Insight

Had a great class today. The "social media guru" of Texas Tech came and spoke to the Social Media class about the TTU strategy related to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr and others. It was interesting to learn about the challenges facing universities (and every other organization) when it comes to trying to figure out what to do, where to do it, how to do it, what resources you need to provide, who needs to be in charge, what type of content, etc...can you really strategize for all of the above contingencies? I just don't know. But, you should try. Currently, the Texas Tech University Facebook page has approximately 12,000 members/fans. Pretty amazing...

Been thinking about a few things related to this blog and what I might want it to turn in to. Should it be related to TTU, academics, Relay, giving people hope....just not sure. Would love some feedback.

tc

Blah Blah Blogs

As we continue to read Joel Postman's SocialCorps in the social media class, it is amazing to think about the lack of a social media strategy for ALOT of companies -- including firms that specialize in marketing and advertising. That being said, it almost isn't fair to criticize companies for not having a long-term strategy ready to go; however, after all of the strategic planning that has gone on in the corporate environment for the past 15 years, it's hard to believe that firms and organizations just can't get goals and objectives outlined.

Recent statistics published by the Pew Internet and American Life Project in January 2009(kind of makes you re-think 'recent') indicated that 75% of 18-24 year olds have a profile on a social network site. As age increases, the percentage decreases to almost no profiles for those 65+. According to statistics found at Facebook show dramatic increases in the number of Facebook users since January (increased to 200 million....and counting). Twitter has experienced an explosion since the first of the year.

All of these studies point to social media jumping through the diffusion curve and looking forward at all the companies who are missing the boat. There is still time....just make sure you use strategy > have a mission, goals and objectives for your social media plan. It might even mean that you allocate an employee to tackle your company's social media presence. (By the way, that doesn't mean to add responsibility to an 8 to 5 "techie"...it really means to pay them to do their job which would include developing social media for your organization. Just like you wouldn't give a video camera and expect your accountant to produce a television commercial, you shouldn't just tell your public relations director to blog and experience ROI. If that is the case, you get what you deserve.

Wow, what a mood. Better sign off for now...

Thinking about how quickly things change

I left the office heartbroken earlier today because I had heard about cancer invading the life of another young family. They'd been told Friday about a "benign" tumor, then today found out that it was a malignant tumor of the Stage 3 variety. I'm really tired of cancer. It sucks. At the same time, it provides a opportunity to see what people want to do -- and that is to help others in need. Already there are those who are lining up to help this family and others who are thinking about ways to help.

Fight Back.

Monday with too much on my plate

Have you ever wondered just why in the world you find yourself involved with way too many decisions to make. Life ain't that hard or that difficult, but today it sure seems that way. I feel like I'm drowning in the Sea of Way Too Much To Do. Oh well...life marches on.

As far as social media goes, I'm pumped to have Lisa Low from the Office of Communications and Marketing at Texas Tech showing up to class next week -- she's going to bring some enthusiasm and provide an idea of TTU's social media presence.

Topics for today: diffusion of innovations, social media strategies and a mini-case study about two grocery store companies.

Could be fun.
tc

All Star Break

I always dread the All Star Break. The Rangers are either rocking and rolling before but not after or vice versa. They look great this year, but time will tell.

As far as the weekend goes, pretty interesting thoughts on a Sunday evening related to what is happening in the College of Mass Communications this week. First, we've got about 15 junior high school students in for the second annual "Video Tech" workshop. Josh Robinson, one of our staff members in the college, is putting this thing together with the help of Dr. Dennis Harp, Rob Peinert and others from our college community.

The second event this week will be finalizing some technology purchases for the college -- all with the idea of benefiting all of our majors. It's kind of exciting to think about what the fall semester is going to bring about -- all majors working together on projects (we are putting together a group with students who might be interested in working on projects related for submission to contests -- all types of contests).

Finally, this week in social media, we will be dealing with figuring out the mechanics of how all these social media work and wrapping up the week with virtual tours of blogs. Kind of cool.

Have a good night.



tc

Some early Saturday ramblings

Wow...my bid for sleeping in lasted until 8. How I miss the days of high school -- when there wasn't work or something else going on -- when you slept until 12 noon or 1 in the afternoon! Now, well, it's time to play catch-up on some things around the house.

