The State AI Readiness Divide: Which States Are Actually Helping Their People Learn and Use AI? An Underwood Partners Collaboration Evangelist White Paper By Craig Underwood in collaboration with ChatGPT Artificial intelligence is often discussed as if it were a single national wave: ChatGPT appears, companies scramble, schools debate cheating, workers worry, and everyone tries […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/STATE-LEVEL-INVESTMENT-IN-AI-MAP-FEATURED-IMAGE-FOR-WHITE-PAPER.jpg7201280Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2026-08-25 11:59:092026-08-25 11:59:09The State AI Readiness Divide: Which States Are Actually Helping Their People Learn and Use AI?
Last weekend, while cycling the Newburyport, Massachusetts Bikes & Beers ride, I had the opportunity to try out two new Wahoo products – the larger Element Ace bike computer and the companion rear light/ radar detector device. I was highly skeptical about both devices, but quickly fell in love with them and was ready to […]
by Craig Underwood | June 22, 2026 Net / Summary / Abstract Massachusetts now has one clearly universal free AI training offer for all residents: the Massachusetts AI Hub + Grow with Google partnership, which provides no-cost access through December 31, 2027 to Google AI and career certificate programs. The clearest free AI tool-access benefit […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/graphics-for-MA-AI-INVESTMENT-TRAINING-scaled.png15482560Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2026-06-22 02:05:462026-06-26 11:31:52Free AI Tool Access & AI Training Available to Massachusetts Residents
One of the most common questions I hear from nonprofit leaders, educators, students, and executives is deceptively simple: How do I get started with AI? My answer: start with prompt engineering. That phrase may sound technical, but the basic idea is very practical. Prompt engineering is simply the skill of designing and refining instructions so […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/lead-image-prompt-engineering.png373662Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2026-06-15 16:19:462026-06-15 19:07:39Want to Get Started with AI? Learn How to Ask Better Questions. Three free or publicly accessible ways for students, educators, nonprofit leaders, and executives to learn the basics of AI prompt engineering.
FOMAT & THE AI PRODUCTIVITY TSUNAMI: WHY AI ISN’T MAKING SOME OF US WORK LESS By Craig Underwood | collaborationevangelist.com Net/ Summary: Artificial intelligence can absolutely make us more productive. But for executives, consultants, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders and other ambitious “power users,” increased productivity does not necessarily mean increased leisure. It can mean more ideas […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/fomat-and-APS-lead-image-1.png5941551Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2026-05-30 16:38:032026-06-22 15:30:23FOMAT & THE AI PRODUCTIVITY TSUNAMI: WHY AI ISN’T MAKING SOME OF US WORK LESS
CHU RECOMMENDS: 4 Books, 1 Novel, & 3 Podcasts to Learn About & Keep Up with AI Net/ Summary: The Books: The AI Driven Leader by Geoff Woods AI First by Adam Brotman and Andy Sack The Experimentation Machine by Jeffrey Bussgang Human + Machine by Paul R. Daugherty & H. James Wilson The Novel: […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/4-books-cropped-scaled.jpg13692560Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2025-07-21 15:43:552026-06-22 15:30:43CHU RECOMMENDS: 4 Books, 1 Novel, & 3 Podcasts to Learn About & Keep Up with AI
Summary: I recently completed Google’s Coursera course on prompt engineering to continue sharpening my use of AI—for both work and play. Like many of you, I want to get better, faster, and more reliable outputs from these powerful tools. To help me remember the core principles, I’ve adopted and modified a fun and memorable mnemonic […]
CHU RECOMMENDS: PLAUD – THE ABSOLUTE COOLEST AI RECORDING DEVICE YET! OK, I admit it. I am obsessed with this thing called Plaud. Last week, I did a trial run of the AI-powered recording device Plaud. It blew me away. Here’s what it is and (at least some) of what it can do: About the […]
CHU Recommends: The Experimentation Machine, by Jeff Bussgang I am fortunate to have known Jeff Bussgang for over 25 years and can honestly say that he is the perfect person to have written this book (and perfect is not a word I use often!). Jeff studied AI in the late 80’s as a computer […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/em-picture.jpg624624Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2025-06-02 16:52:532025-06-11 11:35:15CHU Recommends – The Experimentation Machine by Jeff Bussgang
Net/ Summary: If it feels like AI came out of nowhere, is suddenly everywhere, and you somehow missed the bus—you’re right about the first two, and dead wrong about the third. While AI adoption has skyrocketed—faster than any technology in modern history—actual usage still varies widely by industry, age, and education. I’ve recently taken a […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/OVERWHELMED-BY-AI-COVER-IMAGE.jpg350624Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2025-05-27 19:32:422026-06-22 15:31:07OVERWHELMED BY AI UBIQUITY? YOU’RE NOT TOO LATE TO GET STARTED – HERE’S HOW.
