ADMAVEN - The Interactive Advertising Blog

Innovative mobile applications will drive insurance industry quoting behavior in 2012, according to a new white paper

2011-11-03T09:05:00.003-05:00

lonelybrand’s new white paper, "Mobile Applications: Driving quoting behavior in 2012" uses custom data to guide insurance marketing strategy in 2012. The digital strategists at lonelybrand take a close look at ten innovative examples of how the industry can use mobile to drive quoting behavior. The white paper also provides trend analysis and tips on how to get the maximum value out of mobile.

For more information, download the free white paper here.

This 17-page white paper discusses:

Game changing mobile white space in the insurance industry
Why innovation trumps expectation in the mobile space for the insurance industry
Why Apple leads development for mobile insurance applications
Why offering free applications might be a symptom of a bigger problem
Analysis of 10 leading insurance industry mobile applications
Recommendations for mobile application development for 2012 and beyond

Kickstarter remains a largely untapped resource

2011-05-25T11:08:00.005-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if Kickstarter will ever become a real thing. There's a huge untapped enterprise segment for big companies to test - in real time - if consumers will prepay for a potential new product or service. Even the business-to-business segment could take better advantage of a system that forces people who want something to put their money where their mouth is.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps agencies and brands find and connect to digital audiences for profitable outcomes. Want to talk to him about how a complete digital communications program can help your agency or brand grow? Email him at nick@lonelybrand.com

LinkedIn IPO soars, but for how long?

2011-05-19T13:55:00.006-05:00

Nothing much to say here. It's the stock market so nothing is certain and the market always has the final say. I'll be keeping a close eye on LNKD (along with the rest of the tech community).

Netflix Proves Americans Will Pay for Media

2011-05-17T11:28:00.004-05:00

Unobtrusive access, affordable, multi-screen. All of these words define the Netflix experience. Not coincidentally the video streaming service has been measured by Sandvine to be the largest source of peak downstream traffic in the United States.

Digital advertisers take note: this is a trend that won't be slowing down any time soon.

Facebook Kills it in Display Advertising

2011-05-09T10:11:00.006-05:00

Who would have thought? The real question here is one of value. Is Facebook advertising worth the money? Is it an exercise in branding, conversion, or a little bit of both? Either way, you can't ignore numbers like these...

PMA Game Changers 2011 Chicago

2011-03-30T11:53:00.005-05:00

This year we'll be at PMA's annual marketing conference aptly named, "Game Changers". It's April 5-6 at the Fairmont in downtown Chicago.

Notable presenters include:

Bryan Reese, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, Bolthouse Farms
Dana Williams, Director of Marketing, Communications and Brand Integration, Southwest Airlines
Terry O'Neil, Executive Vice President for Citi's North America Credit Card division
Morgan Flatley, Senior Director for Consumer Engagement, Gatorade
Dean M. Barrett, McDonald's Corporation, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing Officer
Elisabeth Charles, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, PETCO

At any rate if you spot us say hello, and if you haven't already registered you can do so here.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps agencies and brands find and connect to digital audiences for profitable outcomes. Want to talk to him about how a complete digital communications program can help your agency or brand grow? Email him at nick@lonelybrand.com

E-mail Marketing and Snowmageddon 2011

2011-02-03T11:37:00.004-06:00

Much of the country is recovering from some wicked weather.

It got me thinking about segmentation.

When was the last time someone reminded you to cross-reference your e-mail marketing and customer outreach schedule against weather patterns?

If you know your customers (or, for the agencies and consultants, your clients' customers) will be stuck at home or an airport with nothing to do what are you waiting for?

Gently remind them to upgrade that weather-related insurance policy, buy that space heater they have been wanting or subscribe to your very entertaining content. Better yet - offer the affected region a special discount, trial or piece of content for the day to stimulate interest and sales while demonstrating how in-tune you are with their situation. Acknowledge those stuck in transit by ensuring your efforts are smartphone-friendly.

Help your customers solve their immediate needs when you know you'll have their attention. Digital communications tools backed by a disciplined process make it cost-effective and easy to turn on and off. So, much like the weather, you can keep stakeholders on their toes.

E-mail marketing is the tip of the iceberg. If you want to learn more about how digital communications tools can help you or your clients accomplish business goals you can always contact me or follow me on Twitter.

Content and Social Media Marketing Success Secret 2: Surrounding Consumers with Branded Experiences

2011-01-03T08:35:00.005-06:00

Part 3 of a 3-Part Guest Series by Susan Gunelius. Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

In Part 2 of this content and social media marketing series, you learned the importance of creating a core branded online destination to act as the central hub for all of your content and social media marketing activities. The next step to achieving content and social media marketing success is to extend your brand further across the digital space.

People like to experience brands and content in different ways. Every consumer audience can be segmented into smaller groups of people who have different wants, needs and preferences for brands. Therefore, you need to offer your audience varied branded experiences so they can self-select how they want to experience your brand and content. One size does not fit all!

While your core branded online destination is always the nucleus of your online brand presence, it’s important that you take the time to offer multiple branded online destinations. For example, everyone doesn’t like to use Twitter, nor does everyone like to read e-books. Therefore, it’s essential that you offer a variety of methods for people to engage with you and your brand across the social Web.

Once your core branded online destination is established, begin spreading your brand tentacles across the Web. Create a Twitter profile, a Facebook page, a LinkedIn group, a YouTube channel, and so on. Quality of content and interactions always trumps quantity, so don’t spread yourself too thin. The objective is to offer varied branded experiences while continually publishing shareworthy content and participating in meaningful conversations. At the same time, all roads must lead back to your core branded online destination.

As you extend your online presence across the social Web, be sure to stay consistent to your brand’s promise. If your content, conversations, and destinations don’t accurately reflect your brand image and message, your audience will become confused and turn away from your brand in search of one that does consistently meet their expectations for it.

Think of content marketing and social media marketing as a long-term, brand-building strategy. Over time, your content will spread farther as more and more people engage with it across your varied online destinations. Inevitably, organic growth will drive your brand and business to new heights as long as you’re committed to sticking with it for the long-haul.

You can read more about creating a content and social media marketing strategy in Susan Gunelius' new book, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, which is now available in book stores and online. ADMAVEN readers can follow the link to get a free bonus chapter, which is available for download from McGraw-Hill.

Susan Gunelius spent over a decade directing marketing programs for some of the biggest companies in the world, and today, she is President and CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. You can follow Susan on the social Web on Twitter (@susangunelius), Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps agencies and brands find and connect to digital audiences for profitable outcomes. Want to talk to him about how a complete digital communications program can help your agency or brand grow? Email him at nick@lonelybrand.com

lonelybrand’s Top Five Predictions for Digital Communications in 2011

2010-12-06T09:10:00.008-06:00

Prediction, presage, prognosis, prevision or prophecy (yes; I know how to use a thesaurus). The only real measure of how reliable one “oracle” is over another is the measure of accuracy over time.

I’m not a digital advertising prophet, but I do get enough exposure to digital communications to have a pretty good idea what’s coming. Here’s the links to my 2009 and 2010 predictions for advertising, the economy and innovation. Take a few minutes and give them a read – or just skip below for my 2011 predictions for digital communications.

ADMAVEN’s 2009 Advertising Predictions

KEY EXCERPT: [Web] 2.0 strategies will be more palatable. Smaller budgets and the desire to be more frugal will make [Web] 2.0 much more attractive to medium and large companies around the world. Social media will play a big role in this development, and agencies poised to bring a solid, procedural model with built in metrics will find new business quickly.

2010 Predictions: Conscious Capitalism and Vertical Learning (written in partnership with Maddock Douglas)

KEY EXCERPT: Secondly, but more importantly, the consumers will drive this change. With the power to choose products and services created by companies who no longer see business as a machine driven by profit only, consumers will exercise this measure of control to empower companies that not only empower them, but also facilitate change for the world.

lonelybrand’s Top Five Predictions for Digital Communications in 2011

1) The economy has started to show signs of recovery. The last two months of 2010 display a stock market on the rebound and production creeping in the right direction. However many marketing jobs downsized during years past won’t be making a return. Agencies and brands will continue to juggle keeping up with ever-evolving technologies while executing day-to-day duties. 2011 will be the year of the outsourced digital expert. Firms that build themselves on pure-play digital will step in to help brands and agencies stay afloat while executing outstanding digital communications to their clients and customers. lonelybrand has seen the demand grow – even in the last two months. The good news is that the relationship provides a way to get an internal team up to speed on effective digital communications techniques without risking huge budgets needed to hire the six key individuals required to effectively connect with consumers online. OK – that last part was a dose of my personal ethos – but it’s how I work and so far it hasn’t failed to produce.

2) What’s all this talk about the coming “App Revolution” or “Appocolypse” that will fundamentally reshape the way consumers receive messaging? 2011 will be a year of continued trending to mobile, but I’ve got some news for you: the smartphone thing is already showing signs of hitting a plateau in America. The global market is still a major growth sector for smartphone technology, but the real lesson here is mobile marketing should be a key piece of your digital communications budget in 2011. It’s appropriate for almost every brand and agency, and the costs of entry are so low versus the potential upside it’s almost a no-brainer. Apps have already changed a lot about online behaviors, but the biggest shift has already happened. Expect to see more agencies and brands play catch up as new budgets ripen in early 2011.

3) The Music Industry is in a lot of trouble. It’s because they’ve spent their time and once considerable assets fighting digital communications trends rather than embracing them. 2011 will be a make-or-break year for something we all love: music. What does this have to do with trends in digital marketing and advertising? Think of it as a lesson in exploration. Agencies and brands that aggressively expand their digital communications programs will come out on top. Learning the key steps to reducing risky capital outlay while increasing success rate is the secret. As Quincy Jones, producer of "Thriller" and nominated for a record 79 Grammy awards recently told me, “Artists, producers, songwriters and A&R folks: rise up to the challenge and make your album so good that fans will want to buy the whole thing. I realize every album can’t have six or seven top ten singles like Michael Jackson and I were blessed with on “Thriller” and “Bad,” but you’ve got to try. If it’s good enough, the fans will buy it. Maybe they’ll want to whet their appetite by only buying a track or two at first, but if you keep coming out with good tracks and pique their interest, they’ll be back.” Remember prediction number one? Those are the folks who will help agencies and brands smart enough to bring in outsiders blossom in the year to come.

4) Disciplined CRM and email marketing will continue to generate a stable platform of inbound lead generation and conversions. We’ve been hearing it for years now: email marketing is old school, old hat and on it’s way out the door. Tell that to Groupon. Sometimes (yes, even in our fast-paced digital world) it’s less about exotic technology and more about the discipline to produce consistently. Email marketing combined with quality social CRM will continue to drive big results in 2011. Agencies and brands with a quality content calendar backed by the staff to execute will retain and grow their customer base. Look for more companies to begin injecting social data into their CRM toolset, producing targeted and increasingly relevant communications with outstanding open rates.

5) Analytics will finally make it to the boardroom. When you run a campaign or communications program in the digital world it only makes sense to measure progress. Look for large up-front spends on strategy and development to give way as more agencies and brands realize the risk posed by front-loading a digital marketing budget. The smartest companies will understand that incremental program execution combined with powerful analytics (and the personnel to quantify meaning from the raw data) is a great way to minimize risk and maximize reward. I recommend using an analytics package(s) that can read demographics, see long-term trends and analyze real-time data.

I hope you take these predictions to heart as you plan your business development strategies for 2011. I spend my days making sure agencies and brands are covering all the bases by augmenting and executing tactics that get results. Want to know more? Let’s talk.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps agencies and brands find and connect to digital audiences for profitable outcomes. Want to talk to him about how a complete digital communications program can help your agency or brand grow? Email him at nick@lonelybrand.com

Content and Social Media Marketing Success Secret: Create Your Core Branded Destination

2010-11-16T12:17:00.006-06:00

Part 2 of a 3-Part Guest Series by Susan Gunelius. Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Content marketing and social media marketing are hotter than ever, but with so many tools, tricks, and so-called experts telling you different things you have to be doing to be successful on the social web, you can end up feeling overwhelmed with no idea where to begin or what to do next.

Relax. Take a deep breath and remember that content marketing and social media marketing are exactly what they claim to be -- forms of marketing, and the underlying theories of marketing still apply.

Therefore, your content marketing and social media marketing efforts need to be based in the fundamental principles of marketing theory to be successful over the long-term. Before you create a Twitter account, add yourself to Facebook, or start a blog, you need to set yourself up for content and social media marketing success by understanding the most basic secrets to content marketing success, which are rooted in integrated marketing and cross-promotional theories. The first of those secrets is the importance of creating a core branded online destination.

As you participate in the social web conversation, publish content, and share information, you’ll do so on a wide variety of websites, blogs, social networks, forums, and so on. In order to make those various efforts a valuable part of your content and social media marketing plans, all roads must lead back to what I call your core branded online destination as mentioned in step 9 of my previous article published on ADMAVEN, “10 Tips to Develop a Content and Social Media Marketing Strategy.”

In other words, as you build your online reputation and develop relationships with people online, you should do so with the goal of bringing them back to your core branded online destination where they can get more of your amazing content and you can deepen your relationships with them. Never boldly demand that people come to your core branded online destination. Instead, quietly offer a link to your core branded destination or make a reference to your useful content, so your audience feels in control of your interactions. In time, your most engaged audience will follow you, tell their own connections about you, and share your amazing content, opening the doors for you to engage with even more people!

I always recommend a blog as the core branded online destination because of its flexibility in terms of the type of content you can publish as well as its search friendliness. Even if you don’t own an online business, blogging can help you as your core branded online destination because of one simple thing -- Google.

Think of it this way -- if you build a company website with 10 pages, that gives Google 10 entry points to find you, index your content, and deliver your site in keyword search results. Now, imagine that you add a blog to your website and publish a new post every day for a year. That gives you 365 more entry points for Google to index and deliver in search results. Now, imagine that you publish amazing content that people want to share with their own audiences (I call this shareworthy content). They write about your posts on their own blogs, tweet links to your posts, share them on LinkedIn, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Digg, and so on. Suddenly, your original 10 entry points have grown to hundreds or thousands simply because you did two things:

You connected with your target audience across the social Web and made an effort to bring them back to your core branded online destination.
You published amazing content that your audience wanted to share and talk about with their own followers.

You’d be crazy to pass up that kind of access to people!

Therefore, the first secret you need to follow in order to put yourself on the path for successful content and social media marketing is to set up your core branded online destination, start publishing amazing content there, and then, work to build relationships across the web and bring people back to your core branded online destination for further interactions, learning, and sharing.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series where you’ll learn the second biggest secret to getting started on a path to content and social media marketing success -- Surrounding Consumers with Branded Experiences -- coming next week on ADMAVEN.

You can read more about creating a content and social media marketing strategy in Susan Gunelius' new book, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, which is now available in book stores and online. ADMAVEN readers can follow the link to get a free bonus chapter, which is available for download from McGraw-Hill.
Susan Gunelius spent over a decade directing marketing programs for some of the biggest companies in the world, and today, she is President and CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. You can follow Susan on the social Web on Twitter (@susangunelius), Facebook, or LinkedIn.

10 Tips to Develop a Content and Social Media Marketing Strategy

2010-11-02T06:51:00.009-05:00

Part 2 of a 3-Part Guest Series by Susan Gunelius. Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Content and social media marketing are hotter than ever, and you might be tempted to dive in and catch some of the so-called lightening in a bottle that you've heard about. While it's true that every day you wait to get started with content and social media marketing is a missed opportunity, you should take some time before you invest too much time and energy to do some research and create a strategy that will actually help you meet your goals.

With that in mind, take a step back and read through the following tips to develop a content and social media marketing strategy to ensure you set yourself up for success from the start:

Find out what your competitors are doing online. Look for gaps and opportunities.
Learn where your customers spend time online. Listen to their online conversations and join them to start building relationships with them.
Define the demographic and behavioral makeup of your best audience. This is your target audience.
Define your primary social media and content marketing messages and the added value you will bring to the online conversation.
Determine your 1-year objectives for your content and social media marketing efforts.
Define your brand promise and your brandís position relative to your competitors in the marketplace so you can differentiate yourself in consumersí minds.
Develop an honest assessment of the money and time you can invest into content and social media marketing over the next 12-months to determine what you can realistically afford in terms of outside help.
Find the online influencers who have the ears of your target audience and get on their radar screens by commenting on their blogs, tweeting them, and reaching out to them via social networking and/or email.
Create a great core branded destination to which all of your content and social media marketing efforts will lead back to. This is where youíll deepen relationships through interaction and providing amazing, shareworthy content that your audience will want to talk about and share with their own audiences thereby extending your exposure across the Web.
Surround consumers with branded online destinations, so they can self-select how they want to interact with your brand. You can't be everywhere, but itís important to provide alternative ways for people to engage with you (not everyone likes to read blogs or use Twitter). Give your audience more options without spreading yourself too thin. Quality of content and relationships trumps quantity when it comes to building long-term, sustainable, organic growth for both your online presence and your business.

You can read more about creating a content and social media marketing strategy in Susan Gunelius' new book, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, which is now available in book stores and online. ADMAVEN readers can follow the link to get a free bonus chapter, which is available for download from McGraw-Hill.

Susan Gunelius spent over a decade directing marketing programs for some of the biggest companies in the world, and today, she is President and CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. You can follow Susan on the social Web on Twitter (@susangunelius), Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Social Media in Action Series: Duck Sauce

2010-09-29T08:41:00.003-05:00

I'm spending a few days highlighting my "best in class" picks for companies driven by social media. This series isn't about uncovering the latest viral phenomenon - it's about slowing your roll a little bit and observing the underlying principles of success in social media marketing. Day 4 in the series features Duck Sauce.

