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“Social media are from venus”, Jaap Favier

Just listening to Jaap Favier’s excellent keynote. A lot of the concepts he is discussing will be familiar to regular readers of this blog, but he is using a particularly good metaphor for the chasm between traditional channel media and network thinking: “social media are from Venus”, implying channel media are from Mars.

Inspired by the fact that women make up more regular bloggers than men (57%, he says – don’t know the source), Mr Favier says the thinking  of Mars is about control, being in charge, while Venus is about contact and sharing.

On Mars when you want to be social you do social media – set up a blog or something. Mars-thinking people think that that is engagement, although there may be no contact, no engagement with their networks / communities.

Works well, I think…

: : First question is about paying for social media content. Mr Favier unequivocally says “that is bad”. Rightly so.

: : : Another nice metaphor, this time from Michael Wiley, of Edelman, who describes the fear of change in organisations as “totalitarian ownership of messages”

Antony Mayfield

8 responses to ““Social media are from venus”, Jaap Favier”

  1. Jackie Danicki Avatar
    Jackie Danicki

    As I think I’ve blathered on about in the comments here before, this is precisely why trad new meeja agencies can’t do social media – they’re not even from the same planet. The client thinks, “Oh, these guys designed our website, so they must know this stuff.” Er, no.

  2. Antony Mayfield Avatar
    Antony Mayfield

    Interestingly, Michael Wiley, ex-Womma and now Edelman me2 guy is just talking about how advertising and public relations are alive and well… wish you were here, Jackie…

  3. Jackie Danicki Avatar
    Jackie Danicki

    Hmm, is that the Michael Wiley who worked with GM on their blogs?

  4. Antony Mayfield Avatar
    Antony Mayfield

    That’s the Michael Wiley, yes.

  5. michael wiley Avatar
    michael wiley

    Just to clarify, I said that Advertising and Public Relations agencies need to change their approaches to meet the demands of the changing media landscape. At this point, many agenies do not have the necessary skills or thought leadership to give their clients sage advice and counsel regarding new and social media.

  6. Richard O'Connell Avatar
    Richard O’Connell

    I started my first job for a digital agency recently and I’ve been given the task of keeping ontop of social media and finding ways our clients can use it. I must say it is very hard to explain what the essence of social media, its power and why it is so different to traditional channels. I can see social media really shifting the way people and organistaions communicate but it is tough shifting some of the deeply entrenched views.

  7. Lydia Mallison-Jones Avatar
    Lydia Mallison-Jones

    Anthony
    Thought you might want to take a look at Elizabeth Albrycht’s http://ringblog.typepad.com/ review of a recent book “In Women We Trust”, it highlights the female / male differences in the consumer world, but has huge repercussions within any trading sector, PR included. I’m not a feminist, nor is the author, she just has some great insight into communication patterns and customer trends. Worth a look.

  8. Antony Mayfield Avatar
    Antony Mayfield

    Thanks, Lydia – will do.

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