I just read this “In 2008, a CNN iReporter (the amateur arm of user-generated content for the U.S.-based news service) reported incorrectly that Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs had suffered a heart attack. The report knocked the Apple stock from $105.27 to $95.41 in just a short moment, leaving everyone reeling” in the book trust agents.

This got me thinking of leaders and leadership. I’ve also read the book from good to great, which among other things says that great leaders contemplates a lot before they choose their successor, and does it with the companys’ best at heart. Meaning that they care for the company they work for and the people there and not only their own success and careers, which is one of the things that make them great.

This have always sounded very good and logic in my head, but what will happened when Steve Jobs is going to choose his successor, if he wull be the one who does it that is. If he is a great leader, can he actually convince everyone that the person he chooses will be able to “fill his shoes”? What do we really know about Steve Jobs, everyone know that he is the CEO of Apple, but what do we really know about him as a leader? Would we trust the person that he choose to replace him?

I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man! – Kanye West lyric

The lyrics for Kanye West fits pretty well here, for many, Steve Jobs is Apple. But what does that mean? If we do trust him as a leader, does that mean that he will choose a great successor. Do we actually believe that he is great enough to do this? Is there any possibility that his choice wont have an impact on the apple stock?  Or will his departure mean the end for apple as we know it today?

Usually experience tends to count for a lot, but when it comes to blogging Ihave come to realize that it does not matter as much. Think about it, you follow a blog because of quantity, assuming of course that it is quality content.  This feels like common knowledge when it comes to finding great blog and following them consistently, but in what other part of the society is this the case?

However, is the society changing to become more like the blogosphere?  Are we valuing quantitive quality over experience?

Think about it.

The first argument against this might be that quantitive quality is the same thing as experience. But if you take the blogosphere example it is not. A blog can be huge because it posts 60 articles a month even though it has only been running for a year. This blog can be a lot bigger than the blog of someone who posts less often but have been blogging on the same subject for many years.

Is this phenomenon spreading to other parts of the society or not?

If a person who graduated from school three years ago apply for a job and is measured against an experienced highly appreciated professional in the area, the experienced person usually win, even though the fairly recent graduate have performed great during the last few years.

In some fields, however;

Like in the IT business, it might be better to have accomplished great things in the last few years than to be very experienced, because the technology changes so fast. So there, the fairly new graduate might win the battle against the experienced professional.

What do you think? Are we valuing quantitive quality over experience?

Picture credit: Websuccessdiva

I don’t know if you have seen it yet, or if everyone get to experience it, or perhaps if it depends on how frequent you use it. But I have seen a change in the openness of people via Twitter, people are becoming more accessible and more open on Twitter. This could of course be because I have changed my behavior on twitter, or, in other words: I have gained more guts.

So what am I talking about?

Lately, on Twitter, I have made real connections which I have learned a lot from. I have set up two thesis interviews, connected with a famous speaker before his speech at my office and got my English improved. And that is only some of the things I managed to do via twitter.

Here are my Twitter connecting stories:

Twitter connecting story 1: Setting up interviews

I’m, as you might know, writing a thesis on marketing via location based services. A subject which I knew very little about, before I started to write. Therefore I have connected with many experienced professionals in the area to get a clearer picture and learn what you cannot read your way to. The only problem was that I did not know how to connect with this people, so I tried twitter, and two out of three responded and has now contributed to my work.

Twitter connecting story 2: Connecting with speakers

When I found out that Kevin Lampe was going to give a speech in my office, I was beyond exited. He was going to speak about the health reform in the US, which I knew a bit about, yet I wanted to be prepared so I could get the most out of the experience of listening to him. So I wrote to him on twitter and asked if there was anything I could read in preparation, he answered no, but that I should come armed with questions. Which I did and I got many of them answered. Later I of course thanked Lampe via Twitter and he told me to keep in touch. Because of Twitter I was no more an anonymous person in the audience.

Twitter connecting story 3: Improving my English

As you may know I’m an English and Business student. Many might say that I’m fluent in English and depending on what you are comparing to I am, but sometimes my knowledge combined with a dictionary is not enough. When this happens I go to Twitter and more often than not someone like @paulidin or @nobatteries or someone else, help be improve my English by answering my questions and explaining them.

Asking questions have in general given me some good Twitter connections. I think that to many people use Twitter as only a way to “receive” and forward the news. But it is really a social network where you can initiate and start relationship which can help you a lot.

I hope that these stories have inspired you to take you Tweeting to new level and I hope you share your Twitter connecting story below.

