Not really that hard to sell the Great Barrier Reef is it now? Come on Cummins Nitro, here is a real challenge!
Second best job in the world
On the fringe of the internet: 4chan /b/
Have you heard of Boxxybabee?
No? well I will get to her in a minute.
Ever heard of 4chan /b/?
Zac described it as the 'Footscray of the internet' (Sydneysiders think Redfern before the hipsters migrated).
Wikipedia suggests that
'4chan is an English-language imageboard website... its boards are primarily used for the posting of pictures and discussion of manga and anime...4chan is usually in the top 1000 sites in the world... The "random" board, /b/, is by far 4chan's most popular board. Gawker.com's Nick Douglas summarizes /b/ as a board where "people try to shock, entertain, and coax free porn from each other".'
Sounds like just some crazy anime fanboi bulletin board?
But that is where you are wrong, 4chan is a powerhouse of internet memes. All these memes originate from 4chan;
Lolcat
Rick Rolling
Chocolate Rain
...and the newest edition is BoxxyBabee
The rise of Boxxybabee
According to Ashadi (Bannerblog), Boxxy is not a member of 4chan, but just gave a shout out to the 4chan message board. She caused quite a stir by doing this 'because /b/ is a bit like Fight Club... there are no rules, except you are not supposed to talk about it/tell people. Mostly because outsiders just don't get it and think it's ridiculous.' suggested Sophie Benjamin.
However, as the 1,000s of /b/tards (as they like to be known) were going to see what all the commotion was about, her videos was shooting up the Youtube Honour board. She climbed all the way to most subscribed Youtuber for the day (12th Jan, currently 600,000+ views in 4 days). Her Pièce de Youtube résistance came when the Youtube heavyweight SxePhil (9th most subscribed in the world) showcased her on one of his videos.
Meanwhile a shit storm was occurring in the 4chan site, lovers and haters of boxxy were arguing over her being a sign of everything that is right/wrong about the forum and haters were using a little bit of porn to help get their case across. All this talk actually helped to create her into a meme.
Conclusion and more posts to follow
4chan has to be one of the most interesting environments on the internet, it takes all that you think you know about digital media (social capital, user experience, creativity, power users) and flips it on its head, over the coming weeks I am going to provide some posts on lessons learnt from 4chan aka 'the fringes of the internet'.
I have to give a big thanks to Ashadi Hopper and Sophie Benjamin for providing me valuable insight into the inner workings of this community.
Ashadi has also written a post on BoxxyBabee here
The 4chan archive is also a great place to pick up on quality or most viewed topics coming through the website.
No? well I will get to her in a minute.
Ever heard of 4chan /b/?
Zac described it as the 'Footscray of the internet' (Sydneysiders think Redfern before the hipsters migrated).
Wikipedia suggests that
'4chan is an English-language imageboard website... its boards are primarily used for the posting of pictures and discussion of manga and anime...4chan is usually in the top 1000 sites in the world... The "random" board, /b/, is by far 4chan's most popular board. Gawker.com's Nick Douglas summarizes /b/ as a board where "people try to shock, entertain, and coax free porn from each other".'
Sounds like just some crazy anime fanboi bulletin board?
But that is where you are wrong, 4chan is a powerhouse of internet memes. All these memes originate from 4chan;
Lolcat
Rick Rolling
Chocolate Rain
...and the newest edition is BoxxyBabee
The rise of Boxxybabee
According to Ashadi (Bannerblog), Boxxy is not a member of 4chan, but just gave a shout out to the 4chan message board. She caused quite a stir by doing this 'because /b/ is a bit like Fight Club... there are no rules, except you are not supposed to talk about it/tell people. Mostly because outsiders just don't get it and think it's ridiculous.' suggested Sophie Benjamin.
However, as the 1,000s of /b/tards (as they like to be known) were going to see what all the commotion was about, her videos was shooting up the Youtube Honour board. She climbed all the way to most subscribed Youtuber for the day (12th Jan, currently 600,000+ views in 4 days). Her Pièce de Youtube résistance came when the Youtube heavyweight SxePhil (9th most subscribed in the world) showcased her on one of his videos.
Meanwhile a shit storm was occurring in the 4chan site, lovers and haters of boxxy were arguing over her being a sign of everything that is right/wrong about the forum and haters were using a little bit of porn to help get their case across. All this talk actually helped to create her into a meme.
Conclusion and more posts to follow
4chan has to be one of the most interesting environments on the internet, it takes all that you think you know about digital media (social capital, user experience, creativity, power users) and flips it on its head, over the coming weeks I am going to provide some posts on lessons learnt from 4chan aka 'the fringes of the internet'.
I have to give a big thanks to Ashadi Hopper and Sophie Benjamin for providing me valuable insight into the inner workings of this community.
Ashadi has also written a post on BoxxyBabee here
The 4chan archive is also a great place to pick up on quality or most viewed topics coming through the website.
A Digital Perspective - Crystal Ballin'
Jye Smith has an awesome series running at the moment about people’s Digital Perspective of 2008/09. I did a response a while back, but once I started seeing a number of other peoples (Paul Fisher,Zac Martin and Ravi Prasad) responses, I realised I probably needed to go into a little more detail with mine.
Describe what you do:
At the moment I am in a really exciting position, working with an enthusiastic team at The Population (Social Marketing Agency) to come up with marketing solutions for companies to the current digital landscape.
What do I do; I am implementing social marketing projects; Seek (Blogger Outreach Program), Foxtel (Online Publicity), Cancer Council (Online Publicity and Online Media Property Management) and Dosh Wallet (Online Publicity) but I will talk about them in more detail soon.
Best digital memory of 2008?:
My best digital memory would be an integrated memory (offline/online) of becoming part of the growing social marketing community in Sydney. Revolving around the Friday Morning Breakfasts, I have the opportunity to meet a number of interesting people in the last 6 months. It is really exciting and hard not to feel that this is the beginning of something really big.
Great video by Scott Drummond on why we all love Single Origin as venue of choice for Friday Morning Breakfast!
Single Origin Gypsy Friday from Scott Drummond on Vimeo.
