Social Honeycomb

South By Social Honeycomb SXSW Recap

I’ve always heard that things are supposed to be big in Texas. And you know what? It’s true.  SXSWi was huge.  My first experience at SXSW Interactive was full of big conference rooms, big conversations, big cameras, big parties, big meals and big personalities.

Most of people I talked to weren’t able to catch a ton of sessions (poo-poo on you), but I’m glad I was able to hit six interesting panels and conversations while I was there, which I’ll post about over the next few days.  These sessions spanned topics from augmented realities on mobile, connecting with and empowering your audiences online, getting girls interested in video games and technology, and the ethics of blogging your sex life.  A little something for everyone.

Outside of the sessions, I spent a lot of time doing the tweet-n-greet, let’s-share-a-power-strip thing in the TechSet Blogger Lounge, with peoples like Brian Solis, Steph Agresta, Aaron Brazell, Corvida Raven, Aaron Strout, Brett Petersel, Steve Hall, Peter Kim, Geoff Livingston, Allen Stern, Jason Falls, Giannii, Laura Fitton, Justin Levy, Steve Woodruff, Uncle Brogan, Melissa Pierce, CC Chapman, Loren Feldman and some guy with a cane.

I also had the pleasure of dining on some delicious Texas BBQ at Iron Works with Jane Quigley, David Armano, Kaitlyn Wilkins, Doug Meacham, Paul McEnany…  and about two tons of beef.  Greg and I also managed to have a date night, during which I had my very first steak and grits at a restaurant.  Thanks to Lambert’s in Austin for making it memorable and delicious.

Oh, and then there were the parties.  (P.S. I know anyone who’s at Music right now is rolling their eyes…)  As photos will attest, I made appearances at the Brown Bar tweetup (honoring Mr. Verdino, of course), TechSet, Diggnation, All Hats No Cattle, Mashable, and UNLISTED.

What a full, fantastic week.  I’ll be writing more about my takeaways from the sessions I attended, and I hope to keep the great conversations going that we started down in Austin.

After all, that’s what this stuff is all about, right?

Amanda, Buzzing Bees, Events, Social Media, Tech | Comments (2)

Fashion for Real People

There are times when I’m reading through ELLE or Glamour, and I’m looking at these amazing editorial photo shoots and incredible clothes, shoes and accessories, and I think to myself, “No one looks like this! No one in real life can pull this off!”

Then I hop from the glossy to the screen.

While I’m not exactly giving up fashion magazines (Hell no–a girl can dream!), I get a healthy dose of fabulous from LOOKBOOK.nu each day.  The site celebrates real people and their style, and showcases homegrown photo shoots from fashionistas around the world.  It’s all about sharing your style inspiration with a hip and happenin’ web-based community.  There’s something very poetic about it.

If you think you’ve got the hotness, apply to join the community–and subscribe to get the goodness.

Let’s Say Howdy at SXSW

I can’t believe March is already here.  This means that SXSW Interactive is finally right around the corner! w00t.

Are you going? I’m hoping I can meet a lot of new friends and influencers while I’m there, and connect with others I haven’t seen in a while.  I’ve never been to SXSW before, so I’m super excited to see some great sessions and hang with the coolest geeks around, including, of course, the Verdino party machine.

So if you’re going to be there, let’s say hello, tweet, high-five, clink drinks, chat about our work, take some “tiger” pics, practice our Texas accents, whatever.

Thanks again to Mashable for the Interactive pass. Can’t wait to see everyone there!

Quick! Five Questions [Totally Random Edition]

Haven’t done this in a while, but let’s bring back the quickie questions. Leave your answers in the comments, buddies. Ready, set, go!

1. If you could only wear one color for a whole year, what would it be?

2. What’s your drink of choice?

3. What’s your favorite dinner?

4. Would you rather watch Titanic or The Notebook? (Pretend that neither is not an option.)

5. What celebrity do you look like?

Adaptation

Millennials–those kids who were raised thinking everyone’s a winner, that you get a trophy just for showing up, and whose parents and teachers taught them that they can rule the world–are, as a cohort, growing up a little bit more. We Millennials joined the workforce with smiles, confidence and optimism, and we knew that our smarts and savvy would serve us well in our budding careers. Sure, we’re a special breed of junior staff, but I’d like to think (surprise, surprise) that we’re adding something special to the mix.

Last week, SHIFT Communications made the hard decision to conduct layoffs, and those let go were mostly junior staffers. The same goes for lots of other public relations firms across the country. And this is not exclusive to PR. Small tech startups to behemoth management companies are joining the fray as well. Dark days.

So what? This is the first time the all-smiles, reach-for-the-stars generation has experienced life and work in a major downturn. Gen-Xers and Boomers know the drill–they’ve been through this sort of thing before. This recession, these hard times–it’s a first for us, and these days will inarguably force Millennials to change the way we think about the world around us. Gone are the days of expecting gold stars for doing our best. Make no mistake, we get it.

It will be interesting to see how the hits we take today will affect the Millennial generation’s outlook and experiences in the future. I wonder too, if perceptions of our generation will change as we work hard to adapt and navigate these hard times. Will the kids who were told they could do anything change their tune after going through a major recession?