People tend to see traditional marketing and online marketing as two separate things. But constantly we see examples of the fact that they are really not that different. A good “traditional” marketing campaign such as the one I’m going to write about today: the IKEA‘s public showroom, will become widely discussed online. Just as well as the campaign I talked about before by Volkswagen: the fun theory will be discussion face to face.

When the marketing is interesting enough, it wont matter were or when it is, people will speak about them at anytime they have the opportunity and share with people both online and offline. Thus viral does not have to be online and mouth to mouth does not have to be offline.

I have mentioned before that IKEA used Obama’s message of change in their commercials they had advertisement reading “Embrace change.” Though in their case it was more implying of a redecoration than a political change. However, what I had not mentioned was that they build an mock up oval office in the union station in Washington DC. The mock up featured low cost solutions to furnish an oval office, and gave visitors a chance to sit in the executives chair of course monitored by their secret service officers.

Picture: Apartmenttherapy.com

A few days ago they did the public showroom again, but this time in Paris. Between the 10th and the 24th of March four of the Paris metro stops are furnished with sofas for the travellers to use while waiting for the metro. The walls are covered with showroom examples and the furniture have price tags. I do not know about you, but I have waited for the Paris metro, and I for sure, would have appreciated these sofas.

Photo: Freshome.com

So what is what is so great about this marketing campaign? Well, except for the obvious benefit for the travellers to have a place to sit and something to look at the advantages are many.

• Something to do while waiting - Most people get really bored while waiting for the metro, if they do not have music or a book to occupy them. Thus, having something to read or do while waiting is appreciated, and we also tend to actually “take in” what we are reading, as anything is more fun to do, than just wait…
• Playing with more senses - Instead of only giving us something to look at, they also give us the opportunity to feel, touch and try the furniture they are selling, which gives us a better idea of what we are getting if we buy it.
• It is memorable - How many times have to sat in a sofa while waiting for the metro? Not that many, nor in any other public place either. Thus, it is unusual enough to mention to a friend, who might just remember that she need a few things for IKEA, and head over there the next they… BAAM! conversion …
• People talk about it both online and offline - If you search on any of these campaigns on Google you will find thousands of mentions, if you look at the local newspapers you will find articles about the  events as well and if you speak to any of the locals I’m sure many of them will have a few things to say as well. Showing that new ideas does spread everywhere.

Create an online point – to !

I don’t know if IKEA planned any online activities for the Paris metro stations displays, but for the oval office, they complemented the offline showroom with the ability to design your own oval office on their website. Giving people a easy ”point to” when they want to discuss the subject online, is also a great idea to stimulate the buzz in the online media sphere. Actually, most people who have talked about the oval office event choose to show a picture of the online showroom as this was more available for the general public.

I admit any second that this statement is really coming from the wrong person, considering my age. However, I meet a lot of people who are 10 and 20 years older than me (still young, right?) who admire what I do with my life, and wish that they have done the same. The conversations I have usually begins with that statement, continues with me says that they can still do it, they respond with some lame excuse and then go on with their life of not doing what they really want. I think this sucks! (yes I use that word)

Thus, now I will take the five of the most common statements (I’ve heard) and prove them wrong, and hopefully on the way share some of the most amazing stories I have heard!

I’m too old

Have you ever heard about Kier Barker? He had been stuttering for 56 years and was forced into early retirement because of it, when finally he managed to turn it around. With a tool called SpeechEasy and the help from Toastmaster he not stop stuttering but he also became a motivational speaker to teenagers. Talk about making a complete makeover at the age of 60.

Thus, if you are 30 or 40 and not stutter, imagine how much easier is must be for you. It is never too late even if you are above 60. After all in Sweden we have university student that is older than 80.

I don’t know how to do anything else

A while ago, I read about a man who had been working for a charcuterie company. But always dreamed about being copywriter. Now at 47 he is finally doing something about it. He stopped working and is commuting 4 hours every day to school and of course most of his new friends aka classmates are half his age. However, none of that matters because he is fulfilling his dream. Money is short as his wife is the only one working in the household but they manage, probably a lot because of the happiness you get because you are doing what you want to do. Proving that being in debt is also a problem your can work around.

Even though it might take you four years to get an education it might be worth it, because of all the years you will have after to do what you want to do. Sure, money and location might be an issue, but you can get used to that and as I told you before you can study online.

What about our children?

Many adults seem to think that they would neglect their children if they moved for a job or reduced their income for a while because they wanted to study. I would say that it is actually the complete opposite.

