Where the heck did David Mullen go? |

Where the heck did David Mullen go?

Thu, Jan 27, 2011

Rewind to three years ago. I was just getting started blogging. I needed help. And one of the first people I found (fortunately) that I reached out to for help was David Mullen. Over the months, I got to know David a bit. Wrote up a post about him and his work. And, I’ve even had the privilege of meeting him in person now a few times in the last year here in Minnesota.

But, over the last year or so David has “fell of the grid” a bit as the cool kids say, when it comes to his activity level online.

It’s an occurrence that’s more common than you might think and one I want to explore today.

David’s plight is not unlike many people’s these days. What happened? Life got in the way.

Let me explain.

Over the course of the last year or so, the following has most likely taken up more of David’s time, taking him away from blogging and other social outposts:

* His wife started a business.

* His kids are growing like weeds.

* He earned a promotion and a new role at Mullen.

Life got in the way, right? A new company for his wife has probably meant David’s taken on a bit more of the parenting duties. And, if I know David, he’s probably finding ways to help his wife with the work of running a business, too. He also wants to be a good father, so he’s making time for his kids. And oh, that job thing.

So, the question is: Because David’s not online as much as he used to be, does it make him any less of a counselor when it comes to digital marketing?

It’s a bit different than the “practice what you preach” question, because at one point, David DID practice what he preached. He’s just not doing it anymore.

So, I’ll ask again: Just because an individual doesn’t blog as much as they used to (or, at all), doesn’t actively participate on Twitter, doesn’t answer questions on Quora–does it all impact his ability to counsel clients in that space?

I’ll give you my answer: A definitive no. David has demonstrated a profound ability to understand the social Web. His proof points? His blog from 2008-2010. Google his name. And oh yeah, he’s still working at Mullen. Must be doing something right

So, it’s probably a case by case situation (and it should be noted in this case, David doesn’t solely counsel clients in digital marketing–his purview is much wider). But, I’m curious to know what you think. When someone “falls off the grid” does it impact their ability to coach clients in the realm of digital marketing and PR?

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Ian Gertler

Talk about perfect timing ... I was curious how David was doing, so before considering an email or call I decided to search the usual suspects: Twitter, then Google. The latter brought me here. While I think Arik's post is indeed awesome, the comments below from so many people I respect were just as important.

I've been contacted (actually inundated) by a number of people about new opportunities, a few on the agency side and others on the client side (both Fortune 500 leaders and new start-ups). I've dismissed many, since they didn't seem to be "right." The remaining ones are split between agency and client businesses.

While the roles are actually similar in many ways, I am still debating if these are ones that I should jump on and how it would impact the social presence that I've worked to establish to date. So, this is indeed an interesting subject for me. Who knows? Maybe I'll have the chance to work with some of you more along the way ... whichever path I choose.

I always welcome thoughts, either here or directly.

Best to all of you,@IanGertler
Ian

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Gini Dietrich

I don't know David (so please don't take offense to what I'm about to say!), but I don't agree. As professionals in the agency space it's our job to stay ahead of the trends, test them out, and determine where or if they make sense for our clients. If we aren't using them ourselves, how do we know what works and what doesn't work? Sure David still is Google-able and his blog still gets traffic, but can we really say he knows about Amplify and Quora and Hashable, as they relate to business growth, if he's not using the tools?

David Mullen

No offense taken, Gini. We’re all sharing opinions, and sometimes those differ. :) Speaking of not taking offense, please excuse the novella…

I agree that agency folks need to stay on top of trends and assess if and how clients can leverage them. What I disagree with is that a single person should – or physically can – experiment first hand with every potential new thing – social media, traditional media, experiential opportunities – for a brand to use. And I’m highlighting the words “single person” in that sentence.

If you work that out to its logical conclusion, then I can’t recommend mass media as an awareness driver for my client simply because I don’t watch every single show on every single channel. But that’s why I work with a brilliant media planning and strategy team. Because they know and recommend smart ways and places for us to leverage mass media based on our objectives. Or that I can’t recommend integrating a CRM tool like SAP as a way to develop more customized, compelling, relevant direct marketing efforts because I’ve never single-handedly built one from the ground up. But that’s why I work with a talented digital strategy team to help determine what platform makes the most sense and then help build it in a way that achieves our objectives.

To me, the most important skill in social media isn’t simply knowing how to open an account and hit the publish or tweet or share button. It’s knowing where your customers are, how they interact and – really important key here – how to develop and foster compelling content. I know lots of people who know the ins and outs of how to perform tasks on Twitter or YouTube or Quora, for examples. But they don’t have a clue how to develop content worth interacting with and sharing.

