So my first day at the Syndicate Conference was much more than I thought it would be. I've got at least a half dozen new topics to think about, I got to finally meet some people I've had extended online dealings with, and I have a bunch more interesting partners to explore.
Even in a convention full of odd ducks, the panel with Beth Kirsch and Henry Copeland was still an odd one. I'm not sure people were prepared to think of ad space as "places you have secured the rights to syndicate to" as a metaphor. But then, I was surprised how few hands went up when Beth asked if people had read the Cluetrain Manifesto ... about 5 hands out of 60 people, and that's counting one person who was one of the original signers.
Beth read them the first five points and claimed it summed up the whole concept of conversational marketing:
2. Markets consist of human beings, not demographic sectors.
3. Conversations among human beings sound human. They are conducted in a human voice.
4. Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives, dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically open, natural, uncontrived.
5.People recognize each other as such from the sound of this voice."
But in that abridged version, I still think you need numbers 20 and 21:
21. Companies need to lighten up and take themselves less seriously. They need to get a sense of humor."
And I've always had a soft spot for #29:
Filed under Reaction
Like 1998 at the Market
We're Not THAT Lonely
Ford Bold Moves
Alltel Lawsuit Madness
indieWIRE Turns Ten
