2008 in review
Despite economic crisis and some personal dark notes 2008 has been an awesome year. Putting it in perspective is a hard task; too much happened.
Beijing 2008.
Until September everything in my life had olympic rings attached. Unlike some other projects, we had a due date written in stone: 08-08-08. Everything needed to be oiled and working by then. It was one-in-a-lifetime oportunity.
"Voices of the Olympic Games" was a fun and demanding projects I was ever involved with. I have written several posts about it all over the months. Here's a link to the tag "Olympics" in this same blog in case you want to read them all.
On the "lowlights" side of things: during the games my father got seriously sick and passed away the last thursday of Beijing 2008. Talk about messy weeks.
Public Speaking.
I am really fortunate. Some people think I'm worth listening to, and I was invited to speak at We Media Buenos Aires, WordCamp Buenos Aires and DigitalTalk. Hopefully I'm getting better at this thing of trying to share ideas, visions and experiences with others.
Oddly enough I think I get more out than I give back to this events.
Huge thank you to the people who invited me.
Lenovo.
It has been a crazy year at lenovo. Olympics, new product launches (such as the X300, the IdeaPads, NetBooks, servers... ) and a global crises.
I got a little bit more settled in my role within the company. I must admit I don't quite like "settled" and I will be looking at new ways to make me uncomfortable and drive myself mad soon.
Personal.
Despite the noted lowlight, it has been a nice year personally. The most important news is that I'm bound to become a parent in March.
There's still a lot that needs to be worked out. I really don't like living in Buenos Aires, particularly I'm not fond to raise a kid here (since I was able to grow up in the mountains and forests of Patagonia) and my apartment has started a self-destroy sequence some months ago.
Yet the good news is so overwhelming that all the problems and issues become secondary.
Also, in the "growing family" department I got to meet a "new" Brother. Life has some very strange twists.
Posting.
I haven't been posting too often to this blog. Yet I think there are a couple of entries readers might find interesting:
- This series of posts on mixing metrics, social media and maths.
- A post in April doing some futurology thinking if Social Media Marketing could survive a crisis. (Also available in Spanish at Mariano´s Blog)
- Then I put Social media in perspective Stating that it is not the center of the universe.
- Two pieces from this same month: on Influencers and on Shopping Processes.
Note: it is an interesting exercise to read thoroughly a year worth of posts to see how much rubbish I usually write and how little substance.
For 2009.
High expectations and profound changes. They will either happen or I'll force them to happen. Although responsibilities should increase with parenting the adventure and nomadic spirit within me is about to burst.
We Media Buenos Aires – Day 2 (Part 6)
Its about 9PM and only now I've been able to go online. I decided not to take the PC to WeMedia and write down with pen and paper (so analog!) and pay more attention to the keynotes. I'm not doing it ever again. I felt naked without my reliable T60p in my lap.
Day 2 annotations (Evereything but John Bell's presentation, too tired to finish it today). My conclusions will have to wait for a couple of days I'm afraid.
The first track was entitled "Communicating with the new generations"
Carlos Perez, President BBDO.
"It is the how that changes, the what remains the same". Carlos started by showing a Video from 1976's Olympic Games featuring Nadia Comanechi's Perfect 10, freezing the image on the display that showed a 1.00 score because it was not prepared to show a perfect 10 performance.
He sees the generational clash as massive as the difference between Columbus and the Native Americans when he first reached the continent. (Personally I don't think it is that wide, or even think there is a generational clash, but rather some personality differences)
"New generations multitask by nature"
Marketing for the new generations intertwines things that usually would not be otherwise connected, this marks a new tendency.This can lead to Brandjacking, although people do not consciously hijack brands, they just relate to the message. Unidirectional marketing is gone for good. (Amen!).
"When everything changes one should ask: 'what has remained the same'".
Guillermo Oliveto, CEO, CCR.
Time's "Man of the year" cover for 1997 featuring "you" is an example of what WeMedia is.
"We can do amazing things with technology, but there's always a side B to things".Destructive vs. Constructive technology, quotes Humberto Eco.
"We need to humanize technology". "We're going back to basis": giving new meaning to the future based on giving value to things from the past. Underlines the tendency that brands have on putting emphasis on their heritage.
iPhone is an example of the fascination on the how. There's a lack of truth, we're shaken when we're told the truth.
Second part of 1st track. Several youngsters share their views.
Since there was not a very clear line of thought, bulleted list is in order.
- TV is not their favorite type of media
- Internet is their main means of communication
- "Social Networks are all alike"
- "I don't understand facebook"
- MSN is respectful enough to call people contacts and not friends. (Killer phrase if you ask me)
- Cumbio: "Besides an individual am a product of the internet".
Second track: Online Communities
Anton Chalbaud, Chief Revenue Officer, Sonico.
"Social Networs are the natural evolution of media".
"Users switch from simpler Social Networks to more complex ones".
"Microsites don't make sense"
"We need to find new ways to advertise"
Victor Kong, MySpace.
In Victor's view Social Networks:
- are based on fundamental changes on relationships
- "Enrich real life interactions"
- Have very high penetration and usage rates. (doh!)
- People like to connect with brands. ("They talk to McD's as if it were a person"
Florencia Pettigrew, Linkedin.
Linkedin has diversified its revenue stream. Linkedin groups came as an answer, they allow people to "do stuff". Politicians (Obama) and Media create groups. Linkedin has content agreements with several news sites (CNBC, New York Times).
We Media Buenos Aires
I'm presenting at WeMedia Buenos Aires next week.
I'll be talking about Lenovo's Social Media Programs (particularly blogs) as well as the "Voices of the Olympic Games" program.
After thinking about whether to present the Dick Hardt way or with a minimalistic presentation I decided on the second option; I don't want to be pending on the slides.
Slides and notes will become available after the event.
Other speakers include John Bell (who could have something to say about "voices") of Ogilvy; Josh Cohen of Google News and Steve Herrmann, BBC News Editor.
The full list of speakers is also available. (Turns out I'm not in the list of speakers but I do appear in the program).
I'll let you know how things go.