Crayon, join the conversation

For the past couple of years, I've been at the South by Southwest Interactive conference for clients (Panasonic in 2009 and VeriSign in 2010). But this year, I'm going for me.

Well, that's the plan but I'll need your help to get there.

The good news is I'm not asking you to drive me in your second-hand Chevette. I'm just asking for your vote.

Here's the backstory: For those of you that don't already know this, each year, thousands of social media folks submit their ideas for sessions they'd like to present at SXSW for consideration by the organizers. The ones that make the first cut get posted to a panel picker where you (in the 2006 Time Magazine Person of the Year sense) vote on the ones you like best. The most popular sessions (this is crowdsourcing in action people, although let's be honest -- it's a popularity contest, right?) have a shot at making the agenda.

And here's the story itself: This year, I have a session based on microMARKETING up for your vote. Basically, I'll talk about the book (like I do at conferences since this is a, well you know, conference), maybe hand out some free copies, possibly take off my shirt, almost definitely snap a few pictures with the folks in the room. You can get more information HERE.

And here's the part you can play in that story: Well, first of all I'd love it if you could show your support and VOTE (thumbs up, please) for my session, even if you're not sure you'll have the opportunity to attend South By next year.

Second, if you'd really like to see my session happen please share the love. TWEET the link. SHARE it on Facebook. REBLOG this post. SPREAD the word.

Thanks for your help. And while you're feeling helpful, you might also feel like showing some love to my fellow Poweredistas. A bunch of us -- including Jaffe, Quigley, Maltoni, van der Meer, Strout -- are up for some stage time. Get all the details and links on Aaron Strout's blog-like-object and, as Aaron himself writes ,"Vote Early and Vote Often." (Actually I think you can only vote once per session but you know what he means.)

Rock on.

Maybe you're thinking about buying microMARKETING but want to get a better sense of what's between the covers first. Or maybe you just want a souvenir of my MarketingProfs webinar. In either case, you've come to the right post.

Here's the newest version of the presentation slides based on the book. Of course, this touches on only a few of the key themes and presents just a small handful of the case studies and stories I've crammed between the yellow covers - but it should be enough to whet your whistle. As always comments welcome.

Last week, Comcast's Twitter man Frank Eliason (better known as @comcastcares) announced that he would be leaving his post at the nation's biggest cable provider for a similar social media job at Citigroup. As @comcastcares Frank not only played an instrumental role in his company's social media turnaround, and driving a real world shift in brand perception -- we also gave social media gadflies one of the first concrete examples of how big business could use Twitter (or more generally real-time interactions) to deliver tangible benefits for its customers.

For many in the social media space, and I'd suspect many of the customers Frank and his team helped with just-in-time Twitter support, Frank and Comcast were practically synonymous. And now -- to my knowledge at least -- he is the first of his kind to leave the company with which he has become social-media-connected-at-the-hip.

Frank will no doubt do great things at Citi, but the real question is: What does this move mean for Comcast?

From a business perspective, it seems as if Frank and Comcast have it under control (Frank's vision is that his team will step in and man the stream). But here the real question isn't whether the business can hack it at customer care 2.0; it's whether (in @comcastcares) Frank Eliason has built up a corporate asset or simply a personal brand.

My thinking: Frank has built a balanced brand. And I think the idea of the balanced brand is a key concept for social businesses.

OK, so what is a balanced brand?

It's one part business, one part human, and (done right) 100% sustainable long after the humans move on to be replaced by other humans.

We're all familiar with the traditional notion of brand (a corporate thing that, right or wrong, typically comes to life through logos, slogans, taglines and the like) and -- thanks to the interwebz -- most are familiar with the concept of the personal brand (a human thing that some celebrate, others denigrate and the rest of us realize is something that we all possess to one degree or another whether we cultivate it or not. In other words: you are what you is.) The idea of the balanced brand argues that the one and the other don't necessarily serve conflicting goals -- in fact, the can work in tandem for the benefit of both the business and the people in the business.

A balanced brand, as the term implies, strikes the right (wait for it...) balance between the corporate and the human. It's a balance that effectively gives a company a friendly face and familiar voice, but doesn't sacrifice the underlying business drivers in the process.

Err too far toward the personal and the individual becomes so inextricably linked with the company's social presence that a departure can be devastating.

Err to far toward the corporate and what's the point, really? This is where you see companies turning to social as just another branding channel, another way of pushing promotions, or some other marketing 1.0 retrofit of web 2.0 tools.