What’s the best lesson the industry could learn?
Some common online enegagement measurement metrics. Measurements that show the importance of someone responding or commenting on content that a company have put out there, in comparison to someone just viewing a piece of content and also the value of a company responding to a comment/thread online.
What’s emerging for 2009?
Community Managers in Australia, look forward to seeing a whole lot more of them.
I think that there will be a lot more companies deciding to hire people within the organisation to act as a middle point between what is occurring in the online environment and the organisation. I think that last year we saw a massive increase in the number of large corporations doing this in America. I expect it will hit Australia this year.
What will be big in 2013?
Jye Smith
Jye Smith’s, the people that are highly motivated, people who want to take control of their future. These people will help to shape what Australian Online Marketing will look like in 2013.
Describe what you do:
At the moment I am in a really exciting position, working with an enthusiastic team at The Population (Social Marketing Agency) to come up with marketing solutions for companies to the current digital landscape.
What do I do; I am implementing social marketing projects; Seek (Blogger Outreach Program), Foxtel (Online Publicity), Cancer Council (Online Publicity and Online Media Property Management) and Dosh Wallet (Online Publicity) but I will talk about them in more detail soon.
Best digital memory of 2008?:
My best digital memory would be an integrated memory (offline/online) of becoming part of the growing social marketing community in Sydney. Revolving around the Friday Morning Breakfasts, I have the opportunity to meet a number of interesting people in the last 6 months. It is really exciting and hard not to feel that this is the beginning of something really big.
Great video by Scott Drummond on why we all love Single Origin as venue of choice for Friday Morning Breakfast!
Single Origin Gypsy Friday from Scott Drummond on Vimeo.
What’s the best lesson the industry could learn?
Some common online enegagement measurement metrics. Measurements that show the importance of someone responding or commenting on content that a company have put out there, in comparison to someone just viewing a piece of content and also the value of a company responding to a comment/thread online.
What’s emerging for 2009?
Community Managers in Australia, look forward to seeing a whole lot more of them.
I think that there will be a lot more companies deciding to hire people within the organisation to act as a middle point between what is occurring in the online environment and the organisation. I think that last year we saw a massive increase in the number of large corporations doing this in America. I expect it will hit Australia this year.
What will be big in 2013?
Jye Smith
Jye Smith’s, the people that are highly motivated, people who want to take control of their future. These people will help to shape what Australian Online Marketing will look like in 2013.
Friday Brain Dump Ahead!
1. Ubanks are back in the digital game. They have released a new video series. What are your thoughts about the new digital idea?
2. Top 100 update is coming out in a weeks time. Thanks to Zac Martin for compiling.
3. Trouble Andrew rocks. He is better known as ProSnowboarder Trevor Andrew or Santogold's better half. But I like to think of him as the douchebag musician who will not put his music on iTunes to let me legally download it.
.
4. Ben Shepard is on the ball. He has noticed I have been writing short hand everything lately and he wants explanations. I am going to give Jye Smith 2009 predictions questions another stab and answer why I do not want to talk about SM.
5. Scotty D (as in Scott Drummond the guy who was given massive props by David Armano) and I have a little something something cooking in the ol' Youtube video series oven; imagine NAB Spamming, Viral Rockstars and Sydney Shuffle except with a little more hair, watch out CommunityChannel we are coming after your Youtube millions.
2. Top 100 update is coming out in a weeks time. Thanks to Zac Martin for compiling.
3. Trouble Andrew rocks. He is better known as ProSnowboarder Trevor Andrew or Santogold's better half. But I like to think of him as the douchebag musician who will not put his music on iTunes to let me legally download it.
.
4. Ben Shepard is on the ball. He has noticed I have been writing short hand everything lately and he wants explanations. I am going to give Jye Smith 2009 predictions questions another stab and answer why I do not want to talk about SM.
5. Scotty D (as in Scott Drummond the guy who was given massive props by David Armano) and I have a little something something cooking in the ol' Youtube video series oven; imagine NAB Spamming, Viral Rockstars and Sydney Shuffle except with a little more hair, watch out CommunityChannel we are coming after your Youtube millions.
s****l m***a is dead, long live the web
I hate the word “s****l m***a”!
Alisa was right, It is just an iteration of what the web is at the moment. I am sick of using the word. All media is social anyway. Mr. Gillespie you were right. I am going to stop talking about it.
The web has always been social.
Gavin is not using the ‘B’ word for the next month. I am going to stop using the SM word for January. Wooters!
Alisa was right, It is just an iteration of what the web is at the moment. I am sick of using the word. All media is social anyway. Mr. Gillespie you were right. I am going to stop talking about it.
The web has always been social.
Gavin is not using the ‘B’ word for the next month. I am going to stop using the SM word for January. Wooters!
Revaluing a Channel: My favourite Sydney Street Artist.
Some great Sydneysider keeps putting up.
In the process they are also revaluing the channel of communication of the ‘street poster’. Now whenever I see a street poster I go up and check it out.
This is similar to the strategy that Google AdWords had with the Seth MacFarlane Calvacade, they put entertaining videos where they are going to put video ads. Clever, no?
Where the hell have I been for the last few days?
I went to Pyramid Rock Festival at possibly the coldest and windiest place in Australia, Phillip Island. I scored a Volunteer pass which got me a free ticket, if I cleaned up the festival for eight hours. Rubbish collection was much needed, as at times I was much confused with whether I had stepped into Corey Delanhey come back party (with enough Southern Cross tattoos, Couch burnings, Local Footy club chants, Beer Bongs and Bundy flags to last me a life time)
The line up on the other hand was killer, just suited to my taste; a massive Aussie Hip Hop Lineup (Drapht killed it IMO, backed up by Funkoars, Downsyde, Muph and Plutonic and The Herd) and just enough acts to keep me on the D-floor (Digitalism were awesome, Cut Copy, Ladyhawke, a tad disappointing and Kano.
They also filmed the music video to Pez’s ‘Festival song’, which pretty much sums up the whole experience.
2008, boy I wished that happened
WOW, What a year! Bronze Moggie in the bag, congrats to Jonathan for taking out the big one.
