Filed under: Blogging, Branding, Business, Customers, Technology, Trends | Tags: Add new tag
For me, Social Media has a rebellious freedom that I find really attractive. Being part of the blogging world has given me an insight that has been pretty eye opening. Personal blogging aside [alot of ego involved there it seems] the more ‘technical’ big companies become [entering the blogosphere through smaller social media companies] the more I think the original rebellious freedom part dissipates….
It may be that as a consumer I am skeptical that this is another platform to gain access to my thoughts and manipulate their PR using a customer base. Lets be real here, the broader corporate market cannot even use the basic media tools very well [there will always be work for smaller companies like us] so how the hell will they effectively use a blog? Raw, direct communication [would you trust that? Comments can be removed etc...mmmm..not sure I do]
Sure I probably sound cynical, and I am sure that there are the odd few that have a good customer connection strategy that will make it work BUT is that really something that the majority are thinking or can do? I just don’t want to see a flood of crap from big corporates entering the blogosphere as consumers. Lets try keep blogging real!
Posted by: Candice
Filed under: Blogging, Branding, Business, Design, Technology | Tags: Funkthat, web, Website
WOW! We have been busy! Great for our small business but sad when we neglect our company blog! I have been blogging haphazardly on my personal blog about politics [so much 2 say there!].
We have been working [and reworking] our company website for way 2 long now! Just never seems right! SO we have finally decided to upload what we have, it will be complete in as much as your comments will be needed to almost finalise it! The reality it though, it will NEVER be complete.
So later this week we will take the plunge and push upload! Watch this space….Phase 2 will see a migration from this blog to our own….
Filed under: Blogging, Branding, Business, Customers, Technology, Trends | Tags: Brand Terrorists, Branding, freedom, web, Web 2.0
Sadly, a company I know recently experienced a small taste of negative Citizen journalism in the Web 2.0 world. I have always been pretty outspoken about being a Consumer Activist, but I think there is a big difference between activism [for a positive outcome] and Brand terrorism.
The definition of a terrorist is widely documented in our time. Brand terrorists are people that will go as far as stretching the truth [they often have hidden intentions] and want to hurt…. its more like sabotage. In the case of this company, blatantly untruthful inclusions were made in this terrorists ‘case’ to his minions. This is unlawful BUT fear drives company responses in cases like this, as anything you say could be taken entirely out of context and make the brand appear as if they are guilty, not to mention how many more potential terrorists could then mushroom up that would spiral more out of control. Most companies are unfortunately still not seeing how dangerous these people can be. They spend their time building a portfolio of negativity for your brand with the intention of ensuring they plant the correct seeds in the minds of their followers. Its about taking the corporates down…its about winning and its cheap to do. The only tools these people need are: a large network, a computer, a sharp tongue and a gripe.
So this begs the question is this right? I am ALL FOR freedom of speech, but this is a form of online ‘gossip’ based in most cases on shallow facts. Even if there is an element of truth to some of it, lying is something I cannot stand. Recounting your own personal experience is one thing, adding all the extra colourful ‘add-ons’ to keep your audience at any cost is quite another. Advertising on a site also does not help the situation, I believe some people use ‘gossip’ stories to make their site sticky and increase traffic, so this kind of thing can pay….
In the end these terrorists are bullies that end up ruining things for those using the web platform/tools and are legitimately communicating to people/customers and clients. You can unfortunately not discount them and they are dangerous but we need once again to find the balance. This behaviour chips away at the web’s credibility…..eish it always takes just one…
Posted by: Candice
Filed under: Blogging, Life, Organic, Technology, Work/Life Balance | Tags: balance, Cyber hippy, freedom, freedom fighters, Technology
For a while now I have been grappling with a ‘secret’ contradiction… I have a problem with balancing my quest for freedom vs. my love of ‘most things’ technological.
I often preach that the internet is the one final frontier left for ‘freedom fighters’, BUT I keep thinking that at some point there may be an ‘up-swell’ of people that will reject the world of the computer/intenet/mobile to once again ‘find freedom and themselves’… On one side I get this [and I may even join the group.. if I can bring my laptop and iburst!]….NO really…..it would be cool to sometimes just go into total ‘switch off mode’ [eeekk!] and run away from the world and its noise.
