Poll: Media Spokes....? What?

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I Invented The Post-it Note

Everyone loves a random made up workshop game.

 

So as part of the yMedia Workshop series I hosted "Traditional Tricks For New Media" . Not only did we play "Oprah's Awesomest Fruit" (a game of immense skill and strategy where I get to be Oprah and you pitch me to get on the show..pear eventually won due to its ergonomic design and excellent use of mini-billboards by the pitch team...), we also played "I invented the Post-it note".

 

Punters had to use their communication tools (1 x Post-it, 1 x pen) and prove that they invented the Post-it note.

 

Here's some of the answers:

 

Dear loud obnoxious neighbours keep it down during the night heart ajay

 

I saw an envelope and thought—I can do something like that Adam

 

I invented the Post-it because you have no proof that I didn’t

 

Because they’re colourful just like me Tam

 

I was the one who invented the post it because I trademarked it and therefore I have the legal rights Nikki

 

I invented the Post-it as staples wouldn’t stick to my computer screen Seita

 

French invented everything so my invention was the post it Guillaume

 

I provided the glue for my community! Di

 

I invented the post it because you didn’t Jaymard

 

I know I invented the post it note because I’m an awesome genius (self belief goes a long way!!) Niamh

 

Invented the post it note for this message 

Michael C

 

Graeme post Like to have reminders and named after family

 

Kurt Strong –inventor 3M

 

I invented the Post it because it helps me to think ‘outside the square’ Barbara

 

I invented the Post it notes because they are awesome for making origami with Emily

 

I invented the post it because you all need sticky, visible reminders Sandi

 

Jesus told me to Matt

 

Tired of writing on the bathroom mirror in the STEAM! Daniel N

 

I invented the post it note because my glue formula went wrong –I am always mucking up and have very little stickability Sarah

 

I realised the people are too lazy to put glue on pieces of paper

 

I invented the post it because everyone loves colourful sticky things Devon

 

I hate normal memo pads Jade

 

I invented the post it note out of necessity to remember things Cam

 

I needed to put notes on my work and I got sick of using cellotape to stick them on Eddy

 

I invented the post it note because I already had all other forms of colourful office stationery and needed more (written with my new erasable pen) Loretta

 

I needed to cover a hole in the wall Ajay

 

To make the world a brighter and happier and more colourful place..even if you have a boring office job! Tanya

 

And the winner: My mother was a paper maker and my father was a glue maker - Sarah

 

 

Applications for the yMedia challenge close on Monday 31 May. To find out more go to http://challenge.ymedia.co.nz/

 

 

 

 

 

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Time To Get Real On New Media

Yet still there are those that doubt the power of new media tools such as blogs and social networking sites.

I have no idea why. I wish that I had invented such as fanciful gingerbread man or Narnia tale that would have made legendary man of awesomeness C.S. Lewis proud. Even Sir Peter Jackson (oh look at that smart girl she invented social media--what an imagination--give her an Oscar).

But no. I'm not that smart. New media just reflects what's actually going on. Actually going on. Not pretend.

Time magazine: Audience stats (see image)

http://jessicawatson.com.au

 

Jessica Watson arrived back in Sydney on Saturday after her solo around-the-world trip. Australia's newest celebrity was welcomed home by tens of thousands. The teen sailor's adventure appears to have captured the public's imagination, with her website scoring more than a million hits a week. Fans have followed her journey via social networking updates, blogs and Twitter.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/australiatalks/stories/2010/2896527.htm

 

Her manager actually claimed they got up to 2 million hits per week during the last few days of the journey. I tried to get on the site to wish Jessica well as she came into Sydney and the site had been tipped over and crashed with the huge traffic.

 

 

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Brand Jacking Big Oil

((I must admit I was stupid and thought it was for real. ))

 

 

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Four Campbells & A Website

So last night His Worship the Mayor of Auckland City (John, not Campbell) went all ‘cyber’.

 

I can’t really be bothered reviewing the site cos it’s a typical large agency digital build and it’s all very nice and inoffensive and seems to do most things. There are a few bugs that they can figure out for themselves and it’s Friday and, yeah that’s why. So here's the link

 

<start rant>

I will say that anyone can hook up some social media accounts and drop some icons on a site. I would like to see some more experienced communicators driving the social messages (see earlier post) and I think it presents serious political risk. Just saying.  </end rant>

 

The whole concept of John launching a website I found quite amusing. It kind of reminded me of the Dire Straits music video for “Money for Nothing” with old fullas jiggling around trying to be cool for MTV.

