Social Media connoisseurs are smart... and devastatingly attractive.

Two months ago, I took part in a very special interview. No, it wasn’t the Portia De Rossi and Ellen Degeneres interview, which was amazing by the way, but it was still pretty cool.

As part of a class assignment, some friends and I interviewed a savvy social media connoisseur who told us all about blogs, web tracking, and the infuriatingly popular, Twitter. Let’s call our interviewee Blondie, since this post might embarrass them... well not them, me.

The interview took place in a cramped little office down at Bay and Front. Though there were five of us huddled together, and the sun beamed fiercely through the wall-sized window, Blondie was the only thing making me sweat.

Get your minds out of the gutter, I’m not talking about physical attributes here (well I kind of was, but this is not that kind of blog). Actually, I was mostly impressed by Blondie’s knowledge and enthusiasm throughout the interview. And from this spectacular creature I am now utterly obsessed with three incredible blogs that I firmly believe you should all know about.

Hype Machine: Okay let me ask you something, you know those hip indie kids that hang out at places like the Hideout, the Gladstone, or Rancho Relaxo every weekend? You know how they always know about some hip new DJ, band, mash-up, or remix? Don’t you hate them? Me too. No offense to readers who identify with this crowd. However, since I’ve discovered Hype Machine, I’ve learned that I didn’t hate these skinny- jeans-with-a-vest-wearing hipsters for who they are, I hated them for what they know. They know all the good songs that you never hear on the radio, and now I know where they’re finding it. See, this website monitors all kinds of blogs, music or otherwise, and posts the songs they post for your listening pleasure. Then, if you’re a crooked pirate downloader (a.k.a. thrifty music lover) you can download these songs so you own them too! You can also visit the different blogs and read what they’re saying about the songs if you want to know how it came about or the personal opinions of the fans. I think I could probably find another reason to hate hipsters (they’re so much skinnier than I’ll ever be) but at least I can cross their musical knowledge off my list. And maybe you will too.

i 09: Let me begin by saying that I hate sci-fi and fantasy. Actually, I hate anything and everything to do with sci-fi and fantasy. I once dated someone who was obsessed with this genre of game, video, and film and spent two years of my life being dragged from one aggravating movie to the next. And if I ever voiced an opinion, oh my god, the wrath that would fall upon me. I’m so glad things like siths and hoodoo doesn’t exist because I’m pretty sure my biopsy would list something like that as my cause of death. However, for a sci-fi site i09, is pretty damn cool. What’s great about it is that you don’t necessarily have to be into the genre to be interested in some of their posts. A lot of their stories have to do with symbolism, or philosophy, and even some science fact that was originally thought to be fiction. I’ve always considered myself a realist, which might be why I never got into the fantasy genre, so stories about science are actually really intriguing and for the first time, I am endorsing a sci-fi product. It’s that good.

Trash Menagerie: I know what you’re thinking, “Um Kurt, another music blog? Broaden your horizons fool.” You’d be sort of right if you said that. I mean, it is a music blog that has many of the same qualities as Hype Machine: you can listen, download and post new music that is not necessarily mainstream, and you can learn more about the artists behind the music as well. However, Trash Menagerie has additional features and topics that you can’t find on Hype Machine and that’s what keeps me going back. Art, design, fashion, film and technology are just a feature of the other features that I like to look over on this blog and I have to tell, I have yet to be disappointed. Unlike other blogs about these topics that can be fairly restrictive in terms of the city the writer lives in, Trash Menagerie’s blog seems fairly international and covers a lot of ground.

I’m not going to lie, Blondie is a fox. My whole group agrees with me. But more than looks, Blondie has some really cool interests and since our meeting, I have yet to find a reason to quit reading these blogs.

If you ever find yourself bored at home, in class, on the train or on a plane, have a look at one of these blogs. I guarantee you’ll pass the time just fine.

My Brand... or Lack thereof

What is my brand? I think I have been asked this question in almost every one of my classes since I started my post-grad in September, and honestly, I don’t have a real answer. Well I do, but it involves words like fierce, tranny, fabulosity. And I don’t think that’s exactly appropriate in this context.

I mean, I know that I am being branded. Employers, co-workers, friends, classmates, teachers, even family members brand me. Of course not all of them call it branding, to some of them it’s just good old fashion judging. Which, I’m not totally against. I mean, if you don’t judge people right away, how will you know if you should hate them? I kid, I kid.

