I have tweeted to @VerizonWireless but things go to deaf ears over and over again.  I just wanted a new phone that does the same thing my old.   I was never looking to upgrade or get anything for free but just have a phone that works longer than three weeks.  There is something wrong with the phone I have and refurbishing them wasn’t solving the problem.

I did not get any kind of response and when I got home I went to see what was  happening with the post I asked questions on and it was deleted.  Not only did they not solve my questions but they deleted it and now there is only corporate content on there and nothing posted by people talking about their products.  Verizon never responded to my question on the Facebook page either the community only did.

I am not really wanting to go all United Breaks Guitars here or anything because I decided to visit a different Verizon store than the first one I was going to because I got sick of the same thing. The entire process took almost forty five minutes but I did finally get an Incredible 2.  Orignal Incredible has been nothing but a headache and the process of getting stuff done over and over again and not even acknowledging me online was ridiculous.

I get companies don’t like user generated content on their page but it is problem solving that builds trust and helps establish relationships.  I have seen this on other pages where they frown upon someone asking questions or posting content on fan pages.

You can not have an open relationship with a guest or customer if you ignore what they are feeling.  That is bad public relations and even worse customer service.  Yes my problem did get solved but this should have been fixed four phones ago and not on the sixth one.  The Incredible is a huge fail and even though I love it when it works but when you are replacing defective devices with more defective devices it does not make for good customer service.

Would I be writing this if I had been answered on the Facebook page or Tweeted to?  No, and I probably would have had more love for them but since I am being ignored which is not a good feeling I think it is time for companies to actually listen to the consumer.

You can be on social media all day and just push your holiday sales and your new products but when something breaks and breaks and breaks again you need to be strong enough to say, “Yes this is a problem and no this isn’t marketing but customer service, it fits into a different silo but we are all people.”

What is so wrong with giving the consumer the reigns to talk about your product on your page even if it is bad?  I could have easily ended the day with “This is a crappy product but the manager at the 12 and Dequindre store in Warren did a really great job even if it did take almost an hour.”

Hiding behind a logo is fine and dandy but in the end we are all consumers and we all just want to be heard and NOT deleted.

There are quite a few things from a business stand point we can learn from Stevie.

1. Do not burn bridges

Stevie will always be remembered as a Red Wing.  He signed my puck at the team practice in Troy and even used his number 19 on it.  He will always be a member of the Red Wings family no matter how far he travels or whose team he is employed by.  He is adopted by the city of Detroit and by the Red Wings family for bringing hockey back and using his perseverance to win three Stanley Cups and be in the office for the fourth.  He has not burned bridges but he still has the connections he once had and probably uses them.  Just because you leave an employer that you have been with forever does not mean you lose the connections you once had.

2. Surround yourself with people who can help you

Stevie won a gold medal with Team Canada in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.  Canada, his  native country put him in a very pressure packed situation.  He had taken the time to surround himself with A players so his team can have success down the road.  I am pretty sure the Red Wings believe in this philosophy and this is how it was passed along to him.  He did not graduate from high school yet he has a Masters degree in the NHL.  You learn from the best and you can have long term goals.  He sees the future and I am pretty sure he believes this philosophy.

3. You can always come home

Detroit will always be home for Stevie Y.  He has done the right things for this city and always kept the windows of opportunity to success open.  Mike Illitch will probably always think of him as an adoptive son since he has been through every phase of hockey with the Red Wings.  He speaks highly of the Detroit area and has had many life experiences here.  So when his paths cross again or maybe not with Detroit he knows he can always come home because people will always respect him.  He never brought a scandal to Detroit but he brought grit,  determination and was a quiet leader.  He is doing the same thing with Tampa Bay and seems to be just as loyal.

This video is a really great  because it shows what he has learned about the business, his team, what he hopes to accomplish and everything great  Steve Yzerman brings to the table.

Share

He downsizes companies for a living.  In one of the talks he gave to a person he was firing was, “Kids love athletes because they follow their dreams.” It is hard to believe this life was the life he dreamed of as a kid.

Filmmaker Magazine

What is technology doing for us today?  Are we basically using it to have contact with the people we want or to avoid contact all together?

Ryan Bingham  is stuck in his ways.  He loves the air and when he goes back to his apartment there isn’t any color.  It is sterile and less decorated than the places he visits.  It isn’t home by any means.  But when he discovers what true happiness is he decides to go after it. SPOILER ALERT: He is thrown a loop because the woman he is interested in is married with two kids.

