Healthy Conversations
Imagining & Creating New Value For Health Brands & Consumers

There’s a new book just released called Age Of Conversation 3, and it’s the third book in the Age of Conversation series.

A crowdsourced publication, it brings together 150+ authors from around the world, leading marketers, writers, thinkers and creative innovators contributing individual chapters, investigating the roles that community, conversation, experimentation, engagement, and collaboration play in shaping the 21st century’s economy of ideas. I’m proud to be a contributing chapter author.

The book helps readers use social media. Teaches them how to use it smarter, better, more efficiently.  Shares stories, ideas, strategies and observations. And in the spirit of community, all profits from the sale of the book are donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The book is broken down into these sections:

At the Coalface
There is much to be said for good strategy, but what happens when the strategy is done? This section is about working at the coalface of social media. It’s about the real world lessons that come hard and fast – case studies and the stories and events that are much better in the re-telling than in the moment.

Conversational Branding
What happens when a brand ventures into online conversation. What does it mean to participate in these conversations? Is this earned media? Is it paid for? Or is there an in-between space?  How important is brand in the social media space?  How does the conversation shape or change the brand?

Influence
Much is made of influence, but what does “influence” mean in social media? Who has it, and who creates it? Does influence mean different things to different people?  Is it hype or can it make the cash register ring?  Is influence one of the new currencies?

Getting to work
They say that the best approach to social media is dive in. But getting to work can be harder than it first appears. What have you done to quickly get to work?  Or perhaps this section is about how you use social media to get to work — literally.  Is it a viable tool for networking and job hunting?  Or maybe this section is about how social media is changing the face of work.

Corporate Conversations
There’s plenty of coverage of social media when the focus is on marketing or advertising. But what is happening in other parts of your business? Or if you’re a consultant or agency, how do you introduce social media to the C-level at your client’s business?  How do you make social media more relevant to the bottom line?

Measurement
Can you measure social media? Many claim you can and many claim you can’t. But if you can, should you? And how do you measure it?  In terms of ROI?  Or influence? Or ability to do good?  What are the metrics that matter and how do you get to them?

In the boardroom
Is social media a fad dreamed up by the marketing department to get the attention of executives? What are the hard questions and firm answers that get thrown around the boardroom. And who, if anyone, is best placed to answer?  What role should the C-level executives play in a company’s social media strategy?  

Pitching social media
The work has been done and the late nights are weighing heavily on your shoulders. But it’s time to buck up – to pull it all together and wow your client. What do you do to impress? Is there a new art to pitching social media? Or, if you’re from the PR side of the table, how are you pitching your client’s stories to social media’s influentials?

Innovation and Execution
People make great claims for social media. Is it the long dreamed of silver bullet? Can the tools and techniques be harnessed to drive innovation? How can you take an idea or a strategy and make it work for your brand or your business?  How do you move from idea to actual execution?  

Identities, friends and trusted strangers
Many people are now living much of their lives online.  Who do you call friend?  How do you set boundaries or decide who to let into your circle of influence?  How do you know who to trust when you can’t look them in the eyes? What tools, techniques and sites do you find most useful in creating your online brand?

The book can be purchased from Channel V Books, a company that works with business thought leaders who need to publish books in order to promote themselves and their businesses, enhance their credibility and attract new opportunities.

We’re relaunching a global cardiac safety brand in the next couple of months. To begin to educate and engage inside, we just had our first internal session yesterday with Brand Ambassadors (those people – who based on Senior Leadership input – represent each department within the organization and who will be the lead liaison between employees and their new brand).

It’s one thing to get Board and Senior Leadership sign-off on brand direction. But you really find out if you nailed it when those on the front-lines feel like they are one with the new brand. When they can see themselves in the new brand idea. When they’re inspired and motivated by it. When it’s aspirational, but within their grasp.

To a person, our Brand Ambassadors left our session with a stronger connection to the organization and to each other. They’re fully engaged and on board. And are excited that they get to carry the torch for new brand. Yesterday was a great day. And now the hard work starts.

Your brand isn’t running on all cylinders. There are indicators that you’re leaving reputation, relationships and business behind. So you’ve made the decision to re-brand. Some organizations have the skills, discipline and stamina to execute a strategically and tactically brilliant, organization-changing result. Others, while good intentioned, leave something [if not a lot] behind.

Here are common common pitfalls to aviod:

a. Ready, Fire, Aim. The significant time and expense of re-branding warrants tangible returns. Isolate and agree upfront to the most important business and brand issue(s) that you’ll address through the effort.

b. Not Realizing What’s On The Table. As your brand encompasses all the characteristics, both tangible and intangible, that surround your offerings, realize that everything your organization says and does makes up the brand experience. So everything, as it should be, is up for evaluation and refinement.

c. Going It Alone. Just as you wouldn’t diagnose your own physical ailments, the objectivity and expertise of an external consultant is critical to evaluating, creating and credibly selling internally to your leadership and teams.

d. Not Having Key Influencers and Decision-Makers On Board. Do not undertake this effort until these important allies are on board. Understand their opinions and expectations. And keep them appraised along the way.

e. Lack of Demonstrated Senior Leadership Commitment. All the time and expense of this endeavor will never be taken seriously, and will certainly never stick, unless leadership has explicitly communicated [and is ready to demonstrate] their commitment.

f. Inward Perspective. Your external audiences are the arbiters of your success, so understand how they view the organization. Contrast and reconcile these perspectives against your own to determine the gaps that need to be filled to realize your objectives.

g. Disregarding Your Legacy. While you can’t be led by the past, you don’t cast aside those equities that you’ve worked so hard to create. Don’t disregard what’s working, because these are the building blocks for enhancing your relevancy.

h. Bypassing Insiders. Your employees will make or break the initiative. They need to understand and believe in the program and the desired outcome. And most important, they need to be emotionally engaged.

i. Branding As A One-Time Event. As James Gandolfini would say “fuggedaboudit.” Because branding is akin to a marathon, not a sprint to the finish line. It will take longer, and cost more, than you imagined.

j. Neglecting To Patrol And Control The Airwaves. Monitor and share in the web-based conversations about your organization. Participate in the blogisphere. Help yourself control (at least as much as you can) your own destiny.