a-crash-course-from-mandi-bateson/) - Almost every day we hear more about the growth of Twitter. We hear a lot about its growth and its promise – but also, it’s dark side. Back in 2008, I felt that social media was mainstreaming – becoming accepted by what we’d call the early and late majorities. But as this trend continues, we
- [World PR Forum - Using the Power of Stories to End Global Poverty](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/05/world-pr-forum-using-the-power-of-stories-to-end-global-poverty/) - With the World Public Relations Forum arriving in Melbourne 18-20 November 2012, there’s bound to be plenty of on and offline conversations around the changing role of communications. But with a theme of “Communication Without Borders” – it appears the organisers are setting a broad agenda. One of the more interesting sessions scheduled for the
- [Sydney Cycleways Changing the Way We Experience Sydney](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/04/sydney-cycleways-changing-the-way-we-experience-sydney/) - Years ago I did some work in Munich. Our office was in the centre of town and my hotel (if you could call it that) was just outside the central business district – but rather than catching a can each day, I thought I’d try cycling. At the front of the hotel was a bike
- [Book Now for Creative Innovation 2012](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/09/02/book-now-for-creative-innovation-2012/) - For every wicked problem there’s a great opportunity. But it takes leadership and courage – and that’s the theme for the upcoming Creative Innovation Asia Pacific conference this November. Held in Melbourne, Australia, November 28-30, 2012, is setting a transformational agenda for business and organisational leaders alike – how do we adapt flexibly and rapidly
- [Trust is the Gateway to App Sales Success](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/31/trust-is-the-gateway-to-app-sales-success/) - When we search on the internet we are investing a small amount of trust in the speed, responsiveness and accuracy of the search engine that we are using. After all, the future of your brand is micro. We trust that Google or Bing is reliably trawling the web for the latest information, indexing knowledge to
- [Vibewire’s fastBREAK - Lies](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/28/vibewires-fastbreak-lies/) - Each month, Vibewire, in conjunction with the Powerhouse Museum, hosts a fascinating and always illuminating event that showcases innovators and the ideas, passions and personal motivations that inspire them. Each person is asked to share the personal story – the WHY, not the WHAT or the HOW. In a way – fastBREAK is like a
- [The Hard Work of Radical Transparency](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/28/the-hard-work-of-radical-transparency/) - I remember feeling like my jaw had hit the floor. I had just started my first week of working for IBM and had read about an article published by an analyst firm. Days earlier – working as a freelancer – I had tried to contact this very same firm to discuss another topic – and
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/27/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-3/) - Over the last week, I have been fascinated by the concept of disruption. Everywhere I look I see fear and uncertainty – from political debate to economic prosperity. But I also see abundance – insight, creativity and persistence. And yet, we hold more tightly to the former and relinquish easily, the latter. These five must-read
- [Welcome to the Age of the Social Consumer](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/22/welcome-to-the-age-of-the-social-consumer/) - Names can be confusing – especially when it comes to that ever shrinking membrane between businesses and their customers. Variously we call them customers, clients, stakeholders and consumers. Sometimes these people – for they are always people – are also our employees, partners, shareholders, suppliers and even executives. The lines have blurred. Let me just
- [In Every Presentation, the Story Starts With You](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/21/in-every-presentation-the-story-starts-with-you/) - Over the last month or so I have done a lot of public speaking. It can be one of the most terrifying activities that you ever willingly put yourself through. Or you may find it exhilarating. But no matter whether you fall into one camp or another, you will quickly realise that you face a
- [The Social Power of YouTube Search](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/19/the-social-power-of-youtube-search/) - Creating a YouTube channel for your brand is a no-brainer. As the second largest search engine – and especially influential with younger audiences – YouTube can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of your digital strategy. But just as we must optimise our blog posts and website pages to achieve decent ranking on Google’s
- [Help Make a Life Bridge One Coffee at a Time](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/18/help-make-a-life-bridge-one-coffee-at-a-time/) - I’ve never run a marathon in my life. And I never intend to. But some people not only run real marathons, they run them metaphorically too. Imagine if your mind and body could combine to make a life bridge – that you could use your brains and brawn in such a way as to change
- [Setting a Social Media Agenda–Courtesy of Randi Zuckerberg](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/18/setting-a-social-media-agendacourtesy-of-randi-zuckerberg/) - At the Australian Business Chamber of Commerce conference in Melbourne this week, I have been fortunate to hear the ideas and insight of a number of overseas speakers, including Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Randi Zuckerberg. And while I have done my best to share this insight via Twitter using the hashtag #acbc12, the stream does
- [Here’s to Your Strange Heart](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/15/heres-to-your-strange-heart/) - Many, many years ago – back in my early days of social media, I connected with a very strange person. His name is Mike Wagner. He was a boldly creative and generous spirit that leaped at me out of the vast sea of social media chaos. I loved his energy and his thinking. But the
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/12/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-5/) - The last week has been a bit of a blur – and I was just not able to finish off the five must-read posts last week … so I’m jamming two weeks together now. Slightly early … and maybe you’ll find this an antidote for insomnia on Sunday evening – or an inspiring way to
- [How to Listen with Free and Paid Social Media Monitoring Tools - Pharma and Healthcare](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/09/how-to-listen-with-free-and-paid-social-media-monitoring-tools-pharma-and-healthcare/) - Yesterday I spoke at the 2012 Digital Pharma Seminar hosted by Princeton Digital and VIVA!Communications. The topic was “building a digital roadmap” … or more precisely, where to start with digital strategy for pharmaceutical companies. In highly regulated and competitive industries like pharmaceuticals, there is, however, a greater level of attention paid to the area
- [The @MarsCuriosity Rover Has More Personality Than Most Brands](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/07/the-marscuriosity-rover-has-more-personality-than-most-brands/) - When NASA’s Curiosity Rover hit the ground on Mars, it was minutes before we knew its fate (see infographic below). It takes some time for light and data to travel the 35 million miles between Earth and Mars. And yet we sat glued to the streamcast of dozens of people sitting at desks at Mission
- [When Your Brand Tells My Story - P&O’s 175th Anniversary](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/06/when-your-brand-tells-my-story-pos-175th-anniversary/) - About four years ago I started looking at the future of brands. I wanted to explore in a series of articles what I felt was coming down the track – and to think through the implications from a branding point of view. I decided back then, that there were five key aspects that marketers would
- [With Mobile Commerce, We Are All Retailers Now](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/05/with-mobile-commerce-we-are-all-retailers-now/) - The early days of eCommerce were a hard slog. The technology was cumbersome and unreliable, the gateways were expensive and the business community was sceptical. And the shoppers … well even the early adopters were hesitant – concerned about credit card numbers, identity theft and having to pay for goods in advance that may never
- [A Cup of Chaos #77: Cat Headphones](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/03/a-cup-of-chaos-77-cat-headphones/) - Quite possibly the silliest – but definitely the most enjoyable – piece of PR that I have received this week. Maybe even this year. Order yours today!
- [Listening, Watching, Analysing with Jugnoo](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/02/listening-watching-analysing-with-jugnoo/) - Danny Brown, VP of social CRM vendor, Jugnoo, writes one of the most useful social media focused blogs on the planet. He regularly takes on the hard topics and delves deep into the underlying behaviours to reveal the context in ways that we mere mortals can understand. So when he starts talking about visualising social
- [Retail Innovation? Try Embracing Showrooming](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/02/retail-innovation-try-embracing-showrooming/) - You know what it is like … you see an item online. It’s a great deal – a special price and a coupon code. That credit card is burning a hole in your desk. But in the back of your mind is that one lingering doubt … will it fit. So what do you do?
- [Going Social: CEOs Leading By Example](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/08/01/going-social-ceos-leading-by-example/) - In most businesses, social media starts its life in marketing. Tucked away in the corner, a Facebook page here or a Twitter account there, staffed during the lunch hour when your brand manager gets a moment, these efforts are truly grass roots. But the levels of consumer use (and dare I say it, “love”) of
- ["Australia" is Australia’s Largest Brand on Facebook](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/31/australia-is-australias-largest-brand-on-facebook/) - Social media can seem to be all about “me me me” – with plenty of commentary on “personal brands”, “citizen journalism”, bloggers, Twitter celebrities and the like, but some brands understand the broader trend of which social media is an enabler. With the right approach, some brands can actually use social media to bring their
- [Selling the Vision Not the Technology](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/31/selling-the-vision-not-the-technology/) - I have worked in technology marketing for many years – but I also worked in FMCG and QSR marketing – and the same holds true for any initiative. You have always got to veer away from telling the story of HOW. The story of HOW is attractive for marketers because “how” is often the greatest
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/30/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-3-2/) - Some weeks there are plenty of great blog posts to read and to select for this article. Other weeks, there is hardly anything that seems to leap out at me. This week is one of the former. I have avoided any articles related to the Olympics – there will be plenty of analysis available on
- [Correct Sizing for Your Social Media Images](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/29/correct-sizing-for-your-social-media-images/) - I must admit to being a little lazy when it comes to changing the images on my social media profiles. My avatar on Twitter has been the same one for well over a year. And LinkedIn … about the same. I can’t really be bothered with Facebook and the various size options for the timeline
- [Another View on Retail - Rohit Bhargava’s 12 Big Ideas](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/27/another-view-on-retail-rohit-bhargavas-12-big-ideas/) - Over the last couple of weeks I have been writing and thinking a lot about the future of retail. I’ve been interested in exploring the state of Australian retail and understanding why a sector that was once driven by innovation now seems so bereft of it. In many ways, the seeds of the current retail
- [Vibewire’s fastBREAK - like TEDtalks for young people](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/26/vibewires-fastbreak-like-tedtalks-for-young-people/) - At Vibewire, where I serve as honorary president, we have a vision of inclusion and leadership for young people. We say it’s about ensuring young people participate in the “conversations that matter”. A great example of this is our monthly fastBREAK event (last Friday of every month). It showcases the passions, ideas and often very
- [Conscious Consumption - Andable and the Future of Retail](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/25/conscious-consumption-andable-and-the-future-of-retail/) - When What's Mine Is Yours – the groundbreaking book on collaborative consumption launched, it was at the crest of a newly emerging movement. Combining an awareness of our under-used or under-appreciated assets with online networks for managing reputation, collaborative consumption not only disrupts business models but creates new markets. The poster child for the movement
- [I Know What You Did in the Last 60 Seconds](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/25/i-know-what-you-did-in-the-last-60-seconds/) - Our actions can come back to haunt us – as movie makers, novelists and storytellers the world over remind us. But what happens when the time between action and reaction reduces. What happens if we don’t have a whole summer to forget about what we did, why we did it and how it happened? Welcome
- [Every Minute on the Web: Statistics to Amaze You](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/24/every-minute-on-the-web-statistics-to-amaze-you/) - Remember when we used to think about how many “messages” people were exposed to during the day? Some would say hundreds, some thousands. Some of these messages would be subliminal – some would be “in your face”. Many of these would be difficult to recall – others would stand out, be unforgettable. Fewer still were
- [Social Media Explained by Donuts](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/23/social-media-explained-by-donuts/) - Months ago I saw this very clever in-workshop snapshot explaining social networks … and I have had it sitting open in one of my thousands of browser tabs ever since. Every now and then I happen upon it and still smile. And in the interests of closing one additional browser tab, I thought I’d publish
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/23/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-3/) - If you could only read five articles online each week – where would you turn? Would you turn to the mastheads, to Twitter or to your RSS reader? Would you wait for the updates to come or would you go and seek them? I’d be lost myself, without my trusted Feedly reader … it’s become
- [Are You an ENFJ or Are You Just Happy to Follow Me?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/19/are-you-an-enfj-or-are-you-just-happy-to-follow-me/) - I have always liked “persona mapping” as a way of communicating types of behaviour to my marketing teams. It allows us all to “work from the same page”. There are a variety of ways that you can do this – behaviour mapping, Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator, demographic segmentation and so on. But while this is a
- [Dodge Shows Startups the Power of Advertising](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/19/dodge-shows-startups-the-power-of-advertising/) - There is no doubt that Dodge and the team from Wieden + Kennedy have produced a great piece of advertising for the Dart. But as I was watching it … as I was listening to the sparce copy that was voiced with just the right amount of self-deprecation and assurance, I couldn’t help but think
- [Did You Try and Fail? Then It’s Time to #flearn](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/18/did-you-try-and-fail-then-its-time-to-flearn/) - At the recent FailCon conference in Sydney, Pollenizer co-founder Mick Liubinskas threw a challenge to the audience. “When it comes to startups, let’s redefine the language around failure”. FailCon was a day-long event bringing startups, innovators, supporters and investors together to share stories and experiences. And while there was plenty of goodwill and intention from
- [CommBank Reaches For a Piece of the Mobile Pi](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/18/commbank-reaches-for-a-piece-of-the-mobile-pi/) - We have all been there … a crowded table, a busy restaurant and service staff under pressure. On the one hand there’s orders for the bar, on the other new customers ordering meals. The challenge for most restaurants and cafes is to maximise the yield – to get your customers in, fed and out as
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/16/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-4/) - This week is like a bag of mixed treats – delicious snacks that you can savour individually or dive in by the handful. Some are good for your brain, some for your heart and others will make you want to get out and try things for yourself. I Hope you enjoy reading these – and
- [Customer Experience is the Future of Retail](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/16/customer-experience-is-the-future-of-retail/) - One of the things that interests me about retail is the potential for performance – for art, drama and transformational customer experiences. But so few retailers deliver this. In almost every case, I am underwhelmed by the retail experience. The range on offer is limited, understocked or difficult to find. Customer service – should you
- [Dude to Dude - Bullying and Harassment is Not OK](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/12/dude-to-dude-bullying-and-harassment-is-not-ok/) - The internet can be a messy, chaotic and unpredictable place. You can see some of the best and some of the worst of humanity on display … with the implicit understanding that we are all free to express our opinions. Over time, many of us create personas through which we air our views and opinions.
- [Give Bullying a Kick - Start with Dandelion](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/11/give-bullying-a-kick-start-with-dandelion/) - As anyone who has experienced bullying will tell you – it’s not only an unpleasant and humiliating experience, it can leave a lasting footprint on your memory and change the way that you relate to even the most important people in your life. But bullying can be stopped … as long as other know about
- [Mobile First But With a Social Heart](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/11/mobile-first-but-with-a-social-heart/) - Increasingly I hear people talking about a “mobile” first strategy. This approach recognises that many people are consuming your content and engaging with your brand on mobile devices as a first choice. No longer are your customers waiting to get back to their desks at the office or at home to check your website, video,
- [Using the Cloud to Launch Your Products](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/06/using-the-cloud-to-launch-your-products/) - The “cloud” is not just about reducing your IT costs. When you think about it, what business calls “the cloud” has been providing us consumers with plenty of flexibility and innovation for years. Look no further than YouTube to see how this innovation is changing the face of what it means to be a “broadcaster”
- [Want to Write a Book? Join Age of Conversation #4](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/05/want-to-write-a-book-join-age-of-conversation-4/) - Have you ever wanted to see your name in print? Do you have ideas you’d like to share with a global audience? This may be the opportunity that you have been waiting for! Over the last four years, Drew McLellan and I have instigated and published three books exploring the Age of Conversation. These crowdsourced
- [Where is Chuck Norris?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/04/where-is-chuck-norris/) - What happens when you ask Google “Where is Chuck Norris?”. Try it. Click the first link. You’ll find out. And now, imagine if you happened to own the brand that smelled like Chuck Norris. Then you’d know what it meant to be a truly social brand.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/02/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-6/) - As I surf the web, I normally keep a few tabs open with links to the best stories I find. But last week, there were so many that I just had to start writing this post early – or risk Chrome crashing through over work. These were the best five I could find. Enjoy! There
- [What Google Searches in the Blink of an Eye](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/07/01/what-google-searches-in-the-blink-of-an-eye/) - I can remember the day I switched over to Google for my internet searches. Before that I had a number of favourite search engines – each with its own specialty. One I would use for searching forums, another I would use for question and answer content. Still another would be used for web page and
- [LinkedIn and Using the Digital Interest Graph to Attract Talent](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/28/linkedin-and-using-the-digital-interest-graph-to-attract-talent/) - One of the interesting counterpoints of the digital revolution is the way in which thriving “real life” social networks resist the formalising structures offered online. After all, if your RLSN delivers all you need, then why grapple with the vagaries, issues and complexities for small, unmetered gain, right? I have long held a theory that
- [Sometimes Open Source Software Just Wins](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/27/sometimes-open-source-software-just-wins/) - When I first came across open source software I was amazed. I could hardly believe that good quality software could be made available for a minimal cost. Sure there could be issues with support and maintenance from time to time, but the flexibility and pure value for money equation was hard to beat. My first
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/26/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-4/) - This week I’m all about creativity – what makes it, what bakes it and what fakes it. Sometimes we need to follow our hearts and sometimes we need to think through problems and issues in more complex ways. Remember Richard Florida’s Rise of the Creative Class? At its heart was a concept that I loved
- [Does This Get Me Made, Laid or Paid?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/25/does-this-get-me-made-laid-or-paid/) - We tend to overcomplicate things in the marketing world. We dig down into motivation, intention and desire. We walk the murky depths of persuasion and influence and spend inordinate amounts of time trolling data points in the hope of extracting a grain of insight. But, if we are honest, most of us are wondering about
- [When a Kid’s Perspective Challenges Your Own](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/21/when-a-kids-perspective-challenges-your-own/) - As President of local youth non-profit organisation, Vibewire, I am constantly amazed at the energy, insight and passion of the young people that I come in contact with. But often, these opinions, ideas and insights are ignored by others – by the mainstream media, employers, opinion leaders and by those with “more experience”. And yet,
- [Influence: I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/19/influence-i-do-not-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means/) - Most of us are in love with the idea of influence. We love the idea that we are influencers or influential within our peer groups, we seek out the favour and attention of others who influence us, and we attempt to measure track and trace influence across different cultural, societal, economic and demographic groups. And
- [Thriving in Uncertainty - A Workshop with Viv McWaters](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/19/thriving-in-uncertainty-a-workshop-with-viv-mcwaters/) - In the corporate world we talk a lot – a lot – about innovation and creativity. There are conversations and plans to “unleash” creativity within our businesses and to empower our employees. Sometimes we even start using language from the world of startups – suggesting that some innovation projects may need to “fail fast”. But
- [Survey: Australian Social Business - 2H 2012](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/18/survey-australian-social-business-2h-2012/) - Late last year I surveyed Australian businesses about their social business “readiness”. I wanted to determine whether the same business patterns and modes of adoption shown in the US had surfaced in local businesses: The results indicated that marketers are increasingly comfortable with digital channels and are shifting their budgets accordingly. This shift appears to
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/18/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-5/) - Quite a mixed bag of topics this week … with posts on innovation, SEO and Edgerank, collaboration and crowdsourcing. But you’ll find each of these articles useful in creating customer value and generating strategic advantage for your business or clients. Well worth a quick scan or even a deep dive. One of the great ruptures
- [A Cup of Chaos #76: Philips Male Grooming](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/15/a-cup-of-chaos-76-philips-male-grooming/) - Ever wondered what happens when your strategy is “digital first”? It’s pretty simple – you don’t even contemplate good ideas that tell the story of your customers’ participation in your brand story. Check out this video to see what happens when your strategy starts with understanding your customers’ behaviours.
