Stephanie Fierman
Recent Activity
Why Twitter Is Like High School
Recently, I’ve started to wonder how we can possibly ingest the fire hose of information that comes at us every day. The obvious answer is that we can’t. Brits know it, tweens know it, experts know it. And yet… on it comes, leading one to either eliminate it - unsubscribe to an email newsletter, sign off Facebook, stop watching Real Housewives of New Jersey (oops, sorry - that’s mine) - or somehow filter out what we don’t want. Some call this phenomenon the ”attention economy.” In the attention economy, a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that finite amount of attention over a rising level of noise. In other words, it becomes increasingly important to make choices, to become more discriminating, to understand the value of our thoughts and our time. So while I may watch reality TV because I like it, it would never dawn on me to voluntarily invite a continuous information stream into my skull that I neither want nor need. I recently wrote a post on this topic as it pertains to Twitter, arguably the Web’s newest, most popular time suck. Well here’s another upside-down concept from the Twuniverse: Twitter Karma. If you’re not on Twitter, you don’t have a clue what this would be. But if you are, you may know what’s coming…On Twitter, you follow people whose thoughts interest you, and others may follow you for the same reason. Twitter Karma refers to those whom you follow who do not follow you back. This means that you’ve elected to see every tweet of theirs and they have not reciprocated. Some people find this to be rude: so rude, in fact that they unfollow individuals who – after a respectable amount of time – didn’t follow them back. Wait - what? This is a problem? Did I go to sleep and wake up back in the 3rd grade? We’re grown-ups. Each of us has her own unique interests, profession and curiosities. Each of us has goals of expanding his or her knowledge in different directions. So if I follow you on Twitter because you have a point of view I find valuable, why would I expect you to reciprocate (and consider it a compliment) if you don’t need what I have to say? Maybe someday you’ll be interested… but not now. I do not take offense, but make no mistake: I’m supposed to. By implication, those who do not reciprocate are ingrates and creeps. Twitter karma feels precisely like one of those mean little games children play. Move on. Look, here’s my point of view: if you’re on Twitter, chances are you’re a reasonably confident person who has something to say. I doubt you need or want an insincere slap on the back from someone who felt pressured to offer it. This is the only life we get, people. You only have so many brain cells: use them wisely. Be choosy. Mandatory school books or work stuff aside… take in the information you need and want. Leave the rest. By doing so, we not only grow… but maybe we do increase the likelihood that we’ll have something to say that others will want to “follow.” But, hey. If you’re squeamish about unfollowing a “mean girl” (or guy) on Twitter, sort folks on TweetDeck. It’ll change your Twexistence. … Read More
July 17, 2009 | In Media & Internet
Social Media Makes Lousy Customer Service a Very Costly Proposition
Ah, the sweet satisfaction of being able to vent. You know the feeling: you have an awful customer service experience and vow to tell every man, woman and child all about it until the day you keel over. And so you do.But how many people is that - 5, 6, maybe 10? And how quickly did you stop telling anyone about it - a week? Brands often still behave as if they live in that world when - in reality - that world is gone forever. The “social media” phenomenon has seen to that. And I preach this as often as possible, even making presentations on the topics of online reputation management, the implications of new sites and technologies for marketers and how companies need to adjust to survive.But we all know that this doesn’t happen. Three of my all-time favorite this-reputation-disaster-could-have-been-avoided stories are Jeff Jarvis’ Dell Hell, the recording of Vincent Ferrari trying for 15+ minutes to cancel his AOL account and KFC/Taco Bell doing nothing for hours and hours while local NY news crews shot video through the front window of a closed store while rats scurried here there and everywhere, thereby turning a gross story into a global event (not a good day for Yum Brands…). Today, I share my latest fave: Sons of Maxwell creating an absolutely masterful video and song, “United Breaks Guitars,” about an awful experience it had with United Airlines.It seems that the band, Sons of Maxwell, were on the tarmac in Chicago when some fellow United Airline passengers looked out the window and saw one of the bandmember’s $3,500 guitars being thrown by United baggage handlers. The guitar was severely damaged and unplayable. United did not deny responsibility, but tortured the band for nine months until finally refusing to compensate the guitar’s owner, Dave Carroll, for the loss. Mr. Carroll subsequently vowed to “write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world.” Click HERE FOR THE FIRST of the three. The video was viewed 1.5 million times in its first 3 days and several comments on its YouTube page are from those who say that the band’s experience has negatively impacted their opinion of United Airlines. One person remarks that, based on the video, he shifted a group’s travel plans to another airline, thereby costing United about $10,000. Now I’ve worked in plenty of places, and know that sometimes individual employees can be dimwits (the video dramatizes the apparent reaction three in-flight airline employees had when first alerted to the problem). I also know that it’s a fact of life that a company can’t resolve every customer service complaint to a person’s satisfaction: some companies even calculate the likelihood and cost of getting sued, based on past experience, and consciously do not address costly errors. History dictates that it’s more cost effective to take the risk of a lawsuit. But this… is not that.The guitar cost $3,500. United Airlines does not deny responsibility. By the time Carroll is finished, I predict well north of 3 million views of his videos: videos that will last forever and be ”rediscovered” from time to time. We’ll see. United says it has contacted Carroll, but first reports say that the airline likes the song (gee, thanks) but has not yet offered remuneration.In the meantime, the band sold 40 albums on its website in the 24 hours after releasing the video. It usually sells one per day. … Read More
July 17, 2009 | In Media & Internet
Twitter may be the only place right now where you can easily follow many of the philanthropic leaders in the world and hear their (bite-sized) thoughts in real time. Go to www.summize.com or search.twitter.com to get started. … Read More
March 26, 2009 | In Business & Economics
Financial Advertising is a Minefield: Walk Accordingly
I counsel clients in the financial services and luxury spaces that a choice to advertise right now must be made with extreme care. The hurt, anger and fear in the market right now means that consumers do not have the time nor the inclination to discriminate between your peers (who may not have conducted themselves well) and you. Don't needlessly penalize yourself and open yourself up to ridicule (whether fair or not) unless there is a do/die reason to be promotional right now. The price is too high. … Read More
March 26, 2009 |
How can people attack and brutally criticize without contributing any value or ideas of their own?
The political bitterness seems particularly high right now. I don't understand why one would think that attacking others' thoughts - without bringing any value to the situation - would be something that contributes value. … Read More
March 26, 2009 | In Politics & Policy
Building brands and businesses in NYC.
