“So Google and Verizon went public today with their “policy framework” — better known as the pact to end the Internet as we know it. News of this deal broke this week, sparking a public outcry that’s seen hundreds of thousands of Internet users calling on Google to live up to its “Don’t Be Evil” pledge. But cut through the platitudes the two companies (Googizon, anyone?) offered on today’s press call, and you’ll find this deal is even worse than advertised. The proposal is one massive loophole that sets the stage for the corporate takeover of the Internet.
Real Net Neutrality means that Internet service providers can’t discriminate between different kinds of online content and applications. It guarantees a level playing field for all Web sites and Internet technologies. It’s what makes sure the next Google, out there in a garage somewhere, has just as good a chance as any giant corporate behemoth to find its audience and thrive online.”
Rumors are crazy. In the days of unstoppable connection and technology, data is shot around the world in a second.There are rumors that we spend way to much time on and rumors that are just under the surface. There is a rumor floating around that everyone should be paying attention to….well let me qualify that by saying anyone who usees the internet. Word on the street is that Google and Verizon have a deal in the works…the details of course are unclear…but from the sound of things it could be a turn for the worst for net neutrality. But then again rumors are rumors. After the story broke Google was quick to issue a statement via twitter saying “We’ve not had any convos with VZN about paying for carriage of our traffic. We remain committed to an open internet.” So who knows what to believe right? Google is a brand that prides itself on not being “evil”. Well only time will tell if all of this posturing is true. Net Neurality is importnat to us all. I have written a post or two in the past….and still believe that the second a huge corporation puts a spigot on the internet we all loose. So what is are Government doing about all this? Well as usual nothing….but in this case nothing is good. If there is no movement then we aren’t closer to a take over. At any rare long live net neutrality and let’s all cross our fingers that Google will stay true to their promise.*
Recently I had the pleasure of working with Alan Dessy of The Dessy Group on an in store event he had planned with one of his designers Cynthia Rowley. The in store event would feature her new collection and was being positioned as a brand event as much as a designer event. In brainstorming how to present this to you in a meaningful and valuable way I wanted to come up with a format that was usable and adjustable to other campaigns. Thus the Digital Recipe is born. The first addition to the cook book is: “The Bleecker Street Boullabaise”
The first thing to consider when doing an event like this is of course getting people there. You need butts in the seats if you are going to have any kind of impact. So to get the message out we reached out to blogs and other publications. Through positive outreach and by having a compeling story to tell….we got terrific press traction for the event. If your story is compelling enough…anyone can get coverage…just give them something to talk about. www.dmnews.com, www.wwd.com, www.stylemepretty.com.
While the press added a special flavor….like any recipe its success if dependent upon the ability of all the ingredients to work together. Accenting the press coverage was a nicely designed and timely email invitation informing the community about the event. This was further marinated in a special social media sauce of foursquare and Facebook. And as with any dish…you need to know when to stop seasoning. Use the appropriate channels, let the juices simmer and and let it work
Now that the dish was cooking nicely its was time to focus on execution. Cardinal rule…if you make it a big deal….make it a big deal. After all the build up the worse thing you can do is underwhelm your community. No one likes it when you wait 3 hours for a turkey then when you finally get a bite its dryer than a mouthful of sand. If you advertise it as a duck make sure it has a bill and feathers. So the store was decked out with flowers and champagne….the store looked emmacluate…the models from the campaign were there showing off the dresses as live mannequins…and of course the designer was there. Undoubtedly a positive brand experience for not just those form the community who attended but also for the random passer by who happened upon the smell of the delicious Bouillabaisse. A key note to remember….that even if your customer doesn’t buy anything today making an effort for your community will put you at the top of their list when they are ready to buy.
This particular recipe is also a good example of how the age old adage “it takes a village” certainly can apply to effectivly building and maintaning a brand of any kind. That’s it for this edition of Digital Recipes. Keep it simple keep it real.
