PRadigm Shift

Twitorial

My parents seem baffled by the concept of social networking.  And I’m sure I’m not alone in saying this.  A couple of weeks ago, my Dad asked me what the value in Twitter was.  As someone who isn’t a very inspired tweeter, I surprised myself with my answer.  Twitter is the Walmart (I mean this in a non-evil-corporate-giant kind of way) of social networking sites.  In other words, it’s a one-stop-shop. 

If I want news updates, Twitter has them.  If I want to know what my friend did after finding spinach in her teeth while on a first date, Twitter tells me.  If I want to see mobile pictures taken at the scene of a plane crash, Twitter will link me to them.  If I want to tell CNN’s Rick Sanchez that I think Michelle Obama should plant zucchini and not yellow squash in her White House garden, TWITTER LETS ME!  It’s liberating.  And it’s the ultimate way to connect with people, companies and organizations, while also filtering out tweets that aren’t pertinent to my info-shopping Twitter trip. 

As KSU professor Bill Sledzik says, you have to have a bit of an ego to really enjoy Twitter.  But I’m adding a new component to that.  If you love Twitter and you haven’t the ego, then you’re likely an information pack rat. 

But I’m not here to school you on Twitter.  I’m sure if you’ve made it to this blog, you likely don’t live in a vacuum and have heard “Twitter” just as many times as I have today (three to be exact.)  So, because we all clearly know the value of social networking, the question we’re left with is: What’s new?  And, I think I have the answer: www.SendMeHome.com.

Networking nomad

SendMeHome is a unique social networking site that allows members to register an item, protecting it from loss, and enabling owners to send the item across the world and co-write a blog about the item’s travel.  It’s a twist on an older pen-pal concept that the Internet really spices up.

Okay, so the site is clearly in its beginning stages.  But it’s a great concept that could be used by anyone and everyone — including the PR pro.  Take a look at the site set-up below.

 The bio.

The map.

The chapters.

In this blog, Andrew is hoping that his unopened can of Mountain Dew makes it to Bill Gates.  His objective is to send the soft drink to people across the country that are starting up their own businesses.  People who receive the can are instructed to photograph it in several places, post start-up tips on SendMeHome.com and briefly describe the trials and tribulations they’ve overcome in creating their businesses. 

“I’d really like this to make it to Bill Gates. If you can pass it on in the direction of Bill Gates, that would be preferred. If you know Bill Gates, or if you know someone that knows Bill Gates, please send it to him!  I am hopeful that when complete, this story will serve both as an entertaining read, and as a guide for future entrepreneurs about what to do – and not to do – while starting a company. It will also hopefully give other people an idea of what it’s like to start a tech company,” writes Andrew Lee.

Lee writes in his bio that he is the co-creator of SendMeHome.com. 

Once you tag an item with the SendMeHome.com ID sticker, it is protected by a special code that links back to you, designed to ensure that your item is ultimately returned.  When someone receives an item you’ve sent, they list their location, which flags the item on a map, showing the numerous cities, states or countries the item has traveled to.  Each person who comes in contact with the item creates a chapter on the blog about their experience with the object. 

So if you think this is an off-the-wall concept, there are weirder posts to be seen, including the travels of a Teflon pan in which recipients are asked to use the pan to cook and enjoy bacon.  Thankfully, the author of this post (Lee again) urged those who used the pan to wash it before forwarding it on via mail.

Here are some of the more interesting posts that might get your PR brain a-stirrin’:

• The Lonely MINI Cooper: Owners of Mini Coopers are asked to post pictures and stories about their cars and where they’ve been.
• Marshmallows in a Bottle: Recipients are asked to post the worst product they’ve ever seen, and send the tagged bottle of marshmallows to columnist Dave Barry so that he can include the list of horrible products in his column.
• Webcam MUSIC VIDEO: People are asked to create videos of their best dance moves and post them to the site.

The concept of sending a product from person to person around the world, asking them to create an online thread that illustrates their experience, is genius.  It builds a community, it builds friendships and it creates a PR professional’s dream — free publicity.  This site is a launching pad for viral marketing campaigns.  It can be used to market people, items and concepts.  And lucky for us, it also has an application on Facebook, making the scope of a possible campaign even larger. 

HUNGRY TECHIES: A LITTLE FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How would you use SendMeHome.com in a PR campaign?