With Skype available and all the social networks.  One of his quotes in the movie was, “I don’t think a Myspace page requires you to rewire an entire company up in the air.” Which has me thinking?  With  social media and companies adapting.  Skype could be used to seriously alter someone’s life.  Will there be the one on one contact which we used to have before we became hyper connected?

He ends the movie with this voice-over, “Tonight, most people will be welcomed home by jumping dogs and squealing kids. Their spouses will ask about their day, and tonight they’ll sleep. The stars will wheel forth from their daytime hiding places and one of those lights, slightly brighter than rest, will by my wingtip passing over.”

Do you use technology as an escape? Do you use it to weed out people you don’t want in your life? Do you hide behind it?  Is it part of your dreams or are you just along for the ride?

Trucker hat challenge

What makes Detroit so special?  Well I think the fact the new media and traditional media are getting along in promotion of this special event.   David Murray, Brandon Chesnutt, Audrey Walker, and Henry Balanon as they make their journey to South by South West.

Over the past couple of days since this challenge started they have been featured on WXYZ television by a champion of social media in the traditional space Stephen Clark and by Mark W. Smith from the Detroit Free Press have embraced this challenge.

This is not only good for Detroit but it proves that even though New Media is an emerging space the traditional still applies.  People are more aware by using different forms and in the end to win you have to blog, retweet and mention #DETChevySXSW in almost everything you do.  So the points can be tracked and tallied.

But this challenge makes us all realize no matter what industry you are in.  That engagement is important, brand awareness is something which is going to be happening and even if you are NOT a car buff but you enjoy seeing the antics of people on a road trip to a Spring Break for Nerds.  Than you can appreciate this journey.

So  tweet, retweet, follow the hash tag  #DetChevySXSW because they are in the home stretch.  So this is basically a better late than never type post.  They are leading the pack and should be putting Detroit on the map for the digital community.  Become a fan and comment like crazy on Facebook.

Detroit has its challenges.  The city does not get favorable mentions from outside of its borders but as a whole if we work together we can change the way we think of Detroit.  Technology and community is a small step towards the betterment of our city.  So take the chance and help four social media influencers win the tweet up of EPIC proportions.

I graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2008 in Communications Technology and have been working hard learning the field of Public Relations and communications since then.

My desire has always been to work in the communications industry.  I have found social media to be my niche.  I have worked for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society where I managed to form a partnership with Yelp. The time I spent there was constructive and I also had photos donated by General Motors and Wayne State University for invitations to the Leukemia Ball.

Since then I have built a community for FWIX, wrote proposals for projects which I bid on in my freelance work.  I have been an avid participant and volunteer in Detroit.  I have worked Module 09, Brand Camp U 09, TIE Midwest Conference and invited to Ted x Detroit and am going to be working Ignite Detroit and Future Midwest 10.  I was also the Champion for  Detroit in the live event for #journchat this past August.

Why should you hire me?

1. Relationships are key and I have excellent interpersonal skills.

2. Able to cultivate new ideas and fresh outlook on life.

3. I am social media savvy and realize an integrated communications strategy will help solve some of the current problems.

4. Loves hockey, Detroit Red Wings, Team USA and everything involved with it.

5. Believes in Detroit but am willing to relocate to New York, Chicago, D.C. or San Fransisco.

6. Loves research and bookmarking so I could save you money by having some research done already!

7. I am looking for more of an entry level marketing position but I believe PR and marketing go hand in hand.

8. Have worked with a start up and a non profit organization. So I am capable of working in any kind of environment.

9. Freelancing has taught me about deadlines, creating good content, selling your ideas and various other things which can transfer to a great public relations job.

10. Sports and Entertainment have been in my blood for the past years but technology is my passion. I am driven to work for a growing company which is technology or hockey based and can feed my passion for growth.

Thank you.

@jfavreau :Twitter ID
Jamie_Favreau@yahoo.com

People that are active in the online hockey community know where the most up-to-the-second information is available: Twitter. Big websites are dependent on their writers and the bloggers may hear about the information quickly—but it still takes time to put together even a 2 paragraph article. Even when it’s done, it’s not like everyone in the world will see it. But Twitter, that’s a different story. How long does it take for someone with a breaking story to knock out 140 characters? But that’s only the first part of the story…

The true power of Twitter is the speed at which information can spread from a single Tweet to across a community. If someone tweets that Jay Bouwmeester signed a contract with the Calgary Flames a day before free agency opens, they’re reaching all of their followers with the press of a button. But when I hear that news, I’ll be quick to re-tweet the information to all of my followers. Some of them, will in-turn share with all of their readers. When a story goes viral—THAT’S the power of Twitter.

