TechTalkin’ Social Media for Business

I recently attended the Chesapeake Regional Technology Council's InfoMixer in Annapolis and was fortunate enough to be asked to be the TechTalk speaker for the evening. I gladly accepted, and put together a quick talk about how smart businesses are using social media to engage their consumers in new and meaningful ways-and in the process, achieving any number of business objectives.

I talked about The Sutter Group's use of social media as a tool to build awareness and establish thought leadership among our peers, our work on behalf of the BMW Car Club of America to engage BMW fans that are "on the fence" about membership or already members, and Dell's status as one of the best case studies out there for the power of social media engagement. They've used social media to take customer service to a new level, disseminate corporate news, cultivate innovative ideas and even to hawk hot deals on Dell products. As I told folks at the CRTC event, Dell has made as much as $6.5m on Twitter alone according to analysts.

Now all that said, you'll often hear me note that social media isn't the end-all, be-all in the marketing world (like HERE). As students of the power and importance of integrated marketing, we truly believe that social media needs to be a part of an overall marketing strategy. Working hand in hand with other efforts and mediums, it can be wildly effective in helping businesses connect with its consumers (and even increasing revenue).

Still think it's hype? Check out this article from AdAge about businesses using social media and reaping the rewards. And of course, don't hesitate to give us a shout if you're feeling lost in the woods. We've got you covered there!

by Garret Ohm

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CRTC B2G Tech Focus Seminar

We're signed up and ready to attend the next Chesapeake Regional Tech Council Tech Focus Seminar on November 13^th and wanted to help spread the word. This Tech Focus seminar is being put on by the Business to Government Committee and is entitled "Adapting to the Cloud: Industry's Evolution and  Government's view from the Inside." Here's what you'll learn:

• What is the government's view of "the Cloud" from the inside and the inherent challenges associated with it?
• What can industry do to potentially solve these challenges within the public sector by helping it adapt these technologies/ trends?

The event will feature several CIO panelists who will focus on:

• Emerging technologies/ trends (VMWARE, SaaS, VDI, etc)
• Challenges (Security/ DIACAP)
• Opportunities (Apps.gov.) or what opportunities may exist within this FY(10) within the agency.

The event will be held from 7:30 to 9:30am at L-3 Communications - 2720 Technology Drive, Conference Center, Annapolis Jct., MD 20701. You can sign up here. If any of you would like to go and aren't a member, I'd love to get you in for free. Just send me a note and ask me how!

by Garret Ohm

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NFCR: Golf for a Cure

Our client, The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR), will be holding its 6th Annual Golf for a Cure Classic on Monday, September 14th so we wanted to help spread the word. NFCR is the one of the foremost organizations in the fight against cancer and their goal with the tournament is to raise money so that they can support their many scientists across the country in their quest to find a cure for cancer.  The Sutter Group is excited to be participating by playing as well as creating many of the graphics and marketing materials for the event.

The fundraiser will be held at the Kenwood Golf and Country Club in Bethesda, and will include lunch, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, open bar, live and silent auctions, contests, prizes, and more!  Last year, the event brought over 100 people together, including politicians, scientists, sponsors, and donors from around the world.

Register today at www.GolfforaCure.org or call 1-800-321-CURE (2873) for more information. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to join their Facebook group HERE and follow them on Twitter HERE.

by Garret Ohm

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TSG Sponsors CRTC Mini-Golf Event

The Sutter Group is excited to announce that we have recently signed on to be a “Birdie” sponsor for the inaugural Chesapeake Regional Tech Council Mini Golf Mixer to be held on August 19th at Arundel Golf Park near the BWI Airport. The event, which is chaired by our own Garret Ohm and supported by creative from The Sutter Group, will feature food, drinks, fun, competition and the area’s best tech industry networking. Details of the event can be found HERE.

We hope you’ll join us there. Sign up at the event page on the CRTC website, and be sure to follow all the chatter on Twitter via the page we designed HERE.

by Garret Ohm

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TSG To Sponsor CRTC Event In Annapolis

I’m excited to announce that The Sutter Group has signed on to be a Bronze Sponsor for the Chesapeake Regional Tech Council’s 5th Annual BBQ on the Bay to be held at The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s headquarters in Annapolis on Thursday, July 9, 2009. You can find more information about the event at the following links:

Website
Facebook Event

The event is from 6:00 to 9:00pm at the following address:

Chesapeake Bay Foundation
6 Herndon Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21403
Click HERE for a map

As a Bronze Sponsor, we’ll have a table at the show where we’ll be displaying some of our creative work and meeting a lot of really great people in the Maryland/Washington D.C./Virginia technology world. Please stop by our table and say hello!

by Garret Ohm

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