Atlanta Interactive Agency

Deep Thoughts From CLIO and CAT, Part Three: Let's Get Physical

Monday, July 19, 2010 by Doug Dimon

This is the final post of a series on my insights from two conferences I attended: The Clio Awards Conference and Creativity and Technology (CAT). If you haven't done so already, please read the first and second, or you'll completely lose the plot.

There's been a lot of talk about what will be the next big thing in the digital world: augmented reality, location-based services, geo-tagging, etc. All of these things were mentioned at the conferences with varying degrees of excitement. But what became clear is that these are all expressions of what is really going to be the big news over the next couple of years... merging the digital and the physical world.

I know a few people (a very few) who can legitimately claim not to have a digital life. They aren't part of any social network, they barely use email or text, and they would actually rather stand in a line to hand a teller a piece of paper than bank online (crazy, right?). Conversely, I know a some people who seem to only have a digital life. They do everything online, and their social activity is confined to Facebook, chat rooms, and MMORPGs. But most of us live comfortably in the middle, navigating on and off line between our digital and physical lives.

So it should come as no surprise that any technology or creative that breaks the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds is making a big splash. More mobile devices, GPS ubiquity, faster web access, and advances in graphics processing and display technology are all helping to push this wave.

Whether it is something as simple as being able to geo-tag your photos or as cool as having your message chalked on the Tour de France route,moving messages and

experiences beyond the digital is the hottest way to engage people. It moves the experience beyond the bits and bytes of the digital world and gives your messaging something tangible to which people can relate. Interestingly, most information in the digital sphere has a much greater longevity than it's physical counterparts and yet people put greater value on the physical. I believe this is because no matter how plugged in we are, we still live in the world and physical things seem more "real" to us and thus have greater value.

The exciting thing is that there are increasing opportunities to leverage the advantage of digital with the appeal of physical. Advances in mobile AR (e.g. Juniao and Layar), interactive projection maps, "controller-free" systems, or real-time effects... things that used to be seen only in sci-fi movies... are becoming possible. Decades ago, the promise was of virtual worlds we could escape into, but bringing the wonders of the digital realm into the everyday world is proving to be much more interesting.

How Brands Can Benefit from Pegshot

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 by Ashley Reed

You’ve probably heard about location-based services like Foursquare and Gowalla, but have you tried Pegshot yet? Instead of answering the question “Where are you?”, Pegshot tells your friends “What’s happening where you are?” by enabling users to quickly share videos and photos with their social networks. The application allows users to “peg” a shot from their location and post it to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, Digg and Posterous in real-time.

There are many ways in which brands can take advantage of Pegshot to increase awareness and engagement with their organization. Pegshot is especially well-suited for promoting events as it facilitates quick and easy sharing of photos and videos in real-time, allowing immediate visibility on the social web. This means your audience can interact with your events while they are happening even if they cannot be there.

Real-time sharing also increases pass along rates since, attendees are usually active on social networks at events and can quickly view your content and re-tweet it, “Like” or comment on it. Not only can content be published on your social media accounts, but Pegshot even allows you to post photos and videos directly to your company’s website. In most cases, companies allow only their employees to publish content to their website to ensure that all material is appropriate.

To take advantage of Pegshot at your next event, follow these easy steps:

1. Create your event.

Add your event by filling out the details of your event including the name, date, your Twitter hashtag, and location. Your event will appear on any user’s mobile device in the surrounding area.

2. Create a branded landing page for your event.

You can create a custom branded landing page for you event or choose your Twitter background.

3. Promote your event and add contributors.

Pegshot offers a custom registration page so you can collect as many contributors as possible. You can use this custom landing page to promote your event across social networks as well as your website, email and print marketing initiatives.

4. Capture your event as it’s happening.

Now you’re ready to begin pegging photos and videos of your event in real-time. Your contributors as well as any Pegshot users in the vicinity can share content of your event which will be displayed on your custom landing page in addition to social networks and your website (if permission is granted.)

Fan Nation: A Study of Natural Social Networks in Sports

Thursday, June 24, 2010 by Joni Lockridge

Part One: Professional Soccer

I admit. I’m riding shotgun on the World Cup bandwagon. And after several hours in a crowded sports bar here in Atlanta, it is clear I’m not the only one. I was welcomed into a community of individuals who actively sought information about the team, the sport, the players, even the South African culture. We shared stories, we spilled beer on our jerseys… and we Facebooked each other so we could meet up for the next weekend’s games. I’ve officially expanded into new social network.

What is it about sports that make “social networking” so natural, so effortless? More importantly, what can brands in other industries learn from sports as they spend marketing dollars to acquire digital fans? A recent attempt by Syncapse to estimate the value of a fan on Facebook has resulted in an average worth of $138 per fan. The study further states that:

On average, fans spend an additional $71.84 on products for which they are fans compared to those who are not fans
Fans are 28% more likely than non-fans to continue using the brand
Fans are 41% more likely than non-fans to recommend a fanned product to their friends

Given the demonstrated value, I sought out Casey Romany, an Account Executive for Soccer United Marketing (SUM) to uncover their ingredients for success. SUM holds all commercial rights to both Major League Soccer and the United States Soccer Federation, including the men’s and women’s national teams that are playing in the 2010 World Cup. In addition, they hold rights to Mexican National Team games played in the United States, the CONCACAF Gold Cup™, and InterLiga.™

SUM just launched the new MLSnet.com, which has been years in the making. Obviously, they are not ahead of the technology curve, but as Casey describes, perhaps it is because they have never needed to be.

Soccer fans are extremely loyal and craved a centralized location to read about the sport. They flocked to the new website where they can read about international matches, local MLS games, and their favorite players from all over the world.

“We needed to take control of the space. A fan would have to go to so many different leagues, teams, and national sport sites to access information about soccer,” said Casey. SUM then supported their investment by hiring some of the biggest soccer journalists, affectionately called “soccer heads,” to tell the sport’s stories. Genius.

By building one platform for all of soccer and capitalizing on its protagonists, its epic battles, and its gossip, SUM has pulled together a social network so powerful that other brands invest marketing dollars to gain access to the soccer fans that SUM has unified. When a multi-million dollar business model also includes a way to monetize your marketing and PR tactics, it’s clear your fans are worth more than $138 each.

The key takeaway: Soccer, and the rest of the sports industry, is in the business of telling stories. Strong, passionate, exciting, tales of victory, tragedy, and legends in the making. Shakespeare only wishes he had it this easy.

And by comparison, fan pages on Facebook are flat. Most connections are superficial—purely discount driven, and without true loyalty. Where are the stories? The passion? Brands forget that they are selling more than products, and they lose depth in the relationships when they set the expectation that being a fan means getting a price reduction. I’m not arguing that this method isn’t a great way to build numbers, but I am arguing that it is a fragile way to build loyalty.

