With the launch of Change.gov, the Obama team shows that they’re serious about keeping social media as a mechanism for governing. It’s an unprecedented move.

Now it will remain to be seen how deeply they mean it when they say they are listening. Obama campaigned as a “liberal centrist”, while at the same time he was rated as the most liberal senator by National Journal. He didn’t seem to want to admit that the surge in Iraq was working (although it’s still in progress and the mission has yet to be accomplished), so it remains to be seen whether or not these efforts will be a way of placating those that disagree or working with those that disagree.

Chip Griffin wrote a great article today in Media Bullseye in which he pointed out how the Obama people are now reaching out to their supporters on email to find out what they’re about and what they’re hoping for. This is a great move as there has been some concern that the list of emails would simply be handed over to the DNC and we’d all be getting emails for us to give money to support a ton of candidates all over the country. In fact, I still get email from both Democrat and GOP candidates and causes following the 2004 campaign.

I got an email that asked me (and Chip provides the screen shots) several pertinent questions that will likely be used to deepen my relationship with their team.  Some are demographic and ask for my general views on politics,  They ask, in an unobtrusive way, about my political involvement.  They also want to know if I’d like to help out candidates who “share our vision”.  That’s important because those that “share” Obama’s vision and want to support others will likely be the ones to receive future emails to support certain Democrats.  As an independent, I’m gonna decline answering in the affirmative with that one.

One new question (especially coming from a Democrat) is asking me how often I attend religious services.  This is brilliant, because for too long the Dems have ceded the religious vote the the Republicans.  For example, in 2004, a Catholic volunteer in Ohio who was well connected to Catholic leaders in several heavily Catholic counties was turned down in his efforts to develop grassroots support from those communities.  He was told, “We don’t do white churches”.  That’s very anti-social media, closed minded, and a big bigoted if you ask me.
What I see here is Obama’s “community organizer” aspect kicking in.  It is staying true to his message, true to his philosophy, true to his mission.  By answering the email and giving feedback, his team will be able to talk to respondents on their terms so the conversation stays relevant.

At this stage, they’re doing exactly what they should be doing.

I’ve been reading with interest the post-election analyses of the use of digital strategies for the U.S. presidential campaign. Barack Obama’s campaign wins hands down for overall integration of strategy.

A dozen years ago I wanted to start a business that would have basically been an online ad agency for politics. Creative, media buying, grassroots politics. The internet was relatively new, but it was already prominent as a form of media usage. The major problem was that the gatekeepers - the media consultants - either didn’t understand online at all, or they resisted it because they were making money with TV commercials ad didn’t want to stray from that. Every two years, those of us “pioneers” would think and hope that THIS would be the year, only to be disappointed by roadblocks, closed minds, and chickenshit campaign managers.

Well, 2008 proved to be THE YEAR.

Barack Obama won in part by appealing to a call for national unity and a call for change, both with a sense of urgency and love of country. John McCain, in many ways, did the same thing. But his campaign was focused too often and too much on negative attacks to appeal to unity. And, given factors such as his age and campaign structure, had a hard time effectively utilizing a overall interactive strategy that stands out.

A bit more about McCain. People running for office often (but not always) bring in consultants who match their worldview and strategic leanings. The McCain camp did not ignore the internet in general or the social media in particular, but they didn’t place much focus on it as well. that partially makes some sense. The leadership probably realized that McCain’s appeal through Facebook, on Twitter, and via YouTube could not match that of Obama’s.

But what Obama did in this campaign was transform politics as we know it - permanently. We always say that the 1960 presidential campaign was, in part, decided by television. That’s true. But that wasn’t from use as an internal strategy used by the Kennedy campaign. Instead, it was the natural passive viewer experience. That’s why I believe this year will be viewed as more important.

Allowing people to create their own profiles and thus network from the very beginning with the MyBO function was brilliance. It gave a lot of power to the enthusiasts who then spread the passion. It created networks of volunteers who would work for an Obama victory in places such as Indiana and Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina. Places that have recently always voted Republican.

I’ve worked in politics and one of the more important elements in a campaign is having a solid Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) apparatus. Obama’s digital and social media strategies spread the passion, got people to vote, and helped win the election.