When an Internet phenomenon is reported by the New York Times it's usually regarded as having earned "viral" or "meme" status by the teeming hordes of social media experts. Watch the latest video to reach such status from the band Duck Sauce aptly named Barbara Streisand, then read my takeaways below.

One of the cornerstones to social media success (and some of this can be applied to the music industry as a whole) is producing something that many people will love. Not just "like" or tweet, but truly love. By combining a catchy beat with visuals and celebrity cameos that make most young New Yorkers swoon Duck Sauce created a juicy bit of video goodness that was championed by the largest city in America. The lesson here is simple: target your audience with remarkable content and they will... remark! Too many brands play it safe by generalizing content to apply to as many people as possible, not realizing in the process they are eroding viral potential.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps agencies and brands find and connect to digital audiences for profitable outcomes. Want to talk to him about how social technologies can help your agency or brand grow? Email him at nick@lonelybrand.com

Social Media in Action Series: List Blogging with Jeremiah Owyang

2010-09-28T08:40:00.005-05:00

If you enjoy keeping up with the social web and learning about new technologies you may be familiar with Owyang's aptly named blog: Web Strategy. The blog has one area that I'm going to highlight: a rolling list of brands that were "punked" by social media. Take a look at the extensive article, then read my analysis below the image.

Building a unique, thoughtful list of (for lack of a better word) things, can be an incredible source of traffic, referrals and conversions. For marketers Jeremiah's list provides a chronological account of case studies in social media failure. Incredibly useful for client and prospect presentations, internal reports or as a way to check for probably issues before a campaign goes live.

There are many many examples of lists in social media, but remember this: if it doesn't already exist you may be passing up an opportunity to aggregate and store information that will be appreciated by thousands - if not millions - of adoring fans. Go get em!

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps agencies and brands find and connect to digital audiences for profitable outcomes. Want to talk to him about how social technologies can help your agency or brand grow? Email him at nick@lonelybrand.com

Social Media in Action Series: Google

2010-09-27T09:34:00.006-05:00

You may have seen Patrick Boivin's hugely popular stop-motion animation series on YouTube. Watch his technique used in this Nexus One unboxing, then read my quick takeaway after the video.

Are there social media guns for hire? In this case, you bet! Google used a tried but true technique - combine meme with an already established personality to create a new and instantly viral phenomenon. Does it always work? Certainly not. In fact the Internet is littered with the wreckage of bad brand/social media personality collaborations.

It's all about finding the right blend of an existing Internet personality providing pure value (no ads already) to their fans, and then tapping it in a way that doesn't corrupt the very attraction that made the content viral to begin with.

It's a delicate balancing act illustrated above perfectly.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps agencies and brands find and connect to digital audiences for profitable outcomes. Want to talk to him about how social technologies can help your agency or brand grow? Email him at nick@lonelybrand.com

Social Media in Action Series: Department of Transportation

2010-09-24T07:01:00.005-05:00

Let's face it: drunk driving is a serious problem in America. It's been an ongoing mission of the Department of Transportation to communicate the negative impacts of driving under the influence through various national television, radio and print campaigns. Local governments also get involved, but with budgets shrinking it's been tough to get the word out. I'll just say it. Most of these ads are cheesy and don't connect with drivers at an emotional level. Enter the Happy Hour FAIL campaign. Be prepared for a sting, and read my thoughts after the video.

Ouch. Did you have the same awkward and painful feeling watching a life set back by ten years?

The Happy Hour FAIL campaign is a great example of marketing to Millennials, and it's one of the first ads that plays to the fear of a damaged social media reputation. It's all part of a more robust campaign that connects on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. Not bad for a traditional government department rooted in old media.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps agencies and brands find and connect to digital audiences for profitable outcomes. Want to talk to him about how social technologies can help your agency or brand grow? Email him at nick@lonelybrand.com

Social Media in Action Series: Blendtec

2010-09-23T07:43:00.009-05:00

Chances are you're already familiar with the cooky lab tech that likes to destroy expensive and amusing items with blenders. If not I'll let the video do the talking. You'll find my quick takeaway below.

I've always been convinced the success of Blentec's YouTube campaign is rooted in discipline. Sure, it's amusing to watch things get destroyed - but translating that into sales is a more complex feat. You can find hundreds of thousands of videos on the Internet of wanton destruction. Blentec's secret is rooted in discipline. Any social media campaign must be consistently executed with predictable "tune in times". You can always cite one-off examples of single videos that went viral. That's different than a planned and produced campaign, or it's just plain lucky.

Consistency in look and feel as well as a disciplined content release schedule dramatically reduce the chances of failure. After over 100 well produced and executed videos, Blendtec is a great example of the disciplined approach to social media marketing success.

The Social Conundrum

2010-09-14T10:41:00.004-05:00

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Double Bland Meme Advertising, What Does It Mean?

2010-09-03T09:49:00.004-05:00

I'm working on a lot of content right now - it's been a big week in advertising with the announcement of commercial-free Apple TV, a social network from Apple and a slew of new Andriod mobile devices and tablets. Since I don't have that ready let's all bask in the glory of a full on double bland ad campaign from Microsoft. All the way.

Just because a meme generates insane amounts of online popularity does not excuse ad agencies from putting some creative effort into a campaign based off of the same nonsense.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Authors That Get Social Media: Marcus Sakey

2010-08-26T08:29:00.005-05:00

Marcus Sakey was an award-winning copywriter on brands ranging from JCPenney to World Championship Wrestling until he left the business to write novels. His books have been translated into a dozen languages, labeled “nothing short of brilliant” by the Chicago Tribune, and chosen among Esquire Magazine’s Top 5 of the Year. Recently Marcus has aggressively expanded into eBook formats, publishing a series of short stores available online.

About a decade ago, something shifted in the publishing world. What used to be famed as a reclusive profession became a very public one. The novelist was expected to leave his garret and go sell himself.

I’m a novelist, and that’s fine with me. I come from advertising, a world where you fight for your ideas, and promoting my own work comes naturally.

However, what I’ve found interesting over the last few years is the ways in which social networking, the Internet, and lately, the rise of the e-book, have shaped these trends. I’ve written about the first two here before, so it’s the latter I’d like to talk about.

Everyone knows that e-books are the future. You don’t have to like it, but it’s foolish to ignore it. The thing is, right now, that future hasn’t arrived. It’s the Wild West out there. Fortunes were made in the West, but a lot of people died of dysentery, too.

For my money, the people who are hailing the end of publishing are short-sighted. I don’t know exactly how the industry will look, but I sure hope that traditional publishers don’t go away. Art shouldn’t be an entirely democratic process.

No, at this point in history, I view e-books is as a support tool. For example, I just released a bunch of short stories as inexpensive e-books. You can buy them for a buck a pop, or as an anthology of seven called SCAR TISSUE for $2.99.

My goals are simple. I want to offer people a way to try my stuff inexpensively. And I want to reach out to them through media that I can guide, e.g., the Internet. My hope is not that I sell a million copies and retire (although I wouldn’t say no). My real hope is that by taking advantage of a changing marketing landscape, I can reach a potential audience that may not otherwise know of me.

Like you.

To that end, allow me to give you one of my stories, absolutely free. It’s called “The Days When You Were Anything Else,” and it’s one of my personal favorites. It’s available for all e-book formats, or as a PDF you can print out.

I hope you’ll give it a read.

To get the story, just click here, add it to your cart, and use coupon code YB98Q.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Remember What You Used to Think About Social Media?

2010-08-24T19:43:00.008-05:00

"It isn't about making content go viral—though that would be a wonderful byproduct, should it happen—or creating the next great Facebook application," Kinports says. "It's about structuring, and in some cases restructuring, how a business views and interacts with its customer base. The modern consumer is savvy, aware, and fully able to make informed decisions, thanks to a wealth of information freely available on the Internet. The consumer of the near future will make purchase decisions based on information gleaned from unbiased peers and influencers. Social media is the latest tool through which these interactions occur."
SOURCE: Bloomberg-Businessweek, May 26, 2009 (click here for the full article)

Sometimes it's useful to look back and remember what we were all saying about social media and the future of advertising. I was reminded of an article I co-authored in early 2009 that eventually made it's way to Bloomberg-Businessweek.

Here's an inspiring TEDx video from David Armano covering his current views on the topic:

We should all remember what made social media such a buzz word in the first place and why many marketers lost their way. Sometimes to move forward you really do have to look back. What did you used to think about social media and the future of advertising?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Engaging Times: My Picks From #Alterian2010

2010-08-24T08:26:00.004-05:00

Attending the Alterian Engaging Times conference gave me an interesting look at brands not typically discussed in the advertising and marketing world. I'm going to highlight my favorite comments and links from the #Alterian2010 hashtag. If you want to get the full presentations for the conference check out Alterian's Slideshare page. You can also read an archive of all the conference tweets here.

ADMAVEN's top 10 Tweets from #Alterian2010:

@djeldridge: 86% of consumers want to engage with the brand.

@michaelsantoro: It's up to us as marketers to stop mass broadcasting and start listening, understanding, and engaging.

@AmandaDeVito: Technology has to be at the core of marketing.

@interactiveAmy: Reminder to agencies, brands & marketers: Technology needs same importance as creativity!

@Elyse_D: In Australia, Court Notices can be served through Facebook. A Facebook Summons is considered legally binding

@MichelleRTaylor: @WesternUnion 's corporate guidelines for SM - Take responsibility for what you post."

@DonPeppers: cross channel communication is like surround-sound marketing - don't allow different tones out of different speakers!

@catherinewarren: You can't take something off the Internet, it's like trying to take pee out of a pool

@exec101: Social Media and CRM are inextricably intertwined - Don Peppers.

@markdamicoroch: 96% of gen y consumers belong to a social network per Don Peppers

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Killer Social Apps: 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Brand Engagement

2010-08-23T10:42:00.005-05:00

Social Dev Camp Chicago 2010 was a great time - if you weren't there I suggest getting on board for next year!

In case you missed my panel presentation "Killer Social Apps: 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Brand Engagement" I've included some of the key points below. Special thanks to my fellow panelists Pek Pongpaet (@PekPongpaet) of SpotOn and Chris Pautsch (@ChrisPautsch) of KeyLimeTie.

Game Mechanics
It's no secret that social apps like Foursquare encourage participation and repeat use through an achievement system based on badges. But Foursquare and similar apps represent the beginning of a much larger trend - implementation of social scoring, rating and achievement will proliferate. It's human nature to want to feel a sense of building status and credibility in exchange for loyalty, and apps that satisfy the unmet need will see increased customer loyalty and a lift in repeat visits and use.

Mobility
The concept of mobility may seem obvious, but it's the implementation of the platform where many developers are shifting their thought process. Look for the next generation of mobile apps to be constructed from the ground up independently of preexisting structure. As mobility trends to smartphone adoption with more powerful and feature rich devices expect fewer apps that provide duplicate functionality as website based counterparts. The future of mobility lies in creating game changing applications based on an existing platform or as a first choice to other platforms entirely.

Context and Social Proofing
It's nice to have apps populated with useful information, but the latest trend in content based functions calls on the user's own social networks to create an experience that is both relevant and vetted by friends, followers and even ethereal internet acquaintances.

Activating Brand Advocates
Providing tools to allow sharing through social technologies is old hat. Marketers also know that most users opt out of sharing. Developers must not only provide the tools to share, but ensure the user experience is improved in a meaningful way. The best apps of the future will create much of their own buzz through brand advocates that spread the word as a result of app use.

Real to Virtual and Back Again
When Zynga began promoting their popular Farmville game through real 7-Eleven in store campaign tied to food purchase it set a precedent. Apps that provide a way for users to exchange in app activity for real world benefit and back again help connect and activate consumers - influencing purchase behavior in attractive ways to retailers.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

5 Ways Facebook Places Will Change the Marketing Game

2010-08-19T11:48:00.006-05:00

Facebook's new Places feature is live, and it's bringing a whole new dimension to the world's most talked about social network.

Advertisers, for now, are out of luck. In a live reveal of the technology Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, explained that the technology needs to be perfected (finding friends, checking-in and building stories about places via @benparr) before bringing FourSquare-like deals to the table.

When it happens - and happen it will - what can brands and agencies expect from the new technology? Here's my predictions and trends for location and deal based app marketing:

1) Deep group discounting
Facebook Places let's you check in your friends (unless they disable the feature in privacy settings). Expect brands and venues to begin offering deep discounts for large groups of friends checked in at the same time. Want 20% off your entire meal? Get at least 8 of your friends checked in on Places and reap the rewards!

2) Swarm behavior
Allowing you to see where your friends are every second of the day is a big benefit to Facebook's shiny new toy. I suspect that within 5 years being location aware of your network will be as ubiquitous as having a mobile phone. Until then expect advertisers to take advantage of swarming behavior by offering up to the second and unpublicized deals through Places. Business is down for the day? Seed a 50% off promotion through Facebook Places for the next 60 minutes and watch as the information achieves viral status and causes a swarm to appear in your venue.

3) Competitive cherry-picking
Businesses will need to be on their Places game to avoid losing valuable customers. The businesses that fail to adopt or understand how Facebook places work will become low hanging fruit for tech savvy competitors offering killer deals and discounts.

4) Privacy backlash
When businesses begin harvesting Facebook information about their visitors based on Places it's going to raise some major privacy concerns. The best way to avoid being the scapegoat for yet another Facebook privacy outrage is to play by the common sense rules of marketing in the age of social technology. Only contact people who have selected to receive your communications and bring tangible value to the table with each message. I suspect nightlife and entertainment venues will be among the first to ignite the collective wailing.

5) Social CRM
Social technologies bring a bold new dimension to CRM programs. Ensure yours will be compatible with Facebook Places and that you have built in processes to grab and analyze trends from the geolocation view.

For an overview of Facebook Places including how to use the new features click here.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

5 Ways to Advance Your Career with Innovation

2010-08-16T08:44:00.006-05:00

The familiar refrain "reinvent yourself" has never been more sound for those in search of career advancement today. Fortunately for the CIO, reinvention is a relatively easy thing to do given the innovations IT wields every day. It's a matter of looking at those technologies differently and seeing them as much as a means to promote professional achievement as they are to improve the company's efficiencies and profitability.

"It has never been easier for CIOs to be viewed as thought leaders in their respective industries and move from positions of relative obscurity to highly desirable," said Nicholas Kinports, Digital Innovation manager at Maddock Douglas, an innovation initiatives firm with a client list that includes 20 percent of the top 100 global brands.

There are as many ways to use technologies to build your visibility, credibility and promotability as there are technologies. But here are five ways to get you started while you think of other creative means to highlight your work and build your personal brand:

Get social - Social media allows you to come out of the data center and face your public. It is the surest way of building your professional brand and name recognition. It is the first step to being publicly recognized for a job well done. "As CIOs move to implement innovative social technologies they should be aware of opportunities to self-invest through social networks, blogs and micro blogs, speaking opportunities and communities," advises Kinports.

One good example of a CIO that has used social media effectively is...

Read the full article on CIO Update

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Killer Social Apps: 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Brand Engagement

2010-08-12T13:54:00.003-05:00

I'll be speaking at Social Dev Camp this year. Apparently it's already sold out but I hear that you may be able to get tickets from Tim Courtney...

I'm slotted at 10AM CST on Saturday, August 12.

SYNOPSIS
Discover what's next before you read about it on Mashable. Learn about the five most important social technology trends that will shape the way brands communicate with customers in 2011 and beyond.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Game Mechanics Increase Brand Engagement

2010-08-10T10:16:00.007-05:00

Or do they?

I was recently pitched on Jellyvision - it's an interactive (and pretty engaging) product that helps communicate complex topics. It reminded me of a concept that I've been meaning to address for a while now: game mechanics as a driver for brand engagement. We've all seen the obvious examples in FourSquare, Twitter (number of followers is similar to a score), and now websites that provide badges or achievements for clicking links, commenting and sharing content with your social networks.

Game mechanics make ads and websites more engaging

It may be a Millennial thing, but incorporating achievements or awards - even if they are valueless - in front of consumers compels them to interact with content more often. Incorporating game mechanics into digital outlets doesn't make sense for everyone, but in the right environment against the right audience it can be the tip of the spear that drives return visits.

Not convinced? Here's another example of the game mechanic in action: Empire Avenue. As if you needed one more social media site to participate in... I like Empire Avenue because it takes the next step of creating a marketplace for social currency where you can buy and sell your friends for virtual currency just like stock markets across the world. On top of that you get the whole badge/achievement thing. Remember my old article on "The Currency of Like"? Here it is in action folks. Oh, and if you want to pick up some shares of me, I'm listed under the ticker symbol NICKK.

What do you think? Are sites that build in game mechanics more successful?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

The Changing Face of Media Distribution

2010-07-29T10:14:00.008-05:00

I've been writing (and ranting) - for over a year now - about my general dissatisfaction with the way media companies are handling their content. It's a big problem for marketers and advertisers who want to tap audiences but can't seem to strike a chord due to poor implementation of technology and experience.

We are finally starting to see tangible examples of doing things the right way. I'll highlight two outstanding cases and let you decide if it's all as great as I make it out to be...

Everybody loves Mad Men - it has great writers, a stellar cast and some of the best set design work on television. Too bad it's only on television. But wait! AMC is now delivering Mad Men in streaming HD for free on the web.

What's that video to the right you ask? It's the full show - endorsed by AMC and embeddable on any website or social network. Well done AMC. You aren't afraid to craft outstanding content and let it loose on the web for all to enjoy.

Head over to the official AMC Mad Men page to see additional content and video from new episodes. That actually makes it a worthwhile use of your time - and advertisers get a unique opportunity to connect with an audience that is actually appreciative. The power of embedding allows those same advertisers to leverage a show's popularity to spread throughout the web.

The Yes Men Fix The World has seen it's share of controversy. Thanks to a pending lawsuit over some government impersonation shenanigans, the film has yet to be distributed through traditional channels. That's not a new story - and neither is distribution of questionable content over peer-to-peer networks.