Well, anyway, I can’t speak for everyone I know, but if I could, I would probably say this:

As a brand, Kurt Mungal represents three dominant and overreaching qualities: diversity, creativity, and reliability. As a relatively new brand on the market, Kurt recognizes that there is a lot that he still has to learn. However, he makes up for his lack of work experience in three distinct ways. Through his creativity, Kurt is able to develop original ideas to put into practise which has lead to his success as both a writer and event coordination. Through his reliability, Kurt has maintained two fantastic part-time jobs and earned the respect and accolades of both of his employers. Finally, Kurt has embraced a diverse lifestyle and heritage whole-heartedly which has equipped him with a valuable perspective in a variety of areas. Yes, Kurt is not a veteran in the market; however, he has the qualities to not only breakthrough—but to last.

Let me just say, that if you read that all the way through with a straight face, you deserve to be branded a STAR. I mean it is kind of ridiculous to read something like that right? But honestly, there’s no way I would ride the hater train when I’m the destination. But I will keep it a little more real for my SWOT analysis of myself:

Strengths: Enthusiasm, detail-oriented, strong communications skills (written and oral), diverse work and volunteer experience, committed, excellent time management skills

Weaknesses: Limited hands-on experience, basic understanding of different Microsoft programs including Excel and Power Point, limited graphic design skills

Opportunities: Learn a variety of graphic design programs including InDesign and Photoshop, practise Microsoft office programs, volunteer in a variety of sectors for increased hands-on experience in the field

Threats: Economic situation (i.e. hiring freeze, layoffs), volunteer jobs that do not provide sufficient experience (i.e. coat hanger), peers with advanced knowledge in my areas of weakness

See, that’s a little more accurate. But it’s still weird for me to brand myself. I mean, I know what qualities about me are good: my humour, my kindness, my love of mediocre television programming aimed at a tiny niche market (thank you Karen Walker), and I know which qualities are bad: my limited world knowledge and my irrational fear of koalas. But again, none of these qualities mean squat to employers. But I know what might:

In my portfolio, there is one item that quite explicitly captures the qualities of my brand and that is my YorkFest 2008 partnership brochure. YorkFest is an annual back-to-school festival that I was very fortunate to be a part of. My role as sponsorship coordinator forced me to use my creative when drafting personalized pitch letter to potential sponsors, get in touch with my knack for communicating with a diverse audience when maintaining relationship with past and current partners, and exercise my reliability by constantly being available to my manager who would often require my services on evenings and weekends to meet with a potential/official sponsor. The actual execution of the event certainly captured all of my strengths, specifically my strong attention to detail, time management skills, and enthusiasm—especially during those 16 hour days.
I look forward to being a part of future YorkFest events, not only to further develop the strengths I already have, but also to take advantage of the opportunities that await me, specifically in terms of graphic design and increased hands-on experience in event coordination.

Okay, that’s my brand in a nutshell. I can’t imagine this was a riveting read, but you know what is riveting? An additional 10 per cent added on to my final mark. Holla!

The Real Beauty of Social Media

I had this friend once who is a hardcore feminist and she took female empowerment to a very irritating level. I mean don’t get me wrong, I would consider myself to be a feminist too. I believe in male and female equality, I feel that there are still some very oppressive systems in place that keep women feeling inferior, and I have all six seasons of the L word. I’m down with girl power.

Anyway, as expected, this friend of mine used to kick up a fuss every time she saw advertisements for beauty products saying how neglected the bodies of real women were in the media. Despite spending most of this conversation realizing I would rather drill hot screws into my eyeballs than talk to her, I had to agree.

I know a lot of beautiful women in my life and less than 10 percent of them look like the girls on TV. I mean, let’s be real, the girls on TV don’t even look like the girls on TV. I know what the right lighting and a couple of nose jobs can do for a girl.

Well wasn’t it a breath of fresh, unclenched air when Dove launched their Real Beauty campaign in 2004? The campaign aimed to show images of real women, with real curves, real blemishes, real age spots, and real breasts on print ads and commercials. In fact, probably the boldest advertisement to date was a billboard that featured several women, with various looks, in just their bra and underwear.

The ad made its way into the blogosphere, the news, and even popular talk shows like Oprah. And really, if Oprah is giving you props, nothing else in the world matters.

Edelman PR began Dove’s campaign in March of 2004, and it really is the most appropriate agency to handle the project. Edelman has an entire department dedicated to utilizing social media in PR initiatives and its success can be summed up with just one video: The Dove Evolution Video. If you haven’t seen this video, you need to watch it NOW! It really opens up your eyes to the illusion of beauty and should certainly make some woman feel a lot better next time they walk past an ad for make-up.

