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Social Media Week Sponsor

Social Media Week Chicago Sponsor Showcase: NM Incite – A Nielsen/McKinsey Company

Sunday, September 18th, 2011

One of the coolest things about social media is that ANYONE can take part in using it.  No matter what level of experience or education one may have, the platforms are there for anyone to leverage.  Increasingly, we’re seeing members of the C-suite take control of social media themselves and thinking of new ways to bring into their organizations.

 

As CEO of NM Incite (a joint venture between Nielsen and McKinsey), Dave Hudson is proof positive that senior leadership can serve as a springboard for social media.  We could all learn a thing or two—or ten—from what an executive like Dave could offer up about social media.  As you’ll see, he had his AHA moment in one of the unlikeliest of places.

 

Dave Hudson, CEO NM Incite

On that note, Dave, when was your first “AHA” moment being introduced to the power of social media?

A few years ago we were remodeling our kitchen. We had an idea about what we wanted in terms of brands for our major appliances. Once I started reading product reviews and remodeling blogs, I decided to go a totally different direction.  Based on simply reading what other consumers had written, I redirected thousands of dollars of spend.  That was my “aha” moment.

 

How do you explain the value of social media to brands and companies out there who are aware of its power and influence, yet unsure how to best leverage the platforms?

There are a few myths that we try to dispel for brands when we work with them on building out a social media strategy.  Social media should not be a “one size fits all” approach and executives need to understand this.  With so many conversations happening in so many places, it’s important to understand where conversations are happening for different segments across the consumer decision journey, and where you are most likely to have an impact with your social media initiatives. A focused approach will allow for the greatest impact and the highest return on investment.

Also, there is a lot of focus on the volume of conversation, but companies should be equally concerned about the reach of that conversation. How many people have been exposed to discussions about my brand? If you have 10,000 people talking about your brand, but that conversation is read by only 10,000 other people, it probably doesn’t matter that much. But if those 10,000 mentions are read by a million or 10 million people, and that conversation happens to be negative, you’ve got a big issue to deal with. Marketers have always understood the power of word of mouth. Social media is word of mouth on steroids.

 

What does transparency mean to you, both personally as well as within your organization?

To me, transparency for both people and in business means owning up to problems and mistakes that are an inevitably part of everyday life.  Social media has really ratcheted up the importance of transparency, authenticity and trust. We no longer live in a world where companies can pretend like they don’t make mistakes.  Customers now have a bigger stake in controlling the conversation and companies and executives not only need to learn how to become more comfortable with this, but how to use authenticity and transparency to their advantage.

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Posted in Nielsen, SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Chicago sponsor, Social Media Week Sponsor, social networks

Social Media Week Chicago Sponsor Showcase–MWW GROUP

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

Most people equate “public relations” with “spin.”  Yet most PR people would tell you that “spin” equals “changing the truth.”

MWW GROUP, one of the nation’s top independent public relations agencies, understands how to work with clients to shape a story that yields optimal outcomes.

Kathy Fieweger, MWW GROUP

In this edition of the Showcase, we asked MWW GROUP’s Kathy Fieweger, Executive Vice President and Midwest General Manager (and a former journalist to boot), how she feels social media contributes to truth-telling.
When was your first “A HA” moment being introduced to the power of social media?
I’ve followed social media for a while, particularly as a former journalist at Reuters, but witnessing its evolution into a transformational communications channel has really become undeniable.  As we witness its use in the various revolutions underway around the world, in the crises and disasters that invite mass participation and comment and in the power to break news in the way that traditional media used to do, you can see things have really changed.  All of these phenomena have gained an incredible amount of steam in the last few years.

 

Instead of serving primarily as way to connect with friends, it has become the go-to vehicle in many cases to get the word out about anything important, and also lots of stuff that (frankly) isn’t important.  Also, when you watch anyone under the age of 20 interact with their friends, teachers and schools, brands and social causes, music – essentially anything relevant in their lives – it all happens in social media. That is a huge paradigm shift, for better or worse, and we all have to adapt.
How do you measure social media’s success?
While there are quantifiable measures that everyone is trying to fine-tune and measure, to me, success in the social media arena for our clients happens when anyone reading and interacting in these channels can repeat back to you or to someone else what the message was, what was the point.

