Organizational Courage

Get viral. Have fun!

frank's friends at FigT Productions just kicked out a fun, short video commercial for a Nestle candy bar. No surprise that the video was great: FigT's a talented bunch.

The platform was interesting: rather than hosting a video contest on YouTube, Nestle went with XLNTAds, a web 2.0 video contest / branding hosting service. XLNTAds combines both the web 2.0 media with their branding expertise allowing organizations to use the meritocracy and user-generated verve of social media with a little branding polish.

So far XLNTAds doesn't feature (or seem to offer) employee films or internal organizational user-generated content / dialog. Brightcove - another frank favorite - hasn't done it yet either. But what a great edge for organizations: to create a StoryCorps type opportunity for employees to document their favorite short recollections of myths, heroes and legends from the company culture. And then to use that info for continuous improvement, deciding what cultural elements to reinforce. I haven't seen it online yet, but it seems like it would be easy to do. Thoughts?

Monday 9am TV

This week's film from Nic Askew is - as most are - kickin'. Well worth taking the seven minutes (or ten minutes, if you treat yourself to both films). Winner of the original 'Apprentice' reflects on being true to yourself, regardless of whatever is going on around you. Thanks Nic!

Learn. Have Fun. Feed the Hungry.

This is a GREAT example of viral social good. Check it out: freerice.com. You take a multiple choice vocabulary quiz. For each correct selection the site donates 20 grains of rice to the United Nations. It's positively addictive!

From a web 2.0 standpoint the two things I'd love to see this site add are: 1) a quick link allowing site users to forward it to their friends, and 2) a widget allowing users to compare scores against their friends'.

Organizations can learn from this: it's fun, it's fast, it's rewarding. It gives immediate feedback. The site design is clean. And since launching in October 2007 they've gotten 500,000 users / day. (See short video.) 

I donated 6540 grains of rice this before I ran out of time. My favorite new word is 'omphaloskepsis', meaning 'navel contemplation'. Niiiiiice!

Blog or Discussion Forum?

Sometimes it's necessary to choose between two really great ideas. Heath Bar Crunch or Cherry Garcia? Sneakers or flip flops? Oceans or mountains? Hip Hop or classical? Blog or discussion forum?

Like most things it's all a matter of preference. But here are some considerations:

• Conversation Style: Do you prefer being the main voice? Do you have lots of advice or opinions to share? Do you like posting or being online at odd hours? If so then a blog may be more your style. If you prefer more of the give-and-take of a widely open conversation then a discussion forum may be a better fit.
• Collaboration Level: Like the 'style' question above, if you're seeking more collaboration then a discussion forum may be a better fit. Many discussion forums have polling features, calendars and other collaboration tools. Blogs, while conversational, tend to have a main point of view and responses - a more one-way perspective.
• Time: how much time have you got to devote to care and feeding? Both blogs and discussion forums can survive with sporadic attention, both thrive with care and feeding. But if you truly don't have time to moderate (guide, respond to, weed through) your discussion forum you're probably better off blogging as you're able.
• Critical Mass:  do you have a group of like-minded individuals? Or are  you trying to build one? Blogs can start with a voice of one and build as more people comment. A discussion forum needs, well, discussion participants. Do you have them or can you find them?

These are just a few off-the-cuff considerations thrown out on a Saturday afternoon. What would you add?