Chicago Social Media Events Thursday, January 29, 2009

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Another busy Thursday in Chicago's social media scene! Two big events happening tonight:


CIMA January Social
Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Location: Rockit Bar & Grill (22 W. Hubbard)
Member Price: 0
Non Member Price: 0


A Night (Tweetup) At Crimson Lounge & Jerry Taft
Time: 6:00PM - 12:00AM
Location: Crimson Lounge (333 N. Dearborn)
No Cost

PEOPLE WHO READ THIS ALSO READ:

> Interview: Joshua Karp, Founder and Publisher: The Printed Blog

> Toyota Why Not? Proves Unwieldy, Overly Complicated

> ADMAVEN's 2009 Advertising Predictions

Interview: Joshua Karp, Founder and Publisher: The Printed Blog

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Today I had the opportunity to interview Joshua Karp, Founder and Publisher of The Printed Blog. His unique business model brings online content offline and places it in the hands of urbanites in Chicago, San Francisco, and soon New York City.

Mr. Karp took time to answer some general questions as well as some specific questons asked by @ADMAVEN followers on Twitter. All answers are paraphrased unless indicated with quotations.

What is The Printed Blog?
The Printed Blog (TPB) is a print publication in newspaper format that pulls articles written by bloggers and found first on the internet. Mr. Karp has a very robust business model. Five years from now he envisions TBP in cities and towns the world over, printing content voted relevant by locals.

Where can I find The Printed Blog Today?
You can download the first issue PDF here, but the best way to read The Printed Blog is, of course, in print! Check out the Chicago distribution locations here. Today TPB is also available in San Francisco and New York City (NYC starting Feb. 11th).

It must have taken a lot of courage to bring social media into what many consider a dying medium, especially during a recession. Why did you do it?
"Honestly I hope the medium doesn't go away. The tactile feeling of paper in your hands is an important and enjoyable experience. The internet is for exploring information, physical paper is for consuming it. I really wanted to create a different experience by providing local and relevant content to the people who care about it."

In addition, Josh notes that print will be around for the forseeable future in less prosperous urban centers around the world, where a majority of the earth's population currently resides.

@crenk asks via Twitter, "How is TBP going to make money?"
"Advertising and classified ads. We have an incredibly targeted system of advertising that places ads specific to neighborhoods at a fraction of the cost of mainstream media, starting between $15.00 and $25.00."

Of note is TPB's focus on local content and advertising. The physcial community dictates what is printed. With twice daily circulation, TBP will stay fresh and local. I can easily see people swapping papers during the commute and peering into another Chicago neighborhood. Local businesess make up the current cadre of paid advertisements.

How do you think more traditional newspapers will change in 2009?
"It’s a possibility. I don’t really know whats going to happen. What I wanted to do was create a dialogue on the topic. I am trying to build a business here so I'm hoping the Tribune doesn’t announce a similar program tomorrow."

You are a big advocate of social media. How has the online response been to The Printed Blog thus far?
"I'm completely thrilled and blown away by it. In a span of two weeks we have 1083 people following us on Twitter and the Facebook group just passed the thousand person mark now. The social networks are a big way for us to track content."

@venndiagram8 asks via Twitter, "Let's see..... could it have printed "bar codes" for urls so you could aim your phone at it and connect with the URL to read more?"
"You know just today I was contacted by a Chicago based startup that does that exact thing. The answer is I think we are exactly the kind of market for those companies. Yes. We are certainly open, but right now we are trying to get our act together for issue 2!"

@adrielhampton asks via Twitter, "“Will you make me a SF media superstar again, Printed Blog?”
"Send an email. Currently we are getting about a submission every minute. Over a thousand articles have been submitted for the second issue. Topics for each issue are chosen by our staff and then articles are selected. The first issue's theme was "new beginnings", but the execution was rocky. In the near future, The Printed Blog articles will be based on votes from social media outlets. Very very local content even differing by neighborhood."

That does it for now folks. A special thanks to Joshua Karp for taking time out of his very busy schedule to answer questions from ADMAVEN and it's readers! Additional resources about The Printed Blog will be updated below as they come online.

