Pictures of the After Life

Sometimes technology is interesting, inspiring and motivating. Other times, it just takes your breath away. This video produced by the Norrkopings VIsualization Center is one of those. I found these guys while on my pursuit of info-graphics and other edifying imagery.

The Virtual autopsy table marries peaceful inquiry to the relentless pursuit of truth. Medical imaging, in this case Dual Energy Computed Tomography, combined with data analysis and visualization creates a full volumetric description of the human body. Yikes!

This revolutionary, peaceful and useful idea came from Sweden. It is already used as a compliment to the traditional um..examination...and can be used in cultures that don't allow conventional methods.

It sets the imagination spinning how quickly an injury could be examined, identified and treated - without invasive alternatives. And just think what they could do to your suitcase!

The Virtual Autopsy Table from NorrköpingsVisualiseringscenter on Vimeo.

You Oughta Be In Pictures

The Conversation Prism by Brian Solis and Jesse Thomas

Learning Social media is like measuring Koch’s curve. It’s an infinite space within a finite space similar to our digital universe.

Digital is not only continually creating new tools, apps, channels and mediums but the way they interact in utility seems to expand them until the possibilities are endless. Add that to the always-expanding pathways that connect these mediums and agencies can find it hard to navigate ourselves, let alone map out a plan for others to navigate upon.

One thing I have found very useful are infographics that layout the digital ecosphere. Good ones are few and far between and even the leading infographic artists are having to grapple with this task.

Two of my favorite presenters in this arena are Brian Solis and David Armano.

Brian Solis is the Principal of FutureWorks, blogs at PR2.0, bub.blicio.us, and is a prolific writer.

Two of my favorite recent images of his include:

• The Social Marketing Compass reflects the value system that the brand expression can reach through various social spaces.
• The Conversation Prism (at the top of this post) charts online conversations between the people that populate communities, as well as, the networks that connect the Social Web.

David Armano writes the blog Logic + Emotion which is ranked in the top 10 media + marketing blogs according to Advertising Age. He has been cited by Forrester, The Boston Globe and BusinessWeek and has the best assembled collection of infographics on FlickR called L+E Visual Thinking Archive.

Doesn't it seem clearer already? These guys generously share there work. Now let's extend their work, find enlightenment and bring on the baked-in, info-graphic crowd sourcing. Better yet, let's bring these kaleidoscopes to life.

Change, Growth, and Beta-Meta-morphosis

Adoption rates are increasing. Forrester says that four in five adults who participate online are active socially.

Daily we face the full spectrum of interactive involvement. We cope with IE6 fixes, the on-going adoption of our company or client base and the agile competitors that leap ahead, mashing video with social connectivity, and blending the virtual and physical realms with real-time retail mobile scanning and transactions.

As we experience change and all its gyrations, we take respite and glean inspiration from the minds that are moving us forward. They allow us to collect data for the birdwatching society, watch TV on demand via Hulu, use our gsp to track friends and family or view starmaps accurately based on our longitude and latitudinal designations.

Innovation policies are strong in countries such as Finland, Japan, Germany and others -many say the United States is falling behind. But the truth is, that with crowd sourcing, innovation is being led with the strongest idea, no matter who it came from.

According to Jeffrey Howe, Crowdsourcing strips away race, sex, age, nationality and every other demographic to release ideas from any participating source. If knowledge is power then the organization, company or country that learns to harness the intellectual power of its members and then express it in usable solutions will generate future wealth and prosperity.

Sharing is in the air and it’s very exciting stuff.

With the imminent release of Google Wave, open source philosophy, and mobile adoption, these transformative leaps will continue to happen at an increasing rate.

The media diet required to keep up with these advancements is intimidating. Current stats say the average American spends 9 hours a day in front of a screen. There is much to be gained from crowdsourcing, mobile advancements and real-time fully informed decision-making.

But as we evolve don’t hesitate to let go of technology for a moment. Meditate on the growing grass, the full moon and the sleeping cat. Information is available from many sources and the ability to improvise is sourced from within the human experience. The amplification of this skill set and its integration into our culture at varied rates is the vibrant and uncertain condition in which we currently travel.

Enjoy the beta-meta ride.

Brewing the Value Stream or How To Generate Twitter Content?

You’re either on Twitter or you know you need to be .

Let’s assume that you have a Twitter account, that you’ve created some reflection of your brand identity and you understand how to follow. If not, read this.

Now, really. What do you SAY?

Whenever you’ve lost your way in the marketing maze you can always find true north with;

a)    A business objective
b)    An understanding of your market position
c)    An understanding of your audience segments

So when facing the grey haze of Twitter, start with an objective such as: (but not limited to..)