Here is my list of stuff I wished had happened to me in 2008
Social Media Project I wished I got off the ground: Telstra Bigpond Twitter, these guys need some massive props, I think they were the first real big Australian players to do something awesome and meaningful in Social Media.
Blog I wished I wrote: Truly Heinous, I found this blog yesterday and it is my new favourite read. It is like Imnotantisocial and Aktifmag had a blog baby and created awesomeness.
Degree I wished I'd finished: That old Masters in Marketing at Monash will be still waiting for me in 2019. I have got 4 units left but am struggling to find the motivation to finish it.
Video I wished I created: Hmm, it is close between
Trent from Punchy
or
this remix of Kersal Massive
Animal I wished I had become: NARWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL I got a Narwal t-shirt in The Population Kris Kringle. To get you all excited for the t shirt, I will be wearing for Friday morning breakfasts here is some Narwal photos.
Moral of the story: Narwals Rock!
Andrew O'Keefe drunk footage No Big Deal!
Social Media helps to contextualise stories within society
Case in point is the recent footage of Andrew O’Keefe drunken night out in Melbourne.
Herald Sun ran it as a piece trying to disapprove of Andrew behaviour. It was only when the footage ended up on Youtube that the public was given a voice.
Instead of people disapproving Andrew’s behaviour they are actually more critical of the role of the Herald Sun and the filmers of this footage.
It kind of reminds me of the Kevin Rudd in the strip club fiasco, most analyst saw it as a blow to the Labour party. In my eyes it just showed that Rudd was human, when did going to a strip club become illegal?
Case in point is the recent footage of Andrew O’Keefe drunken night out in Melbourne.
Herald Sun ran it as a piece trying to disapprove of Andrew behaviour. It was only when the footage ended up on Youtube that the public was given a voice.
Instead of people disapproving Andrew’s behaviour they are actually more critical of the role of the Herald Sun and the filmers of this footage.
It kind of reminds me of the Kevin Rudd in the strip club fiasco, most analyst saw it as a blow to the Labour party. In my eyes it just showed that Rudd was human, when did going to a strip club become illegal?
An incredibly cynical take on 10 strategic blogging tactics used on you at this blog
Guest post from Mark Pollard (@markpollard, Flickr, Stealth Magazine):
strategy-maker, professional people-watcher and word-assembler.
Note: this post comes with a free copy - available for a limited time only - of the 10 Secret Moves from the Ultimate Blogger's Ultimate Blogging Playbook for Crazy Success.
This is the dirtiest post you will read for a long time.
It exposes the cunning strategies of mastermind social play-maker, Julian Cole. Yes, the blonde-quaffed man who 'innocently' blogs here every day. The thing is, after watching Mr Cole from afar, I quickly came to the belief that he had to be in possession of the Ultimate Blogging Strategy Playbook. The one the seniors kept hidden in American Pie, and passed on to younger generations when the time was right.
Only this playbook isn't about the sacred gyrations of the nether-regions and weird positions that would pull hamstrings the world over. No, the playbook in Cole's hands is about how to get you, his kind-hearted readers, to not just read his blog but to even respond to it ... and - even more sinister - subscribe to it, social-bookmark it.
He's just way too smooth. Every move is so deliberate, every shout-out so thought-through, every diagram so invitingly provocative. Once, I even saw him finish a conference PowerPoint presentation and straight-up tell people to visit his interwebsite! Unbelievable. Was this Chekov getting his bloggy groove on? Or, was it an accidental stealth maneouvre a la Adam Sandler in Water Boy?
I couldn't stand it any longer so I decided it was time to get naked. Well, to get Cole's strategy naked. Exposed. Hanging out in the breeze for all to see: freshly waxed and ready to play volleyball with some Brazilians on Bondi Beach before snacking on some late-night gelato at the Cooge Bay Hotel.
So, you want to know what he's up to? Well, here it is.
1. He is the Elmer Fudd of ego traps. Only better.
This is the oldest trick in the playbook. Name-drop, give props, source, celebrate, promote. Heaps. Let's face it, JC mentions you all the time. Yes, you, Clare Lancaster. You, Nick Crocker. Kate Richardson, you could not escape. Gavin Heaton, hurts so good, doesn't it? He even got Joseph Jaffe.
And, the young Scott Drummond, he got you really good as well. Not only did he mention you but he called you his 'hero' and posted a photo of the two of you locked in intellectual embrace. He even mentioned my digital love interest, Ian Lyons, and me but we outwitted him and zagged his zig by refusing to comment. Got him!
2. He doesn't answer his own questions. ????
As if he doesn't have all of the answers all of the time! He went to uni for ages. Cole knows only too well that leaving enough room in the mousetrap for the mouse is bound to get people to reply to his posts. I especially like his '????' tactic. Masterstroke. I also like the 'help me with my big conference idea'. Makes you want to write something, doesn't it?
3. He fakes you out with pretend absolutism. Bam, made you look!
He got Mr Truffle a good one with PR Agencies owning Social Media because Mr Truffle apparently only reads blog headlines. He nearly got me too but I read it... well, scanned it and then got distracted and forgot to post a quickfire retort. Another example of this tactic is, Why Twitter still loses, in which he even has a blog battle with Chris Brogan. Body slammin'!
4. He knows that diagrams make things true and make him look smarter
JC is a big fan of diagrams, especially his own. He even has multiple posts where he writes about little parts of his diagrams - individually. Now, that's dedication. But what I like most about his 4 Dimensions of Social Media Marketing diagram is that he combines actual absolutism (he's taking this one seriously, not running Play 3 - Pretend Absolutism here) with big words, numbers, shapes and a line. I mean, I look at it and think, "Wow, that's got to be 2 or 3 diagrams he's squeezed into one. Smart guy."
This play deserved a diagram of its own:
5. He is very sticky social glue. Tarzan Grip, not UHU.
I don't even know how many Beersphere franchises this guy is involved with. There's Sydney Beersphere, Melbourne Beersphere, International Beersphere, the Xmas Sydney Beersphere, the Beersphere without Beer Beersphere. How many of you has he introduced? And have you bought him a beer yet? How do we know he isn't working for the alcohol industry?
