On January 25, fellow social media gurus Jonathan Salem Baskin, author of Histories of Social Media, and Jennifer Abernathy, America’s Sales Stylist, SHEO-EO of the Sales Lounge and author of The Idiots Guide to Social Media, joined us for a speaker series luncheon to discuss the role of social media in our modern, and as it turns out medieval, society. Baskin’s take on social media may surprise some as it relates directly back to the formation of society during the Middle Ages.

On January 25, fellow social media gurus Jonathan Salem Baskin, author of Histories of Social Media, and Jennifer Abernathy, America’s Sales Stylist, SHEO-EO of the Sales Lounge and author of The Idiots Guide to Social Media, joined us for a speaker series luncheon to discuss the role of social media in our modern, and as it turns out medieval, society. Baskin’s take on social media may surprise some as it relates directly back to the formation of society during the Middle Ages.

His informative presentation highlighted the similarities between what we have come to know as “social media” with that of the simple, village lives of our ancestors. As history often repeats itself, Baskin’s research helped to simplify the opportunities and deficiencies existing in today’s social media craze. In her journey to becoming SHE-EO, Abernathy realized the potential in social media and quickly grew her business through several social media outlets, including: blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and her very own YouTube channel by becoming an open networker.

She also suggested the audience become comfortable with being in front of the camera because video is the current trend. Attendees learned how they could incorporate social media’s endless possibilities into their businesses as well at their client’s.

Later that evening, Jonathan joined AMADC’s CMO Roundtable to talk about the role of social media in modern and medieval society. He discussed how communities are not by definition permanent but by their nature bring individuals together to share and then they go away.

This was true throughout history and currently today. Further challenging current social media trends, he highlighted that liking an issue” on Facebook does not make for consumer engagement, as engagement requires meaning and purpose. Digital marketing allows marketers to directly connect to customers but marketers should not presume the result is a consumer connection with a brand. The connection is the brand and branding is an action we perform. A great example of this is Old Spice. Old Spice understands the dynamics of purchase behavior and markets to women while not alienating men. The connection to the brand is “need.”

He also enlightened the group on openness versus transparency, which are not the same thing. Transparent is being honest which is not the same as telling the truth. Telling the truth is truthfulness. Then Jonathan moved the conversation in a way rarely seen in DC area; he started discussing religion and the room lit up as conversation started going back and forth across the table. Religion, he pointed out, no longer “announces” similar to our modern day press releases though it’s constantly updating, changing and being applied to daily life. Religious truth is incomplete and we as individuals interpret those truths today. Brand truisms remain faithful to founding principles and have room for interpretation. We complete our own truths but we also allow our customers to complete their own truths, which may differ.

So while the conversation was serious and intense at times, the discussion was thought provoking as it challenged marketing norms and led to a lively discussion of how religions have some of the largest, most recognized brands today. As the evening closed, the conversation returned to current day CMO social media opportunities including tactics shared by Kerry Morgan, SVP of Marketing and Communications at the United Way and other AMADC attendees, all agreed that history repeats itself and we will continue to learn from the past, no present, no past.

The next CMO Roundtable will be early spring with events scheduled for April, May and June on topics including 2011 marketing trends and preparing to emerge from the current economic environment.