What The Yes Men have done to change the game is reward Pirate Bay (a popular Torrent search engine despised by big media companies) users with bonus content available only on select downloads.

At the same time The Yes Men support their future endeavors with requests for financing in the peer-to-peer edition and on their website. So far so good as they have raised well over $10,000 - and all without traditional distribution channels.

These examples may not impress you, and you may wonder if advertisers will really move to take advantage of innovative content producers. You may even wonder if there's a sustainable market for these types of tactics. I'm telling you it's real and it's ready to be tapped today. What do you think about trends in media distribution and advertising? What does the future of media buying look like?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Top Executives Share Views on Social Media and Interactive Advertising

2010-07-25T22:07:00.004-05:00

Here's a nice little CNN Money bit from executives at Twitter, LinkedIn and Zynga on the future of interactive advertising technologies. It's interesting to hear top people at three of the sexiest digital companies dance around the idea of ROI from new forms of advertising.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

What Does Your Free iPhone 4 Case Say About You?

2010-07-23T13:03:00.015-05:00

I'm feeling a little saucy today - so here's the official (and very scientific) iPhone 4 Free Case Personality Analysis!

You probably know that Apple has offered to provide a free case to anyone who ordered an iPhone 4 before September 30th, 2010. In addition, Apple will be refunding Bumper purchases. To show what a nice guy he is, Steve Jobs is allowing customers to choose from not one, but six different cases from various vendors. I don't even want to know what these vendors had to agree to to get on Apple's list, but suffice it to say margins are probably slim to nil.

To get your free case, you must download the iPhone 4 Case Program from the App Store and sign in with your iTunes account information.

Here's what your selection tells the rest of the world about you:

Apple iPhone 4 Bumper - Black
Choosing this case tells the world you like to play it safe and go with what you know. Sure - Apple may have dropped the ball on the whole antenna thing - but you bought the iPhone 4 for a reason right? Stand by your man (or woman) and keep your shiny new toy brand-pure. Other ways to describe your personality might be boring, bland or dull.

Incase Snap Case for iPhone 4 - Smoke
Is the black iPhone 4 too shiny for you or do you have something to hide? Is that Apple logo too reflective in the sun or are you trying to avert prying eyes? Choosing this case means a life on the run, veiling your true intentions with falsehoods, misinformation and misdirection. If you haven't considered a career in the CIA now is the time.

Incase Snap Case for iPhone 4 - Clear
You wear your heard on your sleeve and aren't afraid to show it. Delving into deep personal topics and that precarious "TMI" zone comes naturally to you. Of course you also want to protect your heart from breaking - you just aren't very good at it. You may also be referred to as a "Stage 5 Clinger".

Belkin Shield Micra for iPhone 4 - Clear
Choosing this case displays a deep inner desire to have your cake and eat it too. Often accused of being emotionally distant, self-centered, selfish or sociopathic you want to get all the benefits of iPhone 4 protection without the commitment to sacrifice style and add bulk. Selecting this case increases the odds you will become a serial killer by 23%. It's science.

Griffin Motif iPhone 4 Diamonds/Smoke
Kim Kardashian would be proud of you for selecting this iPhone 4 case. Now you can display your Louis Vuitton knockoff style even when you aren't setting your obnoxious purse in the middle of the sushi bar for all to see. How is the chef supposed to serve you with that thing sitting there?

Griffin Reveal Etch iPhone 4 - Black/Black Graphite
Is your glass half full or half empty? If you choose this case you probably vacillate between the two while pondering the modern wing of your local museum. You also enjoy spending inordinate sums of money on things most people think came from a dumpster.

Speck Fitted Case iPhone 4 - Black Tartan
If you aren't British you wish you were. This patterned case oozes sophistication and nose-in-the-air superiority. In fact - it's the most stylish of all the free iPhone 4 cases. You might do well to remember what they say about the loudest person in the room...

Speck PixelSkin HD iPhone 4 - Black
As if having Pixel in the name of this case wasn't enough to sell you - they threw in "HD" just to make sure the inner (and probably outer) geek in you couldn't resist. Just like those weird people who wave when they see someone in the same model of car you'll know your nerd-kindred when you see someone whip this baby out from across the room. Since your severely introverted personality won't let you wave I hope they make an mIRC App soon.

What's your favorite free Apple iPhone 4 case? Which did you order?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Flipboard Capitalizes on the Semantic Web

2010-07-21T10:09:00.005-05:00

Flipboard is the new social network darling, creating a tablet friendly "magazine" by aggregating and organizing media from users' social networks. The newest semantic thingamajig became so popular after launch that server load was noticeable and resulted in limited connection to the news aggregator app.

We also know that major media outlets like the New York Times have taken a position against these types of apps claiming copyright infringement.

Legal matters aside, with US$10.5 Million in startup funding Flipboard has a lot of ground to make up to get in the black. With increasing questions about business model viability for bandwidth intensive apps that don't serve ads and don't cost anything to use (let's be honest, Millennials and other power users wouldn't pay to download Flipboard in it's current state) I can't help but wonder if the sole purpose of Flipboard is to be bought out by a larger company.

The obvious play until then is advertising revenue, and it would appear that the best way to do that would be use of all the wonderful social data passed through Flipboard to serve meaningful adverts to a relevant target audience, but that's just asking too much, right?

Regardless of how revenue plays out (or doesn't) Flipboard seems to have connected with a significant unmet need in the marketplace for personally relevant content vetted by peers.

Here's the Flipboard feature video in case you missed it:

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Verizon Rules The Air in Latest Campaign

2010-07-15T16:27:00.007-05:00

Verizon is making a big play for customers with it's integrated "Rule The Air" campaign. I have to say - I'm a fan of going for the throat on this one. You may remember that I'm of the mindset that (iPhone 4 antenna design flaw aside) AT&T has been making some business decisions that aren't necessarily aligned with Apple's core customer base. Verizon may be courting Steve Jobs as much as the larger consumer audience.

Here's the television commercial for those of you that haven't seen it:

And here's the online component to Verizon's Rule the Air campaign.

What does it all mean? Not much in my opinion. Apple has been getting more press over signal issues - be they design flaws or network coverage - in the last three months than any other competitors. With the pending press conference about potential fixes and a new version of OS 4 in market it looks like Apple is making an effort.

Time, and signal, will tell...

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Is Google Me the Social Media Measurement End Game?

2010-07-09T10:40:00.007-05:00

Speculation on a competitor for Facebook is everywhere. If the purported 'Google Me' is real (and it sounds like it is) it means a big shift in the way advertisers think about social networks. Gone will be the proprietary and often misleading methodologies behind calculating social media ROI and true value. I have no doubt Google's plan includes deep integration with it's proprietary Google Analytics and Insights platforms - tracking clicks from entry to conversion.

If Google finally hits the social technology mark (a goal that has, thus far, eluded the largest search engine in the world) it will mean a golden era in social measurement and reporting.

Do you think Google Me will present real competition for Facebook?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Killer Social Apps: 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Brand Engagement

2010-07-07T08:45:00.006-05:00

I'll be speaking this year at SocialDevCamp Chicago on Killer Social Apps: 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Brand Engagement. Be sure to catch the panel - other notable presenters include Andrew Mason, CEO and Founder of Groupon and Ben Hugh, CEO of The Cheezburger Network.

I'm looking forward to seeing you there! If you have any specific questions or topics you would like me to address, just drop a comment below.

You can also review some of my recent content on trends in interactive advertising.

About SocialDevCamp Chicago

SocialDevCamp Chicago is the unconference of social application and platform developers, evangelists, and enthusiasts. The event explores emerging trends surrounding the development, business, and culture fueling the social web. Join us at the Illinois Institute Technology on August 14-15 in the architecturally awesome McCormick Tribune Campus Center. Don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or suggestions at info socialdevcampchicago.com or on Twitter @SDCChi.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Hulu Doesn't Understand Millennials: Why Hulu Plus Fails

2010-06-30T11:49:00.011-05:00

Lately I feel like such a cynic. It's not my fault - honestly. It's the fact that major media companies can't seem to get it right when trying to connect with Millennials. From the big networks that own Hulu to record labels the trend seems to be taking old ad-based revenue models and trying to find ways to draw masses of people.

It's not just a problem of communicating product benefits, it's a fundamental failure to service unmet Millennial needs at the business model level. If you can't do that no amount of advertising will save your business.

Here's a few insights for advertisers seeking to connect their brand to this massive group of consumers (60 Million strong in the US alone. Source - Mintel):

Relying on Advertisers to Pay the Bills
Major media companies like NBC, Universal and Fox are still of the mindset that they should make money by creating video content and charging advertisers for placements. One problem: Millennials (and many others) don't respond to traditional advertising. Hulu may boast better response rates than television, but the margins are still too slim to support the costs of delivering streaming video to millions of viewers.

Mobility as an Afterthought
Many brands are guilty of a lackluster mobile offering: duplicating the web experience on mobile devices with no added benefits (often the opposite). Hulu plans to make the same content available via iPhone, iPad and others, but with little extra. Hulu mobile needs to be a comprehensive and proactive service to be compelling to Millennials. How about mobile alerts sent to your phone the second your favorite shows become available for viewing? Perhaps creating a mobile ad platform that requires advertisers to offer truly unique deals and discounts to opt-in subscribers.

Still No Social
The closest Hulu gets to a social experience is rating shows or sharing via email. This isn't enough - and certainly not for $10.00 per month. To survive and thrive Hulu must adopt comprehensive social technologies as part of the core experience. Chat rooms for shows, scheduling your own broadcast lineups for you and your friends to watch simultaneously as well as a mechanism to invite anyone through Facebook, Twitter, etc..., VoIP through Hulu (or through a partner like Skype) to share the experience of watching your favorite shows together. Those are just a few concepts that would be irresistible to Millennials and it took me all of 3 minutes to think of them.

Getting Everyone on Board
With networks like HBO, Showtime and Comedy Central clearly not on board with Hulu the result is viewers still have to hunt and peck around the web to find other shows they like. If Hulu can't get Comedy Central on board at least provide a sort of "universal web TV Guide" that links to or notifies Plus subscribers of exactly where and when an official web video goes live. Better yet - just do what it takes to get the real content on Hulu, in one place, so subscribers can get what they want, when they want it. Millennials demand instant gratification - remove that and you create one more point of friction.

Hulu Plus: Not Better Than Pirate Bay
When it comes down to the basics - and this is a subject that remains hidden in much of the commentary - Hulu plus isn't better than downloading shows from a Torrent search engine. These days most television shows (and even 18 Gigabyte Blu-ray movies) are readily available for download at no charge and in extremely high quality. You can take them anywhere, watch them on any device and keep them for life. Yes, it's technically illegal, but we haven't seen any real backlash from broadcasters or ISPs as of yet. The point isn't to advocate piracy. It's to give Hulu a reality check - why would Millennials pay for something they are getting free elsewhere?

Let's talk about implications for the agencies and developers creating rich advertising content for services like Hulu. Be warned - your clients' days may be limited by their inability to connect with the very group that should be bringing them the most revenue. Competitor services that understand Millennials are out there and growing. Without substantial change in the service offering, Hulu has a high potential for failure in the next two years.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

iPhone 5 and Beyond: Top Trends in Smartphone Technology

2010-06-28T06:15:00.008-05:00

It's an exciting time to be working with mobile technologies. iPhone 4 has reportedly sold over 1.6 Million units on it's first weekend in stores, making it one of the most successful mobile device launches ever.

Here's five thoughts on what the next big leap in smartphone technology will bring to the table:

Glasses-Free 3D

With the recent 3DS announcement from Nintendo it's pretty clear that portable, glasses free 3D is a reality. It was noted, however, that Nintendo couldn't figure out a way for touchscreen and 3D technology to "play well together". I'll admit - I'm having a hard time visualizing what a 3D touchscreen would look or feel like from a UI perspective - but I'm also willing to bet someone is hard at work on a next-gen 3D smartphone.

It's The Network

iPhone 4 has been unanimously received as the best mobile device out there. The AT&T network that comes with it? Not so much. Verizon and other carriers seem to be both learning from AT&T's mistakes in capacity and failing to learn from their pricing strategy (which I still believe is a mistake). For consumers it all adds up to a giant, and often expensive, headache. In my opinion the network is the final great pain point for smartphone customers, and it won't be long before a carrier breaks out of the doldrums and brings a high capacity low cost service to market. UPDATE 6/28/10: looks like President Obama is on-board with the future.

Sync My Life

What if your phone was always pinging, relaying data back and forth about your location, activities and availability. We're close right now with services like Loopt and background tasks (finally available on iPhone in OS4). The next step? Complete automation combined with a healthy dose of privacy controls. Want to know how many steps you took today or how many friends you came within 100 feet of? How about keeping track of your habits and schedule without opening apps?

Reality Plus

Augmented reality has been openly discussed as a game changer. So far we haven't seen a killer app. Carrying a powerful smartphone means a lot of things - including advances in miniaturizing complex processors and components. It won't be long until we see device manufacturers selling visualization aides as part of the package. These could be glasses that tap an owner's smartphone for data or contact lenses that display key information. It may be fringe technology today, but it could satisfy the demand for augmented reality that's always on and doesn't make you look like an idiot walking around holding your phone up to everything you see.

I Love Advertising

Nobody likes being disrupted from making a phone call, browsing the web or watching their favorite television show. With mobile devices that are constantly aware and in sync to the owner's reality look for deeper, highly targeted advertising experiences. The line between advertising and serendipity will begin to blur, and your phone will know "that it's been six weeks since you had a decent haircut and even though you are traveling on business there's a great barber shop right around the corner offering a discount to new customers that fits your typical spending habits and by the way: you have enough time to go in before your next meeting." Most of the data required to make the above connection already lives in your digital world - it only requires a step up to connect the dots.

As new smartphone devices are announced every week and the market expands at a faster and faster pace, what are your key predictions for smartphone and interactive advertising technology?

Do We Need a Social Media Bill of Rights?

2010-06-23T11:31:00.004-05:00

I received an outreach email from the authors of Wild West 2.0 detailing their proposed social media bill of rights. Here's the summary followed by my analysis:

The Social Media Bill of Rights
By Michael Fertik & David Thompson, Authors of Wild West 2.0: How to Protect and Restore Your Online Reputation on the Untamed Social Frontier

As social networks have grown in importance, ReputationDefender has seen a shocking pattern of privacy violations, ranging from inappropriate data sharing to attempts to trick users into revealing their personal information.

It is time users took back control of their online privacy. ReputationDefender presents this draft Social Media Bill of Rights to provoke thought about how social networking sites -- like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and others -- should treat users and protect privacy. We strongly believe that social networking sites should recognize and grant each of these rights to users in an open and transparent way.

Social Media Users Have These Rights

1) The right to privacy.

When in doubt, privacy comes first.

By default, users should not expose information to the world, to data brokers, to corporations, or to anyone else.

Users have the right to share as much or as little as they want. They are in charge of their privacy, and all data sharing comes only after user consent.

2) The right to choose.

Privacy settings must be easy and understandable. If your parents can't use it, then it's not simple enough.

Privacy controls should be easy to find. Social networks should put privacy controls next to where they are needed; near photos, near data collection portals, and other places where users expect to find them.

If taking an action (installing an app, using a new feature, etc) will expose or share data, users deserve to know before they commit. Social networks should explain the privacy cost of each new feature, and let them make an informed choice.

Interfaces should not be evil. Each interface should clearly communicate the privacy consequences of each action. Interfaces that collect or use data in a non-intuitive way should be clearly labeled and explained.

Any kind of external data sharing should be opt-in, not opt-out. If it's so useful, it will be easy to convince users to sign up. Outside corporations don't have a right to user information without clear user consent.

3) The right to data minimization.

Just because a social network can, collect information doesn't mean it should. Social networks should strive to collect no more information about users than what is required to present social functions.

Storing "click stream," "search history," and other data that is not directly tied to social functions is often an invitation to privacy invasions. Storing this data does not directly enhance user experiences and often violates user expectations.

When in doubt, aggregate. Aggregated data often fulfills the same function without the privacy risks.

We don't know the long-term consequences of mass-scale data collection and storage; it is better to err on the side of caution and data minimization.

4) The right to honest communication.

Users have a right to know how their information is being used. Tell them. Use language you'd use with friends, not language used by lawyers. Agreements should be easy to understand and not contain hidden legalese.

If something goes wrong, tell users openly and honestly so that they may protect themselves.

If aggregated data turns out to not be anonymous (like the Netflix Prize data set), tell affected users. Openness today will save headaches tomorrow.

Even if the lawyers can find a legal loophole, users deserve to be treated with respect; social networks should treat users as they expect to be treated, not at the minimum possible legal threshold.

5) The right to delete.

Users have a right to leave social networks. When they do, they should be able to easily take back their data too.

The right to delete includes deleting any marketing information or dossier that has been compiled about them, including any behavioral advertising data.

Exceptions are permitted for financial transactions and other records that must be kept for legal compliance.

6) The right to know.

Users have the right to know:

* how information about them is being collected;
* to whom their data is being sold;
* how their data is secured;
* how many people can see their personal information;
* when there are data security incidents, even if they don't trigger existing notification laws.

Disclosures should be in plain language.

If data is being collected in non-obvious ways (click patterns, through offline sources, etc) then it requires special notice.

7) The right to dignity.

Some information is too personal for social networks to demand or share. Even if it is possible to find out intimate secrets of users' lives, it is usually best to not.

There are limits on the wisdom of behavioral and contextual advertising, even if users have agreed to it. Social networks should think twice before trying to profit from their users' grief, weaknesses, or personal failings.

Social networking engineers should always ask themselves, "would I want my data to be used this way?" If not, don't code it and don't implement it.

Sites should not encourage users to debase, defame, or abuse each other. There is always another person at the other computer; remind users to treat each other with dignity.

