Saluting Sir Bobby... the True Knight of English Soccer

Goodbye Sir Bobby. You have been the voice of reason and respect of the English game, truly the pride of Newcastle.

You are Always On... the Ball

Chris Bogan has an excellent article on how to approach issues on Twitter that's worth the time of every CMO who is thinking about social media marketing.


You are Always On

July 19, 2009

on stage This post by Doug Meacham is interesting. It reports on a Twitter exchange between Doug and Best Buy CMO Barry Judge, where Barry comes off as a bit harsh and off his game. The comments in the post are the best, and there’s a great perspective shared by Scott Monty of Ford.

I’m not going to analyze the exchange further myself. Instead, I’ve got a few pointers for people who find themselves as the stewards of their company’s brand, regardless of their level (intern or CMO).

You Are ALWAYS On

As representative of the brand, you are always on. The lights, camera, action started when you lit up the social channel. People judge the whole experience, not the best moments. That said, here are some thoughts for when moments come up where you feel a little sub-par, or when someone catches you off-guard.

Here’s one way to consider approaching the problem resolution that leads to these kinds of issues.

1. Step away from the mic. Services like Twitter aren’t magical. We type into them. If you’re feeling a bit heated, take a step back. Speed of response is important, but so is level-headedness. Take a break for a moment. Step away.
2. Disarm. It’s one of the best things Stephen Covey ever taught about human relations. When someone’s on the attack, accept that they see things differently. Embrace that. It also relates to the fabulous method, the three A’s: acknowledge, apologize, act.
3. Apologize. Don’t necessarily assume blame, but apologize for the other party’s frustration. Restate what he or she has shared with you. “I’m sorry for your frustration. It sounds like you feel unheard.”
4. Offer an offline connection. In social-media-based customer service, one of the most important shifts is to move into a more one-on-one medium like phone or email. There are two reasons: 1 is that it’s more personal ; 2 is that logging an entire customer service resolution in real time on the web isn’t always useful to either party.
5. Engage the right people for the job. You might not be the right person to bring resolution. Don’t hold onto a problem for a long time before you realize this. Move all issues through internal channels, so that the people who can resolve the issue get involved quickly.
6. Check back a few days after resolution. A nice move is to connect with the person who raised the issue a few days after it has been resolved (whether or not this was to the satisfaction of the customer, it shows that you care). If the problem is taking a while to resolve, a mid-solution check-in isn’t bad, either.

This Could Be You

There are plenty of days when I know better than to jump into Twitter or start lashing out on blogs. I’m human. So are you. We all let the world get to us from time to time. Don’t be so quick to judge or to take the high-and-mighty response. There’ll be a day when your chips are down.

As more and more of us are finding our way into the role of trust agent for our organization, in some regard or another, I predict we’ll have more and more experiences like the one Doug chronicled. Hopefully, we’ll have tools in place to help us be human and friends to keep us sane in the mean time.

Say cheese.

Where's the Soul in the Game?

I am absolutely gutted that the worse kept secret in the Premier League has finally come true. City's signing of Carlos Tevez will not endear him to the United fans and for all his efforts, I am truly disappointed that his talent is not matched by his integrity.

I can already hear the City taunts... and this season they may even exceed expectations given their spending spree, but the ball is round and class can't be bought.

Both in play and life, Tevez has shown that greed can be put to good and bad. As a goal poacher, it is the difference between a glorious goal and a missed half chance. Commercially, this translates to a single minded pursuit of fame and money.

Sadly, this is the norm rather than the exception for most modern day footballers. No point mentioning Cristiano Ronaldo as he had his mind set on the Bernabeau but Kaka's capitulation to Real Madrid was the extinguishing of the last bright light for the soul of the game.

Perhaps at this point, the Ronaldos and Kakas of the game will get no sympathy from FIFA the next time they claim slavery...

Ugly Truth - Restricted Trailer

Remember Meg Ryan's fake orgasm in When Harry Met Sally? Check out Katherine Heigl's latest outing The Ugly Truth and watch this trailer

Old Hands Play Old Dogs

Take Robin Williams and John Travolta, throw in a zany script complete with children and furry animals and you get Old Dogs. Due to be released at the end of the year, I chanced upon the trailer today and it looks like a proven formula... with actors like Williams and Travolta, why on earth would you want to teach these old dogs new tricks when the old ones still work?

What Next?

Lyon's quite unexpected announcement that Karim Benzema had joined Real Madrid even before the Red Devils had a chance to lodge a bid is a blow to the English champions if you ask me. The young French striker is the type of player that will flourish at Old Trafford and though it may sound like sour grapes, I wonder if we'll see the best of him at the Bernabeau.

That said, we must move on. It is increasingly unlikely that United will throw caution to the wind and sign a big name. The latest name to be thrown into the fray is one Michael Owen... for all his history, I can't help but think he is just that... history. I'd far prefer to have kept Saha if that is the case.

One name I'd like to see donning our colours is Alexis Sanchez. Udinese have stated that he is not for sale, but his age and silky skills is just what the doctor ordered for a Ronaldo hangover. I can't see Ribery coming over and Sanchez will offer some flair for less than half the price it would take to prise the Frenchman from Bayern Munich.

If there is going to be some major spending, I'd like to see Ashley Young and/or Gaby Agbonlahor being mentioned in the same line. Both are speed merchants and would complement the desire and determination of Wayne Rooney. Alternatively, I cast my eye to the Real Madrid bench and one Arjen Robben stands out, along with Wesley Sneijder who could play in the middle of the park or either flanks... did I mention he had ambidextrous feet?

Let's wait and see!

Valencia Recruited. Next Stop: Benzema.

Antonio Valencia has become the first signing of the season for Sir Alex Ferguson as he seeks to revamp a team devoid of Cristiano Ronaldo's talents. Personally, I greet this with a sense of hope because it probably means United will revert from being player centric to playing more as a team. As glorious as the past 3 seasons have been, it is difficult to see United surpassing the exploits of the previous season without change in personnel.

Valencia will see the return of the traditional winger that have characterized the United teams of old. His speed and strength minus the fanfare will be welcomed by intelligent forwards like Rooney and Berbatov. Throw in the possibility of Benzema being added to the firepower and my pulse accelerates...

I do hope we sign Benzema soon as it would be great to welcome this talented Frenchman to our shores come 18 July!