Slice

Social Media Breakfast 14: Social Media Overload

Published June 25, 2009 Boston Event 1 Comment

By Michael Fearon

Overload. In this summer’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Overload is a red dump truck that forms the evil Decepticon Devastator. In the trucking community, an overloaded truck will catch Smokey’s eye and net you a date at the chicken coop (weigh station). The standard dictionary definition describes overload (for you non-truckers and sci-fi haters) as an excessive load. Whether you relate with overload through robots, trucks or dictionaries, you can easily come to the conclusion that it is something to be avoided.

This brings us to last week’s Social Media Breakfast 14: Social Media Overload: Making Sense of it All. Media and Internet overload has been a discussion for as long as I can remember the Web. Before Tom was your first MySpace buddy or the first song you “shared” on Napster, pundits were already talking about an information overload. The first time I probably took notice was around the time that many people thought AOL was the Internet and I never gave it much thought until “SMB14” when Bob Collins (@RobertCollins on Twitter) quoted a few stats including: “There will be an estimated 250,000 different Social Networks by 2010.” (I wanted to include something about the printing press here, but Clay Shirky beat me to it during last year’s Web 2.0 Expo keynote: “It’s Not Information Overload. It’s Filter Failure.”)

Bob Collins makes a point at SMB14

The event made me reflect on the three networks that I’m somewhat active in and thought how could I possibly find the time to take on before my head goes nuclear? How can I effectively engage multiple networks without become a cellar dweller in my parent’s basement? SMB14 speakers fearlessly tackled the questions that are overloading your social media soul. Michael Durwin’s presentation on the yet-to-be released Gather.me displayed a tool that will definitely help filter the overload and Marta Kagan’s “Friends don’t let friends suffer from social media overload” provides an excellent tips for a clean sweep of your social media clutter.

As communications professionals we’re at a high risk for an overload – it comes with the territory, but you’ve got to know when to say when. Marta’s example of hitting rock bottom involved, “blogging at 3am in your bathrobe, retweeting Ashton Kutcher and mumbling about a ‘poke’ war you’ll never win.” My humble advice to curtail overload and avoid Ashton is to assess the tools and outlets that make sense for you personally and professionally, then engage with the platforms and content that give you the most fulfillment (that’s social media ROI).

So if you were up into the wee hours of the night buzzing about a certain reality television divorce perhaps it’s time to pull off I-Web 2.0 and into the social media chicken coop for a weigh-in. When you get off the scales, ain’t nothing gonna get in your way – we’ll roll this social convoy cross the U-S-A!

With that I’ll leave you with two questions: What are you doing to fight social media overload? Have you or someone you love been caught Tweeting all alone in a dark room? No situation is too creepy – you’re among friends and I’m not here to judge. Thanks for sharing!

Live Tweeting at the Churchill Club

Published February 25, 2009 San Francisco Event Leave a Comment

picture-1
Post by Daisy Kong (SHIFT | SF Office)

So I attended the Chuchill Club panel at the Microsoft campus in Mountain View last night and tried my hand at live tweeting for the first time. Rather than getting into the nitty-gritty details, let’s just say that it was a good exercise in taking notes and finding interesting sound bites. However, I did want to share some good live tweeting advice that was passed on to me:

Set your hashtags upfront (e.g. #chc) so that your followers will know how to tag and search for tweets about your event.
Pace your tweets so that your followers will not be flooded with an update every 5 seconds. For @churchillclub, I tried to wait 2-3 minutes in between each tweet.
Remember to be transparent and identify yourself from the get-go if you are not using a personal Twitter account.

Any thoughts (or additions/subtractions) to these pointers? I’d be interested in getting some additional insight.

As for the event itself, last night’s “Starting Over” panel was a lively discussion on creating a start-up during an economic downturn. It was intersting to hear that many of the panelists agreed that now is the best time to be a start-up. This is because the current market conditions will force them to work harder, think more creatively and be frugal in running a company. This in turn will allow these startups to develop greater services/products that VCs will want to support. If you want to read more about what was said during the panel, check out the Twitter feed here.

Less Trinkets, More PR in Pharma?

Published January 6, 2009 San Francisco Event Leave a Comment

Have you heard? Approximately 40 Pharma companies have agreed to a voluntary moratorium on the age-old practice of supplying branded trinkets to doctors. While some may see this as nothing more than a cost-cutting measure turned stunt-I see it as a staggering admission that the tried and true methods of marketing are no longer effective.

