Welcome to the first of post in our “One Week from Today” pre-Social Media week blog feature! Throughout this week, we’ll be giving you a heads up on everything that’s going on at our content hubs this time next week. Events are filling up fast so check out what’s going on this time next week and click on the corresponding event link to register!
That’s right. We’re officially one week away from the start of Social Media Week #SMW12!
Our global team of sponsors, curators, staff, event partners and volunteers has been hard at work to get to this point. With a week left, we’re excited to spend the next few days highlighting everything you’ve got to look forward to right here on the blog.
Additionally, we’ll also be posting daily Hub events and Keynote spotlights. To keep up with the latest news, check back here regularly, follow us at @SMWNYC, on Facebook, or with #SMWNYC.
This post is a part of a continuing series of Keynote Spotlights– check back here throughout the week for more information on the phenomenal individuals who will be gracing #SMW12 events next week!
You can hear Alex speak on Wednesday February 15th from 9-11am at the Social & Environmental Content Hub followed by Social Innovators Collective’s Innovative Models for Social Good Collaboration.
Alex Bogusky’s career in communications began over twenty years ago when he joined Crispin and Porter Advertising in 1989 as an art director, eventually running the agency a decade later. Under Alex’s direction, Crispin Porter + Bogusky grew to more than 1,000 employees, with offices in Miami, Boulder, Los Angeles, London and Sweden, and with annual billings over $1Billion. During Alex’s leadership, CP+B became the world’s most awarded advertising agency. CP+B is the only agency to have won the Cannes Advertising Grand Prix in all five categories: Promo, Media, Cyber, Titanium, and Film. In 2002, Alex was inducted into the American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Achievement, and in 2008, he was inducted into the Art Director’s Club Hall of Fame. In 2010, Alex received the rare honor of being named “Creative Director of the Decade” by Adweek magazine.
Always drawn towards social responsibility, while at CP+B, Alex created groundbreaking cause initiatives such as the “Truth Campaign,” the most successful youth-focused anti-tobacco education initiative in US history, and helped Vice President, Al Gore debunk the notion of “Clean Coal,” with TV spots directed by the Coen Brothers of “Fargo” fame. In 2010 Alex left what he called, “the best job on the planet,” to create The FearLess Revolution with his wife, Ana Bogusky, and Rob Schuham. He and his band of insurgents, recently launched COMMONCM, a collaborative network for rapidly prototyping social ventures under a unified brand.
According to The New York Times’ Bits column, Twitter has sent a message that will flutter in the timeline. The social media microblogger will censor content viewed as inflammatory by selective nations. A grey widget will pop up in the time feed, stating that, “This tweet from @username will be withheld in: Nation X.” Disruptive content could range from banned literature written by Salman Rushdie to criticism of oppressive global regimes. Twitter’s previous policy included an absolute removal of content on a worldwide scale, rather than a selective process of elimination.
The U.S. Government would alert Twitter of content it wished to be removed for security reasons. A few users have speculated that government officials are looking to manage the influence of offline sociopolitical movements (Occupy Wall Street, Arab Spring) that mobilized in the content stream. Others are enraged after the company voiced its disapproval of the SOPA bill, but did not black out with Wikipedia two weeks ago. Some analysts feel that Twitter wants to penetrate market sectors with competing platforms and stronger firewalls (China). Their strategy’s motive will be revealed in time.
In my mind, the message is clear. Content may be king. Censorship wants to be the checkmate. The volume of communication across platforms has evolved to such a high degree that governmental intervention is not surprising. Social media is a young communication device. The medium has empowered the voice of many users, giving strength to the disenfranchised. Consumers express their beliefs in unlimited community forums. As opposed to prior forms of expression in world history, digital censorship has no tangibility. Firewall proxies are solved by hackers within minutes. The facts are simple. Borders do not exist in cyberspace. Censorship cannot control the unseen.
Abdul Fattah Ismail is a digital marketing specialist with expertise in content development. He lives in New York and is an MBA graduate in Marketing Management from St. John’s University. He has contributed articles for Blueliner Marketing and Talent Zoo.
Many of your fine social media-savvy folks are aware that the official floodgates for Social Media Week 2012 registration have opened. As a resident New Yorker, I’ll be hitting the pavement hard throughout the NYC boroughs, blitzing innumerable SMWNYC 2012 events for the second consecutive year. As a returning attendee, I figured it apropos to offer some helpful suggestions to newbie attendees mapping out Social Media Week schedules. My attendee tips for planning your Social Media Week visit:
Don’t fret if your schedule looks kind of sparse right now. As of this writing, even I – as an overzealous, overenthusiastic attendee – have some gaps in my week-long schedule. But have no fear…there are TONS of events that are going to be added in the next days.
Be sure to actually register for the events you want to go to. So often last year naive attendees thought that just because SMWNYC events were free, they could just walk in…NOT TRUE. Planners are understandably strict about having your registration with you, so just make the reservation. It’s quick, painless and FREE!
Vary your schedule with “different” kinds of events. While obviously every event is centered around social, digital media and tech, it’s important to keep your schedule of events diverse with events that you are passionate about. Be bold! Sign up for events that are related to your true personal interests: music, fashion, the arts — whatever it may be. The great thing about the week is that it brings ALL kinds of worlds together to speak about social, so there is a tremendous depth and breadth to the schedule for attendees to enjoy. It’s totally worth it, for both mental stamina and sheer happiness. Happy Planning!
Greg is a motivated Cornell University Hotel School alumnus, affectionately known as a Hotelie for life, with keen interests in social and digital marketing for hospitality and lifestyle brands. He’s passionate about sales and marketing in the hospitality industry, specifically as it relates to the dynamic online space. In his free time, Greg obsesses over growing his musical intellect (both modern and past-time artists apply), tennis, and running skills. Check out his lifestyle blog covering these topics at http://www.thesocialsonictraveler.wordpress.com.
I’m sure some of you know the service, Let Me Google That For You (LMGTFY). It’s one of those parasitically brilliant – or iteratively brilliant, depending on how you define it – sites that is used when you want to come up with a sly remark to your friend’s question, “Does anyone know any good bars near Penn Station?”
Simply type in “Bars near Penn Station” into the search bar on LMGTFY and you are then given a url which you can send to your friend. What your friend experiences, is this.
It’s hysterical but it also loops back into something that broke into the news today. Google announced that its searches are now going to be filled with results from Google+, which therefore means that your search will be influenced by what your friends are doing or what they think.
The Truth About Google Search
Google will cease to be the objective search tool that we all think it is and be more reliant on what your community is experiencing. Well actually, I lie. Google hasn’t been the objective online answering tool for over 2 years now. Google’s search algorithm tailors your search results based on your user behavior. This is how it works in real life: Below is a screen shot of my Google search window after I typed in “travel film festival.” Have a click and take a look. Does yours match? I’m guessing not.
What Does This All Mean?
It means that Google is banking on the fact that you care more about types of things you’ve searched for previously, and now, things that your friends/colleagues think is important. You might be up in arms at this fact but Google didn’t get to where they’ve gotten by being foolish.
We care what our friends are doing and the number one thing we want in life is the respect of our peers. This works when we’re looking for a bar near Penn Station or if we’re looking for a photo booth vendor. After all, if we didn’t care what our friends thought, a site like Let Me Google That For You wouldn’t exist. Why would we ask our friends when we could instead use the most powerful search engine ever made? Because we like being having things in common to those around us.
In fact, Google is banking on that.
Bassam Tarazi has been to 42 countries, holds a Mechanical Engineering Degree and a Green MBA. He is also a LEED AP and a certified Carbon Reduction Tarazi is co-founder of the tremendously successful Nomading Film Festival aimed at travelers, and recently launched his own motivational framework, called Colipera. Colipera leverages on the idea that peers publicly stating their goals to each other is more likely to inspire action among the whole group than tackling a goal individually would. Currently he lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Pundits have been ready to bury search engine optimization as a tool for data valuation in the web. One writer proclaims that conventional web crawlers will finally stand still. Social media networks, in his mind, now represent the referral source for content. On the other hand, this writer from State of Search says for internet scions to hold off on those proclamations. He states that while search index results will be pushed farther down the page in favor of personalized social media lists (Google+), the integration won’t take hold for awhile.
Looking at both cases, I would not worry for the moment. Unless I am an ardent user of Google+. Your queries for simple knowledge acquisition could be obfuscated at the expense of the search monolith. Google+ has decided to adjust their algorithm to deliver results based on your social media presence and online history.
In short, you search for “Ethiopian Restaurant Reviews in D.C.” Instead of seeing results from leading content providers like Yelp and Zagat, you’ll see individual reviews from John and Jane at the top of your index. One could ask this question: What is Google’s strategy with Plus?
I have an account and like the tool integration of mail, search, chat, and so forth. But it hasn’t registered into my daily social experience. I don’t feel like I’m alone in relaying this sentiment.
As a result, it appears that they are featuring the product at all costs.
The author from State of Search also mentions that a security option toggle allows the user to turn off personal results for privacy measures. Nevertheless, the damage is slowly spreading. Google’s strategy to drive user statistics for their social media tool could backfire.
A cynic may feel that research development was already compromised with the emergence of Google and Wikipedia. They are wrong. Society may look to their immediate network for credible solutions. They are also wise enough to seek knowledge from those who deliver content with expertise, intelligence, and passion. Despite the age, this axiom lives in the cumulus cloud.
Abdul Fattah Ismail is a digital marketing specialist with expertise in content development. He lives in New York and is an MBA graduate in Marketing Management from St. John’s University. He has contributed articles for Blueliner Marketing and Talent Zoo.
December 29th has been officially dubbed “Leave GoDaddy Day.” Organized by Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh and backed by an army of Redditors, the internet is planning a global walkout from the domain registration and hosting company. To encourage customers to act, tutorials have been circulating on “How to transfer domains from hosts”, along with a slew of articles about the company and SOPA (Stop Online Privacy Act).
Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh has organized a website walkout.
GoDaddy is trying to maintain a stance of diplomatic neutrality on SOPA after pulling its support. Last week alone, GoDaddy lost over 70,000 domain names, including over 20,000 in one day. At an average cost of $6.99 each, that amounts to nearly half a million dollars, not to mention potential revenue loss from subscription renewals. GoDaddy has also seen domains transferred in, though overall the company is seeing a big drop in net domains gained.
In a desperate attempt to retain customers, GoDaddy began calling those who recently transferred domains to survey if a different SOPA stance would impact their decision. GoDaddy has even been accused of blocking transfers. On Twitter, its “social strategy” was to @reply users with the placeholder message: Go Daddy no longer supports SOPA legislation. Click here to find out more [link].
It’s a PR nightmare for GoDaddy and an empowering reality for the forces of the internet. In just 24 hours after the anonymous social networking site Reddit launched their boycott threat campaign, the company reversed its commitment to SOPA.
Even with the reversal, Redditors are still prepared to go forth with “Leave GoDaddy Day.” If successful, it could be the tipping point for SOPA debates. A real financial loss may persuade other companies with commercial interests to re-evaluate their stance.
So why is GoDaddy the poster child for the internet hate machine in the SOPA campaign?
First of all, the company is a service provider for low cost domains. Its’ customers are directly impacted by this bill.
Secondly, it’s a high profile corporation that has had direct involvement in shaping legislation. Publically attacking GoDaddy puts pressure on a company that can influence congressional decisions.
Lastly, and likely most overlooked, GoDaddy is disliked by many internet denizens. It’s notorious for its terrible service, has not had a favorable image recently (read: a viral video of the CEO shooting an elephant) and customers are annoyed with its over the top marketing antics, from celebrity spokespeople and SuperBowl ads to a lot of website bling. The company was primed to be the perfect target for a stop SOPA takedown.
It’s hard to say exactly what GoDaddy could have done differently to avoid this disaster. Perhaps they could’ve posted a statement on their site and enabled commenting from the community. They definitely could have been better about listening to their customers and responding in real-time.
And when a fiasco like the GoDaddy affair dominates the news cycle, we’re all reminded of the importance of crisis management on the social web. Arming your social team with the right tools is crucial for monitoring customer satisfaction and engaging with those who threaten to leave your business and ruin your reputation.
GoDaddy’s lack of preparedness is a wake up call for all of us in the industry. If you think social media doesn’t impact your bottom line, then follow the story of GoDaddy, which is sure to make an excellent case study for years to come. It’s the business of politics in action, with social networking as the catalyst for influencing change in the 21st century.
For more information on SOPA and how it’s affecting us all, check out the SOPA for Dummies Google Doc, created by an anonymous concerned citizen fighting for internet freedom.
@Jen_Charlton is a contributor to the Social Media Week Global Editorial Team based in New York City. Formally the Marketing Communications Manager of social media analytics startup @PeopleBrowsr, she is now working in social @Night Agency. Jennifer is also teaching herself Python and believes in a free and open web.
As the year closes, the modern world will reflect on those notable moments that set the tempo of 2011. The late Apple visionary Steve Jobs will surely gain more coverage. New CEO Tim Cook has moved forward with strategic developments that are flying under the radar. One of them involves voice technology.
Voice Command is not a new communication tool. I recall having it on my Samsung SCH-8500 back in the day. The effectiveness of voice command, however, has not been kind when bridging the communication gap. At least not for myself.
I recently purchased an iPhone 4s. Many of us know that Apple’s latest mobile device comes with the Siri technology, used to search for queried data across several applications. For a long period, I abstained from using the command API. I reasoned that I already possessed Google applications which cover all of my search demands clearly through keystrokes. Recently, I have tested Siri’s algorithm with various geolocation query. The microphone is really slow to pick up notes in a crowded street district like Fifth Avenue. I found the algorithm a little more accurate in a controlled setting.
One setting which Apple has not conquered is the television marketplace. Customers of Apple TV have developed into a devoted, static customer base. Studio producers are not ready to lose their distribution rights just yet, with online advertising scale still in development.
Tim Cook is looking to change the sea tide with further advancements. According to this piece from the Wall Street Journal, the Cupertino-based giant wants to integrate motion and voice to the home viewing experience. Patents are being submitted for approval. The iPhone Siri is then a smaller piece of the corporate spectrum. Here is the message. Apple wants to further develop the communication between hardware. In the future, you could speak into your smartphone to power a multitude of devices. Microsoft Kinect uses motion sensor technology to execute gaming procedures. Television remains a business clinging to its traditional system despite the changing dynamics of content access. Apple has proven, however, to transcend early innovation entrants with aplomb. The effects are seismic. Siri wonders what can Apple help TV with right now. So do I.
Abdul Fattah Ismail is a digital marketing specialist with expertise in content development. He lives in New York and is an MBA graduate in Marketing Management from St. John’s University. He has contributed articles for Blueliner Marketing and Talent Zoo.
I have come to the understanding that some brands are hesitant about social media use for one of two reasons:
1. Fear. They are afraid it will somehow reflect poorly on their brand.
2. Priority. They claim they do not have the capital to contribute to a social media effort.
Today, few brands can afford to neglect this space, even if they are placing minimal effort into social media. Consumers will discuss whether a brand has occupied the social media landscape. It is important to seize this opportunity, before falling too far behind.