Veteran’s Day this year is especially poignant since it has been 5 years since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began. Thank you to everyone who helped Survivor Corps get the message out about Operation Survivor and all the amazing work that Survivor Corps does for vets, for returning troops, and for their families. Here’s a list of all of your fine work:

• Please Help Me Support Our Troops on Veteran’s Day via Chris Abraham.
• banner via On the Upside.
• Veterans and PTSD via Where There’s a Will There’s a Way.
• Support Our Troops NOW via MamaBugs…Homeschooling Where the Air Force Sends Us!.
• Peace be still. It?s Armistice Day. via Short Woman.
• Do Not Abandon Our Vets via understanding the effects of unresolved abandonment issues.
• Helping the Walking Wounded on November 11 via Serge the concierge.
• Support ‘Survivor Corps’ this Veterans Day via Americanthinker.
• Veterans Day via Bodhi Baby.
• Veterans Day via The Adventures of Super Mommy & Spitup Boy.
• Operation Survivor via Britannica.
• Veteran’s Day via Danny Fisher.
• Donate to help our Troops via Make it Happen.
• Remembrance Day via Around the World in beautiful Shoes.
• Operation Survivor via Big Blueberry Eyes.
• In Their Boots via Holly’s Fight for Justice.
• In Their Boots via Holly’s Fight to Stop Violence.
• Veterans Day via Chip’s Quips.
• Help Our Troops This Veterans Day via Locust Fork Blog.
• Banner via Socialism.
• In Banner Rotation via Redline.
• Veteran’s Day via Weapons of Mass Discussion.
• Help Our Troops This Veteran’s Day via Culture11.
• side bar banner via Mommy Bytes.
• Veteran’s deserve not just a word but also a hand: Operation Survivor via Rich Kirkpatrick.
• Survivor Corps: Help a veteran break the cycle of violence via Hormone-Colored Days.
• Veterans Day via On the Fringe.
• The bridge the sacrifice more via The Common Ills.
• Someone alerted me to the good work that Survivor Corps via Big Bark.
• Survivor Corps Supports Returning Troops and Their Families via GoMekong.com.
• Support ‘Survivor Corps’ this Veterans Day - American Thinker via Survivor.
• Helping Veterans (a day late) via Just Enjoy Him: Ramblings of a Mid-Life Mom.
• Survivor Corps: Operation Survivor via Political Reps.
• Survivor Corps Website via Untreatable Online.
• Survivor Corps Operation Survivor: A Worthwhile Cause to Consider via Mount Virtus.
• Veterans Day via State of Ohio Blogger Alliance.
• A Day To Honor Those Who Have Served Their Country via Political Vindication.
• Courage via Last One Speaks.
• banner via A Disgruntled Republican.
• An Appeal via Don Surber’s blog.
• Mojo Mom says thank you to military families via Mojo Mom.
• Survivor Corps via Miss Cellania Blog.
• For a Good Cause via The Local Crank.
• Operation Survivor-Survivor Corps and TroopTube via Where the Hell Am I?.
• In Honor of Veterans’ Day via James Kotecki.
• banner” via Into the Woods Living Deliberately.
• Survivor Corps Supports Returning Vets and Their Families! via Zimbio.
• Please Help the Veterans via Yaw and Mog.
• posted banner and review of I will not be broken” via Writing in FaithWriting in Faith: Previews and Reviews.
• banner’ via Pardon Me For Asking.
• Veterans Deserve Your Help via New Zeal.
• I Will Not Be Broken via For the Heck of It.
• Per a Request via Budget Nomad - US Ex - Pat on the Move.
• banner’ via Blog Mommas.
• banner via Myrtus.
• banner via Married to the Army.
• Survivor Corps. Rise Above. Give Back via All 4 My Gals.
• Re: Vast Write Wing - November 2008 via Be Logical.
• Survivor Corps. Help for Surviving Troops via Mommy Does it All.
• Survivor Corps Supports Returning Troops and their Families! via Right Michigan.
• Indigenist News Items for: 11-14-2008 via Inteligentaindigena Novajoservo.
• banner via Gary Presley.
• banner via Seven Wheelchairs.
• Operation Survivor via The Political Junkie.
• Need a little Inspiration? via My Life As A Military Spouse.
• Banner via Preemptive Karma.
• Operation Survivor - excerpt from website via Arthriticyoungthing.
• banner via Rightwingchamp.
• Survivor Corp-Returning Troops via What’s Delmer Look Like?.
• posted banner via Screw Politically Correct B.S..
• palin survivor corps heroes and more via Sex and Politics and Creeds and Attitudes.
• banner via Bearing Drift.
• banner via Kentucky Progress.
• Supporting Returning Troops via Donklephant.
• banner via Gapers Block.
• Katrina vanden Heuvel is an idiot via Ruth’s Report.
• Supporting Our Troops via Book Errising.
• Survivor Corps - Electronic Media News Releases via Soldiers Angels Network.
• A Belated Veterans (Day) Post via The Moderate Voice.
• posted link on blogroll via Political Grind.
• They don’t go away when Veterans Day ends via Around the Island.
• Survivor Corps offers peer support to injured vets via Media Dis&Dat.
• Survivor Corps via A Leg Up.
• Supporting Our Troops: Operation Survivor via The Daily Gotham.
• Survivor Corps: Founds Operation Survivor Project to Assist U.S. Military Combat Veterans in Transitioning to Civilian Life via A DC Observer.
• banner via Iraq The Model.
• Survivor Corps Supports Returning Troops and their Families! via Young Philly Politics.
• banner via The Inside Dope.
• Survivors of War via Ponderings on a Faith Journey.
• Survivor Corps via Charming Just Charming.
• Survivor Corps via Knee Deep in the Hooah.
• Tis the season to help our troops via Manatee’s Military Moms.
• A Belated Veterans (Day) Post via Funny Blog.
• Support ‘Survivor Corps’ this Veterans Day via American Thinker.
• Supporting Returning Troops via Northloop Neighborhood.
• As Per Request via Budget Nomad - US Ex - Pat on the Move.
• Some Odds and Ends of the Election via The Liberal Life of a Navy Wife .
• Returning Troops…A Noble Cause via Dodgeblogium.
• Survivor Corps Website via Untreatable Online.
• Standing up for Max Cleland on Veteran’s Day via Informed Comment.
• Standing up for Max Cleland on Veteran’s Day via Big Bark.
• Read Terrance D.C. via Oh Boy it Never Ends.
• Katrina Vanden Heuvel is an Idiot via Ruth’s Report.
• Iraq snapshot (The Common Ills) via Like Maria Said Paz.
• Tuesday November 11. 2008. via This French Life.
• Survivor Corps Program-Help! via Swimming Against the Red Tide.
• Survivor Corps via Kung Fu Monkey.
• banner via Leucadia Blog.
• banner via Bearing Drift.

