If Twitter tells me #Honorsociety is hot shit, it must be true

You know you’ve made it in showbiz when you’ve made it on Twitter.

I’m running through my Twitter accounts to catch up on news in the world and in my industry. As usual, I browse through the Twitter Trending Topics to see what people are talking about most. The usual come up: #musicmonday, Haiti, Titanic which just recently aired on network television, #theburiedlife, MTV’s newest coockie-cutter reality TV show… but the at the top is #honorsociety. I check the description, and the only explanation currently available is “because the gentlemen of @honorsociety rock twitter.” Thanks Twitter community for being so descriptive.

So I follow the Twitter search, and Honor Society is an r&b influenced pop band. I listen to some of their music on their MySpace page. Alright, I’ll give it to them. It’s a torrid love affair edged on the Backstreet boys crossed with Cobra Starship, subtly pre-packaged in a Disney Channel after school special. In sum, something I may listen to privately in the deepest ends of my closet in substitution for downing half a bottle of Patron to get rid of an isolated bad day. But that it neither here nor there.

Honor Society... I rest my case.

I am still baffled. How did they get to #1 Trending Topic? I became momentarily obsessed with this idea (as you can tell by having to write a blog posting about it.) For something that is so instantaneous like Twitter, I would expect a big event occurring for them to rise so quickly. The most recent appearance of Honor Society in the news was on January 31st when they sang the National Anthem at the Pro Bowl. Before that, they announced their next concert tour “Here Comes Trouble” on January 21st. Moving back even further, their most recent album was released on September 15th, 2009. Google Trends shows them on the up and up, but nothing standing out in a spike. Looking at their @honorsociety Twitter account, there is no activity out of the ordinary, no recent calls to action.

How did this happen? Are their fans really that obsessed? Are they really that much more technically savvy than the hundreds of thousand other mainstream bands out there? And for this to happen at 11:30 p.m. on a school night when most of the Disney Channel audience is counting sheep in their toasty beds?

I do not have the answers yet. But I have a sneaking suspicion that these answers will unlock the nexus of the universe.

Who will win the 2012 election? duhh.

The question sounds too simple: What will it take to win the 2012 election online?

The candidate to set themselves apart online in 2012 will be someone who effectively enters the social media world and communicates with their potential voters. They will also facilitate the distribution of his message, and the ability to donate. A winning candidate will take all the steps taken during the Obama campaign that made it easy to pass his message along: active Facebook Fan page, extensive email lists, an iPhone application, an army of people who not only believe in you, but believe in the technology you are using.

It will also be someone who understand how to maneuver within the virtual world. When Obama was slandered on websites, he did not hold a press conference to address these issues. He created his own website, solely dedicated to responding to these accusations.

But let’s be honest here. The true key will be to have a candidate who embodies the ideals of social media; who wants to work from the ground up, who wants to talk to each and every American, who thinks that no voice is too small to be heard. Every vote counts, and not just those of big donors.

THAT is why Obama’s campaign was so successful. He truely cared about the message he was sending out and the channels he used. When he wrote an update on his Facebook fan page, I felt as if it was really himself writing those words, whereas McCain, I hypothesized if he really knew what Facebook was, thus flattening out his message,

Obama came around when America was ready for a major change, both in leadership and in technology. He also appealed to a younger generation, one who spoke in social media terms. For the first time, someone talked back and continued this discussion. Those two elements combined made for a powerful candidate.

Small technical predcition: a “causes”-type Facebook plug-in to allow users to donate to the campaign, and solicit donations from others. Think about it.

World of Whatcraft? How gaming has changed – and not changed

Deja-vu in gaming advertising? Somethings don't change...

I am not a huge gamer. My experience with online gaming is limited to my Rock Band landing 689th place playing a rendition of The Knack’s “My Sharona,” which put us in the top 1% of the overall Xbox community. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t proud.

Because of this lack of knowledge, my social media class on gaming was a huge eye opening experience. I enjoyed watching my professor Mike run around the virtual world of World of Warcraft (suddenly that ‘Call of Duty’ episode from the office made a lot more sense.) I could not believe there was that many people inside that virtual world at the same time.

