Last week I announced the launch of the 360 DI series on Gov 2.0 and our upcoming DI Ogilvy Exchange. There has been a phenomenal response to the upcoming panel. The following panelists are confirmed Ari Melber, The Nation and Politico; Mark Murray from NBC Universal; Lovisa Williams, Deputy Director from the State Department’s Office of Innovative Engagement; Alex Howard, O’Reilly’s Gov 2.0 correspondent; Micah Sifry, co-founder of the Personal Democracy Forum. The date is set for Monday September 27th.

As we enter the second week of our series of posts on Gov 2.0, we wanted to highlight/introduce some of the other members of the DI team interested in this space and their musings on Gov 2.0.

Kelly Ferraro-

In 2008, how I connected to the world began to change during the presidential election. A graduate student, I was more than familiar with the word-of-mouth power of Facebook, and was an early adopter and avid user. But at that time, I had been using social media simply to communicate with my law school peers, and keep in touch with family and friends.

Enter the election of 2008.

Suddenly, a platform that I had used to stay connected with people became a news resource for campaigns, expressing political views, sharing articles, and making donations. Instead of reading the New York Times or the Washington Post online, I would log in to Facebook for my daily news. There, I would find the latest campaign development through a shared article, or a conversation thread about a candidate.

But more importantly, Facebook coupled with other social media tools  helped Barack Obama secure the presidency. With the use of various digital platforms, Barack Obama rejected public financing and raised a record-breaking $650 million, largely from private, individual on-line donations. And now, for the first time ever, we have a President who is accessible via Facebook, Twitter, and a blog.

To me, this shift means two things: ACCESSS and POWER.

In my view, Gov 2.0 is about the power and ability of citizens to gain access to government like never before. Gone are the days when writing a letter to Congress helped voice an issue. Today, you can send a 140-character message that’s publicly available to every follower of a Congressman.

Think about the bargaining power that holds! You can publish your message not just to the leader with whom you want to speak, but to every person paying attention to every move that leader makes. The pressure on the figure to respond is heightened when he or she is up for re-election, or is working on a contentious issue. In this sense, Gov 2.0 not only gives citizens greater access to their government, but also gives them greater power to leverage their voice and perhaps a greater change of  getting a response.

The hope is that this heightened access and power will lead to action, and ultimately, change. I believe that is what will define the next iteration: Gov 3.0

Jackie Titus-

My Georgetown colleague, Mike Rupert, a Communications Director for a major government agency in DC was the first to introduce me to Gov 2.0 communications. By watching his work I learned about the power behind social media and digital communications for Government agencies. Mike changed the way his agency communicated with college students through a new website www.thisshouldbeillegal.com – the goal of the page is simple, “Helping Keep College Students Safe and Healthy in DC”. What I love about this work is the core mission of the agency stayed the same but the new approach facilitated a more direct conversation with the target audience.

At its core Gov 2.0 is taking the information the public is entitled to and makes it more accessible. However we know that this new form of communication is not just about pushing out more information and providing more access, it is also about a dialogue. Government agencies can scale their approach use it to raise widespread awareness or communicate at the local level about public safety and neighborhood alerts.

Charlie Tansill-

Integrating social media into government agencies will be a mammoth challenge. Bureaucracy, special interest organizations, national security, and resistance to change all present incredible obstacles; however, it is crucial that these challenges are overcome and that government begin to incorporate social media for many reasons.

1. Transparency: Especially in a democracy where officials are elected, it is crucial that the government be as transparent as possible. Citizens are not comforted by a government that is trying to hide their operations; rather, when a government is open, it breeds trust and confidence. Social media does exactly that: facilitates a more open, translucent, corruption-free and accountable government. Obama is a huge proponent of transparency and its importance in holding officials and policies accountable for their actions. There are even international organizations that exist for this very purpose such as Transparency International!

2. Empowerment: For the most part, social media is inexpensive, simple and mobile and, because of this, it brings a voice to more people; it provides another outlet through which common citizens can share a voice and be empowered. It encourages the power of Collective Intelligence!

3. Collaboration: Social media tools allow for quick information-sharing between international organizations, agencies, politicians, and humanitarian agencies, which allows for more partnerships and collaboration. Especially at a time when special interest groups have so much influence, social media tools could be used to combat this trend so that organizations can cross boundaries and work together toward the collective good.

These are just a few of the reasons I believe social media is critical to the future of government.

More details, including the launch of the Eventbrite are forthcoming. Please stay tuned to our blog for further information. Thank you for all your interest and support. We are very excited about the upcoming event.