One industry that I think has neglected to address the social media opportunities as much they could is the airline industry. With American Airlines declaring bankruptcy, and others not far behind, social media is a key opportunity to create brand differentiation. The airline industry is a customer service industry, and as airlines stray from that business platform, they stray from the innate components that keep them afloat. This past week, I witnessed a missed-opportunity first hand.
My Flight Experience:
I recently traveled on a flight with Continental/United Airlines (recently partnered) where I was forced to de-board two separate planes because of malfunctioning equipment (thankfully, the third plane was in working order). During this twelve hour debacle, I decided to experiment with the @continental (which is no longer maintained) and @united accounts to see what type of response I would get. I had the time on my hands, so why not put social media efforts to the test? After sending numerous tweets to both accounts from my personal account (@mikeeev), I heard nothing. Not one response and still none to date.
Then, having recently listened to former Jet Blue CEO David Neeleman speak about customer service, I decided to tweet @JetBlue. I read on their account that they did not respond to any formal complaints, but I figured I would tweet at them to see if I received a response. It was a Tuesday evening and I told them I was stranded at the airport with two faulty planes and was very annoyed with my current airline.
Within minutes I received two tweets, the first asking what they could help with and the second providing me with a phone number to the company. In those tweets, a combined less than 280 characters, I was won over.
The Conclusion:
If United had responded to my tweet, I would have felt more valued as a customer. End of story. And in order to survive a cut-throat industry like the airline industry, brands cannot afford to lose customer value. Jet Blue re-affirmed that a competitor can be there for me. So all else the same, why would I choose a non-responsive brand over one that responds to me? I wouldn’t.
Social Media is now not only a bonus space for big brands, but a requirement. Consumers are beginning to expect direct outreach via social platforms, and those who fail to see this might have more than two faulty planes to deal with.
Michael Varallo is a digital marketer with expertise in social media, mobile, branding, and email marketing. He is also a research fellow at Fordham University’s Center for Positive Marketing. Reach him on twitter @mikeeev or find his contact information on MichaelVarallo.com. More can be read on positive marketing and brand influence at The Center for Positive Marketing at Fordham University.
The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is two months away- and on November 8, excitement began developing in Manhattan, NY during the CES press preview at the Metropolitan Pavilion.
The CES press preview began at 3 p.m. and lasted until 8 p.m. Amongst Thai noodles, an extensive cheese assortment, chocolate fortune cookies, chicken satay and a CES-themed martini that consisted of citron vodka and blue curacao, tech executives, press members and brand representatives mingled and discussed technology.
LG, Activision, Zagg, Striiv, Madcatz, Skullcandy and Polaroid were just some of the gaming and technology brands that were represented at the preview. CEA president and CEO Gary Shapiro also discussed upcoming holiday tech sales and the CES Best of Innovations 2012 honorees.
CES 2012 will be held from January 10-13 in Las Vegas and will feature over 2700 exhibitors.
Abigail Elise is a freelance video game/geek culture writer, blogger and vlogger. She currently lives in New York City. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
For almost 7 weeks, New York has been the focal point for those frustrated in the country. The Economist has called Occupy Wall Street “America’s first social media movement,” and their followings on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr are nothing to balk at. While never gaining Trending Topic status, #OccupyWallStreet has definitely been occupying social media. With over 100,000 followers on Twitter at @OccupyWallSt, it is gaining steam- with a little celebrity help from Susan Sarandon, Kanye West, Russell Simmons, and even a little satire from South Park. With all this, there has been quite the media coverage- and quite the outpouring of new groups joining the movement with US veterans being the latest group to join the movement. And the movement iscapitalized on social media for everything from donations to citizen reporting to education.
But what does all this mean? And what can businesses learn from this?
The prominence of Occupy Wall Street means corporations need to pay more attention.
Several corporations have found themselves at the ire of the movement- such as Citibank and Bank of America. Listening and being transparent are especially crucial at this moment. While Bank of America was put in the fire for its $5 debit card fee, other banks that were contemplating it abandoned plans after seeing public outrage. Despite losing potential revenue, they kept a better PR image than their friends at BoA.
Transparency and openness wins, especially if you relate to your audience.
One strong suit people are seeing is the transparency and openness of information regarding the movement. If one visits Zuccotti Park, there’s a Welcome Table with information available regarding how the movement handles donations and all monetary transactions and how you can join as a group of the movement. As a company, are you providing consumers with open information and helping build trust with your organization?
In addition the table has representatives who are a part of the media committee, a group trained in how to respond to media inquiries. Does your company help ensure that those on the front lines and interacting with consumers and media know how to communicate who your organization is? Are they attempting to be as helpful as possible?
Finally, the movement allows for various issues to have be featured and emphasizes that they are fighting for all in the USA. The camp has a Good Neighbor policy, ensuring all are safe and the impact to the surrounding community is minimized. Protesters are encouraged to civilly disobey and use peaceful methods of protests- drawing surprise from foreign media on the prevalence of peaceful and unifying tactics. By using slogans that are inclusive to even those that aren’t supportive, their message is more likely to be heard. Is your company working to include and explain your message to even the least desired consumer in your niche? Would your message isolate a segment of consumers? If so, is there a thought process behind why?
Social media organizes and conveys the message and next steps of Occupy Wall Street.
Protests are assembled via the Occupy Wall Street site- with the help of tech committee that builds and maintains it. Supporters of the movement are allowed to create their own hashtags, and the movement encourages supporters to upload their own images. The main accounts consistently repost and retweet user-generated content. Supporters feel they have a role and a voice in the movement, and the movement supports them. While Wall Street is organizing a “Social Media Day,” many feel it may not have the effect desired or bridge the communication gap between consumers and the financial sector. Keep in mind that social media is more than just putting out information- as this movement shows. Connecting requires an authentic desire to hear consumers and work with your audience. Does your company provide an outlet for consumers? Can they create their own discussions around your brand- with your support? Do you work with your consumers to hear what they need and provide service based on that?
The Occupy Wall Street camp is sustainable and resourceful. Signs are made from available cardboard. When generators were removed due to safety concerns, they set up power bikes to generate electricity. Campers all take turns to cycle for energy to power for the entire camp. Food is composted. Rain water is used to grow food, provide energy and (after filtration) for drinking. Physical donations are encouraged to help supply items for warmth and clean clothing- they even created a registry of sorts for all the camps across the nation. The movement also utilizes its national network. While visiting, I learned several people had come down to help stake out with the camp from Maine. All in all, you see the movement intends to be as self-sustaining and responds quickly to set-backs, creating innovative solutions. How does your organization respond to disruptions? Does your team think outside the box? Are you thinking about the impact of your company and products on the local and global level?
Whether you support the movement or are annoyed by its presence- or don’t even care- there are lessons to be learned. Whether the movement lasts, it is important for every company and organization to keep in mind that social media now provides the opportunity for the public to share their voice, the good and the bad. People are empowered to create change and collaborate together for that change. In my opinion, it is becoming a great equalizer, giving people who would normally not have a platform or opportunity to share a way to do so. And that makes for an exciting future.
PSFK’s annual NYC Conference will be on April 8th this year. The speaker lineup includes: Rachel Sterne the newly appointed Chief Digital Officer from the NYC Mayor’s Office, Nick Denton from Gawker and Yancey Strickler from Kickstarter.
As a long term partner and friend of Social Media Week, PSFK has kindly offered up a discount to the SMW community that can be accessed through the link below.
We have attended this conference for the past few years and can honestly say that it will be one of the more inspirational and thought provoking events you will likely experience this year.
On February 10, 2011, over 120+ journalists, bloggers and media makers joined us for discussion on “The Future of Real-time Publishing“. This event was hosted by and produced in conjunction with The New York Times (@nytimes). Brian Stelter moderated a panel which included Ann Curry, Andy Carvin, David Clinch and Josh Harris. See below for part one of this two part video.
There’s only day left to meet people at Social Media Week. Spend the time tonight to use our community page or mobile AttendeeApp to track down several “must meet” contacts.Tweet them, find them, and make a meaningful connection on Friday.
When you depart the conference tomorrow night, don’t feel overwhelmed by the hundreds of business cards that you will have to sift through on Monday. Rather than spending the tedious time looking up the right “John Smith” on LinkedIn, use the SMW Community Page to quickly find all of the online profiles for a specific contact. Check out their blog and company… and then friend, follow, and connect on LinkedIn in one fell swoop.
Reinforce your connection and lets continue this exciting conversation!
Today we are excited to announce our collaboration with No Right Brain Left Behind, an innovation challenge asking the broader creative industries to concept ideas that will help the creativity crisis happening in U.S. schools today.
A panel of experts will pick the 3 best ideas that will be featured by media partners at the end of the challenge. The goal is to launch the best idea as a pilot later this year.
Sir Ken Robinson, Author and Creativity Expert
Lee Clow, Chairman of Media Arts Lab
Yves Behar, fuseproject
Piers Fawkes, Founder of PSFK
Maria Popova, Founder & Editor in Chief of Brain Pickings
Juliette LaMontagne, Senior TED fellow and Innovations Facilitator
Scott Belsky, Founder of Behance
Julie Lasky, Editor at Change Observer
A briefing session will kick off the challenge on Monday Feb. 7th. Teams will be handed, and will be able to download, an intelligence brief and a creative brief clearly outlining the problem and directions. The challenge will be wrapped with a panel event on Friday. Locations for both briefing and panel will be announced in the Social Media Week calendar.
Is social media a bubble? Do I need 1 million fans to be a success? Bust these social media myths and more with disruptive marketers from Attention, Morgans Hotel Group and Barbie, at Social Media Myths: “You Did What?! in Social Media,” on Thursday February 10, at Hudson Hotel from 1:30-2:30 PM, followed by a 30min Q&A session.
Speakers:
Curtis Hougland, Founder & CEO, Attention
Curtis opened the first joint PR and online marketing practice in 1993, working with Internet pioneers including CompuServe, AOL, Prodigy, Microsoft and Sprynet. One of the PR industry’s first creative directors at Middleberg, he grew the agency into one of the most successful consumer technology agencies prior to its sale to Euro RSCG in 2000. Curtis tested his word-of-mouth campaigns by co-founding Film Movement (sold to Blockbuster in 2006), the first company to release films simultaneously in theater and on DVD.
James Zito, Vice President, Interactive Marketing, Morgans Hotel Group
As Vice President, Interactive Marketing, for Morgans Hotel Group, James Zito oversees all development of Morgan Hotel Group’s E-Marketing/E-Commerce initiatives. Before joining in 2006 Mr. Zito spent over 16 years with Denihan Hospitality Group where he directed all areas of E-marketing and developed and managed an award winning CRM program.
A respected industry expert on Internet marketing, Zito served as the 2006-2008 Co-Chair of the North America HSMAI Internet Marketing special-interest group, and has spoken at events including Ad Tech, HITEC, Hospitality CIO Summit, HEDNA, TravelCom, National Center for Database Marketing (NCDM), and guest lectured for the New York University’s Masters in Hospitality program. Mr. Zito has a Bachelor of Arts from William Paterson University.
Lauren Bruksch, Director, Marketing, Barbie at Mattel
Lauren Bruksch is a marketing director for the Barbie brand at Mattel, Inc. In her position, Lauren plays an integral role in forging strategic marketing partnerships and oversees social media and digital marketing, philanthropy and special projects for the brand . Laur en manages the Barbie brand’s partner ship s with the CFDA and fashion community, and she has been instrumental in securing the brand ’ s partnership s with T he White House Project and “ 10 Women to Watch ” list .
Most recently, Lauren spearheaded Mattel’s first original digital reality series, “Genuine Ken: The Search for the Great American Boyfriend.” Lauren also serves as the one of the judges on the web series, as a representative and the voice of the Barbie brand. Additionally, Lauren oversees all of social marketing for the brand, including Barbie and Ken’s facebook, Twitter and Foursquare accounts.
In 2009, Lauren was one of the key players who helped Barbie celebrate her 50th anniversary with a unprecedented runway show at New York Fashion Week and a celebrity birthday bash at Barbie’s real-life dream house in Malibu, Calif. Lauren has worked on the Barbie brand for more than 6 years, and recently began working across the girls ’ portfolio of brands at Mattel.
This blog post is a contribution from Zack Brisson, founder of the service design agency Reboot (@TheReboot) You can follow him via @zbrisson and at http://theReboot.org/ideas.
From Wikileaks to the recent Arab uprisings, it’s clear that new forms of media are changing government-citizen relationships. In many cases, those changes have been positive and give cause for hope. In the United States, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter have all changed the nature of political discourse. Globally, tools such as FrontlineSMS, Ushahidi, and OpenStreetMaps have empowered citizens and changed how critical services are delivered.
Yet these tools are just as easily used for oppression, propaganda, and the subtle coercion of the public. Or, even when there is no government ill intent, social media can be a distracting or confusing additive to already complex governing processes.
At Reboot, we help institutions that matter make sense of rapid societal changes, including those in information and communication technologies, so that they can leverage existing forces to create a future that is not just different, but better. To that end, we are proud to present “Citizen 2.0: Social Media and the Future of Participatory Government” as part of Social Media Week 2011.
We have assembled an expert panel to discuss what it will take to mature the use and application of social media to ehance service delivery, improve policymaking, and develop more inclusive forms of political engagement.
Our panelists will share their first-hand experiences from the frontlines of change. They will share their successes, hopefully some of their failures, and emerging best practices. A brief snapshot of the panelists and the perspective they’ll bring to the conversation:
Marci Harris is the CEO of PopVox, an exciting new platform for citizen-to-legislature interaction. She also spent years on Capitol Hill working inside government to develop new forms of political engagement.
Tom Lee, Director of Sunlight Labs (and formerly of EchoDitto), is actively leading the movement that is building the tools, datasets, and community necessary to create the government platforms of the future.
Katherine Maher is an Information and Communication Technology Specialist at the National Democratic Institute. Her work there, and previously at UNICEF, has focused on the effective application of social media in international development and governance.
Nancy Scola is the Associate Editor at Personal Democracy Forum’s techPresident and she also contributes to American Prospect’s TAPPED. She’s been one of the leading voices on the role of social media in changing politics and government.
Reboot is committed to bringing the outcomes of this event to the open government community, so that a one-day discussion can have a lasting impact. To that end, a one-hour panel discussion and Q&A will be followed by an interactive session where panelists and audience members will work together in small groups to generate concrete ideas for new products and services that leverage the power of social media. We will be documenting these ideas and sharing them back with the participants, the Social Media Week community, and our friends and allies working for improved governance systems.
We hope you’ll join us, you can register here. If you want to remotely join the conversation the day of the event, stay tuned for a live web cast link on the event page or join in via Twitter, we’ll be watching at #Citizen2 or send messages to @TheReboot.
Best of all, there won’t be any slaps on wrists for late fees (guilty).
What’s the event?Future Library: Socializing History with Maps Where? The New York Public Library When? Tuesday, February 08, 2011, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Who is hosting the event? The New York Public Library What’s the event all about? Explore how collections of historic materials such as maps can be made accessible and relevant using crowd-sourced geo-rectifying technology, and how these modernized maps can be used as ways to discover places and their (hi)stories using social geo-location and mapping technology.
