Mobile Practice Lead, Mark Emery, delves into mobile solutions for the hospitality industry. Using key examples from the work Definition 6 executed for La Quinta Inns & Suites, Mark explains some best practices brands may utilize for a successful mobile web strategy. 

Mobilizing the Hospitality Industry

Mark Emery: The hospitality industry was really quick to develop e-commerce websites back in the late 90’s during the first tech boom if you will. Shortly after, they began to get into mobile as well and they were some of the early investors and adopters of mobile technology. They built lots of mobile websites and applications 10-12 years ago. Unfortunately for many, that’s where the investment stopped. Where we’re at today is we have consumers on faster and faster devices running on faster networks expecting rich experiences that are not delivered by a lot of hospitality websites simply because they were built a long time ago when you had to build for slower networks and devices.

La Quinta’s Mobile Solution

Mark Emery: Whereas most initial investments in mobile websites are really extensions of that is happening on the PC or desktop web, the new La Quinta mobile solution is the result of taking a look at what the mobile audiences want from the ground up and developing mobile content that is optimized specifically for a mobile audience. It’s the question of developing an optimized experience versus porting what’s already happening on the web. To do that effectively it takes looking at your audience form the ground up. 

La Quinta Re-Invents Mobile Booking

Mark Emery:  La Quinta identified the booking process as a uniquely painful experience on most hotel websites and got serious about re-imagining / re-inventing that experience for their mobile audience. What they came away with was the LQ-Instant Hold™. The Instant Hold feature of their mobile website and downloadable applications allows the user to book a hotel room without entering a credit card or filling out a complicated form and simply entering a 10 digit mobile phone number.

La Quinta’s Innovative Mobile Experience

Mark Emery:  The La Quinta Instant Hold is definitely unique. In fact, they’re actually trademarking the instant hold. Another is this website experience we developed for them is contextually aware. It’s predictive in nature so when I go to LQ.com on my mobile device as a new user, I’ll be asked for my permission to use my location and it will immediately show me results of hotels in my area. If I’m a repeat customer or perhaps I am on on-site or even post-stay the mobile website changes its performance and changes its behavior based on where I am at in that whole revenue cycle.

Tips for Brands Entering the Mobile Landscape

Mark Emery:  If you have a website at all, which you probably do, your mobile users are already using your website on mobile. They’re probably not getting what they want (or they are) in which case the first thing I would recommend doing is taking a look at your web analytics and take a look at a few things there. Check out what types of devices are accessing your site currently and where they’re jumping off, how much time they’re spending on the site, what they’re able to get and what they’re not able to get. You’re actually able to glean a lot of useful data about how your website is performing on mobile devices by simply looking at your web logs.

Why is it So Important for Brands to Address Mobile?

Mark Emery:  Really there are two reasons; One, simply because consumers are holding powerful devices and expect really rich experiences on those powerful devices. They’re accessing data on high speed networks. Something like 60% of all smartphone data traffic happens over a Wi-Fi connection here in the United States so they’re expecting demand rich experiences.  The second one is simply the fact that our work, our lives as Americans and as global citizens for that matter is increasingly transient. We’re always on the go, we’re always in movement. Creating a mobile website and a downloadable application for people that are in motion was a smart thing for La Quinta do and it would be a wise thing to do for other organizations in the hospitality industry to take a look at. 

San Jose is buzzing with Ragan Cisco conference attendees tweeting furiously as we take in all the juicy nuggets of info from great speakers at this conference for Social Media and Communications.  

From Gamification to Social Media Optimization (yes, it does exist!) to SoLoMo (Social, Local, Mobile) we've hashed out all the nuances in the world in which we live today.  

A summary of top takeways:

- Globally, more people own cellphones than toothbrushes

- 85% of B2B buyers are engaged in some type of social activity during work

Check out the hashtag #RaganCisco on Twitter to follow along as we wrap it up today and check out our slideshow below for all the pictures from the event

We recently ran a blog giving readers a little of insight into the Dogs of Definition 6 and a little bit of history behind the four-legged friends we have around the agency. Now it's time to learn a little bit more about some of the office pets.

Meet: Finny and Abby (Jeff Katz)
Bio: Finn is a Blue Reimaraner and Abby is a Bichon Frise. They're both clocking in at 3 years old AND these two were born one month and a day apart, Abby on 8/8/2008 and Vinny on 9/9/2008. Freaky, we know! 
Fun Fact: Abby's grandfather, J.R., was the Westminster Champion in 2001. 

Meet: Suki (Katie Turcotte)
Bio: Katie rescued Suki when she was just 6 months old in Tampa, Florida. She is a Finnish Spits and part Chou and has been through K9 training as well as some agility courses.
Fun Fact: Suki waits for Katie everyday on the stairs during lunch and she's a bit camera shy!

Meet: Gizmo (Walker Hutchinson)
Bio: Gizmo is a full bred American Boxer with 8 years under his belt. Walker picked up 'Mo from a family here in Georgia and has been bringing him into the office ever since. 
Fun Face: Gizmo is the only dog allowed on the couches of Definition 6. The Network Engineering department was even reorganzied around Gizmo's favorite couch. 