In my opinion, here are a few brands that have succeeded:

Starbucks: Starbucks offers promotions, but more importantly, the page also connects to those fans that are socially and environmentally aware— a strong attribute of Facebook users within that 18-24 demographic segment. Maybe this is why a Syncapse report revealed that Starbucks fans are likely to spend $238.22, more than triple the $71.84 average. In addition, their photo albums tell vivid, engaging stories about the company, the products, and the leadership (Check out Howard Schultz’ trip to Rwanda).

Southwest Airlines: As over-the-top as the flight attendants can be, it is refreshing to witness personality in the airline industry. The persona is also displayed full force on the Southwest Airlines Facebook page, and fans eat this up (a relatively safe assumption given the number of times fans ask, “How do I work for Southwest?”). Another thing I like about the page is how they speak to checked bags like they are passengers, personifying a service they offer. I value my personal belongings on a trip, and everything on this page reminds me that Southwest Airlines does also.

Nike Football (Soccer): Admittedly chosen due to its soccer content, this site still exemplifies the art of storytelling. The videos instigate a real emotional connection, and the calls to action are extremely powerful. The Nike Red campaign is building the same momentum as the LiveStrong campaign did $47 million dollars ago. This page screams “Join the team, unite as a fan of the sport, rally behind the cause, and be loyal to the Nike brand.”

Soccer United Marketing has united fans in a way brands can emulate. If you are looking to build loyalty, why focus solely on the collection of fickle bargain hunters? Present your product information by telling the details about the hard work and research during development, or build stories around employees and spokespersons similar to fiery sports features on players and teams. Most importantly, let your fans know that you have a heart; you are human; and you are the hero, not the villain. Like.

Why Do We Work?

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 by Laura Long

On my commute home I was listening to NPR, admittedly partially listening while daydreaming rather than getting educated, but a question caught my attention. “Why do we work?” The discussion was largely around motivation and what drives the creativity of a workplace towards new ideas. In my goal to participate in our company blog for the first time, I have been putting the pressure on myself to finalize my subject. What do I have to say? Great advice was given today: Speak to what gives me passion. The question from the radio reminded me.

So, why do we work? I mean, it can be hard! In the agency world it can also be unpredictable. A moving target if you will. We notoriously work hard and play hard. Each of us is driven by different motivators to get us up and at ‘em. Regardless of role we play in the cast of characters, there are times when we ask ourselves why. We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t. The reasons vary: money, recognition, people, opportunities, etc. As I pondered this myself, I realized it boiled down to one word.

My Word: Pride

For me, throughout my career I have served clients regardless of the job. Starting in retail, consulting and agencies, each position was in support of understanding my customers and serving their needs. It has only been with distance from that first job that I’ve been able to see the motif of this thread throughout my career.

This may sound lofty or something from some feel good management manual but it is exactly what drives me. “Why do I work?” It is because when I feel proud - I feel intensely motivated.

Recently I was reminded of how powerful this feeling can drive your motivation. Watching the accomplishment of my colleagues as they were recognized for a successful project for a client was, of course, nice. It was more than that. Seeing behind the eyes of my colleagues, to their pride, and – yep, here it comes – the look in our clients’ eyes. When we work so hard to provide smart and creative solutions to our clients, when we achieve their goals, when everyone looks at them and says “Wow, they are the rock stars we want them to be.” I’m proud.

How can we achieve this lofty feeling? Listen. Listen to what our clients need. And it isn’t just their business goals. As with each employee’s motivation, our client’s need different things to achieve success. Our skills in client services begin with any relationship tool. Listen first. Then ask questions. The more we know, the more we can deliver – in the partnership and in the growth of the account relationship.

There is another side to my story and one that is equally important to me. The pride I feel with my team in their accomplishments. It is genuine and I learned it from the leader’s I want to emulate. Working with employees and colleagues to support them to achieve their success brings my sense of motivation to great heights. I feel proud. It is why I work - I want to make things better. I want to feel like I’m contributing in a positive way to the work lives of my team members and my clients. Life can be challenging; Work can be challenging. Having a reason to work through those difficult times is related to how we feel about the possible outcomes. My possible outcome feeds my motivation to work. I’m not perfect…but…

I’m proud.

Best Practices for Facebook Pages

Wednesday, June 2, 2010 by Ashley Reed

Major brands are increasingly turning to Facebook to reach consumers and engage them deeper. In order to get the most out of your Facebook presence, be sure to formulate a strategy. What do you hope to get out of your Facebook Page?

Facebook Pages can be used for:

Building brand awareness
Increasing consumer engagement with your brand
Generating leads
Qualifying fans and converting them to customers
Improving customer service
Establishing your company as a thought leader

Once you’ve defined your goals, keep in mind these Do’s and Don’ts for engagement:

Do:

“Listen” to what your fans are talking about on your page – do they have praise or complaints?Identify what interests them and customize your messages accordingly.
Post compelling content like pictures and videos that keep them coming back for more.
Share exclusive content that they can’t get anywhere else.
Utilize Facebook applications like surveys, quizzes and games that foster an interactive experience.
Use Facebook’s analytics tool to determine what tactics are working, and which one’s aren’t.
Promote your Fan Page everywhere: print, online and TV advertisements, email signatures, business cards and targeted Facebook ads

Don’t:

Automate your content – Facebook is about conversation!
Sound impersonal - use a casual and informal tone.
Sound like a press release.
Spam your fans – maintain a balance of promotional and conversational posts.
Neglect your Fan Page – make sure you are monitoring it on a daily basis to respond to fans and post new content

Have more tips to add? Leave a comment below!

Trendwatch: The Social Graph

Tuesday, May 18, 2010 by Jeremy Porter

What’s the biggest buzzword around social networking right now? If you guessed location-based services, it would be hard to argue with you. If we ask you again in six months, chances are good you’ll answer the social graph.

The social graph questions keep coming up in client and prospect meetings. What is the social graph? What do we need to know about the social graph? How can we use the social graph to deepen relationships with customers? So on and so forth...

While I can’t answer every question you have about the social graph, I can help to start framing the conversation for executives struggling to gain a deeper understanding of the impact social graphs will have on their business.

For starters, the social graph is just a fancy way of describing relationships or connections with people, places and things. It’s a map of your social connections and preferences – a visual data model if you will, with hubs and nodes. For you, your social graph could be the Connections you have on LinkedIn, the places you’ve checked in on FourSquare, or the brands you’ve ‘liked’ on Facebook.

For illustrative purposes, there a few dozen lacrosse fans who are my Friends on Facebook. How many of them are from upstate New York? Syracuse fans? Of those, how many also listened to a lot of grunge in college, now live in Atlanta and work in marketing for an integrated interactive agency?

Granted, there’s probably not another one of me – at least not that specific, but you can see the potential. You’ve never been able to slice and dice data with this level of precision before. It’s this unprecedented level of targeting that gets innovative marketers excited, while privacy advocates reach for their pitchforks and torches.

Of course, my example above only illustrates relationships between connections and doesn’t get into activity, preference or myriad other social graphs that can be linked to one another. For example, who likes the same things or has been the same places as me? Who’s reading this article at the same time you are? These are questions you will be able to answer as social graphs get more sophisticated.

