The True Dirty Laundry

Straight-Talk on Internet Fame and the True Impact of Influence

jenniferwindrum — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 22:47:43 +0000

Be sure to join us!! Huge thanks to Maddie Grant at SocialFish for drafting this post! Let’s cut the BS in social media. It’s way beyond time.

You may be aware that there is a big debate going on in the social media blogosphere about “influence”. We’re all familiar with the mantra that we should be out there leveraging influencers in our communities in order to get the word out about our causes, brands or services… and that makes total sense from a generating-word-of-mouth point of view.

But hold on. If you’re trying to do this, and you don’t actually know who your industry influencers are (perhaps because you’re not really immersed in your own open community, or because your community is too large or public-facing to be able to list your champions in an organic way), and you’re looking at some tools out there that purport to measure influence…. maybe you’re starting to think “this is not as easy as it sounds.” Maybe you’re starting to think that influence is not about how many followers someone has on Twitter. Maybe you’re starting to think that “influencer scores” are totally meaningless for your goals and objectives.

So what is influence, really? Can it be measured (and if so, how)? How can you find the influencers in your industry? Do apps like Klout or Twitalyzer really work to automate this? Or is this all bunk?

A group of us are going to be talking about Internet Fame and the True Impact of Influence in a BlogTalkRadio show on Wednesday February 9 at 10pm ET. This new show is the brainchild of some really smart social media practitioners and consultants from various industries, and the purpose of the show is to debunk some of the social media bubble/hype around various issues. The tone will be irreverent, but the concerns we have are very real. I hope you’ll be able to join us (expect the accompanying chat to be lively and extremely snarky), or listen to the podcast afterwards (bookmark this page and come back to listen!).

Listen to internet radio with PVSM on Blog Talk Radio

Danny Brown will be hosting this inaugural episode, and Tamsen McMahon, Lisa Thorell, Allyson Kapin, Rich Becker and Olivier Blanchard will be chatting live with him – but as it’s BlogTalkRadio, anyone can call in and ask them questions. Lots of other people with thoughts on the topic will be listening in and participating by chat.

In preparation for the radio show, here are some of the blog posts the group may be referencing.

4 Things You Need to Know About Influence – Tamsen McMahon, on Brass Tack Thinking
It’s About Impact NOT Influence – Allyson Kapin on Frogloop
The Influence of Trust – Danny Brown
Artifacts of Influence: grassroots movements, familiar strangers and the power of the social media daisy chain. – Olivier Blanchard
Flipping The Scale: Influencers Are The Most Influenced – Rich Becker on Copywrite, Ink.
Klout & Critics: Time to Close the Door or Kick it Wide Open? – Lisa Thorell on Digital, Ink.
Strength of Community Supersedes Influence – Geoff Livingston
Why I’m 10X As Influential As Ashton Kutcher On Twitter* – Chris Yeh, Adventures in Capitalism
The Holy Grail of Online Influence vs Our Current Measurement Limitations – Beast of Traal
How do you evaluate influence? – Jeremy Porter, on Journalistics

Oooh – and I get to repost one of my favorite slide decks of all time. Enjoy – and put the kids to bed, grab your tipple of choice, and join us on Wednesday evening!

Influence. The bullshit, best practice and promise

View more presentations from Philip Sheldrake.

Straight-Talk on Internet Fame and the True Impact of Influence is a post from: The True Dirty Laundry

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Accountability: SU2C Apologizes to My Mom & the Lung Cancer Community

jenniferwindrum — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:24:39 +0000

UPDATE!
As a PR person and social media nut, THIS is exactly why I don’t “DO” status quo, and why YOU shouldn’t either! Accountability!

The following is a blog post I wrote to my WTF? community (Where’s the Funding for Lung Cancer?)

I am very pleased to share this SU2C update with you!

I (we) received this message (in the comments section of my previous blog post “My Mom’s Lung Cancer Rant & SU2C’s Response.”) from Tom Chiodo regarding my mom’s rant….and all of your rants about SU2C’s portrayal of lung cancer during its live telecast.

