Social Media

A Tale
Of Good
Customer
Service

U

pro, a calendar-sharing iPhone app with
its home based in the M@dison building
here in Detroit, has been and will continue
to get impressive media attention.
With recent write-ups in TechCrunch, Mashable,
CNN, CNBC, CBS, the Detroit Free Press and the JN,
it has begun to make a dent
in the crowded "geo-location
check-in" world. But this is
not a geo-location app. Unlike
those apps, which state your
location and/or event while
you are there at the moment,
UpTo allows you to share
calendar events that you want
made public to your network
in advance.
It's a great way to let
people know about and invite
friends to upcoming nonprofit

events, networking, concerts, etc. The app takes a

and got no response. As a father with two young kids
proactive approach and gives your network time to
Babies R Us should at least have acknowledged my
decide if they want "in" on your fun.
comments. UpTo's immediate response showed me
A few weeks ago, I downloaded the app. Like
that they care what their users are saying and are
most social apps today, it asked me if I wanted to
actively looking for resolutions.
invite friends from Facebook and/
They owned up to (pun
tip toa ply
.7 • .: We've deritifed
or my address book. I tried to
intended)
the issue and offered
theSave, a
be
fxe.d.
•wait
the
next
3c;,
Q•
iNatif (altY day ntra",,. ',Thanks'
do both. But every time I tried,
a
solution.
No one likes BS
12:narn,
y
front li-zBvte
the program would freeze. I even
excuses.
They
could have asked
BenRose rtzweig:
thank
mr1 mach, I arri excited to use. ttte a; , so
deleted the app and reinstalled it
me if my phone was working or
pease let me know when the ucdates are
on my phone a few times, but it
,were and reload'
if it had the latest software, but
still didn't work.
they owned the problem.
uptoapp:
; Ili Ben - the
Disappointed, I did what a lot
I often tell new clients, "You
Q.,./ West update S now amiable. let us know
-
how works out or you_
of social media users do. I tweeted
won't always like what I have
12:4,73rn. jL
from HozzSisite
"R u using the #upto app? lye
to tell you, but it will always be
BereRosert
@::ptoapc a worked.
installed & uninstalled it twice &
thank for th e uograde, Irn baking tonvard
the truth." I was happy to get
using the arm
it keeps freezing & not loading my
UpTo's initial response and even
2 free HootSalie
contacts ... Anyone troubleshoot
happier
to get the secondary
uptoapp: gbearosvi.-zweig Great to hear
this yet?"
1 ,3 - 11arn ,Iu n 02 troth HootSute
responses.
-
Almost immediately, UpTo
Bert Rosenzweig: @,,, ctosop love the apt$
This company is Detroit: It's
Been messaig *•at d ai day. S there a way to
responded, letting me know that
inventive,
it's a new spin on an
add catecores.? I want to add "networid9g- tB
the 1St.
they knew about the issue and were
existing
system,
and it's fresh.
-10:43 -pm Jun a2 from HootSulte
working on it. They then reached out
If
UpTo
continues
using social
uptoapp:
Glad to tear
to me to let me know once the issue
that You can add groups, but not Cate cores.
media to interact with their
-
Voe're warkino on adding addtional categories
was fixed. This excited me on a few
users this way, I'm confident
in future releases.
2,28art,
aa frorn HootSs..te
levels.
that the team will be successful
In today's market, social
with this app and the apps they
interaction with consumers is critical, yet too many
will build in the future.
companies pretend not to notice what people are
If you are using UpTo, I would love to hear your
saying about them.
thoughts on the program, reach out to me via
I once tweeted multiple times, followed by a
twitter.com/benrosenzweig or via my blog, www.
Facebook post, to Babies R Us about a concern I had,
BenjiUnSpun.com . ❑

Animal Magnetism:

Former Oak Parker finds his place at Animal Planet network.

MARIELLE TEMKIN I JN INTERN

yen though there is not
enough space for animals
in Todd Weiser's Brooklyn
apartment, they certainly
have a presence in his life. The 31-year-
old, formerly of Oak Park where he
attended Temple Emanu-El, is the
director of development at Animal
Planet in New York City where he has
worked for the past
five years.
Just one week
after graduating
from the University
of Michigan in
2004 with a double
major in film and
economics, Weiser
Todd Weiser
moved to NYC to
start working in
film distribution. "I was hoping to
be a screenwriter," he said, "but
distribution turned out to be the
perfect combination of my majors."
In college, Weiser wrote screenplays
and produced short films, but working
in distribution required extra-long

E

shifts, and he found himself lacking
the time he needed to write as he
wanted. After three years at the
company, Weiser decided he needed
to work in a more creative area.
"I wanted to get into development,"
he said, "and my friend who worked
at Animal Planet at the time told me
to come in for an interview." Weiser
immediately saw the difference
between working in TV versus film.
"Everyone was nice to me from the
get-go, and there was no drama,
which was really appealing."
Another difference between his two
jobs was the inclusive nature of TV,
which film, in Weiser's experience, did
not have. "They involved me at Animal
Planet much earlier than I would have
been involved at my old job," he said,
"and that inclusiveness makes for a
happier workplace."
As director of development, Weiser
works on all new shows for the
network. "I start at the very beginning
by hearing pitches from producers,"
he explained, "which happens either

over the phone, in person or via email.
The pitches could be a page or a few
sentences long, or they could be fully
detailed."
After hearing a pitch, Weiser works
on the idea with a team until they
think it would work for a show.
"Basically, I go through the process
of just having an idea to evolving
that idea until it gets green lit for
production," he said.
A show that Weiser has a special
affinity for is Finding Bigfoot, which
follows four individuals as they pursue
evidence that Bigfoot exists. "That
show has been the biggest blast to
work on," he said, "and to see a show
go from original idea to monster hit is
such a wonderful experience and one
of the joys of working in television."
Weiser appreciates the collaborative
environment at Animal Planet.
"When we're discussing ideas for
a show, no one is claiming their idea
is the best or anything like that," he
said. "It's more of 'these are all great
ideas, how can we get all of them into

one show and work together?"
The company also makes an effort
to keep its employees in good spirits.
"There is definitely a better
work-life balance here," he said.
"The workday isn't as crazy long,
and people are happier when that
happens, which I think helps foster
that creative and collaborative
workspace. But that's not to say we
don't have long days sometimes."
While Weiser does enjoy living in
NYC, he misses Michigan. "I visit
many times a year to see family, go to
Michigan football games and attend
friends' weddings," he said. "I miss
going Downtown and to Ann Arbor,
and I definitely miss being so close
to Michigan sports teams. It's hard to
keep up with them in NYC."
Despite his love of local sports
teams, Weiser is planning on staying
in NYC and at Animal Planet. "I'm
very happy here," he said. "We're
working on expanding our brand and
trying new things, and I'm very excited
to be a part of that." ❑

August 16 2012

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