Where Did The Social Graph Come From?

Social graph has been popularized by Facebook, the world’s largest social network and the company most likely to serve as the epicenter for social graphs. While Facebook has plans to be the only social graph, recent announcements like its “Open Graph” suggest the company is happy remaining the epicenter of all social activity online. Plus, it’s unrealistic that Facebook could sustain a monopoly over the social graph – we all want to use other stuff.

With offerings like “Open Graph”, any electronic asset online can be linked to an individual’s social graph. In the months to come, look for this to include every place you go, everything you do, and everything you buy.

While Facebook has a lot of influence, there are no rules to the social graph. Any piece of social data can be woven into your graph to provide a more accurate picture of the interdependencies between your relationships and preferences. Privacy concerns aside (a future post perhaps), this stuff is truly amazing.

In the first wave of the Web, we were excited to discover new websites via links to other sites or search results. Early social networks encouraged us to link to one another, which dramatically accelerated our discovery of mutual relationships and made networking (the human kind) much faster – and in many ways enjoyable. Now everything is getting out there.

What’s All This Mean for Business?

For starters, you’ll start to have a crystal clear view into who your potential and current customers are. In the short-term, this will provide you with tremendous targeting advantages over your competition. For the 1st time ever, you’ll be able to customize incentives for all the 32 year old homemaker motor cross fans that have purchased a tofu burger from you in the past year.

Keep in mind, the more accurate you can target customers, the more accurate customers can target you. It is yet to be determined how consumers will react to the knowledge that they are your best customer. How much longer will it be before Foursquare mayors start demanding more incentives for the role they play in your viral marketing? What happens when Blippy users start demanding special incentives for all the purchases they’ve made?
These are good problems to have. Smarter brands and smarter consumers always forces us to innovate and push the needle farther. And who doesn’t love a good challenge?

Bottom line? The social graph takes a lot of the fun out of the guessing game of life – learning about people and things over time. Only time will tell whether or not instant gratification is a good thing or not. As marketers, it’s hard not to get excited about the potential to target with the greatest accuracy, reliability and ease ever. Bring it on.

At the same time, let’s tread forward lightly. We don’t want to create such huge concerns over privacy that regulation and oversight come in to drain the life out of the creative process.

What do you think? Are social graphs a good thing or a bad thing? Do you want people to know what kind of ice cream you like or what kind of car you drive? How much sharing is too much?

Community = (Me + My Friends) x (You + Your Friends) x (Your Friends and Their Friends)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 by Andy McCann

"We were born to unite with our fellow men, and to join in community with the human race." -- Cicero

A friend recently asked me what all the sensation was around Foursquare and Gowalla. These location based services (LBS) now gaining serious traction in the social media space. This same friend had asked me the same question a little over two years ago when I started actively participating and raving about Twitter and Facebook.

The first time I was asked this question, I initially struggled to answer it in a way that would easily explain the excitement and draw of using an online service to tell other people what I was doing, where I was eating, or why I think that (so and so's latest article) was so interesting.

However, this time the answer came to me rather quickly. "It's all about our interaction with our communities. Mine and yours and how they overlap!" When I see a friend write that the Thai place down the street has some kickin' sushi, I give that more credence than the billboard I see driving to the office. When I see one of your friends talk passionately about their son's kung fu instructor, I take that as a more qualified reference than a yellow pages ad.

So what are we really seeking when we post our latest thoughts on Facebook and Twitter? Or when we check out where our friends are checking in on Foursquare or Gowalla? Are we just vain and think that what we are doing is SO important? Or are we just seeking a way to connect in an ever busy, ever moving, ever expanding world?

We have friends and family and colleagues and people we just admire with whom we go days, weeks or even years without actually laying eyes on each other. Or even more rare, actually sitting down and catching up on what has been going on in our lives, our careers, our family, friends, churches, baseball leagues … our communities.

Thanks to these online tools, I get to keep up with a larger number of people than ever possible before. And I learn more about their communities and the people and places in them. This in turn, expands my own known universe. It makes me bigger than I could be on my own. My boundaries are constantly expanded, and in a way that is relevant and meaningful to me and my friends (and your friends and their friends). Growth is good, is it not?

I live and work in Atlanta. I like to enjoy the occasional tasty local brew, listen to great live music and I also just so happen to really get geeky about the latest and greatest innovations in the .NET developer community. Wonder how many different ways those communities intersect and how they are related? Wouldn't be a cool thing if I could go somewhere and see my friends in these different circles talk about these things that are interesting to me and that we have in common. What if I can be the catalyst to help bring these different communities together in new and interesting ways?

One of the most interesting ways that new media tools have affected me and my community are when my online and offline worlds converge. Last November, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to host and moderate a panel for the TAG Consulting Society on "Marketing Your Practice to Build Loyalty and Brand Awareness". I was able to engage 2 panel members through my offline community and reached out to my online community to find the remaining two panel members.

Thanks to my network of friends, I was introduced to two extremely smart and engaging panelists who helped round out a wonderful panel. (Thanks again to @lisa_sherman77 and @johnreed3000). Another example of where my friends reach out to their friends who then become my friends who then can become your friends too.

I would like to extend this opportunity for us to become part of each other's community. Follow me on Twitter @andrewmccann or on Facebook or on LinkedIn. From there you can find me on Foursquare and Gowalla and whatever the next big thing is that allows me to connect with my friends and your friends and my friends with your friends.

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.
-- Herman Melville

Social Media and Television

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 by Jasdeep Jaitla

I recently attended the NABshow in Las Vegas and was not only impressed with how amazing football looks on a 3D TV, but also the dominant theme of the importance of social media to growing audiences and creating new ways to interact with television.

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have grown so quickly and unobtrusively that we often don't realize how big they really are. Becoming a part of Facebook is easy, and simple, even my mom did it without needing any help from me (for once). When we are looking at Facebook we see ourselves and our friends, and for the most part it feels like our own little community. The real eye opener is realizing there are over 400 Million other people feeling the same way.

The first step for the networks was integrating their website with their programming. NBC Universal did a great job integrating Heroes show themes with their website, and I've been impressed by that for some time. Their webisodes and tangential plotlines for Heroes was really well done, continuing alternative stories and keeping interest going.

Most of the networks are catching up and revitalizing their website presence so that it aligns with their programming. Recently HBO completely re-launched their website with an online community with forums. Simultaneously they are launching "minisodes" that are viewable online and on Sunday nights.

Every network is exploding onto social media since they realized how many people are actually participating online and how much more interesting this paradigm can be.

What about live commenting and interacting? This is the new theme within the television networks that has been growing over the last year or so, and that's integrating social media into programming live online. I remember the first time I saw Tosh.O on Comedy Central, highlighting the funniest and most random YouTube videos, and broadcasting the funniest tweet that people posted during his monologue. Oprah has live broadcasts with Facebook feeds running simultaneously so that people can contribute to the show. Look out for the new contest called Your Own Show, it's going to be a big one, with user submitted videos highlighting why they should be the next new TV Host promoted by Oprah.

