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If you live in the Philadelphia area & are active on Twitter, you may have recently received an email telling you that @rittenhouse is now following you. While it is fairly obvious what @rittenhouse would be referring to, there is a good chance you were not quite sure what you would find. Further extending their reach into the Social Media space, they have also created a Facebook page that allows members to become a fan.
For those of you not familiar with Philadelphia, Rittenhouse Square is a small park in center city Philadelphia with plenty of open space, trees, park benches, a few statues & the obligatory floral landscaping. It is a popular destination that offers a lot of versatility. Parents with children, artists, musicians, couples, groups of friends, the daily lunch crowd, people watchers; pretty much anything you would expect traverses through the park each day.
The underlying beauty is in the history. The peripheral beauty, literally, is the immediate, surrounding area; fashionable & trendy shops, top-notch restaurants, bars, clubs, even a five-star hotel. Well known to those who frequent Rittenhouse Square, you will also find your fair share of homeless people.
So why the sudden foray into the Social Media space? My guess is that more people who are looking for a place to relax &/or spend money need to come visit; @rittenhouse is lonely & misses you. I love Rittenhouse Square, but admittedly am not there enough. Sure, life happens & you spend your weekends in Avalon; but if I feel I could be in & around the Square more often, there are definitely plenty of others who should as well.
Did I mention they’re also creating buzz around an upcoming potluck picnic? Seriously. What a great way to bring attention to something different that could build a physical & interactive community. Initially the interaction starts online, is strengthened in the real world, & then can continue both online & off afterwards. Should you be looking for a great example of Social Media integration (& something that embodies the real value of it), you’d be well advised to observe what @rittenhouse is doing.
I was surprised when I found out @rittenhouse was following me and didn’t immediately follow back. A park twittering? But I’ve really enjoyed following along. I think that Potluck is going to be a big success — I hope I can go.
Meet the man who started this & read a bit about what he learned.
http://danieldelaney.com/blog/2008/8/11/playing-the-park.html