Tom Chiodo (unregistered) wrote:

Jennifer,

I am a senior member of the Stand Up To Cancer communications team, and a cancer survivor. I want to apologize that we offended you and other viewers with the telecast’s lung cancer segment and then with our reply to some of the emails we received. I want to reach out individually to everyone that wrote to us. We take all the feedback we’ve received to heart, and going forward, it will help inform our decision-making process about the content we produce.

Thank you for noting that we did make an effort in the show to convey that smoking isn’t the only cause of lung cancer. Every single person diagnosed with lung cancer is important; in no way did we mean to convey otherwise.

Significant and very promising research relating to lung cancer is being done by SU2C investigators: on our “Epigenetics Dream Team”, our “Circulating Tumor Cell Chip Dream Team”, as well as a number of our Innovative Grant Recipients. The video progress report about the Epigenetics Team — which features a lung cancer patient — can be seen at http://www.standup2cancer.org/sutv#channelId=/sutv/service/thelab (In the list on right, click on “Epigenetics Dream Team on the 2010 Show”). In addition, information on this clinical trial and others can be found at http://www.standup2cancer.org/clinicaltrials. (Scroll to the bottom of the home page and click on SU2C Dream Team clinical trial information.)

Our scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), will issue a call for ideas for our next round of Innovative Grants within the next month, and we’d like to ask for your assistance. If you know of institutions where promising lung cancer research is being done, please notify us, or our AACR colleagues at su2c@aacr.org and they will contact the Directors of those Centers to encourage their researchers to consider applying for a grant. We can’t guarantee the outcome of the selection process as those recommendations are made by our Scientific Advisory Committee, but this would be a very helpful step you and others in the community can take to maximize the likelihood that lung cancer continues to be directly addressed by Stand Up To Cancer funded researchers. Additionally, with Lung Cancer Awareness Month coming up in November, we’ll be reaching out to lung cancer advocacy groups soon to determine the best way our su2c.org website can help heighten awareness.

Thank you for raising your concerns with us and for all you do to honor your mom, as well as others affected by lung cancer.

Sincerely,

Tom Chiodo
tchiodo@eifoundation.org

I sincerely thank Tom for his message, helpful links and offers of assistance for potential research grants and direction for awareness during Lung Cancer Awareness Month. As Tom says, there are no guarantees. I understand that. But, boy, do I truly appreciate this kind of outreach and opportunity. I am GAME!!!

Thank you ALL for posting your comments and helping to get SU2C’s attention. We ARE making progress!!

As always, I would love your feedback. What do you think of Tom’s message?

Accountability: SU2C Apologizes to My Mom & the Lung Cancer Community is a post from: The True Dirty Laundry

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How You Can TRULY Help the Gulf NOW

jenniferwindrum — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 20:42:35 +0000

Photo Courtesy: Louisiana Governor Jindall's Office

The rounds of heart-wrenching images and videos of oil-drenched pelicans this week have given us a powerful glimpse into the devastation of the Gulf oil catastrophe – a small glimpse, unfortunately.

This CNN video, taken at Grand Isle, LA, shows the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries immediately taking the brown pelicans, Louisiana’s state bird, to be cleaned and treated for injuries. We are relieved to see some wildlife in the Gulf getting the help it so desperately needs. But, we know it’s not enough. Not even close.

As I posted some of these pictures on my Facebook profile, my eyes welled with tears – my blood started to boil – FASTER!

Geoff's Facebook Cause Birthday Wish

Evidence of the devastation and this particular Facebook Cause birthday wish I received from Geoff Livingston asking for donations to the National Wildlife Federation really got me thinking:

How can we TRULY help?
How do we know where our donations will most benefit – and benefit NOW?
What are the legitimate organizations we should consider donating our dollars and/or time to?

If anyone would know, it’s Geoff Livingston. Livingston is a co-founder of Zoetica, a social enterprise that helps mindful organizations affect social change – and much more. He’s a top-ranked blogger and tremendous influencer in the social media sphere, blogging about nonprofit use of social media for Mashable, and on environmental issues for Live Earth.

Photo Courtesy: cogitoergodoleo

I’m an accountability freak. So, I sent Geoff a link to the “Seize BP!” Campaign to see if he knew much about it, whether it was legit and/or really worth someone’s time. Like other campaigns that are popping up, it may very well be, but I simply don’t know. Most of us don’t. I mentioned to Jeff I think the general public would benefit from a greater understanding of bona fide organizations, such as NWF, where their donations are put into action immediately within that organization’s mission.

