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TV and Twitter
It’s been a while since I’ve written anything so time to dust off the typewriter, er, laptop and put some words on paper, er screen.
A few years ago I got into Twitter big time and one of the reasons I liked it so much was because you could watch TV with potentially thousands of other people watching the same program at the same time. Sure you had to watch it live and put up with the ads but that isn’t really a big problem at the end of the day.
Watching shows like The Voice and Big Brother and using the appropriate hashtags would allow your tweets to be viewed potentially by a whole country should they be searching for like minded contributors in the 140 character zone. It was fun and as I like to think of myself as a bit of a comedian I would always try and find the funny angle to whatever was happening on my Panasonic 50”. Occasionally one of my tweets might even end up on TV, like it did three times on one season of The Voice. That always brought about such excitement especially when people who know you, would send you a message and say they had just seen my tweet on TV.
However, watching a show and tweeting about it at the same time would sometimes mean you’d miss certain elements of the show and potentially miss a great moment or a critical plot point. Well maybe not when watching The Voice but certainly when watching dramas.
When your face is always in your phone and you’re ‘watching’ TV at the same time you will miss stuff. I found this to be true when watching The Newsroom and House of Cards. I’m currently watching these series again with my amazing partner who hasn’t seen them, and with Twitter and myself on a hiatus I’m actually really watching it and LOVING it all over again because I’m actually seeing stuff potentially for the first time but better still I’m able to discuss live, with my partner critical plot points or magic lines ‘That’s exactly what I’ll fucking tell her’ – Charlie on The Newsroom. I’m finding watching these shows even better this way rather than being distracted by reading my twitter feed on the small 4.065” iPhone 5 screen at the same time as ‘watching’ the show.
There are so many good shows on TV nowadays and I’d really like to watch shows like Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy and when I do, I’ll be doing it sans phone as I really don’t have time to watch stuff twice.
That being said, there’s no problems live tweeting to The Voice and Big Brother and other shows like The Bachelor and X-Factor etc. It adds an element to the show as your opinion about a certain something may be reinforced by the vast majority of people tweeting about it too as well as reading some very funny tweets by some very funny people.
For me though, it’s pretty much phone down and enjoying TV again for the first time in years. And by doing this, I am avoiding spoilers from the show I am recording while I live watch what I am currently viewing.
I’ll end this article now and go back to watching Big Brother which has been on for 15 minutes as I’m writing and I have no clue as to what has been happening.
The Importance of Social Media at the Local Level
Social media is changing the ways that businesses talk to their customers and in a good way.
In days gone by (read before the internet) just about the only way to communicate to your customers when they weren’t standing at your front counter, was either through the letterbox with a leaflet drop, on the radio or TV.
TV and Radio campaigns were and still are, broad-based and not able to be targeted to individual stores within a group, such as a large franchise group. The message is generally a national or state one and it is talking to not only current customers, but it is trying to gain new customers as well. This isn’t a bad thing either and is very necessary.
The letterbox can be localised but can be costly as print runs with only a few thousand leaflets is cost-prohibitive. As with TV and radio, it too is talking to current customers and trying to get new customers as well.
It’s 2012 and there is a way of advertising which is not only very cheap for local businesses (franchisees generally) it is also just about the only way a brand can talk directly to the local customers and potential local customers.
Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare allow local franchisees an opportunity to talk directly to their customers. The customers who part with their hard-earned over the counter. The customers who the local franchisee gets to know by name and recognises as they shop in the same supermarket.
I’m not discounting the need for there to be a national presence for a brand. Far from it. Quite often the national pages on social media can deliver clear, national messages, like the launch of a new product or advertisement or a national competition or offer. What the national presence can’t do or won’t do is talk to the customer who has just tweeted that they loved the service at their local store and that customer recognises that the person talking to them online is the same person who talks to them face to face as well.
Quick Communication
The local franchisee can also quickly communicate to their customers about a happy hour special or deliver some great news about something a team member has announced such as getting married or winning an award etc. You know, stuff that is personalising the message at the local level. Or for some reason, there is a lot of product left over due to a slow day so the local franchisee sends out a status update or email to the LIKERS/FOLLOWERS etc that there is a special being run this afternoon between 4pm and 5pm. The national franchisor is not going to send out an offer which will only benefit a small portion of their follower counts.
