February 4th, 2009

We are Engineering Presence. We are Presence Engineers.

Posted by Michael Calienes in presence engineering

presenceIn August, 2008, I dove into facebook, twitter, friendfeed, utterli, et al. (some dives deeper than others). As someone who labeled himself an advertising person for more than 20 years, I felt suddenly undefined and lost; and the more time I spent exploring these new spaces, the more those traditional advertising labels like copywriter, art director, graphic designer, and creative director fell short. They were no longer words that accurately described the evolving nature and purpose of my work.

Today, I spend most of my time helping clients create a ubiquitous (relatively speaking, of course) and increasingly relevant presence designed to facilitate communication and engagement with their intended audiences.

We may consider ourselves to work in marketing or advertising or public relations, but we have all wholeheartedly embraced new, uncharted territory that traditional terms are no longer equipped to contain.

We are in the business of engineering presence. We are presence engineers.

—–

Thoughts? Opinions? All welcome.

51 Responses to ' We are Engineering Presence. We are Presence Engineers. '

Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to ' We are Engineering Presence. We are Presence Engineers. '.

  1. Josh Munsee said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 2:01 pm

    Couldn’t have said it better, Michael. In todays ever-evolving media landscape we find ourselves as a new breed of thinkers and doers with the world as our medium. Find a wall, paint it. Have a great interactive concept, make it an iPhone app. Have a great idea and a hand-held camera, go viral. The idea is, eyes are everywhere and world is now open to allow you to reach those eyes in an infinite amount of avenues. Audiences no longer need us to breakthrough, they want to invite us in. That is why as you specified “presence” is key. Create presence, combined that with compelling content and the world you are trying to reach will find it and engage with it.

    We are no longer advertisers we are brand advocates.

  2. Jay Berkowitz said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 2:29 pm

    I love the thinking Michael. Please expand on the ‘engineer’ comparison. Are engineers artistic enough? Are we presence Architects? Architects build with design and art and the future place in mind, or they used to…

  3. Travis Campbell said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 2:49 pm

    Michael-

    First time I’ve heard that term, but is potentially fitting. I think we are in the age of instant information, and the more relevant you make yourself, the better. Part of that is communicating to the mediums the market asks for. Of course, for those of us in the services business, we can assist others get a handle on this for their own purpose.

    As I think of it, engineer implies medium only, perhaps we are more than that, as we also must have a compelling message to feed that medium, which resonates with followers. What about conversation engineers? (as you have done so well here in this very post) :-)

  4. Giles Crouch (Webconomist) said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 2:52 pm

    Excellent, it does have a ring of sense to it. I like Presence Architects as well for those who develop strategies or Presence Strategist…and there is so much in terms of strategy; the right content, the right tools and the right process of growing a presence.

    The website is dead. It may be a focal point for an organization, but to be seen and understood, the footprint must be expanded across the right channels.

    Promise – Tools – Bargain

  5. howie galt said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 2:53 pm

    We need to go just one step further… We need to engineer presence in the future :)

  6. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 2:56 pm

    exactly.

  7. Tim Dempsey said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 3:02 pm

    I totally buy into Presence Engineer moniker — and believe that the “trifecta” also includes “Authority” — the payload — the message that one hopes conveys value, and “Reputation,” the collective assessment of the communities in which you are present. Of course for some (like me) all three are the same person!

    Great trigger post.

  8. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 3:02 pm

    i think we’ve come to wear so many hats today that continuing to label ourselves with such traditional terms could narrow our thinking. we’re all doing more than we’ve ever done before. it’s time our descriptions reflected that. thanks josh. keep ‘em coming.

  9. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 3:11 pm

    i’m holding to the “engineer” portion of the description because it grounds the word “presence.” great engineers who push to improve themselves and their field must be artistic in their own way. we may not call what “engineers” do “artistic” but the decisions they make and the strategies they employ (to name just a few) are synonymous with artistry and creativity. thanks for the comment! keep ‘em coming.

  10. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 3:15 pm

    thanks tim. love to hear if you use it. have a good one.

  11. John Haydon said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    Michael,

    Excellent post. “Ubiquitous” is a word that perfectly discribes the presense created through usign social media.