Geoff’s response: “Seems like a good blog post.”

Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting THAT! Thank you Geoff!

Less than 24 hours later, here is Geoff’s insight and guidance on how we can all take “mindful action” to help the Gulf NOW.

How You Can TRULY Help the Gulf NOW is a post from: The True Dirty Laundry

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Do You Know Where Your Charitable Donations Are Going? YOU Need to Ask!

jenniferwindrum — Thu, 27 May 2010 15:11:29 +0000

I want answers and so should YOU. Accountability! My rant on lack of info from @SU2C and other cancer organizations.

Do You Know Where Your Charitable Donations Are Going? YOU Need to Ask! is a post from: The True Dirty Laundry

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Visual Splendor! Social Media Revolution 2

jenniferwindrum — Thu, 06 May 2010 18:44:59 +0000

Need a visual to help explain how social media is changing the world? Here ya go!

Visual Splendor! Social Media Revolution 2 is a post from: The True Dirty Laundry

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Big Mama’s & Warren Buffett: TTDL W00T! Award Winners

jenniferwindrum — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:09:14 +0000

Photo: Courtesy Curtis Joe Walker

Thousands of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders will descend on Omaha, Nebraska this weekend for Berkshire’s annual meeting.

These thousands of investors will pump bucket-loads of dollars into the Omaha economy through lodging, shopping, and of course, eating at Omaha’s great variety of restaurants.

But one restaurant had a big question: Why wasn’t Big Mama’s Kitchen & Catering included in the visitor’s guide Berkshire Hathaway provides to shareholders offering suggestions on places to eat throughout the city?

After all, Big Mama’s has helped put Omaha on the national map with its homemade recipes and restaurant being featured on The Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and The Travel Channel’s 101 Tastiest Places to Chow Down.

Below is Patricia Barron, aka “Big Mama” pictured with The Food Network’s Guy Fieri.

Omaha ABC affiliate KETV Newswatch 7 recently interviewed Barron about the issue and shortly after, Barron got a surprise voice mail from Buffett himself. You can watch the video here.

"Big "Mama" and The Food Network's Guy Fieri

So, this week’s True Dirty Laundry W00T! Award goes to Big Mama’s Kitchen and Catering for seeking answers and hopefully getting a ton of hungry mouths to feed this weekend, as well as a spot in next year’s visitor’s guide.

Kudos to Warren Buffett for making a personal return call to Barron, apologizing for the mistake and promising extra signage pointing shareholders to Big Mama’s.

Two Omaha class acts! Thanks, too, to KETV for covering the story!

ps…Big Mama’s has extended hours this weekend. Order an awesome meal and top it off with Big Mama’s sweet potato pie ice cream or many other delights.

Friday, April 30, 2010 8:00am – 9:00pm
Saturday, May 1, 2010 8:00am – 9:00pm
Sunday, May 2, 2010 10:00am – 9:00pm

To order call:
402 455-MAMA (6262)
3223 North 45th Street, Turning Point Campus, Bldg A, Omaha NE 68104

Hey, have something good (big or small) to share about a company/person/organization? Let me know. They could earn the next TTDL W00T! Award!

Big Mama’s & Warren Buffett: TTDL W00T! Award Winners is a post from: The True Dirty Laundry

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Dear ABC News: Get Your Lung Cancer Facts Straight!

jenniferwindrum — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:30:07 +0000

Earlier this week, you may have seen this story on ABC News:

The Impact of Peter Jennings: Five Years Later
Lung cancer death rates have fallen since the anchor revealed his fatal illness.

As a former reporter and now lung cancer advocate, when I saw this story, I about fell out of my chair. It is grossly inaccurate on many levels.

First of all, from a journalism standpoint, the most recent comprehensive scientific lung cancer statistics available regarding death rates (and other statistics) are from 2005.

Peter Jennings

Unfortunately, Jennings died in 2005. So there is no way for anyone to know what impact Jennings may have had on lung cancer in any capacity.

