Community Guy – Jake McKee

My easy took thousands of hours of work

As you probably noticed, I’ve updated the look and feel here at CommunityGuy.com. In a matter of minutes, I found a great (and free) theme to customize, used MAMP (open source) to be able to modify and test locally, and then updated my WordPress (open source) platform with the new theme design.

Although it took me about an hour to do an impressive update, there were thousands of hours that went into making that ease possible. People from around the world have been working on these three projects. When that dawned on me, I couldn’t help but feel humbled and appreciative.

Nerds from around the world, I salute you.

As far as the new design goes, please let me know what you think and if you see any problems. I never really liked the last theme I had in place, but I’m digging this one! I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Bruce Temkin: “Brands are dying”

Bruce Temkin, Forrester, MX 2009 from Helen Walters on Vimeo.

The Future of Advertising [Slidecast]

My Personal Influencers

When we kicked off our Ant’s Eye View (re)branding project with Brains on Fire, they asked a very intriguing question. “Who are your mentors?”

I found myself realizing that the first three names that came to mind revealed more about my own personality than about theirs. (I also realized that all three names will probably make your eyes roll because they’re so “obvious”, but read on to see if you believe my reasons are, indeed, obvious) There are others I would consider more “true mentors” (I’m looking at you, Dad), but the guys below are people that have helped me to define the best approach to doing business. Interesting that two aren’t “business people” and one is an evangelism guru….more on this below.

Guy Kawasaki
I have to admit right up front that anyone working in the social space is probably going to add Guy to their list of influencers. But there’s a reason: he’s had a profound impact on the work that we all do.

I started doing formal community building and fan relations work in 2000. At that time there were very few corporate entities who had engaged fans and even fewer people who’d ever documented the process. Guy already had a number of books on the subject. As I read through each one, I realized I was flagging every other page as an answer to a question I had about my daily tasks.

When I decided that I wanted to meet Guy in person, I dropped him an email offering to buy him lunch when I was in his neighborhood next. 12 hours later I had an email from Guy agreeing to meet up. (Well, he wanted to meet for hockey playing, which I’m horrible at, so lunch was reached as a compromise)

What struck me about Guy was how similar his online voice and his physical voice were. There wasn’t any “online persona” here… Guy was Guy. I doubled my efforts after meeting him to improve my writing skills online to better reflect my own personality.

But what I learned the most from Guy, through his books, speaking gigs, and conversations, is that to be truly good at community relations, you roll up your sleeves and get invested. Be part of the company team, be part of the community team, be part of all the working elements. “That’s not my job” is a stupid and harmful thing to say.

Barack Obama
So much has been (and will be) written about Barack Obama and his 2008 campaign, but it will always take on a personal meaning for me. In 2008, we saw the power of social engagement (not just social media) drive a true, fundamental change in the dynamics of our society. We saw how excited a citizenry can get when motivated not by fear but by inspiration.

Obama validated and expanded our industry, making it a reality to believe that these social things we’ve all been talking about might actually be able to impact the world outside our bubble. I’ve always thought of Obama the candidate less as a figurehead and more as a community manager. He engaged all groups around him, excited them towards a shared cause, then dealt with the details and personnel managment to actually get there.

Besides, who can here this and not think “social media thinking has reached the highest office in the land”?

If one voice can change a room,
then it can change a city.
If it can change a city,
then it can change a state.
If it can change a state,
then it can change a nation.
If it can change a nation,
then it can change the world.   

I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Barack Obama during the primaries and was incredibly impressed with his warmth and focus. Even when he was steeped in media attention, he still made me feel like I was important to him. Shortly after that meeting, while wondering if my read on him was more than simply “good politician”, I found a picture in Newsweek that made me believe it was something more. Shortly after my meeting with him, this photo showed him walking down the hall of a hotel, pulling his own suitcase. There are clearly others around him, but he was humble enough to pull his own bag.
It was a reminder that there is power in humility.