MORE ON THE PRINTED BLOG:

The Printed Blog official website

TPB Facebook Group

TPB Twitter

PBS.org Simon Owens article: Can 'The Printed Blog' Succeed with Blogs in Newspaper Form?

PEOPLE WHO READ THIS ALSO READ:

> Book Review: The Nature of Marketing: Marketing to the Swarm as well as the Herd by Chuck Brymer

> Toyota Why Not? Proves Unwieldy, Overly Complicated

> ADMAVEN's 2009 Advertising Predictions

Maddock Douglas Chicago Prospers

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

I may be somewhat biased, but one of the best advertising agencies in Chicago is hiring at least four full time positions with digital backgrounds.

Click here for the job listings.


PEOPLE WHO READ THIS ARTICLE ALSO READ:

> White Sox Nation and Obama Work Together For Change

> Crain's Chicago Features Maddock Douglas In Chicago's Coolest Offices

> Maddock Douglas Global Expert Network

Book Review: The Nature of Marketing: Marketing to the Swarm as well as the Herd by Chuck Brymer

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

ADMAVEN RATES THE NATURE OF MARKETING: 4/5

Chuck Brymer's The Nature of Marketing takes an unbiased look at the basic principles of social media and 2.0 advertising. At times preachy and overly enthusiastic, (it is written, after all, by the President and CEO of DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc.) when taken as a whole Nature delivers a good representation of how the advertising industry got to where we are today and what the future may hold.

Premised on the idea that consumers now behave as flocks of social animals, moving to or away from brands as they collectively sense each others' reactions is an interesting take on the precept of social networking as a game changing factor in modern advertising. Though I did tire of the exhaustive use of, "flocking", "swarms", and others laced throughout the book, the message is accurate.

Unfortunately Mr. Brymer comes up short on case study material - citing stale examples such as Dell, Lego, and McDonalds. To be fair, DDB had a hand in all of the aforementioned social media endeavors, and they have a right to be proud. On the other hand, the connection is made far too quickly between social media and ROI. Little or no credit is given to brands themselves or economic forces.

Case studies aside, I fully endorse the sentiment and tone of the book. Rather than relying on catchy buzzwords or self-coined terms (of which there are a few), The Nature of Marketing presents more substantial thinking. The idea that, "our view is to serve a larger goal, which is to help people find what they are looking for and improve their lives within the context of a community that both seeks and deposits information in real time" (page 52) speaks to the fundamentals of successful social media campaigns, and reveals Mr. Brymer's experience as an advertising executive.

I recommend giving The Nature of Marketing a read - at 200 pages with pictures it is not a huge commitment - keeping in mind the book delivers on the big picture of social media and Web 2.0 advertising, but falls short on supporting details.

MORE ON THE NATURE OF MARKETING: MARKETING TO THE SWARM AS WELL AS THE HERD:

Amazon

Forbes

PEOPLE WHO READ THIS ARTICLE ALSO READ:

> Book Review: Buyology by Martin Lindstrom

> Book Review: Groundswell - Published 2008 by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

> Social Media - Discussing Ideas With People In Communities

Chicago Social Media Events Thursday, January 22, 2009

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

It looks like Chicago is going to have a busy day/night with Social Media related events. Expect to see me if you attend!

Social Media Calendar for Thursday, January 22, 2009:


1:00PM - 5:00PM
Blogwell: How Big Companies Use Social Media
Gleacher Center
450 N. Cityfront Plaza Drive #540
Chicago, IL


5:30PM - 7:30PM
Social Media Club Chicago January Meetup
RightPoint Consulting
200 W. Madison, Suite 2240
Chicago, IL


7:00PM - 9:00PM
Chicago Sport and Social Club: Bull & Bear Grand Opening
Bull & Bear
431 N. Wells
Chicago, IL

Toyota Why Not? Proves Unwieldy, Overly Complicated

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Innovation is a wonderful concept in bad economic times. Providing consumers with a community in which to contribute and collaborate on innovation is even better. Harnessing the power of Web 2.0 and social media concepts to deliver a better consumer experience will be the hallmark of the best brands in 2009.