DEMOCRATS (USED TO) SUCK AT MARKETING. 3 IDEAS THAT DON’T. Net/ Summary: I absolutely LOVE the Harris Walz positioning “Freedom, Opportunity, and The Promise of America.” It’s tight, brilliant, positive, and even better, in my opinion, than Jon OssofF’s “Jobs, Justice, Healthcare.” The team’s consistent use of the 3-point slogan also relieves years of personal […]
Summary/ Net: Boomers, please stop believing that you “can’t do” things you never mastered before – or better yet – tried without success in the past. Use “The 5 T’s” to overcome your lack of confidence: Try, Training, The Right Tools, The Requisite Time, and Trial and Error. I wrote this for three reasons: Few […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/dont-mention-the-c-word.jpg276687Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2024-01-09 17:51:012024-10-07 13:22:28CHU On Self Leadership – Baby Boomers: Stop Using the C-Word (Can’t)!
Summary: We drove over 3,000 miles last week from Boston to Atlanta, Jonesboro, Ellenwood, McDonough, Riverdale, Montgomery, Griffin, Lagrange, Oxford and Covington, Georgia and back home. We travelled south to work door-to-door canvassing to help the Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win their runoff races to represent Georgia in the US Senate. The bulk […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/kids-croped-1030x551-1.jpg5511030Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2021-01-10 19:58:252026-06-22 15:31:35A Collaboration Campaign – 5 Observations From 8 Days On The Front Lines In Georgia
Summary: While the Starbucks App is cool and makes buying coffee and food quick and easy without dealing with cash, credit or debit cards, the company appears to have developed the app without fully considering the impact on their employees. The app doesn’t offer users the option to tip baristas when making a purchase. […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/starbucks.jpeg139299Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2012-12-26 20:51:572017-04-21 18:18:49Note to Starbucks CEO: Don’t use technology (or loyalty programs) to demotivate your employees
Net: Realizing that our son had no dedicated places to skateboard in our town of Brookline, Massachusetts, my wife Patty organized a group of young skate boarders and parents, teachers, nonprofit and other leaders to advocate for the creation of safe places to skate in our community. Although we have a lot of work to […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Skateable-Art.jpg307485Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2011-02-03 01:46:032017-05-01 22:12:31Collaboration Big Citizenship for Skateboarding in Brookline
Net: Hotels.com provides great consumer value, excellent web and phone customer service and has one of the most rewarding loyalty programs I have seen. The company shows how applying the philosophy and applications of Web 2.0, good customer service and a well designed and implemented rewards program can create customer loyalty. Why book anywhere else?