 

We gotta install microwave ovens

 
Custom kitchen deliveries 
We gotta move these refrigerators 
We gotta move these colour TV's 

 

 

A certain ad man (not a Campbell) got proceedings underway by pretending that Michelle Boag convinced him to MC. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that his agency developed and built the site and doubly sure that certain ad man’s arm was twisted VERY hard because everyone knows that ad men HATE the sound of their own voice. That’s loyalty right there.  

 

John then got in the saddle and delivered a speech that was clearly not written by him and that’s why it was very good and the highlight of the evening.  

 

John (not Campbell) is notoriously difficult to message thanks to some stupid person that decided to give him his own show on the AM wireless back in the day.  The disease of ‘I’m media, therefore I’m good at media management’ is an evil one that lulls its victims into a false sense of awesomeness. Very few can control the affliction (Tony Veitch)  and move to the rockstar super spin hall of fame like Alistair Campbell (Campbell).

 

 

I can only suspect that John was packing himself about this whole cybernet business and trying to be cool and saying “Twitter”.

 

Nerves are a very good thing in speech delivery and the extra wee fire in John’s belly led to a solid little punchy talk.

 

There was talk of ‘conversation’ and ‘connecting’ and ‘following us on Facebook’.  I was almost expecting him to say ‘iPad’.

 

And... fibre? Did I hear fibre for Auckland?  John’s going to help us all pirate movies faster! Vote for John!  

 

There was none of the horrible stabbiness and preaching that usually makes me change the channel when John gets on the telly (did you see the Transpower John Campbell (Campbell) interview...hideous), and none of that rubbish brown nosing to the National Party and local iwi and the Mt Albert residents association through cryptic secret code words and tongue clicks that litters most local government speeches.

 

So who wrote the speech?

 

Further investigation and a few false glory-hounding claims from Team John unveiled that “I suppose Scott would have written the first draft but a few of us had input.”

 

Scott Campbell (Campbell). The TV3 dude that is now spin doctoring to make John super. So I went and asked Mr Scott Campbell if he wrote the speech because it was very good and he said “um yeah... I suppose” which probably meant that he did because he wasn’t being a dick about it.

 

I think John should listen to Mr Scott Campbell more.

 

I had to run away early to the preview of “Avenue Q”. (It’s awesome. You have to go, thanks to the Josie Campbell (Campbell) @The Edge Events). Maybe I missed all the fun About Town carnage (please provide details in the comments section) and it obviously made zero impact on Bernard Orsman who got a front page today saying that John was getting smoked in a poll but all-in-all a good event and a credit to the Campbell name.

 

 

Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it 
You play the guitar on the MTV 

 

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Marketing Myopia: Full Version Download

Download now or preview on posterous

MARKETING MYOPIA.pdf (73 KB)

I go through phases of new media overload quite regularly. It's usually brought on my supposed experts writing inane post about 'revolution' and 'gamechanging' and 'stepchanges'.

 

It's always useful to step back and refocus in good, solid theory. So today, we're going back to 1960 and a seminal work that some say marked the beginning of the new marketing era following the 1920s glory days of Madison Avenue. ( I personally give this title to Hopkins, C (1924) "Scientific Advertising". You can download it free here. ).

 

Marketing Myopia is a Harvard Business Review Classic Top Ten article and a must read.

 

--------------

 

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW ARTICLE

 

Marketing Myopia (HBR Classic)

 

by Theodore Levitt 

Prod. #: R0407L-PDF-ENG

 

This article includes a one-page preview that quickly summarizes the key ideas and provides an overview of how the concepts work in practice along with suggestions for further reading.

 

At some point in its development, every industry can be considered a growth industry, based on the apparent superiority of its product. But in case after case, industries have fallen under the shadow of mismanagement. What usually gets emphasized is selling, not marketing. This is a mistake, because selling focuses on the needs of the seller, whereas marketing concentrates on the needs of the buyer. In this widely quoted and anthologized article, first published in 1960, Theodore Levitt argues that "the history of every dead and dying 'growth' industry shows a self-deceiving cycle of bountiful expansion and undetected decay." But, as he illustrates, memories are short. The railroads serve as an example of an industry whose failure to grow is due to a limited market view. Those behind the railroads are in trouble not because the need for passenger transportation has declined or even because cars, airplanes, and other modes of transport have filled that need. Rather, the industry is failing because those behind it assumed they were in the railroad business rather than the transportation business. They were railroad oriented instead of transportation oriented, product oriented instead of customer oriented. For companies to ensure continued evolution, they must define their industries broadly to take advantage of growth opportunities. They must ascertain and act on their customers' needs and desires, not bank on the presumed longevity of their products. In short, the best way for a firm to be lucky is to make its own luck. An organization must learn to think of itself not as producing goods or services but as doing the things that will make people want to do business with it. And in every case, the chief executive is responsible for creating an environment that reflects this mission.

