Category: Prognostication

This week I was fortunate enough to be able to go to both the PRSA’s conference this week in New York City and MarketingProf’s event in Boston. Aside from the obvious benefit of being able to get cheese popcorn from Garrett’s (the greatest cheesecorn on earth, I challenge any to suggest better).

Some recurring themes:

Marketing as Sales – New technologies allow the marketeer to automate and remove manual labor from the sales cycle.

Privacy  – I was surprised to hear this topic come up a few times. I fear there is trouble on the horizon here.

Video – Obviously Video is gaining momentum because everyone seems to be sick of it.

Produce Content – Nothing new to you, you savvy blog reader.

I was able to meet a bunch of interesting people and catch up with some folks I haven’t seen in a while. Hopefully there won’t be a pile of work a mile high when I get back to my desk tomorrow.

Last week I attended a signing by Fake Steve Jobs, for his book Option$. Atlas Ventures opened up the bar and invited a large crew to Rocca, a very cool location in the South End of Boston.

For those not initiated, Daniel Lyons works at Forbes and while experimenting with blogs came up with Fake Steve Jobs, his idea of what would happen if a CEO decided to do a real blog, not the watered-down, PR and Legal approved abominations you occasionally see at large companies. There’s no surer bet for a laugh if you are looking for a feed to add.

Mr. Lyons is living proof of my theory that those best suited for success in new media, are those now working in the established outlets. I’ve heard many editors and publishers berate blogs, obviously deaf to that giant sucking sound that is their circulation. Those already in the publishing industry that aren’t afraid to try something new will be the most likely to succeed as things continue to evolve. The days of subscribing to 10 magazines, buying a stack of CDs, and listening to terrestrial radio are only visible in the rear view mirror.

Another group getting it is Version 2 Communications, the co-host of the event. They had the Flickr and YouTube tags on the back of the name badges, check out the vid with me chewing the scenery as hard as The Shat, with Chris Brogan driving it home with the ultimate punchline.

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