There’s an increasing amount of conversation about stepping back, reevaluating, etc…  The very first stop should be going back to using these Social technologies with our existing relationships (families, neighbors, employees, colleagues, clients, customers, and constituents) to truly “listen”, understand, experience, and improve. After all, our relationships have the greatest insight to their experienced reality (the one that actually matters), and the greatest influence.

We’ll see people turn away from Social unsatisfied because their expectations of a “return” are not realized. This will be the result of misguided goals and intentions, and also misapplying tools with quick-fix, tips & tricks mentalities. They were bitchin’ their Social. Being the creatures we are, we long for easy recipes especially in confusing, mysterious times. Not only did the carpetbaggers deliver, but en masse, instinct, and hype delivered us past the common sense of utilizing these beautiful technologies with our own existing relationships.

What’s most wonderful is that there is a sense of course correction afoot. If it were easy, it wouldn’t feel nearly as good when we make advances.

There’s no Express Service on the Social. All tickets are for the Long Haul. And as much as we’re inclined to mastery, Social won’t be on the List of the Conquered. Social won’t be bitched.

Where are your thoughts on this? Are you feeling a correction afoot?

• I like that we have innovation, and a means to bring those innovations to market.
• I like knowing about these innovations and how I might actually like them.
• I like being profiled to some extent and only having to see ads that pertain to stuff I’m interested in. I don’t want to have to go look to see if there’s something new that might improve the quality of my life, making my short time here more enjoyable.
• I like it that advertisers seem to get it that I don’t want their ads in my face blocking my view, but rather off to the side, in-case I want to peek (sometimes I do…usually, I don’t see ads).
• I like it that advertisers seem to learn from their mistakes. I don’t mind mistakes and learning. I do it all them both all the time.
• I love how Social Media is giving volume to the Voice of the Customer (VOC).

I believe a nice blend of VOC and targeted traditional advertising is where we’ll wind-up.

Proximity Marketing
I long for the day when we slide our Treo/Blackberry type phones into their cradles in our vehicles. Aside from many countless other things it’ll do, I see the immediate payoff in connecting with:
- Our global position
- Our own preferences data
- Other consumers’ experience data (feedback)
- Voice recognition for hands-off device control
- Voice-to-Text
- Text-to-Voice
- Real-time drive-through-put monitoring
- Smart Marketers
(the “plus” version would have a heads-up display out of our line of sight)

This way before I sms (via voice) my order to Starbucks, I’ll be told through my car stereo that:
- three blocks ahead is a Peetes coffee with
- carrot cake special at $1.50 with only 25% calories from fat
- that I can add to my coffee that I normally get at Starbucks for the same price
- and that my expected wait time is 65 seconds if I say “yes” now.

The process we call a “drive thru” will actually be one, instead of a “wait thru”, “smog thru”, or “waste thru”. You’re either using the sms service or parking your car (“pal“).

Of course with all this advertising, my phone should be free, and I’m somehow charged for the coffee transaction without having to dig out cash or credit card.

It’ll happen. Now would be great! (and if my copy of Now is Gone would just get here, that’d be even greater!)