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Saying Goodbye to Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs - 1955-2011

It's a little strange: feeling so close to someone you've never met. I've read countless tweets, posts and articles all expressing much of the same sentiments -- that Steve was a genius, a leader, an innovator, a risk-taker, an admirable human being that throngs of people felt intrinsically connected to.

I've had the misfortune (or fortune depending on how you like to see the glass) of experiencing a lot of loss and heartache. That's part of my personal story. But your perspective becomes markedly different when a community of strangers suffers a loss together.

In Canada, Jack Layton was taken from us in August -- by Cancer. Steve Jobs suffered the same, horrifying fate. To be stripped of your life by something so cruel and unforgiving is equally as unbearable to experience as it is to watch, I think.

I recall the announcement of Steve's resignation -- walking into work the next day, I was inundated with everyone's thoughts, both business and personal. I'm your quintessential Machead and have never hid it. Steve said that if he felt he could no longer perform at his standard as the head of Apple he would step down, and when he did we could all almost hear the ominous clock counting down.

It hasn't sunk in for me yet. Reading through everyone else's personal stories about how Steve inspired them, about how Steve was the only reason they were who they were today, about how Steve had irrevocably changed the world showed me how deeply rooted he was in people's lives. He wasn't just a businessman or a technologist.

Steve is no doubt a legend. And I believe he's one of those indescribable people we will hold in high reverence always.

As my jaw dropped when I read that first tweet from Forbes on Wednesday, October 5 announcing his death, I could only think how sad it is to lose. But I remind myself always how much sadder it would be to never have had at all.

Goodbye Steve. And to those of you staring hardship and loss in its dark, bottomless eyes, remember him, because he took his "3 months to live" sentence and transformed it into 7 glorious years of incomparable global impact.

California’s ‘Got Milk?’ Makes PMS Its Newest Target

Healthy bones. Healthy smile. Healthy you. All the fantastic benefits of milk!

But if you're a woman, looks like milk can do a whole lot more.

Finding yourself down in the dumps on a monthly basis? Cramps, bloating and irritability affecting your life? Well, apparently milk can help with all that -- it's the new cure-all for PMS (premenstrual syndrome)!

And to help you out, The California Milk Processor Board has launched a 'Got Milk?' PMS campaign with agency, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners:

Honestly, if you're a man and you attempted this, I feel sorry for you! Not a smart move!

I hope you're thinking this campaign is fantastic: it's edgy, controversial, and modern. Well, if you are, looks like you're in the minority this time.

Got Milk?'s PMS campaign seems to have suffered from its own symptoms of crabbiness and irritability having been pulled early amid unfavourable reviews. According to Adweek, the campaign was set to run until the end of August, accompanied by a website originally titled EverythingIDoIsWrong.org.

The website has now been redirected to GotDiscussion.org with a slew of all the negative commentary about the campaign posted directly on the homepage -- a great PR choice for today's online landscape.

Creative is controversial

From a marketing viewpoint, I commend their tenacity to take such a risk. However, when Steve James of the Milk Board told The New York Times that "It certainly wasn't our intention to offend people. We regret that. No question, with some people we have stepped over the line. We certainly misjudged the heat generated by the people who thought we stepped over the line." I call a huge, massive, honking BLUFF!

There can be no way this Creative wasn't meant to incite controversy. At its very core is a highly sensitive, often negatively stereotyped topic that both men and women misinterpret and misaddress on a regular basis.

If you're going to take the risk, if you're going to be controversial, then at least have the cahones to stand by that choice. A bit of backlash and the campaign is pulled -- that shows weakness and it also colours the client as being misinformed and unaware.

(But I guarantee that they knew!)

What about the women?

On the other side, it's about the audience (not the marketing or the client). I'm a woman. I understand the intricacies of PMS. I also understand how it is manipulated, humiliated and given an ugly face by the media, by both genders, and even by medical professionals. Just watch a tampon ad with uber-happy, twirling women in white skirts -- it's a joke! Menstruation has become a joke.