    John

  12. Steve Nimmons said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    I like the description ‘presence engineers’. Web2 has really fragmented what presence is all about – it’s hard to find a truly captive audience these days as there is so much content and so many delivery channels. I kind of also like the idea of ‘gravitas engineers’, but that’s another story :-)

  13. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 3:58 pm

    thank you for commenting john. i really hung onto that “presence” mainly because of Jeff Pulver’s quote: “Presence is the new dial tone.” love to hear back if you use it and how. thank you for your time and input.

  14. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 4:01 pm

    thanks for chiming in steve. really appreciate your time. can’t wait to hear about “gravitas engineers”. have a good one!

  15. Time Management in the Era of Social Networks and Microblogging: A Morning in the Life said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 4:47 pm

    [...] Most noteworthy during this particular session? Read and reflect! [...]

  16. Karen Wylie said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 5:19 pm

    Seeing the term ‘presence engineer’ (or architect) certainly made me stop and think twice, and that always helps you to look at something old in a new way. I like the idea because it conveys a dynamic existence, not a one-shot ad, a blitz or campaign. ‘Presence’ isn’t something we do, it’s what and who we are. Now if only the ‘right channels’ didn’t change every day!

  17. paul merrill said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    Presence engineering – or architecture – seems like one of those fields like rock or classical music… it’s hard to make a living at it, working full-time. The few “rock stars” are making a lot. Most everyone else who’s interested has to add presence architecture/engineering to the mix of their regular skills.

  18. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 5:45 pm

    certainly agree paul, but i think presence engineering is really the umbrella over which all those other skills reside. like rock-climbing resides under sports; or classical music under music. we’ve got plenty of work to do. thing is that with a term like this, i can more easily explain to clients what it is i do. thanks for stopping in and commenting. always welcome.

  19. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 5:48 pm

    thanks karen. agree on the channels. they’re multiplying exponentially it seems. but hey, if one of your customers is using one of those channels, there are probably more potential customers right there with her. engineer a presence and they will come : )

  20. Linda Forrest said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 6:31 pm

    I totally agree, Michael. In the dying days of my involvement with the music business, it was this crisis of understanding what role to play in an industry experiencing a sea change that ultimately caused me to leave it. Though my role as a PR practitioner is seemingly constrained, you’re right, with the advent of social media and the line between media content developer and public relations professional blurs, we do need a new term to try and encompass what it is we do for our clients… and ourselves. Presence engineer is a good start. Thanks for providing something to try and get my mind around today.

  21. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 6:37 pm

    thank you Linda, for stopping in and commenting. i for one am glad that i can have a two-word answer to tell people when they ask me what it is i do. sure it needs a little explaining, but i think we can figure out how to do it in under 15 seconds. thanks again and have a good one. love to hear more of your thoughts on the subject whenever they may arise.

  22. Ethan Yarbrough said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 9:17 pm

    I agree with you, Michael, and I appreciate this post — it’s wonderfully thought-provoking. It seems to me that the ubiquity you mention is easier to achieve than the relevance. Your own ambition can drive you to achieve the ubiquity, but relevance grows out of an ability to really ascertain what your customers need to know and how they need to be empowered to engage with you.

  23. Twitter, Twitter-di, Twitter-dumb: What’s Next? « Kerisma said,
    on February 4th, 2009 at 11:31 pm

    [...] As Chris Brogan commented today on Michael Calienes post, “We are Presence Engineers.”  Michael Calienes is smart. First, he sends me a beer from a thousand or so miles away. Then, [...]

  24. Josh said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 7:43 am

    Interesting post. I like the idea of the Presence Engineer, but would suggest another alternative. What about “Connection Engineer?” Might not have the same ring to it, but isn’t presence really only half of the battle?

  25. Leslie Carothers said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 11:07 am

    Michael: I only wish the furniture industry which is the vertical I work in,, could understand the term you have coined. It is brilliant. If I said, though, to my clients, I am a presence engineer for the furniture industry,they would just roll their eyes. What I could say, would say and will say, is this: My objective is to increase the presence of your furniture/bedding brand across the appropriate social media platforms by engaging with your potential customers in ways and places which are attuned to their lifestyles and relevant to their informational needs.

    And, THEN, to shorten it: “I create and manage your online social media presence in order to deliver value to your business.”