- [For B2B, Google+ May Be Your Best Friend](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/14/for-b2b-google-may-be-your-best-friend/) - For years I worked in business to business marketing in one form or another. I understood how all the different channels worked, loved the way that the newly emerging web brought immediacy to my communications and got a sense that the concept of “branding” was shifting under my feet. And then I landed in the
- [Internet Trends 2012](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/13/internet-trends-2012/) - Each year, venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins Caulfield Byers release their research and analysis into the trends they are observing across the web. Compiled by Mary Meeker, it’s packed with statistics and pithy one liners – and will provide plenty of fodder for your upcoming client presentations – especially where you need to reinforce the
- [A Coffee Morning Interlude this Friday](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/13/a-coffee-morning-interlude-this-friday/) - When we first started regularly holding our coffee mornings in Sydney, we didn’t know what would happen. We didn’t know what it would be like to actually meet this amorphous collection of “online connections”. But within minutes, we knew we were onto a winning formula – interesting people, good coffee and a sense of curiosity
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/12/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-7/) - Towards the end of each summer I start thinking about the joys of cooler weather that come with winter. But last summer in Australia was so wet, I really was just waiting for summer to start when winter abruptly arrived. And normally winter is a time of reading – but over the last couple of
- [Mobile Youth: Cigarettes, Cell Phones and Cars](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/07/mobile-youth-cigarettes-cell-phones-and-cars/) - I first came across Graham Brown many years ago when I was working in youth marketing. I loved the way that he applied serious, insight driven analysis to the fast moving youth markets. And I loved the way that he understood and articulated the tribal nature of youth culture. In this video introduction to his
- [Get Your VIP Pass to FailCon](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/06/01/get-your-vip-pass-to-failcon/) - I have always been a fan of learning from others. Even as a child I would watch friends and family members get into trouble and then work backwards to find the first point of failure – the moment from which there was no return. As far as possible I wanted to make sure that my
- [Lots of Trends, But the Direction is Mobile](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/05/28/lots-of-trends-but-the-direction-is-mobile/) - In the marketing world, we love trends. We use them to help us spot and understand what is happening in our marketplaces and what is shifting in the worlds of our customers. They can also be used to help us identify where we have gaps in our customer engagement strategy or where a competitive advantage
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/05/28/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-5/) - I was out most of last week with a bad, bad cold. It seems it’s going around (ie the really viral). But I was still able to find a few gems to read in between heavy nanna naps. Some snappy writing and a barb in the tail of Jim Parker’s writing. He explains why journalists
- [Influencing Design with Frank Chimero](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/05/18/influencing-design-with-frank-chimero/) - One of the biggest challenges we face in the business world is – in my opinion – not generating more sales, cutting more costs or improving productivity. It’s more fundamental and goes to the heart of our human condition. It’s harnessing our logic AND our creativity in such a way that it solves the problems
- [Out and About? Turn Your Mobile On. It's the Future of Work](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/05/17/out-and-about-turn-your-mobile-on-its-the-future-of-work/) - I am old enough to remember using a bundy clock to mark the beginning and end of my work day. Each day, at 8:45am I would pick out the card with my name typewritten (yes typed by a typewriter) at the top and I would slot it into the machine which would time stamp my
- [Networking 101: Getting Out and About for Business](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/05/16/networking-101-getting-out-and-about-for-business/) - No matter where you are on the career ladder – starting out, consolidating or even retiring and soaking up the sun – the process of networking is vital. But when I say “networking” I don’t mean meeting and greeting and handing out dozens of business cards – these days a great deal of networking and
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/05/15/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-6/) - This week there seems to be plenty of talk about disruption … about what it means and what the implications are. And while this feels true, disruption has always been the natural state in the creative industries (including advertising). It’s just that the waves of disruption now overlap and seem to hit us from all
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/05/07/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-8/) - Each week, as I click links, follow trails and read through my ever burgeoning list of RSS feed, I leave tabs open in my browser. That often means that I will have 60-70 tabs open at one time – which also means that my browser is slow to load each morning. In an ideal world
- [The Real Value in Conferences is the People](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/05/03/the-real-value-in-conferences-is-the-people/) - I just got back from a fantastic couple of days at Terrapin’s Internet Show conference. It confirmed for me how powerful in-person events can be – papering over the cracks of our fragmented online connections, interactions and identities. More than once I was introduced to a person who had previously seemed more real in 140
- [Vibewire’s fastBREAK Featuring Dan Ilic](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/05/03/vibewires-fastbreak-featuring-dan-ilic/) - On the last Friday of every month, Vibewire in partnership with the Powerhouse Museum, hosts #fastBREAK – a breakfast event featuring young innovators and creatives. This is not just a chance for people to “pitch” to the assembled audience of curious business people, artists and entrepreneurs – it goes a step deeper – challenging the
- [Social Actions Beat Social Proof](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/27/social-actions-beat-social-proof/) - Over the last week or so I thought I would try a little experiment … after all, social media and its immediacy allows us to test and learn simply and easily, right? I wanted to test whether different phrasings would impact click through rates from social media sites to destination addresses. Now, usually I either
- [You Are Not the President of the Communications System](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/23/you-are-not-the-president-of-the-communications-system/) - I often think we misunderstand the moment in which we are living. Sure technologies are transforming the way that we work. Sure these fancy mobile devices are making us more connected and connectable. And yes, all this data is allowing us to find, engage and even predictively sell to our customers. But where are YOU
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/23/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-7/) - I was pretty excited during the last week to read the great insight and ideas that are appearing again. It is nice to see some deeper levels of consideration and analysis appearing in articles across the web – rather than the more simplistic commentary that clogs up our brains and bandwidth. I hope you enjoy
- [Inbound Marketing for CMOs](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/19/inbound-marketing-for-cmos/) - One of the benefits of the rise of digital marketing has been the abundance of analytics. No longer do we need to rely on what people “say” they are going to do or “would do” in a certain brand scenario. With the right tools in place we can actually observe their real time behaviour. We
- [Adjacent Storytelling](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/18/adjacent-storytelling/) - Often when I speak with other marketers, they complain that their brand, products or services are just not “sexy enough”. They are interested in social media and in producing content but simply cannot find the angle to make their brand shine. But this is not a problem of social media. And it’s not a problem
- [Got a Glitch in Your eCommerce Process? It’s Time to Reinvent Retail](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/18/got-a-glitch-in-your-ecommerce-process-its-time-to-reinvent-retail/) - You know the story … you just want to buy a product online – but the process is infuriating. You are asked to register before the purchase. The search doesn’t work or the half-hidden check boxes add you in for cross-sell or up-sell opportunities without your knowledge. At every click the website seems to prompt
- [Be the CMO of Your Own Team](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/17/be-the-cmo-of-your-own-team/) - I’ll get this out of the way up front – I have never been a CMO. But I have always had an interest in making sure that Marketing has a seat at the strategy table – and that really means one of two things – you need to drive revenue or your need to manage
- [Google Visualizes Your Brand](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/11/google-visualizes-your-brand/) - One of the benefits – and strategic advantages that Google is able to tap into each and every day – is the huge volume of data that is generated by our collective use of the free website measurement tools known as Google Analytics. Not only do these tools provide rich data and analytics capabilities to
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/10/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-9/) - How do you tell your business stories? It all starts with words. Or it should. My view is that a great brief, a brilliant project or idea needs to be articulated in words. We need to hear that description, passion and connection from the person at ground zero of ideation. And if you can’t be
- [Topic Talks Unleash the Storytellers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/05/topic-talks-unleash-the-storytellers/) - We’ve had TEDtalks and we’ve had Ignite – we’ve had Vibewire’s fastBREAK and we’ve had TEDx. All these events have a number of elements in common – they require the speakers to deliver short, focused talks. They promote presence – being in the room, and they honour in-person storytelling. But while these event formats have
- [The Business of Being Social](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/04/the-business-of-being-social/) - This presentation was part of the City of Sydney library workshop program at the Customs House Library. I spoke on the topic of Social Media for Enterprise 2.0 to a packed room of people hungry for knowledge (or maybe it was just lunchtime hunger I was sensing). I shared some of the results of my
- [Getting Started with Online Marketing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/04/04/getting-started-with-online-marketing/) - Over the last couple of years I have developed checklists galore, but some of the most useful have been the most simple. One in particular I use when setting up a new blog or website. It steps me through the process of establishing a digital footprint – the spaces in which your online conversations and
- [The Sh*t Kids Say](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/30/the-sht-kids-say/) - This one speaks for itself – and it’s not what you think. Via Dave Phillips.
- [Vera For BBH - How to Get a Job in Advertising](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/28/vera-for-bbh-how-to-get-a-job-in-advertising/) - For the most part, CVs are dreary to write and worse to read. They are uninspiring, linear and don’t lend themselves to the kind of storytelling and experience that capture our passions, skills or abilities. So when I hear of an interesting approach or idea to snaring a job, I love to lend support. In
- [Take a #fastBREAK and Play This Friday](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/27/take-a-fastbreak-and-play-this-friday/) - I can still remember the sketchy, randomness of the very first #fastBREAK event that we held back in 2009. Rather than spending a Friday morning drinking coffee and chatting with friends before work, we went out on a limb. I asked Scott Drummond, Jye Smith, Isadore Biffin, Elias Bizannes and Matt Moore to give us
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/26/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-6/) - As I surf the web or watch the feeds, links, articles and images scuttle by, often a theme emerges. After all, we are part of a massive, global, connected consciousness. But I often forget that we are all not connected to the same people – or that we have differing levels of focus or interest.
- [Trust + Scale Trumps Bright and Shiny - Australia Post Goes Digital](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/26/trust-scale-trumps-bright-and-shiny-australia-post-goes-digital/) - You can tell when you are in a Post Office by the smell. You open the door and you get the feint mustiness of paper, humidity and light glue mixed with a light dusting of body odour and desperation. It’s the same smell that has been around since I was a boy – and it
- [Hi, I’m Gavin – How Do You Tell Your Personal Story?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/25/hi-im-gavin-how-do-you-tell-your-personal-story/) - What do you say when you introduce yourself to someone? How do you speak and how do you make eye contact. How firmly do you shake hands? When you meet face-to-face there thousands of data points and impressions being captured by the people you are meeting. Some are visual. Some are tonal. And yes, some
- [A Cup of Chaos #75: Hipster Olympics](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/23/a-cup-of-chaos-75-hipster-olympics/) - Inspired by a tweet conversation with Emma Gardiner and Felix Pels – this Friday I bring you the Hipster Olympics. Sure you may have seen it before, but tell me you don’t find it funny. Or at least a little ironic ;)
- [Finding Your Passata](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/22/finding-your-passata/) - How do you change the world? It’s not about doing things … well not entirely. It’s about metaphors. It’s about storytelling. It’s about changing behaviours one person at a time. Just ask Sally Hill. It’s also about passata.
- [Five Social Media Tools I Use Everyday](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/22/five-social-media-tools-i-use-everyday/) - Just when I think that the world of social media has settled down – that I understand the linkages, measurements, approaches and benefits – something new comes along to upset my apple cart. That means that I am constantly juggling old with new, testing and learning and attempting to map past successes against new tools
- [Open Your Mind to the Open Learning Revolution](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/21/open-your-mind-to-the-open-learning-revolution/) - I’ve been a passionate and curious learner for as long as I can remember. As a very small child, maybe 3 or 4 years of age, I created by own “office” is my grandparents’ house by opening the kitchen door and nestling down in the gap between the door and the gas heater. There I
- [Email: The Offer They Can’t Refuse](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/20/email-the-offer-they-cant-refuse/) - I must admit that there is something immensely satisfying about email campaigns. These days, you can build a pretty creative campaign using free or open source tools like my current favourite, MailChimp, launch, send, measure and report on it’s effectiveness and then turn around and do it all again … with a great deal of
- [The Power of Zero](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/19/the-power-of-zero/) - Great stuff from BBC Knowledge – telling the story and promoting wonder at the same time. Sounds like a dream job! Courtesy of Mark Hancock. BBC KNOWLEDGE 60 from iamrader on Vimeo.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/19/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-8/) - Whether we like it or not, social media is transforming every dimension of our life – at work, at home and with friends. The impact of this has far reaching implications for the way we live, what we value and the way we participate in our society. It is a complicated situation that can be
- [Creative is Back - Conversational Topics with Responsys’ @simonoz](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/14/creative-is-back-conversational-topics-with-responsys-simonoz/) - As I sat bleary eyed in the audience at the Ad:Tech Sydney breakfast briefing this morning, three words sailed over the heads of the audience and slapped me awake - “creative is back”. He said it again for added impact – creative is back. Gavin Heaton @servantofchaos "creative is back" says @simonoz #adtechbb #responsysadtech 14
- [Your First Week of Blogging](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/12/your-first-week-of-blogging/) - When I first started blogging, I felt like I was living a divided life. There was “real life” – colleagues, friends and family – and then there was my “blogging life” – these great new people that I was connecting with all over the world. Back then the “real life” people couldn’t understand my interest
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/12/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-10/) - It’s been a busy fortnight (I love using that work even if it’s a little archaic these days). In fact, the first couple of months of the year have flown by – and to be honest, I am feeling a little nostalgic for the time when January was a “slow month” and we could take
- [Are You the Agent of Your Own Change?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/09/are-you-the-agent-of-your-own-change-1/) - Have you ever made a deep change in your life? Did you look at the status quo and decide you didn’t like the shape, smell or grind that defined your life? If so – did you have the courage to change? Did you make that u-turn? At the recent fastBREAK event – Vibewire’s co-production with
- [Infographic: Pin It to Win It](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/05/infographic-pin-it-to-win-it/) - Just when you think there can’t possibly be ANOTHER social network to add to the crowded list – along comes Pinterest. Not only has Pinterest been able to garner an audience – it’s one of the fastest growing social networking sites in history, generating 11.7 million visits in the month of January. My view is
- [Report: Outlook for Australian Social Business](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/03/03/report-outlook-for-australian-social-business/) - In the fast-moving world of social media, technology and marketing, you can be excused for feeling like you are being “left behind”. There’s always another new site, social network or mobile app to assess, figure out or show off to your friends and colleagues. Now, the majority of these come from the US – but
- [You Owe the Companies Nothing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/29/you-owe-the-companies-nothing/) - Stan Johnson shares this great rant from Banksy on advertising and advertisers in our society. It’s a little Cluetrain-esq with a more activist angle. Take a read. Does he make a fair point? I’m interested to know your point of view … not because it’s inflammatory or because I have a vested interest. How does
- [Join Me at Internet Show Melbourne](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/22/join-me-at-internet-show-melbourne/) - Every now and then, a conference comes along that I’d really like to attend. For me, these conferences aren’t JUST packed full of great speakers – it’s also about the audience. I try to think through WHO will attend, what they will bring to the conference and the potential topics that we could discuss during
- [It’s Not About the Logo. It’s About the Experience](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/21/its-not-about-the-logo-its-about-the-experience/) - When you work day-in, day-out in, on or for a business, it’s easy to get caught up. After all, every working moment you are absorbing the brand experience, drinking the kool-aid, deflecting and spouting management-speak and trying that little bit harder to humanise the brand. But what you end up with is the inside-out view.
- [How to Rock an Audience](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/15/how-to-rock-an-audience/) - When I studied theatre, I fell in love with the practice of directing. I loved doing the research – the dramaturgy – into the play or performance pieces we were studying. I was fascinated with the potential and challenge of interpretation. But most of all, I was captivated by the process of performance – of
- [Time for a U-Turn?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/14/time-for-a-u-turn/) - The 2012 season of Vibewire’s #fastBREAK series gets underway on February 24 – with the topic U-Turn. fastBREAK is a monthly series of rapid-fire interactive talks held on the last Friday of each month from 7:45-9:00am at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum. Each event has five young industry leaders from various sectors exploring the question or topic
- [Are You Young, Wise or Undiscovered?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/14/are-you-young-wise-or-undiscovered/) - Unless you’ve been hiding under a non-wi-fi-enabled rock for the last six years, then you will have seen or heard of a TED Talk. This famous conference event has hosted some of the most talked about, viewed and imitated presentations ever seen – covering a wide range of topics and ideas, inspiring millions of people
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/13/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-9/) - Some weeks I feel like we are actually swimming in information – people are sharing and resharing information, knowledge and ideas, and in doing so, building the wave of information that threatens to overwhelm our meagre senses. But if you have a good, strong network of clever people – people that you trust, have expertise
- [Business Impact of Social Media by Wildfire](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/12/business-impact-of-social-media-by-wildfire/) - I tend to agree with Olivier Blanchard’s approach to social media ROI – that it is a financial measurement and shouldn’t include various non-financial measurements such as “likes”, comments, interaction or “brand awareness”. That doesn’t mean that these measures are not important metrics for your business or your marketing efforts – it’s that they are
- [Facebook for the Troubled Teen](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/11/facebook-for-the-troubled-teen/) - Having some trouble with your teenager? See how one parent turned the tables in his teenage daughter.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/07/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-11/) - Sometimes the week takes off without us holding tightly. So that makes it already Tuesday where I live – and I’m yet to catch up with my long list of Monday to-do items. And I am sure I am not alone, right? I hope that these five great posts from last week help you catch
- [Presentation Trends 2011](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/06/presentation-trends-2011/) - Take a look back at your presentations from last January/February. Think about how you might do them differently. What would it be – more images? Longer? Shorter? More words? Less video? Personally, my file sizes seem to be getting larger – with higher resolution photos and images blowing out the sizing. I’m using PPTX files
- [How Average Is An Average Day on Facebook?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/03/how-average-is-an-average-day-on-facebook/) - With all the hoopla about Facebook’s IPO, I thought it would be interesting to dig a little below the surface. Brian Solis points out that with 845 million monthly active users and 100 billion friend connections as at December 31, 2011, we’re looking at a valuation of about $5.90 per active user and about 5c
- [Who is your Most Valuable Follower?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/03/who-is-your-most-valuable-follower/) - Here is a nice web app for Twitter built by Alexander Taub and Michael Schonfeld. It’s very simple and straight forward, asking “who’s your MVF” – most valuable follower. You login via Twitter and authorise the app to dig around in your follower list, and after a few moments it tells you which of your
- [Social Media Week and The Social Enterprise Hub at SAP](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/02/02/social-media-week-and-the-social-enterprise-hub-at-sap/) - Social branding, online communities, social business and product integration are big and popular topics at the moment. Every day you will see blog posts, articles, whitepapers, videos and conferences devoted to these topics – yet there is a vast gap between those who can “talk” about social media and those who “do” social media within
- [The Rise of the Social Media Mechanic](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/01/31/the-rise-of-the-social-media-mechanic/) - Despite our strong desire to resist it, one of the great, unwavering facts of life is that things change. We, ourselves, go through cycles – or phases – where our interests, preferences, passions and even tastes change. You will have noticed these changes in yourself. Just consider the things you thought were important as a
- [Miss Piggy: Fox News Ain’t News](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/01/31/miss-piggy-fox-news-aint-news/) - Last week, two icons from my childhood – Kermit and Miss Piggy – were in the UK promoting the new Muppets movie. And they are in a press conference – with desk, microphones – all the trappings of a traditional press conference (which I love), when they are quizzed about commentary coming from some of
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/01/30/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-10/) - So this is it, is it? It seems 2012 has only just started and I am already reduced to producing one curated post per week! Ah, but never fear, I am just recalibrating … taking some time to get my bearings for a new year. There is plenty on, of course, and we all struggle
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/01/23/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-12/) - In the year ahead, don’t be surprised when you hear pronouncements such as “social media is over” or that Facebook/Twitter is going the way of MySpace. It is just part of the ongoing cycle of renewal (there must be an end before a new beginning and so on). But just like the “end of branding”
- [SOAP Creative’s 2012 Predictions](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/01/19/soap-creatives-2012-predictions/) - Regular readers will know that I am not a fan of predictions (even if I do like a good horoscope). But this one from the team at Soap Creative not only opens the door for conversations with their clients (and potential clients), it also showcases their design skills, approach and track record (six out of
- [Social Judgement: Recruiting and the Social Interview](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/01/04/social-judgement-recruiting-and-the-social-interview/) - I have long had an interest in the power of social media to impact the way that companies recruit and in the way that we, as individuals, can attract employers. LinkedIn is the king of the mountain for most business professionals – for the moment – but we all know that hiring new employees is
- [Is 2012 Your Year of Doing?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2012/01/03/is-2012-your-year-of-doing/) - In my very first job out of school, I worked as a trainee accountant. It was often mind numbingly boring – it was an era when cashbooks were still written by hand and then later encoded by “data entry specialists”. I once spent a week writing up the books for one business and then spent
- [Social Media & Content Marketing in 2012](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/22/social-media-content-marketing-in-2012/) - At the end of each year, we look behind us at the year that was and ahead to the year that will be. Now, I am not a huge fan of predictions – they are statements bravely made and rarely revisited. But I am ALWAYS interested in connecting the dots – in the broader trends
- [The Social Business Comes First](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/20/the-social-business-comes-first/) - In the coming months and years we will hear a lot more about “social business” and what it means for your organisation. There will be infographics, presentations, blog posts, tips, tricks and links galore. Those who have been working in social media – say, as consultants – will begin to transform themselves into social business
- [Best. Generation. Ever.](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/15/best-generation-ever/) - Often when we talk about the big, world changing trends that will shape our future, we focus only on technology. But, for me, the single biggest challenge facing us all in the next ten years is the retirement of the generation known as Baby Boomers. It was previously expected that 2011 would mark a turning
- [The Psychology of Social Commerce](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/14/the-psychology-of-social-commerce/) - I love this style of illustration – it taps into my nostalgic sense of wonder. But what I like most about this infographic from Tab Juice is that it nicely captures some of the changing behaviours that are impacting the way that consumers approach their purchasing. And the lesson for marketers? Understanding your social customer
- [PCN Connect: A Little Something I Prepared Earlier](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/13/pcn-connect-a-little-something-i-prepared-earlier/) - About two years ago I wrote that Social Media is Not Sexy. This post was about the business challenges of social media and just how complex, challenging and incremental it can be within large scale, enterprise sized businesses. About eight or nine months after writing this post I took on a new role with SAP’s
- [Outlook for Australian Social Business in 2012](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/12/outlook-for-australian-social-business-in-2012/) - Are you involved in marketing or social media from a business perspective? If so, I’d love to have your input on the outlook for social media, marketing and social business in Australia for 2012. It is a very quick survey that should only take about FIVE minutes of your time. I will publish the results
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/12/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-11/) - As we reach the fag-end of this long year, many bloggers turn their attention to the year that was and the year that will be. Sometimes there is hope and optimism – and sometimes there quiet reflection. But each of these five must-reads from last week will give you one more reason to spark your
- [How Young People Are Faring in 2011](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/09/how-young-people-are-faring-in-2011/) - Can you remember when you first left home? Do you remember what it felt like – that first week – being solely responsible for all aspects of your life? For me, it was thrilling, but also daunting. It was really only in the silence of that first night that the reality set in – childhood
- [Social Brand or Social Business: Chicken or Egg?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/07/social-brand-or-social-business-chicken-or-egg/) - The Pivot Conference, to be held October 15-16, 2012 is shaping up in a very interesting way. The focus is to move from “social brands to social business” – which I find exciting – but it also makes me wonder. Do we really feel that we are in a world of social brands as yet?
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/06/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-13/) - We must be getting towards the end of the year … as it seems that there is a lot of recycling of ideas going on.There are plenty of blog posts rehashing ideas or simply stating the obvious. Maybe we are all just a little Sick and Tired. Having said that, there are still some great
- [Vegan Pancakes - #TASTY experiment](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/06/vegan-pancakes-tasty-experiment/) - I am participating in a TASTY experiment – sharing one recipe with random people via that old social network, email. It was started by one of the original Age of Conversation participants – Bob Glaza – and guarantees me 36 new recipes in my inbox just in time for Christmas. My recipe – Vegan Pancakes
- [The Wrath of Angry Birds](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/03/the-wrath-of-angry-birds/) - According to Gizmowatch, it seems that Angry Birds really did change the world - “if we rewind the total Angry Bird playtime, we will go back to the time when humans evolved”. That’s 200,000 years of game time. Seems the birds won.