But are you really offended?

So would I call myself offended -- perhaps slightly. Mainly because I've seen this happen so many times before: take aim at the easiest target (however benign or malicious your intent) and something will stick. The campaign has created buzz, hasn't it? But I certainly don't think any Milk board wants women second-guessing their purchase decision in the supermarket based on some miscalculated flub.

After all, we know that women hold the decision-making power for the majority of household purchases, and that definitely includes groceries. It's important to keep those with power happy. (Even more important to not be sexist.)

Perhaps more so, though, I am offended by the California Milk Board. Were they coerced to run this campaign? Coerced into handing over thousands of dollars? Coerced into offending more than half of North America? If so, my condolences. If not (which is where my money would lie), then please make good and own up, don't pull the campaign and cite innocence and ignorance. If you're going to anger now and apologize later, then you've already lost.

Coltan: Today’s Digital Epidemic

A recent Globe and Mail Article -- Smartphones: Blood stains at our fingertips -- by Iain Marlow and Omar El Akkad discussed an extremely relevant issue concerning today's technology that I knew nothing about: Coltan.

Coltan is a rare mineral located -- in its largest deposit -- in Eastern Congo, a noted war-ridden region of Africa. But, even in its rarity, it makes it into our everyday North American lives in the form of tantalum: an integral part of the circuitry inside our favourite smartphones, PCs, laptops and other treasured high-tech devices.

The mining and sale of this expensive mineral is known to fund warlords in Congo, while the consuming public remains oblivious. Much like the catastrophic impact of Blood Diamonds only a couple years ago, Coltan is the new-found blood on our ignorant hands.

As consumers, we thrive off of the marketer's message. The guarantee of high-quality technology in an unavoidably digital age sold to us at a fair and reasonable price.

But we're being duped. Or at least the segment of the consuming public that cares about human life is being duped. And I would hazard to say that that segment is markedly large.

When asked, we rise to the occasion -- Americans and Canadians alike. I believe this wholeheartedly. If paying a little more for my BlackBerry or iPhone or iMac means saving lives, do I really have the choice to say no?

When disaster struck Haiti or Pakistan or even right here at home, did we say no? Did we say we wouldn't help? This is another disaster, one that has killed millions of lives for more than a decade.

So, if it takes some more money for me to have the freedom to write this on my MacBook in a comfy chair with no threat at my door, then I readily accept that option. Because I think one thing we certainly can't afford to say is no.

But, alas, one large part of this issue is marketing the need for that support, to reach out and help those in need. This next decade will present to us a new era in messaging and marketing. Wherein it is not only about the latest technology and its bevy of indescribably awesome features, but also about what that organization represents and what your purchase stands for.

Please read this article and pass it on: Smartphones: Blood stains at our fingertips. Change is now at your fingertips.

Why RIM’s ‘PlayBook’ Should’ve Been Called ‘BlackBook’

Seven days now since the announcement of RIM's work-in-progress tablet computer, BlackBerry PlayBook. The specs, impressive. The design, in line with RIM's BlackBerry smartphones. The name, clearly a joke.

But it isn't. Unless, RIM is planning a whole charade of odd branding and marketing decisions surrounding this iPad-killer hopeful. Will Balsillie emerge from the caverns of Waterloo laughing uncontrollably in a public statement announcing that 'the PlayBook was only a hoax, imagine us calling our cutting-edge tablet the PlayBook...'? And the conspiracy theorists are already chirping.

But I have to say that the likelihood of Jim making any such pronouncement is simply my fiction getting the better of my fact.

And affixing "BlackBerry" to the front of the name does not improve the situation. Is that supposed to make it more viable, more defined, more "enterprise"? And aren't the two identities clashing already -- Business versus Pleasure -- BlackBerry versus PlayBook is more like it.

