Remember the movie called Six Degrees of Separation starring Stockard Channing (you know Rizzo from Grease?). O.K. so I’m showing my age now. It also starred a young Will Smith and Donald Sutherland, but enough of that! I had the pleasure of recently reading the script of the play upon which the movie is based. It was written by John Guare in 1990 and it raised this fantastic concept that we are separated at most by only six other people from every other person on this planet. The line itself is said by one of the main characters in the play, Ouisa, and she says…..

“I read somewhere that everybody on this planet is separated by only six other people. Six degrees of separation. Between us and everybody else on this planet. The President of the United States. A gondolier in Venice. Fill in the names. I find that A) tremendously comforting we’re so close and B) like Chinese water torture that we’re so close. Because you have to find the right six people to make the connection. It’s not just big names. It’s anyone. A native in a rainforest. A Tierra del Fuegan. An Eskimo. I am bound to everyone on this planet by a trail of six people. It’s a profound thought.”

You can watch the movie trailer where this line is repeated (more or less) or find out more about the history of the theory which apparently came from Nobel Peace Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi who attempted to find out the number of radio relays he would need to cover the earth.
Either way, it sure is a profound thought. There was even a game that someone dreamed up called “The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” game…… you had to figure out how you were connected to the movie actor, Kevin Bacon (again, it’s an age thing).

But that was back in 1990 (or ’93 for the movie). It’s now 2011 and with social media being the “connection mecca” that it is, I started to wonder how many degrees of separation there are now between me and every other person on this planet. Surely it has to be less than 6……. 4?……. 3?…… who knows? And is it still comforting that we’re now even closer or is it even more torturous because we’re so close. Am I really that bothered about not being connected to an Eskimo or a gondolier in Venice or even Kevin Bacon? I have to admit that I like using Facebook and LinkedIn as a way of connecting with people I might not otherwise have had the chance to. But there are also times when people have tried to connect with me and I’ve thought “I wish it hadn’t been quite so easy for them to find me!” So maybe it’s not about how many degrees of separation there are but how quickly we now can make those connections. Finding “the right six people” (as Ouisa put it) is easier and faster than it’s ever been.

Perhaps John Guare needs to write a sequel to this much loved play and movie to bring it into the 21st century. If he did, what do you think the title of the play would be today? Would it be “Three Degrees of Separation” or would it be “Six Degrees of Separation at the Speed of Light”? Or perhaps you’ve got a better idea?

A first for Australian television, Channel 7’s live coverage of Cyclone Yasi via Skype kept the station ahead of the pack. Whilst other networks were travelling with the customary camera crew, Grant Denyer (Sunrise) lightened his load, by reporting live with an iPhone, Skype and a handheld camera.

In the information age, breaking news has fallen into the hands of bloggers, tweeters and basically anyone with a social media account.  Journalists have to compete as much with ‘citizen journalists’ as those in their own profession. Our thirst for immediacy has gravitated us towards digital news consumption and many are predicting the death of the newspaper.

Nevertheless, Channel 7’s approach illustrates how an industry can adapt with the new to continue delivering to their audiences.  A game changer, it won’t be surprising if we see a lot more of this on our screens in future.

I think it only fitting that in honour of Australia Day, we take a moment to look at 2010’s top 10 most trusted brands.

How are brands related to Australia Day? Well, when Brand Asset Consulting released the results for the top 10 most trusted brands as rated by Australians, 9 of those 10 were overseas brands.

And 9 of those 10 most trusted brands were also technology brands.

BUT! The number 10 most trusted brand, was bizarrely and brilliantly, VEGEMITE!

Gotta love that. And yes, I know it’s now officially a Kraft brand, but I think that still counts.

What is it about Vegemite that has it up here with these other brands? It’s clearly a very different brand in terms of a product, so is this indicative of Australian’s nostalgia for the past? Particularly in the light of all things new and techy?

While immersing ourselves thoroughly in technology, social media and the internet, does Vegemite keep us grounded?

Or perhaps what it is saying is that we are now so comfortable with technology and it’s providers that it has become as entrenched in our day to day lives as a slice of Vegemite toast for breakfast?

