You would think that powerful social media leaders would endorse big group parties. After all, their perspective is based upon socializing with all of the world wide web.

But I found it interesting that one of the biggest names in social networking discussed his Facebook personal account, which he manages just for those he is closest too. I completely understand why Chris Brogan’s family runs on Facebook, in what could be considered a private party.

Chris has many friends within the internet social space, including Facebook. I am grateful for his connection with me in a few of these web networks and our brief discussions on family in the past. I know that he keeps his family close in both life and business.

Keeping our family close is why parties are so important to our culture of social support and love. Family parties are closed events; private and intimate expressions based upon personal deep-rooted connection.

The same individuals who attend a huge gala party at the civic center to improve their social status, crave the private party in the family room to celebrate the important life-events of those whom they love.

Facebook has become just one tool in providing families various levels of communication, from broad to intimate.

Our family has used these internet tools as a way to stay personally connected in a spirit of love and support, no matter the distance.

The massive world of the web has given us back our private party. What about you?

Louis Gray shares cutting edge trends he finds on the internet. Today he shared a new feature from Brizzly.com that allows family and friend groups a chance to have private (or public) chats together.

Louis suggests that the result is “a fun free-flowing environment to chat with friends, family and colleagues without fear of the content going public”…

As I read of the features that are a part of the new Picnic system, I am struck by how similar this is to our Banter Box on the AlbinoPhant game play page.

From the Brizzly site:
“You can do what you’ve been doing on other social networks – sharing links, posting photos & videos, making jokes, having conversations – but with specific groups of people”. “You can also upload photos from your computer and take photos with your computer’s webcam. Link to a video from YouTube or Vimeo and we’ll embed it so it’s playable right inside the picnic”.

Brizzly’s Picnic and AlbinoPhant’s “Banter Box” have the same features that add to the conversation between close family and friends.

The online party process in AlbinoPhant and the Brizzly chat system approach groups from different directions. Brizzly is a reader that works with Twitter and Facebook. AlbinoPhant and other PartyWeDo events are gift distribution parties that use the banter and sharing features to enhance the gift giving experience for the group. Both systems enhance the networking potential of a specific group. Each service adds to the fun free-flowing chat that develops when people of a like mind get together.

We take our hat off to Brizzly for joining the party!

If we look down the “internet road” we can see a day when parties in person will combine with online parties to include everyone…

Skype and Facebook are both figuring out how to mesh video chat and social networking into one package.

Envision a baby shower for a new mommy who has friends all around the country. Currently the shower attendees are limited to those who live close or are willing to travel to be with the new mother in person.

With Skype and a networking system, like Facebook the activities could be shared by video and coordinated online and in person. Some of the attendees would be sharing gifts that are opened directly by the mommy, while other gifts are opened virtually and displayed on the computer, only to be delivered by UPS later.

The glue that would make this event stick in the memory of everyone involved would be an engaging activity that combined both the computer crowd and the live crowd in the action.

Thanks to the video advances of Skype and the networking abilities of social media, we will all eventually make every party and share in all the fun.

Distance will not be a stop sign on the future internet roads.

Media Post has been discussing the word engagement and Gord Hotchkiss set out to present the two definitions.

Both definitions are tied to a personal connection and commitment to something beyond our own self. To be engaged is several steps past just showing up or just being involved with someone or in something. In fact, the word engagement has become quite a buzz in social media companies. We even have books that focus on how to be more engaged or engaging on the internet.

Our business revolves around party activities, so we ask the question: Can you have an engaging engagement party?

The answer is yes… From the “ring and wedding” perspective, the engagement period can be one of the most engaging times in a couples life. If done right, all the family becomes engaged in the process.

The impact of a wedding announcement is widespread, even though the focus is on a singular event. There are two distinct families to be introduced, connected and finally united.

But even a traditional engagement party leaves some people out in the cold; feeling less engaged in the process. The level of connection is naturally diminished for some family members who live a distance from the bride and groom.

When an engagement party is planned, there are often those who feel left out because they cannot afford to travel for the real party. In this case the distance builds barriers to personal engagement.

The solution to this challenge is to find ways to engage others without the need to travel. The new tools on the internet can help to involve distant relatives and friends at the start of the engagement period, and through to the wedding party. Skype, Facebook and Youtube can all be employed to share some of the exciting steps toward the nuptials.

Weddings create a flurry of party and gift giving opportunities that are used to support and demonstrate love for the couple. Those who live close get the great parties and participate in the fun personal interactions. It is sad that distance is a restriction for some friends during this important life event.

How could the web be employed to make the engagement party more engaging for even the most distant friend?

We have a few ideas…. What about you?

I raised five teenagers… I know when I am being worked!

How do we reach the time-tested mom?
Mothers have a sixth sense when they are presented with a story that just doesn’t seem to add up. After years of such pitches, these women have a very polished intuition.

This is why advertisers struggle reaching these ladies on social networks. And why Baby Boomer women will give virtual gifts a very short life span.

These women have spent years providing real experiences for their families. A virtual hug is a nice diversion, but it holds no value for the serious mother who nurtures with reality.

Advertisers are learning that these experienced mothers don’t want their social walls cluttered with mindless junk. They see Facebook as a real tie to children who have left the nest and a link with old friends.

It remains our contention that REAL things are the only sustainable purpose for social networks, especially for women over 50. Marketers need to be reminded that this demographic is increasing by the millions almost daily and that women don’t need to be pitched junk when they know how good the real thing is…

A report in the blog Inside Social Games from TrialPlay states that; “...in the days leading up to Mother’s Day, promotional offers dubbed “gifts for mom” generated around $1 million per day”. This revenue was mostly from the sales of flower deliveries for Mom’s around the world.

