There was an interesting article in Saturday’s NY Times called Anti-Social Networking?which raised the question whether Facebook was actually impeding kids’ ability to form real world friendships.

On the positive side, it was cited that kids tend to keep in touch and communicate more often and with more people through Facebook then they did in previous generations when you’d have to pick up the phone or actually get together in person.

It was also noted as an important means for shy kids to engage socially when they alternative is often no contact at all.

However, on the negative side, communicating through social networks can be more fleeting and superficial than in person (or even on the phone) contact and can’t really replicate the kind of bonds that are formed from spending a whole day shooting the breeze with one good friend.

From my perspective as a parent of a Tween, I found myself agreeing with many of the positive and negative points in the article.

But it also made me wonder whether Facebook was good or bad for adult relationships.

On the plus side, I’ve reconnected with many childhood, camp, and college friends through Facebook that I am sure I wouldn’t have had the time or the means to find without it.

And in many cases, this contact has become a regular and important part of my life.

I don’t find that keeping up with my friends on Facebook has replaced a desire to see them in person.

I may not get together with them as often as I’d like, but I don’t think that’s because I’m “seeing” them on Facebook.

I chalk it up to the constraints of our busy lives.

When I do get to see friends in person, I feel like Facebook allows me to start the conversation in the middle instead of the beginning. In a way, I know what they’ve been up to from posts and pictures and I can jump right in with questions and observations.

However, when I step back and think about it…maybe I am able to continue these friendships on Facebook because they were formed in the real world.

From hours spent studying, playing, summering, and sometimes working together…in person.

So Facebook becomes an additional layer to a friendship…but not the primary one on which all interaction is based and built.

For me it highlights the importance of making sure my kids are spending real quality time in person with their friends.

Then they can post all the pictures and “post-game” commentary they want.

Probably good advice for grown-ups too.

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?

Do you think Facebook is good or bad for friendships?

I recently discovered twipple, a movement  that uses Twitter to spread and encourage random acts of kindness.

Here’s a short video about twipple featuring Cunning Creative Director Floyd Hayes. (This is an independent project from Floyd).

I love this idea!

A quick review of the most recent acts posted on their twitter page includes:

95: Give the gift of hard drive space and offer to back up a friends computer!

94: Call I.T support just to ask how they are. (They are people too…)

93: Call in a radio song request for someone sat near you in the office.

92: Print and frame a picture of a friend for a surprise gift.

91: Please help the people of Haiti: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/?ITO=1482

90: Make your loved ones or colleagues some hot chocolate!

89: Clear someones path of snow.

88: Help someone with their New Year Resolutions.

87: Be the designated driver tonight!

86: Secret Santa a Stranger!

85: Write a neighbor a xmas card, even if you don’t know them.

In honor of twipple’s first birthday, Floyd has created a book that  brings together the best twipple suggestions with gorgeous , full color illustrations provided by Peter Bonnin who trained at the Glasgow School of Art.

50% of the profit from this book will be donated to NY Cares an organization that matches NY volunteers with opportunities to help out.

You can find out more about the book and order your copy here. You can also order other twipple products like t-shirts and buttons with donations supporting NY Cares.

I think twipple is a great idea. It leverages social media for good and it “lives its brand” through its actions (like donating the book proceeds).

I think now more than ever, we need to get out of our own heads and help those around us. I love that it takes a medium that is increasingly become commercial and focused on celebrity and gossip and provides an alternative way to use it for good.

Bravo Floyd!

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?

Do you/will you twipple?

I had a great time on vacation last week in Vermont.

I think part of what made it so great was that for whole chunks of time each day I was able to completely unplug.

Not just metaphorically, but literally.

My cell phone didn’t work in the house where we were staying and most of my outdoor time (on the slopes, in the woods snowshoeing) I was also blissfully out of range.

I think we’ve forgotten how wired we are all the time…until we’re not.