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2009-07-08 11:52:042017-03-31 17:43:00Hotels.com uses Web 2.0, great service and rewards to score a Collaboration Evangelist trifecta
The three facts: Forrester’s 2008 Technographics research found that over 50% of the members of all major age groups are actively engaged with at least one Web 2.0 application, including blogs, user reviews and social networks. A 2008 McKinsey study of over 1900 large enterprises around the world found that only 28% were applying at […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2009-06-16 00:57:072009-06-16 00:57:07Three facts and 6 myths about Web 2.0
Net: Despite the fact that user generated ratings and reviews have been a mainstay of the internet since at least 1999, many large businesses fail to provide an easy way for customers to provide feedback and do not monitor and respond to customer comments on the Web. I recently experienced this first hand from the […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2009-05-26 00:25:472009-05-26 00:25:47Customer service disaster non-recovery; Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco doesn’t get Web 2.0, earns first CHU “Un-recommends”
Net: The fact that 50% of all consumers are engaging with social media, but less than 40% of businesses are doing so means that some companies are leaving their customers exposed to competitor’s initiatives. BMW is one of many examples. Last fall, I leased a new BMW X3 to replace my old one whose lease […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2009-05-18 20:10:232017-04-19 16:23:37BMW falls in the gap between consumer expectations and business engagement with Web 2.0
Net: In 2007 EMC launched an initiative to develop a social media technology strategy because the company decided they should develop “social media proficiency” as a competitive advantage in their industry. Despite the fact that the initiative did not have a specific financial return requirement, Chuch Hollis, the EMC executive who lead the development of […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2009-05-04 23:50:422009-05-04 23:50:42Web 2.0 ROI Must Read: EMC|ONE White Paper
Net: Facebook and Twitter updates are becoming increasingly irrelevant and brand diminishing as users broadcast information to their entire networks that are of interest to only some of their friends and followers. A relevance increasing solution could be the ability to selectively send and receive updates using social sub-network tagging. I have written before about […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2009-04-14 23:32:112009-04-14 23:32:11I really don’t care what you had for breakfast – how social sub-network tagging can end irrelevance on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Net: Despite being in a business where privacy is heavily regulated and systems stability can literally be a matter of life or death, The Mayo Clinic has established itself as one of the leaders in applying social media technologies to build their brand and engage employees and customers (i.e. patients). And they are doing so […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2009-02-26 01:29:402009-02-26 01:29:40If the Mayo Clinic can use WordPress blogs, Facebook and YouTube to help achieve their enterprise goals, why can’t you?
Just noticed this response from Dell manager. Bonus points for finding this new blog and post and for the very candid response on how Dell’s culture is still evolving to embrace customer and customer service collaboration. His comments: Good points on social media in the enterprise as a whole. Thanks for the write-up. While we […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2008-11-11 00:22:172008-11-11 00:22:17Response from Dell
One of the great byproducts of Web 2.0 is that I often hear from friends and colleagues I have lost touch with. I am sure you too receive the “I found you on the internet, Facebook, Linked In, …” email from time to time, hopefully from people you actual want to talk to. Last week […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2008-11-03 13:43:272008-11-03 13:43:27Are you “waking up dead people” or “killing a culture?”
I have been an IBM ThinkPad customer since 1991, about the year they starting making them, but the extremely poor customer service I experienced from Lenovo regarding my X61 Tablet forced me to look at other manufacturers. Although I have never been a fan of Dell laptops, I was attracted to the ads for the […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2008-10-28 15:52:482008-10-28 15:52:48Case Study: Another Dell misfire demonstrates why Web 2.0 and customer service must be linked
When 2 former Bain consultants and one recently minted Harvard MBA started AIR MILES Canada, we knew a lot about the economics of customer loyalty and how to quickly understand and model the profit drivers of almost any business. We also knew almost nothing about database marketing other than a few buzzwords one of us […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2008-05-09 11:12:162008-05-09 11:12:16Facebook, Amazon and the 4R’s of relationship marketing
this post was also posted on Social Sphere Strategies For the past six months, we have been recommending to clients, potential clients and anyone unlucky enough to sit next to one of us at a dinner party that all businesses need to do the following: 1. Get smart – find a way to get senior […]
https://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/080824-London-Eye-1.jpg4861200Craighttps://collaborationevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/full-width-logo.pngCraig2008-03-15 17:43:522008-03-15 17:43:52Tim Horton’s and Facebook – A Case Study of Lost Opportunity
The State AI Readiness Divide: Which States Are Actually Helping Their People Learn and Use AI?
