Key Tech Trends for 2012

January 12, 2012 Leave a Comment

frog design published a nice piece two days ago on their blog, compiling the thoughts of many of their top creatives, strategists and executives regarding key technology trends for the coming year.  Few firms have the credibility right now of frog, so I encourage you to head on over and read the post in it’s entirety.  A few of the trends they identified stand out as being particularly salient for businesses and agencies, across a variety of specialties, so I’ll summarize and build-on a few here.

Many theorists speculated that our sense of “Place” would diminish in significance with the rise of digital technologies, however, as many of the trends tip toe around, “Place” has never been more important. Cities are obviously in vogue (perhaps permanently) and our digital devices make unlocking their ultimate potential more accessible than ever. Innovations that expand the connection between our digital device and the physical space will continue to grow faster than we can imagine.

As Ficklin, Tuttle and Richardson attest, the computing experience will continue to become more personal or “human” as it were.  The obvious developments from 2011, as they identify were Apple’s Siri and Ford’s Microsoft Sync, both imperfect in many ways but no less, important steps in the development of a more sensitive interaction between human and computer.

One trend of particular interest, is Thomas Sutton’s identification of the Quantified Self.  Made possible by data aggregation platforms that will couple information from technologies like Nike+ and Jawbone’s Up band, providing users with a more integrated understanding of things like their overall health, in this case, further enabling insights and suggestions that are more and more specific, nuanced and in turn useful.

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Filed under Business, Design, Marketing, Strategy

A Word On Presenting Your Ideas

November 30, 2011 Leave a Comment

During a pitch yesterday to a prospective client, it dawned on me how crucial it is to present ideas or opinions in a) compelling, b) organized and c) digestible ways.  All too often we come up with great solutions, that fall flat when our enthusiasm prevents us from sharing them in a logical and emotionally-compelling fashion.

While, an entire book could be written on this topic (and many have, including the hugely popular Made To Stick, by the Heath Brothers, which I haven’t read) this is a blog and so I’ll share a quick series of questions that will help to organize how you present ideas in the future.  But, in reality, it’s not any more complicated than this.

  1. What’s the insight, reality, or problem that your solution or idea is addressing? This will prepare the listener for what they’re about to hear, while providing the reasoning and background behind your thinking.
  2. What’s the idea? This should be a short, emotionally-charged summary that takes no more than a few sentences.  People’s attention spans are short, so this explanation should follow suit.
  3. How will it work? This is where you can dive a little deeper into not just the ‘how’ behind implementing or bringing the idea to life, but also expand on some of the details regarding what the idea or solution actually is.  It’s never a good idea to go into too much depth during your initial explanation, where the purpose is to generate excitement and create a sense of possibility.  Instead, if possible, address the nuances and finer details here.
  4. What will the result be? After expounding on the details, it’s always a good idea to bring your listener back to the end result or that sense of possibility.  In my case, at a marketing agency, it’s often about the potential that an idea holds for the brand on a larger scale.

The best pitches, regardless of how planned or even informal they may be, will simultaneously strive to appeal to the listener’s emotional and rational minds.  And, don’t be mistaken, this format doesn’t just apply to presenting ideas in the traditional corporate sense.  They can be used when asking for a raise at work, making a statement at a PTA meeting, or just trying to convince someone of your point of view.

Filed under Business, Ideas, Marketing, Strategy

LivePhish.com: A Case Study in Building Community

November 6, 2011 Leave a Comment

Most don’t know this, but Phish has one of the most active and passionate communities of fans, not just among bands, but also brands in the world.  How did it all begin? Jam bands, dating back to the Grateful Dead have always been defined by the constantly changing and unpredictable nature of their live performances.  Simply put, it wasn’t the records they periodically produced, it was going to see them live that made these bands and the genre what it is today.  A mainstay of this culture involved fans recording live shows and sharing them with friends, a practice that has been going on for decades.

