Here is a Friday musing:

Buzzwords might be great for PowerPoint decks, but if you are part of a buzz-worded industry, it sure as hell gets annoying,

Take a look at this Google Tends page for “Social Media.” The past two years have seen the kind of growth curve in terms of search queries that would make dot com boom investors salivate like Pavlov’s dog.

Don’t forget though: media is inherently social. We consume it and share it with others. A boombox with 2 cassette bays is a social media device as it lets me share my music. Is it as elegant and fast as embedding a Soundcloud player (or carrying a ghetto blaster with you at all times)? No, but that doesn’t change the designation . The obsession, then, comes from increasing numbers of tools to share various media. However, this is an ever present trend (DVDs are easier than VHS tapes and those are easier than laser discs) and just because all of a sudden there is a word to define it, doesn’t mean everyone needs to hop on the “sell the buzzword bandwagon” and create noise in the digital creative industry. This noise locks people into a frame of though and doesn’t let some truly bright minds behind this “digital media sharing” space push us forward.

Happy Weekend Everyone.

I would like point out some interesting personal encounters of direct value of using 2 way communication channels for brand building. Remember, “social media” is just a buzzword. All media is inherently social (we want to share it!), and the tools that are labeled as “social media” tools are just the current methods of enabling 2 way communications between users and brands.

Lets get a few things out of the way first: this is not snake oil; it is an additional channel for brands to connect with consumers. It is unique because it allows personal connections. It is NOT, however, a replacement for your entire marketing strategy… sorry folks, that’s not how it works.

Here are some great examples that have resulted in spending money on services or a creation of brand evangelism:

1. I was looking for an agency to do web development for our firm in Dubai. I was new in town and was on the lookout of a local team I could work closely with to finish a project in a tight deadline. I facebooked, tweeted, and googled. I contacted many agencies but found Baher from Cloud Appers to be really helpful in the process. He was also really helpful when I asked the Dubai twitter community about the local living situation before I moved. Result? 5 figure USD contract + continuing service.
2. I needed to print roll-up stands for a conference. This was a rush jobs and I did not have the time to shop around all the local printers (Google wasn’t helpful in this region for easily locating a vendor).  I got a reference from twitter and based on that evangelism for the brand on behalf of other users, it resulted in a 4 figure USD order.
3. MIPTV, a content conference in Cannes in April, is an important part of our company’s lead generation. I needed to quickly book apartments for our team. Based on previous successes with using Twitter and Facebook, I updated my statuses on both services. The response was overwhelming. I was contacted by email, facebook, and twitter messages. The vendor that took the extra step to go on my personal site, look up my email, and get in touch got a 4 figure USD booking.
4. I am in charge of our global sales pipeline and the analytics that go with it. I create the reports that our President and CMO use to determine the performance of our sales team. When I was researching the best system to use, Pipeline Deals contacted me directly to set up a product demo and a phone call to address my needs.  Unfortunately we came to the conclusion that their system, at this stage of their development, was not the best fit. However, I am now very familiar with their offering and recommend the service wholeheartedly to those who need an easy to use web-based sales tracking system. I am sure that I will be a customer at some point in time. I love their team’s dedication to personalized service, the only kind that matters.
5. I was reading Lenovo’s Design Matters blog. The post was about a design study device that was of particular interest to me. Unfortunately the team used Flickr to host the pictures. Flickr is blocked in the UAE. I commented on the blog voicing my frustration. A representative went on my personal site from my comment link, found my Twitter ID, and replied to me on Twitter asking me if he could send me the pictures by email. I was pleasantly surprised! Next time I need a rugged windows based computer to take to conferences with me, which brand has caught my attention and made themselves worthy of my 2-3K USD? (hint: rhetorical question).

I will not mention the countless advice I got for venues, directions, and general pointers on a multitude of subjects.

So…. Is social media worth the investment? You tell me… engaging me directly has netted companies who utilized social media over 50K USD and a loyal fan and evangelist for their products and services.
If you would like some “pay it forward” advice on how you can engage your customers using this new communication channel, drop me a note. I would love to talk to you about it.

Just about everything about this video is amazing. From the quality of video itself to the fact that this brand gets the value of producing videos that make me want the product. As with my BMW Films post, I applaud Asics for coming out with a creative way to make consumers sit down and learn more about the brand and its values.

Origami In the Pursuit of Perfection from MABONA ORIGAMI on Vimeo.

I had the pleasure of reading  Deloitte’s annual “The State of the Media Democracy” study. Here are some publicly available stats that I believe are indicative of where its all headed:

Millennials (ages 14 – 25) spend more time with media per week, but less time watching television, and mobile devices are primary entertainment channels for them.

Ok. I’m one of these. Yes I consume more media daily. No, I do not watch any TV. Even when I had full access to HD cable glory, I would prefer to run TV shows and movies from my media center… aka big hard drive with content hooked up to a USB enabled DVD player. TV is great, but unless you are ponying up for a cable co dvr, you are out of luck in terms of on demand content.

In 2009, more than ever, people want to access their content when they want to for an affordable price.

58% of all respondents want to easily connect their TVs to the Internet to download or view content or view content on their PC. That number bumps up to 70% for Millennials.

Building on the point above…

This is where Netflix GETS IT. XBOX + Netflix is the best thing since sliced bread. No more waiting for disc in the mail (so archaic!) and no new hardware! This is great! These types of deals are showing us that we are headed to the convergence of TV, internet, and home computing. Windows Media Center and Apple TV are a decent start, but still not mainstream enough. Xbox is mainstream. I am still waiting for the day when I can  whip out a phone and using a shortcode order a netflix movie via sms, and have it all loaded up in HD automatically to my STB (Set-top Box) which remains in a powersaver mode until it gets the comand. If this same box is also my gaming station and my cable box, all the better. I want to see the end of having a dvd, dvr/cable box, game box, and <insert other device here> clutter up my TV space, eat power, and create a web of wiring confusion in my living room.

60% want the ability to move their content to any device they own without any problems.

The last part is key. That TV show that I downloaded at home… If I want to watch it on my 3g phone while waiting at an airport lounge or riding a train, I should be able to do it. Its my content. I paid for it. Serve it to me when its convenient for me. I (and many others) will pay for that… just don’t make me go to MIT to figure it out ok? Thanks.

Lessons?

1. Lines between devices that are used for media consumption are bluring
2. Convergence is good if functional
3. On demand (location and device agnostic) media providers will be kings