The reality though, is that technology has become such a part of my life [I can just hear some of you saying.. sooo sad] and no matter how I try to reject it, I simply cant. I feel isolated, cut off and insular without it.. far from free…
So that got me thinking, will we ever get to the machines vs. humans [ala Matrix] stage? Are we pushing forward to fast and hard…forgetting [in part] what makes us human…personal interaction? Part of me wants to throw off my shoes and run carefree [wind in the hair etc etc] in a green meadow with grazing sheep, feeling the earth ooze beneath my feet.. I am a hippy at heart BUT the other part wants to create, surf, dig and interact with as much new technology as I can get my hands on… can I have it all?? Maybe I should call myself a cyber hippy?!
In the end I suppose its about finding my personal balance in a world of high speed and change.. not an easy one….
Posted by: Cyber Hippy [aka Candice]
Filed under: Blogging, Environment, Lifestyle, Music | Tags: Art, Charity, Illustrations, Music
It was a breath of fresh air to see the greater community of South African Illustrators come together to appreciate/support the vast talent of illustrators we have in our country. To the rest of you who either live in an office cubicle 24/7 or don’t read the paper at all (hope I’m wrong), I talking about the Night of a 1000 drawings which was held at the Lister Building in Jozi CBD.What was also really great was the fact that this was a charity event, where all the illustrations submitted by the illustrators were exhibited for sale at R100.00 each, cheap but priceless at the end of the day cause some of those illustration were mind blowing.
After going to the 18th floor where the illustrations were exhibited, you had to register for the newsletter informing you about upcoming events of similar note. I was in awe at the vast Talent of Illustrators I saw at this venue. The cosmopolitan atmosphere (writers license baby.haha) was fully appreciated and it was also interesting to meet and talk to some of the illustrators and the fact that it was peers whom I could very much relate to in terms of the subject matter and the fact that we all pushing the same cause.
The crowd was vastly made up of some of the well established agencies in Jozi, who are really doing ground breaking projects in the field of Design /Media in general. Oh I also got to rub shoulders with some of the Top Dogs in the Industry of Production and Motion Graphics.
I also feel the need to mention the venue, especially the rooftop where a mother of all jols was happening, and boy was it happening. The view of Jozi from the rooftop was one of the things that basically made my night and I would rate as one of the best views I’ve seen in my life, totally priceless.
All in all bigups to the organizers who orchestrated the event. It’s good that not only are we bringing exposure to the talent we have, but also the fact that it was an event to give back to the masses of SA.Thank You very much and see you next year.
Peace
Posted by
Mpumelelo Bhengu
Filed under: Blogging, Branding, Business, Customers, Technology | Tags: Business, Customers, Technology
An article in the Harvard Business Review got me thinking about the ‘relationships’ that companies are building with their customers. It has become hard to miss [most brands have though] how necessary it is for companies to create an environment of choice for customers. Lets face it, the days of being tied into contracts for long periods of time [and still getting appalling service] are numbered.
Holding customers to the fine print, profiting from their confusion, ignorance and poor decisions BUT worse of all… penalizing them for things, is really no longer sustainable. In this country cell phone companies and banks are the worse culprits.
This approach is obviously very profitable for companies, providing things like guaranteed projected sales and great cash flow [and a lot more] BUT those sadly don’t benefit the customer, as poor service delivery is rife.
Today’s customers are more informed and NO choice is really the worst thing you can ‘offer’ in this new economy… it will leave you with REAL brand terrorists. Add the new digital tools available to the anger…. and WOLA you have an anti-brand revolution.
We have entered a credibility economy now more than ever and lets just hope that the SA brands start to respond favourably… Well done to Virgin Mobile for their approach…the revolution begins……
Posted by: Candice
Wow!!! I’m stepping out into the world of techno geeks and cyber nut jobs!! I constantly hear about how groovy it is to be a blogger and I hate getting left out so I’m jumping on the cyber wagon while it races by.
Long gone are the days of soap boxes on street corners this is the new age way of letting it out and boy do we all have a lot to say. I also love the fact that we can all say it without spraying it!!! So stick around and watch this space I might come up with some scrumptious stories for you to nibble on.
Posted by: Donna