When marketing on behalf of regulated industries (such as the healthcare companies that I spend the majority of my time focusing on), working within strict guidelines is a large part of the process - both from an external perspective (FDA, FTC, HIPPA, etc) but often internally as well.  Legal and regulatory experts work to help companies stay within safe boundaries by providing review and oversight, which can often challenge marketers who want to be cutting edge as they draw attention and appeal to their target audiences.

Using new communications channels, such as social media, can provide new challenges for those working to keep their companies safe. But regulation and innovation don’t need to be at odds with one another. Below are just a few sample ways marketers can work with those providing regulatory and legal oversight to leverage the Social tools their customers are rapidly consuming.

• Partner early and often with regulators to develop guidelines: by developing guidelines together of what is acceptable use of social media, and the precautions the company will take, marketers and legal/regulatory specialists can both become invested in the rules of the road. The teams can and should work together to update the guidelines as new channels are used, leveraged in new ways, and new media emerge (as they frequently do these days…)

• Get regulatory specialists to weigh in and become a part of the development process - and not just be a “reviewer”: involve regulatory experts throughout the process - from concept development through to final review - to incorporate their feedback, guidance and best practices. Often other groups in the company have worked on similar concepts or ideas where best practices or even sample language can be shared by review groups.

• Provide real and relevant examples: showing what others in the industry - or related industries - have done before can help alleviate fears or help provide precedent to move forward. Things have been done before are inherently less scary - especially to those tasked with keeping their employers away from risk. When making a case to regulatory and legal teams, we often look for similar examples from those in the industry working in other specializations - or tap into colleagues who work in fields that are similarly regulated.

• Provide samples: Beyond showing examples, nothing helps sell-in a concept than providing samples of how a project will look and feel. Demonstrating a user experience with samples takes concepts out of others’ imagination (where you have no control) and brings them to life. Proposing a microsite? Develop wireframes to demonstrate. Integrating Twitter in your campaign? Mock up sample tweets that show the range and types of information you’ll communicate. Driving your target to YouTube? In addition to storyboarding out your video concepts, show regulators channels that are laid out and have similar controls (such as turning off comments) to what you are proposing so they can interact with a similar idea.

• Have an issues management review and response plan in place: As the boy scouts say, be prepared. Reviewing the risks - and having a plan in place to address them - from smallest issue to biggest crisis, can help alleviate some of the fear around the unknown. And working with legal/regulatory experts to develop the response plan can help bring them around to feeling a smart approach is in place.

From WIRED Magazine’s controversial article, “The Web is Dead, Long Live the Internet” came this set of factoids: The story of industrial revolutions, after all, is a story of battles over control. A technology is invented, it spreads, a thousand flowers bloom, and then someone finds a way to own it, locking out others. It happens [...]

If you haven’t yet seen the Emmy winning Old Spice commercials in action and haven’t quoted the Old Spice Guy at least once in conversation over the past few months, you must be sleeping under a rock (well, okay, maybe only a few fanatics are actually quoting the commercials…).

Never-the-less, the Old Spice phenomenon has created a surge of conversation around virality and brand engagement with the online audience. But let’s talk about the brand personality, because - to me - that’s one of the main things that really made this campaign go big.

So, what makes a great brand personality?

- Authenticity: Companies like Sharpie and VTech (an Ogilvy client) have recruited either internal brand fans (like @SharpieSusan) or external fans to actively get involved in social media conversation. These individuals are fully transparent with the audience, helping the audience to understand where they come from and how they can relate. Maria Pilar Clark, the VTech Mom, is a mom of two and loves helping her kids learn, so she has a great connection with other moms interested in VTech toys.

- Consistency: Talk about consistency - how does 205 Old Spice videos sound?? Whatever your brand personality is, make sure you keep it consistent. Don’t be the voice of the Old Spice Guy one day and Jimmy Fallon the next. Think about the conversations you plan to have through the eyes of your brand personality. Answer a few of the questions from Brian’s Solis’ new book, Engage:

If the brand was a person, how would it appear? How would it sound? How would it interact with others? How would others describe it?

Then keep that in mind whenever you create your content and conversation.

- Engagement: As John Bell mentioned in his CNN Commentary, the Old Spice campaign actively listened to the audience and engaged on a one-on-one basis with some of the audience members through direct video response.)

- Entertainment Factor:Whether you are creating a new drama skit every day/week like the Old Spice Guy, sharing new Sharpie art work or simply bantering back and forth with others, your audience will come back if they like what you’re giving them. This goes back to the ever-present value exchange — what is your audience looking for? What will make them come back to your brand time and again? Now add in your brand personality and ‘voila!’ you may just have entertainment!