Stick pretty close to the gooey center and you've got it just right. A social media reverse-mullet of sorts (but in a good way) that is personal in the front and business in the back.

I have no illusions that this idea is earth shattering. It's interesting (to me at least) but to be frank (pun intended, I suppose) it should be common sense. Fortunately, unlike in the early days of social and even in many of today's social missteps, it's starting to become common practice.

Clearly, Frank hasn't built the only balanced brand in social business. Dell's Lionel Menchaca comes to mind, as do the thousands of real people offering twitterati electronics advice as Best Buy's Twelpforce (the tweets may come from the corporate account, but each is "signed" with the employee's personal handle as well.) In these cases, the consumer is well aware they're dealing with a real person but it's also amply clear that the real person is speaking as a representative of the company that keeps them.

Of course, for every positive example there are plenty of negatives -- the people who use their company's social presences as their personal pulpits (the people who give personal branding a bad name, and likely give themselves bad names in the process); the companies who are so stiff and faceless in social that they'd be better off investing in bigger banner buys (the companies that that people may not hate, but companies that simply can't relate).

As usual, my half-baked thinking will be better with your more fully baked thinking. What do you think? Useful concept? Total BS? Let those comments rip.

Imagine you work for a small digital shop (one among hundreds, no doubt) and you want to attract attention and demonstrate that you've got the social media chops to stand apart from the pack. What would you do? Roll out the obligatory social media tactics -- like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, find us on Foursquare? Put a couple of "we get social too" pages in your creds deck and slap a "share this" icon into the footer of your agency site?

Or pile your team into a Ford Flex and drive 'em around the United States to meet with some of the most creative and interesting people in media, marketing, business and technology?

If your answer sounded more like the former, then you're probably -- well -- you (and that's OK; there's nothing wrong with being you). But if your answer sounded more like the latter, then you're probably Darryl Ohrt.

Darryl is founder of the Connecticut-based interactive agency Humongo (formerly Plaid, recently renamed following its acquisition by Source Marketing), and for four summers-running has been taking his show on the road -- literally -- for Humongo Nation: a rolling real-world demonstration of social media in action. When so many agencies are talking (and only talking) big about social, Humongo has taken a decidedly different approach by putting their media where their mouths are. With just one small idea that any agency might have come up with (but didn't), they have created a proof-is-in-the-pudding showcase of the current batch of social media technologies, a demonstration of their own chops at putting the tools to work in compelling and relevant ways, and a non-traditional forum for earning the attention of not only raving geek Humongo fans (yes, they're out there and they've got the t-shirts to prove it) but also innovative companies that might be interested in securing the services of a shop like Humongo.

This year's Humongo Nation kicks-off on July 19th and takes the team on a 10-day trip down the east coast, from Maine to Miami. Along the way, they'll be hanging out with cool people and visiting with companies as diverse as Wingate by Wyndham, Paul Deen Enterprises, NASCAR and the Miami Heat. As in past years, the whole thing will be streamed live from a pair of in-car video cameras, live tweeted and blogged. New for this year, you can also track the tour's progress as the crew checks in on Foursquare along the way.

So be sure to tune into the Humongo Nation dashboard starting on the 19th to live variously through the wonder of the interwebz. But most of all -- and this is the personal plea part -- I hope you'll make super-sure to tune in at noon on July 21st when I'll be meeting up with the Humongo team when they visit New York City.

We'll be hanging out at the Doughnut Plant (doughnuts for lunch? it's only fitting if you've eaten your Brand Flakes for Breakfast) and talking about microMARKETING and whatever else strikes our fancy. In fact, if you're planning to be in NYC on the 21st feel free to swing by the Doughnut Plant, grab a glazed, and say hey.

In the meantime, for more details on what Humongo Nation is all about, check out the pre-tour trailer (if you're reading this in the feed or on email, you may need to click through to the post to watch the video.)

Humongo Nation pre-tour video 2010 from Humongo Nation on Vimeo.

Disclosures: I've been on the Plaid/Humongo blogger outreach list for several years, which means Darryl and team have outfitted me with a few free t-shirts (including one my fiancee keeps "losing" because she finds the bright orange color a bit too over-the-top), lapel pins and air fresheners. Also, the consultancy formerly known as crayon worked with the agency formerly known as Plaid on some programs for the video chat service still known as ooVoo. Also also, in a past life I worked with a couple of Source Marketing's key executives but that's neither here nor there (but hello to Rich and Mark, regardless).

