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LAME

As we work with traditional media on creating new media strategies … the most difficult transition is changing the basic paradigm. That being:  We speak … you listen. For my industry (radio) – an additional shift seems even tougher to grasp It’s no longer about us. As an industry, we need to understand how to be aggregators – not broadcasters. We shouldn’t ask for things.  We should share things. In some cases, we have viable brands that could evolve into decent New Media brands. In other cases, we’ve got nothing except 12 in-a-row less talk jukeboxes. Take the most basic social media platform:  Facebook – one that is many brand’s first step into New Media (and still the most powerful). What do most media brands do?  Bombard their FB fans with commercials!! Not the screaming car ads they play on the air (at least not yet) … but plea’s to visit them during a live remote, or frequent their website, or worst yet:  tell all your friends to “fan” us … LAME. Might as well write IN ALL CAPS. If you have to ask for friends … you don’t deserve them. That doesn’t mean you can’t use the broadcast signal to tell people you’re on FB or give them incentives to go there.  There is a long standing precedent for radio stations to ask people to listen. Asking for referrals on the FB page is lame. Talking about how many fans you have is lame. While Linked-In and other sites may be encourage recommendations – FB is about socializing:  not commercialization. In the example above, you can see the users telling the radio station that is it uncool to ask (what’s in it for us). BTW:  This station is an established radio brand in a big market that has been on FB for a while.  Hitting 10K is not much of an achievement - especially since I follow a station in market 100+ that is closing in on 20K and they have NEVER asked for fans on the site. I used this slide recently in a listener session.  Response? LAME.

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Wake up the Whigs …

Posted by Bob | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 23-06-2010

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Having grown-up in New England, the town meeting was a staple of what it meant to be American.  As a kid I figured every town settled things this way (okay, I never made it to NYC or Atlanta until I was older).

Think of those English Parliament sessions you’ve seen on C-SPAN.

Take out the wigs and British decorum … You’ve got the town meeting.

Now I’m back in New England and wondering …

Does this 18th Century Institution still exist in today’s 140 Character World?

It does … and I followed it all on Twitter.

My town had a huge spending initiative on the docket:  one that had been shot down the 3 previous attempts by the town (or should I say shouted down during the annual meeting).

This time felt different.

In the 3 years since this was on the agenda, the world shrank …

Down to about 140 Characters.

While those against the initiative built a website with their argument and points, those in favor engaged the electorate via 140 Character World tactics (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.).

Those against began to feel the heat … and hyped up the costs and potential risks to the town on their website:  a site that did not allow comments of any kind.  A quick read – and you felt frightened for the future of the town.

Those in favor allowed the electorate to comment openly on their social media platforms … including some expected “scare tactics” from the other side.

Risky?

Hardly.

I would say those against took the bait.

Each attack on the initiative was answered in a thoughtful, appropriate response – by a qualified expert in the field.

  • Home values will go down?  Not so, says qualified real estate expert.
  • Taxes will be highest in the county?  No even close, says county tax assessor.
  • Initiative will drain town funds for road repair and winter maintenance?  Not so, says town selectman who handles budgets.
  • Town will be sued by another entity for diverting money into this project?  Not so, says mayor of neighboring town.

The town meeting was still as loud and boisterous as ever … but this time it was just a lot of noise.

The scare tactics had already been neutralized via social media.  For the first time in years, the electorate saw one side of the argument as empty and coming from a bully pulpit.

The town grew 1.8% in population since the last try …

But passed the initiative by a landslide.

So big … a ballot vote was not called by either side (in the town meeting, if a show of hands is a clear majority, no need to waste time voting … gotta get home to watch the Sox …)

Even the most raw, powerful force of democracy – the New England Town Meeting – is evolving in the 140 Character World …

And for the better.

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While my firm works with candidates for office and with cause initiatives - I had nothing to do with this election.

I find it difficult to be friends with the neighbors when I have a stake in a divisive local initiative …

The transparency strategy for those in favor was right on the money, countering the scare, bully tactics.  Had I been the consultant, I might have suggested:

  • Encourage dialog among the electorate.  People like to be part of a movement, or cause.  Let them!
  • Counter abstract, emotional claims with factual corrections from people with appropriate clout – Assuming you have truth on your side:  If you don’t have truth with you … expect to have this backfire BIG time.
  • Allow the other side to draw you into a debate that YOU CAN WIN (we call this “making it a home game”).  Facts beat scare tactics when they are neutralized.  The fact that they started the debate gives you more credibility and weakens their stance.
  • Keep the dialog continuous until the polls close (Tweet for rides!)

Guess they didn’t need me, huh?

But I’ve gotta still give it up for our forefathers … the town meeting lives in the 140 Character World.  Still loud and boisterous … but with a much more informed electorate.

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