Bono
I’ve been a U2 fan for literally as long as I can remember. I have ever album, ever single B-side, and nearly every bootleg that I can get my hands on. I love the band and I love that they continue to work on expanding their sound without completely departing from it. (The “All that you can’t leave behind” album is, in my opinion, one of the best albums ever produced)

Whatever you think about the band’s music, you can’t deny their fame and star power. Bono is arguably one of the biggest stars on the planet. And he uses that power to affect change in ways only he can.

In 2005, Bono was featured on the cover of Time magazine with Bill and Melinda Gates. The article highlighted something that has stuck with me for years: Bono knows his issues forwards and backwards, but uses his star power to get the right people talking to each other and then gets the hell out of the way to let them work.

Bono grasps that politicians don’t much like being yelled at by activists who tell them no matter what they do, it’s not enough. Bono knows it’s never enough, but he also knows how to say so in a way that doesn’t leave his audience feeling helpless. He invites everyone into the game, in a way that makes them think they are missing something if they hold back.

It would be easy to chalk up Bono as an activist rock star, uninterested in working with anyone who’s not a flaming liberal and woefully short on facts about the issues he’s ranting about. But there’s nothing further from the truth. He’s given an incredible speech at a George Bush prayer breakfast, is a staunch Catholic, and can argue African issues with just about anyone on the planet.

Through a deadly combination of study, knowledge, passion, and charisma, he’s able to drive forward his causes and build armies of supporters for them. Sounds like the perfect set of attributes for a world class community manager, doesn’t it?

CONTEST: See all 5 Best Picture nominees in one day…free!

AMC Theaters has been kind enough to extend an offer to me to give out on their behalf to all you find Community Guy readers. First the background, then the details.

On Saturday, Feb. 21, the AMC Best Picture Showcase will take place at approximately 97 AMC theatres in 42 North American markets* (check local listings for availability and show times). Guests can purchase an exclusive AMC Best Picture Showcase All-Day Pass for only $30, or just $25 for AMC MovieWatcher® members. Moviegoers will have the chance to see all five Oscar®-nominated “Best Picture” films and will also receive a large popcorn with unlimited refills for the entire day. This offer is valued at more than $50 and marks the third year of this exclusive event.

The Oscar® “Best Picture” nominees, “Milk,” “The Reader,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Frost/Nixon,” will play in one dedicated auditorium back-to-back throughout the day. Upon arrival to the theatre, guests will receive a souvenir lanyard, which will feature artwork from the five nominated films and give guests the freedom to come and go throughout the event as they please.

Guests can locate a theatre hosting AMC Best Picture Showcase in their area by visiting www.amctheatres.com. Advance ticket sales will be available by noon C.S.T. on Friday, Jan. 30, on a first-come, first-served basis online at www.amctheatres.com or by visiting the box office or Guest Services area at any theatre hosting the AMC Best Picture Showcase.

Contest Details: Winning is easy… simply leave a comment on this thread and I’ll pick a random winner. Winner gets two free passes to the event, and tons of fantastic movie watching fun. Hurry though, contest ends 17 February at midnight!

Apparently I’ve misunderstood the contest details. Unfortunately I’m pulling this contest for now. Blame me, not AMC. Sorry about the mixup.

SpinSpotter announces Hall of Shame for Online Spin

(Disclosure: SpinSpotter is an Ant’s Eye View client)

The very cool service, SpinSpotter has announced a really cool project: The Hall of Shame for Online Spin. As the team puts it:

According to SpinSpotter founder Todd Herman, most reporters work hard to maintain objectivity and avoid factual error. “Many of the examples our community of SpinSpotters uncovers can be traced to rushed reporting or the need to over-simplify headlines,” said Herman. “But some contain patently false information or political theater presented as real news. We’re pleased people are discovering SpinSpotter and using our Spinoculars toolbar to bring truth and transparency to the Web. While I personally disagree with some of what our community thinks is spin, I’m thrilled to see a monologue become a dialogue.”

SpinSpotter has started a monthly Hall of Shame project to showcase some of the more egregious examples Spotted by users. The sins are divided several main types:

Sins of Omission

Reuters: Obama Pledges New Start With Muslims, January 20, 2009

SpinSpotter’s take: “This reporter accepted a blanket statement that all Muslims are ‘excited’ by President Obama and failed to mention that Muslims in Gaza were burning pictures of the President as he spoke,” said SpinSpotter founder Todd Herman.