Oxygen said they put an espisode of Bad Girls online, and paired it with Social Media, the result was a growth of their audience at 70% on the west coast and 90% on the east coast! That's tremendous!

Be on the lookout for a host of new ways of interacting with television networks, and the new shows that are going to result from all these ideas being submitted and shared!

Oprah Winfrey's President of Digital Media, Rob Tercek, really nailed it down succinctly when he quoted Oprah as saying, "Engagement is the new entertainment."

So what about you? Have you participated in Social Media and Television? What about checking out websites for your favorite shows? Which one do you like most?

What Do Marketers Really Want?

Monday, April 19, 2010 by Michael Kogon

What do you want? Those of you that are CMOs, Brand Managers, VPs of Advertising or Marketing, what do you really want?

Whenever and wherever this question is asked, the answer is always the same: Results! You want results and you want them now (it’s the same thing you wanted yesterday, and the same thing you’ll want tomorrow).

If you are in the agency business, you should never lose sight of this basic marketing need. If you are in-house and spend your money on advertising and marketing, I hope this helps you think about how to find people who can improve those results faster.

This topic has been on my mind since I got together with a group of marketing professionals earlier this month. We started off talking about how to produce ROI reports for their CFOs and finance counter parts. Ultimately, what everyone really wants to see is results.

How you define results and what value they deliver for your business may vary, but here are some sample measurements based on our discussion:

•   Brand health metrics
•   Units Sold
•   Leads Generated
•   Awareness and Recall levels
•   ROAS
•   E-mail marketing conversion
•   Increased Foot Traffic

How can agencies produce results more consistently when results are so varied by each client? Here are six suggestions for ways I think agencies can be prepared to provide a variety of results for a variety of clients and also for the same customer who has evolving needs over a long period of time.

1.   Understand your client's business. If you are not as much a management consultant as an ad person, then I think you will fail in the future. Today's marketing and advertising challenges, impact customer service, public relations, product develop & procurement as well as IT, finance and channel relations. Now, they always have, but now that the world is digitized and visibility is possible; the demand to work on more than just demand is higher.

2.   Understand customer behavior. One of the things I think Agency can do better than most client-side marketers is getting to know the end customer and the customers along the way. We can and should provide outsider insight into the purchase drivers that lead consumers or businesses to buy from clients. By being involved in the insight business, we can help our customers produce the results they need.

3.   Be more social. So much has been said about this over the last 18 months, so I'll share why I think agencies need to become more social. We are in the business of communications and in connecting companies and customers. The landscape has evolved where the cost of distributing messages is virtually zero and the demand for connection is 100%. When demand is this high and the cost is so low, there is an unlimited amount of success you can have for you and your customers if you tap into this skill set.

4.   Learn math and how to analyze data. I became a Speech Communications major because it had no math requirement. I bet a lot of people who are in our field did the same thing, I know it. Math has never been a problem for me, I just didn't care to do any more formulas or equations. Then I got into advertising, and as I did Nielsen store data, GRPs, category management, research, coupon redemption and media plans, it became clear that math was going to be a big part of my life. When I started our Integrated Interactive Agency in the 90s it become clear that math, engineering and analysis would be at the center of much of what we would do to help clients. A strong analytics capability and good math people, programmers, engineers and analysts are essential if you are serious about producing results and proving those results.

5.   Learn how to produce. Content, code, sounds, event. From branding to social, to broadcast to micro-cast. From visual to technical, and in-home to the 6th screen. A good partner doesn't outsource the doing to sub-contractors, it is no longer acceptable to do the boards, the concept, the design, the plan and then hand it off. In these days and times, buyers expect ongoing interactions and learned messaging overtime. The mediums must be an integrated seamless experience or you will lose sales and revenue for your clients. That is not the result they want.

6.   Ask your clients what they need to thrive. So I end with this, what do you need to thrive in your current marketing and advertising role? We are listening……….

Designing Experiences

Thursday, April 15, 2010 by Asa Sherrill

Not too long ago, Electrolux commissioned a website to promote their Infinity brand refrigerators to consumers in Brazil. Before you dive into the link to the website (below), take a second to think about the refrigerator you have. If you don’t love your refrigerator (I don’t love mine), think about the fridge you’d like to have.

What did you think about first? Be honest. Was it sleek? Stainless steel, black, or some other beautiful color that matched the rest of your kitchen? Did it have all the right options and all the right drawers to fit your hectic lifestyle?

We buy things for a lot of reasons, but most of these reasons boil down to one main driver: improve life. We humans surround ourselves with things that define us and alter the way we experience the world. Like the rest of the animal kingdom, though, and no matter how much we may believe we are creatures of logic, the core of us is driven by emotion.

Here’s the experience Electrolux wants you to associate with their product:

I will warn you ahead of time, this Brazilian website, as you may have expected, is written entirely in Portguese. Fortunately, for us non-Portuguese speakers, the site makes a great example of how powerful reaching an audience on an emotional level can be. Visit the site at: http://www.electrolux.com.br/infinity/

Sound and Music
As the site completes loading, music sets the stage enhancing the experience and setting the user in the atmosphere of a dinner party. Note how the music and sound changes as you navigate through the dinner party (try the menu to the left, the first three options translate roughly to Appetizers, Entrees, and Desserts).

Sound is an important part of any experiential website because we create memories and not just with our eyes, but with all of our senses. Electrolux uses sound and music to enhance a pleasant emotional experience associated with the brand.

Photography and Animation
Despite its impact on the experience, the sounds may have gone somewhat unnoticed by you due to well-directed and vivid photography. Looking at the “Entrees” section (Pratos Principais), the subtlety of animation in the steam rising from the meat dish, the dancing candle flames, or the gently shifting liquids all work together with the photography to paint the picture of a real event. I could almost walk up to the table and help myself to a plate.

Interactivity
Throughout each scene of the evening, small diamond calls-to-action float, asking me to dig a bit deeper into the scene. When I do click, I’m presented with another juxtaposition; this time, it is the detail of one of the party dishes along side features of the fridge. As a user, I can now opt to explore to my liking, either allowing myself to be enticed by the sharply presented dishes, or, I can choose to explore how Electrolux makes this elegant evening simple.

In the real world, experiences we have are not just sights and sounds, but they are shaped also by our own interaction with them. The ability to engage and be fully involved with the party is severely limited by the technology (for now), but sometimes it just takes a little bit of interactivity to create enough of a dialogue between the user and the website.

Looking back over the three components that bring the site together, we see pieces of a real experience: sound, sight, and interaction. They beg the question: would taste, touch, and smell enhance this website further?

I hope you enjoy the site and I’d encourage you to explore it fully even if you aren’t in the market for a refrigerator.

Are You Drawing Pictures in the Dark?

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 by Kevin Smith

While talking with a family member about things to do around town, one of them shared their experience at a “Dialogue in the Dark” exhibit. In the exhibition, blind guides lead visitors through a completely dark environment where they learn to interact by relying on other senses. The activities provide an innovative and powerful tool for reinforcing a trusting collaborative mindset and emotional intelligence. The exhibit is based upon writings from German-Jewish philosopher Martin Buber’s work The Principles of Dialogue which states: “The only way to learn is through encounter”.

