What’s Your Policy?

“55% of executives say their companies don’t have an official use of social networks, and 22% said their companies would like to use social networking tools, but haven’t yet figured out how.” That’s Deloitte’s Ethics & Workplace Survey found. Fewer still monitor social networks…

No wonder we have social media marketing “experts” coming out of the woodwork, chasing down these new business opportunities.

I might be able to help, just as I did Two River Interiors. It’s not about pulling the trigger (twitter, Facebook, etc.), it’s about understanding what it means to your business. Your industry, your customers, your employees — no two companies are alike.

Obama’s dog? He’s got it going on: plenty of blogs following him already.

No Consultants

How many CIOs have said they don’t need consultants for big projects? [SFX: crickets] I thought so.

President Obama’s newly-named Federal CIO, Vivek Kundra, said just that:

Whether it’s to serve the public or government employees, Kundra said federal agencies should be embracing off-the-shelf technologies and formats like cloud computing that are ubiquitous in the private sector.

“You don’t need to hire consultants to build out all this infrastructure,” he said. “You just leverage what’s on the cloud itself, yet in the federal government, we don’t have a single platform that allows us to do that.”

Using off-the-shelf, as well as open-source technologies, Kundra said, could result in significant savings for the federal government, which typically spends about $71 billion in IT purchases.

“One of the biggest ticket items in that $71 billion is the money the federal government spends on contracts, some that, frankly, haven’t performed very well, and there haven’t been consequences,” he said.

Consultants may do a good job for you, but where are they two years after the project’s done? Do it yourself: you’ll learn it better.

Take a look at how he used Googe Apps in this video:

Show Me The Stimulus

The U.S. Conference of Mayors issued a report of “shovel-ready” projects related to the economic stimulus package.

In true “help yourself” fashion, up pops StimulusWatch.org to help you find projects near you. Browse by state or by program type.

White House Blog

Minutes before the Oath of Office was taken by Mr. Obama, the new White House Web site went live, and the first blog post…

Just like your new government, WhiteHouse.gov and the rest of the Administration’s online programs will put citizens first. Our initial new media efforts will center around three priorities:

Communication — Americans are eager for information about the state of the economy, national security and a host of other issues. This site will feature timely and in-depth content meant to keep everyone up-to-date and educated. Check out the briefing room, keep tabs on the blog (RSS feed) and take a moment to sign up for e-mail updates from the President and his administration so you can be sure to know about major announcements and decisions.

Transparency — President Obama has committed to making his administration the most open and transparent in history, and WhiteHouse.gov will play a major role in delivering on that promise. The President’s executive orders and proclamations will be published for everyone to review, and that’s just the beginning of our efforts to provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government. You can also learn about some of the senior leadership in the new administration and about the President’s policy priorities.

Participation — President Obama started his career as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, where he saw firsthand what people can do when they come together for a common cause. Citizen participation will be a priority for the Administration, and the internet will play an important role in that. One significant addition to WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise from the President: we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it.

Gotta love a President who blogs.

The Super Bowl

What do I like about the NFL’s Super Bowl? The ads, of course. When the whistle blows and network cuts to a commercial, I’m the one who “shushes” the room so I can hear it.

The AP ran a story yesterday how the ads will be toned down, but it’s still big:

The Super Bowl remains a unique marketing vehicle because it’s known as much for its commercials as the game itself. A TNS Media survey released this month confirmed that people watch commercials throughout the game, instead of switching channels.

“The Super Bowl remains as truly the only property that has the ability to reach the largest mass audience across all demographics at one time,” said TNS Media CEO Dean DeBiase.

The Hyundai spot featuring Yo-Yo Ma, and the ensuing user-generated content, ought to be interesting:

“I think the people that will respond to the Yo-Yo Ma piece when watching the Super Bowl won’t necessarily be classical music fans,” Goodby, Silverstein & Partners creative director Jim Elliot said. “Within the context of all the other advertising, which can be so chaotic that it almost becomes white noise, a quiet, gorgeous solo cello moment can be very arresting.”

Let’s hope it doesn’t backfire like the Chevy Tahoe “make your own” promotion in 2006.

Budweiser will be there. Remember the “wazzup” spots from 2000? Here’s one of the original spots, followed by an Obama presidential campaign spot from the same actors, eight years later:

Cadillac, Of Course

The Daily Mail (U.K.) has a piece on Barack Obama’s presidential Cadillac:

It’s official call sign is Cadillac One, but it will always be known as the Obamobile.

This is the top – security armoured limousine which has been custom built to be Barack Obama’s presidential car.

It will travel with him wherever in the world he goes.

The President- elect, pictured inset, will have his first ride in the stretch limo when he parades along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington after his inauguration on January 20.

But his Secret Service agents have already been familiarising themselves with the machine they call ‘The Beast’, built by General Motors in Detroit and based on a Cadillac chassis.

The company refuses to give precise details of how it will perform its primary purpose – protecting the president.

But bulletproof glass and armourplatingare standard throughout and the car is hermetically-sealed to withstand chemical weapons.

As with previous presidential limos it is packed with electronic communication systems to allow Mr Obama to keep in contact with the outside world.

This car will not be shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which begins this week. Expect plenty of news from this show. Live updates begin Sunday morning.