• Relocating with children

There is many reasons to why people need to relocate for work and sometimes it is a permanent relocation while sometimes it is only for a few years. Regardless of which your children will become more culturally experienced and grow as individual because this, and most schools are used to handle transfers students today, so that won’t be an issue.

A friend of mine spent a year in America, as her father had to work there for a year. She says that it helped her gain new perspectives, improve her English and get used to the fact that no one seemed to know anything real about Sweden. Sure, it was hard to leave home to go, it always is, but when she returned her friends was still there and now 7 years later she is still in contact with the friend she made in the US.

Talk with your children about the move, regardless of if it is temporary or permanent, and hear their opinions. They might consider it “scary but cool.” And there are numerous sources to take help from.

• Reducing your income to study for a while

Most parents want to give their children everything, at least from their own abilities. Therefore, they argue that they cannot reduce their income to study because it will affect their children.

My dad changed profession from a truck driver to a computer teacher when I was around 10. A few years later my mum started studying at the university, for no other reason but to learn more about her profession of guiding people with autism and other neuropsychological problems. I barely noticed that they had less money while studying, but what I did notice was how much happier they got. Something that made me want to study and follow my dreams.

Conclusions

It is never too late to change your life and start doing what you want to do and the people who you love and care about will only admire you more for it.

Any other excuses to prove wrong?

More than a year ago, Mashable started to create lists of inspiring people on twitter in certain areas, which they shared in posts on their website. The lists were not only good marketing for the people on them, but they were also great for new Twitter users who want to find people who tweet about their field of interest.

Today, I see a similar trend happening on other blogs; people recommend other’s that they are following and put up a link and a description of the user. But this seem a bit “yesterday” to me, after all; we now have Twitter lists to do that.

If I go back to Mashable again, you can check their Twitter account and see that they have created multiple lists that is now named for example; web, twitter-stars, design, marketing and of course social media.

This means that if I want to I’m interested in one of the lists that Mashable have, I do not have to click on each users, I could simply subscribe to the list and see if I like it. Then, I could decide to start following individual users and not the list, but I saved a lot of time.

I recently did something similar when preparing a Swedish Blog post, I wanted to tell people about the social media representatives of Dell. Instead of listing each of them, I created a list with those I knew about and linked to that one, giving my readers an easy way to get in touch with anyone of them, in just one click.

So the next time you are recommending people to follow on Twitter on you blog. Do both! Give them the easy option to follow your list (which is good marketing for you also) or each individual !

So, as you know from a few previous blog posts and my bio, I study online. What you might not know is that I have done about half my education on Campus. Therefore, I often compare the pros and cons with the two ways to study and constantly find new ones.

My latest discovery was in the English Class I’m taken, we are studying culture and literatures and this particular assignment was an analysis of the short story Doctor Marigold by Charles Dickens. We were told to find interesting angles and questions to the text and then discuss the subjects in a group. In one of the groups I was in we started discussing whether the characters were “mimetic or semiotic?” I was pretty confused by this question before as both these concepts were new to me, but after making searching and reading some information on Google; I could participate in the discussion.

The interesting thing about this is that not only could I participate and generate value to the discussion even though I did not know anything about the concepts before. Even more, neither did the other group members (except for the girl who asked the question) but it still became the most active discussion thread.

Now, if this had been a question in the classroom, there would probably been more than one who where familiar with the subject and they could discuss it leaving other in the dark. Something that would be a lot less educating, than the online discussion group which allowed us all to understand and participate.

Thus, sometimes discussions and group assignments online are actually better for the students, because we have the time and material to understand new concepts. And everyone get’s heard, as there is no one speaking louder or thinking faster.

One type of marketing technique that really interest me, and which I even consider writing my thesis about, is how you can use current events and issues to market your business. I been talking about this in a post about Ikea, and how they promoted their business with the message Obama sent the public: change.

Today I stumbled upon another example of this. I saw the advertising material for the lingerie brand Bravissimo, who focuses on underwear for women with bigger breasts. They use real women in and not just any women but their actual customers. These women are curvy, healthy looking women and thought they have been styled and look gorgeous they really are real women.

Of course the use of these models helps positioning the brand towards a certain audience which is what they are looking for. But more importantly, in this case, it diverts us from the size zero ideal and show how great women look when they have curves. This means that the brand Bravissimo takes up the battle against the sick ideals which the fashion industry promotes.

Other brands have done similar things before, but Bravissimo actually let their customers apply for the opportunity to model for the brand. This shows that these women are not only models but actually customers who like the brand and enjoy the products. This makes the campaign and the message of it even more genuine.

