Social Media Portal interview with Ian Sullivan from Paperhat Conscorcio

Social Media Portal (SMP) profiled interview with Ian Sullivan, CEO at Paperhat Conscorcio

Social Media Portal (SMP): What is your name and role at Paperhat Conscorcio?

Ian Sullivan (IS): Ian Sullivan, CEO and I run the day-to-day management of the business. This aligns with our short, medium and long term strategies for which I am responsible for delivering. It can be real fun as it involves something different everyday, but it can also be incredibly challenging as the buck stops with me!

SMP: Briefly, tell us about Paperhat Conscorcio what does the company do?

IS: We try to specialise as we can?t be all things to all people. We consult on cross media marketing techniques, basically it involves researching and understanding the best routes-to-market for marketing campaigns to optimise their impact and deliver their maximum ROI. We also fully manage corporate social media as an agency that allows companies to work with alternative online marketing solutions.

SMP: Can you tell us what event you?re going to be on a panel at for the Cross Media conference?

IS: The panel is entitled ?Taking social media beyond the marketing department: How to embed social media across an organisation?, which will take place on Tuesday, 04 September 2012 in the Digital & Direct Marketing Theatre 2 from 14:45 to 15:45.

The line-up is as follows:

Moderator
Ian Sullivan, CEO, Paperhat Conscorcio (social at LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/isullivan and Twitter https://twitter.com/I_Sullivan)  

The panel
Jonathan Brayshaw, Director, Original Agency (social at LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanbrayshaw and Twitter http://www.twitter.com/jonoriginal)

James Carson, Digital Strategist, Bauer Media (social at LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/jacarson85 and Twitter http://www.twitter.com/mrjamescarson)

Tim Gibbon, Director, Elemental Communications (social at http://bit.ly/tim-gibbon-profile).

I am also on another panel discussion 'Communication, conversation, customer care: Where does social media fit in the overall marketing strategy and how do you prove its value?' on 04 September 2012 at 11:30 - 12:30 in the Digital & Direct Theatre 1.

Chair/Moderator: Paul Cash, OTM, Hurricane Marketing
Speaker(s): Mervyn Dinnen, Content & Community Manager, Jobsite
Pippa Norris, Head of Online Engagement, Ministry of Defence
Ian Sullivan, CEO, Paperhat Conscorcio

SMP: Who are your ideal target audience for the session and what can they hope to take away from panel you?re moderating?

IS: Ideally I would like people who want to understand the dynamics of corporate social media and what it can do for their business marketing activities. It is still a very much untapped and underutilised marketing channel (especially outside of the USA). I would like the audience to understand its potential and the part it has to play in the marketing portfolio.

SMP: What are you most looking forward to at Cross Media and why?

IS: Personally, I am looking forward to the first show that truly brings together all the marketing channels for one-to-one marketing. I see the show evolving over the years, encompassing more and more routes to market as the industry expands into new communication methods (internet TV, NFC, face recognition, etc).

SMP: How would you summarise why there should be importance on how social media should be embedded across an organisation?

IS: I think this is very subjective. Each company/business is unique. Sure we all have a number of things in common but there are so many variables that naturally make us all different in even the smallest way. Therefore social media may not suit your particular business, at all! It?s best to analyse your business requirements, objectives and overarching strategy first. Then decide if and how corporate social media should play a part.

SMP: What are the low moments of what you?ve been doing so far?

IS: There are a couple of things here. Firstly the lack of understanding and potential that corporate social media can deliver (although this is why these shows and sessions are so cool) and secondly the spammers who just give social media a bad image and put a lot of people off.

SMP: What are the high moments of what you?ve been doing so far?

IS: The real-time customer interaction is superb. Certain corporates actually having to deliver on ?the customer is number one? instead of just printing it in their annual report & accounts. I like the way customer service is forced to the top with social media, otherwise the customers certainly let you know about it!!

SMP: How / what has social media changed what you do in terms of your day-to-day job and role (and why)?

IS: It has made me become more interactive and has given me a far greater insight into what our customers do. Before embedding as a corporate social media agency we had a general idea of what our customers did but we never really dug below the exterior surface as most client/supplier relationships to understand the embedded culture and we never knew with any great depth what our clients customers were thinking.

