Future Camp: To infinity...and beyond!

Sentimental reflections on future camp

I have a confession to make. I am not good at staying connected. Future camp made me think a lot about staying connected and I have to make some changes.

I’m not big on phone calls or emails to check up on friends who are away. I usually correspond only with the people around me. I never thought that not talking to people for a long time was a big issue. I favour face-to-face interaction heavily and sometimes forget social media. It makes my friends roll their eyes when I don’t check Facebook for a month.

I really like the folks here in HumberPR and it would be a shame not to see them anymore.

There is still plenty of time before HumberPR disbands into the working world but staying connected starts now. To avoid failure, I am going public with a resolution. At the moment I check Twitter, Blogspot, Facebook, Gmail and Ning regularly. I resolve to continue using these media to stay connected with the other members of HumberPR. These media are working well for me and I haven’t ignored Facebook invitations for months like I used to.

Thanks for the picture Tricky-P!

The class had some strong ideas about how to stay connected. I have plenty of confidence in the Twitter #YnotW stream and I am sure Wednesday nights will never be dull again. Why Not Wednesdays work well for people like me who sometimes fall from the social media world; the face-to-face interactions keep things real and keep friends close. I like the idea of an electronic time capsule to get everyone back together five years from now.

Kudos to Zack and Jenna for thinking up that Google Doc! It’s a great way to make people feel close. One thing to remember is that staying connected requires effort from both sides. I have no doubt that with the tenacity and mutual desire to keep in touch, this class will stay connected.

For more Future Camp info check out
Ginger's Blog
Jaymes' Blog
Rachael's Blog

Spicing Up Deodorant

Old Spice gets funny and a little bit sexy.

Axe demonstrated that deodorant can be funny and sexy but there's a new deodorant in town. Old Spice is using social media to show that its deodorant is a lot of funny and a little sexy. More importantly, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The viral spread of the company’s commercials shows that Old Spice knows its audience.

Catch phrases:
“Don't smell like sunsets and baby powder. Smell like jet fighters and punching.”
“We're not saying this body wash will make your man smell into a romantic millionaire jet fighter pilot, but we are insinuating it.”



Old Spice taps into the mimetic nature of online content and its popularity among younger male and female audiences. The online commercials are over the top and comical and have likely spread for this reason. The company also recognizes the role women play in men’s deodorant purchases and appeal directly to it with their body wash commercials. The “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” commercial has 5.7 million views in just over a month on Youtube.

For another example of how the company is engaging online audiences to produce viral content, check out the the “Swaggerize Your Wallet” campaign. Youtube videos are a good choice since it allows the company to measure their success based on views as well as comments.

Although Old Spice is increasing their online exposure, it is a late mover compared to brands like Axe that already produced a massive number of videos for Youtube. Their decision to post videos online indicates an awareness of technological trends but the company is still behind.



Axe experienced over 1.5 million views in two months with their “Axe Clean Your Balls”. Axe videos have millions more hits than the Old Spice ones, but recent Old Spice commercials show an upward trend in popularity.

By fully employing other social media applications, Old Spice has the opportunity to connect with more audiences. Ginger was excited that Old Spice tweeted back at her after she commented on the “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” commercial. Using programs like Twitter will allow the company to make more meaningful connections with key influencers. To impress its viral characteristics, our team is blogging about Old Spice commercials because Ginger was so excited about their reply.

Take a gander at some other views on the Old Spice campaign by looking at blogs by Jaymes, Laura, Evangelia and Tricky P.


Wylie out...

Online Personality Plan

Want to know who I really am?

So you’ve been reading my blog or blogs but you are probably wondering who I am. I recently embarked on a personal brand plan to find out for myself. (Note: I really don’t like the term personal brand to describe my online personality but I am using it for the sake of simplicity.) The plan helped me discover who I want to be online and how I am going to achieve it. I set some goals and made some strategies. Here are the results:

Personal Brand Plan2

View more presentations from bwylie01.

The most important thing is that I wrote this all down so you can hold me to it. It’s my plan and I am determined to stick to it. If you have any comments or suggestions feel free to let me know what you think. I will update my blog with my progress on these goals over the next few months. Feedback is always welcome.


