Strategic Public Relations

Death of the Digital Native

Just two weeks ago I was referring to myself as a digital immigrant in a blog post.

Then last week I heard Brad King speak at TEDxCincy. And now this week I want to retract my classification as it reinforces the term digital native.

In King's TED talk, "Telling Stories on the World," he details how technology is changing the way we tell stories. And one of my favorite points from his talk is when he declares the death of the digital native.

"It gives me great pleasure to note that there is no such thing as a digital native. Many Americans grew up speaking English. It's their native tongue. Yet they still study the subject in school. So why wouldn't students that grew up immersed in digital technology also need to study accordingly?" paraphrased from my notes vs. a verbatim quote. RELATED: Shut your digital native pie hole.

Education on Digital Issues
Recent cases of sexting and cyber bullying, as well as the constant concern of privacy in a world where Facebook frequently changes the rules, remind us how important this digital education has become.

Is the term digital native well-intended? Sure. But in some instances I wonder if it becomes an artificial excuse to avoid acclimating to the changes brought on by digital technology over the years.

We have a responsibility to teach younger generations how it all works. If we try and block access to keep it out of the schools we are not protecting students over the long term. We’re ensuring their skills won't be as relevant.

The biggest issues of social media and their use in a school setting are also their opportuniity. We need to educate instead of simply trying to avoid it altogether. 


Digital Natives uploaded by nudevinyl
Cross-posted to my work blog, Social Study

Confessions of a Digital Immigrant

Digital Native is an oft-abused term that can bring assumptions with it. But I like the term as it allows me to proudly note that I’m a Digital Immigrant.

Born in 1970, I can tell you that before playlists there were mix tapes. Those same tapes were used to upload DOS software using a tape recorder.

And I remember when our family got our first betamax video tape recorder, cable subscription and I may have even played a few rounds of Pong with my friends. As a result I’ve experienced, and vaguely remember, the before and after that can be created by new technology. At a minimum, it fuels a ton of “When I was your age” speeches I’ll give to my kids.

I’m proud to be a Digital Immigrant. This mix of experiences and perspectives blends with my pragmatic Midwestern upbringing to create more grounded insights. It’s easy to shun the old and gravitate towards the new. But it’s usually better to blend the two. It gives objects a richer back story. It creates a wonderful mashup.

This video from IDEO is one example of how the old and new might blend for a better user experience. 

The Future of the Book. from IDEO.

“We believe that an increasingly digital context can add to our notion of books, instead of taking away from it.” This is exciting and it reminds me that we can gain more than we lose over time.

Marketer as DJ, Plans as Mashups
The video also considers how information overload coping mechanisms like content curation can be used to create a richer experience.  This is important as workforce skill sets change. We’re rushing to learn and teach everyone the new. But we’re as much DJs creating mashups as we are marketers evolving with new technology.

What do we keep and what do we throw out? We need to make sure seemingly basic, but iconic classics like audience/participants, goals and measurable objectives are not forgotten. It seems fundamental. But as we become immersed in the shiny new, we can assume that so much is new that nothing old can be applied to the situation at hand. But these are tunes that always sound good regardless of which shiny new social media beat you blend into them.

Cross-posted to my work blog, Social Study.

"Updating Your Status" | A Twitter Parody Tune ♫ ♪

I like Cake -- the food that's spawned a ton of TV shows and, more importantly, the band.

I like Twitter too. So why did I take the Cake song "Going the Distance" and create this Twitter parody?

If we can't laugh at ourselves, what's the point? Just be thankful I didn't pick "Tweet It" and I'm not into karaoke.

Is it funny? You tell me. But it's definitely a parody. So here's one of my favorite earworms -- dedicated to the social plaform, and cottage industry, that's grown up around it.

"Updating Your Status"
140 characters, a parting line
Fingers nimble and dancing in time
The fail wail flashes, No tweets go out
So Mashable and Techcrunch begin to shout

We talk amongst ourselves and post cool links
But does it do any good or cause you to think?
Shallow and brief it adds to the chatter
And we follow people who seem to matter

As we speed read old tweets, Twitter’s still down
More nerds up in arms, a worldwide frown
The site is free, unless you promote content
Hoping and praying Twitter’s a silver bullet

Google Wave’s coming down as Facebook grows up
Yet YouTube’s showing two girls, one cup?
So we’re surfing, and skimming and watching news spread
Life streaming is Hard. “That’s what she said.”

Refrain
Updating your status
Polluting the stream
It’s TMI. TMI. Needy and kind of boring

We use hashtags, DMs and retweets too
Drinking coffee, Redbull or Mt. Dew
We’re updating our status

Yeah!

No tweetups no twitpics, no memes, no doubt
How would we function, whine or pout?
When bowel shaking earthquakes and other events
Take place in the world, Twitter informs. People still vent.

We tell all it’s essential, a most important site.
But would we pay for it? Pfft, yeah, right.
We keep surfing and linking and watching news spread
Did you hear the latest? Abe Vigoda’s still. not. dead.