So let's strip away the "BlackBerry" for a moment and look at the device in its most naked form. Why 'PlayBook', when RIM clearly positioned the device as an "enterprise ready professional tablet" in its fancy introductory video. Is RIM telling us that Suits just aren't playing enough or that RIM itself is perhaps losing at the Apple-predominant playing field of rocking consumer devices (pun intended).

It really is simply RIM, you should've chose BlackBook (not Blackberry PlayBook):

  • First off, 'BlackPad', as many tech and blog sites were contending as a frontrunner for the name of the new RIM tablet, is simply not doable, at least RIM wasn't so nearsighted to actually share names with an Apple product ... iPad anyone?

  • Second, 'BlackBook' is cool. Quite simple actually, just watch The Social Network movie to understand where I'm coming from. B2B or B2C, cool does matter. The name itself denotes status and marketability.

  • Third, 'BlackBook' is not only sleek and enterprise-minded but also fashionable and commercial. It appeals to the sensibilities of both the enterprise and consumer sectors with little effort.

  • Fourth, instead of marrying BlackBerry and PlayBook in some type of incestuous RIM relationship why not create some brotherly -- or sisterly -- love by mirroring the incredibly strong brand identity of the BlackBerry with a new product entitled 'BlackBook'. The smartphone and tablet will be undeniably related with 'device-pairing' as a key selling point. Apple chose the "i", so is it really foolish to think that RIM could not do the same by finding some type of niche for identification that its target can recognize and relate to.

  • Most importantly, RIM is trying too hard with the 'PlayBook'. A device whose main focus is in fact not play but business, so the video says. There must be a balance between functionality and branding. There must be unity across all lines. Simply put, there must be 'BlackBook'.

I can't say I yet understand RIM's decision to opt for PlayBook. Who knows what other names floated around during that brainstorming session, but it seems RIM has their strategy and target market confused.

iPhone 4 Sparks Line Up Frenzy in Canada (And Invalidates Antennagate)

Line-up at Mississauga's Square One for Apple's iPhone 4 (Day of Launch)

I dropped by Mississauga's well-known Square One Shopping Mall early on July 30th, the Canadian launch of Apple's iPhone 4, and was surprisingly greeted by a lengthy line up of eager-eyed and probably sleep-deprived prospective purchasers.

For those of you who know the location, the line extended from the store itself (pictured above) down a hallway, round the escalators trickling off at the end of CitySide (pictured below).

End of Line-up at Mississauga's Square One for Apple's iPhone 4 (Day of Launch)

I have to admit I didn't expect to see as many people as I had since the line up for iPad at the same location was perhaps an eighth of what I saw on Friday!

With mounds of controversy surrounding purported antenna issues on Apple's new device, now dubbed 'Antennagate', I wondered if fear would consume the buying public. I'm so glad to say that they were far from afraid, in fact, news reports quoted many patrons as citing the antenna issue as blown out of proportion.

Important to consider in this Apple scenario is what is motivating the buyer to pursue the purchase despite the bombardment of negative media? Simply put, a well-designed, well-executed product from a historically trustworthy source.

What the line ups and the frenzy and the sales success prove is that today's buying public are much smarter than perhaps we give them credit for. Willing to do the research, parse through media bias and stand for hours upon hours. Apple has done the utterly commendable in creating a loyal customer base that continues to develop and break conventional psychographic and demographic descriptors. The average purchaser of an Apple product can no longer be boxed into the 'young, tech-savvy, Apple-aware' group, as the above pictures clearly show.

Apple is spreading its wings, breaking boundaries and doing so with a strong, consistent strategy that has slowly but amazingly penetrated the market.

And in case you're wondering if I've made the purchase plunge, I've decided to hold out a while longer to see if the white version ever comes to fruition, at which point, I hope someone at Apple might find it in their heart to personally send me one!

So You Think You Know Everything About iPhone 4?

So you've perused the features, perhaps drooled a bit at the imagery and maybe hailed Jobs the all-time, hall-of-fame tech guru? But have you considered Apple's business strategy? Or better yet, its marketing strategy?