- [Space Invaders to Angry Birds: Social Selling and the Transition from Open Networks to Closed Communities](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/02/space-invaders-to-angry-birds-social-selling-and-the-transition-from-open-networks-to-closed-communities/) - I recently spoke at the Social Media Plus conference in Philadelphia. My topic was “social selling” – but rather than just taking a simple route and providing a case study, I thought it would be more interesting to try something different. I wanted to tell the story of my work with SAP’s Premier Customer Network
- [Social, Digital and Mobile in Asia](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/01/social-digital-and-mobile-in-asia/) - We Are Social Singapore are showing impeccable timing in releasing their Guide to Social Digital and Mobile in Asia – especially as I will be focusing more closely on the Asia Pacific and Japan region through 2012. There are some fascinating statistics dotted throughout – but the most powerful aspect is the sheer scale of
- [Feeling Sick and Tired?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/12/01/feeling-sick-and-tired/) - I don’t know about you – but 2011 has been a stretch. Exciting, challenging – even a little fun – but still a stretch. A lot has been accomplished, but we’re still a month out from the end of the year. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at this time of year – to be able
- [Do You Monitor or Listen?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/30/do-you-monitor-or-listen/) - In social media, we are often told to “listen first”. But what does this really mean? For most people, the reality is that we “monitor” – brands, products, people and so on. But, for me, monitoring is only the first step. It’s the most basic thing that you can do to begin showing your customers
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/28/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-7/) - This week it was hard to keep to only five posts – there certainly seems to be a glut of good reading available – from some of the big industry blogs right through to the unique, lone blogger. Hope you enjoy the variety on offer this week – and let me know if you found
- [Bye Bye Paper with ExoDesk](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/26/bye-bye-paper-with-exodesk/) - I’m always buying gadgets of some kind or other. Sometimes they are things I will use for work, sometimes it is software. Sometimes it’s just something fun – or that I “always wanted”. But rather than keeping it to myself, I thought I’d share it with you – as part of myGadget Weekend posts. I
- [How to Become a Social Business](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/25/how-to-become-a-social-business/) - While recently presenting at the SocialMediaPlus conference, I had the opportunity to spend some time with my colleague and fellow blogger, Michael Brenner. It was great to hear, first hand, the work that he has been pioneering with a large global organisation such as SAP – but it was equally interesting to learn of how
- [Is the Average Day on Facebook Like Yours?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/24/is-the-average-day-on-facebook-like-yours/) - Do you consider yourself an average person? Do you do the average things that other average people do? Do you behave a little above or below average? I only ask, because it seems that average people all over the world are spending a more than average amount of time on Facebook. And this infographic from
- [Awarding #QantasLuxury with a Downfall](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/23/awarding-qantasluxury-with-a-downfall/) - Customer loyalty programs are funny things. They often walk a fine line between promise and flattery, between exclusivity and exploitation. These programs are laced with words and imagery that reinforce the sense of entitlement, achievement and reference “awards” and benefits. But in a socially connected world, awards, entitlement and even exclusivity can be turned on
- [When Your Twitter Campaign Goes South - #qantasluxury Ditches](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/22/when-your-twitter-campaign-goes-south-qantasluxury-ditches/) - Today, Qantas launched a Twitter-based competition. Perhaps underestimating how much damage has been done to the brand in the wake of the recent lockout of its workers, the vocal Twitter community hijacked the campaign and have been busily reminding Qantas management (and Board) just what negative brand sentiment can translate into. Clearly, Qantas has not
- [Joining the Customer Collective Advisory Panel](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/22/joining-the-customer-collective-advisory-panel/) - The Customer Collective is an independent, moderated blogging community focused on sales and marketing executives. Its sister site, The Social Customer focuses on customer service practitioners. Both of these sites operate under the SocialMediaToday umbrella and take contributions from bloggers, writers, thought leaders and practitioners from all around the world. You can automatically share your
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/21/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-12/) - I was a little deluged with busyness last week, presenting at the SocialMediaPlus conference in the US. That meant that I missed last week’s update – but there was some pretty good material that will feed your brain, so this week’s list is a combination of great reading from the last two weeks. Hope you
- [How and Why to Give an Ignite Talk](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/15/how-and-why-to-give-an-ignite-talk/) - Each year the ignite conference runs events around the world. These short form conferences allow speakers 5 minutes and 20 slides to tell their story. It’s a challenging and dynamic format – the slides auto-progress each 15 seconds – so it keeps the speakers and the audience on their toes. But many of us find
- [Work Expectations of the Next Generation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/11/work-expectations-of-the-next-generation/) - No matter what you call the next generation of workers – millennials, Gen Z or even the three billion – there is no doubt that they will change our workplaces forever. How? The Cisco Connected World Study asked the questions and turned the answer into an infographic which tells the story. Now – how does
- [The Life and Death of Innovation Communities](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/10/the-life-and-death-of-innovation-communities/) - Innovation has been a business buzzword for decades. Yet despite this, we continue to seek out innovation where every it may hide within our organisations. Over recent years, with the rise of social networks, some of this “beyond the firewall” thinking has crept into the enterprise. The concept that good ideas, practices and even innovation
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/08/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-14/) - One of the things that I continue to love about blogging and bloggers is their willingness to tackle interesting issues and problems. You see, blogs are transition spaces – where ideas can be tested and improved – where the community can be brought into a debate and concepts synthesized. These posts from last week pose
- [Are Australian Businesses Bereft of Imagination?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/08/are-australian-businesses-bereft-of-imagination/) - Over the last couple of weeks I have watched the growth and spread of the #occupy movement – from the financial district of New York City to the streets of Sydney and Melbourne. This dishevelled and ramshackle mob seem to have touched a nerve. There’s a deep insecurity that is triggering a disproportionate response from
- [Influence, Tools and Takeouts](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/07/influence-tools-and-takeouts/) - In the social media world, a lot of time spent thinking about, writing about and attempting to develop this elusive thing called “influence”. Some people have it, many people want it and it seems, we all want to know how to measure it. But, of course, this “influence” is really about an individual’s ability online
- [StumbleUpon: Where Randomness meets Serendipity](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/06/stumbleupon-where-randomness-meets-serendipity/) - When I first started blogging, every now and then I’d receive an avalanche of traffic. In fact, the first time it happened it crashed my server (I had been running the Servantofchaos.com blog on a server in my garage, and it just could not cope) – and I ended up switching to Typepad. The culprit
- [Releasing the Inner Gentleman – Steve Crombie’s Great Moventure](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/04/releasing-the-inner-gentleman-steve-crombies-great-moventure/) - If, like me, you were wondering just how much impact June Dally Watkins could have on my friend, Steve Crombie’s table manners, then you may want to tune in this month to watch his transformation. As part of #movember, Steve is seeking to release his inner gentleman. Let’s hope he does it with style.
- [The Creative Innovation Conference You Don't Want to Miss](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/02/creative-innovation-conference/) - In almost every presentation I give, there is some reference to Ray Kurzweil, a nod to Edward de Bono and a smattering of the design thinking process that came from IDEO. And I am sure I am not alone. Just consider how readily you respond to business or customer challenges, employing a version of lateral
- [Gruen Planet Gives Gambling a Slap](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/02/gruen-planet-gives-gambling-a-slap/) - Each week, the Gruen Planet poses a creative challenge to two advertising agencies. The resulting TV ad is then judged by the panel. This week, the challenge was to rebrand Australia’s greatest horse race – the Melbourne Cup. Is it possible to turn Australians against the event “that stops a nation”? The winning clip from
- [The Melbourne Cup, Gambling and the Cognitive Surplus](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/01/the-melbourne-cup-gambling-and-the-cognitive-surplus/) - That wild, wonderful thing that is Wikipedia has changed our lives in all sorts of subtle ways. Gone are the vast bookshelves of leather bound tomes that held me in thrall as a child – and in their stead is a white page, an empty search field and a button. Amazingly, as Clay Shirky reminds
- [What Qantas Will Learn from its Social Customers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/01/what-qantas-will-learn-from-its-social-customers/) - Or an alternative title: What Qantas Will Learn from its Former Customers Because they are Social I can still remember the smell of the lithographic duplicator machines that were used in my primary school. The light purple writing would hold that odour long after the ink dried. And one day – I think it was
- [Join Me at SocialMediaPlus in Philadelphia](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/11/01/join-me-at-socialmediaplus-in-philadelphia/) - What does it mean to “do” social media in a business context? Is it always and only about marketing or brand? If course not. There’s so much more. In a couple of weeks I am heading to Philadelphia to speak at SocialMediaPlus – on the topic of “social selling”. I am looking forward to sharing
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/31/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-3-3/) - As you read the posts below, I’d like you to think about subscribing to these blogs. I know that many people think that “feed readers” are old school now, but they really can be powerful (especially if you use them well). Try Feedly or something like Flipboard if you have an iPad. Categorise the blogs
- [How Well Do You Listen and Engage With Your Customers?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/27/how-well-do-you-listen-and-engage-with-your-customers/) - Increasingly, businesses are turning to social media as part of their marketing mix. There is a smattering of Facebook, a Twitter account – and maybe even a YouTube channel. Some will have a social media monitoring solution in place, others a bunch of Google Alerts bombarding their inbox with messages and updates. But there is
- [Paws Up for Dogtober](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/27/paws-up-for-dogtober/) - Assistance Dogs Australia is a charity that trains Labradors and Golden Retrievers to help people with physical disabilities. These dogs take two years to train at a cost of over $25,000 each but are given free of charge to people in need. To raise funds to help cover some of these costs, Assistance Dogs are
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/24/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-8/) - There’s a bit of something for everyone this week – something for the activists, some for the bloggers, some for the business to business marketers and even a snack for the hard working strategists and creatives in the agencies. In the face of the #occupywallstreet momentum, Shay O’Reilly takes a shot at Malcolm Gladwell and
- [Want SEO? Create Useful Content First](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/21/want-seo-create-useful-content-first/) - There was a time when we used to create websites to solve a problem. Now, often, our websites are the problems that need to be solved. They no longer tell the story we want to tell. They don’t engage the people that they should. They aren’t relevant to the communities we claim to serve. To
- [When 0.5% Is Not a Statistical Glitch](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/20/when-05-is-not-a-statistical-glitch/) - When you are dealing with statistics one expects a margin of error. You could be estimating a project and suggest +/- 10 percent. You could be waving your finger in the air and provide a rough order of magnitude “guesstimate” of +/- 200 percent. So the thought of taking as little of 0.5% out of
- [Joey Quits with Style](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/19/joey-quits-with-style/) - I don’t know about you, but I find resigning from a job a bit of a challenge. I tend to put a lot of energy and commitment into my work and into my relationships with colleagues – so leaving can be a little traumatic. But sometimes – just sometimes – leaving can be immensely cathartic.
- [What's New with News Limited in Australia? Digital Subscriptions. That's What](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/17/whats-new-with-news-limited-in-australia-digital-subscriptions-thats-what/) - An interesting cast of folks assembled at News Limited's Sydney office to be briefed on the upcoming digital subscription offer being rolled out for The Australian. Those present included Katie Chatfield, Tim Burrowes, Tiphereth Gloria, Craig Wilson, Karalee Evans, Bronwen Clune, Laurel Papworth, Gary Hayes, Ross Dawson, Melanie James and a few folks I didn't
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/17/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-13/) - With the global zeitgeist in full swing, I often find threads of connections between the posts that catch my attention. Maybe that is my own desire to pattern match. Or maybe it is the emerging global consciousness. Which ever way, each of these five posts have a thread of connection – even though the authors
- [A Cup of Chaos #73: Tara Hunt’s 10 Things I’ve Done Wrong](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/14/a-cup-of-chaos-73-tara-hunts-10-things-ive-done-wrong/) - We often think that we have to live through a lesson to learn from it. But the smart ones. The cleverest ones. Those most wanting to survive and thrive, learn from the lessons of others. So if you are the sort of person who ever wanted change the world in which you live – and
- [We Are What We Share](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/12/we-are-what-we-share/) - When AddThis launched it was a very welcome addition to the blogging tool set. No longer did we need to clumsily add icons or images and links to the bottom of each web page. We simply added a few lines of code to our blog templates and a row of sharing buttons would appear. Like
- [How to Get Started with Infographics](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/11/how-to-get-started-with-infographics/) - Infographics can be fascinating. Done well, they can tell a compelling story, bringing data to life in completely new ways. But they can also be bland. Boring. Or worse – irrelevant. Now, I have created a few infographics: How to build trust in social networks How to write for social media Social business maturity models
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/10/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-15/) - Last week was a week that was dominated by the news of Steve Jobs’ passing. And no doubt, you have read several beautiful and powerful articles or remembrances – as did I. But I will leave the eulogising to others who knew – or loved – Steve Jobs. Adam Weinstein interviews the activists who kick
- [Design is Trust - Using the Nine Principles to Change Your Work Practices in Nine Days](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/09/design-is-trust-using-the-nine-principles-to-change-your-work-practices-in-nine-days/) - I like the central theme running through this presentation by Jason Cranford Teague – trust. And while the focus is on design – mostly web design as it turns out – these nine core principles can so readily be applied to any business or communication challenge. They can be applied to advertising. To social media.
- [The Growth of Social Media [infographic]](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/07/the-growth-of-social-media-infographic/) - When I first started blogging I could count my readers on one hand. Actually, on one finger. But as the months went by and I began commenting on others’ blogs and linking and discussing ideas, my traffic grew. And sure enough, more people started writing blogs – and we’d link to each others’ articles and
- [A Cup of Chaos #72: Fake Steve Jobs Signs Off](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/07/a-cup-of-chaos-72-fake-steve-jobs-signs-off/) - The news of the death of Steve Jobs has dominated the web for the last day. There have been tributes, obituaries, montages and so on – but this is my favourite – a farewell from Fake Steve Jobs. It is long, but well worth a couple of minutes of your time. Your name, old
- [How We Hire in a Social Media World](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/06/how-we-hire-in-a-social-media-world/) - As soon as I know I am scheduled for a meeting I do a search on the people that I am meeting. I’ve been doing this for years. But these days, I am finding much more information – personal, professional and social. There are Facebook accounts and pages, blogs, Twitter accounts, articles, pictures, movies and
- [Even in B2B You Have to Think Like a Rockstar](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/05/even-in-b2b-you-have-to-think-like-a-rockstar/) - Business-to-business marketing can often appear dull and boring. The messaging is subdued, the social media is lacklustre and personality? What personality, right? Now, there are always excuses here – government regulation, brand guidelines, tone of voice or particular assumed audience needs. But these are merely excuses – not reasons. We should instead see them as
- [Would You #OccupyBondStreet in Support of #OccupyWallStreet?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/04/would-you-occupybondstreet-in-support-of-occupywallstreet/) - With almost every breath we make decisions. About what to write and what to read. What to believe and what to discard. We follow our “hearts” but vote for political parties who work against our beliefs yet satisfy our materialistic aspirations. The Occupy Wall Street protests continue to focus ever greater attention on inequality, corruption
- [Capturing the Mood of Your Content](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/04/capturing-the-mood-of-your-content/) - The web is a highly visual medium. It is also very text heavy, especially in the social media domain. And while there is a great deal of effort spent on delivering text and stories that resonate with audiences and help drive search results, I often wonder how much attention is paid to the imagery placed
- [What Happens When Coal Seam Gas Comes to Your Town?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/10/04/what-happens-when-coal-seam-gas-comes-to-your-town/) - Depending on who you listen to, coal seam gas (CSG) is the greatest economic driver open to Australia or one of the greatest threats to our way of living. This video – from the SBS Insight program – brings a range of viewpoints into the one room. There are farmers like Ruth Armstrong and Graham
- [Optimise Your Website with NLYZR.com](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/29/optimise-your-website-with-nlyzrcom/) - “You don’t have to run faster than the bear, just faster than your slowest friend” When I first started building websites, the web was a very loosely joined collection of sites, boards, pages and applications. It was hard work finding what was “out there” – and we all spent a great deal of time finding,
- [What Happens in Retail Stays on Dropbox - #gaspfail](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/29/what-happens-in-retail-stays-on-dropbox-gaspfail/) - When you live in a city you get used to poor retail service. You get used to attitude. But what happens when your retail experience becomes big news in social media – for all the wrong reasons? Retailer GASP Jeans is finding out. Shopping over the weekend with friends, Keara O’Neil experienced the style of
- [Social Media Around the World](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/29/social-media-around-the-world/) - After surveying more than 9000 consumers in 35 countries, Insites Consulting have released their Social Media Around the World 2011 report. Coming in at a whopping 167 pages, the data and information is bound to find its way into many a pitch between now and the end of the year. The results overall, tend to
- [Who Makes Snow?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/28/who-makes-snow/) - Good copywriting is hard work – and hard to come by. But this ad from National Australia Bank is a winner in my book. Some great visual storytelling – often in juxtaposition to the narrative – combined with sharp editing and a nice balance between landscape, industry and faces bring a warmth to the often
- [We are the 99% - #occupywallstreet](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/28/we-are-the-99-occupywallstreet/) - When protesters across Tunisia and Egypt took to the streets to demand more transparency in government, democracy and equal rights, the West stood and cheered. Dubbed the Arab Spring, these people powered movements saw the disenfranchised 99% of the population rise up and protest the concentration of ownership and privilege controlled by the 1%. But
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/26/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-14/) - Last week’s Facebook developer conference unveiled a series of upcoming changes to the Facebook platform. But the social web is not just about Facebook – there’s lots more out there and I suspect, there always will be. This week’s five must-read posts largely skirt around the Facebook avalanche which you can read elsewhere – except
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/19/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-16/) - Last week was a busy week for me – with travel, conferences and back-to-back meetings for what felt like a whole week. And while it was exhilarating and energising, it also left precious little time for much else. These posts popped out of my RSS feeds as I was travelling between destinations. Be prepared, there
- [Do You Read Your Past Posts?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/18/do-you-read-your-past-posts/) - Over the last half a dozen years I have written almost 1800 blog posts. That is about 300 per year and yes, almost one per day. I would hate to think how many words this translates into. But there is more. I have also written articles for Marketing Profs, guest posted from time to time
- [A Cup of Chaos #71: Don’t Risk Coal Seam Gas](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/09/a-cup-of-chaos-71-dont-risk-coal-seam-gas/) - Having watched Gasland the movie late last year I was astounded to learn that coal seam gas mining was planned in Australia. Surely, I thought, we’d learn from the tragic lessons of others. Imagine my surprise then to learn that not only was CSG mining already taking place on a large scale – but that
- [Using Fascination to Trigger Behaviours](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/08/using-fascination-to-trigger-behaviours/) - Let me tell you a secret. It’s just for you. Today. I think you’re really going to like it. This idea. Concept. Innovation in marketing practice. In fact, better yet, read on. Read this. Buy it . ***** Did you see what I did there? Sally Hogshead, author of Fascinate, describes seven triggers that we
- [How Advertising Works](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/07/how-advertising-works/) - When I studied theatre I loved producing what we then called a “multimedia” production – the type that literally included multiple media mixed in amongst performance. Intellectually I was working with “intertextuality” and experimenting with the points of intersection between these different texts (this was back when we talked about everything being a “text” that
- [Kiva Lights Up the World with Microfinance](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/07/kiva-lights-up-the-world-with-microfinance/) - I’ve been a Kiva supporter for some time. I love the way that this microfinancing system allows you to effectively invest in the entrepreneurial dreams of those who live in a completely different world. It also allows you to choose where (and to whom) your investment flows. This means that you can choose to support
- [The YouTube Creator Playbook is Your New Best Friend](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/06/the-youtube-creator-playbook-is-your-new-best-friend/) - If you are like me, you will have done some experimentation with YouTube. Sometimes it works – and sometimes you have to delete your video before the world catches it and you become an unintentional (or unwitting) viral star! But while there is no doubt that YouTube is an important part of your marketing mix
- [We’re All Talking, But Who Is Listening?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/05/were-all-talking-but-who-is-listening/) - Social media can be amazing – bringing people together from all parts of the world, opening conversations and creating lasting relationships. Just look at Twitter – we can have thousands of followers and can also follow thousands back. We are told that there are 200 million tweets published per day. That’s a lot of talk.
- [Two Degrees for Africa #2degrees](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/02/two-degrees-for-africa-2degrees/) - We often talk about six degrees of separation – the idea that we are about six steps away from each other. But when tragedy strikes – serious tragedy – six degrees feels like way too far. So what if rather than six degrees of separation we looked at two degrees of action? What impact would
- [Find the Gaps in Your Work Profile](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/09/01/find-the-gaps-in-your-work-profile/) - I am always on the lookout for cool alternatives to the standard resume. Most, unfortunately, require a great deal of effort and creativity. And while the best of these really do showcase the skills of particular people (especially designers), what about non-designers? What about the design-challenged? Well, vizualize.me may well be the answer. After signing
- [Connected: The Film (sneak preview)](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/31/connected-the-film-sneak-preview/) - What does it mean to be living in a hyperconnected world? How is it changing the way we communicate, relate, work and consume - and what impact is this having on our wellbeing, and that of the planet around us? If you are in Melbourne on September 8, you have the opportunity to attend a
- [The Brand Book - a Curiosity or Indispensible Guide](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/30/the-brand-book-a-curiosity-or-indispensible-guide/) - Brand books and style guidelines are curious beasts. In a way, they hark back to a time where brands operated in a strange ether – halfway between the world of business and consumer. They told us what the business wanted the brand to be. Skittles Brand Book Of course, they were often a great way
- [Saying is Momentary, Doing is Forever](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/29/saying-is-momentary-doing-is-forever/) - Over the past couple of weeks I have been doing workshops and talks and entertaining people with what I call “the magic quadrant of getting shit done”. It’s this chart of “walkers, talkers, stalkers and baulkers” – the four basic behaviours that people exhibit when presented with some kind of change. This tends to get
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/29/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-3-4/) - The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. I have delivered keynote presentations, workshops and been part of panel discussions. I participated in podcasts and even spoke at Social Media Club Adelaide. Now, I am just catching my breath and catching up on some reading – and what a collection I have for you
- [Making the Case for Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/25/making-the-case-for-social-media/) - While recently delivering Social Business Workshops at both the ADMA Forum and the Australian Marketing Institute’s MarketingWeek, I was often asked about how to position social media with your CEO or CMO. Luckily for me, Todd Defren has done the hard work and put together a nice, concise deck that can help you do just
- [A Special Something](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/19/a-special-something/) - One of my colleagues, Ingeborg van Beusekom is something akin to a social media whirlwind. At one moment she is blogging, the next she’s sharing a link, an idea or a point of view. And then, before you know it, there is email, a piece of advice or a recommendation. She is certainly something. Perhaps
- [A Cup of Chaos #70: Smooth Criminal](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/19/a-cup-of-chaos-70-smooth-criminal/) - I’d never really thought of cello playing as a blood sport, but Sulic and Hauser bring a touch of gang warfare to this cello dual version of Smooth Criminal (via John Hagel). There’s even a guitar face moment – and we all know what that means, right?
