Zeno Group Blog

Zeno Group’s Digital Lifestyle team looked back at the top digital and social media stories of 2009 and recapped them in our e-newsletter, which is embedded below. We discuss the real-time revolution, the shift from advertising to engagement, the App Store and more.

You may also follow the Digital Lifestyle team on our blog (www.zenodigital.com) or on Twitter (@zenodigital) to see what’s influencing our world in 2010.

Zeno Group Digital Lifestyle: Top Stories of 2009

Zeno Group’s Digital Lifestyle practice is now producing a monthly report titled The Social 7, which will highlight the latest digital and social media news and stories that should be on your radar.

The September 2009 issue is embedded below and may also be found on The Social 7 blog.  Follow the ongoing conversation on Twitter: thesocial7

Zeno Group Digital Lifestyle-TheSocial7 Sept.09

Movie studios fully understand the influence that word-of-mouth reviews, whether positive or negative, have on box office receipts. Social networks are accelerating this conversation as consumers hype or hurt a movie’s perception. Many observers speculate that moviegoer talk on Twitter, which often comes straight from a mobile phone inside a theater, can impact a film’s opening weekend. As a result, studios are experimenting with ways to tap into the viral discussion, create awareness on social networks, and transform the mobile phone into a driver of positive buzz and box office earnings.

Read the full article on PBS MediaShift.  Do you use Facebook Connect on your iPhone or on any Web site?

Fortune 100 CEO’s have not embraced social media.  Let me rephrase that.  They’re not even participating in social media.  According to a report from UberCEO, only two of the top 100 have Twitter profiles and all 100 are ghosts in the blogosphere.

In addition, a Forbes Insights study (sponsored by Google) titled “The Rise of the Digital C-Suite” revealed that only 1 percent of those over the age of 50 provide daily contributions to a work-related blog. So what does this mean?  If you’re old and powerful, you’ll likely not be active in social media?  No.  It just demonstrates the gap between those who entered the work force with a reliance on fax machines, phones and letters vs. those who live in an environment where Facebook, blog posts and tweets dominate the communications.

So what’s a newbie social media user who happens to run one of the world’s largest companies supposed to do?  For starters, let’s take a closer look at seven CEO’s who are doing it right – regardless of fame or Fortune status.  Follow them.  Better yet, ask them a question.  They know what social media is about so don’t be surprised when they respond to you.

Full article with the 7 CEO’s at The Social 7, blog authored by the Digital Lifestyle team at Zeno Group. Follow The Social 7 on Twitter: @thesocial7

Do you remember the notable platinum social media milestones of the past few years?  The Social 7 takes a closer look at the magic million for Digg, Facebook, Ning, Second Life, Twitter, Wikipedia and YouTube:

7) Ashton Kutcher vs. CNN for One Million Followers on Twitter – Twitter has captured the imagination and interest of companies, celebrities and everyday citizens fascinated with the limitations and possibilities of communicating in 140 characters. The pop culture frenzy took an epic turn when Ashton Kutcher challenged CNN to see who could be the first to a million followers. While Ashton edged out CNN to the throne and proclaimed “a media revolution,” the real impact will be felt by the recipients of mosquito nets in Africa through Malaria No More. Kutcher, Larry King, Ryan Seacrest, Oprah Winfrey and Demi Moore pledged to buy thousands of nets to help prevent the spread of malaria. Hey guys, how about a race to a million nets that challenges the entire Twittersphere?

View the other six milestones on The Social 7.

Many PR professionals (and their clients) already recognize the value of Twitter and have immersed themselves in the fastest-growing social network. For those not familiar with Twitter, it’s a microblogging service that asks “What are you doing?” and limits responses to 140 characters. Responses or “tweets” are publicly displayed and may be searched, replied to or shared with others. While the service has attracted celebrities, politicians, athletes and mainstream media attention; Twitter at its core is about broadcasting your thoughts and connecting to the individuals, companies and brands that matter most to you.

Zeno Group employees on Twitter in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. range from new users still exploring its capabilities to active contributors who are frequently followed. Since Twitter is an open broadcasting platform, we invite you to discover all Zeno Group employees on Twitter. I’ve included our profile handles below. I’ve asked several colleagues to highlight what they like best about the service, and of course, do it in 140 characters or less. Follow us and let us know what’s on your mind.

@NickMendoza.: I can connect with anyone, anywhere in the world & anticipate they will respond or share my thoughts with their own highly engaged communities.