What’s the event?The Inner Workings: Staffing for Social Media Where? The New York Public Library When? Tuesday, Feb 08 2011 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Who is hosting the event? The New York Public Library What’s the event all about? Attend a showcase of different approaches for social media staffing, juxtaposing representatives from companies in the private sector and non-profits. NYPL staff will share findings from their award-winning case study “Twitter Success Through a Coordinated Staffing Model”.
The New York Public Library comprises both scholarly research collections and a network of community libraries. While attuned to New York City, its intellectual and cultural range is both global and local, lending to the Library an extraordinary richness. It is special also in being a privately managed, nonprofit corporation with a public mission, operating with both private and public financing in a century-old, still evolving partnership (via website).
We are now less than two weeks away from Social Media Week February 2011–powered by global headline sponsor Nokia–and things are shaping up fantastically well.
Two weeks ago, the global announcement was made that Social Media Week February 2011 was opening up registration to its nine cities worldwide and then last week we announced that we were adding more events and opening up more tickets to cope with demand.
Today we are excited to announce that we are adding more sessions to the program and that we have released all remaining tickets for those events listed on the site. As we continue to respond to demand we will be adding additional events leading up to February 7, so please check back once in a while to see what’s new and ensure you follow @smwnyc for real-time alerts.
CONTENT HUBS
There are over one hundred events scheduled to take place during Social Media Week New York with fifty or more taking place at our five Content Hubs. Last week we launched the Hub landing page, which gives a breakdown of each Hub and everything we’ve got in store there. For those of you who are new to the Hub concept, here’s a breakdown of what’s on offer:
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS
We can’t stress enough how thrilled we are with the content of Social Media Week New York this February, thanks to our incredible advisory board and host committee and the numerous event partners and content curators we have been collaborating with. Many exciting events were covered in last week’s post, but below is a smattering of some events we’ve added since then. Follow the links to each to learn more!
We’re excited to highlight another one of our amazing event partners. Convio will be hosting an exciting panel where nonprofit organizations can learn how to best utilize existing and emerging social media tools.
What’s this event called? Is Three a Crowd? Getting the Most Out of Third-party and Social Giving Sites for Your Nonprofit
Where will this event be held? The People & Society Hub at The Paley Center for Media
When will this event be held? Tuesday,February 8, 2011 at 10:00 am
Who is hosting this event? Is Three a Crowd? will be hosted by Convio
What’s this event all about? Social networks have become a main-stay in the nonprofit marketing vocabulary, but where do the new kids on the block such as Causes, Crowdrise and Jumo fit into the mix? The next generation of social media for social good has arrived so come learn the pros and cons of the sites and where they should be prioritized in your nonprofit’s integrated marketing strategy. Contributors will discuss the benefits and challenges of several third-party and social giving sites and raise some important questions including how much money is being raised through these sites, what’s being left on the table and how your nonprofit can get the most out of the social web. Register for this event HERE!
So, what is Convio? Convio provides fundraising software for nonprofits and much, much more. According to their site, Convio provides marketing, fundraising, advocacy and donor database tools that help nonprofit organizations take advantage of the inherent effectiveness and efficiency of the Internet to motivate your donors and other supporters.
This poised to be an incredibly informative and instructive event, hope you can make it!
Clare Brown is a contributing writer to the Social Media Week blog and works in Digital Communications at Deep Focus
In New York, our team is proud to be partnering up with JWT, a Global Social Media Week partner and the official host of The Business, Media and Communications Content Hub. On Monday February 7th, we’ll be jumpstarting a week of dynamic panels and insights from a number of innovative leaders in their respective fields, with remarks from JWT Worldwide North America CEO, David Eastman. His keynote will immediately be followed by a panel on how social media is shaping the landscape of gaming. Checkout a recent 5 Questions with David Eastman and find more information on the gaming panel below!
What’s this event called? Social Gaming: How Social Dynamics are Reshaping Games
Where will this event be held? The Business, Media & Communications Hub at JWT
When will this event be held? Monday, February 7th at 9:00 am
Who is hosting this event? JWT
What’s this event all about? Social games are here to stay. This panel will bring together a variety of experts from the gaming industry (casual, hardcore and cross-platform) to talk about how social dynamics are reshaping games of all types and making them more pervasive across all walks of life. To register for this event, please use the form here.
So, what is JWT? JWT is the world’s best-known marketing communications brand. JWT is a true global network with 200-plus offices in over 90 countries. JWT was also Named Adweek’s Global Agency of the Year. Check out JWT’s site to learn even more about their work and their people.
Clare Brown is a contributing writer to the Social Media Week blog and works in digital communications at Deep Focus
With Social Media Week New York just five weeks away, we wanted to remind you that there is still plenty of time to get involved and play an integral role in the February conference. Here are six specific ways you can get involved to help kick things off:
1) Host or curate a session
Join past hosts including New York Times, WIRED, MoMA, IDEO, Time Inc., or, alternatively, submit a session idea to anyone of the five content hubs, including Science & Technology at Google, Business, Media & Communications at JWT, People and Society at The Paley Center for Media, Art & Culture at Hearst Corporation and Music, Gaming & Sports at the Red Bull Space. Events are typically two hours in length and range from traditional panel discussions, interactive workshops, panels, presentations, interviews, debates etc. To register, simply click on the link below. Once your session is approved, we add it to the schedule and promote through all of our media channels.
2) Share your ideas with the world and register to speak
With more than 150 events planned for Social Media Week New York, there are plenty of opportunities for you to share your ideas and connect with our audience of more than 5,000 hyper-social influencers.
Past Social Media Week speakers have included Dennis Crowley, Co-founder & CEO, foursquare; Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief, WIRED; Sir Ken Robinson, Author of The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything;Chris Hughes, Co-founder of Facebook; Courtney Holt, President, MySpace Music; Dave Stewart, Musician & Entrepreneur, Eurythmics; Seth Sternberg, CEO, Meebo; Dick Glover, President & CEO, Funny-or-Die; ?uest Love, Band member, The Roots; Alec Ross, Senior Adviser, Innovation in the Office of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; and Tye Montague, Former President of JWT.
Across the five Content Hubs, we have a number of compelling ways for brands to connect with our audience of hyper-social influencers. Hub sponsorship includes branding and signage, event curation, speaking and presenting opportunities, product and/or service integration and a week-long opportunity to engage in conversation with more than 2,000 Hub attendees. Hub sessions are all live streamed and packaged and distributed online.
For more information and for a full sponsorship prospectus, please email Toby Daniels.
4) Sponsor an event or hub session
This option is ideal if your brand is interested in sponsoring a single session at one of the Hubs, or one of the events taking place elsewhere in the city. Event sponsorship includes signage, presence at the event, participation in the curation of the content, speaking opportunities. Select events are live streamed and packaged and distributed online.
For more information and for a full sponsorship prospectus, please email Toby Daniels.
5) Host a party
At night, Social Media Week New York lights up with parties taking place throughout the city. Kicking things off in style this year, we’re excited to be hosting the opening reception at the New York Public Library, with things drawing to a close at the Closing Party on the Friday night at a soon-to-be-named location. If your company is interested in hosting something during the week, then we’d love to support you.
6) Join our network of bloggers & provide coverage
Social Media Week is building a growing network of bloggers and journalists who regularly contribute to both the global and local sites. As part of our editorial coverage we provide in-depth analysis and profiles on our partners, sponsors, speakers and other important contributors. If you are interested in contributing, we’d love to hear from you.
Don’t forget, if you want real-time updates, please follow @smwnyc for New York specific information and @socialmediaweek for global updates. Also, join us over on Facebook, where we host additional content, discussions and attendee polls.
Following previous posts regarding the People & Society and Science & Technology Hubs, today we would like to share details about the Business, Media & Communications Hub, which is hosted by Social Media Week’s global sponsor JWT at their headquarters here in New York.
JWT is one of the world’s best-known marketing communications brands. Headquartered in New York, JWT is a true global network with more than 200 offices in over 90 countries employing nearly 10,000 marketing professionals.
JWT consistently ranks among the top agency networks in the world and continues its dominant presence in the industry by staying on the leading edge—from producing the first-ever TV commercial in 1939 to developing award-winning branded content for brands such as Bloomberg, Ford and HSBC.
Social Media Week is proud to be working with JWT and excited to also partner with their London, Toronto & São Paulo offices.
GET INVOLVED IN BUSINESS, MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS
The Business, Media & Communications Hub will focus on everything advertising, marketing, publishing and enterprise related and will bring together some of the leading individuals and companies who are helping to shape the future of communications. Confirmed speakers include: John Winsor, CEO of Victor & Spoils, David Eastman, CEO North America, Worldwide Digital Director, JWT, Benjamin Palmer, CEO/CCO of the Barbarian Group, Faris Yakob, Chief Innovation Officer, MDC/kbs+p.
Themes & topics covered will include:
Social production & mass collaboration
The future agency
Engaging the audience in publishing
Social commerce
Brands as storytellers
Branded entertainment
Humanizing brands
Data, analytics, and insight
Utilizing the social graph
This list is by no means comprehensive, but it provides a flavor of some of areas we will be covering. The agenda will be released in January, however if you would like to suggest themes and topics that we should be covering, please let us know.
If you or your organization is interested in curating a session and helping to shape the programming at the Business, Media & Communications Hub we would love to hear from you. Sessions are typically two hours in length and can include a series of talks, a panel, a workshop or seminar. We encourage our guest curators to think creatively about their sessions and consider designing an experience that moves beyond traditional conference formats.
To submit a session idea, please visit the event registration page and reference which Hub you are interested in, in your application.
If you are interested in sponsorship or media partnership opportunities, we have some really exciting ways for brands to participate in the experience and contribute to the programming. For more information please contact: toby@socialmediaweek.org
The Business, Media & Communications Hub is brought to you by Social Media Week organizers Crowdcentric & host sponsor JWT.
About the Hubs
Social Media Week Hubs include: Science and Technology Hub, hosted by Google; Business, Media, and Communications Hub, hosted by global advertising agency JWT; People & Society Hub, hosted by The Paley Center for Media; and Music, Gaming & Sports, hosted by Red Bull Space. As we mentioned in our announcement, we are also launching a fifth Hub which will cover Arts & Culture, the location of which we will share in the coming week or so.
Yesterday we shared details around the People & Society Content Hub and provided specific ways for you or your organization to get involved. Today’s Hub Spotlight is focused on Science & Technology, which will be hosted by our friends atGoogle New York.
GET INVOLVED IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
If you’re looking to gorge on the latest disruptive social technologies or explore the more academic side of the social and mobile media space, then Google’s Science & Technology Hub will be your home away from home during Social Media Week New York.
As you can imagine we are faced with a plethora of options in terms of specific topics to focus on. The general ones we are looking at right now cover the following areas:
Behavioral Psychology
Behavioral Economics
Cognitive Sciences
Anthropology & Sociology
Technology wise, again, we’re not short of options. Here are a few we’re thinking about:
Augmented Reality
Social Data
Mapping & GPS
Futurism
Open Source Movements
APIs & Open Standards
These are by no means comprehensive lists; however, they give you a flavor of what we’re considering prgrammingwise. Tell us what else we should be thinking about. Tell us what’s missing!
Specifically, if you or your organization is interested in curating a session and helping to shape the programming at the Science & Technology Hub, we would love to hear from you. Sessions are typically two hours in length and can either be a series of talks, a panel, a workshop or seminar. We encourage our guest curators to think creatively about their sessions and consider designing an experience that moves beyond traditional conference formats.
To submit a session idea, please visit the event registration page and reference which Hub you are interested in, in your application.
If you are interested in sponsorship or media partnership opportunities, we have some really exciting ways for brands to participate in the experience and contribute to the programming. For more information please contact: toby@socialmediaweek.org
The Science & Technology Hub is brought to you by Social Media Week organizers Crowdcentric & Google.
About the Hubs
Social Media Week Hubs include: Science and Technology Hub, hosted by Google; Business, Media, and Communications Hub, hosted by global advertising agency JWT; People & Society Hub, hosted by The Paley Center for Media; and Music, Gaming & Sports, hosted by Red Bull Space. As we mentioned in our announcement, we are also launching a fifth Hub which will cover Arts & Culture, the location of which we will share in the coming week or so.
Last week we announced the locations of four Content Hubs, each of which will focus on a specific theme. Over the course of this week, we are going to focus on highlighting each Hub and some of the specific topics that will be featured, as well as how you or your organization can contribute to the programming.
The confirmed partnerships include: Science and Technology Hub, hosted by Google; Business, Media, and Communications Hub, hosted by global advertising agency JWT; People & Society Hub, hosted by The Paley Center for Media; and Music, Gaming & Sports, hosted by Red Bull Space. As we mentioned in our announcement, we are also launching a fifth Hub which will cover Arts & Culture, the location of which we will share in the coming week or so.
GET INVOLVED IN PEOPLE & SOCIETY
Today’s spotlight is on the People & Society Hub at The Paley Center for Media. The theme itself is clearly fairly broad, so we have decided to focus on the following topic areas in terms of how they are impacted by developments in social and mobile media:
Education
Health & technology
Philanthropy
CSR
Government & Civil Society
Environment
If you or your organization is interested in curating a session and helping to shape the programming at the People & Society Hub, we would love to hear from you. Sessions are typically two hours in length and can either be a series of talks, a panel, a workshop or seminar. We encourage our guest curators to think creatively about their sessions and consider designing an experience that moves beyond traditional conference formats.
To submit a session idea, please visit the event registration page and reference which Hub you are interested in, in your application.
If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities at the People & Society Hub, we have some really exciting ways for brands to participate in the experience and contribute to the programming. For more information please contact toby@socialmediaweek.org
The People & Society Hub is brought to you by Social Media Week & The Paley Center for Media with additional curation from ThinkSocial & GOOD.
About the Paley Center
The Paley Center for Media, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public.
We are now two months out from Social Media Week this February 7-11, and a LOT is going on. Following yesterday’s announcement that Nokia will serve as global headline sponsor of Social Media Week, today we are pleased to announce a new twist to the week for our third weeklong event in New York: five distinct “Content Hubs,” reflecting key areas of focus for conversations on the societal impact of social media. These five physical hubs will host daily programming and cover these themes: People and Society; Art and Culture; Business, Media, and Communications; Science and Technology; and Music, Sports and Gaming.
With today’s announcement, we are also releasing a very preliminary version of the schedule of events for New York, as well as select sponsors and keynote speakers. Many events are still TBD and of course there are many more to come, but please take a look to get a sense of some of the exciting things to look forward to in February. The preliminary schedule can be found here: http://socialmediaweek.org/newyork/schedule. Registration for these events will open on Tuesday, January 11, 2011.
CONTENT HUBS
The locations of four of the Hubs have been confirmed already with Google hosting the Science and Technology Hub; global advertising agency JWT hosting Business, Media, and Communications; The Paley Center for Media hosting People and Society; and Red Bull Space hosting Music, Sports and Gaming. We hope to announce host Art and Culture Hub within the next week.
