Changing the Way Business and Government Do Business

In the world of economic development, technology has drastically changed the way business and government do business.

KMK Consulting, a comprehensive economic development consultancy focused on business success and community prosperity, was quick to recognize this shift in the marketplace.   Through two major solution groups directly serving economic development partnerships and business enterprises, KMK brings the highest levels of expertise, experience, professionalism and integrity to their clients across the United States.
 
Building and sustaining high performance economic development organizations and communities mean consistently providing successful solutions to their clients who work to build consensus among their diverse and dispersed groups of stakeholders and citizens.
 
KMK recognized the power of Neighborhood America’s technology and the company’s track record.  The two companies recently entered into a strategic alliance to broaden the range of KMK services to its clients to include Web-based collaboration.  Together, they provide public and private sector customers with the top solutions in consultation and engagement.

The Case for Enterprise Social Networking
by Rachel Happe

Rachel Happe of IDC is one of our industry's top analysts. Her blog, The Social Organization, explores how social media is changing communications within organizations.

Read her assessment of what the industry's winners look like and check out our video, "Enterprise Social Networks: World Changing Concepts," featured in The Social Organization.



Better Process Podcast
by Ken Rayment

Ken Rayment's podcast focuses on innovations that can improve our nation's manufacturing processes. Listen to Neighborhood America EVP Dan Miller as he shares our value proposition with this industry in Podcaster News.

Ready to Make a Splash?

The talk surrounding the role of social networks in the enterprise often leads to skepticism.

What value does it add? What tangible results can be achieved?

Many organizations are taking a dip-a-toe-in-the-water approach, but the smart ones are making a splash.

With the right strategy in place, Neighborhood America’s impressive list of customers is proof that engaging consumers with enterprise social networking technology works. And that technology… just got better.

Neighborhood America recently announced the release of ELAvate, the latest version of its technology solution. The ELAvate trademark is significant in that it represents the company’s tagline, “Engage. Listen. Act.” But more importantly, it describes a growing need by organizations seeking greater value from consumer engagement to “elevate” the organization’s results.

To learn more about ELAvate, visit: www.neighborhoodamerica.com/elavate.

A New World for Marketers and Corporate Communicators

David Meerman Scott, nationally recognized speaker and author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR, is our featured presenter at this month's 2008 Leadership Series.

David will address how to use news releases, blogs, podcasting, viral marketing, and online media to reach buyers directly. While Neighborhood America shows customers how to build strategic communities, David can help them learn ways to promote those communities.

The March 13 conference is being held at the Ritz Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida. For more information on attending, contact Gwen Wright at (239) 591-6804, or gwright@neighborhoodamerica.com.


Top Media Companies Answer the Call of Social Media

On February 22, sunny San Diego was the place to be for the best minds in corporate marketing from around the country.

The Online Marketing Summit (OMS) featured Neighborhood America’s Senior Director of Sales, Jason Breed, presenting a session called, “Web 2.0/Social Media Case Study: Now What?”

Jason made the point that social media offers companies a tremendous opportunity for insight and outreach, if they keep three things in mind: 1) know the audience, 2) develop and implement an overall strategy, and 3) utilize the best technology.

Jason outlined examples from several Neighborhood America customers, including Kodak Gallery, whose online community encourages members to promote new uses of their products and services within the community. He also highlighted Scripps Networks and their HGTV online community called Rate My Space, which generates 22 million monthly page views and fueled 3 additional campaigns.

It’s all about developing interactions that bring value to the organization. Many companies are figuring this out, but the ones that haven’t are getting left behind quickly.

Social Mining: Turning Relationships into Gold


Word-of-mouth and social networks are the most valuable marketing engine, but how do you tap into this when paying also undermines the credibility of relationship?

That’s the topic Neighborhood America’s Director of Business Development, Steve Ennen, spoke about at the Web 2.0 NY Summit on January 31.

Known as the “Monetizing Conference,” Web 2.0 NY is the first forum to focus on the revenue-generating side of Web 2.0, especially as it relates to the advertising world. Steve’s session, “Social Mining: Turning Relationships into Gold,” focused on social media and the relationships between company-agency, social media firm-customer/consumer. The panelists, which also included Craig Calder, Yovia, and Heath Row, Double Click, offered industry insights and practical information.

Steve shared marketing strategies and tactics for the crowded world of online communities, and how to avoid the shotgun approach to the MySpace and Facebook crowd.

“It is clear that even sophisticated marketers are overwhelmed by the number of emerging technologies claiming to be marketing panaceas,” said Steve. “I think that is why Neighborhood America makes great strides and trusted partnerships through a strategic approach that guides marketers on how to reach goals through thoughtful, holistic ways that transcend the latest bells and whistles.”

Allen Stern of CenterNetworks moderated the interactive discussion.