ErinIs…

The power of community is evident through many social media platforms. Companies are learning that cultivating a positive brand experience through open communication and 24/7 availability can create consumers who are your brand advocates. I am a huge believer of social media participation and online reputation management (really you can’t create your presence without closely monitoring the results through a rep management process). 

Sometimes the community takes something and owns it in a way you could have never imagined making it 100 times awesomer. In those times you can only be thankful that some people have way too much free time on their hand and just the right dose of creativity. Yahoo Answers, Amazon Reviews and some people’s random sites have generated hundreds of users to participate and hundreds of thousands to view. 

Here are some of my favorite: 

Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt (Amazon Review) 

• 688 customer reviews 
• 7,245 users voted on the reviews

This item has wolves on it which makes it intrinsically sweet and worth 5 stars by itself, but once I tried it on, that’s when the magic happened. After checking to ensure that the shirt would properly cover my girth, I walked from my trailer to Wal-mart with the shirt on and was immediately approached by women. The women knew from the wolves on my shirt that I, like a wolf, am a mysterious loner who knows how to ‘howl at the moon’ from time to time (if you catch my drift!)……

Does anyone know a website where for cool bebo profile names? (Yahoo Answers)

• 4 response
• 416 users voted on the reviews

…The internet burned brightly as an escape, a way to show who you were to a wider audience, a way of discovering and sharing things you never knew existed, a way of forcing back the ever encroaching shadows of the real world to keep your internal flame burning just that little bit longer….

Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl oz (Amazon Review)

• 1,059 customer reviews
• 1,436 users voted on the reviews

One should not be intimidated by Tuscan Whole Milk. Nor should one prejudge, despite the fact that Tuscan is non-vintage and comes in such large containers. Do not be fooled: this is not a jug milk. I always find it important to taste milk using high-quality stemware — this is milk deserving of something better than a Flintstones plastic tumbler. One should pour just a small dollop and swirl it in the glass — note the coating and look for clots or discoloration. And the color — it should be opaque, and very, very white. Now, immerse your nose in the glass and take a whiff. Tuscan transports you instantly to scenic hill towns in central Italy (is that Montepulciano I detect?) — there is the loamy clay, the green grass of summer days, the towering cypress…

Back in the olden days of the internet, Facebook was just for college kids, flash sites were cool and you couldn’t rely on someecards to be there to help you communicate openly with your friends. 

All the way back in 2003 you had to rely on your own internet skills to send out cards to your friends, family and complete strangers. You bought a URL, maybe the name of your pet, you created a real life card and then you uploaded it to the previously mentioned URL. 

The result of your efforts would be Jara.com.

Simple, effective and peaceful. Thank you Geoff and Jara. You made my day.

I can’t even be mad that I wanted your URL for a client. You’ve paid 6 years worth of domain and hosting fees so you could continue to wish those closest to you (and those of us who stumbled upon it) some much needed Peace on Earth.