• Bryan Wiener – @bwiener
• Sarah Hofstetter – @pezmeister1
• David Berkowitz – @dberkowitz

digiday:Target in New York
June 8, 2009 | Visit Event Site
David Berkowitz, Director of Emerging Media & Client Strategy, will discuss “Unique and Advanced Applications for Targeting through Widgets, Video, Mobile and Emerging Media Platforms.

OMMA Metrics & Measurement in New York
June 9, 2009 | Visit Event Site
Sarah Hofstetter, VP of Emerging Media & Client Strategy, will speak in a panel session, “The ‘Ins and Outs’ of Measuring Social Media.”

Advertising 2.0 Conference in New York
June 10-11, 2009 | Visit Event Site
Bryan Wiener, CEO of 360i, will participate in a panel discussion entitled “The Future of the Ad Agency: How the Emergence of Ad Networks is Impacting the Role of the Ad Agency.”

OMMA Video in New YorkJune 16, 2009 | Visit Event Site
David Berkowitz contribute in a panel discussion, “Mobile Me,” about the future of mobile video.

The 140 Characters Conference in New York
June 17-18, 2009 | Visit Event Site
David Berkowitz will be a panelist in a discussion about “Twitter as the GPS for the Greater Social Media Mesh.”

OMMA Social in New York
June 23, 2009 | Visit Event Site
David Berkowitz will lead a session, “But Enough About Me: Maintaining Privacy in Social Media.”

Digital Media Conference 2009 in Washington D.C.
June 25, 2009 | Visit Event Site
David Berkowitz will be speaking on the panel “What’s Next in Social Media?”.

WOMMA Learn It! Do It! Hospitality Style in Las Vegas
June 30, 2009 | Visit Event Site
David Berkowitz will lead a panel called “Social Networks: Creating A Presence and Getting Connected.”

There are seven words you can’t say on television, according to George Carlin, but there’s only one you can’t say at social media conferences. As Carlin put it, it’s the one word that will “infect your soul, curve your spine, and keep the country from winning the war.” This deadly c-word is “campaign”; utter it at your peril.

The aversion to the word has been a common theme at a lot of the events that have focused on social media lately, including the Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s WOMM-U and IAB’s Marketplace: Social Media. The word “campaign” has become the pariah of social marketing. Preferred alternatives include terms like “program,” “initiative,” or even “conversation.”

At WOMM-U, I  moderated a session between MySpace’s SVP of Insight and Planning Heidi Browning, and Facebook’s Head of Brand Solutions Chris Pan. The two agreed more often than they disagreed, and at the outset both wanted to stress the importance of long-term social marketing programs. Facebook takes a particularly hard stance on this, actively discouraging brands from hosting Pages (the official branded presence) just for campaigns. Pan noted that one marketer created a Page centered on its tagline, and it bombed with consumers. Then the marketing switched to focusing on the brand rather than the tagline, and interest picked up dramatically. Pan said Facebook will allow marketers to create separate Pages for personas such as mascots and spokespeople, but again, these are designed to be persistent representations of the brand.

MySpace takes a softer stance on the c-word. It’s alright to have a presence there focusing on a campaign. MySpace is also a very different experience for marketers, as it requires a significant investment (at least relative to digital media campaigns; it’s hardly significant for TV buyers) for marketers to create a presence, and much of that commitment goes to media on the site promoting the page. In that sense, marketers will wind up paying to run campaigns, but MySpace still recommends that it fits in with ongoing social media initiatives.

A few days later at the IAB event, the first speaker, Forrester Research’s Josh Bernoff,  started with an assault  on the forbidden word. He said unequivocally that “social media is always an ongoing activity,” and marketers should stop thinking about it as a campaign. He discussed how customers are talking to each other and said, “The only way to succeed is to become a part of this conversation in a long-term and permanent way.”

My colleague, 360i VP of Emerging Media & Client Strategy Sarah Hofstetter, continued the theme at the IAB, noting, “Covering your ears is not a strategy.” She continued, “It’s important to get buy-in across the organization, including media, PR, creative, Web development, CRM [customer relationship management], and human resources. Get them more comfortable with the medium, and it becomes less scary. Then it’s easier to say you have to be there.” She implied that a lot of the disciplines mentioned are ongoing functions. There aren’t any flight dates for customer relationship management or human resources.

