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Posts Tagged ‘media’

Great Content is Key

Posted by Mike Chapman on December 12th, 2008

We spend a lot of time in social media talking about the tools involved. Just this week I was reminded again that great content is really the key.

My friend Eileen Smith has been the online editor of TexasMonthly.com for more than a year now. Evan Smith, her boss and no relation to her, had previously brought her in to direct their efforts in social media. Since then, Eileen’s coverage of state and national politics and culture have brought an edge, new insights and a whole lot of new interest to the magazine’s online offerings.

Years before, Eileen had created her own blog and had generated a large following by creating great content – she’s a fantastic writer – and having an “anything goes” attitude about comments. The blog literally has been a gathering place for lobbyists, members of the legislature and their staffers, journalists, and anyone else with an interest, something to say and maybe some time to kill.

Eileen is a trained journalist with solid political credentials but decided to enter into the blogosphere at a point when it was still very unproven. She chose the name “In The Pink” in reference to the pink granite of which the Texas State Capitol building is constructed.

Discussions can get very heated when commenters, often using psuedonyms, discuss politics or other cultural hot buttons. Yet, somehow, the community that makes up the readership always handles its own squabbles and Eileen just keeps cranking out hilarious, insightful, current, and very well written content.

Yesterday, as I often do, I typed “inthepink” into my search bar and discovered that Eileen’s blog is now a part of the Texas Monthly family of blogs. I’d heard the rumors, but didn’t know for sure if or when it would happen.

Her first post is hilariously titled,“We Are the Blog We’ve Been Waiting For.”

In typical Eileen Smith fashion she explains, “(e)verything that you’ve grown to love or come to hate about In the Pink will remain the same. Sure, I suppose that this hand-over could prove to be a “legal risk” to Texas Monthly while providing constant ethical challenges to its well-respected brand, but isn’t that why they have a lawyer on retainer?”

This is great, in my opinion, and it’s made possible by the fact that Eileen and a group of guest writers have always provided great content even while being very edgy. It wasn’t enough to simply add a blog that takes risks, it had to be one that is very well done when taking those risks.

This kind of strategy might not work for everyone, but in the case of Texas Monthly my betting is that it will pay off very well. I know I’ll be reading.

Tags: blogs, branding, content, media, technology
Posted in Squared Root | No Comments »

Procrastination in Adoption of Social Media

Posted by Cynthia Baker on June 5th, 2008

Since FG SQUARED is sponsoring the Interactive Austin 2008 forum to bring together Central Texas area professionals well-versed in the application of social media and interactive services to business purposes, I was fascinated by an article that I read recently in Web 2.0 boot camp. The title was “Why traditionally minded execs need a little basic training to conquer their mistrust of social networking and document sharing.” It sited the logistical advantages of social networks to get colleagues, employees and customers in touch. The article also acknowledged that Wikis as the answer to eliminating the long hours in email distributions.

With such obvious advantages, why is it that companies seem to freeze before they adopt these low-cost social media tools. The learning curve on such tools is simply not that great … so why the hold up?

The article speculates on the mistrust of senior executives and that it may arise from the roots of social media – many of the tools were developed originally as “fun stuff” and now are being touted as business tools. The roots of social media may create a some disbelief with business professionals as to whether these clever tools are actually suitable for serious business purposes.

The article also pegs an even bigger concern. – the fear factor that Kathleen Gilroy, a Web 2.0 consultant with the Otter Group in Cambridge, MA, describes. Social media threatens the standard hierarchy structures in business. It has a flattening effect on organizations that engage. No longer is the information reserved just for those in the “pup tent”- but for a much larger group in the organization.

Understandably, many executives are afraid to give up control and to give everyone a voice. The new organizational structure (that results from the application of social media within an organization) and its effectiveness in communications are often unknown to many of executives at this point in time. There are concerns that inaccurate information will slip out online.

However, executive fear and procrastination will not necessarily stop the social media wave. Dion Hinchcliffe, president and CTO of Hinchcliffe & Co. with a track record training over 4,000 executives globally, has worked with many executives who decide to embrace social media corporate-wide – only to find that many of their departments were already using many of the Web 2.0 tools.