In the 80s, these individuals became known as “Tapers.”  An entire subculture emerged of people who traveled to concerts to record them, share them and trade them with friends.  Naturally, this made a deeper analysis of each performance possible, while generating social groups that revolved around this discovery and learning process.  Eventually, this ability to more attentively listen to and discuss the music of these bands coupled with the always evolving nature of their performances, grew into a more rabid and loyal fan base.

So, after looking at this history, one that many brands would salivate at the prospect of having as their roots, musicians and bands in more mainstream genres still don’t seem to understand the power that experience holds in developing active online communities of fans. So, I chose the band Phish to show how these powerful sub-cultures harnessed by a sound digital strategy has been turned into not just a revenue source, but a means of constantly fueling support and loyalty for the music itself.

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Filed under Brands, Business, Marketing, Media, Strategy, Uncategorized

What Steve Jobs Knew About Philosophy, Business and Life

October 10, 2011 Leave a Comment

I wasn’t going to write a Steve Jobs post, but here we are.

Between Friday and today, adWeek has published two really insightful posts about Apple’s philosophy, approach to business and the marketing of that business. I’d just like to pull a key pieces for all the agency folks and entrepreneurs out there to keep in mind.

First, Jobs knew that the best way to move culture forward was to create superior products. Not just products that seemed superior, or undercut the competitor on price, but products that allowed (and continue to allow) us to be the people we aspire to be.  That was the truth that Apple sold and it’s the reason you continue to purchase from them.

In short, their unmatched beauty and performance gives you the freedom to become that next greatest version of yourself.  Make no mistake, you aren’t really buying a tablet, you’re buying an unwavering philosophy built on the premise that you have the ability to forge your own path, creating new wonders for the world at large.  You aren’t buying technology, you’re buying a way of living.  Few publicly traded companies could say this about their products.

So, that’s today’s post in a nutshell, with a bit of my personal take, but what about the agency relationship between Jobs and Lee Clow (Creative Director of TBWA)?

The post on Friday, which maybe should have come second, includes a paraphrase from Jobs about Lee Clow’s strength as a Creative Driector:

Clow’s fundamental strength was that he “looks at Apple from his heart,” Jobs said, “and this gives him the ability to see us as we should be, to see us as we have trouble seeing ourselves sometimes. And to remind us who we are when we are tempted by compromise or shortcuts.

I love this as I think it encapsulates the best of what our industry can deliver it’s clients. In this rapidly evolving world, rife with more technology and communication points than we can possibly ever use, it’s never been more important to serve clients as a guiding light that keeps them laser focused on who they are and what they stand for.  Designing campaigns around the best of what our clients can be (or have been) will yield far greater results than planting ourselves firmly in reality.

Here’s to you, Steve (cheesy, dated photo omitted)!

 

Filed under Business, Culture, Marketing, Strategy

The Dodge Journey Commercial

September 13, 2011 1 Comment


During this past weekend, while indulging in some football I came across the new Dodge Journey commercial.  Now, I must say, car commercials rarely impress me.  They’re so predictable at this point that I think most people have become incredibly skilled at completely ignoring them (or at least I have).

But, this spot struck me with the wry narration from Michael C. Hall which opened with, “People don’t make a list of websites they want to see before they die.” “They don’t fill photo albums with pictures from an online search.”

No they certainly do not.  These were poignant lines that struck a chord with me, as someone living in Boulder, CO that plays heavily in both spaces and is often conflicted about how to use my free time.

Many of us out here live almost what feels like two separate lives.  On one hand always hungry to learn and discover through the power of the web and on the other just wanting to get away from everything to connect with the archetypal warrior/adventurer that lives inside.  It’s the modern man’s dilemma on some level and Wieden + Kennedy brought it to the surface, at least for me.

Crispin Porter + Bogusky has always been adept at this sort of advertising, as well.  They call it finding the cultural tension associated with an idea.  In this case it was more psychological, but their strategic briefs contain a section devoted simply to identifying this force.

Anyways, kudos to the team that worked on this piece.  You have my attention.

