What the Fortune 500 Can Learn From Shaquille O’Neal About Social Media

By JLo in Social Media, Strategy 0 Comment

Few people on this planet are “larger than life” both figuratively and literally. One person that fits the bill is Shaquille O’Neal. From bursting on the scene at LSU to his acting in Blue Chips, Shaq has been bringing smiles to fans everywhere. Now, he’s found the perfect fit. Welcome to Shaqachusetts. His arrival in Boston resulted in a starting lineup of 5 All-Stars. Pretty cool. He’s made his mark in Beantown through his visibility, accessibility and embracing of Boston, all tracked live and in person via social media.

With almost 3.5 million followers, @THE_REAL_SHAQ is a force to be reckoned with among all of Twitter.

Why all the followers? Why all the hype? What can a Fortune 500 or any corporation for that matter learn from this?

Part of this is context that just won’t fit period. Shaq is a human being who is visible, a celebrity, sports star, etc. which a corporation cannot be, unless your Apple. Still, there are things to learn from who he is and what he does. They’re fundamentals that make social media work, Shaq provides a great perspective to show them in action. Here are some key points to consider when working with social media, especially at the enterprise level.

1. Be Genuine

This is where the corporate “task forces” and “steering committees” can get wayward. I’m a firm believer that social media is changing the face of corporate America because it forces conversations that previously went unlooked, avoided or simply unknown. Companies (especially as they scale in size) will thrive when they can get over themselves and get real. The faster organizations embrace the idea of learning who they really are, the better they’ll be able to reflect it in their brands. Social media externally is one thing, but it’s got to start internally. Social tools can help accelerate that. Shaq is a great example of my own personal mantra, “take what you do seriously, not yourself”. Away from the court, you’ll see Shaq as a human statue in Harvard Square or conducting the Boston Pops. On the court, it’s all business for his team. All of this is on display on Twitter, YouTube, etc. Yes, he may have outside help in managing his digital presence, but it is done in a genuine and consistent approach.

2. Be Timely

Its well known, social media has a very low barrier to entry with a significant requirement to be timely in the conversation. The concept may be basic, but it’s often neglected: be timely in your social media interactions. NBA rules aside, Shaq does a good job of giving enough behind the scenes in a close to real-time format to be on-point. Don’t turn your social efforts into a editorial calendar, remember it’s an ongoing dialogue, a conversation with your audience(s). It’s perfectly cool to outline topics of interest and regular contributions. However, remember to have the flexibility to turn on a dime without disrupting the overall experience.

3. Create Value

At the end of the day, the entire organization and operation cannot lose sight of how and where they create value. Social is no different. Don’t forget to look through the eyes of your consumer’s point-of-view. Ask from their perspective “What’s in it for me”. With Shaq this is certainly easier because of his celebrity. At the core though is demeanor and genuine approach which as a fan or follower makes it a great experience to step into the world of Shaq.

Don’t overthink your approach. Balance that with intent. Being intentional is always a good filter, that “common sense” test as a first line of defense.

Shaq’s but one example.

Who do you think does a good job of knowing thyself and manifesting it through their strategy in digital and multi-channel as a person or company?

Top 10 Lists for 2011

By JLo in Strategy 0 Comment

Couple weeks into 2011 and yes the gym is still packed. Hopefully folks are reading The 4 Hour Body and getting to know their minimum effective dose. Speaking of MED, the end of a new year always brings lots of lists around what to plan for and expect in the coming year. I’ve collected several of the lists I’ve seen recently to help you out in getting some perspective. This list includes technology, strategy, social media, marketing and general business trends. Some good nuggets throughout.

I’ve actually got one thing that I was a little surprised to not see more of in these lists. One thing I’m really keeping an eye on is the emergence of the “social inbox”. We got a glimpse into the new Facebook email play at the end of the year. I really think this coming year will start to blur the line between email, direct messages, posts, etc. It comes down to the collection, management and distribution of messages across our networks of colleagues, friends and third-parties. This has potential for dramatic implications to email marketing as an even more “traditional” outlet than what it is today. My bonus insight for 2011, Facebook’s interface will go through several iterations as it tries to make it more usable and to say people will be more vocal about it is an understatement.

Have fun with these lists. I’ve added a little commentary to them. Please add additional ones you find in the comments below. Also, these are in no particular order of significance. SAI is a great resource to monitor trend on a daily basis to see what nets out.

Top 10 Lists for 2011:

  • Mary Meeker at Web 2.0 – http://tinyurl.com/meeker10 – Start here. Period. Mary is the best, an absolute ninja.
  • Five Trends to Keep an Eye on in the New Year from AdAge – http://bit.ly/fwqNso – Nice insight on evolving perspectives of brand and engagement.
  • 6 Predictions for Social Networks in 2011 from Mashable – http://on.mash.to/gblpCI – Insights on some of the big names in social.
  • 2011 and beyond from JWT – http://bit.ly/hloHMX – Good stuff, similar tracks that what we’ve been seeing at Mad*Pow, especially with the psychology of gaming and hyper-personalization.
  • 11 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2011 from TrendWatching – http://bit.ly/cSMTCb – Urbanomics, Pricing Pandemonium and Wellthy, oh my.
  • 10 Ways Social Media Will Change in 2011 from ReadWriteWeb – http://rww.to/fdj6WO – Good perspective on technology and some bigger thinking, e.g shifting role of psychology of consumers, humans in general
  • 2011 trends: Mobile communication and ROI from ComMetrics – http://bit.ly/dI4qNJ – Apple + Verizon = Potential from trouble in Android land, that software pendulum will swing.
  • Top 5 Mobile Advertising Trends To Watch from Mashable – http://on.mash.to/hCF4Xk – From back in late August but still good info. Of particular note will be the role of mobile web vs. app as more rich functionality makes it way to advanced browsers on phones.
  • Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2011 from Gartner – http://bit.ly/dG3yTP – Some no-brainers here, commentary on social analytics and context-aware computing is good.
  • The five hottest business technology trends to watch in 2011 from TechRepublic – http://bit.ly/dLxYy1 – Insights from my man Jason Hiner. Interesting points of view on the enterprise in 2011.
  • Best of CES from Engadget – http://engt.co/e52qHe – Yes, the Motorola Atrix 4G looks like a sweet device. Good to see them bouncing back.