And it’s amazing. Quiet, peaceful, and the world doesn’t stop turning or go  to pot, because we can’t be reached or can’t immediately respond to every email or text.

My only disappointment was that for the first time in all the years we’ve been going there, the house we were staying at had been wired for wifi access.

I managed (mostly) to control my email and Face book checking.

But the kids (two 7th  graders and two 3rd graders ) spent way too much time on line.

At one point, the two 12 year old girls were actually sitting on the couch next to each other, each with their own lap-top, but speaking to each other not out loud…but on line!

We found ourselves having to limit the computer time, and getting the kids to actually talk to each other and play real (not virtual) games. They complained at first, but then had a blast playing Apples to Apples, snow tubing, and just being silly.

I was grateful for the terrific snow, the wonderful company and the chance to recharge. We did have lost of face time, lots of family dinners (what a treat) and a great time catching up and being with our friends and kids.

But these advances in technology (while mostly positive) do make me nostalgic for the old fashioned kind of social networking. The type where social networking only meant being social with the people you are with, and not the ones online and thousands of miles away.

Well, at least we still had après ski in the hot tub which is still (for now) a lap top free zone. Until of course, Apple invents a computer that can get wet.

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?

How successful are you at completely unplugging on vacation or elsewhere?

A few weeks ago I wrote Steal this Chair, Please about an experiment by Blu Dot design and their agency Mono to see if people would “steal” chairs left on the streets of New York.

The results of the campaign were summarized yesterday in this interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal.

The purpose of the campaign was to put into practice Blu Dot’s philosophy of having great design reach as many people as possible.

In this case, by placing chairs around New York and hoping people would steal them. The chairs were equipped with GPS tracking devices and the folks working on the project hid out in vans and filmed the “chair stealer’s”

Then they followed them home and for the reward of a second chair asked them to tell their stories on camera.

Some people refused to participate, but others agreed. Those who did, offer an interesting glance into different New York lives and the cultural phenomenon of curb mining.

On Monday I went to the premier of the 10 minute documentary at the Blu Dot Soho store. You can see the film and learn more about the experiment by clicking here.

Overall, I think it was a cool campaign that certainly met the objective of raising awareness of Blu Dot and the Real Good Chair.

Although I might be a bit more wary next time of picking up those unwanted items in front of my neighbor’s curb …

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?
Would you have stolen one of these chairs?

Have you seen this? It’s so cool.

DARPA (The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) tapped into social networking for it’s latest challenge.

The contest awards $40,000 to the first group to name the exact latitude and longitude of ten red balloons.

The ten weather balloons are scattered across the continental US and remain in the air for one full day. Contestants have a week to locate the balloons and provide the answers.

Since no one person can cover that much territory alone, the groups must rely on social media to help solve the mystery.

The point of the contest wasn’t really to find the balloons (DARPA knew clearly where they were). It was to see how groups could activate social media for a quick and reliable locating of the balloons.

The biggest problem was sifting through the amount of misinformation that was in the blogosphere and particularly on Twitter.

This year’s winners were a group from MIT.

To meet the misinfomation obstacle, the MIT team created incentives for people to sign up trusted friends or acquaintances who might have a chance of spotting balloons.

They split all the DARPA prize money per correct submission: $2000 per balloon to the first person who sent in correct coordinates, $1000 to the person who invited them, $500 to whoever invited the inviter, and $250 to whoever invited them. The last $250 went to charity.

They found all balloons just 9 hours after the first one was placed.

Quite a feat, and tangible evidence of the power of social networks.

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?
What lessons can we learn from this challenge?

As a follow up to my recent post on You Don’t Need a Social Media Strategy which seemed to hit a nerve (thanks for all the comments!) I wanted to delve deeper into the idea of whether your brand is ready to be social.

With all the talk of “friends, followers, and fans” it feels like high school all over again.

It seems like many brands are so focused on obtaining prom queen status, they are missing point.

