MediaJoltz

There has been a lot going on in my life for the past few weeks about communication and I’d like to touch on what has happened and what I think it means…
GwavaCon with Gwava TV: Gwava a Novell partner who works with Groupwise had a conference called GwavaCon at the end of January in San Diego/Del Mar. I and my husband took part in the GWAVA TV crew. We’ve done video for GWAVA before, but this was a little different because we attempted to broadcast live some of the classes and the keynotes. I say attempted because we still experienced problems with broadband speeds-but eventually found a solution.
What this means: This means that those who aren’t able to make it to a conference aren’t going to be left out. It means that there is content about/for GWAVA and Novell Groupwise supporters that is available across the world. The ability to do this just 5 years ago would have cost thousands upon thousands of dollars. Granted, like I said the internet wasn’t the greatest, but that is something that is being improved upon every day.

Passing of a Prophet: President Hinckley, 15th Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints passed away on January 27th.

What this means: Its not necessarily what happens now that was so significant, it was the way this news was communicated. At approximately 7pm MST he passed away. At 8pm my husband, Cammon, received a text from his cousin. Not but a few seconds later I received a text from my brother. And then it was interesting because at the time, we were in the middle of a dinner presentation at this conference and when I looked around I saw those who are of the LDS faith checking their phones as well. There are tons of stories circulating about how Facebook groups were created in a few short hours and the message went out to wear your Sunday best that Monday morning.
How fitting for a church leader who stressed Media Relations and is credited with bringing the church out of obscurity. Thousands upon thousands all over the world wore their Sunday best that Monday-and it was all because of the technology we have been blessed with.

The Pulver Show with Jeff Pulver: Today I participated as long as a could in the Pulver TV show with the guys from Qik.com-live broadcast video from your mobile phone.
What it means: One thing I remember is the London Bombings and how a lot of the footage shown were from people’s cell phones. This Washington Post article talks about how immediate we were able to see what was happening. And not even just video, but with the school shootings happening across the country, how people started blogging immediately. And take a look at the political campaign here in the U.S and how things are changing because the power to produce is no longer just with the big media giants.
What it all means: Because you no longer have to pay millions of dollars to have an online presence, people are able to capture live life moments and share them with the world. This ability to broadcast one’s life is huge. I wonder how I will communicate with my son.

I will write about my hiatus later, but for now, here is my ode to Richard Bliss:
Richard Bliss VP of Marketing for GWAVA, a Novell partner, has an amazing mind. He gets it. He understands the need for businesses to get content and information to their clients/customers AND be accessible for questions, comments and feedback on that information.

I was watching a news report about how the political campaign leaders have been stumbling this year with how much they AREN’T able to control. Take for instance the 1984 Hillary video “Vote Different.”

It was quite a while before anyone even knew who put the video together! Now you’ve got blogs, and wikis and tons of conversations online that can’t be controlled. The report then went into how this is the case for all marketers alike-how they are scrambling because they don’t know how to deal with the influx of conversation that isn’t being channeled THROUGH them.

Richard isn’t freaking out though. His eyes light up when he talks about how cool it is to spread the word about projects, conferences and events. Meetings or conversations with him leave my head hurting-in a good way. He has so many ideas that he wants to try that I have to make sure I record the conversations we have so I can remember everything he has planned!

The difference between Richard and most marketers right now is that he wants to TRACK the conversations, see who is saying what and encourage more, not CONTROL it. I have heard so many people say “but if I put a blog on my company website, I might get negative comments about my company.” I can tell you right now, if you get negative comments on your blog, there are negative comments all over the internet. At least on your blog it is your turf, and you can respond and start putting that PR department to work.

By monitoring the online conversations people are having with each other, we can find out the truth about how people feel about our business/product. And by starting a company blog, a company wiki, and being IN the conversations, you are allowing yourself to be accessible to your client/customer which makes them feel like they can get to know you better, and be more loyal to more than just your brand, but to you yourself. You are also STARTING conversations and provoking thoughts that might have been left otherwise.

Richard is using all outlets of the web to try and spread the word, start conversations and allow people to talk back. His blog: BlissPoint Blog talks about marketing, overcoming fears and what he is up to with GWAVA. His blog allows comments-or I like to call it feedback. The GWAVA TV Channel shares content streaming 24/7 and has a chat room for you to talk about how you feel. He is also on LinkedIn and has dabbled in Twitter and has his own YouTube Channel too. As a client of GWAVA, you would have no problem finding out what is going on with the company on a personal level.

I think this is an excellent example of how companies need to embrace the online world. This doesn’t mean to stop using traditional methods, but adapting new ones and merging the two. Richard understands the importance of using all outlets and taking hold of all opportunities to expand communication to anyone who wants to listen. Way to go dude!