Scott Monty

Why Video Will Be So Important in 2009

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3150075245_4b8d19482d_d.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3150075245_4b8d19482d_d.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 177px;" /></a>One of the principles that Web 2.0 affords us all is that, thanks to the ease of self-publishing, we can create content in pretty much any form we want. And if you don't know exactly how your customers like to consume information, I'd argue that you should make every version available.<br /><br />This became pretty clear to me today, when we made an announcement at Ford that we're launching a new feature in the Lincoln MKS called Active Park Assist - which means you can parallel park hands-free. Sounds cool.<br /><br />We launched a <a href="http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=29625">traditional press release</a> along with a <a href="http://ford.digitalsnippets.com/technology/#active-park-assist">social media press release</a>.  There were mainstream online articles about it which got some pickup, including Engadget, the Wall Street Journal, and Yahoo. And the reaction was mostly people passing along the headlines on Twitter.<br /><br />But it wasn't until we launched the video that we had that "a-ha" moment. People saw the technology in action and immediately understood what the text-based pieces and the image above were trying to convey.<br /><br /><center><object height="245" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xW-MhoLImqg&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xW-MhoLImqg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="245"></embed></object></center><br /><br />In this case, we had a story that was more easily understood by observing how technology worked firsthand. When you couple an image-intensive story with an audience's need for quick information, video is a great solution.<br /><br />So when it's time to make your own announcement, launch a campaign, or build awareness, you should ask yourself: what's the most effective way of telling your story?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo credit: </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fordmotorcompany/3150075245/">Ford Motor Company</a>

Why Video Will Be So Important in 2009

One of the principles that Web 2.0 affords us all is that, thanks to the ease of self-publishing, we can create content in pretty much any f...

Case Study: Social Media for Crisis Communications

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/womanofscorn/43079919/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282845271699412994" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SVBvyO7-2AI/AAAAAAAABlU/IbZ1WyGMSvw/s200/match-blow.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 105px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>A couple of weeks ago on the heels of Ford's appearance before some Congressional committees, I had to deal with a major firestorm online.<br />
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In short, the issue was that there was a Ford fansite called TheRangerStation.com that received a cease & desist letter from Ford, and the owner posted that Ford was asking for $5,000 and the URL to be turned over. It turns out there was much more to the story. The owner was selling counterfeit Ford goods, and together, we reached a reasonable solution to the situation.<br />
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Ron Ploof, a B-to-B social media consultant, has created <a href="http://ronamok.com/2008/12/17/ford-fansites-and-firefighting/">a completely masterful case study</a> of what happened here. I'll leave it to him to set it up, tell the story, and draw out the lessons, here in this Scribd document.<br />
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Feel free to embed it, share it, rate it, etc.<br />
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<div style="display: block; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/9204719/The-Ranger-Station-Fire#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View The Ranger Station Fire on Scribd">The Ranger Station Fire</a> by <a href="https://www.scribd.com/user/404496/Scott-Monty#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Scott Monty's profile on Scribd">Scott Monty</a> on Scribd</div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.75" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_49460" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/9204719/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-2hunyjqx4wmsxfdy3xyb&show_recommendations=true&show_upsell=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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In the end, it's created a point of conversation for us internally (and externally, I might add). I've committed to creating a more fluid conversation between Ford's Communications area and Office of General Counsel, so we don't run into these surprise situations again. We'll still need to protect the brand and our licensees, but if we can work with enthusiast sites, we'll be in a much better place.<br />
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Related links:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.forimmediaterelease.biz/index.php?/weblog/comments/fir_interview_scott_monty_head_of_social_media_ford_motor_company/">Interview on For Immediate Release</a></li>
<li><a href="http://voltagecreative.com/blog/2008/12/pr-disaster-ford-suing-people-who-about-ford-cars/">Real-time review of the day's events on Voltage Blog</a></li>
<li><a href="http://leftthebox.com/archive/how-scott-monty-stopped-a-ford-pr-disaster/">Left the Box's assessment</a></li>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">What are your thoughts? Would you have done anything differently?</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo credit: </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/womanofscorn/43079919/" style="font-style: italic;">Woman of Scorn</a><br />
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Case Study: Social Media for Crisis Communications

A couple of weeks ago on the heels of Ford's appearance before some Congressional committees, I had to deal with a major firestorm onlin...

