Impressions From SXSW Interactive 2012: Digital Influence Group CEO Glenn Engler On Social Media In Regulated Industries

When you get the chance to a meet a true veteran of the digital marketing wars, it’s a real pleasure. Why? Because you’ve met a kindred spirit, a fellow warrior, someone who has seen the beast and lived to talk about it.

Glenn Engler, the CEO of Digital Influence Group, is one of those veterans.  At “DIG,” Glenn oversees the agency’s strategic direction and operations and serves as senior advisor to established brands including IBM, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, GE, and a host of other organizations.

Glenn’s also a participant in the social media, particularly with his informative podcast series, “Market Edge,” and his blog, “Random Patterns of Thoughts.”  You can learn a lot about a person by the company he or she keeps, and by the people they hire, and at DIG, they’ve hired some of the best.

Glenn sat down with me in the IBM Future of Social Business lounge to talk specifically about social media in regulated industries, the subject of his panel and an arena rife with both opportunity and landmines.

Of course, turnabout is only fair play — Glenn grilled me about IBM and social business on “Market Edge” in October of last year.

Impressions From SXSW Interactive 2012: Q&A With Converseon CEO Rob Key On The Art Of Social Listening

Rob Key, the CEO of social media consultancy Converseon, was social media longgg before social media was cool. Rob’s company has been a leader in the art of social intelligence — putting one’s organizational ear to the cyberground and listening for actional signs and signals about one’s brand — well before most of us knew there was an opportunity to be had.

Rob sat down with me at the IBM Future of Social Business lounge to discuss the art and science of social intelligence, explaining both the challenges and opportunities in this burgeoning and, for marketers, critically important space.

Impressions From SXSW Interactive 2012: Q&A With SearchEngineLand’s Danny Sullivan On Google, Bing, And The Search/Social Intersection

When I introduced myself to Danny Sullivan at SXSW Interactive 2012 here in the IBM Future of Social Business lounge, I bowed down, as if before a monarch, and explained “I’m not worthy.”

It may seem an over-the-top gesture, but considering the value that Danny has brought to search engine marketers, optimizers, and Web masters over the past decade, the tribute is most appropriate.

We spent a good 15 minutes chatting with Danny, covering everything from Google to Google+ to the emergent intersection between search and social…and much more.