the Social Communicator

Courtesy Paramount Pictures

Typically, our year starts and ends with CES. Quickly, thereafter, we’re planning for and attending 3GSM, RSA, DEMO, ISC, CTIA, OMMA, NAB, ITEC, ASIS, GDC, INTEROP, SIGGRAPH, I/ITSEC and a few more along the way. There’s the hassle of traveling through SFO, OAK, SJC, LAS, LAX, JFK, ORD, ORL PDX, DCA and the occasional swing through DEN, SLC, ATL or HOU as you change planes.

It’s the proverbial alphabet soup of tech PR tradeshow staffing.

Most clients understand that there’s someone else other than the regular salesforce on the floor, who keeps pulling you aside to speak with someone donning either a “Media” or “Analyst” badge. As PR folks, we pride ourselves in not only keeping you busy with meetings, and seamlessly becoming an extension of your team.

Sometimes, I feel like people don’t understand the amount of work that goes into a good show. So, if you’re unaware of some of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into helping to create a knockout tradeshow, here’s the skinny:

Planning for the events begins months ahead of time. We’re coordinating with our clients to know what announcements we’re going to launch at the show. We’re ensuring that we’re all registered for the event, floor space is acquired, and that I&D houses are developing our booths. We secure the attending media list and send out “Save the Date” messages to reporters to start scheduling meetings. We draft our press releases; get them routed with our clients, and sometimes partners, for review.

A few weeks out, we coordinate and sometimes arrange the travel, lodging, and shipping of materials. Then, we develop backgrounders and press materials for briefings, build out a tradeshow book and confirm all of the scheduled meetings. Next, we host pre-briefings in advance of the event to ensure that there’s news breaking when the doors open.

Then the fun begins. Your release goes out, and the doors open for 2-4 days of on-your-feet staffing at the booth, answering questions from attendees while you’re constantly on the hunt for media badges. You shuffle your executives from one interview to the next, emailing press kits from your Blackberry, coordinating rescheduled briefings on the fly, and somewhere in there we scarf a Clif Bar for lunch. Then, we often get to staff a mixer or reception that runs until midnight, before passing out in a hotel bed.

It’s an exhilarating environment to be constantly on the move, and it’s great to see the barrage of good coverage that comes from a show. But, we truly put in lot of work to make sure it’s a hit.

To date, I’ve been through 30 airports, slept in maybe 60 hotels and ridden in over 400 cabs. I’ve racked-up a boat-load of frequent flier miles and Marriot points, and I still have 30 years to retirement. But rest assured, on my next trip I’ll be just as prepared, organized and ready to do it all again with a smile.

If you read my last post, you’d know that I recently started thinking about the next wave of social media innovation, and how video will play a big part in the newest platforms. One of the things that amazes me most about video, is its power to invoke change, more than any other platform.

For example, Google recently started a campaign to have people submit videos of their ideas or of innovation in use. From their CFO dancing like a fool (or a b-boy pretending to be him) to simple ideas that can have real impact on populations, video is a unique tool in conveying ideas.

As a communications vehicle, it leaves less to the imagination for the viewer and allows for a quicker connection with the audience. It’s the same reason that movies have such a bigger ‘wow’ factor than written word, in that it’s a multi-sensory experience.

Today, in my quest for lunchtime entertainment, I found a YouTube video posted today, that really hits the nail on the head. Sure, it’s a simple lost and found video, but it conveys so much more.

First, we get to know the character of the person who made it. We know he’s a father who seems to be a genuinely nice guy. Secondly, through his word choices, on-screen demeanor and situational candor, he gains our trust. And lastly, through the visual nonverbal communication, we’re able to realize the sincerity in his plea.

If this isn’t proof that video might be the impetus to change and the vehicle for true innovation, I’d like to see what you think rivals its power.

Today, I had the good fortune of catching a bite to eat with two of our younger team members. In the midst of our chow mein and orange chicken, I decided to open my gift of mass-produced Chinese wisdom…my fortune cookie.

