Shift and Reset: Strategies for Addressing Serious Issues in a Connected Society [Hardcover]

Brian Reich (Author), Jean Case (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 2011

Essential strategies the nonprofit community can use to take advantage of rapidly changing technologies and new communication methods in our ultra-connected society

In these challenging economic times, it is more important than ever for nonprofits to focus on shaping policy, building capacity, developing talent, improving their marketing and promotion, fundraising, and developing partnerships/collaboration for organizational success. Shift & Reset: Strategies for Supporting Causes in a Connected Society teaches the nonprofit/social change/philanthropy/cause community how to take advantage of rapidly changing technologies and new communication ecosystem that exist in our connected society.

• Addresses the most critical challenges facing the nonprofit/social change/philanthropy/cause community Re-envisions how we support causes and address serious issues in our connected society
• Outlines how organizations must operate—and what happens when they don't re-think their work
• Features interviews with over twenty-five leading thinkers/authors/organizational leaders

Innovative and right on time, Shift & Reset equips nonprofit professionals with a set of three core principles, a five-step checklist of immediate action items, as well as a list of ten "must-read" items.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

In 2010, more than 6 million contributors, many first-time donors and younger supporters, used their mobile phones to make $5 and $10 donations to Haiti relief charities. Surprisingly, the most compelling fundraising efforts were organized by individuals and newer, smaller groups, while larger institutions struggled under the weight of their own organizational structure. Developed especially for the nonprofit/social change/philanthropy/cause community, Shift & Reset shows you how to take advantage of rapidly changing technologies and the new communication ecosystem to create real, meaningful change in our connected society.

Addressing our most critical challenges, author Brian Reich—recognized for his expertise in cutting-edge media and technology—re-envisions how we support causes and addresses the serious issues facing our connected society. Reich stresses the need to reshape policies, build capacity, develop talent, improve marketing and promotion—including storytelling, media relations, outreach and engagement, and advertising—and revisit our methods for fundraising, partnerships, and collaboration. Shift & Reset also lays out the bleak consequences of what happens when you don't rethink how you operate.

Featuring interviews with more than twenty-five experts, authors, and organizational leaders whose experiences and insights provide powerful evidence to support Reich's important calls to action, Shift & Reset also examines the many ways you can capitalize on social media to accomplish your nonprofit's mission as well as some recent success stories and failures, including:

• Leading digital strategy and communications firm Blue State Digital developed a hugely popular online engagement hub for Obama's presidential bid where supporters donated, set up volunteer groups, posted blog entries, watched videos, and more

• Debating whether to use Facebook and blogs to build enthusiasm for Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympic games, the organizers made the fatal decision not to use social media for fear of negative feedback from the community

• Although Old Spice struck viral gold with their online video campaign, countless copycats failed because viral videos didn't influence their unique audiences

• Greenpeace hired an aggressive NGO to develop hard-hitting ad campaigns and Twitter feeds targeting Unilever, Nestlé, and Burger King for buying palm oil from a company that destroys rainforests

• Shaquille O'Neal leveraged the power of Twitter to attract sponsors and influence 3.5 million NBA fans to support the charities of his choice

Ready to achieve the impossible? Shift & Reset shows you how to overcome the huge barriers facing the cause/philanthropy community by strategically leveraging the unlimited potential of technology and social media in the digital age.

From the Back Cover

Praise for Shift & Reset

"Shift & Reset: Strategies for Addressing Serious Issues in a Connected Society offers an innovative, yet realistic approach to facing today's challenges in both the nonprofit and corporate world. Reich encourages us to get caught up in the whirlwind of new media and take advantage of all it is has to offer. He counsels us to embrace change and not be afraid of failure. The way we address serious issues in today's society is not working. Shift & Reset challenges us to go above and beyond, using communication through technology as our guiding force. As Reich bluntly, but admirably points out, 'Change is painful, and slow, sometimes messy, and always exhausting. But the benefits far outweigh the sacrifices in the end.'"
—MARK MCKINNON, Vice Chairman, Hill & Knowlton, Public Strategies; and President, Maverick Media

"Shift & Reset rises to the challenge of navigating the changing media landscape while also inspiring real and feasible change. A valuable resource for anyone trying to engage and connect with an audience in any way. I couldn't put it down."
—MARK BURNETT, Executive Producer, Mark Burnett Productions

"Brian Reich argues that traditional strategies of passive outreach to potential clients and customers are as outdated as the dial-up modem. On the contrary, the most successful organizations are the ones with the most innovative strategies for increasing user engagement. Shift & Reset teaches readers how to reframe their competitive advantage by developing a highly motivated set of stakeholders who will take an active role in promoting the product at hand."
—HUGH FORREST, Director, SXSW Interactive Festival

"Commitment to a cause in the virtual world does not always yield results in the actual world. Resolving that paradox is the key to successful causes, and Reich once again shows why he's a trusted locksmith."
—JEFF NUSSBAUM, Partner, West Wing Writers

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 393 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 9, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470942673
• ISBN-13: 978-0470942673
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #852,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Reich is senior vice president - global editor for Edelman, where he provides editorial vision and strategy for the company. He is well known for his expertise in new media, Web 2.0, social networks, mobile, community, ecommerce, brand marketing, cause branding, and more. Brian is the author of Shift & Reset: Strategies for Addressing Serious Issues in a Connected Society (Wiley, 2011) and co-author of Media Rules!: Mastering Today's Technology to Connect with and Keep Your Audience (Wiley, 2007). Brian contributes as a Fast Company Expert, hosts a regular podcast discussion about the impact of media and technology on society and teaches consumer behavior and marketing strategy in the graduate school of communications at Columbia University.

