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media file 6.7.10 | An environmental movement for the mind

An environmental movement for the mind

On the Adbusters site, environmentalist Bill McKibben turns his attention to an ecological danger that threatens to overtake carbon dioxide pollution or toxic oil spills as the number one environmental problem we face. In fact, it is the source of these problems: the poisoning of our culture by hyper commercialism and the extreme self-absorption it breeds. While throughout the centuries our mental environment has been polluted by church, state, and other institutions, this century presents the first moment in which almost the entirety of our personal and collective experience is mediated for us via for-profit media enterprises. The global consumer monoculture that is arising from this new form of mental pollution is threatening to place basic collective values--such as concern for the impact of one’s actions upon others--on the endangered ideas list.

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media file is a repository of links to articles and research reports for business and non-profit executives, media professionals, marketers, and others interested in the emergence of social innovation as a driving force reshaping the process of creating value in global markets. You can search the media file database from this blog or directly on Delicious.

more media file links for June 7, 2010:

How systems thinking can save your company

Corporate executives invariably give lip service to “systems thinking”--the management philosophy, originating in the early 20th century, that views the company as a complex social system and living community. But when push comes to shove, they fall back on even earlier thinking, from the 18th and 19th centuries--the company as a machine, which can be manipulated by optimizing discrete functions without awareness of how a change in one function might ripple through the whole. Such thinking locks in static solutions that can themselves become a source of destabilization, as the company confronts a complex and fast-changing business environment. Systems thinking, authentically applied, can invest a company with the insight to to adapt to unexpected developments, self-correct via trial-and-error learning and experimentation, and gain a detailed, intimate understanding of how the parts of the business fit together as a whole. Management guru Andrea Gabor writes for strategy+business.

The surprise leadership skill that CEOs value most

In a recent survey of 1500 CEOs conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value, creativity was selected as the single most important leadership attribute required for the successful enterprise of the future--not operational effectiveness, discipline, or any other of the characteristics selected in previous studies. Why the surprising shift in attitude? Global complexity, the CEOs said, has changed everything. The interplay of global forces like climate change with international finance, political, and regulatory systems has added a new layer of complexity to such critical issues as supply chain management and even workforce competitiveness. To see this complexity as an opportunity and not a paralyzing threat, today’s new leaders need the capacity, which creativity supplies, to break with existing organizational attitudes and assumptions and instead embrace business models fueled by an ethic of continuous innovation. IBM’s Frank Kern writes for Bloomberg Businessweek.

Scale the impact, not the overhead

Social enterprises have historically focused their social-impact strategies on replication: extending their successful programs into new service areas in a linear fashion, thereby achieving increases in social impact that are tied directly to increases in available resources. Such approaches impose hard limitations on an organization’s ability to achieve its social impact potential, and in many cases simply prove unsustainable. There’s another way, writes Bridgespan Group managing partner Jeffrey Bradach for the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Social enterprises can look to the for-profit sector for scaling strategies that multiply social impact with minimal increases in resources and overhead. Among these strategies: extend program reach via digital networks; build networks of partner organizations; develop talent; and generate demand for new ideas via marketing.

B2B spending on social media set to explode

While business-to-business firms have been late to the party in social media marketing, that’s getting set to change, according to a new report by eMarketer. The reasons are straightforward: B2B marketing is typically much more information-intensive than consumer product marketing, and so therefore it lends itself perfectly to the long-form tools of social media: blogs, podcasts, webinars, online learning communities, etc. Spending is expected to quintuple in the next five years, according to Forrester Research numbers cited in the eMarketer report.

The new Yahoo starting to look like the new AOL

With its $100 million purchase of content aggregator Associated Content, Yahoo has taken a sharp turn in the direction of AOL, which recently underwent a wrenching transformation that turned it from an ailing Internet service provider into a leading digital content company. Similarly, with the Associated Content acquisition, Yahoo is staging itself to move from being an online portal primarily serving other people’s content to becoming the dominant producer of original content for the web. Already, Yahoo serves almost three times the page views of AOL, and 200 times the page views of The New York Times. Business Insider reports.

media file 8.11.08: “Press release 2.0”—corporate disclosure meets the social web

SEC To Recognize Corporate Blogs as Public Disclosure. Can We Now Kill the Press Release?

On Techcrunch, social media expert Brian Solis discusses the SEC’s decision to permit public companies to disclose material financial information via corporate blogs versus the traditional press release, and forecasts that this will lead to the rise of the “social media release”: corporate news announcements that are enriched by external links, commenting, bookmarking, and other media sharing tools--social media innovations that could bring a new level of transparency to corporate disclosure.

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media file is a repository of links to articles and research reports that shed light on the intersection between open media and global tribes, two phenomena that together are giving birth to a new kind of business: "social enterprise 2.0."

Hosted on Delicious, this repository is meant to be a resource for media professionals, marketers, and others interested in the impact of open media and social networks on global communications and business culture. You can search the media file database from this blog or directly on Delicious. We publish media file links as we discover them.

