I was recently invited by Globaltech Bridge to give a social media overview to a group of Colombian university professors and start-up CEOs. As their proficiency levels varied, they wanted a basic introduction to social media in Silicon Valley, tactics for the most popular platforms, and insights into the future of social media. Globaltech Bridge has the goal to bridge the gap between Latin and North America, by exploring new opportunities and markets.
Here the deck I presented:
Can you master the "Name this Silicon Valley Celebrity Quiz", starting on slide 4?
Social Media in Silicon Valley (& Colombia not Columbia) from MarketingXLerator
It's Colombia Not Columbia
As I was researching social media in Colombia for my talk, I came across this intriguing and well-executed campaign: It's Colombia not Columbia.
What's it all about?
Colombians launched a social media movement to correct the common misspellings of the country's name.
And as this article in the Latin Post reveals, they seem to have had good success; not just in terms of the name but to drum up economic investment.
"The common misspelling has even bothered actor Antonio Banderas, who hails from Spain and was spotted with the "It's Colombia, NOT Columbia!" T-shirt.
With top Colombian celebrities, such as Shakira, Juanes and Sofia Vergara, being featured on every major American network, more people are getting on the Colombian bandwagon and recognizing that the country and its people have a lot to offer and contribute to American society as well as its international scale.
"Carlos Pardo (a digital-media executive at Zemoga, a Bogotá-based digital agency), says Colombia is being written about so often in social media because celebrities as well as investors are finally interested in the country, and that thrills Colombians. Last year, Colombia attracted a record $16 billion in foreign investment," the WSJ added."
Did somebody say social media does not work?
PS: I was impressed by the members of the group I had the pleasure to have lunch with. I had no idea how much energy and start-up activity is currently coming out of Colombia, from very smart people.