The idea of interactive computer games has been around for a while, and although the idea that you are interacting with real people – in real-time – in a virtual world is rather mind-boggling to me, it’s not something I would write home about.

What I do think is fascinating is the idea of using these games to make money, advertise, and promote real-life products.

Inside Second Life, Starwood Hotels established the aloft Hotel, which opened up online months before the real hotel even opened its doors. This fall, Massive’s video game advertising network added many multi-player games, including World of Warcraft, major EA sports, and Guitar Hero.  Even back in October 2008, a Barack Obama billboard appeared in Burnout Paradise, making him the first Presidential candidate to purchase in-game advertising.

Beyond the video game world, I’ve noticed companies trying to get involved with online games within social networks. The game that stands out to me the most is that of Farmville, the online farming game that allows you to plant, grow, and manage crops. Last October, the game’s maker Zynga advertised a “Sweet Seeds for Haiti” program, allowing players to purchase limited edition sweet potato seeds that never wither and last one week. Half of the proceeds benefit charity. They recently also added in-game pop-ups advertising their other games.

Unofficially, I can also testify that the company BioTech approached Farmville with the idea of having Farmville showcase a special “BioTech seed,” which would grow faster/last longer etc. Farmville responded with a quote of $200,000 for a 2 week promotion. That is ridiculous!

Though this process nevertheless fascinates me, I’ve found it is hardly ground-breaking. In looking back through the years, you can see that these advertisements are nothing new:

Above, an Adidas billboard is displayed in the foreground of the 1994 computer game FIFA International Soccer.

Also displayed is a screenshot of the “Sweet World” in Zool for the Amiga system (1992), in which the iconic striped Chupa Chups products can be seen in the background.

As you can see by these screenshots, and even the playful t-shirts above, advertising in games is not a new concept, but it’s one that has certainly evolved over time.

(Something tells me little ol’ Chupa Chups was not submitted to a $200,000 sponsorship fee.)

Social media + technology = a recipe for disasterous customer service stories

A post, about a post, about a post.

A classmate of mine, Emily, wrote a response to my venting on my blog about my Airtran dismays. She even found a YouTube video of a guy citing his story of canceled flights and bad customer service – also from Airtran.

She made an excellent point about how social media has become a conduit for “venting” about problems, and how some companies have finally caught on and embraced this.

Recently I had an experience with Comcast’s social media customer service. I wrote a status update in Facebook about how I was confused that Comcast would lower my monthly bill if I added a phone line. This wasn’t a complaint, just a perplexed statement. I didn’t think too much of it until I received a Facebook message from a Comcast customer service representative:

My original statement was not a complaint, and I didn’t need to respond (at least about this issue), but I thought this move was so ingenious.

I have a friend who had issues with Comcast billing for the longest time and was unable to get any answers. He posted his stories on a blog dedicated to people who hated Comcast. Not too long after, he received an email from Comcast offering to help.

Comcast, notorious for poor customer service, finally started monitoring exactly where people vent about them the most: social networking sites.

I think it is also interesting to expand from her initial thesis of social media being a forum for venting, and look at how new technology combined with these social media tools has facilitated this process.

As I noted in my original post, I wrote that entry on my iPhone through the WordPress app. I was even able to take a photo on my phone, and include that in my post. All this while sitting at an airport bar (because of course, Airtran had delayed my flight.)

In the video she found, it looked like the man was shooting this clip while sitting at a gate of his cancelled flight. It is possible he even uploaded the video immediately, too.

Had either of us waited until we sat down in front of a computer, found internet, and recreated our rants, they may not have been so strong or so concise. Perhaps we may have even forgotten about it once we got to our destination.

While social media has allowed us to share thoughts more easily, technology now allows us to do so instantaneously, which turns out to be a very powerful thing.

Feed me, Twitter

On October 15th, Alyssa wrote a post about the “balloon boy” news story coverage over the internet, especially Twitter. I too, was shocked at how big that story got, and how long #balloonboy was a top Twitter trending topic. I’ve had similar experiences with other news stories.

She mentioned how over the past 6 months she has come to rely on Twitter as a valuable news source. I am with her on that one. However, I think it’s important to see all sides of Twitter, and the benefits it now offers:

1. You can follow all major news sources. Today, news organizations have all developed impressive followings. You can now receive the news straight from the source: The Washington Post, the Huffington Post, the New York Times, etc. – whatever your little heart desires. Even Twitter skeptics have to be pleased about this aspect.