Meet: Thor and Gracie (Stacie Oden)
Bio: Thor is a 2 year old German Shepard Rescue pup and Gracie is a 7 year old Matese Yorkie born in Florida. 
Fun Fact: Stacie hid Gracie in her dorm at UCF for an entire semester! Gracie even began to attend some classes with Stacie and obtained a minor in Biology. 

Meet: Aspen (Stuart Lake)
Bio: Aspen is a 9 year old Border Collie/Labrador Retreiver adopted from an Atlanta Animal Shelter
Fun Fact: Aspen loves to jump and play in dirty water which mixes fantistically with her white coat. She also loves belly rubs and coming into Definition 6 with her dad. 

With upfront season in full swing, I've been thinking about Primetime TV viewership and I had to ask myself - Is 9PM the new 10PM??

Five years ago if a network's primetime show didn't hit a 5 demo in 18-49 viewers, it would be in deep trouble.

Today, the 10pm demo, for the most part, seems to be around a 3 or lower.

Why is that?

A few things come to mind.

One: DVR's are everywhere now. It's not just a TiVo anymore. Every cable company has one, and they are quickly replacing the old set top box (and let's not forget the Roku, the Xbox, the Boxee, Apple TV, and any of the other cool device out there).

And research is also showing that tablets like the iPad are quickly becoming the second screen of choice for content consumption, while services like Aereo allow you to watch and record your favorite show in their cloud for later viewing anywhere.

Two: …and this is probably a function of the first thing…there are so many places to get content, and so much targeted content on cable and online, that the hours of material anyone can watch at any given time, is just too much to bear.

Three:…and this is just anecdotal of my colleagues in New York; hard working people are going to sleep earlier and waking up earlier (again, this may have something to do with DVR's). I mean, why not, right? Especially when you can watch "LAW" at night and catch "ORDER" in the morning on your digital device!

Another reason may be simply that the big three (or four) networks are just not programming what people want to see at 10pm.

That is the traditional home for drama's and procedurals…but the biggest numbers are now coming from the 9pm non-scripted shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Voice."

Maybe the premium cable nets, programing high end shows through the 9pm and 10pm slots without commercials, are causing the erosion.  

And maybe that tiny sliver of "un-plugged" viewers is starting to grow.

If everyone could create multiple revenue stream, none of this would matter much. Get paid even without the eyeball analytics (or without commercials in some cases.)

Just create great programs and let people find them wherever they are, regardless of what time they are on.

In the end, it always comes back to great content that can cause conversation (either in person or online, especially social media channels.)

So, let 9PM be the new 10PM.

I will just go to sleep early, and watch my favorite stuff somewhere else, some other time, and be happy about it.

Company culture, especially within advertising and marketing, is an important aspect to productivity. At Definition 6 we’re constantly thinking of how to create another winning brand experience for our clients like Coca-Cola or HBO. The juices are always flowing and the gears are always grinding. It’s nice to add a little of flavor to the mix. Around the offices of Google you may find massage chairs and around the offices of Nike, hot showers. But around Definition 6, on any given day, you will find man’s best friend. We like to keep our K-9 companions close by in both of our offices in Atlanta and New York.

The daily grind can be a difficult pill to swallow, but our four-legged friends really shine some light into our office. COO and President, Jeff Katz, dropped a little bit of Def6 dog history on last week. This what he had to say, "Dogs have been a part of Definition 6 since  the early days when our CEOs dog had her own Board of Director’s seat.  You can’t help but smile when you see the D6 dogs interact.  We all know their schedules, when they make their rounds, they know the treat givers, the cat lovers and ball throwers.  Agency life can get stressful and believe it or not some of us may even be tempted to raise our voices, but for some reason people tend not to raise their voices when our 4 legged companions are in the room...

The privilege to bring your dog comes with great responsibility and the “dog owners” group does a pretty good job managing the canine community and helping new dogs (and their owners) get acclimated or sometimes encouraged to stay home.  Like all of us at D6 our pups work hard and play hard."

The dogs of Definition 6 have become a staple and many local businesses in the area remember us for the wagging tails upon entry in our Atlanta headquarters. Having our dogs around the office is one of the aspects that excited me about working at Definition 6. I loved that the office allowed pets, and I can attest that my dog is much happier coming into work every day with me instead of being left at home. Traffic coordinator, Amanda Hilyer, is grateful she can bring her pug into the def6 offices daily. "My dog is a huge part of my life. I take her everywhere and having the opportunity to take her to work is awesome! When I'm at work I don’t worry about her being locked in the house, having to go potty, or being late to feed her. It is one less stress in my life and gives me something to laugh at on hard days. I love bringing CoCo Chanel to work every day! Thanks Michael and Jeff!"