Please suggest links to include in the database, and please also send your comments on how to make this resource more useful for you.

more media file links for August 11, 2008:

Mary Robinson: Human rights are good for business

INSEAD Knowledge interviews former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson about the link between a corporation’s commitment to human rights and its success in the global marketplace.

An Interview with Peter Senge

Pegasus Communications’ Leverage Points reviews Peter Senge’s newest book, “The Necessary Revolution,” and discusses its key insight with the organizational learning expert: Collaborative networks of organizations, not governments or individuals acting separately, will be responsible for the emergence of a sustainable global economy.

A Closer Look at Business Education: Ethical Globalization

The Aspen Institute’s Caseplace.org presents a case study in how organizations are engaging in leadership development initiatives to ensure that their commitments to ethical globalization are reflected successfully in their mission, strategies, and practices.

IBM Creates Volunteer Teams to Cultivate Emerging Markets

The Wall Street Journal reports on the launch of the IBM Corporate Service Corps program, which places rising stars within the organization on four-week volunteer stints in businesses and nonprofits located in emerging markets such as Romania, Turkey, Ghana, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Tanzania. IBM is the first US-based corporation to combine international community service and team leadership development in one program.

The business of positive change

Abu Dhabi-based INSEAD Knowledge discusses the potential of social enterprise to change global dynamics. “Social entrepreneurs identify opportunities for social profit where others see only problems.”

Put Your Game Face On And Plant Some Trees With SGN

TechCrunch reports that social gaming company Social Gaming Network has teamed up with the Arbor Day Foundation on a Facebook game that that the two organizations will co-promote. SGN will donate a portion of game revenues to the foundation.

Microsoft proves there are just six degrees of separation between us

The Guardian reports on a study by Microsoft researchers showing, on a global scale, that individuals are separated from personal acquaintance with each other only by a handful of other individuals. Researchers analyzed over 30 billion Microsoft Messenger instant messages sent among 180 million people around the globe, confirming that the “six degrees” theory of social separation is roughly accurate.

media file 7.29.08: NYT adopts open media strategy en route to global market

Leading in Turbulent Times

Advertising Age reports on how the New York Times web site is re-inventing itself as a web 2.0, open-media news environment, as part of a strategy to compete on a global scale with the Wall Street Journal and other leading news brands.

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media file is a repository of links to articles and research reports that shed light on the intersection between open media and global tribes, two phenomena that together are giving birth to a new kind of business: "social enterprise 2.0."

Hosted on del.icio.us, this repository is meant to be a resource for media professionals, marketers, and others interested in the impact of open media and social networks on global communications and business culture. You can search the media file database from this blog or directly on del.icio.us. We publish media file links as we discover them.

Please suggest links to include in the database, and please also send your comments on how to make this resource more useful for you.

more media file links for July 29, 2008:

Announcing the Open Web Foundation

The Open Web Foundation announces its launch as an independent non-profit dedicated to the development and protection of open, non-proprietary specifications for web technologies.

MySpace Aims to Win Developers' Hearts With OpenID and User Data Caching

ReadWriteWeb reports that social network MySpace has announced it will adopt the OpenID identity management platform, allowing sites that support the standard to tap users' MySpace profile data.

Women-focused media site Glam launches developer network

VentureBeat reports that Glam Media has launched a program to distribute open-source widgets that carry content and advertising from the Glam network.

Beyond the API: Why Companies Should Have a Presence on All Major Platforms

ReadWriteWeb discusses the trend among Internet firms to publish APIs that allow third-party developers to extend their services onto new platforms, and notes that this is no substitute for proprietary extensions that preserve a uniform brand experience.

The Changing Newsroom

The Project for Excellence in Journalism has issued a report on US newspapers. Despite the fact that more people than ever are reading content produced by newspapers, revenues are in a free fall, and professionals are unsure of what the future holds.

Why Newspapers Shouldn't Allow Comments

The blog Gawker says that online newspapers should face up to the fact that most user-generated content detracts from their core value. They should stick to what they do best--producing news for the blogosphere, among others, to consume.

Reforming a Mean World: Hero Reports

MediaShift Idea Lab profiles Hero Reports, a civic media project by an MIT Media Lab student that combines user-submitted reports of "everyday heroicism" with mapping tools that depict where in a city good acts are occurring.

Google Buys Russian Contextual Ad Firm From Rambler For $140 Million

paidContent reports that Google announced the purchase of Russian online advertising network Begun from parent company Rambler Media, owner of the Rambler.ru portal. Separately, they announced a search and ad deal between Google and the Rambler site.

media file: may 18-25, 2008

media file is a repository of links to articles and research reports that shed light on the intersection between open media and global tribes, two phenomena that together are giving birth to a new kind of business: "social enterprise 2.0."

Hosted on del.icio.us, this repository is meant to be a resource for media professionals, marketers, and others interested in the impact of open media and social networks on global communications and business culture.

You can search the media file database from this blog or directly on del.icio.us. We publish media file links daily as we discover them, and once per week in digest format.