 

If people feel like you’re “getting them” and communicating to them in the way they want to get information, you’ve succeeded.  Often it’s a more conversational tone that replicates the way people really talk, instead of stiff or programmatic language. I think that’s hugely successful.

What does transparency mean to you, both personally as well as within MWW GROUP?
Transparency means clearly outlining, in the case of our clients and in the case of our staff, what the goals are for the organization, how we’re getting there and how certain things or behaviors get in the way from reaching the goalpost.

 

When everyone understands why a decision is made or a different choice is made, it helps in the process of actually getting the business there in an orderly way. We constantly see companies who think their employees or customers know exactly why they’re doing what they’re doing, when in fact, they really don’t know at all and instead go through gossip channels to get information, the grapevine.

 

Transparency as an organization requires a level of honesty and authenticity and moving away from a culture of blame if things don’t always go perfectly. When there are so many ways people can and do get information thanks to social media, the soporific platitudes, corporate speak and command-and-control styles of management just don’t really work very well anymore. I have observed that our cutting-edge, most successful companies don’t really seem to engage in that sort of  “top-down only” approach to managing people and getting the job done.

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Posted in Social Media Week Event Schedule, Social Media Week Sponsor, social networks

Sneak Peek–Nielsen’s State of Social Media Presentation

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

Let’s play Social Media Week Jeopardy.

The Answer:  We do it.  Our kids do it.  The media does it.

(tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick)

The Question:    What is teasing?

When Social Media Week Chicago teases, we want you to think.  We want you to react.  In this case, we want to share a little bit of content we got our hands on from our friends at Nielsen to show some of their thinking–and what you might hear during their presentations.

The fine editorial staff at Social Media Week Chicago got to review “State of the Media: Social Media Report Q3 2011.”  In it, Nielsen presents a snapshot of the current social media landscape and audiences in the U.S. and other major markets.

Among their findings:

  • Social networks and blogs now account for nearly a quarter of total time spent on the Internet
  • Social media has grown rapidly – today nearly 4 in 5 active Internet users visit social networks and blogs
  • Americans spend more time on Facebook than they do on any other U.S. website
  • Close to 40 percent of social media users access social media content from their mobile phone
  • Social networking apps are the third most-used among U.S. smartphone owners
  • Internet users over the age of 55 are driving the growth of social network-ing through the Mobile Internet
  • Although a larger number of women view online video on social networks and blogs, men are the heaviest online video users overall streaming more videos and watching them longer
  • 70 percent of active online adult social networkers shop online, 12 percent more likely than the average adult Internet user
  • 53 percent of active adult social networkers follow a brand, while 32 percent follow a celebrity
  • Across a snapshot of 10 major global markets, social networks and blogs reach over three-quarters of active Internet users
  • Tumblr is an emerging player in social media, nearly tripling its audience from a year ago

Among the….wait a minute, let’s put the brakes on here.  This was only a tease.  You want more?  Go check out their panel discussions.  While you’re at it, go register for another event.  Or two.  Or 10!

 

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Posted in Featured, SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Sponsor, social networks

Social Media Week Chicago Sponsor Showcase: Michael Wade, SocialVibe

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Michael Wade, VP Midwest, SocialVibe

It’s amazing what we learn about sponsors when we get to know them.

Michael Wade is VP Midwest for SocialVibe.  SocialVibe’s value exchange platform rewards consumers for their attention to rich media brand engagements;  trust us when we tell you that you have seen their work before.  An interesting note–SocialVibe first got into social media thanks to its work with non-profit organizations.

When we asked Michael about the first thing that pops into his mind when he thinks about transparency, he noted “…it’s all about having super powers and being completely invisible (but I’m still waiting for that to happen!).”  When it comes to social media, though, Michael and his team understand the real connection between “transparency” and “business.”

Take a read about one of Social Media Week Chicago’s sponsors and see for yourself why this company should be donning capes in addition to their corporate attire.
When was your first “A HA” moment being introduced to the power of social media?

My first “A HA” moment was back in 2008 – I had just started experimenting with Twitter and had asked a colleague what the heck “#” (a hashtag) meant.  That led to a deeper discussion around the value of Twitter and what it could really be used for.  It was at that point he shared with me that the New York Times had confirmed that Twitter was now a Top 10 referral site and rumored to account for almost 10% of their traffic.  I typed “#nytimes” into the search bar and was blown away.