With more content now being produced through social media than traditional media, it seems clear that the social media wave is cresting and that companies need to prepare for the wake. Corporations need to find management approaches that create checks and balances to control the distribution of corporate information. Brand consistency is also crucial. Companies have to address these issues and challenges and then balance the additional work involved in the transition with the additional exposure available by going global and social online.

Tags: 2.0, boot, bootcamp, camp, companies, corporate, executives, media, networks, social, tools, web, wikis
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Our Future is Up to Us

Posted by Steve Golab on May 31st, 2008

I am not someone who serves as a walking advertisement for just anyone or any cause. But given next weekend is father’s day, I thought now is perhaps the best time to share Bamboo Originals (http://bamboooriginals.com/), a t-shirt business owned by my father Len Golab. The mission of his business is to provide his customer with the finest Bamboo T-shirts and clothing to wear and enjoy. He believes after you learn about the natural properties of bamboo fiber, and especially once you feel its softness, you will never want to wear anything else.

Many of us are very particular when it comes to the clothing we wear and the car we drive. In many ways, our individual purchasing decisions send a message to those you share a relationship with. Indeed our purchasing decisions communicate and make an impact with the world.

Our Future is Up to Us – these are the six simple words printed on a t-shirt gifted by my father to celebrate my 35^th birthday last weekend. Given the acceleration of personal change in my life right now, these words resonate and are reinforcing my sense of purpose right now. Dad, thank you very much. I really appreciate this gift and wanted to share with you publicly.

Let me assure you, a shirt like this makes a great father’s day gift. If you are thinking about buying one for that special dad in your life, here’s where I recommend you go.

http://bamboooriginals.com/products/?view=product&pid=61

Bamboo is a sustainable resource, which thrives naturally without pesticides and is 100% bio-degradable. Naturally anti-bacterial because of its bio-agent “bamboo kun”, that prevents bacteria from cultivating on it. It has unusual breathing ability, because of its hollow fiber which keeps you cool, comfortable and will never cling to your skin. It doesn’t retain odors either due to its moisture ventilation properties. Its uncommon softness gives it a silky feel that you will love.

Tags: ava_lee, media, our_future_is_up_to_us, social, soical_media, word_of_mouth
Posted in Squared Root | 1 Comment »

Social Commerce: Word of Mouth, applied to Business

Posted by Dave Evans on May 31st, 2008

The subject of “social commerce” — social media applied to business and specifically to commerce-related transactions and customer processes — is gaining in recognition as a significant tool in the standard business toolbox. For example, of the top 100 retailers with online operations, 50 are using the Bazaarvoice social commerce platform. Powering these commerce applications is, at the core, social media: digital word of mouth turned media, produced and presented by current customers for consumption for consumption by potential ones.

If you’re wondering about who is using social media — and in particular experiencing it in the context of a purchase — the answer is “everyone,” a point driven home in a recent Universal McCann study. It’s basically a given that if you sell it, someone else is talking about what happened after they bought it. That conversation is being tapped and inserted into the purchase funnel, right in between your ad (awareness) and the check out (point of sale).

The rise of social media good news for those brands with a tight link between Marketing–where the expectation is set, and Operations, where the promise is delivered on. These are just some of the topics I’ll be speaking about at the upcoming Interactive Austin conference in June. I hope to see you there. In the meantime, let me about your experience with social media and its use in your company.

Tags: business, clients, commerce, interactive, media, metrics, profitability, social_media, squared_root, word_of_mouth
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Interactive Austin 2008

Posted by Cynthia Baker on May 30th, 2008

Social commerce, the use of social media in business, is putting companies on an even playing field; and the companies that aren’t getting on board are going to find themselves falling behind the competition.

Think about it – social media is everywhere! Wiki-ing, blogging, podcasting, twittering, FaceBooking, and MySpacing – this is how the world is communicating now. And if your company isn’t playing along, your message is less likely to reach your target audience. For this reason, major corporations, like Austin-based Dell, Intel and AMD are integrating social networking and other social media into their marketing plans.

