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March 27, 2010
March 25, 2010
The Power of the Communal Voice
Throughout the ages and around the world people have come together to express a united view on an issue. From the signatories of the Declaration of Independence to the many individuals who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the United States of America has seem individuals join together and rise up as a group to to give power to their voices. Together people can overcome injustice and change the course of history.
Today – with the advancements in technology – the power of combine voice is even more potent. The internet allows people to more efficiently connect, share ideas, and organize. Ideas that begin in one country can travel across borders and to other continents via social media. I can post a tweet here in Washington DC. An individual down the street or in New York or Vienna can read it and or pass my idea on to others.
The internet has helped people communicate when open conversations and transmissions are dangerous or distance is great. Since the June 2009 elections in Iran the opposition has used Twitter and social media to coordinate their resistance. For issues important to individuals all over the globe, the internet and social media are powerful tools for collaboration and to show solidarity. Social media tools can be incorporated directly into websites – such as the Obama campaign did with My.BarackObama.com during the 2008 United States Presidential election. Or groups of individuals can relay on existing social networks to spread their message or share ideas. To show support or raise awareness about issues individuals often change their profile pictures of post information on Twitter or Facebook. One social media company focuses solely on serving this demand – Twibbon. What this company does is creates graphical overlays representing a wide variety of causes that individuals can post on their Twitter and Facebook profile pictures to raise awareness. There are currently almost 40,000 cause Twibbons. I decided to see how it works and posted an Earth Hour Twibbon on my profile picture.
So, this brings me to Earth Hour...
Earth Hour began three years ago as an effort to raise awareness of global warming. Since then, Earth Hour takes place every March and for one hour people all over the world turn off their lights to make a statement that we must find solutions to climate change. Last year, almost a billion people turned participated in 4,100 different cities in 87 countries on seven continents.
This year Earth Hour is on Saturday March 27th from 8:30-9:30pm local time. Promoted and organized through the social web, the movement will begin in New Zealand and travel around the globe. On Saturday evening people all over the globe will act as one by simply turning off their lights. Together this action will send a loud message to world leaders that the citizens of this planet are concerned about global warming and are demanding progress. This is a wonderful example of individuals around globe using the social media to come together and make a powerful statement. Please join us!
For more information please visit EarthHour.org or MyEarthHour.org.
Today – with the advancements in technology – the power of combine voice is even more potent. The internet allows people to more efficiently connect, share ideas, and organize. Ideas that begin in one country can travel across borders and to other continents via social media. I can post a tweet here in Washington DC. An individual down the street or in New York or Vienna can read it and or pass my idea on to others.
The internet has helped people communicate when open conversations and transmissions are dangerous or distance is great. Since the June 2009 elections in Iran the opposition has used Twitter and social media to coordinate their resistance. For issues important to individuals all over the globe, the internet and social media are powerful tools for collaboration and to show solidarity. Social media tools can be incorporated directly into websites – such as the Obama campaign did with My.BarackObama.com during the 2008 United States Presidential election. Or groups of individuals can relay on existing social networks to spread their message or share ideas. To show support or raise awareness about issues individuals often change their profile pictures of post information on Twitter or Facebook. One social media company focuses solely on serving this demand – Twibbon. What this company does is creates graphical overlays representing a wide variety of causes that individuals can post on their Twitter and Facebook profile pictures to raise awareness. There are currently almost 40,000 cause Twibbons. I decided to see how it works and posted an Earth Hour Twibbon on my profile picture.
So, this brings me to Earth Hour...
Earth Hour began three years ago as an effort to raise awareness of global warming. Since then, Earth Hour takes place every March and for one hour people all over the world turn off their lights to make a statement that we must find solutions to climate change. Last year, almost a billion people turned participated in 4,100 different cities in 87 countries on seven continents.
This year Earth Hour is on Saturday March 27th from 8:30-9:30pm local time. Promoted and organized through the social web, the movement will begin in New Zealand and travel around the globe. On Saturday evening people all over the globe will act as one by simply turning off their lights. Together this action will send a loud message to world leaders that the citizens of this planet are concerned about global warming and are demanding progress. This is a wonderful example of individuals around globe using the social media to come together and make a powerful statement. Please join us!
For more information please visit EarthHour.org or MyEarthHour.org.
March 17, 2010
Politics and Irony on the Social Web
“It's a new day...” campaign message begins. It continues to outline why Murray Hill Inc., a company, is running for Congress.
