Fortune 100 Series... DreamWorks Animation

Please welcome Frujen Bridgewater (@Frujen) as our guest Media Words writer. He too is a student embracing social media, your comments are welcomed.


DreamWorks Animation is a film production studio that specializes in computer animated films. DreamWorks has developed an international presence operating out of the US, London, England, and Toronto, Canada. They have dominated the box office with films such as Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda.


So I wondered if they have implemented social media into their marketing strategy? They have a large outreach program working through schools to inspire and discover the next generation of animation superstars which dates back to 2005. I got in touch with the folks at DreamWorks to ask them more about their Social Media strategy but no one knew who was responsible for it. In many ways that's ok, proof that the many DreamWorks groups out here have grown organically.

DreamWorks is currently promoting on their homepage that they are on Twitter. They can also be found on networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and YouTube, and it seems they are creating a stronger presence all over the web. I've been able to see that they use these social networking tools for recruiting employees, promoting the business, and most obviously for promoting their products. The are using Twitter and most recently tweeted about Shrek the Musical. Twitter is also where they dropped the news, they'll increase their film quota to producing a total of 5 new movies every other year and included a link to see what's on deck.

By using social networks such as Facebook to spread the news, DreamWorks is able to push its newest productions into the minds of their fan base. Perhaps even more importantly, they enable their fans to stay connected and continue to enjoy their favorite characters and films. In Facebook alone they have fan bases that break 600,000 members just in Shrek fan clubs alone. With this kind of representation it is no wonder that films such as Kung Fu Panda are grossing approximately 632,000,000 dollars worldwide. Also while promoting the sequels of their box hits to the public, they are introducing three new movies: How to Train Your Dragon, Oobermind, and The Guardians (the title isn't set in stone).

I can't help but imagine the connection and additional loyalty that could be harnessed if DreamWorks were listening to the voices in these social streams with more focus. The additional value they could bring into the business and to their customers has tremendous potential.

By: Frujen Bridgewater
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Businesses using Social - Part 1

I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise that so many businesses are still tip toeing around the social media space... but for me, I'm surprised everyday by just how many really smart business people are still afraid to broach the subject. And frankly, how many really smart people are disregarding the subject as "Twitter/Facebook fluff", deeming it irrelevant for their level of business. Its understandable to disregard something when its so overwhelming - remember Waltzing with Bears?. Just getting you're head around what it is and what it means is a big leap. Unless you're in MarComm or Social Tech the huge shifts in communications probably hasn't reached a recognizable threshold yet.

During a meeting last week I found myself answering a frequently asked question "So who (in business) is doing this (going social)?" The question's been qualified with "tell me only about best in class companies". Folks want examples and ROI which is completely understandable but if we're being honest, not completely practical or tangible in the ways we're used to.

The answer isn't simple because many organizations have been embarking on enterprise social media strategies that are not really visible to the public but that have had tremendous impact on their corporate culture, especially multinational organizations. Some of the effects have been great and many have had to learn from mistakes or struggle. But the idea that what we're talking about doesn't fit the traditional evaluation criteria is tough.

I've put together slideshares that can answer some of the basic questions but the rest require lengthy conversations to bridge the knowledge and understanding gap. The learning takes time and so the more that can happen up front and independently the better everyone is served. We need hyper-relevant material that we can provide to these very smart people so they can be learning on their own without feeling overwhelmed or being distracted by the "buzz stuff".

So I started thinking about writing a Fortune 100 blog. Researching and collecting what the Fortune 100 have done with social media, internally and externally. I know my clients' questions are not unique and I'm sure many other folks like me can put that kind of resource to good use in answering their customers' questions.

The catch is...its going to be a lot of work to collect all of this. That said, I've decided to keep it public so it can be shared for anyone else who can benefit from it and if you're in-the-know, have a blog or article on any of the Fortune 100 that is focused on their initiatives in social media, especially at an enterprise level, then please contribute here (feel free to post a link in the comments). I'll post as often as I can and will hopefully be able to act as a digital curator on the topic and produce a meaningful collection of business resources for us all.

Twitter Feed for Tweets containing Fortune 500 and Community or Social

Adventures in the Social Universe

Discovering Ways for Nonprofits to Thrive Online


So, it's been about two months since I left my job at New Hampshire Public Radio as the Senior Director of Marketing and Development to join Aleuromedia and immerse myself in social media and online marketing. I'm absolutely loving working for myself, and having a blast meeting and talking with nonprofit professionals and business leaders looking to put social networking to use at their organizations. So much fun and so much more to learn!

I've been thinking a lot about the things I want to explore with you in this blog... And when it comes right down to it, I want to discuss everything I'm learning as I become more and more obsessed with and excited about interactive media and the evolving online Universe.

Yes, obsessed and excited are strong words - but hey - I'm a superlative sort of person. I really do feel like an adventurer... learning and discovering new things each and every day. The really cool part is I see so many ways in which nonprofits can use the things I'm learning about to thrive, both online and off.

Twitter, Facebook, Yammer, Social Actions, delicious, Digg, Flickr, blogging... they all allow you and more importantly your constituents to tell your organization's story in incredibly dynamic and vibrant ways.

Think of my space within this blog as a travelogue through the social universe, exploring successful online communities and why they work, finding the best nonprofit social and online straetgies and tools, discussing how you can delve into this world efficiently, and have fun doing it at the same time.

What questions do you have? What worries you? What excites you? What confuses you? Let me know and if I don't have answers - you can bet I'll find them for you! I'm having the time of my life connecting nonprofits with the social universe... lucky me!

You can contact me here, on Twitter, through Facebook, through LinkedIn, or email me at tara@aleurosolutions.com.

I'd love to hear from you any time!

Off to distant online lands...
Tara Mahady
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TMahady