What formerly required mass sums of capital, large nation-states, and proprietary global networks, can be accomplished with a handful of people armed with laptops, internet access, and small handheld devices.  Why?  What is driving this Broadband Revolution?

 Three elements have converged to create the current possibilities:

1. Engaging content can be created with ever decreasing costs - Twenty years ago, the cost of video production equipment required to create high quality video pieces was outrageous.  Because it was all driven by physical media (i.e. celluloid film), editing and post-production was unwieldy.  Today, a modest laptop computer and off-the-shelf software can far outpace what was cutting-edge ten years ago.

2. Universal internet access - Thanks to wireless technologies and millions of miles of fiber optic cables, we can tap into the collective consciousness of the internet from pretty much anywhere we want now.  Our ability to access the internet with unlimited bandwidth and mind-numbing transmission speeds is only becoming more and more of a reality (read more here).  Thanks to the current generation of smart phones, e.g. iPhones, we can carry the internet in our pocket.  Just imagine what will be possible three years from now.

3. Advanced Web Applications - Gone are the days of buying your software in a box and loading it directly on your computer.  Websites are our software now.  From any computer in the world, you can check your email, update your financials, track your contacts with prospective clients, and a myriad of other essential and non-essential tasks.   

Where these three elements converge is where the Broadband Revolution is happening right now.  Citizen journalists can upload their news stories (see Real News Network and iReport), amateur politicians are disseminating political videos across the globe (see YouTube’s YouChoose Channel), and everyday people are creating a 3-D map of the world (see Google Earth).

Every industry, company, organization, and individual is being affected by the Broadband Revolution.  How you come out of this revolution depends on how you decide to harness it.  Those who seek ”transformation” are those who want the revolution to go their way.

What do you seek to transform?  How can you ensure the revolution goes your way?  

Spend a few moments reading upon on dandelions on Wikipedia and you’ll find out a number of interesting facts.  One that caught my attention: “There are usually 54 to 172 seeds produced per head, but a single plant can produce more than 2000 seeds a year.”

Okay, so what do dandelions and digital media have in common (aside from starting with the same letter of the alphabet)?  At its very essence, a dandelion seed is nothing more than data.  More specifically, it is code - genetic code in this case.  Even better, it is code packaged up in a form that is easy to transport over long and short distances, with help from the wind.  

When that seed lands on fertile soil, it can take root and grow into a mature dandelion that produces head upon head of seeds.  If, by chance, it lands in rock, sand, and other infertile environments, the seed wastes away.  

If your scoring at home, here’s how the metaphor can be dissected:  

• The dandelion seed is some sort of content (video, blog post, news story, website, or some other idea).  
• The soil is your mind, which either engages with the content or not.
• The new dandelion plant is the platform you choose to replicate and share this content (Forward-to-a-Friend email, a blog post, Facebook application, Twitter, etc.)
• The seed head is the accumulation of all the times you’ve shared it.
• The wind is the internet.

Now, I’d like for you to understand and appreciate that this metaphor is born from my frustration.  For the past few months, I have been attempting to document the global travels of the “Are You Relevant?” video we launched via a microsite in December of this past year.

This witty video was created for the Association of Fraternity Advisors, who wanted an opening video that would shake up their annual conference and define the conversation for the entire weekend.  Even before it debuted, we knew we had a potential viral video on our hands.  When the conference ended, we went to work on launching a microsite for everyone who attended to share the video with anyone they though could benefit from it.

In the following months, we have fielded inquires from a wide variety of industries and geographic locales.  A hospital CEO in Dekalb, Illinois, the CEO/owner of a record storage company in Cincinnati, state and national leaders of masonic organizations from Illinois and Nebraska, Head of Information Services at Toorak College in Australia, and a university bookstore manager in Vancouver, Canada are among the random people who have reached out to us because they stumbled upon the video.  At least one has even become clients.

Each time I heard from someone outside our typical market (defined by geographic boundaries and industries we have penetrated), I would inquire how they found out about us.  It was kinda like my personal game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.  With enough inquiries, I figured I could find one or two people I could connect directly to the AFA conference in someway, no matter how many degrees of separation.  What I found, instead, was that the more time passed, the more difficult the task became. 

