My Thoughts

New Challenges

2011-12-27T15:58:00.000-05:00

I know, I have not posted on this blog very regularly for a while... And I am not making a resolution to remedy that situation at this time. That is not the purpose of this post.

About two years ago began working at the Internal Revenue Service. My job at the IRS has been to increase public awareness of tax programs and laws through social media and traditional marketing communications campaigns. In addition to learning more than I could ever imagined - and probably no where near enough - about tax law and policy, this position has taught me a great deal about working as a civil servant and the many issues facing federal government agencies today. And I had the opportunity to work with a team of wonderful people!

Now, I am about to embark on a challenge. Next Monday I will be joining the Office of Web Communications at the Environmental Protection Agency to be the social media lead for the EPA. I am looking forward to new challenges!

My Experience at the 140 Characters Conference in NYC

2011-06-24T15:57:00.000-04:00

So, I know I have not posted to this blog in a while. However, my recent experiences at a conference in New York City definitely warrant a post.

How would I describe my experience at the 140 Characters Conference in a word? I cannot. It was a wonderful and crazy experience. It was like being exposed to waves of creativity and ideas. It was a time of professional growth and a time increase my understanding of others.

I enjoy conferences and gatherings which bring diverse people together to share ideas. Not only does it force me to listen to, learn about, and gain an understanding of topics I think I am not interested in; these experiences also help me to be more creative.

At the 140 Characters Conference in New York I listened to presentations by marketers, reporters, activists, visionaries, and more. I met and learned from too many people to mention in a blog post. And I had the opportunity to share what I am currently working on at IRS - and the lessons I have learned from this work. Here is the link to a YouTube video of my talk:

I want to thank everyone I met at the 140 Characters Conference for the thoughts and insights you share with me and the community. I would also like to thank Jeff Pulver for making the event possible, inviting me to speak and being supportive of myself and the other presenters. I hope to be able to attend another 140 Characters event in the future!

Community Interaction on Twitter - #uksnow Map

2010-11-30T19:30:00.002-05:00

This afternoon I noticed that the hashtag #uksnow was trending on Twitter. I looked at a few tweets and came across a very cool Twitter Mashup - #uksnow Map.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term mashup, Wikipedia defines it as a “web or cloud based applications are a combination of separate parts brought together with the use of the open architecture of public Application Programming Interfaces (API)”. In other words, it takes existing pieces (data and APIs) and creating something new and unique.

The #uksnow Map was created by a freelance developer (Ben Marsh) from the UK. The developer asked Twitter users to tweet their location, how much snow is falling, and include the hashtag #uksnow. Then the application on the website displays the snow conditions being reported via these tweets.

I think this is a great mashup. It is a fun way to graphically display the this uncommon snow storm. In addition, it is a creative way to encourage community interaction on Twitter.

World Bank + Social Web

2010-11-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

You expect consumer brands to embrace social media – it is where their customers are communicating with each other and gathering information for purchase decisions. But, what about other organizations, like international non-governmental organizations?

The World Bank has become an active participant in the social web. Through the Open Development program the organization is encouraging transparency and sharing their data with the community to promote innovation. The data for organization's projects is available online and via the World Bank DataFinder App for iPhone, iTouch, and iPad.

Recently the organization announced a contest – Apps for Development – to build an app for any mobile platform that displays their data in a useful way to the community. Here is how the competition is described by the World Bank:

“We're challenging the public to create innovative software applications that move us a step closer toward solving some of the world's most pressing problems.”

This is an ambitious effort to harness the collective creativity of the global community. And it is a way for the organization to transform from a large non-governmental organization to a tangible entity in the eyes of the individuals it interacts with around the world.

The World Bank has also embraced blogging and has a number of active blogs on its website. In addition, the organization is actively engaging the community on a variety of social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. On Twitter the organization encourages discussion of Open Development with the #opendata hashtag.

Reaching out – virtually – to the global community and participating in conversations on the web is important for all organizations, including for profit companies, governments, and non-governmental organizations.

If a large international organization like the World Bank can become an active participant in the social web so can you.

Foursquare in Space

2010-11-02T12:12:00.004-04:00

I am not an enthusiastic participant in Foursquare. I created an account, used it for a little bit, and then wrote about my experience here. Perhaps I am too cautious to be the right demographic for that type of geotagging application. I just do not feel the need to broadcast my exact location. Nor do I feel comfortable doing so. Facebook Places is the only geotagging application that I have found less intimidating. Maybe that is because I am already hooked on Facebook!

But, I am not writing today to discuss my personal feelings or insecurities about geotagging. I am writing about Foursquare in space!

On October 22, 2010 a NASA astronaut became the first person to check in to Foursquare from outside the Earth's atmosphere. That is a cool use of social media! And a great way to excite and engage people in space exploration and science. The NASA Explorer Badge on Foursquare will soon be available for users to earn. This follows the first tweet from space in May 2009.

NASA is really embracing social media to share with community. In addition to Twitter and Foursquare, NASA has apps for iPhone and iPad and is participating in Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Ustream, and other social media platforms. Great way to engage the community!

#SMIATL Lessons – Why Twitter is Powerful

2010-10-26T22:52:00.000-04:00

I am a firm believer – and enthusiastic participant – in Twitter and written about it several times before on this blog. At the Integrating Social Media conference there was a great deal of discussion about this social media tool.

Twitter is a vital resource in harnessing the power of social media. It is a place to share information and have conversations. To be part of the conversations it is important to engage and provide a useful contribution to the community.

Twitter has upwards of 98 million registered users. Before the conference I had not been aware that additional individuals could follow Twitter users on their mobile phones without an account. (Thanks to Marla Erwin – @marlaerwin.) More Fortune 500 companies are using Twitter to communicate than Facebook – 54% versus 32% on Facebook. It is where business is communicating. It is where customer service teams (like @ComcastCares, @virginatlantic, and Best Buy's @twelpforce) are helping their customers everyday.

Twitter is real-time news and information. People are tweeting about what is happening now. This is changing the old news cycle where it took several hours for a story to be researched, written, and posted to the web or broadcast on television or radio. Now, on Twitter, people are sharing the news as it happens to them. Everyone can now be a source of information or a citizen journalist.

Twitter is where a lot of information is now. You just have to look, listen, and learn.

#SMIATL Lessons – What is Social Media?

2010-10-25T22:39:00.003-04:00

It is always important to start at the beginning...

At the Integrating Social Media Conference there was a great deal of discussion about what social media is. And while this seems like an elementary and uninteresting topic, understanding it is essentially to be successful in the social media ecosphere. First it is important to look at what it is not. Social media is not just about user generated and / or curated content. It is not just the tools and portals, like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Social media is about creating, commenting on, sharing, and redistributing content. It is an interactive space where broadcasting is no longer sufficient and participating in conversations is essential.

Or put another way, social media is people talking to people.

Where is Kennesaw and the Integrating Social Media Conference

2010-10-25T22:20:00.007-04:00

This week one of my coworkers and I had the opportunity to attend the Integrating Social Media Conference at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. After flying to Atlanta, we programmed our destination in the rental car's GPS and drove the hour and a half in traffic to arrive to Kennesaw, located northwest of Atlanta.