6. He tells you he'll mention you at conferences. And give you a ticket.
This tactic simply isn't used enough. Not sure what to talk about? Get other people to tell you and give them a ticket that somebody else gave you, and then pretend that you're doing Speaking 2.0 - open-source type stuff. He got Jenni Beattie with this one before the Marketing 2.0 Conference (BTW, Jenni, he got you with Play 1 - Ego Trap, shortly afterwards - the nerve!). He then even put the presentation from the conference on Slideshare to continue the sharing charade but you can tell what he's about because his name is above everyone else's. Smooth operator operating correctly.
7. He bitchslaps the establishment. Establishment won't fight back.
Now, I know whose playbook he got this one from but if I named them I'd be doing Play 7 on the anti-establishment establishment. This year, he's issued smackdowns on NAB, my ironically hip hop skater friend Ben Phillips, dumb 'Pimp My...' campaigns, the Brandshop + Clemenger + George Patts Y&R all in the one post, BMF and even Nandos.
However, his most surprising gasface was blown at his own parents, proud builders of the establishment. They were members of the advertising industry, an industry Cole shows utter contempt for: Sorry Mum and Dad, I wanted to follow in your footsteps but it just doesn't look like there will be that many opportunities in your industry : ( .
8. He has list superiority complex. 3 amazing lists by Julian Cole.
Ah, Lists, how he loves thee. Cole knows that lists make him sound informed (even if he is mentioning the only 12 Historical Social Media Marketing Moments he knew). They make him sound thorough. They make him sound above than the riff-raff. Lists are smart work and easy to do.
9. He makes us think he's one of us. Not like them.
Play 7 - Bitchslap the Establishment goes a long way to accomplishing this but his other ploy is talking enough 'adult' to get away with not dressing like one except when he talks about hip hop. FTW?
10. Own, claim... then share. The ultimate power move.
Let's face it, his Top 100 Australian Marketing Pioneer Blogs was not the move of some unintelligent douchebag. This sort of stuff is the ultimate link bait because it brings together:
Play 10 is all about him being all about you. It mentions you. It gives you a structure to believe in and propagate because it may make you famous. It provokes you: "Why am I only ranked there? Who did the maths on this?" It looks official... and becomes official when you believe in it. It's a king list. But JC looks like he's promoting your cause... all at the same time. Blitzkrieg!
< /End >
Game over, Cole. You've been outed. Put your Coogee Bay Hotel gelato down and hand over that playbook before the volleyball-playing Brazilians yank it out of your Speedos.
Author's note
Why did I write this? Because I want to be in the audience when he speaks at TED. I always wanted to get the back of my head onto one of those videos. Oh, and Julian called me on it.
Safe and happy holidays, all!
@markpollard, Flickr
Want to read more?
Try 7 things hip hop taught me about community
strategy-maker, professional people-watcher and word-assembler.
Note: this post comes with a free copy - available for a limited time only - of the 10 Secret Moves from the Ultimate Blogger's Ultimate Blogging Playbook for Crazy Success.
This is the dirtiest post you will read for a long time.
It exposes the cunning strategies of mastermind social play-maker, Julian Cole. Yes, the blonde-quaffed man who 'innocently' blogs here every day. The thing is, after watching Mr Cole from afar, I quickly came to the belief that he had to be in possession of the Ultimate Blogging Strategy Playbook. The one the seniors kept hidden in American Pie, and passed on to younger generations when the time was right.
Only this playbook isn't about the sacred gyrations of the nether-regions and weird positions that would pull hamstrings the world over. No, the playbook in Cole's hands is about how to get you, his kind-hearted readers, to not just read his blog but to even respond to it ... and - even more sinister - subscribe to it, social-bookmark it.
He's just way too smooth. Every move is so deliberate, every shout-out so thought-through, every diagram so invitingly provocative. Once, I even saw him finish a conference PowerPoint presentation and straight-up tell people to visit his interwebsite! Unbelievable. Was this Chekov getting his bloggy groove on? Or, was it an accidental stealth maneouvre a la Adam Sandler in Water Boy?
I couldn't stand it any longer so I decided it was time to get naked. Well, to get Cole's strategy naked. Exposed. Hanging out in the breeze for all to see: freshly waxed and ready to play volleyball with some Brazilians on Bondi Beach before snacking on some late-night gelato at the Cooge Bay Hotel.
So, you want to know what he's up to? Well, here it is.
1. He is the Elmer Fudd of ego traps. Only better.
This is the oldest trick in the playbook. Name-drop, give props, source, celebrate, promote. Heaps. Let's face it, JC mentions you all the time. Yes, you, Clare Lancaster. You, Nick Crocker. Kate Richardson, you could not escape. Gavin Heaton, hurts so good, doesn't it? He even got Joseph Jaffe.
And, the young Scott Drummond, he got you really good as well. Not only did he mention you but he called you his 'hero' and posted a photo of the two of you locked in intellectual embrace. He even mentioned my digital love interest, Ian Lyons, and me but we outwitted him and zagged his zig by refusing to comment. Got him!
2. He doesn't answer his own questions. ????
As if he doesn't have all of the answers all of the time! He went to uni for ages. Cole knows only too well that leaving enough room in the mousetrap for the mouse is bound to get people to reply to his posts. I especially like his '????' tactic. Masterstroke. I also like the 'help me with my big conference idea'. Makes you want to write something, doesn't it?
3. He fakes you out with pretend absolutism. Bam, made you look!
He got Mr Truffle a good one with PR Agencies owning Social Media because Mr Truffle apparently only reads blog headlines. He nearly got me too but I read it... well, scanned it and then got distracted and forgot to post a quickfire retort. Another example of this tactic is, Why Twitter still loses, in which he even has a blog battle with Chris Brogan. Body slammin'!
4. He knows that diagrams make things true and make him look smarter
JC is a big fan of diagrams, especially his own. He even has multiple posts where he writes about little parts of his diagrams - individually. Now, that's dedication. But what I like most about his 4 Dimensions of Social Media Marketing diagram is that he combines actual absolutism (he's taking this one seriously, not running Play 3 - Pretend Absolutism here) with big words, numbers, shapes and a line. I mean, I look at it and think, "Wow, that's got to be 2 or 3 diagrams he's squeezed into one. Smart guy."