AI, Best Practices, Collaboration, Feature, Featured CE Articles, Intellectual Leadership, Leadership, TechnologyThe State AI Readiness Divide: Which States Are Actually Helping Their People Learn and Use AI? An Underwood Partners Collaboration Evangelist White Paper By Craig Underwood in collaboration with ChatGPT Artificial intelligence is often discussed as if it were a single national wave: ChatGPT appears, companies scramble, schools debate cheating, workers worry, and everyone tries […]
CHU RECOMMENDS – Wahoo ACE Computer & Radar Detector Light, Noxgear Personal Speaker Bike Technology
AI, Best Practices, CHU Recommends, Personal, TechnologyLast weekend, while cycling the Newburyport, Massachusetts Bikes & Beers ride, I had the opportunity to try out two new Wahoo products – the larger Element Ace bike computer and the companion rear light/ radar detector device. I was highly skeptical about both devices, but quickly fell in love with them and was ready to […]
Free AI Tool Access & AI Training Available to Massachusetts Residents
AI, Best Practices, CHU Recommends, Intellectual Leadership, Leadership, Technology, Uncategorizedby Craig Underwood | June 22, 2026 Net / Summary / Abstract Massachusetts now has one clearly universal free AI training offer for all residents: the Massachusetts AI Hub + Grow with Google partnership, which provides no-cost access through December 31, 2027 to Google AI and career certificate programs. The clearest free AI tool-access benefit […]
Want to Get Started with AI? Learn How to Ask Better Questions. Three free or publicly accessible ways for students, educators, nonprofit leaders, and executives to learn the basics of AI prompt engineering.
AI, Best Practices, CHU Recommends, Collaboration, Intellectual Leadership, Leadership, Personal, Productivity, TechnologyOne of the most common questions I hear from nonprofit leaders, educators, students, and executives is deceptively simple: How do I get started with AI? My answer: start with prompt engineering. That phrase may sound technical, but the basic idea is very practical. Prompt engineering is simply the skill of designing and refining instructions so […]
FOMAT & THE AI PRODUCTIVITY TSUNAMI: WHY AI ISN’T MAKING SOME OF US WORK LESS
AI, Best Practices, CHU Recommends, Featured CE Articles, Intellectual Leadership, Leadership, Personal, Productivity, TechnologyFOMAT & THE AI PRODUCTIVITY TSUNAMI: WHY AI ISN’T MAKING SOME OF US WORK LESS By Craig Underwood | collaborationevangelist.com Net/ Summary: Artificial intelligence can absolutely make us more productive. But for executives, consultants, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders and other ambitious “power users,” increased productivity does not necessarily mean increased leisure. It can mean more ideas […]
CHU RECOMMENDS: 4 Books, 1 Novel, & 3 Podcasts to Learn About & Keep Up with AI
AI, Best Practices, CHU Recommends, Collaboration, Featured CE Articles, Intellectual Leadership, Leadership, Productivity, TechnologyCHU RECOMMENDS: 4 Books, 1 Novel, & 3 Podcasts to Learn About & Keep Up with AI Net/ Summary: The Books: The AI Driven Leader by Geoff Woods AI First by Adam Brotman and Andy Sack The Experimentation Machine by Jeffrey Bussgang Human + Machine by Paul R. Daugherty & H. James Wilson The Novel: […]
GOOGLE’S 9 HOUR AI PROMPT ENGINEERING COURSE – IN 1 CARTOON!
AI, Best Practices, CHU Recommends, Collaboration, Featured CE Articles, Intellectual Leadership, Productivity, TechnologySummary: I recently completed Google’s Coursera course on prompt engineering to continue sharpening my use of AI—for both work and play. Like many of you, I want to get better, faster, and more reliable outputs from these powerful tools. To help me remember the core principles, I’ve adopted and modified a fun and memorable mnemonic […]
CHU RECOMMENDS: PLAUD – THE ABSOLUTE COOLEST AI RECORDING DEVICE YET!