Filed under Brands, Marketing, Media

The Human Brand

September 12, 2011 Leave a Comment

So, this is essentially a re-blog of an idea I threw up on a now defunct Tumblr about something I’ve been thing about for some time.  Namely, that the primary obstacle that prevents brands from connecting more effectively with people is that they don’t allow themselves to exhibit uniquely human characteristics.  I’m recycling this post, because 14 months later I find myself returning to the same notion, with more evidence that it might actually be useful.  Please share your thoughts, as this is far from complete.

I feel more strongly than ever that brands must serve as a sort of living, breathing companion to the individual.  But, it’s not enough to simply display humanistic tendencies, brands must use them as the basis for growth and innovation.

By human tendencies I mean the development of an opinion or point of view, the desire to form new bonds and to assist in the connection of likeminded individuals, the capacity to listen and empathize and entertain, all while creating something of value.

With all of this laid out, I found myself more lost than when I began, so I set out to simplify and organize the key human tendencies that might apply to brand evolution.  What followed was a preliminary model based on the key characteristics possessed not just by average people, but highly functioning people. It is by no means comprehensive at this point, but represents what I think is a very solid first draft.

Three main tendencies make up our ideal human (or brand): growth, connection and production.

Growth

Characterized by the natural desire to learn new information and skills, develop behaviors that indicate greater social responsibility and heightened consciousness, as well as a desire to seek out new experiences and cultivate of an increasingly more evolved point of view and unique identity.

Connection

Demonstrated by the tendency to share knowledge and opinions, form new bonds and strengthen existing ones, engage in two-way dialogue, and connect other like-minded entities.

Production

Exhibited as the will to create for the sake of self expression and the unwavering belief in a better tomorrow.

All three components are of equal importance for the human brand and are mutually dependent on one another.  For example, the development of a more complex point of view is meaningless if it is not shared with others and used to create something new.  Similarly, seeking out and engaging in new experiences lacks significance if it doesn’t serve as a means for connection with other likeminded individuals.

The model isn’t worth anything if it isn’t applied as a means for growth, in this case to ask the right questions that will lead to the formulation of intelligent strategies.  For example, if a sports apparel brand realized that it wasn’t connecting with high school youth, it could use this framework to pinpoint areas of potential weakness like a lack of a formulated identity that resonated with young people, or a failure to share their years of accumulated knowledge about sport performance.  The next step would then be to reverse these statements to become questions, like how can we more effectively share our vast body of knowledge about performance to create a devoted following?

With this preliminary model in place, we can begin to develop strategies that are more in line with the needs of today’s consumer.

Filed under Brands, Marketing, Strategy

The Dissemination of Pop Culture

July 9, 2011 Leave a Comment

I’m a big fan of Seth Godin (who isn’t) and a subscriber to the email updates coming from his Domino Project, which, in a word, is trying to change how books are published, distributed and consumed by the public.  His weekly newsletter posed this question: Does pop culture change top down or do people always get what they deserve?

I love this question because I think it’s central to so many industries, and I don’t see as much discussion directly about this topic as I would like.  The answer, before I go any further is both.  In a capitalist society, needs will eventually be met by someone, because where there are unmet needs there is an opportunity to profit.  However, you’re insane if you don’t think that everyday new “needs” are invented by brands and their marketing machines that you didn’t even know you had.  GPS is a good example.  iPads are an even better one (they sold 10 million in 2010).

The process typically goes like this: a company puts big bucks into hyping and developing a story around a new product, thus creating a perceived need.  Media jumps in and starts propagating this story.  A small (but vital) percentage of the population hears about this because they’re listening carefully.  Some call these people early adopters.  They buy-in and eventually the rest of the population, who consumes what they see everyone else consuming follows and voila, you have the SUV craze.

This model was pretty cut and dry, but more and more lately we’re seeing it operate in different ways, meaning that how you get to widespread adoption is less clearly defined. In other words, there’s no set path.  Instead, and unless you’re Apple, innovators should focus on what they’re bringing into the marketplace.  Is there a real need or just the opportunity to develop a perceived one?  Is this relevant to a large number of people?  Can the purpose of this product, service or idea be easily understood?