You have done an amazing thing for the vets and also for the mission of Survivor Corps domestically and around the world. Thank you for your posts and for your banner placement. Never hesitate to contact me personally or my team at Abraham Harrison. Also, always please feel free to contact the entire Survivor Corps team.

“‘Twas the night before the election…”

Here it is, the eve of the 2008 presidential election, and we’re (finally) about to elect a new president of the United States.  This election has been long in coming and it has spawned a new way of politicking.  (My own opinion is that it should have happened much earlier, but presidential campaigns are run by people who make money by creating TV commercials.)

I wanted to take a look at the level of online involvement that each campaign has inspired.  For the past nine months, I’ve seen plenty of banner and large box ads for Barack Obama - a wise choice in my opinion - but not nearly that much for John McCain.  Online display ads can be targeted and can bring a person right to an intended page so the person can get information that they are likely interested in.

But what intrigues me the most is  how the campaigns used social media as marketing and networking tools.  So I decided to tak a look at the larger social networks to gauge each candidate’s presence and the effectiveness.  Looks like Barack Obama wins hands down.

MySpace

As of this writing, Barack Obama has 834,815 followers on MySpace.  Compare that to John McCain’s 218, 136.  That’s almost 4 times as many followers for Obama than McCain, with a difference of 616,679 - only 9,000 less than Sarah Palin’s home state of Alaska.

