Authenticity Videos

I gave a keynote at theCanadian Marketing Association s Marketing Week conference in Toronto a couple of days ago. It was a new talk, and I tried to structure it carefully. I ve gone through my slides, and here s an extended summary of what I said (or meant) in this 35-minute (?) talk. Title: After Conversation: Markets as Networks. Part I: Networked Markets As Doc Searls said, markets are conversations. But, Doc said something else that I think is just as brilliant: There s no market for messages. That s harder for marketers to hear, since it points to the essential fact of traditional marketing: The people marketers are talking to generally don t want to hear from them. And I want to add one more thought to this mix: Markets are also networks. Traditional markets consist of demographic slices, i.e., social groups of people who have never met one another. We choose particular demographics because we think they are susceptible to the same message. Thus, traditional markets are not real things to which we send messages. Rather, messages make markets. Now, markets are networks networks of people who converse and interact, spread out across the Internet. For example, at any one moment there are some number of parents with sick children who are on the Net talking and posting, on blogs, discussion boards, social networking sites, Twitter, etc. etc. etc. But that networked market is substantially different in 12 hours because their kids are getting better. And of course 12 hours is an extremely long periodicity for these networked markets. They change constantly. Think of how ideas ripple through Twitter. Furthermore, not everyone in the market of parents with sick kids are in it the same way. The illnesses vary, the seriousness of the illnesses vary, the relationships vary. Think about the gay network in this regard: I m sometimes in this network because I blog about gay marriage. But if you, as marketer, fail to recognize the complexity of the interests in this group, then you ll be sending gay dating solicitations to people who don t want them, including some who are in this network because they re posting homophobic comments. Networked markets are rippling, ever-changing, hugely complex, inherently unstable, and thus thoroughly unlike traditional markets. In short: You can t step into the same market twice. In fact, these webs of connected people are characterized by their differences as well as by their agreements, by their individuality as well as their connection. (Q: What is the opposite of message discipline? A: The Internet.) This is very different from traditional markets which are defined by demographic similarities. Networked markets are equally defined by their differences. Part II: The network properties of networked markets Networked markets take on some of the properties of networks. Let s look at a few of those properties. 1. Markets at every scale. The Internet works at every scale, unlike any other medium. [I should have said: ...perhaps except for paper.] E.g., Twitter works for Ashton Kutcher with 3M followers and for a tween with her 10 friends. But it is a different thing at each scale. The same is true for networked markets. It s crucial to understand the social differences at each scale; thinking of Twitter as a single phenomenon is a mistake (for example). 2. Markets are held together by the same glue as networks. What holds the network together (not at the level of bits n routers, of course) are the interests people express through their links. Likewise for networked markets. Shared interests, not messages, make networked markets. 3. Markets are transparent like networks. Because the connective tissue of the network consists of links, and those links tend to be public, the network tends towards transparency. (Note: tends towards.) I want to mention three types of marketing transparency that I think are crucial. a. Transparent sources: We need to be able to follow links to the sources (the facts and conversations) that lead you to what you say. b. Transparent self: We need to know you are who you say you are (no astroturfing or phony reviews!), but we also need to know that you know that you re a fallible human like the rest of us. The posturing and perfectionism of traditional marketing increasingly will decrease the company s credibility. c. Transparent interests. The customer s interest in a product often are not aligned with the company s interest in selling it to her. The customer s interests are complex (buying a bike to save gas money and to get some exercise and to save the earth and to feel like a kid), while, at worst, the company has a single interest. Because of this potential mismatch of interests, we need transparency about the company s interests. Summary: Transparency of (a) sources to trust your facts, of (b) self to trust you, of (c) interests to trust what you re up to on our Internet. Part III. Four challenges (plus one) 1. How does a marketer deal with the non-alignment of interests? At the very same time, the market may range from wanting to sing kumbayah to being near-violently politically opposed. Tough problem. Part of the answer is to be willing to embrace a straightforward advocacy (with facts and reasons and full transparency) about positions much of the market may disagree with. In a network based on difference, honest disagreement is better than a phony agreeableness. 2. Cluetrain advocated authenticity. Over the years, I find myself agreeing more with Chris Locke s skepticism about the concept. What does it mean for an organization to be authentic? It s hard even to make sense of the term. E.g., does it mean that everyone has to agree with the founder s opinions? Does it mean that people who are working there simply because it s a job have to pretend to be enthusiastic? 3. Companies are hierarchical because hierarchies scale up to the size of an army (= the number of Ashton Kutcher s Twitter followers). But hierarchies don t interact with networks very comfortably. E.g., who speaks for the company? 4. Respect the conversation. Although markets are conversations, conversations are not markets. The conversations are more important than your marketing. And if you participate, then truly participate; don t participate with the secret aim of subverting the discussion. 5. The hardest thing for marketers: Resist opportunities. The End. (By the way, here s Marketing Magazine s brief write-up of the talk.)

