I'm technically on vacation, but with a book launch it has been anything but relaxing. Interviews, media requests, webinars, and more. All incredibly exciting though, and quite a few of the media folks who have interviewed me (especially the three or so interviews by NPR affiliates) are REALLY into the book themes. People are actually reading the book and sending feedback. Folks that ordered the book months ago via Amazon are suddenly getting copies at their doorstep. Two days ago, I led a webinar sponsored by Nielsen on the book themes and had several hundred attendees. Beth Thomas-Kim of Nestle and Tom Asher of Levi's, both incredible leaders in the consumer affairs industry, joined me for a spirited "back and forth" on so many of the key themes, especially around listening. I've been deliberately engaging folks from "consumer affairs" in my open-discussions, forums, and interviews because I want to shift the debate that's taking place about social media. 
I think we all need to think much harder and more critically about "who owns" this area; more importantly, which groups bring the best core competencies to the table in managing these very complex relationships with consumers. Or at minimum, we need to find the right hybrid model between marketing and consumer affairs. Right now, we have too much of a "Conversational Divide" (see graphic), and that's a recipe for consumer confusion. Again, it's all about staying credible, right? Anyway, the webinar was quite energizing, and I'll be joined by Beth, Tom, and probably a few other heads of consumer relations in a follow-up webinar with the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals (SOCAP) later this month.
Book Excerpt Available: On other fronts, apparently the book intro is now available off the Nielsen.com website. The excerpt sets the stage for the other issues I get into.
Facebook "Tell 3000" Site Growing and Growing: I frankly wasn't sure whether to create a Facebook group dedicated to the book, but at the last minute I pulled the trigger. Rather than make it overtly
promotional (akin to a "fan site"), I'm anchored it more to the book themes. Hence the title, Tell 3000 -- It's all about the Service. We're now up to nearly 260 members (in just a few days) and this suggests to me that there's a world of potential in shaping a new conversation about the book themes. We're overdue. I'm excited. If you have thoughts or ideas on how to drive the best possible conversation off the book themes, send my way.
Comments