at work – behind the scenes June 15, 2012
Posted by nicholas gill in brand experience, Doner, pinterest, social media, social networks.add a comment
Pinterest. The next big shiny object and must have in every presentation you give. And like I always say, you’ve got to try these things. So, I have. And have been for some time. But my own collection was a bit, er, well, a bit too me. So I decided to do a bit of behind the scenes at work. Not least because I seem to have collected a few images but people seem to like to know what goes on behind closed doors. So here’s a flavour of life behind the scenes at Doner.
social clean up January 16, 2012
Posted by nicholas gill in personal brand, social media, social networks, unfriend.1 comment so far
January is typically a time for New Year’s resolutions. But I typically don’t stick to them so I haven’t made any this year. Instead, quite by accident, I found myself gaining much self-satisfaction from cleaning up the social media tangle I find myself in.
It all started quite innocuously by being bored of the same update from several people on Twitter. I mean, really, we ALL read Mashable and the like. Why re-tweet it? So I stopped following them. Then I figured I should review who I was following:
- People who haven’t said anything in months? Unfollow.
- People who I followed more out of faux fraternity of being employed together rather than wanting to find out what they were really doing? Unfollow.
- People who post things that are just not interesting to me anymore. or ever. Unfollow.
- And worst of all, people without a real picture! Unfollow.
And Twitter is now an easier place. I still follow people I like, can find inspiration and new things from and find amusing. It also takes less time to catch up. And there’s blissfully few repeats.
And then came Facebook. Similar rules applied. Although oddly I found this a little harder. Maybe in the Facebook frictionless sharing world I would be outed as a serial unfriender? But after a few test unfriends, this didn’t happen. So I carried on. The net result again is a smaller, more defined, more real social network. There’s still work to be done. Especially when I peek at Linked In and see updates from people I haven’t got a clue who they are and think, “hmm, must be a recruiter.”
I’m not the only one who is doing this. It all started out as a bit of a rush. Collecting people, with the “friend”, “followers” or “connections” number being directly attributable to your social worth. Of course this is, and always was, bollocks. It’s quality, not quantity that counts. And while I’m very much in the “don’t know well” category from the infographic above, there are many who are cleaning up their networks for a variety of reasons. The net result though, is I’m enjoying my social circles again. It’s also why I’m highly reluctant to start another collection on Google Plus.
So if I no longer follow you or appear as your friend, it’s not personal, it’s just business.
no such thing as a free lunch November 2, 2011
Posted by nicholas gill in advertising, social media, social networks.add a comment
A fascinating article on privacy, advertising and the use of your data on social networks and the new alternatives such as Diaspora and Unthink to the accepted norm. Where Hugh once said if you talked to people the way advertising does, they’d punch you in the face, he was talking about traditional ATL advertising and the shouty nature of the traditional 30′ spot. This quote from the article suggests that advertising in social media could possibly be worse; rather than just blurting at you in ad breaks, it snoops on you and brazenly flashes this in your face. Good food for thought to start your day with.
Imagine you’re eating out with your lady or a loved one; the restaurant is completely free from 12pm until 2pm. Free. Trouble is, your entire conversation is being recorded and watched closely. Every time you both mention something that suggests an interest in a product or purchase or place – an ad rep/TV/radio ad/leaflet appears in front of you and pitches away. Mention you’re interested in a mini break; cue the man from the travel agency peddling his wares. Your meal is free though, don’t forget. You can always ignore the ad man. How many of us would appreciate that constant eavesdropping? Few. Remarkable then that the digital world doesn’t quite suffer the same reaction. It all feels so remote and far way.
tweeting social stuff – marketing digi savvy youth event October 21, 2009
Posted by nicholas gill in Graeme Ford, Marketing magazine, Phones 4U, social media, social networks, twitter, Uncategorized, Youth Perspectives.5 comments
I had the joy of presenting at the 14th Annual Youth Perspectives Conference with Marketing magazine today in a morning workshop entitled: Digi Savvy Youth: Social Networks & Twitter in Focus. I tag-teamed with the delightful Graeme Ford from Phones 4U who gave the inside track on how they have developed their social media presence and a candid assessment of the highs and lows. Graeme’s content is at the half-way point of the slideshare deck below. Mine is the usual mix of digital fun, sweary videos and hopefully some interesting content on Twitter and some of our case studies from Samsung and Activision.