The Pharma industry more so than most is very much focused on old-guard marketing tactics. From big-budget TV ads to full-page spreads in the Wall Street Journal, pharmaceutical companies have generally approached marketing as an exercise of bulk-hit as many eyeballs as possible. For a number of reasons, most industries have been moving away from this model and looking to engage more directly with their customers. Big pharma has been slow to respond to this trend. By issuing this voluntary moratorium on leaving trinkets behind at doctors’ offices, pharma companies are acknowledging that this is a method of marketing that is simply not worth the spend. You may wonder just how much a few pens and t-shirts cost these companies with seemingly endless bank accounts. Glad you asked. According to this article in the New York Times, the bill for this type of marketing initiative approached $6 billion last year. Think about that-a bunch of competitive companies banded together and agreed to halt an activity that clearly was heavily invested across the industry. This was no stunt; this was a clear acknowledgement that the marketing programs and dollars need to shift in another direction.

So where will the money go moving forward? Pharma companies are now flush with cash to redirect to different, politically acceptable, methods to get their messages on products and disease states to doctors and patients. PR is a logical vehicle that meets that description. As the media landscape continues to change, PR agencies become an even more important cog in reaching not just the media, but other key stakeholders for a given company. In an industry like pharmaceutical that has a mountain’s worth of mistrust built up, a more direct line of communication might be well received.

In addition, the same NYT article states: “Diane Bieri, the executive vice president of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said the updated guidelines were not an admission that gifts could influence doctors’ prescribing habits. Instead, she said, they were meant to emphasize the educational nature of the relationship between industry and doctors.” If the true goal is education, there are few better vehicles for that education than PR. If pharma companies want to work toward restoring some of the trust that has been lost in the industry, it will need to do far more than stop the practice of handing out branded stress balls to doctors. Instead, pharma companies should be now looking for ways to engage directly with doctors and patients in a transparent manner that inspires trust. A well-planned and executed PR program can do just that.

SHIFT Tribute to Movember

Published December 19, 2008 Boston Event , Slices of Life as a SHIFTer 2 Comments

Post by Bob Collins

A few good men at the Boston office of SHIFT grew out and sported all types of facial hair to support Movember - the mustache growing charity event held during the month of November each year to raises funds and awareness for men’s health.

SHIFT worked with Canadian Club Whisky to promote awareness of men’s health issues, through their sponsorship of “Movember“.

Beyond the Mo’ Marketing Facebook app we created and subsequent cross over to Twitter with Moustachioed Tweeple showing up everywhere – these brave men also raised some good monies to support the men’s health charity.

Thanks to all who joined the Movember crusade and their families and friends who supported their fundraising efforts.

SHIFT Welcomes Stephanie Bullis & Sarah Bergeron

Published December 19, 2008 Boston Event , Slices of Life as a SHIFTer Leave a Comment
Tags: Sarah Bergeron, Stephanie Bullis

You’ve seen them out and about the Boston office – but do you really know what lurks in the minds and pasts of these two latest SHIFTers.

Did you know that Stephanie Bullis used to to ride Rodeo out in Calgary, Alberta Canada or that Sarah Bergeron used to work for a secret special unit of the Government that shall remain nameless for the safety of our nation.

Well – perhaps these are their back stories before joining SHIFT – perhaps not – you be the judge -for only they and this video hold the answers.

Don’t Be Typecast

Published December 18, 2008 Slices of Life as a SHIFTer Leave a Comment

mclovin-pedro

2008 churned out some real gems from ye ol’ film industry. The Dark knight, Pineapple Express, Step Brothers, Role Models, Quantum of Solace – the list of 2008 successes could go on for miles, or at least a few more sentences… However, I do admit I’m seeing a definite trend in repeat characters.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse, most famous for playing Fogel/McLovin’ in SuperBad is destined to play a nerd forever (See Role Models)
Seth Rogan of Knocked-Up fame (among others) will continue to play the funny stoner
Michael Cera, most famous for playing George Michael in Arrested Development will continue to be the uncomfortable nervous kid (see SuperBad again)
Tom Cruise will always be the love-able Nazi with a heart of gold (See Legend)
Vin Diesel will always be, irrelevant. (Oh Snap!)

These are just a few examples of actors that did a great job with a particular role and are then typecast to forever play that same part over and over again. Now what’s scary is this doesn’t just happen in movies, it can happen in the workplace as well. Don’t be typecast!

Anyone can do a great job at particular tasks with some hard work and enough attempts. However, how many people want to do the exact same thing every day for the rest of their lives? Not many. If you want to break the cycle and be more than just “the Twitter guy,” “the speaking opp guy,” the “Pitching guy,” or “the good proofer guy,” – you need to show you are a multifaceted member of your team.

Speak up and speak often! Whenever possible, offer insights or ideas that are outside of your usual work load. Now, I’m not saying to step on toes or speak out of school, but if you have something to contribute – do it! I know it sounds like I’m asking you to do more work here, and I am. The more that you can show you know what you are talking about the more your team and your clients will take notice.

Go forth McLovin’ and good luck to you.

What are you thankful for this year?

