Conversation Agent - Valeria Maltoni

Cluetrain vs. Madison Avenue

I'll make it really simple for you to see the difference. Fundamentally, this is a conversation about putting the human being first or putting the brand/idea first. Are you designing an experience that is inherently social? Or are you taking a creative concept, one that could even be totally cool, and spreading that into social media? The difference in not just in execution, although that has a role. It's in the very fabric of how the experience is conceived and developed -- who participates, why they do it, what motivates them, how it is sustainable over the long run and... Read more →

Developing a New Story

[from IFTF 2010 Map of the Decade] The rate at which organizations and individuals are experiencing social interaction -- online and off line -- is game-like. One that is testing the stories of brands, companies, and people alike with its ability to show different paths, and often also different consequences, fast. The Institute for the Future just published its 2010 Ten-Year Forecast Map of the Decade. It is a map of this emergent game space, which is the way IFTF organized the narrative this year. It starts by benchmarking the big forces that will shape the decade: The Carbon Economy... Read more →

Images are Content. Where I Find Mine

Even as metaphors are worth a thousand pictures, images are worth a thousand words -- at least a hundred. We are a visually active society, and we see images in our own culture, language, and context more than we are able to take words in. Great communicators have always been able to use symbols to rally support and bring people together -- fans, voters, tribes alike. Over the years, many have noticed that the images to my posts are chosen with care to complement the message of the post. My sources Creative commons licensed photograph on Flickr are one of... Read more →

Why Customer Communities Work

When we made the case for customer communities, we didn't delve too deeply into the aspects that make these communities so powerful for businesses and for customers. Ever since my colleagues Jen van der Meer pointed me to his blog, I have been learning a lot about figuring out relationships and influence factors from Dr. Michael Wu at Lithium. In a recent post, where he talks about the work of Prof. Mark Granovetter in The Strength of Weak Ties, and lists the components of tie strength: Time: amount of time spent together Intensity: emotional intensity and the sense of closeness... Read more →

PR Fiasco, What You Can Learn from the Six Apart Announcement

I've made no secret of the challenges I've had over the years with TypePad. When the new composer was rolled out in beta to some users a couple of years ago, and I was among them unknowingly, my domain name needed remapping every two hours. The support I received was lots of nice words about how hard the company was working, however it did not fix the problem for weeks. Not my idea of fun, even though, admittedly, I am one of those bloggers who write for fun. One of the undesirable customers who is not looking to build a... Read more →

Small Shifts

I titled this post 1/4 inch about a year ago. After yesterday's panel on building a brand, I felt we could use a reminder. This is a concept than anyone trained in martial arts -- three years of Karate-do for me -- knows well. If you played European football or volley ball, like I did, this idea applies there, too. It is the distance that can make the difference between a brilliant and effective move, and a near flop. A small adjustment in posture can and does make a really big difference in business, and in life. I'm actually not... Read more →

NYTimes Small Business Summit: Building a Brand

Today, I'll be moderating a panel conversation at the NYTimes Small Business Summit on marketing, and specifically on building a brand. The panel is composed of Founders and CMOs who will share their hard-earned advice for branding and leveraging relationships with customers. I spoke with some of the panelists ahead of time and I can tell you you're in for a treat. This will be very hands-on. Christiane Lemieux, Founder and Creative Director, DwellStudio and DwellStudio for Target -- bringing product experience and a point of view on wholesale and affiliate Bill Carter, Founder of Fuse Marketing Agency -- sport... Read more →

The World Has Changed. People Are Empowered

One of the most common questions I get when I facilitate conversations at events is: how do I convince my manager and IT group to work with me? What can I say that will help me win them over to support my initiative? The risk component of the "what if" has stilted many an innovation inside organizations. And not just in my experience. It is well known that smart marketers enroll agencies and analysts in support of those kinds of initiatives. Because the assumption is that these groups have direct and indirect experience with how to manage risks that are... Read more →

Good, Fast, Cheap, Pick "x" for Translation

Or live with the consequences. As many conversations as we had on content, I don't believe we talked about developing marketing content in different languages. Although a few times I hinted at how little consideration translation and interpreting work get in the US, at least in my experience. Which is the reason why as an English major, I decided that becoming a translator was not going to be viable business option early on. Think about the argument people make for creative writing, and add the perception that if you speak two languages, translation is not that big of a deal.... Read more →

Customer Service, Hire for Attitude

One person can make a tremendous difference even in a huge organization. Especially if that person understands service, and how every interaction inside and outside the company is with a customer. That is true and valid especially in the hospitality industry. Hire for attitude. It will make your life easier in the long run to have people who are good listeners and problem solvers. Support them, reward them, and ask them to show the rest of the organization how it's done. They have a rare gift. As I've been known to say, common sense (and courtesy) are not that common.... Read more →