“JWT is heavily involved with Social Media Week on a global level,” said Social Media Week Board Member David Eastman, who is Worldwide Digital Director and North American CEO at JWT. “The conference has grown in importance and stature, much as the social media space itself has. By hosting and participating in this essential series of events, we are helping both educate the audience as well as ourselves.”
PROGRAM
Continuing the collaborative theme of Social Media Week, the New York organizers are looking to co-curate a significant proportion of the content by soliciting event ideas from some of the city’s leading thinkers and practitioners in the fields of social and mobile media.
Stephanie Agresta, Social Media Week board member and EVP and Managing Director of Social Media for Weber Shandwick said, “Social Media Week is leading the charge to globally scale the community of digital thought leaders driving this important channel. By creating connections among influencers around the world, SMW is providing a valuable service to consumers and brands alike.”
In addition to Weber Shandwick, confirmed content curators in New York include: MTV, Financial Times, New York Times, Frog Design, the New York Public Library, Edelman, the Barbarian Group, Saatchi Wellness, 360i, GOOD, The Personal Democracy Forum, Morris & King, Deep Focus, Publicity Club of New York, Fenton Communications, Wholefoods, Foodspotting, DotBox, Comedy Central and many more to be added. Confirmed speakers include JWT’s David Eastman; Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley; Meebo CEO Seth Sternberg; John Winsor, founder and CEO of agency Victors & Spoils; with many more to be announced.
Social Media Week New York is one of nine cities simultaneously hosting Social Media Week this year, along with London, Paris, Rome, San Francisco, Toronto, Hong Kong, São Paulo, and now Istanbul, which was added to the global lineup this week.
Global support for Social Media Week is led by mobile communications giant NOKIA, with additional support from global partners Meebo, a social platform with more than 180 million users; and JWT. Other brands involved around the world include Google,Vodafone, Oi Telecommunications (Brazil) and Fiat Motors.
The strength of Social Media Week lies in the collaborative efforts of the community. There are many ways to get involved in the conference. To participate as a brand partner, sponsor, event host, panel speaker or volunteer, please visit: http://socialmediaweek.org/get-involved.
Social Media Week returns to New York this February 7-11, 2011 and organizers Crowdcentric are inviting individuals, organizations and brand partners to ‘Get Involved’ in the curation, planning and organization of the weeklong event. This is your call to action to Get Involved in New York’s Social Media Week!
Social Media Week New York is produced by Crowdcentric, together with individuals from leading New York media and emerging technology companies like Deep Focus CEO Ian Schafer, Barbarian Group CEO Benjamin Palmer, Morris + King CEO Andy Morris, BBH Innovation Director Saneel Radia, New York Times Social Media Manager Stacy Green, and CNET.com Journalist Caroline McCarthy. The advisory board and host committee are primarily focused on providing leadership and guidance on Content Curation, PR & Communication, Diversity, Editorial, and User Experience. To see the full list of board members check out the advisory board section of the site.
“Social Media Week is about intellectual discussion of the evolutionary changes occurring in the ways we communicate, and how we create, share, and discover content,” said Ian Schafer, CEO of Deep Focus and SMW Advisory Board Member. “I’m involved in Social Media Week because we all share the responsibility of moving ourselves and each other forward with the help of the platforms we participate in and have helped build. Great ideas and inspiration have come out of each previous Social Media Week; this year’s yield will be unprecedented.”
In addition to expanding the size and scope of the program and conference experience, the organizers are also launching four “Content HUBs” focused around four basic areas of content: people and society, art and culture, business media and communications, and science and technology. Each HUB will be located at soon-to-be-announced venues featuring daily events throughout the week.
As an open and collaborative platform, Social Media Week provides many ways to ‘Get Involved’ including curating and hosting events, speaking and presenting, designing workshops, facilitating interviews, sponsoring events, providing editorial coverage, and volunteering to participate on the local host committees.
There are opportunities for every organization and individual to get involved this February, on both a global and local level:
Host an event: You could join the ranks of Sony, New York Times, MTV, Drop.io, JWT, Razorfish, MoMA, Porter Novelli, and others who have all hosted events at their space during previous conferences
Volunteer: Join the host committee in your city, work at the events, support the communications team, help with outreach. There are many ways to get involved individually
Provide in-kind products/services to attendees: Much like Foursquare, Livestream, Pegshot, Mobile Roadie, your company could provide services to SMW attendees that enhance and improve their experience
Sponsor an event: There will be at least 150 events taking place throughout the city. Through these events, your brand can connect and engage an audience of hyper-social influencers
Speaking Opportunities: Do you have domain specialism? Do you want to share your ideas with a broader audience?
If you have any questions about Social Media Week or getting involved in Social Media Week New York, please contact Lauren Hurst by email at lauren@crowdcentric.net for more information.
I would like to thank everyone who played such an incredibly important role in helping to make Social Media Week such a huge success. Particular thanks to our volunteers, staff, advisory board members, city organizers, event partners, sponsors, media partners and of course our wonderful attendees.
In total, more than 7,000 people attended across the six cities and over 150 individual organizations were directly involved in helping to produce the conference.
In addition to significantly increasing in size from 2009, the scope of our program also grew with more than 200 events hosted, covering such topics as social media’s impact on healthcare, technology, non-profits, corporate social responsibility, higher education, politics, open design, crowdsourcing, social graph optimization, PR and brand communications.
Finally, we welcome all feedback, both good and bad and would love to hear specific thoughts on how we can improve every aspect of the conference in future years. If you have a couple of minutes, please complete this short survey: http://cot.ag/aFo8bk
One of the closing events of Social Media Week took included snack time at a grocery store, as Whole Foods presented Afternoon Snack: A New York New Food Media Panel.
On the menu were:
Liza Mosquito de Guia, Founder & Chief Storyteller, food. curated.
The event started the way every event should: with milk and cookies. But then the panel got sizzling. Here’s a recap of highlights:
Question: How is social media changing things?
Amanda: Publishing used to be more top down and social media changed that dramatically.
Merrill: Our commenting system keeps conversation going.
Emily: For traditional media, it’s a challenge. Our systems are optimized to send out a magazine to a million+ people and not get much back. “Changing that is a challenge but it’s an extraordinary opportunity.” Our product improves with feedback. We use it to engage with our users, to promote our content, and for inspiration.
Liza: I can’t believe the power of social media. “I was a nobody six months ago.” Social media helped fulfill a dream.
Nick: We forget that email is the core of social media – “it’s the mother ship… Today, we take that for granted.” Replying to their newsletters goes to his inbox. Facebook and Twitter are important – “Twitter is a means of filling in the gaps between stories.”
Nicole: Social media is the sole reason Hot Grease has been so popular. “I try to remember that everyone is not on Twitter” as she’s not a big Facebook person.
Cathy: I thought there was something a little unfulfilled with having so many nameless friends. I don’t want to forget the real-life social aspect of food. “When you come to a table, it should be about meeting people” and sharing the experience with them. It’s great to have two ways of social connections.
Amanda: Last week we used Hot Potato to run a virtual Sunday supper and all cooked it at the exact same time, taking pictures, uploading them – it doesn’t replace cooking in a kitchen with someone but it was a valuable community experience.
Question: There’s some debate over whether this is all good or all bad. Amanda, you got in a dust-up with Christopher Kimball at Cook’s Illustrated.
Amanda: He challenged us to a duel about crowdsourcing recipes. We had about eight conference calls with him. We agreed to all of his rules but he wouldn’t agree to any of ours.
Emily: We need a new revenue model. Social media almost makes it too easy to share content. There’s value in professional test kitchens. But the pros of social media outweigh the cons.
Moderator: Any other cons?
Nicole: There are some people in small towns, say an expert in canning, who aren’t online and get left out of this. This is our life – we live and breathe social media. There’s a group of people who will never be a part of the social media movement.
Cathy: If we’re all plugged into all these blogging and tweeting and creating content, when are we going to come up with the content, and when will we enjoy ourselves in the moment?
Question: Is this enhancing our discussion of food? Is it dumbing it down?
Liza: I think it’s making it more exciting. Social media’s all about developing relationships. You start to learn who you really trust. There are certain people who I’ve seen their content and I know I can trust them. When you’re using social media to get good ideas and feedback, you need to rely on trust.
Emily: It’s becoming so much easier for small producers of quality food products to sell them, thanks to sites like Foodzie. That’s a pro. One of the cons that Liza brought up is that there are a lot of stories that can’t be told in 140 characters. When I’m reading a great piece in the New York Times elsewhere, I always think, “How does David Carr turn off his Twitter feed long enough to write good stories?” The challenge is putting out a quality product while communicating with our fans, but we won’t have a quality product if we don’t communicate with our fans.
Question: What does the future hold for food writing?
Nick: Food writing is becoming more like being a potter – it’s generally more of a hobby, but if it turns into a career, great. “It’s becoming harder and harder to make money writing and selling words about food.” Part of the blame comes from writers in general because we started giving away the milk for free and no one wants to buy the cow.
Amanda: It wasn’t that long ago that the old media model was very exclusive. It’s always been a very limiting field. The limits are in a different landscape now.
Liza: I think there’s a big future for video. Advertisers want video content like that that they can sponsor. Hyperlocal is also a big opportunity.
Cathy: It’s not just about writing. There’s radio, there’s video – there are more things we can do. It doesn’t have to be limited to writing for a magazine anymore.
Friday’s Future of Social Media in Higher Education hosted by McGraw-Hill Student Innovations offered five great professors (matched with a masterful moderator) to explore the challenges and opportunities in using social media to advance higher education. The faculty included:
Yianni: One in four students in 2 or 4 year programs are taking at least on course online.
Question: How does social media play a role?
Kathleen: Distance education is moving more swiftly in community and 2-year colleges. Community colleges can respond more quickly to changes in demographics, the economy, etc. Four-year-universities and research centers can’t move as fast. Distance ed is a good connection for us with social media – the faculty’s already using technology, and students are embracing it. Working on using other tools like Twitter, Facebook, etc. We also must address the needs of non-traditional students – this used to mean older students in their 20s through 70s. That term “non-traditional” are outnumbering traditional students.
Mary: Beyond distance learning and online courses, there’s the trend around open content. There are intellectual property issues, but they can spark interest from those not present in a class.
Vineet: Of 12 million college students, only 6 million are 18-24. A big reason for dropouts is lack of engagement. We need to promote engagement more than just enrollment.
Greg: Students want to text with deans or people admissions offices.
Adam: Social tools present new ways for students to participate, rather than the old way of getting graded just for showing up.
Question: How do you use various tools to engage students?
Mary: Blackboard is great, but it’s not collaborative and archival. You can only collaborate with students in your class, that semester. NYU has taken the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn under its umbrella. They’ve tried to develop collaboration between that and Stern Business School. Needed: apps for collaboration. Gradeguru is one that fits in, provides incentive for collaboration – “it’s kind of revolutionary.” Facebook’s Courses application: you can submit which classes you’re enrolled in to get opinions of a class. Another: Dropbox – lets more than one user edit documents at a time.
Question for Mary: Are you using Google Docs extensively?
Mary: Yes, a fair amount.
More on apps…
Vineet: Tegrity records courses, sort of like a DVR for college courses.
Kathleen: Skype – ‘it’s like Kleenex now’ – everyone uses it.
Yianni: How will we make these technologies more compelling to engage students?
Mary: I want to bring up augmented reality to overlay digital technology over the real world. Would love to use it in history classes.
Greg: Students are already using platforms. If we know that 85% of college students are on Facebook, You need to go where students are.
Kathleen: Faculty need to learn how to use these tools professionally. Many colleagues don’t get the professional use. She takes issue with Greg and Adam saying they don’t remember their education well – they don’t remember their formal education but they’re examples of lifelong learning.
Adam (responding to another question): Technology will lower the cost of so many things for education – so much of what you need is on your phone. The iPad will play a big role in furthering that, replacing textbooks and adding even more.
Audience question (from Sanford): How do we align incentives between professors there to teach (but often to get tenure and get published) and students there to learn?
Kathleen: There is no incentive in most universities for engaging with social media or even for faculty to engage their students. We have to start with the professor first, and we have to look to the institution. Most universities: publication and research is how you get tenure. If I’m spending 20% of my time doing innovative things, it’s counterproductive. It’s detailing me from my goal and livelihood. What has to be done: we have to integrate innovation in teaching and excellent teaching. Teaching must be raised to be more important than the merit and tenure system.
About this Guest Blogger: Johnny Makkar is a digital marketer who blogs at Attention Digital. You can also find Johnny on Twitter @jsmakr.
On Thursday night, Deep Focus hosted “Is The Future F#cked?” as part of Social Media Week which was held at the trendy Hudson Terrace. The big debate revolved around the future of media, a topic many people in the advertising and publishing industry have certainly been putting a lot of thought into lately.
Below are the frightening questions the panel focused on while providing their own insights. Make sure to also check out the video of the event (which should be up soon) along with the other commentary from attendees on Twitter using the hashtag #smwfcked.
Is traditional media f#cked?
Rob Norman doesn’t think so, stating “traditional media channels still give brands the push they need.” Nick Denton was brutally honest with his thoughts on newspapers, letting everyone know that he thinks “most are incredibly boring.”
“The news has to be entertaining.” I agree 100% with Joe and it’s pretty obvious why a show like John Stewart (which was referenced) has built such a large following. Ian is concerned about all content moving towards an a la carte model, which would make it extremely hard for content that appeals to a smaller niche to survive.
Rob asked, “where does creativity evolve from in a social world?” Nick replied that encourages his writers to be creative by rewarding the ones who bring in the most page views and unique visitors.
Ian wasted no time pointing out the downward trend in ad click-through rates vs. impressions. He does, however, give credit to Google which has proven that good impressions are worth more using valuable data. Ian’s newly coined term for the race-to-bottom in ad performance: “direct responsified.” (via @superfem)
Rob brings up word-of-mouth, which he points out is “now perceived to be measurable and more effective.” There’s no arguing that it’s becoming more effective, but what the industry is obviously still struggling with is the measurement part. Ian adds, “brands generally don’t know the value of an engagement with social media.” Social media measurement is a hot topic and a service many companies are trying to get right, but we still have a lot of work to do.
At another SMW event, Reinvention From The Ground Event, Pepsi’s Global Director of Social Media seemed to have similar thoughts, asking “How do you get your company and brand to evolve from a focus on impressions as a measure of media efficacy, to connections and engagement with consumers?”
Is the real-time web the future?
While there are many wonderful advantages to getting information faster, it takes a little more work on our part to become better filters of the social web. Ian summed it up nicely by saying, “we are all broadcasting information, anyone with followers and friends online. Now it’s our responsibility to call foul on news, brands, and celebrities when the truth is stretched.”
Nick Denton is not a fan, “Twitter is the worst facet of online media right now”, bringing up the Jason Calacanis’s recent iPad stunt which got picked up by a reputable blog as being a real product leak. But Nick also mentioned that Gawker get’s 5% of their stories wrong, so no matter what, no content provider is perfect (and the reason why lawyers are kept busy).
