Real People + Real Communities = Commonality

By Spike Jones If you haven’t picked up the latest issue of Fast Company and read Ellen McGirt’s cover story, then you’re missing out. It’s a piece on Chris Hughes - who is not only one of the founders of Facebook, but is also the whiz behind Obama’s digital dominance which ultimately put him in office. My favorite part is the third paragraph from the end: He can’t help but obsess about making technology less obsessive and simpler for everyone to use. He has started to Twitter, albeit reluctantly. He worries about how overconnected people are, even himself: “I keep an eye on it.” He thinks that Web 2.0 underemphasizes the real world and that businesses trying to tap the technology often miss the main point. His philosophy, he says, is unchanged from his first involvement with Facebook: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a company or a campaign; you build around commonality. If it’s real people and real communities, then it’s valuable. Otherwise it’s just playing around online.” Chris is my new best friend. The beauty of what he did is that he created something that allowed people to meet online, but then make the REAL connections offline - all around a specific common CAUSE. And I can’t emphasize enough that the real meat of any relationship is technology-free. You don’t need it when you’re sitting across the table from someone or hosting a dinner party at your house. We live in a time where everyone is trying to figure out what to do next and some individuals out there are pushing technology so hard that companies are jumping in without a plan just to have a presence online and “be connected.” But connected to what, exactly? Most of the time that definition of connection is very superficial and just another way to try to get people to talk about that brand, all the while pushing out messages that are laced with “me, me, me.” There’s a lot of “playing around online” these days. And a lot of connecting (albeit in a shallow way) with people who you have no commonality with. It’s overconnection for the sake of numbers. Remember that old figure that we’re hit with over 3K ad message per day? I wonder what that number is at now, taking into the consideration that so many brands are in our social networks now. And while some of them are doing it the right way, that percentage is still very small. Remember the common bond is the common bond. And if you can find it, and enter into those conversations is an unassuming, transparent way, your fans will organize and put you into the proverbial White House. Just don’t forget who put you there in the first place. About Spike Jones After graduating from Baylor University with degrees in Environmental Studies and Journalism, Spike Jones traveled the country and before landing in the Southeast at Brains on Fire, a word of mouth and naming identity company. He began his career there as a copywriter, crafting compelling stories for such clients ranging from BMW Manufacturing to Dagger Kayaks. And while he still enjoys story-building, his purpose now is to embrace the kindred spirits that approach Brains on Fire looking for identity and word of mouth help. In addition, his responsibilities include creative and strategic input in building remarkable experiences that marry a company’s identity with word of mouth tools and techniques. Two recent projects for Rage Against the Haze, South Carolina’s youth-led anti-tobacco use movement and Fiskars Brands have received international recognition for their innovative approach in embracing the power of word of mouth. You can read more blogs by Spike Jones at Brains of Fire.