Last year, I submitted a panel idea for SXSW Interactive 2010. While my topic was not picked, the outpouring of support from metro Detroit’s new media community was totally humbling. Now that panel voting for next year’s conference is in full swing, I want to lend as much support as possible to other metro Detroiters (and Michiganders) hoping to speak at one of the world’s largest interactive conferences.
After running a few searches on Twitter, I pulled together a list of presentations that feature local professionals. The panelists and their topic descriptions are listed below. If you like any of the ideas, please take a few minutes to register and vote. To put it in perspective, more than 2,300 topic proposals were submitted this year. So, every “thumbs up” you give to a featuring a Detroiter truly counts.
*If you’re a Detroiter or Michigander and I missed your panel, please leave a comment with a link to vote.
Putting the “MED” in Social Media
Featured Detroiter: Julian Bond (Detroit Medical Center)
As the use of social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter has become increasingly “second-nature” to many users, the way that patients, doctors and even hospital/health systems communicate with each other has changed dramatically. Instead of just the usual face-to-face doctor’s office chats and traditional hospital marketing methods, social media has opened the doors to new ways of communication in the health community. So with more and more people using this new technology, a good number of health/hospital systems have caught on to it and as a result have started to put the “MED” in the social media movement. At SXSWi during the SXSW Health track, come check out our panel to hear some of the people from a number of major health and hospital systems as they discuss how they have used the power of social media to reach their core audiences in various unique ways.
Secrets to Sparking and Sharing Your Photographic Genius
Featured Detroiter: Rosh Sillars (The Rosh Group)
Taking photographs is fun, but your images are not doing you any good sitting on your hard-drive. The ability to take great photographs, share them around the world or even sell your best images for extra money is at your fingertips. New photographic technology, sharing in the social media and digital techniques will be discussed in this dialog about today’s photography environment and opportunities. This professional photographer panel will share their diverse insights on what is hot and how to gain a photographic following.
How Brands Respond to Facebook Attacks
Featured Detroiter: Scott Monty (Ford Motor Company)
What should brands do when their reputations are taking a beating in front of millions of eyes on the world’s largest social network? If they’re smart, they won’t go the way of Nestle, which chose sarcasm and silence on its Facebook Wall in confronting an attack from Greenpeace earlier this year. Instead, brands will follow the lead of companies like Capri Sun, which responded to a major customer complaint by regularly sharing the facts and then truly listening to their fans, ultimately averting a crisis. From discussions on striking the right tone, moderating fan comments, and planning content, our panelists will share stories and best practices that demonstrate how brand marketers can answer and engage their Facebook critics.
All Ears: Listening in the Social Age
Featured Detroiter: Ken Burbary – Panel Moderator (Ernst & Young)
In the age of social media, everybody has a microphone. Your customers (and even non-customers) are talking about you. The crazy thing is, everybody’s listening. You can’t control social media, but you can and should help shape the conversation by listening and participating in empathetic and honest ways. This session will help you understand how to listen, where to listen, how to extract meaning out of the social media chatter, how to engage and empower others in your company to engage.
Socially Regulated: Social Media in Regulated Industries
Featured Detroiters: Shannon Paul (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan) and Scott Monty (Ford Motor Company)
While many businesses and corporations have started to adopt social media as part of their marketing, communications, and other business practices, regulated industries – such as pharmaceuticals, financial services, and the automotive industry – often face challenges and restrictions that other industries do not need to consider, such as federal regulations and industry guidelines. This panel brings together an esteemed group of social media pioneers within regulated industries, who have not only transformed their organization’s approach to social media, but also successfully planned and executed numerous social media programs, while adhering to their respective industry regulations and limitations. The session will cover: * A general overview of some regulated industry regulations/ limitations * Championing organizational change, with respect to digital communication * Developing internal policies/guidelines for social media * Working with internal legal/regulatory departments for reviews and/or approvals * Developing social media strategies within highly conservative corporate cultures.
Have Fun to Increase Customer Engagement
Featured Detroiters/Michiganders: David Murray (re:group), Sarah Worsham (Sazbean Consulting), Betsy Weber (Techsmith) and Beverly Cornell (Mango Languages)
People are more likely to converse and interact with others who are friendly and sociable. So it makes sense that people are more likely to interact with businesses who are similar — who have a bit of personality and who like to have fun. Companies like TechSmith and Mango Languages, who use fun in their marketing, find that their customers not only participate, they get involved and make the message their own. A sense of humor is good for business. Companies who stop marketing traditionally and instead think about how to have fun with their customers, create brand advocates who generate awareness and influence within their networks.
Status Update….or Status Upgrade?
Featured Detroiters/Michiganders: Becky Johns (Delta Dental of Michigan) and Ben Smithee (Spychresearch) – I think Detroit sort of adopted Ben after FutureMidwest
Has documentation of experience become more important than experience itself? Are we creating experiences for the purpose of impressing, bragging and other types of “douchebaggery”? Sharing our lives with our networks has become second nature. Our streams are our reputation. By being constantly connected, the human experience has shifted from just having experiences to focusing on documenting them. But how much of it is created or altered just to share? We’re all content creators. As our curiosity and interest in the lives of friends and strangers grows, we’re changing the way in which we prioritize and filter the content for our networks…or at least what we choose to publicly share. Companies have become increasingly interested in participating in the social web and finding ways to become intertwined in our digital homeostasis. They seek out ways to filter through the “noisy” environment and uncover new insights and ways to effectively create products, services and messaging that appeals to our digital tastes and desires. How is our desire to share impacting how we live? Which behaviors are driven by intent to share and which are just reported as they happened naturally? How do we tell the difference between “memories” and “content?” What do we filter and deem “cool” enough to share? What are the innovative companies doing to navigate this changing environment? Join in on the conversation!
Once again, please take a minute and vote for these great topics. Let’s make sure Detroit has a strong showing at SXSW 2011!
Hey there, Detroit. Please hear me out. I need to ask you for a favor.