Apple expertly understands the market, what they want, when to give it to them and, most importantly, when to hold back. Aptly put in this National Post article, Apple harvests targeted strategy, Apple is not the quintessential inventor but rather, as I like to put it, the re-innovator!

Let's extrapolate now on the strategy of Mr. Jobs and his crew of Merry Geniuses:

Hardware Design
It's different. And yes, Apple is all "think different", all the time. But it's not exactly an ogre to prince transformation here [side Shrek reference!]. Some may perceive this negatively, positing why Apple hasn't pushed the design limits further like some of its competitors, Sony, namely.

Apple keeps it fresh, simple and innovative. The team balances clean design with full-featured ferocity. Plus, Apple only offers one mobile device -- unlike ALL of its competitors, who release a multitude of options to the consuming public. By doing this, Apple focuses your attention, simplifying the purchase decision while simultaneously offering the benefit of continuous improvement for that single device, the iPhone.

iMovie
Strategy is easy here. You have to pay for it, a measly $4.99, I believe. It's not much. But picture this, every consumer who makes the iPhone 4 purchase cannot possibly go without iMovie, it essentially renders the movie-editing prowess of the device useless. Thus, Apple instantaneously pulls in another $5 per iPhone sold, it may sound small but just multiply that 5 by millions and it's nothing but profit heaven.

iBooks
Strategy here is also easy. This app comes with the phone. No need to pay -- though you will pay for the books you want to read, but only once because of the ultimate syncing capabilities.

So, Apple gives you iBooks, but asks you kindly to purchase iMovie (an app that ships free with iLife on all Mac computers). I see this as an interesting and creative tradeoff. You give some and you take some. Kudos, Apple!

The Screen
Apple's newly-dubbed "retina display" with more pixels than the human eye can detect is a huge leap, but the screen itself has actually stayed the same size. The focus, however, is not on size but on quality. And Apple has always relied heavily on emphasizing quality with a hard-to-beat no-fail attitude. Another trade-off? Perhaps.

There are a plethora of other features, enhancements and Apple idiosyncrasies I could pick apart, but what I want to stress is the strategic importance that backs each of these. Apple is the powerhouse when it comes to product announcements and releases, and it's significant to understand the implications of their every move and the careful thought that is most certainly poured into every decision.

Google Is Number One in the PSFK Good Brands Report

PSFK has spoken, and what they have to say is mostly expected but not any less inspiring. Their annual Good Brands Report ranks Google as the number 1 reigning brand for a second year.

Apple takes the second spot with Nike at 7 and Twitter at 8, all presumably predictable outcomes given their perceived brand power. However, the list is not a Google / Apple promo session, it, in fact, throws in some welcome twists with Jamie Oliver (3), MIT (4), Ace Hotel (5), and Foursquare (9) gracing the list.

PSFK Good Brands Report 2010

What is the Good Brands Report?

Being a genuinely good brand in 2010 takes more than a widely used product and an ubiquitous global presence. Though there is no precise formula, what the ten good brands on our list have in common is a penchant for imagination, innovation, environmental responsibility and social consciousness. -- Piers Fawkes, PSFK, Founder

Well, if that's all it takes! Each brand is ranked out of 10 in the above four categories by a panel of industry experts. This isn't just another list, if anything, it should grow to be a definitive source of insightful brand analysis for not only equity and awareness but also social and marketing impact.

Why Google?
Connectivity. Openness. Accessibility. Customization. And Free.

These five factors are what I extrapolated from the report as determinant of Google's success not only as a brand but as a global enterprise with an incalculable amount of clout.

Google's ability to remain true to its core product in search and yet simultaneously branch out into a mobile phone OS with Android, a Microsoft Office rival with Google Docs, along with Buzz, Wave, and a host of SEO apps has redefined the act of differentiation.

PSFK does a wonderful job at eloquently summarizing the highlights of what makes Google the number one pick. The report adopts a refreshing focus, instead of only dictating the facts of Google's success, it also effectively relates how you and I can apply the same in our own business and marketing practices.