Unfortunately for Toyota, the new Toyota Why Not? campaign misses the mark in a big way.

The messaging is clear: innovation drives a better product experience and a better way of life for everyone. What is significantly less clear is how the viewer is supposed to interact with the website.


















Unwieldy and confusing, the jerky virtual world of Toyota Why Not? feels like a video game circa 2000. The site is seeded with messages about collaboration and user contribution, yet getting to these areas are anything but obvious.

Simple changes to the site would be of huge benefit - for example bringing user created content to the front page and allowing direct interactions on ideas a la Dell Community. Creating a mobile friendly version of the site would help as well, as the current incarnation locks out virtually all portable devices without so much as a redirect or explanation.

Saying nothing for SEO principles (to most spiders www.toyotawhynot.com has little content) the execution is lacking. Social media is about removing barriers between the brand and the consumer, not putting barbed wire on an already tall fence.

Toyota and their agency Dentsu America should take a hard look at the way people communicate through social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, Digg, etc...) and ask themselves if Toyota Why Not? is designed to engage consumers or drive them away.

44th US Presidential Inauguration Sparks Social Media Outpour

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

The 44th US Presidential Inauguration was preceded by a groundswell of social media activity.

Twitter became inundated and remained partially disabled throughout the ceremonies. Major news outlets' streaming video sputtered. Other sites experienced unprecedented loads.

The CNN partnership with Facebook to deliver an experience resembling Web 3.0 was an outstanding execution, allowing anyone logged into Facebook to see friends watching the same content as well as read their status updates and contribute comments.

Integration over Facebook Connect (and other similar services) will provide new and exciting experiences as we move into the new era of social media, as well as unprecedented opportunities for advertising.

President Barack Obama's former web outlet, www.change.gov, has been rolled over to www.whitehouse.gov. The first Whitehouse Blog post is now live, and communicates three core principles:

Communication -- Americans are eager for information about the state of the economy, national security and a host of other issues. This site will feature timely and in-depth content meant to keep everyone up-to-date and educated. Check out the briefing room, keep tabs on the blog (RSS feed) and take a moment to sign up for e-mail updates from the President and his administration so you can be sure to know about major announcements and decisions.

Transparency -- President Obama has committed to making his administration the most open and transparent in history, and WhiteHouse.gov will play a major role in delivering on that promise. The President's executive orders and proclamations will be published for everyone to review, and that’s just the beginning of our efforts to provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government. You can also learn about some of the senior leadership in the new administration and about the President’s policy priorities.

Participation -- President Obama started his career as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, where he saw firsthand what people can do when they come together for a common cause. Citizen participation will be a priority for the Administration, and the internet will play an important role in that. One significant addition to WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise from the President: we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it.

This was certainly the most innovative and technologically advanced inauguration in history. The Obama administration has laid the foundation for better communication through social media. The next four years will see more progress than any previous time period in the development of the way we, as a country and as a people, interact with one another.

White Sox Nation and Obama Work Together For Change

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

This is a fantastic example of synergy between two huge brands (Obama and the Chicago White Sox) being distributed across social media outlets.

Maddock Douglas was responsible for the creative.

Full site at www.bringchangehome.com

Chicago Media Marketing & Advertising January Meetup Successful!

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

I would like to thank everyone who came to the CMM&A January Meetup to network and share great ideas about SEO/SEM.

A special thanks to our panel speakers who provided some wonderful and entertaining insights into the world of SEO:

Dan Golden from Be Found Online
Steve Krull from The Krull Group
John Geletka from Ratchet

The event was hosted at Galway Bay Pub.

Pictures of the event can be found here.

We are busy planning our February event, and hope you will all attend!

Book Review: Buyology by Martin Lindstrom

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

ADMAVEN RATES BUYOLOGY: 2/5

Neuromarketing, as defined in Martin Lindstrom's Buyology, is the science of understanding the unconscious decisions our brains make when we encounter advertising. According to Mr. Lindstrom, these decisions are responsible for approximately 90% of consumer behaviors, therefore "the time has come for a paradigm shift [in advertising]" (Lindstrom, Page 195).

I'm not so convinced.

