Communicating in the City

Long live the blog

I can't help but to chuckle at the name of my blog this evening: 'Communicating in the City'. Hell, no one communicates in New York anymore. Unless you want to call an occasional text communication. Or maybe a quick email. Or a fast Skype call. Or a Twitter message. Or a Facebook wall post.

Everything is lightning fast these days; we want to be able to log onto a website quickly and get the info we need to know; we want to hear instant responses from those we (actually) attempt to contact. Sure, social media can do that...but there's no emotional connection.

People use Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc to brag about their cute kids, the posh restaurant where they ate dinner, the cool city they're traveling to next, etc, etc, etc. It's merely a status thing. Look at me, I'm cool. But hey, are you really calling any of these 'friends', sending them a decent-sized email? Probably not.

Social media has made people more and more vain. No one really wants to be social. If they did, they'd pick up a phone and say 'happy birthday'; not write it on someone's wall. 

It's actually kind of refreshing when I come across people who refuse to conform to the times. The guy I've been dating for the past several months doesn't even own a computer; and his cell phone is from the dark ages. He's pretty much intimidated by the whole technology and social media scene...which might not be a bad thing if I ever want to mouth off about him on Facebook.

The social media tool that I think is the most valuable? Blogging. Hence, what I'm doing right now. People have the chance to write multiple paragraphs and spread knowledge, viewpoints and information. Blogging can be social if people decide to leave comments and interact with you. But if they don't, blogging can be an extremely personal, therapeutic way to express your thoughts. Who the hell needs an overpriced therapist when you can have an inexpensive platform to rave, vent...and dare I say it, communicate?

Thanks to sites like Twitter and Facebook, I'm seeing more and more communicators fall off when it comes to keeping up with their blogs. Hell, if people are so busy typing out their 140 characters and linking to articles and videos, and if they're spending tons of time 'checking in' to venues and posting Facebook photos, when does that leave them time to blog a good 5-8 paragraphs?

That said, I'm happy to say I'm gradually getting back into the blogging groove. It's a precious tool - one that people need to remember and embrace once again.

Articles to check out this month

As I recently blogged, I am not a big fan of typos; especially spelling errors. Well, I found two men that detest typos as much as I do: Benjamin Herson and Jeff Deck, aka The Great Typo Hunters.

I had the chance to interview them for this month's edition of simply-communicate. Read about their cross-country journey to rid the world of senseless typos in my entertaining profile:

http://www.simply-communicate.com/case-studies/business/profile-jeff-deck-and-benjamin-herson

One company that has made internal communication entertaining is eBay Europe. Read how they've enhanced their virtual team meetings via roving reporters and an innovative audience voting feature:

http://www.simply-communicate.com/case-studies/company-profile/ebay-europe-enhances-its-popular-virtual-team-meetings

Finally, communicating the death of a CEO or senior business leader is no easy task for companies. However, one thing's for sure: the communications have to be delivered in a sensitive, timely manner. Witness the experiences of some of these well-recognized brands:

http://www.simply-communicate.com/news/internal-communication/how-communicate-death-leader-inside-organization

Don't people know how to spell?

Maybe it's because I'm an Editor, maybe it's because I'm a former Spelling Bee champ, but typos really annoy me. And it's amazing how many there are in the business world.

I'm so revved up about the topic that I'm actually blogging after a six month hiatus. In case you're wondering, you will not see any typos in this blog entry.

Sometimes I'm not sure whether it's people's inability to spell certain words or just plan laziness (have you heard of spell check?), but these days, more and more documents (and e-mails) are coming my way with mis-spelled words. Some common mistakes - "your" vs. "you're" and "tomorrow" vs. "tommorrow".

A friend of mine is doing online dating and is amazed at how many women e-mail him with typos and misspellings. Gee, that's such a turn on. If the women are that careless with spellcheck, imagine how flaky they might be in real life. I'm just saying...

And don't get me started with text messages. While they're great when you're in a hurry or if you want to send quick bursts of information, they're doing a number on our grammar. People are now beginning to abbreviate in every day life.