- Versatility: Expand your brand personality’s horizons from commercials to direct response viral videos, from a Twitter handle to a personality column in the consumer e-newsletter. (*LIGHTBULB*) From an online presence to an offline presence! A great example: If your bored, or need some more Old Spice entertainment, go ahead and create your personalized Old Spice voicemail…

Of course all this goes back to your brand definition. Make sure you understand your brand’s core values, it’s history, it’s business and communication objectives as you look to define (or spice up) the brand personality in social media. To help with this understanding, check out Brian Solis’s Brand Reflection Style - a great way to map out your brand’s personality and persona.

By Nicole Burguess
Interactive Account Manager

Today is Youth Literacy Day -- a celebration of reading, writing, and self-expression, and of all the organizations, professionals, volunteers and teachers who help children learn and love to read. To celebrate this day, 826Michigan, a non-profit organization several of us at MS&L volunteer for, is partnering with its affiliates across the U.S. for a really cool fund-raising effort -- www.826on826.org.

With mounting pressure on school systems and parents, 826 writing centers help bridge the gap for students and families by providing free, one-on-one attention and writing help to all young people ages 6 through 18.

826 chapters are asking everyone to donate $8.26 on 8/26 to support youth literacy in their city. They’ve developed a multi-pronged online strategy to get people mobilized. Here are all the ways they’ve set up for folks to donate:

• Donate via SMS with a mobile device – users can text "WRITE" to 20222 to make a one-time donation of $10 on August 26th.
  
• PayPal integration at 826on826.org that lets users donate $8.26


• Facebook Donation Application – download the app and enter your cell number to dontate $8.26

826 National is also using Facebook and Twitter channels across all regional 826 operations to get the word out. Participants can like or follow 826Michigan on:

• Facebook


• Twitter

Check out the campaign today and donate if you can. This is a great example of how regional and national non-profits are using social media to secure donations and spread the word about a cause.

To learn more about 826 National and its chapters across the US, click here.

According to a recent report by the Keller Faye Group, less than 10% of word of mouth conversations happen online. Think about that for a second. We spend an inordinate amount of time fretting about Social Media Marketing, which is — let’s face it — largely an online phenomenon.  We perform blogger monitoring/outreach, Twitter monitoring/outreach, Facebook [...]

By Kai Blum
Director, Search Engine Optimization

Is it possible for a new search engine to stand out against giant Google? Ecosia, founded a few months ago, is attempting just that by marketing itself as a green search engine. Ecosia servers run on green electricity and 80 percent of the search engine's income will be donated to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Yahoo and Bing are providing Ecosia with search results and sponsored links. On average, each search on Ecosia saves 21.5 square feet of rain forest. The WWF said in a press release that the average Internet user could protect about 21,500 square feet of rain forest every year by using Ecosia, which is about the size of an ice hockey rink.

According to Comscore, over 25 million users accessed Facebook via a mobile phone in Jan 2010, a 112% year-over-year increase.

With its initial US-based rollout of Places location functionality on the 30+ million iPhone installed base, Facebook joins Twitter and others in embracing the growing use of smartphones for social networking.

Importantly, this change allows Facebook to expand users’ social graphs beyond such items as friends, product/service affinities and demographics to now include location.

Here are three thoughts on implications for marketers, agencies and social location startups:

Location checkins should help drive impulse and, to some extent, planned purchases. It’s clear that coupons, discounts and other promotions will be important for increasing share of wallet — particularly for the impulse purchases estimated to account for 20+% of consumer spending. Companies like Shopkick are already implementing functionality to enable this, and it’s clearly going to be of value in driving revenue for a wide range of companies.

Checkins will provide new opportunities to build relationships and better understand customers. Less promotional location-driven engagement will be helpful in increasing preference and loyalty. If a user must check into a location manually, they’re either doing so for convenience (e.g. to locate friends or offers nearby) or as self-expression. The latter provides an interesting opportunity for a brand to engage — for example, by providing messaging or advice that’s related to the type of location visited.  This also provides an opportunity for B2B brand engagement.

Social network partners may well provide more unique experiences for brands. Much as well-designed social games from companies like Zynga and Playdom have created a powerful draw for Facebook users (consuming ~40% of Facebook user minutes), startups like SCVNGR, Gowalla, Foursquare and Booyah will likely use Facebook graph + location data to create interesting experiences. They’ll have the added opportunity to integrate data across Facebook, Twitter and other non-Facebook smartphone users.

One of the biggest potential issues to consider is user privacy — the current implementation has some issues that have been widely written about. However, in the past Facebook has eventually responded with changes to enable users to manage their privacy in an acceptable way.

Read more about key steps for brands to start taking.

Photo credit: Graph, by Librarian by Day

I know you visit this blog to hear about thoughts & strategies re: Social Media Marketing and Public Relations.  And that’s what you get 99% of the time.  So I hope you’ll forgive me when, 1% of the time, I make this blog personal. A few years ago I told you about my wife, on the [...]