Why Not Apple?
Apple isn't exactly a loser in this situation, only shy from the number one spot by 0.16 points, Apple is clearly catching up to Google in the brand category -- and, in some areas, has already far surpassed it.

Apple outranked Google in the categories of innovation and imagination, and, well, if it hadn't, I'd be rather alarmed. Outside of search and Google's everything-sharing application in Wave, Google isn't necessarily known for imagination, but more so slight reinvention.

Most of the score differences were admittedly slight, with Google really only stealing the thunder in the social responsibility category, which is somewhat expected given Apple's tepid past with suppliers.

PSFK deems Apple a true game-changer, no arguments here, driven by its product design, endless innovation and futuristic thinking all centred on user experience. What Apple does best is reinvention -- reinvention executed so well that it borders on real invention. From the CPU to the iMac. The mp3 to the iPod. The mobile phone to the iPhone. And now the tablet to the IPad. Apple's game is founded upon taking what the market currently offers and making it so incredibly irresistible to a consumer that it can transform any desire into an absolute necessity.

Even without the number one spot, Apple is a dangerously powerful and still-growing brand.

What You Need to Learn from PSFK
Ultimately, success is derivative of many things, but we should all listen to what PSFK (and its industry experts) have to say. The report is not just a simple-minded overview of today's brands but rather a teaching guide indicative of what marketing success means in 2010.

Out of PSFK's 10 Key Learnings, what we all need to understand and practice is "re-imagining the world". It's a beautiful thing that can foster change, encourage passion, and spawn innovation. So, start asking yourself, how could you see or do things differently?

Read the full PSFK Good Brands Report 2010.

The Art of Marketing: A Grand Success

Seth Godin. Mitch Joel. Sally Hogshead. Max Lenderman. James Othmer. Dan Heath. Six marketers, authors and visionaries brought together by The Art of Marketing, a conference inherently designed to radically change how you live in the wonderful world of marketing.

The Art of Marketing

Yesterday, I was in the midst of an awe-inspiring conglomerate of thinkers, or to take a page from Godin, geniuses. The energy that these six individuals emitted into the massive room of 1,600 ("...of the top marketers in Canada," as MC Ron Tite repeatedly put it and I didn't mind!) was palpable and envious.

I must admit that the day is still a bit of a haze as I gather my thoughts, learnings and inspiration for my future in marketing, so what follows is a brief summation (with more to come!) of the 6 sessions:

Mitch Joel -- Six Pixels of Separation
Right off the top, funny and engaging, and Mitch knew what he was talking about. I trusted him immediately and that is a wonderful tone to set for the marketing event of my year.

Key Takeaway: Burn your ship and press ctrl+alt+del on your marketing. Start over with a fresh slate and outlook, and focus on caring about who not how many.

Seth Godin -- Creativity, Innovation & Leadership
When Seth walked onto that stage, I tweeted that I would've had goosebumps if it wasn't so hot in the room! It's true. When the almighty guru of marketing decides to grace you with his presence, you can't help but hang onto his every last syllable. What makes Seth the best: engagement. He tells a story that means something, and he tells it with an authenticity that is near impossible to fake.

Key Takeaway: Decide whether or not you're a genius. A genius is someone who solves interesting problems in novel, unexpected ways. To hone that genius, abandon the factory, the manual, the status quo and the lizard brain so that what you're left with is leadership, change and success.

Sally Hogshead -- Persuasion, Influence & Fascination
So can we please hear it for a whole lot of female empowerment? Sally was beyond sincere, down-to-earth and expressive in all the right ways. And frankly put, I want to be her friend.

Key Takeaway: You and your brand need to be fascinating. And by being fascinating, you ensure that you're telling the right story to those who want to listen.

James Othmer -- Branding & Storytelling
Admittedly, he was a nervous speaker, and I'm sure the 1,600 sets of eyeballs didn't help. But James' forward-thinking ethos connected tradition with what is yet to come.

