Do you want to know the secrets of the Pacesetters? Social is one! An Infographic

Register for the webcast
https://ibm.biz/techhuddle

Use and follow #IBMBTT
https://ibm.biz/BdF42X

Video - Announcing the Entrepreneur Huddle webcast
https://ibm.biz/BdF424

BTT_blog_fullimage2


Is your enterprise on par to invest in cloud with pacesetting organizations?

How much are enterprise companies planning to increase their investment in cloud technologies two years from now? Is your enterprise planning accordingly or do you need to rethink your strategy to stay competitive?!

The IBM Center for Applied Insights surveyed over 1,400 decision-makers in 15 industries across 5 continents to get a current global snapshot of how companies are using key technologies, like cloud, to stay ahead of the pack. And we're ready to share with you what they learned! Register now for my webcast where I will reveal the answers to these questions and so much more. Join us on August 21, 2014 at 1:00 PM EST.

You DO NOT want to miss this webcast! Register now!


TD Bank's "Automated Thanking Machine" - Social at its best!

TD Bank is highly creative in their support of their clients.

They have been a leader in building and launching innovative social media programs and platform. A few years ago, TD bank introduced IBM Connections as its enterprise social media internally to employees, and recent years have seen the successful launch of programs like TD Helps, an online financial advice community, a North American Social Customer Service program on Twitter, and, last spring, the TD Aeroplan Customer Community.
 
On July 25th TD Bank rocked Client Service with a new FIRST!

They released another first among the banks, a video capturing customers and employees sharing some great moments as they surprise people with the "Automated Thanking Machine." The Automated Thanking Machine thanked customers across the country in personal and unique ways, from a memorable encounter with a sports idol to a dream vacation for a young family, and many other moments big and small. Later the same day, at 2pm, they celebrated customer appreciation day by thanking customers on the phone, online and in all of branches with an envelope containing $20.  

The video has generated millions of views in a very short time and reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.  Check out the comments on Youtube or twitter to get a flavor.

We are delighted that people have embraced #TDThanksYou in the spirit it was intended – as a heartfelt show of appreciation --  with a message about the power of a thank you and how that can change someone's day.

Looking ahead, they're even more encouraged to continue to innovate and push the boundaries of what a bank, indeed a brand, can do on social to connect with customers and employees.

Hats off to the entire TD Bank team including one of the best marketeers in the business, Wendy Arnott!!!!


The 2014 IBM Business Tech Trends report: Raising the game

We can all see that cloud, big data & analytics, mobile, and social are becoming more and more important to businesses, but certain companies are using these transformative technologies to truly thrive and stay ahead of the pack! If you are like me, I'm sure that you are curious about the secret ingredients that make these companies successful while others might struggle.

The 2014 IBM Business Tech Trends report examines these successful companies - called Pacesetters - and looks at the key characteristics that they exhibit. And here's the good news: I'm hosting a webcast for the public release of the Business Tech Trends report on August 21st, and you are invited!

Watch my video for further details:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb0Nb-UuUSs&w=560&h=315]

Joining me for the webcast will be Ray Wang, Principal Analyst, Founder & Chairman at Constellation Research, Inc., and Susanne Hupfer, Research Lead for the study from the IBM Center for Applied Insights. We'll also hear from IBM Business Partners Pitney Bowes, Esri, Hootsuite, and Fiserv to get their point of view. This will be a great webcast with tons of info!

Register now for the webcast. I know you'll learn valuable info and discover the secrets of becoming a Pacesetter!


Content creators for Digital Assets -- More Creative in the "green"

I was fascinated by an article I just read about the impacts of colors on your mood. In particular, the article had strong insight into the color green on your creativity. Lately, several companies have been asking me how to inspire their team's creativity especially for digital content.

As companies become more social, organizations are increasingly looking for digital content and media skills. In the digital age, content is becoming king and so digital content creators are the new kingmakers! With $135bn being spent on digital content, CMO’s see custom content as the future of marketing.

So is this one idea, to sit these new kingmakers in green rooms? Is this why actors room up in a "green room?"