Global Patriot and Scott-

Thanks for continuing the conversation. I think that Scott raises a valid point that information does not equal resources. I recognize the reality that knowledge is not the only element that decides much of our options, but hope that by leveling the playing field of access and information we can start to change the dynamics and culture of power, especially in developing communities around the world.

Hi Scott-

Thanks for such a considered comment! I really do agree with you. What I hear when I read your comment is the same argument I’ve made before when it comes to the departments of fundraising, volunteer management and communications. These departments, the work they are doing, the messages they are using, and the way they create opportunities for people to connect with the organization CANNOT be separated, especially online. Social media has made the need to break down silos even more apparent. And part of why it seems so apparent is because of the fact – the reality – that the market, the audience, the community are in control of your message, your reputation, your brand.

If it were up to me, I’d love to see organizations hire a Chief Integration Officer – someone who’s job it is to be sure everyone in the organization is talking to each other, that projects and partnerships are working collaboratively for the most impact, and so on.

I fear the playing field is too large to ever be level. And even if it weren’t, playing on the field of available information is not the same as playing on the field of available resources.

Unrestricted availability of content does not equate to unrestricted availability of time, money, or other resources to pursue that content. Alas, knowledge may be power, but so are time, money, who you know, and who knows you. Digitizing content is an important step to equal opportunities, but other social systems and power structures that inhibit progress are still in place.

Thanks again for pointing out some good info. I was drawn to the “Chief Reputation Officer” article. Given that many people in 2010 may choose to donate money to nonprofits with strong reputations (based increasingly on proven outcomes), this article seems timely.

The idea of “Reputation” struck me as a redundant term for the positioning half of “branding and positioning.” My understanding is that branding is the result of an organization pulling together products and services into one concrete form (i.e., the brand). Positioning is the value your market collectively assigns to your brand. In other words, organizations don’t position themselves, the market does. This doesn’t seem far removed from “Reputation,” or a collective, external evaluation of a person or organization.

Perhaps “Branding and Reputation-ing” might be a clearer term than “Branding and Positioning”?

Because of the rise of social media, the symbiotic relationship between PR and Marketing has been highlighted with glaring clarity. PR and Marketing (and sales, customer service, or any other division) are NOT mutually exclusive departments when it comes to public reputation. In a world of social media, nonprofits cannot be content to believe that their perspective of what they provide is what their communities believe they provide. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. Instead, they need their finger on the pulse of the community, and social media lets them do that with increasingly more effectiveness. They need to see things as they really are, and not as they wish them to be.

Thanks, Rob!

I really love sharing my roundups, despite the fact that they don’t necessarily create a coherent opportunity for comments – I just really enjoy sharing what I come across and think other people could always find at least one thing they hadn’t already seen 🙂

I totally agree about print and am very often living in a dual perspective: I was an English major (we have boxes and boxes of books back in the US in storage), and I was a New Media Journalism major (taught to free all information by the man who took Britannica online!). When I travel, I just take my computer, and read on it.

Thanks for the great video by the way! And yes, I have no doubt we’ll be seeing each other soon (up-coming presentations/speaking opps I’m doing are here: https://amysampleward.org/presentations/2010-presentations/ )

Nice to be included in such a fascinating roundup! In particular, that PC World piece is a healthy antidote to the tendency I sometimes have of fetishizing the printed page. (Yes, books are wonderful – but to the extent they restrict information geographically, they privilege already-information-rich places, and reinforce disparities of data and content.)

Thanks for this – and here’s hoping I see you soon in 2010!

Cheers,
–r.