So far, I have been able trace a few inquiries back 2 degrees, but that’s as far as I have gotten until I reach someone who cannot remember where they came across the video.  Most people either got it from a speaker at some other conference, read about it on a blog, or saw it on their Twitter stream.  

The one thing that I was able to find was the one thing they all had in common.  They were wrestling with the concept of relevance.  Librarians seeking ways to redefine their roles away from just print collections.  Membership-based organizations who have seen their membership roles shrink.  Community hospitals trying to prove they can serve the community outside the walls of their clinics.  Companies who are seeing their traditional income sources dry up and new market opportunities arise. 

So as I was eating my lunch looking over the field of bright, yellow dandelions, the realization smacked me upside the head.  I was like a groundskeeper trying to trace the genealogy of the dandelions in my yard back to the “Eve” of the dandelion species.  The best I could do was find nearby patches of dandelions - like Jenny Luca’s blog who got it from Stephen’s Lighthouse blog.

Now that we’ve come a pretty long way in this post, it’d be nice to walk away with some sort of lesson.  In that spirit, here are a few things to keep in mind when you want to create your own dandelion experience:

1. Make your story engaging
2. Make it easy for people to find your story
3. Make it easy for people to share your story 

That’ll guarantee that your one dandelion creates fields upon fields of dandelions around the world.  And for those who have an aversion to the yellow menace - just replace “dandelion” with the name of another flower/seed combo that works for your sense of style. 

So what kind of “dandelion experiences” have you had lately?  

Here’s who I want to reach:

Leaders who want to pull off big things.  Leaders who want to transform their companies or industries.  Leaders who want a partner to help them harness the power of digital media.

From experience and education, I know that leadership is not tied to title or position.  Leaders are individuals who can influence and organize others.  Whether you are on the front lines of your organization, behind the scenes sweating and toiling, or surveying your organization from 30,000 feet, I want to converse with you.

I don’t care what industry you are in.  I just care that you want to transform your space in the world.

Whether you have been reading my posts for awhile or just getting connected, we can share and explore a wide variety of ideas tied to leading transformational change.  Mixing everyday life (Mobile Mutton), leadership principles (Growth Rooted in Truth), current events (Rallying the Cause: Lessons from the 2008 Election), and philosophical debates (Answer to the Chicken or Egg Question), I’ll help you make sure the broadband revolution is your time to change the world. 

So who is your target audience? How can you better connect with them?

In recent years, the Starbucks experience has become diluted as the company kept a burning pace of global expansion.  At the end of last year, Howard Schultz returned to the helm of CEO, a post he held when he transformed a small Seattle coffee roasting company into the behemoth we know now.  

Most of what he has done has been to bring Starbucks back to its roots. A renewed focus on top quality espresso-based drinks.  A new daily brew that celebrates their original location in Pike Place Market.  De-emphasizing their hot breakfast sandwiches, which created competing aromas with the coffee.  And, the return of their original logo on the cups (for a limited-time only). 

Two new things have piqued my interest.

First, they have launched the My Starbucks Idea website.  Think of it as a turbo-charged suggestion box.  Not only can you submit ideas for how they can improve the Starbucks experience, you can vote on other people’s ideas, discuss ideas with our people, and see which ideas they decide to consider.

Second, they have connected the entire country to Top Pot Doughnuts. Based on a 1920s secret recipe, these “hand forged” creations are a cult sensation in the Seattle area. Blending retro chic design, amazing architecture, bold coffee roasts (interestingly not Starbucks), and the delicious ambrosia of fried dough, Top Pot Doughnuts has certainly been my obsession since I first tried them last month.

Thanks to their strong web presence, my obsession continues to build despite the fact I have never been to any of their three locations. I just get my fix of their doughnuts at my local Starbucks drinking the new Pike Place Market blend. (According to Cakespy.com, the Starbucks version triumphed over the retail Top Spot version.) Take a moment and visit their website. It is a multi-sensory experience.

With all the word of mouth advertising I’m giving both companies, I’m beginning to wonder if I need to match every dollar I spend on these coffee and doughnuts with the same amount towards stock purchases.

What do you think of how Starbucks and Top Pot Doughnuts are fueling the obsession of people like me?

