By: Jeremy Mosher, 3/23/2010

There are cans of Orange Crush, Mountain Dew, and Hoist on the table: green-bottled beers with labels worried away are held in hand, with cups of coffee, bottles of water and at least one Red Stripe, sitting empty.  Just as diverse as the choice in beverages are the professional backgrounds assembled in the Sycamore Street office of The Creative Department, as the weekend-long development session for Secret Cincinnati enters its seventy-second hour. 

Secret Cincinnati looks to make the city a better, more enjoyable place by creating an online community and database that collects and shares the best underpublicized discounts, events and places from around the city.  Rallying around egalitarian themes - Discover, Participate, Connect - the group's goal is to put the power of information in the hands of citizens, and stepping back to watch them wield it.  But this one weekend could serve an even larger purpose locally. Secret Cincinnati could be yet another asset inspiring professional entrepreneurs and giving them the tools to succeed here.
Joe Pantuso is one such entrepreneur, having come to Cincinnati to start a programming company called NeoWorx, and now, eleven years later, co-organizing the Secret Cincinnati session. Asked about his motivation, he says, "I see things in the world and I want to fix them. It's all the same spirit. I feel like I need to do all I can for Cincinnati."  To drive Secret Cincinnati, Pantuso teamed with Chris Ostoich, a UC alum originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana who founded Blackbook Experience Management Group. In itself, their partnership expresses its very goal: bringing people together to support entrepreneurship locally.

My Feature!

One of those people is Rodney Williams, a Procter & Gamble employee who relocated to Cincinnati just eight months ago. While he contributed the perspective of a marketer and Queen City transplant, he says he got a lot back from the weekend experience, even as someone working for a multi-billion dollar international company.

"I want to always be connected with the people doing start-ups," Williams says. "That's the heartbeat of the city. You can't be innovative in a corporate setting without those connections." According to the former Washington, DC resident, increased connectivity offers value to everyone, regardless of whether or not they are personally involved in a start-up. Simply put, he says, "It's a catalyst."

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Fly.Union ft. Big Sean "Poed Up" from Palestra Creaton Vimeo.

Click picture below to download their most recent mixtape.

I met some of these guys at the NBA draft after party last year.  Check them out BK Circus.

How do you feel about this?

How does this relate to the many brands that use Facebook?

I picked this track because it represents what’s to come.  It’s a song that merges Rock, Hip Hop and Pop flawlessly.  It’s also is a salute to hard work and success.  Today’s generation is a fusion of cultures which showcases itself pretty well on this song. Enjoy!

Kevin Rudolf I Made It (Cash Money Heroes)

Gεяժii | MySpace Video

I’m starting to get a grasp on this work thing!  I have neglected all of my Social Media extensions but I think I have a recipe that should increase my productivity.  I’ll start 1^st by giving you a brief update. 

Work is great but busy.  I’ve been spending this time managing the new work load but extremely excited to see my work come to life.  My Cincinnati plans have kicked off.  I can’t go into too much detail but you should already “Expect the Best”.  In the next few weeks, I plan to update the site so expect some changes. 

Today, I’m launching a new post format.  I consider myself a rather dynamic person and I want my posts to reflect who I am.  I will post 3 times a week on 3 different subjects revolving around “New”.  Mondays will be dedicated to Music, Wednesdays will be dedicated to Marketing and Fridays will be dedicated to fashion.  These are all areas of interest for me so I hope you enjoy.



In the meantime, check out a friends column in Adage.  - I'm glad she's on my team.

5 Social Media Implications for Brands in 2010

Social media strategists are dusting off their crystal balls to make their predictions for 2010. Recently, I took mine out at the FrogPond in an attempt to see the future and, lo and behold, my crystal ball had miraculously transformed into a Magic 8 Ball. I shook it and asked if some of my predictions for 2010 would come true, but the plastic thingy read, "Cannot predict now." At first, I thought it was busted, but then I realized my 8 ball was quite savvy. Technology changes so quickly in this space, it just couldn't keep up.

Despite this, I pushed on and below you will find my top 5 social media implications for brands. Remember, these are the ones that were more likely to get a reading from the 8 ball of "It is decidedly so" than "My sources say no."

1. Social media marketing will finally transition from "nice to have" to "must have": Brands that haven't embraced the medium will understand that social media marketing is not about slapping a brand page on Facebook and hoping for the best. Efforts will start with a sound strategy, a commitment to participate, and a willingness to listen and respond. This may seem obvious, but there are brands that still aren't fully engaged. As more brands like Ford and Pepsi hire heads of social media to lead the charge, 2010 will be the year that brands realize that social media is no longer a novelty; it's serious business.

2. Location-based social networking is here to stay: More consumers will use smartphone applications to tell their friends where they are and who they are with (i.e., Four Square & Loopt). 2010 will be the year for brands to figure out how to market to them. Local bars/restaurants have been the main advertisers. However, opportunities shouldn't be limited to food. For example, luxury retailers could target consumers checking in at upscale restaurants and invite them to sample sales or give discounts.

3. Experimental social media budgets are key: How can you predict what's going to be the Twitter topic of 2010? You can't. But that doesn't mean you don't have the opportunity to be a pioneer. Creating an emerging media budget will give your brand the flexibility to participate in communities and embrace technological platforms before your competitors do.

4. The division between the virtual world and the physical world will continue to blur: Digital technology enables consumers to understand the world around them as well as others. These advancements are accelerated by smartphone usage. You'll see more companies using simulations and augmented reality to provide users branded text overlays and 3-D virtual demos on their phone viewfinder.

5. Crowd sourcing will turn social media into a direct sales channel: Social media is typically thought of as a vehicle for branding and relationship marketing, but there are direct sales opportunities. For example, Best Buy celebrated opening day for the movie New Moon by asking its Facebook fans what their favorite vampire-themed films and books were. They put 50 of those items on sale on BestBuy.com. Many fans thanked Best Buy for listening to them and readily purchased the products.

The most important thing for brands to remember is that we should spend less of our efforts trying to predict "what's next for 2010" and focus on adapting quickly to changes in consumer behavior and technology. The one certainty is that social marketing strategies will have to evolve with whatever comes our way next year.

Sienna Farris is director of social media at StrawberryFrog. She can be reached at sienna@strawberryfrog.com

Source: 5 Social Media Implications for Brands in 2010 (http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/community/columns/other-columns/e3ifeb9b7d8f4cd52bc446285c8e2330f1f)

It's pretty late but I guess I had an urgent message for you.  Thank you for following me.  Thank you for your support, suggestions and words of encouragement.  I have reached a new chapter in my life that I can't wait to share.  This is the beginning! 

The TML team has been grinding these past few weeks, let me give you an update. Kevin has been steadily coordinating our entire team as well as updating our website as you can see. Benyam has been the creative mastermind behind a number of our creative pieces. He will continue this for all TML material as well as supervise our new interns who have official started. Chris along with myself have been hitting the streets making sure everyone who’s anybody knows about TML and the future of fitted hats. While I made my way up to NY this past weekend, Chris manage to go to a celebrity all white party in DC with a TML hat on. He was most likely the only one there with a hat. Either way a number of celebrities loved the idea and vowed to be official TML supporters.  We have been steadily preparing for the Official NBA Draft Afterparty which TML is an offical sponsor.

If you have no idea what I am talking about.  Go to thatsmylid.com and be amazed!