The Like Economy.

Well known big box and mall staple clothing store (rhymes with Moldy Gravy) posts sign at cash “Like us on Facebook for 10% off your purchases”.

Fire up the mobile app (with no in-store WiFi mind you) and wait while the line grows behind.  Fat thumb through the non-intuitive path to get to the brand’s specific store location and manage to hit the “Like”.

Person behind the counter actually checks your status is now set to “Like”. (Full credit to retailer for that small but critical step of verifying the discount hoops were jumped through properly.)  

Immediately, upon application of discount, thumb still conveniently hovering right over the “Unlike” bar still on screen, it gets hit.  Get out of the pool, pack up the kids and head for the parking lot. 

The “Like Economy” now dictates a pay-to-play model.  We knew it was coming. It is a transient and false economy that means nothing especially when gamed on by both sides by brand and consumer.  

The lines get blurry and the lines at check-out just get longer.

Is it any wonder those darn kids aren’t interested in Facebook any more?

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The Klout of Klout

Tags

Influence, Klout, Twitter

Klout is all the rage. I’m not buying in quite yet but that does not necessarily mean you should be overly influenced by my opinion. Or should you?
Either way, this little video made met chuckle. I believe it highlights the real disconnect of those who are overly influenced about the all influencing going on.

Curiously Strong Video From Altoids

Tags

Altoids, Facebook, Facebook Applications

Hillarious little take on the social network of choice for over a half-billion of us (and counting) and the “personas” we have come to know and love. Actually, not so much on the love thing. Perhaps it is just a “like”.
Courtesy of Altoids and their agency The Evolution Bureau, the Altoid’s Curiously Strong Awards honors the “Stars of Facebook” and is a wonderful glimpse into the characters that are are all a part of the zeitgeist of Facebook we have grown accustom to (not this Zeitgeist, mind you).
As the site deftly notes:

Their excessive liking and ridiculous wall posts have become our escape from the monotony of the real world. Without these friends, Facebook would just be the local news.

Released on the Altoids Facebook page, you can even award a friend via a Facebook application. Anyways…, time to log off… I’ll be back in two minutes.

Via AdFreak

Set Up For Failure

Is there a list of companies or brands with corporate Facebook pages, YouTube channels or Twitter streams that still feel it necessary to block their workforce from accessing at work? I’ll bet this kind of list exists and is, unfortunately, still pretty long.

Six Pixels of Separation Book Review

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Chris Anderson, Clay Shirky, Digital Marketing, Don Tapscott, Joseph Jaffe, Kevin Roberts, Marketing, Mitch Joel, Seth Godin, Six Pixels of Separation, Social Media

Some disclosure before I begin; I have been friends with Mitch Joel since 2004/2005 when we sat on the Digital Marketing council at the Canadian Marketing Association together. Subsequently, while I was Director of Digital Marketing at Scotiabank I hired his agency, Twist Image. So, I’ve tried to remain objective, but please read on with that in mind.

If you follow Mitch Joel by reading his blog, or listening to his podcast (or if you have ever had the chance hear him speak live) you’ll get through Six Pixels of Separation quickly. As he does in other communication mediums, he breaks down the subject matter into understandable chunks that not only make sense, but are made quite compelling.

Six Pixels of Separation is a straightforward premise that we are all connected. And, that our ever expanding digital universe is bringing us all closer together. But it is not about understanding technology. It is about the transformative effects of technology on business, built on the foundation that we are living through a period of history unlike any other. It is about the merger of our personal and professional lives and the paradigm shift that the marketing and communications industry faces as new media evolves and the consumer landscape evolves with it.

Under that guiding principle, Mitch lays out concepts, observations and examples taking his readers on an enjoyable ride through the digital world with a focus on what it means for businesses big and small to operate in this space. He effectively blends and extends from other thought leaders in marketing like Kevin Roberts, Seth Godin, Chris Anderson, Clay Shirky, Don Tapscott and Joseph Jaffe, putting his own point of view and spin on them. Even sharpening them in places.

