I have some exciting news! This is Mona has a new home – ahem, a NEW AND IMPROVED HOME!

This is Mona has its own home now at www.thisismona.com

Please join me at This is Mona for thoughts on digital meets advertising meets strategic thinking meets creative meets design meet random GOODNESS!

We are in an era of conversation and participation.

The way brands and businesses communicate has moved passed the monologue state and into a realm of dialogue. This is especially important if her aim is to educate.

Now that’s really as far as it went for now. She asked if she could contract me for consultancy for digital strategy. I declined and offered her my work for free. We’re going to touch base within the next few weeks to a month as she’s busy traveling, working with my friend and connecting with her firm in Atlanta remotely while in Beirut. That’s what really impressed me. She’s already savvy with online tools that facilitate her working with my friend, while communicating with her staff in Atlanta through Skype, Go to Meeting and the sort. She’s also on Twitter, but hasn’t really cultivated her profile.

This will all be a piece of cake as she’s pretty much “wired”. All my consultancy might entail is a few coffee meetings at Starbucks to show her how to gear up her business for interactive social means of educating others. I’ll probably guide her initially with the following:

First things first, build your digital profile. Whether it be in form of a website, a hub profile, a blog or what not. You already have something very interesting to talk about, the hard part’s done.

Second, venture out like you would a trade floor or a conference for networking. Network on the likes of Twitter, Women’s Post, the blogosphere and the like. Invite participation. Educate by means of conversation and involvement.

Those are the essential first steps. Of course, we have not yet had our first official meeting so depending on her specific objectives, the strategy might change. This is just as I see it right now.  I’ll update you as we progress. This is exciting

I wrote an article about this very topic (see Goodbye Lehman, Merrill, AIG – Hello Digital!) that Gary and so many other social media entrepreneurs have been preaching and practicing. Please read the article first, then watch this video.

No, this is not my motto. This hails from an Atheist group who have publicly voiced their raison d’etre. Their “There probably isn’t a God!” is making the headlines -  moving headlines.

Their messages are featured on buses, first rolling out in London and claims from others to have been spotted in Toronto as well. The group have also stamped their campaign by way of a microsite, which I have to admit, scores some points for simplicity and a somewhat social experience.

I stress the word “some” because I have in a manner of speaking been dubbed as stupid by these folks, which I think is bad taste. Apparently, because I have beliefs in a higher being, I am stupid and brainwashed. In the section of the site that invites you to read and share in stories of no God, it welcomes users with the following: Read the stories of normal everyday people who aren’t stupid, and haven’t been brainwashed into believing in supernatural beings. Ouch!

(On a good sport- kinda positive -end of note: nice use of the ever moving tag cloud that deep links to the social specifics)

1. iPhone
2. CNN
3. Apple
4. Starbucks
5. iPod
6. MTV
7. Mac
8. Mercedes
9. Nike
10. NBC
11. Last.fm
12. ABC

So of course, I get to thinking. This trend of audience out lash meets company response is growing like wildfire. I mean, there were a couple of incidents way in the past where companies had to react QUICKLY to public outcry or certain product release mishaps (think, Tylenol and what was it? Cyanide?) However in those times, folks had to be poisoned first to be able to have serious ground to voice their concerns. Now, all you need is Facebook,  Twitter and a group of other angries and you’re good to go. Not that i’m bashing the angries. Its just that almost anything these days gets brands to pull their ads: Pepsi Suicicide ads, Motrin, and i’m sure a few others i’m not privvy to.

Anyway, again, i’m not saying pulling ads due to public reaction is bad. I’d be a bit hypocritical if I did given how much I preach about the power of voice through social media and how brands should leverage this trend. All i’m saying is that where is the line between staying true to yourself vs pleasing others? Should there even be a line? Should companies have their audience dictate who they are? Are the people the brand? I don’t know. All I know is that people pleasing is a chore. I used to have this thing a while back where I always wanted to appease folks and it was really tasking, so I stopped.  Mind you I didn’t really have anything to sell so it might make sense for companies to want to people please. But again.. this dreaded “line”. What about companies who have a credo, a way of thinking, a creative mantra? What happens if a particular output of that creative culture pisses some people off… where does the line draw between standing behind your culture and the need to please your following? I don’t know the answer, so there won’t be any value from me in that respect. These are my thoughts, would love for those who have an opinion to give one.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”

So what’s the point? There is one. The Financial Times yesterday reported on emerging digital media trends that are prompting agencies to re-think their current brand communications and adjust to the online world. The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, which will publish the “Social Media Futures” report compiled by Future Foundation next week, has warned that advertising agencies face growth of just 1.2 per cent a year by 2016 if the industry fails to tackle the changes to the media created by sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. 

The article highlights the imminence of next generation reporting through social media, with specifics to Twitter in this case. I think this exemplifies quite nicely the power of conversations online and how this opportunity should affect brand communication agendas. Over and out. 

Watch it.  Read it.  Listen.  The ending is classic (don’t fast forward to get there!)