Obama’s page is filled with videos that a visitor can view or grab for viral effect.  It has polling information.  Basically tons of information that a fan could use to reach out to others in hopes to either impress them into voting for Obama and how and where to actually vote.  His use of space was excellent and, for a page that has so much, it downloaded very quickly.   One of the best features is the “Obama Everywhere” section, where the campaign connects you to Obama profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, iTunes, and Digg.  Very simple, but truly shows how valuable social media can be.

McCain’s page is giving me problems.  The masthead is excellent, but there isn’t much there.  A video, a chart comparing the two candidates, and a link to polling places s there, but not much else.  In fact, I’m getting a lot of blue space where there could be more info.  Problems downloading?  Poor execution on their part?  I don’t know…but I tried reloading twice and got the same thing.

Facebook

Here, Obama dominates once again.  He’s got 2,392,582 followers.  That’s larger than 15 of the 50 states.  Just as the MySpace prensence, the Facebook group page is filled with info to grab, fan followings, and up to the minute updates.  The cleanliness of the site itself makes it better than the MySpace page if you’re looking to be informed or to connect with others, while the MySpace page comes off as more enthusiastic.

McCain’s page is it’s equal in content as if features a game called “Pork Invaders”, a tribute to his crusade against earmarks.  But, unfortunately for the candidate, he has only 621,846 followers.  Again, that’s just over 25% of the amount Obama has.  Here, I’d say that the lack of overall enthusiasm on social networks shines through.  Updates are sporadic.  It makes it seem participation on these sites aren’t important.

YouTube

Well, you can obviously see a trend here.  Barack Obama has 1805 uploaded videos with 18,474,483 views and 115,208 subscribers.  John McCain has 330 videos with 2,044,717 views and 28,838 subscribers.  Not even close.   Again, four times as many subscribers.  The big difference is the amount of views and subscribers.

What I’m thinking is that the Obama people know that social networks  are a great tool and that their likely voters are part of that culture.  McCain’s team has undervalued this resource.

Twitter 

Yikes!  Obama’s got 113,304 followers and McCain’s got only 4,686.  While Obama doesn’t have that many updates, 258, McCain has only 25.  From the way they’re written, it seems as if they’re from a supporter…or at least someone that has a connection to the campaign, but isn’t officially tweeting.  A sorry effort.

Conclusions

While I think that social networks are more likely to attract younger people and younger people are more than likely to be Obama supporters, the difference in numbers here is telling.  It’s a combination of those demographic trends and a likely  lack of understanding and interest from the McCain people.  This is a big mistake on the campaign’s part and it could harm the GOP for a long time.

Social networking is how many now communicate.  How people get their news - or at least how they are directed to their news.  It’s how people connect with others.   That the Republicans haven’t taken initiatives to in some ways match the Obama’s campaign shows me that the apparatus put in place by the Democrats could give them the knowledge base and experience to dominate in online politicking for years to come.

This is going to be a close election, closer than most people think.  And while I can’t say that online social media efforts will win it for Obama if he ends up being victorious, the connections that people make on line, the enthusiasm that it breeds, and the calls to action will, in my opinion give Barack Obama hundreds of thousands of votes…votes that can make a difference.

Let’s face it, we’re in a recession. In the past five weeks, the stock market has tanked, the credit market has dried up, and a very large rescue/bailout plan has seemingly had little effect. Companies are now cutting back and employees are being let go.

Usually, the first cut in a recession is personnel, followed closely by the marketing budget. And no matter how much marketers will protest, no matter how many case studies and white papers we can produce showing that cutting marketing is the exact wrong thing to do, CFO’s and other decision makers bring out their scalpels and/or machetes. No doubt this time will be different.