Articles that the Zeno team recommends reading:

• AdAge (Jan. 26): Few CMOs Think They’re Effectively Tracking Social Media, Word-of-Mouth
• Reuters (Jan. 26): Leaders flock to Davos to discuss economic crisis
• CNET (Jan. 23): Internet users worldwide surpass 1 billion
• Newseum (Jan. 21): Today’s Front Pages:769 front pages from 74 countries (President Obama)
• Mashable (Jan. 21): 40 of the Best Twitter Brands and the People Behind Them
• Poynter Online (Jan. 19): New York Times‘ Policy on Facebook and Other Social Networking Sites

The Zeno Group Digital Lifestyle team presents The Social 7, a weekly conversation on the top 7 stories in social media and marketing.

7. Online and Mobile Inauguration Streaming

6. Citizen Journalism

5. Chipotle iPhone App

4. MySpace Webmail Client

3. Yahoo Names New CEO

2. U.S. Government Now on YouTube

1. YouTube Mutes Videos With Copyrighted Music

View the 7th episode and read the top 7 stories here (includes tweet, photo and video of the week).

Follow us on Twitter: @thesocial7

The end of each year inevitably results in discussions of what made headlines over the past 12 months. In marketing communications, the rapid growth of social media in 2008 has captivated our attention and inspires us to think about the engagement opportunities that lie ahead. Peter Kim, a thought leader in social media, invited 14 other highly respected experts to share their predictions for what to expect in the continuously evolving world of social media. The crystal ball on the 2009 conversation revealed a widespread belief that social media will experience continued growth, while also undergoing much needed refinement and humanization.

1) Quality of community, not quantity of connections
• Charlene Li: “Having thousands of friends becomes ‘so 2008’ and defriending becomes the hot new trend.”
• Greg Verdino: “We’ll start using online social platforms to stay connected with the people we actually know and care about.”

2) Humans power relationships
• David Armano: “Organizations will realize they require warm bodies and bright minds in order to successfully execute programs.”
• Pete Blackshaw: “2009 will also be the year we rediscover the appeal of ‘live intimacy.’”

3) Conversation is the most valued currency
• Rohit Bhargava: “Measure with customer service metrics like retention/satisfaction & social metrics like engagement.”
• Todd Defren: “Measurement is the bugbear of marketing … Look for a well-respected marketing guru to advocate for a simplified approach that all can rally around.”

The ability to accurately define what’s going to happen in social media next year is anyone’s guess – literally anyone. Social media is powered by people and the members of the varied communities across a multitude of networks. We all define how it will look in 2009 based on our participation, shared interests and the headlines in our conversation. I look forward to joining this lively discussion – an ongoing debate is one prediction every influencer can agree upon.

At PR Week’s “The Next Conference” next Wednesday in New York, Peter Kim, a former Forrester analyst, is moderating a panel titled, “The Next Digital Era” featuring Steve Rubel from Edelman Digital, Mark Donovan from comScore, and Tom Arrix from Facebook. Kim invited his blog readers to provide input for the panel. One of his questions included, “What’s next for the communications industry?” Below are my thoughts:

Thomas Friedman of The New York Times says we live in a world that’s “Hot, Flat and Crowded.” He might as well be describing the multitude of stagnant organizations that are still hesitant to integrate social platforms and new media strategies in their PR and marketing campaigns. They sit in a smog of inaction, unable to see the fresh air within reach. Alternative communications fuels such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Digg are already helping to eliminate corporate dependence on ink.

What’s next in communications is undoubtedly clear for those socially aware in the current media environment. Communications policy should be based on driving conversation and consumer engagement; rather than one-way vehicles that many organizations exclusively pursue on the congested road to market leadership. National media outlets and mainstream pursuits are still important, but niche communities and micro-platforms will increasingly receive outreach investment from smart PR professionals on behalf of their cost-conscious clients.

The social trends and behavioral shifts happening now will continue to shape what’s next … The availability of effective direct-to-consumer social channels, the accelerating transition from print to online, the growing adoption of social media among all demographics, the rise of the constantly connected consumer are moving all communicators to a massroots marketing era where brands are the broadcasters (think Blendtec YouTube channel). “Marketers as media” will be the norm rather than the exception in communications efforts moving forward. We may not all have the money for a 30-minute spot on multiple network TV channels, but anyone can broadcast to the world in minutes – whether online or on mobile (live video on mobile phones will be the shiny new 2009 car in the ever-expanding communications garage).

How powerful can a “marketers as media” approach be in an increasingly Internet-driven society and digital culture? Just last week, one man who established himself as a brand, spoke directly to his customers and enlisted the power of social communication became President of his industry.