Published December 17, 2008 Boston Event , Slices of Life as a SHIFTer Leave a Comment

shift

Another year closes and I feel like it blinked by. Next month I’ll be celebrating four years with my SHIFT family (thank you, thank you). Surprisingly, it still feels like it was yesterday when I entered the doors as an AC. Now despite the years flying by and the Agency skyrocketing in the number of clients and employees, the one thing that has not changed is the key ingredient of SHIFT as a Company – heart. Now don’t worry this isn’t a post about working hard and doing your darndest (that will come later), but instead I want to focus on a good group that seems to genuinely care about helping people (in this day and age too!)

Recently the Boston office engaged in a holiday drive for the folks at HopeFound Boston, a group that looks to “end homelessness, one person at a time, by providing programs and services that help men and women achieve self-sufficiency and secure permanent housing.” In fact, HopeFound serves more than 3,500 people each year, in Boston and across Massachusetts. With an ever gloomy economic forecast, this is one of many great causes people should keep an eye to during the holiday season.

Despite having just asked the folks for their help in a clothing drive last June, the Bean town faithful took the time to dig deep into their hearts, closets and wallets for warm clothes and food for those that truly need it. Thanks guys – keep up this selflessness and I may just make it another four years.

(***Warning, this is as nice as I get and will resume pranking you on an individual basis as soon as this post goes public.)

shift-0072

A Guest Post of a Blatantly Promotional Nature

Published December 8, 2008 Boston Event , San Francisco Event , Slices of Life as a SHIFTer 8 Comments
Tags: 40 under 40, agency of the year, congratulations, pr agency, pr firm, prweek, Public relations, shiftcomm.com, Todd Defren

Guest post by Parry Headrick, vp of sales & marketing at SHIFT…

Today, Todd Defren grudgingly let me blog about an honor bestowed upon him by PRWeek. He’s too shy to toot his own horn. You see, just 3 months shy of his 40th birthday – right at the buzzer – Todd was named one of PRWeek’s “40 under 40” (subscription req’d).

At first the staff deduced this meant “under 40 inches tall,” since math is every PR person’s weak suit, and because Todd isn’t exactly a basketball legend. Turns out he’s been recognized by the PR industry’s bellwether pub, PRWeek, as one of the nation’s most intriguing, successful leaders under 40 years old.

Todd was born on St. Patty’s day in 1969. A crude version of the computer mouse had just been invented, and the Arpanet would materialize just as Todd was cutting his first teeth. It’s fitting, then, that many years (and a lovely wife and two kids of his own) later he would start one of the PR world’s first Internet Practices at SHIFT’s predecessor agency in Boston.

Of course, the dot.com bubble ballooned and popped, and about five years ago Todd gambled big when he started SHIFT Communications with his colleagues — knuckles white on his computer mouse as he closed his eyes and transferred his life’s savings. This is a guy who started his post-college career on the welfare rolls, so you can bet he was scared stiff.

It was a risk worth taking. PRWeek took note of how Todd helped grow SHIFT from nearly nothing in 2003 to well over $10 million in revenues in 2007, attracting clients along the way such as RealNetworks, Jim Beam, BearingPoint, Oakley, Shimano, Johnson & Johnson, Travelocity, Novell, and Akamai. And those are just some of the marquee names. A heaping helping of startup companies, as can be seen in today’s announcement of 9 new clients, have also benefitted from Todd’s advice.

There’s so much more to talk about when it comes to Todd, as regular readers of this blog know. With his help, SHIFT has become an important voice in the social media and PR realms, garnering the American Business Awards’ coveted “Agency of the Year” in 2007 and The Holmes Report’s “New Media Agency of the Year” SABRE Award in 2008. His tireless efforts to make PR less about publicity and more about relationships, led him to invent the Social Media Release and the Social Media Newsroom templates; to help with the start-up of the Social Media Club; and so on.

Todd is doubtless squirming in his chair as he reads this, but it’s well-deserved embarrassment. As somebody who has worked side-by-side with Todd for nearly a decade, I can tell you PRWeek’s honor is well-deserved.

So drop him a quick note of congrats if you feel like it. Just don’t ask him if he can dunk.

Pointy Hat & Ears

Published December 6, 2008 San Francisco Event Leave a Comment

post by Jany Xu

Maybe it’s the fresh smell of pine in our SF office lobby or the gigantic Christmas ornaments next to the pyramids down the street, I’m just feeling all in the ‘holiday’ spirit today.

No… no… I know exactly what it is: the fact that Dave just sent us the best elf video in life. Apparently, OfficeMax and JibJab doesn’t allow us to embed the video, so click here to see it in action w/the music & all. And yes, that (or really those) are all Parry Headrick, our vp of sales & marketing, doing the elf jig. We love ya, Parry. Keep on dancing…

parry-elf-large

In case you couldn’t make out the fine details in the first screencap… here’s an enlargement. Ya… you’re welcome.

parry-elf

Video