This play deserved a diagram of its own:
5. He is very sticky social glue. Tarzan Grip, not UHU.
I don't even know how many Beersphere franchises this guy is involved with. There's Sydney Beersphere, Melbourne Beersphere, International Beersphere, the Xmas Sydney Beersphere, the Beersphere without Beer Beersphere. How many of you has he introduced? And have you bought him a beer yet? How do we know he isn't working for the alcohol industry?
6. He tells you he'll mention you at conferences. And give you a ticket.
This tactic simply isn't used enough. Not sure what to talk about? Get other people to tell you and give them a ticket that somebody else gave you, and then pretend that you're doing Speaking 2.0 - open-source type stuff. He got Jenni Beattie with this one before the Marketing 2.0 Conference (BTW, Jenni, he got you with Play 1 - Ego Trap, shortly afterwards - the nerve!). He then even put the presentation from the conference on Slideshare to continue the sharing charade but you can tell what he's about because his name is above everyone else's. Smooth operator operating correctly.
7. He bitchslaps the establishment. Establishment won't fight back.
Now, I know whose playbook he got this one from but if I named them I'd be doing Play 7 on the anti-establishment establishment. This year, he's issued smackdowns on NAB, my ironically hip hop skater friend Ben Phillips, dumb 'Pimp My...' campaigns, the Brandshop + Clemenger + George Patts Y&R all in the one post, BMF and even Nandos.
However, his most surprising gasface was blown at his own parents, proud builders of the establishment. They were members of the advertising industry, an industry Cole shows utter contempt for: Sorry Mum and Dad, I wanted to follow in your footsteps but it just doesn't look like there will be that many opportunities in your industry : ( .
8. He has list superiority complex. 3 amazing lists by Julian Cole.
Ah, Lists, how he loves thee. Cole knows that lists make him sound informed (even if he is mentioning the only 12 Historical Social Media Marketing Moments he knew). They make him sound thorough. They make him sound above than the riff-raff. Lists are smart work and easy to do.
9. He makes us think he's one of us. Not like them.
Play 7 - Bitchslap the Establishment goes a long way to accomplishing this but his other ploy is talking enough 'adult' to get away with not dressing like one except when he talks about hip hop. FTW?
10. Own, claim... then share. The ultimate power move.
Let's face it, his Top 100 Australian Marketing Pioneer Blogs was not the move of some unintelligent douchebag. This sort of stuff is the ultimate link bait because it brings together:
- Play 1 - Ego Trap: all of you who are listed looked at it, linked to it, promoted the logo
- Play 3 - Pretend Absolutism: these lists are never perfect, all-inclusive, static... absolute
- Play 4 - Diagram Smarts remixed as a chart: looks rational, smart, believable
- Play 7 - Establishment Bitchslap: Take that, 'heritage media'! (not my phrase)
- Play 8 - List Glory: one.hundred.blogs...top.ones. Pow!
- Play 9 - One of us: he was too soft to put himself at the top
Play 10 is all about him being all about you. It mentions you. It gives you a structure to believe in and propagate because it may make you famous. It provokes you: "Why am I only ranked there? Who did the maths on this?" It looks official... and becomes official when you believe in it. It's a king list. But JC looks like he's promoting your cause... all at the same time. Blitzkrieg!
< /End >
Game over, Cole. You've been outed. Put your Coogee Bay Hotel gelato down and hand over that playbook before the volleyball-playing Brazilians yank it out of your Speedos.
Author's note
Why did I write this? Because I want to be in the audience when he speaks at TED. I always wanted to get the back of my head onto one of those videos. Oh, and Julian called me on it.
Safe and happy holidays, all!
@markpollard, Flickr
 | Act now! Get free blogging secrets! This post comes with a free copy of the 10 Secret Moves from the Ultimate Blogger's Ultimate Blogging Playbook for Crazy Success - available only while the internet and Flickr stay up. * We take no responsibility for the ridiculous success that the Ultimate Blogging Playbook secrets will give you. And please don't hurt yourself along the way. |
Want to read more?
Try 7 things hip hop taught me about community
Humanising your website
I am currently doing online publicity for Dosh Wallet (the case study is on it’s way). Anyway I have been in contact with a number of top blogs in male culture fashion and design. One that caught my attention the other day was NotCot, I was presented with this screen after submitting an email.
winner.
Australian Marketing Bloggers, Raise your glasses to 2008
Australian Marketing Blogs just took a giant step forward with the recently departed Managing Editor of B&T Tim Burrowes starting the blog, Mumbrella. The site is in BETA and will launch in February, but it looks like it will be vying as a serious online industry news source up there with Campaign Brief and Marketing Mag, Adnews and B&T daily newsletters.
It has been a great year for Marketing Blogging, there have been a raft of new quality blogs, we have also had a lot of success with getting the Top 50 Marketing Pioneer Blogs published in traditional media, and seen an increase in the number of people at Friday Morning Social Media breakfast.
If you are not doing anything tonight you should come along and celebrate a great year at Sydney Christmas Beersphere.
It has been a great year for Marketing Blogging, there have been a raft of new quality blogs, we have also had a lot of success with getting the Top 50 Marketing Pioneer Blogs published in traditional media, and seen an increase in the number of people at Friday Morning Social Media breakfast.
If you are not doing anything tonight you should come along and celebrate a great year at Sydney Christmas Beersphere.
7 things hip hop taught me about community
Guest Post from Mark Pollard (@markpollard): Currently, lead digital strategist at Leo Burnett. Moving in new year. Shhh. But more importantly CEO/Chief Editor/Administrator of Stealth Magazine
In the spirit of learning, the official soundtrack to this post
Over the past few years, when I've not been making strategy or changing nappies, chances are I've been doing something connected to hip hop. The good kind. Not the kind you made fun of when we were at school. The kind that makes you think, that challenges your perception of the world and makes you want to become more skillful.