He has stated that the book is simply the prelude to his blog. Having read his blog daily, I think the book is a bit more than that. It manages to synthesize all the ideas and opinions Mitch has put out there over the years, neatly framing them in a very fluid and coherent manner. And, with a background in journalism, he writes rather well. That is why I started reading his blog in the first place and why I – and many others – continue.

I could easily say that the book is not for me. Or, that it may not be for people who read this blog because we are in this space and know it intimately. However, that is not the case. Mitch shines in making the topics approachable and exciting for both newbie and advanced audiences. Six Pixels of Separation pays careful attention to weave together the larger context of what is taking place, painting a picture that (hopefully) serves to motivate readers that the future is still unwritten and everyone is an author.

Make no mistake, this is not a “how to” book. This is the book you need to read before you get to the “how to” stage. Mitch avoids getting into the weeds of providing step by step instructions and concedes it was done on purpose. He manages to stay the course, guiding readers on bigger issues and logical first steps that answer the most important question of “why would we do this” instead of “how do we use the tools”. The difference is huge.

Six Pixels of Separation is about finding the inspiration to start planning your approach with the confidence you are heading in the right direction. I enjoyed reading it and think you will as well.

Crazy Stats

Tags

Advertising, Digital, Digital Marketing, Facebook, MySpace, New Media, Social Media, Twitter

I’ve had just about my fill of this genre of video, but this one caught my eye because it is loaded with some great statistics. It reinforces how well beyond we are in terms of limiting our thinking to “social media” and must broaden our scope to see the profound changes going on all around us. It goes so much deeper and wider than the hype of Ashton Kutcher tweeting, but at the same time has everything to do with the fact that Kelso is part and parcel of it all.
Don’t think for a minute this digital ride is going to slow down to let you catch your breath. It is only getting faster and more exciting, and the really cool news is that we are still just at the beginning.
Check out the video, tell me what you think.

The Naked Truth On Safety

Tags

Air New Zealand, Bloopers, Safety, YouTube

How does an airline get your attention with the pre-flight safety speech? Even better, how can they do it when you are not even on the plane yet? Well, one way is to strip the crew, body paint uniforms on them and video tape the whole deal. Most would agree that might make for a more interesting run through of the run down on the runway.
Of course, this is a not going to fly when the plane is full of passengers. So, doing a YouTube only video shoot is certain to get some attention. Now, while I’m quite certain no one wants an airline to joke or make light of onboard safety, I believe this is done in good taste (somewhat at least) and shows a some brand personality. There is even a blooper real
Effective use of YouTube? Sure, why not. The next time I fly, I don’t have to pretend I am listening and can boast to the passengers all around me that I watched the entire safety routine from the comfort of my own home. Heck, I can even watch it in flight on my laptop or iTouch if WiFi is available.

The Original Social Networking Site

Tags

American Copywriter, Coleman, Digital Marketing, Sam Elliott, Social Media, Social Networking

Not all “sites” are online. This clever little thirty-second spot from Coleman pokes a bit of fun at the social web with the voice of Sam Elliott adding a nice touch.

Found via Nick Kinney over at American Copywriter.

What Is Your Facebook Content Worth Today? How About Forever?

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Amanda French, Contents, Copyright, Facebook, Facebook Terms of Service, Flickr, Legal, LinkedIn, Mark Zuckerberg, My Space, Privacy, You Tube

What if that picture of your kids you put on your Facebook profile shows up in an advertisement? What about that note you wrote, or picture you created getting reprinted or used somewhere else online or in print? Even this post, written here on my blog but fed to Facebook as update to my profile, is susceptible.
How much is that worth to you, emotionally or even monetarily?
Truth is that most people with profiles on Facebook don’t know that Facebook (the company) can use whatever you put there for themselves, or is allowed to sub-license your content to others to use for whatever purpose they see fit. That has been policy as long as I can remember (since I signed up that is). After considering what it meant for my purposes I was okay with it. The “out” always seemed to be either removing content or closing your account.
End of story, right? Well, no. That is no longer the case.
As of February 4 2009, Facebook now claims the right to profile content forever, no matter if you remove it or close your account. Facebook previously stated:

“You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.”