I mostly felt bad for the woman starring in the commercial who probably thought, “Oh I’m so fine, they want to style me up and place me on a billboard.” When really, someone should have pulled her aside and said, “You’re pretty much just the ‘before’ picture.”

Either way, the message of what true beauty is was delivered. Since its release this ad has been viewed over 15 million times on YouTube alone. And the social media extravaganza doesn’t stop there. If you visit their website, you’ll find several discussion forums aimed at all kinds of girls and women (mothers, teenage girls, educators etc...) polls, and the body and soul play which encourages women to embrace aging.

Of course, you can also find a Dove page on Facebook, as well as several fan pages dedicated to the brand.

In 2004, I would say the idea of showing real women with real bodies in all their glory was a pretty innovative idea. By now, I feel as though the concept of the ‘every day woman’ has more of a presence in the media, even with previously superficial brands like Cover Girl. But wherever this idea leads us, Dove can take credit with starting the trend, and the use of social media certainly made an impact with its success.

I don’t speak to my feminist friend anymore. I made a sarcastic comment about her hairy legs and she opted not to share her views with me anymore. However, wherever she is, I believe that she is only one of millions of women who finally feel somewhat recognized in the mainstream media, and even if it’s only a small step in some people’s eyes, I think we can all agree that it’s certainly a step forward.

What's a "groundswell"??

When I first heard the term “groundswell” I honestly thought that it had environmental implications. But then, my trusty Google bar informed me of this new trend where everyone’s “listening” to the “groundswell”. And as it turns out, “groundswell” is one way of describing the brilliant practice of monitoring what people are saying about your brand or company. How you might ask? Ask Andy Beal from Marketing Pilgrim. He has this list of the top social media sites and tools to use when it comes monitoring what people are saying about your brand.

When I first read through the descriptions of some of them, I thought, that’s a little sick. For instance, Backtype is this crazy website where you can keep track of the comments people make on different blogs. I know, I know. I thought it too: Who cares about the comments? Well, as Beal writes, “a blogger might post a positive article about your company, but your detractors [might] subsequently rip your reputation to shreds in the post’s comments.” So, not only are you able to monitor what a major blog is saying, but also what all the little people think too. And, apparently, if one particular user is constantly spitting up the haterade, you can set Backtype to monitor that user specifically. I stand by my statement: that really is kind of sick.

But for better or for worse, monitoring user generated content is where it’s at these days. I think of this whole “groundswell” extravaganza as akin to the release of the first iPhone. It’s the big new thing on the scene and everyone’s doing it, but really, it’s not much different than the lame ol’ Blackberry that’s been kicking around for years. In fact, if you asked me, I would say “listening to the groundswell” is the politically correct term for STALKING. But you know me, I’m nothing if not a PC thug, so I’ll continue to say “groundswell”.

So, why now? Why is it suddenly so important to track people’s opinions? Well, I don’t think it’s actually a new concept. I think businesses have always cared what the average bloke (P.S. I say bloke now) think about their product or brand. But recent studies have given the corporate crowd some cold hard numbers to prove that if one person hates you, they’re going to tell everyone they know. Chatter Guard, another fancy monitoring site, states that “over 60% of online shoppers and travel planners visit and seriously consider peer-written reviews prior to making their online purchase. In travel, 41% of US online leisure travelers use some form of social media tool in their travel research efforts.”

After reading that, I immediately thought, that’s so true.

On my University’s campus, there’s a diner/bar that serves mainly Italian dishes but is still pretty diverse, food wise. The food looks good, and the prices are decent. Even the location is convenient; especially when I used to live in residence, this diner was maybe 5 minutes away. However, in my four years of post-secondary education, I never once ate in this diner. Why? Because everyone I spoke to about it swore that the food was always a day away from going rancid and that the staff didn’t clean up properly at night. Thus, without any firsthand knowledge, I wrote this diner off as a dingy rat-hole worthy only of patrons who date their cousins and look to Denny’s for fine dining.

Maybe if this business had their ear to the ground and could hear what students were saying they could have made the necessary changes to improve their image.

That’s why, though I still think some of these monitoring tools are a little iffy, they can actually do a world of good for the businesses and brands being discussed.