This post is going to be a call out to decision makers, both financial and marketing, to take a close look at social media adoption as a means to keep a competitive edge and how your organization could be damaged or at the very least miss significant marketing opportunities and to address problematic issues. Social media is a whole new ballgame because it covers so much - marketing, customer relations, media relations, public relations, and a whole lot more. And much of it is not controlled by the organization. With your initiatives, you remain somewhat in control - although not as much as you think or you’d like. But social media is now effecting your brand(s), your status within your category, your organization as a whole. That’s because much of social media is initiated and, thus, managed and controlled by outside influencers.

It is you that has to adapt to this new age. You may not understand it at this point. You may have never knowingly read a blog, and you may declare you have no interest in doing so. You may think company names (Google, Twitter, etc.) sound silly, Therefore, you may feel that all of this is unimportant. If you feel that way, you’re wrong. That’s because this isn’t all about you. It is about the way we are all communicating, learning, and exchanging ideas. It’s about how we are now being marketed to. Take the time to learn it. No excuses.

Forrester Research just released a study showing how the use of social media is growing among online adults in the US. What’s also telling is that it’s not just the numbers that are increasing, it is that the types of involvement reflect a deeper involvement by those that use it. If the internet allows greater interaction between user and others, then social media is the engine that drives it. And a solid majority of adults are hopping the drivers seat.

People are searching for information on products and services. They’re going to review sites. They may be blogging about your new line of products, the restaurant you own, the quality of your service. It may be direct comments or it may be part of an overall presentation someone has left.

Forrester found that, in 2008, only 25% of online adults are “inactives” when it comes to social media. The other 75% use social media -whether they know it or not - to express their views,feelings, and concerns. And 21% - just over 1 in 5, are now considered to be “creators”. People who publish blogs, write stories, and upload videos. That means millions of people are now taking time out of their lives to create, produce, and distribute content.

The above graphic show us the hierarchy of user involvement. Forrester reports that the largest group, not surprisingly, is “spectators” at 69% of users. Note that these groups overlap. This means that effectively 7 out of 10 online adults may well be conducting research on whatever is you produce or provide. Right off the bat, you should think of search engine marketing (SEM). But you also should realize that this means that these same people aren’t just using, say, Google, to find your website…they’re also headed over to online review sites to see what others are saying about you. They’re reading (and in many cases contributing to) online forums that talk directly or indirectly about you. And your competitors.

Here’s another graph that breaks down the percentage of each category amongst the online population:

Take note of the critics. Thirty seven percent are writing those reviews, commenting on forums and blogs…they’re getting involved. They are one step away from being creators. They are proof that our culture has changed. That, whether or not you understand it or not, your likely customer base is going online and “doing” social media to get info about you.

This means that regardless of whether or not there is a recession, regardless of whether or not you understand all of this, you need to develop a social media strategy to address the needs of your customers, to market and to promote. To engage.

The fact we’re going to be in a recession does not mean that we’re not going to stop getting involved with social media. And the reality is that that fact that many decision makers don’t see this quite yet will do nothing to slow it down.

Paul Boutin, writing in Wired, has just pissed off a bunch of people. With good reason. He makes a reasonably cogent argument against blogging, but blows it by starting out as a dismayed populist then slides on over and becoming a disgruntled elitist. He waxes sentimental as to how blogging once was, yet fails to see that for many, perhaps for the many who are just now entering the blogosphere, that their current experiences are just as meaningful as those that he experienced just a few short years ago. And, to highlight his issues, he uses examples of leading bloggers so prominent (and perhaps unknowingly and unintentionally puts himself in their category) that I would hazard to guess that most of us readers can not relate to. Sort of a “the cool people don’t do that anymore…it’s only the masses that do”.

All of that masked an intriguing and insightful article. Today’s blogging atmosphere IS quite different from that of only a couple of years ago. It has is some ways become more cluttered, reducing the level of discourse. It has become more “professionalized”, with corporate leaders (or ghostbloggers) writing positive stories in blogspeak. And it most definitely become a domain for marketers, advertisers, and PR people to promote and push ideas, products, and services. And, sure, that’s had a negative effect.

But each individual’s blog is a their own thought platform. That hasn’t changed. And while he suggest bloggers move over to Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube - they ain’t the same. Twitter, which I love, allows us 140 character spurts of info. Not enough for real intellectual thought. Flickr is important, but it’s a photo album. And YouTube may not be for everyone as they may not want to speak to a camera and have the world see their thoughts.

