PSFK is excited to welcome Jermaine Dupri and iCrossing‘s David Deal as speakers at PSFK CONFERENCE SAN FRANCISCO. Jermaine and David are behind Global 14, a social networking site that aims to build authentic relationships online through conversation around current events and music. On November 1st, Jermaine and David will discuss how Global 14 is injecting community back into social media as a source for ideas and content creation.
What do you think distinguishes Global 14 from other social networks?
[David Deal]: Global 14 is all about creating closer relationships with other people by injecting community back into social media. You build close, vibrant relationships by sharing compelling content that inspires a community, not by collecting Twitter followers or obsessing over your Klout score. Jermaine Dupri embraces that reality on Global 14. iCrossing is helping Jermaine Dupri build a connected brand for Global 14 because we share his vision.
Global 14 is like a family having a conversation at the dinner table. And Jermaine Dupri is sparking some serious conversations about current events on Global 14, ranging from Trayvon Martin earlier this year to the Obama/Romney debates.
[Jermaine Dupri]: People tend to gravitate to other places when it feels like they are getting answers to questions that they’re not getting at home, and I feel that Global 14 has become a community for answers. It’s a place for young, inspiring musicians and entrepreneurs. They’re learning more from the community and getting a chance to voice their opinions in a setting where it feels like someone who matters in their life is actually hearing them.
So there is an educational component?
[Jermaine Dupri]: When I speak about education, I’m not referring to school. I’m talking about educating people on current events and about musicians. Global 14 is a setting for a lot of people who don’t necessarily have an outlet to express themselves. We create an opportunity to share different ideas and produce music socially.
Take the Trayvon Martin case. I posted on Global 14 about Trayvon Martin before the story had hit the news, and it became one of the biggest discussions on the site. The network brings attention to the issues that are important to kids, but not actually being discussed on all their other social networks. When I say “education,” I mean bringing attention to issues that are being posted about, but not necessarily discussed on social networks.
Could just differentiate the idea of “social notifying,” versus “social networking,” and why this is important to Global 14?
[Jermaine Dupri]: Social notifying is basically Twitter and YouTube because generally speaking, they offer a non‑personal way of interacting with another person. To me, social networking is more than a word. My intention is to create something similar to what Facebook used to be: a community of people who were connected by shared interests and had something to talk about.
To me, the mentality that launched Facebook was rooted in social networking, but then it went astray. I hope that I’m creating a community where people actually feel like they get to know the other person and can learn from each other as a result.
What else is unique about Global 14?
[David Deal]: Global 14 is not a celebrity site. Global 14 is a community that was founded by a celebrity. The empowered nature of the Global 14 community is a major difference between Global 14 and some other sites affiliated with celebrities. Some people might join Global 14 because they know about Jermaine Dupri and his reputation, but they end up staying because of the relationships that they form with other people.
I am a good example of someone who has become attached to the larger Global 14 community. I joined Global 14 to meet emerging musicians and because I knew about Jermaine Dupri. I now have more than 700 friends on Global 14, and I would not have met my Global 14 friends anywhere else. A lot of my Global 14 friends are musicians, and after I learn about their music, and I get to know about their interests on Global 14. We have close relationships with each other.
Jermaine is the spark that lights the fire, but the community keeps the conversations going.
Global 14 is also a crucible for ideas and content creation. In fact, iCrossing’s relationship with Jermaine Dupri and Global 14 focuses on content co-creation. For instance, iCrossing and Jermaine Dupri have co-produced videos, white papers, and blog posts about topics such as how to be a killer creative based on the relationship we formed on Global 14. Ours is a relationship forged on co-creation. I believe the iCrossing relationship with Jermaine Dupri and Global 14 represents the future of co-branding.
Thanks Jermaine and David!
Please join us on November 1st to hear Jermaine and David discuss instilling community back into social media at PSFK CONFERENCE SAN FRANCISCO.