About Ben Foster
My name is Ben Foster and I like the internet. I am a Corporate Strategist focusing on Digital and Social Media Strategy in Chicago, IL.
I work for Ketchum, but please note: My postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent anyone else’s positions, strategies, or opinions.
This blog was set up to help me “Learn By Doing”, a piece of advice my grandma gave me when she said, “Just like anything in life, you have to learn by doing.”
On the Internets
- Twitter – @benphoster
- Linked In - Ben Foster
- Google + Ben Foster
- Email – ben@benphoster.com
- Tumblr - Your Second Favorite Blog
Professional Background
- Ketchum – Vice President, Digital Strategist
- Integrate social media and digital technologies across a broader marketing strategy
- Allstate – Senior Strategy and Content Manager – Social Networking
- Helped create Allstate’s Social Media group
- Allstate Financial – Innovation Manager
- Created business strategies and governance structures to drive organizational innovation
- Kuczmarski and Associates – Consultant
- Developed marketing processes to create innovative new products and services
- General Electric – Market Development Manager
- Developed complex extranets that used asset modeling to drive sales
- General Electric – Six Sigma Black Belt
- Managed quality improvement projects for a commercial function leading to Six Sigma certification
- General Electric – Information Management Leadership Program (IMLP)
- Worked in US and Europe to execute technology strategy projects
Conferences
Respect The Internet Conference
- Monetizing Online Communities and Movements by Marketers
- Mark Horvath’s summary of Movements By Marketers
Social Media Week Chicago – From Social Media to Social Business
TechWeek Chicago 2011 Panel – “Why Large Companies Should Work with Startups”
Keynote Presentation at Congresso Mega Brasil in Sao Paolo, Brazil
Enterprise 2.0 Keynote Panel (June 24, 2009)- “Does Social Media and Marketing Matter”
Interviews and Media
- Huffington Post: Creating Movements and Cause Marketing – Dreams Can Come True
- Mashable:- How to Create a Facebook Engagement Policy
- PR Interview Brazil: Interview on Social Business
- ZDNET: Allstate ensures community through collaboration
- Insurance Tech: 4 Technology Solutions that Sizzle
- Ad:Tech New York: “The Twitter Effect (Reprise)”
- Ad:Tech Chicago: - “The Twitter Effect”
- Ad:Tech Chicago: Empower Your Geeks
- WARC: Tweet Success: How Brands Can Leverage Twitter
- WARC: Marketers Must Follow “Rules” on Twitter
Education
Personal
- Family – My wife is my best friend; my son is my greatest teacher
- Baseball – I love the Chicago Cubs and, to a lesser extent, the New York Yankees
- Music – I currently listen to Indie Music. My all-time Top 5 are Phish, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, and Nirvana
- Food - My favorite restaurants are Alinea (Chicago), Moto (Chicago), Boulevard (San Francisco), Buddakan (New York), and Penny’s Noodle Shop (Chicago)
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http://www.benphoster.com/social-media-strategy-case-studies-using-the-customer-experience-lifecycle-part-2/ Social Media Strategy Case Studies Using the Customer Experience Lifecycle – Part 2 | By Ben Foster
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http://www.benphoster.com/social-media-strategy-case-studies-using-the-customer-experience-lifecycle-%e2%80%93-lego-kraft-digiorno-and-comcast/ Social Media Strategy Case Studies Using the Customer Experience Lifecycle – Lego, Kraft Digiorno, and Comcast | By Ben Foster
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http://www.benphoster.com/twitter-metrics-how-to-fool-your-leadership/ Twitter Metrics – How to Fool Your Leadership | Ben Foster | @benphoster
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http://www.benphoster.com/how-to-get-leadership-commitment-for-social-media/ How to Get Leadership Commitment for Social Media | Ben Foster | @benphoster