Our colleagues at Parker & Partner, Ogilvy PR’s Australian Public Affairs affiliate, sent out this piece to clients after the weekend’s deadlocked election.    Enjoy.

The age of uncertainty

Uncertainty. It’s not something we’re accustomed to in the outcome of Federal elections but given where the numbers last night we will have quite a few days and maybe weeks of it. What the campaign lacked in policy differences was made up for in drama. And so the drama continues.

As the polls predicted Australia was amazingly divided. Queensland saw a significant anti-Labor sentiment translate into a 9.4 per cent swing away from the Government (split between the LNP and Greens) and the loss of up to nine seats. New South Wales wasn’t far behind with a 7 per cent swing, while Victoria and Tasmania said “no thanks” to Tony Abbott, with gains to the Government of 2 per cent and 1.2 per cent respectively. South Australia saw swings away from both Labor and the Coalition to the Greens who gained 3.2 per cent, while the West continued to be a stronghold for the Coalition with a state-wide 3.2 per cent gain.

Officially the ALP and Coalition sit on 71 seats each with four seats in doubt. We will definitely have three independents (Rob Oakeshott in Lyne, Tony Windsor in New England, and Bob Katter in Kennedy) and one green (Adam Bandt in Melbourne). The three independents have quickly come to a consensus to negotiate as a bloc –  so at this stage can be counted as three “country independent” seats to go to whichever party can give them the best outcome.

The best that either side can do is 75 seats –  just short of the magic number of 76. But it looks likely both sides will end up in a stalemate on 73 seats each, or a split of 73-72 if Denison falls to the Independent Andre Wilkie (see below).

Both sides are formulating what they are prepared to put on the table for negotiations and will soon put them forward for consideration. For the next week or so — and maybe longer – the centre of Australian political power shifts from Canberra to Mt Isa, Tamworth and Port Macquarie.

Seats in doubt  

 

Four or five seats remain in doubt today, and it is the outcomes of these competitions that will decide who forms the next Government. The Australian Electoral Commission says both major parties have 71 seats each. While neither Labor nor the Coalition can get to the magic 76 seats to govern in their own right, if one party ends up with more seats than the other they will be given the opportunity, and will have a greater chance, of forming the next Government.

(The AEC is counting Dennison in Tasmania on the Labor side of the ledger. There is an outside chance, if preferences fall the right way and in the right order, that Dennison will go to independent Andrew Wilkie, former Office of National Assessments whistle-blower and the man who stood for the Greens against John Howard in Bennelong in 2004.)

The four remaining seats in doubt are Brisbane (Queensland), Lindsay (NSW), Corangamite (Victoria) and Hasluck (Western Australia). In all but Brisbane the ALP is ahead by narrow margins. In ordinary circumstances postal votes and pre-polls would be expected to favour the incumbent MP (Labor in all of these cases), but as OTR has previously noted, this election is anything other than ordinary.

Yarralumla here we come  

 

It is inevitable there will be mutterings of a “constitutional crisis: as a result – or rather lack of result – from yesterday’s poll. While it is 70 years since Australia had a minority federal government, there have been at least ten examples of minority administrations in Australian states and territories over the last two decades.

There are no formal rules associated with forming minority government following a hung election other than an expectation that the party and leader best able to form a stable majority in the Lower House should be appointed. Experience in Australia through the last 21 years shows that in several instances minority governments have been formed on the basis of agreements with the major party holding the most seats in the Lower House, but this has not occurred not in every case.

Notwithstanding the lack of procedural law and explicit conventions, minority governments are generally based on a formal accord, charter or parliamentary agreement, setting out:

[T]he conditions under which the political arrangements are to operate, at least in relation to no confidence motions and supply bills. Further, as a condition for their support of a minority government, minor party or Independent Members of Parliament often require the inclusion of certain reform measures in these charters or agreements. Another innovation on this minority government theme is the inclusion in Cabinet of minor party or Independent Members in “loose coalition” with a major party, again subject to a written statement of the terms and conditions for such involvement”  

 

(Griffiths ,G. Parliament of NSW Discussion paper 2010).

So the key term is “conditional”, and the ability of the ALP or Coalition to obtain agreement from independents and Greens to secure support to ensure the fundamentals of stable government — parliamentary confidence in the Prime Minister and government and passage of monetary supply.

The principle of responsible government dictates that within caretaker arrangements, the Governor-General will continue to receive advice from the incumbent Prime Minister. This includes Julia Gillard’s advice on her Party’s ability to form and sustain a stable government.

It is the G-G’s reserve powers, however, that may well play the deciding card in the wash up from yesterday’s election.

