<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/29448276?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/29448276">The Soft War</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/columnfive">Column Five</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
I find that the parallels that people are trying to draw between Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring demonstrations make for an interesting rhetoric.
Occupy has been asking their followers if they're ready for a Tahrir movement, but I'm wondering if that is even possible - the political situations differ so wildly.
Much has been made of the Occupy movement and the role that social media has played in mobilizing activists not only on Wall Street, but across the world. It's been dazzling in that effect - watching online activism spill out on to the streets, demonstrating how viral discontent doesn't necessarily stay within the confines of internet.
But we've seen it all before, and it's not an Arab Spring. Our need for economic equality and justice is important, but not the same.
Which isn't to say that's not a vital, important movement - I know that I am part of the 99%, and I know that everyone reading this blog is too. What I think is important to remember when we try to create these comparisons, however, is not just the risk that the Arab Spring protesters took by mobilizing their efforts online, or how desperate they were to ensure that the world bore witness to their cause. It's also the long-term, real-world activism that underpinned their efforts, and how, no matter what the outcome of the global Occupy movement is, we will still be able to freely express our dissent online and have a right to take our beliefs to the street.
So how do we fight the Soft War?
Awareness. Diligence. Reminding those who are in these dark zones who may still have access that we haven't forgotten them.
I don't have the answer. I just know that I am lucky to even write this.
Monday, 31 October 2011
Stumbling Down the Rabbit Hole
Confession time: I may be the only Digital Community Manager in the world that doesn't have a smartphone.
This isn't by choice, for the record. It's because I simply can't afford one.
I'm not alone - many people tout the fact that almost half of the mobile devices being sold in the world today are smartphones, but what they fail to consider is that it still means that more than half are just regular, uninspiring phones. This doesn't mean, however, that I don't have a data plan, or internet access, it just means that my ability to perform certain tasks from my Samsung Gravity 2 is grossly limited, and my user speed is abysmal, to say the least. In fact, a large number of users in the world are in the same situation I am - data use on mobile phones is a popular choice for people across the world (particularly in developing nations) who can't afford a home computer, or for whom creating a direct internet connection is difficult.
This isn't stated to compare myself to third-world farmers. Not in the slightest.
This is only to highlight my frustration with applications like Foursquare, who purport to allow access to users using SMS technology, but have a user interface that is nearly incomprehensible and therefore completely inaccessible from my phone. Needless to say, I didn't sample Foursquare for this particular assignment. Which is fine, because I have mixed feelings about the implications of Foursquare that would warrant an eight-page rant that wouldn't be very interesting for anyone but myself.
So, instead, let me talk about one of my favourite time-wasters (also inaccessible from my phone, but has happily led me astray online from the comfort of my home office), StumbleUpon. You know how it is - Facebook is the gateway, when one of your friends posts a page they came across randomly in their feed. It first seduces you with page after page of quality photographs and articles on your every interest. It then wins your heart forever when it anticipates your preferences and provides you with hours of DIY projects, political commentary, and the occasional article on creepy things found on eBay... if you're me. Yours might be filled with detailed dissections of UFC fighter technique. That's the beauty of StumbleUpon.
So what's the potential for Public Relations? As we discussed in class, there isn't a readily apparent answer. It works too slowly to give practitioners a quick glance at potential influencers, and it's far too sprawling in content to examine anything too methodically. It's true - in the past, I've used as a tool to find influencers in the blogosphere and I find it can be fairly successful if you're willing to invest the time - not the hottest new writer on the block, for sure, but to find those that have a high level of long-term popularity and create content that speaks to your relevant audience. Other than that, my only guess would be that if you are looking to launch a product or discuss an idea in a public forum, it will allow you to search, and find, the highest-rated related content around, giving you multiple sources to research and base your strategy on. Not a bad place to start!
Even if they aren't the most efficient PR applications, StumbleUpon succeeds in its primary function: it's endlessly fascinating, even when I access it from home or work - which, incidentally, are two more places I can't check into with Foursquare.