This leads me to an important point. If a local store wants to run a special, eg a Friday Free Upgrade or a cheap Tuesday, the national franchisor cannot advertise this as it may cause confusion with followers going to another destination asking for the offer which is not available there. This will not only annoy the customer but also the other franchisee as they feel pressured to honour the deal that another store has going.
The other important factor is local community involvement. The local page can assist with letting the local community about a fundraiser at the local school or sporting club. It can even donate to the local fundraising effort by offering a special deal with the proceeds being donated. The local page can put up a photo of a local student who is representing the local area somehow. This builds loyalty and community involvement and customers will reward the local franchisee through time.
Through the local store, the overall brand can earn a reputation of caring about the communities it has its brand presence in. This is so important for ongoing success, no matter the size of the organisation. McDonald’s, as an example, is still holding McHappy Days each year to assist with the Ronald McDonald House charity. They still sponsor local sporting teams. They are one of the biggest companies on the planet yet they still have a very important local presence.
Guidelines
If a franchisee does have a local page then it is important that there are guidelines set up by the franchisor which will need to be followed. This may include the banning of obscene language and images, incorrect use of the logo, promotion of non-core products, etc. The local pages can be monitored by the franchisors marketing team and the marketing team can send out core messages which they recommend be used on the local pages. The marketing team should also provide professional food shots for use on local Pinterest pages as well because we all know a picture tells a thousand words.
If after training, the local franchisee is not operating the page as to the guidelines then remedial training or the closing down of the page may be considered.
It is important that the franchisor rewards those who are doing it right by allowing local pages, instead of implementing policy based on the few who may not.
The End Game
At the end of the day, the use of social media is to grow a loyal following of customers and potential customers. If used correctly, social media should assist in growing sales and revenue and therefore profits to the franchisee and royalties and therefore profits back to the franchisor.
The local page does not replace the national page but together they exist in a symbiotic relationship, both feeding off of each other with the same goal in mind…GROWING SALES.
It Was The Worst Of Times….
…but it was also the best of times. The Great Flood of Queensland 2011.
How can anyone possibly say that anything to do with the flooding of Queensland during last summer can be described as being the best of times? There was so much tragedy. So much death. So much destruction. So many sad stories.
Yet there was also stories of inspiration. Tales of heroism. Examples of courage and resilience and bravery. But most of all there was the famous Queensland spirit which was on show for all the world to see, and see it they did.
The news was dominated by the flooding of regional Queensland in towns such as Emerald, Dalby and Gympie. Unfortunately over the years, the flooding of regional Queensland towns was not a new experience. Weeks of solid rain and a torrential downpour unleashed a flash flood in the elevated town of Toowoomba which ultimately cost 21 people their lives when it went down stream and destroyed the small town of Grantham and others along the way. The images of this flash flood, caught on the screens of amateur photographers were beamed around the world. For all the wrong reasons, Queensland was the top news story on the planet.
Who can forget the story and heroism of 13 year old Jordan Rice? Caught in the flash flood with his mother and brother, this young boy, not able to swim, demanded his 10 year old brother be rescued first from the rapidly rising water surge coursing through the centre of Toowoomba. A few seconds later, he and his mother were both dead after the car they were trapped in was inundated and flipped in the raging waters. His brother was saved and will grow old knowing his brother gave his life for him.
Jordan became the human face of this tragedy caused by Mother Nature’s fury.
The night before the Grantham tragedy and with the rain continuing to fall, a call went out across the media and social networks for volunteers to help make sandbags at Brisbane City Council sites across the city. People pulled on their gum boots and headed out in the pouring rain to assist. Twitter was alive and active and there were people tweeting and retweeting vital information. The community was in full swing and answering the call.