Social Media Director, Jon Accarrino, loves bringing in his pups and they love it too. “Frankie & Brandy, love to come to work. If you haven't already met them, Frankie is a not-so-miniature Dachshund (he has a food obsession) and Brandy is a Vizsla-Beagle mix. Sometimes I drive into work and bring both dogs, but usually I just bring Brandy. She's a service animal and I have special permits that allow me to bring her places most dogs aren’t like the subway.” 

Jon's dogs even tweet! “They both tweet under the same Twitter account: @TurdsandTreats or you can find photos of them on their Facebook fan page: TurdsandTreats." The dogs add some very funny and very furry character to the office, they brighten up everybody's day. It's hard to be in a bad mood when there is a 70 pound black lab at your feet.

Look out for the next dog blog to meet some of the office pups.

In my previous post, I outlined a few key observations that were made by the panel on which I recently participated. In our discussion, we also spent some time musing on the future possibilities.

The IAB recently announced new digital display ad units (they diligently avoid calling them “banners”). The Rising Stars Display Ad Units are more than simply a bunch of new sizes; they represent a new paradigm in display ads that allow brands to create a complex brand experience for the consumer without requiring them to live the page they are viewing. While the six new formats differ from each other in ways that make them more appropriate for use by certain brands, messaging, or publications, they all provide a larger canvas and much greater opportunity for multimedia and interactive executions.

Are they awesome? Well, yeah. These new formats open up a world of creative possibilities. The depth of content and experience they provide makes me salivate. Some of the implementations I see are really brilliant.

Will they succeed? Dunno. They will clearly be more expensive from a media buy and production perspective. We already established in my previous post that “banners” suffer from the problem of getting clients to invest enough in their production. And how will the consumers respond? If, and this is a big if, we can fill these new units with great content, they may actually give users a reason to enjoy ads again. Wouldn’t it be great if these “rising stars” got the star treatment currently bestowed on Super Bowl ads? It could happen. But it might not. It will take brands with an understanding that this is a fantastic new form of paid media and agencies that are courageous enough to push for their (proper) use.

It’s all about sharing.

People share everything… videos, articles, photos… why not ads? Actually, they already do via Pinterest and YouTube, but imagine if users could share banners right from the page they live on? There’s precedent (sort of).

The brilliant Axion Banner Concerts campaign gave users the ability to embed the ads on fan’s pages… something that added over 43,000 impressions to the nearly 7 million impressions gotten through paid media.  Now imagine if anyone could have shared that content from anywhere they saw it… that’s real amplification.

Of course, there are all kinds of issues to work out with this model, but it does open up a lot of interesting possibilities. What if sharing the ad actually drove people back to the hosting page, thereby raising that pages views. Now the publishers win as well and we have the beginnings of an entirely new brand/publisher partnership model. And if we approach banners in the same we approach other sharable media, we will clearly pay more attention to the creative and content.

Or do we chuck the whole idea?

Is the basic idea of digital display media broken? Maybe banners underperform because as a format they are fundamentally flawed, unable to work as traditional display media and too expensive to produce as fully interactive media. If that’s the case (and I’m not convinced it is), what do we do about it. Tim suggested we do nothing and just let them die. The other panelists took exception with that as it essentially dooms the publishers, and none of us wanted to strip the content from the internet. But what we all did agree with was that just because we have been doing something one way, there is no reason to continue to do it that way. Industries have been devastated by choosing to ignore or fight against the fast changes that happen in the digital landscape. So maybe banners will continue to change, but the idea of digital display advertising will (and should) continue to be an integral part to the web experience.

Coming up in Part 3: What to do today to improve your banners.

In my last article regarding ideation, I suggested that conflict, not harmony, made for better team ideation results. But before strapping up your armor to participate in a heated ideation session, there are some critical points of preparation that are needed and the first one is an ideation brief or briefing that will help kick start the team into their critical thinking.

Sun Tzu ended “The Art of War” with a chapter on intelligence and counter-intelligence, but when one is looking for a new idea that is where to start. Prepare your team with a brief of the situation including the core elements needed to create a solution to the client’s problem. There are numerous versions of briefs around the web that can provide direction to help you create an effective one. A good brief is critical to the success of the project. By defining a client’s needs clearly, the team can avoid distraction and deliver real results. Equally important is answering the why, when and how: why are they being asked to solve it, how will the ideas be used and when will the ideas be implemented. An example might be “how would you get young adults or late teens to consume more hot coffee via social media in 2012?” The team might be derailed if they argue the benefits or detriments of coffee as an appropriate beverage for teens or get too carried away by weighing factors like caffeine versus antioxidants that are relevant, but don’t address the solution. To do a good brief, you have to give the team enough understanding of objective, directing them on the task and allowing enough ambiguity for exploration. The result should be solutions based upon their collective thinking related to the customers, the culture, where the product would be consumed or purchased, economic considerations, the product itself, new uses for the product, past accepted uses and practices, past successful or failed campaigns for getting more people to drink coffee via social media and how all these factors influence each other. If you have prior research, personas or previous campaigns, the briefing is the time to make sure everyone has access to the material.