Carla from Haymarket did a bit of live tweeting & you can track that & others thoughts on the #youthconf search.
As always, the deck is available for download to enjoy, re-use, re-purpose but be a good interweb citizen and give credit where it’s due.
Video links:
Wimbledon 2009 IBM Augmented Reality
Kutiman – Mother of all funk chords
Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn |nr_gill@hotmail.com
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say hi to our social media strategic framework August 28, 2009
Posted by nicholas gill in five by five, headstream, social media, social networks, Steve Sponder.add a comment
Our Chief Digital Officer, Steve Sponder (blog / Twitter), in collaboration with key luminaries from our agency (I grandly include myself in that) has created our Social Media Strategic Framework. Let me know your thoughts.
Here’s the thinking:
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video cards from skype February 11, 2009
Posted by nicholas gill in facebook, skype, social networks, video, we are social.add a comment
e-cards are so last year. v-cards are the way to go and you can do it with Skype. And what’s better it’s integrated into Facebook so it’s far simpler to share with your chums than trying to remember email addresses like with most apps. I like it. Find out more on the Skype blog.
Thanks to Violette @ we are social for the heads up.
sunday no longer a day of rest January 28, 2009
Posted by nicholas gill in 14568437, porn, social media, social networks.add a comment
What do you normally do at about 11:15 am on a Sunday? Me, getting ready to take the little lad swimming. However it’s also a peak time for porn through video on demand. 11:15am? Not very steretypical is it? Watch a bit of match of the day from recording it on Sky+ the night before, have some breakfast, pull one off? Bizarre.
And look at the chart above. More evidence that social networking needs to be stopped*. It’s relentless advance is scuppering a traditional pursuit. Or is it because we’ve become so de-sensitised that with, for example, an Ann Summers on every high street, Agent Provacatuer viral teases doing the rounds and even the new Virgin Atlantic ad bringing alive stewardess fantasies for the masses and the such that we no longer need filth the way we used to? We now get our kicks being voyeurs of others lives.
*I say this in jest for those who don’t know me.
digtial wtf version 2 December 4, 2008
Posted by nicholas gill in digital, digital advertising, social networks, web 2.0.add a comment
An updated version of this deck (September 2009) can be found here.
Here’s the deck I presented earlier today to the students at Southampton Solent University. An updated version of the original Digital WTF with new examples and changed front end. Deck can be downloaded from slideshare. Links to all elements below. Let me know any comments.
American Express Members Project
Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn |nr_gill@hotmail.com
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i like live guy November 24, 2008
Posted by nicholas gill in active branding, blog, brand experience, Dare, digital advertising, facebook, picasa, social media, social networks, twitter, vodafone live guy, web 2.0, website, you tube.add a comment
This is Vodafone Live Guy. Live Guy is visiting 11 cities (well, he’s visited a few last week but I was just OOO for too long to write this) until the end of this week. Each day he’s giving away a Dell pooter. How do you get your paws on one? Find him using all types of web 2.0 wondery-ness. Why do I like this so much and why will it enter my new fangled version of Digital WTF?
1. It’s a great demonstration of a product proposition. Vodafone Live gets you and your pooter live wherever you want to. Rather than a-n-other web site, page, banner ad etc. telling you this, Dare (yes, them again.) created Live Guy to dramatise the live-ness of Live and bring the proposition alive up and down this great nation.
2. It’s beyond the site. It’s a blog, it’s a twitter feed, it’s a you tube channel, it’s a facebook love fest and it’s a picasa picture party with a Google mash-up twist. Multi-channel, multiple touch points. Experience Live Guy how you want. My preference was Twitter and that’s where I found out about him first and enjoy his regular ramblings.
3. Live Guy speaks. In the interweb world we espouse two way communication as the new currency. Interact with your audience. And Live Guy does. I asked him a silly question, he gave me a sensible answer. Made me very happy.
4. It’s not just a blah competition. It’s involving and engaging and there’s 11 chances to win the Dell pooter. Say goodbye to the dull registration form kids.
I could go on but I want to get this out before it’s over. Go find him.
[daily dobbie] social go October 3, 2008
Posted by nicholas gill in ning, social networks, socialgo, web 2.0.3 comments
SocialGo is another instant social network a la Ning. Found via @marceatsworld.