After going through some news this morning, some things caught my attention:
-New way of thinking about baseball statistics from the NY Times. A new system is being developed that will be able to measure exact distances for hitting, throwing, etc... (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/sports/baseball/10cameras.html?em)
-The "UFC" was front page on the LA Times this morning (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-ufc-fertitta11-2009jul11,0,3089419.story)
-by the way, for movie fans, LA Times also has a piece about The Blair Witch Project turning 10 years old (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-witch11-2009jul11,0,4594569.story)
-The fact that there were some Picassos hanging in Austin is amazing. Story discusses the theft of 8 Picassos from a home in Austin of a former gallery owner. http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/07/11/0711stolenart.html

Hope you have a good Saturday. Enjoy.
tc

The Social Media Economy

As we are living in a new era of media economics, I'm struck by fundamental changes in the overall media economy. From pricing structures for advertising on the local radio station to participating in one of the auctions available through Google, new media is totally changing the structure of the "media economy." Obviously, others much smarter than I have been writing, researching and talking about this for some time now. For example, Bob Garfield unleashed his "Chaos Scenario" all the way back in the old days of 2005 (http://adage.com/article?article_id=45561). Chaos 2.0 was released in 2007. Around the same time, Chris Anderson was researching and writing "The Long Tail" (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.10/tail.html). These essays and opinions cemented the industry's recognition that new forms of media were and had been eating away at traditional media consumption patterns and, more importantly, shifting available advertising revenue into different avenues.

Media life has changed. The audience isn't just sitting in front of a television waiting for the next program to appear. The entire advertising industry has changed. None of this is new or novel, but it is time to re-think how we approach the economy of media.

Social Media and College Sports

I am a HUGE fan of college sports -- especially college football. If I had to list my probably would watch instead of regular television, my rankings would be college football, MLB, NFL, college basketball then college baseball. A student in the social media class I'm teaching sent me the following links that I think are extremely relevant in today's world of college and professional athletics. Check out the four-part series at ESPN:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=4308218

Have a great day!

Some Readings For Summer II

Hello there. This summer we will definitely be spending alot of time talking about social media. Here are some extra resources that you really need to check out (in fact, we will definitely spend time talking about these):

Some Reading Extras Part I:
Anderson, C. (2009, May 22). The new, new economy: more startups, fewer giants, infinite opportunity. Wired: http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-06/nep_essay

Anderson, C. (2004, October). The long tail. Wired: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.10/tail.html

Kelly, K. (2009, May 22). The new socialism: global collectivist society is coming online. Wired: http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-06/nep_newsocialism

Levy, S. (2009, May 22). Secret of googlenomics: data-fueled recipe brews profitability. Wired: http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-06/nep_googlenomics

Many things

Wow, alot has happened in less than a month. Yet, everything stays the same. We've got the Relay For Life of Lubbock County coming up in less than a week (May 8)..complete with the threat of things like Swine Flu, thunderstorms, etc...

Last weekend was special - did a bunch, but on Friday night got to spend some time with a friend who is in her second battle with cancer. It was alot of fun hanging out and seeing friends that I haven't seen in quiet a while.

Clear Channel is planning to lay off more employees. Radio continues to change.

Sports radio in Lubbock has drastically re-shaped itself (http://blogs.lubbockonline.com/centerstage/index.php?m=05&y=09). The fact that TTU/Learfield has decided to go with locally-owned Ramar Communications is very intriguing. I remember back in the day when all TTU football and men's basketball games were on KFYO-AM. At times, we would simulcast on Z102 big games such as bowl games for TTU football, but that was about it. Now, with the possibility of throwing TTU athletics across a wide spectrum of AM and FM stations; English-language and Spanish-language. It should be interesting for all involved.

Talk to you soon.

Random Thoughts About Today

It's been a really crazy world...thinking about all that's been happening -- both "big" and "small." From earthquakes to national basketball championships, life stays the same, yet it is chaotic. Electronic media plays a big role in delivering the messages, but has it really changed since the days of KDKA? As I was watching the events unfold in last night's NCAA basketball championship game, I was perplexed -- how many times have the announcers said the same exact thing 10 years ago, 20 years ago?

Sometimes life appears to have changed, but it really hasn't.

Fighting Back

The Relay For Life of Texas Tech event served up some interesting insights into the world of fighting back. The committee (made up of students who volunteer ALOT of time and effort) spent alot of time stressing over some major things this week (outside of the regular -- let's put on a gigantic fundraising event). On Monday, five days prior to the event, they were told that they would have to move the event to a different location...they've had it at the previous site for the previous six years (all six years of the event). They handled the situation, moved locations and really did a bang up job with what they had to deal with. In fact, it looked like this was the best turn out at a TTU RFL event that I've seen (my 4th this year). So, great job...terrific job.

I had the privilege of speaking during the Fight Back ceremony. I was going into the ceremony after hearing two inspirational stories of hope and courage a couple of hours earlier at the Ceremony of Hope. It's amazing what college students are dealing with these days. When I was in college, "cancer" was something old smokers got. Never really heard of any friends with the disease. Now it seems that every day we hear of a friend, a family member or a co-worker who is stricken or knows someone who gets told: "I'm sorry, but you've got cancer." The stats back it up -- 1 of every 2 men and 1 of every 3 women will get cancer at some point in their lifetime. 1500 people died YESTERDAY from cancer.