In fact, I almost hope that in five years, there’s some sort of monitoring device that tracks what people say about other people within an office or school setting. Can you imagine all that juicy gossip? This kind of technology would have certainly saved me a lifetime of doubt as a teenager. Oh well.

So remember kids, speak up, because the next complaint or attack you post online might just turn into a multi-million dollar advertising campaign to change your mind.

Personal and Professional Lies....

Okay stop me if you've heard this one before...

A young, urban, wannabe professional is fresh out of school and ready to take on the working world. He applies everywhere: government, corporate, not-for-profit, even retail (because lord knows a good discount at the right store is worth more than any dental plan).

The problem is, our young dreamer only wears his nice clothes and perfectly polished shoes during the day. Come nightfall this guy loves his beers, bongs and future baby mammas. And what's more, his friends love photographing it.

So what's the point? Well it turns out that our favourite party boy is posting these photos of his bong hits, his beer binges, and his booty calls all over Facebook.

Almost like a scrapbook of smut and debauchery. Which, let's be honest, we all have a version of.

And his potential employers are keeping an eye on all of it. Thus, this young hopeful has yet to recieve any job offers and is left to join the ranks of his peers that refuse to accept the fact that social media sites such as Facebook are just as telling to future employers as your resume is.

Luckily, some people are catching on. I have a friend (well he's not so much a friend as he is a mortal enemy that I wish nothing but calamity and crabs upon) who has his own method of dealing with this situation. He created an annagram with the letters of his actual name and made up a new name which is what he lists on Facebook. That way, when employers give his goods a Google, nothing comes up. Despite the fact that I despise him, I have to say, he's quite clever. Of course, what's even more clever is just increasing the privacy settings on your page-- but to each his own.

You probably have some people in your life that have done the same thing, or something similar. And the prevalance of this kind of situation has lead to many heated debates. Do employers have the right to judge employees on behaviour performed outside of work? Should you be trusted to work in an organization if you spend your personal time doing inappropriate things (i.e. drug use, public nudity)? I think it's a very layered issue and I wouldn't say either side is right or wrong because, honestly, they both have valid points.

Luckily, my post has nothing to do with this debate. Taking a side in this case would be like deciding which is worse, the new 90210 or the new Melrose Place: they're both flawed and will only hurt those involved.

Instead what I've decided to do is share with you what I find most interesting about this whole mess, and bare with me, it's kind of deep.

A couple of years ago I read a fantastic book by Hal Niedzviecki called, Hello I'm Special. Without going into too much detail (click on the link if you're into that) the book basically argues that society has entered an era of story telling where everyone and their coked out sugar daddy has a grand story to tell. Hence the rise in blogging (I never said I wasn't special) and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. We all have this urge to share with anyone that will listen what we're doing, who we're dating (or hating, which is always better), and how amazing we all are.

In theory, I don't really think it's a bad thing. It's pretty cool that someone can be so happy with who they are as an individual that they'd want to share it with the world. However, somewhere along the line (and with the power of photoshop and creative lying) we lost our way. Now, I look at friends' Facebook pages or blogs and I say more often than not-- you're not like that. Actually, what I really say is, "Girl please, we both know you do not look like that."

See instead of using these forums to express themselves, it seems people prefer to express who they want to be, or if they're really delusional, who they think they are.

And now, with employers crusing the pages looking for the right candidate for the job, the problem is growing even larger still. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all for using these sites for professional gain, that's obviously a huge advantage. But you can be professional without being phony. Even the stuffiest of professionals let loose once in a while, or tell a dirty joke and it's okay. It's who you are. Don't post your Sears glamour shot photo wearing your Sunday best as your profile picture, don't only write notes discussing our robust healthcare system in comparison to other countries, and if one of you're friends writes on your wall saying "Waddup hoe bag?" don't delete it. It's who you are!!

I might have gone off an a tangent.

The point is this, Facebook and sites like it, are now a form of documentation. Employers look through it, your family looks through it, and believe me, your worst enemies look through it. Don't post anything you'll regret, but at the same time, don't lose yourself (cue Eminem) trying to present a false image of yourself that you want the world to embrace.

You're enough. Just the way you are.

*HUGS*

Social Media vs. Public Relations: The new peanut butter and chocolate?

It’s an ongoing debate, and for some people, quite an intense one. Do social media have a place in the world of public relations?