Please suggest links to include in the database, and please also send your comments on how to make this resource more useful for you.

media file links for the week of may 18-25, 2008:

The Importance Of A Competitive Search Market

Michael Arrington of TechCrunch warns that long-term domination of the search engine market by Google would likely put the health of the entire Internet ecosystem at risk.

Electronic Arts buys Hands-On Mobile Korea

VentureBeat reports that Electronic Arts has purchased mobile gaming company Hands-On Korea for an undisclosed sum, furthering its global push into the mobile gaming market.

Online video co. Brightcove expands into Japanese market

VentureBeat reports that the online video platform company Brightcove has launched a Japanese subsidiary.

What Does Popular Culture Have to Do With Civic Media?

Henry Jenkins, the author of Convergence Culture, reflects on the differences and similarities between ideologically motivated online communities and those brought together through a shared interest in some aspect of popular culture.

Greendex: Survey of Sustainable Consumption

National Geographic announces the results of its global tracking study of sustainable consumer behavior among 14,000 individuals in 14 countries in both the developing and developed worlds. US consumers ranked last in the study.

Consumers Want Brands To Solve Climate Crisis

LOHAS Weekly reports on a Havas Media study that shows consumers expect global brands to take responsibility for solving the climate crisis, and by a large margin would rather buy from companies that are taking credible action in this area.

Flock More Than Doubles Its Funding

TechCrunch reports that Flock, the so-called "social browser" based on the Mozilla open-source platform, has raised $15 million in venture funding, bringing its total institutional investment to about $28 million.

VC investment in China increases by 46 percent

VentureBeat analyzes a Dow Jones VentureSource report on the growth in VC investment in China in Q1 2008. Growth is being led by deals in the media and advertising space.

News unfiltered: YouTube embraces citizen journalism

Ars Technica reports that Google property YouTube has launched Citizen News, a channel devoted to video content from citizen journalists from around the world.

Statistics on Google's OpenSocial platform end users and Facebook users

Results of a recent Rapleaf study that shows that Facebook and other social networks are used disproportionately by women vs. men.

The Social Media Gender Gap

Rapleaf CEO Auren Hoffman analyzes the results of a study his firm conducted that shows that Facebook and other social networks are used disproportionately by women vs. men.

Current TV: Ad Revenue Drops At Al Gore's Network; Losses Widen En Route To IPO

PaidContent reports that Current TV suffered a decline in ad revenues in Q1 2008 over the prior-year quarter, and more than doubled its operating loss.

YouTube Launches Site for India

PC World reports on Google's launch of a localized version of YouTube in India.

Sulekha merges Facebook and Craigslist in India

VentureBeat reports on a social network that reaches 6 million people of Indian descent around the globe, making it India's largest social web play.

Facebook's New Friends Abroad

BusinessWeek reports on Facebook's international expansion. The social network is foregoing a conventional localization strategy in favor of an approach that globalizes the site in multiple languages.

When Tech Innovation Has a Social Mission

John Markoff of the NY Times covers the phenomenon that < rm > calls "social enterprise 2.0": a new kind of organization that merges the social purpose of a traditional non-profit with the business model of a for-profit web enterprise.

A digital dodge for piracy

Variety reports on a speech given by News Corporation president Peter Chernin. He emphasized that media companies should be spending their time developing new business models, rather than protecting the old.

Local News Site Outside.in Gets $3 Million, New CEO

Silicon Alley Insider reports that hyperlocal news site, aka "place-based blogging site," outside.in has raised a new venture round and is launching a new set of tools and features geared toward local bloggers and publishers.

Blogs: Raking In Ad Dollars. Sort Of, Maybe, We Think

Silicon Alley Insider analyzes a recent eMarketer forecast that blog advertising will grow by 30% next year to $531 million.

New News Corp ad network to court financial sites

Reuters reports that News Corporation plans to launch an international online advertising network serving about 30 online financial publishers.

Why old media is running scared of Google

CNET quotes Piper Jaffrey analyst Gene Munster saying that Google has forced traditional media companies to realize that they must act immediately or lose relevance on the Internet.

Why Facebook Is Even Bigger than You Think

Fast Company interviews Stanford professor BJ Fogg on his theory that Facebook is ushering in a new era of "mass interpersonal persuasion," which will rewrite the rules of marketing as we currently know them.

Google's Search Share Rises To 67.9% In April

InformationWeek reports that Google earned 67.9% of the US search engine market in April 2008--an increase over both the prior month and prior year--while competitors Yahoo and Microsoft experienced declines to 20.3% and 6.3%, respectively.

AOL seeks growth in shift from mass site to niches

The AP reports that AOL is shifting its programming strategy away from a few broad, mass-reach offerings to multiple niche content sites. So far, the strategy is paying off in growth in page views and unique visitors, but not in ad dollars.

Hit Pause On The Evil Button: Google Assists In Arrest Of Indian Man

TechCrunch reports that a 22-year-old Indian professional was arrested for making a post on Google-owned Orkut that allegedly disparaged politician Sonia Gandhi. Google assisted Indian authorities in tracing the post to him.