“As media becomes more social, that leads to inherent problems,” says Ian. Rob adds “brands want to protect their identity, so they don’t want to advertise in online environments.” It’s pretty clear why advertisers don’t want to attach themselves to sites like YouTube and Digg that rely heavily on user-generated content because of the large amounts of offensive material. “Commenters on most social media sites are idiots,” says Nick.
Final Thoughts
Everyone agrees that our attention is increasingly in limited supply. Yes, the future may be f#cked for many traditional content creators and media companies that aren’t paying close attention and adapting but that will only open doors for other players. It certainly helps to pay close attention to how certain businesses and brands are experimenting and adapting to stay relevant.
Other Quotes
“Everything single thing we do is a work in progress.” — Nick Denton
“When brands see results, it’s no longer an experiment” — Ian Schafer
“This makes our life is a fuck-load more complicated” — Joe Marchese
“Impressions are dead in digital because they are meaningless/fictional” — Joe Marchese
“Creativity is like magic, you can’t bottle it. You can never predict a popular story” — Nick Denton
“Social media allows audiences to opt-in and discover things” and “express an interest in a brand that might not view them as target audience” — Rob Norman
Matt Wurst is Manager of Digital Communities at 360i. You can follow him on Twitter @mwurst.
The sports world has always been defined by lines.
Some lines are visible for all to see. Games are played within the lines. Scoring in football or soccer means getting the ball across the goal line. Basketball shooters are rewarded with more points for hitting a shot from behind a three-point line. In tennis, the line is in. In volleyball, the line is out. Lines keep runners in their lanes. Batting orders are written on a lineup card.
Then there are the lines that exist outside the field of play. The rules of the game are defined by lines in a rule book. Even off-the-field/court conduct is restricted by rules to prevent athletes from going “over the line.” Bettors make wagers based on lines. Athletes even feed lines to the media that later show up as quotes in lines of print articles. Fans and media watch the games from the sidelines.
Unleashing Social Media on the Sports World, today’s panel discussion hosted by the New York Times, featured the perspectives of league official, blogger, beat writer and fan to discuss how the non-linear rise of social media is blurring some lines while hardening others.
In the hour-long Q&A session, die-hard New York Jets fan and “wine guy” Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) and the panelists shared examples of how social media has blurred the line between spectator sports and participation sports yet strengthened the lines of communication from athlete to fan.
Michael DiLorenzo (@NHLdilo), the Director of Social Media and Business Communications for the National Hockey League, discussed how the league and teams use Twitter to “satisfy the emotional craving fans have to be directly connected” to their favorite teams.”
“Social media is the sunshine and water that helps grow the passion of fans,” DiLorenzo said. “It also provides the shortest distance between, in our case, league and fans.”
Michael DiLorenzo starts the pre-event conversation via Twitter.
Of course, whereas sports used to be a world where athletes played and fans watched, the access that some athletes grant has its pros and cons. If done right, the benefits far outweigh the risks. However to do it right, athletes need to really invest in it and be authentic.
“If they aren’t authentic, this new era of transparency will run right over you,” said Jim Bankoff (@bankoff), the Chairman and CEO of SB Nation, a sports fan blog network.
With so many parties – the athletes, teams, leagues, agents and representatives – all having a vested interest in the message, the issue of control remains. But it is an issue that is being worked out across different sports and with varying degrees of success. Remember, access to athletes has been carefully managed for decades. There are pre-determined times before and after games when athletes can and cannot talk to the media. The NBA has implemented a similar rule about tweeting before and after games.
For Matthew Cerrone (@matthewcerrone), the founder of metsblog.com, social media has blurred the line between journalist and fan. The site started in 2003 as a hobby, but he now covers the team on a daily basis and serves as a conduit between players and Mets fans.
Sports journalism is changing as reporters adopt a more digital mindset. Writers and broadcasters are breaking news on Twitter. Game recaps are secondary projects after in-game live blogging or tweeting wraps up. But where is the line between journalist and fan now that anyone with an opinion and enough money to pay web hosting fees can become a blogger.
According to the Focus “State of the Blogosphere 2009,” 41% of bloggers describe their style as ”journalistic.“ But do they conduct interviews, research a topic or fact-check like journalists of yesteryear?
Vaynerchuk believes that the best, no matter the medium they use, will stand out for being capable storytellers. For New York Times baseball writer Tyler Kepner (@tylerkepner), journalists present multiple angles and perspectives, painting a fuller picture of how and why.
“As a journalist, you have to stand behind what you write or say,“ Kepner said. “When breaking news, you can tweet it out first, then get to work on the rest of the article or blog.”
But perhaps the greatest impact that social media has had in sports is how it strengthens the lines of communication between fans.
The immediacy of information is staggering and the volume of conversation is overwhelming. Social tools make it easier to connect fans of the same team and find communities to join. And we’ve really just scratched the surface, too. Geo-targeting will facilitate fan connections between friends and strangers on living room couches and inside stadiums. Enhanced filters will reduce the clutter and noise of extraneous conversations and better mobile devices will guarantee that we can always have a voice.
Except for the bicyclist sitting directly in front of me, there were no athletes to speak of in the room. NBA and MLB league execs? Sure. More sports bloggers than I could read in a lifetime? You bet. But despite what our business cards said, we were just a small community of sports and social media fans tweeting to each other from across the room, re-tweeting handles, sharing quotes and direct messaging.
And I know I’m not the only one who took part in today’s dialogue that is looking forward to the NFL’s own foray into social… the first ever official Super Bowl hashtag on Twitter, #SB44, kicking off this weekend!
“Sports exists for conversation,” Bankoff said. “And there has never been a better time to be a sports fan than right now.”
Amanda Bird is Brand Manager at 360i. You can follow her on Twitter at oiseau678.
I was really looking forward to last night’s event at MoMA and the panelists did not disappoint. As a hard core public radio listener and an art lover and with memberships to most of the major museums on the panel, I was excited to hear first-hand from those who are helping me and other art/music/literature/knowledge lovers connect with the inspirational content coming from these world-renowned institutions. The panel was moderated by Tina Roth Eisenberg of www.swiss-miss.com and featured panelists included:
Karen Karp, The Metropolitan Opera
Victor Samra, The Museum of Modern Art
Benjamen Walker, WNYC Radio
Shelley Bernstein, Brooklyn Museum
Josh Greenberg, New York Public Library
Amanda McCormick, Film Society of Lincoln Center
The first half of the session focused on learning more about each institution’s forays into social media. Some of the programs I was already familiar with (if you don’t follow @brooklynmuseum, I highly recommend you do!), while others were new to me. There were six panelists so for the sake of brevity, I’ll just provide a few of my own personal highlights from what I learned about their current efforts in social media:
MoMA on Facebook and Flickr – MoMA’s social media presence is not limited to just these two channels, but their Facebook and Flickr presence stood out to me because they both revealed an important lesson – if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em (or have them join you!).Victor recounted his story about getting MoMA on Facebook. Before setting it up a few years ago, MoMA had previously wondered “Why should we do it just because everyone else is on Facebook?” Once convinced it would be a worthwhile effort, they set up a Facebook page only to discover shortly thereafter that a MoMA page already existed on Facebook…and had roughly 12,000 fans. Turns out that while MoMA was debating whether it’d be worthwhile, fans of the museum answered that question for them, devoting time and effort into setting up a page themselves. So in the beginning, the official MoMA Fan page was competing for traffic and fans with the older, more established Fan page. Victor got in touch with the admin of the original fan page (a college freshman without much free time on his hands) and was granted admin rights to control and add content. Later he worked with Facebook to combine the two pages seamlessly, resulting in a page that currently has over 240,000 fans, including yours truly.Similarly, fans were already contributing content about their experiences with or at the museum on Flickr. MoMA has established a Flickr group where people can contribute their photos from visits to MoMA directly to the group and draws from these to find images to feature on its own Web site.
The Brooklyn Museum on Building Community – “Community” was a prevalent theme during the panel. Who is the community you’re trying to engage? Accordingly to Shelley, for the Brooklyn Museum they are focused on building a community around the people who are physically local to the institution (aka Brooklynites). For MoMA, their community is lovers of design, photography and modern art globally. To build up your presence in and among the community you have to both listen and proactively participate in the dialogue regularly – dialogue means both responding to your community and providing valuable information to them. Shelley pointed out that having a sustained conversation with your community does not translate to a 9-5 M-F job – she tweets on weekends, in the early morning, late nights – as often as she can in order to quickly and readily answer the community’s questions or put out the insights that they crave from @brooklynmuseum. In addition, the tweets are always from a “person,” such as Shelley herself or one of her colleagues and they make clear that there is a person with a unique POV behind their tweets.
The New York Public Library on their Blog – The New York Public Library recently relaunched their site, which they chose to build in Drupal to more effectively aggregate and link their various content sources across their site architecture, according to Josh. He mentions that only 5% of their site visitors are going to the blog, yet those that do are spending twice the amount of time on the site. To keep folks engaged when visiting nypl.org, they’re getting some serious new blogging efforts off the ground. Josh’s goal is to have all of their staff trained and contributing content to their various blogs. No small feat for an institution with hundreds of staffers.
Shelley Bernstein, Josh Greenberg and Amanda McCormick (from right to left) discuss how they’re using social media to connect people with their institutions.
These are just some of the highlights and there were valuable insights from all involved. I’d recommend visiting or participating with any of these institutions and, of course, they’re all on Twitter at @NYPL @WNYC @filmlinc @brooklynmuseum @MuseumModernArt and @MetOpera respectively.
Today’s #SMWNYC event for me was the most insightful event of the week. It was held at the Converseon offices in Midtown, which hosted an intimate crowd, albeit a packed room, enjoying breakfast crepes, freshly squeezed OJ, and Mimosas. Why couldn’t all of Social Media Week be this tasty (& educational)?
The event was moderated by Converseon’s CEO: Rob Key
On the panel were 3 well-informed & knowledgeable digital marketing professionals who had much to share:
Jon Burg – Emerging Channels Specialist at Digitas (@jonburg)
Craig Daitch – SVP of Activation at Converseon (@cdny)
Andy Von Kennel – SVP Growth Director at Rapp (@avkthinks)
Rob kicked off the event by asking us to “stop using the term ‘social media’ (would defeat the purpose within Social Media Week) since it is a limiting term when discussing it as a business solution.” “The next steps in social media won’t be about the next Twitter account or viral video.” It’s beyond that. Rob introduced us to Converseon, the agency, which leads the way in Social Media listening tools and metrics.
The purpose of the panel was to discuss listening while participating in social media campaigns – something not discussed at the other #SMW events I attended this week. The overall concept of the panelists discussion was to think of social media as a listening tool. By listening, we can gather insights into brand perception, brand awareness, be able to provide appropriate customer service, etc.
Let’s hear from the panelists…
Listening & Challenges
Jon – brand marketers need to be listening and engaging an active vocal audience. Get to know your audience as people / as human beings. This is the first time that we can listen to what millions of people are doing and saying. Social media gives us those tools.
Andy – social media allows us to get specific guidance from listening for products and branding.
Jon – the challenge with our clients is getting out of the perception & expectation that social can do everything. It is not the end all and be all. The social fluency of your client will affect how you are able to run your campaign, or your campaign in general.
Craig – another challenge today is that CMOs have little time to prove results. We live in a world of accountability – it is no longer about the checklist anymore (do we have a Facebook & Twitter acct?).
ROI
Rob – Social Media ROI is like dark matter in the universe.
Jon – there are different ROI models depending on the agency. We’re trying to remove “media” from “social media” –> different forms of ROI will come together.
Today, we can demonstrate that social media does things, but we don’t have the full picture yet. What agencies claim they can do, they often can’t.
It’s not about technology. It is about the insights & value the social media intelligence brings to the company. The technology is just the tool or platform to get us there.
Craig – (agrees) it is not technology, but the human intelligence behind it. In social, human power trumps technology.
Andy – (also agreeing) understanding sentiment takes a human element.
Jon – sentiment is a metric, but it doesn’t necessarily give insight.
Twitter is disposable. It is only valuable if RT’d or blogged about (which has a longer lasting affect).
“The social media space is still very new, the industry is still taking shape.”
Social Media Intelligence
Andy – we were able to use social media with a client to figure price and a new flavor. Social media was used as a means to do market research.
Jon – social media intelligence helps brands define the company components and how we work with people.
–> “The Web is the world’s largest focus group”
Craig – Consumers don’t care what position you hold within the company, they just want to get what they want. Social media professionals can be on the clock 24/7. Consumers are agnostic to your position.
Rob – we (agencies) need to talk about (social media as) business solutions & what social media listening can do to help their company. We need to talk about what social media does and stop talking about what it is.
Jon – an important question to ask is: How do we bring social media to your business, and how do we bring your business to social media?
—-
Great questions were asked, and of all the events I had to attend this week, this one gave me the most insight into ways marketers need to be approaching their clients concerning social media as a tool.
About this Social Media Week Guest Blogger: Though Rebecca recently graduated from The University of Texas at Austin’s Advertising program, she has been a social media enthusiast for years, and is honored to guest blog at #smwnyc. To learn more, visit her blog and follow her on Twitter @rebeccaweiser.
Women in Social Media Panel at the JP Morgan Chase Building, NYC
The panel of strong, successful women featured those who, after spending time with traditional and realizing that digital is the future, have found their niche in the digital space. Their entrepreneurial spirits and experience provided insight into the two biggest issues addressed: “Why go social?” and “What is the right way to do it?”
Why: “Bloggers just get it.”
One issue addressed was that of the FCC’s new restrictions on bloggers, essentially mandating that they issue full disclosure whenever gifted or paid to create content. The panel agreed that this is completely in line with the informal blogging code: be honest. Bloggers should give full disclosure regardless of the FCC, as they owe it to their readers.
Have fun: Blogging should be a safe, fun space in which like-minded individuals can express themselves.
Whenever a blogger posts about an item, readers can immediately click through and potentially be moved to purchase. This immediate response truly separates traditional from digital, allowing for faster and much more effective ROI.
How: “What is the right way to do it?”
Before starting anything, either business, blog, or any other type of venture, it’s important to make sure you talk to others. If you have friends who have done this before, ask them for guidance, or “learn the expensive way.”
In order to gain traffic to your blog, try getting your name out there. Try guest-posting on a blog that you like. If readers like your style and content, they’ll want to read more.
Take calculated risks, and go exploring in the digital realm. “Buying domain names is like a 21st century landgrab.”
Matt Wurst is Manager of Digital Communities at 360i. You can follow him on Twitter @mwurst.
If video killed the radio star, is Internet killing the print and video stars? And if so, how should current journalists adapt and current journalism students prepare?
These are questions that newspapers and television networks are grappling with on a daily basis. They were also among the many topics discussed at Mashable’s “NextUp NYC – The Future Journalist” event last night at the 92YTribeca as part of Social Media Week here in New York.
A year ago, TIME magazine predicted that a journalism crisis was approaching “meltdown proportions” and that “some major cities will no longer have a newspaper.” The alarm bells rang even louder when The Rocky Mountain News and Seattle Post-Intelligencer shut down for good and The Philadelphia Daily News and Minneapolis Star-Tribune filed for bankruptcy soon thereafter.