Sun Tzu’s ideas require time to implement. Creative ideas require time as well. In fact, studies have shown that our best thinking is done when we are relaxed and not directly focused on the problem and that requires time, hours, even days. So once your team is briefed, turn them loose and give them a minimum of a day to come up with their solutions. Attempting to hammer out a solution by keeping the team together is the least effective technique I know to get genuinely new solutions. When teams tackle problems together it is very easy to get into a virtual loop and follow it, just as people who are lost tend to walk in circles. With regard to relaxation, I have seen brainstorming consultants fill a room with little toys in an attempt to relax their corporate teams but the reality is they are still confined and tasked with a deadline in a room where any sense of fun or play is merely contrived. Dismiss the team and actually give them the hours to do it their own way. It is not mere coincidence that companies like Google and Nike have everything from table tennis to warm showers on their corporate campuses. So instead of focusing really hard on the problem, engaging in another activity or merely relaxing can be more productive then being together until ideas are forced.

Relaxation is the real key to productive ideation. The simple act of walking can trigger ideation. Einstein once said: “The legs are the wheels of creativity” and “Creativity is the residue of time wasted.” He knew how important relaxation was to his thinking. So for your next brainstorming session, have your team go do something relaxing or engaging that is not directly focused on the task. Encourage everyone on your team to keep notes of ideas that might be forming if they can, when they can, but without rules. I recommend the use of moleskin style notebooks or even notes on the smartphone to keep track of ideas. Work in a style that is individualistic to you and you cannot go wrong.

In my last part of this blog series on creativity I will address the presentation of ideas and the techniques to using criticism and conflict to sharpen the final output of brainstorming or ideation.

Photo via

By every measure the Suzanne Collins’ books and the subsequent movie have been massive successes. Most of us who have read the books have found them almost as hard to put down as did the teenage girls that first made them popular. The story is riveting, fast-paced, vivid, and induces emotion. 

While the story isn’t really intended to be a lesson in marketing, it’s hard for someone who works in the marketing and advertising industry to read the books or see the movie and not recognize the key ways in which marketing and branding play a major role in the story.

In their third major layout change, Facebook officially transitioned user's profile pages to a new layout called Timeline a few months ago. But they delayed the transition for brand pages to March 30th, 2012. The delay for brands was to give them extra time to update their pages and apps. Even though Facebook has been reminding brands for months, it appears by all the confusion this past week that the forced migration to Timeline still caught many businesses by surprise.
 
I recently wrote an article on the top 5 things all Facebook brand page administrators need to know when it comes to Timeline. From new layouts, image sizes, apps and content to strategically using cover photos, the article outlines step by step the ways in which Facebook Brand Pages can increase traffic to your website, and can engage your audiences in new ways based on new abilities to interact as a result of the layout changes.

Read the full article at Ragan.com. 

The shift between the marketing portion and music portion of the SXSW event was vividly apparent. They were two completely different conferences and few people were bold enough to attend both. The marketing conference was chock full of early adopters (on the borderline of early obsessors) when it comes to technology or social media. Every marketer is looking for the next big thing, and whether it is a sexy new social media idea or the new tablet rumored to kill the iPad (ie. Ping, ConnectU, Friendster, and the HP Touchpad), they’re always looking for what’s hot. Conversely, the music business is always a few steps behind. It looks to be like the music business is wary of new technology, skeptical of ‘socially shared’ music, scared shitless of any emerging music platform, and have no clue what to do about all of this.  At its core, music really boils down to the basic notion that people just want to listen to the music they love, where and when they want to listen to it.

The music business has severely suffered during this down economy and people are scared. The consumer masses are no longer buying CD’s. New companies like Spotify are stealing marketshare from iTunes and even Pandora has taken a hit. And if you think about it, all of those are relatively new revenue streams in the music business. Imagine what kind of hit iTunes will take once more cars have app integration with platforms like Spotify.

Musicians will need to learn how to work within the new music reality of streaming, free content, subscription services, and leveraging brands to help pay or promote their music.

Listening has certainly not decreased. As consumers, we listen every chance we get, hence the popularity for “music anywhere” apps. What if the music industry tapped into those motivations clearly shown by the interactive SXSW attendees? What if they used digital to provide free samples of music prior to an album release? This isn’t anything new -  Mac Miller, an indie artist sold 186,000 copies and went #1 on his debut album by giving away all of his music leading up to his debut. That hadn’t happened in 16 years. Radiohead used a ‘name your price’ method for their album In Rainbows. This can also transcend to brands, who could use these opportunities to align themselves with an artist who reaches and influences their audience. 

Jay-Z’s SXSW performance is a great example. AMEX hosted a free Jay-Z concert, where the typical ticket cost may average $100 or more. This was a great play. Everybody in attendance had to carry an AMEX card and they provided an amazing show with a ton of earned media surrounding the event.