They’re spending a lot of time obsessing about how to win the popularity vote and get the most followers and friends on Facebook and Twitter etc.

Instead, they need to step back and ask the very simple, but quite fundamental question:

“Does my brand have what it takes to be a good friend?”

If not, asking consumers to become your friend can actually back fire. Most of us already have more relationships than we feel we can handle. Don’t ask us to commit to another one unless you are sure you can deliver some added value.

Figuring this out whether your brand is “friend-worthy” is pretty similar to evaluating friendships in real life.

Here are 5 QuickTips to figure out if your Brand is friend-worthy:

I think they work for evaluating both human and the brand relationships.

1. BE INTERESTING. Have something relevant and/or useful to say. If you don’t, leave me alone. No viral strategy is going to help you. It’s not going to make you seem cooler or hipper than you actually are. Consumer s are a pretty savvy lot and can see right through that. Just like a nerd is still a nerd, no matter how pimped out the sneakers. If you can’t pass this test, you need to step back and do some pretty basic brand work on your value proposition .

2. BE THERE IN GOOD TIMES AND IN BAD. Most of us have lots of people we can list as acquaintances, but can probably count on one hand the number of people we’d call at 4am in the morning during an emergency or a moment of existential anguish. Real friends are there in good times and in bad. And since we are often in the “bad times” camp lately- brands need to prove there in it for the long haul. It’s been talked about a lot – but the Hyundai layoff protection is a great example of this.

3. KNOW WHEN TO STEP UP AND WHEN TO BACK OFF. People who know me well, know not to talk to me in the morning until I’ve had at least two cups of coffee and have successfully finished NY Times Crossword puzzle. Once I’ve had time to properly wake up…I’m all yours. Similarly, my good friends know not to call me after 9pm. I always think it is bad news, and it disturbs the precious “tucking in” time I have with my family. Good friends seem to have a kind of ESP. They call just as you were thinking about them. Great brands also seem to contact me just at the right moment- when I’m thinking about taking a trip, re-ordering my contact lenses, or looking for a killer spring dress.

4. DON’T TRY TO BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE. There are friends I like to exercise with, others I like to go out drinking and dancing with, intellectual book buddies, friends I turn to for career advice, and others that just make me laugh. I don’t expect any one friend to satisfy all my needs.I appreciate them each for their individual gifts. What I do hope for is that they be authentic and consistent in what they can offer. The same is true with brands. I don’t want my shampoo to give me financial advice or to teach me ways to be more green. First and foremost, do what you’re supposed to do – really well.

5. DON’T SHARE ALL MY SECRETS. The quickest way to lose a friend is to betray their trust. Brands need to learn this. Consumers aren’t stupid. It’s no coincidence to me when I sign up for a newsletter on healthy living and all of a sudden I get an email or an offer in the post for a new weight loss pill or low fat cooking magazine. I know who has been sharing my information. Treat relationships with respect and the bond will be stronger.

So if you are having conversations about viral strategies, deepening relationships etc, etc, it might be a good idea to first to step back and make sure your brand really has what it takes to be a good friend.

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?

What makes your favorite brands friend-worthy?

Mono (of Minneapolis) have created an unusual campaign for Client Blu Dot design.

They are putting 25 “Real Good Chairs” in key locations in Manhattan and hoping people will steal them.

That’s because each chair contains a GPS tracking device and has it’s own Twitter feed which link to the website.

The pick-ups are being filmed cloak and dagger style by a camera crew hidden in a van.

You can literally follow the journey of these chairs as they make there way through Manhattan and beyond (one, not surprisingly, has already ended up in Park Slope).

It’s gotten some interesting initial press including this piece in Fast Company.

Cool premise. It will be fun to see how it plays out.

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?

What do you think of this campaign?

I am speaking this morning at the IABC Social Media Conference.

The topic of my presentation is “Leveraging Social Media to Build Brand”.