Wylie out...

Do or Die

How broadband connectivity is affecting public relations and what YOU can do about it

Unless you lived under a rock for the last few years you have been exposed to what many are considering PR’s game changer. Broadband connectivity and the advent of social media are altering the landscape of corporate communications like never before.

The most notable feature of this new connectedness is a switch in public relations from two-way asymmetrical communication—persuasion, to two-way symmetrical communication—dialogue. It sounds simple, but this shift is what has PR traditionalists shaking in their boots.



For some the idea doesn’t seem so bad, and for anyone familiar with Marshall McLuhan, it isn’t the least bit surprising. Broadband connectivity has generated open and uncontrollable forums in which corporate brands can be discussed and although they can’t be managed, they can be mediated.

Those that embrace the notion are excited by this new landscape that places greater importance on the public. Those that don’t embrace it perish.

How do I survive?
It all comes down to adaptation. Adaptation can be achieved through the realization that online PR is a similar game on a different field with someone else’s rules. It seems intimidating at first but with a little dedication anyone can learn how to play. Those most dedicated to learning the new rules already have what it takes to succeed.

Get out there and embrace it—you may even decide you like it!


Wylie out...

For a more in depth discussion of this issue check out my slideshare!

Do or Die

View more presentations from bwylie01.

Meebo - The King of IM Applications!

Attention IM multitaskers! Think about what you're doing to your carpal tunnel crippled appendages and check out Meebo.

Managing all of your social media applications can be a bit tiresome. Open windows for MSN, Skype, Facebook, ICQ, AIM, and YahooTalk can make you sweat, not to mention the never ending stream of alerts firing from your speakers! The anxiety you feel is exactly why Meebo was invented. Meebo allows users to instant message each other across a huge range of IM programs from a single online web application. Meebo responds to a growing trend in conglomerating social media applications.

Meebo is a great application because it is used through a website and requires no downloads. It is also dead easy to use. The program allows users to sign in to their various IM accounts through the Meebo website and choose what friends they want to talk to from a master list. Using the list, one can edit friend status and organize their contacts on behalf of their instant messengers. The program even allows users to embed Youtube videos in chat instead of just links.

Signing up for Meebo is also very easy. For Google Talk and MSN, I just entered the account name and password, then it was off to the races. To add Facebook, Meebo opened a sign in and permission window provided by Facebook and after a few clicks I was chatting. Meebo even lets users do general status updates across all of the user’s messaging programs which can be a huge time saver. Meebo lovers can integrate a tool into their Windows Quicklaunch Bar that gives them previews of incoming messages. The application can also be used from the bottom of a browser with the "Meebo Bar"/"MeeboMe" feature.

Me checking out Meebo

Meebo also includes the features of typical online chat by hosting chat rooms where people can get together with folks who aren’t on their list. Topics range from politics to music and even adult themes - probably a bunch of mature people discussing adult issues right? I guess you could say Meebo is a program that has something for everyone – everyone that uses instant messaging.

Meebo claims to be one of the world’s fastest growing social media companies and according to their website, they traffic over 6 billion messages and 75 million links for 100 million people per month. Programs that yolk social networking and IM programs together are becoming more valuable to social media users for time saving reasons. Meebo seeks to be a one stop shop for these services. With solid venture capital invested in the organization by companies like Time Warner and Sequoia Capital, it will be interesting to see what other applications Meebo absorbs in the future.



To give you a sense of where they stand here is their list of awards from CrunchBase
> Time’s Top 50 Coolest Websites for 2006
> PC World’s The 100 Best Products of 2006
> PC World’s The 100 Best Products of 2007
> Top 100 Webware sites for 2007
> PC World’s The 100 Best Products of 2008

Here is a chart I whipped up to help you decide how you feel about Meebo!
Pros:
> easy to use
> range of applications
> seamless integration of apps
> no downloads
> chat room feature (PR/Marketing opportunity)
> ability to edit IM settings
> embedded videos
Cons:
> no good for those who use only one IM program
> limited PR applications (mostly for talking to friends)


Wylie out...