This isn't by choice, for the record. It's because I simply can't afford one.
I'm not alone - many people tout the fact that almost half of the mobile devices being sold in the world today are smartphones, but what they fail to consider is that it still means that more than half are just regular, uninspiring phones. This doesn't mean, however, that I don't have a data plan, or internet access, it just means that my ability to perform certain tasks from my Samsung Gravity 2 is grossly limited, and my user speed is abysmal, to say the least. In fact, a large number of users in the world are in the same situation I am - data use on mobile phones is a popular choice for people across the world (particularly in developing nations) who can't afford a home computer, or for whom creating a direct internet connection is difficult.
This isn't stated to compare myself to third-world farmers. Not in the slightest.
This is only to highlight my frustration with applications like Foursquare, who purport to allow access to users using SMS technology, but have a user interface that is nearly incomprehensible and therefore completely inaccessible from my phone. Needless to say, I didn't sample Foursquare for this particular assignment. Which is fine, because I have mixed feelings about the implications of Foursquare that would warrant an eight-page rant that wouldn't be very interesting for anyone but myself.
So, instead, let me talk about one of my favourite time-wasters (also inaccessible from my phone, but has happily led me astray online from the comfort of my home office), StumbleUpon. You know how it is - Facebook is the gateway, when one of your friends posts a page they came across randomly in their feed. It first seduces you with page after page of quality photographs and articles on your every interest. It then wins your heart forever when it anticipates your preferences and provides you with hours of DIY projects, political commentary, and the occasional article on creepy things found on eBay... if you're me. Yours might be filled with detailed dissections of UFC fighter technique. That's the beauty of StumbleUpon.
So what's the potential for Public Relations? As we discussed in class, there isn't a readily apparent answer. It works too slowly to give practitioners a quick glance at potential influencers, and it's far too sprawling in content to examine anything too methodically. It's true - in the past, I've used as a tool to find influencers in the blogosphere and I find it can be fairly successful if you're willing to invest the time - not the hottest new writer on the block, for sure, but to find those that have a high level of long-term popularity and create content that speaks to your relevant audience. Other than that, my only guess would be that if you are looking to launch a product or discuss an idea in a public forum, it will allow you to search, and find, the highest-rated related content around, giving you multiple sources to research and base your strategy on. Not a bad place to start!
Even if they aren't the most efficient PR applications, StumbleUpon succeeds in its primary function: it's endlessly fascinating, even when I access it from home or work - which, incidentally, are two more places I can't check into with Foursquare.
Pillars of the Community
There's a lot to be said for great community management.
Having an active, vibrant online community creates an easily-accessible hub for your organization, or your brand. The benefits are obvious: your management team has immediate access to what people are saying about you, concerns can be responded to publicly, with immediacy, and if your executive team is the type to embrace feedback, it's a great place to cull ideas for new products or initiatives. That being said, you can't just create these communities overnight.
A great example would be Wind Mobile. Recently they moved their community from a standard, page-by-page blog setting to a more comprehensive Get Satisfaction format. Wind's online communication with consumers is nothing new to them - before the company even launched their Canadian initiative, they had run an online forum they called 'The Digital Soap Box' for several months, letting consumers air their grievances about the Canadian telecom industry. Everything was discussed openly, from billing techniques to ideal plans, and the content of these boards became the basis for their business - talk about a two-way conversation with your public! I think Wind still sets the gold standard for consumer interaction, categorizing their community into the obvious: FAQ and Customer Issues, but they add the inspired Ideas Under Consideration and feed their blog (which is never ghostwritten, by the way) for more user content. Revolutionary? Perhaps not, but as a long-term customer and former employee, I can tell you they are unusual in one respect: they read every comment, consider every statement, and often implement many of the suggestions that come from their community.