When Numbers Lie

New York Times: The First Test, January 22, 2009

“Eleven of the programs in the bill account for the vast majority of the actual job creation. The rest may be worthy or not, but they have little to do with stimulus. The total package is so diffuse, it costs $223,000 to create a single job.”

SpinSpotter’s take: This Op-Ed column by David Brooks is an unfortunate recycling of a Republican press release from January 15 titled Stimulus Quick Facts. Instead of considering the whole picture, the per-job cost was calculated by dividing the sum of the stimulus package by the predicted number of jobs created. In doing so, the package has been reduced to being solely about creating jobs when it was designed to have numerous benefits beyond job creation, in areas ranging from health care and education to infrastructure and public safety.

Don’t Look Now, but Your Bias is Showing

Associated Press: Some Blacks Choose Inauguration Over Work, January 14, 2009

SpinSpotter’s take: “Proud Americans of all backgrounds missed work to watch the inauguration,” said Herman. “The reporter, though, seems to insinuate that African-Americans don’t deserve to take days-off like other hard-working people. And, the reporter actually uses the term ‘whooping it up’. If Rush Limbaugh said that there would be big trouble,” said Herman.

Just Plain Wrong

Fox News: Geithner Failed to Pay Taxes, Hired Housekeeper Without Proper Immigration Documents, January 13, 2009

SpinSpotter’s take: “Sometimes the need for a shorter headline leads to trouble.” This headline makes it sound as if Obama’s nominee for Treasury Secretary broke the law by hiring someone without proper documents. And while the article later explains that the housekeeper’s immigration status lapsed while under Geithner’s employ and that she was eventually granted a green card, there is no denying that the misleading headline hurt Geithner’s reputation.”

–

If you’re interested in trying to root out and highlight spin in the news, check out SpinSpotter. The team has created a very cool brower plug-in and toolbar called Spinoculars to help you view Spin Markers and make your own when you see the types of foolishness outlined above.

One of the greatest honors of my career

Over the years, I’ve had some truly great things happen in my career, including getting my childhood dream job and having one of my projects featured on the cover of Wired. I suppose there was some amount of skill involved in making these things happen, but it was also a huge amount of luck and good karma. I seem to be in the right place at the right time, having befriended and helped the right people often enough to see good things come back.

I’m proud to announce another great honor that comes out of another instance of right place and time… I’ve been invited to write the afterword for the soon to be reprinted The Cluetrain Manifesto.

That’s right, the book that changed the direction of my career will soon include my own story of how I applied the Manifesto ideas to my own job.

I’m not sure how broadcasted this reprint news is, but I’m sharing it with permission from the publisher. I’m sure you’ll be hearing more from the team soon. My afterword is but one bit of some fantastic new content that will be in the new version.

I’d like to publicly thank Tim Sullivan at Perseus Books for the invitation to participate in this awesome project, as well as for his great feedback on my story. And of course, where would we be without Doc, David, Rick, and Chris? Thanks guy; your dream is becoming a reality. Slowly, but surely. You four provided so many of us words and ideas that we were struggling to develop into coherent thoughts. In case you’re wondering if you really had any impact, Alex is proving that you did with his “Cluetrain a Day” series.

I’d also like to thank my former LEGO boss and LEGO Direct business unit founder, Brad Justus. If not for Brad, I’d never had had the opportunity to be part of building something worthy of writing about.

I’ll pass along more information about the reprint release as soon as the Cluetrain folks and/or Perseus Books publishes it. I’m still honored beyond belief, and can’t wait to see my story in print!

The first Social Media Presidential Administration

For months now, I’ve been calling Obama the Social Media Candidate (and eventually President), and a number of people have raised an eyebrow wondering what I mean.

The first blog post on the new Obama administration Whitehouse.gov site answers the question.

Just like your new government, WhiteHouse.gov and the rest of the Administration’s online programs will put citizens first. Our initial new media efforts will center around three priorities:

Communication — Americans are eager for information about the state of the economy, national security and a host of other issues. This site will feature timely and in-depth content meant to keep everyone up-to-date and educated. Check out the briefing room, keep tabs on the blog (RSS feed) and take a moment to sign up for e-mail updates from the President and his administration so you can be sure to know about major announcements and decisions.

