We took a little trip over to the Internet World show at Earls Court on Wednesday and were pleasantly surprised by how terrifically ‘ungeeky’ it was.
There were exceptions of course. One particular web hosting company thought it was a good idea to have people with bells and whistles outside the venue, inserting their brand name into chants last heard on un-seated football terraces in the 1980s.
Still, each to their own; it proved to be only minor low point in an otherwise enjoyable, slick and well put together show showcasing some interesting takes on new media from a variety of exhibitors.
First up for us was a visit to the Keynote Theatre to listen to an excellent speech by Meg Pickard from Guardian News and Media, who outlined the way she and her team use multiple social media platforms and techniques to regularly keep their 37million unique users involved in what’s going on in the news.
Some interesting things came out of it, including a point that should be obvious to most, but I feel I should put it out there any way; when asked what incentives were offered to the Guardian readers by way of keeping them onside and regularly interacting, Pickard simply responded: ‘By acknowledging them’.
It hit home the fact that it doesn’t take a massive amount of interaction by brands to keep their fans/readers/supporters engaged in what they’re doing if they feel they are part of a club that they want to belong to. Granted, not all brands are as strong as The Guardian, but food for thought nonetheless.
Other highlights of the show included a balanced seminar from Tracy Green, Head of Online Services for UK Parliament, who highlighted the way this very traditional institution has embraced social media with open arms, using it to engage with people who want to make their voice heard over certain bills that are being passed through the House of Lords, and giving MPs an official platform with which to get their views across to the online community.
Back on the exhibitor floor, it was interesting seeing what gimmicks people were using to get attendees attention. Some used far-too-pretty-girls (who I’m pretty sure wouldn’t have listed Google rankings among their favourite topics) to front the stalls, while the company SEO spokesman cowered behind a desk.
Other diversions included a full-size F1 car with a racing game in the cockpit, a web hosting company disguised as a smoothie bar and massage parlour disguised as a… well, it was just a massage parlour actually, but very good value for money (apparently, of course).