2. Twitter trending topics. In a quick glance, you can see what is currently popular in the news, and what people are saying about it. As if that feature isn’t dummy-proof enough, you can even now click on a trending topic, and Twitter will tell you why it’s a trending topic.

3. You receive the news in real-time. Last spring I was at a tournament away from any TV or computer, and I wanted to follow the NFL draft. I opened up espn.com, obviously a relevant news source for this topic, but they could not update their page quick enough. So I turned to Twitter. With this tool, I could now see what was happening through the search #nfldraft the instant anything happened.

4. You can find out useful information that isn’t really newsworthy. A few weeks ago, I found that my iPhone service was acting up. Email seemed to be coming through fine, but SMS and calls were not working properly. Google usually knows everything, but there was no evidence of this malfunction in any of their searches. And again, what I would I search? So I went back to Twitter to see what people were saying. A quick “DC iPhone” search revealed multiples posts about AT&T’s 3G network being down. People posted recommendations on how to circumvent this problem, which included turning off 3G and just working on the EDGE network.  That saved me (what I’m sure would have felt like) hours of disconnect with my social world – on and offline.

Twitter is more than just a news source – it’s an information source. Like Alyssa, I do not just use it to find the news, I use it to see what people are saying about the news. Twitter is the only program out there like it. Who knew 140 characters could have so much power.

Get off the Cluetrain and into my Zipcar: Social media success in the car-sharing business

I came across an excellent blog posting by Lora Kratchounova, aka “Scratch” – an industry marketing and media guru – addressing Zipcar’s unparalleled marketing success.

Over the past 9 years, Zipcar has built more than just a revolutionary product – they built a brand. Through their intriguing marketing and media messaging, Zipcar planted in consumers the illusion of exclusivity and luxury. Potential consumers ponder the wishful idea that if they’re lucky enough, maybe just one day, they too can become a Zipcar member.

Scratch’s post outlines 8 things she loves about Zipcar – all with which I whole-heartedly agree. But there are two more points that she missed, both of which I think are crucial to the success of their overall brand. Coincidentally, both of these points are major elements of the Cluetrain Manifesto: the use of the ‘human voice’ and the idea that ‘markets are conversations’.

Across their entire brand and marketing campaign, Zipcar speaks to their consumers with a human voice, and not that of a corporation. As I pointed out in an earlier posting on the Cluetrain Manifesto, traditional companies’ voices are dry, homogenized, and contrived; they do not sound like the real people in their market.

Successful ones, such as Zipcar, understand human mannerisms to be able to interact with their market. A true example of this is the way they treat their cars like people.

Their vehicles are all given a name, such as Babycakes, Bitsy, Belvedere, Boy wonder, even Boogaloo. Zipcar’s online database also contains short descriptions of the vehicles – each one of them resembling more an online dating profile than typical rent-a-car websites. They even recently announced a Zipcar “sleepover” program; this slumber party allowing you to keep a Zipcar overnight at a discounted rate.

The cars become your companions, your teammates, and not just a tool to achieve your goal. In the end, this personification of vehicles and casual language makes users feel more connected to the company as a whole.

Second, Zipcar uses every instance of delivering corporate messages as an opportunity for a conversation with their market.

While many companies attempt – and fail – at successfully involving their markets in conversation, Zipcar thrives (or should I say drives.) This affirmation is evident by their extremely active Facebook page.

Zipcar has a following on Facebook of over 27 thousand fans. Though many pages can boast that many members, few have achieved the same level of interaction.

Every Zipcar post on Facebook earns tens, hundreds, something thousands of feedback messages.

Zipcar regularly asks its members to name their vehicles. In a request for naming on September 10th, members responded overwhelmingly with 1,641 comments and 20 “likes.”

Zipcar also converses with their members on a level beyond the product itself. They encourage ‘Zipsters’ to send in stories and pictures of things they’ve done during their Zipcar reservations. On December 4th, they posted a picture of a baby who was born after being driven to the hospital in a Zipcar. On September 25th, two guys from MIT drove their Zipcar to a launch site where they floated a balloon with a camera attached into the sky, and submitted a picture of what they found. On November 6th, Tyler and Jane hopped in a Zipcar after their wedding and drove off into the sunset.

