New and Social Media Solutions for a Connected Age
Connected World Media is an Internet marketing consultancy specializing in New Media marketing techniques and media production services. From on-lne video to social networks to Twitter, Connected World Media helps you understand what these technologies mean for your business and how best to take advantage of them.
A little housekeeping as I talk about some changes for the new year. First, a new website with more emphasis on the blog. Second, this very podcast is now called Connected World Radio. I mention two shows that have full discussions on the “podcasting is dead” topic.
Speculation about the health of Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been swirling for over a year. People are taking more notice of his physical appearane than the products he announces at his famous presentations. Apple has been characteristicly mum on the topic, giving no indication of Steve’s real condition.
Finally, this Sunday, Steve Jobs published a letter to the Apple community talking about the real reason for his obvious weight loss over the year. It’s obvious from the end of the letter it’s something he did not want to do. Steve Jobs has never liked talking about personal matters. The problem is Steve Jobs is no ordinary individual. He isn’t even an ordinary CEO. Jobs is a personality, a rock star if you will. When you are one of the most watched and popular CEO’s in corporate America, and when so much of the health and future of your company appears to rest on your shoulders, you’re going to get the increased scrutiny.
In the new social media world of increased transparency and openness, Apple is one of the worst companies. They do not play in this world. As innovative as their producs are, Apple marketing is as traditional as ever. The Apple community is amazingly strong and creates plenty of it’s own user generated content, but Apple almost never talks directly with the community. Apple gets away with it, though, because Jobs “reality distortion field” is so strong and their producs are so strong. But this may not last forever
Until Jobs finds a way to clone himself, Apple remains a cult of personality and when someday Jobs is forced to retire, Apple will have to find it’s way without him. If you want a good profile of Steve Jobs and his personality, I recommened reading The Second Coming of Steve Jobs. The book gives you a good idea of why Apple is the way it is. With Jobs gone, I think Apple will have to change. They will have to start using more social media tactics of transparancy and engadement with customers. My goodness, they might even have to start an actual blog.
One of the most challenging things I do as a social media consultant is try to explain Twitter to clients. Most people have an immediate and pretty consistent reaction to Twitter at first. “That’s the dumbest thing I have ever seen” “I don’t get it at all, why would I ever want to do that?” I hear it all the time and guess what? I said the very same things when I first discovered Twitter. I resisted Twitter myself for a long time. I eventually decided as a social media expert I couldn’t simply dismiss something out of hand with out trying it first, so I dived in. Only by adding friends and experiencing Twitter first hand did I begin to understand the power and usefulness.
I’m not sure Twitter is something that can be explained at this point. As I said to a recent client, look, Twitter is like a ball of clay. It’s nothing really, but also everything. It’s whatever you make of it and different people do different things with it. It’s one of the aspects that makes it so hard to explain. Is there alot of flack and nonesence on Twiter, sure. But that’s not the sum total of the Twitter experience. If you focused on certain aspects of a knife, you might say it’s a dangerous wepon that can ingure of kill. Why would I ever want to use one. But, of course, that’s not the sum total experience of a knife. Most people use it as an important tool to prepare food. Don’t let the trivial aspects of Twitter fool you, there is serious marketing, PR and branding going on on Twitter daily. Major corporations are starting to figure it out such as ToysRUs, Dell, and Ford. They are listening, engading and making a difference with real customers. My friend and social media cohort Ron Ploof wrote a terrific e-book on how Ford’s Scott Monty used Twitter to put to rest a potentially very damaging PR firestorm. ToysRUs did a great job over the Christmas holiday season answering customers questions on toys, availabiity and other customer issues. A more enjoyable experience than waiting on hold endlessly.
Not every social media tool is right for every business or every situation, so the first thing to do is determine is Twitter is right for your business. Then, think about a strategy based on a clear purpose and outcome. How will you mold the Twitter clay? Is it a branding tool, customer service, a listening post? How can you provide value and service to your followers? If you don’t like the sillyness of Twitter, than come on in and start adding value.
The new Obama 08 iPhone app is amazing and a real political tool. Also, two twitter stories: CNN uses twitter very effectively and ABC uses twitter to launch it’s new show, Life On Mars.
The Obama campaign for president released today an application for the iPhone that is simply brilliant. It’s a free download from the Apple iTunes store. Not only is the application beautifully designed and easy to use, it has terrific functionality and a clear purpose.
Design-wise, this is one of the best iPhone applications I have ever seen. It keeps well to the Obama campaign colors and graphic themes. It also adhears perfectly to all iPhone application standards. I’ve seen plenty of other iPhone applications from reputable companies that are no where near as good as this one. Remember the train wreck that was the Audi racing application?
But this application isn’t just a pretty face. There is clear purpose here. One of the most important aspects of a national election campaign is phone calling. Millions of dollars are spent setting up phone banks and aquiring lists of names. With this application the Obama campaign can unleash an army of phone callers at no cost. The application searches your built in phone book and by area code determins who among your contacts are in certain battle ground states and sets you up for calling them. It even keeps track of who has been called and who has not. Other features include a get involved button which, using the build in location aware feature of the iPhone, finds your local Obama HQ and other local events and activities you can participate in. The Media section includes lots of video from Obama speaches that you can watch and email to your friends. Again, a method to spread the word. This is how virtal marketing really works. Finally, there is an issues tab which provides detailed information on Obamas positions on a variety of issues.
Obama has been heralded as the campaign that has best used the Internet and new media to great effect. Here we see the campaign really walking the walk and living up to this reputation in spades.
I’m a big Apple fan and I own lots of Apple products including a first generation iPhone. I was somewhat shocked to read some statements from Apple product head Greg Joswiak about some iPhone features customers have been wanting. As far as copy and paste goes, the article says:
Apple has a priority list of features, and they got as far as they could down that list with this model, Joswiak said
Really? Apple’s priority list of features certainly does not match up with its customers priority list because every iPhone owner I know had copy and paste at the top of that list. It smacks of the elitism that has always been a part of Apple if you look closely. We’ll do what we please and you’ll like it. For the most part we do because what they create is amazing. For all the talk of Open Source and freedom on the Internet, Apple is the most closed, proprietry company there is. So, Apple will give you copy and paste on the iPhone when they are darn good and ready and until then you will sit quietly and wait.
Interesting video as President Bush asks that the cameras be turned off and then makes some remarks we have to assume he didn’t want recorded. Unfortunately these days, especially when you are a public figure, the cameras are never off. Somebody out there has a cell phone with video or some other kind of pocket recording device. We live in a time of constant recording. To many people are carrying devices capable of recording and distributing that recording to millions via the Internet is also so easy now. One camera I saw yesterday specifically records video in YouTube compatible format, a feature that was highlighted prominently on the box. Remember when America’s Funniest Home Videos was a top TV show? Now YouTube is America’s Funniest Home Videos. Watch yourself out there in public because the camera is never off. Neither is the audio recorder or the snapshot.
