American Marketing Association - AMA - HotTopic Blogging Seminar Weblog

New Blog Book Authored By AMA Hot Topic Speakers

AMA Hot Topic speakers, Shel Israel and Robert Scoble's new book, Naked Conversations, is officially ready to ship from virtual stores and is on the shelves of brick & mortar shops. In addition to Hot Topic speakers authoring the book, two presenters from the blog workshop are highlighted - Steve Rubel and Toby Bloomberg (me!).

Naked Conversations brings together the history, culture, as well as, the business applications of blogs. Robert and Shel wrote the book on a blog...complete with open comments. Readers' feedback is frequently insightful and controversial. While you're waiting for your copy, check out the interviews and the commentary on their blog called, of course, Naked Conversations.

Since I can't give you a review (haven't read the book yet), here's a snippet from the Publisher's Weekly review.

To bolster their argument, Scoble and Israel have assembled an enormous amount of information about blogging: from history and theory to comparisons among countries and industries. They also lay out the dos and don'ts of the medium and include extensive statistics, dozens of case studies and several interviews with famous blogger.

They consider the darker aspects of blogging as well - including the possibility of getting fired by an unsympathetic employer. For companies that have already embrace blogging, this book is an essential guide to best practice.

Technorati Tags: Naked_Conversations, Blog_Books

AMA Central VA Chapter Blogs

AMA Chapters are joining the blogosphere. David Dolak, branding and marketing blog, links to the Central Virginia Chapter. From what I can tell the Chapter is using the blog as its internet presence.

If you're interested in learning what blogs can do for associations, take a look at Association Inc. authored by Kevin Holland.

Shout Out For AMA Attendee's Blogs

December 2005, AMA offered the first, in what was to become a coast-to-coast series, on marketing blogs. It was appropriate that the Hot Topic Workshop Blogs: Marketing Beyond the Website kicked off in the heart of the blog world - Seattle. During the next 10 months the program was presented in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Atlanta. Over 260 marketers came to learn and network.

Ken Bernhardt, Regents Professor of Marketing, Georgia State University, gave the workshop high praises. "This was a terrific workshop - - informative, cutting edge, and extremely useful. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to really understand what's happening in the marketing communications environment." However, the best reward was that we ("we" as in all of the presenters!) had the opportunity to help and encourage people to explore the uses and benefits of marketing blogs.

At year's anniversary, I wanted to offer a special  "shot out" and say congrats! to the marketers who courageously launched  or tweaked  blogs as a result of the program.  Corporate and personal blogs were created and we even inspired a citizen journalist blog - McChronicles! If I've left out your blog  please let me know.

External Blogs

-Company: Indium Corporation
Participant: Rick Short
Blogs: Dr. Lasky's Blog and Rick Short's Blog

-Company: Microsoft
Participant: Kevin Brody
Blogs: MSDN Student Flash (in the process of relaunch) & Windows Live Team Blog & Seattle Duck (personal)

-Company: Quality Service Marketing
Participant: Sybil Stershic
Blog: Quality Service Marketing Blog

-Company: Sterling International
Participant: Stephanie Cates
Blog: Rescue Bug Blog

-Company: Boston Test Prep
Participant: Ben Carcio
Blog: BTP Blog

-Company: Better Management
Participant: Chas Martin
Blog: Management Speak

-Company: Revolution Communications 
Participant: J. William Seccombe
Blog: Communication Revolutions and All The Buzz About Travel

-Company: Cincom
Participant: Dale Wolfe
Blogs: Simplicity Blog and Context Rules Marketing

-Company:Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry
Participant: Kathy Woolver
Blog: Current

-Company: Versant
Participant: Jason Whitman
Blog: Versant Blog Center

-Company: Symmetricom
Blogs: It's About Time and Perfect Timing

-Company: JWT Specialized Communications
Participant: Sean Mulholland
Blog: JWT Specialized Communications Blog

-Company: Clif Bar
Participant: Stephen Houghton
Blog: Clif Bar Blah Blah Blog

-Company: Zip Realty
Particpant: Myron Lo
Blogs:  Zip Realty Corporate Blog and Real Estate Market Conditions Blog

-Company: Emerson
Participants: Jim Cahill and Deborah Franke
Blog: DeltaVNews

-Company: IBM On Demand
Participant: Sher Taton
Blog: Corporate Blogging (personal) and IBM On Demand Blogs

Internal Blogs 
-Company: Akron-Canton Airport
Participant: Kristie VanAuken

-Company: Emerson
Participants: Jim Cahill and Deborah Franke

Technorati Tags: AMA, Marketing_Blogs, Blogs, American_Marketing_Association

Your Grandma Might Be Blogging You

The next time you visit your Granny or have dinner with your great Uncle Lou take care ... you may be blogged! Senior citizens are the fastest growing segment to embrace blogging.

Recently one of AMA's Hot Topic Boston speaker's Millie Garfield, My Mom's Blog, was quoted in several articles about senior bloggers. Although this article doesn't specifically mention AMA, the "Boston seminar" was the indeed the AMA workshop Blogs: Marketing Beyond the Website.

In June, Garfield was invited to speak at a Boston seminar for marketers on how to use the Web more effectively. A short video of the event, posted on her blog, captures the professionals laughing at her wisecrack about the benefits of a man who can still drive at night.

