Digital Discourse

CrossLink: Crowdsourced Fundraising Nets $3K for Documentary

CrossLink’s second session, ‘Crowdsourced Fundraising’ covered the emerging opportunity on sites such as Kickstarter, ProFounder, CrowdRise, and JustGiving (see my presentation) - also shown below.  The focus then turned toward  two filmmakers, Ollie and Zach of Sent Productions, who are currently tapping into crowd funding via KickStarter for their project, ‘Breaking Trail.’  The film is about a father / son duo from Aspen who are starting a back country ski operation in El Arpa, Chile.  During the session, attendees donated $3000 and the project has now successfully captured $4,675 in funding.

Crowdsourced Fundraising

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CrossLink: Mobile Photography Installation & Meetup

On Thursday, August 4, colleagues from my team at KBS+P, in partnerships with Frontrunner Gallery hosted a Mobile Photography installation.  It was an effort to put on display the creative behaviors that have become common practice on the phone.  Hosting the output of serendipitous digital creativity in the gallery setting was somethign we saw as very similar to the Frontrunner mission - to support emerging artists and innovators.  The event functioned as part of the bi-monthly CrossLink meetup, which explores the connection between digital strategy and creativity.  Join CrossLink on Meetup.  Join Frontrunner Gallery on Facebook to see all of the photos!  The strategy presentation is featured at the bottomr of this post!

Official event description:

#MobileGallery explores the rapidly emerging behavior of connected mobile photography and the associated creative opportunities for artists, marketers, and everyday people.  The event showcases a selection of photos shot on iPhones by members of The Socialites, a group of social media strategists whose mission is to illuminate the frontiers of digital technology and creativity.  Some are practicing photographers while others are simply ‘cool kids with digital style.’   The combined presentation wrestles with the fine line between formal creativity and informal visual sharing among friends. Strategic points of view are offered regarding the space and directional trends that are making headlines today.  The show’s hashtag is #mobilegallery, on which a conversation, in both comments and photos takes place.

 

Mobile Photography at #MobileGallery

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The turnout at Frontrunner Gallery in TriBeCa for the CrossLink Event:

Layered Experience

Don’t underestimate the power of layers in marketing.  Remember the Tootsie commercials?  “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?”  The slogan worked because you had to keep licking to see what’s next.  There was always a new experience right around the corner.  Well, that should be marketing gospel.  Don’t give it all away up front!  Save some of the fun for deeper, future experiences; this will motivate exploration, engagement and loyalty by consumers.  In other words, make your brand a Tootsie.  (You must have seen that coming.  Well, I went there.)

I started thinking about layers yesterday while listening to Say Media during their workshop at the Pivot Conference.  They had a big picture of an onion on the screen.  At first this seemed strange, but the basic idea came to me over time.  Encourage consumers to dig deeper and reward them for that.  Say Media has built a huge video network business off of  a Cost Per Engagement (CPE) model.  CPE’s basic idea is that you don’t pay for impressions, only engagements (sort of like search’s model).  Their basic argument is that disruptive advertising alienates consumers, so don’t force connections with unwilling consumers.  Instead, focus on creating an appealing call-to-action – but don’t put it all up-front.  Pay it off by delivering the core messaging and experience only for those who are willing to engage.   In the end, consumers will recall opt-in experiences more and keep a higher tolerance for your ads if you don’t inundate them with over saturation in every environment.  Layers bring dimension to brands and experiences.  Broadcasting can appear flat and one-dimensional in a medium that is designed for exploration.  

 

VideoEgg buys SixApart

Video Egg is buying SixApart (this blog is on TypePad, which is a part of SixApart).  I thought it was pretty interesting to see a video network consolidating with a blog platform.  VideoEgg is an interesting ad network because of their Cost-Per-Engagement (CPE) model and the fact that they can get a lot of the creative builds done right in-house (great for quick turn-around).  When I worked with them they were also very flexible about optimizations and creative updates on-the-fly.  With the blogging acquisition, VideoEgg will definitely have increased scale and also likely offer some social-oriented solutions.