Video coverage of Wednesday’s panel:
But according to last night’s panelists, Sree Sreenivasan (@sreenet), the Columbia Journalism School Dean of Students, and Vadim Lavrusik (@lavrusik), one of Professor Sreenivasan’s Digital Media graduate students, journalism isn’t dying. It’s simply evolving. Even as many traditionalists feared the end of beat reporters, in-depth coverage, investigative reporting and newsmaker/celebrity accountability, the sounds of their struggles are being drowned out by the sound of keyboards clicking, video streams playing, Twitter feeds refreshing and RSS feeds updating.
With upwards of three hundred journalists, PR gurus and social media aficionados filling the lofted space in lower Manhattan, the teacher and his student optimistically agreed that a new era of “tra-digital” journalism, the surface of which has barely been breached, is upon us. They astutely compared where we are now in a digital age to where radio was in 1912 and television was in 1950. (You can view their shared presentation at http://bit.ly/futurej.)
As a veteran of the news industry and well-connected social media insider, Sreenivasan navigated through the multiple uses of new and emerging platforms and how they can apply to the “old world.” (He doesn’t get GoogleWave yet, but who does?) He emphasized the need for today’s journalists to learn multiple talents while retaining a specialty that distinguishes them from their peers. Working together, Sreenivasan and Lavrusik also explained how to become a multimedia storyteller, “learning and understanding what media is right for what story.”
Some other required qualities and skills for experienced and news journalists alike are to become reliable “pointers,” helping cut through the noisy clutter and sharing good content from across the web. They stressed the value of “community managers” that listen and interact with readers/viewers and don’t simply broadcast their messages in one direction. Additional “best practices” encourage newshounds to think about their own brand and adopt an entrepreneurial spirit.
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is a top, if not THE top, journalism program in the country. Yet the curriculum taught just a decade ago is already an antiquated relic of a lost era. Faced with advances in technology and expanded use of the Internet, the next generation of journalists is training for professional opportunities in a changing media landscape that might be very different in another ten years down the road. Meanwhile, the journalists of today must reconstruct their skill sets for the growing world of online media.
It is imperative that journalists of today and tomorrow develop a “digital media mindset”—how to think about news stories and packages from an online perspective. Look no further than our hosts for the evening. Mashable plays an important role in the publication of digital news, trends and technologies. (In fact, Mashable has become such an institution in my own daily diet of fact-gathering that it now holds the fourth spot on my iGoogle home page, batting clean-up behind my Gmail inbox and RSS feeds from CNN and ESPN.)
Throughout the course of the discussion, a number of the journalists in the room were taking notes, some even sticking around as the crowds dispersed to learn more, dig deeper – clear indication of a reporter’s nose for information, if you will. And that, as the professor noted throughout his presentation, is just one of several skills that will never be rendered obsolete, along with the ability to observe, ask questions, process thoughts and write.
Amanda Bird is Brand Manager at 360i. You can follow her on Twitter @oiseau678.
This post was co-authored by Mae Karwowski, Community Engagement Specialist at 360i. You can follow her @maekar_wow_ski
IDEO is a self-described global design consultancy that uses human interaction as inspiration for their designs. They’ve designed everything from seating configuration concepts for Chrysler to folding tables for Akira to a transcutaneous immunization delivery method for Intercell. And for Social Media Week they hosted an event designed to bring the “human” back to social media. The description for the event, with its claim that communication via technology has had “the effect of sterilizing human communication and leading to social media offerings that can be shallow,” provided little insight into the type of experience we were about to have. But we were intrigued…
Upon first arriving to IDEO’s Soho office, attendees were required to check their coats and relinquish all non-analog devices in order to fully appreciate the experience without the pull of the outside world (but seriously, no @ing or txting for 2 hours!?!?).
Scattered about on a table were several hundred brightly colored buttons marked with various words and phrases – ‘nerd,’ ‘brooklyn,’ ‘us weekly reader,’ ‘artisanal cheese.’ We were instructed to choose four buttons and given a white shirt to wear for our newly gathered ‘pieces of flare.’ As if the white t-shirt uniform and buttons weren’t enough to get the 70 or so of us interacting, IDEO provided a delicious food spread and open bar as an added social lubricant.
For forty minutes we mingled and noshed only to start wondering if perhaps this was the great social experiment. Finally our hosts took the mic and let us in on the real experiment for the evening – do pretty much we we’d been doing (mingling, asking about each other’s button selections) but with an added twist. A few blank buttons and sharpies were thrown into the mix so that we could all make custom buttons and pin them on the backs of the folks we’d just met.
In just 60 seconds, you could meet someone and “tag” them with a label you felt was befitting. A bit nerve wracking, but that just made it all the more fun. The buttons worked naturally into conversations, eliminating the need to blindly seek common ground with a total stranger and accelerating the dialogue.
Image via PSFK
At the end of the night, we spoke about how it felt to be untethered from our electronic communication devices, yet tethered to this group of people and only a few buttons for self-identification and definition. Perhaps most enlightening was the way the event facilitated a brainstorm process. We’re always seeking new ways to spur group dynamics, creativity and the ideation process. In trying to translate the mores of one form of communication into another (in this case social media’s “rules” into a real-world cocktail party), we began to more deeply question our inhabited assumptions about the way social media “should” function. Are tags and bite-size descriptors opening us up to build deeper relationships – or are they allowing us to feel as if we’re connecting, even if all we’re doing is acknowledging similarities?
This same brainstorm activity might be applied to any challenge. Its effectiveness lies in forcing us to rethink and even question the success of our current approach.
All in all, the event was enjoyable, and it didn’t feel that weird or unfamiliar, except maybe for the phantom blackberry syndrome we kept experiencing. At the end of the night we all gathered up our belongings and (not surprisingly) whipped out our mobile devices to tweet, text and email about the experience we’d just had.
For more takes on the IDEO event, check out @kylecameron’s post over at psfk.com.
Danielle Nuzzo is a Digital Publicist at 360i. You can follow her on Twitter @dailynuzzo.
Wednesday’s panel on The Future of Space and Time engaged the audience to reflect on the past and envision the future. The panel took place at the Conde Naste building in Times Square, and yes, I checked in to Foursquare as soon as I took my seat.
Moderator: John C. Abell, New York Bureau Chief for Wired.com; @johncabell
Panelists:
Tony Jebara, Associate Professor Computer Science, Columbia University & Chief Scientist at Sense Networks
Dennis Crowley, Founder and CEO of Foursquare; @dens
As we all know, Google can now follow your every move – does the thought make you cringe or cry out in glee? Do you find the forced serendipity of Foursquare to be enchanting? Or does opting-in to a service to let strangers know your exact location seem down-right creepy to you? This panel discussed the evolution of lifecasting and how location-based services are going to shape the future of social media.
“We live in a world where if we forget our smart phone at home or if Twitter or Foursquare are down we have a nervous breakdown,” admitted Dennis Crowley to the panel’s audience. He called out that 33 of us had already used Foursquare to check into the panel and another 40 were on their way from Grand Central. Hmm, he might have a point…and we agree that location-based services are not going away anytime soon.
Panelists discuss location-based tech at Wednesday's Future of Space and Time event.
Location-based services are here to stay
There is no more denying it. Twitter is impacting the way we communicate with the world, just like Foursquare is changing the way we socialize and connect with friends. People are logging on to the internet to find out what their friends are up to on a Thursday night, as opposed to picking up the phone and calling them.
We trust Web sites like Yelp and Hunch to help us make informed decisions about life – where are the best vacation spots? What are the best haircuts? What about the best vacation spots to get haircuts for someone with my personality?
The guests on Wednesday’s panel unequivocally and unanimously agreed: There’s no turning back now. 2010 will be the year that mobile takes control. With a number of technologies already available, location-based services are only going to become more ubiquitous. Dixon even mentioned a rumor that Facebook will be unveiling a geo-targeted check-in system within the next few months. And we all know that when a “trend” finally hits Facebook, it’s here to stay.
Techies vs. Normals
Dixon divided the audience for users of these new technologies into two categories: techies and normals. Techies are the early adopters, the ones that were using Foursquare last spring when it first launched. The “normals” constitute the general population, or as he puts it, “the ones that use Facebook on a daily basis.” While techies are already on the bandwagon with location-based services, it’s not yet the norm among the normals. But when will it eventually trickle down and find its way into the mainstream?
The tipping point will be when average people (your aunt in Michigan as well as your colleague in Jakarta) start depending on the information that these location-based tools provide on a daily basis. When these cool gadgets become a necessity and not just another iPhone app. For instance, when was the last time you looked up a number in the Yellow Pages? Can’t remember? Well that is exactly their point.
Why do big companies miss “the next big thing?”
Even as Twitter is slowly becoming a part of the normals’ daily lives, there are still a lot of skeptics. Just a few days ago, The New Yorker’s George Packer referred to Twitter as “crack for media addicts.” The panelists debated why these new technologies continue to be dismissed by major corporations and mainstream media.
Dixon said it best, albeit bluntly: because they seem more like toys. “One of the key characteristics of new disruptive technology is that it starts out looking like a toy. That’s so often why big companies ignore and dismiss it.”
However, once the normals start adopting and playing with these “toys” on a daily basis, big companies start paying attention. By that point, the techies have usually moved on to something else. To illustrate this point, whenever Facebook was mentioned during the panel, the majority of the audience (myself included) rolled their eyes, anticipating a quick change of topic.
Opt-in vs. Passive Tracking and the Impact on Marketers
But why are people voluntarily telling strangers where they are, what they are doing and where they are headed next? Perhaps it’s to better connect with friends. Or maybe it’s to learn about nearby deals and not waste any time by heading to a lame party.
According to Crowley, it’s the opt-in nature of Foursquare that’s changing the game. Passive tracking technologies, such as Google Latitude (formerly known as Dodgeball, which was also invented by Crowley and sold to Google in 2005) seem a bit more creepy and Big-Brotherish.
For marketers, this is a pivotal moment in time. People are opting-in to let strangers (as well as companies) be aware of their every movement. When individuals start voluntarily sharing personal information about their locations and activities, they are also signing themselves up to serve as personal ambassadors for the places they are going and for the services they are receiving.
Having access to this information as it comes directly from the horse’s mouth, as they are living it, is intrinsically more valuable for marketers than the standard practive of making assumptions that a certain demo might like a product or brand based on their web browsing habits.
End Note
Throughout the panel, one thing that Jebara mentioned kept resurfacing in my mind. He explained that GPS technology is shrinking our hippocampus, the region of the brain that controls spatial navigation. He informed us that the people with the largest hippocampuses in the world were London cabbies – as they exercise this muscle on a daily basis to help navigate those confusing and windy London streets. So the more we use location-based services to help us “remember” the places we like to visit and the friends we like to see, the smaller our brain becomes. But then again, it’s all part of human evolution, right?
Check out the full Twitter conversation about this panel with the hashtag: #smwwired.
Ironically held in a space known as “Former Tower Records Space” on Foursquare, ‘What is your $ocial Music Currency?’ discussed the role of Social Media within the music industry. The event was sold out / standing room only, which sure makes me glad I had a press pass.
Admittedly, the music industry is not where I consider myself super-knowledgeable, thus I decided to focus on the words of wisdom relating to social media, marketing and business (which I have a background in).
While the event was advertised as discussing Social Media currency, specifically within the music industry, the panel didn’t really touch on it as much as I would’ve liked. The term “currency” wasn’t really used. Rather they discussed either their personal experiences using social media, mainly Twitter & blogging, or the recent changes to the music industry [caused by technology].
The panel consisted of:
?uestLove* – Drummer from the Roots and the Jimmy Fallon Show Andrew Katz- Sr. Marketing Manager for Pepsi Marisa Bangash- Co-Founder of Uncensored Interview
The panel was moderated by James Andrews* – Co-Founder of BeEverywhere.tv
*I found ?uestLove and James to be quite interesting characters.
?uestLove discussed the idea that there is little success in the music biz without a tribe / crew / group surrounding it. Even solo artists have their groups. Today, an artist’s crew could be online (especially with the emergence of social media). Andrew added that the world doesn’t need another Britney Spears or Beyonce. As a brand that is entrenched in the music industry, Pepsi is involved in connecting audiences to different tribes. Artists today need their own social network for them to have worth to brands. Are they involved in the network? Do they embrace social media? Brands are looking for those that do, and piggy back on their success.
?uestLove sees the music labels as the middlemen of the music world, which in essence they are. Marisa added that globally, labels aren’t necessary anymore. Due to the emergence of social media, artists can bring their message directly to the consumer. However, ?uestLove added that as an artist today, you need to do a lot more than just spin or produce… Can you blog? Can you represent your brand? He implied that beyond being a good musician you must also be a good marketer / promoter.
Pepsi uses music to find new ideas. Ideas get voted on, and receive grant money from brand. Artists are encouraged to use their social networks (blog & tweet) to gain votes. Andrew claims that Pepsi is new to Social Media (he named Facebook & Twitter specifically), but an upcoming crowdsourced campaign should boost their presence. According to Andrew: Brands are curators (of content). It is easy to sponsor content, much harder to be a creator of content.
Marisa discussed the licensing of indie music by big brands. Brands & bands can go hand in hand, especially if it is organic and authentic.
As a popular tweeter, ?uestLove (~1.3M followers) has been approached by companies to tweet, which he deemed a bit scary. A quarter million dollars is a large carrot to push a brand’s content. (It seems he hasn’t taken a bite, although he said he may sell eventually sell out to Twitter, but not yet). ?uestLove uses Twitter to push new music & bands, and demos that come his way. Causes are important, but can be problematic if they are not properly vetted. This is similar to what I heard Monday evening at the Social Media & Haiti event.
In response to an audience question, ?uestLove noted that Business, Art, and Commerce are a dirty combo. Concerning blogs he mentioned that journalists / writers today are lazy since they are copying content from popular music blogger and just re-purposing the content. This leads to writers not forming their own ideas, which is dangerous. Andrew added that blogs are the new [music] charts. Marisa added that blogs have replaced print and magazines; magazines folded because of blogs, which today has become a crowded space.
And finally, to wrap up the review of the event, the best quote went to an audience member: “Fans today are no longer clapping, but rather are Tweeting.” Too true.
Amanda Rykoff is a NYC-based sports fan, TiVo junkie and social media enthusiast. She shares her observations, commentary and diatribes on these and many other topics at The OCD Chick. You can follow her on Twitter @amandarykoff.
This popular event, hosted at the spectacular midtown offices of JWT and sponsored by Meebo, attempted to answer this potentially multi-billion dollar question: with so much choice in how consumers tap into their social graph, how do media and brands reach, connect and influence these networks at scale?
An outstanding panel took on that question and many more, and engaged in an entertaining, intelligent and extremely informative dialogue about this new and evolving topic. Here’s who shared their insights and opinions with an engaged, constantly tweeting crowd:
Berkowitz led the panel through a practical (and slightly aggressive) agenda, including: What techniques will work? How can marketers maximize the audience? And what’s next in this new and constantly evolving world of social graph optimization?
Social Graph Optimization Panel at JWT
What’s a Social Graph?