Here’s my overall premise (which might get me kicked out of the conference)…

You don’t need a social media strategy.

You need a brand building strategy.

…which you effectively activate using the most appropriate tools available (including in many cases Social Media).

If your goal is X amount of Twitter followers or Y number of followers on Facebook, I believe you are destined to fail.

It’s like stating your goal is to go to an Ivy league school, with no plan whatsoever on how to get good grades, or distinguish yourself in extra-curricular or community service activities.

If you want people to “friend” you then be an interesting, useful, fun, compassionate person.

In other words, be someone that most people want to be friends with.

At Virgin we’ve had a rather rapid learning curve on social media (and we’re still learning).

When I joined Virgin about 3 years ago, most of our brands were just beginning to dabble in this realm.

Now thanks to all the efforts of the crack teams at the various businesses, in the US alone we have 400,000 (and growing daily) friends, fans, and followers on line.

But I wouldn’t say we  have a formal Social Media strategy.

We have smart and creative people at each of the Virgin businesses that are focused on doing what they’ve always done- building great brand experiences and find clever and impactful (and cost efficient) ways to market them.

And they are doing this in many instances by applying Social Media.

And understanding and leveraging what’s so unique and powerful about this medium (e.g. immediacy and 2 way dialogues, etc.).

I  think a tunnel vision focus on Social Media is a bit dangerous.

I believe instead should focus on brand building and then leverage Social Media tools to accomplish this in new, exciting, and often measurable ways.

So here’s a brief summary on what I will be covering in my talk:

5 Tips for “What Works” in Social Media

1. CREATE BUZZWORTHY EXPERIENCES

I believe the best way to get people buzzing about you on line is to give them an experience that exceeds their expectations and is buzzworthy.

Virgin America is a great example of this.

From the moment you step on the plane you know that something is different.

The interiors have leather seats and incredible mood lighting (so you don’t feel like you are about to have a kidney removed when you walk on board).

There’s an interactive RED In Flight Entertainment System that allows you to order food and drink directly from your seat, whenever you want to during the flight.

No more waiting for the stewardess to arrive with the cart and no more blocking of the aisles just when you want to use the rest room.

And to top it all off, Virgin America were one of the first airlines to offer inflight wifi on all the planes.

So you’ve got this amazing experience and with wifi at your fingertips so many things to tweet and or blog about.

And not just typical airline stuff like whether there is enough legroom- but more buzzworthy stuff about the food and drinks (you should try the absinthe), the lighting, the leather seats, the seat to seat chat etc.

All of these little touches add up to a terrific and very buzzworthy experience.

Not surprisingly they’ve been able to create a lot of fans who spread the word through Facebook and Twitter, urging others to give the brand a try.

But the goal was to create an airline people love.

Not to be blogged or tweeted about.

That’s a nice result of the harder work of really re-inventing the domestic airline experience.

2. CONNECT (DON’T MARKET)

Social Media is rooted in engagement and entertainment.

And just like you wouldn’t want your real life friends to always be bombarding you with deals and offers- you don’t want this from the online brands you be-friend as well

Sure there are times when announcing a fare sale or phone deal is appropriate and useful information.

But it’s also important to communicate in ways that are just for entertainment and fun or to make a connection.

Virgin Money’s promotion last Thanksgiving called “Pass the Thanks” is a good example of this.

People were invited to share a moment of thanks (at a difficult time in the economy) and to post a picture and a brief statement about what they were thankful for.

It was fun, quick, and attracted attention from the financial blogs like Net Banker .

But the primary motivation was to share a meaningful moment with customers, not to market to them.

3. SUPRISE AND DELIGHT WITH SERVICE

Virgin has always prioritized Brilliant Customer Service. It’s one of the brand’s core values.

Social Media offers new avenues to deliver this.

Virgin America which I mentioned has on flight wifi has had the opportunity to leverage tools like Twitter for real time service recovery.