Green Label Sound, a record label curated by Mountain Dew, has upped the ante when it comes to blurring the lines between brands and music fans. The artist has a great way to make money and Mountain Dew is aligning itself with young indie artists or bands.  The opportunity is there between music and an experience with a brand. It’s time to listen to the music… 

If “Who is Goody?" is the thought that is currently running through your head, stop.  Take a second and think of your sister, daughter, wife, or girlfriend's hair rubber band ball, favorite bracelet... and know that Goody has contributed to just about all of them for over the past 100 years. And if you are anything like me, then Goody instantly reminds you of quality hair care and styling products, and are actually a staple in your bag on a daily basis.

So you can imagine my excitement when I was working on a new project to launch a revised website for this brand.  Some of their challenges were that the former site was all in Flash (a problem for viewing on iPad, iPhone, other mobile devices and even some browsers), the content was not easily found on the site and the overall look and feel was outdated. 

Goody is inspired by the latest trends and innovative technologies and it was time to get their website on that same path. With the internet and social media literally taking over our lives day by day, Goody knew that it was time to build an eye catching website to showcase their new inventions. And with the launch of new products in heat styling, such as the Quick Style Paddle Brush and the Wave Creator Curling Iron, Goody needed a website that would challenge their competition both in style and in practicality.

The site launched in early March and as you can see, the new products are prominently featured on the homepage.  The new look and feel is more aesthetic and more content has been created for each product, giving users more of a reason to stay on the site longer. 

We also implemented a robust CMS solution for their team to easily edit content to the site, and it is no longer is a flash-based website, making mobile views accessible from virtually any device.

The feedback on this rollout has been great, especially from fans on their social media networks. 

You can go view the full site at Goody.com.

New York in Spring is really something special.  Sunny, a light breeze, no humidity....it's rare that we get to enjoy this season, as winter normally slams into summer like a bat out of hell.  So it was even more pleasant to attend a luncheon hosted by the Advertising Women of NY (AWNY) on Friday to celebrate something that is just as special as Spring in NY - though fortunately for us, not as rare - fabulously successful women in advertising.  The AWNY Ad Woman of the Year Luncheon brought together 500 of the city's 'Mad (Wo)Men' to honor Jacki Kelley (Universal McCann), Laura Lang (Time Inc.) and our client, Wendy Clark (Coca-Cola).

From singalongs (yes, a rendition of "Country Road" was part of the toast!) to inspirational tales of Olympic feats, this group of women are truly changing the ecosystem in which we live.  Their fearlessness, ambition, strength and hope are second to none.  As Wendy's favorite quote states "Lift as you climb," so was the theme of the afternoon.  It's no wonder project like Coca-Cola's "Open Happiness" campaign has been so successful under Wendy's leadership.  Thanks to AWNY for gathering such a great group of people to honor these women. For the full album of pictures please visit AWNY's Facebook page.

UPDATED Tuesday 3/27/12: We won!  Congrats to the team involved at Definition 6 and HBO for a stellar collaboration and award-winning work!

We are so proud of the work we do for clients, and we are even happier when the work is nominated for elite industry awards like the Shorty Awards!  Tonight the winner's are announced (fingers crossed!!) and we are hoping that our Facebook application for HBO's hit show True Blood called "Immortalize Yourself" gains even more fans. 

This campaign allowed "Truebies" to really become part of the True Blood story, by literally becoming part of the crew at Merlotte's by inserting themselves and their Facebook friends into a brief video leading up to last year's season four premiere.  The campaign was live throughout the entire season, and even had one of its largest traffic days immediately following the season finale in September.

So the only question remains --- have you "Immortalized Yourself" yet??

I was recently in LA to attend Digiday Agency: Retooling for the Future. In addition to hanging out at the swanky London Hotel, I spoke on panel titled “The Banner is Dead, Long Live the Banner”. Moderated by Sean X, Founder, SXC Marketing, it was lively discussion featuring myself, Oliver Duncan, Creative Director, Digitaria, Tim Leake, Global Partnership Director, Hyper Island, and Jaime Robinson, Creative Director, Pereira & O’Dell. Between the five of us, we completely solved the problems of underperforming banners.

You’re welcome.

Okay, I made that bit up. But we did manage to make some good observations, followed by some prescient ideas and wrapped it all up with a few tidy recommendations. In case you weren’t able to attend, or watch on the web, the following is a brief overview of the discussion from my viewpoint (let the other guys write their own blogs).

Observations

The banner is not dead, but it is neglected.

Banners are the red-headed stepchildren of the media world, often treated as an afterthought (“recycle my commercial into a banner”) or worse, simply regarded as a low cost alternative to other marketing options.  Because banner media is relatively inexpensive, the traditional “media to production” spend ratio does not really work. Instead of lowering the production budget because the media spend is lower (compared to television for example), take advantage of that media savings and put more money into creative and production. As brands shift their media spend to more and more digital units, encourage them to get the most out of their money.

“Click Through” is not the only (or even often the best) measurement of success.

Early on, the digital marketing industry offered the Holy Grail… easily trackable advertisements. Gone were the days of not knowing if someone was watching your commercial or reading your print ad… with banners you will know every time your ad resonates with the consumer by measure click-through. The problem… it doesn’t really work that way. Yes, you know if a user clicks through or interacts with your ad, but even if they don’t, that does not mean your ad hasn’t made an impression (at least as much of an impression as other non-direct response display media). By hanging our hats on that metric, we set ourselves up for failure. Poor click through means poor performance means lower value means lower investment means worse content means lower click through… and so on and so on.