This action was a boost of 5 times the action usually received by game developers, as they capitalized on our love of Mom…

Two things are interesting about this information: First, it points to the value that we place on supporting each other with real gifts. And second, it demonstrates that we will use online tools to share in the giving process with each other.

And where do most real gifts get distributed within families? At parties and other social gatherings. In fact, there was almost $15 billion spent on real gifts this last Mother’s day and nearly 20% was spent online!

The value of the new internet tools like Facebook, Amazon and PayPal is that we can use the web to share gifts with even the most distant loved ones. We can celebrate important events right from our computer.

These are the reasons that we have such a passion for online parties…

We see a day when everyone can use this platform for sharing real gifts on Mother’s Day and every other important holiday. We are happy to be on the leading edge of this effort.

We have also sought the advice of various internet based experts as we refine what we are offering. These experts suggest a well crafted Elevator Pitch as the basic introduction to our plans. We appreciate the suggestions from the guys at Venture Hacks, who have written much on this subject.

We also stumbled upon a post from Dave McClure on pitching the problem and not the solution.

I don’t use the language that Mr. McClure often chooses to make his points, but his post on problems makes a great deal of sense. 

Dave’s suggestion is that the “problem” that needs the clearest definition,  as opposed to a discussion concerning building a solution.

So… Dave McClure… Here is a problem:

You don’t live close to all the people that you love and want to share gifts with. This distance causes you to miss personal gift delivery opportunities. You feel guilty that you can’t be there to offer your support at birthday parties, weddings, baby births, graduations and holiday gatherings.   Sure, you know how to shop and ship, but UPS doesn’t deliver your love and personality with the package.  It is sad that you can’t be in several places at the same time, because you will miss some of the great parties that are planned by those you love.

You, me, and millions of other people face this same problem, because we live to far away to really show our love and support in person.

While I am thinking about problems Dave, here is another one…

Facebook, and other social platforms are very dependent on advertising as a business model.  This model really has nothing other than eye-ball volume to sell. These networks must rely on limited advertising budgets to fund their business; and there are many advertising choices.

NOW FOR SOLUTIONS:

1. Give distant friends and family the opportunity to join in the party and share their personality and presents from wherever they reside.
2. Partner with a vast number of eCommerce companies to sell the gifts for the party and earn commissions to fund a socially-center business.

Mr. McClure I would appreciate your thoughts on these problems.  (Oh yes, if you could recommend a technical co-founder I would appreciate the lead)

We have a Christmas party, a birthday party and even a Cinco de Mayo party. But do we have a Mom Party?

Yes we all get something for Mom for her special day, but do we throw a party, like we do for Halloween?

I don’t remember getting an invitation to “Party with Mom” from any of my siblings. I know that we get together for a family dinner and pass her the cards and gifts, but it never has lifted to the level of a real party…

Retailers love this day… This year, they will see over $14.5 Billion dollars spent for Mom.

Between wife, daughters, daughter-in-laws, sisters and of course, Mom, there are many who need recognition and probably should receive a party!

I need to get myself together and plan a real party…. But it is way to late for this year!

I guess the dinner, cards and gifts will have to do again this time.

What do you do for Mom? Any Parties?

This is the ending statement and final question in a post from Chris Brogan’s blog. I appreciate the idea of a simple explanation of the model.

So Chris, here is my attempt to define our business model:

DISTRIBUTION

Modeled after UPS…

Yes, this party game and the coming network of other party games are a Distribution system… Here is how:

Over time some of the people we care about become dispersed to other parts of the country. This dispersion creates a problem for moving items between these individuals in an efficient manner.

UPS recognized this problem and in the early 1900’s began delivering messages and packages to the dispersed businesses in Seattle, Washington. Over time they expanded to cover the world in distributing the important items of families, friends and businesses.

UPS has a business model built on serving the distribution needs of those who find delivering goods in person is not a viable option. They use conveyor belts, airplanes and brown trucks as their tools in building a very successful enterprise. Their service facilitates the movement of things from one spot to another in an efficient way; so UPS is a Model of Distribution.

Our model of distribution is built on the need to have gifts distributed to dispersed family and friends. The gifts that are needed to demonstrate support and love during very important life events. Gifts that would be delivered in person, if it was possible. UPS can deliver the box holding the gift, but they do not distribute the love…

Our tools include UPS, but also add in the services of Facebook, Amazon and PayPal. Our distribution model involves the extra services of connection and interaction which are lost when a gift is not delivered in person. Our distribution service facilitates the fun that can accompany the act of gift giving to someone who is close to our heart, but far from our person.

So Chris… There you have it….
We are in GIFT DISTRIBUTION

What do you think?

We appreciate the Ning social network for two reasons.

1. Ning was the social networking platform that our family used to test the gift exchange game for the two years prior to building a commercial version.

2. Ning is now demonstrating that free is not always the best business model.

In 2007 and 2008 our family held the Christensen Family Gift Exchange on the pages of Ning. In 2008 we used the network for 19 days and shared over 800 comments, images and YouTube videos among our 11 family members.

It was the functions of the Ning platform which inspired much of the functionality in the AlbinoPhant online gift exchange party.

Now it has been announced that Ning is closing the free version of their network and moving to a full pay-to-play model. It is sad that so many will be losing employment from the company. Yet, it is still a fact that money fuels the economic engine of enterprise, and nothing sustains better than selling real products or useful services.

This will be a hard pill to swallow for many who have relied on Ning to give them free use of what they built. On the other hand, we are learning that free does not pay the bills. And that a sustainable business model should be a part of all internet properties.

Thank you Ning for how you inspired our family…. And good luck with your business transition!

We thought that you might be interested in how our family used Ning to share gifts and build an online party… Watch the following slide show