2012. Wow, what a year. The world didn’t end, yet.
For me, this year was quite different from those in the recent past. I experienced several personal milestones, enjoyed a lovely editorial year (my first with Marketing Land) and my agency continued to grow in spite of my absence for part of the year.
Here’s a look back at 2012 via the wide angle lens that is my Twitter feed. Some of my tweets were related to our industry, while others chronicled brand failures or just the total nonsense our social media culture encompasses at times.
I’ve grouped my chronologically-ordered self-indulgent posts into handy categories for your perusal, refusal or total dismissal.
Industry
Each year, important signposts slide right by most of us in the social sphere. 2012 was no different; so, it makes perfect sense that I would be talking about missing the holiday season in early January.
I joined Marketing Land as a contributor, and one of my favorite columns centered around Google’s entry into the digital sharing community. I’ve never been one to pull punches, and this year was no different.
Meanwhile, Eric Schmidt talked self-driving cars while Google maps sent me into corn fields; social media got tired; and marketers didn’t measure.
@dannysullivan clings to Holidays. Unrelated: KMR Xmas tree going strong Search Engines Should B Like “Miracle On 34th” selnd.com/wDuBVf — January 11, 2012
Is Google+ Mandatory For Marketers? And Is That So Bad? marketingland.com/is-google-mand… via @marketingland — January 26, 2012
I’ve listened to Eddie Vedder’s “You’re True” 287 times since I got it. Do somethin with that piece of data. #idoubledogdareya — January 26, 2012
;–) RT @andrew_goodman: What happens when @kevinmryan and I have a clandestine conversation? Nothing good, that’s what. #imabadseed — January 27, 2012
Woohoo, Klout score just went up 4 points, gonna take that down to Starbucks pair it with $5 & get a coffee. — March 15, 2012
Dear 7%; please contact me immediately, I have some thoughts you might like. ow.ly/9GPYN — March 16, 2012
Attn 28%: good for you! Who needs this ROI crap anyway. ow.ly/9GQ3N — March 16, 2012
I’m so tired of Social Media. RT @lieblink: How Real Is Social Media Fatigue? bit.ly/wEQHnb — March 19, 2012
“Known issue” is a phrase that means nothing beyond your IT dept. The house is on fire. Yes, thank you, fire is a “known issue.”— March 23, 2012
Schmidt: Google Self-Driving Cars In Our Lifetime ow.ly/cdZJ2 NOT if you can’t even stop #android from crashing. — July 13, 2012
iProspect unveils something everyone has been doing for years. Also, you can now formally rate your own work. ow.ly/bfOcn — May 30, 2012
Self promotion: RT @marketingland: Battling Baffling Search Marketing Afflictions by @kevinmryan mklnd.com/LeDk6s — June 27, 2012
Spice up you NDA’s; add “United Federation of Planets” under jurisdiction to see if anyone notices. — August 14, 2012
Operation “Pet The Koala” complete, returning to base. ow.ly/i/UvpS — September 6, 2012 [At #SMX Melbourne]
Must be, I’m here. RT @sengineland: Mayor Bloomberg Declares “Search Week” In New York City by @dannysullivan selnd.com/QGVSBu — October 1, 2012 [At #SMX East]
Google’s Plan to Take Over Holiday Shopping adage.com/u/dSdKVa — December 5, 2012
Engagement
Though I’ve said this in many a public forum, I just can’t tell you how much I value Twitter as a means of complaining about products, services and brands. And, of course, many brands have found in social media an opportunity to communicate with customers and address their concerns.
Topping my list of losers this year is @Lowes @AmericanAir, @HiltonOnline , @iTunes and @AmericanExpress. I only had one winner, @InfinitiUSA with its life-changing and column-inspiring personal assistant service.