Those lines have now been removed and profile content will now survive removal of materials or termination of service.
Forever is a long time.
Those who pay attention to the legal ramifications of Terms and Conditions and Terms of Service agreements, and take concern with the privacy implications and appropriate usage of content posted via social networks, are brewing a well-deserved storm over the subtle but significant changes from Facebook.
A couple of quick summaries of the issue can be found on The Consumerist or Marketing Vox.
David Weinberger posted a link to a Facebook group opposed to the new Terms of Service and there are about 6,500 people already signed up. The mission of the group states:

We would like to have the Terms of Service changed back to how they were before Feb 4th 2009, including these lines:
“You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content”

The majority of users are most probably unaware of the Terms of Service to begin with and, the average Joe or Jane on Facebook likey have no clue that changes were made. Ask yourself how often you read legal stuff before you click ” I agree”? Ignorance is bliss. So, the word needs to spread.
How about you? What does this mean to you? Do you care? Will it change your use of Facebook?
Do you plan to join the group and spread the word?
Update: Forgot to include Mark Zuckerberg’s note about it AND a great post from Amanda French comparing TOS from MySpace, Flickr, YouTube, LinkedIn and other sites to FaceBook.

Digital Graffiti From Twitter Fight Reminds Us Of Things To Keep In Mind When Using 140 Characters Or Less

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April Dunford, David George-Cosh, Digital Graffiti, National Post, TweetDeck, Twitter

Some interesting stuff in the world of Twitter this week that caught my eye. I typically stray from wading into such matters, but it is always interesting to note what is going on in these new social channels and the implications of less than productive behaviors.
Ian Capstick of Media Style has a good summary of National Post reporter David George-Cosh who launched a mini Twitter tirade this week at April Dunford, formerly of Nortel (whom I met a while back when we were both judges for the Canadian Investment Awards). The issue at hand seems to be that April apparently did not return David’s calls which resulted in the exchange captured in the image below (photo credit to Media Style). Warning … there are a few F-bombs contained in the back and forth.

Hey David, maybe she’s just not that into you.
Anyhow, it reminded me of some items to keep in mind with Twitter:
1. Think before you publish. It is your personal long tail of content, your own digital graffiti. Digital graffiti is different as it does not get covered up with other graffiti. It spreads and remains searchable. The instantaneous nature of Twitter can get you in hot water if you are careless.
2. Understand the community. It is not just your friends or colleagues that are listening. What you think may be an innocent comment could easily blow up (re: the unintended Fed Ex mess from Key Influencer James Andrews)
3. Take the high road. Say something positive and avoid becoming “that guy/girl”. It is too easy to join in with the “pile-on” mentality and become part of the trash talk crowd (no matter who is in the right). Those who differentiate themselves usually find the insight and communicate it without having to slam anyone.
4. Add value. Twitter is powerful and interesting (at least I find it to be) when others pointed to great content and topical information/events/memes. I am more interested in what others are reading than what they are doing. “I’m walking the dog” updates are don’t do it for me. Make us laugh, think and read more stuff we would not otherwise find.
5. Not all conversations should be made public. Ask yourself, “is it more appropriate or better suited to use the direct message feature, or perhaps even an old school email?
6. Bring someone new into the conversation outside of your industry. Twitter is extending its reach beyond the early adopters and the typical participants in the echo-chamber. It is becoming more and more mainstream. There are many interesting people and personalities from politicians to celebrities, journalists and others walks of life adding color and commentary to the space.
Bottom line is that it is almost too easy to get on board and start using Twitter. There is no learners permit. Best advice is to look before you leap because it is not fun to learn the hard way.
While we are on the topic of Twitter, Tweetdeck has just sent out an update (if you are not using Tweetdeck, you are missing out on a robust way to tap into the platform). It is a rocking Adobe Air application that includes an embedded tiny URL feature and displays columns for sorting who you are following direct messages, favourites, hash tags and the like. The update also allows you to translate from other native languages and a neat new feature Stock Twits. Check it out.