Rahaf Harfoush
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Rotman Talk - Strategic Insights from the Obama Campaign
November 30th, 2008I was invited to speak as a part of the Rotman Lecture Series on some of the strategic insights learned from the Obama Campaign that could be applied within organizations. It was a really great experience, and despite a case of the nerves, I had a lot of fun sharing my story. There was a lot of interest so we ended up doing it in the Fleck Auditorium and 295 people showed up! (You can see more photos here)
I removed some of the photos I had in the presentation because they were just too big, and because they were from my personal collection, but the meat is all still there. If there was one point that I wanted to make in my talk, it was that the Obama Campaign clearly highlighted how effective Social Media can be when it is integrated into an organizations strategy (as opposed to an added on afterthought.) The power of New Media is unleashed when it is able to execute a clear strategic vision.
You can view a video of the presentation here. There is an introduction by Proffessor Alex Manu about innovation which is about five minutes long.
Posted in Blog | 16 Comments »
Barack Obama Campaign
November 25th, 2008
I initially started researching the campaign in February of 2008 for my work on Grown Up Digital. When the opportunity to be a part of one of the largest online grassroots movements came along, I just couldn’t say no, and I joined the New Media team as a full time volunteer at National Headquarters.
I worked as a community manager on MyBO, the campaign’s social network, doing everything from approving groups and comments to running usability audits of our online tools, and conducting supporter outreach. After spending months studying the campaign’s online tactics, it was surreal to be able to witness first hand the strategies being executed by Obama’s talented team.
I have compiled my research and personal experiences in a book called “Yes We Did: Strategic Insights from the Campaign that Redefined Modern Politics” (working title!) which explores New Media’s role in the groundswell effort that elected the world’s fist Digital President.
Posted in Consulting, Work | No Comments »
Ted Tuesday - J.J. Abrams and the Mystery Box
November 25th, 2008It’s time for another TED Tuesday! I’m so glad everyone is enjoying them, the feedback I have gotten from people has been great, and I have gotten a lot out of the conversations so far! This week, I’ve chosen one of my favorite heroes, TV genius J.J. Abrams.
J.J. is the brains behind two awesome shows: Alias and Lost. I just fell in love (read: became addicted) with the unique way he weaves a story. Feeding you enough information so that you’re hooked, but never enough that you’re satisfied. Truth be told, it’s a love hate relationship, I have. Especially with LOST - that hatch was driving me crazy!
He is a member of an elite breed of writers that can keep you on the edge of your pants and completely in the dark for an entire season. You just never know what he’s going to do. And everything is so intricate, that you know you have to pay close attention to every scene because every little bit matters in the end. I love his reveals, the way he shows you the clues that have been hidden in plain sight all of this time.
In this talk, he talks about his love for mysteries and the magical gift his grandfather gave him that has inspired him ever since.
Why You Should Watch
As the Emmy-winning creator of the smart, addictive TV dramas Lost, Alias and Felicity, J.J. Abrams’ name looms large on the small screen. As the writer/director behind the blockbuster explode-a-thon Mission: Impossible III, the upcoming Cloverfield and the next Star Trek movie, these days Abrams also rules the big screen — bringing his eye for telling detail and emotional connection to larger-than-life stories.
Abrams’ enthusiasm — for the construction of Kleenex boxes, for the quiet moments between shark attacks in Jaws, for today’s filmmaking technologies, and above all for the potent mystery of an unopened package — is incredibly infectious.
My Favorite Part
I love the part where he talks about how technology has helped us bypass the traditional systems that would have normally prevented us from making movies, and now anyone can do it.
“The creation of stuff is democritized… Go make your movie. There’s nothing stopping you from going out there and getting the technology. You can lease, rent, buy stuff off the shelf just as good as the stuff that’s used by the [pros].”
I love that, there will always be challenges, but no more limits to what your creativity can do.
My Take
I love the mystery box, it’s how I feel when I open a new document to write a story. The anticipation is also mixed with a sense of knowing that no matter what I write, it will never be as good as the potential of what I could write, of everything that page can be. Humans are obsessed with possibilities, with the potential turns our lives can take, and I think the mystery box captures that feeling perfectly.
Sometimes not knowing is better than knowing.
Are there areas in your lives where you feel the same type of potential? When anything and everything is possible? I love those moments because they open your eyes to things we otherwise would dismiss.
Some Extras:
This LOST video made me laugh because it goes through seasons 1-3 and highlights every time a character says “what?” They say it a lot, I probably say it twice as much each time I watch an episode. If you haven’t seen it, give it a chance. Try watching the first season and then stop. I dare you.
Oh and if there are any Alias fans out there, I wanted to post an awesome clip from Robot Chicken called “Whalias” but thanks to copyright laws, I can’t find it anywhere. Thanks antiquated legal system.
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Cool Video - The Next Level of User Generated Content
November 24th, 2008I told you I would be back to my regular blogging tricks, didn’t I? Consider this a mini-post since I’m working on a few longer thought pieces for this week, including a sweet video for Ted Tuesdays!
Jesse found this video online a few days ago, and I keep finding myself looking it up online and watching it. It’s a tribute to uber-composer John William who is responsible for creating some of the most memorable film scores in history including: Star Wars, Superman, Born on the Fourth of July, Harry Potter, Jaws and Indiana Jones.
So the song shows Toronto-native Corey Vidal singing a Star Wars song accapella incorporating a few of John William’s tunes including ET, Jaws, Superman, and Indiana Jones. I was actually going to try to interview Corey to find out some more about him and what he did but then I found his handy FAQ’s and decided to go the lazy route. Everybody wins!
There have been a bunch of people who have tried to take away from the awesomeness of this video because Corey used the help of a company to produce it and he’s lip synching, and to that I say: who cares? The end result was that I was hugely entertained for four minutes, and it’s quite clever.
Let me know what you think, maybe you think it’s lame, but I think it’s such a cool example of how far we’ve come in terms of user generated contented.
My favorite part about working in New Media is being able to see and write about how people use it to express their creativity.
What do you think?
Posted in Blog | 1 Comment »