But before we even get to those questions, there may be a few of you out there who want to know what a social graph is. And just in case you need to know, you’re in luck. When people use the term “social graph”, they’re referring to an online representation of our relationships (personal, family, business) on social networking sites.
Social Graph Optimization
Social graph optimization is just the term for how to maximize a presence in a user’s social graph (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Or to put it another way, for people that run websites and brands, how to get SEO optimization and lots of visibility in all the feeds in the social graph?
Simple, right? Not so fast.
We’re in a new, constantly evolving social media world, both as consumers and marketers. The social graph and the ways to reach consumers constantly changes and grows. As consumers are provided with seemingly infinite networks, marketers need to be creative, sensible and practical about ways to connect with consumers. Social media and social graph optimization represent important new tools to be explored, but aren’t the so-called magic marketing bullets.
Tale of the Tweets
What follows is my recap of the panel, which I call the Tale of the Tweets. It’s a collection of live tweets from the event which provides an entertaining, unfiltered and real-time look at what the panelists discussed. For more insights from the Twitterati (and there were a lot of people live-tweeting the event), Twitter Search #smwgraph.
Just Getting Started
Aaand like every #smwny event, we’re starting a half hour late.
Orli Sharaby is a Senior Social Marketing Strategist, Lifestyle at 360i. You can follow her on Twitter @orlibeth.
The fashion industry isn’t generally known for being on the cutting edge of technology, communication and media, so it was an interesting scene at last night’s Social Media Week panel The Devil Wears Prada and Tweets About It, as well as the subsequent Digital Divas party. While undoubtedly the best dressed crowd so far (though the week is still young!), it was clear from the panel discussion and audience questions that the fashion industry is still grappling with how to adapt to today’s changing media landscape and consumption habits.
Deirdre Sullivan – Social Media Director at ideeli
Conversation topics focused on the small (how can an aspiring designer use social to compete?) to the large (is luxury dead?) and even included a little eye rolling (was Tavi’s hat too big?). Here’s a sampling of the best nuggets from the night (note: all commentary below is paraphrased, and does not represent actual direct quotations by panelists).
On aspiring designers using social media to promote themselves:
Yuli: It’s easy for designers to build a fan base online, but fashion is not adapting to the potential of social media platforms like music has. Possibly because they still have this fear of being copied or having their ideas stolen.
On ensuring that the talented ones, and not the “Tila Tequilas,” will rise to the top:
Orli: Social media is a natural weeding system, where true talent will be recognized. Also, established design houses can and should use social to source their talent, which ensures the integrity of designers and stylists who rise to the top in this way.
Yuli: People will not last in the fashion world unless you actually have talent, and unless you are creating things that people want to buy, because fashion fans will not stand for it.
On the value of creativity and uniqueness:
Yuli: The real path to success for aspiring designers is for the designer to focus on their identity and making something unique and different.
Deirdre: Big brand days are over, people want luxurious unique design. Something with good craftsmanship. A clear branding message and identity is important early on.
Orli: Etsy is a good example of how this can play out extremely successfully, the fashion industry has yet to see major success in this area but it’s a huge opportunity.
On the changing definition of luxury in today’s world, especially as knockoffs are so readily available:
Yuli: Bottom line, brands need to educate the public on what they are buying. People are more interested now in where and how their products are made, and small and luxury designers can capitalize on that by educating consumers.
Orli: If a brand is scared of educating its customers, they have a bigger problem.
Yuli: Social is a great medium for putting yourself out there and letting consumers know exactly why luxury matters.
Deirdre: Dedicated fans talk to each other online and through this conversation they weed out the lesser quality items.
On blogger integrity and the grey line between journalism, PR and marketing:
Yuli: As a blogger, I have a new policy that I don’t accept gifts from brands. The brands need to be responsible when it comes to gifting and not make bloggers feel uncomfortable.
Orli: Traditional media, especially magazines, have been deceiving consumers for decades by not being clear about the gifts, products and incentives they receive, and by graying the line between advertisements and content. Bloggers are actually more transparent, not less.
On what is missing right now in fashion & social media, and what the current leaders could be doing better:
Deirdre: Conde Nast should invest in technology. They have the voice, but aren’t using it to move forward into social media.
Yuli: There is not currently a successful social network for the entire fashion industry and fashion consumers, which is a miss. Also, the link to the commerce aspect is completely missing from editorial.
On bloggers in the front row of fashion shows:
Orli: The recent front row appearance of bloggers at the Dior show was nothing more than a PR stunt, they did it for the news. They’re not forming authentic, lasting relationships with these bloggers which is unfortunate.
Yuli: Those bloggers were in the front row because of celebrity status, no different than inviting Penelope Cruz to sit in your front row.
Andrew: If I were a designer, it would make more sense for me to invite the blogger who’s built up a half million person a month readership from scratch, than to invite the assistant editor of a magazine with the same circulation. Obviously the blogger who’s built it from scratch is going to be better at promoting your brand.
***
As we look forward, 2010 has the opportunity to be a major turning point for the fashion industry in social media. With so few fashion and luxury brands having the entered the space in earnest, and so few of the major publications/media companies investing heavily right now, there’s an apparent white space just waiting to be filled. It will be exciting to see who rises to the occasion and who is left in the dust – and how that might impact what’s on the racks and in the closets of tomorrow.
Katie Perry is Corporate Marketing Coordinator at 360i. You can follow her on Twitter @katieeperry.
Social marketing programs have proven their worth in driving sales (@DellOutlet), building loyalty (Coca-Cola’s Facebook page) and improving customer service (@comcastcares) – but in the throes of a complex political campaign, what is the worth of social engagement?
If done right, it just might be the difference between victory and defeat.
The evidence? Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 2009 mayoral campaign, in which he won by just over 50,000 votes. Jonah Seiger (@jonahseiger), Chief Online Strategist for Bloomberg ’09 and Managing Partner at Connections Media LLC, shared the social strategies that ultimately bolstered the then-incumbent’s road to re-reelection at a Tuesday SMW event hosted by ClickZ and the Personal Democracy Forum.
Victory Tweet: @mikebloomberg responds to the win.
Seiger admits that social media, though not necessarily the linchpin component, played a crucial role in Bloomberg’s eventual victory. To illustrate this point, he walked us through a series of calculations:
According to what Seiger calls “conservative” estimates, there are +/- 3 million people in New York City’s social media sphere.
Seiger estimates his team’s efforts had a 10 percent share of voice during the campaign – that is, 1-in-10 people using social media saw someone they knew say they were voting for Bloomberg.
10 percent of the +/- 3 million estimate totals 36,720 voters, per Seiger’s estimates; however, he argued that people active in social media, these “online political citizens” tend to participate at a might higher degree than average voters.
Based on this, he estimates that social media drove roughly 85,000 votes for Bloomberg on Election Day.
“From the top of the campaign [Bloomberg] down to the volunteers, digital was embraced in a way I’ve never seen before,” Seiger said. “There was an awareness of the importance of digital as a communications and engagement channel.”
Seiger, who also worked on Bloomberg’s 2005 mayoral campaign, said his team weaved social media into a broader digital strategy that encompassed web design, display media and paid search. These components, in turn, were “integrated within the larger campaign strategy,” he said.
Campaign Web site – Infused rich media and included a “bottom bar” that provided an engagement option on every sub-page. The site provided more opportunity for engagement via Facebook Connect. About 40 percent of site traffic was organic (funneled from social media and natural search).
Display media – Included rich content and links the Mayor’s YouTube channel. Seiger said YouTube plays totaled 224,000 during the campaign, or the equivalent of about 450K views of 30-second TV spots.
Paid search – Search ads appearing on the engines drove traffic to the Bloomberg’s Twitter feed (@mikebloomberg) and Facebook page. For example, if someone searched “Twitter” from the NY metro area, they would see a sponsored ad promoting @mikebloomberg.
The social aspect of the digital program was especially impactful. The number of people fanning and following Bloomberg on Facebook and Twitter reached 40,000 by campaign end (that number is nearly 42K at present). Though this number pales in comparison to Starbucks’ count of roughly 6 million between the two social networks, it is staggering when compared to that of Bloomberg’s competitor, Bill Thompson, whose combined total was about 6,300.
Supporters engaged with the Mayor's team via Facebook.
Here are some key takeaways regarding the campaign’s use of social media:
*Tweets and Facebook updates came from the campaign itself (not Bloomberg personally) and Seiger’s team “made no pretenses that mike Bloomberg was personally tweeting.” That aside, Seiger said Bloomberg’s personal interest in technology and social media led to times in which the mayor himself tweeted from the account: a designated day during the campaign and on Nov. 3.
*Seiger’s team estimates there were 31 million second-degree followers of @mikebloomberg (followers of his followers). Of this number, they calculate that 11 percent were NYC residents. For Seiger, these geographical insights were key. “The intelligence garnered from Twitter traffic shows what themes or trends are bubbling out of certain communities,” he said. “Twitter is moving more toward geo-location, and this will become important for the execution of social media in politics.”
*The campaign utilized hashtags (like #yankees, #brooklyn and #jobs) to tap into relevant conversations already occurring among NY-based Twitter users.
*A “Tweet Out the Vote” push allowed Bloomberg supporters to voice their advocacy with the ease of a click. Re-tweets of this message by Twitter power users like @jackdorsey and @craignewmark added further momentum. This strategy was mirrored on Facebook by inviting people to donate their status to Bloomberg’s cause.
*A core component of the strategy was inspiring and maintaining two-way conversations on Twitter and Facebook. “Social media is as much about listening as it is about talking,” Seiger said. “Talking back is especially important.”
*Seiger also noted the importance of supplementing organic/word of mouth promotion for a Facebook page with paid advertising. When asked if he would agree that advertising should be utilizing to gain fans, Seiger was in “adamant” agreement. “Any legitimate social media strategy necessarily includes online advertising as a component,” he said.
***
ClickZ’s Kate Kaye , who spearheaded the launch of the site’s Politics & Advocacy section, also contributed to the discussion. For further reading check out Kaye’s recent analysis that breaks down the Bloomberg campaign’s digital spend in the context of overall media spend.
About this Social Media Week Guest Blogger: Though Rebecca recently graduated from The University of Texas at Austin’s Advertising program, she has been a social media enthusiast for years, and is honored to guest blog at #smwnyc. To learn more, visit her blog and follow her on Twitter @rebeccaweiser.
What’s Next: Social Media in 2010 Panel at the Roger Smith Hotel, NYC
What expectations, measurements and results do we plan on seeing in 2010?
There is a lot of buzz surrounding the way Social Media will shape the business and communication landscape. Addressing these speculations, the panel outlined expectations, measurements and results we can hope to see in 2010.
Expectations: “Big companies need to take it seriously.”
As explained above, one reason why big companies don’t engage in Social Media is because they are scared.
In 2010, the panel unanimously agreed that many more big businesses will realize how valuable of a communication tool Social Media can be. Not only is it challenging, interesting and fun, “but it has the potential to be very lucrative.
Every client wants long-term strategies, and the panel predicts that in order to achieve this, clients will begin investing 5-7 figures into social media campaigns.
Less about what we do, and more about the reason they talk. A good business practice uses social media as means for proliferation, not an improvement to the service/product. It’s easy to get carried away, but a successful business model has a truly quality offering, while providing the means with which to share the experience it provides. Social media allows others to talk about how great business-x is.
Measurement: “Social Media should come at the beginning.”
Traditional measurement will have to change, as Social Media carries different weight. For instance in the old model, 20 impressions were no big deal. However, now whenever 20 impressions are served through Social Media, they are each an invitation to interact and communicate with one another.
Each social media channel holds different weight. A YouTube video response has different implications than a retweet.
Results: “Social Media should come at the beginning.”
Ideally, an increased focus on social media will result in an increase of sales. Howard Greenstein brought up an example of a local barber shop that, through social media, was able to successfully increase its customer base for next to nothing cost.
David Berkowitz explains the 4 major social media necessities for producing results: Goals, Assets, Rules and Volume.
Izzy Forman is the Digital Publicity Manager at 360i, where she is responsible for leading a team of digital publicists that builds and nurtures relationships with online influencers (bloggers, editors, forum moderators and fan site creators) to advocate for a brand and its products and services.
Monday’s panel on the role of social media in light of the recent Haiti earthquake focused on a number of ways that social media has (and hasn’t) impacted the how the news media functions during times of crisis. The panel did not shy away from the magnitude of the tragedy in Haiti and covered a lot of ground in the session.
The discussion was led by:
Moderator: Andrew Rasiej, founder of the Personal Democracy Forum and senior technology advisor, The Sunlight Foundation
Panelists:
Ann Curry, news anchor for NBC’s Today Show | @anncurry
Rob Mackey, staff writer The New York Times, The Lede blog | @RobertMackey
Erik Parker, journalist who was in Haiti when the earthquake struck and used social networks to send images, video, tweets | @theparkerreport
Jason Cone, communications director, Doctors Without Borders | @MSF_USA
From the range of stories told and questions asked throughout the afternoon, here are a few points that helped clarify the evolving relationship between social media and news reporting.
A New Frontier in Crisis Communications
The afternoon began with anecdotes from panelists Jason Cone (Doctors Without Borders) and Ann Curry (NBC News) about how they used Twitter to mobilize aid in the first days after the disaster in Port au Prince.
In the context of Twitter, their story unfolded like this: A Doctors Without Borders’ plane couldn’t land. Curry then saw their complaint via Twitter and tweeted a request to the military to let the doctors land. A reader sent Curry the official handle of the US Air Force via Twitter, who subsequently tweeted at them to let the plane land. Finally, Doctors Without Borders landed in Haiti.
This story illustrates the power of concerned citizens (the reader that tweeted the handle), the massive community created by social media, and the meaning of news spread in real time — but it’s only part of the story.
While the anecdote illustrates some of the most obvious benefits of social media, it also reminded me that, at least in the foreseeable future, traditional methods of crisis communications still apply. Even though social media informed Curry of the problem and helped her to get the word out, the issue was ultimately resolved when she contacted US Military leaders directly by utilizing her official relationships as a news reporter.
As news breaks in real-time and journalists report less from far off places, it makes sense that the opportunity to get information via social networks continents away would be compelling. Yet a story Curry shared about getting information from a Haitian humanitarian-turned-citizen-journalist via Twitter provoked questions from other panelists and the audience about the reliability of such reporting methods.
How does a reporter effectively vet an online source in a breaking news crisis? How does a journalist determine if a minute-by-minute eyewitness account contains a hidden agenda? And how can a story be confirmed or denied without cameras on the ground?
The consensus on the panel seemed to be that effective journalists treat their social media sources just like any other sources — they vet the best that they can, and use source info responsibly and cautiously, like they would do if interviewing people at the scene of a crime.
Curry’s embrace of the opportunity to share breaking news, respond to feedback, and receive real-time information directly from people on the ground, via Twitter, seems indicative of her commitment to getting the most accurate, up-to-date information she can deliver. And while the rules governing reporters and their @ sources are not yet ironed out, social media is one of many very useful tools in reporting breaking news.
Ultimately, the concerned, motivated and tweeting citizen-journalists in Haiti were valuable resources that allowed outlets to report stories and provide information that they never would have known about in the days before Twitter.
