Archive for the 'Social Networking' Category

06
Apr
11

celebrities and social media — puppets on a string?

Some companies give so much attention to how they should (and should not) present themselves on social networking sites that they end up with little time or energy to figure out how best the celebrities they sponsor should present their brand online.

The same way that it can be frustrating for consumers to try to connect with a brand that is obsessed with pushing sales and getting more followers, so too can it be disheartening when a favorite celebrity seems more focused on pushing a new fragrance, CD, or apparel line.

And then to further complicate matters, there’s always the issue of PR — of a celebrity, say, tweeting about things that are viewed by some as controversial, inappropriate, or not in line with the beliefs of his or her business partners. Seems like actor James Franco, whose public Twitter account suddenly went private less than a week ago, didn’t appreciate being told what he could and couldn’t tweet about online — “My thought was ‘this is my Twitter. I can do whatever I want.’ But certain companies I work with contacted me about what I was saying.”

A balancing act for all involved, that’s for sure. So it’s nice when celebrities are able to succeed in establishing a presence on social networking sites that works for their business partners, fans, and, of course, themselves.

Have any examples to share of celebrities who’ve nailed it?

Photo credit: Sarah G

30
Mar
11

new media and the death of private moments

Remember the good old days when slipping on an icy street or saying something really stupid was a private affair? Yeah, neither do I. But it really wasn’t all that long ago that we didn’t have to worry about having those special moments recorded for all to see — and for eternity.

But now with smartphones, YouTube, and Twitter no one is spared. And no matter when and where we are, there’s always someone lying in wait to get it all on video. Which is why we might want to apply that age-old rule — don’t ever tell anyone anything about yourself that you wouldn’t mind having published in the paper — to how we should behave when there’s the possibility of being filmed.

As you will see, it will probably be quite some time before the people showcased below are able to get over the embarrassment that society’s obsession with video sharing has caused them:

1. An overzealous female texter falls into a fountain at the mall. (Funny thing is that if she hadn’t come forward to talk about this embarrassing moment on the news, we might never have known who she was.)

2. Teen sensation Rebecca Black (and I’m not using the word “sensation” here in a positive way) is getting a lot of attention with her new music video for “Friday.”

3. A clueless, young thief uses the webcam of a stolen laptop to record himself jamming to some beats, only to have the computer’s owner access the file via his online backup service provider.

So what do you think? Is it time for us to watch every move we make in public and private, or should we simply resign ourselves to the possibility of becoming a viral video star at any given time?

Photo credit: Alex E Proimos

16
Mar
11

social networking in times of crisis — the good, bad, and ugly

Once again Mother Nature has shown how terribly ruthless she can be. Over the past decade, she has wreaked havoc in places such as Iran, the Indian Ocean region, Pakistan, and Haiti. And now, most recently, she has hit Japan.

Following the 9.0 earthquake that struck from off the northeast shore of Honshu, Japan on March 11, and the resultant tsunami, social networks have proven to be invaluable. They have offered whenever possible a variety of ways for people within and without Japan to connect with one another — to try to locate and correspond with family and friends; find food, water, and shelter; raise and donate money; share firsthand experiences with the media and public.

But for as much good and kindness that we have seen, we have, unfortunately, also witnessed great insensitivity and tastelessness. The jokes that Gilbert Gottfried posted on Twitter cost him his long-standing job as the voice of  the Aflac (insurance company) duck; rapper 50 Cent’s questionable jokes and comments on Twitter earned him no new fans; and the racist rant of UCLA student Alexandra Wallace on YouTube has caused a significant stir. Why anyone would choose to make light of such a serious and tragic situation is difficult to understand.

May the people of Japan find the strength and courage to get through these challenging times. And may the rest of us around the world offer them compassion and support. The Japan Society and SXSW (South by Southwest) are just two of a number of reputable organizations helping to raise money for relief efforts.

Photo credit: Sunny Z




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