Another fantastic community (and one I know more than one of you have already rhapsodized about it) would be the online ode to Canada's sexiest cobbler: John Fluevog. Their website obviously understands and exploits a very basic truth - most people, but certainly the bulk of women, love their shoes. I'm no exception - I own a couple of Fluevogs myself, and they're among my absolute favourites. While there isn't a great deal of interaction on the site, there is a veritable treasure trove of all things Fluevog that a reader can get lost in, or more importantly, share with their fellow fetishists. Whether it's the charming user-provided content of FluevogScience, the addict-enabling EverydayFluevog or the picture-heavy FlueBlog demonstrates how well this brand knows its devotees. And that's even before we get started on their heavily populated Facebook page!
As a bonus, I just wanted to highlight one of my favourite (non-Canadian, sadly) brands on Facebook: Sharpie! When I was at design school, I began a deep, abiding love affair with the world's leading permanent marker that continues to this very day. You may wonder how a page dedicated to a single stationary product can establish a strong rapport with their customers - click and wonder no more. Sharpie posts original work from illustrators located across the globe, which increases their 'shares' exponentially. They provide users with a number of unusual arts and crafts projects that use their products, adding value to following their page. They share photos of their fun, quirky work environment, they frequently ask for user feedback... need I go on? Visit Sharpie on Facebook and school yourself on how even a marker can be the basis for an amazing online community.
Having an active, vibrant online community creates an easily-accessible hub for your organization, or your brand. The benefits are obvious: your management team has immediate access to what people are saying about you, concerns can be responded to publicly, with immediacy, and if your executive team is the type to embrace feedback, it's a great place to cull ideas for new products or initiatives. That being said, you can't just create these communities overnight.
A great example would be Wind Mobile. Recently they moved their community from a standard, page-by-page blog setting to a more comprehensive Get Satisfaction format. Wind's online communication with consumers is nothing new to them - before the company even launched their Canadian initiative, they had run an online forum they called 'The Digital Soap Box' for several months, letting consumers air their grievances about the Canadian telecom industry. Everything was discussed openly, from billing techniques to ideal plans, and the content of these boards became the basis for their business - talk about a two-way conversation with your public! I think Wind still sets the gold standard for consumer interaction, categorizing their community into the obvious: FAQ and Customer Issues, but they add the inspired Ideas Under Consideration and feed their blog (which is never ghostwritten, by the way) for more user content. Revolutionary? Perhaps not, but as a long-term customer and former employee, I can tell you they are unusual in one respect: they read every comment, consider every statement, and often implement many of the suggestions that come from their community.
Another fantastic community (and one I know more than one of you have already rhapsodized about it) would be the online ode to Canada's sexiest cobbler: John Fluevog. Their website obviously understands and exploits a very basic truth - most people, but certainly the bulk of women, love their shoes. I'm no exception - I own a couple of Fluevogs myself, and they're among my absolute favourites. While there isn't a great deal of interaction on the site, there is a veritable treasure trove of all things Fluevog that a reader can get lost in, or more importantly, share with their fellow fetishists. Whether it's the charming user-provided content of FluevogScience, the addict-enabling EverydayFluevog or the picture-heavy FlueBlog demonstrates how well this brand knows its devotees. And that's even before we get started on their heavily populated Facebook page!
As a bonus, I just wanted to highlight one of my favourite (non-Canadian, sadly) brands on Facebook: Sharpie! When I was at design school, I began a deep, abiding love affair with the world's leading permanent marker that continues to this very day. You may wonder how a page dedicated to a single stationary product can establish a strong rapport with their customers - click and wonder no more. Sharpie posts original work from illustrators located across the globe, which increases their 'shares' exponentially. They provide users with a number of unusual arts and crafts projects that use their products, adding value to following their page. They share photos of their fun, quirky work environment, they frequently ask for user feedback... need I go on? Visit Sharpie on Facebook and school yourself on how even a marker can be the basis for an amazing online community.
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