@itunes So, after I buy my songs, if I want to use a different record player I have to pay $.30 more for each one? #shaft — February 2, 2012 @lowes 1 web order + 7 phone calls + 2 botched deliveries = #fail #bigfail #epicfail #wtf #wow — February 13, 2012
#BREAKING A downed substation has left 21,285 customers without power in Huntington Beach, according to SoCal Edison. — CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) February 15, 2012
I’m at KMR’s Broken Apple Device Buried Under A Cactus (California Desert, Desert Center) 4sq.com/wPnGDy — February 22, 2012
@americanexpress 25 mns on hold for Platinum travel. Can I switch to <opposite of platinum> travel? — February 28, 2012
Do you remember when @americanair added more seats only to remove them shortly thereafter? Neither do they: bit.ly/z8jJ81 — March 1, 2012
@hiltononline WOW. Huge #fail 2X telling me someone will contact me, setting a time then you #unfollow me & don’t call. #hhonors gold — March 6, 2012
Congrats! 2 weeks in a row @hiltononline unfollows me on Monday & asks for a DM! #really #seriously #wtf #fail #epicfail #bad2worse — March 12, 2012
@graywolf <no contest> @americanair ‘s advice: keep calling until you get help. Brilliant. That’s the service over 2mm miles gets ya. — March 7, 2012
#Scam alert; you can now pay @chasesupport a fee to give them money faster. Isn’t that the opposite of banking? ow.ly/cj0xc — July 17, 2012
Another great @americanair first class experience. I call this one “ode to red sauce” ow.ly/i/RvSK #gross — August 19, 2012
To: @infinitiusa Re: Anything, Anytime, Anywhere™ — I accept your challenge. So far VERY impressive. ow.ly/eM702 — October 25, 2012
Total Nonsense
Yes, people are stupid. And that keeps me up at night. Living in a beach town in Southern California is a dream come true for me and we Huntington Beach folk are really patriotic as evidenced by the same shirtless drunk guy running down my street praising the founding fathers two years in a row on July 4.
Michele Bachman wanted to save us from the “pot takers,” I discovered maple bacon cappuccino in a machine. Also in 2012, stupid people brought their kids to a R rated movie about a man and his pot-taking teddy bear and people are still out there referring to themselves as “thought leaders,” “gurus” and “innovators.”
Evil marijuana lobby propoganda, only @michelebachmann can deliver us from this evil. ow.ly/8quRR — January 12, 2012
I ain’t never seen nuthin like this in my whole life. twitpic.com/8mz462 — February 21, 2012
John Frostbrug, the Bridge Too Far, Arnhem, Netherlands twitpic.com/92glo5 — March 28, 2012
And. If you have to tell someone you’ve coined a phrase, you haven’t RT @robwilk: If you refer to yourself as a “guru” you aren’t. — June 1, 2012 Dear everyone outside the US; I just became aware of the Honey Boo Boo situation. I don’t know anyone like that. No one does. — September 17, 2012
Welcome back to HB, drunk guy running down the street yelling “Thomas Jefferson!” #4thofJuly — July 5, 2012
Coffee is for closers bitches. (@ Glengarry Glen Ross at The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre) [pic]: 4sq.com/Tc35Zd— November 9, 2012
Less funny & more of a sad type stupid, reviews from people who brought their kids to the @whattedsaid movie ow.ly/fZt96 — December 11, 2012
From The Heart
And finally, this year, I expressed appreciation for the amount of time I spend in (and the secret locations of) my favorite New York City steakhouses.
I also witnessed the rebuild at ground zero and spent a lot of time pondering life while watching the ocean with my best friend. 2012 left me with a profound feeling of loss as the year forced me to say goodbye to my dear father, some good friends and mentors and many an entertainer – all of whom had a tremendous influence on my life.
I wound down with a great quote from my pal @ThatKevinSmith about life’s changing dynamics. But, above all, 2012 taught me that every day is a chance to help move the world forward. I wish you the ability to do the same and a happy and healthy 2013.
I’m at Bobby Van’s (25 Broad St, @exchange Pl, New York) 4sq.com/w4uk8l — January 17, 2012
mOTm (@ Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse) 4sq.com/XnMsip — December 4, 2012
I’m at Mark Joseph Steakhouse w/ @mediadarwin 4sq.com/ziy5WP — March 13, 2012
Freedom Tower on the rise. twitpic.com/897fv2 — January 19, 2012
Honor a tremendous human being, taken too soon. In memory of a mentor & friend, Rick McCue bit.ly/x9vg0l @globalgiving @wwpinc — February 21, 2012
Homage to the artistc genius of the brothers Gibb; driving across the desert with Ultimate Bee Gees on loop. cc @gibbbarry — July 23, 2012
@omarosa @officialmcd lives on in our hearts & Leo, Lucius, Frankie Figs, Kingpin, John Coffey & Bear make him immortal. ow.ly/dAfXJ — September 11, 2012
There’s me, the dog and the beach. (@ Huntington Beach Pier w/ 3 others) [pic]: 4sq.com/X9xREd — October 14, 2012
Found angry letter my Dad wrote to Eastern Airlines in 1967… so I guess this is a transgenerational thing. +1, he cc’d Civil Aeronautics. — May 1, 2012
Brilliant from @thatkevinsmith: Life should be malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. — October 24, 2012
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