On December 14th of last year Neil Young (my favourite music artist by the way) was invited to speak at a Salesforce conference in Japan. During this short appearance, Neil talked about the power of social media and its ability to inspire change. He compared it to the 1960s and 1970s and the impact music and radio had on society at that time.
What are your thoughts on Neil’s comments? I would love to read your comments below.
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Melody Adhami (@MelodyAdhami on Twitter) is the co‐founder and COO of Plastic Mobile, an award‐winning mobile marketing agency. Melody co‐founded Plastic Mobile in 2007 and only three short years later was featured in a national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, and named the Queen of Apps in a series about Wired Women. Today she has reached the pinnacle of her career by being featured in 5 Questions! 😉
What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis?
Innovation is one of the biggest motivating factors for me. To know that every day I go to work and do things that are at the cutting edge of technology makes every day more exciting than the day before. I love the fact that what I do surprises and amazes so many people. Making an impact also motivates me to continue to do what I do. When I know that our initiatives change the way people conduct business or the way consumers conduct their daily lives, any amount of hard work seems entirely worth it.
If you had 30 seconds to impart your wisdom on a classroom of soon-to-be graduates, what would you say?
Do what you love because then it doesn’t feel like work. If you find yourself in a job you hate, re-evaluate and make a change. Work hard and play harder.
In your opinion, what has been one of the most important technological developments over the past 12 months?
Tablet technology and their proliferation/mainstream adoption. The tablets are changing the way consumers are digesting content both in the types of content and the location in which they consume. So what I mean is that people don’t have to be limited to watch YouTube clips or reach the news at their desktops. They can do it virtually anywhere.
If you had a crystal ball, what would you say will be the most important technological development over the next 12 months?
NFC technology and the effects that can be anticipated in the next 12-24 years. Ultimately, all payment transactions can take place in one single mobile device. Your phone will not only be your email client, your internet, but also your wallet.
Who is one of Canada’s tech stars and why?
My personal favourite tech star is Amber Mac. I had the opportunity to meet with her a few months ago and I love her energy, enthusiasm and overall tech knowledge. She is definitely a great Canadian tech star.
Stratford, Ontario has to be one of the most picturesque cities in the world. It is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever had the privilege of visiting. It is also one of the most intelligent communities in the world.
It’s everywhere in Stratford. The people are very friendly. Everywhere you go people are saying hello and good morning. And I’m not talking about retailers or hosts. People going for walks along the river or biking on the trails all saying hello to us.
And it translated to the way we were treated online too. But remember, it’s not about the tools but about the people. Stratford has just figured out that the tools will allow them to extend their “friendly” brand.
The Stratford Festival can be found on Twitter at @stratfest. But their customer service and community engagement does not start there. Nor does it end there. When I went online to purchase tickets for a show, I was able to talk to someone on the phone to help me find the best seats. And then when I was having trouble finding suitable accommodations for the night, the lady behind @stratfest suggested I call the customer service line first thing in the morning. Their ticket operator was actually going to help me find and book a place to stay the evening.
And when I called they also asked if I needed to make reservations for dinner! Amazing!
And the entire city seems to be connected. And not just to the internet. They are connected to each other.
Almost every retailer and restaurant encourages their patrons to connect to Foursquare for the purpose of discovering deals and specials.
And when it comes to online integration, Stratford is second to none. All their brochures and marketing material, including their websites, don’t just encourage people to follow and connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. They actually tell you where to find them on these spaces!
So rather than: “Follow us on Twitter!” they will say, “Follow us on twitter.com/stratfest”.
Finally, a brand (city) that “get’s it”.
Conclusion
The role of social media needs to be understood on context. It is not a stand alone tool or solution. Rather, it needs to be viewed as a partner within a business – or in this case, a city/town.
Stratford uses social media to help all their partners do better. Social media helps Stratford’s theaters give a better experience to their patrons. Tools like websites, Twitter, Foursquare and Facebook allow everyone from visitors and residents, to retailers and restaurants stay connected to each other via another platform.
And my IRL experience last weekend was actually enhanced as a result.