8 ) The right to accountability.

Social networking sites should be willing to undergo regular privacy audits to prove they are using data only in approved ways. Sites that don't allow privacy audits should be considered suspect.

Leaders of social sites should accept personal responsibility for the security and privacy practices of their sites. If they make a false promise, they should be held personally accountable.

9) The right to not participate.

Users have the right to not participate in social networking. If they choose not to, social sites should not compile a dossier or file about them, even if friends volunteer that data.

Non-users should be able to find out how personal information about them is being shared or discussed (including "tagged" photos or facially-recognizable photos) without providing further personal information.

10) The right to social privacy.

Social networks should make it easy for users to help friends be respectful of privacy.

Social networks should not encourage users to violate each others' privacy. Interfaces that encourage prying or over-sharing are disfavored.

Social networks should allow users to contact each other about potential privacy violations and privacy requests. A simple "I'd prefer this photo not be online" notification system can help friends communicate their preferences without threatening free expression or creativity.

I generally agree that social networks have shady privacy practices. We've all seen the recent Facebook privacy gaffs (probably the tip of the iceberg). But do consumers really care? Are Millennials, for example, overly concerned how the data they voluntarily upload using social technologies is used by advertisers? Tell me what you think.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Universal Music Group Expects Millennials to Pay for Music, Wants Government Pressure on ISPs

2010-06-22T11:27:00.012-05:00

Yesterday I received an open letter from Jim Urie, CEO of Universal Music Group Distribution (UMGD), the distribution arm of the world's largest music company. In his letter Jim reveals his plan to encourage ISPs to regulate illegal downloading of music and compensate the music industry with a viral campaign. Read his letter followed by a quick reality check from me.

Dear Nick,

I’ve received hundreds of e-mails enthusiastically reacting to my “call to action” at the National Association of Recording Merchandisers convention last month. The music business is facing huge challenges from piracy and theft. Never before in American history has an entire industry been so decimated by illegal behavior. Yet the government has not responded in a meaningful way to help us address this crisis. My call to action is for all of us to become more aggressive in lobbying our government, more outspoken in drawing attention to the problems caused by piracy and more actively engaged. We cannot win this fight alone.

Governments outside the U.S. are legislating, regulating and playing a prominent role in discussions with ISPs (Internet Service Providers). Sales have dramatically improved in these countries. How is it that the U.S. – with the most successful music community in the world – is not keeping up with places like South Korea, France, the UK and New Zealand?

As I said in my speech, I hope that the industry can negotiate a voluntary deal with the ISPs. We need our government representatives to encourage this. But whether or not we reach a deal with the ISPs, our government needs to know that we’ve got a piracy problem and we need real solutions. To accomplish this, our government needs to hear from all of us, so they know that their constituents are out here. Join me in calling on our elected officials to fight piracy. Please help by forwarding this email to your colleagues, friends– everyone who loves music. And consider enlisting your entire company to help in this fight. Then by clicking on the link below a message will be sent to your representatives in Washington. Help us launch a viral campaign to cut off access to the online sites that are used to steal our music, our property and our jobs. In only takes a second but it can make a tremendous impact.

Click HERE.

Please help us by forwarding this link.

Sincerely,
Jim Urie
Learn More at www.musicrightsnow.org

Let's get some facts straight.

The Millennial generation (born 1977-1994) doesn't like to pay for things that can be downloaded or streamed for free.

Music falls into that unfortunate category of products. Books and publications are meeting the same fate. This trend isn't changing at all - in fact it's accelerating as mobile and cloud computing becomes more prevalent.

You can't force Millennials to pay for music again.

It just won't work. The model is forever broken. Market and sales data supports this conclusion and most of the major music companies know it. Attacking ISPs and trying to force their hand won't work either. ISPs have a working revenue model and a product that still holds value to Millennial consumers.

There is a better way.

I encourage anyone who is struggling to come to grips with declining revenues from digital music downloads to rethink engagement with Millennials. It's time to work with them with the realization that you won't be able to pry open wallets with your existing business model. That's right; I'm telling you that you will never make money again by selling music under your current distribution model. A top down industry reinvention is required. So far I haven't seen a major label take a step in the right direction. The first music company to do it will win big.

I invite anyone from UMG to email me for a constructive conversation off the record about the future of the music industry.

What do you think? Can Universal Music Group kick off a revival of a dying business model through regulation? Will you participate in their viral campaign?

UPDATE 7/6/10: Prince decides "the Internet is over" and shares some cooky wisdom about why digital is "no good".

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Social Media: Activism Killer?

2010-06-17T12:28:00.004-05:00

I've written before about the dangers of mistaking social media involvement as activism for a cause (or a brand for that matter). Here's a short segment from CBC describing the new campaign from Greenpeace aimed at re-branding BP with a, shall we say, more appropriate logo and a green expert that thinks it's all "a bunch of crap".

Does social media serve as a public "energy sink" for brands in crisis? Is BP actually benefiting from the negative social media outcry?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Millennials Spend More Time and Money On Smartphones, View Them As Competitive Advantage

2010-06-16T10:45:00.009-05:00

There's a trend happening in the Millennial consumer segment that needs to be called out directly. It's been happening for a while now, but recently I believe leaps in smartphone technology have dramatically accelerated unmet consumer demand for smarter, faster and more usable mobile devices.

For the Millennial workforce smartphones are now a competitive advantage and a perquisite to successful adaptation.

But wait, haven't smartphones been a staple of the professional workforce for the last five years? You bet. But until now the trend has largely applied to corporate email. Blackberry devices paved the way for an entire generation to be on the clock twenty four hours per day. That's great (or not so great if you enjoy uninterrupted downtime) but what I'm talking about is fundamentally different.

When AT&T and Apple opened for iPhone 4 pre-sales on June 15th, 2010 their servers were immediately crushed by an influx of traffic. You've probably read the stories by now. The end result? Apple and AT&T completely sold out of iPhone 4 in pre-sale. AT&T made this statement:

"In addition to unprecedented pre-order sales, yesterday there were more than 13 million visits to AT&T's website where customers can check to see if they are eligible to upgrade to a new phone; that number is about 3-times higher than the previous record for eligibility upgrade checks in one day."

I'm using iPhone as an example of the trend accelerations I've described before and seen on other recent device releases, notably a bevy of Android smartphones.

Great. So what does it mean for brands and advertisers?

It's finally time to tap the masses of notoriously hard to reach Millennial wallets, and smartphones will provide the bridge to do so. Average time spent on these mobile devices is about to go up. Way up. When selecting ad platforms, look for those that are providing superior experiences. The future of these systems has already been solved in other parts of the world, and though all markets are different, it won't hurt to take a look outside your borders for inspiration. The smartest marketers will be ahead of this already fast-moving trend - shifting significant budget to rich and innovative mobile advertising before the research reports hit.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Facebook Fan Value: The Definitive ROI Formula

2010-06-15T10:28:00.008-05:00

Ready for the definitive ROI formula to calculate how much every online social interaction is worth?

There isn't one. And you should stop wasting your time trying to figure it out.

Before I tell you why let's look at a couple of tips and case studies to make your marketing efforts more valuable in the the current social technology landscape:

Incentivize sharing across your target platforms. A great case study for this type of engagement is Urban Hunt. Sponsored by FIJI Water, participants in the day long contest are required to open their social profiles (making your wall public on Facebook, etc...) and post bits of information including YouTube videos, status updates, check-ins, Tweets and more to earn points in the event.

Integrate the experience into an every day social activity. Have a look at Bartab. This iPhone app allows you to purchase and send drinks virtually. Participating bars will then sell the real drink to the recipient for $1.00 (a steal in San Francisco - the only participating city at the time of this article). The catch? The only way to get the drink is by allowing Bartab to openly share on Facebook and Twitter that you have sent or received the drink.

The conversation needs to be less about a hard ROI for "fans", "likes" or "check-ins" and more about driving engagement and brand equity with things worth sharing. Let's face it, spending time trying to calculate these figures is futile; before you know it the private companies that own major social platforms are going to commoditize social sharing and pull the rug out from under marketers' feet. I've been saying it for months now, and trust me, it's coming sooner than you think.

The best way to bring social value to your (or your clients') brand(s) is through creation of a unique and highly incentivized sharing experience. Contests and gimmicks are old hat and boring. Consumers demand more interesting, interactive and inherently social applications. Based on accelerating trends it shouldn't be hard to identify that next killer campaign for your brand.

As for measurement? I wouldn't worry too much about the details. Use analytics layered over interactions and revenue to get a good picture of success or failure. Make great social applications that share and scale well and you'll find measurement becomes far less important in the grand scheme.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

3 Interactive Advertising Trends iPhone 4 Will Accelerate

2010-06-09T14:23:00.001-05:00

If you're an Apple enthusiast your world ground to a halt on June 7th, 2010 at 12:00CST for the live announcement of the iPhone 4 (among other, and decidedly less hyped, technologies). Of course most of us had already seen a prototype model leaked (lost) months earlier.

I don't really care about the specifics of the phone itself, and won't bore you by rehashing some of the same old points about how amazing and magical the device is. Instead let's take a look at the trends that the ubiquitous device will accelerate in the interactive advertising space.

First, a disclaimer and an opinion. I own an iPhone and enjoy the experience. I do have my complaints, but overall it's the one piece of tech I couldn't live without on a daily basis. The opinion? iPhone isn't going anywhere. In fact, for the reasons I'm about to outline below, iPhones are going to become even more relevant in the average smartphone user's life.

TREND ACCELERATION: Video Everywhere

Advertisers have, for years, struggled with making video relevant and engaging. Consumers, for the most part, haven't jumped on the bandwagon. Video widgets and ads have actually become less prevalent as advertisers adjusted budget from expensive production to Google ads embedded in YouTube. That's all over now. Watch and see.

TREND ACCELERATION: Mobile Ads That Work

iAd is a great advancement in mobile advertising technology, but the real insight here is ubiquity of a single mobile platform. That means advertisers, agencies, and marketers can begin to think about one mobile culture instead of disparate pockets of early adopters. We've all heard mobile ad budgets are on the rise and will reach seventy three quadrillion dollars by 2052, but the reality is that iPhone 4 and OS 4 will accelerate this process dramatically.

TREND ACCELERATION: Rich Social Ubiquity

Social technologies have come a long way in the last few years. It's generally accepted that some of the more robust technologies like video blogging, podcasting, and lifestreaming haven't caught on the same way that Facebook or Twitter has. Thanks to the ease of use of Apple's new mobile device, expect to see the traditional blog (and to some extent microblogging) made less relevant as it's eclipsed by richer formats.

Do you see iPhone 4 as a catalyst for trend acceleration? What else do you see coming down the pipe as Apple's next big device hits market?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Wild West 2.0 Book Giveaway

2010-06-03T09:33:00.005-05:00

Does the thought of online reputation monitoring and crisis management give you the chills? Do you REALLY know who is out there wreaking havoc on your personal reputation or brand?

Wild West 2.0 aims to not only scare you into realizing that you need a beefier social media presence, but gives you some tools and tips to clean up and manage your image.

I'll be giving away the hard copy edition of "Wild West 2.0, How to Protect and Restore Your Online Reputation on the Untamed Social Frontier" on Thursday, June 10th 2010. To enter for a chance to win, subscribe to ADMAVEN by email. Don't worry - you'll never receive spam or unwanted garbage. By signing up today you'll also make yourself eligible for future giveaways and contests! Just fill out the form in the upper right corner of this blog, or use the handy form below. Don't forget to verify your email address once you sign up - only verified registrants will be considered! Winners will be notified by email at the address with which they are subscribed.

AT&T Gives The Future The Finger, Announces New iPhone Data Pricing Plans

2010-06-02T10:59:00.013-05:00

AT&T has announced their new pricing structure for data on iPhone well in advance of the 4G release and OS 4.0.

The gist of the program? You'll probably be spending a lot more time worrying about something that should have been included from the start.

You must be thinking to yourself, "No way! I'm not a heavy data user. I won't be going over 200MB a month so I'll be saving in the end." That may be true. Before you write me off sign in to your att.com account and review your data usage for the last 5 months.

Here's mine:
No, that isn't an error. In December I activated tethering, the much anticipated but never delivered feature that allows an iPhone user to turn their device into a modem, allowing laptops or other USB and Bluetooth compatible devices to access the internet through the iPhone's 3G signal.

I travel 20-30% of the time, and tethering was a perfect solution to the endless search for a high speed connection. Too bad that my usage will cost me an extra $75 per month, bringing my already ludicrous monthly AT&T bill to $200.

Steve Jobs recently addressed network concerns (not data plans). Clearly Apple is in the same camp. AT&T wasn't ready from a network perspective, and you can bet that despite Jobs' calm demeanor he is fuming about the lack of progress from AT&T's end.

Some choice quotes from Jobs:

"I know little about this stuff [wireless networks] technically. This is not my area of expertise. To make things better people reallocate spectrum."

"Things in general, before they start to fix them, get worse before they get better. That's what I am told."

"A lot of things are going to get better by the end of Summer."

My opinion on the entire matter is that AT&T has failed in two regards. From a network perspective they failed to anticipate the level of data and call volume that an exclusive contract with Apple would generate. It's clear their network can't handle it, and their solution is to build disincentives in for heavy 3G data usage.

From a customer relations perspective AT&T has failed to admit their blunder. Just come out and say, "Hey guys - we messed up! We thought we had a network that could handle such heavy use, but it wasn't the case. We are fixing it, and here's when you can expect that fix. In the mean time we aren't going to punish you for using your device as intended, just realize that service may not be that great in certain areas and during certain times."

This is to say nothing for the near future. As Apple continues to roll out new products and services (iAd and iPhone 4G with video conferencing anyone?) the norm for data usage will shift.

If you made it this far I'll just deliver my point: AT&T may be creating a business model that goes against the grain. As cloud computing, streaming video and audio, VOIP, video conferencing, MMS, and other technologies become mainstream 200MB a day won't be enough. Apple has little patience for companies that impede their progress, so I have to wonder if AT&T isn't shooting itself in the foot. What do you think?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Should Consumers Be Paid For Using Facebook?

2010-05-31T21:04:00.013-05:00

The reports of The House Judiciary Committee's letter to Facebook are, for the most part, unsatisfying. Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has been quoted as saying, “Companies such as Facebook and Google provide innovative services that enrich and expand the constantly evolving Internet. I want to ensure that privacy concerns are as paramount as creativity to these and all Internet companies, and I look forward to hearing about ways they can ensure this is the case.”

I want to take a moment and share my thoughts about the bigger picture. No, Facebook isn't in trouble, and it isn't likely that the Committee's inquiry will have any effect on revenue or future plans for deployment of advertising services. As marketers we need to ask ourselves a few questions from a consumer perspective:

Is the temptation to share too great?

The allure of social networking is obvious and indisputable. Sites like Facebook tap into a primal need to communicate, find others like ourselves, and form relationships at a faster pace. It's tribal, and it's human, and in the end we can't really help ourselves.

Is our privacy an unfair trade?

Because we can't resist giving up much of our private data to companies like Facebook, we rarely stop to ask ourselves what the value of our personal data really is. It's worth posing the question:

Do we really know how much our information is worth?

If the value of our personal data far outweighs the benefits offered by a site like Facebook (from a financial perspective) why aren't we doing more to capitalize on that market - effectively creating a valuation system for our online behaviors. For more on what that might look like, read "Facebook: The Currency of Like". It raises yet another question:

Should Facebook be paying users to share their information with advertisers?

In the end, the House Judiciary Committee's letter to Facebook is about fair valuation and compensation for private citizens' data. Though it may be true that people all over the world are voluntarily feeding data to Facebook with the full disclosure in Terms of Service for what may or may not happen to that data, it's also true that most users can't imagine a future where their data is used in a way that becomes undesirable. As Facebook pushes toward bigger profits (and, as I have said many times before, the larger goal of an IPO) there will be a sharp uptick in the number of malcontents.

Keep this in mind as you plan your brand's push into social networks. It may be the Wild West today, but there will come a time when things change - be it by privatized hands or government mandates. I, for one, can easily see a future where the dominant social network pays users fractional amounts when their profile data is sold to advertisers; seems fair to me...

How did you interpret the inquiry to Facebook from The House Judiciary Committee, and what do you think will happen next?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Are RSS Feed Readers Irrelevant?

2010-05-27T10:34:00.006-05:00

Lately I've been thinking about RSS Feed Readers.

Subscription analytics from the communities I manage, digital properties I own, and input from people who are in the know all point in the same direction:

Feed Readers have become irrelevant.

I'm interested in your input as well as your hypothesis. Why has email dominated feed readers for subscription rates? Let me give you an example:

Two months ago I noticed ADMAVEN had been losing traffic from feed subscribers. I installed email subscription code (check upper right corner) to see what would happen. Now over 60% of my active feed subscribers receive their updates via email.

I manage the Innovation Engine Community. After working through the analytics, it's clear that under 5% of the Community's thousands of active members get updates via RSS Feed Readers.

Is it time to kill the RSS reader subscription links that have become so prevalent on the web and replace them with email forms or other, similar technologies? What has your experience been, and how have you changed tactics to give your readers what they want?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

BP's New Stance on Social Media Crisis Management: Let it Ride!

2010-05-25T09:51:00.007-05:00

About a week ago I asked how BP will handle the coming firestorm of social media parody, impersonation, and intellectual property infringement.

As of yesterday we know the answer.

As the faux @BPGlobalPR Twitter account heats up with tens of thousands of followers and a clothing line, I see a trend forming.

Empathizing with and supporting victims has always been a tactic of crisis management. BP has taken this to the next level by allowing branded co-creation of content and merchandise to take place.

In a way, BP has endorsed negative (and arguably illegal) social media behavior by omission.

Here's an interesting question:

What if BP had a hand in creating the parody content?