I was transfixed in front of the TV throughout this disaster which went on for days. All of the networks had 24 hour coverage of the unfolding tragedy. It was must watch TV. Seeing how Queenslanders were reacting to the crisis made it even more the best of times. The Wally Lewis statue at Suncorp Stadium now equipped with floaties, goggles and a snorkle. People playing cricket on Coronation Drive, one of Brisbane’s busiest roads, in the middle of the day. Yes the Queensland humour and spirit was on show and it was badly needed. Australian’s have a great way of laughing at ourselves and not taking life too seriously and it was light entertainment in a dark time.
I was inspired and proud of our rescue services. They risked their own lives to save strangers. Time and time again rescue helicopters flew over the fast moving waters in the Lockyer Valley, plucking stranded residents from the roofs of homes and cars. Swift water rescue teams from the police, fire brigade and SES saved countless lives from raging torrents. Their actions and selflessness and bravery and humility made me very proud of them.
As Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh delivered a speech capable of bringing a tear to a glass eye it brought us closer as a community. No matter what your political persuasion was, it was hard not to be moved by her speech.
“As we weep for what we have lost, and as we grieve for family and friends and we confront the challenge that is before us, I want us to remember who we are. We are Queenslanders. We’re the people that they breed tough, north of the border. We’re the ones that they knock down, and we get up again.” Anna Bligh.
After the water receded came the best part of all. The mud army mobilised. Volunteers from around the state kicked into action. Armed with shovels, mops, buckets and a cheery attitude, they got to work and drove into the carnage and began to clean up the mess and sludge and rubbish.
It made me proud to be a Queenslander.
It made us all proud to be a Queenslander. I suspect that even non Queenslanders, watching from a far wished they were Queenslanders.
Then TC Yasi came to town. Well not Brisbane town, but our cousins up in North Queensland. Tropical Cyclone Yasi was a mean bitch. A category 5 system with winds able to inflict major damage and cause damage she did.
The media that had set up camp in Brisbane for the floods had packed up and headed north to cover the imminent disaster there. Some brave journalists locked down with locals in community halls as the giant storm powered over head. They were the first on the scene as a new day dawned, broadcasting images of widespread damage to homes and buildings and crops.
But yet that Queensland spirit wasn’t broken. Who can forget this sign outside a NQ Hogs Breath Cafe. This is the Queensland spirit which saw us through this terrible period.
And here we are 12 months later. The clean up continues. Homes are still being rebuilt. We remember those who died and pause and reflect on the sad and tragic loss of life. For those taken before their time.
I hope that people drew inspiration from the Great Flood of 2011. I hope that when times get tough, that they look back at this time and see the courage of many. They recall the heroism of people young and old, friends and strangers. That they remember that Queenslanders never give up and no matter the odds, no matter the trials and tribulations before them, that there is a spirit within this state and of course this great country of Australia, which is unbreakable, even in the face of adversity and struggle.
I hope, that like me, others are also remembering how Queensland united 12 months ago. I hope they also remember that in the midst of disaster, that the worst of times was also the best of times, when that famous Queensland spirit was on display and it is that spirit which is still with us today.
For my post about the Floods as it happened last year, click here.
Mosman Bomb Threat
Australia witnessed live on TV and the internet via Twitter a very unique crime which unfortunately starred a Sydney teenager earlier this week.
A device, originally thought to be a bomb with a ransom letter, was allegedly placed around the neck of an 18 year old school girl, Madeleine Pulver, by a balaclava clad man. She was told she could call the police but was limited to what she could say to them.
Eventually, some 10 hours later, with the girl’s parents waiting patiently outside while the world looked on, the drama finished in the early hours of the morning when the device was removed from around her neck and the girl was taken to hospital for a check up. Luckily she was fine, albeit with a bit of a sore neck, and was released the following morning.
During the 10 hour ordeal the girl was reported to be fine and co-operative and was superbly looked after by members of the NSW Police Service.
All’s well that ends well.
Well not quite. As at time of writing, the perpetrator was still at large with no solid leads and no arrest imminent, according to police.
Whoever he is, I bet right now he must be getting a little bit of cabin fever.
How are those four walls looking? I just bet they are closing in on you, inch by inch, day by day. You can’t hide inside forever.
If you are venturing out, when someone looks at you do you think they know who you are? Can you trust your accomplices if you have any? Are you sure they aren’t right now dobbing you in to police.