It sounds like you’re saying I can’t recommend social media as a great tool to drive business and connect with customers – after first doing the legwork to ensure their customers are using social media, how they use social media and where they are showing up – just because I’m not personally active on 193 social networks, message boards and content sharing sites. But that’s why I work with brilliant digital strategy, digital analytics and PR/social influence people to help decipher the best places for my clients to show up and then we work together to create great content that achieves the objectives.

Maybe it’s a bit different for me because I have a lot of great resources to partner with, which may not be the case for a consultant. And because a single person can’t personally pour into every single way and place across all touch points that a brand can interact with a consumer, we do things at Mullen to help keep us all on top of trends – monthly luncheons highlighting new learnings from people with expertise in that particular area, a wickedly cool Emerging Media Lab to learn about and play with new gadgets and tools, etc. So that we all stay smart on new opportunities and bring great strategies and ideas to our clients that drive their businesses forward.

Thanks for wieghing in. I'm really enjoying the conversation!

I agree with you, David. I think we're saying the same thing. That's why we divide and conquer at Arment Dietrich - not one of us can be experts at everything. And we talk about best practices and case studies during every one of our weekly staff meetings. You'll see us everywhere and, it's kind of funny, people think they're all me. Even though it's the AD or Spin Sucks account and very clearly reads who is behind the logo. Heck, even on our Spin Sucks Twitter account, we have the face of our chief content officer and people still think it's me.

What I was reacting to was Arik's position that you don't have to participate in order to be effective. I disagree with that.

Ahh. My bad. Sorry I misread that and took up some of your Sunday with the essay I wrote. :)

Heck! I don't mind. Between the two of us, we have a follow-up blog post!

Ari Herzog

There are so many blogs I used to enjoy reading and commenting and sharing and attributing on my own. Blogs owned and written by folks named David Mullen, Warren Sukernek, Andrea Hill, Tiffany Monhollon. Some tweet, some do other online activities. And to be fair, some are more active on different blogs than the primary ones from once upon a time.

Life goes on.

davinabrewer

I had noticed and wondered, suspected it was like this. I think it speaks well of David that he's focusing on work, family what matters and not faking the social for the sake of appearances. I don't think it matters: the skinny chef, the pudgy trainer, or in my case the marketing counselor w/ out a FB page, or David being off the grid. It doesn't change the knowledge, the ideas, the ability to do the job. FWIW.

Nice post Arik, good point made. Looks like you answered your own question though, it's a case by case situation. If a person "falls of the grid" and has the kind of credentials and experience like David their ability to pass on their learnings and guide clients doesn't diminish. More often an experienced professional is able to pick up trends and changes in the field and understand how to leverage them better. It would be interesting to know what David has done for his clients, I'm sure we would learn a lot.

Thanks for the post again, provided a lot of food for thought.

He's alive! :)

Your post and Ryan's comment bring two things to mind for me:

1. Regarding your post, and speaking as a data point of one, interacting less in social media hasn't discounted my ability to counsel clients at all. For several reasons. I work in a integrated agency. (We were named #3 on Ad Age's Agency A-list this past Monday! Awesomeness!!!) I'm not the bearer of social execution and implementation for clients. I'm in an account management role that focuses on product positioning, target segmentation, messaging and then building out integrated MarComm plans to achieve the objectives and strategies we're going to live and die by going forward. If digital makes sense for the plan, and it usually does, then it's one of the great pieces to the touch points puzzle. And, while I have my own ideas, I pull in our crazy incredible resources - like our digital strategy, digital media and PR/social influence teams to help lay out a masterful plan. We have a culture where collaboration is at it's finest. So, while I get social strategy and interaction, I don't have to know the ins and outs of every new social corner of the web or the nuts and bolts of Quora or whatever the hot new thing is. I have a team that does. And we work together to define a brilliant strategy and effective tactics, and then implement them.

2. In regards to Ryan's comment, I can completely attest that is true. While I still get pretty good daily traffic to my blog (thank you SEO), I rarely get @ replies or messaged on Twitter. And when I do drop in to Twitterville and share a link to a good story or blog post, significantly less people click said link. A year or so ago, I'd get about 100 - 200 clicks on a link I shared. The last time I did it, I think I got three clicks, despite having more than 5,000 followers. It's very humbling. :)

All that said, I'm still helping my clients navigate the digital space and brainstorming with other Mullen teams on social strategy and ideas for our other clients. I'm just doing less of it for myself these days.

Thanks for opening up the discussion!