Make Those New Year’s Resolutions Stick for You and Your Work

By JLo in Misc, Strategy 1 Comment

Welcome to 2011. It’s here whether you like it or not. The gym is packed.

A new year brings new opportunity. Change is a good topic and everyone’s talking about resolutions. The idea of New Year’s Resolutions is good, both for individuals and even for organizations. With that in mind, I’ve pulled together some thoughts on making your resolutions happen this year.

1. Be SMART about your resolutions. Kinda cliché, however it’s a smart approach that people often neglect. Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Time-bound. I’ve also used strategic for the “S”, meaning there is good context or purpose being met with the resolution.

2. Quality not quantity. This is true for organizations or teams, but especially for you as an individual. Too many can be tough to manage and make it harder to achieve.

3. Track it. Measureable is so important when it comes to the SMART method. Really need to be able to track progress against the target to show progress and get that sense of accomplishment. The resolution or goal shouldn’t be taken lightly. The more diligent your tracking is, the more it will be top-of-mind and be a better environment to lead that behavior change in. Especially for health items, Google Health has nice tracking features to establish a target and track progress.

4. Write it down. On paper. Write the resolution down on paper with a pen or pencil. Writing it down will help you be more likely to remember it. Not just once either, jot it down in different places from notebooks to post-it notes in drawers or your gym bag as you start off with the resolution. Use technology as a friendly reminder but don’t rely on it exclusively.

5. Tell a friend. There’s strength in numbers. If you get an opportunity, tell a friend about your resolution. Talking about it will help you remember it. Leveraging your social network in particular can be helpful in getting that friendly nudge to make your resolution stick.

Change can be good. The New Year is always a good time to evaluate current/future goals, whether it be a commitment to a hobby or re-visiting the social media targets for Q1.

Behavior change is not easy. Don’t get frustrated.

For me personally, my primary goal for 2011 is dedicated to the marketing team at Mad*Pow, especially Megan and Courtney.I certainly have dropped the ball since jumpstreet.  I’m re-dedicating myself to this blog and being more active in outlets to communicate and talk strategy. At least one blog entry per week is my KPI. I’ve met some amazing people in 2010 and been on great initiatives. If spreading the word on those experiences can help others, I’m in.

So, what are your resolutions for 2011?

The Big Move from Hum to Pow

By JLo in Healthcare, Strategy 1 Comment

On my first day at Humana, in early August 2004, I joined a meeting with what must have been 20+ IT leads, a few folks from the HR Business team and my colleague in marketing to discuss the upcoming launch of the new online member benefits enrollment center for our commercial business. In one of the discussions, I asked why the person navigating through the screens kept clicking the link for “Previous” instead of just using the back button. He informed me that the back button was disabled and the user had to use the “Previous” and “Next” text links in order to navigate through the system. My subsequent pushback on how crazy this idea was met with the same enthusiasm as a Derek Jeter jersey at Fenway. This was day one.

Chalk one up to experience. Fast forward six years and I’m using every ounce of energy in my body to not get choked up while addressing my team to let them know I was leaving. While that was met with limited success, I have to say that my experiences and the relationships built at Humana are some of the most important and cherished of my career. My success as a leader is measured by the success of my team. At Humana, I was incredibly successful because of the amazing teams I was able to lead. People that continue to make me proud and grow as great leaders themselves. It’s an awesome legacy.

I have a great deal of respect for so many of my colleagues from Humana. Very smart, talented people. Sadly, several of which are not being tapped for their full potential, leadership nor impact to the organization, present company included. I’m not one for making excuses and feel I was successful in leading “intrapreneurship” whenever possible, looking back it just wasn’t enough.

So why leave? I’ve had the pleasure of working with some amazingly talented people in my career as colleagues, vendors, consultants, council members and more. In that time, few people impressed me more than Amy Cueva. As I became more familiar with her and Will Powley from Mad*Pow, it was evident that what they had built in Mad*Pow was something special. Very smart, very talented people who shared a single vision for their organization and dedication to making it happen. It was impressive. When they came to me with an opportunity, especially one in Louisville, it was hard to pass up.

So here I am, changing seats from the procurer of services to the vendor of choice. It’s a big step for sure and a step into the history books with my prior work in the agency world. The difference is that in having worked with 20-30 vendors over my time at Humana alone, from the big guys to the boutiques and all things in-between, Mad*Pow was the one group that “got it” better than others and more importantly was able to deliver and exceed expectations. Put it this way, when even the IT team at Humana was impressed with the delivery of design and code, you’ve nailed it and they did.

And so it begins. The world at Mad*Pow. With this post, a re-dedication to my blog, bringing more of my experiences to the Web and an opportunity to help out many friends with their digital strategy and design which I am super excited about. I look forward to talking with you soon and helping you out in any way I can.