ME: You are the author of a relatively new blog called Seattle to San Francisco, a social media lover, tech nerd and political junkie. What came first the political junkie part of you or the social media and tech part?
Brandi Cole
BRANDI: I think the tech part of me came first. I had always been interested in computers/tech even in high school. I actually wanted to be a web designer at first, but decided I liked being on the business end rather than the technical end. I had been interested in politics since I was younger too, I think as an influence from my dad who, much to my dismay, was a staunch Reganite when he was my age. The University I went to is very liberal, so of course I was surrounded by a bunch of people who thought just like me. It was actually when I started dating a Ron Paul libertarian that I really got interested in defending my political views and reaching out beyond the normal party line talking points.
ME: Starting in Fall you will be a grad student at Hult International Business School in San Francisco. Hult is one of the best business schools in the world. It is also located at the epicenter of the social media revolution. Why did you choose Hult?
BRANDI: I actually found out about Hult through an alumni of my undergrad program who is currently enrolled in the Digital Marketing program in London. I had originally planned on going to the London campus, but after realizing it was going to be far more expensive and less worthwhile for networking, chose Hult’s San Francisco campus. I chose Hult over some more large brand-name business schools mainly because they are one of the only schools to offer a program in Digital/Social marketing. Also, when they say it’s international, they mean *international.* Hult has 5 campuses globally and I am one of 7 Americans so far at the SF campus and the only American in my program. Lots of people say they can work with all kinds of people, but after this experience, I will truly be able to say that I had a global education.
ME: You certainly are going to have a life changing experience. Your blog is a month old and your posts have primarily focused on metrics and the influence of social media both on its pervasiveness and to some extent on the implications that social has on our both our personal lives and on organizations. What fascinates you the most about social media?
BRANDI: I’m really fascinated by just how FAST social media has changed the way we communicate and connect with the rest of the world. The internet is expanding at breakneck speeds, largely due to the influence of social media sites. I’m usually most interested in HOW people are using social media. Whether it’s personally to communicate with friends/family, professionally to network and build their personal brand, or in a business sense how companies really reach out to their core demographic and connect with their most valuable customers on a one-on-one level.
ME: Those are great questions. Recently when walking through a Best Buy I noticed cameras, tvs and other gadgets all connected in some fashion to the web. Clearly convergence is occurring in many technologies. In your view what does this mean to us as individuals and families?
BRANDI: I think the biggest positive implication of all this new technology that instantly connects to the web is the ability to share instantly. We now think nothing of snapping a pic and posting it to Facebook, allowing all of our friends and family to see just how adorable our dog is being at the moment. However, there are some drawbacks to constantly being connected. There are a lot of people who are adamant privacy advocates and argue that we are not only allowing companies and products to invade our lives, but encouraging it. Also, there are new studies coming out showing that people, especially teens and tweens are becoming increasingly addicted to tech and media. Basically any new technology that’s worth having will most likely come at a price to someone, but it’s up to us as individuals to decide how we use and interact with it.
ME: I couldn’t agree more. So, what about Facebook? What was the real draw for people to Facebook over all the other social networks that were and are still currently available that made it the dominant force it is today?
BRANDI: First off, it’s the sheer numbers. EVERYONE is on Facebook and those that aren’t are generally NOT on because they don’t want to be. As most of us probably saw in The Social Network movie, Facebook’s beginnings were about exclusivity. I signed up for my Facebook account in Fall 2004, when it still required a college .edu e-mail address to sign up with. Back then it was cool because you could share all of your drunken pictures with your friends and not having to worry about offending Grandma or your boss. Nowadays, Facebook has grown so quickly because it’s inclusive. Say what you want about Mark Zuckerburg, but that man and his team know how to ruthlessly market their company. Also, at least in my opinion, Facebook just makes it easy. You can have your entire life on one site, rather than spread out between multiple social networking sites.
ME: That’s great insight. Thank you. About 4 years ago it appeared as if Google was the indomitable force that knew everything about everyone and could do no wrong. They too were ruthless in their marketing. Their mantra of do no evil seemed to be true. Yet we now know that Facebook in the US receives more daily visitors than Goolge. If you can look into the future, lets say 10 years from now, do you believe or would you mind predicting whether the landscape will be dominated even more so by Facebook than today?