1. Increasing market share
   
2. Increasing customer retention
   
3. Growing customer relationships
   
4. Establishing a leadership position

As you well know, these in turn lead to strategy recommendations…something like'

1. Transform customers into evangelists
2. Recognize and reward your customers
   
3. Become the ‘knowledge’ provider 
   
4. Attain and promote 3rd party endorsements

These are just some starters to get your brain going, but this type of approach should look hauntingly and reassuringly familiar.

Just stick to your map and attach your strategy to the desires and preferences of your audience(s) - customers, suppliers, media, bloggers, competition, industry leaders, etc.

10 Basic Content Categories

How do you brighten their day, solve their pain and execute your strategy? What categories of content are meaningful to them, Are they:

1.     Key Insights and unique perspectives
2.     Industry research, trends, opinion polls and surveys
3.     Blogger posts and pics 
4.     Everything they wanted to know about your product but were afraid to ask…

5.     How-to’s and Self-helps

6.     Event notices and key dates
7.     Behind the scenes info
8.     Industry or Category News
9.     Reviews and referrals
10.  Personal profiles about others like them

These are broad categories and your strategist can tighten the focus depending on your audience, event or marketing objectives.  But the key is to have categories of content that are meaningful to your customer and delivered on a regular basis. You need a stream of content that reflects your brand while it meets their needs and desires.

"O.K but where does all this content come from?"

• Well you can hire this… but just in case it’s not in the budget,
  
• Once you know your categories, there are great Internet scraping tools. Start with Google Alerts on key words. Try tools like Zoomerang, Twitter Search, Addictomatic that make it easy to tune in to what’s being said in a particular category.
  
• Have departments heads provide you with relevant information in their area.
  
• Repeat the wisdom of bloggers or others on Twitter. You will be appreciated for taking the time to sort through the noise for the good kernel of information.
  
• Personal insights – make it real. Be truly reflective. Be human It will resonate. 
  
• Don't cheat, be selfish or greedy. This is a transparent medium and you will not only be busted but punished. Be open, confident and generous. It's much more attractive. 
  

How often do you “tweet”?

The jury is still out, but some stats say you should tweet at least 10 times a day. That’s once an hour 8 – 5. The posting is fast. The sourcing of content is the work. The USArmy posts less often but their content is good. Find your balance.

Tip:Use modifiers like bit.ly that reduce your links down to save character space and also allow you to track them.

RT (Retweet) posts that mention you or key members of your audience.

Engage your audience. Reply when someone mentions you or when you can provide good information.  That demonstrates that you are listening and appreciative. People love to be listened to.

Respond even when something negative happens……ok….you need a response strategy. But that’s another post.

 

Marketing Through Social Transitions

Chaos is the system reorganizing itself.

Sometimes I weary of the digital crowd talking to itself. While I’m guilty of speaking the jargon with abandon, occasionally, I feel like I’m speaking beatnik poetry from the 60’s and I need George Carlin to slap me up.

We’re learning. We’re reorganizing. We’re going from national to global and back again. We’re going from Latin to Slanguage and from physical to virtual. And still, in all fairness, the social media community is one of the most generous and responsive groups I have ever encountered - beatniks and all.

With so much opportunity and evolving complexity in the online and mobile arenas, not to mention the swings of global markets, how can you leverage your marketing experience to sort through these ever-emerging technologies and swiftly discriminate between your choices?

Not all of your customers are early adaptors – but even boomers are adapting swiftly. So as we transition we need to accommodate everyone’s communication preferences and the map has gone astral.

What learning can we carry forward? And what is net new?

Of course it starts with:
The brand. 
However you articulate your brand behaviors, identity and what you want the customer experience to be, it needs to be expressed in the online medium with the same rigor as it would offline. That seems so painfully obvious and yet... Do you remember how disjointed the offline Sears store was from the Sears catalog was from sears.com? They felt like three different companies. I think they were.

Now many have or are shifting their marketing and distribution to the online arena and some like amazon.com have always been virtual.

What should you do?
- Whatever the offline/online ratio, dedication to delivering the brand through every channel and available communications vehicle should remain paramount. Did I already say that seems painfully obvious? Some things really never change.

- Take the customers’ pain away. Can you help hockey families solve their scheduling nightmares? Or help travelers identify and solve the medical, climate and electrical needs for their trip? Providing information that leads to a cost/time saving solution or allows them to make an informed and confident purchase decision gives your brand the edge. New apps give you huge opportunities.

Customer Touchpoints. In the offline realm, P.O.P. and communications delivered through Centers of Influence dominated customer touchpoints because you knew you were engaging the customer while they were considering your category.

