I have stopped blogging on this site for now.  I've moved to a new platform that will make it easier to post more frequently and consistently (fingers crossed).  Content will be very similar.  Please visit: http://e-dorphins.tumblr.com/

Earlier this week, AdAge published some findings from the ARF that discussed the importance of advertising in sparking Word of Mouth.  The discuss the empirical findings that the most effective TV advertising (which is still a very effective medium in their view) are the ads that generate the most talk.  They go on to quote Ed Keller, author of the book The Influentials, saying that 22% of all WOM conversations about brands are sparked directly by advertising.

In a world where sharing is the new media, friendship is the new currency and advocacy is the new goal; the role of advertising will increasingly be to get people talking about your brand.  Preferably in a good way if they're your target, and a bad way if they're not (that's a whole other blog post.)

I like these presentations.  They are probably the closest I've seen to how we're working at 22squared.

Another good article from Business Week that talks about mobile phone manufacturers making it possible to share apps, tools and games with whomever you want.  Sharing is the new media for brands.  Sharing can spread content, tools and even your products.  We should be thinking of it as a "motivation medium."  A powerful media that when sparked can be your biggest source of growth.

Great Business Week article analyzing the growing economy of friendships and connections online.  Now, social networks and friendships are a source of learning and a medium for marketing brands.  When attention is hard to get, friends can be the way to get it.

Now, putting your consumer hat on, ever wonder how many friends is too many?  How many you can actually maintain a two-way dialogue with?  Here's a cool breakdown that rings really true.

This is a great chart by Tim Brown at IDEO from his new book, Change by Design.  As marketing expands its bounds into anything that add value to a customers life, this reminded me that innovation should be a constant process.  This chart is a great way to frame up ideas that can create advocates for brands, and new revenue opportunities.  Also spurs a good audit.  Where have your ideas been focused?  Should they be expanded?  Where are the opportunities?

For several years, we've been working on a methodology, philosophy, mantra and mode of operand i for 22squared.  This is a deck I wrote as an orientation to the Friendship Model.  I'm sharing it because it's an intuitive way for brands to harness the power of advocacy to grow their business.  Obviously, comments welcome.

A fresh and refreshing way to submit an RFP.  And most of all appropriate, given the client's desire for an agency that lives and breathes social media.  Our (22squared's) submission is explained in the slideshare below.  The greatest thing, it was fast, fun and painless...unlike most new biz processes.  We made the "short list", so...onward.

Faris Yakob has made some awesome posts and presentations on enabling people to spread your message.  Along with Griffin's blog dedicated to Propagation Planning, Faris has really nailed how to create assets that people will play with, remix, and make their own.  Because when people make things they feel they own, they share.  And when people share, brands win.  As agencies and communicators work to promote brands, we have to approach challenges differently and think about how to equip people to spread our message for us.  That means starting with content that can be messed with, without seeking to control how its messed with.  That's a totally different way to approach advertising than making a :30 spot.  It requires story telling, cultural context, symbols, language, video, pictures...all assets people can use to create around your theme or central idea.

It's exciting to think about and even more exciting to do. Read these very smart blogs about it.

Interesting: A History of Recombinant Culture
Recombinant Branding

A few days back I posted a Social Media Map by Ari Herzog at Overdrive. It's an awesome menu for anyone trying to spread an idea or a brand via social media.  I "discovered" this slide share from a David Armano Tweet.  Why did I do that?  Well, this presentation explains it. It's a great psychoanalysis of what makes people participate in the social web.  Ever get those questions from people who don't participate?  They look at you kinda sideways and say things like, "why would anybody waste their time doing that?"  Well, here's the answer.  A combination of motivations, like people's desire not to miss out on opportunities, a desire to be recognized as important, and a desire to make meaningful connections with others.  It gives a nice road map (slide 50) for understanding how to design a utility/application for engagement and social spread.  The more brands understand this and act on it, the more talk and advocacy they will earn.