The reserve powers of the Governor-General include:

The power to appoint a Prime Minister if an election results in a hung Parliament

The power to dismiss a Prime Minister in circumstances where the House of Representatives has passed a “no confidence” motion against the PM

The power to refuse to dissolve the House of Representatives contrary to ministerial advice. The refusal by a Governor-General to dissolve House on ministerial advice has been the most frequently used of the reserved powers in Australia.

In addition, as the annals of Australian political history well document, these also include the power to dismiss a Prime Minister in circumstances where the Government cannot obtain supply and the Prime Minister refuses to resign or to call an election. The decision by the independent and Greens MPs in determining the level of stability has more riding on it than many may initially appreciate. Undoubtedly their interests are best served by ensuring the longest possible term until the next election. One can be certain that Quentin Bryce AC (a Queenslander appointed by Prime Minister Rudd) will be swotting up on Constitutional Law over the next few days.

Gang of Four  

 

There are currently four MPs who look set to hold the balance of power in the House of Representatives (with the possibility of a fifth from Tasmania joining them on the cross benches).

Although their previous associations with the Nationals may signal a natural sympathy with the conservative side of politics, it must be remembered that Katter, Windsor and Oakeshott are consciously not Nationals MPs, having left in circumstances which have given rise to difficult relationships between them and their former Party. There is no love lost between Katter and Windsor and Nationals leaders Warren Truss and Barnaby Joyce.

Bob Katter has held the seat of Kennedy in outback northern Queensland since 1993. Originally elected as a National Party MP, he resigned and become an Independent in 2001 due to an increasing disagreement with the Coalition on economic and social policies. He is a former member of the Queensland Parliament and calls himself a climate change sceptic.

Former farmer Tony Windsor has held the seat of New England in New South Wales since 2001, when he took the seat away from the Nationals. He is experienced in holding the balance of power after doing so at a State level in the NSW Lower House in the mid-90s.

Rob Oakeshott is the newest member of the trio, elected to the seat of Lyne in NSW in a 2008 by-election following the resignation of former National’s Leader Mark Vaile. Like the others, Oakeshott is also a former State MP, as the Nationals and then independent member for the NSW state seat of Port Macquarie.

Adam Bandt is a former industrial lawyer with Julia Gillard’s old law firm Slater and Gordon. He has taken two campaigns to win Melbourne from Labor, allowing him to create a strong profile locally and nationally.

Declaration of Independents  

 

Sitting in an unprecedented position of power, cross-bench members will want to negotiate a stable power-sharing deal that will allow their position to endure for a three-year parliamentary term, rather than merely shoring up the government before a quick return to the polls. In addition to Katter, Windsor, Oakeshott and Bandt, the Nationals’ Tony Crook, who took the West Australian wheat-belt seat of O’Connor from the Liberals’ Wilson Tuckey, is signalling he will sit on the cross-benches.

Several issues will be pivotal for the three “country independent” members in negotiating with the two major parties. Katter, Windsor and Oakeshott, all of whom are experienced parliamentarians, will agree on a common set of principles for negotiating with the major parties, a pact they made prior to the election. The three have broadly similar interests in negotiating a better deal for their regional and rural constituencies, including better health care, ensuring a sustainable population, and upgraded broadband services, bringing the broadband policy debate strongly into play.

Katter advocates for an eclectic mix of changes, including the reintroduction of trade protection to benefit the banana, beef and dairy industries, breaking the major supermarket duopoly and cutting down on a range of taxes he sees as imposing on individual liberties. Although he has already indicated he would support an ALP government, Adam Bandtâ€s support has the potential to be recognised through key policy undertakings. Together with his Greens colleagues he is expected to fight for outcomes on climate change policy, dental care to be included on Medicare, same-sex marriage and more generous treatment of asylum seekers.

Although Tony Crook is yet to outline his position in detail, the fact he is a Western Australian Nationals MP suggests he is likely to be well versed in the “Royalties for Regions”-style regional funding deal that his State leader Brendan Grylls negotiated with West Australian Premier Colin Barnett.

An intense and complex few days of negotiation await us.

The only certainties  

 

Even at this early stage of counting there are two certainties from last night’s half Senate election results.

First, the current Senate composition and voting dynamics remain in play until July 2011 with Liberal Senator Gary Humphries retaining his ACT Senate seat. In the case of a returned Gillard Government and assuming Party unity, there are two options for legislative passage through the Senate; either with the support of the Coalition or with the block vote of the Greens plus Steve Fielding and Nick Xenophon. A minority Coalition Government would be presented with four options to secure its legislation through the Senate as the Greens, Fielding, Xenophon or the ALP, could all individually provide enough support to secure an absolute Seante majority.