- [Twitter Facts and Figures](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/18/twitter-facts-and-figures/) - If you are like me then you you are often asked about Twitter – who uses it, when and how. Now, thanks to the folks from TouchAgency, you can just share this infographic.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/15/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-9/) - It has been a full-on week. In fact, I totally expect the whole of August to be “full-on”. I have a raft of presentations to give – at PR3.0, ADMA Forum and at Marketing Week and I am busily squirreling away on the Premier Customer Network for SAP (turning the ideas of social media into
- [The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/11/the-surprising-truth-about-what-motivates-us/) - Some time ago I wrote about Dan Pink’s great TEDtalk on motivation. It is brilliant and well worth the small investment of time. But this morning I delivered a keynote address at the Australasian Sourcing Summit in Sydney (check out the live blog). It’s a fascinating, emerging profession – and the presentations across the morning
- [A Guide to Typography](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/10/a-guide-to-typography/) - When I first worked in publishing, typography fascinated me. I loved the thinking behind the crafting of typefaces. I loved the thought that someone had spent hours and hours agonising over the shape of each letter – crafting the balance between the x-height and the decenders/ascenders. But more importantly, I realised that every typeface told
- [#londonriots and the Shadow of Shame](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/09/londonriots-and-the-shadow-of-shame/) - Like many of you I am saddened, angered, disappointed and exasperated by the riots spreading across London. And while it’s easy to point the finger at the rioters, I’d like to pause for a moment, take a breath and reflect on these events (given that in Australia we have the luxury and space to do
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/09/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-15/) - “May you live in interesting times” is known as the Chinese curse. And while the origins of this phrase are unclear – there is no doubt that our current times certainly are “interesting”. Our social connectivity has exposed the realities of globalisation in its triumphant and tragic dimensions and sometimes it is difficult to comprehend
- [Changes to LinkedIn Social Advertising](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/04/changes-to-linkedin-social-advertising/) - Remember when we found out that Facebook had claimed ownership over all the images, content, links etc that you uploaded? Remember the outcry? Well it appears that LinkedIn have made a similar change to their terms of service. This change – which defaults to an approval – allows LinkedIn to use your image and/or your
- [LinkedIn Statistics July 2011](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/02/linkedin-statistics-july-2011/) - The social network for professionals, LinkedIn, has gone from strength to strength during the course of 2011. There was a successful IPO and a sustained growth in membership which saw it overtake MySpace as the the #2 social network in the US. This presentation captures some of the key demographic data for LinkedIn as at
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/08/01/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-17/) - As usual there was plenty of good reading last week. I hope that as you read each of these posts that you take the time to bookmark the blogs and subscribe to their feeds. Most of the people who are featured in this weekly wrap up consistently deliver quality thinking and content – and I
- [Don’t Target Your Fans, Target their Friends](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/28/dont-target-your-fans-target-their-friends/) - During a presentation recently by Steve Sammartino, I was reminded of one of the most simple human behaviours – the short cut. Put simply, Steve told us, with no inducement humans will seek a short cut, a loophole, or way around a roadblock. We’ll look to “game” the system. I think this is, in part,
- [Do You Know a SuperNova?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/28/do-you-know-a-supernova/) - There was a time where I would cast a curious and sceptical eye across any new innovation, platform, technology or website that would make its way to market. I’d look for the holes. For the things that could have been done better. And I’d find them – there are always plenty. But time and experience
- [Australasian Sourcing Summit #sosu11](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/27/australasian-sourcing-summit-sosu11/) - How did you find your last job? Did it find you – or did you find it? Increasingly, employers will face the challenging prospect that the best people are already “otherwise engaged”. So how do you find and attract the best people to your business? The Australian Sourcing Summit – in Sydney on August 10-11
- [Curation is the New Black](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/26/curation-is-the-new-black/) - When you really start to delve into a subject online it can be overwhelming. You soon find that we are living in a time of information abundance. There are not just the traditional sources of content – newspapers, broadcasters and publishers – but a whole new generation of individual publishers and content producers. We have
- [Roger McNamee - The Social Web is Over](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/26/roger-mcnamee/) - Roger McNamee has us all talking. He is a director and co-founder of venture capitalist, Elevation Partners – and has been investing in technology for almost 30 years. In this 30 minute speech, 10 Hypotheses for Tech Investing, Roger brings his history and knowledge to his speech at the Paley Center for Media – and
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/25/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-3-5/) - It’s been an emotional rollercoaster of a weekend on a meta level. The unthinkable made real events in Norway, the sports-mad enthusiasm over Cadel Evans’ win at the Tour de France and the not-so-surprising-yet-tragic death of Amy Winehouse. And while these events send shockwaves that affect us all, there were other events, smaller, but also
- [The Social Travel Revolution](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/25/the-social-travel-revolution/) - When you travel, you want to travel with friends. Or meet some new ones. Or catch up with some old ones. After all, travel is not just about the destination. It’s about the experience. It’s about what you did and who you met. It is about the people. And it is about you. But what
- [Reinventing Social Media - A Talk by David Armano](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/24/reinventing-social-media-a-talk-by-david-armano/) - As social media becomes absorbed by almost every business function, the idea of “social media” will disappear. It will become like most innovations – business as usual. In this TEDx video, David Armano, provides a personal view as to how and why these transformations are taking place. Enjoy!
- [Get Unwired for Sound with Sonos S5](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/23/get-unwired-for-sound-with-sonos-s5/) - I’m always buying gadgets of some kind or other. Sometimes they are things I will use for work, sometimes it is software. Sometimes it’s just something fun – or that I “always wanted”. But rather than keeping it to myself, I thought I’d share it with you – as part of my Gadget Weekend posts.
- [My Kingdom for a Horse](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/21/my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) - A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse! I have always loved Shakespeare’s Richard III. It’s an epic experience – no matter whether you see it live in performance or whether you let those words loose in great emptiness of your cognitive surplus. The line comes at the point in the play where Richard
- [Walkers, Talkers, Stalkers and Baulkers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/19/walkers-talkers-stalkers-and-baulkers/) - In almost any field of endeavour, you are going to come across four different types of people. Your project may be some form of project implementation for your company. It could be that you have a creative idea for an advertising client. Or you may just want to go back to university to complete
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/18/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-10/) - I am often surprised by what ends up on this list! As I find useful articles during the week, I jot them into a draft post using Microsoft’s excellent LiveWriter. If inspired I will write a couple of notes for later, otherwise I only write the explanation in preparation for publishing. Sarah Evans cherry picks
- [A Cup of Chaos #69: Men, Soften the Fck Up](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/15/a-cup-of-chaos-69-men-soften-the-fck-up/) - UPDATED! By far, the largest proportion of suicides in Australia is men aged 18-44. The figure is close to 80 per cent. For some men, it’s depression, stress or peer pressure, for others it is sexuality, career pressure, body image, addiction or breaking up with a partner. It can be any number – or combination –
- [NAB to Banks - It’s About the Honesty](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/14/nab-to-banks-its-about-the-honesty/) - A couple of months ago, the National Australia Bank caused a stir in the financial services industry by encouraging the customers of other banks to “break up” with their bank. This weekend, NAB are taking it to a new level, running a series of social experiments on the subject of honesty – and publicising the
- [Infographic Bonanza](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/14/infographic-bonanza/) - In the last 12 months there has been an avalanche of infographics produced and consumed. They can not only be a useful way of explaining complex processes and situations, they are also easy to share and are ready-made for a content hungry audience. But have you tried to create an infographic? They are challenging! You
- [When to Tweet](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/12/when-to-tweet/) - Some time ago I started using StumbleUpon to shorten the links in my Twitter stream. It means that not only am I able to share links with my network – but I am able to tap into the already existing StumbleUpon network to reach audiences who are already interested in the topics which I share.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/12/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-16/) - This week is a grab bag of great posts from across the web. Consider it a lucky dip of quality social media goodness. Jeff Livingston explains Why the A-List Conversation Hurts Us in a guest post over on Danny Brown’s blog Amber Naslund laments that social media isn’t necessarily “personal” and seeks to redress the
- [How Does Carbon Pricing Work?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/11/how-does-carbon-pricing-work/) - With the recent announcement of a carbon price in Australia, there are plenty of questions around what this will mean for business and for citizens. The Australian Government have established the CleanEnergyFuture website to proactively answer some of the more frequently asked questions. Interestingly, they are using the CommonCraft model to simply explain a very
- [Attend the Web 3.0 Conference](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/07/attend-the-web-30-conference/) - The Web 3.0 and Future of Social Media conference – to be held at the Sheraton on the Park Hotel in Sydney, August 15-17, 2011 is shaping up as one of the must-attend events of the second half of the year. It is bringing together worldwide leaders in digital PR and communication and focusing on
- [Ditch Your Fans and Find Your Lovers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/06/ditch-your-fans-and-find-your-lovers/) - UPDATED: Almost any article about social media that you read will focus on “likes”, “fans” and “friends”. At first glance, “social” media appears to have equated positive relationship terminology with relationship. But when you look at the motivation behind “liking” a brand on Facebook – it’s decidedly transactional. There is a focus on discount and
- [What Makes People Follow a Brand?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/05/what-makes-people-follow-a-brand/) - When I first really became interested in social media, I was working for a marketing and promotions agency as head of their interactive division. This gave our work a particular skew – we were always looking at the performance metrics of our efforts – how could we drive trial, influence people to consider and love
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/04/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-18/) - With the launch of Google+ last week I could easily devote this week’s five must-reads to posts demonstrating the more interesting aspects. But it’s still early days – and marketers would be well served to follow the 3Ps of innovation discovery –> peruse-play-participate (that is, check it out by watching what others are doing, try
- [Take the Net with You with Telstra MiFi](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/03/take-the-net-with-you-with-telstra-mifi/) - I’m always buying gadgets of some kind or other. Sometimes they are things I will use for work, sometimes it is software. Sometimes it’s just something fun – or that I “always wanted”. But rather than keeping it to myself, I thought I’d share it with you – as part of my Gadget Weekend posts.
- [What Content Do You Post Where and When?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/03/what-content-do-you-post-where-and-when/) - Once you have your strategy in place, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of publishing. It’s time to determine the types of content you will be producing and where and how you are going to publish it. It’s time to setup an editorial calendar. But I don’t want you to think of an
- [Escape Mediocrity](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/01/escape-mediocrity/) - We live in a time where apathy has become a way of life. Where near enough is good enough. And where we only open our mouths to receive another spoon-fed morsel. We have lionised failure and hardened our hearts. We’ve lost the art of adventure and dampened our curiosity, and cocooned ourselves in the safety
- [How Data Creates Collective Action](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/07/01/how-data-creates-collective-action/) - If you have not subscribed to Mike Arauz’s blog, then remedy this quick smart! Dig back through his writing and plunder his brilliant ideas and analysis. I am sure you will find more than one or two things you can use to dazzle your boss or your clients. But while you are doing this plundering,
- [Sir Richard Branson to Open the Creating Climate Wealth Summit in Sydney next week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/30/sir-richard-branson-to-open-the-creating-climate-wealth-summit-in-sydney-next-week/) - If I had a lazy couple of thousand dollars lying around, I’d love to attend the Climate Wealth Summit next week. To be held at the Shangri-la Hotel, Sydney on July 7-8, the summit is a joint production of Richard Branson’s Climate War Room and Janine Cahill’s Future Journeys. There’s an impressive line-up – and
- [Global Map of Social Networking 2011](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/28/global-map-of-social-networking-2011/) - The folks at Global Web Index have investigated the patterns of consumer adoption and pulled together this infographic map. On this scale, it’s easy to see where (and how) trends become markets and how patterns of use become opportunities. Look for example at China’s massive online population, sitting at 155 million – dwarfing Australia’s paltry
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/28/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-11/) - Whittling down the bulk of great posts into five distinct items can be challenging. As the web evolves, and as we all get better at communicating using it – the quality of thinking and the volume of quality posts begins to explode. These five must-reads are my small contribution to filtering and connecting. Hope you
- [Beyond TV - ‘Go Back’ is a Must-Have Experience From SBS](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/22/beyond-tv-go-back-is-a-must-have-experience-from-sbs/) - As a rule I don’t watch a lot of television. It’s often not challenging enough or emotionally engaging. But last night as I was prepping for a little writing after an already long day, I spotted a number of tweets about a show that sounded compelling. SBS’ Go Back to Where You Came From takes
- [Help Young Writers Be Published](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/22/help-young-writers-be-published/) - I can well remember the excitement of seeing my first piece of writing in print. And yes, even in this age of easy access to web publishing and on-demand printing, there is still something visceral that comes with your own name in print. On a page. In a book. And that’s exactly what Vibewire is
- [Every 60 Seconds on the Internet](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/21/every-60-seconds-on-the-internet/) - Now, this is a great way to get your company known. Go-Globe.com – a web design and application development company have produced an infographic that shows what happens on the web every 60 seconds. Take a look. Think about what this means on a practical level. Think about the scale. Then think that everyone of
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/21/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-17/) - We often read about the death of blogging, or publishing, or the plateauing of Facebook – but most of these announcements don’t actually engage with the underlying issues. They don’t address our sense of digital belonging or the reasons why social network find and then lose favour. The five must-read posts from last week provide
- [Social Business Maturity Model](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/17/social-business-maturity-model/) - Almost every day there is another way that social media encroaches upon our businesses. It could be a new technology designed to help us reach new customers or something to help us target buyers more accurately. It could be a new device, some software or a must-have community building platform. Similarly, in our so-called “personal
- [Questions for a Better Future at #gathering11](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/15/questions-for-a-better-future-at-gathering11/) - I’ve just spent the last weekend immersed in the deep thoughts and creative actions of a hundred or so social innovators and business activists at the inaugural Gathering11. Organised and curated by the unstoppable David Hood, it brought together people from all around the world – Ralf Lippold, Venessa Miemis, Christine Egger, Michel Bauwens, Jean
- [A Cup of Chaos #68: The Customers You Don’t Want](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/10/a-cup-of-chaos-68-the-customers-you-dont-want/) - Sometimes there really are customer that you DON’T want. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, Texas asked one theatre-goer to leave after texting too often during a film. Later she called and left a voicemail. The folks at the Alamo shared this on YouTube. It’s a little #nsfw – so put your headphones on.
- [The Shift to Inbound Marketing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/09/the-shift-to-inbound-marketing/) - Since the dawn of the advertising era, our marketing efforts have been directed towards broadcast. We wanted to get our product messages out, make people aware, encourage their interest, stimulate their desire and drive them to convert this to sales. We have built models, processes and systems that are the bedrock of marketing courses the
- [The World is on Fire](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/07/the-world-is-on-fire/) - Everywhere we look there are stories of destruction and violence. The tragedy played out on our television screens in what masquerades as the “nightly news” glosses over the personal cost and intimate tragedies of individuals caught up in the exercise of power. Closer to home, friends and family face crises of one kind or another
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/06/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-19/) - There have been some great articles published this week – a bit of controversy and a lot of insight. And for the first time in some time, all the must-read posts come from my local peeps here in Australia. Hope you enjoy! What happens when traditional media and social media clash? Social Content and Context
- [A Cup of Chaos #67: The Perfect Resume](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/04/a-cup-of-chaos-67-the-perfect-resume/) - Awesome stuff. I’d hire Ronald in a hearbeat. Great find from Kris Hoet.
- [How to Write Copy for Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/01/how-to-write-copy-for-social-media/) - When it comes to business communication, I have seen it all. I have written speeches for CEOs, developed product and service brochures, come up with copy for ads, websites, and jingles – and everything in between. But some of the things that made me successful as a business communicator and copywriter were the things that
- [Are We Dating or Do You Just LIKE Me?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/06/01/are-we-dating-or-do-you-just-like-me/) - This infographic by the Online Dating University (via All Facebook) shows that three-fifths of people display their relationship status on the Facebook profiles. It’s not an earth-shattering piece of information, but it does give us an insight into the BEHAVIOUR of people who frequent social networks – it tells us that we live our lives
- [Five Must Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/31/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-3-6/) - As usual, there was some great content published last week (and I already have some good fodder for next week!) In case you have not had a chance to scour your RSS feeds, take a look at these five posts to give your brain a kickstart. How do we extract meaning from our overwhelmingly connected
- [I'm Not Racist But...](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/30/im-not-racist-but/) - "I'm not racist but ..." starts many sentences. But how deep does this go into our psyche? On June 2 at the Seymour Centre, Vibewire together with NSW Reconciliation Council will explore the topic with a great line up of young, creative thinkers.
- [Come to Gathering ‘11 in Melbourne](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/26/come-to-gathering-11-in-melbourne/) - Next month in Melbourne, leading thinkers, change-makers and collaborators from across Australia and around the world are gathering to explore whatʼs possible, and to develop ideas on how we can best solve todayʼs most pressing social and environmental challenges. It’s a great chance to share your brain with some super smart folks! There are some
- [Creating Trust in Social Networks - The 4 As](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/24/creating-trust-in-social-networks-the-4-as/) - Once upon a time, we knew who to trust. We’d look to the badge and we’d look to the brand. The institutions in our society carried with them the gravitas and the authority that commanded respect. The same applied to big brands. And then something changed. Something really big. How to Build Trust in Social
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/23/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-12/) - The best of last week’s reads were heavily contested. I could have easily found 10 posts that would astound you. But in the end I stuck with the five – after all I know how busy you are. Some of these posts are longer than average, but they are dealing with some challenging issues. I
- [A Cup of Chaos #66: Emotional Storytelling](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/20/a-cup-of-chaos-66-emotional-storytelling/) - A couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece for MarketingProfs – Google Gets Emotional When Telling Stories … And So Can You. It showcases a video for Google’s Chrome web browser and talks not about the technology but about the emotional impact of that technology on our lives. It’s a great piece – check
- [Three Blogs to Watch (and Read)](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/18/three-blogs-to-watch-and-read/) - I have always loved finding a new blog to read. There is something in the search and the surprise that really satisfies my curiosity. Finding new blogs to read used to be relatively easy. There was a period of amplified discovery – where great effort was put into thought leadership, strategy and connection. There was
- [Guest Post: It's Not About the Method, It's About the Message](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/18/guest-post-its-not-about-the-method-its-about-the-message/) - Over the years, one particular question is starting to become the norm. "What's our message?" Ok, I would expect this question from a small business or a startup selling something like snail-flavoured crackers. They get an idea, they are passionate about the idea, and boom, they think the next step is for us to crank
- [Storytelling for Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/17/storytelling-for-social-media/) - A little something I put together a while back. I’m sure I shared it with you, but will do so again. Let me know what you think! Storytelling for social media View more presentations from Gavin Heaton
- [A Cup of Chaos #65: Got to Share!](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/13/a-cup-of-chaos-65-got-to-share/) - You are social media aware. Connected. Always on. But what are you going to do? You’re going to share, right? This cup of chaos brought to you (and me) by the always sharing Marilyn Pratt and SAP marketing SVP, Susan Popper.
- [Get Your Game On](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/12/get-your-game-on/) - When I worked in Agencyland, games were part of my everyday working life. I spent a great deal of time working elements of game play into the strategies that I was developing for clients, coming up with ideas for new, short, casual games and working with my team of developers responsible for turning these ideas
- [Lessons in Corporate Social Reputation Management from Dell](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/10/lessons-in-corporate-social-reputation-management-from-dell/) - Dell have learned their social media lessons the hard way. In fact, you’ve probably heard more than one of their success stories. These successes have been achieved in a systematic way, using targeted approaches and clear measurements. As shown in this presentation, step 1 is listening and engagement, with step 2, the creation of an
- [Write Me a Guest Post](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/09/write-me-a-guest-post/) - Over the years I have had a few people write guest posts here, but it is not something that I have pushed. Recently I thought it might be an interesting experiment – so I asked some folks on Twitter and received positive feedback. What got me excited about the idea was sharing in your creativity.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/09/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-18/) - Last week there seemed to be fewer but longer posts on my reading list. The regular bloggers that I follow wrote less, but they went deeper than usual, churning out deeper, presentation format style posts. So while some of these posts will take you a little longer to read, be sure that there’s a payoff
- [Get to Know Your Skin](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/05/get-to-know-your-skin/) - If you could speak to your 16 year old self, what would you say? Would you talk about your fears? Your future? Your family? This great video from the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund (via @IanLyons) tells the story of real people who have been touched by melanoma. Watch it. Think about the word “touched” and
- [Beyond Innovation - Vibewire’s fastBREAK](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/04/beyond-innovation-vibewires-fastbreak/) - I love a TED talk or a TEDx video as much as the next person. These videos that capture the speeches given at the annual TED conferences in Long Beach/Palm Springs and Edinburgh, feature some of the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers. Each speaker is challenged to give the talk of their lives (in
- [Organise Your Peeps with Groundcrew](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/02/organise-your-peeps-with-groundcrew/) - Communities can be notoriously difficult to organise – there are always competing priorities, egos and agendas. The same can apply to teams of any type. But what if you could organise your efforts around location and interest? What if you could corral like-minded folk who just happened to be in the right place at the
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/05/02/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-20/) - This week we seem to be asking a lot of questions. We seem to be challenging the orthodoxy, digging into the details and throwing various cats amongst the squadrons of social media pigeons. There are questions of style and of substance. Questions of tactics and strategy. And even a walk in the hall of mirrors.
- [A Cup of Chaos #62: Flying Carp](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/29/a-cup-of-chaos-62-flying-carp/) - Now, this is my kind of fishing!
