Well known and respected columnist Chris O’Brien who works at the San Jose Mercury News of California talked to Marketing Voices about what impact social media has had on his job. He is trying to figure out how to leverage his time so he does not work 24/7 and yet has the time to blog, podcast and do a great column. He’s still figuring it out, and gives listeners his latest perspective in my December 2009 interview.

Building a company’s valuation is instrumental to a company’s success. Using marketing communications techniques by integrating social media with traditional media is one way to build a better brand and value. Big Fix’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, David Appelbaum, knows how to create innovative, powerful programs and shares his thoughts with Jennifer Jones in this 7 minute podcast.

Jake Kahle, principal of Something Gaming Partners (Twitter.com/JakeKahle and phone: 702-481-6954) is working marketing partnerships and leveraging social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to help many Las Vegas casinos. These casinos live and die off their databases which capture the customers contact information says Kahle, and then his firm helps drive more customers to the casinos through games and other marketing programs.

Charlene Li, founder of Altimeter Group and formerly the key social media analyst at Forrester Research, talks to Marketing Voices about the latest trends in social media and marketing. Charlene provided these insights:

1. Social media will be like “air.” It will be everywhere and used by everyone. No one will be afraid to use the tools like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter—sharing information will be second nature.

2. Every employee can be a marketer. From the manufacturing floor to the executive offices of large and small companies, everyone in the company will be using social marketing tools as a way to build brand and visibility.

3. Everyone can be a marketing channel for you. What’s most important is whether these bloggers have the right audiences and have captured the minds and hearts of others.

4. People are putting the technologies (for example, Twitter and Facebook) first—not the business objective. People must first determine what they want to accomplish rather than learn how to use these technologies.

She is writing a new book that will be published early 2010 that is called Open: How Leaders Win by Letting Go. In this book, she explains how leaders in today’s businesses need to understand the need for communication transparency, letting go and not be so controlling in order to succeed.

U.S. based bloggers including Guy Kawasaki, Robert Scoble, and Charlene Li among many others joined an expedition sponsored by the Navy to view the USS Nimitz and its operations. On May 29-30th, these bloggers met many of the 5000 person Nimitz crew and were treated to tours of the ship and conversations with the officers and pilots. The goal of the Navy was to expose these bloggers to the real-life situations faced by many of the crew and to learn more about social media.

Blogger’s Embark photos from the USS Nimitz are available on Flickr.

The Obama social media strategies drove innovative marketing strategies that are still impacting our lives today. Prize winning News producer/broadcast journalist and social media strategist Peter Shaplen spoke with Marketing Voices about the Obama phenomena. Shaplen and Jones also discuss the journalism profession and how it is changing given social media’s influence.

Companies must learn to listen but marketing today is not just about listening says VP Mike Spataro. It is all about connecting and building a one-to-one relationship with customers. Visible Technologies allows marketers to do social media correctly for prices from $25,000 to $400,000.

Scott Monty, Ford’s head of social media talks about how he is engaging consumers and customers for Ford. After just 6 months on the job, Scott mentions the highlights and lowlights of his reign.

The lowlights involve a dilemma the middle of the market crash in November—no surprise!  The case study that is connected to this post tells how Ford used social media to extinguish a major PR nightmare in just 24 hours.

See related PDF:
The Ranger Station Fire – How Ford Motor Company Used Social Media to Extinguish a PR Fire in less than 24 Hours

Joel Rubinson, Chief Research Officer of the Advertising Research Foundation talks about their exciting upcoming event on January 27, 2009 called Transform Your Research By Listening, West Coast Edition. Leading marketers including Procter & Gamble, Unilever, General Mills and Microsoft will demonstrate how to use social media for new insights. The east coast edition of this event was a sellout. Marketing Voices supports and encourages its listeners to go to the event and register now.

What will 2009 bring? Pete Blackshaw of Nielsen Online and a recent author, and a social media guru, tells Jennifer Jones that people in 2009 will experience social media indigestion. They will need a break to absorb all that has happened in social media since 2004. Blackshaw mentions that Wikipedia will become a huge site for viewing brands. Blackshaw also talks about the trends in a recent release of an article in Ad Age.