The conference was hosted by the Center for Sustainable Journalism at university. Topics discussed during the two day event included social media planning and ROI, to the future of social media, web strategies, and unifying social media and public relations. The presenters I most enjoyed listening to at the conference were (in alphabetical order) Olivier Blanchard (@thebrandbuilder), Marla Erwin (@marlaerwin), Jesse McDougall (@catalystwebwks), and Shiv Singh (@shivsingh).

In addition to talking about social media, the conference attendees and presenters participated in the event via social media as well. Using the hashtag #SMIATL I joined the other conference participants and shared observations and insights on Twitter during the conference, continuing the conversation online.

While it would be difficult for me to relate everything I learned and observed at the conference, I would like to share a few insights. Over the next few weeks I will post a series of blog entries – #SMIATL Lessons – about what I learned in Georgia.

AP Accepts Bloggers

2010-09-30T17:39:00.002-04:00

It is about time! Earlier this month the Associated Press announced that bloggers should be cited as news sources. As a blogger I think this is great news!

In a world where all media is becoming social, this is long overdue. This gives bloggers recognition for the work they contribute to the news media. It also sets the stage for news to become a more open conversation instead of a centralized distribution of content. I think this is an intriguing possibility! News is what is going on in the world around us. By nature, most people are social beings. With technology our social circle and interaction is no longer restricted by our physical location. We live in a global social community. World news should be compiled through the collective observations and contributions of many connected citizens from around the globe, including bloggers.

Another implication this change will have is to remind bloggers of their responsibilities. Just like traditional journalists, bloggers will need to be held accountable for what the information they post and the words they write. But, this is not a negative implication. Many bloggers have assumed this responsibility all along – this change gives these individuals the credibility they deserve.

Thank you to the Associated Press for adapting their policy to better suit our socially connected world.

9 Years Ago - I Still Remember

2010-09-11T16:43:00.004-04:00

Today is the ninth anniversary of 9/11. The horrific events that occurred that day changed my life forever. My friends and coworkers were among those who died that clear September morning. I remember that day. And the week, month, and year that followed it. Those times – all of them – changed my life and changed me.

But, that is not why I am writing today.

This year I am sad to see this day surrounded by tension resulting from religious and political divisions. Hate and anger. Frustration. These are not the feelings that we should have as we remember those that died. I wish if there was one thing that we learned from 9/11 it would have been acceptance. And I hope to someday – in the not too distant future – live in a world with great tolerance and understanding.

Visual Honesty

2010-07-14T11:30:00.000-04:00

Last week the New York Times Media Decoder blog posted an entry about The Economist recently edited a photo for its cover. The image in question on the cover of the magazine shows President Obama standing alone on a Gulf Coast beach looking at the sand. Behind him looms a large oil rig and the title adds to the drama – “Obama v BP, The damage beyond the spill”. But, in the original photograph, taken by Reuters photographer, Larry Downing, the President is not alone. Instead he is standing on the shore speaking with Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen and local parish president Charlotte Randolph. The magazine digitally removed the other two individuals from the image.

The altered photograph and ensuing discussions in New York Times, the Guardian, and the blogosphere brings up some interesting points about the intersection of journalistic integrity, photojournalism, photography, and art.

We have always separated photographers from photojournalists. While there is an overlap in skills and many individuals have produced work that should earn them membership in both clubs, we have kept the distinction. In part I think this is to allow for creativity on the side of photographers. We have celebrated those who change their photos to tell us a story. The artist is given license to adapt reality through developing and manipulating, and now with software, to create the image in their eye. Not all photographers have taken this route. Many choose to present the world in its true, raw form. But, it is the artist's option. Photojournalists on the other hand are not allow license. They must present the world through the lens – accurate to the last detail. We charge them with recording history.

We are in the age of digital photography and photo-editing software. So, what about editing? Is it important for all news photography to be presented untouched? Or are some edits acceptable?

In response to the post on Media Decoder, The Economist pointed to their October 2008 cover when the magazine endorsed Barack Obama for president. That cover shows a photograph of the then presidential candidate striding towards the camera. The image background is bright white and the headline simply states “It’s time”. The Economist’s editor explains that in both images the magazine altered (or completely removed) the background to create focus on the subject – President Barack Obama.

The fact that the magazine has edited two recent covers of the same individual does not make the practice right – or less controversial. So, when is it acceptable to edit a photograph and when is it not? I do not think there is one answer to that question. Perhaps news sources and photojournalists should always alert viewers when an image has been edited. But, that would only be a band-aid solution and not address the controversy directly. The question would remain: Are there circumstances where it is acceptable for a news source or journalist to edit photographs? I think the best answer lies in the intent of the alterations. Obviously, altering an image to misguide the viewer does not coincide with the integrity standards we accept of all journalists – written or photographic.

Investing in Chocolate

2010-06-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

While reading the New York Times last week I finally found the perfect financial instrument for me to invest in – bonds that pay dividends in chocolate. Chocolat Hotel, a UK cocoa grower and chocolatier, is offering ₤2000 and ₤4000 bonds to fund costs associated with the company’s ethical cocoa policy (including healthcare and farmer education). The bonds will pay investors the equivalent of 6.72% and 7.29% respectively in chocolate. These tasty dividends will be delivered in tasting boxes either six times a year for the ₤2000 bond or thirteen times a year for the ₤4000 bond.

After getting over my initial euphoric reaction to this investment opportunity started thinking about positive and negative issues that about this offering.

I do think it is an extremely creative way for a company to seek financing. And whether or not Chocolat Hotel successfully raises their desired amount of capital, this campaign has great marketing potential. It has already increased the company’s exposure in the media. Several online news portals have posted stories about the chocolate bonds, including New York Times, The Independent, Daily Mail, CBC News (Canadian Broadcasting Centre) and Australian Food News. Several blogs (including this one) have commented on the story as well (see links below). The campaign is also creating buzz on Twitter and other social media networks.

The campaign will increase brand exposure among loyal customers. In addition, the campaign might create awareness of the Chocolat Hotel brand among individuals outside the company’s traditional target audience. The international news coverage and social media buzz will increase the company’s brand awareness around the world. This could help the company expand internationally or draw visiting foreign tourists to their London shops.

So, will I buy a chocolate bond? I am not sure. It is not a practical investment for retirement accounts (like IRAs or 401Ks) – I want to eat my chocolate now, not wait until retirement to withdraw (eat) my earnings (chocolate). I could invest money from my savings, but for me ₤2000 a rather large sum to invest without monetary return. That said I will definitely visit a Chocolat Hotel shop next time I visit the UK!

The Value of Foursquare

2010-06-05T11:00:00.002-04:00

If you are unfamiliar, Foursquare is a location-based social network. About two months ago I signed up and decided to try to figure it out. I checked in at a couple restaurants where I was having dinner with my husband. I added a few friends. Then I checked in at the marina where my dragon boat club practices. I earned two badges – a “Newbie” badge and an “I’m on a boat!” badge.