- [Why Social Media Hurts](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/28/why-social-media-hurts/) - It is with a touch of irony that we often say “the one constant in life is change”. Yet, despite the continuous fluctuations in our lives we really do struggle to accommodate it. But coming to an understanding of what “change” actually means for us can indicate clear success or clear failure. It is part
- [The Winners + Losers in Social Networks](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/25/the-winners-losers-in-social-networks/) - The folks from Ignite Social Media have put together this infographic on the winners and losers in social media. I like the way they have thrown in some unusual facts – like the oldest, youngest and richest users of various social networks. They also suggest which social networks are on the rise, and that others
- [A Living Company](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/24/a-living-company/) - Here is a neat presentation from Dachis Group’s Dave Gray on organisational systems – contrasting the way we live with the way we work. On the one hand, we have our communities, neighbourhoods and streetscapes – and on the other we have our workgroups, our teams and business units. Why don’t we envision our workplaces
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/19/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-13/) - This week I mix it up a little, with a bit of social media, some politics, some pop culture and a good dose of “do the right thing”. These five posts will get you started nicely this week. Amber Naslund writes An Open Letter to the Social Business Industry suggesting that we temper our claims,
- [It’s Time to Stop Killing the Heroine](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/18/its-time-to-stop-killing-the-heroine/) - I’ve never been a fan of film. While my friends studied film and communications, dreaming of becoming directors, journalists and documentary film-makers, my attention passed over the latest blockbuster, the must-see arthouse flick or the searing naval-gazing documentary as if it was already speaking in a dead language to me. I studied theatre at university
- [Don’t Waste Your Search Budget Like the Easter Show](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/17/dont-waste-your-search-budget-like-the-easter-show/) - As the Chair of not-for-profit youth media organisation, Vibewire, I know the budgetary, sponsorship and resourcing challenges faced by groups who are dedicated to what I call “good works” in our society. So whenever I look at the work of not-for-profit organisations or community groups, it always disappoints me to see them wasting the resources
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/11/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-19/) - Every week I read hundreds of blog posts. Sometimes they are mercifully short, other times they are compellingly long. Some contain the germ of an idea. Others carry the reader along in the torrent. Whittling all these down to five must-read posts can be difficult. But I do it in the hope that this is
- [Young People, Brands, Banks and Advocacy](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/09/young-people-brands-banks-and-advocacy/) - Great case study from Graham Brown and YouthResearchPartners.com on South Africa’s Nedbank advocacy efforts around their student-focused financial products. Not only did they gain in-depth student insights into banking trends and preferences – they generated 8,000 sales leads. Not bad. This is what happens when you have young people representing a brand and creating a
- [A Cup of Chaos #61: F*ck You: Pay Me.](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/08/a-cup-of-chaos-61-fck-you-pay-me/) - Have you ever had trouble being paid by a client? Mike Monteiro, co-founder of Mule Design talks a little about this exact problem at San Francisco, Creative Mornings. But it’s way more than that … I love this quote: We wanted to pick and choose the clients that we worked with. And we wanted to
- [Ecoinomy - Make More Little Savings](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/07/ecoinomy-make-more-little-savings/) - We all want to be part of something big. For some it’s a family, for others it’s a community. Sometimes it’s a job. Sometimes it’s a calling. And at the very heart of this is a passion. But what if all this was connected? What if the compartments dissolved? What if the walls between our
- [Queensland: Open for Business - Operation Sunshine](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/06/queensland-open-for-business-operation-sunshine/) - Earlier this year, when cyclone Yasi and flood waters tore through Queensland, I was amazed, worried, heartbroken. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Queensland over the years – doing motorbike tours up through the Sunshine Coast and the hinterland, walking through the Daintree, visiting the Great Barrier Reef and chilling out at Port Douglas.
- [Social Media: How to Listen](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/05/social-media-how-to-listen/) - If the first step in social media is to "listen", this one page infographic shows you the steps to get started.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/05/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-21/) - This week’s focus is on innovation – what is it, what drives it and how do you need to think about it differently now. The central theme is that it begins with you – innovation is not something you can handball to someone else. So what are you waiting for? Don’t be the reflected glory
- [April Fools for Designers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/01/april-fools-for-designers/) - Take a look at the picture. It’s what happens if you do a Google search for helvetica. Nice work. Though the marketer in me wonders if this is a brilliant effort from the folks at Linotype.com.
- [A Cup of Chaos #60: Air New Zealand #richroll](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/04/01/a-cup-of-chaos-60-air-new-zealand-richroll/) - All I can say is, “you’re a giraffe”. In flight safety video for Air New Zealand. Makes you want to change your bookings!
- [Advance Australia Fair](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/31/advance-australia-fair/) - An unexpected find while trolling YouTube for inspiration … Katie Noonan’s performance of the Australian national anthem. One of the best versions I have ever heard – and it even includes the mythical second verse.
- [I Used to be a No Guy but Now I’m a Yes Man](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/31/i-used-to-be-a-no-guy-but-now-im-a-yes-man/) - I lived with a man whose no was in the middle of his heart, whose no kept him thin as a bone and stole the juices from him. -- Bradshaw in Howard Barker’s Victory When I first read Howard Barker’s play, Victory, it made me angry. It was an angry, abusive, roaring text that made
- [The State of Community Management, 2011](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/29/the-state-of-community-management-2011/) - The community manager often lives at the sharp end of business practise – which means balancing the demands of your bosses and the expectations of your community members. It can be exhilarating and exhausting as Scott Drummond has explained previously. Somewhere in this sandwich of innovation topped with a lettuce leaf of frustration is the
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/28/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-3-7/) - We live in a time of information abundance. Almost anything we want to learn, we can find online. All we need is an internet connection and a few minutes to scour the search engines. But it’s not information that is valuable these days – it’s our time. Our attention. We need utility in all its
- [Join Earth Hour Tonight](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/26/join-earth-hour-tonight/) - I’m looking forward to an hour of darkness. Share it with the people closest to you – for the good of us all.
- [A Cup of Chaos #59: Facebook by CIA](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/25/a-cup-of-chaos-59-facebook-by-cia/) - I love this! Another gem from the Onion News Network – showing just how conspiracy theories start. But remember, just because you are paranoid, doesn’t mean that they aren’t mining your Facebook profiles ;) CIA's 'Facebook' Program Dramatically Cut Agency's Costs
- [The Calm Before the Social Media Storm](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/24/the-calm-before-the-social-media-storm/) - Businesses have been slow to react to social media. I don’t mean that they have been slow to setup a Facebook page or open a Twitter account. I mean that they have been slow to adopt the practices of social media within their businesses. They have been hesitant to spend the time and the resources
- [Two Weeks Can Change a Child’s Life](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/24/two-weeks-can-change-a-childs-life/) - Do the crickets sound louder than sirens where you live? If so, the Fresh Air Fund would like to talk to you. The Fresh Air Fund, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children
- [Innovation, Leadership and Transformation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/23/innovation-leadership-and-transformation/) - Imagine ... You have one great customer ... a shoe manufacturer. They create shoes that are worn by the world's great athletes. I'm talking Michael Jordan. I'm talking Tiger Woods. I'm talking Serena Williams. Cathy Freeman. But there's more. Many more. It's like a star-studded cast of top tier athletes that are not just "at
- [300 Years of Fossil Fuels in 300 Seconds](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/21/300-years-of-fossil-fuels-in-300-seconds/) - Not a bad piece of animated infographia from the Post Carbon Institute. Good to see a broader range of complex stories being communicated this way.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/21/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-14/) - When I am selecting these posts, I look for something that piques my interest – a word, a phrase or an idea that resonates. Interestingly, it is almost never a comment. The idea behind Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week is to highlight those articles that should be shared or should find their way through
- [There Are No More Boundaries](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/19/there-are-no-more-boundaries/) - The 1950s were a wonderful time. It was a time of nuclear, loving families, safe neighbourhoods and white picket fences. In our local communities we knew the butcher, baker and grocer. The mayor would tip his hat as he passed you in the street and the boy next door delivered the newspaper each day on
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/15/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-20/) - A little late this week – but there’s been a lot on! There’s posts, news, work and so much great reading it’s hard to find time to write! Hope that these five posts from last week get your brains vibing! For those wanting to optimise their sites (and who doesn’t), Google’s recent changes to their
- [Your Friends Suck](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/14/your-friends-suck/) - We often talk about social networks operating in a bi- or multi-directional way. The conversations flow from one point to another and ever-onwards. But the same can be said of reputation.The same can be said of “influence”. After all, the people that we associate with – the people that we know and that we trust
- [Tell to Win - and Win](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/14/tell-to-win-and-win/) - If you are like me, you can tell from the first line of a book whether you think it will capture you. Peter Guber’s Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story was one of those books that not only had me at the first line. It was like a
- [Social Media Channel Matrix](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/13/social-media-channel-matrix/) - Many years ago I created a communications channel matrix. It acted as a ready-reference guide that allowed me to map out messages first and then choose the channel and the medium that was most appropriate. I have used it ever since. I even had a version that I used for social media. But then the
- [A Cup of Chaos #58: Tajazzle](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/11/a-cup-of-chaos-58-tajazzle/) - Some gold from the world of infomercials with thanks to Carmel Hagen. Some copywriting so brilliant that you’d think the words had been written for the Old Spice Guy. Be prepared.
- [Ejaculating Ideas](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/10/ejaculating-ideas/) - We’ve all been there. The dark room. Intense. Shallow breathing followed by a gulp of breath. For the first timer, the virgin, it’s daunting. There’s new terrain to explore and new opportunities laid bare. There’s also risk. The tension builds. There’s nervousness, trepidation and excitement. Even the more experienced person can falter right about now.
- [A Day in the Life of a Social Media Manager](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-social-media-manager/) - The SocialCast folks put out some great infographics. And reading this one, it reminds me of a post Scott Drummond wrote a month or two ago, detailing his activities – Community Manager for a Day. Read them both carefully. Of course, it would be a very different kind of “hectic” if you were Charlie Sheen’s
- [100 Voices - 100 Years of International Women’s Day](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/09/100-voices-100-years-of-international-womens-day/) - I love this sort of thing … crowdsourcing and engaging super smart, articulate people, providing them a focus and letting them unleash their creativity. Krishna De has gathered 100 quotes from women in business – all who contributed less than 140 characters. But even taking a quick glance you’ll be struck by just how clear
- [Three Things I Learned Judging the Digital AWARD Awards](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/09/three-things-i-learned-judging-the-digital-award-awards/) - A couple of months ago, I asked to sit on the Digital Panel for the Australasian Writers and Art Directors Association (AWARD) Awards. I met with with Co-Chairman of Publicis Mojo and Chairman of AWARD, Craig Davis and was fascinated to hear first-hand about where AWARDs were heading and why. As he explained to Campaign
- [What is Social Media - Looking Through the Conversation Prism](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/08/what-is-social-media-looking-through-the-conversation-prism/) - The other week I chaored the Marcus Evans: Social Media – The Way Forward conference in Sydney. The speakers were great and the audience were clearly focused on the business-end of social media. It made for a very different style of conference. You can see the tweetstream from the conference at What The Hashtag –
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/07/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-22/) - Sometimes I have a hard time finding five posts that really ring my bell. At other times, there is an abundance of great thinking. This week is an example of the latter. Over the last week I have read some great articles, shared many of them with my Twitter followers and made notes for future
- [An Enchanting Business Book](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/06/an-enchanting-business-book/) - I read a lot of business books. Not as many as my friend, Drew McLellan (who seems to be a reading machine), but quite a lot. I read them because they give me thinking time away from the computer – and because they force me to think in a sustained way, about a topic for
- [From Little Things, Big Things Grow - WorldNomads and the World of Micropayments](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/04/from-little-things-big-things-grow-worldnomads-and-the-world-of-micropayments/) - For some time I have been mulling over an idea. I’m grappling with the complexity of the world in which we live and with the changes I can see taking place before my eyes. I’m working through what it means to work, to live and to make a difference to our families, our friends and
- [Mobile Youth Around the World - Key Statistics for 2011](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/02/mobile-youth-around-the-world-key-statistics-for-2011/) - There are some stunning statistics in this brief report from Graham Brown and Josh Dhaliwal. But it’s not the statistics that really concern me. It’s the impacts. 2011 is a line in the demographic sand. It’s the year that the Baby Boomers begin to retire. And as this happens, we’ll see massive shifts in the
- [The Future of Markets](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/02/the-future-of-markets/) - A couple of times each year, about 4000 marketers at Fortune 1000 and Forbes Top 200 companies are surveyed about the future. This is the sixth in the series from CMOsurvey.org. What’s encouraging to see is improvements in key business areas, including: Overall optimism about the economy (while focused on the US economy, there are
- [The World's Obsession with Facebook](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/03/01/the-worlds-obsession-with-facebook/) - Here is a nice video that captures the statistics that underpin the growth of Facebook. It's a perfect introduction for your boss. Or your mum.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/28/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-15/) - This week I am looking at creativity. What does creativity mean to you? How do you maintain it and how does it manifest in your life? These five posts should get you thinking (and hopefully acting) this monday! In the hustle and bustle of a busy life, Drew McLellan asks, how do you maintain your
- [Five Reasons NOT to Renovate Your Bathroom with Harvey Norman](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/25/five-reasons-not-to-renovate-your-bathroom-with-harvey-norman/) - When we wanted to renovate our bathroom we turned to the best. We turned to Harvey Norman, Australia's leading home and bathroom renovators. Here are five reasons why you should NOT renovate your bathroom with Harvey Norman.
- [A Cup of Chaos #57: Star Trek Tik Tok](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/25/a-cup-of-chaos-57-star-trek-tik-tok/) - This is a hilarious mashup of Star Trek scenes with the Ke$ha track Tik Tok.
- [Using Su.pr to Find the Best Time to Tweet](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/23/using-supr-to-find-the-best-time-to-tweet/) - I can remember years ago, being obsessed with email marketing metrics. I loved experimenting with email blasts to see what would work – from subject lines and call to action messaging right through to the time of sending. And it was this last one – the time of sending that really made a difference. Sometimes
- [Five Reasons to Visualize Your LinkedIn Network](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/23/five-reasons-to-visualize-your-linkedin-network/) - We all love a pretty picture, right? Well, here is a nice application of network data from LinkedIn Labs (they have a labs group – who knew?). Basically, you login to LinkedIn and the tool processes your network information and turns it into a stunning network map. Then it is up to you to label
- [The State of the Internet in Australia – one size doesn’t fit all](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/21/the-state-of-the-internet-in-australia-one-size-doesnt-fit-all/) - It is rare to see Australia-specific internet usage statistics freely available, but ComScore have released a grab-bag of aggregated data that you can use to impress your boss, your client or your nerdy partner. Sure you have to register before you download, but it’s well worth it. The data is for November or December 2010
- [Google Search Gets Even More Social](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/20/google-search-gets-even-more-social/) - In light of my recent post on networked group think, I am concerned at Google’s recent moves to extend their social search functionality. One of the reasons Google was valuable to me was due to its wide net and broad focus. Social search may just make Google too narrow for my liking - ut I
- [Ideas, Innovation and the Danger of Networked Group Thinking](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/19/ideas-innovation-and-the-danger-of-networked-group-thinking/) - Are social networks limiting our creativity and innovation or unleashing it? "The Social Way" suggests we need to move beyond the social-safety-nets of our connections to experience more of the world wide web and human existence.
- [A Cup of Chaos #56: Sexy Rubik's Cube Solve](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/18/a-cup-of-chaos-56-sexy-rubiks-cube-solve/) - Remember Rubik's Cube? I was never able to memorise or intuit how to solve it. Seems my mathematical brain was just not up to the task (hence my move out of programming into marketing). Oh, and don't forget to check out Ashley's selection of YouTube videos. Great way to start your Friday!
- [Come to Coffee Morning During Sydney Digital Week - March 7-11, 2011](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/17/come-to-coffee-morning-during-sydney-digital-week-march-7-11-2011/) - Coffee mornings is an informal get together that happens each week in Sydney. No topics are off the table. But neither is it structured. It's open to anyone and everyone. Many attendees are interested in social media, but we also attract people with interests in advertising, marketing, technology and web development. Occasionally we host
- [Social Media Yearbook](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/17/social-media-yearbook/) - Another nice piece of work from the Flowtown crew. Though I wonder what this will look like by the end of 2011 – not the beginning. Who will drop out? Who will hook up with whom. And just who will be judged “most likely to succeed” in this fast-shifting space?
- [The Social Marketer - Feeling the Social Media Love](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/16/the-social-marketer-feeling-the-social-media-love/) - What's the difference between a traditional and a social marketer? Learn more about "The Social Way", Gavin Heaton's groundbreaking approach to transforming your marketing and business culture.
- [Where Are You on the Trust Barometer?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/14/where-are-you-on-the-trust-barometer/) - Whenever the social media conversation shifts to “influence” – who has it, how you can get it and what it’s worth, you know we’re talking trust. After all, what we perceive as “influence” is simply a combination of trust and relevance – a heady mix of the right audience, a trusted shepherd and a call
- [Getting to Know robots.txt](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/14/getting-to-know-robotstxt/) - We all love visitors to our websites. We love the recognition, the sense of connectedness and the thrill of fame on whatever scale we happen to achieve. There is also a fascination with the numbers, pure numbers – where visitors came from, how they found our sites and what they are interested in. All this
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/14/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-21/) - It was Super Bowl week last week, so there was ad world overload. But if you looked beyond the replays of TV commercials, there were some seriously good blog posts published last week. These five caught my eye – but I am sure there were others. Did you see them? What did you like? Let
- [LinkedIn Takes Personalization to a New Level](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/10/linkedin-takes-personalization-to-a-new-level/) - Apparently almost 300 of my LinkedIn connections changed jobs in 2010. That’s about 40% of the people that I know on a professional level. Astounding! And while that does sound like a lot, it’s fairly standard in the marketing /advertising industry. In fact, without LinkedIn, I wonder how I’d keep up with you all! But
- [The Words of a Visionary: Marshall McLuhan Speaks](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/10/the-words-of-a-visionary-marshall-mcluhan-speaks/) - Much of what we are living – in terms of digital technologies, connected social networks, information saturation and knowledge search was imagined by theorist Marshall McLuhan. His books like Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man and The Medium is the Massage are the philosophic underpinnings of many media studies courses – and are must-reads for
- [Some Events in Sydney February/March 2011](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/09/some-events-in-sydney-februarymarch-2011/) - Late last year I was asked to speak on social media and innovation as part of the GE Global Leadership Education program. It was fascinating (and challenging) to be face-to-face with 50 of GE’s hand-picked future leaders – with a focus on one topic: digital strategy. But not all organisations have the ability to bring
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/07/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-23/) - How many blogs do you read each week? How many each day? How do you find them and why are they useful? Do you come back to them? Do you subscribe or add them to your favourites? How do you keep up-to-date? All good questions. Yet while statistics indicate that blogging is growing – modestly
- [Volkswagen Uses The Force](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/03/volkswagen-uses-the-force/) - They say that you should never share the stage/screen with an animal or a child (otherwise you will be upstaged). But can you use this to your advantage? Sure. That’s what VW did with this ad for the new Passat. But will it change your Volkswagen experience?
- [Act Like You Care](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/02/act-like-you-care/) - I’ve always been interested in people. At university I would spend hours in the coffee shop watching people. I would notice the small gestures. I would see the forced smile of an unhappy coincidence. Or the joyous embrace of a true surprise. And as I watched – and drank coffee – I realised that our
- [You Don’t Send Me Link Love Anymore](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/02/01/you-dont-send-me-link-love-anymore/) - You hardly talk to me anymore When I come through the door At the end of the day Ah yes, the deep tones of Neil Diamond and a recent email prompted a touch of reminiscence. You see, back when I started blogging, it was a different world. Blogrolls were important. They were a recognition. A
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/01/31/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-24/) - There was a time when January was slow – where nothing much happened until February. It was a time for planning and organisation. It was about getting your ducks in a row. We’re already a month in to 2011 and it feels like I’m aboard a freight train – there are events, book launches, happenings
- [Rethinking Education - Revisiting Brands](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/01/28/rethinking-education-revisiting-brands/) - I have long been a fan of the work of Prof Michael Wesch from the University of Kansas. Not only does he seek to challenge notions of education and knowledge, he actively encourages his students to participate in these challenges. The latest is on the topic of The Visions of Students Today. Participants will be
- [The Value of Conversion](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/01/27/the-value-of-conversion/) - I can remember way back in the early days of the web that we used to count hits. This basically meant that we would count every element on the web page as a single item and each time it was displayed, we would get a “hit”. So a page with ten items would rate as
- [A Cup of Chaos #55: The Sun Page 3](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/01/07/a-cup-of-chaos-55-the-sun-page-3/) - Slightly NSFW – but not a bad, slightly cheeky take on the Old Spice Guy from The Sun newspaper.
- [Looking Across a New Media Universe](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/01/06/looking-across-a-new-media-universe/) - We have been talking – and writing – for years about the shifts that are happening in our marketplaces. We tend to focus on the industries that are most obviously connected – energy, technology, media and finance. But the real shift, in my opinion, is more to do with the underlying shifts in consumer behaviour.
