If a conversation takes place online and you’re not there to hear it, did it really happen? On August 5, 2008 JESS3 and I introduced version 1.0 of The Conversation Prism. Today, I’m proud to announce The Conversation Prism Version 3.0. With the introduction of 3.0, our view of the social media panorama is updated and also reflective of the real world that is embracing and organizing the social Web. One of the aspects that make social media so fascinating…
The Great Brand Dilution
For decades brands basked in the glory of control, control over consumers’ perceptions, impressions and ultimately decisions and ensuing experiences. Or better said, business leaders enjoyed a semblance of control. While businesses concentrated resources on distancing the connections between customers, influencers and representatives, a new democracy was materializing. This movement would inevitably render these faceless actions not only defunct, but also perilous. Fueled by the socialization of media, content and connections served as the foundation for this new democracy and…
(R)evolution Episode 3: Rick Bakas on Social Media, Wine and Engagement
Welcome to the third episode of (R)evolution, a new series that connects you to the people, trends, and ideas defining the future of business, marketing, and media. My guest this time around is Rick Bakas (@rickbakas) of Bakas Media, previously director of social media at St. Supery Winery in Napa Valley. Note: This is a live setting and there are a few spots where offscreen noise is a factor. Stay focused, Rick represents what’s going on in the front lines…
The Socialization of Business: Your Dirty Little Secrets are No Longer Secrets
If a conversation takes place online and you’re not there to hear it, did it really happen? Conversations do not fall into a black hole never to be heard again. And, there is no event horizon preventing their escape. The social effect is more powerful than we realize. The truth is that if one voice or a chorus of voices finds the right audience, not only will businesses realize that conversations are taking place, they will find a miraculous cure…
(R)evolution Episode Two: Silicon Valley vs. The World with Sarah Lacy
Today marks the debut of the second episode of (R)evolution, a new series that connects you to the people, trends, and ideas defining the future of business, marketing, and media. Please welcome author, TV personality, TechCrunch blogger, and business journalist Sarah Lacy… Living in Silicon Valley, tech startups and industry giants serve as common fixtures, much in the same way movie studios and production companies adorn Hollywood. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are on the minds and in the conversations of…
Women Who (Do) Tech: Moving Forward, Seizing the Future
by Cathy Brooks (@CathyBrooks, CathyBrooks.com) This is not another post about the “issue” of why there are fewer women in business and technology. This is a post about doing something about it. You would think based on coverage, like this article last April in the New York Times and this more recent post in the Wall Street Journal that women had made little to no progress in Silicon Valley. Hogwash. To be fair, if we’re talking raw numbers women are…
(R)evolution Episode One: Empowering Your Employees and Customers with Josh Bernoff
Welcome to the premier episode of (R)evolution, a new series that connects you to the people, trends, and ideas defining the future of business, marketing, and media. In show number one, Forrester’s Josh Bernoff discusses his new book Empowered, co-authored with Ted Schadler. An old proverb declares, “may you live in interesting times.” Indeed we do. The markets that define the business landscape for brands, organizations, and local businesses are democratizing. At the same time, the dynamics of influence, who…
Social Media: It’s All Part of a Master Plan…or Is It?
Twitter presence…CHECK Facebook Brand Page…CHECK YouTube Channel…CHECK Socialized Business Strategy…TBD While showing up to the party represents a noteworthy effort, a bona fide social media strategy this checklist does not make. Creating presences, listening to conversations tied to keywords and superfluously responding to updates and questions creates a facade of engagement that is at best trivial. And, quite frankly, without a true investment of intention, attention and conviction (I.I.A.C.), we minimize the opportunity before us as well as the thoughts,…
This is Your Time to Make a Difference: Engage or Die
We live in amazing times. Perhaps what makes it so special is that the present is rewriting the future for so many things held sacred over the years. So many industries, processes, politics, beliefs and myths clouded or seized our responsibility and capacity to force innovation and ultimately the change that is needed and long overdue. At the root of this however, is what fuels evolution and revolution… #you You helped define social media. You helped democratize the ability to…
5 Not-So-Easy Steps to Managing Your Brand Online
Unless you literally run your business with your ears plugged and your eyes covered, you are aware of the importance of social media and its impact on both brand and bottom line. However, while social media is the topic du jour in mainstream news, on blogs, in books, at conferences and at your local Starbucks, we may still underestimate its overall promise and potential. The socialization of business is comparable to the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland or the…