When I start using most new social media applications and services I get excited and become preoccupied with the new experience. Not so with Foursquare. The idea behind the application – continually sharing your location with others – did not appeal to me. I enjoy sharing information and staying in touch with friends and colleagues via Facebook and other social media networks and I often read information on Twitter; but, I do not need to tell the world where I am in real time. Foursquare did not get hooked me. It did not add value or entertainment to my life. So, I stopped using it and decided it was not for me.

Until now… I read a post on the New York Times Lede blog about how Chinese bloggers and activists are using Foursquare to mark their presence in Tiananmen Square and create a virtual gathering on the 21st anniversary of the government’s brutal killing of student demonstrator in that location on June 4th, 1989. A silent, virtual gathering! What a powerful idea!

Soon after the check-ins at Tiananmen Square began, the Chinese government censored Foursquare and blocked the application in mainland China. So, the virtual gathering made an impact!

I still may not choose to use Foursquare very often, but now I definitely see its potential value.

The Global PR Phenomenon

2010-06-04T21:16:00.008-04:00

Last week I started following @BPGlobalPR, the spoof of British Petroleum public relations on Twitter. Reading these tweets offered a brief reprieve from reality on what has turning into a rather depressing news month (oil spills, Middle East violence, and economic instability in Europe). I was saddened and frustrated by the fact that oil had been spilling into the Gulf of Mexico for over a month and the repeated failures by BP to end this horrible environmental disaster. While the traditional media was doing their due diligence and covering the story with updated reports and live webcams, there was not as much online discussion or outcry as I felt the situation deserved. There seemed to be a void. Then I started reading @BPGlobalPR. The satire and outright frankness of the tweets offered the shimmer of a smile on an otherwise dismal situation without downplaying the travesty of what was going on.

When I began following @BPGlobalPR the account had just over 50,000 followers. Today their follower list is 123,000 and still growing. It is a testament to how fast information, news, and trends can spread virally. This is also an example of how, with the internet and a little creativity, anyone can affect public perception of a brand or entity.

And now, a phenomenon has begun. Following the Israeli attacks on the flotilla on May 31st, 2010, two new spoof Twitter accounts appeared – @IsraelGlobalPR and @HamasGlobalPR. Then soon after @UNGlobalPR, @GSGlobalPR (Goldman Sachs), and @ShellGlobalPR started tweeting. Now, @IranGlobalPR, @FIFAGlobalPR, @USAGlobalPR, and others have joined the fray.

@BPGlobalPR posted their first tweet on May 19th, 2010. In just over two weeks, not only has their influence in the Twittersphere exploded, but the phenomenon they started has also taken off. It will be interesting to see if it is a trend that gets incorporated into the social media culture or if it only remains in vogue briefly before disappearing into the bytes of the past.

But regardless of the longevity of this trend, it has proven one thing – public relations is no longer about one-way communications and controlling the message. In today’s interconnected world public relations also includes facilitating conversations and participating in the social web.

The Importance of Acknowledging Everyone

2010-05-28T07:07:00.003-04:00

I posted the following tweet the other day:

“New experiences bring new lessons and reminders of older ones. Change is always an important to gain experience and knowledge.”

I recently began a new job at a new organization and am enjoying the new environment and perspectives of change. I have been fortunate to land in a place with great coworkers and an attentive and nurturing manager. Like with my last organization, this is a good environment for me. Yet at the same time, it is very different and will afford me a exposure to new lessons, observations, and understanding.

I have always appreciated managers who are true leaders and teach by example. Sometime during my first week working at my new job a member of the cleaning staff was going around our office to empty the waste baskets. My manager came over and after a brief hello introduced the individual to me by his name. She then mentioned she had not seen him lately and inquired if he was okay. These were not empty questions – her concern was genuine. After a few minutes she said goodbye and went back to her desk. The man continued with his work, but with a little more of a smile on his face.

The situation brought me back to my MBA studies and leadership classes. The importance of not taking people for granted is always discussed – but rarely given the weight and time it deserves. A great deal of time is dedicated to studying strategy, accounting, and finance. Lectures are dedicated to human resources, ethics, and legalities. But discussions about how to reward, acknowledge, and empower individuals are often short.

People are every organization’s greatest asset. And yet Wall Street and other global financial markets a company’s worth is measured by stock price. We use commoditized terms such as staff or employees, instead of people or individuals. It is important to remember that it is individuals who work every day to make organizations great. It is individuals who discover new technological advancements, individuals who create strategies, individuals who write reports, and individuals who clean up the office when no one notices. And every one of these individuals makes a vital contribution to the organization.

I am thankful to have a new job where I have the opportunity to learn and observe. Thank you for reminding me of this important lesson.

A Tipping Point in Washington DC

2010-05-18T12:00:00.001-04:00

So, I know I am a bit behind, but I finally read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. I enjoyed the book and it made me think about my own experience and observations of tipping points. Recently a new law came into affect in Washington DC that caused a change in my behavior – and that of many other residents. It was a tipping point.

To tell this story I need to begin by relaying the history of my behavior in regards to shopping bags…

When I was a graduate student I always brought my own reusable bags when I shopped at Whole Foods Market. While I believe strongly in conservation and recycling, that was not my true motivation for bringing my own bags to this store. And, I did not bring my own bags when I shopped at Trader Joe’s or any other grocery store or market. Just to Whole Foods. Why? I was motivated to bring my own reusable shopping bags to Whole Foods because they would give me a five cent credit (or donate five cents to charity) for every reusable bag I brought with me. As a graduate student that small reward – just five cents per bag – changed my behavior in that circumstance. That five cents credit was my tipping point.

After I graduated I started forgetting to bring my bags to Whole Foods. When I did remember I normally requested the charity donation instead of the five cent credit. The five cent credit was no longer compelling. My tipping point had changed.

But, let me get to my main topic – the new law in Washington DC that relates to shopping bags – the DC Bag Tax. In January 2010, the District of Columbia imposed a new tax that required businesses which sell food or alcohol to charge customers five cents for each disposable paper or plastic bag they used. The inspiration behind this new tax is wonderful; the majority of the revenue from the tax will go to the Anacostia River Protection Fund to help clean up the river.

Prior to the bag tax being instated 22.5 million bags were being issued every month in Washington DC. Now, if that rate remained the same this new tax would raise over $1 million per month. But, this tax was expected alter some people’s behavior and the District government estimated the bag tax would bring in approximately $10 million in the first four years of its existence (an average of $208,333 per month).The District government created a marketing campaign to raise awareness of the new tax and encourage a change in behavior (Skip the bag, Save the River).

It worked, the new bag tax has changed people's behavior more than expected. Of course, the first person’s behavior I noticed, of course, was my own. I immediately began bringing my reusable bags again to shop – to all stores. I began carrying a reusable bag in my purse. Where a five cent credit did not motivate me – the idea of having to pay five cents did. So, again my tipping point was five cents . It also changed other people’s behavior. In January 2010, the bag tax revenue was just under $150,000. That is a decrease of over 80% in the number of bags issued per month! Five cents must be a tipping point for a lot of people in DC. Of course, these are only the results of one month. Time will tell if five cents is enough to change people’s behavior long term.

Note: All facts and figures quoted above are from WashingtonPost.com or the District of Columbia government's Skip the Bag, Save the River campaign website.

