In early 2007, Chris Heuer, Shel Israel, Deb Schultz, Giovanni Rodriguez, and I explored the evolution of social media within the enterprise at an intimate business event in Palo Alto. One of the more memorable discussions focused on the rise of an official role within business to listen to social discourse and channel inbound questions and comments as well as official responses. The question eventually arose, how do we classify this new role within the organization? The designation of “Community…
In Social Media, Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail
I’ve received many inbound requests for comments based on a report from Gartner, an IT analyst firm, that estimates as many as 70-percent of social media campaigns will fail in 2011. There are a series of discussions hitting the blogosphere and the Twitterverse exploring this very topic, some elementary and others on the right path. I contacted Gartner earlier this week and the problem is, that this data isn’t new at all. In fact, these discussions are fueled by information…
Research Report: Constellation’s Research Outlook For 2011
As an advisor to the Constellation Group, I am reposting the team’s first joint research report here. It offers a glimpse of the hurdles and opportunities organizations will face in 2011 and beyond… Organizations Seek Measurable Results In Disruptive Tech, Next Gen Business, And Legacy Optimization Projects For 2011 Enterprise leaders seek pragmatic, creative, and disruptive solutions that achieve both profitability and market differentiation. Cutting through the hype and buzz of the latest consumer tech innovations and disruptive technologies, Constellation…
Exploring the Twitterverse
Happy New Year! Twitter officially launched to the public in July 2006. By 2008, the universe of applications developed to enhance the Twitter experience was boundless. While the ecosystem was burgeoning with apps, the ability to track and manage the apps designed for specific purposes was elusive. I spent the better part of Fall 2008 studying and organizing the available Twitter apps available for new marketing, community management, and customer service professionals. Once organized, I published Twitter Tools for Marketing…
Best of 2010: Katie Couric on the Importance of Social Media
The last post in the “Best of 2010” series is an experience that won’t soon be forgotten. In 2010 I launched (R)evolution, a new video series that spotlights the people who are exploring and defining the future of business, culture, and media. In Episodes 11-13, I had the opportunity to sit down with one of my idols, Katie Couric, anchor and managing editor of the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC and correspondent for 60 MINUTES. Katie Couric is every…
Best of 2010: Getting to Know Your Friends, Fans and Followers
In 2010, we were introduced to the important distinctions between monitoring and listening. At the same time, we observed an emerging dichotomy between the social graph (your personal and professional connections) and the interest graph (those who share common interests, goals, and concerns). For business strategists, publishers, and marketers, windows into the world of customers and influencers were finally jarred open to reveal the people who define online markets. In 2011, we will place greater emphasis on listening as a…
Best of 2010: We the People
There’s an old saying that I think about more and more as I study technology and its impact on behavior…technology changes, people don’t. But nowadays, I’m not so sure. I think technology is indeed changing and us along with it. Whether it’s through social networks or digital lifestyle products such as iPhones and Kindles, we are adapting and perhaps evolving as a result. Through social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, we are learning to live our lives online,…
Best of 2010: The Future of Business is Social
Social media and marketing have become synonymous over the years. At the same time, social media is placing the customer back in customer service. Each movement represents important and overdue (r)evolutions within business, but this is just the beginning. With every step toward progress we make in social media, we uncover what’s necessary to make real headway in the progress of progress. The future of business is social and as such, every aspect of business affected by outside activity will…
The Year of Understanding Influence
2010 was the year where we revisited not only the definition of influence, but also deeply explored its meaning in today’s social economy. What represented an ongoing series of virtual global summits on the topic, influence was scrutinized as a way of better understanding its role in new media. It goes beyond academic study however. Influence permeated the realm of the masses and suddenly, we the people, were gifted with the opportunity to voice what moved us. In doing so,…
The Best of 2010: Hybrid Theory and the Future of Marketing
Jeremiah Owyang, industry analyst at Altimeter Group, published a report that sent shock waves throughout the global creative industry. For large agencies, it represented a harbinger of change. For specialized groups, the report was a declaration of validation. In his report, “How Social Media Boutiques are Winning Deals Over Traditional Digital Agencies,” Owyang documents the disruption facing traditional agencies. For those businesses already advanced in social media strategies and needs, budgets are turning to boutique shops as much as 8x…