Brian began his career in politics - working on several campaigns around the country. He spent two years as briefing director to Vice President Gore in the White House and during the 2000 presidential campaign. He has spent the past decade providing strategy, analysis, and support to corporations, nonprofit organizations and charities, media companies and other groups that are looking to solve complex problems. He has held senior roles at leading digital, PR, and public affairs agencies, including Mindshare Interactive Campaigns, Cone Inc., and EchoDitto. He has led projects for many of the largest and most influential brands and nonprofit organizations, as well as media companies, start-ups, and political/advocacy groups.

Brian is chairman of the board of Investigate West, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the art and craft of investigative journalism. He is a senior advisor to iFOCOS, an independent non-profit and non-partisan think tank that uses research, education, and action to improve the digital experience. Brian serves as the "Principal Evangelist" for Games That Give, a video game company that allows gamers to earn donations for charity while they play.

Brian attended the University of Michigan and graduated from Columbia University. He lives in New York City with his wife, Karen Dahl, their son, Henry, and daughter, Lucy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The gestalt of social engagement, September 4, 2011

By 

Debra Louison Lavoy (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shift and Reset: Strategies for Addressing Serious Issues in a Connected Society (Hardcover)

Shift and reset is a detailed guide to how non-profits can be more effective by embracing the social media world. While it claims to walk you through a series of steps, in reality it is a deep narrative that will lift the veil on how new media masters think. You are stepping into the social business gestalt through Brian's writing and the many fascinating and detailed case studies from business and the non-profit sector who are trying to address social change. The essays he includes from other thinkers serve to round out the story. He deals with several perpetually tricky issues - like how to keep people's attention and commitment over time, the issues - both positive and negative - around hype, and most importantly, the fundamental relationship between non-profits and their donors.

Particularly if you are new to this way of thinking about communities and relationships, you will not just get some practical advice, you will really "get" how these guys think. My favorite part - that he recognizes that marketing - good marketing - is now indistinguishable from the mission and the drive to execute.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important and insightful concepts rewritten for our time, August 19, 2011

By 

Holly Delinski - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shift and Reset: Strategies for Addressing Serious Issues in a Connected Society (Hardcover)

I like to think of myself as "the Common Reader", so I'm basing my insights off such, being fair, given my education on the topic, my background, experience, (age -since the past couple of generations are fortunate enough to be light years ahead) etc. For the common reader, your comments are bold, somewhat intimidating, and the concept (some of the message heard before through various versions, but not this well packaged or received) and task at hand seems too large to even fathom, but once you grabbed my attention and started to diffuse by explanation, examples and instructions, I started to feel stimulated and challenged. I quickly ramped up speed to read on (as you restored my sense of wonder), so I wanted to know what else you had to say. You immediately capture the reader.

I see this book serving more as a guide - an instruction manual - of how to change, rather than a mere opinionated and informative read (it's actually both, but you also have to tell people how to do rather than just do). You are basically telling people what they may already know but don't want to hear, so explaining how you actually see society making changes and not just sharing your observations is critical for the actual change in people's thinking and actions to happen. Thankfully, there are more people like you who exist - not just the thinkers, but the doers, who care enough to put all of this thinking into people's heads. It's not enough to say society and our actions have to change and state several reasons why, but in this day and age, I think this book is timely due to the facts that 1. there are more activists, smarter people, etc., who actually know how to get things done and 2. we have the tools but we don't know how to use them. If we bring these two concepts together, it would seem like society could make the shift and reset concept work, convincing people that it's a very possible and realistic movement and not become consumed with the scope.

I hope your book makes people want to get on board with this way of thinking and doing. It's the ideal time for you to introduce, or reintroduce, a concept like this.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Inspiring for Non-Profit Leaders, November 28, 2011

By 

Brian Barela - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shift and Reset: Strategies for Addressing Serious Issues in a Connected Society (Hardcover)

"Marketers have no idea how to keep an audience motivated, engaged, and aware beyond the passing and infrequent attempt at a direct sale because they misunderstand the challenge as a whole."

Brian clearly reveals the flaws of the old paradigm of marketing and suggests inspiring and clear action steps that leverage the realities that social media have created. I am the Director of Social Media at a large non-profit and constantly face the challenge of communicating the value of using social media to engage and cause action, not just settle for pageviews and likes on Facebook.

I appreciated how the author translated his expertise into principles that can be implemented in both a for profit and non-profit setting. I finished the book with a variety of action steps that I have already begin to implement.

Highly recommend for non-profit leaders seeking to implement change and leverage new media. This book will help you navigate a path towards powerful execution.