From a scientific standpoint, the death rate for lung cancer is not “falling faster than for any other cancer,” as was stated in ABC’s report.

So “WTF?,” the Bonnie J Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and the Lung Cancer Alliance collaborated to reach ABC and set the record straight on the true state of lung cancer (see joint letter below).

Specifically:

Among men, the mortality rate for lung cancer has fallen by 11.7% since 1975, but even more for prostate cancer (24%) and colon cancer (37%).

In women, the mortality rate for lung cancer has risen 128% since 1965, while the rate for breast cancer has fallen by 25% and colon cancer by 42%.

Over 800,000 people have died of lung cancer since Jennings’ death in 2005.

According to prevalence figures for 2006 published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of lung cancer patients are former – not current – smokers and another 20% never smoked at all.

Smoking rates have dropped and hopefully one day they will drop to zero. Nearly 50% of adult men smoked in the 50’s and that number is now down to 23%. Women peaked in the 1960’s at 33% and the prevalence among women now stands at 17.4%.

Despite the drop in smoking rates over the past 40 years, the 5-year survival rate is still only 15%.

One in every three cancer deaths is due to lung cancer.

The following is posted on the Bonnie J Addario Lung Cancer Foundation website, encouraging anyone to use the joint letter to help reach ABC News.

Dear ABC-Please Correct!

“If you tailor your news viewing so that you only get one point of view, well of course you’re going to think somebody else has got a different point of view, and it may be wrong.”

– Peter Jennings

In the past week, we, in the Lung Cancer Community, have been subjected to less than half truths, and a very strange break from the ideal of journalism, which is meant to inform the citizenry with the whole truth, nothing but the truth, so help us all.

We have reached out to Diane Sawyer, and the executive team at ABC to dig deeper, to reveal the whole story of Lung Cancer with the journalistic integrity that Peter Jennings would have approached it.

We have not received a response. In other words, we have been ignored. We encourage you to contact ABC and all the other stations that have picked up this “story” and encourage all of them, including your local stations, to dig deeper. To tell the story as Peter would have.

Please feel free to use any and all elements below from our joint letter to ABC with the Lung Cancer Alliance.

Joint letter from the Bonnie J Addario Lung Cancer Foundation
and the Lung Cancer Alliance

APRIL 6, 2010

Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and the Lung Cancer Alliance ask ABC News To Clarify Jennings Report

John Banner, Executive Producer

Tom Nagorski, Senior Broadcast Producer

World News with Diane Sawyer

47 West 66th St. 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10023

Dear Mr. Banner and Mr. Nagorski:

Peter Jennings did a great service in going public with his lung cancer diagnosis a few months before he died in 2005. But the professional reporter in Mr. Jennings would have taken a much harder look at lung cancer statistics for the memorial piece on his death from lung cancer five years ago. The rosy scenario you presented is not accurate. Lung cancer mortality has not dropped more than any other cancer and indeed it is rising in women.

The death rate for lung cancer is not “falling faster than for any other cancer,” as was stated in the report. Among men, the mortality rate for lung cancer has fallen by 11.7% since 1975, but even more for prostate cancer (24%) and colon cancer (37%). In women, the mortality rate for lung cancer has risen 128% since 1965, while the rate for breast cancer has fallen by 25% and colon cancer by 42%.

Over 800,000 people have died of lung cancer since his death in 2005.

Despite the drop in smoking rates over the past 40 years, the 5-year survival rate is still only 15%. One in every three cancer deaths is due to lung cancer.

We respectfully request that a more comprehensive report be given to this deadly disease which has been so stigmatized and underfunded. Lung cancer is a public health epidemic that smoking cessation alone will not cure. Diane, we think what you were trying to say is, if Peter were still alive, he would have said, “Now do more.”

Sincerely,

Bonnie J. Addario

Founder & Chair, President

Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation

bonnie@lungcancerfoundation.org

650-333-6284

Laurie Fenton-Ambrose

President & CEO

Lung Cancer Alliance

Lfenton@lungcanceralliance.org

202-463-2080

Dear ABC News: Get Your Lung Cancer Facts Straight! is a post from: The True Dirty Laundry

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Cox Communications Omaha – TTDL W00T! Award

jenniferwindrum — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:52:44 +0000

While the True Dirty Laundry is holding people/companies/organizations accountable for NOT doing their jobs, we are also highlighting the GOOD things they do – big or small.