Because of the message and pictures of these gorgeous real woman, the brand have got even more publicity than they would in another campaign. But hopefully, they have also contributed to preventing the issues with teenagers that the size zero ideal creates.

Go Bravissimo!

I often get stuck when I try to write blog posts on a set time frame instead of when I feel like it, and it is not because I do not have anything to write about. I usually have ideas for subject to write about a few times during the day, but they are rarely connected to the time which I am going to start writing, and then when I have time to write the subject does not feel as interesting anymore.
Therefore I have looked on ways to inspire myself to become instantly “passionate” about a subject to create a post about it at the assigned writing time. Now, I have figured out three sources that usually get me thinking enough to create that writing momentum.

Similar search terms

Looking though my daily analysis for website traffic I usually see word or sentences that people have search for and ended up on my blog by typing. Usually these keywords are very connected to what I have written, but now and then the keywords and the post they found does not seem to be a “match.” In these cases I try to write a post about the subject which they were looking to read about, because generally there is more than one person interested in that subject.

Tip 1: Create the content that your visitors are looking for.

LinkedIn Answers and More Particular LinkedIn Questions

The LinkedIn answers section is a great place to learn about things that you are interested in, and get answers to the questions. However, far from everyone even consider it as a source when they are looking for information. Instead, they make a Google search to find the answers to their questions. Therefore, you could go to the LinkedIn section to answer questions from your expertise, and also blog about the subjects that people ask questions about to make sure that even more get the information.

Tip 2: Blog about the subjects that are asked about in the LinkedIn answer section.

Read, read, read and then read a little more

When you read things that other people have written you automatically starts developing your own ideas and drawing your own conclusions about what is said, or perhaps the text even gets you thinking about something else. By subscribing to a about 150 RSS feeds on my Google reader I receive a constant flow of information and thus sources of inspiration.

Tip 3. Read and get inspired to create your own ideas based on the knowledge of others.

To this list I also have add the comment by Mark Murnahan, aka A web guy, who commented on my blog today saying “Exercise does not only count for biceps. I have found that the more I write, the more I think…”

I don’t think I write enough to have this working for me yet, but the concept is so trough that I wanted to share this as well.

Do you have any other tools that you use to get “on the spot” inspiration?

Today Google’s latest service Google Buzz launched, and at least it took me by surprise, because I had not heard about it. I follow over 100 of the biggest social media, marketing, tech and web development blogs, yet the first article I could find about Google Buzz was published about four hours ago.

The function is coming to all Gmail users during the next couple of days, and I have to admit that I’m not one of the lucky ones who already got it. However, I was able to get a glimpse from it by looking at some other people’s account. Because you can see “buzzes” from those who have account and has “buzzed” publicly, here is Mashable’s.

So what is Google Buzz?

Google Buzz is Google’s first real attempt to a social network. It is build in to the Gmail interface and automatically connect you with your friends, and with 150 million Gmail users this is a social network with a high potential.

Here is the official video introduction:

So where was the Buzz around the launch?

Before the launch of Google Wave, there were videos, a site, invites and comments from those who had tried it. Yet, I still have not figured out how I could best implement the use of it in what I’m doing. However, I did know what Google Wave was.

With Buzz the opposite seem to be going on, no one had heard about it, or at least not said anything about it. The network seems to be easy to use and it does not require much set up as it is built into Gmail.

Now this might have been a smart move considering the amount of Buzz that is going on right now. On Twitter I looked at the hash tag Google Buzz and within seconds I had 290 unread tweets. Thus, they might not have needed too much pre buzz.

But why not? What will they win or lose on not having any buzz? Did they have any test group outside of Google before the launch?

I think that the face that they did not speak about it before make the implementation quicker. Because of the fact that Google is so established, they knew that the Buzz would come with the launch. Therefore by releasing it to all in a few days, they created an “eagerness” of people to try it out. Which could mean that people have time to create their own opinion before they have heard everyone else’s?

What do you think?

Try it out, or check the buzz, (without getting to influenced ;)
Here are is some of the latest Buzz about it:

• Read Write the Web – Live Blogging from Google: Launch of Google Buzz
• Marketing Pilgrim – Google Buzz Launches 150+ Million User Social Network
• Mashable – Google Buzz: Competitors and Experts React
• Read Write the Web – How Google Buzz is Disruptive: Open Data Standards
• Louis Gray – Google Buzz Brings Social Sharing, Aggregation into GMail
• All Facebook – Google Declares War On Facebook With Google Buzz