Second, is that the Australian Greens will hold the balance of power in its own right post-July 2011. It is anticipated the Greens will extend its Senate representation from five to possibly nine seats. At this early stage of the count it appears the Greens’ gains have come at the expense of the Coalition, which has lost two to five Senate seats. Family First Senator Steve Fielding has also lost his Victorian seat, but could possibly be replaced by a Democratic Labor Party candidate.

Media quote

Seriously, I love the Australian people. This result is really the only possible honest response to that campaign.  

 

- Annabel Crabb on Twitter

Political quotes

The Liberal and National parties are back in business, we stand ready to govern and we stand ready to offer the Australian people stable, predictable and competent government.  

 

- Opposition Leader Tony Abbott

Friends, Bill Clinton once famously said: the people have spoken but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what they’ve said.  

 

- Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Next month, the Digital Influence team will be partnering with others at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide to bring you an Ogilvy Exchange on Government. The working title of the event: How Social Media Tools are Shaping Government, the 2010 Elections and Issue Campaigns.

In 2008, the Obama administration swept into the White House in large part transported on the wings of the Netroots – the fundraising and voter mobilization of his online supporters was unprecedented. With this administration came the ideals of the Open Gov Directive and Gov 2.0: transparent, participatory government. Two years later we can’t help but ask the following questions:

What happened to the momentum?

Does it still exist?

How has it evolved?

Are these ideals being fulfilled in government?

What are some of the best, innovative case studies of what is possible in this space?

What does the future hold?

What do the Administration, the media and the campaign stakeholders think is next for 2010 and 2012?

How is the next generation of political advocates going to bring together social media to create a movement, to raise money, to organize locally, to fight opposition campaigns and to get out the vote?

Will the Republicans be able to capitalize on this power as well as the Democrats?

We realize that this topic is vast and one that will take several conversations to cover. Consequently, we are hopeful that this Ogilvy Exchange will be the first of many where we begin to discuss these questions. In parallel, the 360Di team is launching a series of blog posts on government that we hope to publish on a weekly basis to continue to explore this topic in a more thorough manner.

We are very excited to share that the following speakers have expressed an interest in participating in our Exchange: Micah Sifry from Personal Democracy Forum; Ari Melber from the Nation and Politico; Mark Murray from NBC Universal; Lovisa Williams, Deputy Director from the State Department’s Office of Innovative Engagement. We will be providing more details as speakers are confirmed. We look forward to having you join us at this event!

For more details on the event and how to get involved you can reach me at Kety.Esquivel@OgilvyPR.com.

I like Cake -- the food that's spawned a ton of TV shows and, more importantly, the band. I like Twitter too. So why did I take the Cake song "Going the Distance" and create this Twitter parody? If we can't laugh at ourselves, what's the point? Just be thankful... Kevin Dugan

I like Cake -- the food that's spawned a ton of TV shows and, more importantly, the band.

I like Twitter too. So why did I take the Cake song "Going the Distance" and create this Twitter parody?

If we can't laugh at ourselves, what's the point? Just be thankful I didn't pick "Tweet It" and I'm not into karaoke.

Is it funny? You tell me. But it's definitely a parody. So here's one of my favorite earworms -- dedicated to the social plaform, and cottage industry, that's grown up around it.

"Updating Your Status"
140 characters, a parting line
Fingers nimble and dancing in time
The fail wail flashes, No tweets go out
So Mashable and Techcrunch begin to shout

We talk amongst ourselves and post cool links
But does it do any good or cause you to think?
Shallow and brief it adds to the chatter
And we follow people who seem to matter

As we speed read old tweets, Twitter’s still down
More nerds up in arms, a worldwide frown
The site is free, unless you promote content
Hoping and praying Twitter’s a silver bullet

Google Wave’s coming down as Facebook grows up
Yet YouTube’s showing two girls, one cup?
So we’re surfing, and skimming and watching news spread
Life streaming is Hard. “That’s what she said.”

Refrain
Updating your status
Polluting the stream
It’s TMI. TMI. Needy and kind of boring

We use hashtags, DMs and retweets too
Drinking coffee, Redbull or Mt. Dew
We’re updating our status

Yeah!

No tweetups no twitpics, no memes, no doubt
How would we function, whine or pout?
When bowel shaking earthquakes and other events
Take place in the world, Twitter informs. People still vent.

We tell all it’s essential, a most important site.
But would we pay for it? Pfft, yeah, right.
We keep surfing and linking and watching news spread
Did you hear the latest? Abe Vigoda’s still. not. dead.

As Foursquare gets down Facebook Places goes up
Half a billion users? All your base are belong to us.
Now you’re going geo-loco with your Twitter gang.
I’m headed out for some coffee, do you wanna hang?