Photo by terren in Virginia

Millennials Keep It Optimistic for 2009

Economy in the crapper? Unpredictable job market? Everything’s going to be just fine, that is, if you ask someone born in the 1980s. With 2009 finally here, my Millennial cohorts (and I) are looking to the new year with positivity. Hey, someone has to, right?

According to an omnibus survey conducted by StrategyOne on behalf of Pepsi, four out of five Millennials are hopeful about the future as the New Year approaches, and nearly all surveyed (95%) agree that it is important for them to maintain a positive outlook on life.

Millennials are most optimistic about their overall well-being (84%) and their relationships with family and friends (81%), and are significantly more likely than their older counterparts to be optimistic about their careers (77%, vs. 66% of Gen Xers, 59% of Baby Boomers and 22% of Post-War Americans).

Other findings include:

• 74% of Millennials find that supporting causes make them feel more optimistic
• 77% of Millennials report having a strong sense of optimism about their careers
• 95% of Millennials make positive associations when they think of the word “change,” associating it with “progress” (78%), “hope” (77%) and “excitement” (72%)
• 67% of Millennials say that the election of Barack Obama is making them feel optimistic about the future of the country

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 2009 will be exciting. And it’s good to know I’m not alone in thinking that this year holds promise. Happy New Year!

[via Mediapost Research Briefs]

Five Minutes of 2008

It’s been quite a year. Looking back, I feel blessed to have had so many moments of laughing, hugging, dancing, smiling, learning, sharing, celebrating, and loving this year. As the song says, these photos are all evidence of my life…

14+1 Social Media Seers Take a Look Into 2009

2009 is barreling toward us, so Peter Kim got some seriously bright social media minds together to share their thoughts on what this new year has in store. In a forward-thinking e-book, Peter gives 14 experts, including mah boo and mah boss, the floor, and everyone has some interesting thoughts and ideas about how this space is evolving. Even Jaffe.

Want a taste of what Peter’s prophets have to say about 2009? Whet your appetite with the following:

• “Although it is now cheaper to launch an initiative leveraging Web 2.0 technology – it requires qualified and passionate people to make them successful.” – David Armano
• “You may not always start the year as a leader, but you can certainly finish it that way.” – Rohit Bhargava
• “Intimacy touches emotion; emotion powers conversation.” – Pete Blackshaw
• “Doors are going to close all over the social web. Why? Because the money didn’t come the way people thought it would.” – Chris Brogan
• “The tipping point has not only *not* been reached, but could still tilt *away* from Social Media.” – Todd Defren
• “There’s a lot of fixing that needs to be done.” – Jason Falls
• “Dwindling budgets suddenly make low-cost social media look like the pretty girl at the ball.” – Ann Handley
• “We’re going to develop a set of better metrics to help guide, direct and validate ‘commitment’.” – Joseph Jaffe
• “The movement is rooted in a desire to have quality, not quantity, as people cocoon in the face of the economic crisis.” – Charlene Li
• “After a pre-qualifying wrestling match…” – Ben McConnell
• “These will be cumulative events and interactions that will build brand loyalty for the companies that pay attention to them.” – Scott Monty
• “The recession will force revenue results out of social technologies.” – Jeremiah Owyang
• “Companies that focus on earning love will thrive during hard times, and kick ass when good times return.” – Andy Sernovitz
• “Suddenly, being Facebook friends with your mom will seem less ridiculous than following 4,000 strangers on Twitter.” – Greg “the other half of @gremanda” Verdino

If you want more (you know you do), you can find the full deal by downloading the PDF. Take a read through all the brilliance, and don’t be shy–share your feedback and questions with the authors on their blogs (or start a discussion here).

How will you take these ideas–and predictions of your own–into the new year? How does your social media palm read?

HubSpot Music Video: You Oughta Know Inbound Marketing

My girl Rebecca can sing.

If you haven’t already, check out the music video @repcor made for HubSpot, that couples mid-90s angst with inbound marketing. HubSpot is also encouraging viewers to create their own remixes of the video–if you’re so inclined, you can grab all the info you need on the HubSpot blog.

“What the hell is this Internet crap? If you’re not dialing, I’m not smiling.”

SHIFT’s Todd Defren, One of PRWeek’s 40 Under 40

Congratulations to SHIFT’s fearless under-40 leader, Mr. Todd Defren, for bringing yet another award home for the agency.  Todd, at a very young 39 years of age, is one of PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 (subscription required), recognized for his passionate, forward-thinking ideas about PR, social media and marketing, and his ongoing success as principal at SHIFT Communications.

From working with Todd at SHIFT, I can attest that this award is definitely well-deserved.  Readers of his blog, PR Squared, and every person in the Boston and San Francisco offices can tell you that Todd puts his values and beliefs first, and his enthusiasm for public relations and bringing the industry to the next level is evident in all that he does.  Todd’s built a killer army of smart, driven, fearless PR pros, and everyone here is proud to work with him.  SHIFTers, clients and industry peers should all consider themselves lucky to know this cool cat.  And all this before 40!

Congrats, TD!