Acknowledgments This book is, first and foremost, an acknowledgement to the collective contributions of professionals, business executives, organizational leaders and an entire “social media” industry that has dedicated itself to delivering on the opportunities that the Social Web offers: the opportunity to understand, first-hand, what markets are saying, the opportunity to identify specific influencers and to quantify the impact that social media has as a result on markets and the businesses and organizations that serve them, and the opportunity to learn faster, to adapt more quickly, and to build and bring to market the next generation of globally acceptable, sustainable goods and services.
Following the founding principles of the Web, I’ve built on shared knowledge: There is barely a page that is 100 percent “mine.” Instead, this book is my point of view and my insights—shaped by my experiences largely in business—in the context of a growing, collective body of knowledge that is itself available to all via the Social Web. For the professionals whose names appear inside I am indebted: It is my hope that I have likewise contributed. In particular, I’d like to acknowledge Starbucks and Dell, both of whom I am passionate about and whose products I buy.
Their work in redefining their own business processes—driven by marketplace realities that emerged through the Social Web—which they have then shared openly so that others may benefit stands as testament to what can be accomplished when customers and their points-of-view and willingness to collaborate toward the betterment of the brands they love are fully recognized. As well, an acknowledgement to my friends at SAS Institute, Lithium Technologies, Alterian, and each of the professional services and consulting firms I often work with.
For my family and friends, and the business executives and organizational leaders I’ve had the pleasure to work with. I’ve learned from all of you. Thank you. On that note, a special acknowledgement for the people I have had the pleasure of working with around the world: For Sunil Agarwal, Gaurav Mishra and my colleagues at 2020Media and 2020Social in New Delhi and across India, for the experiences gained with Austin’s Z3 Partners, FG SQUARED and Social Web Strategies, Marco Roncaglio and the Philips’ Consumer Business Units in Amsterdam, Johni Fisher and the Looppa team in Buenos Aires, Ian Giles and Thindata in Toronto, and Clara Nelson with the American Marketing Association my sincere appreciation: You have shaped my understanding of social media as it applies to business and causerelated marketing on a global scale.
And of course, Austin, Texas—to Jim Butler, Gary Kissiah, John Harms, Hugh Forrest and the staff of SXSW Interactive, and to Hal Josephson and San Francisco’s Multimedia Development Group, who inspired me in 1994 to have Austin declared—by charter—as friendly to the emerging Internet technologies that would come to define both cites.