Murray Hill Inc. is a liberal public relations firm that is using irony and the power of social media to discuss an important issue in American politics – by running for congress. Taking a nod from the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Murray Hill Inc. (the corporation) announced its candidacy for congress in Maryland's 8th District. Following the logic of the Supreme Court ruling having granted corporations the right to free speech – this company (candidate) thinks that corporations directly entering politics is “democracy’s next step”.
So, how does social media play a part in this political satire? On YouTube Murray Hill Inc.'s campaign ad has been viewed over 197,000 times, on Facebook Murray Hill Inc. for Congress has over 8,900 fans, and on Twitter over 100 people are following Eric Hensal (the designated human for Murray Hill Inc. for Congress). And the momentum is building! Since yesterday over 17,000 people have watched the campaign ad on YouTube and Murray Hill Inc.'s Facebook page has gained 1,400 new fans. And this campaign is receiving a lot of coverage in the press, including a mention in my favorite New York Times blog, Economix.
The social web has created a new venue to question politics and participate in the democratic process. And this corporate candidate – Murray Hill Inc. – is encourages voters to cast their ballots “...for the best democracy money can buy”.
Murray Hill Inc. is a liberal public relations firm that is using irony and the power of social media to discuss an important issue in American politics – by running for congress. Taking a nod from the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Murray Hill Inc. (the corporation) announced its candidacy for congress in Maryland's 8th District. Following the logic of the Supreme Court ruling having granted corporations the right to free speech – this company (candidate) thinks that corporations directly entering politics is “democracy’s next step”.
So, how does social media play a part in this political satire? On YouTube Murray Hill Inc.'s campaign ad has been viewed over 197,000 times, on Facebook Murray Hill Inc. for Congress has over 8,900 fans, and on Twitter over 100 people are following Eric Hensal (the designated human for Murray Hill Inc. for Congress). And the momentum is building! Since yesterday over 17,000 people have watched the campaign ad on YouTube and Murray Hill Inc.'s Facebook page has gained 1,400 new fans. And this campaign is receiving a lot of coverage in the press, including a mention in my favorite New York Times blog, Economix.
The social web has created a new venue to question politics and participate in the democratic process. And this corporate candidate – Murray Hill Inc. – is encourages voters to cast their ballots “...for the best democracy money can buy”.
March 12, 2010
More About Conversations on Twitter
So, I have written about Twitter before, but would like to return to the subject.
Twitter has become a modern phenomenon. Founded in 2006, Twitter is a social networking and microblogging site that allows users to post messages of 140 characters or less called tweets. And it is changing the way we share ideas and information over the web.
In 2008 and the first half of 2009 traffic to Twitter.com exploded, starting at less less than half a million unique visitors per month in the beginning of 2008, increasing to over 5 million unique visitors per month in January 2009 and then 22 million in June 2009. Then something happened – the growth stopped. From June 2009 through January 2010 the traffic to Twitter.com remained relatively constant, between 22 and 23 million unique visitors per month.
But, that is only part of the story. During the same time period the number of tweets posted on Twitter continued increasing. In November 2008 the 1 billionth tweet was posted on Twitter. Then in October 2009 the 5 billionth tweet was posted and in March 2010 the 10 billionth tweet.
The number of people going to Twitter.com is no longer increasing, however those who do go to the site are utilizing it more. In other words, people are tweeting more! To me this is an exciting prospect. Twitter has a great potential for conversation and information sharing both locally and across the globe. People have used Twitter to communicate about political events, natural disasters, and triumph. It is very exciting to see individuals engaging more.
The conversation has begun. What will happen next?
Notes: Unique visitor statistics for Twitter for this post are from Compete, Quantcast, and Mashable.
Twitter has become a modern phenomenon. Founded in 2006, Twitter is a social networking and microblogging site that allows users to post messages of 140 characters or less called tweets. And it is changing the way we share ideas and information over the web.
In 2008 and the first half of 2009 traffic to Twitter.com exploded, starting at less less than half a million unique visitors per month in the beginning of 2008, increasing to over 5 million unique visitors per month in January 2009 and then 22 million in June 2009. Then something happened – the growth stopped. From June 2009 through January 2010 the traffic to Twitter.com remained relatively constant, between 22 and 23 million unique visitors per month.
But, that is only part of the story. During the same time period the number of tweets posted on Twitter continued increasing. In November 2008 the 1 billionth tweet was posted on Twitter. Then in October 2009 the 5 billionth tweet was posted and in March 2010 the 10 billionth tweet.