Perhaps when Millie finds her way to Oprah, AMA will be mentioned more prominently!

Consumer Controlled Media Event - Chicago, October 28th

For those of you looking to go 'beyond the Blog talk' and take things up a level, the AMA has the event for you.  We're bring along some of our smartest and well-spoken friends!

On October 28th we'll start out our 3 city tour in Chicago, IL. 

The name of the program is called The Old Model Doesn't Work Anymore: How Consumer Controlled Media Is Re-Shaping Your Online Go-To-Market Strategy.

We're pulling in some great speakers on fresh topics, check it out:

Podcasting/Video Blogs Stowe Boyd, President, Corante, Get Real

RSS
Bill Flitter, Chief Marketing Officer, Pheedo, Inc.,Pheedo Blog

Word of Mouth Marketing
Pete Blackshaw, Chief Marketing and Customer Satisfaction Officer, Intelliseek (New York session) Andy Sernovitz, CEO, Word of Mouth Marketing Association, WOMMA (Chicago session)

Interactive Social Networking
Randal Moss, Project Specialist, American Cancer Society's Futuring and Innovation Center

Social Networking
Christopher Carfi, Principal, Cerado, Social Customer Manifesto. (Chicago and Scottsdale sessions) David Teten, CEO of Nitron Advisors (New York session)

Power Law Structure
Judith T. Meskill, Principal, Meskill.net, Judith Meskill's Knowledge Notes

Register here if you're interested!

Continue reading "Consumer Controlled Media Event - Chicago, October 28th"

The AMA HotTopic Blog Seminar Series Closes in Atlanta Today

We did it!  6 cities over the past 10 months!  What a great trip it's been.

We have a A-list roster for our last event today:

* Toby Bloomberg

, President, Bloomberg Marketing
* Henry Copeland, Founder, Blogads.com
* Stowe Boyd, President, Corante
*

Bill Flitter

, Chief Marketing Officer, Pheedo, Inc.
*

Wayne Pelletier

, Interactive Creative Director, 360i.com, Inc. and Dave Williams, Chief Strategist and Co-Founder, 360i
*

Dana VanDen Heuvel

, Director of Business Development, Pheedo, Inc.
* Rick Short, Director: Corporate Communications, Indium Corporation of

America

AMA Reaches Out

The AMA extends its deepest sympathy to those who have lost so much in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In an effort to help AMA's New Orleans Chapter members and members in the tri-state area, AMA is undertaking the following:

- 6-month membership dues extension
- Upon request, a cash donation to the New Orleans Chapter

In addition,

- The AMA Foundation will assist with fundraising efforts and other related activities to benefit the victims of the storm
- AMA will place a public message on the Marketingpower.com home page encouraging donations to the Red Cross

Chapters are taking the initiative to fund raise on a local level. Last week the Oklahoma City Chapter raised $1300 at their August luncheon. Mark Towler, Phase 2 Developement and Brainworks Advertising paid the cost of all attendees meals in exchange for donations to the Red Cross.

The Boston Chapter is combining its 65 Anniversary Celebration with a fund raiser. If you're in Boston later this month party for a good cause.

Atlanta Marketing Wonk

AMA is taking its highly successful workshop Blogs: Marketing Beyond the Website to one more city. On September 30th a group of talented marketers who happend to also be some of the best bloggers in the business will hit Hotlanta for an intense day of talking about how marketers can leverage blogs.

If you can't join us at the workshop, meet-up at the Marketing Wonk*. Just because the AMA's program on blogs ends, it doesn't mean we're done discussing blogs.

Join Atlanta area marketers and bloggers for a "Marketing Wonk"* social immediately following the presentations. It's an open-invitation to marketing professionals, workshop attendees and whomever  wants to talk blogs and meet bloggers.

*What's a "marketing wonk?" Glad you asked. It's a Dutch treat networking event where people meet and  mingle. There is no agenda. No speakers. No selling. And it's a great way to kick off your weekend.

When: Friday, September 30, 2005 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Where: Loca Luna
836 Juniper Street
Atlanta, GA 30308
404.875.4494

Cost: Free. (Dutch-treat food/libations)

 

RSS - A Little Peep

RSS - or Real Simple Syndication - is one of elements that turns blogs (and web pages) into powerful communication vehicles. If you're not sure of what RSS is all about  Seth Godin has posted a simple non tech explanation.

RSS is just a little peep, a signal, a ping that comes from a favorite blog or site, telling your computer that it has been updated.

Help Selling Blogs In

One of the attendees from the Boston AMA Blogs: Marketing Beyond the Website workshop is looking for a few innovative approaches to help him sell-in blogs to his management. He's asked for help from the AMA blog community. The following are the concerns that he's struggling with:

- Blogs are time consuming and need a full time blogger to write, monitor comments/trackbacks and manage the bloggging process.
- A board is more dynamic in nature, people have the freedom to post whatever they want. People from the company, as well as, other other readers can respond - much the same as they would via a blog.
- A full-time employee is not necessary to implementing a board. Company saves on human resources.

The company is also interested in developing RSS feeds for targeted segments. Can RSS feeds be password protected so that only specific people are able to subscribe to the feed/or read the feed?

Thanks for your help!