Paul starts out by saying “Thinking about launching your own blog? Here’s some friendly advice: Don’t. And if you’ve already got one, pull the plug.”

That’s not necessary. That’s because many entering it right now - those that may be considered to be cut-rate journalists - aren’t looking to be respected amateur thought leaders. Those days have passed and those of us that have been part of it have grown to accept it while those entering it now for the first time won’t really know the difference.

The point I take the most issue with is his use of Jason Calacanis and Robert Scoble as examples as trendsetters for us all. They aren’t. They are of the blogosphere elite who have earned their reputations but I won’t be comparing myself to them anytime soon. I’d say most of the readers of this article wouldn’t - or shouldn’t either. And we shouldn’t do what they do because, simply put, we aren’t in their league. It would have been better off if Paul Boutin interviewed a couple of mid-level former bloggers who stopped or have considered stopping. By highlighting the elite as examples, he brings forth the very hierarchy that blogging was supposed to neuter.

Overall, he’s absolutely right. Blogging has changed and not always for the better. And that’s not necessarily what I would want as well. But maybe it’s time we altered our view of blogging and what makes it worthwhile.

In a recent blog post on Twisted Image’s Six Pixels of Separation, “When Customers Attack, They’re Not Doing It Online”, Mitch Joel looks at a recent Harris Interactive study that shows us that 7% of consumers who encountered some sort of difficulty while they were trying to conduct an online transaction then turned to a blog or a social network to vent. Now, I couldn’t find the study on the Harris site, but I’ll take Mitch’s word for it and assume it deals strictly with online transactions.

Then Mitch goes on to say

Admit it, you thought it would be higher.

No. I won’t admit to that. I’d have thought it would be lower.

He then states

All in all, it’s still a little surprising how low these numbers seem.

No, it’s not surprising to me.

Sometimes I think we forget that most people out there aren’t necessarily all that familiar with blogs. Or online forums. Sure, they may read a blog or two now and then. And they may turn to a product review site when applicable. But that doesn’t mean that they play a proactive roll in contributing to these platforms. Just as we so often see only a few people get involved in all sorts of membership organizations and groups, we will also see what I would assume to be a smaller percentage of contributing complainers. For most, it is not a priority. It’s not part of someone’s nature or usual routine.

First of all, someone has to know of a blog (or have one) from which they can either post an entry or write a comment. Or they have to make some sort of comment on a their profile page, be it on Facebook or MySpace or wherever. These take thought processes that go beyond quickly blowing off steam. It involves formulating an articulate series of thoughts, written in a coherent manner. It often takes a considerable amount of time. It can be a bother. It’s often not worth the effort. It’s much easier to vent to a friend, a coworker, a relative.

That’s why, according to the study, three-quarters of the people complained in person, and half complained to someone they know via the phone. Face to face and over the phone are quick easy established means of communication.

Why am I bringing this up? Because that 7% is actually high. Seven out of one hundred dissatisfied customers (or potential customers) are unhappy enough to take assertive action to coneptualize their thoughts and intentionally let others know. And not in a heat of the moment aspect. This could be somewhat alarming.

That’s because many organizations still don’t have their acts together online. User interface is a mess. Catalogs make no sense. Online forms that they must fill out can be burdensome. An online store may not remember who someone is. Sometimes it may not be the company’s fault. A credit card may not go through because of a technical glitch on the credit company’s end. And not everyone is really ecommerce savvy.

So, yes, it’s alarming. That’s because if a company processes 600,000 transactions a month and 2% of them create problems for their customers (not all of the problems necessarily sabotage the transaction), that means you’ve got 12,000 problems. Of that 7% complain in a blog or on a network. That’s 840 people. Per month. Getting my calculator out…that’s 10,800 online complaints per year. Yikes. That’s a lot.

Now Mitch does go on to say that

Putting it in writing and online gives the complaint a permanent digital legacy (one that has an ongoing conversation around it)…So, while the percentage may be significantly lower than telling someone in person, the effects of the online complaint probably have a much more dire long-term and overall negative brand effect.