Refrain

Fail Whale uploaded by Mariana Pugliese

I recently had lunch with an old colleague who now runs PR at Kaspersky Lab, one of the best-known and fastest-rising anti-virus companies on the planet. My friend told me a story that should seize the hearts of journalists even as it captures the imagination of corporate marketers; it’s a story about the rise of branded [...]

The final stop on Day One of the #140conf found @jeffpulver and team in Cincinnati for a Sunday evening RoadTrip TweetUp.

The attendees, the stories and the entire experience remind me that no social media platform can replicate the original social network – meeting live and in person.

Putting faces to names and Twitter handles is part of it. But you obviously learn so much more than you can from even the most well-crafted 140 character missive.  We should all do it more often.

With more than 20 people in attendance, there were plenty of stories to tell and document about Cincinnati’s social media community. From something as simple as trading tips about the iPhone and iPad with @elliotcampbell and @JoeyWessels to learning about the latest social media efforts at Union Terminal with @Doug4Cincy. Catching up with folks like @danieljohnsonjr @kristaneher and meeting folks for like @AmelahG and @jamieboyle for the first time reminds me of how essential these events really are.

Perhaps it was the dose of inspiration from Jeff as he explained his mission for #140conf. All of the scheduled events look like they have enormous potential. In a format that forces value from the speaker and optimizes every attendee’s investment of time and money, October’s event in Detroit is definitely worth attending.

Thanks to all who attended. Here are some links to Cincinnati Tweet Up Video and Pics. Below are the Twitter handles I recorded. I know I missed a few so let me know who’s not on the list. 

#conf140 Team
@jeffpulver @AlanWeinkrantz @Krochmal @geogeller

Attendees:
@prblog @milanmike @gozapit @ncyp23 @jamieboyle @AmelahG @knrose @checkin_cincy @mbdunnusa @daveknox @Girlfriendology @elliotcampbell @JoeyWessels @Doug4Cincy. @danieljohnsonjr @kristaneher

Sponsors:
@kodak @smartwater @buick @doubletreehtls

Cross-Posted to my work blog Social Study
A Call to #140conf posted by @prblog

Preparing for an upcoming presentation, I was considering the documentation vs. experience trend and its impact on consumer consumption habits. As Ricky Van Veen notes, people are more into recording the trip to Disney World than the trip itself. A socially-inclined, smartphone-toting park guest could check in on Foursquare, record... Kevin Dugan

Preparing for an upcoming presentation, I was considering the documentation vs. experience trend and its impact on consumer consumption habits.

As Ricky Van Veen notes, people are more into recording the trip to Disney World than the trip itself. A socially-inclined, smartphone-toting park guest could check in on Foursquare, record their mouse-inspired lunch on Foodspotting and brag about their Phineas and Ferb t-shirt on Barcode Hero.

This is a nice change of pace because normally they're just logging in their Phineas and Ferb TV time on Tunerfish. And it doesn't have to stop there, with apps like Stickybits and Layar the park guest has even more opps to record actions deemed private by most of us.

Even one of the most private actions of all can now be recorded thanks to Sit or Squat (an inductee into the brand utility hall of fame, imho).

Overshare Begets Groupthink?
This is not to say Facebook is Skynet or the classic book 1984 has come true. Orwell's tome was written during a much different time and is not a comment on consumer use of technology.

But it amazes me that:

We've gone from a society that fears the documentation of our actions by an organization to one that willingly records and shares them with social media sites.

I'm obviously comfortable doing so. But even I have limits as to what I share online. Surprised?

I'm not suggesting we rethink this, jump off the grid and start lining our hats with aluminum foil. But as consumers we need to think about our information sharing in the big picture. Consumers get a sense of entitlement with free sites like Facebook and Twitter. But your privacy is a participation sport. And this is bigger than game mechanics. Spend some time with the terms of service around the sites with which you share information.

Thankfully there are people much smarter than me dedicated to following the topic of privacy. They can help. Belly up to this site and spend some quality time.

I came to Ogilvy 360 DI — and social media strategy — via a slightly different route than most of my colleagues. In short, I was a longtime blogger (and journo) who’d become frustrated at how poorly blog outreach was being handled by brands that, under any other circumstance, would’ve been impeccable with their approach. They’d finessed relationships with the press and customers, but when it came to bloggers, they ended up botching it completely (clunky outreach, poor planning, uneven execution) — and as a result, not capitalizing on all that blogs and social media could offer. Ogilvy was the first place I saw that truly got that blogger relationships were not a one-size-fits-all kind of endeavor. I signed on for the job.

