Is digital media a Woodstock-esque movement?

I just watched a story about Woodstock (part of their publicity blitz for its 40^th anniversary), noting the way the iconic event forced mainstream news organizations to pay attention to the messages of the younger generation.  T.J. Winick (of ABC News) interviewed Dan Garson, a photojournalist who actually began his career at Woodstock...and not in the traditional way. Merely a high school 17-year-old, he bought a camera, applied for a media pass, got it, and from the 3^rd row shot some of the most memorable Woodstock photos taken--like the treasure to the left. Keep that concept of citizen journalism in mind. 

Last night I attended Zehnder Communications’ seminar “The 411 on Social Media” in New Orleans, and Tom Martin (check him out here and here) noted the newfound ease of live streaming broadcast. With a wireless 3G card and a laptop, I can stream live from anywhere, most likely beating national news networks to the punch. What does this mean for the future of the “breaking story?” And how often will those who just happen to be at the right place at the right time bring a story to millions the fastest? 

That's the direction in which we're moving, folks, and those of us proficient in digital media will be able to move it forward, helping our clients shape the conversations around their brands in the same manner. Why can't a spokesperson for a company live stream exactly what a corporation is doing to manage a crisis in real time, from the scene even? To me, it's going to be great way for us to have our clients' issues addressed first and, most importantly, transparently, by those on the front lines. 

With the popularity of social media to break and relay news, this movement really could be compared to the attention demanded by the Woodstock generation. Look at the respect attention networks give to information taken from the Drudge Report, formerly a weekly e-mail. Twitter entered the national dialogue when the first image of "The Miracle on the Hudson" broke via TwitPic from a rescue worker's iPhone. The media is changing and mainstream channels are being forced to participate. 

It's going to be especially interesting, though, to watch the way live video streaming affects broadcast news. How do you think it's going to affect reporters? Will the citizen journalist become a part of the story? 

Photo credit: Jimi Hendrix performs at Woodstock. From the collection of Dan Garson (Dan Garson/Genesis Publications / April29, 2009)

Annihilating social media for my job hunt

I am doing it all. In the past few weeks, I've updated my LinkedIn profile, fallen in love with Twitter, and read all of the advice sent my way from Alison Doyle, Tory Johnson, and a few other advice columnists while trying to keep my head from spinning. I'll update on how it goes, and there's one main reason that I'm truly confident that in this terrible economy, I'll find the perfect home for my talents: I know how to integrate marketing communications into a successful campaign. It's an absolute necessity for today's job seeker, and I've created a fully integrated campaign for myself. Main objective: connecting with my potential employers hopefully addressing a need for a kickass change agent (that's me) and using every possible resource to make it happen. 

Another awesome thing I've realized through my job search? I don't have to worry about keeping my thumb on the new media pulse outside of grad school. I've learned so much about entering the social media conversation during the free time I have that I can barely keep up. 

This morning I was scoping out Trumpet, a very cool agency in my area that often blurs the line between venture marketing and advertising. I've applied for a handful of jobs there and plan to continue to stalk them down, but I digress. They're launching a campaign for Thriv (not sure if that's a long "i," but I can find out for you), and I took advantage of a great promotion for its organic "performance gear" line. After answering some questions about my workout patterns, I'll receive a free product sample. I know the cost of a promotion like that may be high, but what a great way for the new company to get to know its consumer upon the launch. Plus, who doesn't love free stuff. I'm a brand ambassador already. 

More on my job search coming up. This week, I'm soliciting advice for getting out there and finding the perfect agency job. Offer it up! 

Creative for a cause

I've been really inspired by Blame Drew's Cancer and think this can give non-profits some ideas about how they can fundraise using Twitter. Here's how it works: we Twitter users, like Drew, can blame all of our problems on his cancer. If I can't find my keys, I can #BlameDrewsCancer. If my dog peed in the house, I'm going to #BlameDrewsCancer. And so on. 

With the goal of donating to the cause's new parter, LIVESTRONG, the final tally of "complaints" from Drew's Cancer--AFTER he's beaten it--will hopefully be matched with a dollar donation from sponsors. We can also join the cause on Facebook (http://bit.ly/13TpN2), using the hash tag on Twitter is a lot more fun. 

For those of you who are leaders of non-profits: do you think this could be a way to build exposure for smaller non-profits to a larger scale? On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Twitter is still a relatively intimidating component of social media, and it has yet to take off (I Blame Drew's Cancer) outside of the young professionals population. However, I'm thinking similar promotions on Twitter would be a smart way to promote Gulf Coast causes. What do you think?