Definitely food for thought. ;)

So to my fellow lovers of all things Vegemitey, I salute you. And here’s hoping that more Aussie brands make it into next years top 10 list!

Here is the full list of Brand Asset Consulting’s top 10 most trusted brands:

1. Google (search engine)
2. Microsoft
3. Google (portal)
4. Microsoft (office)
5. Nokia
6. Sony
7. Apple
8. eBay
9. Apple iPhone
10. Vegemite

As a man I’ve been told that I am unable to simultaneously undertake a number of tasks at the same time. This is the domain of the female, who thanks to some clever wiring in the brain, which men do not possess, is able to have 3 conversations, shop, text, check email and read the latest copy of Women’s Health all at the same time. OK, maybe that is a little over the top, or is it?

Technology these days allows us the freedom and the ability to undertake tasks simultaneously. Ever since mobile phones were released, it was not enough for us just to make a phone call. We’ve always wanted more. From giving us the ability to text and take a grainy picture while playing a game of ‘Snake’ through to today’s smartphones which allow us to do so much more at the one time. Take the recently released Windows Phone for instance. The home screen alone allows you to see your calls, emails, text messages, social network updates, photos and even more all at the same time. Think about the level of information available to you and this is even before you look up and take in your actual physical surrounds.

The question then stands, with all this information coming at us at once, how much of it are we actually taking in? Can we actually soak up everything we are bombarded with?

In the work place, studies have found that this information overload is a serious issue, with a study of 1,700 people by LexisNexis indicating that 49% of respondents couldn’t deal with the amount of information that they were being presented with each day. This is work related information of course but then put on top a personal life and the need to be connected with this each day, makes this statistic a little frightening.

With the seemingly unending pursuit of having our lives at our fingertips added to the responsibilities that we have in the workplace, something has got to give. Of the 49% studied by LexisNexis, 51% of them said that they were on the verge of giving up. Not a good sign.

Given that the ability to connect with the outside world is likely to continue increasing in complexity as time goes by, I think it is time that us males learn how to multi task better!

Author’s Note: Whilst writing this blog, I was not on Facebook, texting or reading Women’s Health.

Entering into the new decade, technology is reshaping our working habits and driving us to think innovatively about the office in the 21st century. Whilst most offices in Australia may still be operating on a 20th century mindset, the coming years will see an increase in teleworking opportunities in businesses worldwide.

Factors driving the shift:

Flexibility

Deskwork no longer needs to be limited to a static place, space and time – allowing for a larger degree of flexibility and work/life balance. Working remotely cuts down commuting time, and for some, saves hours of sitting in traffic. Analysts predict that as Gen Y forms the majority of the workforce, greater value will be placed on a flexible working week.

Expense

Businesses seeking a competitive edge may begin to reduce the overheads of operating a traditional office. Technology that allows immediate connectivity facilitates a virtual office, relieving the costs of running a building space.

Environment

With an emphasis on a sustainable future, the 21st Century office will be a resource efficient working environment. Through decreasing the carbon emissions of work related travel, and adopting online methods of creating and sharing material – the environmental impact of our working activities is expected to be reduced.

Whilst employers may be apprehensive about staff slacking off, technology is in place to monitor employees remotely (random screen grabs, tabs on key strokes and mouse clicks). The ‘21st Century Office’ aims to achieve greater productivity, whilst creating a more sustainable infrastructure. Thinking ahead to the next decade, where will your office be?

CSIRO is currently creating technology that could one day assist market researchers in dealing with self-report bias. In a nutshell, CSIRO is designing software that allows computers to accurately identify human emotions in facial expressions, even micro-expressions (which may only be present for 1/15 of a second on the participant’s face). Already the software shows potential with its accuracy, and as technology advances, it can only become more precise.

Humans are very skilled at recognising facial expressions; we do it subconsciously in every interaction we have. At the same time, we send out our own signals to others – whether intentional or involuntary. It is the involuntary expressions that may be of most interest to the market research industry.

Machines detecting even the slightest expression may help relieve doubts of self-report bias (social desirability, a tendency to agree, leniency or harshness etc.). Another approach to add to the industry toolbox, keep an eye on this!