Now this becomes magnificently complex. With online and mobile in the mix your customer can purchase your product while riding in cab in Istanbul and with Twitter, a lightning rod of information that you did not provide, can reach them within moments.

What should you do?
- Employ a comprehensive listening strategy and be able to proactively respond, positively and with value, 24 hours a day.
- Deliver promotions, relevant content and transactions via mobile.
- Consider digital POP- If you don’t, your competition will.

The Decision Chain
The classic marketing tale is sending a box of cereal to market. It needs to survive the regional distribution and merchandising hurdles of the supermarket industry and if it does well, it ends up on the bottom shelf where ‘junior’ spots it from his seat in the bottom of the grocery cart and hollers up to mama to buy the sugary mix.

Now mom has mobile access to nutritional information, access to her social network of other mothers, and can purchase Earth’s Best Organic Oatmeal Cereal from amazon.com while she’s standing in line in SuperValu.

What should you do?
- Employ a comprehensive listening strategy and be ready to respond positively and with value, 24 hours a day.
- Have strong relationships with industry bloggers, passionate customers and present your brand P.O.V.. via blogs or other media.
- Be present and ready to deliver promotions, sales support, provide relevant content and transactions via social and mobile spaces.
- Consider digital POP

Cultural implications 

Historically we looked at Coke as the standard bearer for customer data. They knew the clothing, music, color and taste preferences of each demographic and made, packaged and promoted soft -drinks to match.

With the global reach of online and mobile technology, understanding cultural implications has gone way past discriminating between southern and eastern soda preferences. For example: Don’t try and sell unlucky phone numbers in China.

What should you do?
- Your homework. Understand the cultural context for your product or services.
- Hire a sociologist or anthropologist to help you understand the culture sensitivities of your audience.
- Be ready to adapt.

My next post will be an examination of tactics. Many of the considerations of offline communications transfer directly to online. We’ll look at similarities and the new dynamics of high-speed 24/7 access to the world of information creates for marketers.

In the meantime, get thee to a seminar. It's integral to the Listen. Learn. Adapt. strategy of survival. The online community offers lots of them and we should all be at all of them. But get to one of them anyway.

We Love a Visionary

President Obama quoted Lincoln yesterday as he celebrated Lincoln’s 200th birthday.

"The American people needed to be reminded, he believed, that even in a time of war, the work would go on; that even when the nation itself was in doubt, the future was being secured; and that on that distant day when the guns fell silent, a national capitol would stand, with a statue of freedom at its peak, as a symbol of unity in the land still mending its divisions."

Those are reassuring and hopeful words. They put the positive future into the negative now. Tricky.

Many of us today are at war with our circumstances, fighting our situations or ourselves. Our houses may be gone or at risk, our jobs - gone or at risk, our relationships feel the pressure and our self-concepts go right out the window.

All those invisible forces: status, relationships, and a sense of security. How in the world do we grasp at thin air and make it take shape?

Exercise a clear mind.

1. Visualize. Start with your daydreams and then grab the pieces that mean the most to you. Distill it down to your core values. Freedom, family, health, etc.

2. Act “as if”.
Not employed or just not content? Act as if you are. Spend your time and talent toward something worthwhile. You will attract a worthy future (and put positive potential into the negative now).

3. Explore.
“It’s not what I thought I’d be.” Are you like an actor hanging on to a glamorous role, too full of doubt to explore a gritty new one? Hang on to your values, let go of that outdated glossy.

4. Mend your divisions.
You’ve lost the familiar. It’s exhausting and at times disturbing. Find things in the outer world that give you inner strength – most don’t cost dime; a nap, a walk, a friend, a moment of peace and a sense of pride in your own courage.

5. Lose the baggage.
It’s too heavy anyway. The cynicism, bitterness, self-pity, jealousy – those seven deadly sins are fabled for a reason.

Errant and misguided thinking can cause distress as if it were a physical ailment. Mental clarity can give you energy, integrity and a sense of well-being.

Let Freedom Ring.

Content Marketing

I got excited listening to a teleseminar with Joe Pulizzi, Newt Barrett, Chris Brogan and Paul Gillin on content marketing for two reasons.
1. It’s smart marketing
2. It works in both the online and offline environment

The funny thing was it’s really not new. The challenge of being unique and relevant has always been at the core of effective marketing. 

What is new are the tools to guide the customer through the online environment.

In my experience marketing financial services, the challenge was that products themselves were really at parity and there was no way to differentiate with the competition as everyone sells checking, loans and investments – unless you could become the “knowledge provider”.