That can make it daunting to pitch a social marketing program, and it will present challenges for agencies and vendors in the near term. Even if there are no campaigns for social media, there are still contracts. Just try getting into negotiations with a procurement department for a 50-year contract that renews automatically and see how well that goes.

This all highlights one other area where social media has something in common with search engine marketing and optimization. No matter how or where consumers search, people will continue to do so, even if it ebbs some years and surges others. Similarly, while some aspects of social media reek of fads, the act of digitally sharing content has been going on at least since the days of the bulletin board services of the 1980s, and the activity isn’t going to fade away.

If you’re a marketer, you may only be able to sign short-term contracts and plan for just a year or so ahead. Regardless of what you’re doing on paper, you have to have the mindset that your strategy is paving the way for a perpetual commitment, even if the tactics continually change.

From David Berkowitz, Director of Emerging Media & Client Strategy, live from the heart of Texas

360i is out in Austin this week for South by Southwest Interactive (we did mention we’re everywhere). A few notes from the show as it gets underway:

The hottest spot: The TechSet / Windows Blogger Lounge. This is the see & be seen place for the bloggerati, the twitterati, and the vendorati. It’s where you’ll find everyone from the bald and balding blogging old-timers (read: over 30) to the 22-year-old blonde social media starlets. What you may not find is a seat, but once in awhile people actually do this conference stuff called going to sessions, and you’re able to sneak in at a table.

The five things you need to survive SXSWi:

• A Twitter handle, as this is more important than a business card here
• An iPhone, or at least some mobile device good enough to map the party scene
• A digital camera, so you can document your increasingly bloodshot, disheveled look and take pictures with the various -ati mentioned above
• An iron stomach. The Tex-Mex and barbecue take their toll (once in awhile, you may even find some hint of produce, but generally only if the fries come with ground parsley)
• Stamina. See the party list at happyhour.org for just one of many reasons.

We’ll have more of a recap as the show progresses. For some other insights into the scene here, check out 360i on Twitter, my own Twitter feed, and my blog post on what I’ve packed for my portable survival kit.

On the heels of CEO Bryan Wiener’s presentation at the 2009 AAAA Media Conference & Tradeshow last week, 360i will spend the latter half of the month participating in some of this spring’s top industry events. Here’s the rundown:

March 12 – Social Media Buyers Guide Podcast & DigiDay Mobile/Social

David Berkowitz, Director of Emerging Media & Client Strategy at 360i, will be a featured guest on the Social Media Buyers Guide “Insights from Service Providers” podcast at 2:00 p.m. EST. Please note this event has been rescheduled from its earlier date.

David will also attend DigiDay Mobile/Social in New York.

March 13 – 2009 SXSW Interactive Festival

360i will be on hand at the 2009 SXSW Interactive Festival, which runs through March 17 in Austin. David Berkowitz will attend the festival to soak up some hot industry tips and trends – and perhaps even a little Texas sun.

Since 1994, SXSW Interactive has drawn some the most innovative thinkers in emerging media and technology. Panel topics run the gamut – from web design, usability and blogging to wireless innovation and new technology business models.

March 19 – Digital Hollywood Media Summit & ThinkMobile Conference

Next, 360i’s David Berkowitz will moderate a session, entitled “Internet Video, Advertising & Marketing: The Next Generation of Consumer Reach,” at the 2009 Digital Hollywood Media Summit in New York.

That same day, David will serve on the “Mobile Search and Mobile SEO” panel at the Think Mobile Conference in New York, where he will discuss the convergence of mobile technology and SEO/SEM strategy.

March 22 – iMedia Breakthrough Summit

360i’s David Berkowitz will attend the iMedia Breakthrough Summit in Coconut Point, Fla. through March 25. The event will bring together more than 140 senior-level marketers and ad agency executives, as well as more than 250 publishers, ad networks, emerging media technology companies and service providers.

March 31 – TravelCom 2009

Wrapping up an eventful March, 360i will exhibit at TravelCom 2009 in Atlanta through April 2. This year’s conference, hosted by the U.S. Travel Association, will center on travel ecommerce and distribution.

