Has documentation of experience become more important than experience itself? Are we creating experiences for the purpose of impressing, bragging and other types of “douchebaggery”? Sharing our lives with our networks has become second nature. Our streams are our reputation. By being constantly connected, the human experience has shifted from just having experiences to focusing on documenting them. But how much of it is created or altered just to share? We’re all content creators. As our curiosity and interest in the lives of friends and strangers grows, we’re changing the way in which we prioritize and filter the content for our networks…or at least what we choose to publicly share. Companies have become increasingly interested in participating in the social web and finding ways to become intertwined in our digital homeostasis. They seek out ways to filter through the “noisy” environment and uncover new insights and ways to effectively create products, services and messaging that appeals to our digital tastes and desires. How is our desire to share impacting how we live? Which behaviors are driven by intent to share and which are just reported as they happened naturally? How do we tell the difference between “memories” and “content?” What do we filter and deem “cool” enough to share? What are the innovative companies doing to navigate this changing environment? Join in on the conversation!
Becky Johns is a communicator, storyteller, blogger, photographer and media maker from Chicago. Part of PR Week’s 2010 Required Reading list, Becky’s blog about communications and social media is found at www.becky-johns.com. "I’m Working On It" is a young professional’s viewpoint on the industry and home to the Influencers Series, a set of interviews with industry thought leaders. Also a freelance photographer, Becky is the creator of the Friends in a Frame project, a regular contributor to fashion blogs and has had portrait work published in Entrepreneur Magazine, Advertising Age, PR Week and across the internet. She carries a camera everywhere she goes. By day, she’s part of the Agency Public Relations team at Cramer-Krasselt (www.c-k.com), where she helps tell the story of the firm’s truly integrated approach to creatively marketing brands like Porsche, Corona, Heinz and Crocs. In her free time, she’s a musician, foodie, athlete and avid adventure chaser.
Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Spych Market Analytics (www.spychresearch.com). Market Research and Strategic Marketing Consultant. Overall lover of life, hotel resident, frequenter of airports, travel addict, food and wine power-user, extreme sports junkie! Ben has been a well-sought after speaker around the globe on the topics of Market Research, Social Media, Entrepreneurship and Gen Y. His company, Spych, has worked with brands such as Coke, GEICO, General Mills, Hallmark, Kroger, The National Guard, The Ad Council, and even SXSWi.
