NewMediaBrain

Social Networks for The Disney Age

I recently had a colleague ask me about Social Networks. What exactly was I referring to when I spoke about a Social Network. A term that is a buzz word in any current marketing arena would seem to be common to most professionals in todays' business world. I have found that is not the case.

   A Social Network is a set of nodes each "node" representing an individual that may share a common interest or interdependency such as a vision, idea, friends, dislike, likes, or even disease. The ties between each node is the relationship to each other. In the simplest context,t he Social Network is visually the "map" of the series of nodes and ties.

The most recent Social Network that I have come into touch with is that of the up and coming Teen Superstar Miley Cyrus. Who may you ask is Miley Cyrus? Well she plays a double role in the TV phenomena television show by Disney, Hannah Montana. How does this fit into the discussion of Social Networks and it's importance in today's Marketing arena? Stay with me here.

As Miley Cyrus, the daughter of Country Western star Billy Ray Cyrus, who also plays her father on the TV show Hannah Montana has launched a multi-city concert tour and selling out in under an hour to crowds of 18,000 and more. Tickets are found "unavailable" an hour after release and quickly being made available on sites like Ebay and StubHub for upwards of triple the price.

How does the term Social Networking fit into this story? Yes, as one of the many individuals "blocked" out of ticket purchasing due to zip code restrictions set by the arena and Ticket Master, I was prompted to join Miley's social network so that I may be allowed to enter a special code and participate in a "pre-sale" offer. Only to be stumped by Ticket Master and the community lords representing said arena.

My interest was peaked by the Marketing strategy of Miley World where you PAY to be a member so that you may have pre-sale access to concert tickets and ...other rewards. Enter this site and you see there are Hannah Montana fans on-line chatting with each other about Miley...I mean Hannah....whatever. They are sharing pictures, events, stories......here it is. Take the Pre-Teen and Early Teen generation, who probably are FaceBook members and narrow the Social Network down even more with the interest of Miley Cyrus a.k.a. Hannah Montana.

Now, with members growing daily. Miley and her "people" and her advertisers and Disney have a platform to talk with, gain insight and purchasing power with more nitched information.  Cool Huh?

Gig,Job,Project,Assignment...What Do I call It?

I have been inspired to ponder the "wording" of my most current professional efforts.  Providing solutions to like minded business owners and professionals .....is my goal.  Offering an interpretation into the Social Media,Web 2.0 world to those individuals who are seeking a better solution or marriage to their own Old Media marketing efforts is an area of great need and opportunity.

A Gig ...Job...Project...Assignment...which one of these terms can best describe the process of  incorporating these solutions to a client.  Who knows? 

Brick and mortar institutions....provide a lot of employment opportunities....for many professions. What about this new age of employment?  Telecommuting, virtual conference rooms and meetings. I most recently listened to an old boss of mine ....giving a presentation...at a technology conference from my home office. It was great to hear his voice and his view on where technology is going at IT Conversations.  I then did a ZoomInfo Search and was able to find him at his most recent corporate rung upon the tall ladder he has climbed. We connected and he is a good reference for my forthcoming clients...from my Job days.

I knew this corporate mogul back during the days I had ....a Job....in a brick and mortar building...on Michigan Avenue.  At the time, we were paving the way with innovation and ground breaking consumer and business communication models. 

Today, the landscape has changed. Not just for myself from Midwestern flat plains to the coast, but for the business world...around the world. Resources don't have to sit down the hall, down the street or down the thru-way. The world is truly flat ....in the Web 2.0 world. 

A recent spot on a national news segment highlights a few such companies, most notably Crayon. With no true..brick and mortar. Counterparts meet in Second Life and hold virtual meetings. The cool thing, the focus for the solutions to their clients is embracing and maximizing the Social Media landscape while using all of those Social Media tools for themselves to deliver the customer's solutions. I bet these Crayon guys consider these client solution processes... cool gigs,assignments or projects.....not simply a job.

Back to School in the World of Web 2.0 Part I

Yes, it is September in New England and this time is most humorously marked by the confusion of wardrobe among the residents of this coastal town. Lilly Pulitzer and furl lined Crocs can be seen on the same afternoon in a downtown stroll.

This month also marks the beginning of school after a period of stopping and starting with Labor Day and a religious observation thrown in. It also marks the continued professional education that one involved in the world of New Media must embark on.

Let's not delay with this info and this info may involve a couple days of info going forward. The LG phone submersion did send me shopping with my final decision resting on a Blackberry.  Just 24 hours after Apple announced their drop..........in Price.  And now....as I continue my Web 2.O education and phone buyers remorse...I find the TypePad announcement of the Iphone mobile posting ability. Now I'm researching my "bail out" clause with Verizon.....too cool of a tool. Check out Somewhat Frank's video of a tutorial on placing a post on your TypePad blog via an Iphone.