- [Retro Fun “Interactive” Website](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/01/05/retro-fun-interactive-website/) - Do you remember when people used to talk about an “interactive website”? Well, in a nice find today via Twitter we have a website with an MS-DOS command line interface – stopwilson.com: Just type blog to view the StopWilson blog Type help to get help Brings back all those lovely childhood geek memories! Get your
- [How Much Does Social Media Cost?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/01/05/how-much-does-social-media-cost/) - There are plenty of articles around that talk about what it takes to get started with social media. Heck, I’ve probably even written a few myself. After all, anyone – with the exception perhaps of Gerry Harvey – knows that the barriers to entry to social media are very low. You need a computer and
- [The Facebook Valuation in Perspective](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/01/05/the-facebook-valuation-in-perspective/) - The news that Goldman Sachs had valued Facebook at $50 billion is big news. Well – big – in that it is a lot of money. But from a per user point of view, it values all our individual profiles at $100 each. That’s not such a big deal. But it would be more significant
- [The Perfect Landing Page](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/01/04/the-perfect-landing-page/) - One post that consistently garners traffic here on my blog is Every Page is a Landing Page. It’s not really a post about marketing, or branding, or strategy. It’s just a post about the most important page on your website – all of them. So, if every page on your site is important, what does
- [How Denlo Changed My Volkswagen Experience](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/01/04/how-denlo-changed-my-volkswagen-experience/) - I knew it was the end when Brett, my mechanic knocked at the door. He explained that I had had six good years with my Alfa 156, but that was ending. Was about to end. And that from here on in, I was to experience a world of frustration, anxiety and financial burden. It was
- [Five Must-Read Predictions for 2011](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2011/01/03/five-must-read-predictions-for-2011/) - Each year it starts the same. A dark, quiet room. Incense laden air. I take a breath. Again. Drawing the cosmic energies deep into my being. I hold them, momentarily, and then relax, breathing them back into the world. And as I sift through the psychic residue, searching for a shred of insight, I am
- [You’re a Comic Sans Criminal](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/22/youre-a-comic-sans-criminal/) - Matt Dempsey is far kinder than I – wanting to educate and transform those who wantonly and willingly use Comic Sans in their presentations and other documents. If it was up to me, you people would be the first to the wall when the typography revolution comes. But in the spirit of the season, I’m
- [Word Lens is a Gift for Travellers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/20/word-lens-is-a-gift-for-travellers/) - Now, I just stumbled across this and think it’s fabulous. Word Lens is an iPhone app that works even without a connection to the internet. It reads signs through the iPhone camera and translates them for you. Don’t believe me? Take a look for yourself. Of course, the real question is whether it can translate
- [Evolution of Social CRM (Infographic)](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/20/evolution-of-social-crm-infographic/) - I have been fascinated by the rise of sites like GetSatisfaction. They use community, reputation and social media to help businesses transform their customer service. In many ways, it’s a little like crowdsourcing your customer engagement – and to be honest – I am surprised not to see more businesses using this approach. But what
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/20/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-16/) - In the past, December has been a month of frantic activity that lasts a week or so, and then it’s a matter of wrapping up loose ends, presents and extra surprise, last minute gifts. This year, it seems that we are all running frantically towards the end of the year with no stop point on
- [Australian Asylum Seekers Infographic](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/17/australian-asylum-seekers-infographic/) - Each year the Australian population swells. There are babies born and plenty of smart people moving to our country. And there are people who arrive here seeking asylum. But what are the percentages – and should we really be worried by the numbers of people desperate enough to risk their lives arriving by boat on
- [Are You Contagious?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/17/are-you-contagious/) - Each year, Contagious Magazine take a look at the top trends, most popular products, experiences, slick style-focused devices and all the other virtual and tangible accoutrements that help us define our lives. The Most Contagious 2010 is the place where you can download the report or just browse through the site, catching a nuevo-retro glimpse
- [A Spot of Cat-Sourcing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/16/a-spot-of-cat-sourcing/) - We all love the idea of crowd sourcing – getting ordinary people to use their creativity, energy and skills to complete a task. But how does that apply to non-people based brands and products? What if you are, say, a pet food company like Purina Friskies and wanted to apply the principles of crowd sourcing?
- [BP v The Internet - Anatomy of a PR War](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/16/bp-v-the-internet-anatomy-of-a-pr-war/) - With the US now looking to sue BP (and other firms) over the alleged violation of federal safety regulations in connection with this year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill, it’s interesting to take a look at what unfolded online. Angela Natividad has put together this detailed presentation that calls out key moments where BP could
- [Top Tweets of 2010](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/15/top-tweets-of-2010/) - Twitter’s year in review for 2010 has listed the top 10 most powerful tweets of the year. My favourite of the list comes from @BPGlobalPR. But I also have my own favourites … which I keep track of through the year. Here are my top six. This is like the Triple Word Score on Twitter.
- [Brands are the Social Stories We Tell](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/15/brands-are-the-social-stories-we-tell/) - Prompted by a message from Sean Howard, asking about brand visualisation tools, I revisited a post from 2009. Titled Brands are the Stories We Tell, it looks at a personal profiling tool from MIT that lets you map out the characteristics that describe “you”. While the end sequence is useful from a persona mapping point
- [A Cup of Chaos #54: Santa's Reindeer Fights Back](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/14/a-cup-of-chaos-54-santas-reindeer-fights-back/) - At this time of year, we all start thinking about Santa and his reindeers. Most of us, however, tend to go to department stores to see them up close. This entrepid individual decided to seek out a reindeer in its natural environment. And, ok, he had a gun ... but here's what happens when you
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/13/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-22/) - This week – because we are all running as fast as possible – towards the holidays, I thought I’d share with your five SHORT must-read posts from last week. Each of them demonstrate just how much you can communicate if you squeeze your text and image hard enough. Be sure to check them all out!
- [How To Pitch](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/12/how-to-pitch/) - Here’s an interesting presentation on how startups should pitch to investors. There’s nothing earth shattering – but the design is great. But perhaps, the most interesting thing about this presentation is how widely it could be used. Tips on How to Pitch View more presentations from Project Presentation. Don’t just think of pitching a new
- [The Consumer Expectations of the Business User](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/11/the-consumer-expectations-of-the-business-user/) - There is a quiet revolution taking place in the enterprise. It’s not something you are going to notice at first. It doesn’t manifest in the kind of disruption that raises the eyebrows of management. It is quiet. Oh so quiet. This revolution lives in the hearts and minds of the people who we loosely call
- [Google Zeitgeist 2010](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/10/google-zeitgeist-2010/) - At this time of year, even Google looks in the rear vision mirror. What do they see?
- [A Collection of Australian Wikileaks Commentary](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/09/a-collection-of-australian-wikileaks-commentary/) - I thought I’d take a quick scan for Australian blogs and non-mainstream media sites covering Wikileaks and its fallout. While there is a lot of chatter on Twitter, there is less coverage on blogs than I had expected. There are, however, a few more interesting angles covered by the following: GetUp have launched a fundraising
- [Wikileaks Payback Targets](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/09/wikileaks-payback-targets/) - With Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, refused bail, it is now down to the network of Wikileaks editors, technologists, journalists etc to carry on with their publishing plans. Meanwhile, a payback campaign has been launched by loosely connected activists, hackers, bloggers and various Wikileaks supporters targeting efforts aimed at financially crippling the Wikileaks group. This
- [A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/09/a-declaration-of-the-independence-of-cyberspace/) - Way back in 1996 – before Wikileaks was a glint in the anarchic eye of Julian Assange, the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s John Perry Barlow published A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace. It speaks of a social contract. A different world. Utopian? It certainly is. But there is also a clear vision of a more
- [My Media Diet - 2010](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/07/my-media-diet-2010/) - Around this time of year we all get a little reflective. I think back on what has worked and what has not – I look for what resonates for me and builds into a trend. I think about the lessons I have learned and then consider what could have been better. What I am looking
- [Is Google on Your Reading List?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/07/is-google-on-your-reading-list/) - I remember about 8-10 years ago thinking that MySpace was all pervasive. That nothing was going to overtake it. Then Friendster came rolling over the horizon and created a whole new category of online participation only to become the first casualty of a resurgent Facebook. The web – if anything – is a story of
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/06/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-25/) - Are we really almost at the end of 2010? It seemed to sneak up on me! Yanuar Prisantoso has compiled a collection of 55 social media infographics. While some of these are a little old – or well loved – there are a couple that I had not seen before. Valeria Maltoni reminds us that
- [A Cup of Chaos #53: The Crying Invoice](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/04/a-cup-of-chaos-53-the-crying-invoice/) - Sometimes, when I receive an invoice it makes me cry. But sending them makes me smile. But what happens when that invoice of yours doesn’t get paid? Heartbreak. So the folks over at Duval Guillaume in Belgium (where many, many freelance invoices are paid late) had a unique idea to promote new freelancer portal ikki.be.
- [Learning About Local Action: Our Efforts to Save the Bushland at Castle Hill](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/12/02/learning-about-local-action-our-efforts-to-save-the-bushland-at-castle-hill/) - When I first came to look at the house where I now live, I was struck by the towering trees and the piercing blue sky that framed it. It seemed amazingly “Australian”. To my great surprise there was a large undeveloped block of land behind the house – quite a rare sight in this neighbourhood!
- [Gen Y - Where Did They Come From?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/30/gen-y-where-did-they-come-from/) - This interesting video from BOX1824, a Brazillian research company combines the data from several studies. It nicely weaves the story of Gen Y (“Millennials … whatever”) by looking at where they came from, how they express themselves and what pressures, connections and disjunctures are shaping their sense of themselves and how and where they belong
- [Julian Cole’s Top 50 Australian Marketing Blogs for 2010](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/29/julian-coles-top-50-australian-marketing-blogs-for-2010/) - A couple of years ago, when Julian Cole kicked off his Top 50 blog list, ranking “Australian pioneer marketing blogs”, it caused something of a sensation. Some people loved it. Some people hated it. Many could care less. And that’s the way it is with social media – there’s plenty of interesting content to consume,
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/29/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-17/) - Normally around this time of the year, blogging tends to ease off. There are projects to finish off, opportunities to close out and parties to attend. It’s a feast! But as this week’s must-reads points out, there’s plenty of puff left in the world of ideas. Expect a renewed burst of activity as our American
- [Undercover Innovators: Ian Lyons](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/28/undercover-innovators-ian-lyons/) - I am always amazed that we often look overseas for inspiration or leadership before looking closer to home. I see people being flown in to Australia from all over the world – to discuss topics, ideas and innovations. And while this is great. Inspirational even. It’s also disappointing to see that we ignore, fail to
- [Social Media People on the Move (Australia)](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/25/social-media-people-on-the-move-australia/) - Are you changing roles? Have you hired someone into your team? If so, please let me know by filling in this form (or use the full screen version here). I will publish updates every few months - or as required. Loading...
- [Complex Problems? Join the Bucket Brigade](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/24/complex-problems-join-the-bucket-brigade/) - Over the last few months I have been on an adventure. More precisely, I’ve taken a seat on an adventurous journey. Our guide into the unknown is Bud Caddell who is not only driving the bus – he’s building it from the wheels up as we go along. What does it look like? Well, there
- [Venture Citizenship and the Future of Money](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/23/venture-citizenship-and-the-future-of-money/) - What are young adults thinking about money and value? How can we create new systems of wealth generation and abundance? What does the future hold for banks and other financial institutions in the wake of massive peer to peer exchange? This interesting piece from Vanessa Miemis draws upon the thinking and ideas of a global
- [Digital 101 - 20 Things About the Internet](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/22/digital-101-20-things-about-the-internet/) - Very early on I had an interest in computers and computing. I wrote some BASIC programs using a Vic 20 and later a Commodore 64. I had a VZ200, tape drive and some extra RAM and would spend hours trying to create a Star Trek style adventure game. When I worked as a trainee accountant,
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/22/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-23/) - There’s always so much good thinking and discussion to follow. But how do you keep up? How do you consume all that’s available, all that’s good? It’s a never ending feast! And in this never ending all-you-can-eat marketing world, I’d just like to offer you this small digestif. Don’t worry, it’s wafer thin. One of
- [Is Katherine Liew the World’s Coolest Intern?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/19/is-katherine-liew-the-worlds-coolest-intern/) - Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore has been running a competition to find the world’s coolest intern for their mobile banking team. The winner of the competition gets a six month paid internship, some training in social media and a bunch of other perks. Sounds great, right? Well, the competition is closing tomorrow, and the only
- [Why Agencies Should Treat their Staff Better](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/18/why-agencies-should-treat-their-staff-better/) - I have a friend in the industry. Let’s call him, Mr X. In fact, Mr X could be Ms X. You may know her. Or him. Or maybe not. But even if you did know Mr X, I’d be surprised if you knew Mr X’s tale of agency woe. Now, Mr X is a smart,
- [Are You an Undercover Innovator?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/16/are-you-an-undercover-innovator/) - I have always had an interest in new stuff. In new ways of doing things. In working smarter, not harder. And I have always been interested in implementing change – not just talking about it. In many ways, I have always been an undercover innovator – pushing away at the core problem, seeking to transform
- [Is the Facebook Social Inbox for You?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/16/is-the-facebook-social-inbox-for-you/) - I remember when webmail first appeared. It seemed like a revolution. Gone was the clunkiness associated with in-office mail clients like Microsoft’s Outlook or IBM’s Lotus Notes. In was speed, flexibility and simplicity. And it also meant that I could read and respond to personal emails at work. It took me some time, however, to
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/15/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-26/) - While I have been busy with work and travel over the last fortnight, I have still seen plenty of excellent blogs posts worth sharing. Unfortunately, that has meant that I have been rather quiet on the writing side. Hopefully I’ll be back to normal, regular posting from this week through to Christmas. Buckle in for
- [Oh No, It’s Movember!](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/13/oh-no-its-movember/) - For the last few years at this time I grow a moustache. It’s not just for the sheer style – but to join other men in raising awareness around depression and prostate cancer. This movement, which has now become a global phenomenon is known as “Movember”. Why do I join in Movember? This year alone,
- [A Cup of Chaos #52: Where Idiots Get Their Data](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/06/a-cup-of-chaos-52-where-idiots-get-their-data/) - Where do global warming myths come from? Timo Elliot shares this video and explains just how complicated statistical analysis can be. Well worth a read!
- [A Cup of Chaos #51: Fair and Lovely](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/11/05/a-cup-of-chaos-51-fair-and-lovely/) - I think this speaks for itself – and I blame Will Humphrey for showing me where to find it.
- [A Cup of Chaos #50: St Streetview](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/29/a-cup-of-chaos-50-st-streetview/) - With all the excitement around Mary McKillop becoming Australia’s first saint, it was only a matter of time before we encountered a digital miracle. No, I don’t mean the Australian National Broadband Network. I mean the appearance of God in a Google Streetview image. This will certainly give St Christopher, the patron saint of travellers
- [Support Independent Media in Australia - New Matilda](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/28/support-independent-media-in-australia-new-matilda/) - There are precious few independent voices in the Australian media landscape. There is Crikey, group blogs like Larvatus Prodeo and a handful of individual bloggers, but the nation’s dominant media players maintain a stranglehold on political and social debate. In the face of this domination, these alternative sites provide much needed space for debate and
- [Teaching an Old Dog - MySpace Jumps a Hoop](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/28/teaching-an-old-dog-myspace-jumps-a-hoop/) - Any online venture that lasts more than three years is a stayer. One that makes the grand old age of five is a veteran. And with the constant rising and falling of the next, new thing – staying at the top of your game for any web company is a challenge. So I was interested
- [The Very Unofficial Facebook Privacy Guide](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/27/the-very-unofficial-facebook-privacy-guide/) - One of the inspirations for the Age of Conversation books that Drew McLellan and I have been publishing over the last few years is the concept that we are smarter than me. And every day, I see yet more evidence of this … that someone, somewhere out there has an insight, a piece of knowledge
- [The Value of an Existing Customer](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/27/the-value-of-an-existing-customer/) - Now, I am feeling more than a little jaded about the rash of infographics that clog the social media airwaves these days. And it seems that I am not alone. But occasionally I find one that tickles my fancy. This one by the Flowtown folks reminds us just how important our existing customers really are
- [I Connect Therefore I Am](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/26/i-connect-therefore-i-am/) - When I was in my teens I found myself with pockets of friends. There would be those kids that lived close to my home – the boys I would surf, fish and hang out with. There were the smart, nerdy kids who I shared classes with. And there were some cool kids who would play
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/25/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-27/) - With a bunch of travel and plenty of work over the last month, I’ve been a little tardy getting the five must-read posts out. That’s not to say that I haven’t been reading – it’s just that I haven’t been writing! Anyway, this week’s five must-reads are show stoppers! Edward Boches shares a video of
- [Social Media Wave 5 Report](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/22/social-media-wave-5-report/) - When we look at the social nature of the web, we are often surprised at the changes that have taken place in a relatively short period of time. We have moved from simple, static sites to information repositories, through animated and “interactive” destinations to a now decentralised, integrated social experience. The early websites were conceived
- [A Cup of Chaos #49: The Single Origin Experience](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/22/a-cup-of-chaos-49-the-single-origin-experience/) - Regular readers will know that I love coffee. And that my favourite cafe is Single Origin in Sydney’s Surry Hills. Well, after talking about blogs and blogging during Coffee Mornings for the last four or so years, the good ship Single Origin are on-board with social media and doing a great job of it! You
- [When We Say Conversation, We Mean Content](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/21/when-we-say-conversation-we-mean-content/) - Those of us working in marketing have been inundated on the topic of “conversation”. Joe Jaffe asked us to “Join the Conversation”, told we’re living in the Age of Conversation and so on. But what does this mean in practical terms? What do we mean by “conversation” and how do we apply that to our
- [Would You Dare to Work Here?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/16/would-you-dare-to-work-here/) - I can’t begin to tell you how much I love this video from Dare Digital in London. I love the way the story is told – the facts, the quirks, the humour. I love the self-deprecating style and the understated narrator. And I love the way that it draws us in and then gives us
- [Give the Gift of Water #BAD10](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/16/give-the-gift-of-water-bad10/) - Today is Blog Action Day, a day where bloggers from around the world come together to support a single cause. This year’s cause is water. Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. That’s one in eight of us. Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation
- [A Cup of Chaos #48: Smell Like a Monster](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/15/a-cup-of-chaos-48-smell-like-a-monster/) - You know you’ve moved from a good idea to a pop culture moment when Sesame Street does a parody of your work. This take on the @OldSpice guy is hilarious. Oh, and today’s Cup of Chaos is brought to you by the word “on” and the number 4 million.
- [The Conversation Prism 3.0](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/14/the-conversation-prism-30/) - The social web is a rapidly changing and evolving space. Every week that passes brings a new player – a new feature or function – and sometimes, a completely new way of conceptualising the web. To get a sense of how much things have changed over the last couple of years, take a look at
- [Are You Ready for Blog Action Day on Friday?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/14/are-you-ready-for-blog-action-day-on-friday/) - Blog Action Day 2010: Water from Blog Action Day on Vimeo. Last year, Blog Acton Day was a massive, global initiative, bringing together thousands of blogs around a single, social topic. This year’s Blog Action Day is due to happen this Friday, October 15. Thus far, almost 4000 blogs have been registered from 125 countries
- [Time to Improve Communication - The Hills Shire Council Pulls a Swifty](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/13/time-to-improve-communication-the-hills-shire-council-pulls-a-swifty/) - One of the the things that I liked about moving to the leafy Hills District of Sydney’s north western suburbs was its history and its environment. Known as “Sydney’s garden shire”, the Hills Shire Council’s website proudly proclaims its focus on “lifestyle” and “heritage”. Reading the details, it seems like a wonderful community in which
- [The 10 Most Popular Topics on the Web](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/12/the-10-most-popular-topics-on-the-web/) - The web has been a geek paradise for decades. There are massive sites focusing on technology and gadgets, places you can buy everything from desktop computers through to TVs and blogs/platforms dedicated to “tech stuff” in all its forms. So you’d think that technology would be the most popular topic on the web, right? Interestingly,
- [Lifelounge Urban Market Report 2010](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/11/lifelounge-urban-market-report-2010/) - For the past seven years, Lifelounge’s Urban Market Research (UMR) in conjunction with Sweeney Research, have been compiling the definitive guide on the lifestyles, interests and passions of 16 to 30 year old Australians. The research seeks to encapsulate the values, behaviours and attitudes of the young adult market segment, focusing on the core interest
- [Top 50 of the Top 150 Social Media Marketing Blogs](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/09/top-50-of-the-top-150-social-media-marketing-blogs/) - I was off exploring regional NSW when then list was published, but if you are looking for a good, solid understanding of social media and digital marketing, then ecairn’s list of the Top 150 Social Media Marketing Blogs will keep you entertained for months! Any one of these blogs will provide you with a wealth
- [Blog Action Day - and the Age of Conversation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/07/blog-action-day-and-the-age-of-conversation/) - I know some of you will have already purchased a copy of Age of Conversation 3: It’s Time to Get Busy – and I do thank you for that. But I have new news for you, and an idea I’d like you to action. The Age of Conversation Official Charity – charity: water The first
- [When the Story Gets Personal](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/07/when-the-story-gets-personal/) - Some time ago, Paul Isakson took a walk on the wildside. He recently presented his journey – a personal journey with professional insights – to the Planningness conference in Denver. He explains How you can wander with purpose – how you can begin to look at your own life with the framework of storytelling. One
- [RUOK? How Can We Change a Life?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/10/04/ruok-how-can-we-change-a-life/) - This Thursday, October 7, is RU OK? Day. It’s the day when we’re all encouraged to ask someone whether they are ok. Sounds trivial, right? But this simple act can help reduce the chance of suicide. Look around you – at your family, friends and colleagues. Ask “are you ok”? Listen to their response. Be
- [Why Social Media Consultants are Broke](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/28/why-social-media-consultants-are-broke/) - Each day I seem to meet another “professional blogger” or “social media consultant”. It amazes me. When I looked at LinkedIn, I can see almost 100,000 social media consultants. What do these people do? How do they differentiate themselves from the other 99,999 that can so easily be found? I have a feeling that it
- [The Measure of a Life](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/27/the-measure-of-a-life/) - In the cut and thrust of life we can easily be consumed – with our work, our preoccupations, our illnesses (real or imagined), with projects, friends and family. We keep incessantly searching for the next thing – something cool, someone beguiling, an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime … and yet, in our restless
- [The Future of the Book According to IDEO](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/23/the-future-of-the-book-according-to-ideo/) - I have always loved books. As a small child I was driven to learn to read and had, midway through Year 2, read everything available in my school library. From there I moved onto more advanced topics – history, exploration and geography. I read it all like a great unfolding story – and it expanded
- [Come Face to Face with Power at FastBREAK](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/21/come-face-to-face-with-power-at-fastbreak/) - On the last Friday of every month, Vibewire, the innovative non-profit youth organisation in conjunction with the Powerhouse Museum, showcases five young innovators at their FastBREAK events. It’s a rapid fire hour of storytelling and inspiration with a dash of networking thrown in for good measure. Run from 7:45am – it’s a great way to
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/20/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-18/) - This week I have a mismash of ideas and topics for you. Some provocative thinking, some things you can do and a couple of ideas you might be able to translate into your work day. Enjoy! When it comes to participating in a charity campaign, it’s relatively easy to click a button, change an avatar
- [Cup of Chaos Special: Make it Vegetarian](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/15/cup-of-chaos-special-make-it-vegetarian/) - From time to time I drop in a Cup of Chaos special edition for those special campaigns that warrant extra attention. Iain McDonald shared this link to an anti-obesity commercial airing overnight in the USA (courtesty of PCRM). It reminds me of my vegan days. It will be interesting to see how it goes. At
- [The Wilderness Where You Live](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/15/the-wilderness-where-you-live/) - When I arrive at this site, The Wilderness Downtown, I have no idea what to expect. I know it’s a “chrome experiment” and that it uses Google Maps but that’s pretty much it. The site asks for only one thing – the place where you live (or more precisely, the place where you lived). Already
- [The Battle for the Network Economy](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/14/the-battle-for-the-network-economy/) - Call it what you will – the social web, the network economy or any other buzz word, there is no doubt that opportunities abound for smart operators. But which opportunities? How and where should you play? This interactive map from the organisers of the Web 2.0 summit provides a bird’s eye view of the online
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/14/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-24/) - In my view, it’s always best to learn from people who have “been there and done that”. I have never really been a fan of repeating the mistakes of others – so when I realised that blogs were a fantastic way of sharing your knowledge and experience – I was hooked. This week’s five must
- [Google Ups the Ante this Instant](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/13/google-ups-the-ante-this-instant/) - As we rush ever faster towards the latest thing we risk being overwhelmed – by data, life, connections – the to do list that sits threateningly at the edge of our consciousness. In an age where the act of doing – of performance – supersedes the act of being, we can sometimes look over our
- [A Cup of Chaos #47: Heavy Seas](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/10/a-cup-of-chaos-47-heavy-seas/) - Some great footage from the CCTV of a cruise liner. So makes me want to go to sea – not.
