February 14, 2010

Where's Rob?


Next time your out at a sporting event, see if you can get Rob's attention ... with the help of an entire section (or two, or three).

Thanks to groups like Improv Everywhere, you will soon be caught in so-called flash mobs. If you live in NYC, you're probably more familiar with them. No Pants Subway Ride. Frozen Grand Central. It didn't take long for companies to capitalize on this movement, check out this T-Mobile dance in Liverpool, England.

My initial thought when watching these videos was "I wish I would've been there." Certainly these events are meant to create unique experiences and lasting impressions, ask anyone involved (participant or bystander) in any of the above videos.

However, what I did not realize what the power of mobile devices in making this happen. These gatherings are organized via mobile devices, social media, or viral emails. Makes you wish you had more friends on Facebook in order to increase your chances of joining in the next flash mob. Think worldwide pillow fight - it's already happened.

The power of mobile 2.0 is scary. The negatives are obvious with security concerns about GPS enabled smart phones and Big Brother watching over you, hackers, stalkers, etc. But then you think of how thousands of people can gather in an organized fashion in a matter of minutes or hours to carry out an unusual (and most times, pointless) act for a short amount time and the real power to social media comes to life.

Most recently, a snowball fight erupted in DuPont Circle last weekend after the Snowmageddon made its way through DC. As everyone in DC knows, this is a town that is well-practiced in using social media to rally supporters at political events...but in this case, why not use Facebook and Twitter to host a few harmless snowball fights?

5 comments:

  1. These videos are pretty awesome! It's funny because I don't think I would have ever thought how companies could capitalize on flash mobs, but the T-Mobile video certainly makes sense. The only thing I wonder about is whether the cost of putting something so huge together actually results in enough "touches" to justify it...

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  2. Social media has so many applications and the whole flash mob scene is a cool, creative example of its entertainment value. Good post.

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  3. Do you think Kogod students should stage something in DC? I think we could do something similar to the umbrella thing.

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  4. i'm definitely for it, perhaps for commencement?

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  5. I am in for it! It will be super cool..

    You know what impressed me the most; how could so many people synchronize their moves? Its brilliant!

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