The excuses are so easy. I don’t have time for this social media crap because I’m a deal maker! MOCIAL is for those marketing types whose full time job is to run a twitter account or Facebook page. I’m just not nerdy enough to go. I’ve never needed it before.

If I’m completely honest, I wasn’t really sure what I was getting into when I registered for the conference other than a little work and a few days vacation in Austin, Texas. My good friend @Vinzani had been and said it was eye opening and I trust him. Austin is the live music capital of the world and y’all know how I feel about that!

We need to start with a definition. What is MOCIAL? MO is for MObile. CI is for soCIal. AL is for locAL.

Mobile: @mpkercheval of ICSC set a great tone for the event. The Boomers don’t matter anymore. Millennials and the Boomers Boom are driving this. Facebook has 1.3 Billion active monthly users, 945 Million Mobile users. Roughly 61% of Americans have a smartphone, where almost 91% of the adult population has a mobile phone. This is where we research our purchases. Think about it – is there anyone you know who doesn’t? 75% of Americans admit to bringing their phone to the bathroom.

Social: Omnichannel. If you’re a retailer you know what this means. 98% of 18-24 year olds already use Social Media. 271 Million active on Twitter. Over 40 Million on Instagram. We Buy what our friends Buy. Like what our friends Like. We check it all out everywhere. Over 67% start on one channel and complete the purchase on another.

Local: Be local, Buy Local. Local First. Keep it Local. The final leg of the MOCIAL platform. Humans want meaningful interactions. Brick and Mortar stores are here and in your neighborhood to stay and thrive. Pick it up in the store now. Have it delivered today.

There’s of course a LOT more to this MOCIAL movement. Digital won’t replace the Face to Face experience. Your choice is not whether to “Do Digital” or not, it’s just how well you choose to do it. @equalman has a great book, Socialnomics that is a great place to start between now and MOCIAL 2015.

So, again the question is how the hell does this tie into #CRE #RETAIL? Because 98% of the Interbrand 100 are active on multiple #Social Channels. If they’re committed, why aren’t you?

I’ll leave you with my favorite word from this great event, thanks to @jenaugustyn of @TheDealeyGroup. NOMOPHOBIA