From a news point of view, blogging and Twitter go hand and hand. But that’s only a single area that social media helps the NHL. Another area that is just as important is how Social Media can promote the sense of community between fans—whether the fans are in different cities, different states or even different countries. Bloggers and fans alike are increasingly using places like Facebook to strengthen friendships with people that they’ve interacted with in other venues. Maybe the met at a team function. Maybe they met at an NHL TweetUp. Whatever the case may be, Facebook and the like give them a place to keep in contact and share their ideas.

Specifically for hockey fans, it gives them a place to talk to other hockey fans about the sport they love. They can share articles they’ve read. They can share videos that they saw on YouTube (or NHL.com). They can vote on polls they saw on Twitter or even share Fan Pages to their favorite hockey blogs. Whatever the reason for communication, it provides a venue that hockey fans can interact with one another as much as they’d like. It’s like an electronic self-help group for puck crazed addicts (minus the 12 steps).

The NHL and individual teams have jumped head first into the New Media arena as well. During the playoffs, the Blackhawks and Penguins were serving up contests via Twitter for fans to win prizes—up to and including game tickets. Teams like the Los Angeles Kings will have contests on both Twitter and Facebook for their fans to win prizes as well. They’ve learned that they have a huge opportunity through the social media channels—they can either take advantage of the channels or watch another team do it for them.

Twitter and Facebook also serve as the newest way for bloggers to promote their articles. The high-end hockey blogs are rapidly becoming the backbone of hockey media for information for a huge percentage of the fan base. Unfortunately, bloggers often times can get lost in the huge sea of the World Wide Web. They need to get the word out—and they need to get the word out to the right people. Again: Enter Social Media.

Follow the right people on Twitter and you’ll have a never ending stream of quality information at your fingertips. Some might be from sources that have been around for decades, some might be up-and-comers that have always been good but have never had the chance. The genius of social media is that YOU get to decide who YOU want to give your attention to. If you find someone that you really enjoy, you can further engage the conversation on their blog or a Facebook page. It’s a two-way conversation—and it’s up to YOU how involved you want to be. You don’t have to, but at least now the choice is yours.

Geoff Livingston

At the end of the day, I have to give a ton of credit to the NHL for being so accepting of the new media world. The old way of thinking was that online content was GIVING the product away for free. The NHL has realized that this isn’t giving hockey away for free—it’s PROMOTING it for free. The league could either acknowledge or shun it. They’ve acknowledged it and embraced it with open arms! They’ve certainly been through some rough times (and they’re still dealing with the hard times), but this is the way that they’ll save their league.

For the first time in a while, I can say this: The NHL is doing something right! Thank God, there’s hope for them yet.

But as great as the highlights and interactive nature of the league’s website is, it’s the extras they provide that show they truly get the new media concept.  They provide visitors the tools to not only link the highlights they provide, but even embed the videos on blogs and other social media services.  They even allow fans to record highlights from the games on their own and post them to YouTube.  Did you hear that?  They are making it EASIER for people to take their content.

It’s like bizarro world—up is down, day is night, and Gary Bettman is smart.  This can’t be happening, can it?

When you contrast the NHL’s online sharing policy with some other sports, it becomes clear just how good hockey fans have it.  Take Major League Baseball for example.  Up until recently, it was a pain in the ass to find highlights on MLB’s website.  Still, if  you’re looking for a specific highlight from a specific game, good luck.  You may find it—but it’s not going to be easy.  Last time I had to find a highlight, I was reduced to Google; only for them to redirect me to a page on MLB.com that had no apparent inbound links.  That doesn’t sound like the kind of page they WANT you to find, does it?

When you take a step back, it really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise.  They are endlessly promoting their MLB.TV package—pay a flat rate and you have access to live streaming video as well as highlights.  They look at the web as another way to make money.  By the way, I know VERY FEW people that buy the online content.