As Foursquare gets down Facebook Places goes up
Half a billion users? All your base are belong to us.
Now you’re going geo-loco with your Twitter gang.
I’m headed out for some coffee, do you wanna hang?

Refrain

Fail Whale uploaded by Mariana Pugliese

The Press Release (a rant. for immediate release.)

Should the press release die? Or should it just become a social media press release? Hey, a press release and social media are like peanut butter and chocolate folks. Are you going to pass on a Reese's?! 

Um, who cares?!

OK, I understand there's a sh!t ton of money tied up in the distribution of press releases --from the agencies writing them and the blogs, conferences, workshops, e-books and teleseminars offering tips on how to write better press releases to the wire services and media databases helping to push them out (more than 2,000 each day on average I'm told).

The press release represents its own ecosystem of content and some of that content might even be newsworthy. Even the Bad Pitch blog recommends the topic as part of a balanced diet. But when the topic eclipses the industry discussion, is that balanced? 

There are plenty of times the press release is a worthy topic of discussion. I'm not overlooking the obvious need to teach, practice and hone our craft. But the current and steady level of discussion around the press release I'm seeing in the industry is comparable to a group of world famous artists constantly talking about which type of frame is best for their paintings. It's well-intended, but it misses the point. 

Rant, Party of One?
At the end of the day, if it's newsworthy, it doesn't matter what format it's in. Serve it up on toast...there are more than enough creative options. But the more the public relations industry talks about the press release, the more we have an answer as to why PR doesn't have a seat at the table.

The public relations industry needs to spend as much time on critical thinking, where we provide more value, as it does on the nitty gritty of the tactics. Maybe this rant is telling me the industry needs to spend more time on critical thinking. Perhaps it's the challenge of a discipline that must scale between thoughtful strategy and detail-oriented execution. But that's more of an opportunity than anything else.

The Impossible Dream uploaded by Sagesnow
Cross-Posted to the Bad Pitch blog

What do you want on your tombstone?

This is not a pizza ad. It's a question I pondered during a long, 11 hour drive back from my vacation. It's not intended to be morbid.

Asking, and answering, the question can help you focus on what really matters to you in your personal and your professional life.

And in today's world of microblogging, status updates and elevator speeches, this exercise is warranted.

Only half-jokingly, I have to wonder how soon we'll start to see text abbreviations used on a headstone?

It's not something I'm looking forward to. But it will bring a whole new meaning to OMG. And you know someone would use FML. I'd consider TTYL or an unrelated option: pwnd it.

None of these options will make the final cut. I'm more focused on the question than the above humor may lead you to believe.

Hopefully you'll consider the question, and your answer, as well.

Evel Knievel, Stunts & Strategy

Stunt is defined as "any remarkable feat performed chiefly to attract attention."

I'll add that stunts usually lack strategy. Stunts are usually a reflection of a world that feels that bigger, louder, faster -- MORE is always the answer.

More traffic, more clicks, more votes, more fans/likes, more tweets, more, More, MORE!

Got goals? This approach is usually desperate, not strategic.

Stunts are for Evel Knievel.
Motorcycle Insurance served up Evel's career as an infographic and it looks like he was 81 percent successful -- "completing 48 of 59 public performances."

Makes me wonder what the weather's like at Snake River Canyon.

"If It’s Good, It’s Been Done"

Early in my career, I was on a team prepping for a BIG new business pitch. It was for a product and the creative copy we used was something along the lines of “Better Torque, Better Horsepower, Better Grip, Better Get One.”

As I drove to the pitch that morning, I passed a billboard for a bank with copy along the lines of “Better Interest, Better Checking, Better Sign Up.” I had nothing to do with the creative copy. But it reinforced a phrase I've heard many times over the years: if it’s good, it’s been done.

A friend of mine launched a web redesign recently. The designer that worked on it did a great job. My friend then received a note pointing out the similarities between the new site and another company’s web site. It’s a tough situation to be in. My friend did some homework and confirmed this similarity was completely coincidence.

And more obvious are logos. Last night I was reminded – again – of how similar the Washington Nationals and Walgreens logos appear. Coincidence? There are plenty of examples of similar logos. And plenty of reasons why this happens. But what's a brand to do in a situation like this?

The phrase “if it’s good, it’s been done” is well-intended, but what do you do if you’re epiphany does not hold up to a Google search, or a patent search? Even worse, it passes all these things and doesn't become apparent until after the launch.

As the big honking w's in this post make clear, it's not always as easy as simply tossing it out and starting over.

wtf8?! Facebook Likes You (It Really, Really Likes You)

At Facebook's F8 Developer Conference yesterday, it seems like they buried the lede.

Several announcements were made at the conference and some anticipated changes went live on the 400-million-strong social network.

Like Goes Live
Initially seen as semantics, changing "Become a Fan" to "Like" is designed to make it easier for Facebook users to participate on the network. Facebook notes users like twice as often as they fan on any given day. This also translates into more acquisitions for brands. But there are other, more significant, changes afoot that everyone needs to fully understand.