- [Please Support Riding4aCause - the Black Dog Institute](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/09/please-support-riding4acause-the-black-dog-institute/) - While I am here at my desk, typing away in the middle of the night, a bunch of my friends are pushing their way through the Australian desert on their motorbikes – on their way to the centre of Australia. But this is no weekend cruise – it’s a ride with a purpose. Riding4aCause are
- [Why the Most Passionate Attract Us](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/07/why-the-most-passionate-attract-us/) - There is do doubt that we are drawn to passionate people. Charismatic, energetic, and purposeful individuals tend to attract us like moths to a flame. Interestingly, it doesn’t really matter what that passion is … the sheer energy of their performance – their life – brings us closer to them. It brings us closer to
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/06/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-28/) - As we edge our way into spring here in the southern hemisphere, I can feel the energy and excitement that comes with the promise of warmer days. And these five must-read posts from last week will hopefully get your week started in the best possible way! Enjoy. Are you in a social media role for
- [A Cup of Chaos #46: Directory Select](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/03/a-cup-of-chaos-46-directory-select/) - Sometimes a cup of chaos works out for you, and sometimes it works against you. After receiving copies of the local Yellow Pages last week (and placing them straight into the recycling), I was pleasantly surprised to see this site surface. DirectorySelect allows you to order or cancel telephone books. It’s been a long time
- [Bored at Work = Viral](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/09/02/bored-at-work-viral/) - I can remember coming across Buzzfeed quite some time ago. It stunned me. It made me realise that there was much more going on online than I had imagined. The site, by Jonah Peretti constantly tracks content on the web and asks a simple question – will this go viral? You don’t even have to
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/30/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-4-2/) - One of the most amazing things about social media, and blogging in particular, is the chance we have to create personal connections and very real friendships with people all over the world. Sometimes this means you connect with people who live in your own city and sometimes it means you connect with people who are
- [Content Marketing and the Junta 42](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/30/content-marketing-and-the-junta-42/) - Back in 2008, Joe Pulizzi started looking in-depth at blogs that focused on content marketing. He found 81 blogs - and the Junta 42 were the viewed as the leaders in what was then an emerging field. Two years on and the field has exploded, with almost 400 blogs being tracked as part of the
- [OMO Knows Where You Live - in Brazil](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/29/omo-knows-where-you-live-in-brazil/) - We have been talking about the “smart home” for over a decade – where all your home appliances become devices, transmitting and connecting to each other to create a kind of home intelligence. For example, refrigerators could determine when your supplies are low and automatically place online orders for food and drink. But what if
- [Green Envy - Vibewire Election Coverage Hits Ten News](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/26/green-envy-vibewire-election-coverage-hits-ten-news/) - During last weekend’s election, Vibewire, the not-for-profit youth media organisation, sent their electionWIRE teams out to polling booths to capture the mood of voters at the sharp end of the election campaign. What they found in Bennelong surprised us all.
- [Can Journalists Look at Possibilities Not Problems?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/25/can-journalists-look-at-possibilities-not-problems/) - I know it is late notice, but this great event from the Emerging Leaders for Social Change is running tonight at Fairfax Media in Sydney’s Pyrmont. It features three great speakers – and will be asking the question “can journalists look at possibilities, not problems?”: JAKE LYNCH - Associate Professor Jake Lynch, PhD (City University,
- [Five Tips to Maintain Social Media Momentum](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/25/five-tips-to-maintain-social-media-momentum/) - One of the challenges with social media is that it’s easy to start and it’s easy to stop. Even the biggest, most resourced brands fall into the trap of running a successful social media campaign – and then nothing. It stops. The fan pages go quiet, the blogs stop, the Twitter channels fall into a
- [Have We Taken ‘Participation’ Too Far?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/24/have-we-taken-participation-too-far/) - I came across this interesting letter on Katie Chatfield’s blog. It purports to be an open letter from “Brian” to the marketing industry. But whether it actually IS from a real person or not, the sentiment certainly resonates with people. Now, because I hope/expect/want people to participate in the programs or marketing that I put
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/23/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-3-8/) - One of the things I like most about this weekly recap is having the chance (and the reason) to go back and think through what really impacted me during the previous week. It is easy to get carried away with a link or a cool new Facebook feature – but a few days on, it
- [#electionWIRE Hits Canberra on Polling Day](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/21/electionwire-hits-canberra-on-polling-day/) - Today Australians cast their vote in the federal election. Vibewire, an innovative non-profit youth organisation providing media, arts & entrepreneurial opportunities and events for young people have been covering the election via teams of young journalists spread across the country. Here, Margaret Paul interviews ABC Political reporter Stephen Dziedzic to get the lowdown on what’s
- [A Cup of Chaos #45: Julia v Julia](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/20/a-cup-of-chaos-45-julia-v-julia/) - As part of Vibewire’s ElectionWIRE coverage of the Australian federal election, Julia Gillard impersonators, Jackie Loeb, Gabby Millgate, Amanda Bishop and Lynne Cazaly staged a Julia v Julia debate. It was an excellent evening with the crowd urging on the comediennes with QandA style questions from the audience and from the web.
- [Respect for the Community Builders](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/19/respect-for-the-community-builders/) - Some years ago, when I first started blogging, I loved the way that people would creatively think through what it would mean to contribute to a global community. Often this involved the creation of lists – like Mack Collier’s collection of relative unknown bloggers – the z-list, or Todd Andrlik’s Power 150 which eventually transformed
- [Some Delicious SXSW Selections](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/19/some-delicious-sxsw-selections/) - Each year I promise myself that I will get to SXSW the following year. So far I have failed, and failed, and failed. And yet, each year around this time I browse the list of panels on offer and dream of attending. But each and every year, there are more and more panels to choose
- [It’s Hard Being Social Out of Hours](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/18/its-hard-being-social-out-of-hours/) - When you enter the world of social media, you may not realise it at first, but you are stepping onto the world stage. You will soon be engaging with people who share your interests, passions and even expertise. You will be sharing ideas, collaborating on projects and, without knowing it, creating friendships and long lasting
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/16/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-19/) - As is often the case, it is possible to connect the dots in trajectories of thinking across the web. In part, this happens because we all read each other’s work, and partly because online participation is driven by a culture of sharing – and a promiscuous idea has no respect for borders, geography or firewalls.
- [A Cup of Chaos #44: Gruen Transfer Pitch Challenge Yields Results](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/13/a-cup-of-chaos-44-gruen-transfer-pitch-challenge-yields-results/) - It seems that ABC TV's Gruen Transfer has hit a home run with their latest episode. The show, which provides a behind-the-scenes panel discussion of the advertising industry, is showcasing election-related advertising at present. One of the segments - The Pitch - sees two agencies go head-to-head over a creative brief. The team from Republic
- [Change Your Briefs](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/12/change-your-briefs/) - How do you brief for social media or digital strategy? Gareth Kay suggests there is a new way to think about the brief.
- [Get Started vs Get Right](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/10/get-started-vs-get-right/) - In an increasingly connected world, putting one’s head above the parapet takes a certain level of commitment. There are, after all, plenty of people willing to take a shot at you, at your idea, at your professionalism or even at your dress sense. And with easy to use platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Posterous and
- [My Kinda Sport: Puma After Hours Athlete](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/10/my-kinda-sport-puma-after-hours-athlete/) - What does it mean when we say that a brand “gets it”? I don’t necessarily mean in relation to social media – but in general?
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/09/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-25/) - Sometimes squeezing all the great reading down to five must-read posts can be a challenge. Occasionally I will cheat and embed a couple of links into the one reference, but for the most part, I play honestly. This week, again, there are some great articles for your reading pleasure. Take a read, look around the
- [@oldspice, Old Dogs and New Tricks](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/05/oldspice-old-dogs-and-new-tricks/) - What can brands learn from the storytelling and strategic planning aspect of the Old Spice campaign?
- [Crowdsourcing the Election - Vibewire and YouTube Combine with electionWIRE to Show How it's Done](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/05/get-involved-with-the-election-vibewires-electionwire-shows-how-its-done/) - In an otherwise lacklustre Australian election, youth non-profit Vibewire showcases the opinions and ideas of young people using YouTube and user generated content.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/08/03/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-29/) - This week it’s an all-Australian must-read list. Craig Wilson declares that Masterchef is the future of TV advertising, providing seven reasons to back up his case. And while I am about the only person in Australia to have no interest in the show, the ratings prove out its popularity and therefore its attractiveness to advertisers.
- [A Cup of Chaos #43: Free Your Screens](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/30/a-cup-of-chaos-43-free-your-screens/) - Now, this is what it's like to "send a message". And it looks like fun. Damien van Achter via Luc Debaisieux. SMSlingshot from FILE PRIX LUX on Vimeo.
- [Using Social Media to Solve Business Issues](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/28/using-social-media-to-solve-business-issues/) - The Melcrum report: Using Social Media to Solve Business Issues is now available for purchase. It features case studies and thought leaders such as Gavin Heaton, Euan Semple, Lee Byrant, James Robertson, Ross Dawson, Shane Morris, Philippe Borremans, Lee Hopkins.
- [Storytelling for Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/26/storytelling-for-social-media-2/) - During the Australian election, Vibewire is training and supporting young citizen journalists in an effort to unearth voices and views that are normally marginalised. You can find out more about their electionWIRE project here. As part of the training program, I delivered a short presentation on storytelling for social media. You can find it on Slideshare
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/26/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-20/) - There’s going to be a lot of coverage around the Australian federal election in the coming four weeks. There’ll be political discussion, debate around the policies (or lack thereof) and viewpoints on the way that the politicians are using social media. But rather than inundate you with this information, I will just point out two
- [Youth Mobile Trends in China 2010](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/25/youth-mobile-trends-in-china-2010/) - When I worked in a marketing agency, I spent a lot of time working on youth brands in China and across Asia-Pacific. I remember standing in Shanghai and being amazed at what was slapping me in the face – that China was not a communist country in the way that my education had led me
- [A Cup of Chaos #42: Hedo Rick](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/23/a-cup-of-chaos-42-hedo-rick/) - Ok ... this may just make you feel a little ill. Maybe it will make your skin crawl. Or maybe, just maybe, it'll make you book a holiday. To each their own. But, eew. With thanks to Scott Rhodie for sharing.
- [The Promiscuous Idea](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/22/the-promiscuous-idea/) - We are living in a time of proliferation. Never before has the marketplace of ideas been so free, the barriers to entry so low and the willingness to collaborate so powerful.
- [Ten Facebook Myths Busted](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/21/ten-facebook-myths-busted/) - Get out your magnifying glass (the text is small) and take a read of this great presentation by the team at Soap Creative. Pay particular attention to Myth #6 - Promotions are a Winning Strategy. Changes over the past year to Facebook terms and conditions have dramatically changed the opportunities for promotion and contests on
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/19/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-26/) - I was lucky enough to spend most of last week on vacation in the centre of Australia. It was a refreshing and reinvigorating experience. There was extremely limited mobile coverage (and what was available was no where near 3G) and a very small but expensive number of wireless hotspots. The relative “silence” helped focus my
- [A Cup of Chaos #41: Old Spice](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/16/a-cup-of-chaos-41-old-spice/) - Perhaps the largest and deepest cup of chaos comes to us this week from Iain Tait, W+K and the folks at Procter and Gamble. Over the last few days the Old Spice campaign has set a new bar by which we can measure engagement. And if "talkability" or "buzz" are metrics by which one can
- [Join Me at The Walkley Public Affairs Conference](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/14/join-me-at-the-walkley-public-affairs-conference/) - Next month, on Thursday August 12, the Walkley Foundation is holding a conference on the importance of telling a good story and getting it covered. For two days, What’s the Story will explore the importance of organisational story-telling as a powerful way to capture attention, engage an audience, and motivate people to act. If you
- [Right Here, Right Now - Socialnomics Updated](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/13/right-here-right-now-socialnomics-updated/) - When I put together this short presentations of videos that explain social media, I included one from the Erik Qualman over at Socialnomics. Now it has been updated with more facts and figures - and yes, it uses Fatboy Slim's anthemic Right Here, Right Now. Now, while you are bound to see this turning up
- [How Big Brands Do Facebook Marketing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/09/how-big-brands-do-facebook-marketing/) - It is not uncommon for brand managers and marketing directors to think only of Facebook when discussing social media. Sure, Facebook continues to grow (and maintain) it’s dominance on the web, but there are a plethora of other useful sites and platforms that may be more useful for your brand. But if you ARE one
- [A Cup of Chaos #40: Enrol to Vote Australia](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/09/a-cup-of-chaos-40-enrol-to-vote-australia/) - A nice politician-charged trailer for the upcoming Australian federal election by the folks at GetUp! Don't forget that you can't change the world if you don't exercise your right to vote. You don't want Julia hunting you down.
- [Uniqlo - Rethinking the Banner Ad](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/08/uniqlo-rethinking-the-banner-ad/) - Like David Gillespie, I am a little behind on this campaign, but I love this case study on the Uniqlo lucky switch. It’s a great strategy of transforming the concept of the banner ad into something more useful, interactive and even delightful. Imagine, for example, what happens when a widget that you have distributed across
- [Real Life Social Networks](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/06/real-life-social-networks/) - Here is a great presentation on social networks by Paul Adams (with thanks to Rachel Beaney). Complete with slides and speaker notes, the presentation steps through the marked differences in our behaviours online and off. It’s the perfect primer for those who are just coming to grips with the world of social media – and
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/05/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-30/) - Well, I don’t know about you, but it has been an exceptionally busy six months. And now, here in Australia, we are heading into a new financial year … so I am hoping for a breather. I can’t see it actually happening! Again, there were some great posts this week, but the following really stood
- [How Google Works - The Scary Truth About Search](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/02/how-google-works-the-scary-truth-about-search/) - I can remember when Google first came along, promising improved search. I scoffed. “Who needs better search?”, I said. After all, I knew the most relevant and valuable websites. I knew some people who kept and updated good site lists. I could navigate the web with confidence. I felt like a Renaissance Man of the
- [A Cup of Chaos #39: The End of Advertising](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/02/a-cup-of-chaos-39-the-end-of-advertising/) - It's been coming for a long time, but I'm pleased to announce ... The Future of Advertising by Graham D BrownView more presentations from Graham Brown.
- [Lead Generation, Community, ROI and Other Games of Chance](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/07/01/lead-generation-community-roi-and-other-games-of-chance/) - Here Gavin Heaton discusses social media in the context of lead generation, community, roi and role that influence, value and strategy all have to play in the success of your business and branding programs.
- [Creating Coincidence](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/30/creating-coincidence/) - In 2001, ten-year-old Laura Buxton released a helium balloon. On one side she wrote “please return to Laura Buxton”, and on the other she wrote her address. Where would this balloon land? A tree outside her village in Staffordshire, UK? A lake? A field? It was found by a man in his hedge in Wiltshire,
- [The Three Ages of Content Management Systems](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/29/the-three-ages-of-content-management-systems/) - I have been working with content management systems for longer than I care to admit. I have built my own, rudimentary systems using PHP and I have selected and implemented large scale systems that powered business and consumer sites. I have done evaluations on some of the largest (and most expensive) CMS vendors and also
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/28/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-21/) - Have you ever noticed the ebb and flow of blogging – how some weeks there are hundreds of new posts flooding the social media streams, while at other times they dwindle? There was a slow start last week, but it picked up as we hit Wednesday. Or perhaps it was me. Anyway, here are five
- [Marketing Briefs and Designing for Collective Action](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/24/marketing-briefs-and-designing-for-collective-action/) - Often, when it comes to advertising and broader marketing, social media is bolted onto the side of existing programs. There’ll be a request for a “Facebook”, expectations of a Twitter account and maybe even a blog. But if you are serious about creating a successful BUSINESS program, then integration is the way to go. “Integrated
- [Social Media People on the Move (Australia)](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/22/social-media-people-on-the-move-australia-2/) - As you probably know, I run the Social Media Jobs Australia website so that people looking to fill social media roles can easily find those who are already active social media participants. It is free to list jobs and free to apply. It’s just free service to the community. Over the past 12 months or
- [Advice from Fathers to Daughters](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/21/advice-from-fathers-to-daughters/) - I often find great websites and content by clicking on a random link on Twitter. I then tend to leave the tab open, letting what I read soak into my mind while pursuing other work. Some could call this multi-tasking – but it’s much less conscious, much less directed. Perhaps it could be considered “creative”.
- [Storytelling for a Cause: Blurb for Good](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/21/storytelling-for-a-cause-blurb-for-good/) - One of the most powerful ways of engaging people, creating change and yes, transforming the world in which we live, is to tell stories. From Homer to Perez Hilton, from the Bible to the Simpsons, stories continue to shape our lives. And at the heart of the story has always been the desire to connect
- [A Cup of Chaos #38: Rocket Dentistry](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/18/a-cup-of-chaos-38-rocket-dentistry/) - Don't try this at home kids.
- [Vibewire - FastBreak Events](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/17/vibewire-fastbreak-events/) - The last friday of every month, young innovators and social entrepreneurs converge for the Vibewire Fastbreak event at Sydney's powerhouse museum.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/17/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-27/) - A little late this week due to the long weekend, but here are some of the flecks of gold gleaned from the great alluvial stream of the web. Enjoy! Getting people to step outside of their comfort zone is difficult. It is doubly so when you are dealing with executives who are measured and rewarded
- [Global Media Ideas - XMediaLab in Sydney](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/16/global-media-ideas-xmedialab-in-sydney/) - For the last two hundred years, Sydney has been at the forefront of global trade. During the 1800s trade in wool transformed Sydney from a prison settlement into a thriving trade hub – which accelerated with the discovery of gold. The prolonged mining and resources boom of the Twentieth Century was supplemented with the in-
- [Change, Social Media and Business Design](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/15/change-social-media-and-business-design/) - This evening I am hosting a Digital-Citizens discussion on change management and social media. As such, I thought I’d republish a post from a while back (2008) talking about the important role of orchestrating change and guiding social media from the inside-out. Enjoy the post – and hope to see you tonight! While we continue
- [Five Things You Need to Know About Design](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/11/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-design/) - Years ago, while working in publishing, I had the opportunity to design my first book. I remember devouring various books ABOUT design, flicking through books that I thought WERE well designed, and reading magazines that would point me in the right direction. I even spoke with experienced designers and asked their advice. Those were the
- [A Cup of Chaos #37: Press Release DOA](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/11/a-cup-of-chaos-37-press-release-doa/) - If you are reading this blog, then I bet you've either received or written more than your share of press releases over the years. So as you sit down with your second shot of coffee this Friday morning, spare a thought for your old buddy, the press release - and keep your eye out for
- [The Digital Life of Luxury Brands](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/10/the-digital-life-of-luxury-brands/) - Seth Godin is often provocative. He challenges us to ask the questions that had slipped out of view but had been bothering us. He reminds us of the facts that we’d rather forget – like the importance of working smarter, not harder. Or wondering what we’d do differently if we charged people for the free
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/07/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-31/) - Each week as I flip through my fabulous Feedly feed reader, I make note of those posts that really stand out. I jot a few words in a draft post and a link and then publish it on a Monday morning. Hope you find it useful! Lisa Barone has put together a great list of
- [Envisioning Your Future: Augmented Reality 2020](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/05/envisioning-your-future-augmented-reality-2020/) - The idea of augmented reality is an interesting one. It is essentially looking at ways in which technology will be used to expose/overlay our digital connectedness moment to moment. Foursquare is a step in this direction. But how will this impact our lives in the future? What will our lives be like in 2020? Tim
- [A Cup of Chaos #36: Leroy Stick and BP Global PR](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/04/a-cup-of-chaos-36-leroy-stick-and-bp-global-pr/) - There is do doubt that the crisis around BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is going to take some cleaning up. But I wonder how much longer it will take to deal with the community’s response to the disaster – after all, the very entertaining @BPglobalPR twitter account continues to remind us just
- [Steve Jobs on the Future of ...](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/03/steve-jobs-on-the-future-of/) - What's the future of media? Steve Jobs clearly sees it being tied to the iPad.
- [A Big List of Social Media Monitoring Solutions](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/03/a-big-list-of-social-media-monitoring-solutions/) - Here's a great list of social media monitoring tools - and an explanation of how you can use social media more effectively to get work done.
- [Activating Your Social Brand](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/06/01/activating-your-social-brand/) - It is no simple matter activating a brand in a social space. I don’t mean setting up a Twitter account or a Facebook fan page – I mean bringing the brand to life by tapping into the subtle (and not so subtle) brand values that lend themselves to expression. On the “social web”, however, we
- [Facebook Bait and Switched My Life](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/31/facebook-bait-and-switched-my-life/) - Today is Quit Facebook Day – and I am in two minds. On the one hand, Facebook has been great, I have been able to easily connect to people all over the world, keeping in touch with their daily updates, their photos, the changes in their lives and the things they are reading, watching and thinking about. And it is not that I can’t do this in other ways, it’s that Facebook made it so easy for me (and for them).
