reading: we share too much, and it’s stifling innovation (via The Washington Post)

Posted on by Becky Green (was McMichael)

The level to which we are forced to censor ourselves is even more damaging than our social media-induced group-think. Most people are afraid to be completely honest with what we share, because of the capricious nature of the public. This makes us innocuous caricatures who live in fear of offending anyone. Social media sharing is a lot like a temperamental boss who tells you to speak freely. His words say one thing, but the reality is he might fire you if he doesn’t like what he hears. To protect yourself, you only tell him the good news and any negative feedback is conveniently omitted. Counter to James Surowieki who pointed out the wisdom of crowds, this combined group-think and fear of public judgment is the tyranny of crowds. And this tyranny clouds our thinking and stifles innovation.

via We share too much, and it’s stifling innovation – The Washington Post.

reading: Making it to the top – from marketing to CEO

Posted on by Becky Green (was McMichael)

Some of the world’s largest brands, including Coca-Cola and McDonald’s have recently given marketers senior roles in the boardroom. The fast food giant’s UK arm, as well as ING Direct, Match.com and Quorn all have former marketers as their chief executive, while Reckitt Benckiser’s incoming global CEO Rakesh Kapoor has run marketing for the company in various parts of the world. Coca-Cola, meanwhile, has recently promoted former chief marketing officer Beatriz Perez to vice-president.

via Making it to the top | In-Depth Analysis | Marketing Week.

reading : Why Social Networks Inside Businesses Have Failed

Posted on by Becky Green (was McMichael)

Editor’s note: Software companies talk to their customers about collaboration, but do they deliver it in their own operations? Historically, most have focused heavily on the concept of small teams and everybody getting into a room and solving issues. Collaboration was real time, face-to-face and ad hoc. But the exigencies of today’s market, the market opportunity, and how software has matured creates interesting scenarios. Sandhill.com asked Ram Menon, EVP at TIBCO to share his opinion on social sprawl and what companies need to evaluate to block out the noise and start getting down to business.

The Sunday night we all learned Osama bin Laden had been killed, I was playing a quiet game of chess with my 10-year-old son. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I picked it up to see a Facebook message from my neighbor, who first informed me of the news. As I waited for my son to make his next move, I watched a flood of information wash over me via Facebook and Twitter messages shared by friends.

For me, this served as another quintessential example of how social technologies have transformed the way we communicate and consume information. Not too many years ago, I would have had to be watching television or listening to the radio to learn news of a similar magnitude in real time. Now, I simply let the information flow to my fingertips.

So, when you come to work, you probably hear some say, “You should replicate Facebook inside of your company. It’s the new wave! It’s the revolution that will automatically transform your business!”

It all sounds nice. The problem is it’s a farce.

The truth is, early attempts to bring social networking inside companies as a work tool have failed. They have failed because they lack a pragmatic focus on the business process, systems, and culture that actually makes companies operate (and make money). Free social computing tools – which almost gleefully don’t understand the needs of businesses – fall on their face after a few months of use because people don’t actually get their work done in them. They’re the proverbial “extra thing I gotta check.” And if they’re not working in them, why log in anymore?

via SandHill.com | Opinion : Why Social Networks Inside Businesses Have Failed (And What We Can Do About Fixing It).

PR pitching – 5 things you need to know before you start writing

Posted on by Becky Green (was McMichael)

1 – can you distil the brief and say it back to the prospect concisely?
2 – do you know who the prospect’s audience is, not just in broad terms but what they look like, where they shop, how they behave?
3 – do you know the last 5 big campaigns/stunts/ideas done in the client’s industry, what has worked recently. What do you need to avoid for sake of repetition?
4 – do you know the last 3 things the prospect did that really worked? What have they tried and failed to do well….
5 – do you understand the client’s key business problem….