Key Takeaway: The lines are blurring between mediums. It is now the marketer's responsibility to minimize the tension between art, commerce and ethics, which make up the brand.

Max Lenderman -- Experiential Marketing
A young guy with a broad view and an equally far-reaching voice. Max was an experience, and, as he likes to put it, experience makes people act. Again, he reiterated those central and all-powerful themes of leadership, engagement and connectivity.

Key Takeaway: Think of and integrate the visceral experience in your marketing.

Dan Heath -- Marketing Strategy and an Elephant
An all-round (but very pleasurable to listen to) smarty pants. Dan drove home the importance of change. Giving it an human edge and perspective by offering an analytical exposé of the mind. I might like to be a fly on the wall of his brain.

Key Takeaway: Rational vs. Emotional. The Rider vs. The Elephant. If you want to create change, you must acknowledge and understand the roles of both the rider and the elephant. And then you must learn how to get them to do what you want.

Brilliance in Eight Hours or Less
Every speaker offered me wisdom. Every speaker offered me a choice. In sum, they found a way to cram brilliance into 8 hours or less. And if I do have the choice, I choose genius and change and leadership and fascination and engagement. We should all be so lucky to do the same.

PodCamp Toronto 2010 In Review

PodCamp Toronto 2010

PodCamp Toronto 2010, a new media unconference, brought together a bevy of like-minded social media and tech geeks, entrepreneurs, experts and amateurs.

I attended six sessions: 3 were Priceless and 3 Less than Lukewarm, my reviews follow:

ePress Kits for Podcasters, Web Owners & Social Media Users -- Julia Hidy

From the title alone, Julia's sessions sounded extremely insightful. All about how a marketer, a PR agent, or any entrepreneur on the street could create a complete press kit to bring a stronger voice either to themselves or to the organization for which they work.

Julia's an author, multimedia producer and overall PR guru but her talk was rushed (due to time and lack of organization) and her insight vastly lacking. I could see the golden morsels underneath the sporadic switching between pages in her PDF document/presentation. The saving grace of her session was the "one sheet." For both those who did and didn't know about it, Julia exclaimed its importance, versatility, and possibility as an interactive piece of content.

You can request Julia Hidy's presentation here. Follow Julia on Twitter, @juliahidy

How and Why to Tell Great Stories -- Mark Evans

Mark Evans's How and Why to Tell Great Stories - PodCamp Toronto 2010

Julia Hidy's uninspiring glance into ePress Kits certainly left me wanting, and Mark Evans was able to fulfill that need. A tech reporter, social media expert, PR rep and blogger since 1994, Mark Evans delved into the ever-current and ever-popular subject of storytelling.

When I think stories, I think Godin or Jobs. Mark certainly agreed by setting the tone for his session with a snippet from Steve Job's presentation introducing the iPhone. I enjoyed Mark's candour and personality and how he cultivated the energy in the room with his own storytelling.

The best takeaway would have to be his recipe for a GOOD STORY: Interesting, Educational, Engaging, Entertaining, Informative and Authentic. Too bad they all start with vowels or else we would've had a new acronym on our hands!

Follow Mark on Twitter, @markevans

Crowdsourcing Volunteer Technical Communities with Crisis Commons -- Panel

Crisis Camps's Crowdsourcing Volunteer Technical Communities with Crisis Commons - PodCamp Toronto 2010

An odd, supposedly panel-formatted presentation with little focus and direction, Crisis Commons failed to capture me both emotionally and mentally.

They attempted to tell (or prove to?) me the efforts and strides they've made through the employment of social media to "spread the word" and "help Haiti" and "connect with traditional media". At the end of it, I was left thoroughly confused and most disappointingly uninspired.

Follow CrisisCommons on Twitter, @crisiscommons, and/or CrisisCamp, @crisiscamp.