Author: DigitellInc Keywords: What Mean Real Debating Authenticity Museums aam American Association Conference Education Online Added: November 11, 2009

In early October, 2009, former Medtronic CEO Bill George stopped by Hello Viking to discuss leadership in the age of social media. This is question #01: "How important is humanity, transparency and authenticity in corporate leadership?" Distributed by Tubemogul.

How do you introduce Brian Johnson? He rocks! A few years back, he decided "to give myself a Ph.D. in How to Live or Optimal Living with a specialization in Greatness, Bliss and Enthusiasm" and has spent the last year in Bali reading and writing, meditating and teaching. The result, Philosophers Notes, is "an awe-inspiring collection of 6-page PDFs and 20-minute MP3s with the Big Ideas of 100 great books, or in Brians words Concentrated wisdom for the busy self-actualizer". The collection is soon to be published together as a book, as Brian concentrates on a formulating a coherent philosophy for the 21st century: "Now Im really excited to take the next step of my journey and share this with as many people as possible..."

Author and Inspirational Speaker Simon Sinek on identifying root elements of passion and then enabling it through action.

Author and Inspirational Speaker Simon Sinek highlights how authentic behavior builds trust, generates support, and helps others.

Author and Inspirational Speaker Simon Sinek connects authenticity to improved job search, interviewing, and career choice decision-making.

This is a clip from the 5Across show from PBS MediaShift titled Twitter Mania. The topic is about being authentic on Twitter.

I'm taking the Manifesting In Motion -- Prosperity Project, 120 Day Challenge with Alexi Sebasttien. It's an amazing class and is inspiring me to get myself out here on YouTube, but more than that it's opening up places I never imagined. I'm a spiritual teacher and coach and we all need coaches and Alexi is my choice. She's fabulous. Here's a link to her work. By the way, she's got some free teleclasses going. She gives away a lot of info, so to learn more, click here. http://tr.im/iljv

Beverly teaches Social Media Marketing at UCLA and works with clients at all levels to understand how social media tools fit into the traditional Integrated Marketing plan. To kick off the day, she will discuss the state of the social media marketing landscape today, giving best practice examples of how major brands are using Social Media as a fast, efficient, and relatively low-cost way to get their message directly to an audience. Learn how companies from all industries are changing the ways in which they engage with their customers and associates.

The blues grew out of the plantations and prisons, the swampy marshes and fertile cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta. With original research and keen insights, Ted Gioia the author of a landmark study of West Coast jazz and the critically acclaimed The History of Jazz brings to life the stirring music of the Delta, evoking the legendary figures who shaped its sound and ethos: Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, B. B. King, and others. Tracing the history of the Delta blues from the field hollers and plantation music of the nineteenth century to the exploits of modern-day musicians in the Delta tradition, Delta Blues tells the full story of this timeless and unforgettable music. No cultural force boasts such humble origins or such world-conquering reverberations. In this evocative rags-to-riches tale, Gioia shows how the sounds of the Delta altered the course of popular music in America and in the world beyond. Buy this book:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders | IndieBound | Powell's

In this teaching Apostle Mangum will conclude his message on "God's Plan And Purpose, Your Faith" He teaching us in this lesson what we must do to appropriate our faith to bring God's plan and purpose to pass in our lives. This segment is an awesome conclusion to this exciting message from our pastor and it will be a blessing to all that hear it also.