"Measure What Matters" Review

Our final novel in my social media course happened to be “Measure What Matters” by Katie Paine. I am extremely happy to have finished our fourth and final book, but it really left me wanting more. I was hoping to walk away with a new perspective on social media tools, but I felt nauseated instead.

The novel is extremely repetitive in nature. Paine first notes seven steps to measurement, then continues to repeat each step in every single chapter. If you don’t know the steps by the end, you probably fell asleep.

I think Paine makes some very valid points throughout the book, but I only need to read each argument one time to understand. The repetitive nature just left me disinterested and frustrated throughout the entire novel. Maybe a 50 page version of the novel would have served a stronger purpose, but don’t waste your time reading every detail in this book. 

Gone Fishing

If you have seen “Blackfish” you are probably not surprised to hear that SeaWorld is taking a dive in sales. Yes, that pun was intended. The company reported a 28 percent drop in profits in this past year and is working to bring back its previous admiration.

In order to alleviate this PR crisis, SeaWorld rolled out a $10 million marketing campaign, which I believe managed to do everything wrong. First, the company created a website to rebuttal “Blackfish.” However, the webpage just continues to manipulate and lie about the truths uncovered through the documentary. Not to mention, the website just draws more attention to the problem. Shouldn’t SeaWorld attempt to change the conversation?

Second, SeaWorld is attempting to control the crisis throughits social media channels. The company is pushing ads on Facebook claiming “Blackfish” is a lie. SeaWorld is also taking the time to respond to tweets about “Blackfish” and orca captivity. However, it appears that all of this is backfiring on the company, because SeaWorld is not trusted and has zero transparency.

Third, SeaWorld thinks it can solve its issues by moving to Asia and Russia where animal rights is less of an issue. So, the company is going to flee the country instead of correcting its ethics. I can see this plan blowing up in flames.

With technology at everyone’s fingertips, society won’t stand for the spin SeaWorld continues to unveil. No matter how hard the company tries, people will discover the truth through Twitter, Facebook or YouTube. Thecompany made a mistake, and it happens to involve 29 orca whales. I’m not sure there is a PR firm capable of correcting this catastrophe, but what the company is doing now is not working. SeaWorld needs to change its messaging and move on from the disastrous documentary.

Better than Fiction

Ever since I stole my sister’s password on Netflix, I have been watching documentaries. The movies aren’t as boring and mundane as you might believe. A lot of the films are actually targeted towards a younger audience, and they are just as captivating as a Hollywood movie.

In fact, a lot of trends I have become passionate about started from watching a documentary. “Food Inc.” urged me change some of my eating habits, “Blackfish” is the reason swimming with dolphins was taken off my bucket list and “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” encouraged me to start juicing. Documentaries can take you inside of subcultures and lifestyles you may have never known existed. The movies can also teach you a great deal about the diversity of this world and the major issues in society.

In case you have never watched a documentary, I have listed my top ten. Please let me know if you take the time to watch any, or if you enjoy any of the ones listed. I promise if you watch the first three, you will not be disappointed.

1. Dear Zachary

2. Craiglist Joe

3. Blackfish

4. First Position

5. Super Size Me

6. The Whale

7. Vanishing of the Bees

8. Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

9. Tiny

10. 9/11 The Falling Man