My Next Chapter has Begun

2010-05-09T10:30:00.000-04:00

In January I wrote a blog post about change and the opportunity of new beginnings. Since then I have spent a great deal of time writing, contemplating the future of my career path, and searching for the best opportunity for me to pursue. It has been a period of study and refocus for me professionally. While I have always enjoyed the opportunity for self reflection; uncertainty wears on me. The concept of not having solid plans for my future – most importantly my professional future – has always been unsettling to me.

But – for now – my time of uncertainty has come to an end. I have taken the next step and am in the midst of a new beginning. I am excited by the potential possibility of new projects and learning experiences. I am looking forward to new opportunities and gaining new experience. And I am thankful to have the stress of uncertainty removed for now.

Lonely Planet Grabs an Opportunity to Help Customers – and Build Brand Equity

2010-04-20T08:52:00.008-04:00

In a recent post I talked about how Lonely Planet is participating in social media, but not taking all the steps to encourage its customers to become actively engaged. In this post I want to talk about how the same company, Lonely Planet, is currently taking advantage of an opportunity to assist some of their customers.

On April 14, 2010 volcanic eruptions began at Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland spewing debris up into the atmosphere. The resulting ash clouds forced authorities to close airports and airspace, grounding airplanes and canceling across Europe and beyond. The repercussions have completely disrupted the European transportation system, stranding travelers around the world for over a week.

Instead of seeing this disruption in travel as a hinderance, Lonely Planet has jumped on the opportunity. On April 19th they posted a blog entry announcing that they were offering 13 of their European iPhone city guides for free to help stranded travelers through Thursday April 22nd. They then shared this information via Facebook, Twitter, and direct email message to their community members. This is a gracious and timely offer that will most likely earn Lonely Planet some positive brand equity. Smart move.

And, for the stranded travelers, the links to the free guides can be found at the Lonely Planet blog.

Culturally Significant

2010-04-16T09:49:00.014-04:00

I began my last blog entry with the sentence “Today social media has become part of the fabric of our culture.” In a relatively short period of time social content on the web has become a significant element of our society.

A few days ago the Library of Congress announced it has acquiring the Twitter digital archives. These archives contain every tweet every posted since Twitter's inception in 2006 – every last tweet. This includes historic tweets – the first tweet ever, the first tweet from space, and President Obama's tweet about winning the 2008 presidential election – and all the other comments, ideas, and opinions posted by the millions of Twitter users around the globe.

But, saving these notable tweets is not the main motivation to preserve the archives in such a venerable institution. In their press release, the Library of Congress stated this data has “extraordinary potential for research into our contemporary way of life”. So, it is the everyday tweets that they want to save and study. It is these tweets that are a window into our daily lives – just as preserved journals and letters have been for former time periods.

This acquisition is part of the library's ongoing efforts to capture and archive materials from the internet. To date the library has collected over 167 terabytes of information from the web as part of the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program. Now, every tweet – significant, strange, embarrassing, or boring – will be added to that collection. Of course, the Library of Congress first posted this news on Twitter (click here to read their tweet).

This signifies the cultural importance of digital information and social media. In the past pieces of information which were deemed to be culturally significant included books, video and audio recordings, and important documents. But, today – in the Information Age – it is bytes not paper that hold the clues for future generations to understand who we are. So, keep tweeting and share your experiences with the world.

Social Media – Participate and Share

2010-04-07T11:20:00.007-04:00

Today social media has become part of the fabric of our culture. We share, like, and comment on all sorts of information and media. This creates a web through which information and ideas flow. For many individuals – like myself – this social web of information has become a major source of news. In addition, I am an active participant in this web, sharing and commenting frequently.

The social web has brought many new aspects to our daily lives. One of these – for better or worse – is viral videos and content. One person reads information or views media online and shares it, then more and more do the same. News spreads and a viral phenomenon is born.

As this social aspect of the web has become more prevalent many websites have made it easier for readers or users to participate by installing widgets, apps, plug-ins, gadgets, or links for social networks. For example, the New York Times has widgets that allow readers to share articles via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, Mixx, Yahoo Buzz!, and MySpace or to send the article via email or SMS. They also provide the permalink to the article or piece of content for individuals who want to incorporate the link into a blog or website. In other words, the New York Times enables and encourages their readers participate in the social web. I have come to expect this type of functionality on all websites I visit.

This afternoon I clicked on a link on Facebook to watch a video on Lonely Planet blog. For many years I have been a big fan of the travel books, guides, and information provided by this company. More recently, I have become hooked on their 76 Second Travel Show which is posted on the Lonely Planet blog and on YouTube by Lonely Planet author Robert Reid. It's short and fun – and I think it's a great use of social media. After watching the video I instantly looked for the share widget or link and was surprised to find the page did not have one. It seemed odd since Lonely Planet is an active participate in social media. At the bottom of the each of the company's webpages there are links to follow Lonely Planet on Twitter, subscribe to their newsletter, read their blog, download their iPhone and iPad apps, and subscribe to their print (paper) magazine. There is a space to leave a comment, but no links to enable participation in the social web.

This made me start thinking about the importance of well rounded social media campaigns. Social media is about sharing and participation. Companies, brands, and individuals need to not only participate in social media – but also enable and encourage others to participate and share.

Back to the issue of Lonely Planet. How are they participating in social media? Their main website allows users to register and link their Lonely Planet account with their Facebook account. That is good. As I mentioned previously at the bottom of all their webpages there are widgets encouraging readers to follow them on Twitter, read their blogs, and sign up for their newsletter, mobile content, and magazine. Their website has active forums (Thorn Tree) and groups, as well as functionality to allow users to rate and comment on destinations, save favorite places, and plan trips. The company actively participates in Facebook and Twitter. And I think that their 76 Second Travel Show is a great viral video campaign. The some of the 76 Second Travel Show videos have upwards of 1000 views on YouTube. The company promotes videos and blog posts on Facebook and Twitter. The only thing is missing to complete the circle is to incorporate functionality into their websites and blogs that enables and encourages users to share the content via social networks and participate in the social web.

But, overall I do think Lonely Planet is doing a very good job participating in the social web. What I think they could improve upon is to enable and encourage their users to do the participate and share. Then their social media campaign would be truly dynamic. And it would also increase the likelihood that their information, blog posts, and videos will be shared and discovered virally.

Earth Hour

2010-03-27T13:31:00.000-04:00

Please support Earth Hour!

The Power of the Communal Voice

2010-03-25T09:18:00.009-04:00

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.

Politics and Irony on the Social Web

2010-03-17T16:19:00.003-04:00

“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”.

More About Conversations on Twitter

2010-03-12T13:00:00.002-05:00

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.

Luxury Shoes? Yes, there is an App for THAT...

2010-03-09T13:00:00.001-05:00

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.

Brand JESSICA

2010-03-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

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:

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

The World Connects

2010-03-01T12:55:00.006-05:00

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.

Information on how to donate to Chile Earthquake Relief is available online at Mashable.com.

Women MBAs Lag According to Catalyst

2010-02-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

Last week I read an article online by Diana Middleton of the Wall Street Journal about a study of the difference in pay received by male and female MBAs. The study was conducted by Catalyst, a non-profit organization that works to create more opportunities for women in the workplace.

