Join the Conversation: How to Engage Marketing-Weary Consumers with the Power of Community, Dialogue, and Partnership

Last week on my way down to WOMMA-University I threw Joseph Jaffe's latest tome - Join the Conversation in my bag. Once the doors to the plane closed and I could no longer frantically update Twitter, I opened it up and started reading. (We sat on the ground a LONG TIME so by the time I made Miami; I was through the whole thing.) Now a couple of weeks ago in my review I said that Groundswell is the how-to book for marketers wishing to play in a post-cluetrain world - and I now see that Join the Conversation bridges the intellectual divide between The Cluetrain Manifesto and Groundswell. The first half of the book is a bit scholarly - and while I was a bit put off by this at first, I really appreciate it having finished the book. When Jaffe reaches back to George Orwell's on media and connects it to Web 2.0 a single word pops into my mind. Subversive. That's what this whole social computing movement is. It's subversive because it's a revolution that takes power out of the hands of giant corporations and gives it back to people. With the Internet as plumbing we can find our tribe and talk to them - regardless of time and distance. Jaffe makes the point that Orwell would have loved the subversive nature of this revolution - the new age of conversation. Power to the people! Jaffe makes a passionate argument that markets are conversations - so of course marketers must be involved. Before reading the book I considered myself a bit of a Purist (on the Purist => Corporatist Scale) and I still do. What comes clear is how this apparent gulf between people and corporations can be bridged. It is simple really; corporations need to act human if they want to participate in the conversation. And that means giving up control, not always being right, respecting people building relationships instead of running campaigns, listening and acting like caring human beings. <br /> <br />Along with lots of great examples of how companies are doing things right in conversational marketing, he has some great counter examples - and he's not afraid to call them out! (TIP: If you find yourself asking the lawyers to contact one of your best customers who is doing something odd with your brand or product, you are about to nominate yourself for the "Join the Conversation Hall of Shame". ) <br /> <br />My favorite thing about this book? Jaffe is very passionate about this subject and he doesn't pull punches. He is happy to get in an argument - and even offend if he thinks you don't get it. I also like the scholarly approach of the first half, because with this Join the Conversation provides the intellectual grounding in how corporations can get on board the Cluetrain. <br /> <br />[...] <br />TO'B

Jaffe's first book, Life After The 30-Second Spot, quickly became the "must-read" book for all Marketing and Communications professionals. It was a steadfast look at how the Internet and technology was changing the media landscape, and what Advertisers needed to start paying attention to. I enjoyed Life After The 30-Second Spot so much that my company, Twist Image, bought a crate and handed them out liberally to employees, colleagues and clients. Jaffe's latest, Join The Conversation, telescopes deeper into online communities and dissects how everything from YouTube to Blogs are changing the media landscape. The book even includes a chapter titled, Why Are You So Afraid Of Conversations?, that was user-generated (Jaffe set-up a wiki and empowered anybody who saw fit to write a couple of paragraphs for this chapter - of which I took part). The book is rich with examples coloured with Jaffe's commentary (pointing out the good, the bad and the bleh) and this is what makes it so valuable. Case studies, business cases and research tends to be the call from the C Suite when Social Media and Web 2.0 programs are mentioned. Join The Conversation displays the many companies (big, medium and small) who have tried it, what the results were and, according to Jaffe, how those programs could have been extended or improved upon. On first read, the book seems slightly disjointed and lacking flow (almost like a bunch of individual Blog postings), but by the end it all comes together and by second glance, it makes perfect sense. Along with his own, unique research into what Advertisers and Marketers think about "Conversational Marketing," Jaffe builds a strong case for why companies (and Marketers, in particular) need to do more than simply experiment with these channels - but fully embrace them. And while we all still question whether or not Marketers are wanted as a part of these very dynamic conversations that are taking place, one need look no further than Join The Conversation for a plethora of insights into how it can work when done with authenticity, transparency and, above all, passion. Join The Conversation is Jaffe at his best. His own passion rings through on every page (along with his snarkiness) and there's enough humour and sarcasm to keep the pace fresh and fast. The book also snuggles in perfectly between Life After The 30-Second Spot and his Blog/Podcast, Jaffe Juice. Tag-team this with Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin and you've got your fill of Marketing books covering the New Media, Social Media and Web 2.0 landscape.

This is an absolute MUST for anyone who works in Marketing or Advertising.Even if you're scared silly of the constantly mutating new media technologies, Jaffe's point is comfortingly simple: your customers are already out there talking about you - all ya gotta do is listen. Jaffe reveals exciting times ahead with bucketloads of opportunities to engage and involve the me.me.me generation. If you're looking for something to get you fired up this year - then 'add to cart' now. You'll be quoting from this book 7 days a week.

Very informative and written in Jaffe's distinctive and entertaining style. Anyone who has even the most remote interest in advertising should read this book.