CambridgeSide Galleria, my local mall, has a cool Facebook marketing strategy.
They are donating $1 to charity for each person who becomes a fan of their Facebook page.
It’s a great idea on many levels: It’s simple, relevant to their audience, benefits charity and helps grow a way to reach shoppers.

(Image: The Belle of the Ball, Secret Garden After Party Dance, when the Inn is Asleep by Wonderlane on Flickr)

We’re working with a few clients to build LinkedIn groups for their brand.
Before inviting others to join the group, we are starting an interesting conversation with just a few highly engaged members.
The reason behind this is simple and applies offline as well.

If you show up to a party with no people, food or music, then you’ll leave a few minutes later.
I think the same applies online.

If you’re invited to a forum and there’s no conversation, pictures or articles posted, you’ll leave.
Why would you invest time into a community like this? What’s your incentive to contribute?
If you’re building a community for your brand, start the conversation first with a few trusted advocates.

Get the party going and turn the music on.
Then, invite others to dance with you.

(Image: shoes in NY by Tom Parrott on Flickr)

My experience of brands has been deeply informed by people.
I am going to list 5 brands.
Visualize a person you know that loves the brand.

Ready?

• Converse
• Ben & Jerry’s
• Abercrombie & Fitch
• Banana Republic
• Trader Joe’s

When I buy products from these stores, I think of the people they remind me of.
What if different people introduced me to these brands?
My perception would have been different.

How does a brand break free from associations of people who introduce us to it?  And how does a brand leverage this?

The Dalai Lama is on Twitter @OHHDL. At the time I am writing this, his office has posted 15 updates, and he has more than 1,800 followers.
According to his tweet, “His Holiness thought it was prudent to make his office open and assessable to a more youth and technologically advancing audience.”

I am intrigued to see how his office will use Twitter to promote their website, education and inspirational content.

UPDATE 2/10/09

Ok, we were mislead. That Dalai Lama on Twitter was exposed as a fake. See:  http://www.nowpublic.com/tech-biz/dalai-lama-twitter-ohhdl-impersonator for details.