For another review check out Sayurie's blog.

Get connected: How to use an RSS feed (it's really simple!)

Are you tired of going to your favourite website week after week only to find there is no new content? If you want updates and links sent to your email or blog it is easier than you think. Using RSS is pretty straightforward but for some great tips check out this Youtube video from CommonCraft called RSS in Plain English. It is clear and accessible for new users in addition to being pretty funny. Over a million viewers can't be wrong, and as a Youtube first, all of the comments are positive! If you are new to the feature then this is the link for you.



There are some other decent links out there for users interested in standalone readers. CNET is one of them. Standalone guides are less useful because a great reader can be obtained for free from Google. The CommonCraft Youtube video uses Google Reader as an example so it is a great place to start.

"How To" guides on About.com and Digital Trends are good for those who like a text based approach, but the above video is excellent. Digital Trends points users to their feed link which is a great way to test out what you have learned. About.com has a history of RSS for interested parties but like Digital Trends, it can be difficult for less tech savvy users to digest. For those interested in general info about RSS Wikipedia is a solid resource.

Other videos include one from VideoJug which is fine if you don't mind waiting for the commercial to finish before viewing, and another Youtube video by Jimmyrcom. None of these videos stand out as being more useful than CommonCraft's.

Now get out there and save some time with your new favourite tool! Don't forget to click the RSS feed on the right side of my blog for future updates!

Wylie out...


For more great info check out Laura's blog, Jordana's blog or Natalie's blog. For more great "how to" ideas check out this google document.

No More Laughs

The internet is ablaze with talk of NBC’s late night TV slot and thanks to social media, the heat is on NBC.

Social media has become an excellent tool for managers in recent years but it has also caused increased scrutiny in instances of questionable decision making. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the popular response to NBC’s scheduling issue. At one time, such a decision would have had a relatively low response rate from the general population, perhaps a few angry letters and emails. Now, our ability to instantaneously communicate via social media has encouraged substantial backlash; backlash that only requires a few key strokes. The decision to give Jay Leno back his timeslot must have made NBC executives sweat in the first place but the online hype and a rash of publications can’t be helping them feel comfortable with their decision.



The coveted 11:35 timeslot was a trending topic on twitter and multiple articles pertaining to it top Digg’s 24 hour and 7 day rankings, in addition to being a highly commented topic on NewsVine for some time. A Facebook group called "I'm with Coco has over 470,000 disgruntled members; the next largest group "Team Conan" has over 182,000 members and it isn't alone. Other groups like, “Keep Conan O’Brien”, “I’m With Coco” and “Save Conan O’Brien” also have thousands of members. More startling is that the groups have mobilized and have formed rallies across the United States. Some enraged fans claim that they are boycotting NBC. Posted on Facebook, threats to boycott the network are injurious to NBC’s reputation.



Although reports suggest that viewership of Conan’s show has increased recently, there has to be fallout for Jay’s show. NBC’s integrity as a brand is at the whim of enraged computer and smartphone users. The Craigslist posting for Conan's show directly attacks NBC's choice to move Conan back to 12:05 and must be damaging for the network's reputation in its position as the third highest Digg on the internet.



It is clear that with social media people are capable of broadcasting discontent to a wide audience with great speed. More worrisome is the speed at which people can now band together physically and in great numbers thanks to online applications like Twitter and Facebook. The NBC situation is a great lesson to managers and PR personnel in the power of persuasion that each individual possesses when employing social media. In this environment companies must be more cautious than ever when they make delicate decisions and address crises, almost nothing seen as a “poor decision” goes unnoticed anymore. The situation proves that social media is not to be ignored as both a great tool and great threat for public relations practitioners.

Wylie out…



Want more info? Check out the Mashable article and the Craigslist listing




Update:
Seems Bnet also had an interesting take on the subject. I agree that "it’s always worth questioning whether the “crisis” will actually affect your company’s bottom line" but the explosion of opposition may be too fast for successful intervention. In some cases clean-up may be the only alternative.