    As I am writing this, I am now at my personal “nugget.” The really great idea, for me, would be this: If I said to someone in the furniture business, “I work online as a “presence creator” for your brand” they would SORT’VE get it but it would certainly lead to this, “What does that really MEAN?” And, THAT would be a very valuable opening for me to get into a deeper discussion with them.

    Thanks for opening up the conversation around your great idea..I think it will help me communicate my value prop in a much more intriguing way!

    And, thanks to Chris Brogan for linking to you this morning. I would not have found your post had it not been for HIS post about it!

    However, right now, when people in the furniture industry go to Google and type in ” furniture social media” they find me. They would not know to type in “furniture presence creator!” so I can’t yet use this in my profile due to keyword issues!

    Thanks again.

  26. Jim Hunt said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 11:41 am

    Michael, now I know what it is we do. Thanks for your insightful post. I chuckled reading Chris Brogan’s mention this morning – he knows the same Michael Calienes that I do. Thanks friend – you are the creative epicenter of the region.

  27. Harold Cabezas said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 1:44 pm

    Could not have said it better. I believe this is part of the problem we have at the moment in our society. Instead of relishing the moment we are living in, many people are scared because of the economy, layoffs, etc. Most people are heavily vested in the compartmentalized way of thinking that you refer to.

    I have always considered myself to be an artist on top of a marketer since I work with multicultural markets and entertainment. I don’t like to put myself in a box b/c at the end of the day we are looking to communicate and engage possible consumers, like you said, no matter how we achieve that end result.

    Great thinking-I am looking forward to reading more.

  28. Mark Wallace said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 1:51 pm

    Thanks for the post. It seems like the only roles that have a fairly consistent job description from the time I began my professional career until now are those in the C- Suite. Some evolution, but still, for the most part the same overall responsibilities.

    I like Giles comment about Presence Strategists or perhaps Presence Designers, might be more fitting for Marketing and PR.

  29. Lisa Hickey said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    What I love about “Presence Engineers” is that, ironically, by definition, it is future thinking. What is going to “put someone in the present moment” tomorrow, next week, next year? Our jobs as marketers becomes one of continually orchestrating those moments of engagement. Whether or not you’ve coined a phrase remains to be seen, but your idea is spot on, Michael. Thank you!

  30. Pixie Stevenson said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 2:08 pm

    Yes. Creating presence is branding at it’s subtle best.

  31. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 4:05 pm

    you got that right — love to hear more.

  32. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

    thank you for that comment — really quite insightful.

  33. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 4:07 pm

    just posted today about the term — engineer. love to know what you think about the reasoning.

  34. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 4:08 pm

    thanks for the comments harold. looking forward to further collaborative exploration and discovery. have a good one.

  35. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 4:09 pm

    thanks jim. i’m flattered — and humbled. gotta keep pushing and exploring.

  36. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 4:14 pm

    i expect there will be a lot of eye-rolling. i think it would be easier for people to accept if you said you are in the business of presence engineering first. calling yourself a presence engineer may not fly in certain circles, but we’re the ones who have to teach it to. great, short elevator speech buy the way. diggin’ it. the best thing is to say what it is you do and quickly explain it — don’t give people a chance to not understand. love to hear back about your efforts. and yes, i’m absolutely grateful to chris brogan for getting the word out in a big way.

  37. Nicholas Chase said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 5:48 pm

    Hi Michael,

    Interesting and thought-provoking article. Chris Brogan’s post led me here, now I am a subscriber!

    New to the on-line marketing and blogger space since September 2008, attended BlogWorld Expo 2008 and Affiliate Summit West 2009 as a guest of the execs.

    Learning PPC and studying how to be a good web-citizen for the long term.

    Respectfully,

    Nicholas Chase
    http://www.twitter.com/nachase

  38. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 5th, 2009 at 7:06 pm

    thanks again for coming by and commenting. have a good one. any new thoughts on the subject find me here, or there, or, you know ; )

  39. Sheila Atwood said,
    on February 6th, 2009 at 3:48 pm

    I love the term “presence engineers” it made me look at how I am engineering my own presence.

    I found two definitions for engineer that I really liked.

    Webster’s Third New International Dictionary: n – 2. obs – a person who designs, invents or contrives B: a crafty schemer: PLOTTER.