I found this article disheartening. However, I also felt it was important to share. While I wish this was a perfect world, it is not. Inequalities and discrimination still exist in the work place – at all levels – for women and people of color.

The first step to overcoming discrimination and inequality is awareness. I hope to see the day when these injustices are only a part of history.

Here is a link to the WSJ article: Women M.B.A.s Continue to Lag in Pay, Promotions

Why Wikipedia?

2010-02-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

So, in a post I wrote a few weeks ago I quoted a definition from Wikipedia. I did not quote a traditional encyclopedia, a reference document, text book, academic journal, a highly respected news source, or even Dictionary.com – I chose Wikipedia as my source of information. Why?

But, first, what is Wikipedia? On its own pages it gives the following description:

“Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation...”

When Wikipedia launched, there was a great deal of speculation if it would ever be a reliable source of information. In other words, there was concern that the crowd-sourcing of knowledge and peer editing would never be a substitute for information experts. However, I think Wikipedia has not only prevailed but also flourished. And in doing so, it has shown what is possible when a community works together. In the 8 years since it was launched, Wikipedia has changed the way we look for, share, and consume information.

In today's networked society, often the best answer or solution is found through collaboration. The world is becoming more complex and at times it feels as though history has accelerated. By using new social web technology to communicate and pooling our knowledge and expertise, we can achieve things that were not even conceivable in the recent past. Locality is no longer a restriction. We can share, communicate, and collaborate with individuals across vast stretches of geography.

We have changed the way we obtain news and absorb information. When I was a child I remember my grandparents watching the evening news. It was at a set time, on a set channel every day. It was a passive act. Today my mother, now a grandmother herself, consumes and shares information via Twitter, Facebook, and other web portals. She participates in online discussions, rather than just receiving news passively.

In addition, the quantity of information available has increased since the advent of the internet and continues to grow. “Information growth is a distinctive phenomenon of the late 20th and early 21st century, which refers to the increasing amount and variety of information produced and circulated in various institutional domains” (The Information Growth And Internet Research programme, London School of Economics and Political Science). IDC refers to all this information as the Digital Universe and in May 2009 estimated the size of this universe to be 500 exabytes (or 500 billion gigabytes). We add more data to this Digital Universe every day with each picture we upload and share, each tweet we post, and each blog entry we write.

All of this changes the information landscape. There is more information. It is easier to share and collaborate. Knowledge and information are becoming more open. And Wikipedia has benefited from all these changes. It was launched at a time when the amount of information was rapidly increasing, sharing information was on the rise, and people were looking for new ways to sort and consume information. Wikipedia provided a place for people to share and sort information – both old and new. It gave the community tools to question and correct inaccuracies. It allowed people to participate in the storytelling.

Of course, there are erroneous pieces of information on Wikipedia, as there are in other, more traditional information sources. I think the tools Wikipedia has provided to mark and track inaccuracies and annotate citations has helped streamline the process to present the most fact-based information available. But, the critics will always point to the imperfections and flaws as a reason that information compiled by experts is better than that amassed through community collaboration. However, there are flaws in traditional expert information sources as well. One reason for this is obsolete information remaining after new discoveries have changed the generally excepted truth. I wonder how many references are still out there in reference materials, science books, and other information sources referring to Pluto as the ninth planet in the solar system rather than a dwarf planet it was redefined in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union.

Information is constantly evolving and we live in a society where often the story is told or the correct answer is chosen by the victor. Historian Howard Zinn was a master at retelling past events from the viewpoint of the average individual, not the hero. His book A People's History of the United States shed a new – and often surprising – light on generally accepted facts of history. There is always another side to each story. Therefore, we must always allow for flaws and corrections. In a world with so much information we will only hope to learn the full story when everyone is given an opportunity to participate.

What Wikipedia has done is demonstrated that through collaboration, the collective knowledge of a community can create a reliable source of information. By doing so, it has given the community credibility. Now, it is time we listen to the community's story.

Can a Bad Company Become Good?

2010-02-23T09:56:00.005-05:00

This morning I read a short blog post in the New York Times titled “It’s Getting Harder to Hate Wal-Mart”. Yes, Walmart's aggressive business tactics, poor labor practices and methods for discouraging union organization have been repeatedly documented in books, news articles, television news magazines, and documentary films. But, after reading this short blog I started to wonder, can a bad company become good – and how?

In the blog the author discusses how in a blind taste test people preferred vegetables from Walmart over higher priced produce from Whole Foods Market. This test was part of research by journalist Corby Kummer for an article about Walmart's efforts to purchase more organic, sustainable, and locally grown produce. I went on to read Mr. Kummer's article and agreed – the information he presents does bode positively for Walmart. In addition, the movie Food Inc. which is intended to reveal the horrors of the industrial food system devotes time to discussing how Walmart is affecting the organic food industry in a relatively positive way by increasing availability.

So, that leads to a few questions. First, can we start to look at Walmart in a new light given its efforts in the areas of organics and sustainability? And then, can Walmart become good?

Now, this is just one part of Walmart's global operation. And there still remain serious concerns about other aspects of the company's operations, including the areas of labor practices and human rights.

In Food Inc. the discussion about Walmart and organics centers around how the company entered the organic food business because of money. (Customers wanted to buy organic products and the company knew that if they did not start carrying these items they would loose customers – and therefore loose business and money.) Individual customers (lots of them) were the catalyst for this huge corporation entering a new market (organic food).

This brings me to more questions. Will there be a catalyst for Walmart to improve its labor practices? And what will that catalyst be?

Read the New York Times blog here: Idea of the Day – It’s Getting Harder to Hate Wal-Mart
Read Corby Kummer's article from The Atlantic here: Will Walmart, not Whole Foods, save the small farm and make America healthy?

Promoting Cupcakes

2010-02-07T09:16:00.005-05:00

So, I recently posted an entry about Georgetown Cupcake on Through My Eyes (my food and travel blog). That entry was about the reason for my obsession with this little shop – the cupcakes. However, here I want to talk about something else – the recent Facebook and Twitter campaign that Georgetown Cupcake launched.

In January Georgetown Cupcake started making a daily secret “Fan Favorite” cupcake. The secret cupcake flavor is announced on Facebook and Twitter each morning and is free for Georgetown Cupcake fans. What a cool marketing idea! And I have to admit, I've fallen into the trap. Yes, I'm a Georgetown Cupcake fan on Facebook and I follow @GTownCupcake on Twitter too. The flavors are normally posted around 10 AM in the morning. So, every morning all 11,000 plus fans on Facebook and the 3000 plus followers on Twitter get a message about Georgetown Cupcake's secret cupcake of the day. And then they all start thinking about cupcakes. (Yes, this includes me.)

I think this is a great use of social media to promote a small business.

Cause Marketing is Here to Stay

2010-02-01T13:48:00.006-05:00

A lot of things have changed in media and advertising in the last decade. We have seen social media become part of our everyday culture. This has given way to many changes in how advertising messages are delivered and how companies vie for your patronage.

So, what is cause marketing?

