The Sternberg Effect
Media
Smell Like A Man
One of the most talked about advertising campaigns right now is the Old Spice Man, starring the sculpted former NFLer Isaiah Mustafa . But it’s not your grandfather’s Old Spice campaign, as there’s a highly interactive – and addictive – online push (a combination of viral video, Twitter feed and Facebook page) to support the non-sequitur TV spots.
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The Fate of US Soccer?
With the World Cup now complete (and apparently determined by a cephalopod mollusk), the question many in the US are asking is: will the success of the American team yield positive results for MLS (or even American soccer in general)?
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What’s In A Headline?
This morning’s news that the U.S economy added 431,000 jobs in May should be seen as a positive. Let’s face it, if the announcement was the opposite – U.S economy loses 431,000 jobs in one month – there would be those who blame President Obama and there would be those who blame President Bush. Such is life in America these days.
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Who Controls the Message?
http://www.facebook.com/widgets/like.php?href=http://www.joshsternberg.com/blog/2010/5/18/who-controls-the-message.html The first several weeks after signing a new client are always my favorite. Why? Because this is where we lay the foundation of most, if not all, of our efforts moving forward. We come up with the processes as well as the goals to have a successful relationship. Most importantly, this is the time … Continue reading
Off the Record vs. On Background vs. Privacy
Earlier today, New York Times reporter Nick Bilton posted this tweet:
Off record chat w/ Facebook employee. Me: How does Zuck feel about privacy? Response: [laughter] He doesn’t believe in it.
This tweet reminds me of a poster I once saw in college showing, from one perspective, a beauty queen and from another, an old-maid. Why? Well, this tweet shows how reporters can be cavalier with their sources (the “off the record” vs “on background” debate), and the content by the source that Facebook, by the Zuckerberg proxy, doesn’t believe in privacy.
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Mixing Theory With Business
One of my favorite theories to go over when I was teaching was called the Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT). Basically, the theory tries to explain and predict how relationships develop between strangers. The idea is rooted in the logic that the more (and often, how) we communicate upon initial interaction, the more we reduce our uncertainty of this person and thus determine if we will continue to develop the relationship.
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Three Laws of Social Media
This post originally ran on the Huffington Post
Social media. Two average-sized words that carry a tremendous amount of meaning. However, we have yet to create a working operational definition for social media…
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The Newseum
The smell of a fireplace. Not typically the first thought to roll through your head when thinking about Washington, D.C., but the smell of burning wood permeates this snow-infested city.
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Messages From Haiti: Behind the Scenes of the Disaster
This post originally ran on Mediaite and The Huffington Post
Each generation has its history-changing, world-altering moment. Over the past decade, my generation has been faced with some pretty heavy moments. September 11th. Hurricane Katrina. The Tsunami. And now, Haiti. If actions define who we are as individuals, then our collective responses to these moments are what define generations. Now is the moment for us to respond and help those who have fallen rise from tragedy.
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Manager vs Leader: Are You A Trusted Advisor?
Barely a year into my journey as a small business owner, I’m learning valuable skills and lessons that enable me to do my job better. Now, I’m not talking about building media lists or drafting messaging documents, but what it means to be a trusted advisor, someone who has the ear of a client, offering counsel to help their business grow…
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Why Sarah Palin is what’s right and what’s wrong with America
Say what you will about the dilettante politician from the great state of Alaska, but she sure knows how to ignite passion – both from supporters and detractors. And while you may agree on her stance that global warming is fake (you know, it’s not global warming-global warming, a la Whoopie’s ‘rape-rape,’ but it’s pretty … Continue reading
Social media is…
As a thought experiment, I asked followers on Twitter and friends on Facebook this little question: What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of social media? Sure enough, the myriad responses are as diverse as those responding. Some use the ingrained buzzwords: engagement, community, interaction, filter, sharing. Some look at social … Continue reading
It’s Our Fault, Too
The conversation goes like this: Budgets are slashed; layoffs follow, all because of a broken model – a model based on advertising revenue and subscription rates. Advertisers are pulling out because subscription rates are declining; subscription rates are declining because people are migrating to free online stories. Since all this is happening, the industry needs … Continue reading
How I’m Becoming A Real Person
Last week, I participated in a Web 2.0 panel about trust and journalism with Dan Patterson of ABC News and Jen Nedeau of Air America. This was the first panel I’ve sat on and as I look at the past year or so, I’m starting to see a clearer picture of how I’M quickly becoming … Continue reading
Are Lists Good For Social Media?
Twitter has grown exponentially over the past two years and so has the culture that has blossomed around the communications tool. The Twitterverse, through the means of the user, has developed a currency based in thought capital, designated by the few to be spread through the many. As in other cultures, currencies develop and are … Continue reading
The Sternberg Effect 