1. cluetrain the cluetrainManifesto Rick Levine, Christopher Locke, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger A Social Media Knowledge Benchmark Robbie Agar MKTG 6900A Fall 2009

2. The Cluetrain Manifesto Theses 1. Markets are conversations. 2. Markets consist of human beings, not demographic sectors. 3. Conversations among human beings sound human. They are conducted ina human voice. 6. The Internet is enabling conversations among human beings that weresimply not possible in the era of mass media. 8. In both internetworked markets and among intra-networked employees, people are speaking to each other in a powerful new way. 7. [How? Because] Hyperlinks subvert hierarchy. 10. As a result, markets are getting smarter, more informed, more organized…. 13. What’s happening to markets [i.e. getting smarter] is also happening among employees. A metaphysical construct called “The Company” is the only thing standing between the two. 14. Corporations do not speak in the same voice as these new networkedconversations. To their intended online audience, companies sound hollow,flat, literally inhuman.

3. The Basic Idea The connectedness of the Web is transforming what’s outside (markets) andinside (employees) your business Internetworked Markets (Consumers) Fort Business Intranetworked Workers conversations conversations There’s a new conversation among and between your market and your workers. You can padlock the doors and lift the draw-bridge. OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION.

4. The Historical Narrative Ancient markets created conversations However, mass production, mass marketing and mass media drove a wedge between the two The Industrial Revolution meant no more personal conversation, no more “craft”, no more human element The Internet permits, no-no, requires businesses to start speaking to their customers … in a HUMAN voice.

5. The Modern Imperative Talking in a human voice doesn’t mean more brochure-ware… It means tearing down the walls separating your business (i.e. fort work) and employees from consumers by letting them answer support questions, post product plans…. even talk about the Maple Leafs Stanley Cup parade route. No cloak of officialdom - Lighten up and Loosen up!

6. The Hyperlinked Organization Markets are now smarter, but so are employees Old businesses rely on hierarchy, structure, secrecy, planning However the web’s is and businesses need to be Hyperlinked Decentralized Hyper Time Open Direct Access Rich Data Broken Borderless

7. General Review One or two slides (approx.) Your Review of the book What was valuable? What could have been handled better? What was the quality of the evidence?

8. General Review Insightful but extremely abstract Very theoretical, not particularly practical Simplistic, easier said then done Thoughts about having an open conversation with the market are valuable The web changes the power dynamic between consumers and producers People want to hear the human voice

9. General Review Evidence is convincing but anecdotal Individual examples but no companies were provided in support of argument The Saturn example.

10. SMM Focused Takeaways One to three slides (approx.) What did this book contribute to our general understanding of social media marketing? Definitions? Different kinds of social media? Marketing purposes/uses? Where are certain kinds stronger/weaker?

11. SMM Focused Takeaways Marketing isn’t about driving axes into our customers heads – it’s about creating conversations Companies can’t be silent Repeating the party line is the quickest way to public mockery The message doesn’t always need to be positive, but it needs to be genuine

12. SMM Focused Takeaways SMM has implications beyond the marketing department Corporate culture Corporate structure Employee Incentives/disincentives The web places control of “brands” in the hands of consumers Don’t like your position? The answer isn’t to reposition, but to change who you are!