Now, hip hop - as with most sub-cultures - comes with a lot of rules and hierarchy. It can be a difficult community to crack because it grew up being taken advantage of (by film-makers, photographers, record labels, media, advertisers). But the advent of the internet allowed newcomers to circumvent the system, to build new communities that weren't reliant on the rules of the hip hop establishment, and to find new audiences and distribution channels. My magazine, Stealth, was part of that changing guard.
I first published Stealth - the magazine and website - in 1999. Within a few years, the time required to publish an independent magazine (in its heyday it was 108 pages, full colour and came with a CD-Rom) led to the decision to simply turn the website into an online forum. This will change in the future now that print is becoming even more difficult to sustain.
The forum currently averages 20,000 visitors per month (with about 50% of traffic coming from search), hosts over 120,000 posts, and is read by people key to the scene, journalists, academics (one even wrote a paper on the dynamics on our message board - see footnote) and upcomers alike. Adsense covers hosting and I'd spend less than 1 hour per month on maintenance.
Here are a few things I've learnt from running the forum and creating a media vehicle that's purpose was about giving a voice to the under-represented and being an active part of a real-world community.
Work hard for credibility
This is a give and take kind of thing. Hard to earn, easy to lose. It takes time - you can't just launch something and expect people to take you seriously. You need to live and breathe it - not delegate it. You need to take a hit for the community, promote their cause - not just yours, work your arse off... then they'll respect you. Ammunition: knowledge, connections, ability and willingness to make things happen - for other people.
Help the influencers
Not ALL influencers are worth your time. Sometimes the people who seem the most influential are just the loudest and are the worst to deal with. I've often come across people I'd call King of the Kids - grown men who want the approval and following of teenagers (and hang out with them all the time because it makes them feel important). They look influential but don't always have people's best interests at heart, and will always complain. However, the influencers who are worth connecting with will help you help them help you once you've invested energy in them. Get to know them personally - and don't sell to them. They're too smart for that.
Anonymity sucks, authenticity's cool
Don't be an anonymous brand 'doing viral' (and don't 'do viral') and don't allow people to post or contribute to your websites anonymously. Our website has a low number of members (under 2000) compared to the number of visitors (over 120,000 uniques per year) so I temporarily experimented with anonymous posting. It led to really bad karma on the site with people putting each other down. Lord of the Flies stuff. Real relationships are built through authenticity - it's one reason I used to insist writers in Stealth be credited with their real names (unless they were known figures).
Drama wins every time
As with most blogs you read, the posts that get the most views have DRAMA. Any time there was a fight, any time there was sledging between different graffiti crews, these posts would get the most views. Quickly. When Triple J started to play Australian hip hop, I wrote that the hip hop they chose was gimmicky and slightly racist (long story), and within days we'd had thousands of views. This is the sort of stuff that gets emailed around, talked about face to face. If it isn't hurting someone, it's OK to let it happen. If you do it intentionally, all the time, people will bore quickly.
You need to let go
Yes, this point is in every "Thingamajig 2.0" presentation. What I found is that creating a 'leadership' vacuum (ie for the main people to not always be the ones who solve problems, post articles) leads to other people getting more involved, feeling ownership of the community. Over time, you get a feeling for the people who care most about your online community so I would invite them to become moderators and see how else I could work with them (employ them, ask them to write, etc). Letting go is not about being negligent. It's about not being anal and controlling.
People self-regulate
Following on from the previous point, letting go typically sees communities of people self-regulate - especially if a mutual set of values is understood and shared (something a brand can expedite). And if people aren't allowed to be anonymous. If debate is smart and of substance (and doesn't lead to physical threats), then let it happen - and don't feel you need to express a point of view or take sides.
Offline influences online
I'm finding this point true with my recent (and second) flirtation with Twitter. Much as offline brand activity can spike online activity (eg watching a TVC can lead directly to Google), much as meeting your Twitter friends face to face leads to more @ messages and other networking opportunities, if you run a community, get off the computer as much as possible to meet that community. It will make a lot of difference. It's why this post is on Julian's blog right now.
So, really, the main points here are about being 'real' - not hiding behind a corporate veil, and understanding that the online world (for brands as much as people) truly follows many of the same human and tribal truths we know intuitively. Oh, and there's nothing wrong with making mistakes - there's no drama in perfection.
Stealth stuff on the interwebs
Website
Twitter
Flickr
YouTube
MySpace
Facebook group
Wikipedia
Last.FM
Sub-note:
We've had a few occasions where the forum has attacked journalists and academics. One of the most interesting started after members of our message board had criticised Ian Maxwell's book, Phat Beats. He came across their criticisms and then wrote a paper ("When Worlds Collide: A Subculture Writes Back") about the online community hierarchy without consulting anyone - it was a bit mean. The paper was then found, posted and criticised until he eventually joined the forum and discussed his thoughts. DRAMA! Read the post here.
Next week: How Julian Cole games you: A cynical take on strategic blogging
In the spirit of learning, the official soundtrack to this post
Over the past few years, when I've not been making strategy or changing nappies, chances are I've been doing something connected to hip hop. The good kind. Not the kind you made fun of when we were at school. The kind that makes you think, that challenges your perception of the world and makes you want to become more skillful.
Now, hip hop - as with most sub-cultures - comes with a lot of rules and hierarchy. It can be a difficult community to crack because it grew up being taken advantage of (by film-makers, photographers, record labels, media, advertisers). But the advent of the internet allowed newcomers to circumvent the system, to build new communities that weren't reliant on the rules of the hip hop establishment, and to find new audiences and distribution channels. My magazine, Stealth, was part of that changing guard.
I first published Stealth - the magazine and website - in 1999. Within a few years, the time required to publish an independent magazine (in its heyday it was 108 pages, full colour and came with a CD-Rom) led to the decision to simply turn the website into an online forum. This will change in the future now that print is becoming even more difficult to sustain.
The forum currently averages 20,000 visitors per month (with about 50% of traffic coming from search), hosts over 120,000 posts, and is read by people key to the scene, journalists, academics (one even wrote a paper on the dynamics on our message board - see footnote) and upcomers alike. Adsense covers hosting and I'd spend less than 1 hour per month on maintenance.
