Semantics, Consumers & Social Media

Just over two years ago I had a little rant about the use of the word "consumer". I still firmly believe that it's worth avoiding. Thinking about "people" is so much more useful to good marketing.

Now I'm starting to get niggled by "social media". I've a feeling I'm going to loathe it soon.

With the assumption that it's a good idea for advertisers to infiltrate the world of social networks, you'll end up with smarter ideas if you think about them as "social networks" rather than as "social media".

"Social media" implies that you have a right to be there. "Social networks" reminds you that you don't.

On a similar subject, Robin Grant (MD of We Are Social) posted the same content on two different blogs this week about how brands should use Twitter. The first on his Brand Republic blog, the second on the We Are Social blog. Not only is the article well worth a read, but it's also interesting to note, by the number and nature of the comments, how differently the article was received in the different contexts.

Seth Godin London Event, Part Deux

What I really admired was Seth's conviction and focus. He has absolute belief in his ideas and lots of examples to back it up. He's a superb presenter who makes you want to go out and change the world. Worth going for that alone.

As with my Clay Shirky post a couple of weeks ago, here are some of the thoughts that I scribbled during the presentation. I'm sure a quick Google will bring you to much more detailed reviews about the themes and detail of Seth's talk but that's not for me (here's some). Readers of his books and blog will not be surprised by the content.

1. Permission
I feel the need to use a quote here.

“To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.”
G K Chesteton.

You know you've got permission to do what you're doing when people miss it and ask for it. A really good check is to ask yourself the question "If I didn't do it, would anyone mind?".

2. Remarkable
This is what Seth's book "Purple Cow" is all about. And he simply defines remarkable as "Something worth making a remark about". In other words an idea that people spread because they want to.

3. General Sethness
Build the product to fit the customers' worldview rather than having a product and then working out how to sell it and who to sell it to. The product is the marketing.
Old ways of interruption are dead or dying. Internet changed the rules etc. etc.
We're trained to be average. Spending marketing money on average products for average people used to work... no longer.
Go read the blog and books.

4. Reframe the Problem
e.g. Tiffany's charge for the green box not for the diamonds.

5. Tribes need a mission
A similar thought as came out of the Clay Shirky presentation, that once the goal is achieved that the Tribe can splinter. What's happening now Obama is President?

7. What's the new scarcity?
Rather than concerning yourself with why your business model is crumbling and trying to prevent it disintegrating (luddite music industry), find other ways to make money. Build communities. Create limited edition or unique products e.g. recordings of specific concert delivered next day etc. Well done Radiohead.

8. Remember we're human

"The motivations are the same, the souvenirs are different"

Human needs drive our behaviour, whatever it is we're selling.

9. "Only connect" - from Howard's End by E M Forster.
This wasn't mentioned by Seth, but "human connection" was a major theme.

"Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer. Only connect, and the beast and the monk, robbed of the isolation that is life to either, will die."

Note to self... must read Howard's End to make sure I get this properly (especially the bit about the beast and the monk, I'm not sure why we want them to die), but it feels like it's expressing that we need to find meaning and that meaning comes from being involved in humanity. To live and experience.

(Update: here's video footage)

Seth Godin London Event

(Picture taken with the QuadCamera iPhone app. Thanks Russell for the tip off).

Went to see Seth present today. Inspirational stuff. More soon when I've processed it a bit.

Update: here's a video clip...

Clay Shirky @ LSE

Clay Shirky at the LSE London
Originally uploaded by cubicgarden

Last night I went to see a presentation by Clay Shirky, the author of "Here Comes Everybody". Interesting stuff, but not as illuminating as I'd hoped.

He summarised his book as "Group action just got easier". (A similar statement is oft quoted on Gaping Void).


Here's a couple of thoughts that I noted from the talk:

1. Groups unite against an external threat

2. Successful groups act as platforms not as organisations

3. Groups no longer need a formal body to organise on their behalf - the workers could unite to disobey the union.

4. When your fans break your business model, you know you're in trouble (relating to fans posting content from newspapers).

5. Companies can no longer expect to break news on a busy news day to hide bad stories. Someone that cares will find it, republish it etc. etc.

6. A big question is one of legitimacy. This is linked to the fundamental flaws of democracy.

7. This is all about new tools being made available. It's not a change in human nature, it's a change in access and the ability to connect. The Invisible College in the 17th Century was a group of scientists sharing ideas for the greater good - group collaboration is not new behaviour.


One point that Clay made during the presentation was the speed with which events are now made public over the internet, exemplified by the Sechuan earthquake. Here's a few links to Clay's LSE talk being replayed on the internet, including a blog post from the chair of the evening, Charlie Beckett.

You can download audio from the presentation here.

Update: an official podcast of the event is here.

Update: Image credit to cubicgarden. Weirdly, the text placed in the post by Flickr crediting cubicgarden appears in draft format, but not when publised. Apologies cubicgarden for you not being credited initially.