A cool spot from S&S Canada that explores what the future of us ad peeps might be, should we decide to ignore the changes that are happening right now. A nice call to action for those creatives still stuck in the tried and true ways of doing things. Wait...is this a TV spot?

Labels: Advertising, death of advertising, digital marketing

Sat in on a webinar yesterday; the speaker was teaching small, private business-owners of the restaurant variety how to create their own Facebook profiles and fan pages.

I had to reflect...

It was Somewhere around August 31, 2005 when I first signed up for Facebook. Hurricane Katrina had just hit. Grad school friends and I had retreated to one cohort's apartment in another, more northern town because it had electricity and Internet.

Of course, everyone was lounging with their own laptops, scoping each other out on Facebook instead of engaging in genuine conversation, but I'll save my opining on that behavior for another post.

So - I signed up for Facebook. For the next two years, I spent a lot of time conversing with peers, scoping out other people's pictures, posting my own in a very vein manner, wasting time I should've been spending on the thesis, etc.

Grad school ended. Fast-forward five years, and businesses are spending a lot of money and scrambling to "network on Facebook." Posers are claiming to be "social media experts" and are making a decent amount of money telling said businesses how they can help them "network on Facebook." Business people are spending an hour on a Wednesday morning, listening to the technical basics of setting up their own Facebook pages and profiles.

I illustrate this development out because I find it fascinating that, what was once a new online venue for college kids to waste time and entertain themselves, has rapidly developed into a forum that people are spending a lot of time, effort, and money on, all in the effort to do things like "connect," get their brand out there, "facilitate online communities," etc.

At the end of the day, I feel like few businesses get "being on Facebook" right (if there is such a thing). I feel like this because, as a long term Facebook Kid, I pay attention to very few businesses or services that are on Facebook. They have my attention because....wait for it....

They know how to communicate with me.

Not mind-blowing.

In fact, quite simple.

Yet, so few seem to have figured out how to do it (yes, those few do include DC-advised Facebook participants).

So while Facebook has evolved, the invaluable commodity of genuine communication remains in order to facilitate any relationship - offline or on Facebook.

Labels: digital marketing, Facebook

1. Go Team USA.
The Olympics rock and they're even more fun when Team USA dominates the podium.

2. Cheers for the 10 Olympians representing their country and home state of Idaho:
Hailey Duke, Slalom – Brundage - Sun Valley, ID
Erik Fisher, Downhill - Bogus Basin - Middleton, ID
Nate Holland, Snow Cross – Schweitzer - Sandpoint, ID
Graham Watanabe, Snow Cross - Sun Valley - Hailey, ID
Morgan Arritola, Cross Country - Sun Valley - Fairfield, ID
Sara Studebaker, Biathlon - Bogus Basin - Boise, ID
Patrick Deneen, Moguls - Silver Mt - Kellogg, ID
Nick Cunningham, Bobsled - Boise, ID
Simi Hamilton, Cross Country - Sun Valley - Ketchum, ID
Jeret "Speedy" Peterson*, Aerials - Bogus Basin - Boise, ID
*Will he pull out the Hurricane tomorrow? Can't wait to see.

3. Check http://www.soulofskiing.com/ to hear from Olympic Aerial Skiier Jeret "Speedy" Peterson. The Idaho Division of Tourism and Ski Idaho worked with Peterson to create this site where you can hear, straight from Peterson, why skiing in Idaho is such a special experience.

Hurricane-size-bonus: You can sign up to win a free heli-skiing trip.

So, go Team USA!
Good luck to the Idaho Olympians.
Speedy, just do the damned thing and land the Hurricane tomorrow!
Everyone, check out http://www.soulofskiing.com/.

Labels: digital marketing, Olympics, Speedy Peterson

This New York Times article begged the question, "Travel Sites or Guidebooks?"

Some interesting points the author, Sharkey, points out include that travelers seem to prefer 100 strangers' travel recommendations over a professionally published book's; the benefits of real-time reviews and postings; the cumbersome elements of carrying physical books; the quality of well-researched content that books usually contain; ETC.

One tone rings throughout this article though - and it's that the world has gone digital.

For those involved in travel and tourism, if you're not at least headed in that direction as well, then you might as well go home.

The Idaho Travel Council is an industry leader in sharing their travel guides and marketing campaigns in the digital realm. In December '09, they made their image-rich travel guide available online. Their website, www.visitidaho.org, also features advanced 360 degree, 3-D 'tours' of seven scenic travel hot-spots in the state.

Most recently, the ITC released "The Great Idaho Getaway", an online family travel documentary about one Seattle family's 10-day Idaho vacation. "The Great Idaho Getaway" combines a real family's testimonies about their travel experiences in Idaho with the ability for viewers to research and plan their own "great Idaho getaway."

So in response to Sharkey's question, "Why not do both?" It seems the Idaho Travel Council has answered that question in multiple ways.

Labels: digital marketing, interactive, travel and tourism