Their policy for online content on YouTube is just as short-sighted.  If you search for great highlights from a game last night—a towering home run by Manny Ramirez or highlight reel catch by Torii Hunter—you’ll be lucky if you find anything.  The BEST thing that you’ll ever find is someone that was at the game that was actually shooting video from their phone, and then uploaded it to YouTube.  That’s because “any reproduction, duplication, or distribution in any form is expressly prohibited by Major League Baseball.”  (Sidenote: It’s a little sad that in today’s world of sharing, I still have that quote committed to memory.)

How the hell can they be called America’s Pastime when they aren’t even allowing highlights on YouTube?  There’s nothing more American than idly passing time by watching YouTube for hours on end!

The concept that the NHL has figured out is that the videos are nothing more than free promotion for their sport.  If I am blogging about a particular player or game, I could wax poetically about the atmosphere of the crowd, the intensity of the players and the gracefulness of a spectacular play. But if I have access to SHOW you the play, well that will give you something that even the most eloquent writer will fail to achieve.  You know how they say that a picture is worth a thousand words?  Then how many words is a VIDEO worth?

The National Hockey League has realized that bloggers are a valuable resource for them to help spread their sport.  It might be the greatest game on Earth, but if no one is hearing or talking about it—does it really matter?  This is where both the bloggers and the NHL’s needs are perfectly aligned.  Both the league and bloggers should want as much promotion for the content as possible.  The greatest blogger in the world could be creating world-class content—but if no one finds the blog, then what the hell is the point?  Enter Social Media.

Michigan Job Hunters Offered $500 for Aerial “Pornography”

With Michigan’s unemployment rate at 15.6% — the highest since 1983 — two men have “launched” a contest to reward the state’s jobless for scanning the skies this Saturday, in search of … pornography.

“Rome had bread and circuses to help citizens forget their troubles. We’re offering ‘pornography’ — and a prize worth $500. It all happens this Saturday, September 12, in Ann Arbor, before the University of Michigan football game,” said David E. Perry, co-author of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0.

What exactly is going to happen?

“We’re still getting clearance from Governor Granholm’s office and will release details as soon as we can,” said Kevin Donlin, contributing co-author of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0.

“But we can say that something will happen in the sky above U-M Stadium between 1:00 and 2:30 on Saturday afternoon, an unnatural act that may offend some. And we’re offering $500 in cash and prizes to the person who captures the most compelling video of the aerial event and posts it on Youtube,” said Donlin.

But why pornography?

“Because the unemployment situation in Michigan is truly obscene. Also, if you’re job hunting and you look above U-M Stadium between 1:00 and 2:30 this Saturday, you’ll know it when you see it,” said Donlin.

The $500-value prize package includes the following: $222 cash, a copy of the Guerrilla Job Search Home Study Course ($199 value), a copy of the Guerrilla Job Search System DVD ($29 value), and a copy of the new Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0 book, signed by the authors ($50 value).

How can people enter?

“Get to Ann Arbor or tell your friends to go, this Saturday, September 12. Watch the sky above U-M Stadium between 1:00 and 2:30 for a flying object that’s designed to put Michigan back to work. Capture the object on video and upload it to Youtube. Then, tell us about your video by posting a comment to this blog posting. Entries must be received by midnight, Sunday, September 13, 2009. The most compelling video entry will be awarded $500 in cash and prizes at 12:00 noon on Monday, September 14, 2009. All entries will receive a free copy of the Guerrilla Job Search Secrets audio,” said Donlin.

//
//

Charles Pugh Guest speaker Third Thursday Roundtable

Third Thursday Roundtable (Sept 17) is a networking lunch which is going to feature Charles Pugh.  This should be exciting and you can learn about the change he is going to bring if elected to City Counsel in Detroit.  Will a fresh face help bring Detroit to light?  Let’s hope so.  So be ready for networking from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at  Club Venetian Banquet & Conference Center 29310 John R  Madison Heights, 48071.  Cost is 25.00 includes lunch and networking.

Sept 17 is a pretty busy day.  If you are like me and still trying to find the elusive FULL TIME career.  Here is your chance to learn Guerrilla Job techniques from Detroit’s own MSU grad Kevin Donlin and his partner David Perry.  He will be hosting a seminar at the MSU management center in Troy  and through this blog you can receive $10.00 of the cost of the seminar.  Just by typing JFB.

I have used some of the techniques successfully.  I have used them for acquiring my internships with FWIX and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Here is a presentation I used when I gave a speech to 150 people at St Anastasia in Troy, MI.

