Is Britney Spears Socially Stupid?

Last week was an interesting one in the world of New Media. Two new high profile jobs were in the headlines. Anyone interested in Viral Marketing should be watching these very closely.

In Washington DC, President Obama unveiled his new DIRECTOR OF NEW MEDIA FOR THE WHITE HOUSE. Meanwhile, Britney Spears began her search for a 2.0 MEDIA MANAGER.

High profile positions like these can do nothing but legitimize the need for solid Social Media planning. The question is...can Britney Spears keep from screwing this up?

DIRECTOR OF NEW MEDIA FOR THE WHITE HOUSE

Early last week, within minutes after the inauguration, a brand new blog was introduced at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/. As a result, we were more formally introduced to Obama's New Media mastermind...Macon Phillips:

As the week (and even the weekend) progressed, it became apparent that we are dealing with a different White House. So far, The White House Blog has been a pretty readable combination of press-release/policy information and some slightly more candid quotes from our latest President. There has also been an occasional (and refreshing) behind-the-scenes editorial:

"For incoming White House staff, the past few days have been a singularly thrilling -- and learning -- experience. Wide-eyed staffers roam the halls of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with thick stacks of HR paperwork in hand, new phone numbers are being memorized -- and the line for coffee and club sandwiches is starting to grow as word spreads about the White House Mess. It's safe to say that working at the White House isn't something anyone can prepare for, but the career staff continue to work tirelessly to make the first few days as smooth as possible."

It will be very interesting as time goes on the see how much of this editorial aspect remains. Day-in-the-life, behind-the-curtain, insider glimpses of what it's like to be in the White House everyday...that's pretty engaging stuff. The amount of personalization and transparency used in future posts will surely determine whether this becomes a blog for the common man...or merely an unused tool for the press. I cheer for the common man. This type of "open" communication will go a long way in times like these.

BRITNEY SPEARS 2.0 MEDIA MANAGER

Also in the news last week, as if stealing directly from the Prez playbook, pop-tart Britney Spears posted a new job listing:

If anyone needs an online makeover right now, it's Ms. Spears. Building a better Britney through Social Media is a logical plan. The problem is that the above job posting only appeared (as far as I can tell) on a Harvard job board. Apparently Britney's people think there is a pedigree in Social Media. Bad move!

Consider the new DIRECTOR OF NEW MEDIA FOR THE WHITE HOUSE, Macon Phillips. It can be argued that this guy holds the top New Media job in the country right now. Currently, Phillips is the poster boy for Word-Of-Mouth Marketing. Interesting to note...Macon Phillips went to a university with a watchable basketball team:

HARVARD NEW MEDIA SPECIALIST

Oh, by the way. It looks like Harvard is also looking for a New Media Specialist. This posting is showing up on job boards all across the nation:

Funny...looks like Harvard isn't limiting their search for a New Media pro to just the Boston area.

That would be social stupidity.