AI, Best Practices, CHU Recommends, Intellectual Leadership, Personal, Productivity, TechnologyCHU RECOMMENDS: PLAUD – THE ABSOLUTE COOLEST AI RECORDING DEVICE YET! OK, I admit it. I am obsessed with this thing called Plaud. Last week, I did a trial run of the AI-powered recording device Plaud. It blew me away. Here’s what it is and (at least some) of what it can do: About the […]
CHU Recommends – The Experimentation Machine by Jeff Bussgang
Best Practices, CHU Recommends, Collaboration, Intellectual Leadership, Leadership, News, Personal, TechnologyCHU Recommends: The Experimentation Machine, by Jeff Bussgang I am fortunate to have known Jeff Bussgang for over 25 years and can honestly say that he is the perfect person to have written this book (and perfect is not a word I use often!). Jeff studied AI in the late 80’s as a computer […]
OVERWHELMED BY AI UBIQUITY? YOU’RE NOT TOO LATE TO GET STARTED – HERE’S HOW.
Best Practices, CHU Recommends, Collaboration, Featured CE Articles, Intellectual Leadership, Leadership, News, Personal, TechnologyNet/ Summary: If it feels like AI came out of nowhere, is suddenly everywhere, and you somehow missed the bus—you’re right about the first two, and dead wrong about the third. While AI adoption has skyrocketed—faster than any technology in modern history—actual usage still varies widely by industry, age, and education. I’ve recently taken a […]
DEMOCRATS (USED TO) SUCK AT MARKETING. 3 IDEAS THAT DON’T.
Best Practices, CHU Recommends, Collaboration, Leadership, Loyalty, Personal, TechnologyDEMOCRATS (USED TO) SUCK AT MARKETING. 3 IDEAS THAT DON’T. Net/ Summary: I absolutely LOVE the Harris Walz positioning “Freedom, Opportunity, and The Promise of America.” It’s tight, brilliant, positive, and even better, in my opinion, than Jon OssofF’s “Jobs, Justice, Healthcare.” The team’s consistent use of the 3-point slogan also relieves years of personal […]
CHU On Self Leadership – Baby Boomers: Stop Using the C-Word (Can’t)!
Best Practices, CHU Recommends, Leadership, Personal, TechnologySummary/ Net: Boomers, please stop believing that you “can’t do” things you never mastered before – or better yet – tried without success in the past. Use “The 5 T’s” to overcome your lack of confidence: Try, Training, The Right Tools, The Requisite Time, and Trial and Error. I wrote this for three reasons: Few […]
A Collaboration Campaign – 5 Observations From 8 Days On The Front Lines In Georgia
Collaboration, Featured CE Articles, Intellectual Leadership, Leadership, News, TechnologySummary: We drove over 3,000 miles last week from Boston to Atlanta, Jonesboro, Ellenwood, McDonough, Riverdale, Montgomery, Griffin, Lagrange, Oxford and Covington, Georgia and back home. We travelled south to work door-to-door canvassing to help the Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win their runoff races to represent Georgia in the US Senate. The bulk […]
Note to Starbucks CEO: Don’t use technology (or loyalty programs) to demotivate your employees
Collaboration, Customer Service, Loyalty, TechnologySummary: While the Starbucks App is cool and makes buying coffee and food quick and easy without dealing with cash, credit or debit cards, the company appears to have developed the app without fully considering the impact on their employees. The app doesn’t offer users the option to tip baristas when making a purchase. […]
Collaboration Big Citizenship for Skateboarding in Brookline
Collaboration, TechnologyNet: Realizing that our son had no dedicated places to skateboard in our town of Brookline, Massachusetts, my wife Patty organized a group of young skate boarders and parents, teachers, nonprofit and other leaders to advocate for the creation of safe places to skate in our community. Although we have a lot of work to […]
Hotels.com uses Web 2.0, great service and rewards to score a Collaboration Evangelist trifecta
CHU Recommends, Customer Service, Loyalty, TechnologyNet: Hotels.com provides great consumer value, excellent web and phone customer service and has one of the most rewarding loyalty programs I have seen. The company shows how applying the philosophy and applications of Web 2.0, good customer service and a well designed and implemented rewards program can create customer loyalty. Why book anywhere else?