Though Buyology reads at an excited pace, and at 205 pages is entirely manageable in a weekend, it did not strike me as particularly insightful or game changing.

The purported "seven-million-dollar neuromarketing study" on which the book is based is loosly referenced throughout the text, and leaves out key details which may be useful in validating some of Martin Lindstroms more, how shall we say, extravagant claims.

Of particular interest are Mr. Lindstrom's back-analysis of expired campaigns using the neuromarketing framework. Take for example, Nationwide Annuities as detailed on page 198: "Another ad, debuted by Nationwide Annuities [during the 2006 Superbowl], starred the indomitable Kevin Federline, Britney Spears's ex-husband." You may remember the "Life Comes At You Fast" tag line that made this TV spot a huge success both on television and more so on the Internet, quickly going viral and spreading the Nationwide brand name via social media outlets. Unfortunately, Buyology does not care about that - nor does it touch on the groundswell of viewers who took time to share the Nationwide brand name. As Lindstrom states, "the brain scans revealed information of incredible value to GM and Nationwide Annuities: that their $2.4 million commercials not only weren't working, they were scaring people away."

In general, I feel any marketing book that purports to be a game changer or claims to know - without a doubt - what the future holds is by it's nature flawed. Neuromarketing has value, of that I have little doubt. As to whether neuromarketing represents the key to the future of advertising I am significantly less sure.

Topics Lindstrom did not touch on, and something that would be of much more interest and utility in today's world, is how social media affects the areas of the brain responsible for communication, collaboration, and identification with a product, service, or brand. Does socializing online and participating in communities allow us to be more or less subconciously receptive to brand messaging, and if so, in what ways?

MORE ON BUYOLOGY:

Amazon
Martin Lindstrom
Martin Lindstrom discusses Buyology on The Today Show (Thanks to @MelissaBP for pointing it out)

ADMAVEN's 2009 Advertising Predictions

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

It's been an interesting first week of 2009. The wheels haven't fallen off our shaky economy yet, and despite our tendency to only report bad news, it seems as though things are not as hopeless as we imagined in Q4 2008.

With that in mind, here are my predictions for 2009:

1) Existing client revenue will be stagnant, but not drop off sharply. 2009, for advertising, will be a year of slow growth as clients recover from last year and remain wary of spending large amounts on any one campaign. I don't expect to see a huge number of layoffs and reorganizations on the agency side (there will be some, of course).

2) Agencies (PR and Advertising) will diversify. Advertising agencies, seeking to provide a holistic solution for clients, will hire PR professionals to manage public facing conversations. The advent of social media and the realities of having honest, open discussion about brands will demand it. In turn, PR agencies will hire individuals who have had experience pitching and executing creative campaigns, with particular interest in rebranding and new product launches.

3) 2.0 strategies will be more palatable. Smaller budgets and the desire to be more frugal will make 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.

4) There will NOT be an upheaval in the advertising business. Things will continue, for the most part, as they did in 2008. There will be no coup by weblebrities and social media experts to found "killer" agencies. Relationships, as always in business, will still be the most important determining factor as businesses make decisions in 2009.

5) Innovation will remain the single most important core competency in agency-land. The ability to bring fresh ideas to the table - both internally and externally - in a time of economic difficulty will be seen as the leading indicator of success in 2009.

Hope you enjoyed reading my semi-optimistic view; good luck to everyone in 2009!

Chicago Media Marketing & Advertising January Meetup

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

January details are online! I look forward to meeting you all there!

Details:

Join us along with a special panel of three (3) guest speakers. All experts in their field, who will be discussing Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Local Search at its best.
There will be a brief Q & A .

This will the first 2009 meeting.

Galway Bay is 50 feet west of Pine Grove on the north side of Diversey.
Accessible by the #151 bus (1 block walk east), the #22 Clark or # 36 Broadway (2 blocks walk west) or the CTA Brown line (5 blocks walk west).

If you're driving there is metered street parking on Diversey (bring quarters) and/or cheap, private-lot parking behind Market Place grocery store which is across the street from Galway. There is also a Public Pay-by-the-Hour lot on Diversey between Cambridge and Clark.