My favorite item from the AAA travel treasure trove? The customized Trip-Tik.  (You can still order them at www.aaa.com, if you’re a member.)

For the uninitiated, the Trip-Tik was a door-to-door map showing you the exact route you were to take for your trip.  Each page was about 1/3 of the size of a regular sheet of paper, assembled in the order you were to follow, and bound together by a plastic comb binder.  For those stretches of road with construction, one of AAA’s finest had hand stamped “Road Construction” along the appropriate areas.  At the time, it the closest thing to “real-time” information.

As I was driving back from Atlanta last week, I began to wonder where I could eat dinner that night.  Fortunately, I have an improved version of the Trip-Tik - my iPhone. Remembering something about good barbecue in Lexington, Kentucky, I whipped out my iPhone and googled “Kentucky barbecue” to see what popped up. After reading up on Owensboro out in the western stretches of the Bluegrass State, I narrowed the search to Lexington and found a link to Billy’s Bar-B-Q near the University of Kentucky campus.

After reviewing their menu, I came to realize Billy’s would be the experience I was seeking.  Genuine mutton barbecue, Kentucky Burgoo, and a short drive to my hotel that evening. I pointed the car in the right direction and followed the hickory smoke to dinner.  I’m glad I did.  If not for Billy’s website and my iPhone, I would have eaten at the Cracker Barrel next to my hotel.   

The successful street performers have great talent and are unabashed in sharing it with you before you even throw coin their way.  In fact, they probably wouldn’t make much as much money if they made you pay before the show started.  I’m willing to guess street performances have been around pretty much as long as we’ve had streets.  So is it any surprise to see this concept alive and well on the internet?  

The recent YouTube awards announcement offers a fresh example.  I stumbled upon the series “The Guild” a few months back and had forgotten about it until I read that it won the “Best Series” award.  It’s a funny series of shorts chronicling a group of hardcore online gamers and the comedy that happens when their real lives mix with their online lives.

When I went to their site to catch up on the latest episodes, I found their pitch for donations so they can shoot the next episode.  That’s the power of the internet.  Small groups of talented people can get together and create something that anyone in the world can stumble across.  

For those of us who connect with it, we also have the ability to throw a few coins in the hat to keep the entertainment flowing.  No one is stopping the show to shill their product in your face.  Instead, those who like it can pitch in.  Those who pause for a moment and don’t feel compelled, can keep walking.   

This approach is also working for musical performers and corporations.  We each have the ability to package up a great performance, put it out there, and let people connect to it.  Whether it’s a viral video or some cool desktop widget, your organization can showcase its talents, inspire people to act for your cause, or spark new thinking in someone who knows you already.

What type of street performance can you bring to this corner of the internet?    

Within the past two weeks, I have launched my own social community, created two YouTube channels, produced and distributed five videos, had politicians cave to my demands, covered my first presidential campaign rally, had my first government leak, fielded emails from as far away as Australia, and have become personally acquainted with the local press.  

How much did it cost me to launch my media empire?  About $25.  That’s right, I reached “medial mogul” status for less than the cost of tank full of gas.  I’m not kidding.

So what’s my secret?  I’m connected.  Oh, and I developed a strategy that involved Ning.com’s free social community platform, YouTube’s free global video distribution, my MacBook Pro’s software, and my digital video camera.  The only cost I incurred was paying a minor monthly fee to remove Google ads from my Ning site.

Check out the 150+ member social network I launched to persuade the local school district not to relocate their high school softball complex to the recreation fields at our nearby elementary school.  Or watch three videos we produced to raise awareness and make our point.  [Keep in mind - I have no programming skills, no website development skills, no videography training, and full agreement that I belong in business development - not on the production studio team.] 

If that’s what I can do by myself, imagine what an aspiring organization like yours can pull off when it partners with the true digital media experts we have here at Mediasauce.  

What kind of revolution do you want to start?

So it’s pretty easy to see why I’d want to highlight how the Broadband Revolution balances the playing field for the proverbial little guy.  A veteran of alumni associations, neighborhood associations, and school boards, I have folded, stuffed, and hand-delivered my share of newsletters, calls-to-action, and meeting invites.  That’s a lot of work and can be a great excuse to stay on the couch watching TV, instead of doing something in the name of justice.