Wikipedia defines cause marketing or cause-related marketing as “a type of marketing involving the cooperative efforts of a "for profit" business and a non-profit organization for mutual benefit. The term is sometimes used more broadly and generally to refer to any type of marketing effort for social and other charitable causes... Cause marketing differs from corporate giving (philanthropy) as the latter generally involves a specific donation that is tax deductible, while cause marketing is a marketing relationship generally not based on a donation.”

In other words, it is when a company does something good for society in order to win over the hearts and minds of consumers. It allows a major brand to participate in the community through helping solve social problems. (One could also argue that this really just creates the illusion of a big corporation participating in a neighborhood.) The infusion of social media into our daily lives has allowed marketing professionals to give this type of campaign a real local feel which adds to the appeal of these messages.

This morning I read an article in the New York Times about the Pepsi Refresh Project, the new cause marketing campaign being launched by Pepsi-Cola. The author of the article describes the intention of the campaign like this –

“The project is meant to tap into a booming trend for what is called cause-related marketing or pro-social marketing, by which corporations seek to back up their talk about benefiting society.”

Cause marketing is not new. Companies like American Express and Avon have connected with customers using this type of campaigns for decades. However, the launch of the Pepsi Refresh Project (http://www.refresheverything.com/) shows that it is now a mainstream way to connect with customers. Cause marketing is here to stay.

Here is the link to the New York Times article that inspired me to write this –

Pepsi Invites the Public to Do Good

What Comes Next

2010-01-21T08:39:00.004-05:00

In November I dedicated a blog post to writing about remembering to be thankful. This time I want to talk about new beginnings. I have found that in both life and in business, new and unexpected opportunities emerge in the face of adversary, uncertainty, or frustration. Often the new changes and chances far exceed previous expectations and ideas.

Several years ago I left a fairly stable career to try something new. I quit my job and enrolled in graduate school to pursue my MBA. It was a new beginning. It was also the catalyst of a great deal of positive change in my life.

Today I am at the turning point of more change. Last spring I received news that there would be a great deal of changes at my company. In the months that have elapsed since then, doubt, obstacles, and uncertainty have circulated creating a shadowy picture of the future. Now, the clouds have lifted and it is time for me to begin something new.

At the end of 2009 my husband and I relocated to Washington DC. In this city there is a much broader range of opportunities than in other areas of the country at this time. The only question that remains is which path is right for me?

Promoting BLANK in the Social Media Era

2010-01-07T10:21:00.013-05:00

A friend sent me a link to this YouTube video recently:

The goal of every marketeer is to convince customers to buy his or her goods or services whatever they may be. There have always been many ways to communicate with customers – advertising, media, word of mouth, endorsements, direct marketing, etc. Now, there is another medium customers are trusting more and more – social media.

In this video is a consumer decides he wants a BLANK. He learns about BLANK though social media and word of mouth. He researches BLANK through blogs, online peer recommendations and endorsements, and conversations with with people he trusts. At no point does he see an advertisement or commercial for BLANK – he instead relies on the social web and the advice of friends and family to gather the information.

The consumer then decides that he must have a BLANK and which BLANK he wants to buy. Again he uses the web and social media as information sources for these decisions.

So, given this knowledge how does a marketeer go about increasing the odds that this consumer will buy the BLANK his or her company is selling?

This video made me think about this question. What is changing in about the ways we gather information and make purchase decisions and what is staying the same? And how can I, as a marketeer and communicator, use these changes to my advantage?

Social media has created new communications channels, but it has also created new challenges. As I have previously discussed on this blog, authenticity is extremely important on the social web. So, is transparency. There is also an element of unpredictability on the social web that does not exist in traditional advertising and marketing communications channels.

Traditional advertising is like a window through which the consumer is shown the most desirable aspects of a given BLANK. When using the social web to promote a BLANK the window is gone and all the aspects of the BLANK are exposed. Now, a marketeer can still focus his or her marketing and advertising communications on the BLANK's positive points of differentiation, but he or she must be ready to respond to community discussions and reactions to the BLANK's weaknesses. Therefore, I think it is important that a marketeer must focus less on message control and more on discussion participation.

The social web is a particisipatory place, by standers get left behind. Brands are must participate or risk becoming only memories. A recent New York Times article discussed how Burberry recently launched one of the first interactive marketing websites for a luxury brand. The site – http://artofthetrench.com/ – is a collage of photographs of people wearing the brands coats. Consumers can browse the images, comment on the photos, share images with friends, and submit their own images. The site links to Facebook. This is a not new marketing technique – several other brands have created interactive, social media marketing campaigns – but it is new for a luxury brand and indicates that this type of communication is becoming more mainstream. And luxury brands do not want to get left behind.

So, what is the answer? What is the magic key? I do not think there is one answer. I think working with social media it is more of a learning process. A journey. The space is evolving and will continue to evolve. How we utilize social media and the social web – as individuals, as professionals, as brands, as companies, as organizations, and as nations – must also evolve.

A Time to Give Thanks

2009-11-25T20:42:00.000-05:00

The past several months have been a time of uncertainty in my professional life. In April it was announced that my company was to be acquired. Since then I have been watching and waiting to see what will change at the company and how this will affect me. Throughout this time I have experienced stress, relief, frustration, and sadness. I have watched colleagues leave and still I wait. I have worried and waited. It has given me time to think and to read and learn. And as the days go by, I have to continue to work in the face of a wavering future.

In addition, I have had time to re-evaluate where my career is today and where I want to steer it tomorrow. Self evaluation and contemplation has always been a learning experience. As a child I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up, but as I have gotten older my goals and aspirations have changed – at times drastically. In 2006, I decided to leave a successful career as a commercial airline pilot to return to graduate school and study business. This time of self reflection has not led me to such a drastic change, but helped me refine my goals and ambitions.

In addition, less than a month ago my husband got a new job in Washington DC. This has added a new element of change – and excitement – to our lives. And it has also provided me with some much needed distraction from the uncertainty of my current company's position. A cross-country move in less than a month is a tiring prospect! But, I am excited about moving to a new place and living in the nation's capital!

With this move comes new and increased professional opportunities for me. I have been focusing on gathering information and networking to be ready when we arrive in DC.

This brings me to the reason I am sharing this with you. Thanksgiving. Since April stress and worry have often been at the forefront of my attention. I have often emphasized the uncertainty of the future over the good fortune I have had throughout my career and currently still experience. So, this Thanksgiving comes at a perfect time to remind me to be thankful for what I have achieved, my continued good fortune, and my future opportunities. In addition, I am thankful for the people in my life – both personal friends and professional connections. And lastly, I am thankful for my family.

Thank you. And happy Thanksgiving!

The Right Words and Pictures

2009-10-29T23:13:00.000-04:00

Recently I was asked what I consider the most important aspect of a good marketing campaign. A simple enough question at face value – but really a very complex debate beneath the surface. I wanted to give a clean, precise answer but one does not really exist. It could be argued that the most complete answer to this question is my favorite answer – “It depends”. However, in this situation I wanted to be more specific than that. So, after a few minutes of thought I said that I thought the most important thing in any marketing (whether it be a complete marketing campaign, a single advertisement, or a direct marketing message) is good messaging.