Having to experience life without the sense of sight reminds me of how many customers ask for help in the building of a new website or some other piece of creative, without wanting to take the time to share anything about who their target audience is, their industry, their competitive landscape, or their vision for the future. Execution on creative for marketing campaigns without the input required to understand how to support and target the message is like drawing pictures in the dark. You have no sense of direction to guide you in the creation of the most attractive and appealing designs.

Here are several points to consider when guiding someone on a journey in an area they are unfamiliar with using their other four senses. Remember these steps are intended to build trust, confidence, and stimulate use of other senses beyond sight.

“Hearing” the Voice of your Customers

Listening to the Voice of Your Customers can at times sound like an old wives tales to many who choose to shoot first and then aim in their approach to designing great creative. The process of capturing a customer's requirements to produces a detailed set of wants and needs, and then prioritized in terms of relative importance can consist of both qualitative and quantitative research steps. It usually starts with a series of forensic questions that yields measurable results focused on awareness, credibility, loyalty, accuracy. This input is valuable in the creative process because it provides the designer with a framework for developing the creative to appeal to the most important needs of an end user.

“Smelling” the environmental ques around you

A designer can learn tremendous insight from your competitors and other industry and non-industry related sites that are generally appealing to your target audience. Most consumers look at search results and make three to six second decisions based upon how copy and the initial creative “smells”- that is the first impression of trust and care that one senses when seeing a new site. People know what authenticity really smells like.

“Touching ” your clients with the right message

We have all seen how a cute picture drawn by a small child can touch our hearts and pull us to act in a certain way. Planning is an essential key to an effective website that will earn the trust and loyalty of a dedicated customer base. If you were to walk around a well built house with your eyes closed you could use your sense of touch to know that a solid architecture was used in the construction of the home. A quality user experience has to be the centerpiece of any online strategy.

Share the “Taste” of the success of great design

Whether you are enjoying a meal at a hole in the wall beach shanty or white tablecloth restaurant, you know when you have experienced a meal well served with lots of different flavors that truly satisfies you. When you are following a process to developing quality user focused creative for a marketing campaign, you will want to experience the comfort of a site map that meets your target audience(s) prioritized information needs. You will likely have a taste for various design comps and want to add a few savory changes before the recipe is finally to your taste.

To steer clear of beauty pageants that want you to show your pretty pictures and to avoid having to draw pictures in the dark, look for every opportunity to show your prospects and clients how to use their other senses in developing great creative.

What the F…antastic!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 by Doug Dimon

I live near the Flatiron Building in Manhattan. I was walking to work a few days ago and I happened to look up to see a man standing precariously on the edge of a building. “What the F….?!?!?” I watched for a few moments and realized that it was a statue. “Fantastic!” I thought, and snapped a photo.

The next day I was looking for him again, and I realized that he was not alone. There are figures placed on the tops of buildings all around Madison Square Park… 31 to be exact. It’s the newest installation in the on-going art series “Mad. Sq. Art”. These rotating public installations continually surprise and delight me. They make me pause in my usual manic city travel and investigate. I want to see what I might be overlooking, I want to learn more either on site or through the web, and I share the experience with everyone.

One of the great things about the “real” world is the never ending stream of discovery you experience simply walking around. When enter a store, even for a specific item, you will be hard pressed to ignore all the other things vying for your attention (that’s called merchandising). Sometimes, in the digital world, we become so focused on the main message, we forget that this chance discovery can be an effective way to engage your audience. It appeals to our basic human nature.

Clearly there are going to be many times when you will need to put your message or information out in a straightforward simple way. But if you are creating consumer touch points, don’t underestimate the ability for a little surprise and indirect messaging to engage your audience. People are naturally curious, and anytime you can pique that curiosity, you’ve got a hook. So think about adding some hidden interaction to your website or banner ads. Perhaps create some surprising visuals to surround your message, something that seems completely unrelated but will get your viewers interested and lead them to spend more time with your brand. This tactic may not always be a direct contributor to sales, but it will strengthen the connection to your brand. The longer you can keep the user engaged, the more opportunities you have to embed your brand or message into their thoughts.

It’s easy to see the power of “wow”: getting attention through some massive tactic, but often the ones that are the most engaging, rely on the power of “what?” Like the art in Madison Square Park, it is the little gems you seek out that create the strongest impressions. You don’t necessarily have to use a big rock to make a big splash. Just think about what you can do to delight your audience. What small thing can you add to your website that will make them want to explore further or stay longer? It could be as simple as excellent copywriting adding depth to otherwise ordinary menu items. Or perhaps it’s a navigation paradigm that leads users to information in a unique and fun way. These little flourishes should not distract your user from their path, but instead should add a little extra something to their experience.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but its king of engagement. Surprise me. Delight me. Engage me.

Anticipating Key Developments in Web Design

Friday, April 9, 2010 by John Harne

It took a little over a week to get over my SXSW experiential (and literal) hangover and to sum up my thoughts on the 2010 Austin event. One word sums up my thoughts coming out of this year's festival..."Anticipation".

Remember the Heinz TV spots of the early 1990's, with Carly Simon singing for ketchup. This year it seemed like everyone was waiting for something, but it just didn't seem to show up. Since this was the venue that Twitter and FourSquare debuted in years past, I think the majority of the attendees were "anticipating" more. Instead there was a lot more marketing of Miller Lite beer, Chevy Volt and Monster energy drink, more parties, more free beer and a whole lot more people. Over 6,200 more folks in fact, all anticipating something, some next big thing at SXSW 2010.

Anticipation was also common Twitter theme and with so many birds of a feather together, the Twitter and FourSquare servers seemed to lag during certain keynotes and party hours. FourSquare had to invent a new badge for the experience called a super swarm. This designated that over 250 users checked in to a specific location, like the Frog Design party at MACC on Sunday evening. Everyone was gathering and waiting on something to happen.

Sometimes it pays to look the other way. While most of the crowd was attending keynotes given by the founders and thought leaders of social media, some big news was breaking in some smaller sessions and workshops.

This year three key developments signaled future implications for web interface design that will change the visual future of the web. CSS 3, HTML5 and Fluid Type are what I am talking about. The ability to leverage thousands of fonts will release web design from restrictions and separate creative talent from web generalists. HTML5 will do away with the use of proprietary plug-ins for basic rich media.

HTML5 adds video and audio capabilities to core markup languange with the intention of reducing the need for browser plug-in-based rich internet applications (RIA). And it is being employed now. Big entities like CBS are displaying their content video while Microsoft Silverlight and Adobe Flash are just beginning to do battle. The take-away is that open source code will have the ability to display media that the bulk of Flash and other RIA's are doing now. This spells the end for many plug-ins and the best part is HTML5 is here now and should reach W3C Recommendation by late this year.