As If You Really Wondered...

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheeshoo/16996172/"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282487832321618818" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SU8qshfac4I/AAAAAAAABlM/WSjOKsA0_eY/s200/seven.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" /></a>If there's one thing I'm not a fan of in the social web, it's the peer pressure surrounding memes. On the one hand, it's a forced post that I'd rather not write; then again, if I don't write it, I feel like I'm letting a friend down.<br /><br />In this case, that friend was Aaron Strout, a social media and marketing colleague from back in Boston. Aaron has recently relocated to Austin (joining a <a href="http://www.engageinpr.com/">number</a> of <a href="http://originalcomment.blogspot.com/">other</a> Boston <a href="http://www.bryanperson.com/">illuminati</a>) and is heading up marketing for Powered. And he told us <a href="http://blog.stroutmeister.com/2008/12/7-things-you-may-or-may-not-know-about.html">seven things we may not know about him</a> and challenged others.<br /><br />So, here are the seven things you may not know about me (keep in mind I've done this <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/01/eight-things-you-probably-didnt-know.html">a couple</a> of <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2007/07/crazy-eights.html">times before</a>). That means if you do your research, you'll know 23 things about me.<br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><ol><li>I worked as a writer for the Department of Veterans Affairs during the Clinton healthcare reform proposal era. The thought was that the VA would need to compete with the Johns Hopkins and Mass Generals of the world, so they needed their own reform project. Industry and government leaders met and our group wrote the plan. I also wrote for another project <a href="http://www.ostp.gov/cs/meeting_the_challenge">Meeting the Challenge: A Research Agenda for Health, Safety and Food for America</a>. I later went on to become a speechwriter for the Director of Medical Research.<br /></li><br /><li>Speaking of medical research, I hold a Master's in Medical Science from Boston University <a href="http://www.bumc.bu.edu/gms/">School of Medicine</a> and an M.B.A. with an concentration in healthcare management from Boston University <a href="http://management.bu.edu/admissions/graduate.html">Graduate School of Management</a>.</li><br /><li>I was an altar boy for 10 years, serving under Father Ted, a very old-school priest. He was a no-nonsense guy and he expected things to be orderly. I kind of cringe every time I seen an altar server wearing sneakers at mass - Fr. Ted would have excommunicated them.<br /></li><br /><li>When  I participate in karaoke, to disguise my inability to perform current hits, I typically choose older songs and impersonate the singers. My favorite - it's a tie betweetn "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" as a duet between Willie Nelson & Julio Iglesias and "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.<br /></li><br /><li>Before I joined Ford, I had only driven one American car - and a GM one at that. When I was in high school, I inherited a Vette. No, it's not what you're thinking. It was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Chevette">Chevette</a>.<br /></li><br /><li>If you told me that I could only have a single kind of candy for the rest of my life, it would be <a href="http://www.m-ms.com/us/about/products/peanutmms/">Peanut M&M's</a>. And yes, I'm old enough to remember when light brown was a color of regular M&M's.<br /></li><br /><li>I won't be doing another one of these memes for at least another year.<br /></li><br /></ol>Now, in keeping with the rules of the game, I nominate these seven unsuspecting souls. These are all people whom I've met or interacted with for the first time throughout the course of 2008. It's my goal to break out of the echo chamber a bit and extend your reading, if you're not already aware of them:<br /><a href="http://altitudebranding.com/">Amber Naslund</a><br /><a href="http://primecutsblog.com/">Justin Levy</a><br /><a href="http://leftthebox.com/">Samir Belwani</a><br /><a href="http://beancast.us/">Bob Knorpp</a><br /><a href="http://www.tweetpr.com/">David Alston</a><br /><a href="http://www.mattjmcd.com/">Matt McDonald</a><br /><a href="http://veryofficialblog.com/">Shannon Paul<br /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo credit: </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheeshoo/16996172/">sheeshoo</a><br /></span>

As If You Really Wondered...

If there's one thing I'm not a fan of in the social web, it's the peer pressure surrounding memes. On the one hand, it's a f...

