Big In Print
Digital: Columns
Are We Giving Up on Consumer-Generated Advertising?
That consumer-created advertising hasn't taken off should not be taken as proof that the larger concept of "user-contribution" is flawed.
The New and Improved 2010 Social-Media and Mobile Glossary
The Official Social-Media and Mobile Glossary of 2010, which Pete Blackshaw created in January, is already obsolete. A jargon refresh and "social stimulus" is in order -- this against a backdrop of "no-blink" social-media and digital speed. Here goes, and yes, a few of these are autobiographical.
Five Tweet-Worthy Observations About the New Twitter Interface
So is the new Twitter interface a step forward, sideways or backward? Will the power users, purists and post-happy pontificators freak along the lines of the Digg revolt a year ago? Any good lessons a CMO might draw from this platform's attempted migration to increased consumer happiness? If anything, Twitter's latest move is yet another push toward a world of real-time everything.
What's Your Brand's App?
As the digital and social opportunities risk morphing into that all-too-familiar blend of noise and clutter, the simple foundations and "boring basics" really matter. So while the brand "app" may at times feel like yet another one-off, it may in fact represent the most important cornerstone of digital strategy.
Do We Still Need Websites?
Before you start penning the "ditch the brand website" memo, hold your tweets for a moment. Websites are not going away -- they might be more important than ever -- but they serve a different and evolved purpose today, especially in this new "social" context.
Our Un-Social Social Media
In those rare instances where the fuzzy fog of social-media friendship and conversation finds authentic voice, how do we take it to the next level -- with real meaning and sustained traction?
The World Cup of Social Media
As the World Cup has demonstrated, the stadium is flattening. We're all part of a new genre in content creation and consumption called "fanned media." The fan voice is louder, infinitely more networked and viral, more inclusive, and unquestionably -- and wonderfully -- global. And there are tons of lessons here for marketers.
This Dad Is Glad He Bought an IPad
I'm not recommending the iPad as another technology panacea to save our schools. Old rules of parental involvement, coaching and hands-on teaching still apply. But the barriers to smart "curatorship" of interactive content have plummeted in a world where a device can practically be thrown across the room like a Frisbee. Any lessons for marketers? They would benefit from paying careful attention to how these "touch-and-play" tolls are resetting a new bar of expectation around design and simplicity.
Why It's Time to Hit the Reset Button on Trust
We need a new conversation on "trust." Radical new models are unfolding before our eyes -- from social commerce to one-click mobile ratings and reviews to trust-incubating "Service 2.0." The pace of change and disruptions begs a new dialogue and a new wave of thinking about we nurture trust and the credibility our conversations, platforms and models.
Marketers, Get Back to Boring
Maybe things haven't changed that much at all. Maybe what's missing in our "social" marketing transformation is the really boring and basic stuff. Maybe dull drives digital. Maybe fundamentals face us forward. Maybe boring is breakthrough.
A Short (and Personal) History of Social Media
Thousands are converging in New York and other global locations such as Berlin and Sao Paulo to celebrate and discuss this breathtaking and disruptive development in marketing and communication. Lest I not be counted in this participatory feast, I've concluded that a little introspection, and "past is prologue" historical reflection, might be in order.
If Google Goes, So Do Many Digital Marketing Opportunities in China
Google's confrontation with China and the Great Firewall have been a hot topics lately for those looking at censorship, but the fate of Google.cn in has implications for marketing and perhaps even trade relations.
The Official Social Media and Mobile Glossary of 2010
Only days into 2010, Pete Blackshaw thought it seemed fitting to take a big look over his shoulder (and even into the mirror) and affix labels and buzzwords to our curious stampede to the social media and mobile future. Here's his top 20.
As Kindle Moves Beyond Books, Hope for Paid Content
The Kindle has helped demonstrate that there's a market in paid content on "third" devices -- and that has, not surprisingly, made it the talk among top newspaper executives and other print-media professionals.
Quantifying the Long-Term Impact of the Tiger Woods Mess
Sponsors are starting to exit or phase out their relationship with Tiger Woods. First Gatorade, then, over the weekend, Gillette and Accenture. But are they really out of the rough? When bad news strikes, the web never forgets -- and this is a point sponsors undoubtedly weighed in their stay or run for the hills deliberation.
Three Words to Sing in 2010
If I were blessed with the musical or lyrical gifts of Jack Johnson, I'd kick off New Year with a tune inspired by the guitar-playing surfer's children's classic "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle." You know, the sustainably hummable tune from the Curious George movie. In my case, my 2010 anthem would be dedicated to my fellow marketers -- yeah that's you -- and it would focus on three equally important words: "Serve, Shrink and Simplify."
Is AOL Perfuming the Pig or Moving the Needle?
A corporate rebrand, if created and communicated properly can: unite employees behind a common cause and engender pride, symbolize a shared vision, break with the past, signal a future (direction) and create a difference that drives the top-line and profit. Or it can become a very costly "paint job" -- a waste of a great deal of money. Incorporating some new logos runs anywhere from $3 million to $50 million for a full program, which is a hefty sum to pay just as you're charged with laying off 2,500 staffers.
What Best Buy Learned About Service as Marketing and Empowering Employees
As the high season of holiday shopping pain (or gain) arrives, I find myself fixated -- perhaps irrationally, and certainly emotionally -- on Best Buy's Twelpforce, the viral army of 2,200 employees who answer questions and solve customer problems via the customer-care channel we know as Twitter. Self described as "a collective force of Best Buy tech pros offering tech advice in Tweet form," the program has nearly 15,000 "followers" and it's growing. Think Apple Genius Bar but without the physical counter.
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Real-Time Search Circus
Yes, there's a bit of a circus going on with real-time search, and a new player seems to appear weekly. Meanwhile, we get predictions of how Google and Bing had better do something soon with it -- or else.
Watching TV While Online Still Leaves Some Time for Ads
While a plurality of folks ages 12 to 64 say they don't notice either TV or online ads when they are watching TV and on the web, a lot say they do notice.
