I was reading an online article on the NY Times Technology page with regard to HDTV sets. It dawned on me that as these sets become more wired (or in the case of the article, un-wired), users of this technology will more likely start using their sets as an extension of their computer and ultimately further minimize their viewing of broadcast, cable and satellite TV. They will be consistently using this large screen fare for enhancing their online experiences, further removing themselves from standard commercial viewing.

Case in point, last weekend I was watching TV with my son. He was saying, "Dad, I just want to watch my show. I hate commercials." [He's seven!] So we turned off the boob-tube and headed to the computer. He asked me to bring up a YouTube video we watched a few days beforehand of a helicopter trip over Chicago [he loves the city] After hearing him complain about the size of the 17 inch monitor, I came up with a brilliant plan. Using the PlayStation 3  that was already wired to a 42 inch 1080p Plasma, we loaded YouTube and watched the video in both a larger format and piped through a surround sound stereo. INSTANT HAPPINESS! (Watching it over and over for 45 minutes evoked a different emotion.)

What's the point you ask? It is just another example of how technology will change how people view (or don't view) messaging from brands, and another opportunity for brands to think about how that technology affects their message delivery. It will be more important for brands to communicate (especially with 7 year olds that are already disengaged) in new ways that are more organic and relevant to its consumers.

Ideas?

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Widgets got their moment in the spotlight this past week at WidgetWebExpo (http://www.widgetwebexpo.com/) in Brooklyn, NY. The conference looked at a critical emerging online trends: How to utilize the power of widgets to carry a brand to the world.

No doubt, widgets - and tools like Twitter, Plurk and FriendFeed - are changing how Word of Mouth marketing is executed on behalf of brands.

In fact, a recent article to by Abbey Klaassen for AdAge attempts to define when a widget - once a fun aggregator of information - becomes a brand altering distributor of information.

The turning point? According to the article, when content from a widget becomes searchable on Google. One of the WidgetWebExpo panelists - Steve Rubel - put it this way: "companies fight for shelf space at Wal-Mart, brands are fighting for shelf space at Google." The article goes on to say that, "it's a reputation-management engine, and social media dictates what shows up on that shelf."

What this means for brand evangelism programs is that what goes on at the front end is just as important as what goes on at the back end. In other words, how information is disseminated in the beginning of an influencer marketing program will have a significant impact on how it is received at its conclusion.

This is no different than when a viral marketing effort contacts a blog. Naturally, that information is not only written for that blogger, but also his audience, and the other sites that link to his blog. Now add on widgets that comb the net for certain topics and you've got more "shelf space." Maybe someone should create a widget that can help measure that.

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The initial enthusiasm first encountered with the receipt of an invite to seesmic waned quickly. What I remember most from the experience was the ritualistic rehearsal of video responses prior to posting. Although online video illustrates our predominant front for offline conversation rather well, never before had I the opportunity to scrutinize my every facial cue during response. Text was easy. Video was a challenge.

I recently returned to revisit the platform. This time, I perceived the hive conversation in a way I had not the first time around. Immersion within the Twitter stream informed this new perspective on the global conversation that was stirring in the public channel.

So I asked the hive, "What does being part of the seesmic community mean to you?



The responses were revealing. In moments, several users replied. Each had a great answer to the question.



And coincidentally (thanks to Woopra) while writing this post I received a visit from another responder, RJ from WorldVentures DreamTrips.



The news of seesmic opening its video commenting system as a plugin for different blogging platforms brought me back to the community. Video comments in Wordpress are great. However, it's worth taking another look at the health of the seesmic community back at the site. The speed with which rich communication ignites foreshadows the potential for future pervasive computing to connect our world in ways we've yet to imagine.

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If you are in Chicago, and can squeeze away for a few hours, I'd highly recommend going to the PRSA Event today on Social Media.  They'll be covering lots of word of mouth marketing, buzz marketing, influencer marketing and, of course, social media marketing tools, techniques and case studess.

Stephanie Mortiz, one of our clients at ConAgra Foods, will be speaking.  She is quite the Word of Mouth Marketing advocate and has some very real and practical insights on what it takes to drive social media and WOM in the corporate world.

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Each time a new technology surpasses its early adopter audience; hits the mainstream; and attracts blue chip brands' attention an article follows highlighting "brands doing it right." In this case, the technology is twitter; the mainstream channel is Silicon Alley Insider, and the brands doing it right are Comcast, Zappos and Jetblue.

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I was reading a post on the SWOM site (excellent use of Ning), and there was a post about Viral vs. Word of mouth. I completely agree with Ben McConnell that viral marketing doesn't exist AND that viral results are a result of word of mouth. In addition, that it involves constantly changing technology.

That fits perfectly with many discussions I have regarding technology. It's not about technology; it's about applying technology to meet a business need. In the case of word of mouth, it's about using technology to spark conversations about a brand that lead to increased discussions online and offline.

Take away: Technology may have been the vehicle that caused a great word of mouth program to go "viral", but neither technology nor "viral marketing" started the process. It was a great word of mouth program that created something worth talking about in the first place that was the foundation.

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It seems strange that word of mouth and technology are mentioned in the same sentence. Maybe it should be renamed word of finger? (Not very catchy) But strange as it seems, in today's lifestyle, most of our daily communication happens on-line. That being said, it is important to note, that even though we use technology to communicate and may be a member of several on-line social networks, it's about connections.

People, who are connected to others, be it on-line or offline, share their likes, dislikes, concerns, and points of view with others they feel connected to. When people have interests in common, they will talk about those interests with others on-line or during a night out. If brands want to be a part of that conversation, they need to insert their voice into a conversation both on-line and off.

Technologies that encourage conversation are abundant, most are FREE! Sooner or later all brands will need to figure out how to leverage these technologies, become part of the conversation on-line, allows the community to influence that brand or face extinction (a little dramatic-but you get the point)

Check out ooVoo a video conferencing tool, usable with anyone WORLDWIDE, for zilch. Imagine being able to discuss things not just through a blog, but visually. The conversation can of course continue offline and for further comment on-line. Technology=Connections

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