A recent "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episode was particularly hilarious because it dealt with a character who said "LOL" rather than actually laughing. And let's not forget LMAO, OMG and TTYL. If we're abbreviating so much, how on earth are we going to become good spellers?

Society is getting so lazy that I think we're going to stop talking altogether. We'll continue to text and e-mail each other when we're sitting in the same room, and we'll continue to zone out while listening to our iPods on the train or when we're reading our Kindles or playing with our iPads. Gee, during a time when everyone can't wait to connect, no one is really physically interacting. I can't remember when someone actually looked up and made eye contact on the train. Maybe that's why so many people are single in New York and in other cities. We have too much other cool stuff to focus on; instead of wanting to meet sexy people, we're obsessed with our sexy gadgets. It's amazing that you still see so many pregnant people around; obviously some people are putting their Kindles down long enough to procreate. Must've been that long, hard winter we had...

In any event, while it's great to embrace technology, we mustn't forget the basics: how to spell, how to interact and how to truly communicate. And with that, I say GN for now...

 

Welcome to the dead of winter

  It's only January 14th and this winter is already exhausting. At the end of December, we were socked with nearly 30 inches of snow; the other night we got 7 more. And it's so bloody cold out! 20 degrees as we speak.

But, hey, what's a little white stuff and freezing temps, right?

Yesterday, I didn't let the weather stop me - I shot video in frigid conditions - outdoors - all over Brooklyn. It was exteriors galore for a training video I'm producing. 

Sure, I love writing and editing; I do it all the time as Editor of simply...but there's something exhilarating about shooting footage. Not talking heads so much, but nature, images, buildings, scenics - the crazy landscape that is New York City.

In spite of chapped hands and not feeling my toes after awhile, I was warmed by the pleasure of being able to capture every shot, control every moment...I even made a few new friends along the way. It's funny how much attention you get when you lug a camera and tripod around. One thoughtful passer-by even helped me navigate a huge mound of snow. Gotta love it.

The weather may be brutal but there's something special about winter in New York. It's cozy. Radiators hiss and clang as the heat comes up in our apartments. Trudging through snow and slush and sliding on icy pavements bring people together - New Yorkers unite on half-ass plowed streets and bitch and moan about the inconvenience of the powdery stuff which by now is black with soot and yellow with...well, you know (hint: it comes from a dog).

Ah, winter in New York. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm back, back in the New York Groove

Actually I never left. But you'd never know it from the lack of blog posts lately. Sorry about that.

The truth is I've been very busy - not just editing and writing for simply-communicate and producing our monthly webinar, simplylive; I'm now overseeing our weekly news feed, simplynews - where we aggregate the top stories making headlines in corporate communications.

I must say, thanks to our new feature, I've never been this well-informed in my life. Not only has monitoring news across the world enabled me to stay on top of current events, it's also given me a new appreciation for Twitter. I'm sorry I ever doubted this social networking tool. Keep those valuable tweets coming, communicators.

Speaking of valuable information, I'm now putting together our coverage of IABC's recent corporate communications and social media conference in New York. Stay tuned for interviews and case studies that you won't want to miss.

With that, I'm now off to enjoy the season finale of "Mad Men". Gotta love that DVR.

All in a day's work

I've said this before and I'll say it again - do not be deceived by thinking people have it easy when they work from home. The truth is, it's much harder to work out of your house.

Sure we don't have to deal with chilly, rainy days like today or lousy subway commutes or wondering who's eavesdropping on our conversations in the cubicle next door. What we do have to deal with is the ability to achieve a successful work/life balance.

For example, it's now 8pm. I've been working since 9am - sending out emails, conducting Skype interviews, writing up articles and logging video footage. I haven't eaten dinner, nor have I called back 2 of my friends. Why? I'm a slave to my desk. If I see my laptop, I will want to go on it, whether it's to Tweet, respond to an email or research a story idea. Hell, I've been on my Mac so much that my eyes are now starting to burn. Could glasses be in my future?

When you work in an office, you know at some point you have to go home. You can leave your work at the door (in most cases) and can more easily focus on your evening activities.