Today’s TTDL W00T! Award goes to Cox Communications Omaha.

My Internet connection went out today. Just so you know…whenever that happens, I FREAK out. Now that I am working from my home, I don’t have the luxury of having an “IT guy” fix things like I have in the past. So, yes, I am a computer nerd (but not in the good way).

Well, I called Cox and actually got right through to someone. That someone was Charles.

Charles very patiently walked me through all the modem and router “stuff,” having me unplug and reconnect the cables. I’m sure I sounded like an absolute idiot with the questions I was asking, but, no doubt, I’m not the first idiotic person Charles has dealt with.

So, major kudos to Charles and Cox’s technical support team for helping me out. I know it’s not always easy being a cable company.

So, Charles, print this out and put it on your break-room bulletin board for those not-so-good days. Thanks again.

Hey, I want to hear more good stories. Send them my way for a W00T! Award!

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Tiger Nike Ad: When Will We Get Back to Reality?

jenniferwindrum — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:59:54 +0000

My quick thoughts…

I think the ad is very clever on Nike’s part, however, it’s a total stretch, as somehow Nike found this audio that was meant for something else and is applying it to this situation (unless I’m missing something completely). So, like Tiger, it’s not genuine.

As a PR/reputation management professional, I am so tired of the notion of “creating an image” instead of “going with what you’ve got” and just being HONEST!

Seriously, when will PR ever get back to reality? Would love your thoughts!!

Tiger Nike Ad: When Will We Get Back to Reality? is a post from: The True Dirty Laundry

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Dial-Up…Remember that Sound? SMCOmaha Members Sure Do!

jenniferwindrum — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:16:03 +0000

Omaha finally has its own Social Media Club…and we are pumped!

After many months of saying, “We really need to get this club up and going,” Sara Davidson, Erica Cenci and I decided to “just do it.”

Jennifer Windrum, Kelly Olexa, Sara Davidson

Social Media Club Omaha officially kicked off with a launch party at the Nomad Lounge on March 25 with some cocktails and some Kelly Olexa.

Along with her amazing dial-up impression, Kelly shared her insights on “What Not to Wear in Social Media; How Not to Make a Total Fool of Yourself and Your Business.”

Kelly currently works for New Media Strategies and was also featured as one of the “Top Young Female Entrepreneurs in Technology” by Business Week in 2009. Thanks a mil Kelly!

No doubt, we’ve come a looooong way since dial-up. Thank God!

So, What is Social Media Club Omaha?
In a nutshell: Connecting. Sharing. Collaborating. Educating – All things social media.

We are a diverse group focused on the value of sharing social media knowledge, best practices, establishing ethics and standards, as well as promoting and integrating social media for business, personal use and beyond.

What’s Next?
To get YOU involved.

– Each month, we plan to bring a social media thought leader from outside the Omaha market to hear how other companies/organizations/people are innovating, measuring and improving upon social media strategies.

– These events will be held the last Thursday evening of each month (location TBD).

– We also plan to have a monthly breakfast where a local company/organization/person shares their social media success story.

– In the next few months, we’d like to build up the community and elect a board of directors who will then help shape the overall direction of the group.

– From there, we’ll form committees made up of volunteers who can plan additional events, panels, workshops and more.

– We’ll also start securing sponsors for the club and some of our events.

Committees and the selection of a board of directors sounds a bit stuffy and formal, which is exactly what Social Media Club Omaha is NOT.

No worries. We’re really looking to form solid teams that can keep Social Media Club Omaha consistently afloat, fresh, relevant, meaningful and fun.

So, wanna get involved? Let me know in the comments section and we’re game.

ps…You’ll see much more on how you can get involved on our many social media sites too.

So, dial up…err, sign up, fan up, twitter up, ning up and flickr up. NOW!

Facebook Page
Twitter: @SMCOmaha
Twitter Hashtag: #SMCOmaha
Ning Community
Flickr

Dial-Up…Remember that Sound? SMCOmaha Members Sure Do! is a post from: The True Dirty Laundry

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