Example: Bank One Business Banking developed branded, relevant informational brochures on topics like:
- Keys to A Sucessful Business Plan
- The 5 Cs of Credit
- Cash Flow Fundamentals

- Making the Most of the SBA
A series of informational pieces with interactive elements (worksheets, questionnaires, agency links) were developed and delivered to other respected sources like accountants, lawyers or brokers to pass along to the end-user. It made the influencer look smart, provided the customer with relevant information and positioned the bank as a trusted source that really understood the needs of the business owner.

They were highly successful because:
1. They understood the information needs of the customer
2. The information helped the customer advance their business and although it never mentioned a product, it gave them the information they needed to make an informed, confident purchase decision.
3. It gave customers value through their social network allowing them to respond when they were ready.

Fast forward 10 years and you’ve got an online example almost verbatim at MasterCard. 

Marketers now have tools like never before but many still haven't grown into them:
With tools like Zoomerang, Twitter Search, Addictomatic there’s no excuse for any marketer not to tune in to what customers are thinking.

Customers have access to the same Internet you do, so if you’re not revealing brand new data, your job is to be the filter – to comb through all the stuff that’s out there, edit it and serve it up in a way that suits your customer.

A favorite example of mine is Magellan's Travel site that has sorted through all the health, security, weather and electrical data to help guide the customer toward the most appropriate purchase based on their travel destination.

With SEO, Twitter, Blogs and other social media good content can be found and distributed again and again – if it’s really valuable it will be.

Other good examples listed on the call include:
HomeMadeSimple.com 

BeingGirl.com
RoyalCanin 

Ironically, I don’t have an example of an advertising agency or a marketing firm demonstrating content in this way. They all toss out what they’ve done, who they are and how many awards make them great.

If you’ve seen an example, let me know.
Otherwise it's shoes for the shoemaker? 

Call Me.

Three Hot Social (Media) Spots in Mpls/St.Paul

Everybody’s learning as fast as they can. Twitter feeds us blog links, which feed us site links and more wisdom. We share with friends and co-workers, test new site offerings, gadgets and aggregators.

But there are three solid organizations in Minneapolis that provide face-to-face learning and networking and if you live here and aren’t taking advantage of them already – start now. Each has a unique format and online offerings so there are benefits to be had by taking advantage of all three. They are:

• The Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association - MIMA
• Social Media Breakfasts of Minneapolis St. Paul - smbmsp
• UnSummit 

MIMA

MIMA hosts monthly events, a website, blog and e-newsletter. They are the oldest and the largest of the three with 900 members and are very well sponsored. Because of this, their events have a more formal tone, great food, a cash bar and a higher ticket price.

This week’s event offered a very bright panel discussing Digital Reputation Management. It was well-facilitated, underscored the long term investment required, provided real-life scenarios and gave some easy action steps. It was valuable to hear these corporate executives share their stories and the wisdom learned. In the spirit of social media it felt very honest and transparent.

I would have preferred more real-time demonstrations of their recommended tools and in a perfect world, the in-person registrars could have done a better job demonstrating Reputation Management. But it’s hard to be perfect. Their next event is rationally titled Inbox Insanity and I can't wait to attend. There is also a new MIMA group on LinkedIn.

Social Media Breakfasts 

Smbmsp is next in age and size with over 360 members. Their website is very social in nature with member profiles, forums, photos and member blogs. Their events are less formal than MIMA, smaller in size and less expensive.

The last one I attended was a case study presentation of a cause effort that went viral and landed swiftly in the headlines of CNN, and over 252 other media outlets. It was a fun story, illustrated the shifting influence of blogs vs traditional media and reinforced the importance of solid writing, strong headlines, clear action steps etc.

I was struck by the open generosity of the audience during the discussion period. I have been attending business breakfasts for over 20 years and the nature of the online space is showing its impact in real life. There is less emphasis on posturing and more on sharing and ideating about how to move forward in this changing technology and dicey economy.

They aren’t as polished in their recap of past events but they excel in sharing member activity. Sign-up to become a member and attend the next event on Social Media and Job Searching.

UnSummit
UnSummit is the newest of the three having had its first event only last October. It began because the MIMA Summit was sold out and there was enough of the community left out and hungry for dialogue that they decided to go rogue.

This format offers workshops on various topics so you choose which are most relevant to you. At the October event there was even an all-day session used to design a social media strategy for the hosting establishment. Packed into the back party room, the various groups huddled together so as not to shout down their neighboring classes. It was the most informal of the three but also the most intimate and generated lots of lively discussion. They do a good job of recapping and Phil Wilson also provided a detailed wrap-up.

The UnSummit is really all about participating in the discussion. Registration is now open for the March event on Hacking the Recession and you can also post any session ideas you may have.

In this moment of our recession it is critical to be learning, connecting and generating ideas for growth. Now you can choose breakfast, lunch or dinner, whatever suits your social style.