To help companies get to where they need to be, interactive professionals in Austin that understand the power of social media in today’s world have converged to create Interactive Austin 2008. This forum which takes place on June 19th, is an event dedicated to educating companies on the advantages of Social Commerce, the importance of it in the rapidly changing corporate environment, and how to harness its power for profitability.

The event will feature two prominent keynote speakers. Brian Magierski, Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer of nGenera Corporation, will speak on “Social Commerce and It’s Impact on Business.” While the Vice President of Corporate Marketing & Communications for AMD, Pete Hayes, will speak on “Get into the Click Stream: An Alternative to Driving Traffic to Your Site.” Aside from the keynote speakers, this will be a day full of educational and informative panel discussions and case study presentations from Austin’s social media experts.

If you have a company, it would be a wise decision to attend Interactive Austin 2008. For more information about it, check it out online at http://www.interactiveaustin2008.com.

We will see you there!

Tags: austin, blog, commerce, facebook, interactive, interactive austin, media, myspace, podcasting, profitability, root, social, social_commerce, social_media, squared, squared_root, twittering, wiki
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My Tag Cloud

Posted by Steve Golab on March 27th, 2008

Now that I am serious about meeting up with the rest of the world, my friend Cynthia Baker has asked me to draft a real professional biography that would be useful for securing presentation slots at target rich business conferences. Upon drafting the biography, I immediately reviewed at http://www.tagcrowd.com/ and here is the result.

created at TagCrowd.com

It’s amazing how well tag clouds center in on your thinking process! Thank you www.tagcrowd.com.

Here is my current biography to be recorded in Internet history forever. Please trust this only represents my life until now. But afterall now is gone.

Kindest Regards.

Steve Golab began his career as a pioneer of interactive communications while still an undergraduate in mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Golab piloted the university’s College of Engineering Multimedia Lab, developing interactive educational materials while demonstrating the powerful impact of multimedia and the Internet on learning complex technical subject matter.

In 1994, during the early adoption of HTML 1.0, Golab co-founded FG SQUARED (www.fg2.com). Launched as a technology consulting business, the Austin-based firm soon evolved into a multimedia design agency focused on digital video, 3D animation, motion graphics, information management, and systems.

Golab’s engineering background brought the firm its initial success as a high-tech consultancy. His talent for understanding what really happens inside technology and visually communicating complex subject matter is core business at FG SQUARED.

From business visionary to organizational thinker and from strategy leader to relationship builder, Steve’s role in the agency he helped create is wide-ranging. A typical day finds Steve moving from addressing high-level client needs to consulting with team members in planning and execution of world-class interactive strategies.

Steve focuses on longevity, leadership, and the building of profitable relationships. However, it is Golab’s strong entrepreneurial spirit, diverse business management skills and his passion for achieving total client satisfaction that have enabled FG SQUARED to consistently remain an industry leader. Today, FG SQUARED has evolved into a full-service, interactive agency that applies interactive technologies and expertise in marketing to help clients achieve a faster track to profitability.

Since 2003, FG SQUARED has achieved upwards of 35 percent compounded average annual growth. The agency’s core capabilities span the spectrum from strategic planning and digital branding to interactive media production and social media solutions for Fortune 500 clients such as Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE:AMD), Hitachi Ltd. (NYSE: HIT), Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS), Motorola (NYSE: MOT), Premier Global Services (NYSE:PGI), Canon (NYSE: CAJ), and Texas Association of Community Health Centers.

Building long-term relationships with clients in diverse fields including energy, technology, healthcare, entertainment, and mobile communications, FG SQUARED has earned more than 100 interactive media awards including the New York Festivals, Business Week MC Icon, WorldFest International Film, and Telly Awards. FG SQUARED is also a past recipient of the New Media 500, honoring it as one of the world’s most influential interactive agencies.

Tags: business, clients, communications, consulting, fg_squared, interactive, media, nyse, technology
Posted in Squared Root | 3 Comments »

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