It’s hard to imagine not knowing what a hashtag is now because we live and breathe social media everyday, but my hashtag “A HA” moment has definitely stuck with me.  #aha

 How do you measure social media’s success?

Since I work in digital advertising, that’s a question a lot of our clients ask.  Although it’s easy to look at things like followers, likes, and comments on a Facebook page, social media success measurement needs to take depth of engagement into consideration.  At the helm of engagement is attention — a scarcity for advertisers looking to captivate audiences online. It’s important for advertisers to have a one-on-one relationship with consumers, and social media is the perfect venue to have these conversations.

I encourage brands that are advertising in social media to think about their success from a conversational perspective:

  • Did the consumer pay attention and spend time with your brand when you were conveying your message?
  • Did they get something valuable and meaningful from the interaction?
  • Did they go and tell their friends about it?

Social media success ultimately means real conversations with real people, whether you’re a brand or just plain old @mwade3000 (err, that’s me on Twitter).

 

What does transparency mean to you, both personally as well as within your organization?

I like the fact that social media has challenged a lot of advertisers and brands to come to terms with what people say and think about them.  The ones who have truly embraced the medium are finding a lot of rewards in doing so.  Others who are overly concerned with image are still scratching their heads trying to figure out where to start and probably feel a little lost.  In my opinion, you really have to have a strong sense of identity both as a brand (and a person!) to be transparent, and then trust will follow.

 

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Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Event Schedule, Social Media Week Sponsor, social networks

Social Media Week Chicago Sponsor Showcase–Joanna Belbey, Actiance

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Joanna Belbey, Actiance

Social Media Week Chicago could not be put on without the help of some very special people and companies.  The fine editorial staff at Social Media Week Chicago thought it might be a good idea for the community to meet some these fine individuals and the companies they work for.

Joanna Belbey is Social Media and Compliance Specialist for Actiance, a company that delivers enterprise  solutions that provide unified security, management, and compliance across the broadest set of technology applications and social media channels.  Who doesn’t need good security these days?

We thought we would ask Joanna a thing or two about how she fell into social media, and how it has affected her professional life.

Joanna, what was your first “A HA” moment to social media?

A while back, I reluctantly set up a profile on Twitter and started tweeting because I was told it was “the next big thing.”  I had no idea what to say, so I tweeted my experiences while on vacation traveling across Vietnam and Thailand—the foods I ate, the people I met, the treasures I found in the marketplaces.

Once I was back home, I attended a cocktail party at the Financial Women’s Association. Across a crowd of 200 or more women, I heard a shout, “Hey! Is that Belbey?”  (@Belbey is my twitter name).  My new friend, @joycemsullivan, greeted me warmly and told me that reading my tweets made her feel as though she was traveling through Southeast Asia.

In that moment, I learned that that I was visible in the world and that complete strangers were interested in what I had to say.  I thought, “this social media stuff is going to change my life.”  And it did!

How does Actiance measure social media?

For me, the most important thing on social media is engagement.  Am I being helpful?  Do my thoughts generate a reaction?  Do people reach out to me or share what I post?

Likewise, am I acknowledging something interesting or reaching out to a stranger to start a conversation? Of course, there are formalized metrics.  But I know social media is successful when my friends, business associates and I are learning new things, when we are having conversations—and when I’m smiling.

Transparency is so important when utilizing social media; tell us what transparency means to you.

Once I committed to using social media, I also made the decision to be a public person; it’s not for everyone. But I’m so “what you see, is what you get;” it just made sense. I really don’t have any secrets.

Although I try to stick to business matters when sharing for business, sometimes @belbey does sneak in. And that’s ok. However, even I, who lives her life so publicly, hesitated a bit when my colleagues friended me on Facebook. I thought, “Yikes, I’m pretty goofy on Facebook.”  But, you know what? I just put it out of my head.  And in fact, I now enjoy reading about their adventures, whether it’s surfing or sewing. In my life, the personal and professional have completely converged.

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Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Sponsor, Uncategorized

Social Media Week Chicago Makes Last Call for Community Involvement; Speakers

Monday, August 29th, 2011

Event Submissions Accepted until August 31 as Organizers Prepare for a Full Week of Activities, September 19 – 23 Throughout the City

Social Media Week Chicago hosts, Zócalo Group and the Chicago Tribune, today announced that event submissions for the weeklong event will close on August 31. Registered sessions will be included in a special-edition Chicago Visitor’s Guide, produced by Chicago Magazine and available for download from the http://socialmediaweek.org/chicago website in September.