Imagine you work for a small digital shop (one among hundreds, no doubt) and you want to attract attention and demonstrate that you've got the social media chops to stand apart from the pack. What would you do? Roll out the obligatory social media tactics -- like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, find us on Foursquare? Put a couple of "we get social too" pages in your creds deck and slap a "share this" icon into the footer of your agency site?

Or pile your team into a Ford Flex and drive 'em around the United States to meet with some of the most creative and interesting people in media, marketing, business and technology?

If your answer sounded more like the former, then you're probably -- well -- you (and that's OK; there's nothing wrong with being you). But if your answer sounded more like the latter, then you're probably Darryl Ohrt.

Darryl is founder of the Connecticut-based interactive agency Humongo (formerly Plaid, recently renamed following its acquisition by Source Marketing), and for four summers-running has been taking his show on the road -- literally -- for Humongo Nation: a rolling real-world demonstration of social media in action. When so many agencies are talking (and only talking) big about social, Humongo has taken a decidedly different approach by putting their media where their mouths are. With just one small idea that any agency might have come up with (but didn't), they have created a proof-is-in-the-pudding showcase of the current batch of social media technologies, a demonstration of their own chops at putting the tools to work in compelling and relevant ways, and a non-traditional forum for earning the attention of not only raving geek Humongo fans (yes, they're out there and they've got the t-shirts to prove it) but also innovative companies that might be interested in securing the services of a shop like Humongo.

This year's Humongo Nation kicks-off on July 19th and takes the team on a 10-day trip down the east coast, from Maine to Miami. Along the way, they'll be hanging out with cool people and visiting with companies as diverse as Wingate by Wyndham, Paul Deen Enterprises, NASCAR and the Miami Heat. As in past years, the whole thing will be streamed live from a pair of in-car video cameras, live tweeted and blogged. New for this year, you can also track the tour's progress as the crew checks in on Foursquare along the way.

So be sure to tune into the Humongo Nation dashboard starting on the 19th to live variously through the wonder of the interwebz. But most of all -- and this is the personal plea part -- I hope you'll make super-sure to tune in at noon on July 21st when I'll be meeting up with the Humongo team when they visit New York City.

We'll be hanging out at the Doughnut Plant (doughnuts for lunch? it's only fitting if you've eaten your Brand Flakes for Breakfast) and talking about microMARKETING and whatever else strikes our fancy. In fact, if you're planning to be in NYC on the 21st feel free to swing by the Doughnut Plant, grab a glazed, and say hey.

In the meantime, for more details on what Humongo Nation is all about, check out the pre-tour trailer (if you're reading this in the feed or on email, you may need to click through to the post to watch the video.)

Humongo Nation pre-tour video 2010 from Humongo Nation on Vimeo.

Disclosures: I've been on the Plaid/Humongo blogger outreach list for several years, which means Darryl and team have outfitted me with a few free t-shirts (including one my fiancee keeps "losing" because she finds the bright orange color a bit too over-the-top), lapel pins and air fresheners. Also, the consultancy formerly known as crayon worked with the agency formerly known as Plaid on some programs for the video chat service still known as ooVoo. Also also, in a past life I worked with a couple of Source Marketing's key executives but that's neither here nor there (but hello to Rich and Mark, regardless).

New!  Improved!  Bigger! Biggest!  Best!  Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger!

Not far from my home, there is a restaurant outside of which hangs a massive banner declaring that this place offers “THE BEST LUNCH IN TOWN”.  I’ve never eaten there, so for all I know the claim may be true. But I often wonder, best by whose definition? Its customers? Professional reviewers? The owner him or herself? And best by what standard? The finest cuisine, the biggest portions or best prices? The best option for harried lunch hour bite-grabbers or best for leisurely ladies’ luncheons? Is the food simply filling or could the experience actually be more emotionally fulfilling than microwaving canned soup for a quiet Saturday afternoon lunch on the couch with my fiancée and my six year old daughter? I mean, that would be a strong contender for my best lunch.

You see, superlatives might look great in copy decks, but if consumers take them literally they set impossibly high standards that (generally speaking) businesses can’t possibly live up to. There is nothing new about this. Superlatives have only rarely rung true.

Or how about this one? Even the most maniacal Mac monkeys chuckled at Apple’s use of over-the-top hyperbole in the iPad launch announcements (magical???), even if they fundamentally believed that the device would be the game changer it might actually turn out to be. Case in point:

[Feed and email readers click through for the embedded video.]