Check the Digital Connections blog often for more updates, or follow us on Twitter (@360i).

360i CEO Bryan Wiener will speak at the 2009 AAAA Media Conference & Trade Show in New Orleans on Wednesday, March 4. Bryan will participate in a panel discussion, entitled, “New Business Models and Monetization of Marketing Service Agency Ideas & Work.”

This year’s conference, “The Consumer Is … Watching … Listening … Clicking … Connecting,” is expected to garner more than 1,600 attendees from the agency, media and advertiser facets of the marketing communications industry.

David Berkowitz, Director of Emerging Media & Client Strategy at 360i, will be a featured guest on the Social Media Buyers Guide “Insights from Service Providers” podcast at 1:00 p.m. on March 4.

David will join Social Media Club Founder Chris Heuer and E-Storm CEO William Gaultier to discuss his top three pieces of advice for individuals and organizations interested in purchasing social media technologies, services and media. Listen to the podcast here.

I had a great time on a panel this week at OMMA Social, and even more fun networking throughout the event, where everyone shedding layers at the sweltering Yale Club made it feel like the Woodstock of Internet conferences (no free love, though — just free crab cakes). My fellow panelists and moderator were some of the brightest people I know in this business, but some of the panels wound up addressing the same questions. To keep future panels more exciting, here are ten questions you don’t need to ask other panelists about social media, along with the answers you’re likely to hear. 

1) How are you measuring social media?

Likely answers: “It depends.” “It’s all about branding.” “You can’t use the same metrics as you do for other online media campaigns.” You can get a list of all the metrics panelists are tracking, but a panel won’t have time to address what all of those metrics really mean for marketers.

2) How do you determine the return on investment for social media?

This goes deeper than the measurement question, but more from the angle that social media marketing needs to impact sales. It can, and it is possible to develop some ROI metrics, but if that’s the primary and overarching goal, then stick with direct marketing.

3) How do you make something viral?

Do NOT use the V-word, unless you really want to hear Greg Verdino mention throwing up in his mouth again.

4) How do you plan social media campaigns?

Do NOT use the C-word either. You’ll hear panelists (like Adam Broitman) mention they don’t do campaigns; they do programs, engagements, or whatever more creative but astute answer Adam said. Now, if only agencies can figure out how to price lifelong social media initiatives, I can retire and devote myself to my true passion: playing Mob Wars and MouseHunt on Facebook (connect with me there and we can hunt gangsters and mice together).

5) What are your best strategies for social media advertising?

More good advice: don’t use the A-word either. Then you’ll hear all about how it’s marketing, not advertising, even when you can advertise with social media, and even when at the same event companies like SocialMedia.com are launching initiatives to improve the effectiveness of social media advertising.

6) With the rise of widgets, are Web sites dead?

No.

7) What’s a friend worth?

Umm, next. Really though, it depends on what you do with that relationship –  whether it’s just someone to add to your e-mail list, or you’re able to engage in a two-way and multi-directional conversation.

8- What’s the best thing about social media?

Listening. On a panel, the first person who picks up his microphone will say it, and then rest will either agree, or say a totally different, more verbose answer about buzz monitoring, garnering consumer feedback, or some other spin that can be summed up with one word: “listening.” At OMMA Social, Dr. Augustine Fou gets the credit for chiming in first on my panel; next time, doc, I’ll be ready and waiting.

9) What’s the point of (insert site, platform, or meme — Twitter, del.icio.us, Facebook, LOLcats, etc)?

The question’s fair, and panelists should be able to help shed some light on it, but get a panel talking about why they love something like Twitter and they’ll never shut up, each panelist trying to outdo each other with the impromptu testimonial. You’re better off asking for a show and tell session afterwards so you can figure out why you in particular should care and what it might mean for your business and your customers.

10) How can I get Joe Jaffe to speak at my next event?

This one gets asked at every panel, often by Jaffe himself, and if you close your eyes, make a wish, and tap your shoes together a few times, he’ll magically appear, and all your social media questions will suddenly be answered. Then we can work together to figure out some new questions to ask next time.