Third Tuesday Ottawa

The Shiny New Object (SNO) Syndrome

May 5, 2008 · 6:00 PM
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We're back. After several months hiatus (darn that burst appendix!), we're restarting the Third Tuesday Ottawa social media meetups. It seems that almost every day, we hear an announcement of a new social media tool, social network or open standard that the inventors tell us we soon won't be able to live without. At this month's Third Tuesday Ottawa, we have a panel of Colin McKay, Ryan Anderson and Brendan Hodgson to lead a discussion of which social media tools are most useful and which are just code looking for a reason to be. So, if you're confused by all the shiny new objects and want to know which you should use or, better yet, you want to share with others your views on which are useful and which don't make the grade, join us at the next Third Tuesday Ottawa on May 5. (Yes, it's a MONDAY. But that's the day we could get the speakers and book the ClockTower.). We're looking forward to seeing you there. As always, special thanks to our sponsors, CNW Group. CNW has supported us through this entire season - and their contribution has enabled us to keep Third Tuesdays as free events for the social media community.

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Francis Wooby

Thanks so much to everyone behind this event. It was a great, thought-provoking discussion that I hope to see continue and evolve. I really liked how the conversation was facilitated.

0 · May 7, 2008
Francis Wooby

The presentation was fantastic, although the Q&A follow-up felt a bit brief.

It'd also be nice to see a little more encouragement of newcomers, and even veteran meet-up attendees, to socialize/network with one another. I know that we're mostly communications people, so it should come naturally, etc. However, I think that such encouragement would help grow and strenghten the audience--and thus the industry. Mind you, I got there just as the presentation was starting so this could have been done and I just missed it.

0 · May 7, 2008
Ian Ketcheson

I'm not sure what to make of that photo, though...

0 · May 6, 2008
Susan Murphy

Great session, guys. Very thought provoking!

0 · May 6, 2008
Peter Smith

Good times. Very much enjoyed my first meetup. Was impressed to see how many hands went up when the Twitter question was asked. & Agree that the personal/organizational issue is key - for selling social media to management, for overcoming institutional fear etc. While Joe's Dopplr example was good, I'm still thinking about how better to articulate ways that gap can be bridged. Looking forward to the next one!

0 · May 6, 2008
Peter Childs

Like all your sessions the pannel was great and the discussion was as well.

It might be interesting to probe the anti-corporate sentiment that was expressed, and to explore what we mean by transperancy.

Social media measurement would be very interesting.

0 · May 6, 2008
A former member

Coming to my first Third Tuesday was a definite eye-opener about the great community we have here in Ottawa. As much as social media is helping shape the way we work and play, the event made me realize there's absolutely no substitute for putting faces to names and shaking someone's hand in person. The panel members were very well spoken, though it seems like no one brought many Shiny New Objects to the table after all...it looks like Twitter is still the one on everyone's lips.

It was great meeting so many of you, and I'll be sure to see you next time!

0 · May 6, 2008
Ian Ketcheson

Thanks for the feedback. Keelan - Always tricky to balance the time between presentation time and networking time. I usually try for 45-60 minutes, depending on the vibe in the room. Curious to hear people's thoughts on whether this is the right mix.

Ben - Would have loved to have that bit about "actual new things" thrown on the table. I thought we were a bit Twitter-obsessed and would have loved to have heard perspective on these new tools.

i.

0 · May 6, 2008
Mark Stephenson

Had a good time, great discussions. Thanks to all the co-organizers!

0 · May 6, 2008
Vanessa Doyle

I thought it was really interesting. I sometimes find social media a little over-whelming because there are so many applications. One observation that Colin made which I found really interesting was the focus on social media for corporate use instead of personal use.....and comparing it to Third Tuesday events in other cities. Do we need to lighten up?

0 · May 6, 2008
Brendan Hodgson

Hi all, thanks for making it out. Agreed the SNO focus was heavily on the tried & true & I would have enjoyed chatting about other emerging tools out there had those question arisen / time been available. That said, it's where I as a communicator spend a lot of time given what's appropriate to my client's needs. But as Kerry noted, the challenge of where to focus this meetup is rearing it's head and should be considered for future events.

And Keelan, tell your boss it's his turn next time :-)

0 · May 6, 2008
Johanna Kaeppner

Great people, interesting topic, good discussion. Looking forward to more of the same. Thanks to the organizers.

0 · May 6, 2008
Keelan Green

This was very similar to other previous presentations by same presenters. Not really much on "shiny new objects". I often find I prefer the networking aspect of these events more than the presentation & Q&A portion, particularly when it drags on past an hour. Brendan - I agree Joe would have really added to the SNO discussion, he seems to find something new weekly.

0 · May 6, 2008
Chamika Ailapperuma

Great networking oppotunities, good discussion, nice vibe.

0 · May 6, 2008
Ben Watson

The SNO Syndrome was mostly about well established objects that are now broadly enough adopted to have captured mainstream investment and attention. Actual new things such as SNURL, AIR apps, Open Social, Sproutt, AdReady, Mahalo, etc were not discussed - instead Facebook, Twitter and mainstream messaging, profile management and social networking clients with millions of users were discussed.

0 · May 5, 2008
A former member

Interesting to see what oppinions on various tools that could be used to connect with a target audience.

best quote of the night "It's not about content and context anymore, it's about the conversation and combining a proper mix of them all".

I would have liked a bit more depth into SNOs like the title suggested, but that didn't come to pass. :(

Then again - it's not about the tools, is it?

Well worthwhile and entertaining. I got to meet Ottawa Tweeters to boot. I'll be back.

0 · May 5, 2008
A former member

Good discussion overall, although sometimes it went off on tangents. Just by listening to some of the comments, I find that people are still too focused on "tactics" as opposed to "strategy" in their marketing and /or communications efforts. As a marketing consultant for the public sector, I am a firm advocate of research based segmentation, targeting and positioning before jumping into marketing communications (Promotion) and the rest of the 4 P's (Price, Place, Product). Now more than ever, with so many "long-tail" niche segments in existence, it is essential that organizations engage with the "right" audience that is "relevant" to their service/product and will as a result help reach their overall marketing objectives more efficiently and effectively. What's my point with all of this? Instead of asking which social media tools/channels you should be using, begin by asking yourself "who is my target audience?" and "what are my marketing objectives?" Tactics should come last.

0 · May 5, 2008
A former member

Really interesting discussion. I think there's some confusion about the intention of the group - is it about commercializing social media apps, or is it about using social media for personal reasons? This discussion really brought that question out into the open.

0 · May 5, 2008
Bob Parkins

Interesting as always. Would have liked more attention to pubic sector issues on the SNO front.

0 · May 5, 2008