Girls In Tech

Alexis Stack is a digital strategist with 10 years of integrated marketing experience.  As a consultant, Alexis focuses her energies helping lifestyle brands achieve the growth and reach they seek.  Working for advertising agencies in New York City, Alexis has developed her keen sense of trend forecasting and a passion for innovation and emerging technologies.  This led her to create Diary of a Labellover, a site dedicated to her passion for fashion and a forum for which she can evangelize brands and help position their viability in the marketplace.

Alexis is Marketing Manager of Girls in Tech, NYC

It seems like every nanosecond there is another app being born from a Twitter or Facebook API. In a world where people are accustomed to an overload of information and instant gratification via their coveted “social networks” we often have to remind ourselves of what really is important and the value that those networks bring.

When the ipod first came out I thought it was the end of engagement with strangers forever. It seemed to be a great excuse to not have to engage with people anymore and all with the introduction of 1,000 songs in your pocket. However, the presence of Twitter has changed the game. It has proven to be a great lesson more than any other social network. Engaging with brands and individuals through tweets has blossomed many incredible business opportunities and new relationships. Smashing Darling is a great example of a contact born from Twitter and nurtured in real life. A brand that was happy to support the NYC chapter when asked for the Spring Bash event we recently hosted.

At a recent Business Development Institute conference discussing how brands use social media, it was inspirational to hear how Tyson Foods, a brand just known for chicken, had become a social force by partnering with local food banks nationwide in an valiant effort to aid hunger relief. Although the joke seemed to be that their media relations department had no “real budget, just chickens” the executives at Tyson were stunned by the warm reception they received by local social media organizations, particularly Social Media Breakfast of Boston who helped rally to their cause and secured 70,000lbs of food on behalf of their local foodbank. In case you don’t know how much 70,000lbs is that is 54,000 meals!

Social networks and technology have proven to be an invaluable utility that foster a means not only to push boundaries but also reach out with that human touch. Creativity and passion are not sparked by things they are sparked by people and that is why human relationships will always transcend technology. If you have a similar experience please share it.