Transparency — President Obama has committed to making his administration the most open and transparent in history, and WhiteHouse.gov will play a major role in delivering on that promise. The President’s executive orders and proclamations will be published for everyone to review, and that’s just the beginning of our efforts to provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government. You can also learn about some of the senior leadership in the new administration and about the President’s policy priorities.

Participation — President Obama started his career as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, where he saw firsthand what people can do when they come together for a common cause. Citizen participation will be a priority for the Administration, and the internet will play an important role in that. One significant addition to WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise from the President: we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it.

Sound familiar? It should.

Sometimes we wonder if the echo chamber of the Social Web has any impact outside that particular bubble, and often it doesn’t. Often our own “expert” voices are doing nothing more than stirring up new ideas with little to no connection back to business goals and objectives.

But at the same time, you have to wonder whether this kind of message would be posted on one of the most significant Web sites, representing one of the most powerful global organizations if we “experts” hadn’t continue to back away on these issues for so long.

Either way, it’s a proud day all around.

Update: I was thinking about this a bit more today and started thinking about the Latin on the United States seal: “E pluribus unum“, “Out of many, one.” Perhaps the presidency has always been rooted in the principles of social media, but this is the first time in our country’s history that the dream has caught up to the reality.

ANNOUCEMENT: Ant’s Eye View 2.0

After Christmas and at the start of every new year, thoughts turn to our reflections of the year past and the year coming up. For me and for my business, 2008 was an incredible year in every conceivable measure. This year, we grew from a new startup to a solid, sustained business with some of the best clients a guy could ask for you. As I predicted one year ago, 2008 was indeed The Year of the Kick Ass.

From the very beginning of my business, I’ve wondered how it should and could grow as the business and the industry matured. Marketing agencies, clients, and other consultants are continuing to get smarter and more experienced with social projects, which is great news for all of us in this space. Personally, that means that I have to up the ante on driving the industry, rather than just supporting it. To this end, January 2009 will mark a major evolution for Ant’s Eye View.

After months of discussion and planning, I’m incredibly pleased to announce that Ant’s Eye View and Sean O’Driscoll’s CGT Consulting firm will merge, effectively immediately.

If you don’t know Sean, introduce yourself. He’s one of the smartest, most seasoned people around when it comes to influencer strategy and implementation. Before starting CGT Consulting, Sean was a Microsoft General Manager, responsible for running the Microsoft MVP program. If you’re not following Sean’s blog, head over there now (www.communitygrouptherapy.com), or look him up on twitter (@seanodmvp).

Ant’s Eye View will continue to be focused on working with brands that are committed to taking a leadership position in their markets creating amazing customer experiences. This work will span organizational silos, from Customer Service & Support, to Sales & Marketing, to Research & Development, driving improvements at every customer touch point. Never before has delivery against a brand promise been so discoverable by customers, prospects and partners. We believe our clients deserve a partner that understands this transformation and is committed to building the most experienced, practitioner-focused team in the industry. Our practice will continue to focus on Customer Collaboration Strategy in the following key areas:

• Social Media and Communities: The container in which customer experience conversations take place
• Voice of the Customer: Understanding what customers and prospects are saying
• Influencer/Enthusiast Strategy Development: Finding, thanking and engaging the key contributors to those conversations

Sean and I are focused on nothing short of changing the world, through driving a better relationship between companies and their customers. (Want to join us in that quest? We’re hiring!) While it may take a few weeks to bring our web sites and other branding elements together, we’ve already begun offering joint services to clients, both existing and new.

Here’s to an incredible 2009 for all of us. It’s going to be a trying year in many respects, but for those who use this year as a way to establish better customer relationships, you will succeed where your competition fails. And if you need help in building those relationships, just give us a shout.

Inspiring 2009

It’s New Year’s Eve, and that means our thoughts turn to the new year. Here are two very crucial ideas to remember for 2009.

Here’s to being totally fucking amazing in 2009.