It stands to reason that angry consumers feel a little better if they are following what they perceive to be a parody Twitter account and participating in the conversation. BP's position seems to be indifference.

Toby Odone, a spokesman at BP, told Ad Age of the parody Twitter account, "People are frustrated at what's happening, as are we, and that's just their way of expressing it."

Another quote comes to mind... Put you geek hats on:

"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."

When Budget Doesn't Matter

2010-05-22T12:47:00.006-05:00

This is how you make a video spot...

Nike's "Write The Future" campaign:

Anyone have a cost estimate for this monster?

Online Ad Revenue Set to Explode, As Marketers Struggle With Complexity Who Wins?

2010-05-20T11:11:00.006-05:00

Facebook, LinkedIn, AdWords, countless networks, and now Twitter. These are just a few of the major online advertising platforms agencies, marketers, and entrepreneurs are budgeting for in 2010 and 2011. According to Nikesh Arora, Google's president of global sales, the budget allocated to online advertising is about to skyrocket.

I agree.

In an age where traditional media is in the throes of a long and painful death and more of the world spends time online Mr. Arora's estimates are well taken. He states,

"People are shifting their spending dollars more and more to the online world – whether it be direct marketing, or advertising, or branding. And that follows industrial marketing logic which is that you have to go where the eyeballs are, where the customers are.

The next big wave will be consumers consuming more and more video on the web, and you will see more and more brand advertising and display advertising move to the web."

There's just one problem: Most marketers don't understand online ad technology.

I'll admit - I have a lot to learn, but based on some impromptu research of major North American Brands marketers have a long way to go. Take this statement as an opinion only for now; I'm not prepared to present the hard facts on what's out there.

All things considered, here's my prediction of who will cash in and why:

Twitter: the hugely popular microblogging service is about to unleash it's ad platform. I think the concept is simple enough that marketers will flock to the service... at least in the beginning. From a long term viability standpoint I don't see Twitter generating the kind of revenue it needs to be profitable from ad sales. Not to be a pessimist, but I have witnessed the decline of Twitter in the consumer marketplace, and I can't imagine a future where inundating consumers with sponsored Tweets and ads will make the service more palatable.

Facebook: the world's most popular social network has visions of becoming bigger still, and in order to accomplish Facebook's goal of going public (trust me - this IS a priority no matter what Facebook is saying publicly) they are going to have to have some serious revenue on the books. Ad sales are going to make up a big part of this, and I think the next big wave on online ad spending will see Facebook cleaning up as it expands it's semantic web approach. The "Like" button, among other widgets and games will increase the importance of Facebook - and it's value to advertisers.

Ad Networks: though Facebook will get a healthy bump in revenue from selling advertising, it will be dwarfed by the increase in sales through ad networks. As semantic, geo, and behavioral targeting become more refined (and more intrusive) expect the immediate benefits to be irresistible to advertisers looking to squeeze more out of an already reduced budget (raise your hand if you had a healthy increase in your marketing budget over the last 2 years... Beuller? Anyone?).

Video Services: YouTube and others will reap big benefits in online ad revenue from a sharp increase in online video viewing.

What other trends are you observing in the online ad space?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Fixing the Music Industry, One Viral Video at a Time

2010-05-19T09:39:00.011-05:00

If the late 90’s and early 2000’s were about scandalously clad underage girls becoming pop sensations, the second decade of the new millennium is most certainly starting with youthful boys belting out shrill tenor chords on YouTube.

It’s about to be common knowledge that Canadian born Justin Beiber has the top selling US record for the week of May 9th – the same week that other, and certainly more “adult” sounding artists pitched their wares through more traditional channels. Add to that the fact that the number of Beiber’s units sold is abysmally low. It’s just another nail in the coffin of an industry that is currently seeing the downside to rejecting progress.

Beiber’s meteoric rise to fame is another, and for marketers old, YouTube story. You know it just as well as I do – talented kid thinks it would be cool to put his videos up on YouTube, does so, and is plucked from a normal childhood by a bevy of talent scouts, agents, and record labels who come late to the game after seeing huge numbers of video views.

Greyson Michael Chance is the latest in a long line of child artists to be snapped up by Hollywood – moving from a YouTube viral phenom to guest of the Ellen show in three days. Wikipedia hasn’t even decided if he’s article worthy.

The impact of social technologies works both ways.

Consumer behaviors are changing by the hour. Music industry executives are left confused, disoriented, and unsure of the future. To the modern marketer for a large brand, it’s just another day at the office.

A source at Universal Music Group told me this today:

“If we don’t start selling more [physical] records soon, all the major retailers will pull out. If Best Buy pulls out, target will pull out, and Wal-mart would have already been out. There won’t be any more product on the shelf unless you are Lady Gaga. I don’t see that we are making up for it digitally. So Beiber is #1 with a tiny amount of records sold. Where are all the people buying digital albums? Where is the revenue? And what kind of message does this send to emerging artists trying to break into the business? If our industry as a whole won’t come off of our high horse of pricing [physical] albums at $13.99 to match or best digital prices, consumers won't see records on the shelves anymore.

If they aren’t buying it at Best Buy and they aren’t buying it at Target where are they buying it? The answer is they aren’t. They are streaming it on sites like YouTube and Facebook. Music has become so fluid you can literally listen to it anywhere you want. It’s not confined to a car or iPod. The music industry has to figure out a way for them to pay for it without paying for it. The artists have to be sold in a different way.”

The need for the music industry to reinvent itself has never been more pressing (assuming you care about music). I'll ask the question and let you tell the rest of the story:

If you could give one piece of marketing advice to a top music industry executive, what would it be?

BP Suffers Social Technology Backlash Over Gulf Disaster

2010-05-17T12:35:00.008-05:00

No one likes the idea of ecological havoc bubbling up from 5000 feet below the Gulf of Mexico. And no, I'm not talking about Facebook "liking".

As marketers, we know a few things. We know that green products and services are becoming increasingly relevant in consumer purchase behaviors. We know that consumers are placing a premium on these same types of products or services, and putting their money where their mouth is.

Then the British Petroleum owned Deepwater Horizon drilling rig blew up, killing 11 workers and sinking into the Gulf of Mexico. Oil from an unsealed bore hole began pouring into the ocean. Since April 20th the Gulf of Mexico has suffered one of the worst man-made disasters of our time.

I'm not political on this issue. I'll leave it to the pundits to play the blame game. I am, however, conscious that it's bad. Really bad. And as marketers, advertisers, and public relation...ers we should be watching the social web to gauge how a tragedy of this magnitude affects consumer trends and appetites for green.

How will the disaster influence unmet consumer needs (especially in the Gulf states)?

Here's a few thought starters:

Beyond Punishment (new Facebook group calling for a consumer level boycott of BP - full disclosure - I support it)
Boycott BP Twitter
Google Blog search on BP (mostly negative and highly political opinions)
Greenpeace Gulf Oil Spill aggregation

Final thoughts after the jump.

I'll leave you with one final question that is of particular interest to me:

How should BP deal with the social firestorm brewing on the web?

Should BP actively seek and shut down Facebook groups, Twitter pages, blogs, and forums that infringe on their intellectual property or should they simply let it all go and chalk it up to internet karma?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

The End of Advertising As We Know It, Says IBM

2010-05-14T08:36:00.007-05:00

According to IBM the next five years will hold as much change for the advertising industry as the previous fifty, because it's the end of advertising as we know it. Thanks IBM, but we sort of figured that out already... If you are still gainfully employed in the advertising, marketing, or public relations industries after three years of layoffs and lost clients you know how much the game has shifted. Chances are your job today looks nothing like it did three years ago; from social technologies to augmented reality it's a brave new world.

There aren't any surprises here: including the fact that the whole report is a sales tool for various IBM business consulting units. Perhaps the most interesting fact of all is that, for whatever reason, IBM has decided that agencies will make up a major consulting vertical for 2010. Is IBM aware that most agencies are scraping for pennies and probably aren't prepared to drop $300k+ on a consulting gig?

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Adobe's Official Anti-Apple Campaign Begins

2010-05-13T08:37:00.006-05:00

It's official. The public relations campaign Adobe has been waging against Apple (or is it Apple waging a war against Adobe?) is now an interactive advertising campaign. I'm not sure if this reeks of desperation or defiance, but I do know that Adobe will need to release some non-Flash based ads if it expects to get the attention of current iPhone and iPad users. The campaign is currently running rampant online as well as in print:

To coincide with the campaign, Adobe has a new section of their website dedicated to "Freedom of choice":

What do you think? Desperation or strategic offensive? I'm not sure who these ads are targeting, but so far they aren't tugging at my heart strings.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Did You Hear? Privacy is Dead.

2010-05-12T10:07:00.008-05:00

An easy way to predict the future is by watching movies.

I know, I know... Most movies about the future have no foundation in reality. But every once in a while we get a glimpse into what our fourth dimensional minds will produce in the next five to ten years.

Recently, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg expressed his desire to reveal more "private" data to public and media consumption, potentially opening the doors for targeted and highly interactive advertising. Let's get real for a second; before Facebook can go public (and trust me, it's not a matter of if, but when - regardless of what you hear from the officers of the company) they need more profit on the books, and the current advertising model isn't sustainable. I've already postulated on what the future of Facebook looks like, and wild as my vision may be the principle still holds water.

When I do technographic and digital behavior analysis of target audience groups, it's apparent that privacy boundaries are a generational phenomenon. What is considered personal and confidential by Generation X is thought of as open and public by Generation Y or Millennials. But what level of digital privacy is uncomfortable even for the tech savvy social medialites of today?

The 1997 film GATTACA (if you haven't seen it I highly recommend you do) features a bleak, postmodern world in which everything from employment to human coupling is based on genetic superiority, and establishing the validity of your mate or job candidate is as simple and painless as swiping a credit card.

Over the counter genetic testing technology is advancing at a startling pace. GATTACA may have given us a peek into what the future of these products holds.

Mixing a social technology cocktail

If testing yourself for genetic disease isn't scary enough, how about posting your results to Facebook? Are we preparing to raise a generation that literally has no privacy concerns? How about genetically targeted advertisements (bioadvertising) served based on likelihood of acceptance? Neuromarketing has nothing on this stuff...

UPDATE: Facebook VP of Public Policy Elliot Schrage comments on recent privacy missteps

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Front End of Innovation and Community 2.0

2010-05-04T08:01:00.002-05:00

I'm at the Front End of Innovation and Social Media & Community 2.0 Strategies conferences in Boston this week. You can follow my tweets using the #feiboston and #socialc20 hash tags.

Nick Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Facebook: The Currency of Like

2010-04-28T09:55:00.007-05:00

I like a lot of things in this world. Good food, great friends, funny pictures of cats on the Internet...

As the Facebook Product Marketing Team introduces their omnipresent "like us" feature I can't help but wonder if their effort to bolster the semantic web is self defeating.

I'll make this quick, so bear with me.

If everything from presentations to individual images can be "liked" on Facebook, how long will it be before our feeds are polluted with unimportant likes? How long will it be until advertisers to find ways to require "liking" of something in return for value?

Semantics isn't all it's cracked up to be...

The problem is that "liking" something, in it's current form, has little or no value associated with it. When a product or service is recommended by word of mouth, a tangible reason is always attached. I recommend (like) my bank, ING Direct, because I can pick up the phone and talk to a real person with little or no hold time. I like Southwest Airlines because they don't charge me to check my bags. So how does Facebook create meaning where there is none?

The currency of "like"

At some point in the near future, I can see Facebook placing a cap on the quantity of things it's users can "like" in a given period. This is necessary to build meaning into an otherwise cacophonous menagerie of content. The next logical step in a for-profit company (we often forget Facebook's primary mission is to make money) will be to allow users to purchase more "liking" ability if they run out. Once this happens we enter a free market system where "likes" can be bought, sold, and traded.

Toss mobility into the mix, and before you know it you'll be paying your dry cleaning bill, gym membership and bar tab in "likes". Let the madness begin.

UPDATE: Check out www.likebutton.me for a conglomeration of all your friends' "likes" categorized and grouped for your consumption. Most of mine weren't of interest, supporting the idea that the semantic web isn't so semantic yet...

Nick Kinports (@ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

AdMob Releases Updated Mobile Metrics Report: Android Leads iPhone

2010-04-27T12:36:00.007-05:00

Looks like the Android platform is starting to mature and diversify as ad requests shoot past iPhone in the United States (iPod Touch not included).

Download a PDF of AdMob's March 2010 Mobile Metrics Report for the full story, then sound off...

Do you think Android will continue to lead ad requests for the US market as Apple's new iPhone 4G and iAd hit this Summer?

Nick Kinports (@ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Steve Jobs Advice to Nike CEO: Get Rid of the Crappy Stuff

2010-04-27T10:27:00.003-05:00

Fast Company offers a short video featuring the Nike president and CEO Mark Parker reminiscing about a special call from Steve Jobs shortly after Parker took up his new post.

It's advice that's intimately related to advertising. If you aren't studying (or acknowledging) the right customer insights you run the risk of creating a product, service, or business model that no amount of advertising will fix.

Nick Kinports (@ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Iron Man 2 Digital Campaign Just Works

2010-04-22T10:57:00.001-05:00

I've been known to be somewhat cynical when it comes to flashy digital campaigns. Most companies just can't get it right. I was impressed with the last several weeks of Iron Man 2 digital promotions, and thought I would share.

Up first, a nice interactive trailer. Oft criticized for being bulky and offering little added value, this Flash promo plays the full trailer while picking bits out for further exploration. A nice build on the stale movie trailer experience.

Next, a quick look at the Stark Expo 2010 website. Though grumblings about vapid content can be found on Twitter, I believe the experience is both immersive and clever. The site was also integrated with offline experiences such as "recruiters" from Stark Industries handing out business cards at key locations leading up to the go-live date.

Note advertisers' content within the microsite - I wonder if these placements were sold as online spots to pay for the project? In the context of the expo I don't find it too intrusive, and let's not forget the cool (and totally fake) links to various "vendors" at the faux expo.

What do you think? A good overall campaign or a waste of marketing dollars?

Nick Kinports (@ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Apple Pushes Adobe to the Brink

2010-04-21T10:35:00.005-05:00

It's clear that developers everywhere are upset at Apple for their recent policy changes towards cross-compilers. What was less clear, until today, is how Adobe would respond.

A few days ago I pronounced imminent litigation.

Today we learn that Adobe will shift it's focus to Andriod based devices starting... Now.

The hazy part of the story - and the real question for developers (Adobe) - is how consumer demand and client wallets will respond to Adobe's position.

With the upcoming Droid Incredible going head to head with the iPhone 4G, I predict client demand for iPhone apps to increase exponentially.

Not to mention the iAd platform may kick off a new era of media spending from clients big and small. And did I mention that Apple is kicking out all other ad networks from iPhone? It looks like Cupertino is going to make sure that content on the iPhone stays locked down.

Does a rising smartphone tide raise all ships? Will developers be forced to play nice with Apple in exchange for staying in business, or will Andriod-based platforms stimulate enough user - and as a result client - demand to keep the market competitive? One thing is certain - it's an exciting time to be in interactive advertising.

Nick Kinports (@ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Nostalgia Advertising Wins the Hearts and Minds of Millennials

2010-04-19T10:53:00.008-05:00

Why do Millennials have an inherent disdain for advertising delivered through traditional media (television commercials, print advertising, product placement in film, etc...)? As digital advertising struggles to standardize and find new ways to annoy us, I've noticed a trend towards nostalgia that seems to open Millennials' wallets faster than Apple stores on release day.

Verizon's Big Red campaign channels the familiar chewing gum jingle for cheap laughs and big bucks.

It may simply be that the only advertising Millennials respond to is from the time when there was no internet or Tivo; the glory days when advertisers could literally sear a message into impressionable brains by simply running ads over and over again (things aren't so simple anymore).

The eyes are clearly on the content - do you Millennials out there feel particularly drawn to advertisers who have jumped on the nostalgia bandwagon (either by running their own nostalgia based ads or advertising on nostalgia based sites)?

Nick Kinports (@ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Adobe Sues Apple, Claims Unfair Business Practices

2010-04-14T11:32:00.006-05:00

Alright - you got me - no one has filed a lawsuit yet. I say yet because this one is so obvious I can see it coming a mile away. Adobe is scared - and it should be - with iPhone browser share soaking up over 60% of the mobile market in the United States and the iPad generating huge sales figures Flash technology is at a tipping point. You can't get much better than 99% adoption, and we all know in the tech industry there's only one way to go.

Adobe's primary concern is preservation of market share, especially since they paid a hefty 3.4 Billion for Macromedia (stock swap though it may have been). Adobe must realize that Flash will eventually be replaced - now it's a question of how quickly.

I'm going to say something that a lot of advertising people (interactive folks especially) don't like to hear. Flash needs to go away. It's had a long and glorious run, but it's about over in my opinion. The endless custom video players, interactive ads that don't really do anything useful or interesting, and overly-creative websites are old. Since 2009 the web has really been about information; getting to it quickly, on any platform, and engaging in an experiences with others. Flash isn't necessary for any of this. Gaming is probably the best contender, but other options are quickly making Flash games inconvenient and expensive to produce and maintain.

What do you think? Is Apple on the money with their decision to move away from Flash, or are they making a critical mistake? How do you feel - as a designer, programmer, or interactive project manager - about having to get on the grind to learn the next big thing?

One thing is for certain, Adobe isn't going to go quietly into the night...

Nick Kinports (@ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive world for over 9 years, and helps the Fortune 100 identify unmet consumer needs, create ideas to fill those needs, and bring them into market. He currently works at Maddock Douglas.

Twitter Unleashes Promoted Tweets Ad Platform

2010-04-13T15:13:00.005-05:00

We certainly aren't first to break the story, but we think we deserve marks for thorough and accurate delivery.