BRANDI: Nah. Facebook as it stands now will ultimately be replaced with something new and cooler. However, I think it will take some time. A lot of people were talking about how Twitter was going to kill Facebook when it first exploded on to the scene, but it’s pretty obvious that Facebook is still king. I have to hope, at least for my future career and livelihood, that some form of social media will still be around, and I absolutely believe it will be, but it is always evolving. People will probably eventually get tired of Facebook, just as they did MySpace and Friendster and move on to the next shiny new toy, but the staggering impact that it has had on society won’t change.
ME: In this same time period will bloggers still play a role in social media or will they be absorbed into the larger platforms such as Facebook?
BRANDI: I think that blogging itself will likely still be around, but like everything else, it will evolve with time. I don’t see it being absorbed into bigger platforms like Facebook because that limits the potential exposure of your blog to just those you are friends with. Micro-blogging sites like Twitter are used more for promotion than an actual place to air your thoughts. I think as long as people crave an independent, human voice, blogging will be around for a while.
ME: That’s extremely well said. You’re about to attend an unbelievable business program focused on social media that will undoubtedly provide you with insights and ideas that few of us will be exposed to. Still looking into the future what would your dream position in business be after you graduate?
BRANDI: After I graduate, my main goal is to work as a consultant of sorts, building social marketing plans for companies that coexist with current, traditional marketing plans. A lot of traditional, offline companies are intimidated on how to break into the digital marketing realm, and there is often and “and/or” attitude, but it doesn’t need to be that way.
The best way to promote a digital marketing strategy is to integrate it into an already established traditional marketing strategy and to make sure the message is consistent between all platforms. I think large corporations have embraced the digital front, but there is still a lot of room for growth within the small business market and that’s who I would eventually like to work for. Or ya know, get snatched up by Google and make millions of dollars 
ME: Remember me whatever path you decide on. 
Your blog currently features a collection of interesting metrics and videos and some personal posts. I believe that people fortunate to be in your position, that is those whom are both in the academic environment where you get to debate and discuss possibilities and simultaneously are provided the opportunity to interact and work with some of the most cutting edge tech and social media firms in the world are in a position to truly educate others by sharing the knowledge you gain. There is a saying that the teacher is really the student. Do you plan on using your blog as a way to share some of the more interesting thoughts, ideas and predictions that you discover during your upcoming adventure?
BRANDI: This is exactly the reason I started my blog! I’ve always had a passion for media and voicing my opinions and I post so much stuff on Facebook, I finally decided I should just start a blog. I chose the title “Seattle to San Francisco” because I have been given such a unique opportunity to move down to SF and attend this incredible program. I wanted a platform to share all of the cool things I’m learning and doing along the way. My posts lately have been more social media and tech news heavy, but I originally intended the blog to be more about networking and events. I still try to attend and write about as many events as possible in Seattle (and recently when I was in Portland), and I definitely will have A LOT more to write about once I move down.
ME: Out of self interest, I truly hope you do that. I’ll be an avid reader of yours. So with 3D becoming a reality and the convergence of monitors and TVs seeming to be occurring as well as the digital implants and different digital garments that are starting to enter the marketplace in your view are we going to reach a point where we won’t have to leave home?
BRANDI: I’m not really much of a 3D fan myself, but a lot of people think this is where technology is heading. I think it will be cool for a while, but ultimately the fickle consumer electronics’ market will get bored and move on. I also think that as humans we are social creatures and will always need human interaction. I’m sure there are some people out there who will use new tech to create a virtual habitat that allows them to shut out the world, but I think more people are being exposed to just how amazing it is to be able to communicate with so many different people all over the globe. Personally, I thrive on social connections, networking and physical contact and I use social media and technology as a way to accelerate my social life and networking possibilities, rather than close them off.
Connect with Brandi
Blog: Seattle to San Fran
Twitter: @brandi_cole
kinda like what that you posted . it just isn’t that simple to find even remotely good stuff to read.
- spam
- offensive
- disagree
- off topic
Like