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Twitter and Goliath

April 14, 2009 By 5 Comments
2009-04-13-amazon-failwhale

This was posted April 13, 2009 on my blog "Positively Media" at Psychology Today. First it was "Dell Hell" and now it is "#AmazonFail." For all the debates over the purpose, point, and value of social media, it is events like these that illustrate how important they have become and how powerful they can be. "Dell Hell" is one of the iconic stories in the history of social media sending an emphatic message that consumers have a new power. In June 2005, blogger Jeff Jarvis shared his less than satisfactory experience with Dell's customer service on his blog "Buzz Machine" with the title "Dell Hell." (This story is documented in a number of places, including the books Groundswell and Citizen Marketers, both quite interesting.)  The reach of Jarvis' blog got his story out there, but the fact that his experience resonated with so many other Dell customers coupled with the system properties of the Internet sent the story viral, ending up not only all over the web but in the New York … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Culture & Society, Social Media & Networks Tagged With: , , ,

Rebranding Nigeria in Global Brains

April 10, 2009 By 5 Comments

Nigeria has recently embarked on a rebranding effort to improve their image worldwide.  Global perceptions are important in attracting the kinds of things an emerging economy needs to improve the living standards and opportunities of its people: tourism, trade, foreign direct investment and foreign financial assistance, or even to meet the UN recommended Millennium Development goals. In the words of President Yar Adua, "we must readily put in place a positive perception of Nigeria."   It has been interesting to watch the dialogue in the AllAfrica.com news.  In a recent article Nigeria: Re-Branding - Country May Be Worse If Credibility Gap is Created the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) president Aimiuwu warned that things may get worse rather than better if Nigeria doesn't do the rebranding effort right, noting that credibility is important, if "a product is not authentic and credible then our acceptability by other comity of nations will be difficult." He also … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Brands & Identity, Politics & Policy, Social Media & Networks Tagged With: , ,

Redefine Business Success to Fit the Times

April 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

An article on Entrepreneur.com "In This Economy, Everything's (Re)Negotiable" got me thinking about how hard it is to make changes in a business.  Aside from contracts and other commitments, it's difficult to retrench because it means redefining how you think about yourself and success.  Running a business is hard work because you have to be able to  adapt to the market with the necessary steps to keep your business healthy--especially when the economy goes limp.  Times like this can be a great opportunity to realize that renegotiating contracts and cutting costs are NOT signs of weakness and failure.  The real success stories are the people who recognize that the time to make change is BEFORE you need to.  They have the internal strength to roll up their sleeves and do what it takes to keep their business alive and well.  This means not getting hung up on the size of your office, the view out of your window, or the kind of car you drive.  If you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Brands & Identity, Psychology Tagged With: ,

Brain Plasticity and Adapting to Change

April 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment
brain-and-culture_

This is a great clip from "On the Brain" with Dr. Michael Merzenich interviewing Dr. Bruce Wexler. Wexler wrote the book Brain and Culture —one of my favorites.  In this interview, Merzenich and Wexler talk about the brain plasticity or the ability of someone to adapt when someone's internal models and worldview no longer match the world he or she lives in, such as in cases of trauma, loss, or the experience of immigrants in a new culture.  To me, this aptly describe people trying to adjust to emerging technologies. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cognition, Psychology Tagged With: ,
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