Three facts and 6 myths about Web 2.0
TechnologyThe three facts: Forrester’s 2008 Technographics research found that over 50% of the members of all major age groups are actively engaged with at least one Web 2.0 application, including blogs, user reviews and social networks. A 2008 McKinsey study of over 1900 large enterprises around the world found that only 28% were applying at […]
Customer service disaster non-recovery; Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco doesn’t get Web 2.0, earns first CHU “Un-recommends”
CHU Recommends, Customer Service, Loyalty, TechnologyNet: Despite the fact that user generated ratings and reviews have been a mainstay of the internet since at least 1999, many large businesses fail to provide an easy way for customers to provide feedback and do not monitor and respond to customer comments on the Web. I recently experienced this first hand from the […]
BMW falls in the gap between consumer expectations and business engagement with Web 2.0
Technology, UncategorizedNet: The fact that 50% of all consumers are engaging with social media, but less than 40% of businesses are doing so means that some companies are leaving their customers exposed to competitor’s initiatives. BMW is one of many examples. Last fall, I leased a new BMW X3 to replace my old one whose lease […]
Web 2.0 ROI Must Read: EMC|ONE White Paper
TechnologyNet: In 2007 EMC launched an initiative to develop a social media technology strategy because the company decided they should develop “social media proficiency” as a competitive advantage in their industry. Despite the fact that the initiative did not have a specific financial return requirement, Chuch Hollis, the EMC executive who lead the development of […]
I really don’t care what you had for breakfast – how social sub-network tagging can end irrelevance on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
TechnologyNet: Facebook and Twitter updates are becoming increasingly irrelevant and brand diminishing as users broadcast information to their entire networks that are of interest to only some of their friends and followers. A relevance increasing solution could be the ability to selectively send and receive updates using social sub-network tagging. I have written before about […]
If the Mayo Clinic can use WordPress blogs, Facebook and YouTube to help achieve their enterprise goals, why can’t you?
TechnologyNet: Despite being in a business where privacy is heavily regulated and systems stability can literally be a matter of life or death, The Mayo Clinic has established itself as one of the leaders in applying social media technologies to build their brand and engage employees and customers (i.e. patients). And they are doing so […]
Response from Dell
Collaboration, Customer Service, TechnologyJust noticed this response from Dell manager. Bonus points for finding this new blog and post and for the very candid response on how Dell’s culture is still evolving to embrace customer and customer service collaboration. His comments: Good points on social media in the enterprise as a whole. Thanks for the write-up. While we […]
Are you “waking up dead people” or “killing a culture?”
Collaboration, Customer Service, TechnologyOne of the great byproducts of Web 2.0 is that I often hear from friends and colleagues I have lost touch with. I am sure you too receive the “I found you on the internet, Facebook, Linked In, …” email from time to time, hopefully from people you actual want to talk to. Last week […]
Case Study: Another Dell misfire demonstrates why Web 2.0 and customer service must be linked
Customer Service, Loyalty, TechnologyI have been an IBM ThinkPad customer since 1991, about the year they starting making them, but the extremely poor customer service I experienced from Lenovo regarding my X61 Tablet forced me to look at other manufacturers. Although I have never been a fan of Dell laptops, I was attracted to the ads for the […]
Facebook, Amazon and the 4R’s of relationship marketing
Collaboration, Customer Service, Loyalty, TechnologyWhen 2 former Bain consultants and one recently minted Harvard MBA started AIR MILES Canada, we knew a lot about the economics of customer loyalty and how to quickly understand and model the profit drivers of almost any business. We also knew almost nothing about database marketing other than a few buzzwords one of us […]
Tim Horton’s and Facebook – A Case Study of Lost Opportunity
Collaboration, Customer Service, Technologythis post was also posted on Social Sphere Strategies For the past six months, we have been recommending to clients, potential clients and anyone unlucky enough to sit next to one of us at a dinner party that all businesses need to do the following: 1. Get smart – find a way to get senior […]