If VideoEgg is broadening from a video ad network to a social ad network, they may start to look similar to a network like SocialVibe, now known as SVNetwork (although still distinctive).  In the case of SVNetwork, they established themselves as an ad network based on influencers and social channels.  Social media has always been challenged with the task of scale.  SVNetwork was always a unique offering in this regard.  It looks like VideoEgg (soon to be known as SayMedia) will be addressing this marketing need as well.

Additional reading:

NYTImes:  http://nyti.ms/cqWJsz    Mashable:  http://bit.ly/b4UC5y

And now, just for fun, I'll be dusting off a screenshot of the first media buy I ever did, which was for Samsung's NV24HD Digital Camera - one of the first pocket-sized cameras to shoot both stills and HD video.  Our task was to distribute video produced on the camera by emerging directors.  The execution of the media buy was really exciting because we were successful in connecting paid video distribution to social media sharing (big deal back in 2007!).  The network's CPE model did very well on delivery for impressions, engagements, video views and shares.  Ahhh, getting all sentimental about the good ole' days...

Google Permanently Integrates Real-Time Social into Dashboard

• Google revealed a new permanent home for its real-time search results at www.google.com/realtime.
• The new Google real-time search can offer marketers a quick snapshot of what's happening with their brand, as well as a way to track spikes in customer feedback.
• Sorting updates by date and geography is available.
• Snippets allows you to see all the follow up comments to a specific post.
• Watch the video about how to use Real-Time Search!  http://bit.ly/a1EADG

• What’s in it for Marketers?

1. This full integration of Social Updates into the Google platform reflects the continuing maturation of “social search.”
2. There are areas of social media and search that are complimentary, and optimizations can take advantage of this cross over of digital presence.  Like links, social media mentions also help with search engine indexing.
3. Search is a great tool for pulling qualitative research about content, conversation and coverage around a topic.
4. Seeing the spikes in posts around a particular topic allows for marketers to quickly identify the themes that resonate most with online users.

 

The "Mobile Age" & Some Marketing Thoughts

I know this is not a major new epiphany, but we truly have entered the “age of mobile.”  This morning the age of mobile was particularly tangible when I was stuck in the elevator at my office building with 16 other chipper people trying to complete their morning commute.  We were stuck for no more than 45 seconds and I can confidently say that the majority of people in that packed-to-capacity elevator car had pulled out their phones to text, status and/or send some sort of digital scream.  Although I didn’t pull out my phone, I’m no more guilty of the instant grumblings, because I walked right over to my desk to make the below status update:

 

Mobile changes the way we as consumers react to all situations, positive and negative.  For the positive or just plain trivial moments, we now have no problem publishing or reading the every-day echoes of our friends and contacts.  For the negative experiences, we immediately feel emboldened to broadcast grievances for all to see, and maybe even collectively react to.  Call it over-connected-ness or just a new, modern voyeurism but it certainly brings both entertainment and advocacy to our daily lives.  This is something we participate in without even thinkging about anymore - it's become second nature. 

For many brands, 2010 and 2011 are going to be a big years for mobile.  The stats are the start of the argument: 67 million smartphone users in the US, 100 million using Facebook mobile.  Again, this is not new news!  SMS texting, Twitter, and now Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt and many other channels are becoming very mature.  What’s so unique about mobile is that it offers to marketers the ability to create a personal, one-to-one relationship everywhere the customer goes, all the time, and now with rich functionality.  This 24/7 omnipresence is a big deal, and it’s also very social.  For every remarkable (or not so remarkable) moment, the phone is there to immediately facilitate connections with people and brands.  Minimal thinking required – and now marketers are ready to reward you for that! 

For marketing professionals, here are some important lenses to put on as we look at incorporating mobile into our marketing mix:

 

1.     1.  Mobile is an “always-on, everywhere-on” channel.  Plan your program and customer journey accordingly

2.     2.  You cannot closely control the experience - it'll be unique for everyone, which is good!

3.     3.  Loyalty oriented brands should use games to reinforce business-oriented behavior simple calls to action and basic rewards.