For example, while on a Virgin America flight, a passenger Tweeted about not receiving a meal they had ordered. Virgin America saw this Tweet and called the cockpit to have a flight attendant bring the meal.

Another example is the Virgin Mobile Angel.

Virgin Mobile has always had Angels, real life young women who attend Virgin Mobile events (like the Festivals) and help answer questions or surprise and delight by giving away free stuff.

They’ve brought this Angel to Social Media with the VM Angel on twitter @VMAngel. She is a real employee who answers customer care questions for Mobile users.

It personalizes the service and contributes to a positive brand experience.

4. KEEP IT REAL

Virgin’s cheeky, real tone of voice is a key part of the brand vibe.

Social media, given its casual nature and emphasis on authenticity, is a great opportunity to continue to leverage this brand differentiator.

Case in point, Virgin Mobile Canada had a Screw You Recession blog over the summer (www.ScrewYouRecession.CA) where people would share real world tips for getting by in all aspects of their lives.

This provided a fun outlet for the frustrations lot of us shared and created a sense of community and solidarity.

Similarly, we try to keep it real in customer service.

There are times despite our best efforts where things don’t go as well as we like.

When we receive complaints via any medium (email, Tweets, Blogs) we empower customer care employees to do the right thing and to communicate in a respectful but human voice (not a customer service robot).

Richard Branson, the founder and visionary behind the brand, has also embraced blogging and Twitter as a way to keep in touch with the brand’s fans.

He regularly Tweets on a wide range of topics.

Everything from who he is rooting for a cricket match to why he was fasting for Darfur to how he was spending time recognizing our top Virgin Stars employees.

He has one of the highest followings on both Virgin.com and Twitter of any of the Virgin brands.

He has always loved connecting with people. Social Media provides more ways for him to reach more people with a personal touch.

5. JOIN FORCES

Virgin has always believed in partnering with like minded brands.

Not necessarily big brands but brands that share the same philosophy to customer service and have a similar brand viewpoint.

It’s why Virgin America carries Method Soap in the airplane lavs.

In the social media space it’s no different.

And we realize we have a lot to learn. So we’ve pair up with brands like Google who have more experience in this space.

During November and December Google is actually picking up the in flight wifi fees for on all Virgin America flights.

On Virgin.com and Virgin Atlantic we partner with other entrepreneurs like Tony Hsieh the CEO of Zappos to answer questions about launching businesses.

Virgin Atlantic Pitch TV also allows people to upload videos asking for funding and a select amount of these (voted on by other viewers) are shown in flight on the entertainment system.

These 5 principles are basic branding how to’s.

Many strong brands follow them off as well as online.

The key is to stay true to who you are and what you know works for your brand.

And then use all the tools in your toolbox to bring the strategies to life.

And Social Media offers some great tools today, and some we haven’t even begun to dream of.

Deliver the goods and the fans and friends will follow.

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?
What are your best practices for social media?

A few weeks ago I attended a presentation by Mitch Joel @mitchjoel in advance of his book launch for “Six Pixels of Separation”.

A few people have asked me about it, so I decided to summarize my key take-aways.

The sub-title of the book is “Everyone is Connected. Connect your Business to Everyone.”

This is not really a new message. But it’s still a relevant one.

I found Mitch to be a good presenter, engaging with a lot of interesting factoids, and a fair degree of (Canadian, I believe) humility.

Some of the things I found most interesting:

- There are now more grandparents on Facebook then high school students (according to Mitch and PC Magazine 7.6.09)

- 40% of the moms in the US are on MySpace. This is because My Space has been around long enough that these College students now have their own kids (Note: I find this one a little hard to believe that they would not have migrated off to Facebook…).

- A negative review on the web will actually convert better than a positive review because it lends an air of authenticity to the review. Mitch gave an example of looking for a basic camera to take pictures of his child. One review said something to the effect of “this is not going to help you take award winning photos, but it’s great for capturing the kids” and this sealed the deal for him.