I am a huge supporter and I think it is really worth the time to go and be a part of this seminar. I am using directed networking as I would call it. Kevin comes up with a lot of great ideas. Well worth the time and money.

If this isn’t enough… October has a cool event as well.  Brand Camp 09 will be on October 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI. Brand Camp University’s goal as an interactive conference that brings together the best and brightest minds in communications, marketing, brand development and business management to explore how social media has revolutionized the way individuals and companies position themselves personally and professionally.

So do you want to do something which puts Detroit back on the map? You can learn about the future of Detroit with Charles Pugh, get back to work with Kevin Donlin and David Perry, or get your brand on track by attending Brand Camp.

Let’s see you there…

3 part guest post by  Matt Rietz —creator of View From My Seats.
The in-depth, intelligent blog has been listed all over the hockey blogosphere, on various newspaper blogrolls, the Huffington Post, Yahoo’s Puck Daddy and, most notably, on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Tired of seeing the same sports websites that were completely detached from what the fans were thinking, he created his own site in 2007. Early in 2009, the website transitioned into a hockey-only site and has shown steady growth.
VFMS is a potent elixir concocted with equal parts wit, intelligence, sarcasm and reality. Served liberally between October and June at just below 32 degrees. At the heart of each article is one simple fact: In order to be smartass, one must first be smart.

When I think of forward progressive organizations, the National Hockey League isn’t exactly the first thing that jumps into my mind. We’re talking about a League that had a labor stoppage in the mid-1990’s just as hockey was competing to make a dent into the Big 3’s market share in the United States. As if that wasn’t enough, the league shot itself in the foot again the mid-2000’s when they experienced another labor stoppage. This time, the stoppage was because their business model was so severely flawed that even teams that were successful on the ice were epic failures on the profit front. Any time there was a hint of momentum, the league squashed any glimmer of hope. Think of a drunken Inspector Clouseau in a China shop. I’m sure you can figure out how this is going to go.

Ironically, it might be technology, Web 2.0 and an extremely fanatic fan base that might be what pulls the NHL out of obscurity and back to its place among the Top 4 sports in the U.S. When there are some sports leagues that are trying to figure the world of Social Media out, the NHL is surprisingly in front of the curve for once. Instead of playing the reactionary game, they’re proactively doing something to bring their great game to as many people as possible. While they might be unconventional means of communication today, the NHL is banking on New Media and its participants becoming the MAINSTREAM media—not an afterthought. Check out Facebook and Twitter—they might be onto something here.

The NHL may have turned their attention to non-traditional forms of media out of necessity, but they’re taking this blessing in disguise and running with it. Traditionally, how have sports fans received most of their news? Three major outlets provided the vast majority of the coverage: Newspapers, television and radio. The gradual demise of the newspaper industry has been well chronicled all over the internet. But think about this: how many people do you know that get their hardcore sports information from the radio? Better yet, how many members of Generation Next even know what AM radio is? The newspaper industry might be dying, but radio is in the next bed on life support itself.

That leaves television as the major traditional player for all of the sports league. Any discussion of television and the world of sports begins and ends with ESPN. If you want me to start with Fox Sports, then I’m guessing that Rupert Murdoch is either signing your checks or is a relative. If that’s the case, I mean no disrespect—but Fox Sports is largely irrelevant compared to the Worldwide Leader. I didn’t make up reality, I’m just acknowledging it.

When was the last time you heard ESPN talk about hockey and they didn’t mention a fight, suspension or Sidney Crosby? They neither have the quality reporters, insiders or the desire to cover hockey the way they cover baseball, basketball or football.

So where do hockey fans go when they want information? In the absence of traditional media, they have had to find non-traditional methods of tracking their favorite teams and players. Enter the internet—and more specifically the hockey blogosphere. Big players like From The Rink of SB Nation and Puck Daddy on Yahoo have filled the void better than the radio and newspaper industry ever did. But just as importantly, blogs with a narrow scope have emerged for individual teams and leagues.

The NHL could have turned their back on their emerging corner of media; but instead they took the opportunity to embrace the bloggers, their hard work and their community. They’ve redesigned NHL.com to truly be one of the best websites for any sport. They provide scores, stats and schedules like all leagues are expected to on their home page. But they’ve gone a step further—they have specific play highlights, game highlights and even podcasts for fans that are looking for more than goals and assists stats. It’s like every A.D.D. Hockey fan’s wet dream!