Ford's CEO Takes to Twitter

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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280499441412939218" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SUgaQ8IRHdI/AAAAAAAABlE/nc5is-AHmM0/s1600/mulally.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></center>
I was at a preview event that Ford was holding for media prior to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), when in strolled our CEO, Alan Mulally. He was immediately swarmed by journalists, who formed the traditional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_scrum">scrum</a>.<br />
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When they dispersed, I got his attention and asked if he wanted to take some questions on Twitter. "What's Twitter?" he asked. Fair question. When I explained it to him briefly (and what I had been doing on Twitter recently), he was all for it.<br />
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[I've said before and I'll say it again: Alan Mulally is a down-to-earth, affable and smart guy who's interested in new technology and passionate about Ford. I'm proud to be serving with him.]<br />
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Here's a sampling of questions and answers from the exchange. Mind you, I was thumbing away on my Blackberry as Alan spoke.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Any questions for Alan Mulally?<br />
— Scott Monty (@ScottMonty) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty/statuses/1061061880">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty">@ScottMonty</a> Q. for Mulally: In hindsight, wd he have changed Ford's strategy in 2007/08 if he'd known we'd be in recession by now?<br />
— Tim Walker (@TWalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/TWalk/statuses/1061065934">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/TWalk">@TWalk</a> No. Matter of fact, we've accelerated the strategy with the safest most fuel-efficient vehicles ever. - Alan Mulally<br />
— Scott Monty (@ScottMonty) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty/statuses/1061075563">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty">@ScottMonty</a> what is Mullaly's commitment to sustainability, both personal and professional?<br />
— Asheen Phansey (@asheen) <a href="https://twitter.com/asheen/statuses/1061066473">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/asheen">@asheen</a> I've spent my entire career focused on safe & efficient transport; sutainability is the future. The future is now. -Alan Mulally<br />
— Scott Monty (@ScottMonty) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty/statuses/1061070305">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty">@ScottMonty</a> yeah, what does it feel like to be LEADING the industry rather than sticking with the status quo?<br />
— Tyler Hurst (@tdhurst) <a href="https://twitter.com/tdhurst/statuses/1061068625">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/tdhurst">@tdhurst</a> Exhilirating. Ford rocks! - Alan Mulally<br />
— Scott Monty (@ScottMonty) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty/statuses/1061076863">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty">@ScottMonty</a> What's Alan currently driving?<br />
— Julius Marchwicki (@idamaster) <a href="https://twitter.com/idamaster/statuses/1061077290">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/idamaster">@idamaster</a> Alan makes it a point to drive a diff vehicle every day - including the competition - b/c it's impt to understand cust's view<br />
— Scott Monty (@ScottMonty) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty/statuses/1061089705">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Any questions for Alan Mulally?<br />
— Scott Monty (@ScottMonty) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty/statuses/1061061880">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/jdarkstar">@JDARKSTAR</a> I’m really looking to find a good balance of folder structure versus depth, factoring in ease-of-use.<br />
— Michael Critz (@mike_critz) <a href="https://twitter.com/mike_critz/statuses/1061120547">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
That closes this Q&A session with Ford CEO Alan Mulally. We may try this again some time.<br />
— Scott Monty (@ScottMonty) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMonty/statuses/1061123209">December 16, 2008</a></blockquote>
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Not bad for a first-timer. He was pretty succinct, too. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">What do you think? Is this an interesting way to connect directly to a Fortune 100 CEO?</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fordmotorcompany/3076222674/">Ford Motor Company</a></span><br />
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Ford's CEO Takes to Twitter

I was at a preview event that Ford was holding for media prior to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), when in strolled our...