Why do I consider good messaging the most important aspect in marketing?

Marketing is about persuasion. And it is about communication. The goal of every marketer is to convince the audience to either change – or continue – a certain behavior.

Buy this product. Eat at this restaurant. Shop here again. Read this newspaper. Watch this television channel. Drive this kind of car. Wear that brand. Go to this salon. Take this drug. Aspire to look like this. Vacation in this country. Visit this museum. Drink this brand of bottled water. Register to vote. Get this credit card. Save your money at this bank. Look more beautiful. Attend this school. Report crimes to the police. Serve your country. Go to this church. Read this book. Believe this philosophy. Want this object. Shop at this store. Spend your money here.

People all over the world receive many different – and often conflicting marketing messages every day. The goal of the marketer is to create a message (or advertisement) that will cause his or her audience to do what he or she wants (change – or maintain – a certain behavior). In other words, the marketer's goal is to create a message that is memorable and stands out in the noise. So, he or she must create a good message, one that resinates with the audience. That brings us to this question –

What makes a marketing message (or advertisement) good?

Answer? The right words and / or pictures. Sounds so simple, but in practice is extremely difficult. The right words form a unique message and communicate the idea clearly without any confusion or possible misinterpretation. Finding the right words and tying them together to create the right phrase is challenging – but it is essential for excellence in marketing. The right pictures create a spark in the mind of the viewer. Together good words and pictures create lasting memories.

Customer Service via Twitter

2009-10-01T12:30:00.000-04:00

In most cases customer service is the most important part of a business. This has always been true, but now with the internet it is even more so. Satisfied, happy customers are not only likely to be repeat customers, but they may also make positive comments about and support a brand both through word of mouth and online. On the other hand, unhappy customers will spread the message about their discontent. The internet has empowered customers to share stories and experience of poor customer service easily and quickly. That said, customer service is very challenging and few organizations get it right.

A quick web search for “bad customer service reputation” brings up lots of contenders for the worst offenders list – airlines, telephone companies, cable companies, grocery store chains – in the first few pages of results. There are lots and lots of blogs sharing horror stories or rants about bad experiences in great detail. However, a search on the term “good customer service reputation” brings up many articles analyzing why good customer service is important, how to articles for improving customer service, and consultants promising to have the magic key, but few mentions of corporate brands or industries. And when I read these articles I noticed that they generally contained more lofty ideas than concrete details. I thought about this a bit and deduced it down to this:

good customer service reputation search – lots of advice, few examples
bad customer service reputation search – lots of examples, little explanation

Interesting. So, what are people really doing to bring better customer service to their customers?

I want to share a story (with concrete details) about an unique way to provide good customer service from a company with a not so good reputation. Last Wednesday evening my husband and I tuned our cable to the Travel Channel to see what was on and instead were confronted with a message:

ONE MOMENT PLEASE
This channel should be available shortly.

So, instead we tuned to KQED and decided to watch PBS instead. On the following evening the Travel Channel showed the same message again.

I had called Comcast customer service in the past and the experience had almost always been frustrating. But, more recently I had heard about the @ComcastCares team's efforts to improve the company's customer service reputation using Twitter. (Here is an article about the company's use of social media to help customers – BusinessWeek: Comcast's Twitter Man.) So, I decided to give it a try. Before going to be Thursday evening I posted this tweet from one of my Twitter accounts (@Jessica_Travels):

@ComcastCares - The Travel Channel has been out at my house (94107 area) for 2 days - Can you please check why? Thanks!

Early Friday morning a public reply was posted on Twitter by @ComcastBill:

@jessica_travels dm me acct phone number [For non-tweeters, dm is short for direct message, a private messaging feature on Twitter.]

I contacted @ComcastBill and after a short exchange (all via Twitter) my issue had been resolved and the Travel Channel signal on my cable was back to normal! In addition, the communication I received from @ComcastBill was pleasant and the responses prompt. It was the best customer service I have received from a cable or telephone company ever!

So, what can I learn from this? I think it is a great example of a customer service team that really wants to turn around their company's reputation. Rather than trying to change the whole system, this team has decided to started communicating with customers and helping solve customer's problems via social media. While this may not replace or negate the need for improvement of the traditional contact channels for customer service (like telephone or in person), it is another way to help customers and companies that really care are starting to catch on.

An interesting side effect of solving people's problems on Twitter comes from the public nature of the forum. Except for the direct messages I sent to @ComcastBill containing my account number, most of our communication was in public. This allows other customers and potential customers to see how employees communicate with and help customers. And, most importantly, the public can see that my problem was resolved and I thanked @ComcastBill for his help:

@ComcastBill -Yes! It's much better now! Thank you!!!!
@jessica_travels woohoo
@ComcastBill - Thank you so much! You guys do a great job here!
@jessica_travels we try :-)

Not bad publicity.

So, thank you @ComcastCares and @ComcastBill! If I need customer service from Comcast again I will definitely contact you via Twitter!

Be Authentic and Engage!

2009-09-25T19:55:00.000-04:00

Social media can be overwhelming. Especially when using the platforms for marketing. Which platform, how to participate, what is expectable protocol? Lots of questions. And there is lots of advice from lots of different experts trying to tell you which answer is right.

Let me start by saying this: I do not consider myself an expert; I am still learning. Social media is a rapidly evolving landscape. As new platforms emerge and new communities form every day.

So, what do I think is most important when participating in social media? Audience engagement, content, messaging, timing, what?

Choosing the proper place to communicate with your audience is essential. Content is important. It must relevant and valuable. The information must be presented in a manner that is appropriate to the forum (wording, images, level of formality). The timing of a message can be very consequential to the outcome of the campaign. In the world of social media information can spread virally or get lost in the fray. All these things are necessary to consider, as are other traditional marketing factors.

Be authentic and engage! Social media forums are where people go to engage in conversations and share information. People expect two way dialogue when they react to something. This is not the place to polished, one-way advertisements and then walk away. It is a place to share information in an honest and authentic manner.

Be you. Be true to your brand. Engage in the conversation.

Anonymity in the Facebook Era

2009-09-19T18:23:00.000-04:00

If the trend of social media and the web is to create more transparency in just about everything what about a company whose product is valued on anonymity?

Today we often hear about upcoming news and developments by companies, organizations, and governments often before they reach fruition. Sometimes this is occurs through contrived and orchestrated communications campaigns intended to create buzz. Other times it is a result of leaks or just plain open conversations – there is no need to hide.

So, back to the company I am thinking about: Michelin. This morning I read an interesting article in the New York Times about the tight-lipped company's new campaign and communications plan to promote their guides. As stated in the article, Michelin has long prided itself on only having anonymous guides and never releasing information about their guides until they are published and on store shelves. Not exactly the model for an internet era business! The company's new campaign, which includes advertisements talking about their “famously anonymous” restaurant reviewers and a communications campaign on Twitter. At Michelin's first Twitter accounts – @MichelinNY and @MichelinSF – fans can read about restaurant news, dining experience comments from their “famously anonymous” reviewers, and small tidbits of information about upcoming Michelin guides. A big step into pulling back the opaque curtain of their operation.