Is there anyone you can trust?
You went to a lot of work to carry out this crime. Surely you had help. By the sounds of it the device was very well made and made to look like the real thing. Who helped you? Can you trust them to keep your identity a secret?
The area of Sydney you committed this crime in is very affluent with many homes boasting CCTV systems. How many of these homes captured you entering and leaving the street. Has your type of car been identified and police are now going through records of ownership? Or was the car stolen and ditched? How long until the car is found with crucial DNA evidence contained within.
Yet as the days go by and you are not captured, do you start to get a little careless. Do you start boasting about the crime of the century? After all a lot of criminals commit crimes to be famous. Do you want to be famous? Do you want to be known as the bloke who picked on a helpless teenager and had the world watching?
You may think you have committed the crime of the century but when you get a whole nation drawn into it and hoping for the best for this young woman, it also means the police are going to throw plenty of resources into finding you, and you will be found. You’ll let your guard down and pretty soon you’ll see a SWAT team smash down your front door and take you down.
Maybe that is what you want. After all this isn’t the movies. We don’t know whether the ransom note asked for money or not but you must realise you were never going to get it, if that is what you were trying to do.
Nope. Your days are numbered and while you will soon be going to prison, you’re living in a virtual prison now.
Tick, tock, tick, tock. That’s the sound of your last minutes as a free man. They’re coming for you and we’ll have a front row seat when it happens.
Where’s the popcorn?
Bieber Fever
I can’t believe I am going to write this piece and give even more airtime to that chick, Justine Bieber.
You know who she is. Of course you do. She has dominated your online world for the best part of two years now. She has polluted your twitter timeline. Well not her, but all of her fans….
Hang on, hang on, I am being disrespectful to the teen sensation. Of course Justin Bieber is a 17 year old boy and I gotta tell you, after watching the interview from Michael Usher on Australian 60 Minutes this week, I gotta say my opinion of the Biebs has somewhat changed.
I did joke about him being a ‘her’ and not calling him Justin but Justine. I did this based on nothing at all except knowing that he was occupying vital cyberspace which I would have much preferred be given to – well anyone!
I didn’t really know any of his songs but I knew his story. Well I thought I knew his story. I thought he was some kid who knew he could sing, and had an ok boyish look and charm about him and went online to sell himself as the next big thing.
I thought you pretentious little shit. Most stars wait to be discovered. You went online to be found.
Then I watched the interview. As it turns out, Justin had loaded the video onto YouTube so that his family could see him sing and dance. That’s ok I thought. I’ve done the same with my kids so far away friends and relatives can see what they’re up to.
He doesn’t quite know how they became viral and in turn created an internet sensation. Long story short, he was discovered by a producer, signed and his star rose rapidly.
He also came from a broken home and certainly didn’t have the advantages that a lot of kids have today. It appears as though his life wasn’t cookies and cream but he loved to sing and play the drums (which he was shown doing at a very young age rapping out a beat on some chairs).
He seems very down to earth and I gotta say, he’s pretty likeable.
When I heard about his hair being auctioned off a couple of weeks ago I thought this kid is so up himself that he thinks people want his hair but he explained that he thought he could sell it off for charity. Better off doing that than throwing it in the bin! He’s right. If he can auction off his do and raise money for a worthwhile charity, well why the hell not? Who am I to judge? Maybe I was jealous that he had hair to auction off and I don’t!
I guess I can learn to appreciate the Biebs a little more now. After all, his new documentary style movie is called Never Say Never and he ended his interview with Michael Usher with this:
“It gives people hope and at the end of the day….if you focus and keep your dreams in front of you….never give up. Never say never. Anything is possible”
It’s a great attitude. Anything is possible with the right attitude. That’s how I try and live my life.
Justin Bieber, you’re alright kid and I’m going to give you a break from my cruel taunts and jokes.
That doesn’t mean I’ll be buying your songs though! But it also means I won’t be stopping my teenage daughter from buying them either.
Good luck mate. I hope it doesn’t go to your head and that in 20 years time, you’re not the current day Charlie Sheen.
