Are these guys the new 'Mad Men'?

Sunday's Globe column touches on the writers, consultants, and conference organizers based here in Boston who are helping to define a new approach to marketing.

Lots of different terminology is being tossed around to try to describe the shift, from social media to content marketing to social marketing to inbound marketing. The word "social" implies that the personal connections between individuals who can help spread your message to others are increasingly important. "Content marketing" alludes to creating content that people choose to spend time with, whether it's a list of tips for maintaining a beautiful lawn or a funny video, like the "Will It Blend?" series created by the Utah blender maker Blendtec. "Inbound marketing," coined by the Cambridge-based software company HubSpot, implies that a company has a prominent presence online and is delivering value to customers so they'll come find it, rather than simply broadcasting "outbound" messages and hoping for the best.

This new marketing mafia includes companies like Brand Networks, Hubspot and BzzAgent, and people like C.C. Chapman, Chris Brogan, Paul Gillin, and David Meerman Scott. (I'm sure I've left key players out here, so feel free to add a comment...)

(Mashable took a look recently at Boston's social media scene, from a slightly different perspective.)

Enterprise 2.0 and Enterprise 2Open

Two related events happen in Boston next week, at the Westin Waterfront.

The main show is Enterprise 2.0, which focuses on how Web 2.0 and social networking technologies are being used by companies. The three themes are cloud computing and software-as-a-service, search 2.0, and social networking in the enterprise. Speakers include Rob Carter, chief information officer at FedEx, Rishi Chandra, product manager for Google Enterprise, and local videoblogging guru Chris Brogan.

There's also a free unconference event on Tuesday, where anyone is welcome to present and participate (but you do have to pre-register.)