But this raises another questions, is anonymity still valuable? In the internet world of instant gratification and instant communication, is being secretive still a good idea? And is there a difference between anonymity and secrecy? Is there a place where either is appropriate.

I am going to start with the last questions. I perceive secrecy and anonymity very differently.

SECRECY from Dictionary.com and the American Heritage Dictionary:

The quality or condition of being secret or hidden; concealment.
The ability or habit of keeping secrets; closeness.

ANONYMITY from Dictionary.com and the American Heritage Dictionary:

The quality or state of being unknown or unacknowledged.
One that is unknown or unacknowledged.

To me, secrecy is associated with intentionally hiding or giving misleading information about something. The events that come to mind in recent history when I think of secrecy are the attempts to conceal abuses at Abu Ghraib prison and recent cover-ups on in the banking industry regarding real loan losses and the potential risk of certain investments.

On the other hand, I associate anonymity with more honest dealings, such as journalistic sources and witnesses of crimes. To me, anonymity is used to protect an individual (either a witness, a source, or – in the case of Michelin – a restaurant reviewer) not to warp the truth.

Therefore, I believe secrecy is dead. Those who still attempt it are opening their business to a great deal of risk. However, when used wisely, anonymity can still add value and protect individuals who hold important information, but feel threatened to speak openly.

More About Twitter

2009-09-08T17:59:00.000-04:00

I wanted to talk a little more about Twitter and world events. In the last few months we have seen the power of social media affecting the flow of information and, possibly, outcome of events and world affairs. From the disputed elections in Iran to the deaths of pop star Michael Jackson and Senator Ted Kennedy Twitter becoming an important destination for information sharing and gathering.

During the disputed elections in Iran, the opposition supporters quite successfully used Twitter to communicate and organize in protest of the incumbent's supposed victory. In addition, the outside of Iran the rest of the world watched the drama of ballots, deceit, inquiry, and protest ending in the authorities quashing independent voices via Twitter. Even after the Iranian government blocked the Twitter website people found other ways to access the messaging service to stay in touch with friends, comrades, and the outside world.

When Senator Ted Kennedy lost his battle with cancer again Twitter was a central place for people to share their thoughts. Friends, colleagues, constituents, and journalists all shared their feelings, opinions, and reactions to Senator Kennedy's death. Many people used Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets to thank the senator for his service to the country. It took me a long time to decide how to thank you in 140 characters or less but finally decided to use the senator's own words:

"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die." - Senator Edward M. Kennedy, 1980.

In the more distant past, both the Obama and McCain campaigns used Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets to share news and information with supporters. The Obama campaign also incorporated social networking features into BarackObama.com (now Organizing for America). This allowed supporters around the country to more successfully connect and organize with their neighbors.

So, is Twitter just for news, politics, and culture? Most definitely not! Increasingly there are more and more brands that are joining the Twitter conversation. The Comcast Cares team is working to help customers and improve their companies image at the same time! Brands have been creating fan pages on Facebook for a while and are only recently learning how to be effective on Twitter.

A trend that I find particularly interesting is how small businesses are using Twitter. Owners of cafes, ice cream shops, and food stands are starting to use Twitter to share menus and special offers with their customers. Some of my favorite examples of this are:

The Crème Brûlée Man in San Francisco
Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in San Francisco
Cupcake Stop in New York City
Jacques Torres Chocolate in New York City
A good list of street food vendors in the US is available at Serious Eats.com.

I expect to see more and more individuals and companies creating interesting ways to communicate using Twitter in the future.

Why Twitter?

2009-09-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

Recently my mother posted a question as her Facebook status: “Why should I Twitter, too?!” That got me thinking; who should tweet and why?

I first signed up for Twitter in the beginning of 2008 and enthusiasticly jumped into the conversation. However, I quickly became frustrated by the limit of 140 characters and frequent appearance of the now infamous fail whale. My commitment to frequently checking Twitter and posting tweets quickly faded. But, my interest in the concept of Twitter remained. I randomly reinvigorated my curiosity and returned to investigate how things were going in the Twittersphere. Then I started reading about the numerous Twitter-based applications entering the marketplace.

Since I posted my first tweet over a year ago the site has grown at an astonishing rate. Between February 2008 and February 2009 the unique audience that visits the site has increased by 1,382% according the Neilson Online. (Read more at Mashable.com.) In addition, the site has become much more stable during this time and sightings of the fail whale are decreasing. Twitter is rapidly becoming part of our everyday information and communications channels.

So, brings me back to my original question: Who should tweet and why?

The simple answer to that is anyone with information to share. However, I think the better is anyone who has information to share that will add value to the community. This of course raises the question of what information has value to the community. My answer to that question is the ever ambiguous it depends. And, this brings us to the same argument that can be raised with spam and junk mail in email and postal mail. Of course there are many sides and opinions in this debate.

The interesting thing with Twitter is the collective community answers the question of value through their actions. Each individual decides which Twitter users he or she finds interesting and follows them. Twitter users who post interesting and valuable information get rewarded with lots of followers. Users who post boring, senseless, useless, offensive, or otherwise bad information do not get followers and can get blocked from following other users.

That brings me to another point – Twitter is not just a place to post your information, it is also a place to learn. Some people participate in the conversations by sharing information and others by reading, digesting, and learning. Personally, I use Twitter to share information that I find interesting and hope others do too and to gather information. The interesting thing about Twitter is that not only can you read news headlines – you can see what people are saying about the news real time. This has gained momentum with recent events, such as the elections in Iran and the deaths of Senator Edward M Kennedy and pop singer Michael Jackson.

Back to my mother's question, should she “Twitter, too”? The only thing I can say is it depends.

My Thoughts on Transparency Today

2009-08-12T02:39:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about social media and transparency. Before the internet was so prevalent around the world, it was easy for companies, public figures, and just about everyone to be private and / or conceal (delay the release of) information that could tarnish a reputation or be misunderstood. However, as news moved from just the printed paper and nightly television newscasts to include constantly updated news websites, RSS news feeds, blogs, SMS messages, social media platforms, and more, hiding or delaying the public release of information has become more difficult. Now news and information can travel and spread at rates unimaginable in the not so distant past and one blog post or tweet can set off a firestorm of discussion and debate, often without intention.

But, I think this is a good thing and brings me to why transparency is so important now. Being open and transparent actually reduces risk. Truth and honesty have been a successful way to build relationships, businesses, and reputations for centuries. That has not changed. Now there are just more forums to communicate in and the importance of being honest and truthful – or transparent – has increased.

Controlling information has often been equated with power, but it can also be connected to risk. With the rapid speed of information transfer with social media the risk of leaked information and creating a crisis situation increases. Transparency is more important than ever.

A Beginning

2009-08-11T21:27:00.000-04:00

I would like to introduce myself. I am a former military and commercial airline pilot, turned communications and marketing professional. I am passionate about creativity, innovation, and success.

I enjoy writing and sharing ideas. I have a blog about food and travel (Through My Eyes) and a blog where I post photographs I take (Pictures of My World); I have decided it is time to create a space to share my thoughts about communications, marketing, public relations, and business in general. So, this is it! Welcome!