Social Media Week is a global initiative that will connect 12 cities for one week on topics important to advancing, educating and inspiring innovation for social media. Along with Social Media Week activities in Chicago, simultaneous events will take place in Beirut, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Glasgow, Los Angeles, Milan, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Vancouver.

Social Media Week Chicago’s current session lineup – featuring 30 events and counting – can be found by visiting the SCHEDULE tab at http://socialmediaweek.org/chicago. Social Media Week Chicago events are free and open to the public, with registration for sessions opening online September 6.

“The variety of sessions and involvement by area leaders and brands is impressive,” says Andrea Wood, Executive Vice President at Zόcalo Group. “Chicago’s Social Media Week should prove to be a unique opportunity for attendees to gain new perspectives into social media, mobile and word of mouth marketing.”

Events and speakers will continue to be added to the agenda until August 31, providing attendees with an opportunity to join industry leaders as they share best practices, upcoming trends and success stories in a variety of presentations, panels and networking events.

NEW EVENTS
Some of the newest events to join the Social Media Week Chicago agenda include:

• Improvised Innovation: The Chicago Tribune and The Second City featuring the people and stories behind the live stage and radio program “Chicago Live.”

• Politics of Social Media with the Cook County Commissioner, 12 District, and others sharing their perspectives on how social media is shifting the political landscape.

• Mobile Applications and Social Media featuring leaders from Facebook, Local Guide Chicago and Vienna Beef who will discuss the impact of mobile applications on social media.

• When Integrated Marketing Met Social: Love at First Like featuring a discussion led by Experian and joined by Facebook and others, exploring how social media has ushered in a new era in digital marketing.

• Social Media & The Next Generation: OMG! U’LL totally LOL! with speakers from Newcity, Golin Harris, Ragan Communications, Tweet Networking, Soaring Solutions and Catalyst Ranch sharing an in-depth snapshot of how Millennials perceive the world (and brands) around them.

• Pay Me to Like You: An Overview of the FTC Disclosure Rules as Applied to Social Media with leaders from CMP.LY and Saper Law Offices, LLC discussing how to navigate the FTC’s disclosure guidelines.

NEW FACES
Social Media Week Chicago also welcomes to its team some new Advisory Board members: Sosti Ropaitis, Global Digital Communications Manager at McDonald’s; Jeff Plaisted, Sr. Director of U.S. Sales and Strategy at Microsoft Mobile Advertising; and Howard A. Tullman, president and CEO of Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy. These individuals will work with event sponsors and volunteers to plan, manage and execute event activities.

GET INVOLVED
Interested in submitting your own topic or event for Social Media Week Chicago? Organizations or individuals interested in serving as an event sponsor – and promoted throughout Social Media Week as a key participant – should visit http://www.socialmediaweek.org/chicago and choose the SUBMIT EVENT tab. Please keep in mind that event submissions will close on August 31.

If mixing and mingling with some of the best minds in Chicago’s social media community is more your scene OR you have a cool product, or service that can help make events more fun, functional or productive, please visit http://www.socialmediaweek.org/chicago and choose the GET INVOLVED tab to volunteer or become an in-kind sponsor.

FOLLOW US
Please follow @SMWChicago on Twitter and connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn for real-time updates and to help promote the event across your own social networks.

Posted in Announcement, Featured, SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Event Schedule, Social Media Week Sponsor

Social Media Week Chicago Announces Preliminary Event Schedule; Welcomes the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) as Official Marketing Sponsor

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

As Social Media Week Chicago kicks-off next month, event organizers Zócalo Group and the Chicago Tribune are proud to announce the preliminary session line-up – posted at http://socialmediaweek.org/chicago/. Chicago Social Media Week is being held September 19 – 23 at locations across the city.

“Sessions included on this initial schedule are diverse and offer attendees tremendous choice when seeking out the social media, mobile and word of mouth marketing topics that matter most to them,” said Paul M. Rand, CEO of Zόcalo Group. “There will truly be something for everyone. And, unlike other conferences, nearly every session is being offered free of charge.”