Twitter has revealed their plans to slowly roll out advertising - first on their owned properties, then to third party platforms.

The question is how effective will the ads be in breathing fiduciary life into a non-monetized platform without jeopardizing the user experience. We like to call that trust. When a user no longer trusts a social platform, he or she will quickly move on. Don't believe us? One word: MySpace (*shudder*).

Our opinion is that the onus in now on the wizard behind the curtain at Twitter to protect the integrity of the service. Let's hope the nice folks at Twitter vet ads for content and substance, and only serve ads that equate to value for the target. 0.02% click-through copy ain't gonna cut it my friends.

So let's see what some of the majors had to say about Twitter's new ad platform...

The WallStreetJournal has a lengthy article and a feature video about the changes, but doesn't do much other than regurgitate the announcement.

The Huffington Post has an amusing array of user responses to the news that Twitter, like most things in the world, needs oxygen to survive. Beautiful green oxygen.

Mashable, the social media new juggernaut, and our old friend Ben Parr have a first-hand look at the launch of Promoted Tweets.

Finally our old standby AdvertisingAge channels Josh Bernoff to make a case for why you should advertise on Twitter.

Looks like we can expect a full roll-out with advertisers like Best Buy, Bravo, Red Bull, Sony Pictures, Starbucks, and Virgin America very soon. From what we've seen so far this is a platform like most others. It's going to be up to Twitter and it's partners to make sure things stay above board. Rest assured we will all be watching...

Follow us on Twitter!

Tiger Woods' New Nike Ad Confuses, Makes Us Feel Sad

2010-04-08T09:36:00.003-05:00

Tiger Woods' new Nike advertisement featuring the voice of his deceased father, Earl Woods, has a lot of people confused, and a few upset. What are your thoughts?

Top Crowdscourcing Design Firms Review - 99designs

2010-03-27T10:44:00.011-05:00

Crowdsourcing was one of those grey areas of advertising to keep your eye on in 2009. As employment worsens and more designers have discovered their freelancing legs, are we entering a golden era for crowdsourcing?

We have an extensive review of five top crowdsourcing companies from the perspectives of clients and designers. Let's get to it...

ADMAVEN Rates 99designs 3/5 for buyers

We liked the simplicity of the site - the second you enter the project creation area of 99designs you are presented with an intuitive interface that sets expectations (don't look for over 100 submissions if you are working on a tight budget). We were also reassured by the large, prominently placed 60 day money back guarantee touted during the project creation process. Security is a good thing.

We didn't like being charged extra for listing your project privately (intellectual property is a huge obstacle for many buyers - why ding us for wanting to protect our ideas?) or for a project that needs to be done in three days or less. We were also put off by the overall quality of submissions. But hey - it's an open crowdsourcing site - so we can't complain too much.

ADMAVEN Rates 99designs 4/5 for designers

We liked the low barrier to entry for designers - and the fact that each project (called a "contest" in 99 speak) tells us exactly what to expect - even if the buyer has already pl

aced money in escrow. We also enjoyed the social network features. These aren't particularly useful to designers trying to win a contest, but they do provide a simple way to share what you are working on with your friends.

We didn't like the hordes of amateur designers cluttering projects with concepts. We liked having a low barrier to entry, but this also means setting a low bar for design quality in many cases. Working for free is hard enough as it is - does every 15 year old with a pirated copy of Adobe Creative Suite have to be included too? We also took a slight issue with the very limited profile customization features. We want to have some portfolio work available directly on our profile - asking the customer to click outside the site to see our portfolio may be too much...

On the web at http://www.99designs.com

Up next? CrowdSpring... Stay tuned

The Innovation Engine Community

2010-02-14T15:18:00.002-06:00

The last few months have been very busy for me - most of my efforts online have been placed in the new Innovation Engine Community. I suggest you check it out, register for an account, and join the discussion!

Maddock Douglas Acquires Change Inc.

2010-01-19T10:14:00.001-06:00

Things are looking green around Maddock Douglas—and for good reason.

We recently signed a letter of intent to purchase Change, a Vancouver based consultancy focused on creating and branding green products and services. And with the closing date set for February 1, 2010, we’re ready to start innovating greener.

Check out the official press release on MaddockDouglas.com

“Why” might seem like a no-brainer, but the environment isn’t the only reason to be eco-friendly. Green is good for the consumer and our planet, true, but sustainability is now the key driver of innovation and, believe it or not, it’s also the ultimate competitive advantage.

And what exactly do we mean by that? Here’s why sustainability is more than planet-friendly:

2010-01-13T10:53:00.002-06:00

So far, 2010 has been the year of the tablet, the Blu-Ray, the e-reader, and 3D entertainment. These ideas represent fine consumer product innovations, but let's take a moment and talk about business models. The next year will see a host of changes for many large companies. One of the most interesting (and something we have had our eye on for years) is the integration of social technologies into large, and often siloed, organizations.

If you’re thinking, “wait a minute, I thought that was 2009,” think again. 2009 was indeed social media’s first year in the mainstream corporate consciousness, but for many, adoption has been slow and support has been the same.

Here's what you have to look forward to in 2010:

1) Social media won’t just be social media. That is, Social media in 2010 will no longer be a stand-alone feature. Instead of being the add-on garage, many innovative services and products will have social technologies built into business strategy. Social media will be used, not as a novelty, or an experiment, but as a strategic and integrated piece of a business unit. If we had it our way, the term "social media" would dissapear and simply be understood as a core operating principal of any successful organization.

2) Conversation will king technology.
Instead of focusing on spreading presence across mediums, (whether it be Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin) companies will begin to hone in on the most important part—the conversation. More in-depth efforts will be made to forge relationships, not small talk. Insights will be gathered with more efficiency and passed up the chain with more regularity.

3) Long-term will lead.
Throwing out tweets into the vast social media landscape with the hope that someone re-tweets or responds will be a thing of the past as marketers become better at crafting sticky messages. More in-depth (and ultimately fulfilling) interactions for the brand and the consumer will be far more regular than one-offs.

4) People will bolster relationships—not bots.
The companies that have the right strategy and implementation in place will, if they haven’t already, begin to interact with people as people—not bots, not nameless suits—people. In turn, company-consumer trust levels will increase.

5) Crowdsourcing will come with the territory.
People that are fans of products and services will help to police themselves—and companies will be more willing to allow the communities they are building to grow organically, ultimately facilitating consumer to corporate as well as consumer to consumer conversations with less interference.

Are your public relations professionals, marketing managers, agencies, and account teams still talking about social media one-offs? The most successful companies in 2010 will employ people who understand that social technologies have become a required practice and embrace these concepts as part of the job.

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YEO and ACE Founder Verne Harnish Talks Going Global and Getting Lean

2010-01-08T10:38:00.001-06:00

Is your company ready to face huge opportunity? Verne Harnish, founder of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization (YEO), the Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs (ACE) and founder and CEO of Gazelles, Inc. explains why productivity is key to going global and getting lean—and how it will change the game for good.

Verne Harnish - Go Global Get Lean from Maddock Douglas, Inc. on Vimeo.

Verne is a member of the Maddock Douglas Global Expert Network, an exclusive group of thinkers that includes entrepreneurs, professionals and specialists. GEN members span the globe and are hand picked to provide insight and expertise for specific opportunities and challenges. These experts often come from a parallel industry or have a specialized skill that relates to the challenge at hand. And this cross-section of thinking creates relevant, and frequently groundbreaking, ideas. Do you have a GEN? And if not, how do you plan to infuse outside expertise into your next big challenge?

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Why Victims Can't Invent Anything - BusinessWeek

2010-01-06T15:04:00.000-06:00

First, get past the fear of failure and unknown markets. Then stop complaining and blaze your own trail to innovation and profit

By G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón

Consider this tale: Two salespeople for a leading athletic shoe company are sent over to a developing-world soon-to-be superpower country in the early 1980s. After a week of working to find leads, each salesperson reports back to corporate.

The first salesperson says, "Prospects could not be worse. Nobody wears athletic shoes over here."

The second salesperson sees things differently. "This is unbelievable! Everybody here needs our shoes!"

Question: Which report would have come back from you?

The answer is a simple way to determine whether you have what it takes to be a successful innovator. You are either a creator ("What an amazing opportunity—everyone needs what we have; we just need to figure out how to reach them") or a victim ("What a terrible situation").

Now you're probably thinking you are almost always a creator—never, or rarely, a victim. Well, here's how you know you are a victim: You complain about anything. That's right, the sure sign you are playing victim is complaining.

Here's why this should matter to you: In the world of innovation, there are only two kinds of people, victims and creators. Creators focus on finding solutions, welcoming the bumps along the way because they know overcoming hurdles will ultimately lead to a better solution. (More on that in a minute.)

Meanwhile, for victims, small problems—not to mention the inevitable big ones—lead to an unlikely addiction that keeps great ideas from happening.

Victims are Excuse Addicts

Perhaps you have uttered some of these words: The budget is too small; the deadline is too tight; the competition is too tough; my boss is a tool; my boss is an ignorant tool; legal won't approve it; R&D won't make it in time; my team is too small; we don't have any big ideas; we have too many ideas. Any of these sound familiar? Of course they do, because everyone developing new products and services has the same challenges. So why are your competitors—down the street and down the hall—besting you when it comes to new product development?
Put simply, they have learned failure is a positive part of being a creator and complaining is just the drug of choice for the victim. (And we want to acknowledge that The Power of TED, a book by David Emerald, got us to start calling these people victims.)
Failure is the Oxygen of Innovation

We are not being overly dramatic here. Failing is as much a part of creating as heavy breathing is a part of running. The trick is to understand that the creator sees every small failure as a big opportunity to modify the product or experience. They view every problem as an opportunity to come up with some creative workaround. For example:

• "R&D can't make it? I'll try to open innovation models and see if someone else can develop for us."
• "Budget is too small? I'll have online thought leaders expose it to their followers (for free) and take advantage of the viral lift."
• "This approach has never worked in the past? Well, gee. Maybe times have changed—and if they haven't, let's try a different way of attacking the problem."

Creators see the obstacles as springboards for new thinking, not as an excuse to throw up their hands and give up.

What is the Outcome You Want?

Okay, fine, you say. But what do you do if you have a victim mentality—if only once in a while—or manage people who do? Our suggestion is to ask this simple question when you (or the folks you are in charge of) confront an obstacle that makes you think about quitting: "What is the outcome you want?"

This simple question can magically turn a victim into a creator. This phrase is the beacon that allows you to navigate through political, budgetary, and scheduling waters.

Once you are clear on the destination, it becomes a lot easier to steer a course around obstacles and shoals.

If you manage a person who is constantly pointing to excuses when asked why the pipeline is slow or low, ask, "What's the outcome you want?" If that person can't create ideas to get there, he or she might just be too addicted to victimhood to innovate. And if you as a boss find yourself doing more complaining than creating, perhaps it's time to ask yourself the same question—and do something about it.

This article originally published in BusinessWeek

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2010 Predictions - Conscious Capitalism and Vertical Learning

2009-12-31T12:05:00.001-06:00

Making predictions is no easy business. Take this, for example:

“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.”

— Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), maker of mainframe computers, arguing against the PC in 1977.

But, with accurate insights and reflection and analysis of those insights, we can begin to develop a sense of what the future might hold. For 2010, many are predicting change to occur in technology, pop culture and personal life. For beyond—into the next decade, here’s what we think is next for business models, products and services:

The integration of Conscious Capitalism will spur long-term growth.

Conscious capitalism is a new way of thinking about "social responsibility," the idea that an organization (government, nonprofit, business) has an obligation to act not only in its own best interests but also in those of all its stakeholders (customers, employees, suppliers, investors, society).

In the developing consumer driven market, companies will no longer be responsible to only their investors—not if they want sustainable profit, anyway. Instead, companies will either adopt Conscious Capitalism or be forced to once they realize that doing good allows businesses to do beyond well.

And the proponents of this change? First of all, they will be people like John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods. Along with John Mackey, many CEOs in parallel industries have already begun implementing the integration of Conscious Capitalism.

Secondly, but more importantly, the consumers will drive this change. With the power to choose products and services created by companies who no longer see business as a machine driven by profit only, consumers will exercise this measure of control to empower companies that not only empower them, but also facilitate change for the world.

Vertical learning will be of increasingly high value.

Vertical learning is the pursuit of knowledge of our own assumptions, ways of interpreting experience and our beliefs. But, it has been long overlooked and placed secondary to Horizontal Learning—knowledge acquired through training, education and work experience—expanding our skill sets, in short.

Horizontal Learning is, of course, absolutely necessary. For instance, those who want to design products must learn the proper techniques and acquire the necessary technological information to do so. But Vertical Learning is seen as a lesser skill—introspection is not currently viewed to be equally valuable.

However, with the two working in tandem, we are less likely to think about business models, products and services in binary terms. Instead, we are encouraged to “think through” and think around the obvious obstacles to innovation and renovation—therefore building something of far higher worth.

If we take both into account, we can better see developing trends with objectivity in relation to each other and discern the implications of those relationships as opposed to seeing the individual issues and tasks involved in innovation.

Although making predictions can be tricky, there’s nothing outrageous about these and many other future trends we see developing. After all, businesses alike consumers are ready for positive change in the world—aren’t we all?

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Future Trends: Crowdsourcing Municipal Maintenance

2009-12-29T15:15:00.001-06:00

Let’s say you’re driving home from work when all of a sudden your front left tire drops into a massive pothole causing you to swerve right. Luckily, there are no cars in the right lane, but regardless you’ve narrowly avoided an accident, and with good reason, you’re upset.

So what?

Well, a few years ago, you might have complained to your friend in the passenger seat and just kept on driving. But now, people have the power to report local issues with the click of a few buttons and the power of GPS.

City residents can now use an app like SeeClickFix, a mobile application that allows its users to take a photo of a pothole, a burnt out street light, fresh graffiti—basically anything that needs to be fixed by the local government—and report it using a mobile GPS device. Along with a photo and GPS location, users can add notes and track progress, as well as receive and view alerts on nearby city issues. Then, users can see how many other people have reported the same issue and monitor the most reported, a.k.a “hot issues” in the selected city.

Just one app out of the many that have been dubbed “Gov 2.0” by the tech community, SeeClickFix is utilizing GPS location in an attempt to make local government more efficient and responsive—and the app supports a trend that we’ve watched develop over the last decade called “Track Me, Help Me.”

The “Track Me, Help Me” trend was sparked by recognition of not only the popularity and functionality of GPS navigational systems on-board mobile devices, but also by the recognition of consumer willingness to offer up a very valuable piece of the puzzle:

Location, location, location.

Many people with smart phones have come to depend on apps like Google Maps, but now, as demonstrated by apps like SeeClickFix, people are ready to take location to the next level. Whether it be the power to innovate local government operations or the pleasure of playing virtual put-put, consumers are receiving relevant benefits when they give this information away—more evidence of not only “Track Me, Help Me,” but also of the evolving consumer-driven market.

But the GPS centric apps currently available are just the tip of the ice burg. As app developers begin working in tighter conjunction with the government, corporations and organizations, GPS innovation will be streamlined and even more integrated into our daily lives. In fact, many industries have just now recognized this trend and are developing applications to catch up to this unmet consumer need, meaning that even more people will be saying “Track Me, Help Me” while being enabled to accomplish tasks—no matter how big—with efficiency.

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Why Companies Lack Successful Innovation - BusinessWeek

2009-12-28T10:35:00.002-06:00

A shortage of innovation isn't always senior management's fault. Marketers deserve some blame for not having the right processes in place

By G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón

It is easy to blame chief executives and senior management for not devoting enough attention to introducing new products, but that is too simplistic an explanation for why radically new products are so rare. Marketers deserve some of the blame for at least three reasons:

Successful strategic innovations need more than a great idea.

There's no shortage of new product concepts. We are willing to bet you could come up with a handful of intriguing ones before lunch if you set your mind to it.

But new ideas by themselves are worthless. You need to move from idea to execution, and that is where the majority of companies stumble. You need a new-product development process—one that is codified, efficient, and repeatable, and which allows you to turn a notion into something you can sell.

But there aren't a lot of marketers who have tried to formalize a new-product introduction. Too often, marketers see their job as simply coming up with the idea. They leave the actual development and production to someone else and then profess to be surprised when the finished product is not exactly what they had envisaged. (This is true, by the way, whether we are talking about introducing new consumer products or selling business-to-business.) It is always nice to have someone else to blame when something goes wrong—such as, the product didn't sell. But it isn't the best use of your time, or of company resources.

The takeaway point from all this is that you want to create a process that will allow you to introduce a new product the same way every time. The procedure needs to be replicable—and easily understood internally—so you can train new hires to execute it. The process should become a legacy in your organization.

There is a shortage of Renaissance men (and women).

This builds off the previous point. As we have just seen, there are two distinct components to developing a successful new product: Coming up with the idea and then putting it into practice—i.e., executing it. We must make sure that it is produced exactly as designed and that the marketing that follows is consistent with the overall message the product is supposed to communicate. Failure can arise when we look for people who possess both skills, but in reality such people are extremely hard to find in any organization. Most people are naturally better at one or the other part of the process.

Instead of looking for someone who is good at both, it would seem more efficient to let people do what they do best. Since most companies have people who are fairly good at carrying out a mission once it is defined for them, it probably makes more sense to keep that capability in-house, and to look to outside resources to help you discover new ideas and fresh needs in the marketplace. Once the outside firm has unearthed those opportunities, the company can develop them.

Marketers tend to be fatalistic.

Marketers seem to go into new-product introductions with the expectation that they are going to fail. So they deal with new-product failures rather like the way an overweight person does with their problem: We periodically make half-hearted efforts to fix things…and then give up.

Just like someone who resigns himself or herself to being overweight, marketers conclude that there is nothing they can do to improve their batting average when it comes to introducing new products. Instead of throwing up their hands and saying "woe is me," they should be studying their past successes to see what they should do the next time they introduce something new.