The business of online communities for women -- Panel featuring Erica Ehm, Kim Vallee and Eden Spodek

The business of online communities for women - PodCamp Toronto 2010

An all female panel showed tremendous promise. Following the Crisis Commons debacle, a strong feminist (though not exclusionary) outlook on media and business was what I needed. I did't get it.

It felt more like a Yummy Mummy Club promo tour led by Erica Ehm than a serious exposition on female communities and their impact on social media. One questioner explained that Erica's Club gave her a voice which she could not have found otherwise. A second questioner, while postulating on the difficulties of using WordPress, exclaimed mid-sentence that she was single and wasn't fortunate enough to have a techie husband like Kim Vallee. Oh, despair.

These remarks, among others, left a distinct and sour taste in my mouth. Women should be, and are, proud, powerful, influential and smart. What's remarkably unbearable to watch is the dismantling of this truth with the ignorant and unaware.

The session was poignantly concluded with Erica Ehm's assertion that "Most women have blogs, you know."

Techvibes.com - Creating a Toronto Community -- Karim Kanji

Karim Kanji's Techvibes.com Creating a Toronto Community - PodCamp Toronto 2010

Thank goodness for Karim Kanji's powerful wit and perfectly placed "right ons" throughout his presentation. Thank goodness for his authenticity and his unabashed admittance of not knowing it all and being more than willing to learn.

Karim was there to tell his story more than anything else. Though the title of the session is vastly misleading because he wasn't there to tell you how to create a community but rather explain his personal journey to develop a brand and a community of his own.

A writer for Techvibes.com, Karim used to write 3 posts a day and had managed in the first half of January to publish more than 70 posts! I asked if he every slept and he responded jovially with a sly smile, "Yea, I sleep everyday." 'How much' should've been my next question.

He started off not as a writer or a geek or a techie but as someone who wanted to change and possibly make change. He made mistakes (probably still does) and has learned from them all. Speaking is his thing, I hope he knows it.

Follow Karim on Twitter, @karimkanji.

Applied Communilytics (In a Nutshell) -- Sean Power

Sean Power and Claire Kerr (@snotforprofit) after Applied Communilytics - PodCamp Toronto 2010

Sean Power was brilliant even without a working slide deck! The smartest of all the speakers I encountered at PodCamp, a true expert and powerhouse when it comes to communilytics (community + analytics).

He was energized and equipped with a strong voice that was unfortunately heard by only a few at the final session of the day. My favourite tidbit was his pronouncement after citing his third list, "I love lists!" 4 types of sites. 8 types of media. 4 types of goals. There's much more in his funnel than he explained, but the knowledge that he has is what all organizations are looking for right now. To explain, implement, optimize, and measure media/online/community etc.

Powerful content and I only wish I had more. Sean's presentation is available here. His book, Complete Web Monitoring, written with Alistair Croll, available here. Both of which I think I'll be reading and then re-reading!

Follow Sean on Twitter, @seanpower.

Thanks PodCamp for an all-round exciting, entertaining, and albeit tiring event!

Google Buzz Or Microsoft Outlook Social Connector

What is Google Buzz?

Google Buzz is a social media sharing experience inside of Gmail, which includes public or private sharing, inbox integration, photo-friendly sharing, connectivity to Twitter, Picasa, Flickr and Reader, real-time updates, and delivery of content based on Google's recommendations.

What is Microsoft Outlook Social Connector?

On the flip side, Microsoft Outlook plans to roll out a bevy of social media integration options with its 2010 Outlook Social Connector (OSC) release. As reported by Mashable, the OSC will include integration with Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace with, I'm sure, more options on the horizon to be announced.

Buzz vs. OSC

Google Buzz isn't worth the time and it will add the most value for those heavy Gmail users (that use Gmail as a primary email client and/or are working in the client for multiple hours a day). For those high-level users of Gmail, Buzz can offer the advantage of a single-stop, integrated experience.