Banners are not print… or television.

As a panel, I don’t think we agreed on whether banners are closer to print or video (well, I didn’t agree). But we did agree that while you can treat them like either of those, they will be most successful when you play to their strengths… reach, interactivity, focus, and context (from a content and viewer perspective). Whether you start from the simple static version and build up, or conceive of a full viewing/interactive experience then pare it down for all executions, it’s most important that you consider the characteristics of banners and how to use them to your advantage.

Coming up in Part 2: Future Musings.

#Marketers, are you forgetting something?

Twitter:

                Branded Background – Check

                Monitoring – Check

                Posting more than self-promoting content – Check

                Engaging with followers and influencers – Check

Facebook:

                Brand Page Created – Check

                Polls, Surveys, Contest – Check

                Analytics Reviewed – Check

                Specials and Advanced Information Shared – Check

Mobile:

                Works on iPhone and iPad – Check

                I have an App – Good for you

                I’m running mobile ads and paid search – Check

                My CFO just got rid of his Blackberry – Congrats! Better than most people can claim

YouTube:

                Brand Chanel Designed – Check

                Regular Video Content Provided – Check

                Curating Video for Sharing – Check

                Embedding content into other channels you control – Check

Blogging:

                Regular Publishing Cycle – Check

                POV consistent – Check

                Comment and Blogger Influencer Strategy – Check

                Traffic Driving Metrics – Check

E-mail:

                List Maintenance Protocol – Check

                Subject Line Testing – Check

                Offer Testing – Check

                Optimizing Deliverability and Readability – Check

                Trigger Based, Segmented – Check

But how’s your website? When was the last time you focused on it for a week or so? Does it say what you want it to say? More importantly, with all the learning from above, what have you done to update your website? Does it serve as the hub of activity or is it like a forgotten capital of an ancient empire?

I have found in the past year most people have not thought about their website nearly enough. Its look has not been updated, the learning from off-site and on-site analytics has not been implemented, and technically the underlying system looks like a 5^th grade science project. In my experience, the companies that remember to invest in site updates every quarter, and major overhauls every 18-24 months are always ahead of their competitors.

How much content have you created over the last few months? Do you enough call to action items on each page?  What about video? 

I encourage you to look at a basic website redesign project over the next few quarters, and if you still need convincing, look at your competitors site today vs. what it looked like when you last re-did yours; it might be all the reason you need to get on with your next website redesign.

One of the most exciting panels I've got to see this week was with Anthony Bourdain, and his close knit team of producers and social media savants, when they spoke to one of the largest rooms at SXSW. While it may not have been the most enlightening panel of the conference, it was great to get the perspective of digital from successful network tv show. Anthony, DrunkHulk, and the rest of the crew have a deep understanding of providing a second online experience for their fans of what they like to call 'food porn'. 

There isn't a lot that scares the No Reservations crew, even acknowledging that their show may not have the deepseeded meaning behind it.  The content - in its simplicity - is what gets the people going. They use YouTube to post content that has never been on the air before whether it's some low quality footage or a creative animated short. They have massive participation on Twitter. Facebook is leveraged as a messging platform where the crew shares funny pictures on the road, ranging from images of Fish Tacos to pics of Christopher Walken. Social media is a language the team speaks all too well. If it's out there on the web, they'll try it. They're even exploring the use of Google+ Hangouts, even if the number of people hanging out there, at least for now, is small.

Once the music portion really took off on Wednesday there was noticable shift in the conference. The attendees are far different from those who attend interactive. The panels have been decent, but what's noticable about music is the presentations and conversations are often at the beginner stage because much of the music biz is playing catch up. Since 2010 I've run an online music website 'Vibe To This' under the Complex Media Network.  I've learned a TON of lessons in the digital landscape and also what goes on the ground floor of the music business. Many of the attendees are slow adapters. Some are not. You either get it or you don't and things are changing slowly. 

Naturally there are heated debates constantly going on about the state and future of music resulting in some lively discussions. While live music has remained the constant in the business, (with the shift of marketing shows online) the rest of the music has been flipped upside down and feels like its stuck doing a headstand. From streaming, to free downloads, to apps like Spotify, nobody can really predict the future of what's going to happen. We sort of all have to bite down and ride it out. There is a small percentage of people who still purchase CD's and these are actually young teenagers who have just bought cars without AUX hook ups. That is dying fast. Spotify is crushing Pandora, as well as giving iTunes a run for its money. Spotify caps your listening at 48 hours and then it's no longer free, except on mobile. And even after that it's pretty affordable. 

From the Blocks to the Blogs session was easily relatable for a lot of what I do, but to be honest, I'm not getting my mind blown. It has really been great networking on the other side of what I do, yet I don't feel like I am gaining a heap of knowledge like I had hoped. Mostly I feel like I am getting confirmation  what I already knew.  C'est la vie - another conference in the books.

