Friday, February 6, 2009

Wanted: Public Relations Pro in Dallas

Dallas has become a bright spot in a dim economy with the announcement of a new corporate division with the city's cherished Cowboys: Public relations. High time I say.

One position of particular interest in my field is the "PR Coordinator." I've copied the job posting below; it turns out I was overqualified.

Job Description:
NFL franchise Dallas Cowboys seeking public relations and marketing professional to redeem America's Team. Successful candidate will work with star-caliber athletes who forget they're football players. Team management are naive and head coach knows only one aspect of the game. Image management, brand positioning and public perception are at critical levels.

Examples follow:
Requirements:
High school diploma, GED or equivalent. No experience required. Introductory level knowledge of football. Common sense a plus. Experience working with convicts and mentally challenged adults preferred.

Submit resume, a cover letter and three references ASAP at DallasCowboys.com. No drug testing. EOE.

Sincerely,
Jerry Jones aka Al Davis Jr.

Monday, February 2, 2009

What is Social Media?

Definitions often differ depending on the source. Ask any two people what "green" means and you'll get two different answers. "Social media" is no different.

Much like "sustainability," "green,"
"conservation" and "eco-friendly" are interchangeable to the average person, so are "Web 2.0," "new media," "blogging" and "social media." Social media can refer to anything from MySpace to my phone. Seriously, you could fit King Kong under that umbrella.

Wikipedia defines social media as "primarily Internet and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings." Although as broad and undefining a definition as that may be (I love the use of "primarily"), it is overall a safe synopsis.

That said, do you ever get the feeling this is a fad term? One of those phrases that's all-encompassing because nobody "owns the market" yet, hence it hasn't been branded and defined? I do.

Part of the problem with defining social media is that it's the sum of many individual parts, or media "micro-markets":

Even these micro-markets are not set in stone. Over time they'll shape shift and shrink as players fight to the death for social media supremacy. While they all may have unique features within unique categories, as with any market, the invisible hand will smack them around until only a few select sites claim the majority of visitors. We've already seen this happen with search engines...

As this digital Darwinian evolution continues over the next few years, definitions will change and "social media" and its many parts will become more clear. In the meantime, the number of social media sites will continue to increase daily, with definitions emerging and expiring all the while. Give it time and we'll get our real definition.

Other resources and defintions:

Just What is Scoial Media, Exactly?
Social Media Marketing Campaigns: How to Set goals and Define Your Target Market
Social Media in Plain English (YouTube video)