In order for this integrated experience to be truly representative of the current social media landscape, it would require the inclusion of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, and all of the other major players. What this creates is a feed system (much like Google Reader) that aggregates ALL, not some, of the social media content being made available by those you want to follow.

Microsoft Outlook Social Connector wins (despite the poor branding). That is, they win if Buzz is unable to secure the same big names (and I mean all the big names) to integrate with what should be the ultimate aggregated social experience.

Microsoft Outlook owns market share at 39% as the primary email client of choice. Gmail trails in with a much lower 5.5%. In a business environment, Outlooks is critical to almost all work-related tasks. It is the core communication point for internal and external communications. Employees are immersed in it for at least 8 hours a day. An integrated social media experience within the primary email client of choice is a marriage for success.

The disadvantage for both OSC and Buzz in a work setting is productivity. If OSC secures Twitter alongside the others, then it poses a significant threat to worker productivity what with the number of distractions suddenly multiplying exponentially. Gmail, also used within work settings, poses the same problem with Buzz.

Employers could, of course, prohibit usage of these services but we all know the social clients mentioned above are just a click away in any web browser.

Are either of these social media integrators worth your time? Do you immediately have preference for one over the other simply based on brand and experience?

What I think the most pertinent question to be asking is: Will this equation of Email+Social be the next phase with social media or will an unknown third-party, comprehensive social media aggregator eclipse Google and Microsoft?

The Twitter Experiment | SimrenDeogun

Follow Me on Twitter

It's no secret that I haven't been a fan of Twitter in the past, just read this if you want to know why I haven't been using it.

I've called it a fad, a distraction, and an unworthy investment of my time. But, I can admit that I have said all this without giving it a fair shot. This blog just celebrated its one year anniversary and this post is number 100! A couple of really great milestones and also a really great opportunity to try and prove myself wrong.

So, I've joined Twitter (again!). Though the first time was an indubitable failure!

Why I've Taken the Twitter Dive
When I first encountered Twitter, about a year and a half ago, its promise as a professional and marketing tool was as yet undiscovered. Even today, businesses are confused and distraught over how to use Twitter effectively, how to measure ROI, and how to engage in social networking as a whole.

Reality dictates though that businesses (and marketers like myself) can no longer ignore the growing prevalence of social media, including Twitter, despite how fleeting its impact.

Here enters The Twitter Experiment. Join. Start Tweeting. Integrate Twitter across my blog, LinkedIn, Google Buzz, and also a dash of Facebook. And let us see if I can validate Twitter as a tool for professional networking, knowledge sharing and brand building.

This blog has already received its necessary facelift to accommodate this exciting new foray into the twittering world and I hope you'll join in.

Measuring the Success of "SimrenDeogun"
Joining and tweeting is the easy part. But a large part of this experiment will be proving that measuring the success of my Twitter account is also easy.

The commonly shared perception is that Twitter (and other related social media outlets) are difficult to measure. We can't track progress. We don't know how to integrate it into the funnel. We don't understand how to measure key factors such as ROI and ROE.

I don't have the answers. YET. But I will. And to help, I've chosen the following (recommended) third-party applications to measure and analyze the perceived success of #SimrenDeogun:

Twinfluence
Twitalyzer
Trendistic
TweetEffect
HootSuite

With time, I also hope to write reviews that offer insight into these and other tools to assist you in your social media efforts.

The Timeline
I've set a preliminary timeline of cornerstone points of measurement beginning with the 1 month mark followed by 3 months and then 6 months. At each point, I will analyze, with the aid of the above tools and my own marketing knowledge, how Twitter has developed, grown, and proven either beneficial or detrimental.

As I learn more about Twitter and its usage patterns, these timelines will surely change. However, at the core of this experiment is to provide quantitative and qualitative data on how Twitter can be used as a part of marketing, to build my personal brand and to enhance the following of this blog.

Follow Me
Follow Me on TwitterSo, are you following me yet?
Please do.
I won't take no for an answer!
But, I will return the favour.

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Contact me

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Name: Simren Deogun