The number of people going to Twitter.com is no longer increasing, however those who do go to the site are utilizing it more. In other words, people are tweeting more! To me this is an exciting prospect. Twitter has a great potential for conversation and information sharing both locally and across the globe. People have used Twitter to communicate about political events, natural disasters, and triumph. It is very exciting to see individuals engaging more.
The conversation has begun. What will happen next?
Notes: Unique visitor statistics for Twitter for this post are from Compete, Quantcast, and Mashable.
March 9, 2010
Luxury Shoes? Yes, there is an App for THAT...
All Apple fans have seen the commercials and know the tagline – “There is an app for that”...
Today there seems to be an iPhone application for almost everything!
What is the weather halfway around the world? There is an app for that. How do you translate a word from English to Tagalog? There is an app for that... Looking for the closest Spanish or Mediterranean restaurant? There is an app for that. What are the ski conditions at your favorite mountain? There is an app for that too! (Thanks REI and North Face.)
Which brings me to what I want to talk about here – many apps for the iPhone were created by or sponsored by brands. REI and North Face offer free applications through the iPhone apps store that allow you to check the current conditions at your favorite slopes. And remind you of their brands. There are many other brands that have created or sponsored apps, including Southwest Airlines, Lufthansa, Omni Hotels, Major League Baseball, eBay, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, New York Times, USAA Federal Savings Bank, and author Paulo Coelho. Yes, now having an iPhone app is an important part a social media campaign or strategy.
Most of the brands that have iPhone apps are everyday brands – travel brands, outdoor equipment, sports, services companies, and media brands. These apps help you read the news, find a restaurant, look up the weather, and connect with friends. Now, there is an app that can help you with something else – shopping for designer shoes. Bergdorf Goodman, the luxury goods department store on 5th Avenue in New York, has created an iPhone app that is a virtual extension of their shoe salon. The Bergdorf Goodman app is free and displays a new couture shoe each day. Users can create an account and log in. Then they can email the shoe to a friend or actually buy the shoe of the day – all with a touch of a button.
Today there seems to be an iPhone application for almost everything!
What is the weather halfway around the world? There is an app for that. How do you translate a word from English to Tagalog? There is an app for that... Looking for the closest Spanish or Mediterranean restaurant? There is an app for that. What are the ski conditions at your favorite mountain? There is an app for that too! (Thanks REI and North Face.)
Which brings me to what I want to talk about here – many apps for the iPhone were created by or sponsored by brands. REI and North Face offer free applications through the iPhone apps store that allow you to check the current conditions at your favorite slopes. And remind you of their brands. There are many other brands that have created or sponsored apps, including Southwest Airlines, Lufthansa, Omni Hotels, Major League Baseball, eBay, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, New York Times, USAA Federal Savings Bank, and author Paulo Coelho. Yes, now having an iPhone app is an important part a social media campaign or strategy.
Most of the brands that have iPhone apps are everyday brands – travel brands, outdoor equipment, sports, services companies, and media brands. These apps help you read the news, find a restaurant, look up the weather, and connect with friends. Now, there is an app that can help you with something else – shopping for designer shoes. Bergdorf Goodman, the luxury goods department store on 5th Avenue in New York, has created an iPhone app that is a virtual extension of their shoe salon. The Bergdorf Goodman app is free and displays a new couture shoe each day. Users can create an account and log in. Then they can email the shoe to a friend or actually buy the shoe of the day – all with a touch of a button.
March 2, 2010
Brand JESSICA
Become a brand. Sell yourself. It is your reputation – not your talent – that matters.
Personal branding – once the domain of politicians, authors, and celebrities – is now the obsession of everyone.
Today the New York Times published an intriguing article about the personal branding trend. At the end of the article the author asked several interesting questions, however three stood for me:
How will this affect the balance of power? Will education, training, and knowledge become less important than packaging? Are we entering a world where the same applies to people? And if that is true what are the potential consequences? Always focusing on people's personal brands over their skills, training, and knowledge could eventually lead to decreased quality of workforce output.
As personal brand building becomes more and more of an obsession, how will this affect our lives? Will we become so focused on living and sharing our lives “in brand” that we miss the actual experience? It is easy to hypothesize how this could cause a society-wide decrease in productivity. Melodramatic? Maybe.
Now what about the idea that improving how we market ourselves will become more important than bettering and updating our own skills? I think this goes back to the idea that image may be more important than substance. This does not bode well for future innovation and advancement in our society.