Facebook Plugins Enable Social Distribution
A set of plugins were unveiled to make it easier to integrate Facebook features with other websites. They include a “Like” functionality, Activity Feed and Recommendation widget that bring friends, social activity and relevant interactions to any site. Brands can enhance the level of engagement on their websites, offering a more personalized experience. Levi's and CNN are already using some of the plugins. Users are expected to increase their time spent on brand sites based on potential interaction with their Facebook friends. 

Levi's Social Shopping
Levi's home page feel's like a Facebook co-branded microsite. According to Levi's, it integrates "the 'Like' functionality on its e-commerce site. In addition, Levi’s is building a Friend Store in which consumers who are logged into Facebook can see a list of their friends’ favorite Levi’s products and seamlessly shop with their friends." 

CNN's Use of Instant Personalization WILL Cause Privacy Concerns
Anyone checking into CNN via their Facebook account can see what stories their friends are recommending and sharing. Users that do not want their friends to know their CNN consumption habits will take issue with this. It's done by default and it shares your information with third party sites. However users can edit their settings.

Microsoft Leaps into the Cloud
Microsoft announced the most unexpected news with the launch of Docs.com. The site allows Facebook users to create, edit, and share Microsoft Office documents with Facebook friends.  Will user expectations be met? The expectations of a paid Microsoft Office experience vs. a free Google Docs experience are quite different. It will be interesting to experience what's launched.

The Mountain Comes to Mohammed
The f8 news allows Facebook to compete with Google while becoming truly social. Facebook will face some issues with its users. But this is nothing new and something they've ultimately navigated in the past.

The plugins will embed the social network more thoroughly across the web and more seamlessly connect content, people and brands. The distributed model eliminates the concerns of many brands and their agencies -- from giving up too much control and morphing to the constraints of Facebook tabs to making the issue of commerce on Facebook somewhat moot. The mountain seems to be coming to Mohammed. The only question? Is Facebook the mountain or Mohammed? Stay tuned. 

  

Cross-posted to my work blog, Social Study.

Entrepreneurs Inspire Trading Cards, Help Kiva

It’s amazing to see social media and cause marketing mix**.

These additives combine to inspire and, most importantly, do the right thing in the process.

My employer, Empower MediaMarketing, brings us one example in Empower 25. On the company’s 25th anniversary, we decided to give back instead of looking back. As the site details, it couldn't have gone better for all involved. The benefits of social media will continue to help The Brighton Center.

And the event served as a catalyst for teams throughout Empower. These teams had social media training, are aware of the agency’s social media policy, but needed to see it in action for everything to really click. An even more recent example, and the subject of this post, comes from Evan Carmichael.

Entrepreneur Heroes Trading Cards
Carmichael worked with 33 bloggers to pick 30 entrepreneurs that inspire them. The end result is this set of trading cards. Who inspires Guy Kawasaki? Steve Rubel? Darren Rowse? Seth Godin? Chris Brogan? These trading cards are a cool way to find out. Nerd worship? Maybe. But we’ve seen stranger examples. The cards got my attention as they provide insight into who inspires some of the folks we read, retweet and interact with online and in real life -- all while helping raise money for Kiva.

Win a Set of Trading Cards
You can win a set of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak trading cards -- as seen here. I have three sets to give away. They’re heavy duty swag with authenticity holograms and cases for each card. Just comment on this post. Or follow me on Twitter, than @ me on or DM me about the trading cards. The contest ends in one week, on Wednesday, April 7th at Noon.

Help Kiva
Your other option is to buy a set of trading cards. Profits from sales go to support entrepreneurs in Africa that set up their businesses through the micro-lending organization Kiva. More than 825 Entrepreneurs have been helped so far.

**To see even more examples, and do a deeper dive on cause marketing, check out “The Next Evolution of Marketing: Marketing with Meaning” by Bob Gilbreath.

“Can I Pick your Brain?”

Disclaimer: This is a very specific RANT.

Hopefully it goes without saying that I love sharing my experiences, opinion and POV in the hopes it will help people. It's why I have two blogs, speak frequently and tweet.

But when I receive a voicemail or an email from someone asking to “pick my brain” it’s a fire-engine red flag.

Sending someone a note asking to pick their brain is the equivalent of saying you want them to work for free. Think about it. There's a difference from using other’s experiences and POVs to answer your questions and guide your efforts. Asking someone to essentially do your job is a bit different.

While having lunch with friend and colleague Mike Boehmer, we were trading experiences. Mike is using social media to help his stakeholders at the Hamilton County Job and Family Services. He also helps out the Cincinnati Chapter of PRSA as their social media committee chair.

Mike confessed that he started blogging to help decrease the amount of phone calls he receives from well-intended colleagues about social media. Everyone wins in that situation. In fact, Chris Brogan started blogging answers to questions he was asked so more people could benefit from the answer -- everyone wins.

When Mike told me he also gets requests to pick his brain, I realized it wasn’t just me.

So keep in mind that sharing is required for a network to, uh, work. Sharing is a two-way street and there’s a fine line between getting help and essentially outsourcing. /rant

Tribute To Guitarist Pat Martino - Scan 03 07 uploaded by Mikey G