3-D'lemma

I had a reality check the other day when it came to the check at a restaurant. Not the price. The reality check was seeing the check. Sigh. I borrowed a votive from the table next to mine and made a vow to head to Duane Reed for the cheap-o reading glasses. Add that to the pile of things I'll have to keep by the bed, by the remote, by my desk. Maybe I should get three pairs...Oh and one for each purse and backpack since lately my friends (who can't laugh at this post since they know who they are) are asking if I have any they can borrow. I'll make it an even dozen.

So what happens when I have to deal with 3D glasses on top of that?

So far seeing a regular screen without glasses isn't a problem (phew!), but I can envision tons of issues when I invest in a new 3D capable TV. For example, how many pairs will come with a set? Any? I hear they go for $30 - $50 a pop...so how many will I need for when I have company? And speaking of company, what about cozying up for a date, watching TV, and looking...well, NOT CUTE! Are there designer frames? I'm just sayin'.... Let alone can two people actually smooch while wearing 3D glasses if the mood strikes during, say, one of DIRECTV's new 3D shows?

Will networks, like ESPN and their new 3D channel, distribute the glasses, or will Comcast or other providers? Who will brand them? I'm thinking its a new market for branded premiums.

What if someone walks off with your 3-D glasses? Can they be tethered to the TV? Will those little chains that turn eyeglasses into necklaces support 3D goggles? And what about prescription 3D? Can I get them at Lenscrafters?

Will I need to have them just to do most things online, soon? I mean, there's already Club Cooee, a sort of 3-D Second Life meets IM, and its fan page already has about 14,000 fans. And there are a ton more online places and ways to wear your glasses. Or not.

You can try to skip 'em and just cross your eyes with some content, and you kind of get a sense of it like in this YouTube video. I know this should work; there's even a drop down menu for about a dozen ways to watch it, but without those actual glasses, it's just not optimum. And frankly, all those options and trying to cross my eyes just gave me a headache.

Or maybe I just need glasses.

Networking with networks about networking

My blog has always reflected my cross-section of marketing and green work experiences with some personal passions thrown in. More and more those experiences have included social media as I ramp up both my presence and that of my clients in that space. A cross-section -- or lack of -- was never more apparent than at The Cable Show (see #CS09 at search.twitter.com) this year.

It's easy to feel "eco-centric," as I describe my environmental focus, and think that, say EVERYONE knows the meaning of the word "sustainability" these days. But it ain't necessarily so. And when you focus on media and spend time in the SOCIAL network space, it's easy to believe that PROGRAMMING networks would know their way around a Tweetdeck or a follower, too. But you know what they say about the word "ASSUME."

(Reminder - This is a key time to ramp up your knowledge and your efforts since it takes time to build a presence. Give us a call now about letting Sheryl and me (@mossappeal) help. And I must say my overview workshop on Social Media Marketing for Business has gotten rave reviews!)

So I was impressed when Moss Appeal alliance partner, "Marketing Maven" Sheryl Victor, wrote a post today that did a great job summing up our experience at the Cable Show, and probably that of many others who were not tied to a booth. You should read her take on Broadband Nation for good first hand objective observations -- especially as a returning CS alumni after some years away. But her paragraph about Social Media awareness in the cable arena particular really has me jazzed, since we talked to a lot of folks there about tapping our expertise in the Social Media space:

"Social Media is very much in its embryonic stage in most of the Cable industry. Which actually, I was a little surprised at. From a B2B perspective, a colleague and myself were in a panel about 360 Degree marketing. Ann Cowan from CTAM was moderating the panel. When the panelists were asked if they were using Social Networks or Media, you could hear a pin drop…except from the folks at A&E. Mark Garner spoke to their program around the show Hammer, with MC Hammer. Hallmark spoke to how they were dipping their toe, and TV Guide wasn’t using Social Media at all. Then Ann asked if anyone in the audience was tweeting….and out of close to 200 people, only 2 hands went up. Mine and my colleague’s. It actually was incredibly surprising to me. This room was filled with Marketers listening to Marketers. It was just a testament to me how the space is still very much new and uncharted, but is ripe with opportunity!"Sheryl Victor under, Savvy Strategy - Business Development, Marketing and Social Media