The Intrigue Of Vulnerability

We live in a time and a society that suffers from massive paranoia at a meta-cultural level. It has infected the post-modern world. The root of this epidemic fear is in the loss of connection to self-awareness. We are afraid to look inward, and more so, afraid of others seeing who we are.

Morgan Sorne explores this tragic dilema in his art and music. Here is an example.

Golden Death Chant from Morgan Sorne on Vimeo.

The Tallahassee Food Challenge

ALCOM provides services to our clients within four major divisions: Communication Tools; Advertising Creation and Placement; Internet Solutions; Events and Promotions.  This later category offers huge payoffs in public relations/image managment objectives.
The Tallahassee Food Challenge is a good example of one of these.

The River

Feel overwhelmed with all of the technology choices that are now available? I have spent the last 32 years in advertising, media management, and marketing and on most days, I feel as though I am standing at the edge of the Mississippi River. The massive flow of information and technology that is growing exponentially every moment is staggering. The impact of the "nuclear age" in the 1950's pales in comparison to how this is redefining our world. What does it all mean?

Truth is, nobody knows. Nobody. What I can tell you is, there is a ship called Facebook that is big enough and open enough to carry all of us on this river. And, at least for now, each of us have the power to influence its direction and establish for ourselves a point of contact where we can do business, we can stay informed, and even direct others to various "Ports of Call".

You may not think so now, but get on board and you will find yourself being carried along into greater opportunity and greater understanding. The alternative is to simply stand and watch it all flow past you.

Don't Shoot The Messenger

When the results of our advertising efforts disappoint us, often times we blame the medium we have chosen to deliver our message. It's been my observation that the radio, TV, on-line, outdoor, direct-mail or whatever we've utilized has done just what it was designed to do. The problem lies with our unskillful, or unplanned use of it. A more lengthy discussion of this point can be found at "Another Urban Legend Foiled".

Here, I want us to consider "social media" as these are loosely referred to when talking about Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and the like. These more recently-developed on-line communication tools have empowered the population with unprecedented control. The problem remains, as with all media, how best to apply each one and in concert. We must also ask how these are best used in coordination with other media.

The good news is, there are not as many rules for social media as there are for traditional media. These are still emerging and like any virgin territory, this process is guided by those in power. But this time, those in power are those who comprise the populace of users. While certainly, the purveyors of the service still hold title to the "land" and have control over the general structure, it's much more like the fence around the school yard that defines the area but allows you to do what you will with the space.

Unlike the days when a generation ago we all sat around glowing television sets and waited for the three networks to tell us how it was going to be, now, we decide that with every interaction, every posting, every key stroke. It truly is revolutionary. Of course some people want to apply the rules of the prior to this new environment, but it doesn't work.

An example of this is illustrated in the comments I received from a friend who told me that someone else had complained to him about me promoting one of our clients by inviting my Facebook friends to patronize the client's restaurant. "He's just doing that to profit his own business" this person complained. Right. Of course I did. What this person doesn't understand is the position any of us, and all of us occupy within this medium: we are the programmers. We are the network. We decide. And my decision to invite my friends is no different than one of the television networks inviting its viewers to patronize one of its advertisers. As to credibility, my position as a Facebook user, is much more vulnerable than a TV broadcaster. It's my personal reputation that's on the line and that of my company. So, to me, this encourages a greater degree of socially responsible behavior. I can't hide behind a corporate veil or assume some third-party immunity. The forces of free-market enterprise will continue to be in play. If my attempts are unsuccessful, I will have to modify or suffer loss.

As we go forward through this unexplored opportunity for communication, I suggest we all relax and try to enjoy the ride. We will continue to discover ways to make it work even more efficiently and effectively. We will continue to invent unique applications that can be incorporated into our "play". This may be bad news for those who are stuck in a traditional frame of mind, but for the rest of us, it is the most exciting time of our marketing and advertising lives.