Even though I’m now at Ogilvy, I’m still a blogger — my fashion blog, FashionisSpinach.com, has been tapped for a wide number of influencer campaigns for brands like Chanel and Gucci — and I’m still the target for many brands stepping into the social media sphere. Not a day goes by when I’m not completely amazed at how companies try to use clunky PR methods to reach out to bloggers like me.

Here are three of my most frequently seen pitfalls.

1. Think outside the (in)box.

Yesterday, I received 96 e-mails in my blog’s e-mail inbox (of course, not all were straight outreach — it’s also the spot where I sign up for store newsletters and other e-deals). Want to know how many I opened? Twelve. In this world of e-mail overload, your note needs to catch my eye to get a click. Too often, brands blanket bloggers with generic press releases — and not a photo in sight, a major oversight when dealing with blogs.

The new rule: If I’m going to open your pitch, it should at least contain the following: A personalized note that shows you’ve actually read my blog; a introduction to whatever you’re sharing that doesn’t sound like corporate-speak; and news that actually fits in with my readers (looking at you, baby sling PR woman).

2. “Ask” and you might not receive.

I’ve been asked to participate in a number of high-profile blog campaigns lately; for the most part, I’ve turned them down. Why? The “ask” was so great it transformed a cool campaign to a burden that seemed forced and unnatural with my blogging style. Case in point: One major fashion house is currently teamed up with a group of bloggers for a month-long event. They offered free clothes and other perks, but among the requirements was to tweet 10x per day about the brand/project on one particular day of the month. I only tweet 10x a day as is — to suddenly have to flood my friends and readers every hour promoting this brand felt like a major imposition. I turned down the offer.

The new rule: Your value exchange needs to be fair and balanced — simply asking me to promote your product (because, let’s face it, that’s what you’re doing, even if it’s something I like) for little in return doesn’t work in today’s blogosphere. But it’s also important to make sure the ask is reasonable and won’t damage the brand: I suspect if I’d signed on and tweeted 10x a day about a company, my followers would’ve viewed that with skepticism, not excitement — totally defeating the purpose of connecting with new customers.

3. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

My biggest gripe about blogger outreach? Most brands tend to heavily bombard with their pitch, hoping to generate a one-time spike in “buzz.” Instead, the priority ought to be on building relationships with bloggers over the long term. Yes, this one new perfume/shoe/spa and hotel is fabulous and attention-getting, but just because we successfully connect about it shouldn’t mean our relationship is over when the campaign is. Good social media pros develop relationship with bloggers — after all, you never know when a new campaign or a new product will pop back up. A friendly, professional relationship over time is so much more valuable than one visible blog post for one event.

The new rule: Get to know your bloggers. Follow their sites; read their blogs; reach out (with a quick hello, or a fun article that has nothing to do with the product you work on) from time to time. And for goodness sakes, if a blogger writes a great post about your product/company/amazing! new! doohickey!, send them a thank you note. It makes us feel good to know that you appreciate our support, and weren’t just schmoozing to squeeze a post out of us.

The final stop on Day One of the #140conf found @jeffpulver and team in Cincinnati for a Sunday evening RoadTrip TweetUp. The attendees, the stories and the entire experience remind me that no social media platform can replicate the original social network – meeting live and in person. Putting faces... Kevin Dugan

What is “Facebook Stories”?

This July, Facebook announced that it had passed the 500 million user milestone. Along with this announcement, Facebook also rolled out a new application, “Facebook Stories,” to celebrate its achievement.  As the largest social network in the world, stories of how people are interacting with others on Facebook happen every day. However, these stories usually end up only on Facebook Status Updates and News Feed, where limited users (i.e.friends) can access.

By launching Facebook Stories, users are able to share their unique stories in a collective environment, and all users can read these stories searchable by location or theme. Themes cover a variety of topics such as education, relationships, reunions, love etc. and after reading a couple stories, I would add some are quite inspiring and mind-opening. While various people use Facebook to keep in touch with old friends, others have clearly allowed Facebook to become a part of their lives.

How Brands use Facebook Stories Tab

In addition to the Facebook Stories site, Facebook is currently partnering with 31 fan pages, which associates a certain brand to many of the Facebook Stories tabs. LIVESTRONG, for instance, highlights health-related stories on its Facebook fan page; The Knot, a leading wedding service company, highlights Facebook users’ love stories. While these stories do not relate to the brand itself, they do represent a philosophy behind it, or the mission of its particular cause. Through these stories, content on fan pages become more engaging and fans are more likely to spend more time thinking about or visiting the brand. At the same time, these Facebook Stories allows the brand to see a glimpse of what stories people like to share. In turn, the brand may tailor its engagement plan to cross promote its page and Facebook Stories.

Since Facebook Stories is now available to any developer, I believe that more brand pages will link up with this new application to establish greater consumer engagement and brand awareness.

So, what is your story?