Events and speakers will be added weekly and high-impact, high-profile keynote speakers will be announced soon, helping attendees plan their own Social Media Week Chicago agenda. Secured event locations include: Tribune Tower; CDW; Tribeca Flashpoint Academy, and the Illini Center.

Join industry leaders as they share best practices, upcoming trends and success stories in a variety of presentations, panels and networking events.  A sampling of the week’s agenda includes:

•    Developing an Enterprise Wide Social Media Solution, featuring representatives from Nissan, Unilever, AON.

•    How Chicago Restaurants and Chefs Are Using Social Media, with chefs from the Elysian Hotel’s Ria, Lockwood, Whistler, the Peninsula’s Avenues Restaurant, and the founder of Hoosier Mama Pie company.

•    The Power of Social Media for Social Activism: How it Can Create or Advance Social Movements, with Rolling Out Urban Style Weekly, Write Design Company, MG Media, CDW, and more.

•    Marrying Online and Offline Efforts, featuring executives from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, and Museum of Science and Industry.

•    WOMMA Talkable Brands Exchange, “Getting to the Bottom Line: Is WOM Worth it? And What Exactly is it Worth?”, featuring executives from Keller Fay, Converseon, Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence and Brains on Fire.

•    Social Media Week Opening Night at Rockit, hosted by BillyDec, CEO of Rockit Ranch.

Social Media Week Chicago also announces that the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) has joined the effort as its Marketing Partner, lending its expertise in helping to promote and energize Chicagoans to get involved and spread the word.  Stated Sarah Beardsley, Chicago Tribune Editorial Events Director, “We’re proud to partner with a distinguished leader such as the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, whose participation confirms the potential this event can have on the social media community.”

“One of the truly unique aspects of Social Media Week is the open invitation to the community to get involved. Social media is constantly evolving how we communicate and connect to others, so it’s exciting to be part of an event that will help put Chicago on the map,” says Kristen Smith, Executive Director at WOMMA.

Interested in sharing your perspective on social media? Do you have a great suggestion for an event topic? Organizations or individuals interested in serving as a hub host or event sponsor – and promoted throughout Social Media Week as a key participant – should visit http://www.socialmediaweek.org/chicago and choose the SUBMIT EVENT tab.

If mixing and mingling with some of the best minds in Chicago’s social media community is more your scene OR you have a cool product, or service that can help make events more fun, functional or productive, please visit http://www.socialmediaweek.org/chicago and choose the GET INVOLVED tab to volunteer or become an in-kind sponsor.

Along with Social Media Week activities in Chicago, simultaneous events will take place in Beirut, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Glasgow, Los Angeles, Milan, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Vancouver. Please follow @SMWChicago on Twitter and connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn for real-time updates and to help promote the event across your own social networks.  Registration for events opens at the beginning of September.

About Zócalo Group
Zócalo Group is a full-service word-of-mouth and social media marketing agency, helping leading consumer and business to business brands become the most talked about and recommended in their category. Based in Chicago, Zócalo Group has received numerous industry awards for brand programs and measurement initiatives. Zócalo Group is a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) and Ketchum. For more information, please visit www.zocalogroup.com.

About the Chicago Tribune
For 164 years, the Chicago Tribune has been a market-leading publication of the Tribune Company.  Reaching five million readers each week in print, online and through radio, television and live events, the Tribune is known for its public service journalism and watchdog reporting.   In 2010, the Tribune launched Trib Nation, a community outreach and audience engagement program that includes a broad menu of live events such as Chicago Forward: Conversations About the Future, a series of public policy discussions; programs by columnists and other journalists; literary events including Author Talks, Lit Fest, and Literary Awards; and classes and seminars under the banner TribU: Lessons for Life.

About Social Media Week
Social Media Week is owned and operated by Crowdcentric Media LLC and is a global platform connecting people, content, and conversation around emerging trends in social and mobile media. Delivered primarily through a network of internationally hosted conferences and online through social media, Social Media Week literally connects hundreds of thousands of people every year through learning experiences that aim to advance our understanding of social media’s role in society. To learn more, visit http://socialmediaweek.org/.

 

Posted in Announcement, Paul Rand, Social Media Week Event Schedule, Social Media Week Sponsor, Word of Mouth Marketing Association

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