- “Your brand isn’t what you say it is. It’s what Google says it is”. This quote was attributed to Chris Anderson, the editor of Wired Magazine.

In addition to these interesting facts, the core message that I took away is that the days of throwing out a message in mass media are over. Hoping to catch .2% of the population that are actually in the market and/or interested in your product at that time just doesn’t make sense.

It’s better to harness the power of digital media and get smaller audiences that are 100% open and interested in what you have to say.

Here are the messages that he used as the summary of his presentation.

#1 Think in terms of audiences, not psychographics or demographics
#2 Everything is “with” and not “instead of” (e.g. there is still a place for traditional tactics, just augment it)
#3 Don’t be fleeting. Build share and grow it. Stay the course.
#4 Earn the right to get your users out of “lurker mode” (e.g. to become active, not passive)
#5 It’s attitudinal, not generational. People can share similar passions across age groups.
#6 Upload a video to You Tube. Join the conversation. Do something now!

If you want to learn more about Mitch or the book Check out Mitch’s blog

The book comes out in September.

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?
How are you connecting your business to everyone?

Twitter, blogs, Facebook have made it easier than ever before to network with people who could help you gain valuable advice, insight and connections.

But just because it’s easy to access people, doesn’t mean you should.

Or at least it doesn’t mean you should just reach out without at least a nod to some good old fashioned etiquette rules of the pre 2.0 era.

I am fortunate to meet a lot of interesting people and to be part of a lot of industry events, panels etc. I also genuinely like to connect with people.

But lately I feel like the boundaries of “professional” contact are getting a bit blurry.

I’m not suggesting we go back to an era of formal notes asking for appointments delivered by butlers on silver platters. but I do think a little more etiquette would go a long way.

Mostly, I think good (vs. bad) networking etiquette is a question of respect.

I don’t mean genuflecting or addressing someone formally (although “oh Holy Brand Queen” or “Empress of Blogging” would definitely get my attention). I mean respecting someone’s time.

For example:

At a networking event or conference don’t monopolize someone. Introduce yourself, state your comment/question or desire for a follow up, get your response and then respectfully move on. If there is a line of people behind you waiting to talk to the speaker, acknowledge this and wrap up.

When requesting an exploratory meeting, make it clear in your email exactly what you are looking for. I get a fair amount of vague requests asking for “guidance on my career” or “input on my brand”. You will get a higher likelihood of response if you are specific. e.g. “I was wondering if you could give me some advice on switching from an agency position in packaged goods to client side in the service industry”.

Also do your homework before the meeting and have some ideas on the subject you are looking to get reactions to.

And when you say you only need 30 minutes of someone’s time, then mean it. Whether in person or on the phone, you should be organized enough to get what you need in 30 minutes.

I think a mark of respect is also showing that you value someone’s time by making sure they get something out of it.

Follow up a conversation with a link to an article or a video on a subject that you discussed. Offer to make introductions to people they may find interesting/useful. Leave comments on their blog or share it with others. Twitter about your encounter and help them build their personal brand (something event the most well-known people still constantly work at).

Don’t assume because your need is pressing that they should drop everything to answer it. Don’t send an email asking for a response tomorrow. Do make it easy to respond by clearly stating what you are looking for and giving them the option to first respond by email.

Also if you are looking for a face to face meeting a good strategy is to say that you are going to be in thier neighborhood at a certain time and date and give a few options.

Don’t “friend” a business connection on Facebook unless they suggest it or you clearly have made a personal connection during your meeting.

Try Linked In. It’s more appropriate and allows you to easily keep in touch.

Everyone may seem one click a way. But remember we all have busy lives (personal and other wise) and chances are you are not the only person reaching out to someone.

Reach out with respect, and your response rate will be higher.

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?
What rules of social etiquette do you follow?