That, of course, takes us full circle, underscoring as it does the need to have a replicable process to make new product development as painless as possible.

Blaming the CEO and others for not being more supportive about new product development is a waste of both time and mental energy. Look in the mirror and try to figure out how to make things better. Addressing the three problems we just talked about is a good start.

This article originally published in BusinessWeek

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Sportvision's Hank Adams Talks Innovation Efficiency

2009-12-23T10:41:00.001-06:00

Does innovation that requires the complete renovation of technologies, ideas and even personnel be performed efficiently, or can a company reinvent rapidly while re-working everything?

Hank Adams, CEO of Sportvision, explains how companies can use materials that already exist to implement new products, services, and business models efficiently.

Hank is a member of the Maddock Douglas Global Expert Network, an exclusive group of thinkers that includes entrepreneurs, professionals and specialists. GEN members span the globe and are hand picked to provide insight and expertise for specific opportunities and challenges. These experts often come from a parallel industry or have a specialized skill that relates to the challenge at hand. And this cross-section of thinking creates relevant, and frequently groundbreaking, ideas. Do you have a GEN? And if not, how do you plan to infuse outside expertise into your next big challenge?

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Wall Street Journal 2009 Technology Innovation Awards: Making a Difference

2009-12-22T11:06:00.001-06:00

From The Maddock Douglas Innovation Engine Blog

The winner of the Wall Street Journal 2009 Technology Innovation Awards is on pace to change the world. Sure, Tapulous, the maker of the hit, one million dollar per month games is changing the face of mobile gaming technology—but technology innovations that hold the promise of making everyday life better for millions of people across the world are the ones to watch.

Ibis Biosciences' T5000 sensor, which won Gold at this year’s awards, allows for the detection of unknown organisms—a viable solution for the identification of novel infectious diseases. In short, the T5000 is intended to answer the question: "What microorganisms are in my sample?

How will this apply to us? Take a virus like H1N1 as an example—immediate detection and strain identification can help protect the masses and make responding appropriately to unknown diseases faster and easier—which could mean saving lives.

Ibis Biosciences Inc. developed the sensor to fill an unmet need—rapid identification of the unknown. And the T5000, the product that meets that need, is the first in a long line of rapid detection mechanisms that will alter the way we respond to disease.

But what about the communication that connects the two?

As disintermediation begins to fundamentally change industries, consumers will start demanding bioscience and healthcare communication that’s easier to digest. People want a deeper understanding of the bioscience (and tertiary) technologies that have the ability to change their lives.

As Maria Umbach suggests for the insurance industry, the next opportunity to innovate may be in the way we speak to consumers.

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Laugh a Little, Innovate a Lot - BusinessWeek

2009-12-21T13:34:00.003-06:00

When looking for a big idea, you don't necessarily want to hear "Eureka!" but laughter

By
G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón

How much fun are you having at work these days? Let's face it. Having fun isn't as easy as it used to be, even for the most courageous, creative, and curious. Today just reading the headlines can turn an optimist into a fearful pessimist. The stories all seem to make you worry the very real possibility of losing your job.

Here is a critical insight for you. It is impossible for teams to innovate effectively while they are afraid. Impossible. Nothing kills great ideas like fear.

The good news is that fun is the antidote to fear. So if you are an innovation leader in a company that has become fearful, your people are on the road to failure unless you can change your culture. Cue the music, it's time to infuse some fun into the workplace.

The place to start? With you.

Leaders know how to laugh at themselves. Show us a person that can stand up in front of his team and say, "Call me stupid, but I have no idea how to do this," and we will show you a person with great leadership potential. Humble leaders with this trait create cultures that don't take themselves too seriously; cultures willing to take risks; cultures capable of creating and supporting a greater number of ideas.

The Daily Huddle

Why not start every day with a fun meeting? The daily huddle is simple practice that jump-starts the day and sets the stage for big ideas. Verne Harnish, "growth guy" and chief executive officer of Gazelles, which is an outsourced corporate university for midsize firms, taught us about the daily huddle. He developed the practice after studying and writing about John D. Rockefeller in his book The Rockefeller Habits.

Our company meets every day at 9 a.m. for no more than nine minutes. The agenda is simple. We share good news, bad news, and how well the company is doing. We use video to connect offices so everyone can attend the meeting. We encourage everyone to take a turn at running the huddle. Most importantly, we try to make them casual, transparent, and fun

In the last year, our daily huddles have included baby pools—where everyone guesses when someone's baby will be born; whether it will be a boy or girl and what it will weigh—costume contests, music trivia, engagement announcements, love poems, and ballads to welcome new employees. Yes, there is a lot of silliness, and not surprisingly, there is a lot of laughter. Much of the laughter has led to jokes, observations, and comments that have in turn led to ideas that have directly impacted our clients and company. (See www.bringchangehome.com, a viral marketing campaign with the humble goal of simply changing the world.

Says Harnish, "Of all the practices we teach, the daily huddle is probably the simplest and most powerful way to infuse fun, accountability, and momentum. When companies embrace the huddle, we always see a positive impact to their bottom line and culture.

Loosening Up the Suits

He's right. In fact, our clients actually like to come to these huddles. That should tell you something about the experience.

We first started noticing the liberating possibilities of linking fun and work in the early '90s in a meeting with an extremely conservative, extremely large utility company. You have probably been in a similar room; think suits; think fear; think awkward silence.

During this "mandatory" brainstorm session, someone offered up an idea as a joke. "I know," he said, tongue firmly in check. "We can send customers a bill that actually explains all the charges in plain English." He meant it as a joke, of course. And one joke led to another. Then something amazing happened: At one point the most senior person in the room commented, "You know, that's really not that bad of an idea. We could actually do that." Eventually the idea that started as a joke wound up being seen by 40 million consumers as a new kind of phone bill—one that was simple to understand. Not only did consumers embrace the joke, so did other phone companies who have adopted the idea. How great is that?

The Equation

There are two lessons here. First, it is not difficult to stage events that create this type of result, and leaders should be intentional about creating them. More important, we must learn to pay attention to laughter. Where there is laughter, there is an idea that holds people's interest. The pleasant by-product of all this: Work becomes more enjoyable, and that, too, increases the chance that you will be able to innovate successfully. It turns out that if you are having fun, you are more creative.

Here is an equation for you to consider the next time you are wondering why nobody is coming up with big ideas: I = F + H.

Ideas equal fun plus humility on the part of leadership to support the idea—and embrace those ideas that may come out of it.

This article originally published in BusinessWeek

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The Future of Mobility - Jeannie Weaver on Clearwire's 4G Service

2009-12-18T10:10:00.001-06:00

There’s been a lot of buzz around 4G and what it means for innovation. Maddock Douglas recently interviewed Jeannie Weaver, Regional General Manager at Clearwire, the first 4G network already up and running, to talk about the future of mobility.

Innovation is defined as the synchronized intersection of an unmet need or insight, the idea (business model, product, or service) that meets that need and the communication that connects the two. Let's uncover the innovation behind Clearwire and what it means for the future of mobility.

What was the unmet need or insight that Clearwire is responding to?

Consumers want and need to be able to access data at broadband speeds on the go—and we don’t think that experience should be painful.

What was the idea that inspired Clearwire - how are you filling the unmet need?

The current 3G network is provided by voice-centric cell phone companies who are accommodating the data needs of consumers. Clearwire is just the opposite—we are a data centric network. The reason AT&T is having trouble bringing quality data service to market right now can be attributed to building a network based on voice and having to retrofit for mass data use thanks to the iPhone. Clearwire is built for data volume from day one.

And the communication—what has Clearwire been doing to make yourselves known to your target consumer audience?

We want people thinking about Clear—we want to intrigue them. We are currently implementing multiple layers that include grassroots salespeople, partnering with local businesses and street teams. We are talking to people the way they want to be communicated to.

With 400 million people already using 3G (HSDPA/WCDMA) technologies today, what is Clearwire’s plan to increase mobile usership?

We ideally want to take marketshare and entice those customers on an inferior network to utilize our faster 4G network.

Clearwire has been extraordinarily helpful in industries with location challenges, construction for example, where people are working in remote areas—Clearwire is plug and play and the pricepoint is very attractive for small and medium sized businesses.

What roles do you see big investors, Sprint, Google and Intel playing in Clearwire’s future?

Sprint holds 51% of Clearwire and they have provided the funding that is allowing us to build out our network. Intel is creating laptops and other hardware with built in WiMAX capabilities, and Google will continue to assist Clearwire strategically.

Comcast is currently reselling our service under their brand, and advantage to Clearwire because we benefit when network usage increases.

What does the future of mobility look like and how do you see Clearwire affecting that future?

I think we already are. Having the capability to accomplish things on the go, but have an experience like a home broadband connection is amazing. Clearwire will effectively support and drive a better mobile experience while helping to feed the cloud.

Also, imagine if the 4G network were implemented in, for instance, Chicago’s parking meter system—there’s a huge lag time when a customer uses a card to pay, resulting in a long wait. The ability to speed things up can make so many day-to-day things easier—and safer. For public safety purposes, the ability to live stream video could bring surveillance to a higher level of efficiency. Devices with built in WiMAX capabilities will become more common as manufacturers rush to provide consumers with the ability to lifestream rich content to their personal and social networks on the go.

How do you see the future playing out between LTE (Long Term Evolution) and Clearwire 4G?

Both technologies are sound and in the future, 4G will seem like a commodity. Yet, we have the advantage of speed to market. We'll see how the rest plays out in 8-12 months as LTE goes online in major metropolitan areas.

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My Life Is A Video Game: Technological and Social Innovations from Maddock Douglas

2009-12-04T11:01:00.001-06:00

Let's start with some numbers: in the first 24 hours of it’s release, Modern Warfare 2 sold 4.7 units, or 310 million dollars in the US, Canada and the UK. Within the first 5 days, MW2 took in US$550 million worldwide. And yes, these numbers beat out music, book and movie releases during the same period. For some people, this shift in popular media might seem ludicrous. But for Maddock Douglas, it’s an event among many that continues to confirm a future innovation trend:

My Life is a Video Game.

Today, video games are becoming less ancillary and more integrated within our daily lives. As Mike Maddock said at Future Trends 2009 (video link) we use a Wii fit to get in shape—and to build on his point, we already are using video games to:

Test and improve our logic

Delve deeper into history and war.
Build our vocabularies

Train for jobs

And the list goes on.

As Maddock Douglas thinks about the future of many industries, we understand that consumers are becoming less and less passive. They want to be immersed and involved.

As the definition of “video game” becomes broader, individuals continue to utilize gaming for not just entertainment, but also for functional purposes.

Consider foursquare, the mobile app that allows you to “check-in”, tells your friends where they can find you, and recommends places to go & things to do near your current location. Foursquare openly credits a gaming component to their success, as every foursquare check-in (when users find new places—i.e. restaurants, stores, bars etc. in their neighborhoods) earns them points. And, after accumulating a certain amount of points, they’re awarded badges or even made “Mayor” of that location, which may qualify them to earn freebies.

It might seem silly to some, but to foursquare’s investors—the likes of Jack Dorsey, creator of Twitter, Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, and SV Angels LLC, The angel group founded and backed by Ron Conway, it’s a seriously fun way to “make your city easier to use.”

As demonstrated by many forward thinking companies like foursquare, where function and gaming mesh together, the chance to innovate is far beyond maps or joysticks.

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The Future of Agent-Based Industries: Disintermediation

2009-12-03T11:17:00.003-06:00

Orbitz.com has been doing it for years. And, so has Ebay. In this digitally inclined age of emerging e-commerce in which demand for evolved/innovative business models has risen dramatically, cutting out the middleman (or agent, dealer, distributor, etc…) sounds obvious and easy enough. After all, taking steps out of the picture always leads to lower prices for the end consumer and results in higher margins for the company- therefore it is the best thing to do, right? You might have guessed this was coming:

Wrong.

Disintermediation, the removal of intermediaries from traditional distribution channels, is never such a cut and dried issue. For a company like amazon.com, disintermediation is a part of their business model—not just a marketing plan ; yes it works, for them. But for other companies that have jumped on the disintermediation trend in an attempt to innovate, stay relevant and generate more revenue; confusion and failure can follow. Just ask PeaPod (who at one point was expected to put grocery retail chains on their heels, but now remains an ancillary service). In every case, there is a delicate strategic balance of dancing with the one that brought ya and “working the room.”

So how do you decide whether or not disintermediation is the right path to travel down? What indicators signal the future of your industry lies in disintermediation?

1. Tune in & Evaluate.

Take an intensive, analytical look into not only your company’s channel strategy, that of your direct and indirect competitors and also at your industry as a whole. Is it slow to change? Ripe for change? Time for a challenger to shake it up? Most importantly, do your customers see value in the intermediate? Can you specify and quantify that value? Sometimes the consumer’s need can only be met by the intermediate – in homeowners insurance for example, the complex nature of the buying cycle can best be met by the agent (and only the agent), in other cases the best way to meet the need is to get the intermediate out of the way. Do segments of your customer base work around your middle man and flock to your competitors’ sites in droves to make purchases -(e.g., auto insurance : Geico, Progressive)?

Pay very close attention to your channels. Are they growing around you or with you? What is your channel strategy? Are they appropriately integrated? (From your customer’s perspective – not yours). Do they converge with your web strategy in the right places to add value—or not? By examining the foundation on which your distribution rests, as well as the channels of parallel industries, you’ll find even more insight that will be extremely useful in developing and executing industry & brand-specific strategies.

The answers to these among many other questions will allow you to assess whether or not there is a strong unmet need that may be fulfilled by disintermediation.

2. Diverge.

Compare your market’s trends and challenges with other parallel industries that may be sharing the same issues. By observing and learning from the strategies that thought and business leaders have executed under similar conditions, you’ll have a wider solution set and a helpful frame of reference.

3. Shift your perspective.

Consider looking at your channel as a stakeholder model, in which the elements are interdependent. This perspective demands that all strategies and upper level decisions are created based on their interwoven relationships and on solutions that deliver a win-win-win. And since removing the intermediary will affect the other interdependent components of the channel, you’ll have a leg-up on deciding if disintermediation is the best choice for your business, and your customers.

So should you disintermediate? Or not? The answer is simply relative.

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An Agency of Inno-face-tion

2009-11-25T10:04:00.001-06:00

November – a month of dropping temperatures, turkey consumption and… mustaches? Yes, Maddock Douglas is proudly participating in the internationally awkward yet best-intentioned movement known as Movember.

Simply put, Movember is an annual charity event to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate and testicular cancers. But instead of wearing ribbons or wristbands, participants wear “hairy ribbons,” AKA, mustaches. Since its inception six years ago in Australia, Movember has grown (zzzing!) worldwide and raised more than $47 million in donations.

The Agency of Innovation is doing it’s part with our team, Mustache Douglas. With Raff Viton leading the charge, 15 employees (click here to see the roster) have joined the cause and our offices are full of mustaches, almostaches and good intentions.

As the month draws to a close and the giving spirit of the holidays is in full swing, we’re looking to make a final push for some “stache cash.” If you’d like to donate to our team, visit our donation page on the Movember website. All donations go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Lance Armstrong Foundation (LiveSTRONG).

Thanks to all those who have supported this warm-hearted and warm-lipped cause. And stay tuned for Decembeard – just kidding.

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Future Trends 2009

2009-10-28T10:43:00.004-05:00

Future Trends 2009, November 2-4, Miami, FL

Maddock Douglas will be represented at Future Trends 2009 by:

Greg DePalma, Senior Vice President of Innovation

Nick Kinports, Digital Integration Manager (@ADMAVEN)

G. Michael Maddock, Founding Partner

Michelle Oldham, Vice President of Innovation (@mahdlo1)

If you are attending, be sure to join us in Salon B (Track 1) on Tuesday, November 2, 2009 from 1:45-2:30PM for Michael Maddock's presentation on Trends from the Trenches: Tapping Networks to Find the Next Blockbusters.

For those of you unable to attend, get exclusive information on Future Trends 2009 by following Maddock Douglas on Twitter. We will post video of the full presentation on The Maddock Douglas Innovation Engine Blog as it becomes available.

About Future Trends 2009:

FT'09 is your opportunity to join industry experts, corporate visionaries, trendsetters and other revolutionaries to uncover and action the trends that matter most to your business, brand and service. Look not only into the immediate future and way ahead- where will we be in 50 years or more? And focus on making it relevant for your business - before others do. Lead your team to relate trends to make decisions, engage in real conversations, and create meaningful change.

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Microsoft LookingGlass Sets Stage for Next Generation of Monitoring Services

2009-10-26T08:50:00.003-05:00

Microsoft recently announced the development of LookingGlass, a platform for brand monitoring and action in social media outlets. We had a chance to get a live demo of the software at the Chicago Media Marketing & Advertising group and was impressed. Found this video from AdWeek NYC 2009 and wanted to share. Keep in mind LookingGlass is still in development and may never see the light of day, but we think it's pretty cool.

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Auto-Tune My Voice and Put the Money Right in My Hand: Technorati

2009-10-19T08:35:00.005-05:00

This article originally published in Technorati October 16, 2009.

In an industry with ever-dwindling sales and unmet consumer needs, major record labels still don’t get it.

It’s a sad state of affairs these days at the Big Four music groups (Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, EMI, and Warner Music Group). The music industry as a whole has been hurt by the American recession, and there is little doubt consumers are spending less on everything from physical albums and their digital counterparts to merchandise and concert tickets.

But why does an industry suffering from year after year of shrinking sales refuse to innovate?

The answer: major record labels have failed to learn and practice modern marketing skills.

Example: Warner Music Group’s recent attempt to modernize their marketing efforts by selling advertising space before and after music videos.

