We hear all this, chatter(get it chatter..newmediachatter? Anyway…) about the power of social media. Why newspapers, TV and radio should be scared. Why they need to keep up with the times. How people are getting their information from other places. Oh and how they are interacting directly with the companies, the brands and of course the people.
So check this out.
About a year ago NBC did a profile on me regarding my work in virtual worlds. (Yes, virtual worlds are part of the whole social media world and just not for kids.) In all of NBC’s wisdom they sent correspondent Peter Alexander to meet with me and do the interview. Well, it seems that Peter and I hit off (or I just stalk him) and still chat till this day. Our relationship grew and we decided to take the next logical step. We became Facebook friends. (I asked him.)
In September 2008, NBC sent Peter to the Arctic for a 10 day cruise. Well, when it was all said and done it was 23 days. Yes he was stuck on a boat in the Arctic for 23 days! You can read about this great adventure here. But this lovely trip is not the point of my blog, nor am I bragging I know Peter, (lord knows that’s not worth bragging about.)
It seems one can be stuck in the Arctic for 23 days and not be able to get off the ship, but you still can have internet.
Amazing.
Anyway, Peter would go on to Facebook and update us on his status and what he was doing. Like the great food, the damaged Ipod, the Search and Rescue that caused them to miss 1 of 5 chances to get off the ship. He would share little pieces of information and post comments back. At one point a Free Peter Alexander Group was even created. Yet as I watched the Today Show on NBC they never once mentioned Peter’s situation. Until around day 19.
On Day 19 Meredith and Matt teased they would be sharing where Peter has been for past 2 1/2 weeks. Then it hit me… I know exactly where he has been. What he has been doing. How frustrated he is. Heck, I have talked to him this week via walls posts. Have you Matt?
When they brought Peter on air, he told about why he was there, when he left, how he got stuck thanks to weather, the search and rescue and more. I knew all this already I thought. This is old news. Heck, I knew more then Matt and Meredith. This is well.. old news.
So my point? Well, Social Media heck, Facebook has allowed me to know where Peter was, what he was doing, how he felt, share the experience and talk to him better, faster and more vested then TV ever will.
Oh, Matt… Meredith, Peter got home on day 23. I know his situation was not truly news worthy, but I have become vested in it and you have not updated the viewers. Lastley, NBC missed a great way to engage their views, oh the things they could of done via social media while Peter was stuck….