CSS3 is still currently under development but many of the recommendations are working in existing browsers. The list of features continues to grow and the ability of designers to use these features to extend web design is exciting.

Consider what a designer might be able to do with just multiple backgrounds. This feature already works in Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari. Don't ask me about IE, but even IE has revealed better CSS controls are on the way.

Jason Cranford Teague might have given the most interesting presentation. I have known Jason personally for over ten years and I can testify that his vision of the future of web development has been uncanny. He was one of the very first to author a book on CSS, and in fact later served as an advisor to the CSS W3C group. Now he is an evangelist for web design and his passion is releasing the artform of typography to the web.

As any designer knows, fontography online is a shadow of what is capable in print, film and other fixed media because of browsers, usage laws and technology. But there are now alternatives to system fonts and type displayed as bitmapped images.

Jason's new book presents three approaches to using a wide variety of fonts in web design and goes into depth in his explanation of just what fontography really is. After being an interactive creative director for more than a decade, I can say with authority that most of the web has become a sea of sameness because of the lack of font variety and the ability to design with fonts.

Fluid web typography will give artists access to over 100 thousand fonts versus the less than 5 that are typically used online. So take a look at embedded open type, license font servers and web-font linking. You just might realize another wave of innovation in web design is already here.

A couple of links worth reading:

Like It Or Not, I’m for Fans on Facebook

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 by Chris Thornton

Facebook has become a critical component to the marketing plans for companies, particularly in business-to-consumer segments. The value companies get from the highly-engaging social network is hard to match through other media.

Facebook recently decided to change a key component of its advertising platform to increase interactions with brands, by eliminating the “Fan” function and moving to the tried and true “Like” function. The rationale behind this move is simple: Facebook users use the “Like” function everywhere in the platform, therefore the expectation is that users will be more likely to “Like” a brand because it is more intuitive and familiar.

The “Like” functionality of ads is powerful because it increases interactions between consumers and brands. The bad news is this behavior sets out to destroy a lot of the value brands can get from social media.

Let me explain. For starters, we all know marketers face enormous pressure to deliver quantifiable results. The number of “Likes” or “Fans” is an easy number to throw on a spreadsheet with a whole bunch of other stats to show your boss you’ve done more that play Farmville all week long.

“We’ve increased the number of people that like our brand by 10.357% this week. Looks like I’m getting that bonus and retiring toTahiti!” I think that’s the wrong mindset to encourage. I do agree that “Becoming a Fan” of a brand seems more committal and that it would be much easier to get numbers up by driving “likes” instead…but do I really want that? Wouldn’t I rather have access to a group of influential people who really believe in my brand, who truly have brand love and want to shout it out from Mount High? I think the answer to that is “Yes.”I want to know who my biggest brand advocates are, not just the casual, “Yeah, I like you…you are cool”-type of people. There are plenty of other ways to find them.

When it comes to my “Fans,” these are people who really love me. I want to turn these people into brand ambassadors, enable them, engage them, and encourage them to share their love with their friends. For the people that simply “Like” me, the opportunity is lower to create that kind of interaction, not to mention I now have completely muddled my group of hardcore fans with casual ones. The result? We’re right back to measuring based on size instead of substance.

So instead of making this change, why can’t Facebook bring back the “dislike” button, so I can “dislike” this change? I want to know who the real fans are, not just the people who like me today. Like what I do, but be a fan of the brand I am. If you like this blog post, please click thumbs up.

Reports of the Death of Second Life are Greatly Exaggerated

Monday, April 5, 2010 by Paul Hernacki

I recently overheard several discussions and have seen a number of social media posts mocking virtual MMO world Second Life. Many declare it and its ilk dead. People are openly cynical towards it. Laughing at it seems like the hip and trendy thing to do unless you want to appear to be an idiot. And you're not an idiot, are you?

When Second Life first came onto the scene it was the shiny new toy with all the typical hype. You couldn't swing a dead virtual cat without hitting a marketer or interactive technologist that wanted to talk about Second Life. People ran to it like moths to a flame and then they got burned. I once heard Second Life brilliantly described as marketing's Vietnam. No one wants to talk about it or how bad things got screwed up there.

People spent tons of effort on research around it, heralded it as the next big thing, many even asked their employees to start playing it in a rush to become subject matter experts on it and figure out how to pitch their clients on creating branded virtual islands and experiences in this brave new 3D immersive world. And truly, the potential was staggering, nobody was wrong about that. But the results weren't what everyone had hoped for. Far from it. The technology and interface still had a steep learning curve for many users, there were numerous barriers to entry that made it unwieldy for many potential customers, the experience was still a stretch for the vast majority of mainstream users who were just beginning to figure out FaceBook, and the ROI for the required effort simply wasn't there beyond some immediate PR value. But more than anything, there was a conundrum around the openness and lack of control over the experience, namely that Second Life was (and still is to a large degree) rife with adult content, porn, virtual sex and many other things that most brands simply didn't want to be associated with or risk exposing their customers to as those customers struggled to navigate their way to BrandXYZ Island. So people left in droves, most corporations that had tested the waters began their mass exodus. Those that jumped on the bandwagon (who still had their jobs) shook their heads in embarrassment and apology vowing never to make that mistake again.

But here's the thing. They weren't wrong about the potential. People were simply overly zealous, reckless, and so anxious to be ahead of the curve to appear innovative and be early adopters that they just made bad decisions on timing and failed to do their homework. They invested far too much effort into something that was still far from being ready for prime time and the mainstream. They wanted to be bleeding edge and guess what? There was blood. And now people either talk about it hushed tones or openly deride it.

But did you forget the part where I said that it's full of porn, sex and adult content? That industry and genre of society is so all over it and advanced in its use of it that it's crazy. That's right. The same industry and users that were the first to embrace newsgroups, web sites, e-commerce, paid-subscriptions for content, cross-channel branding, and on-line video. And they are always months to years ahead of the mainstream adoption and monetization. They happen to have a user base that will go to great lengths to extend their experience and be willing to deal with early shortcomings of the technology. It's a multi-billion dollar industry that time after time leads the way.

Meanwhile, another massive industry, Gaming and Entertainment, has continued to embrace the technology. MMORPG's like World of Warcraft and many others plus the continually enhanced experiences offered via services like Xbox Live leverage incredibly rich and immersive interactive 3D gaming and social experiences. Project Natal from Microsoft even looks to change the game further by enabling more physical interaction without the need for a handheld controller to interface with games and virtual environments.

The technology continues to advance. The processing speeds to accommodate these environments continue to increase. The typical memory of average computers continues to increase. Broadband keeps getting broader and the average technical proclivity of users keeps getting higher.

Second Life continues to evolve with a large number of improvements for user experience and better content ratings to segment world areas that are more "adult-focused" from those that are not (a move which has even been protested by some of the Adult-Content focused current users of the platform). By some reports the amount of Adult content is even growing in lesser proportion to more mainstream content. And their parent company Linden Labs has been hard at work developing the Second Life Grid that enables companies and organizations to have and create private worlds that are independent from the mass Second Life world. Companies like Unity are doing amazing things to enable 3D games and experiences to be easily developed and require nothing more than a browser. More powerful game engines are coming out every day. And Windows Phone 7, coming out soon, will enable Xbox Live right from a phone.