None of this would be much more than philosophical pondering if it weren’t for the fact that dissenting – or at a minimum, less biased – opinions are always a click or finger-swipe away.

This morning, as I rode the commuter train into New York City for a day in the office I passed the neighborhood eatery with the big, bold banner. This time, rather than just wondering what BEST really means, I grabbed my phone and Yelped it. Sure enough, the ratings are fair-to-middling; the reviews themselves are (predictably) mixed; the reviewers not shy about airing their gripes about shoddy service, dated décor or mediocre munchies.

Now that doesn’t sound like the BEST LUNCH at all…

I’ve not yet been so fully absorbed into the great and mighty hive mind that I can’t recognize that Yelp reviews are just as subjective as a restaurant owner’s (or product marketer’s) assertion that their own offering is top notch.  The likely truth is that this restaurant is just fine – no better and no worse than dozens of other places like it. So maybe I’ll give it a try sometime (hell, I may even spring for an iPad  soon), but in the meantime I wonder if the folks who see the sign and wander in today will spend the rest of the afternoon raving, regretting or retching. Or – most likely – if today’s BEST LUNCH will turn out to be just another lunch on just another day.

The superlative is dead. Long live the superlative.

Is this the best post you’ve read today? Like it, link it, tweet it, share it. ;-) Is it the worst? Well, that’s what comments are for…

But either way, the next time you‘re writing that ad, press release, website copy, banner headline (for banners of the real or digital varieties), or marketing whatever, think about all the ways you can replace the superlative with substance.

Confession: I've never bought or sold a used car. Sure, I've traded in a car or two at a local dealership but
I've never had the time, patience or inclination to deal with auto listings (online or offline) as a seller or a buyer. But I know plenty of people have and I'm always interested in the ways companies empower people to do old things in better new ways by offering tools and technologies that improve on traditional means, especially in simple ways.

The folks at used car bible Kelley Blue Book - the gold, umm I mean blue, standard for what that old clunker is really worth - have come up with a way to tap into social and mobile to make it easier for regular people to sell their used cars without coming across like (well) used car dealers. Their new Seller's Toolkit provides sellers with a set of easy-to-use tools that make it simple for anyone looking to unload a car to advertise their vehicle across the social web -- from Craig's List to Facebook to Twitter to their own blogs -- and any interested in learning more to get real-time value info with a click or a call.

Social media is pervasive and I don't know many people who don't carry mobile phones complete with data plans and (increasingly) the ability to run apps.With Seller's Toolkit it seems KBB understands that its better for everyone -- the buyer, the seller and KBB itself -- if regular people had the tools to sell cars like the pros.

So what exactly is it and what does it let you do?

First, if you're gonna sell a car you're gonna need a window sticker. KBB let's you create a printable page to tack up in your car but (this is the cool part) it includes instructions and the mechanisms to let interested buyers get the current KBB value (something KBB calls LiveValue) with your mobile via text, voice or QR code. It's a nice modern take on the FOR SALE sign.

 

The kit also lets you build out a "digital window sticker" for your blog, site or social network profiles -- essentially a nice widget that allows one-click sharing across your online presences. If you've uploaded images for your listing, those images are presented dynamically so they're always the latest greatest shots of your car. And of course the KBB value is always current too via LiveValue.

 

Next, since so many of us use Facebook as a primary social network, the tool lets sellers quickly and easily turn their listing into a custom tab that they can add to their profile to let all their friends know that their love mobile is available for purchase. Personally, I've seen friends posting 'car for sale' and even 'house for sale' notices to their walls - this take that to the next level and provides potential buyers with a nice, clean tab that offers all the necessary info.

 

And finally, the KBB Seller's Toolkit even takes care of the tiny details like automatically generating Twitter and status update-friendly bit,ly shortened URLs that link buyers directly to Kelley Blue Book pricing reports for the appropriate make, model and year.

You can learn more or try it out for yourself at Kelley Blue Book. But obviously, I'm not an automotive blogger so I'm not here to sell you on the tool itself. Instead, think about why something like this makes so much sense -- it is consistent with KBB"s brand, modernizes their value proposition by taking advantage of common social and mobile technologies, and keeps the interests of its core consumers (both buyers and sellers) squarely in its sites. It's not gimmicky or flashy; instead it answers some simple business questions:

• How can we add more value in what we already do well?
• How can we make customers' lives easier?
• Is there a way technology and tools can empower both our company and our customers to do more, get more and transact more easily (and on their own terms)?