It’s not often that I actually get a fortune that’s worth sharing, without the words “in bed” muttered afterwards, but this one was rather poignant for a tech PR guy. It read:

“Be innovative, take charge of new ideas. 6-24-32-36-45″

Lucky numbers aside (they failed to win tonight), it’s a rather powerful statement. Many people like to think they’re innovative, when they marginally improve an old idea, but it’s still an old idea. True innovation lies in discovering something completely new, and owning it, developing it, and making it something that actually has an impact.

I had a discussion with one of my lunch buddies about where we thought the biggest social media innovation will lie in 2011. We jarred about a few simple improvements to existing platforms, but one thing really stood out.

Video.

With the introduction of cellphones with HD capabilities, Flip cameras for under $100, and laptops that have built in video chat utilities, video is likely to be the next platform to spark true innovation. It’s attainable and becoming more user-friendly and will quickly be a part of our instant-consumption or broadcast culture.

So, along the lines of owning ideas, we decided to come up with the top 3 ideas for applications that we could see in the next year:

1. Video micro-blogging – Twitter entered us into an age of the 140 character text posts about where we are, and what we’re doing/thinking/consuming. Video provides us with the immediacy of thought, without having to type. Qik is a good start, and likely we’ll see a video-only platform for micro-blogging coming forth soon.
2. Contextual video search – Sure, you can Google for videos, but wouldn’t it be great if the videos were actually crawled by the bots to let you search the content of the video? Live transcoding and speech-recognition captioning will easily make this dream a reality.
3. eLearning 2.0 – For a few years, teachers have been searching for ways to improve distance learning opportunities for students who live in remote locations, or are on non-traditional schedules. Companies like Adobe, Citrix and Cisco have developed excellent collaboration platforms, but something needs to involve student participation, private video groups and the ability to manage assignments for individual classes/sections. Incorporating the best of social media with the immediacy of video consumption will help provide better student outcomes and create new co-learning opportunities.

These are our preliminary ideas for what’s on the horizon. What do you think? Where’s the next big idea?

Normally, I’m totally “Gung-Ho” about supporting grassroots movements around causes – especially ones that have to do with public health, aid or relief efforts. If someone were to ask me, “would you help spread the word about UNICEF and GivePAK’s efforts to send aid to Pakistan,” I’d be all over it.

But sometimes, I wonder if it’s appropriate for companies and organizations to use social media vehicles to carry the banner for their causes. A few months ago, I talked about a discussion with a client, where we examined how people like to ride the buzz wave of new platforms, regardless of audience or interaction appropriateness.

I think MTV has fallen into that trap.

For years, we tuned into MTV for its outlandish claims by VJ’s, the tight bodies at “Spring Break” and recently, the antics of the guidos and Snooky on “Jersey Shore.” They championed the “Rock the Vote” campaign and made headlines for its rally around HIV awareness, after a “Real World” cast member died of the disease.

But today, MTV is making new waves, in a way I don’t know is wise. Today, in the PRWeek Technology Newsletter, I read that MTV is launching a new “viral” campaign with Foursquare. In order to promote its’ “GYT: Get Yourself Tested” campaign, MTV is sponsoring a badge that is earned when people go to a medical clinic and get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

I’m curious if the marketing managers carefully considered what a badge really says to one’s friends, should they “earn” it. I mean, as a Foursquare addict, if I unlocked the badge I’d basically be saying: “I’m sexually promiscuous and don’t know my last partner(s) too well;” or “I passed out drunk at the Jersey Shore and now I have a ‘situation.’” Really?

It’s great to see an important cause rally around a platform to get the word out and promote getting tested. Sure, the program’s marketing managers meant well, but intentions don’t mean a thing when execution gets in the way.

First of all, they needed to evaluate the appropriateness of the platform. Secondly, should they have wanted to use Foursquare, they needed to find a more appropriate way of doing so than offering a badge for checking-in (an action that is immediately broadcasted to your friends and connected social channels on your behalf, and can’t be undone). And lastly, they needed to evaluate the potential rhetorical impact on people broadcasting their sexual behavior or medical appointments.

I’m not saying that people don’t need to get tested. Actually, I support efforts for people to have a quick annual screening, should they need it. But save yourself the public embarrassment and earn the clean-bill of health “badge” from your doctor, not Foursquare.