Web 2.0 Marketing, a "Smarter Planet", and the Smart Grid

A few weeks ago I talked about Web 2.0 marketing in my class.  People are using tools such as blogs, podcasts, forums, and social media sites to better communicate with their customers.

For example at Elfster, we have a blog and a Facebook group.   During the class Aaron Burcell discussed his go-to-market plan for Smarty Card which included both traditional marketing and Web 2.0. (Check out The Wall Street Journal's article "The Secrets of Marketing in a Web 2.0 World" and "Adding Social Media to Marketing & PR" by Lee Odden).

Recently I ran across IBM's new "A Smarter Planet" blog. It is a good Web 2.0 attempt to show their involvement and thought leadership on topics such as the smart grid, smart transportation, etc.  They use a mix of text, audio, and video including this video which is lighthearted overview of the smart grid.  The format seems uncharacteristic of Big Blue and I am guessing that was deliberate.