"Internet - Whatever you want to call it, I call it Sexy, fast and interesting"

I normally don't post videos without some kind of my opinions around the video but this video is a must see without my input. Please watch "Devo, the Internet and You"

I don't think this blog post breaks my one rule of never saying bad things about a brand.

I have mentioned this before but my only real rule here is the not use my blog to slag other brands etc. I don't think I am breaking this rule but I was moved to offer a bit of critism towards Chevy and their SXSW campaign of giving cars to social media kool kids so they could drive to Austin and promote the brand and the cars while there and all along the way.

If you read Caroline McCarthy's piece about it on Cnet you would say to yourself "Self, this is a clever idea!" and it is. Not exactly original but it is clever...only thing is that while clever it is majority flawed...and here is why.

If I was doing this promotion I would have done the exact same thing except instead of sending a bunch of social media kids I would have gotten actual Chevy drivers to make the trip and as a reward I would have treated them to the SXSW experience all on the dime of Chevy (or GM...whoever) and if you wanted to keep the whole SM thing going you could add one Kool Kid to the car and fill the other seats with actual Chevy Owners because by using actual Chevy Owners they are 1-being rewarded for choosing Chevy and 2-will act as a trusted spokesperson while having a good time at SXSW.

Who better to speak about the fun and excitement of driving a Chevy then the folks who drive one everyday and not people who received one for a week as part of a paid promotion.

When companies sit around planning these "influencer" strategies they have to remember that the people who actually use their products and are passionate about the product in question are equally as influential as people with cache.

What makes you so special on Social Media besides being "early"?

Way back in October I put my "money where my mouth is" and challenged someone to come up with a new idea in Social Media because if there ever was something that needs re-invention, this is it because I am getting told by more and more "leaders" in this space that they are burning out or not being recognized for their thought leadership because of the ease of labeling yourself an expert.

Well I am sad to report that I still have my money...but that isn't what this post is about but it does speak to some of the same thoughts. You see this post is inspired by a question that my friend Rob Blatt asked me yesterday that I have not been able to get out of my head.

The question was this:

What makes you so special on Social Media besides being there early?

Now before you get all angry at Rob, he wasn't asking me in a negative way it was more of a statement about people on twitter in general and could someone who is considered in the "kool kids category" start today and really have any impact against the noise or be original without being compared to whoever the early person was.

I wonder how many people can actually answer the question honestly?

For me it is simple...I don't think I am special and from that comes an authentic genuineous that allows me to appreciate every person who interacts with me in a daily, weekly, or monthly basis...and also once I year I, very late at night while everyone is sleeping, post a picture of myself in just a pair of underwear (TRUE and there are 3 now...go find them)

How would you answer this question?