Florida Creatives – Creating a Community of Innovation

I've noticed the term social media taking a nose dive into the waste basket of marketers and brand strategists. A sharply folded paper airplane created from last year's media budget. It's one of those planes that only goes across the room once. The plane slubs downward each toss there after. Someone givies it one last throw only to watch it go down.

[ All though this post identifies brand building and the creative developed for the communication industry, I think it applies to anyone that spends there time expressing what might have been previously considered inexpressible ]

How difficult is it–trying to explain a new idea or concept to someone? Especially when there may not be supporting materials to substantiate the use/need/purpose of the idea. It's difficult. And even more difficult when the people you may be communicating with have absolutely no familiarity with what you are talking about.

NEWNESS IS PROFITABLE

1) The FCC will approve the use of Sex robots provided they use haptic technology, because of growing concerns about hygiene. You can look at the robot, but you can't touch-it. Touch-screens are cool, but–um, everyone keeps touching them–icky.

2) .com might become the second highest TLD behind China's .cn ( what does this mean? Well, more people will buy/register .cn domains over .com )

One of the best uses of the landing page as a communication tool. Conceptually driven and to the point.

Alex Williams, a New York Times reporter, sent out a request through the Likemind organizers mailing list asking a few questions about the event that has grown to be an international affair every month. Here is a sample of his article:

To Erin Middleton, a 27-year-old brand strategist in Dallas, the word “networking” calls to mind “stodgy business types in suits,” who are “very uncomfortable and poor at engaging conversation,” she said in an e-mail message.

Melissa Clark, an advertising account manager in Minneapolis, said there is “something smarmy” about the word.

Peter Bihr, 28, a media consultant in Berlin, was even stronger in his denunciation. “ ‘Networking,’ as a word, makes me feel like I get a physical reaction, I hate the term so much,” he wrote in an e-mail message. “It sounds all like strategically talking to people and trying to be their friends. It’s not authentic.”

So, what exactly, are these three doing at 8 a.m. on the third Friday of each month, meeting with other young professionals at their local coffeehouse?

They are participating in likemind, a monthly kaffeeklatsch for creative professionals, held in 55 cities around the world, including Mumbai, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Malmo, Sweden.

Read the rest of the Likemind article on the New York Times' website

The article calls out the no-agenda, no-hard-sell nature of Likemind, the differences with Meetup.com events, the similarity to Unconferences, or Green Drinks, and even gives some literary reference.

Our next Likemind in Orlando (or anywhere else) will be Friday, December 5th. Jim Hathaway and Ryan Price are the co-organizers of the Orlando Likemind.

If you work in marketing, design, advertising, or something more squirrely, please check out Likemind, the conversation and the coffee are never cold, and always welcome in the morning.

Portals

• Blacksonville Urban Business Directory, Events, News & Information, Business or Non-Profit Membership, Local History

Varick reminded me. Anyone up for another gathering? Perhaps somewhere new, undiscovered, untapped, unrefined, unknown, well-known, well-designed, well-managed, well-thought-out, inexpensive, expensive, big, small, in house–with a mouse?

Perhaps we can try to meet up before the next PKN event.

To my knowledge, Marc Rapp, Chris Wojda and a couple of other folks got together in Jacksonville last week under the banner of Florida Creatives (or maybe it was Pangea Day?).

This is... awesome.

Chris is starting up a Pecha Kucha (pechak-cha) night in Jax that will be held at the art museum. Chris is also the Jacksonville organizer of Likemind, which is how we know each other.

Chris Wojda and I are looking to meetup in San Marco this saturday as an informal introduction with either; coffee, banana splits, pizza or a tasty beverage.

thoughts, comments, suggestions?

Hyperlocal

• Urban Jacksonville: By Joey Marchy

Technology and Social Media

• Incite Kitchen with Chris Wojda
• nGen Works
• Thought and Theory
• LessEverything

General

• Meanderings in Space and Time: by Mike Zelenka

I thought about writing something profound, something with substance, something that would invoke a reaction for an action. I thought about it. Briefly.

But then–why not just sum this little shindig up;
If you combine things that were previously considered unrelated–then this a group to meet with.

We have not planned an initial meet-up but, we are looking. Chris Wojda ( http://www.brewgroup.org ) will also be meeting up for Likemind and BrewGroup sessions.

Feel Free to add more categories and groups/links to this list as you see fit, that's why we have a wiki. If groups meet on consistent dates and locations (i.e. third Mondays @ Crooked Bayou, Central Ave downtown), specify what you can.

All-Purpose Groups

• Florida Creatives has no chapter in Jacksonville yet
• Brewgroup is the home for Likemind and Planning for Good
• Likemind.jax third Fridays 8-9AM @ Cool Moose Coffee, hosted by Chris and Leah
• Planning for Good has something to do with helping non-profits
• Inked-In - writers/artists/musicians social network

Web Design / Programming

• Refresh Jacksonville is a community of designers and developers working to refresh the creative, technical and professional aspects of new media endeavors.

Artist / Design Groups

Spaces to Watch

Jacksonville is the city with the largest ratio between the square mileage of the city and the county; the whole city is the same size as the county.