World Wide Web (WWW) Opens Doors for World Bank

Recently discovering ipressroom, I was delighted to begin listening to the wealth of practical PR interviews with influential worldwide communicators. Edith Wilson, World Bank Senior Advisor of External Relations, began with speaking of her passion for ending poverty. Although her career began as an activist, she then continued on to work with Burson-Marsteller, learning the importance of markets in the struggle of lifting populations out of the $1/day poverty line.

The World Bank has around 1,200 employees and works with low-income countries, as well as the lowest bracket of the middle income countries.  She spoke of the Wolfowitz controversy this past spring as an ideal example of the Internet’s power to collapse an institution’s hierarchy. With it’s intranet comment boards filled with hundreds of thousands of employee comments on the issue, the board and staff were conversing 24 hours a day via the net. She also spoke of the Internet’s ability to lower the World Bank’s costs in both listening to the populations it serves, as well as providing them with relevant information. The Internet is breaking down walls, and it is the World Bank’s goal that as the bricks fall, more funds will be distributed to those who need it most.

Future of Entertainment 2 Conference at MIT

Today and tomorrow, I am attending MIT’s Future of Entertainment 2 Conference (FoE2), bringing together top network, mobile, internet and entertainment professionals (MTV Networks, Yahoo!, TBS) to discuss where the entertainment industry is headed.

For the conference’s weblog, check out the FoE2 site. For those who are questioning metrics that will attract advertisers, the use of mobile in the future and the influence of fans (today’s topics of discussion), please know you’re not alone. The weblog would be very useful.

Weber’s Marketing to the Social Web Sticks With Marketers

Reading Larry Weber’s recent book, Marketing to the Social Web, I was relieved to discover sound, practical advice for generating conversations on the web. As a Global Marketing student, I am continually looking for suggested strategies and framework necessary to implement an effective marketing campaign.

Weber outlines various issues companies grapple with when approaching the web, such as, legality issues surrounding consumer comments, employee blogging backlash, moving consumers to your company’s site, and how to generate conversations. He finishes with closing thoughts on Web 4.0, calling it to ‘emotive’ web, the location where emotions, experience and fulfillment will develop from the interactive and rich media environment.

Some quick ‘take-aways’ include:

His 7-step approach

1. Observe: What is currently being said about our product? It’s important to pick 10-15 search words that lead to the content our company is most concerned about and then starting from a reputation aggregator, review the content, keeping in mind your objectives and remaining focused.
2. Recruit: Find a core community to begin discussion.
3. Evaluate: Which tools should we use? Blogs? E-communities? Social Network? Reputation aggregator?
4. Engage: What questions can we pose in order to provide value to our customers and make them hungry for more?
5. Measure: What do we need to know in order to prove this is successful? Are we meeting our objectives?
6. Promote: Spread the word – come be a part of our site!!
7. Improve: What new changes are occurring that would benefit our customers?

I realize the question of, ‘Will every web-site become Facebook?’ exists, and, as companies take this structure into consideration, that is an important question that will be need to be answered; however, while businesses will likely adopt similar structures, as we move into the Web 4.0 experience, I think creativity and community intelligence will continue to prevail, with new structures and frameworks continually breaking ground.

3-D  worlds on the web are becoming popular, and the possibility of this word existing on the web is slowly becoming a true reality, breaking the ‘every site will be a facebook’ mentality. However, I’m also sure that 5 years from now, the facebook we not be the facebook we know now.

Interactive MITX Awards Show a Smash

Every ad agency in the New England area should be a part of the Massachusetts Innovative & Technology Exchange (MITX)! Last night I had the opportunity to be a part of this sold out Awards Show. As the programs reads, the MITX Annual Awards Show is the ‘Biggest Web Awards Competition Anywhere.’ Having the opportunity to volunteer and attend this sold out event last evening, I can attest to the truth of this statement.

Handing out awards to the most innovative online products, the MITX Awards is an annual event in its 12th year. Some of this years’ winners included WGBH Interactive’s Curious George site in the category of ‘Kids, Tweens, and Teens’ and Digitas & Make 3-D for The Home Depot Holiday Decorating Site in the category of ‘Acquisition/Direct Marketing Campaign.’ A complete listing can be found at Mass High Tech, The Journal of New England Technology.

Leavens Attends Hubert Burda Digital Life Design Conference

I recently discovered that I will not only be attending the international Design Life Digital (DLD) Conference this coming January (which I am absolutely thrilled about), but I will also be helping to organize the event! Hubert Burda Media holds the annual conference in Munich, Germany. I will have the opportunity to be a part of an international experience that brings together the brightest minds from a variety of fields, including new technologies and media. While they are still compiling the list for this coming year, past speakers have include Arianna Huffington (The Huffington Post), Niklas Zennstrom (Joost & Skype) and Caterina Fake (Flickr). While putting my communication and organizational skills to the test, I will be learning a great deal from the conference team - something I am greatly looking forward to! I will be in Germany January 1 - 23, 2008.

“DLD (Digital, Life, Design) is Europe’s conference for the 21st century; covering digital innovation, gaming, arts and science and bringing together thought leaders from Europe, the Middle-East, America and Asia. The three-day event is chaired by publisher Hubert Burda and investor Jospeh Vardi and hosted by Stephanie Czerny and Marcel Reichart.”

DLD08 is scheduled for January 20-22, 2008.

The Web Isn’t Perfect

Imperfection is the New Perfection

“Don’t expect too much from me
Perfection is no test for me
Because the best I’ll ever be
Is just like you: A human being
You won’t offend, I need to know
Please, my friend, show me your soul”
~The Red Hot Chili Peppers

My sister is a huge Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, so, coming across this on David Armano’s Logic + Emotion web-site, I had to post it. Being a perfectionist, I’m still getting used to this ‘just put it out there!’ mentality of the web. The web is raw; it’s real; and it’s live. Posting it ‘perfectly’ tomorrow simply means you’ve missed the boat.