But, there is HOPE. Relay For Life has been around 25 years and has raised b i l l i o n s of dollars that go into the fight against cancer through research, patient services, advocacy and outreach.

In the past four years, I've traveled the cancer journey. I've been in the dark valleys and have lived in the moment of God providing beautiful and sunny mountaintop experiences. I know what it feels like to not want to go to radiation treatment number 21 (had to have 38). I know what it feels like when your five year old asks: "Daddy, are you going to be ok?" When I really wasn't sure that I would live to see her walk into her first day of kindergarten. I know what it felt like when just a couple of months ago my now 9-year old asked: "Daddy, will I ever get cancer?"

Wow. What a question. So, you ask -- why do you talk about Relay For Life so much? Because it is the only way I know how to Fight Back against cancer so that I can hopefully one day help my daughters live with knowing they will never have to hear those words....

Relay For Life 2009

American Cancer Society

Just some thoughts about the American Cancer Society and what the organization does and will do. Started to think about how long the organization has been in the business of fighting cancer. In the past few days, high school friends have been posting old pictures. There were a couple of pictures from "back in the day" when we had alot of events and fundraisers to stop smoking. Honestly, I remember some of those, but not alot. And, I for sure was one of those who thought: cancer will never be a part of my life...it's just for 2-pack a day smokers and old people. One of life's ironies, I guess. Now 43, I am proud to say I'm a 4 year survivor of stage IV squamous cell carcinoma at the base of the tongue. Cancer. In the early 1980s, didn't know much about the American Cancer Society. Today, I do. And, I'm glad. Just wish I would have been passionate then as I am now. Thank you ACS! Thank you Relay For Life!

Relay For Life

Heard a great speaker this weekend at a Relay For Life event. She mentioned that some of her friends just don't "get it." They don't "get" why she goes away for the weekend, missing events, missing family stuff, missing friend stuff...There are many times that I feel the same. But, with Relay For Life and those that volunteer for that organization, I feel like I have a mission. There is no way that I will ever be able to find the cure for cancer and prevent my wife or our daughters from ever having cancer. BUT, if I can just take one more moment, one hour, one day or one weekend to spend time and collaborate with others..maybe, just maybe, those moments will help find that cure.

To find out more about Relay For Life, go to: www.relayforlife.org

20 million HH

Remember when 20 million sounded like a gigantic number? Tomorrow, the U.S. House of Representatives is set to try to *again* vote to delay the DTV transition. The voucher program ran out of money back near the end of last year and there are approximately 20 million HH (at least that is the current argument) that aren't prepared and/or not hooked in to cable or satellite. In class today, we discussed the implications of those 20 million HH -- do they really matter to marketers? Or the government? Think about the demographics of those HH -- elderly, poor, etc...Now think about current television programming. Any new shows targeted to the elderly or the poor? Does the local television broadcaster actively promote to clients: Hey, we are number one with the 75+ age demo AND we are strong with those with HH Incomes of less than $15,000!

Definitely feeling cynical. Apparently, the White House would go for the delay. Are you in favor or not?

Time and Friends and Technology

E-mail. Social media. Friendships.
It's funny how Twitter, Facebook, cell phones and everything "social media" should give us opportunities to communicate across great distances...renew friendships...cultivate new ones. BUT, isn't it amazing how that these great technologies, like just about every other one before these, have provided wonderful opportunities to communicate with great breadth, but with little depth. What is the courteous way to end a IM Chat? With a friend you've known for decades? With someone you don't know as well? What about a telephone call? Is it just a 42-year old who has changed? Or is it the technology?

Post Super Bowl Thoughts

Blogging every two years or so....not bad.

Next.

Just thinking about the Super Bowl and how influential it can be. Obviously, people are already talking about their favorite ad. For me, I really enjoyed the "Sweden/Conan O'Brien" ad...but what was it for? Great job getting 'cooler-talk', bad job getting people to have an idea about the brand.

As I'm watching The Office, I'm amazed at how far television has come. Yes, the Super Bowl provides a huge launch for the 'next' show. NBC needs The Office and is probably going to keep growing its audience for the next season or so.

Talk to you soon.

Wow...too long

It's been way too long for an update. Not much to say except that I'm back!

We've been going through a ton of emotions this weekend.

More later.

tc

I need to get a handle on this blogging thing

Let's see....I'm pretty good at waiting 6 months between posts. But, here's to doing better! I'm getting ready for my "Look Who's 40" high school reunion tomorrow. It's hard to believe that we are there. 40. What a concept.

We've had a great week at TTU -- life's been hectic, but the advertising sales class is going great and we've gotten alot accomplished.

A friend and his wife had a baby this week.

I was able to actually "do" my kid's hair for school pictures this morning.

I'm telling you .... life is good.

Talk to you soon.

tc