So it's not that Second Life is dead. Far from it. It didn't want to go on the cart. What's dead is the spirit and vision from some whose egos were crushed because they were burned by being reckless in pursuit of the next big, cool thing. Note to these folks for the future: if it's full of little besides porn and sex it's probably not yet right for most brands. But you're crazy to not see that means it will eventually make its way into the mainstream. It just takes time. It's probably not going to happen tomorrow. But when it does, don't call it a comeback because it'll have been here for years. If you're smart, you're still paying attention to what they and others in this space are doing. And you are smart, aren't you?

What Are Your Plans? Why Not Share Them?

Friday, April 2, 2010 by Jeremy Porter

Twitter wanted to know "What are you doing?", though today they just want to know "What's happening?" Then there's Foursquare and Gowalla. They just want to know where you are. Now there's a new breed of social services catching on that want you to tell people what you're going to do.

The front runner in this new social planning category is Plancast, with their tagline "You've got plans. Spread the word." Early adopters and Twitterati flocked to Plancast during SXSW Interactive (SXSWi) last month, sharing the minute details of every session and party they planned to attend. HotPotato, a similar social event sharing service also got tossed around at SXSWi, promoted through the mobile Foursquare app at the festival.

Unlike traditional calendar sharing, services like Plancast and HotPotato enable you to create and share an event with your social media friends, which at first glance seems like a brilliant way to get all your friends to rally around an event.

The big question here is how much sharing is too much? If you use Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and a service like Plancast, you're providing an incredible amount of personal data to all kinds of people you don't know all too well.

It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of all these new social services, and none of us want to be left behind on the next big thing in social media. I'd just urge you to consider what you share across these social channels until you have a firm understanding of your privacy risks (or at least your privacy settings).

I use all these services, and I tend to be a bit of an over-sharer when it comes to the details of my personal and professional lives (they're one and the same to me). If anybody wanted to use my information for ill-will, I'm sure they could. The Please Rob Me service that popped up recently is a good signal for the potential risks here. While the service has since been deactivated, it was effective at rasing awareness around the social media privacy issue (which was also a central theme at SXSWi).

I think the benefits of these social tools far outweigh the potential privacy risks - but that might not be the case for all of you. Before you start sharing details about that month-long trip you plan on taking this summer, you might want to think twice about who is following your feed.

For now, if you plan to attend a big event, or you'd like to rally support for an event you're close to, consider using a platform like Plancast or HotPotato to get the word out.

Going Mobile

Thursday, April 1, 2010 by Tom Kirszenstein

During the Vancouver Olympics in February, I conducted an informal experiment to arbitrate which mobile Olympics experience would be superior--the mobile site at www.NBCOlympics.com, or the NBC Olympics iPhone App. Other than the mens and womens medal round hockey games, my entire olympics experience was mobile-- I kept totally up to date using only my iPhone.

As it turned out, both were excellent interactive solutions that delivered different experiences. Each had valuable, engaging content--schedules, scores, and tons of video. However, what really differentiated the App was its Social Media integration. It enabled me to follow athletes on Twitter, post my own comments and ask questions. The iPhone App also let me set my own Favorites for quick access to the things that I was most interested in. With the exponential growth of mobile devices & services, alongside the insidious expansion of LBS apps such as FourSquare and Gowalla, our world is definitely going mobile.

In 1999, I purchased my first Sprint PCS digital handset. I upgraded over the years to various other devices that include a "flip" camera phone, a "candybar" phone with no camera, and a cool texting phone (complete with full QWERTY keyboard), and then finally acquiring my current iPhone 3GS. It didn't take long to find out that there really is an App for just about everything.

Since last year, my daily routine has involved using my phone alarm to wake up, then check the weather App, and read the morning news. While at work, I use mobile Apps from Yammer!, Skype, and various Twitter clients such as Tweetdeck and Echofon. Still a big user of SMS text messaging in conjunction with Web sites and various Apps, I am alerted of changes, posts and retail offers that I don't want to miss.

Arriving in Atlanta from Tampa only six months ago, Google Maps was vital to find my way everywhere. Also found myself embracing several Augmented Reality Apps to find things in my neighborhood--where to eat, buy groceries, and even find my apartment. When at home on weekends-- my Trace Tuner is fired up while practicing my saxophone, as well as my Karajan Music Training App for learning my scales & intervals. Checking sports schedules & scores is easy with various sports Apps, I also conduct my online banking with my phone, follow stocks, use movie Apps for showtimes & trailers, and TV Guide when I watch TV. I use my reward card App for my loyalty cards, use travel Apps like Kayak and Tripit to plan & coordinate my itineraries, music Apps like Zoozbeat to create, share, & discover music, and I also play a few mobile games and check LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace. PayPal has recently introduced its "Bump to Pay" App that makes it even easier to buy with my phone. In addition to the seemingly infinite array of mobile apps, I find myself navigating away from any Web site that is not optimized for mobile devices.

Mobile technology is responsible for sweeping changes in our economy and our culture--not only expanding what we are able to do, but also how we think and interact with others. Televisions and stereo consoles used to be pieces of furniture in our parent's living room that allowed us to trade our free time for soap commercials. We now interact with our world on many different levels, using many different devices, in many different places. Contemporary marketers are still are offering a trade, but the power has shifted, quite literally, into the hands of their potential customers.

6 Things: Beyond the Play Button

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 by Doug Dimon

“6 Things” is a list of things I have recently come across that I find interesting, inspiring, adventurous, or just plain cool. I’ll be publishing these fairly regularly, so keep an eye out.

In this installment of “6 Things” I explore the use of video beyond passive viewing. Video is a powerful way to engage your viewers, and these examples take it to the next level by integrating video into the user experience and getting the viewer into a more active role either through interaction or a more immersive experience.

1: The European Wrangler site uses video as an integral part of the interface for its Bluebell collection. It shows the collection using a series of vignettes that allow the user to control the action.

2: These guys project video on buildings to create an immersive experience that goes beyond the screen. They create amazing visuals that are made to wrap the surfaces of buildings. The result is a cross between a drive-in movie and an acid trip.

3: For Phillips Cinema Display, they created a single moment in time that the viewer can explore. Check out the “behind the scenes” moments embedded in the time line. The whole experience draws the user in and engages you on a deeper level.

4: The things that happen outside the perceptible range of human sight are stunning, creepy, and amazing. Discovery explores this world on their show Time Warp. To give viewers the opportunity to really get up close and personal with the show, they a series of clips the user can run every which way to explore all the nuances of that action.

5: Here’s a simple but effective way to move YouTube from a passive to an active medium. Showtime used YouTube’s API to create a Dexter game. The created a series of videos challenging the user to find Dexter before time runs out. Do so, and you are sent to the next, more challenging level.

