Brian Solis on Video StoryTelling

Most mornings, I wake up and have my coffee and scour through the myriad of social media articles to find out what new and relevant content that might benefit our clients. It also serves as my daily dose of social media inspiration.   Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to hear some first hand inspiration when I attended Jennifer Kane’s ( Kane Consulting) “An Evening with Brian Solis” event.  Brian is on the PR circuit of promoting his most recent book, “Engage,” which I can’t wait to read!

Brian spoke so eloquently on topics ranging from community, engagement and trust to understanding the importance of being curators of content with context.  He went on to say that all companies are media companies because every company publishes to its customers, its staff, its neighbors, its communities and they need to know how to use all media technologies at its disposal, especially video.

With YouTube positioned as the second most popular Search Engine, second to Google, and over 24 hours of video uploaded every minute, brands have a unique opportunity to put video storytelling into work. Ideally, video is part of your overall content strategy and used when you want to build a connection that may not be made through other mediums.

Brian was gracious enough to share his insights on the importance of having a video strategy.  Here is part one of our conversation with Brian Solis.

Tags: Brian Solis, Engage, fundraising videos, Kane Consulting, public relations, SEO, Social media, YouTube

‘LeBronwatch 2010′ and ESPN

James will announce his decision tonight on ESPN

I am going to keep this short, as there are thousands of words floating out there on blogs and websites discussing free agent NBA forward LeBron James, and his decision as to which team he will bring his unique skillset this offseason. I do think that the entire ordeal is a gross example of excess and narcissism, but that is not what I find most confounding.

Tonight, in a 60-minute special to be aired on ESPN during prime time, James will announce his decision. My question is, why ESPN would want to put themselves in this position? How can they cover the story, as a news organization, while also broadcasting what amounts to an hourlong infomercial for the LeBron James brand?

For example, if they were to get word of what James’ decision was going to be, before the special hit the air, would they reveal it? By doing so, they would be spoiling the surprise, which could lead to fewer viewers. But, if they held the news until after the special, they wouldn’t be acting as true journalists. It becomes a ‘no-win’ situation. On top of that, if ESPN doesn’t report James’ decision early, it could be perceived that they were holding the story for their own benefit, even if that weren’t the case. The perception could be just as damning.

Add to all this the negative backlash surrounding the entire thing. As I mentioned, there are plenty of articles and blogs providing their two cents, much of it dissing James for turning this into a spectacle. (My two favorites so far can be found on Yahoo and, ironically, ESPN.com.) By providing the airtime, ESPN is just feeding the beast.

Obviously, the entire episode of ‘Lebronwatch 2010′ is completely overrun with celebrity gazing, Twitter rumors, giant egos, overpaid athletes, and misplaced values. His decision, however, is still news, and should be covered as such by news organizations, both local and national. What I can’t figure out, is why ESPN would willingly move themselves from spectator and watchdog, to participant.

Tags: ESPN, free agent, lebron james, nba, News