I’m back in Atlanta after attending my first SXSW Interactive festival.  Wow.  It was like a four day fire hose to the face.  So much information.  So many people.  So much excitement.  So much food out of so many trucks.  Overall, I had an amazing experience that showed me a few things.

First of all, let’s talk about the people.  If you are reading this blog, I’ll assume you are in “the industry” in some way.  And if you are in digital marketing, technology, advertising, or social media, then you know we as a collective tend to be a little “snarky” and jaded at times.  One of my biggest observations was how far away everyone was from that at SXSW…the feeling of a community coming together to learn, to share, and to collaborate was pouring out of Austin faster than Blue Moon Draught.  I was inspired as much by the general attitude and approach people had with each other as I was in the sessions.  Bad weather, long lines, closed sessions, cab drivers who all had a “broken credit card machine,” and late nights could have had everyone on edge and ready to pounce but instead, everyone seemed to take it in stride and make the absolute best out of a bad situation.  It really was nice to see and feel the sense of positivity, optimism, and hope coming from my peers.

Now, let’s talk about the sessions.  In just a few days, I heard so many unbelievably good presentations that informed and inspired me.  My favorite I think was Kevin Smith…his presentation really served as a great reminder to everyone that you have to do something you love.  Most of us do this job because we love doing it…we love innovating, we love creating, we love the challenge, we love pushing ourselves.  Kevin told us that through a very heartfelt and personal story about the death of his father that “We’re all gonna die screaming, so make sure you accomplish all the things you want to in life.”  He also reminded us to “listen to our muse and be sure to honor it.”  The overarching message was “stick with what’s personal to you and your business will find a way.”  The presentation felt very honest and organic, so much so that “Silent Bob” didn’t introduce the moderator until about 45 minutes into the session, and then ran 30 minutes over…but nobody seemed to mind too much.

One of the more impassioned and polarizing sessions was the #EndofUsual with Brian Solis interviewing Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.  Billy had some really strong opinions on the state of the music business, the relationship between artists and record companies, and the role fans should play in supporting artists in the digital world we live in today.  The result of the opinions shared was strong reaction in both directions…one audience member told Billy to “F*** off, you whiny little Rockstar,” while a larger portion of the crowd gave the Smashing Pumpkins front man a standing ovation.

One other session I found particularly engaging was Brands: The Cost of Being Human from Jen Van der Meer of the Dachis Group.  Jen talked a lot about how to effectively monetize the value that social brings to brands to help manage the inevitable conflict that is created when budgets are needed.  One of the best points Jen brought up was that the “Top 50 Brands pursue fundamental human values that improve people’s lives.”  I thought this was a great observation and really hit close to home with some projects Definition 6 has been involved, like Coca-Cola’s "Where will happiness strike next?”  Jen also pointed out that “a lot of what passes as brand strategy these days is copy strategy.”  She also pointed out that social media’s real value was not at the individual transaction level but at a long term spend and referral level.

But you know SXSW isn’t just about panels…it’s about parties, too.  And there were some great ones.  Obviously, the gang at Mashable knows how to throw a great party.  The event at Buffalo Bills was great fun.  One of my greatest learnings from SXSW this year is that I am a heck of a shuffle board player.  The line to get in to the party was wrapped around the building.  The other big event was Jay-Z to help promote the American Express Sync program.  I have to say, in the past I think it’s always been some start-up who became the big winner at SXSW (Twitter, Foursquare, GroupMe).  But I think this year, American Express showed us established brands can still be innovative enough to attract the attention of the hipster digital marketing community.  Everyone was talking (and synching) about the program AmEx was doing, how great it worked, and how it is a WIN on so many levels.  Of course, AmEx may have 99 Problems, but money to hire Jay-Z to promote this new feature ain’t one.

Now I’ve returned home, with a bag full of swag, a belly full of food from a truck, and my tweet-stream still full of #SXSWi insight.  All in all a great trip…I’m already looking forward to next year.  Until then, keep Austin weird.
 

Yesterday was another exciting day at SXSW.  The clouds parted and the sun came out. It was a gorgeous day in Austin. I was so optimistic and then the first panel of the day was a dud: iPhone Film Pocket Studio. It may have been worth my time, but it was irrelevant to the reason I was going. I wanted to gain some more insight into on-the-go video, particularly related to the video blog that Definition 6 has launched, but the panel was mostly based on iPhone film makers, and comparisons to the entry point into the landscape years ago compared to how relatively easy it is today. Anybody can pick up a camera (phone) and start shooting. Apps give you a free-range ability on what you can do, when years ago it would have cost thousands of dollars. 

After that disappointing session, I took a trip over to the Hyatt Regency to check out a presentation on QR codes. Social media and technology will always affect art, whether artists want to admit it. Then I hit up the 'Music apps gone wild' session. There are some great apps out there. Some strange ones as well. Biggest takeaway from 'Music Apps' was that our ears need more attention. We're staring at our smartphones all day - what if some that content was given to us via our ears? Running late to catch a subway? Speed up the tempo. An important text message or tweet? Lower the volume and listen to the tweet. I can relate, especially at SXSW, where it would be nice to be listening to music and have the app tell you the next panel on your schedule so you don't forget. 

