Workshop on Social Media Campaigns and Presentation of Mobile Solutions - Social Media Study Tour Day 5 (final)

Working with David Harris
(photo by SwissnexSF)

On the final day of the Social Media Study Tour we again started off with a workshop, this time with David Harris (@physicsdavid).

Based on his background as a scientist and science journalist we worked on concrete examples from our respective institutions adopting David's methodology on planning a social media campaign. One of his key messages was to define communications goals and its audience and messages first before thinking of how social media  - besides any other media - might help.

After a nice guided tour through the origins of the city we finally visited Blackboard Mobile. (BlackboardTV)

First Hand Experiences and Valuable Insights in How To - Social Media Study Tour Day 4

Michael Stoner

After having very inspiring and interesting days in the Silicon Valley of our Social Media Study Tour we stayed in San Francisco on the fourth day.
In the morning we had a very hands on workshop with Michael Stoner (@mStonerblog). In his presentation he discussed Online Communications 2011 + Beyond focusing on the main drivers challenging traditional communication patterns:

• external changes addressing an increasing competitive environment, 
• internal changes addressing an increasing competitive and less controllable environment within organizations and thus the struggle over balance of stability and change,
• new realities addressing five key issues:

Experiencing the Silicon Valley - Social Media Study Tour Day 3

Presentation at Wildfire HQ

After the great introduction to the Silicon Valley by Chuck Darrah  on day 1 today, on day 3, the group (here and here) experienced the Silicon Valley. After a presentation about the Swiss Start-Up Webdoc, founded in 2009, by its co-founder Vincent Borel we visited Youtube, Wildfire, and LinkedIn, a vivid experience of Silicon Valley.

What are the takeaways?

First of all, all four companies have their own corporate culture:

"They all cook with water, but …" – Day 2 of Social Media Study Tour

Stanford Campus

Day two of the Social Media Study Tour - the group today - led us to Stanford University; I will present some major insights in the following.
Here we met Ian Hsu (@IanHsu), Director of Internet Media Outreach at Stanford University. His approach to Social Media at Stanford is still in a kind of experimental phase, but guided twofold: On the one side intense research is being done about the effects of different Social Media channels and its perception by and behavior of the audience, on the other hand his credo about Social Media utilization is very clear: Social Media has to support the core goals of the university.

And he clearly stated: “Having support from the guy at the top is very critical for me”. Backed by “the guy at the top” Hsu is free “to try things”.

"They all cook with water" - Day 1 of Social Media Study Tour

The Campanile at the UCB Campus

After a nice dinner at Kuleto’s on Sunday night today the Social Media Study Tour (the group) was kicked off at Swissnex. At the introduction to Swissnex (what we do) Christian Simm gave us the first important advice: They all cook with water!

The first highlight of the day was the presentation by Chuck Darrah. As a cultural anthropologist having neither a cell phone nor any social media presence he discussed the question what is Silicon Valley all about? And he’s convinced: “It’s a place not only for technological but also for social and cultural innovation.”

He came up with three main characteristics of the Silicon Valley:

1. Prevalence of high tech industry, spirit of innovation, creation of high tech jobs, culture of risk taking, big sense of optimism, 2. Complex cultural diversity, and 3. being an area of management with deeply connected networks which are constantly evolving: “networks are sometimes more real than companies”.

Social Media Study Tour in the Bay Area

In the upcoming week I will participate in the Social Media Study Tour within the Swiss Academia and the Social Media Landscape program on behalf of the FHS St. Gallen. 

The study tour has been organized by Swissnex San Francisco. The tour's program promises a very interesting and intense week.

Of course the study tour shall be covered by Social Media such as Twitter (#fallstudytour), Facebook, flickr, and the Swissnex blog.

Personally, I have several expectations: 

First, I am looking forward to get new insights, to learn from experiences of others, and to get inputs through the visits to companies and universities, talking to Social Media people in these institutions, and working on respective issues in workshops. 

Second, I am looking forward to meet Social Media enthusiastic colleagues from other Swiss universities in order to share experiences about different settings within the Swiss higher education system as well.

And finally, I am really eager to meet new people and to enjoy San Francisco, the Bay Area, and Silcion Valley!

As the study tour takes place in an English speaking environment I decided to put down my personal notes from the study tour on my blog in English as well.