Now we have full exposure (on the front line, so to speak) and it makes our connection with our client fantastic.

SMP: What do you feel the next big step for social media / networks are and what may be the impact upon social search (and how it may be used by businesses)?

IS: One word ? Filtering! As soon as the customer is able to filter precisely the information they want to receive and receive just that information at the right time, in the right format then true one-to-one dynamic marketing can take place. Wouldn?t it be nice to say to your client ?I know what your customers want, when they want it and how they want to receive it?. I think I may retire at that point ☺

SMP: What?s going to be the most interesting aspect regarding social media / technology throughout 2012 and into 2013?

IS: If someone can fully crack automated sentiment recognition then they will be on a massive winner. Many companies are trying but language (not just English) is so diverse, contextual and subjective that to fully automate it will be an incredibly difficult task. As humans, we even get confused reading a text or email as to the tone of voice. What chance has a computer got at this stage?

SMP: What are your top five predictions for social media throughout 2012 and into 2013?

IS replies with:

• Reduction of Spam ? All the big social media sites are working hard to reduce this. Some changes will detriment everyone but ultimately this needs to happen
• Improved Software ? Software, especially in the management of corporate social media is improving all the time. New and exciting mergers and developments ? watch this space!
• Advanced Filters ? Social media will have to improve the assimilation of information and news through user specific filters. The hard thing will be to know what falls into what filter!
• More Marketing Integration ? Certainly for the UK and Europe they will learn to encompass social media more in to the marketing service channels for dynamic cross media marketing campaigns
• Data Assimilation ? The key really is data. Get the information right on your client (or prospective clients) and you deliver the right message at the right time through the right channel. Social media will exploit this more in the future

SMP: What are your top five social media tips for organisations ? and in embedding social media across their businesses?

IS replies with:

• Profile Your Business ? Make sure you fully understand your business requirements, strategy and needs before diving into corporate social media
• Obtain A Social Media ?Identity? ? This should take careful consideration before starting corporate social media. What online ?personality? do you want your business to have?
• Be Ultra-Diplomatic!  - It is easy to get into a rage when someone is detrimental to your business. Be diplomatic and respond as such. Keep calm and carry on!
• Gather Analytics & Data ? The more you know about your target audience the more chance you have of delivering what they want
• Quality Content & Engagement ? Deliver information that is useful, fun or educational. Whatever you decide you want your business to do. The important thing is to delivery quality content.

SMP: Is there anything else you?d like to share?

IS: Don?t pull the tigers tail! It can be tempting and easy to speak about your competitors or what they are doing. Engage with what your business does best not your competition.

SMP: Best way to contact you and Paperhat Conscorcio?

We are active on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter ? connect on any of these ☺


SMP: What did you have for breakfast / lunch?

IS: I don?t do breakfast. Isn?t that for wimps? Or is that an ?80?s cliché? Lunch is normally something light, sandwich or salad.

SMP: What?s the last good thing that you did for someone?

IS: I?m doing the three peaks challenge in September for my friends 12 year old niece. She has cerebral palsy. You can donate at: http://www.justgiving.com/Ian-Sullivan

SMP: If you weren?t working at Paperhat Conscorcio what would you be doing?

IS: Playing slap bass in a band, ha ha! Well I used to 20 years a go when jazz funk was all the rage! I actually toured Europe and the USA with a band called Nation. Don?t bother looking them up??

SMP: When and where did you go on your last holiday?

IS: South Africa. I love travelling and have been very lucky to have been on holiday in every continent.

SMP: What?s the first thing you do when you get into the office of a morning?

IS: Tea. Black. No Sugar.

SMP: If you had a superpower what would it be and why?

IS: I would be procrastination man ? or would I?

Read more about the panel session, moderator and panel at the Cross Media website http://www.crossmedialive.com/ and download the Cross Media app (for Android, iPad and iPhone) from http://www.crossmedialive.com/app.

If you're interested in doing a Social Media Portal (SMP) interview, get in touch.