    3. C: a person who carries through and enterprise or brings about a result esp. by skillful or artful contrivance.

    Sheila

  40. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 6th, 2009 at 3:50 pm

    thanks everyone for all the great comments and insight! keep ‘em coming. keep exploring.

  41. Jason Finch said,
    on February 7th, 2009 at 9:36 pm

    I guess we are, yes. In fact, about 12 years ago in 1997, I opened my business website by saying that “creating presence” through the internet was more than just about creativity. You’re right, all of this journey is about creating, engineering, presence. It’s on the web archive somewhere – port80.com

  42. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 8th, 2009 at 5:41 pm

    hey jason. thanks a bunch for stopping in. i’ve looked on port80.com but can’t find the term “creating presence.” love to read more about what you wrote — perhaps an archived page? in my opinion, the term “creating” isn’t quite as accurate as “engineering” since the creation of presence alone doesn’t imply a planned process and implementation. we can certainly create a presence on twitter, facebook, et al, but only when that presence is “engineered” do we create it with the intention of achieving certain goals through the implementation of strategies and tactics through the appropriate channels. but like i said, that’s just my opinion. anxious to hear more of your thinking. have a good one, and again, thanks for stopping in and commenting. much appreciated.

  43. Jason Finch said,
    on February 8th, 2009 at 8:45 pm

    Hey Michael, thanks for the reply – yup I get what you’re saying.. to some extent that’s why we’d put “more than creativity”, because it definitely requires thought and strategy: around the time a lot of people were going online without really thinking about how or why they were creating presence. port80 has changed since I left and is now a specialist security consultancy – there’s stuff on the web archive but it’s patchy. I’ve been away for 10 years or so burying myself in the development of my own social businesses that blend the online and real worlds. Follow me on Twitter, I’m about to roll out plenty of new stuff :) Continue your great work!

  44. Michael Calienes said,
    on February 9th, 2009 at 12:56 am

    thanks for coming back jason. i look forward to seeing the new stuff you’re rolling out. that’s gotta feel good. have a good sunday and please feel free to DM me on twitter regarding your work blending real and online — sounds like “presence intersect” to me : )

  45. Robert Torricella said,
    on February 11th, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    Michael:

    Your post is right on–and you know how I feel about it. I’m really glad to see you make that point. Seeing folks in your industry view things in that fashion makes it better for the folks like me in the industries that rely on you guys to engineer that presence. It’s just good to know that you guys really get it because it lets us out here know that we’ll be learning it from you all along the way. It really should apply to everything we do. Thanks for sharing that thought.

  46. From tweet to idea to interaction to content to heightened brand awareness. | transplant said,
    on February 13th, 2009 at 9:34 am

    [...] ripples from ensuing content are [...]

  47. Engineering Presence | Laurie Foley said,
    on February 13th, 2009 at 4:23 pm

    [...] Brogan and  Michael Calienes recently started a discussion in the social networking community about “presence [...]

  48. Moving the Needle (Guest post by Lisa Hickey) | transplant said,
    on February 16th, 2009 at 6:01 pm

    [...] blog. It seems to me this guy is everywhere. So I send him quick message, comment on his idea of “Presence Engineering” and the next day we talk on the phone. I feel like we’ve gone from stranger to friend in [...]

  49. Lynne D Johnson from FastCompany on What Comes Next | transplant said,
    on March 20th, 2009 at 1:09 pm

    [...] never thought about it quite like that, but it relates precisely to what I believe presence engineering is about. There are so many pieces of brands and conversations out in the ether that she suspects [...]

  50. Janet Vanderhoof said,
    on April 30th, 2009 at 3:33 pm

    Yes I wrote a blog about this yesterday. We all want to be noticed, now we have to do it in 150 characters, no waste for thought. We have to be as concrete in what we do to be able to name it and claim it as well as express to others in a way that they want to know who we are as well as be enticed by it. This is a perfect label, Presence Engineer and it must have worked because I bit the hook. Thanks

  51. Michael Calienes said,
    on April 30th, 2009 at 5:32 pm

    thanks so much for your comment janet. really do appreciate it. should you have any thoughts on the subject at all, please feel free to shoot me an @ reply, email, or other. have a great day.

Leave a reply