This week, I’ve been inspired by the small town of Whiting, Indiana.  The home of Pierogi Fest is in danger of losing its city status, due to an unintended consequence of state legislation.  On Sunday night, they launched a website to get their case heard by the state legislature before it completes its session this week.  In the first three days, they have already obtained 3,000 signatures and generated an untold amount of emails sent directly to politicians and journalists. 

How can you do something like that? 

With our help, they launched a “Call to Action” website with five ways a person could very quickly voice their opinion and get others involved. Knowing we could leverage the power of peoples’ existing relationships, we started with a small email database and asked for their help in spreading the word. With a few keystroke and clicks, the movement has multiplied.

That’s the power of digital media. 

With just one day left in the legislative session, you can help by going to www.SaveWhiting.com and rally the cause.  

You can’t say it’s too much work…

]]> http://blog.mediasauce.com/2008/03/13/underdogs-unite/feed/ http://blog.mediasauce.com/2008/03/08/what-will-the-next-three-years-bring/ http://blog.mediasauce.com/2008/03/08/what-will-the-next-three-years-bring/#comments Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:10:51 +0000 Scott Henderson http://blog.mediasauce.com/2008/03/08/what-will-the-next-three-years-bring/ It was this past Wednesday morning as I was driving with two of my colleagues when it hit me.  This decade is almost over.  Has it really been eight years since people wore those “2000″ party sunglasses in Times Square?  

It does seem like a lifetime ago that the main technology topic was the Y2K bug.  Now that 2001: A Space Odyssey is further away than its sequel, how far have we come?  

One word - convergence.  

As I bounced from Cincinnati to Indianapolis to Chicago and back to Indianapolis this week, I accomplished the same amount of work with my iPhone and laptop from the road than if I had been anchored to an office and desktop computer.  In some ways, I accomplished more.  

Thanks to the creation of advanced web applications like YouTube, Salesforce.com, Google Apps, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Ning and the ability to connect to these websites from my iPhone, I am able to connect to others and contribute my thoughts and ideas from anywhere that has cell coverage.  What’s amazing to me is that everything in this paragraph hasn’t been around longer than three years.   

Here’s just a sampling of I what checked off my To-Do list from the road:

• Started a neighborhood social network website in twenty minutes;
• Created a sales presentation slide show and exported it to my iPhone;
• Researched prospective clients using LinkedIn and other websites; and
• Found the website of Hot Doug’s, a gourmet hot dog place in Chicago, and got driving directions from the street corner I was standing.

 Pretty cool especially when you consider I have no programming skills and average computer skills.  If that’s possible now for a person like me, what do you think will the next three years bring?    

People are shaped by the friendships they keep, books they read, television programs they watch, and audiotapes they listen to.  

Even though it’s a bit dated (what are audiotapes?), the core message remains the same.  Each of us are influenced by the connections we have with the rest of the world.

A few news items caught my attention this week that underscores this point. First, NPR ran a story on the declining importance of newspaper endorsements in the presidential election. Makes sense when you consider how the internet has created new avenues of news gathering and opinion sharing. That’s why the candidates are investing greatly into communicating their messages directly to the voters and grassroots volunteers. [See techpresident.com for more.]

The second news item was the New York Philharmonic’s performance in North Korea. Part of the agreement was that the performance had to be broadcast live and uninterrupted on the government radio network. That had to be something to go from isolation to hearing Gershwin’s American in Paris. To put it in context, take a moment to view a satellite photo of North Korea at night.

For those who understand the power of connections, digital media offers great opportunity. Let’s start by updating the original quote:

People are shaped by the Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections they accept, websites they frequent, YouTube channels they watch, and Podcasts and RSS feeds they subscribe to.

And, perhaps even more important, people are being defined by the contributions they make to the internet. My colleague, Sarah Robbins, spoke about this concept on Friday at our Social Media Mania event at IUPUI. Companies and organizations are no longer satisfied tracking how many people visit their website and open their emails. They are growing more interested in seeing who joins their social network groups, responds to blog postings, posts YouTube content, and engages with them in other ways.

With that in mind, what connections are important to you? What connections define people today?