Grown Up Thinking

A recent video response by Kristina, a 21-year old student on the topic of communities working with brands, seemed to touch on so much of what Mr Youth has found to define the new consumer. While older generations might question the placement of advertising into personal blogs and You Tube channels, Consumer 2.0 struggles to see how this is any different then attempting to bombard them with a brand’s message via traditional channels. Kristina identifies how much more contextual and relevant marketing via peers and communities is. She explains how off putting “shoving commercials down our throats is” and how brands who take the time to think through ways to engage them and “work with them” have a much better grasp of how to positively communicate with their generation. Marketers could learn a lot from this 21-year old.

Stuck at your desk? Stuck anywhere but L.A.? There’s no excuse to miss what’s sure to be the biggest media spectacle of 2009, the memorial celebrating and saying goodbye to the musical gift that was Michael Jackson. Inarguable talent, undeniable style, and the ability to captivate people on every continent—a force only fitting of the media circus that unfolds at 1pm EST today.

The last such event was Obama’s big day, the Presidential Inauguration in January. And whether you were huddled in the D.C. cold that day or not, Facebook and CNN were there, teaming up to stream the whole thing live on the Internet for those of us chained to our desks. What a Thriller!

The Jackson memorial has the potential to draw thousands to their computers for the live stream; more than 50,000 people have already registered for the Facebook event so far, after CNN promoted the event via the CNN Live site. MichaelJackson.com is also using the CNN/Facebook stream to broadcast the event from their homepage.

Jackson is now the most popular person on Facebook with about 7 million fans (What? You thought it was you?) The thousands who will be watching from their computers are encouraged to share their MJ memories on the Facebook side bar, where you can update your status and share with everyone else registered to watch the live stream. It’s your chance to tell the world you Remember the Time that Michael Jackson’s music made you feel Dangerous. Of course, there will always be those haters who Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.

Click here to register and say goodbye to the Man in the Mirror.

Words, words, words. Adding value for consumers has always been an awesome thing. But an increasingly large flock of factors have nearly made it mandatory. Evolving a brand’s message and positioning is a sure sign of actively listening and relating to its customer base. And it starts by prioritizing substance over style. So let us weather the storm with a newly refreshed lexicon, shall we?

Source: PRSA