Advertising and marketing are the true operating systems and economic forces behind the seemingly free “Web 2.0″. Nevertheless, the ’social media’ shifts from one-to-many, top-down mass communication models to interpersonal exchange may impact their industries in the same way in which the music industry had been hit by the mp3 revolution. Social media advertising and viral marketing tap into virtually every issue of contemporary media professions and communication culture. Yet it remains to be seen – and discussed during this conference – whether growing concerns over privacy and control are already reversing the trend.

The first day of the conference will focus on social media and marketing, the second on viral media cultures from William S. Burroughs to 4chan.

Monday, April 12th: Social media as marketing media – is the trend turning, and in which direction?

Public day conference, Piet Zwart Institute, Mauritsstraat 36, 3012 CJ Rotterdam

(Participation is free and open for everyone.)

11:00

Florian Cramer (Piet Zwart Institute) and Marc Schwieger (Undschwieger, previously creative director and partner Scholz & Friends, Hamburg): Welcome and introduction: Advertising, the operating system behind “Web 2.0″; how the advertising industry still risks suffering the fate of the music industry

11:30

Darija Medic, artist and student Piet Zwart Institute, The ‘us’ in virus: H1N1 as a social network

11:35

Thomas Knüwer (journalist, blogger and consultant on social media and marketing, Germany): Why the web brings back the mom and pop store

12:10

Nicole Sanberg (Creative Director IN10, Rotterdam) [to be confirmed]: Social media as marketing media: perspectives and limitations [title subject to change]

12:40

Eddy Salfischberger, 105, perspectives of social media marketing

13:10

Winanda Hendriks, startup presentation prfum.com

13:15

Discussion roundtable Thomas Knüwer, Marc Schwieger, Nicole Sanberg, Eddy Salfischberger Winanda Hendriks & public

13:45 lunch break

15:00

Marc Schwieger: Presentation Loritan, a social marketing platform, and preliminary results of the research project with WdKA advertising students

15:30

Gordan Savicic (artist and programmer, MODDR_labs / WORM, Rotterdam, tutor Piet Zwart Institute: The Web 2.0 Suicide Machine as a meme threatening Facebook

16:00

Round-table discussion with Huub Bellemakers (political campaigner
GroenLinks), social media communication for political parties

16:30-17:00

Roundtable and wrap-up discussion with speakers and audience

Professional evening session, Teldesign, Blaak 512, 3011 TA Rotterdam

(Registration required, E-mail to: Leslie Robbins (L.J.Drost-Robbins-at-hro.nl). Participation fee: EUR 50/one evening, EUR 80/both evenings, discount for members of non-profit organizations: EUR 30/one evening, EUR 50/both evenings.)

19:30

Short summary presentations by Marc Schwieger, Nicole Sanberg, Eddy Salfischberger, Alexander Maximilian Otto Serano, Winanda Hendriks, Gordan Savicic, Darija Medic, Florian Cramer

20:40

Discussion roundtable among all participants: Will social media change marketing like mp3 changed the music industry? Or are we already witnessing the end of a hype?

Tuesday, April 13th: Viral media today

Public day conference, Piet Zwart Institute, Mauritsstraat 36, 3012 CJ Rotterdam

(Participation is free and open for everyone.)

11:00

Florian Cramer (Piet Zwart Institute): Viral media, from William S. Burroughs to Richard Dawkins to cultural undergrounds to contemporary marketing.

11:30

Bill Wasik (senior editor Harper’s, USA, inventor of Flashmobs, author of the book “And then there’s this” [Penguin 2009]): How stories live and die in viral culture

12:15

Alexander Maximilian Otto Serano, vm-people, Berlin, viral marketing, beyond viral videos

13:00

Public discussion

13:30 lunch break

14:30

Timo Klok: 4chan, imageboard and Internet cultural memes

15:00

Tim Hwang, ROFLCON presentation (via Skype)

15:20

Simon Pummel, Piet Zwart Institute, viral marketing and audiovisual communication

15:50

Douglas Rushkoff (media theorist and writer, author of “Media Virus” [1995], USA, via Skype), Media Virus revisited

16:30-17:00

Conference wrap-up panel and discussions, with Marc Schwieger, Florian Cramer and all day speakers

Professional evening session, Teldesign, Blaak 512, 3011 TA Rotterdam

(Registration required, E-mail to: Leslie Robbins (L.J.Drost-Robbins-at-hro.nl). Participation fee: EUR 50/one evening, EUR 80/both evenings, discount for members of non-profit organizations: EUR 30/one evening, EUR 50/both evenings.)

19:30

Summary presentations Bill Wasik, Douglas Rushkoff (video), Timo Klok, ROFLCON, Florian Cramer, Marc Schwieger, Simon Pummell

20:40

Discussion roundtable among all participants: What is the significance of ‘viral communication’ beyond subculture and viral marketing videos? Is there a relation to social media?