Here are a few things I've learnt from running the forum and creating a media vehicle that's purpose was about giving a voice to the under-represented and being an active part of a real-world community.
Work hard for credibility
This is a give and take kind of thing. Hard to earn, easy to lose. It takes time - you can't just launch something and expect people to take you seriously. You need to live and breathe it - not delegate it. You need to take a hit for the community, promote their cause - not just yours, work your arse off... then they'll respect you. Ammunition: knowledge, connections, ability and willingness to make things happen - for other people.
Help the influencers
Not ALL influencers are worth your time. Sometimes the people who seem the most influential are just the loudest and are the worst to deal with. I've often come across people I'd call King of the Kids - grown men who want the approval and following of teenagers (and hang out with them all the time because it makes them feel important). They look influential but don't always have people's best interests at heart, and will always complain. However, the influencers who are worth connecting with will help you help them help you once you've invested energy in them. Get to know them personally - and don't sell to them. They're too smart for that.
Anonymity sucks, authenticity's cool
Don't be an anonymous brand 'doing viral' (and don't 'do viral') and don't allow people to post or contribute to your websites anonymously. Our website has a low number of members (under 2000) compared to the number of visitors (over 120,000 uniques per year) so I temporarily experimented with anonymous posting. It led to really bad karma on the site with people putting each other down. Lord of the Flies stuff. Real relationships are built through authenticity - it's one reason I used to insist writers in Stealth be credited with their real names (unless they were known figures).
Drama wins every time
As with most blogs you read, the posts that get the most views have DRAMA. Any time there was a fight, any time there was sledging between different graffiti crews, these posts would get the most views. Quickly. When Triple J started to play Australian hip hop, I wrote that the hip hop they chose was gimmicky and slightly racist (long story), and within days we'd had thousands of views. This is the sort of stuff that gets emailed around, talked about face to face. If it isn't hurting someone, it's OK to let it happen. If you do it intentionally, all the time, people will bore quickly.
You need to let go
Yes, this point is in every "Thingamajig 2.0" presentation. What I found is that creating a 'leadership' vacuum (ie for the main people to not always be the ones who solve problems, post articles) leads to other people getting more involved, feeling ownership of the community. Over time, you get a feeling for the people who care most about your online community so I would invite them to become moderators and see how else I could work with them (employ them, ask them to write, etc). Letting go is not about being negligent. It's about not being anal and controlling.
People self-regulate
Following on from the previous point, letting go typically sees communities of people self-regulate - especially if a mutual set of values is understood and shared (something a brand can expedite). And if people aren't allowed to be anonymous. If debate is smart and of substance (and doesn't lead to physical threats), then let it happen - and don't feel you need to express a point of view or take sides.
Offline influences online
I'm finding this point true with my recent (and second) flirtation with Twitter. Much as offline brand activity can spike online activity (eg watching a TVC can lead directly to Google), much as meeting your Twitter friends face to face leads to more @ messages and other networking opportunities, if you run a community, get off the computer as much as possible to meet that community. It will make a lot of difference. It's why this post is on Julian's blog right now.
So, really, the main points here are about being 'real' - not hiding behind a corporate veil, and understanding that the online world (for brands as much as people) truly follows many of the same human and tribal truths we know intuitively. Oh, and there's nothing wrong with making mistakes - there's no drama in perfection.
Stealth stuff on the interwebs
Website
Flickr
YouTube
MySpace
Facebook group
Wikipedia
Last.FM
Sub-note:
We've had a few occasions where the forum has attacked journalists and academics. One of the most interesting started after members of our message board had criticised Ian Maxwell's book, Phat Beats. He came across their criticisms and then wrote a paper ("When Worlds Collide: A Subculture Writes Back") about the online community hierarchy without consulting anyone - it was a bit mean. The paper was then found, posted and criticised until he eventually joined the forum and discussed his thoughts. DRAMA! Read the post here.
Next week: How Julian Cole games you: A cynical take on strategic blogging
School of Peter Wagstaff
I now am proudly sporting my Student of Peter Wagstaff badge. Without Peter, I would not have got to where I am today, therefore I see it as really important to show my support for a man who is raising the bar of higher level education in Australia.
A lot of the success stories of Monash Caulfield Marketing graduates in the Industry, will ultimately lead back to, Peter. He has an unwavering passion for Marketing that has been instilled into a number of students of his units.
When the current revenue model for Universities is actually not students but researching grants (that might help to explain a number of socially challenged lecturers at Universities). You have to take your hat off to Peter who has prioritsed teaching students over research (I would imagine he would be in the minority of academics at Universities).
Congratulations and thank you to Monash Marketing Department for giving us access to such a great teacher and mentor within your ranks.
Don’t just believe what I have to say about him hear the other students of Peter Wagstaff
Rick Clarke, Zac Martin, Simon Oboler, Josh Strawczynski
If you are not already subscribed to Peter Wagstaff's, Marketing Today Podcast do it! Also check out his blog Renewed on the changing role of new media.
Christmas Beersphere w/ Santa Gillespie
I am proposing a Chirstmas Beersphere for next Monday.
Lounge Cafe, 277 Goulburn Street, Surry Hills
6:30pm Monday 15th December
I think it is warranted as we will also have a special guest in David Gillespie who is leaving our sweet shores heading to Toronto. David will have presents for all, so come one, come all.
Mememolly leveraging audience equity!
MemeMolly is a great example of a Vlogger/content producer who is commercializing her audience equity on Youtube. She is the 4th most subscribed Canadian on Youtube. Here are two examples of her commercial nouse.
She recorded this music video clip for artist Ali Slaight, she helped to bring 40,000 new listeners to her music.
On MemeMolly homepage she has also given up her prime video position to the MyDamnChannel, a commercial channel sponsored by Southern Comfort.
On a side note; this is a few of the better channels that I am subscribed to on Youtube (full listing here).