They have also asked their members to submit designs for their Christmas e-card, or a picture of their Halloween “pumpkin art” carving that captures what they love about Zipcar.

Why is Zipcar so successful in employing these two elements into their marketing scheme? Because they use them together. The ‘human voice’ plays off the belief that ‘markets are conversations.’

Companies can easily write a witty passage, but if no one is there to respond, what is the use? And why converse with your audience when you aren’t speaking the same language?

Zipcar has found a way to seamlessly incorporate both of these elements into their marketing plan, and it is their use in tangent that makes them relevant to us, the consumer. Or in their case, the too-cool-for-school “Zipsters.”

I will gladly buy a coffee Tuesday for a free checked luggage today

Airtran. I have had a very bitter taste towards you ever since you left me standing in the gate, watching my plane fly away in front of me, all because it wasn’t your “policy” to call names when checked-in travelers are missing. Words cannot explain how much I despise thee (or really any words that are polite enough to be written down in a public blog).

Lucky for me, I can jump on the cliche train myself and say today a picture is worth a thousand words. This is what I found at an Airtran gate:

Well, well, Airtran. You’re more than welcome to give me free coffee, but not to accommodate any of my travel needs? You want to charge me $15 for checking a bag- one way? You want to charge me $3 for a blanket? You want to charge me for a bottle of water? On top of that, may I point out, THERE WAS NO FREE COFFEE!

Airtran, I object, but I’m pretty sure you are not always trying to find me ways to save money. I will gladly buy my own $1.10 airport-mart coffee in lieu of your checked luggage charge. Airtran should really be aware of their full business model before laying out their marketing plan.

Sidenote: This post was also an experiment in using the WordPress for iPhone app. It could have a few more features, but as you can see, it gets the job done – and well!

Question of the day…

Can someone tell me why the company that makes iPhones does not have a mobile-optimized website?

Step aside vending machines, tank tops, and condoms: Wikipedia new on list of high school bans

What does Wikipedia have in common with vending machines, tank tops, and condoms? It has become a controversial topic for high schools, and like some of the above mentioned elements, has even gone so far to be banned.

I was at a family gathering recently and entered into a discussion with my cousin, a freshman in high school. He is currently enrolled in some classes with projects and papers, so we spoke about the process his teachers encourage him to research and source.

Apparently at his high school, students are only allowed to use sources found in a few select online databases approved by the school. They are not allowed to find information by searching the internet, and above all, NO Wikipedia.

I absolutely agree that Wikipedia should not be listed in your works cited, but it is a far more useful tool than most teachers these days realize.

For one, Wikipedia gives you an overall knowledge of a particular subject. With the wealth of information out there, it is often hard to find a general explanation of certain topics. That can be crucial in offering a starting off point for a research paper, especially for young minds like high school students.

Secondly, the Wikipedia community is usually very good at citing their references. Though the text in Wikipedia may not be quotable, the sources at the end of each article can often be used as trustworthy pieces of reference.

I also think it is important to be teaching kids, especially at a young ago, how to appropriately use social media tools, such as Wikipedia. The solution is not to ban Wikipedia. It is to encourage them to use it in a responsible way.

I have seen college kids cite Wikipedia in their bibliography for research papers. For a long time, I don’t think many people understood how incorrect that was. Without the proper teachings early on, these high school kids may fall into the same trap. Don’t tell them to not use Wikipedia. Instead, explain to them why not to use it in those situations, and tell them when it is appropriate.

Kids these days are savvy enough to know Wikipedia exists, and at some point in their student career, they will turn to it. They need to be taught that it is a user-created encyclopedia, and to judge the credibility of everything they read. Not everything will be correct, but at the same time, this does not mean everything will necessarily be wrong (with a high percentage comparable to reputable encyclopedias.)

In this age of new media, people should be critical of everything they read, and Wikipedia is a perfect teaching tool for this.

Join me in encouraging students and teachers to Practice Safe Wikipedia Research!

The Wave Has Arrived…

Full blog posting to come… Stay tuned.