That’s the key point. He’s spot on. The fact that 7% of unsatisfied customers are making that extra effort - which as we see could end up meaning thousands of people - can pose untold problems for today’s companies. Those proactive seven percenters are could easily be an alarming amount in both real numbers and in influence.

On October 10th, I was interviewed by Sarah Wurrey and Jen Zingsheim of Media Bullseye. It was an honor to be asked. Many thanks to Sarah and Jen. The session was called “Social Media and the Meltdown”.

We talked on three topics.

First we talked about how rogue and anonymous employee bloggers can post a threat to their employers - but can provide a service to their fellow employees. This may be especially important in slowing economic times where companies tend to cut back and often do so in a insensitive manner.

We then discussed how online reviews and/or complaints, while still relatively new and not as prevalent, pose a disproportional threat to companies because of their reach and longevity.

And finally, we took a look at how social media might be affected by the recession. I don’t really paint a rosy picture as many of us in social media have yet to develop solid case studies with tangible ROI or haven’t been able to develop many direct relationships with clients (as opposed to been outsourced to via ad agencies and PR firms).

Thanks again to Sarah and Jen!

 Cool new news from the gang over at WOMMA, A Twitter Shakeup:

Jack Dorsey and Evan Williams, the co-founders of Twitter, have decided to switch company roles. Dorsey, the current CEO of Twitter, will become the Chairman. Williams, the current Chairman, slides into place as the new CEO. Said Fred Wilson from the Twitter Board of Directors, ” ‘We all think Ev is a better fit to lead the company from a product perspective, an operations perspective, and a business standpoint.’ ” The news was greeted somewhat quizzically by the New York Times’ Bits Blog, which pointed out that Twitter has become somewhat of a stable enterprise, especially after its highly successful weeks of presidential debate coverage. Bits suggests that perhaps this shakeup is a way to start Twitter on a path to generating revenue.

Here’s some fresh news from AdAdge that Barack Obama has been awarded the AdAge Marketer of the Year award, edging out Apple and Zappos. 36.1% of all votes went to Obama, compared toApple’s 27.3% and Zappo’s 14.1%.

Just weeks before he demonstrates whether his campaign’s blend of grass-roots appeal and big media-budget know-how has converted the American electorate, Sen. Barack Obama has shown he’s already won over the nation’s brand builders. He’s been named Advertising Age’s marketer of the year for 2008.

Mr. Obama won the vote of hundreds of marketers, agency heads and marketing-services vendors gathered here at the Association of National Advertisers’ annual conference. He edged out runners-up Apple and Zappos.com. The rest of the shortlist, selected by Ad Age’s editorial staff, was rounded out by megabrand Nike, turnaround story Coors and Mr. Obama’s rival, Sen. John McCain.

I don’t know but this all sounds like “grassroots” campaigning and politics to me; that said, the Barack Obama campaign has a certain level of religiosity and passion that might just have welled into campaigning, using AdAge as a platform.

I wonder.  I might be wrong.

It’s just a little fishy. Sounds a little bit of memetic engineering mixed in with a high passion base rolled into a high probability that modern ad men and ad women are urban liberals and might use the awards to make a vocal statement.

Again, I might be wrong.

Mind you, if this is a conspiracy of Barack Obama campaigning and pro-Obama activation, then the success in fact proves and reinforces the award as rightfully — and with passion — belonging to the Obama/Biden ticket.

What do you think?

On behalf of the International Medical Corps and Abraham Harrison, thank you so much for all of your support over the last four weeks to get the vote out to help get the International Medical Corps into the top-five of the Members Project and then for securing the $100,000 from American Express, to be used to feed hungry children worldwide. Here’s a thank you video blog entry from Paige Strackman, who was the PaigeS who submitted IMC in the first place under the title, Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children.
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Note: the following post is by our friend and colleague Adam Henige of Netvantage Marketing.

Part of search engine optimization, unfortunately, is stepping into a quagmire of a site and trying to turn it into a gold mine. This is not always easy to do, nor is it my favorite thing to do, but it is completely understandable. Marketing, for much of its existence, has pr