 

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Three Reasons Why You Need Your Stronger Communicators In Social

I’ve been very pleased to see the companies starting to take their new media channels more seriously over the last three to six months.

 

Some have experimented with interns and student media projects as a way of conceding that they simply don’t have budget to dedicate. I must admit I am very nervous about putting junior communicators in the public domain.  I stopped recommending this kind of approach about 18 months ago when a project I set up slid horribly sideways and the strategy work in place was wasted. It was bad advice.

 

I now recommend training existing middle, to senior level communicators to use new media tools. Driving social media accounts is teachable. Becoming a seasoned communicator takes time.

 

Now before you get defensive and accuse me of pushing my own agenda and being mean to young people trying to get ahead, please hear me out.

 

I am constantly frustrated by the ignorance and reluctance of communication practitioners to up skill and learn about new media channels and two-way communications. Some of you deserve to have your jobs taken off you by upstart little punks, and believe me; they will take your jobs.

 

However, there are three reasons why you need your stronger communicators in the driving seat.

 

1.     Commercial acumen- Organisations are strange places and I don’t care how smart or entrepreneurial or super assertive you are, it takes time to understand how businesses and organisational objectives hang together. You need work experience.

 

2.     Writing skills- I have been fortunate to work in teams with some very experienced and highly skilled written communicators. They would regularly destroy my work and tar and feather me for typos and grammatical crimes against humanity. You need to keep the quality of your organisation’s brand communications high. Especially when you are publishing on the fly in the public domain.

 

3.     Instinct- I rang an MP’s press secretary this morning for a “I just think you should know” update. It was nothing really but I could feel that he felt it too. The pause, the ‘hmmm can you send me the report’, the ‘I’ve got your cell number don’t I?” Online communities and commentators can turn on you very quickly. Your force needs to be strong or at least, not weak and helpless.

 

New media channels are not second-tier channels and if you can’t afford to resource them properly, then it may not be the best choice for you to move forward in them. The people driving your accounts are spokespeople and need to be taken seriously from both a customer and an organisational point of view.

 

 

 

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Privacy Commission Wary of Facebook

http://www.3news.co.nz/Privacy-Commission-wary-of-Facebook/tabid/311/articleID/153945/Default.aspx

 

Article from 3News last night. Wee comment from yours truly and a very flattering shot of my clapped out laptop :)

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Facebook Isn’t Free

Facebook Isn’t Free

Press Release: Monday 3 May 2010

Immediate
 
Courtney Lambert would like to support the extensive work carried out by the Privacy Commission and the social networking data made available in its report, ‘Individual Privacy and Personal Information’.
 
The report, which reviews New Zealander’s attitudes toward use of their personal information by businesses and government agencies, was released yesterday by Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff.
 
She says the Privacy Commission has some challenging decisions to make but from a public safety and privacy perspective, the results were very positive for New Zealand businesses and government agencies.
 
“There has been a lot of scare-mongering around social media websites, especially their use by children. Collecting accurate data so that people can come up with practical strategies to protect at risk groups such as children is the best way forward.
 
People need to understand that social media websites are not ‘free’. Users are engaged in a transaction with the service providers to share their personal information for loyalty schemes and advertising.
 
I was surprised to see that 57% of respondents thought their information on social networking sites was private. It’s not that case-it’s not how the business model sitting behind sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube work. You get use of their online tools; you share your user data. “
 
The report also indicates that 78% of under 30 year olds using social networking sites, compared with 56% of 30-44 year olds.
 
“We aren’t talking about early-adopters anymore and can only expect usage to increase. I am pleased to see the Privacy Commissioner doing work in this area to ensure that new media tools are safe for all New Zealanders. “
 
ENDS
 
 
 
Contact: Courtney Lambert
 
+64 21 650 798
 
Courtney at courtneylambert dot co dot nz
 
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cjlambert
 
Web: http://courtneylambert.co.nz

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