In most cases co-creation has definitely been hailed as an online phenomena but it doesn’t just happen in a digital space, it happens whenever a platform for engagement is created. This can be as simple as allowing people to customise something and attach part of themselves to it. Consider two different ice-cream shops, one that allows you to mix the flavours of ice cream, add whatever treats you want and one that sells you stock standard ice cream. “Custom Made” ... more
Becoming A Fully Integrated Social Business
This is another guest post that I wrote for Social MediaNZ…enjoy. Now that every man and his dog are well and truly in the socialspace how much further does it have to go? Can companies become fully integrated social enterprises? The first hurdle has already been passed So far the biggest challenge in social media consultancy is reassuring potential clients that they can gain more than they stand to loose by ‘opening up their brand’. But, this is less of a challenge than it was even six... more
Why Businesses Should Comment On Blogs!
A couple of days ago I spotted the discussion post below on Linkedin… It gained a number of answers, but unfortunately the post was closed for any further comments (ironic?). The best comment of the lot is below: “When commenting on a blog, article or video it is usually to add to the educational contribution of the author. To add a perspective to their writing, to confirm their viewpoint or to include my own experience to the mix of comments. There have been a few instances where I... more
9 Great Books For Getting Your Head Around The Social Web
Over the past 2 years I’ve been on a mission to try and soak up a whole load of info about how the world is changing and how the social web, free and co-creation fit into the future of business. The books below have not only given me a great understanding of both modern business and the social web they’ve also provided me with countless conversations pieces. I strongly recommend these books to anyone who’s looking to get into this space. 1. The World Is Flat Reading this book... more
How do we fix the dark side of social media?
We at iThnk could quite correctly be blamed for being social-media cheerleaders (we do love this stuff), but at times things happen that mean you just can’t ignore the fact that social media has a dark side. Recently the socialweb has been the focal point for a whole load of dark and dispicable things, but most noticeably the desecration of the Facebook memorial page for the 8yr old murder victim Trinity Leigh Bates. Mourners set up at least two Facebook pages in tribute but reports say... more
Is $0.00 Really The Cost of Viral Marketing
Last week I wrote two posts about ‘Free’ & Viral Marketing , the first was merely questioning whether free was necessary for viral marketing to work, the second simply shed some insight that came from discussing the first post with a prominent Kiwi Blogger. This is the follow up: After all this discussion what was the consensus? Free is not 100% necessary for viral marketing…but it sure does help. ‘Free’ certainly lowers the barriers which prohibit viral activity,... more