Jackson Wightman

Hey Arik,

Solid post that speaks to a fascinating issue about the digital universe (esp digital PR/marketing).
Of course the fact that David has gone off the grid says nothing about his competencies as a marketer. It is amazing that anyone could feel his being 'less omnipresent' could imply a lack of skill. In fact, it seems to me that he might actually be a better pro due to the experiences he is gaining (I say this not knowing the man at all). I know that, for me, time away from the fast paced, low attn universe of the internet permits for reall attention and the learnings that come with it.

Again, thanks for the post!

Arik Hanson

And, more importantly, like I said, it probably means he's busy counseling clients and doing the actual work, right?

Vedo

Arik, I appreciate this post as a husband and father of two small kids. I know what it's like to *want* to write more and share demonstrated ability for prospective clients and colleagues for trainings, but have life just get in the way.

To answer your question of "does it impact their ability to coach..." I'd say no simply because communication knowledge, strategy, and wisdom is still very much a part of a professional's mind. Just like most things, it all comes back to timing. Good stuff, man.

- Richie

If I've learned one thing the lsat few years, it's just that: Life is ALL about timing. Sometimes it sucks. And sometimes it's wonderful.

Kellye Crane

David is gone, but not forgotten! To your point, I think it's easy to mistakenly discount those who aren't actively engaged as not being knowledgeable. I recently attended a panel where the head of social media for a large company was speaking. Upon seeing he had ~100 Twitter followers and a similar number of tweets, I made disparaging remarks to those sitting with me.

This person then showed significant prowess during his presentation and a tough Q&A, and he taught me several things I didn't know. I won't make that mistake again!

That's the big twist and the shift that's happening now. A year-plus or so ago, if you were working in this world and didn't have an online presence, I think that worked against you. Now, with the proliferation of work out there, that matters far less. After all, how can you maintain an active online profile if you're working diligently on behalf of your clients? Something has to give, right?

JGoldsborough

This is a great question, and a hard one to answer. The easy thing to say is no, of course not. And I think that is the answer to your question, Arik. But Ryan's comment brings up another question that needs to be considered: "If an individual falls off the online grid, does it make he/she any less top-of-mind as a counselor when it comes to digital marketing?"

The answer to the second question, proven by Ryan's story, is an absolute yes! We are very much a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately society in all respects. Now David is a really smart guy who seems to have great relationships online and offline, so his situation may be a bit of an anomaly. But whether you're talking about SEO or a who people think of situation, I'm guessing he is absolutely less top of mind these days. That said, I respect the decisions he has likely had to make. Prioritizing work vs life is very tough. And Maggie and I don't even have kids yet.

Ryan Knapp

Arik - It's funny you mention this because there is a tendency to judge others based on their personal interactions online and less on what they've done from a professional POV. I know just from having tot take a break for the last 6 weeks from pretty much everything personal branding wise how it can help focus efforts on the business, but also how quickly people seem to forget. The most telling part from me was during that time I had very few people send an @ message to me, signaling either the relationships I have are not strong enough or people are also not keeping track of who is around and who is not.

Interesting. You'd think it'd be the other way around, right? But you know what? Sometimes I think client confidentiality gets in the way. With some of the work we all do, we can't always talk about it or promote it. And therefore, no one knows about it (other than the client and our teammates). I know a number of people that I *really* respect that work in digital marketing that have VERY low online profiles, so it's definitely not the indicator of success I might have thought a year ago or so.

Scott Hale

We all agree you have to practice what you preach at some point (and at one point, demonstration of that in the digital world came through a personal outlet) - But people like David Mullen haven't stopped practicing what they preach just because their personal brand has taken a back seat to experiencing life. Good stuff, Arik.

Rich Becker

Arik,

That's the thing about all these online measures. They miss the mark by placing too much emphasis on activity. Nice example Arik,

All my best,
Rich

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Tweets that mention Where the heck did David Mullen go? | -- Topsy.com says:

January 27, 2011 at 10:21 am

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by arikhanson, Alltop PR. Alltop PR said: Where the heck did David Mullen go? http://bit.ly/hqMEKq [...]
Weekly Roundup: Bees In My Bonnet | Waxing UnLyrical says:

January 30, 2011 at 2:51 pm

[...] Where the heck did David Mullen go? by Arik [...]
24: It only works on TV « Here Comes Later says:

February 1, 2011 at 3:47 am

[...] within that context, it was interesting to read a blog post from Arik Hanson asking “Where the heck did David Mullen go?” It’s a great post asking about a guy whom we used to see all the time on social media outlets [...]