Interview with Shel Israel, Fast Company TV's Global Neighbourhoods

Shel Israel posted an video interview this past week. We chatted about Michael Dell's drive to take Dell's direct business model and extend it using social media and online tools to foster direct connections with customers and others with an interest in the company.

In this "connected era" we also chatted about the value of listening, some of the tools, measurement, and changes impacting communications and marketing.

Frankly, we chatted a lot about why I believe what we are working on at Dell is so important and how it changes the interaction and relationships between business and people....but, of course, only time will tell.

Dell Community and Online Ambassadors

People have asked me why I am RichardatDELL and what if I leave Dell etc etc. The moniker RichardatDELL has to do with our online policy of making it clear where you work.

As for the "what if I leave Dell" or issues of tying myself to "Dell"...I have often explained there are a bunch of great people working together to listen, learn and engage with our customers.

You will start to see more of them over at Yourblog talking about personal tech...and we hope you'll come post there too. I have a couple posts going there about photography and personal tech.

Most importantly though, check out the Dell Community Ambassadors page over at Direct2Dell.

You will find these great team members who I have the pleasaure of working with every day around the web, commenting on blogs, on Facebook, on Twitter and more. Its all of them that make (or I hope help us make) Dell a human company.

I just wanted everyone to know this is a great group of people committed to connecting, conversing and doing what is right for our customers and working hard to keep up with the web, your conversations and your views. I toast them all, each and every one, every day and tip my hat to say what a great team....and watch out, more to come :-).

It's Your Dell's Birthday

Today is one of those days that calls for a little celebration.

Your Dell: young, growing, a heritage built on direct connections with our customers -- and an online pioneer, going back to its early days.

We work at getting better by listening and learning from you.

Drop by and say happy birthday by checking out 24 reasons to celebrate or visiting Direct2Dell or Ideastorm or some of our blogs like Dellshares or the newly launched "yourblog."

By the way, check out how www.dell.com is getting more "social" all the time -- from ratings and reviews to sharing features and more to come....

Thanks for the first 24 years. We are working hard to do our best to get better and better in the next 24 (days, months, weeks and years...he says with a smile).

Blogging Gets A Second Wind | Six Pixels of Separation - Marketing and Communications Blog and Podcast - By Mitch Joel at Twist Image

 

I think Mitch Joel has a pretty good post about the value and sustainability of blogging.  It's a bit in keeping with a previous post I wrote about blogging being in the dip (to use a Seth Godin concept).  Mitch Joel references the challenge of video and Twitter to blogging. My earlier post was related to the then attraction of Facebook.  

I still believe that blogs are the most powerful of the many emerging online tools or mediums.  Their open and accessible nature (versus the walled gardens or specialized tools that are needed for video etc); the unfettered frank perspectives that blog authors deliver through a blog; and the blog's/authors availablilty to interact, connect and share in a conversation are tough qualities to beat. 

Other mediums and outlets help bring it together or add some icing to the cake. But so far, the real and substantive connections, it seems to me, are found in blogs. 

Its why I love my job and am always thrilled to break away from meetings and go out and connect and see what's up.

Here is the link to Mitch Joel's post: Blogging Gets A Second Wind | Six Pixels of Separation - Marketing and Communications Blog and Podcast - By Mitch Joel at Twist Image