George Takei is back from outer space, in a big way.
Watch George occupy a small screen near you via Facebook. Or, tote his humor along as the portable pocket sized George Takei on Twitter. What we know for sure is that since his splashdown on social media in March 2011, he has become a big big sensation.
What I love about his current gig is that he remains true to his identity and the causes he is sincerely committed to. He does that while tickling our fancies and putting a smile on our collective faces.
Though GT is now a man of a certain age, his joie de vivre and natural playfulness makes him ever so appropriate and ageless, no matter what!
George Takei is gay, out and inspiring others to be who they are – gay, straight, sensational or average!
George Takei is Japanese. He is both living with the face on the world he was born with and also helping us to remember history, when internment was the face of wartime America.
“Allegiance”, his current project, is headed for Broadway and addresses the internment of US citizens of Japanese heritage. Social media and his high profile, no doubt factored in helping to raise the funds for the project.
George T is beloved not only due to his celebrity status. He’s put his career and image resurgence on warp speed via the World Wide Web. It’s not simply his adapting to the digital world.
In a recent post I saw, as one of his million plus Facebook fans, he quipped in the introduction to that post that he felt like the ‘queen of meme.’
Here’s why I think George Takei is so ‘hot’ with us “Like’ers” on his page.
George is so very real.
He talks to us.
In the “Mashable” link below, there’s a great summary of GT’s stellar rise in social media. Then there’s the happy dance and his reluctant, supportive and yet sweetly disapproving husband at the end of the video.
Mashable’s theory on George T’s success in social media says it’s “because he clearly knows his audience”.
GT, in my professional experience, goes beyond practicing this first rule of marketing.
George Takei shines as he embodies the top quality in my playbook on effective communication – he has the ability to talk directly to us.
Each of us receives his message as if it was a one-to-one conversation.
This is the reality of all good communication.
It happens one-to-one. No matter how large the print run you authorize for brochures or newsletters, nor the number of hits on your website. In George Takei’s case, it’s that high rate of engagement. That’s because he is what I call “RICCH”. Oh yeah!
– Real
– Interesting
– Conversational
– Consistent
– Human
Oh! George is beaming in with a tweet now. Check back soon for more on “messages in our midst, right here on this channel.”
Read the snappy Mashable piece is here http://mashable.com/2012/04/20/george-takei-social-media/
Go straight to the dance party here!