That in mind, I will now attempt to prepare some dinner (a different kind of work!) and unwind a bit. I hope.

And for a sneak peak of some of the projects I'm working on, be sure to watch this page!!

Some hidden benefits of social media

By now, we've all read about the power of social media. It has tremendous marketing benefits (who isn't tweeting these days?); it can trigger nostalgic reunions between friends and family members; it can also be a huge outlet for news and information. 

While all of the above are just some of the obvious plusses of embarking on social media, let us not forget a few of its other appeals. For starters, it provides a great platform for people to get stuff off their chests. I can't count how many Facebook updates I read each day where users are venting about something that is getting to them. Perhaps it's a lay-off? Or a broken heart? Or neverending airport delays (those would be my posts). Whatever the gripe, I've now come to label them, "Facebook therapy". Just think how much money can be saved on expensive hour-long sessions by simply posting a status update (or 2 or 3). Those posts can do wonders for anger management.

On dark rainy nights during a scary recession, sometimes reaching out to "friends" or "followers" can be just as comforting as a hot cup of tea. Connecting with online communities of people going through similar situations - whether personal or professional - can offer great security for people. Or sometimes you just need to laugh at the latest joke or viral video being passed around. 

In addition to the therapeutic benefits of social media, there's also the notion of what I like to call reinvention. It's cool to be a geek. The tecchier you are, the better. Have information on a new tool or gadget? People want to hear what you have to say. Take that, posers.

 

Coke is it!

Back from an excellent social media conference held by Ragan Communications at the Coca-Cola Headquarters in Atlanta.

500 communicators gathered at the large venue to hear case studies from Southwest Airlines, SAS and of course, Coca-Cola, to name a few. Be sure to check out my overview in the March edition of simply-communicate as well my in-depth look at various social media case studies in future editions. 

On a personal level, it was very cool spending time at the company headquarters of a brand I've been enjoying for years. I drink more Diet Coke than wine and beer, and that's saying a lot!

Watching videos about and produced by the company - particularly the historical clips - gave me a sense of nostalgia for the product: Coke truly is the symbol of America based in a city that appropriately houses The Museum of Patriotism. 

One added benefit of covering a conference at Coca-Cola is the unlimited amount of Coke that was on-hand. With all the hours of shooting I was doing, the caffeine definitely came in handy!

I even made a new friend at the networking party at the World of Coca-Cola:

Stranded in San Diego

When I embarked on my much-needed California vacation earlier this month, little did I know I'd be staying for awhile. The snowstorm that crippled New York on February 10th and closed city schools for the first time in years, prompted airlines to cancel flights - including my own.

So rather than fly home on the 10th, I instead remained in San Diego through the weekend - not the worst thing in the world given the sunshine, pleasant temperatures and the bevy of men in town for a golfing convention.

Armed with a laptop, BlackBerry and a flash drive, I decided to make the hotel pool and cabana my brand new office. With nice-looking servers bringing me drinks and turkey sandwiches, you really couldn't beat such a winning environment. As a result, my productivity soared: every email got answered, every simply-communicate article got edited - and - I even got a little writing done of my own. Who says you can't balance vacation time and work time? 

Now that I'm back at the home office safely returned to New York soil, I just want to give a big shout-out to the Hard Rock Hotel's head concierge in San Diego, Gaby Delgado, as well as Luke and the rest of the Hard Rock team for all their help and gracious service during my stay. You guys really do rock!!

Next - it's off to Atlanta to cover Ragan's social media conference at the Coca-Cola Headquarters. One thing's for sure - there will be no shortage of caffeine at that event! Looking forward to it.

Happy New Year!

Apologies for the lack of posts these past few weeks. Like many others, I got swept away in the holiday festivities. Lots of places to go and people to see.

However, I was also hard at work at putting together the January edition of simply-communicate. Start your 2010 off reading great content while staying indoors and hibernating from this harsh winter weather we've been having:

http://www.simply-communicate.com/

May we all resolve to be better communicators this new year. May we bounce back from 2009 with a vengeance. Time to get motivated!

Happy reading, and be sure to watch this space for fresh new posts in 2010!