Well, I’m no expert. The extent of my social media savvy –ness is limited to inappropriate gossip blogs and a near obsessive compulsive need to constantly check on my Facebook account. I mean, sure, at this point I have been obligated to branch out a little, using tools such as Del.icio.us and Google Reader to scan blogs. And yes—it has happened—that I may have taken part in a discussion or two about a new product being launched by some nameless, strategically marketed corporation. But in all honestly, my heart wasn’t in it. And every time I set my Google Reader to follow a new blog, I felt as though this snazzy little social media tool knew that there was no chemistry between us.

So how do I—a social media prude—tackle such a hefty debate? Easy, I steal other people’s thoughts and form a definitive opinion on a matter I will likely never ponder ever again. Let’s begin, shall we?

In a story posted on the Blog Herald, Chris Clarke tackles the issues of social media and PR theorizing that PR people simply haven’t caught the bug yet. Taking into account that the article is almost two years old, I still agree with Chris. He writes, “PR practitioners don’t have time to learn new things. This is probably true of every industry: you’re so busy trying to catch up on yesterday’s work that you can’t even begin to think about what tomorrow will bring. It’s no different for PR, as we’re talking about an industry that hasn’t changed a whole lot historically.” Despite his claim that the PR industry is slow to catch, Chris is still hopeful that it will. His story is rich with the ideal that social media and PR need to merge.

If you think about what we do as PR people, it does make sense. Social media is all about targeting audiences, promoting messages, creating communities and getting people talking, why wouldn’t PR people get hooked like it was phonics? In a newsletter developed by Vocus White Paper, a list of statistics made the issue pretty black and white. In addition to many other facts, the newsletter stated that, “More than half (55%) of all online American youths ages 12-17 use social networking sites; 92% of consumers cite word of mouth as the best source of information on new product ideas; consumer trust in advertising has decreased 41% over the past three years.”

If you ask me, this whole debate is like watching the first season of FRIENDS: you know Ross and Rachel belong together, but for some reason, they just can’t make it work.

And like audiences around the world in 1994, we ask, WHY?

Tom Smith—I know that sounds fake, but trust me, he’s real—posted an article called, Why Big Brands Struggle and answers that very question. Tom seems to think there are six main reasons why PR people haven’t made a commitment to social media: “Social media is often viewed as just another marketing tool, it does not fit into current structures, communities and content are global, social media needs a long term approach, no guaranteed results, the metrics are new.”

Tom’s kind of a buzz kill, but at least he keeps it real. Among other reasons, social media still does not have a specific place in the industry, therefore, no one is really sure whose job it is to develop and many firms just do not have the capacity to handle the international spectrum social media can produce.

So, now we ask ourselves again: Do social media have a place in the world of PR? Are they the new peanut butter and chocolate? The new Ross and Rachel?

I’ll cheat and say kind of. But I mean it. The truth is social media can do a lot for us as PR practitioners, and both worlds have complimentary qualities that can only serve to enhance the needs of its peer. But like that cute guy at the bar who looked like George Clooney from afar, when you get bit a closer and really take a look, there are too many flaws to really make it work.

Day 1: Welcome to my city

Okay so, shamefully, this is my first blog post. Ever. I'm really only 8 to 10 years behind the rest of the world, which is nothing to sneeze at. But I've always been slow to join a trend-- it was only two years AFTER trucker hats were uncool, that I bought three.

I suppose, like any good introductory post, this post should serve as an introduction. Welcome to Kurt in the City! Allow me introduce myself. My name is Kurt, and I have little to no interest in anything meaningful, artistic, intellectual, off-beat, avant garde, trail blazing, noteworthy, or interesting. Can't wait to read on, eh?

Don't leave yet. Trust me.

The one thing I do know, and the only thing I have consistently loved since I was a shy and sheltered 7 year old with a mushroom cut and Cherokee jeans (Zellers, holla!) is this great city we call Toronto. I love everything about it, and in my opinion, I have done quite a good job of submersing myself in a lot of the things it has to offer. From book signings and poetry slams, to after hour clubs and handmade stationary stores, I am constantly amazed by this city.

As a result, I thought I would focus my blog on all the things I've done, seen, heard, eaten, smelt-- and to a lesser degree-- all the things I've wanted to see, smell and touch in this city. And of course, I plan to share all of these things with all of you: my tiny but loving, PR community.

Sometimes you'll laugh, sometimes you'll cry, and I promise, sometimes you'll say, "Waaayy too much information." But it's all in good fun and it's all in the name of Toronto.

So enjoy....it's going to be a loooooong day.


For a great read, visit Homo Arigoto and see if you agree on the pros and cons of being single vs. having a lovah.