- [The BP Oil Disaster Mashup](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/30/the-bp-oil-disaster-mashup/) - When we hear about the BP Oil Disaster – it is difficult to get a sense of the scale of the impact. But what if we could superimpose the spill dimensions on a map of your local area? What if it was possible to take the data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and
- [Love is ... iPad + Velcro](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/29/love-is-ipad-velcro/) - iPad + Velcro from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo. I don't know if I would velcro my iPad to my motorbike, but some of these other options are kinda cool!
- [A Cup of Chaos #35: Chatroulette Cheerleader](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/28/a-cup-of-chaos-35-chatroulette-cheerleader/) - Nice work from Dr Peppers for April Fools Day (via Julian Cole).
- [Censorship is a Bad Idea - It’s Time to Tell Your Mum](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/28/censorship-is-a-bad-idea-its-time-to-tell-your-mum/) - I have written many times about internet censorship, but in case you have not heard - censorship is a bad idea. The Australian Federal Government is about to introduce mandatory internet filtering. If implemented it will make Australia the most heavily censored country in the western world. They’ve told us it’s to protect the kids
- [What’s Mine is Yours - Collaborative Consumption](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/26/whats-mine-is-yours-collaborative-consumption/) - The new book, What's Mine is Yours: Collaborative Consumption by Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers charts the growth of a movement that is already transforming the way that we live and work.
- [Social Media: Who's On Your Blogroll - And Who Cares?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/25/whos-on-your-blogroll-and-who-cares/) - Are blogrolls still important to social media practitioners? This post looks at re-engaging with the often overlooked blogroll.
- [Cup of Chaos Special: BP Global PR](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/24/cup-of-chaos-special-bp-global-pr/) - For those of you have missed it, a fake Twitter account has been setup under the name @BPglobalPR. At the moment they have almost 6000 followers – but this is bound to grow given the quality of their incendiary and humorous tweets (as shown). Will this cause more noise? Will it generate action? Is the
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/24/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-22/) - This week there’s a mish-mash of ideas, images and presentations. There’s food for thought, stimulation for the senses and some short, sharp shocks to kick start your imagination. Valeria Maltoni shares 100 thoughts on social media Shiv Singh talks social influence marketing and the convergence of online and offline identities Jamie Madigan walks us through
- [Come to Breakfast with the Face Behind Facebook](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/23/come-to-breakfast-with-the-face-behind-facebook/) - Wherever you look across the social web, you are bound to trip over some aspect of Facebook. Whether it is a NFP using Facebook ads, pages or marketplace, or blog posts questioning the changes to the privacy arrangements, there is no doubt that Facebook as a platform, tool and yes, a social network, is a
- [A Cup of Chaos #34: I'm a Social Media Guru](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/21/a-cup-of-chaos-34-im-a-social-media-guru/) - Those very clever folks over at Klick Communications put this together. Love it.
- [What Does Listening Sound Like?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/20/what-does-listening-sound-like/) - Let me take you back for a moment … You are there at your bedroom door. You are what? Six? Seven? Eight years old? The voices down the hall are muffled, barely audible. But they are familiar. Something stands out for you. Your name. There is laughing. Actually, there must be more people there than
- [Digital Citizens - Rethink Privacy](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/19/digital-citizens-rethink-privacy/) - Our lives as digital citizens come with rights and responsibilities. This means operating in full knowledge - but Facebook's open graph api is challenging our capacity to learn, understand and act upon the recent changes.
- [The Long Scar of Australia's Shame](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/18/the-long-scar-of-australias-shame/) - A recent case in the Northern Territory of Australia reveals the long and continuing scar of institutionalised and cultural racism.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/17/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-28/) - With all the excitement of launching Age of Conversation 3 last week, I just ran out of time to bring you the five must-read posts. But this week, it’s back, with a more introspective feel! Hope you find these quietly inspiring! BJ Smith writes an open social media letter to some friends. He suggests that
- [Why Social Media is More Popular than Sex](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/12/why-social-media-is-more-popular-than-sex/) - In this guest post by Dennis Price, the link between stress, social media and sex is teased out.
- [Age of Conversation 3: From Social Media Theory to Social Media Practice](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/10/age-of-conversation-3-from-social-media-theory-to-social-media-practice/) - Announcing that the new Age of Conversation: It's Time to Get Busy - a business book about social media - is now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository and other online stores.
- [A Cup of Chaos #33: Digilegs](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/07/a-cup-of-chaos-33-digilegs/) - Ever wanted to walk like a fantasy creature from the movies? Here’s your chance – with Weta legs. Just slip them on and drop into the office for “casual friday” and watch the faces of your colleagues. Via PSFK.
- [Pulling a Facebook Swifty](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/06/pulling-a-facebook-swifty/) - The folks who designed the language around Facebook have been very clever. When you think of Facebook, you think “like”. You think “friend”. It’s warm and fuzzy. It is comforting. You trust them (the faceless, but trustworthy them). But over the last couple of weeks there have been some big changes at Facebook. Most of
- [COP16: 16 Journeys from 16 Countries in 16 Weeks - Can I Count You In?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/04/cop16-16-journeys-from-16-countries-in-16-weeks-can-i-count-you-in/) - Let's make sure that COP16 is not a cop-out! Join us in a worldwide rally converging on Mexico for the COP16 conference in December 2010.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/05/03/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-32/) - I wrote articles on a number of these posts last week, but a series of small mishaps and glitches means that they have been reduced to bullet point references. Be sure to read these posts. There’s some great brain food ready for the eating: BL Ochman shares a bunch of her favourite social media tools.
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/04/28/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-33/) - I was on-the-fly last week, jumping from city to city across America. I was lucky enough to catch up with a bunch of Age of Conversation authors in Des Moines (see Drew McLellan’s snaps) including my longtime-online friends Mike Sansone and Mike Wagner. I also got to have lunch with Amber Naslund, dinner with Beth
- [Blogging is Writing with a Thick Marker](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/04/27/blogging-is-writing-with-a-thick-marker/) - Many blogs never make it past the first three months. The authors start with a flourish, then founder sometime between months two and three. What happens? Is it to do with priorities? Effort? Lack of ideas? My view is that it boils down to one thing – over thinking. After a couple of months, a
- [A Cup of Chaos #32: Lego Augmented Reality](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/04/24/a-cup-of-chaos-32-lego-augmented-reality/) - Here’s one to challenge your standard approach to packaging. Take a look at what Lego are doing with their packaging design – integrating it with a retail experience that will make you smile. Via Rohit Bhargava.
- [Performing Ourselves: Why Social Media is 25% Larger than Life](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/04/22/performing-ourselves-why-social-media-is-25-larger-than-life/) - The first article in a series looking at how we perform social media - from the micro-celebrity to the performer.
- [A Cup of Chaos #31 - Orabrush](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/04/10/a-cup-of-chaos-31-orabrush/) - Interesting campaign to not just launch a product but to instill a change in consumer behaviour. Listerine were able to do it - and perhaps Orabrush will be the social media equivalent. Via Tim Longhurst
- [Not All Audiences are Created Equal](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/04/08/not-all-audiences-are-created-equal/) - There are some great conversations happening at and around the ConnectNow conference. And something keeps plugging away in the back of my mind. It’s about conversations, audiences and transformation. What do we do when we are faced with a “no”. What happens with, say, social media, when you run up against a brick wall? But
- [Lead Generation, Community and Other Games of Chance](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/04/08/lead-generation-community-and-other-games-of-chance/) - I have had a brilliant day presenting at the ConnectNow conference here in Sydney. Living here in Australia means that there is rarely a chance to see the likes of Tara Hunt, Brian Solis, Debs Shultz, Gary Vaynerchuck without travelling across the world – and similarly, it’s rare to be able to spend time with
- [Tweetdom & Gomorrah: The One Man Show](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/04/04/tweetdom-gomorrah-the-one-man-show/) - If you happen to be in London next week (April 10, 2010), then you may just want to check out The Kaiser’s new one man show. Tweetdom & Gomorrah. It’s your chance to spend some quality thinking time (on the Kaiser’s Toilet) with one of the web’s sharpest minds. Just this time, it is in
- [The iPad Welcomes the None Percenters](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/04/03/the-ipad-welcomes-the-none-percenters/) - For the last couple of years marketers have been chasing a dream. The great promise, the Holy Grail of social media, is user generated content – the marketing that is produced by the advocates of your brand. In a utopian world, this user generated marketing “goes viral” – registering millions of impressions/plays/hits on sites like
- [What’s Your Daily Digital Diet?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/27/whats-your-daily-digital-diet/) - Each day we seem to add yet another device, application or website to our menu of favourite (or most useful) digital items. It’s as if we consume them in our hunger for the next-new thing. But our digital diet changes over time – sometimes on a daily basis, with one new application supplanting another. Think
- [My Kiva Experience - What Brands Can Learn About Value and Re-value](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/25/my-kiva-experience-what-brands-can-learn-about-value-and-re-value/) - Kiva the micro-finance gurus have transformed charity and giving by reframing the notion of charity around "investment". What can brands and businesses learn about value and behaviour in a socially connected digital world?
- [Top 10 Internet Filter Lies](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/25/top-10-internet-filter-lies/) - Regular readers will know that I am against the plan to censor access to the internet here in Australia. It’s not that I don’t agree with some of the root issues – but that I think it’s far more effective and beneficial to educate not just the kids who are now beginning to access the
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/22/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-29/) - I have been a little busy pulling together the next Age of Conversation book, so have missed this little Monday ritual. That’s not to say that there hasn’t been some sensational blog writing out there (or that I haven’t been at least skim reading it) – far from it. So in an attempt to, as
- [Introducing the Age of Conversation 3 Authors](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/22/introducing-the-age-of-conversation-3-authors/) - It has taken some time to come together, but the new book, Age of Conversation 3: It's time to get busy!, is in its final stages. Very soon you will be able to purchase it directly from Amazon or a number of other online book stores. The new cover, as you can see on the
- [A Cup of Chaos #30 - Chatroulette](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/19/a-cup-of-chaos-30-chatroulette/) - Ever wanted to try Chatroulette but were too scared? Watch this video instead.
- [Resonance Agents](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/18/resonance-agents/) - Where does influence live in your network? Perhaps you need to seek out those resonance agents to bring your strategies to life.
- [Be Your Brand's Blood Transfusion - 30 Second MBA](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/18/be-your-brands-blood-transfusion-30-second-mba/) - We are all time poor. We skim RSS feeds rather than reading blogs. We prowl Twitter in search of answers rather than searching on our own (much to Google’s chagrin). And we look for simple answers to complex questions. And while there is much to be lamented in this, there is something deliciously inspiring about
- [eCitizen Kane - The Digital Citizens Forum](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/16/ecitizen-kane-the-digital-citizens-forum/) - For me, one of the most interesting aspects of social media – or the emergence of the “social web” is the challenge that it presents to our sense of self – our identities as individuals, professionals, bloggers and amateur photographers. It provides opportunities for us to broadcast (podcasting), create movies (youtube) and publish (blogs/self published
- [A Perfect Gift from Blurb](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/16/a-perfect-gift-from-blurb/) - Self publishing is one of the amazing developments of the “social web”. Not only can we simply and easily share insights, analysis, stories, poems, movies, music or any other types of creative work – thanks to applications like Blurb.com, we can also turn these into publications – books, calendars and so on. I have been
- [Launching a Movement, Not a Product](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/15/launching-a-movement-not-a-product/) - We often forget, when we are launching a product, that we don’t just want sales. Sure, they are great. But for a launch to be successful, it means not just getting your product or service “out there” – you’ve got to keep it out there. You’ve got to ensure that it has fuel enough to
- [Internet Facts and Figures that Will Make Your Eyes Pop](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/12/internet-facts-and-figures-that-will-make-your-eyes-pop/) - As an addendum to my presentation on Videos that Explain Social Media, this video from the visualization guru, Jesse Thomas (aka Jess3), contains internet and social media facts and figures that may surprise you. Sure you may have seen this information before – but if that’s the case, pass it on to a colleague. After
- [Social Media in the Fortune 100](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/11/social-media-in-the-fortune-100/) - If social media is about levelling the playing field between businesses and consumers, then you would think that the largest businesses – the Fortune 100 – would be steering well clear. However, this infographic from Flowtown, based on a recent Burson-Martseller report shows that social media uptake and engagement is well and truly on the
- [Chatroulette - It Isn’t What You Think](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/10/chatroulette-it-isnt-what-you-think/) - It is hardly surprising then that a site like Chatroulette is generating a lot of buzz and, in the process, generating as much fear as excitement. But what can be found out about US when we look a little deeper?
- [Make Your Content CLEAN](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/09/make-your-content-clean/) - We have conditioned ourselves to a certain style of thinking and a certain style of communication. We have overpopulated our collateral with jargon, strangled it with acronyms and leeched any remaining meaning from its thinning blood. Is there any wonder that we now struggle to deal with the immediacy and impact of social media? Communications
- [Attend the Tyranny of Change Workshop with Johnnie Moore](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/08/attend-the-tyranny-of-change-workshop-with-johnnie-moore/) - Johnnie Moore, Matt Moore and Viv McWaters will be running change management and innovation workshops in Sydney in May.
- [You’re on Twitter, But Do You Blog?](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/07/youre-on-twitter-but-do-you-blog/) - Twitter appears to go from strength to strength, with user audiences continuing to grow. There are some obvious attractions to the platform: Ease of use – it is easy and quick to setup and simple to actually use Familiar format – we are used to SMS texting on our phones so are used to the
- [Stop and Think](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/02/stop-and-think/) - You know what it is like. There are thousands of messages seeking your ever diminishing attention – email, twitter, advertising, friends, family, phone calls – you name it, it wants you. And the demands seem to mount ever higher. Think about technology and social media. Think about the way the next new thing arrives and
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/03/01/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-34/) - There are a broad series of topics this week – each reminding us to find value in what we do (for ourselves, our friends and our businesses). What happens if you send an email and the person doesn’t respond within 24 hours? Do you follow up? On a recent trip to the UK, Chris Brogan
- [A Cup of Chaos #29 - Embargoes](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/26/a-cup-of-chaos-29-embargoes/) - Bloggers will smile when they see this - after all, it's a situation faced almost every day. But the most interesting thing, for me at least, is the neat video creation tool used to create the video - xtranormal. If you can type you can make a movie. Nice. Via Neerav Bhatt.
- [Videos that Explain Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/23/videos-that-explain-social-media/) - How do you tell the Social Media story? Use these seven short videos!
- [The Social Landscape for Marketers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/20/the-social-landscape-for-marketers/) - CMO.com released a handy chart with snapshot social media information designed as a quick heads up for chief marketing officers. It’s not a panacea and it doesn’t cover all the places, spaces and platforms – but it’s a great start.
- [When a Bad Day’s Good - Westpac and Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/18/when-a-bad-days-good-westpac-and-social-media/) - The person running the westpac twitter account accidentally fused personal and professional tweeting with the revelation that they were having a bad day. I see this as a good thing for the brand.
- [Shonky’s Sound Racer V8](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/16/shonkys-sound-racer-v8/) - If you feel that the family car is just not giving you the V8 experience of your youth, then this handy device may be just what you’re looking for. It’s like having a hotted up V8 for $60. It’s good to see technology being put to some useful outcome ;)
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/15/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-2-23/) - Five must-read posts from across the blogosphere for the week commencing February 15.
- [Say Yes to Twitter](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/11/say-yes-to-twitter/) - What would happen if we said yes to Twitter. To abundance.
- [Shipwrecks, Tides, Sea Monsters and Digital Strategy](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/10/map-of-social-web-involvement/) - Statistics are great and visualizations help tell the story in any presentation. But what do you need to look for underneath the glitz? Here are some ideas for your strategy.
- [I’m a Little Bit Country](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/09/im-a-little-bit-country/) - What happens when the cultural references of one generation echo into nothingness? What happens when a younger generation misinterprets an off-handed quip? Or tweet?
- [Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/08/five-must-read-posts-from-last-week-1-30/) - In case you missed them, these five posts from last week (week ending February 7, 2010) will keep you up-to-date with great social media thinking.
- [A Cup of Chaos #28 - Channel 7 News - Finance Segment](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/05/a-cup-of-chaos-28-channel-7-news-finance-segment/) - They say you should never do live TV with children or animals - nor bankers it would seem. In this segment from Channel 7's Sydney studio, there seems to be a little more action in the background than there is in the finance report.
- [Commonwealth Bank's 2013 Vision](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/04/commonwealth-banks-2013-vision/) - This is the video of the Commonwealth Bank's Vision for 2013. How does it accord with your view of the future?
- [Being Playful - From Poseur to Flaneur](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/04/being-playful-from-poseur-to-flaneur/) - Regular readers will know that I love the idea of play. In fact, I love it so much I built a mnemonic around it – the P-L-A-Y framework for storytelling. But “play” goes so much further for me – it goes to the very heart of our existence. It manifests as what theorists would call
- [Embrace Life - Always Wear a Seatbelt](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/04/embrace-life-always-wear-a-seatbelt/) - If only all TV advertising could get the message across so eloquently and powerfully.
- [Simple Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/03/simple-social-media/) - There are four elements of social media - and this post explains what they are and how they fit together.
- [Consumers are the Apple of Our Eye](https://www.servantofchaos.com/2010/02/02/consumers-are-the-apple-of-our-eye/) - The iPad seems to turn its back on the creative classes which populate Apple's fan base. But this is the next step in a strategy from Apple which seeks to embrace a wide consumer base.

## Pages

- [Contact Me](https://www.servantofchaos.com/contact-me/) - Should we chat? If you would like to hire me, have me speak at your event or for your company, give me a call to discuss your needs. Give me a call on +61 421 470 365. I don't take submissions or guest posts, sorry.
- [Life in "Iso" and the newly reset world](https://www.servantofchaos.com/life-in-iso-and-the-newly-reset-world/) - If there is one thing that we know about isolation, it is that, coming out, we won't be the same as we were coming in. When COVID19 hit, it did so like a freight train - and in many places around the world - that freight train continues to run unhindered. And because the freight
- [The Future of Your Brand](https://www.servantofchaos.com/the-future-of-your-brand/) - The Future of Your Brand is a series of articles exploring the changes and challenges facing brands in the immediate and near futures. It is broken down into the following topics: Introduction: A brief intro to this series. The Future of Your Brand is PLAY: Part 1 looks at what can we learn from kids
- [Coffee Mornings, Sydney](https://www.servantofchaos.com/social-media-coffee-mornings-sydney/) - For the last eight or so years (yes, that many!), each Friday morning from 7:30am (some do arrive earlier), we have been meeting for coffee and conversation at one of Sydney's best cafes - Single Origin. It is more than a meeting of minds - it is a feast of ideas, and a cacophony of good humoured

## Posts

- [seedprod](https://www.servantofchaos.com/seedprod/sp-cs/)

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/uncategorized/)
- [999 Theses](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/999-theses/)
- [Activism](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/activism/)
- [Advertising](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/advertising-2/)
- [B2B Marketing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/b2b-marketing/)
- [Big Data](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/big-data/)
- [Branding](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/branding/)
- [Co-creation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/co-creation/)
- [Community](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/community/)
- [Content Marketing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/content-marketing-2/)
- [Corporate Social Responsibility](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/corporate-social-responsibility/)
- [Creativity](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/creativity/)
- [Customer Experience](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/customer-experience/)
- [Cyber Security](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/cyber-security/)
- [Demand Generation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/demand-generation/)
- [Design](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/design/)
- [Digital Disruption](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/digital-disruption/)
- [Digital Strategy](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/digital-strategy/)
- [Disruptive Technology](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/disruptive-technology/)
- [Events](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/events/)
- [Fintech](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/fintech/)
- [Future of Work](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/future-of-work/)
- [FutureVisions](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/futurevisions/)
- [Influence](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/influence/)
- [Infographics](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/infographics/)
- [Innovation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/innovation/)
- [Life](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/life/)
- [Loving the Hypertext](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/loving-the-hypertext/)
- [Marketing](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/marketing-2/)
- [MarketingTech](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/marketingtech/)
- [Measurement](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/measurement/)
- [Pop Culture](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/pop-culture/)
- [Science](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/science/)
- [Search](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/search/)
- [Social Enterprise](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/social-enterprise/)
- [Social Judgement](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/social-judgement/)
- [Social Justice](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/social-justice/)
- [Social Media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/social-media/)
- [Startups](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/startups/)
- [Storytelling](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/storytelling/)
- [Strategy](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/strategy/)
- [Videos](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/videos/)
- [Web/Tech](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/webtech/)
- [Women in Technology](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/women-in-technology/)
- [Word of Mouth](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/word-of-mouth/)
- [Data as Property](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/data-as-property/)
- [Diversity](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/diversity/)
- [ChatGPT](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/chatgpt/)
- [Artificial Intelligence](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/artificial-intelligence/)
- [Re:invention](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/reinvention/)
- [AI](https://www.servantofchaos.com/category/ai/)

## Tags

- [advertising](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/advertising/)
- [Artificial Intelligence](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/)
- [branding](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/branding-2/)
- [coffeemornings](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/coffeemornings/)
- [color](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/color/)
- [colour](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/colour/)
- [creativity](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/creativity-2/)
- [design](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/design/)
- [facebook](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/facebook/)
- [gratitude](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/gratitude/)
- [hackathon](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/hackathon/)
- [hackathons](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/hackathons/)
- [influence](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/influence-2/)
- [influencers](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/influencers/)
- [infographics](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/infographics-2/)
- [innovation](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/innovation-2/)
- [journalism](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/journalism/)
- [marketing for startups](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/marketing-for-startups/)
- [perspective](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/perspective/)
- [planning](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/planning/)
- [psychology](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/psychology/)
- [SEO](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/seo/)
- [singapore](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/singapore/)
- [social media](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/social-media-2/)
- [Startups](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/startups/)
- [statistics](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/statistics/)
- [storytelling](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/storytelling-2/)
- [training](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/training/)
- [trolling](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/trolling/)
- [Video](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/video/)
- [youtube](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/youtube/)
- [chatgpt](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/chatgpt/)
- [beer](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/beer/)
- [creators](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/creators/)
- [ai](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/ai/)
- [search](https://www.servantofchaos.com/tag/search/)