Do not misunderstand, I am an enthusiastic participant and promoter of the social web. I feel it is important for people to engage and participate in the global conversation. But, the idea that the brand you portray in this new virtual global space is more important than who you are is disturbing to me.
That brings me to a point the author of the article did not discuss – authenticity. As I discussed in a previous post, authenticity is essential for brands communicating marketing messages in social media. It is important to be true and transparent. This holds true for corporate brands and personal brands. I think it is more important for individuals to participate in the social web and be authentic than to create a persona and try to live up to that brand.
Personal branding – once the domain of politicians, authors, and celebrities – is now the obsession of everyone.
Today the New York Times published an intriguing article about the personal branding trend. At the end of the article the author asked several interesting questions, however three stood for me:
- Will it divert power and influence from the well-educated to the merely well-branded?
- Will brand-building distract us?
- And in marketing ourselves, will we neglect the pursuit of actually improving?
How will this affect the balance of power? Will education, training, and knowledge become less important than packaging? Are we entering a world where the same applies to people? And if that is true what are the potential consequences? Always focusing on people's personal brands over their skills, training, and knowledge could eventually lead to decreased quality of workforce output.
As personal brand building becomes more and more of an obsession, how will this affect our lives? Will we become so focused on living and sharing our lives “in brand” that we miss the actual experience? It is easy to hypothesize how this could cause a society-wide decrease in productivity. Melodramatic? Maybe.
Now what about the idea that improving how we market ourselves will become more important than bettering and updating our own skills? I think this goes back to the idea that image may be more important than substance. This does not bode well for future innovation and advancement in our society.
Do not misunderstand, I am an enthusiastic participant and promoter of the social web. I feel it is important for people to engage and participate in the global conversation. But, the idea that the brand you portray in this new virtual global space is more important than who you are is disturbing to me.
That brings me to a point the author of the article did not discuss – authenticity. As I discussed in a previous post, authenticity is essential for brands communicating marketing messages in social media. It is important to be true and transparent. This holds true for corporate brands and personal brands. I think it is more important for individuals to participate in the social web and be authentic than to create a persona and try to live up to that brand.
- Read the New York Times article about personal branding here: Branding and the 'Me' Economy
March 1, 2010
The World Connects
As the devastating earthquake rocked Haiti and destroyed what little order the poor island nation had, I watched as the world connected. People gave words of support, volunteered to help, and donated what they could over social networks and via mobile devices. Using Twitter people helped friends and strangers alike locate surviving relatives and directed help to individuals trapped under rubble. Employing text messaging to collect donations, the Red Cross raised over $5 million to help Haiti within days of the catastrophic event (source Mashable.com).
Then Saturday morning I woke to the news of another devastating earthquake – this time 8.8 magnitude in Chile. As after the events on Haiti, I watched people all over the world connect and communicate via social media. I searched Chile or #Chile on Twitter and tons of messages in multiple languages scrolled down my screen. Thirty seconds after I entered my search terms a status bar stated that 137 new tweets had been posted on this topic since I began my search, at a minute it was 216. The day after the earthquake Google created an online people finder to help locate missing or displaced individuals and connect families and friends. Now, a day after the website launched it is tracking about 42,600 records (source Google Chile Person Finder). Lonely Planet' Thorn Tree forums created a page for the community to post useful links and updates. The world is coming together – virtually – to help.
Living in the United States in a time of political finger pointing it is encouraging to see the world community coming together and collaborating to help others.
The world is connecting.
Then Saturday morning I woke to the news of another devastating earthquake – this time 8.8 magnitude in Chile. As after the events on Haiti, I watched people all over the world connect and communicate via social media. I searched Chile or #Chile on Twitter and tons of messages in multiple languages scrolled down my screen. Thirty seconds after I entered my search terms a status bar stated that 137 new tweets had been posted on this topic since I began my search, at a minute it was 216. The day after the earthquake Google created an online people finder to help locate missing or displaced individuals and connect families and friends. Now, a day after the website launched it is tracking about 42,600 records (source Google Chile Person Finder). Lonely Planet' Thorn Tree forums created a page for the community to post useful links and updates. The world is coming together – virtually – to help.
Living in the United States in a time of political finger pointing it is encouraging to see the world community coming together and collaborating to help others.
The world is connecting.
- Information on how to donate to Chile Earthquake Relief is available online at Mashable.com.
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