It’s important to take this opportunity to pause and understand what this all means, and what this has to do with social networking. It’s all rather simple and when you come to the conclusion, it will all connect – similar to a psychological thriller. By explaining this, it will also summarize this entire chapter: humans are attention whores.

Society has dictated a style of communication that encompasses tabloids, reality television and social networks. Popularity has become the focal point for many, and the number of “friends” or “followers” on any given network is a score of how popular they really are. Someone who has a lot of followers is “popular”, whereas someone with a few friends is the equivalent of a social outcast in adolescence.

All of this connects to an important element in properly utilizing social networking for your business, product or image – build on that connection.

I cannot stress the importance of building those connections – speaking to one single person in a public forum or acknowledging someone’s statement makes them stand-out. If you’re positively recognizing an individual, your action will have to positive effects:

1. The person who made the statement will suddenly feel empowered. Being recognized brings an overwhelming positive feeling. That positive feeling will connect to you – creating a positive experience.
2. Others who witness this moment of recognition will seek that attention. Like a needy middle-child, they seek approval. Your communication will suddenly become important and your approval is the ultimate goal.

The most successful companies and people who utilize this form of recognition create positive experiences for consumers who may not necessarily purchased from your company or utilized your product. However, this develops a positive opinion which is extremely valuable.

Connecting with people on an emotional level is as simple as that little piece of recognition. Bring yourself back to a place where you were a child who scored well on a school test. Your parent may have put that paper on the refrigerator, displaying your accomplishment for all to see. Imagine now that with social networking, you’re able to do that for consumers on a mass scale.

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Focusing on digital and social media, GUC expects to connect with clients on furthering development of products and brands through the use of “Web 2.0″ tactics. Internal projects, such as Radio Gotham utilized similar tactics as a testing ground for gaining recognition and driving business.

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Gotham Universal Consulting
www.gothamuni.com
www.twitter.com/gothamuni

Capitalizing on a recently vacated format in the New York City market, the station is set to target the New York City market. Specifically, Radio Gotham will launch a promotional campaign targeting an at-work audience. A promotional campaign is expected to begin shortly after the station’s launch.

Unlike most internet-only radio stations, Gotham is seeking to tackle a street campaign in a single market — something unheard of for an internet station. Along with a promotional vehicle, the station will seek recognition by New Yorkers seeking a new outlet for alternative rock music.

The launch of an internet-only station comes at a time when stations, such as this, have perfect opportunity to gain large audiences. CBS Radio and Clear Channel, both prominent names in terrestrial broadcast stations, recently reported internet listener growths nearing 12% in February alone. Additionally, PricewaterhouseCoopers announced today that internet advertising revenue rose 10.6% in 2008, as reported by AllAccess.com.

Radio Gotham will launch with a commercial-free format. On-air personalities, including Donni Khan, Josh Dylan, Tara and Tom West will join the station in the coming weeks.

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Radio Gotham
www.radiogotham.com
www.twitter.com/radiogotham

In addition to kicking off a live format, Wave Universal, which owns Radio Gotham and RadioGotham.com, is expected to re-launch its previous alternative rock online station, Live995, as an all-talk format.

The two stations are expected to work closely together. In fact, as Radio Gotham makes the transition to a live format, talk programming will be included during certain times of the day. Eventually, the expectation is talk programming will transition to Live995, leaving the music format with Radio Gotham.

The music format for Radio Gotham will consist of a mixture of rock, alternative rock and new wave. Artists to be heard in the format include Incubus, Vampire Weekend, Kings of Leon, MGMT, Foo Fighters, Silverchair and Bush. The short list of artists expected to be included in the format was announced Thursday through an announcement on social-networking site, Twitter (http://twitter.com/RadioGotham).

Radio Gotham’s launch is expected during March. Regardding Live995’s spin-off format, no dates have been announced.

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Wave Universal Inc.
www.waveuni.com

Radio Gotham
www.radiogotham.com
www.twitter.com/radiogotham

Live995
www.live995.com

Since much of the programming to be featured is destination based, wtdNYC expects to produce DVDs of programming to freely distribute among travel agencies and local television and cable operators. Also, in addition to programming focused on New York as a travel destination, wtdNYC also expects to branch out to other destination.

Programming is expected to launch by late-May 2009.

For more information, download the wtdNYC One-Sheet:
Download wtdNYC One Sheet (PDF)

The project is currently in pre-production stages and a tentative launch is set for March, 2009.

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The Morning Mash Up
www.moremashup.com

The new website is a significant upgrade from the show’s previous website. The new launch adds video features and interactive listener chat rooms among others while promising the addition of more future add-ons. In addition to building the website, Wave Universal will continue to maintain the site and serve as webmaster to the project.

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Wave Universal Inc.
www.waveuni.com

XM Satellite Radio
www.xmradio.com

Sirius Satellite Radio
www.sirius.com

The website also takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to its name, “The group behind this wanted to program a radio station, but are too lazy to program it 24-hours a day.” (http://radiogotham.com/about). The station promises to offer a variety of programming including “Fahrenheit”, a program dedicated to new and popular alternative hits; “Liquid State”, featuring  mashups, remixes and DJ-takes on popular songs and “Radio Garbage”, a grab-bag style show featuring a mix of various music with a comedic approach.

Listeners may tune in by listening on-demand at www.radiogotham.com or subscribe to the station, for listening on or away from the computer, using the website’s feed at podcasts.radiogotham.com/radiogotham.