6: Interactive Projection Systems have been around for awhile, but the technology has eveloped to a level where you can do really interesting things. Brands are using these installations to attract attention and engage passers-by. Artists are using them to create interactive works that involve the viewer in the art. Museums are using them to bring fun to their exhibits.

Just Don't Call It Viral

Friday, March 26, 2010 by Paul Iannacchino

Now if this were a documentary and not a blog I’d start out this way:

FADE IN:
Simple white text over black.

viral |ˈvīrəl|
adjective
1 of the nature of, caused by, or relating to a virus or viruses.

2 of or involving the rapid spread of information about a product or service by viral marketing techniques : a viral video ad.

For the record I find the dictionary definition vehicle totally played out, but bear with me, I am trying to make a point…I think?

Creating original and entertaining viral advertising is a unique challenge every time it’s attempted; no matter the agency, the client or the brand. The audience at large has become more and more fickle when it comes to what entertains them, especially online.

Creating something the viewer feels compelled to pass along to a friend? Even more difficult. That’s why I try to make it clear every time I embark on a job dubbed “viral”. It’s not a noun. You are attempting to catch lightning in a bottle...naming it as such doesn’t make it so.

So what is the secret formula to this viral video stuff? The secret is there is no secret. Who can explain why one day the Coca Cola “Happiness Machine” is wildly popular and the next the “Death Metal Rooster” or the latest kitten video is all the rage? There are too many mitigating factors to count, let alone to try and prepare for. You can’t make a video spread virally. All the planning and analysis in the world will never trump a great idea. There it is. I knew I had a point!

What we do know is people are consuming video online like never before. 141 million people viewed Web video in February. Even more astounding, YouTube announced that users are uploading 20 hrs of video every minute of every day on their site. Man, that’s a lot of kittens!

Gone are the days that just because it’s there people will watch it, never mind share it. But that’s the goal. Sharing. Buzzfeed actually uses a metric on their site to chart viral performance - the formula is based on how actively the content is being shared and spread to chart success. Not just views.

As the guys from undercurrent.com so brilliantly said in their SXSW presentation, “internet fame is a social phenomenon, not a magic trick”. So what does that mean for brands entering the space? What can they do to help achieve some internet fame?

Firstly, for me as a creative, and certainly as a director, there’s one sure-fire trick to be followed and that starts with a great idea. Look at the most successful viral advertising and web video. I bet it’s a fairly simple idea done really well, usually in the “I wish I thought of that” category.

Is the idea and, in turn, the content quality? Is it original, smart, funny, heartfelt, genuine, or is it simply content for content sake? Will it entertain? Will it engage? Will it encourage advocacy - meaning, do I feel compelled to share? As a brand, the Death Metal Rooster is probably not something to aspire to…unless you’re Purdue maybe...which is just plain weird. My point is that brands can’t chase “Chocolate Rain” or “Star Wars Kid”…I mean, come on, that kid would totally destroy you!

Two, duration. If you want to harness the power of the people sharing a great idea, keep it short and get to the hook early (around 2 minutes is our sweet spot) but if you insist on going longer, for the love of all that’s holy, raise the stakes and the funny*, escalate things to keep them engaged. *(oh, the funny, like "more cowbell", always helps).

People are being entertained across an ever-growing number of mediums and everyday consumers become more media literate. I will always passionately argue that just creating content is simply not enough. Content is king, sure, but now quality is job one.

Not to say that only means production value. That’s part of it of course. I’m the first to push back on folks that say things like “internet budget” or “it’s only being produced for a tiny screen, it should be really cheap right?”, or my favorite, “it’s only for the Web”, argh…don’t get me started!

Now, spoiler alert; time for a little self-tooting…wait for it. "The Happiness Machine" was a great idea. The fact that it has such a broad appeal is not a fluke. It’s a simple concept that delivered the desired effect; to put a smile on people’s faces. It’s on brief, on brand and elicits a genuine emotional response. Lucky for us, Coke saw that early on and they deserve a LOT of credit for preserving the core idea. The final product as it exists is very, very close to the initial creative. That is rare.

So, back to that trite open of mine. If you do your job right, the derivative of viral becomes an adverb, “virally”, because it has performed that way. People shared it and hopefully, became active participants with your brand.

Now, I don’t have all the answers. I’m just a guy that spent two days inside a vending machine so what do I know? What I do know is viral, much like any other successful advertising, is still about the big idea. Don’t think small because the aspect ratio is. On the contrary, think bigger because your audience is growing every day.

I love the idea that the only difference between a community and an audience is the way the chairs are facing. You can produce a million dollar spot and seed it or spend your million seeding a low budget video featuring nothing but a farting sock puppet, if the concept sucks there goes your million and your audience. (note to self: write million dollar sock puppet treatment, post haste!).

It’s no longer just about views or clicks, it’s about becoming part of the cultural zeitgeist. People share, discuss, rate, comment on, discuss, tweet, blog and even spoof or parody your creation. That’s viral. Your idea spreads rapidly beyond your control through every channel.

For brands, it means the consumer becomes your biggest advocate and as we have come accustomed to saying, BOOM goes the dynamite! You’re viral. Just stop calling it that. Cool? Thanks.

Privacy, Sustainability and Convergence: Central Themes from SXSW Interactive

Thursday, March 25, 2010 by Stephen Boyd

Now that I have been back in the office for a bit, I wanted to think back on SXSW Interactive and some of the high points for me. Overall, it was a great experience and certainly came away with a lot of information that will help us serve our clients better.

While all of the panels and presentations I attended were great, the following were exceptional:

Privacy

Danah Boyd, one of the world’s foremost authorities on social media and youth marketing, gave a great presentation around privacy in the digital age. Danah gave the opening remarks at SXSW discussing concerns around privacy when thinking about youth marketing, specifically how it relates to social media. While we’ll have to wait for the actual video presentation to come out, here is a link to the text content, unedited: http://bit.ly/cZUG0q. I also found a great video interview from SXSW - http://bit.ly/cjJVlR - where she discusses some of the same issues.

Sustainability

On Sunday the keynote speaker was Valerie Casey, founder and executive director of the designers Accord, a global non-profit coalition of designers, educators, and business leaders working to create positive impact. Referred to as a “Master of Design” by Fast Company and a “Guru You Should Know” by Forbes, she spoke on the interactive industry’s role in the sustainability movement and how, according to her, the interactive community had been absent from the conversation. It may sound harsh, but it was a great call to action for our community as a whole. Here is a link to a recent post on Fast Company about her presentation: http://bit.ly/bq5IWx.

Convergence

Dan Shust was kind enough to post a Slideshare of his presentation on some new innovative ideas that may (or may not) happen over the next year (check it out here http://bit.ly/ck03Y4). This was a great overall series on trends in convergence, covering Internet TV, web semantics and other goodies.

Will I Go Next Year? Yes.

All in all, SXSW Interactive was a fabulous conference with a lot of coverage on every topic imaginable. Of course, there is an infinite range of opportunities for great networking at dozens of events around Austin. I look forward to seeing you all next year (P.S. book your hotel room early).

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