Entertainment
Frezned (AUS)
Community Channel (AUS)
Dominic Donovan
MemeMolly
Wallstrip
Music
Modular Records (AUS)
DJ Flagrant (AUS)
Bob Burnham
Advertising/Social Media
B&T Mag (AUS)
MarketingMag
Yerom
Social Media Blog
Ayeletknoff
Gruen Transfer blogger Michael Lanyon has just started playing around with animated blog posts which is something new. He has a great kick off post on Marketing downloadable content.
PR Agencies own Social Media Marketing
The best post I wrote this year is the Social Media Marketing Framework, it helped to get my job at The Population and is something that I keep referring too (if you are lazy check out the 5 min video).
After the Paul McIntrye article in the Sydney Morning Herald about Social Media and the focus of PR Agencies owning Social Media, I thought it would be good to look at the model and see who was best set up to help a company with this discipline.
As you can see it is a bit of everyone. Really at the end of the day, who gives a flying unicorn who is the right person to hand Social Media, lets just get some kick arse projects out there and let the agency thing sort itself out.
After the Paul McIntrye article in the Sydney Morning Herald about Social Media and the focus of PR Agencies owning Social Media, I thought it would be good to look at the model and see who was best set up to help a company with this discipline.
As you can see it is a bit of everyone. Really at the end of the day, who gives a flying unicorn who is the right person to hand Social Media, lets just get some kick arse projects out there and let the agency thing sort itself out.
Mobile Marketing is not scary anymore!
The idea of Mobile Marketing always used to scare me because I didn’t understand it. Then my Population colleague Ben Cooper broke it down for me.
This is a really great 2min video on the evolution of the screen.
Fourth screen by Nokia.
‘Mobile Marketing is just another name for the portable web.’
This is a really great 2min video on the evolution of the screen.
Fourth screen by Nokia.
Facebook Connect and what it means for Marketers
You have got to check out this presentation. Good use of 2 minutes!
Ross Raeburn just pointed me in the direction of this awesome slide presentation and post by Alison Leonard Hansen.
There are 4 things I like about her post;
1. This shows how this technology can be misused.
2. I am just a sucker for a good bit of response feedback. Check out the comments by David Deal, aka Razorfish
3. Alison's Tagline is spot on;
4. There is a unicorn at the top of the page! TAKE THAT STAN LEE!
Ross Raeburn just pointed me in the direction of this awesome slide presentation and post by Alison Leonard Hansen.
There are 4 things I like about her post;
1. This shows how this technology can be misused.
2. I am just a sucker for a good bit of response feedback. Check out the comments by David Deal, aka Razorfish
3. Alison's Tagline is spot on;
Musings from a social media "current iteration of the Web" junkie.Social Media is just a current iteration of the web. David Gillespie talked about this recently.
4. There is a unicorn at the top of the page! TAKE THAT STAN LEE!
Five* new Australian Marketing Blogs that you probably have not read!
Last month, I showcased five blogs that started in the month of October, well I am back at it again with four new blogs that have just started in the month of November. So get your RSS readers ready and check out these great Australian Marketing reads.
Another Advertising Wanker
With a name like that, how could you not like this blog? He has had some cracking posts to start off with including his questioning of Commonwealth Bank over the recent fiasco and an interesting perspective on the alcohol advertising regulations.
Think Story Experience
'Matt Jones' reflections on the role of thinking, stories, and experiences in building brands and strengthening ideas.' He actually started blogging in September, except this month he has really stepped it up, writing a post every day and good quality posts as well.
Who put the devil in you?
Is written by Bones Lawley, I really like that name, he joins the raft of student bloggers who are blogging about Marketing. Some great posts on Movember and Doughnut King's strategy.
Stop, collaborate and listen
Written by Andy Mallinson the ex-MD of NetX Sydney, he started off by creating a list of the Social Media Monitoring tools in Australia, which is a handy little list. I look forward to reading more.
* It was originally Four blogs but Clare alerted me to her blog via Twitter, which is also a great read!
Clare Lancaster
Clare has also set up a blog ‘for enterprising women creating and working online’. It is great to see more women represented in the online marketing space. She is doing some great work covering off the basics and we can all learn a thing or two reading these posts.
Gavin called me the Pied Piper of New Marketing Blogs, when searching the interwebs for video on Pied Piper, I came across this old favourite of mine, DJ Pied Piper - Do you really like it?
Another Advertising Wanker
With a name like that, how could you not like this blog? He has had some cracking posts to start off with including his questioning of Commonwealth Bank over the recent fiasco and an interesting perspective on the alcohol advertising regulations.
Think Story Experience
'Matt Jones' reflections on the role of thinking, stories, and experiences in building brands and strengthening ideas.' He actually started blogging in September, except this month he has really stepped it up, writing a post every day and good quality posts as well.
Who put the devil in you?
Is written by Bones Lawley, I really like that name, he joins the raft of student bloggers who are blogging about Marketing. Some great posts on Movember and Doughnut King's strategy.
Stop, collaborate and listen
Written by Andy Mallinson the ex-MD of NetX Sydney, he started off by creating a list of the Social Media Monitoring tools in Australia, which is a handy little list. I look forward to reading more.
* It was originally Four blogs but Clare alerted me to her blog via Twitter, which is also a great read!
Clare Lancaster
Clare has also set up a blog ‘for enterprising women creating and working online’. It is great to see more women represented in the online marketing space. She is doing some great work covering off the basics and we can all learn a thing or two reading these posts.
Gavin called me the Pied Piper of New Marketing Blogs, when searching the interwebs for video on Pied Piper, I came across this old favourite of mine, DJ Pied Piper - Do you really like it?
Adidas House Parties - Transmedia Planning Heaven
Adidas have just launched their Advertising Campaign for 2009 'adidas Originals house party'. Everything about this campaign is beautiful. This is like a Transmedia Planning wet dream. There is already so many little pieces of currency in this video?
Do you see any celebrities that you know?
Do you know the music track?
Do you know who the graffiti artist was?
There is so many angles to tell this story from, they have started with such a rich base. It looks like they have started too.
And finally, to build the story around ‘the ultimate house party’. Who does not like house parties? They are always the most fun, right? And what a thought starter who would be at your ‘ultimate house party’!
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