Once these questions are answered, get your product on the radars of that small portion of attentive humans, because you can always count on them to tell you (and maybe others) exactly what they think.

Filed under Brands, Business, Culture, Marketing

Percolate: Making Content Creation Even Easier

July 7, 2011 2 Comments

Upon arriving at my desk today, I found my Twitter feed ablaze with talk about Noah Brier’s latest startup, Percolate.  The startup, is essentially a microblogging platform that feeds you select content from Twitter and your Google Reader, and allows you to easily share your thoughts on that content with friends.

In a Fast Company interview about the project, Noah talks about the difficulty of facing the blank box every time you sit down to blog.  It’s daunting, I agree, and the relative isolation of our individual blogs can make figuring out what to write about somewhat difficult.  According to Noah, Twitter revolutionized the game, by shrinking the box.  Now, Percolate aims to get rid of it altogether, by providing you with pieces of content to write about.  Equal parts Tumblr, Twitter and News Reader, Percolate is divided up into a content feed, dubbed the “Filter” and your follower feeds (what people are saying) called the “Brew”.

At first glance this seems to be a worthwhile step forward in helping to make content creation a more accessible and social process, something that Tumblr made strides in but ultimately fell short of.  And isn’t that what all this is about?  Tearing down all the walls preventing us from becoming more informed and inspired human beings?  Kudos to Noah!

By the way, Percolate is still in its double secret alpha phase, so head to Noah’s blog and grab up one of the 30 invites he’s offering up.

Filed under Business, Ideas, Marketing, Media

Johnnie Walker Plays Big in China

June 27, 2011 Leave a Comment

If you follow the spirits industry, then you know that whiskey is hitting a high point, not just domestically, but in developing nations like China.  As consumers in the east have increasing amounts of disposable income, high-end spirits from the western hemisphere have increasing appeal.  The Scotch category is growing at 8% value with Diageo’s own Scotch portfolio sales increasing at twice that rate.

Diageo, whose portfolio includes the likes of Johnnie Walker is striking while the iron is hot with some serious marketing to the Chinese consumer with the luxury mindset.  About a month ago, they launched The Johnnie Walker House, a four-story mansion in Shanghai that allows invited guests to sample product under the guise of some of the brands most trusted experts.  The space will also be used to host lectures, dinners, masterclasses, trade events and more.

But, JW didn’t stop there, they created 1,000 bottles of a custom blend, called The 1910 Edition, sold within the house for a mere $2,000 each.  The rare prize is meant to commemorate the original journey taken by Johnnie Walker by boat from Scotland to China in 1910, a perilous journey at the time, all the way around Africa and up through the Indian Ocean.

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Filed under Brands, Culture, Design, Marketing, Strategy

Fan-Fueled Content

June 21, 2011 Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of Inn at the Crossroads

Last night I watched the season finale of Game of Thrones.  There’s no question that HBO has found the secret recipe for great storytelling.  And, yes, there is definitely some blood, sex and violence in that recipe, but it’s more than that.  Sometimes, it’s immersing a show in a web of historical anecdotes, as they did with Boardwalk Empire, sometimes, as in the case of Game of Thrones, it’s about withholding just enough information to keep you coming back for more.

But, what really got me excited yesterday, was stumbling upon the Inn At The Crossroads blog, via Jason Kottke. It’s a blog dedicated to recreating the dishes written about in George R.R. Martin’s, Song of Ice and Fire series from which Game of Thrones was based on.

This kind of fan created content sums up the creative beauty and potential that the web has to offer.  In this case, taking excerpts from the book, recreating the recipes from these passages to painstaking levels of detail and then sharing the experience with other quasi-medieval foodies.  It’s amazing.

When brands (and their agencies) figure out how to inspire and grow this sort of fan activity, organically, then we’ll have arrived.

 

Filed under Culture, Marketing, Media

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