Please rate this post out of 5 stars and leave a comment if you feel compelled. Thanks for reading!
When You Go Offline and Don’t Come Back – Where is Melissa Stanford?
Friendships in this modern era take on many different forms but still the most popular form of friendship is the face to face, physical friendship.
In real life when someone you know dies or gets seriously ill, it only takes a few hours for that news to spread. If you weren’t that close to someone but you knew of them, you may find out eventually but generally you will find out.
In this new era of the internet and Twitter and Facebook new types of friendships are formed. Many of these people do not meet and do not have mutual friends.
What happens when you are friends with someone online and all of a sudden, they disappear? This person who has disappeared offline is usually someone who would tweet a lot or update their blog a lot or post regular Facebook status updates.
One day they just stop all activity online.
Why?
What has happened to make this happen?
In some instances it is because the person has grown tired of this particular activity. They get bored and move onto something else but usually they will tell their online friends that they are going and wish them well.
There are other reasons though such as someone dies or is incapacitated. Some people’s online lives are secret to their friends and family. Or if friends and family are aware of their online activities, some do not know their password to log in and tell their online friends what has happened to them.
The reason I am writing this today is because there is someone who I knew online who just disappeared and I am left wondering what happened to her. This person had been sick but had not disclosed what ailment she had. She had a successful travel blog about her desire to come to Australia (she’s American). She tweeted regularly and updated her blogs Facebook profile often.
Then it all stopped.
Immediately.
No warning.
No goodbye.
Nothing.
Her accounts are all still active but there is no activity on them. It is like she has disappeared off of the face of the earth.
Ok some people go offline for a few days or maybe a week or two. Most often because they need a break or are away and cannot access the internet as much as they would want. But this person has not updated in over 6 months and I gotta tell you I am a little worried about her and I am not the only one.
A mutual online friend has tried to make contact with her as well with no luck.
Her name is Melissa Stanford and her Twitter user name is @melissa_abroad and she hasn’t tweeted since September 21, 2010. Here is her last tweet
In this tweet below, she tweeted about not being well but she did say she was getting better. Then nothing.
About 10 days earlier she tweeted this;
You know from this that something was up. I’m just not sure what it is/was.
Melissa’s twitter profile was pretty busy. She followed 431 people and was followed by 617. This is a pretty good number for a non celeb. She had tweeted 2,296 times which makes her a moderate user. At this rate of tweets and followers you are considered to be a regular tweeter and you generally don’t just stop.
Her Facebook page has not been updated since August 25, 2010 either.
Her website, www.theinnocentabroad.com has recently been unavailable but when I last checked to see if Melissa was around about a month ago it was still up and running albeit with no new activity since August, 2010. It is possible that Melissa has closed it down but why didn’t she also close down her Twitter and Facebook pages? I think the reason the webpage is no longer accessible is because the account has not been renewed and the ISP has closed it. That’s my gut feel. Twitter and Facebook are both free so with no bills to be paid there is no need to close them down.
I asked a mutual Twitter friend @brookeschoenman if she had heard from Melissa and she said she hadn’t either but would send her an email as she had her address. As of today, which is a month later, still no reply.
Melissa’s other online profiles are untouched as well including LinkedIn and Digg.
Melissa has dropped off of the online planet and she did it rapidly.
I am usually an optimistic person but I am afraid the worst has happened. I have no evidence to prove otherwise but my gut feeling is that Melissa has passed away or is totally and permanently incapacitated. I really hope I am wrong.
So if anyone who is reading this knows Melissa Stanford from Nevada in the United States, can you please shed some light on what has happened to her? Sure we aren’t face to face friends, but we are all friends in a different form and we want to know what has happened to our lovely friend, Melissa.
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UPDATE (2 May 2011)
Great news. A friend of Melissa’s saw this post and made contact and provided Melissa’s new email address.
After corresponding via email, and in accordance with Melissa’s request, all I can say is that she is alive, which is the best news possible.
Many thanks to everyone who has made a comment or forwarded this post around in an effort to find out what happened to Melissa. Luckily this time, the outcome is a positive one.
Jack
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