Social Media Predictions 2009

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SUZ3B423z9I/AAAAAAAABk8/fQL6rX8lhTU/s1600-h/predictions.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280038487464595410" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wgi7DTsDt2g/SUZ3B423z9I/AAAAAAAABk8/fQL6rX8lhTU/s200/predictions.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px;" /></a>I was honored to receive an email from <a href="http://www.beingpeterkim.com/">Peter Kim</a>  couple of weeks ago, asking for my predictions for social media in 2009. Peter is a former analyst for Forrester Research and he's now part of a VC that's focusing on social computing.<br /><br />The reason I was honored is not just because Peter is a smart guy whom I've always admired, but he included me in some pretty distinguished company. In the end, 14 of us responded and came up with some fairly interesting and bold takeaways for 2009.<br /><br />Some are:<br /><ul><li>"Although it is now cheaper to launch an initiative leveraging Web 2.0 technology - it requires qualified and passionate people to make them successful." - <a href="http://darmano.typepad.com/">David Armano</a></li><li><span>"You may not always start the year as a leader, but you can certainly finish it that way." - <a href="http://www.influentialmarketingblog.com/">Rohit Bhargava</a> </span> </li><li>"Intimacy touches emotion; emotion powers conversation." - <a href="http://notetaker.typepad.com/cgm/">Pete Blackshaw</a></li><li>"Doors are going to close all over the social web. Why? Because the money didn't come the way people thought it would." - <a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/">Chris Brogan</a> </li><li><span>"The tipping point has not only *not* been reached, but could still tilt *away* from Social Media." - <a href="http://www.pr-squared.com/">Todd Defren</a></span></li><li>"There's a lot of fixing that needs to be done." - <a href="http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/">Jason Falls</a> </li><li>"Dwindling budgets suddenly make low-cost social media look like the pretty girl at the ball." - <a href="http://www.marketingprofs.com/">Ann Handley</a> </li><li>"We're going to develop a set of better metrics to help guide, direct and validate 'commitment'." - <a href="http://www.jaffejuice.com/">Joseph Jaffe</a> </li><li>"The movement is rooted in a desire to have quality, not quantity, as people cocoon in the face of the economic crisis." - <a href="http://blog.altimetergroup.com/">Charlene Li</a> </li><li>"After a pre-qualifying wrestling match..." - <a href="http://www.churchofthecustomer.com/">Ben McConnell</a></li><li><span>"These will be cumulative events and interactions that will build brand loyalty for the companies that pay attention to them." - <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/">Scott Monty</a> </span> </li><li>"The recession will force revenue results out of social technologies." - <a href="http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/">Jeremiah Owyang</a></li><li>"Companies that focus on earning love will thrive during hard times, and kick ass when good times return." - <a href="http://www.damniwish.com/">Andy Sernovitz</a></li><li>"Suddenly, being Facebook friends with your mom will seem less ridiculous than following 4,000 strangers on Twitter." - <a href="http://gregverdino.typepad.com/">Greg Verdino</a><br /></li></ul><br />Here's the full paper, via Scribd, a service that I really like and that' I've been using <a href="http://www.scribd.com/people/view/5048557">for Ford initiatives</a>. Feel free to embed, pass it along, comment on it, or whatever.<br /><br /><a title="View Social Media 2009 document on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/8944081/Social-Media-2009" style="margin: 12px auto 6px; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Social Media 2009</a> <object align="middle" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="500" id="doc_256707645665950" name="doc_256707645665950" width="100%">  <param name="movie" value="http://documents.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=8944081&access_key=key-2nug4v9b4fjt8fnjtb66&page=1&version=1&viewMode=">   <param name="quality" value="high">   <param name="play" value="true">  <param name="loop" value="true">   <param name="scale" value="showall">  <param name="wmode" value="opaque">   <param name="devicefont" value="false">  <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff">   <param name="menu" value="true">  <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">   <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always">   <param name="salign" value="">        <embed src="http://documents.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=8944081&access_key=key-2nug4v9b4fjt8fnjtb66&page=1&version=1&viewMode=" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" play="true" loop="true" scale="showall" wmode="opaque" devicefont="false" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="doc_256707645665950_object" menu="true" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" salign="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" width="100%" height="500"></embed> </object> <div style="margin: 6px auto 3px; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; display: block;">    <a href="http://www.scribd.com/upload" style="text-decoration: underline;">Publish at Scribd</a> or <a href="http://www.scribd.com/browse" style="text-decoration: underline;">explore</a> others:            <a href="http://www.scribd.com/browse?c=131-management" style="text-decoration: underline;">Management</a>              <a href="http://www.scribd.com/browse?c=123-business" style="text-decoration: underline;">Business</a>                  <a href="http://www.scribd.com/tag/social%20media%202009" style="text-decoration: underline;">social media 2009</a>       </div><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/circulating/2238715683%3C/span%3E/">circulating</a><br /></span>

Social Media Predictions 2009

I was honored to receive an email from Peter Kim couple of weeks ago, asking for my predictions for social media in 2009. Peter is a forme...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor

Why Video Will Be So Important in 2009

Case Study: Social Media for Crisis Communications

As If You Really Wondered...

Ford's CEO Takes to Twitter

Social Media Predictions 2009

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