Really, Warner? That’s the best you could come up with for your so-called "Web Strategy 2.0"?

In an era with social technologies, pull marketing, and word of mouth marketing taking center stage, revenue from physical album sales (the primary revenue stream of the major labels) is plummeting. The desperation amongst industry insiders is palpable as they realize a fundamental business model change is going to have to happen if the major labels are to survive another two to three years.

Labels need to focus on producing a product that their customers view as high quality at a price point that is fair, and then delivering that product to the channels consumers prefer (digital). That may seem like common sense, but it reflects the way the marketing and advertising industries have dramatically restructured to leverage emerging technology and trends in consumer behavior. Returning to the adage of building a high quality digital product with a good story backing it up is essential for anyone working the business to consumer angle in 2009.

As Nancy Jeffries, head of Creative Development and Licensing at MPL Music Publishing recently shared with me, "Great music, undiscovered, filtered and at great prices is what’s called for now."

Digital Rights Management issues aside, unless major labels get their acts together by hiring in fresh, talented marketers - and taking them seriously - we don’t have much to look forward to from Hollywood in the coming years, nor can we expect to have any kind of say in the low brow, Auto-Tuned, airy music dominating Billboard’s top lists.

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As Facebook Grows, Privacy Issues Exposed: Technorati

2009-10-15T10:45:00.004-05:00

This article originally published in Technorati October 14, 2009.

Let’s face it: Facebook has done a masterful job of flipping the social networking script on rival MySpace over the past three years. Holding nearly sixty percent of all social network traffic in the United States, Facebook has become the undisputed heavyweight of social technology. Twitter remains the media darling, but has proven difficult to quantify from a traffic standpoint (those of us who use the service regularly have noticed a sharp drop-off in quality content, and rumors abound of a plateau in the near future).

The public recently received an interesting bit of data from the folks over at Facebook: “The Gross National Happiness Index”. Compiling the data was a relatively simple process: the Facebook team conducted a search for recurring words or phrases in status updates and attached indicators.

The moral of the story?

Intellectual property content uploaded to Facebook – even content blocked using privacy filters – is licensed by Facebook. Images, videos, and private messages are all categorized and indexed in massive databases freely searchable by the Facebook team, and presumably available for sale to advertisers.

From the Facebook Terms of Service:

“For content that is covered by intellectual property rights you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook ("IP License"). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.”

Keep this in mind as advertisers and revenue streams for social networks become more sophisticated. As an advertiser, I would gladly pay Facebook a tidy sum to tell me at a microsegmentation level the behaviors and preferences of my target consumer audience.

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FTC Regulates Bloggers: How To Comply

2009-10-09T14:25:00.002-05:00

Social Media Ethics Briefing -- presented by Andy Sernovitz live from BlogWell from GasPedal on Vimeo.

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ADMAVEN's 5 Minute Music Survey: Consumption Habits and More

2009-10-07T09:20:00.004-05:00

In light of recent articles covering changes in the music industry and integration of social technologies I have constructed a brief poll to ask you some simple questions about how you consume music.

I will publish the results of the poll at the end of the week - it only takes 5 minutes so please participate; the more responses we collect the more valuable insights we will have to share!

>> Click Here to take survey (opens in new window)

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Innovation In Music: New Opportunities For Advertisers From MPL Music Publishing Part 3

2009-10-05T11:26:00.002-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to speak with MPL Music Publishing. The value proposition of the label is an iTunes like interface that allows individuals to search and download fully licensed music. I found their business model unique and offered to let Nancy Jeffries, MPL’s head of Creative Development and Licensing, tell ADMAVEN a little more about how technology is constantly evolving the business of interactive advertising.

Read Part 1 of this article
Read Part 2 of this article

What kind of response have you seen from the online community? Has utilizing social technology worked for you?
The response from the music community was really great and we now feature tracks by all kinds of artists from the great blues guitarist Sonny Landreth playing with Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler to Philip Glass protégé Trevor Gureckis; from Edie Brickell’s “Heavy Circles” to Pokey LaFarge, a young man carrying on the country blues tradition. Dance music, film cues, you name it, they all came along instantly revitalizing a catalog and adding interest to the site.

How does this compare to life in the old (and currently volatile) record label model?
It’s actually a lot more fun to do this kind of thing outside of the confines of a record label. There you’re looking for hits, you’re constrained by the promotional gatekeepers, here you’re looking for anything that might strike someone’s fancy. It’s much less limited and crazy creative.

We’re a music company developing our online business as opposed to a tech company exploiting the killer app. It may seem a bit backwards, but we think the time is right to focus on content and affordable quality.

What about the artists? How do they feel about reaching out via social media channels and servicing fans more directly?
We never want to forget that the people making the music are artists, and so are the people making the commercials and the films. We think that by taking a position that services the artist we are doing something fairly unique.

At this point we’re just getting into social networking and ways to reach out to let the wider community know this is available (this piece is part of that). We feel it would be good at this point to go beyond our core clients to include smaller agencies, people working on spec, film students etc. Having gathered the music now and set up the site we’ve just begun getting the word out. We’re working with a consultant who comes from Topspin, the company that’s developed a platform for artists to distribute their own music online directly from their sites. It’s an exciting time for us.

What is your response to those who say the music business is doomed in the current business climate?
The heart of this initiative addresses the current creative and economic climates directly. Great music, undiscovered, filtered and at great prices is what’s called for now.

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The Economist Brings You Another "Shift Happens"

2009-09-29T09:50:00.003-05:00

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Innovation In Music: New Opportunities For Advertisers From MPL Music Publishing Part 2

2009-09-21T08:24:00.003-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to speak with MPL Music Publishing. The value proposition of the label is an iTunes like interface that allows individuals to search and download fully licensed music. I found their business model unique and offered to let Nancy Jeffries, MPL’s head of Creative Development and Licensing, tell ADMAVEN a little more about how technology is constantly evolving the business of interactive advertising.

Read Part 1 of this article

How does the current market affect your business model and what tools are you leveraging to take advantage of the new way consumers purchase music?

We decided to approach the new climate in the music business in two ways, using the web site as a lynch pin for both. One was to increase the use of the lesser-known songs from the catalog and the other was to get back in the new music business in a way that makes sense today.

The site, developed and maintained by MPL’s Dan Sokol, increased its capability to include online licensing. This is true online licensing; you can pick a song, pay with your credit card and download the song and contract without ever lifting the phone or negotiating with anyone. You can do this on some other sites as well, but we pride ourselves on the quality of what we’re presenting. This is music that is filtered and vetted, made by serious musicians, both indie and well known, priced within reach of just about everyone.

So - ideally - you are providing better access to an existing catalog of content via web 2.0 tools, right?

To increase the use of the songs from the catalog, we’ve been creating our own masters, some of them less well known and some of them classics, allowing some room in a music supervisors budget to be able to afford a better-known song. Some of the versions are true to the original styles and some a new takes altogether.

Here’s a link to just a few of the new versions of classic songs:

How do you deal with acquiring fresh and compelling content for the site at a financially feasible price point?

That left the new music challenge. MPL, like most publishers, had a very record company focused policy as far as new artist signings were concerned, signing writers who could write hits for other recording artists. This was a model that no longer made financial sense and so using the site as the key we made an effort to try to expand the talent base in a new way. Using our collective connections in the music world, we reached out to interesting artists who control both their master rights and their publishing rights. We offered to use their music, on a non-exclusive basis, to populate our site. We keep a percentage (lower than the other sites) and if we win, they win. No one has to sign his or her life away on either side.

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Chicago Media Marketing & Advertising September Meetup at Aquent

2009-09-11T11:49:00.004-05:00

Join the Chicago Media Marketing & Advertising Group organizers and members Monday, September 14, 2009 at 6:30 PM for an evening of networking and discussion within the media, marketing, advertising, and public relations industries. Food will be provided.

Be sure to visit the Meetup.com page to RSVP and get complete details as well as updates about future CMM&A events.

Our guest speakers will be Tim Courtney of KeyLimeTie and Hugh Park Jedwill of Mobile Anthem. They will be discussing the latest trends in mobile, what that means for your brand, what you can do to reach new and existing customers, and how to develop a mobile marketing strategy based on your unique target audience.

The event is sponsored by the "Search Guys" Be Found Online and will be held at the Aquent's Chicago offices at 500 W. Madison.

We look forward to seeing you all!

We ask $3.00 at the door to help with expenses.
September 14th, 2009
6:30PM to 9:00PM
Aquent
500 W Madison St., Suite 2600
Chicago, IL 60661

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Innovation In Music: New Opportunities For Advertisers From MPL Music Publishing

2009-09-08T11:12:00.004-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to speak with MPL Music Publishing. The value proposition of the label is an iTunes like interface that allows individuals to search and download fully licensed music. I found their business model unique and offered to let Nancy Jeffries, MPL’s head of Creative Development and Licensing, tell ADMAVEN a little more about how technology is constantly evolving the business of interactive advertising.

Tell us how MPL got started Nancy.

First, let me say what MPL Music Publishing is. The company was actually started in 1971 by Paul McCartney - yes, that Paul McCartney - as a place to care for his own work and to invest in some of the great music of the 20th century. To that end MPL administers the works of Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Bessie Smith and Frank Loesser along with McCartney’s post Beatles songs. Some familiar titles are “Autumn Leaves”, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, “Unchained Melody”, “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting…)”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “It’s So Easy”, and “Real Wild Child” and from the McCartney side “Band on the Run”, “Jet”, and “My Love".

Positioning MPL to compete with other labels must be a challenge; how does the company achieve that?

It’s an interesting company in that it has a wealth of assets but is still small enough to pay attention to individual songs and projects. Major music publishers in today’s world represent hundreds of thousands of copyrights and are constantly changing priorities. We’re a boutique; we like to think of ourselves as the Manolo Blahnik shop next door to Macy’s (actually, Manolo’s is next door to our office!).

A lot of ad agency music people know us and what we represent. We work extensively in film and TV as well; we’ve had songs in many movies including “Funny People”, “Public Enemies” and “Julie and Julia” this summer. Paul McCartney has written an original song for the closing credits of a new Robert deNiro film “Everybody’s Fine” opening in November.

What is the value proposition behind MPL for advertisers?

The world is changing and we wanted to address that. My own background is in A&R for record labels and as head of A&R for Elektra in the 90’s I had a front row seat at the comedy of errors that followed the discovery of music as the “killer app”. It was like watching the proverbial train wreck in slow motion and has been documented in many places, so no need to go through that again in this piece.

Here is a link to some of our songs that are in the DNA of the culture:

List of MPL Sample Tracks

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Social Media Contests: Benefits Beyond Traditional Campaigns

2009-09-03T11:09:00.001-05:00

Big brands have been leveraging social technologies to encourage community and individual participation in contests for quite some time. The last half of 2009, however, has seen an explosion of innovative social media contests across the most popular outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Benefits for brands (aside from the obvious exposure, awareness, etc...) include:

Content Collection - content that is submitted by participants is owned by the brand, therefore a successful contest can generate a stock of creative images, videos, or stories that can be re-purposed for future promotions.
User Experience/Message Testing - by exposing participants to a set of messages, site content, or other creative work brands that are listening to the chatter can make informed tweaks to an ongoing campaign.
Advocacy Building - a smart social media contest disburses smaller, yet still valuable, prizes among more participants. An ongoing contest from Lexli International, for example, offers one grand prize and ten runners up. By reaching out to a broader pool of winners and soliciting them for further participation in the brand, a company can create its own group of influential online advocates.

Other innovative social media contests in market today:

Champion's What's Your Everest Contest

Know of other ongoing contests? Let me know by commenting below.

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ad:tech Chicago September 1-2, 2009

2009-09-01T11:50:00.003-05:00

A little late on the draw, but ad:tech Chicago is going on right now! Lots of great Tweets using the #adtech hash tag.

If you are attending - please leave your favorite speaker, event, or overheard conversations in the comments below!

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Manipulating Social Media: A Losing Proposition

2009-08-25T12:11:00.004-05:00

Several days ago TechCrunch featured a rather embarrassing article alleging deceptive practices by a reputable public relations firm. Andy Sernovitz, word of mouth marketing ethics expert, also analyzed the situation, albeit assuming guilt based on the article from TechCrunch.

Although I will not name the company involved nor comment on the validity of the claims, I will discuss my feelings on the bigger picture.

As companies rush to enter the social space, the temptation to use old media techniques will be great. It seems to follow that if the success of a product is influenced by the number of positive reviews on a particular website, increasing the number of positive reviews will result in greater sales.

Sounds familiar doesn't it?

Neat, clean, methodical, and formulaic. It's an old-school media/public relations attempt at quantifying ROI in a new and uncertain era for advertising. I won't even touch the ethical issues involved - individuals like Andy Sernovitz are better able to articulate those points.

Let's talk about money and media spending. Social technologies allow us to spend money on a rolling basis, but get more and more return from that spending as time goes on. Unlike traditional campaigns where media is purchased, used, and exhausted, social media allows you to create a living, breathing community around a brand that lasts (as long as the product or service is of quality and the company continues to care what consumers say).

My smartest clients understand that their brands are now in the hands of consumers. Those consumers can be won over one at a time using social technology. They refuse to be tricked, bartered with, or swindled into impulse buying. They feel very secure in the knowledge that buying something that has been vetted by their peers will result in satisfaction. When a company tries to manipulate the systems that vet these products and services (reviews) by injecting biased content it places itself in a very bad position.

Don't let your clients or your brand fall victim to the short term solution. There are no simple formulas to calculate the ROI of social media efforts. Each system is unique and must be carefully reviewed to quantify success. It isn't about cold hard numbers, its about relationships and people.

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Marketers Love Facebook and Twitter, But At What Expense?

2009-08-20T08:45:00.006-05:00

New data (and common sense) points to Facebook as the best place for brands to have a social presence. This goes in line with the concept of providing valuable information to your target consumer audience in outlets those consumers prefer to access. The question I am faced with - as an individual responsible for large scale social strategy implementation - is the old adage of putting all your eggs in one basket.

Our best quantitative research reveals that Facebook is not only top of mind across a variety of segments, but that it is used on a daily basis by more people than any other social media outlet. These findings cannot be ignored - in fact they must be acted upon. But where do we draw the line? The combination of Twitter and Facebook cannot be the fit for all companies seeking to engage in social media, yet these two outlets are the most common topics of discussion when beginning a project.

Stripping away the Facebook top layer reveals a rich ecosystem of other social media outlets. Marketers in general are ignoring these outlets in favor of the Facebook and Twitter combination.

Moving into the last half of 2009 will see many changes for Facebook and especially Twitter (as it moves to implement a revenue model). As a marketer you should always ask yourself this question, "If X was gone tomorrow, would my brand be okay?"

If the answer is anything but a resounding, "Yes!" you may have some work to do.

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Advertising Week DC 2009: The Capital of Making Big Things Happen

2009-08-19T09:57:00.004-05:00

I received an email from Advertising Week DC 2009 requesting to post this information; ADWKDC should be a great event!

When?
Monday, September 14th - Friday, September 18th 2009

Got any big names?
You bet! Advertising Week 2009 will feature influential speakers from companies such as
Verizon, Discovery Communications, Inc., Mixx, The National Guard, Interface Media, Blue Pixel, Brunner Digital, RP3 Agency, White & Partners, Williams Whittle, LM&O Advertising, MDB Communications & Arnold DC.

·Shelly Lazarus, Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide
·Liz Dolan, Chief Marketing Officer, The Oprah Winfrey Network
·Robb High, Principal, Robb High Consulting
·Tiffany Warren, Chief Diversity Officer, Omnicom Group, Inc.
·Stuart Elliott, Advertising Columnist, The New York Times
·Mark Whitaker, Washington D.C. Bureau Chief and Senior Vice President, NBC News
·Chuck Todd, NBC News Chief White House Correspondent, NBC News Political Director, Contributing Editor, ‘Meet the Press’
·David Gregory, Moderator, ‘Meet the Press’
·Nick Moore, Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Officer, Wunderman New York
·Ted Eyes, Senior Vice President, Group Creative Director, Draft FCB NY
·Speakers from Verizon, Discovery Communications, Inc., Mixx, The National Guard, Interface Media, Blue Pixel, Brunner Digital, RP3 Agency, White & Partners, Williams Whittle, LM&O Advertising, MDB Communications, Arnold Worldwide

How can I get updates?
Text ADWKDC to 56333 to receive updates to the program as they become available. Standardmessage rates apply. You can also follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogger and YouTube. To link to us and find more information go to: www.ADWKDC.com.

How do I register?
Easy. Visit our website: www.ADWKDC.com

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Developing Social Strategy: Choose Wisely

2009-08-17T10:35:00.006-05:00

As marketers grope to communicate with consumers using relatively new and exciting tools, agencies are trying to sell the story of social media products and services to marketers. These social media products and services come in a variety of forms - methodologies, software packages, websites, and plain old elbow grease.

Most of them are a complete waste of time.

As I survey the social landscape sprinkled with a light coating of "solutions" I get a sinking feeling that the noise is drowning out a very important point: the reason social technology has become so prevalent is the human desire to communicate. When coupled with technological innovations people can now exchange information with greater efficiency. That can't be quantified in a buzz word, a trademark, or a fancy looking online package. It's a simple - yet incredibly deep - notion that now permeates our daily lives.

Smart companies understand the secret to moving forward lies in activities that work with consumer behavior rather than against it. That isn't really a secret at all - it's just good business. Marketers who understand the unmet needs of their consumers and seek to fill those needs with transparency and forward thinking communications across all channels will become powerhouses of efficiency within the next two years.

Selecting the right partner to develop social strategy is the first step; choose wisely. Dig deeper and look beyond the buzz words and slogans - what makes a social agency or consultant tick? Is it the passion for a more meaningful marketing future in which brands and consumers get along, or is it a selection of tips, tricks, and disparate tactics to eke by?

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