Segway to Mashable SXSW party, rolling in as a VIP is always a perk. The food was a bit cold, but so were the drinks, so it was all good.

After fighting the Austin traffic for over an hour I finally made it downtown. I decided to venture away from the Austin Convention Center to catch the second half of Viral is a Dirty Word: Strategic Video Success. After Definition 6 won recognition from OMMA as the Viral Video Agency of the Year I am making a point to hit a few of the panels on Video. This morning's theme: anti-viral. Something I touched on a few months ago was a main point in today’s panel. It’s not about VIRAL video. It’s about creating compelling content. Have a strategy.  Focus on the story and make sure it’s relevant to who you’re targeting. Jeremy Sanchez from Global Strategies gives his 5 steps in the movement of anti-viral: have a plan, create in context, optimize first, distribute and promote, measure what matters.

As the rain came pouring down slightly less ferocious than yesterday, the convention center is packed. I sat down to do a little bit of writing and catch up on some emails when I made my way to Frank Abagnale’s panel on the good word from Social Media Director, Jon Accarrino. #Fail. The convention center is so packed because nobody is venturing outside of the building. On to a panel discussing great design for a positive user experience. Second fail of the afternoon, another shut out. I am seeing the pattern forming here. Get to your panels early or bust.

The weather started to let up so I walked over to the Courtyard Marriott to see a panel on how to remain Young and Passionate, but not join the masses of broken bank accounts. To remain prosperous in your career you must be able to scale your current position by truly understanding what you're good at. A huge takeway from Molly Mahan and Tara Gentile was 'think about your life in a third party capacity. You don't have to do what you always did.' I think many people overlook that notion even in all of its simplicity. 

Looking forward to Day 3. Hopefully the weather breaks and mobility isn't so daunting. #SXSW 2012!

Wheels down. I have arrived in Austin, Texas to embark on my first ever SXSW experience. In the days and weeks leading up to my trip the excitement and anticipation didn’t really settle in until I arrived in the lone star state. Mainly because this boy from Boston who is calling Atlanta home for the moment never really marinated on the idea of visiting… Texas. 

But after the first day in Austin and speaking to some of the local color it becomes clear that Austin is not Texas, as the locals say Austin is ‘Texas adjacent’ from all sides. So far the weather has been below par, but as soon as the clouds break I hear Austin will really come alive.

It has already been an amazing trip and I’ve only conquered the first 24 hours. It’s 10X more than I could have imagined. Once I got through the atrocious line that is badge pick-up I was gearing to go. First panel down the hatch: Brands as Patterns featuring Greg Johnson of HP, Marc Shillum of Method Inc, Robin Lanahan of Microsoft, and Walter Werzowa of Musikverneugen. Don’t try to pronounce that last company; I couldn’t do it either.

The biggest mistake brand planners make before they have even launched is planning for longevity. If variables around a brand may change next week how is it possible to predict the next 4 years? Always plan for adaptation. People change, needs change, plans change, and your brand needs to be able to handle the motions.  And if you’re not including digital than what is it that you’re doing? 

Digital is the world we live in, so plan around it. It should be the focus of any brand design. Think about the interaction and the experience your consumer is going to have when building your brand design. Experiences are liquid, and brands must follow.

When developing brand strategy it’s important to tell a story, a value that the people at Definition 6 hold close to the chest. The story must resonate with the consumer. It must have meaning. Walter was the most interesting panelist to take insight from, as a legendary brand planner, a scientist, and a music composer he has taken all of his knowledge to thoughtfully place music within advertising. While many agencies practice similar methods, Walter has truly got it down to a science, of course.

Next up: What’s the next big thing in social networking?  According to Joel Simkhai, CEO of Grindr and Blendr, it’s the combination of location based apps and bridging the gap between people, places, and things.

Joel has created Grindr, an application that helps gay men find other gay men. The user will use their smartphones GPS to locate the closest gay man to them and provide the two with a platform to communicate.

Soon applications will be able to provide you with information on the people in your immediate area. Sounds a little creepy to me, but Joel does provide some great examples of how users may benefit from this. Take SXSW for example, you might be looking for an "in" at a company and find out somebody in the same room as you works for that company. Or somebody you just met knows somebody at that company. Based on the success of Grindr and Blendr, Joel explains the formula for successful location based apps: unique content, frequent users, simplicity, and critical mass.

At the end of day 1, for the sake of my health, I opted to skip the parties going on around the downtown area. I’ve been battling a cold since early last week so I decided to catch a few of the films being shown towards the tail end of the evening. What a treat. If you get the chance, check out Girl Walk // All Day. I also caught Wikileaks: Secrets and Lies which was also pretty interesting, but predictable at the same time. None the less it is worth watching.

All in all it was an amazing first day at SXSW.