On Friday June 18, I had the great pleasure of copresenting a workshop on the topic of social strategy and design integration with Cindi Thomas of Translator, aka @deziner, for @C2GPS. Pretty much any time you’re in a room with Cindi, you are guaranteed to a) laugh your a$$ off b) learn something c) realize you need to rethink something d) all of the above. (The correct answer is D.)
So I wanted to take this opportunity to recap what I learned.
Cindi spoke about how:
-Integration is not about creating the same thing in different media channels, just in a different flavor; instead, it is about understanding the unique roles and expectations of each channel.
-Integration is not about “bolting on” social to digital experience, marketing or PR. Instead, create a digital experience, marketing program or PR effort that is inherently social.
-Design for digital/social is more alchemy than science. There is no checklist or recipe for success. We can suggest ingredients but not exact amounts.
As for me, I talked about the Joy of Strategy and how:
-It has evolved past the two-dimensional thinking of features, functional benefits, and emotional benefits to the much more three-dimensional world of stories, utilities and people.
-It is more about creating caring, conversation and (media) coverage than it is about the mythical “one thing” about the brand of yore.
-Planning requires a much higher degree of openess and flexibility than it used to. No more annual planning – we are constantly planning and adapting strategy to the opportunities of the moment.
It was a great group, and a great time. Oddly, though, on a gorgeous Friday afternoon in June, no one wanted to stay and chat about the Joys of Social Media Measurement. Go figure. Maybe next time.
Thanks to the fantastic @ericaconway and the whole @C2GPS crew. If you aren’t familiar with them, check them out here. The GPS stands for Graphics and Productivity Solutions. These folks know how to find great people who can get ‘er done, and they know how to train. They make a mean jello shot too from what I hear.
Here are the slides. If you’re reading this on an Apple mobile device you can see them here on Slideshare mobile.
Please add your two cents in the comments or let Cindi and I know if we can be of help.