About this Guest Blogger: Johnny Makkar is a digital marketer who blogs at Attention Digital. You can also find Johnny on Twitter @jsmakr.
Crowdsourcing was definitely a hot topic in 2009. It will only continue to become more relevant this year as we witness more brands and their agencies wanting to further experiment or push innovation on future projects.
The Crowdsourcery Potions 101 event started and ended by focusing on the different view points related to crowdsourcing and what the term meant to each panelist (more on that below). As the discussion went on, it became clear who was more excited about the future possibilities of crowdsourcing and who was cautious about it’s role in the future of advertising.
Michael Lebowitz (Founder and CEO of Big Spaceship) voiced many concerns on crowdsourcing creativity. He mentions “once you turn something into a commodity, it’s no longer creative”, stating that people should always be compensated for their experience and work. Something as simple as a logo contest taps into a lot of talent but the result is typically only one participant getting compensated for their time. Michael also emphasized how powerful culture can be and how it can easily be lost in a more distributed world…”you can’t curate culture in.”
Ty Montague (Co-President and Chief Creative Officer, JWT North America) believes we are only getting started when it comes to the possibilities of crowdsourcing and is paying close attention to the different experiments that are happening in the industry. He thinks some brands will harness the power or crowdsourcing better than others to build stronger reputations and solve their business problems.
He also brought up the Andy Awards a couple times which for the first time chose to crowdsource the jury election process using electthejury.com. This voting “experiment” was considered to be a success after it attracted more than 37,000 votes according to Adweek, but he did note that it wasn’t perfect and there are still many ways to improve the process for the coming years.
Is crowdsourcing the best name to use going forward? Faris Yakob (Chief Technology Strategist, McCann Erickson New York) points out it doesn’t matter what we call it, because “having access to more people who can do things is a good thing.”
John Winsor (CEO at Victors & Spoils) doesn’t like the term crowdsourcing because some people may associate it with broader outsourcing and cheaper labor. “Crowdsourcing (putting out to the masses) is one thing, the idea of creation is a super important part of it.” He emphasizes the goal at Victors & Spoils is to create a global talent pool that can work on client projects who recognize having an agency of record is no longer the only solution.
Late in the discussion, several examples were brought up that rely on many variations of crowdsourcing including YouTube, Wikipedia, and a new car company called Local Motors.
I was only disappointed when the panel was asked to define crowdsourcing toward the end that nobody responded with “let’s ask Twitter!”
Other Key Quotes
(most under 140 characters, apologize for any differences in advance):
“All crowdsourcing is still self selected, everyone has the right to not participate.” — John Winsor
“The world is going to get a lot more diverse.” — John Winsor
“Clients problems and great creative minds are going to aggregate around solving problems no matter what type of environment they work in.” — John Winsor
“People and money are going to aggregate around the best ideas.” — John Winsor
“Engagement is the product” — Faris Yakob
“The trick is to get people together and give them something to do” (on branded online communities) — Faris Yakob
“Once you turn something into a commodity, it’s no longer creative.” — Michael Lebowitz
“Crowdsourcing is not very collaborative, but a great suggestion box on steroids.” — Saneel Radia
“Co-creation is a phase that very unexplored by most companies.” — Saneel Radia
“If you build systems to encourage people to come and collaborate, rather than compete, you’ll get more wisdom from your crowd.” — Saneel Radia via @denuology
“We’re on the verge of a remaking of business and what a company is” — Ty Montague
For further reading and discussion on crowdsourcing and general thought leadership on the future of the marketing/advertising industry, here is where you can find the panelists:
Rachel Sklar, Business/Project Development, QAbrams Research and Writer for Mediaite (and she admitted she doesn’t know what Farmville is… so embarrassing)
Cyndi Stivers, Managing Editor, EW.com
Question: How are you involved with using social media across your organization?
Jennifer (NYT): Twitter usage there started when one developer wanted NYT Twitter headlines on his phone. There’s a big team involved with a lot of different constituents across different departments.
Rachel (Abrams Research): I’ve learned a lot. There’s not much of a filter in what I post as my own brand in this space. ”It’s very much an authenticity thing… and being conscious of the user experience as well.” It was funny watching Huffington Post get fully on the Twitter bandwagon – at the Democratic National Convention, all I had time for was checking what was happening on Twitter. We’ve gotten to the point where we can use the word Twitter without flinching.
Cyndi: We have a really active community. We were on Facebook before it opened up. By summer of 2008 we were on Twitter – last year in January Twitter was 138 on the list of referring domains, and then by May it was number 7 (leveled off around number 5). We feel like a startup even at a huge company.
Question via Twitter: How is social media changing relationships people have with writes?
Rachel: You can update something very fast. Writers are called out publicly things.
Jennifer: It’s made a big impact in terms of crowdsourcing. Brian Stelter has been a real leader in the newsroom, showing colleagues how to use Twitter in a very effective way. In the newsroom, many journalists use Twitter. Beyond crowdsourcing and engaging with users, we found there’s tremendous benefit in using social media just to get into the real-time web. When Fort Hood broke, we put up a Twitter list, and on our Lede blog, we took content from the Twitter list and put it in a module. An important thing about journalists is trust – Ann Curry mentioned this at yesterday’s panel. In breaking news situations you need to provide real-time information but you have to verify it.
Question: What’s it like using social media in a crisis?
Jennifer: My first month I wanted to hide under my desk. I was learning in a very public way. Through colleagues and friends in the space I found these incredibly welcoming, helpful, kind people. … Instead of imposing many rules we’ve encouraged people to get out there and experiment and innovation.
Question: If you’re hiring for a position called a Social Media Editor or Social Marketing Manager, is it more important that they have personal experience in social media or that they have an editorial/web/print background?
Rachel: I’d say it all together would be perfect. The most important thing is enthusiasm. Understanding the rules of sharing is important but common sense is key.
Question: How do you determine the line between editorial use and promotional use?
Rachel: If we’re going to survive as an industry we need to figure out new models. Old models aren’t working. There have to be creative solutions. With the McFlurry scene in 30 Rock, I don’t know if it was paid for [it wasn't - and it directly led me to buy a couple McFlurries - Ed.], but I didn’t care.
Cyndi: Didn’t help that it was funny? It’s not traditional advertising by any stretch.
Question: As editors, are you just as happy to get people talking even if it’s negative?
Rachel: When Mediait launched there was some perceived backlash due to some misconception. That never came to anything and is not attached to the brand but it drove me bananas. You also have to be careful how you respond. Monitoring how your brand is being perceived is important.
Jennifer: People have been talking about New York Times content for a very long time – the dinner table, water cooler, the horse and buggy. We want to be wherever that conversation is taking place.
Audience question: How will NYT’s plan to charge for content effect things?
Jennifer: The metered model won’t be put in place for another year. In that time, we’ll make sure the user experience in terms of the payment process will be frictionless. A lot has to be worked out. For people coming to our site through Twitter or Facebook or a recommendation that will stay open. [So that means just find what's posted on Twitter everyone, and you don't have to pay! Yeah, let's see how long that lasts... -Ed.]
Question: Is the social media editor role here to stay?
Cyndi: Everyone needs to have those skills. Curiosity’s a trait of our business. It’s just another element in the toolkit, and I think it’s not going away.
Rachel: I think both – you have to do everything, and you have to promote your own stuff, but it takes time. The bigger you get the more you need that person.
Jennifer: [I missed the first part of her response due to my exceptionally loud sneeze. - Ed.] We’re turning over the keys to our different desks and they’ve done a fabulous job with Twitter, modules, etc. That’s the real challenge of a Social Media Editor – to push it out through your organization.
Packed into a bar near Times Square, #SMPR kicked off on the 1st night of Social Media Week in NYC. #SMPR events, organized by Elliot Schimel (Director @ Source Communications) & David Teicher (Social Media Manager @ McCann Erickson), are for Public Relations professionals using social media. This event involved a panel of PR professionals, and included plenty of time for professional networking, which was appreciated by all.
Allison Martin, Assistant Account Executive @ Zeno Group
Keith Trivit, Account Executive @ RLMPR
Here are some snippets and quotes from the insightful conversation that took place:
Working with Clients:
David: Clients don’t have accurate expectations of Social Media or set goals; people need a reason to be engaged.
Keith: Social Media takes time, work, and effort to implement; Clients want to jump right into Social Media … important to slow things down.
Alex: “Viral” has become a dirty word.
Danielle: Small client marketing budgets are now given Social Media, however clients often lack goals; important to listen first and pay attention, followed up with action; bloggers need something tangible to write about.
David: Use an app like CoTweet to manage a Twittering team for a client. Social Media can be used as a way to respond to Customer Service issues, Sales requests, or for the Marketing team to pitch a product.
Apple / iPad:
Group: Apple is unique in that it could be hush-hush about their products. Apple’s quietness took its toll with the launch of the iPad. >> Apple’s PR team operates in stealth mode. >> AT&T 3G networked mentioned and criticized for poor service. Why use AT&T again for cellular coverage with known issues?
Great Quotes:
David: Anyone can be the editor of the NYTimes because of our potential reach. Being timely is key in the digital world.
Keith: PR is not rocket science, it’s common sense.
Keith: Treat consumers like real people.
Crisis Management:
Danielle: PR + Social Media can protect brands’ corporate image. PR agents: Finger must be on the pulse at all times. Be there before the crisis happens.
Alex: PR teams should be anticipating issues, not responding frantically.
Danielle: People will be talking about your industry or brand with or without your involvement.
David: Have upfront protocol to anticipate as much as possible.
Video & PR:
Since the panel spent most of the time discussing Twitter & Facebook, I asked a question about the use of video within Social Media PR (I used Gary Vaynerchuk’s example of Domino’s Pizza dealing with a video PR crisis in 2009)
Keith: Video pitches / press releases tell a story and give personality to the story.
David: Videos can position a client as an authority. Example: Home Depot has “How-To” videos. Videos give a face to the faceless organization.
Danielle: Video testimonials help build a community organically. Can be educational for consumers.
ROI:
Allison: Pizza Hut hired a “twintern” (Twitter intern) to give a young voice of the company on Twitter. The company received many placements and the company gained 12k Twitter followers as a result.
Alex: Use Google Analytics for micro-sites. On Facebook, measure # of engagements, # of fan growth, and # of status updates (for pages exceeding 10k fans).
Danielle: Check # of RTs, “Likes”, Comments, to create your own metrics.
David: ROI has always been fuzzy, especially with traditional media. After a specific campaign ends, is there still buzz about it? Are people still discussing the campaign? That’s a good way to measure if you’ve been effective.
As you can see, lots of topics were covered at this insightful panel discussion. I am looking forward to the next #SMPR event in NYC!
Social Media Week’s second annual conference launches on February 1st, 2010 and will take place simultaneously in New York City, Berlin, London, San Francisco, Toronto and São Paulo.
The scope of Social Media Week New York has doubled in size from its inception in 2009, with more than 70 events currently scheduled over the course of the five-day series. Headline events in New York include “Branding the Future with Social Engagement,” sponsored by Pepsi Refresh; “Social Media & the Haiti Disaster,” hosted by The New York Times; “Understanding Social Graph Optimization,” sponsored by Meebo and hosted by JWT; “The Future of Space & Time and the Proliferation of Location-based Media,” hosted by Wired & McGraw-Hill’s Digital Innovation Showcase: The Impact of Social Media in Higher Education.
Other seminars throughout the course of the week will cover the impact of social media on topics including arts & culture, sports, healthcare, education, entertainment, music, fashion & beauty, news, politics and brand communications. The events will take place in some of New York’s most prestigious venues, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Conde Nast building, The New York Times headquarters, IDEO, JWT, The Paley Center for Media and the Time & Life Building.
“The breadth and diversity of Social Media Week events across all the participating cities is a reflection of social media’s role in modern society,” said Toby Daniels, founder and executive director, Social Media Week. “The growth of social media has become so profound that it now has an impact on nearly everything around us, from reforming the way doctors communicate with patients to the way teachers interact with their students. Our hope is that Social Media Week will promote the effective uses of social media and also help advance our understanding of how to leverage it for future benefit.”
Activities in New York kick off on Monday morning with the opening press conference. Presenting speakers include the Paley Center for Media’s Chief Operating Officer Christy Carpenter; Pip Marquez de la Plata, chief marketing officer of Meebo; Frank Cooper, PepsiCo’s chief engagement officer; and the CEO of New York-based digital agency Deep Focus, Ian Schafer.
“Social Media Week is one of the premier events in the space and provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of social media on business and culture today,” said Stephanie Agresta, executive vice president, global director, digital strategy & social media at Porter Novelli. “As global media partner for Social Media Week, we are delighted to help draw people to the events worldwide and, ultimately, facilitate ongoing conversations about this incredibly valuable and constantly evolving communications vehicle.”
Pip Marquez de la Plata, chief marketing officer of Meebo added, “As social media continues to evolve, we believe it’s critical to bring people together to discuss its potential for publishers, brands and consumers. Social Media Week is on outstanding outlet to do just that.”
For more information on Social Media Week and to find out how to register for events in each city visit http://socialmediaweek.org.
Here’s a quick list of a handful of events that still have capacity:
3D and the Future of Home Entertainment, hosted by Sony WonderLabs
After months of collaboration we are delighted to release the initial agenda for Social Media Week NYC. In addition to what you can see here, we also plan to add at least another fifteen events to the program over the course of the next few days.
PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION OPENS FROM JANUARY 18TH.
Attendees will be given a full two weeks to register for events. Registration will be on a per event basis, allowing you to build a personal program that is specific and relevant to you.
If you want to receive updates you can follow @smwnyc on Twitter. If you would like to be notified when registration goes live, please email info@socialmediaweekny.com.
Thanks to Social Media Week’s Title Sponsor Meebo and Supporting Sponsor Pepsico and Pepsi Refresh, almost every event hosted during Social Media Week will be free to attend. Thanks also to our Media & Communication partners, The New York Times, Mashable, PSFK, 360i & PressLift and of course to our fantastic Advisory Board for helping to put together Social Media Week NYC.
As the year closes, the modern world will reflect on those notable moments that set the tempo of 2011. The late Apple visionary Steve Jobs will surely gain more coverage. New CEO Tim Cook has moved forward with strategic developments that are flying under the radar. One of them involves voice technology.
PSFK’s annual NYC Conference will be on April 8th this year. The speaker lineup includes: Rachel Sterne the newly appointed Chief Digital Officer from the NYC Mayor’s Office, Nick Denton from Gawker and Yancey Strickler from Kickstarter.
About this Guest Blogger: Johnny Makkar is a digital marketer who blogs at 
Matt Wurst is Manager of Digital Communities at 
About this Social Media Week Guest Blogger: Dani Klein is Founder and Blogger at 
About this Social Media Week Guest Blogger: Though Rebecca recently graduated from The University of Texas at Austin’s Advertising program, she has been a social media enthusiast for years, and is honored to guest blog at #smwnyc. To learn more, visit her 
The panel consisted of:
Amanda Rykoff is a NYC-based sports fan, TiVo junkie and social media enthusiast. She shares her observations, commentary and diatribes on these and many other topics at 