4.     4.  Service oriented brands should look to provide rich utility within apps and make

5.     5.  Don’t forget search.  Smartphones have fostered an information on-demand culture that is maturing rapidly.  Look to available analytics as a way to assess opportunities in the mobile space for traffic driving purposes and qualitative insights.  

Related articles:

Title: Cellphone in New Role: Loyalty Card

Link: http://nyti.ms/9NcZUo

Comparing Foursquare & Gowalla:

FastCompany:  http://bit.ly/clAJlX

Mashable:  http://bit.ly/4sDm9F

Progress Towards a “Closed” Internet?

The US Court of Appeal's recent ruling against the FCC’s protection of “net neutrality” is a step in the wrong direction for the development of the digital media marketplace.  This ruling effectively makes broadband companies the gatekeepers of content and small business on the web.  Now the broadband companies can decide who and what can prosper in digital spaces.  This is a scary situation.

The FCC’s role has always been to help organize stakeholders who aim to share the spectrum on which channels like TV and radio are transmitted.  This spectrum was always treated as a public good for which the government was obligated to regulate in the interests of society.  With this most recent Court ruling we see that special interests have clearly influenced the judicial system and undermined the role of the FCC as a government agency.  This ruling does not respect legal precedent for how communications are regulated and it seems to now treat the web as a privately owned medium – not a public good.  This perspective is a slippery slope that we as a society will likely see to be a force that limits the economic and social development of the web.  At what point will we see companies like Time Warner and Verizon using their new found authority over the web to limit who can do what in digital spaces?  Let’s hope that as other companies who also display closed stances towards the web (such as Apple with application approval process) realize that this is not the best way forward for society’s interests or their own business interests.

See related New York Times article:  http://nyti.ms/abdrxG

What Brings You to SXSW? #StreetClips Episode 1

At the start of SXSW I posted about the official launch of #StreetClips in partnership with Digitas.  The program was inspired by conversation, simplicity, and quick & nimble video production.  As promised, KISS was in full-effect during the creative process. 

The question posed was “What brings you out to SXSW?”  Asking that simple question, #StreetClips encountered digital minds hailing from all walks of life.  That’s the beauty of gestured curiosity here at SXSW.  If you show interest, you learn about wonderful new possibilities for the future of digital media and the social web.

Take a look at this first #StreetClips episode – we think our small little video experiment has captured some of the magic and serendipity that comes with being here in Austin.  And wow, pairing a bit of KISS with the Flip Video actually turned out to produce a decent video product – so don’t be scared of this fun new technology!  Please let us know in the comments section what you think the next #StreetClips question should be for our final day in Austin tomorrow!

Also, stay tuned for #StreetClips highlights from the Miller Light SXSW Speed-Dating panel, hosted by Digitas Chief Creative Officer, Mark Beeching.

#StreetClips Launches at SXSW

Day 1 in Austin under my belt and the atmosphere has proven inspirational.  The diversity of perspectives, disciplines, technologies and thought is abundant, fluid and everywhere.

Yesterday my colleague surprised me with a fun new toy to play with… my very own HD FlipCam.  What excites me about playing with a Flip is the work-flow for social content creation.  The Flip is designed specifically for simplicity.  Most interpret the significance of simplicity to be about making video easy for everyone.  I believe that’s partly true.  More importantly, it helps serious content creators keep their process simple for frequent, quality publishing.  The old acronym KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) is often a lesson that is more important for the more ambitious and serious video creators than the novice.  The Flip empowers KISS.

Content that is published “straight to digital” is an important theme that has significance for the creative process and distribution.  These insights are being discussed this morning at panels like the one I’m in right now called "The Power Shift.”  In the spirit of KISS I’ve decided to launch a mini video-conversation project here at SXSW to see what this Flip is really capable of.  My project idea is to create a thematic video collage of SXSW attendees, called “Street Clips.”  I’ll be asking questions on Twitter, with the hashtag #StreetClips.  If you’re interested in contributing to the project give me a shout (@fasciano)!

Hope to see you on the SXSW streets.  Stay tuned for the debut of #StreetClips get on camera or join the discussion if you can.

Expectations from a SXSW Newbie

This is my first time to SXSW and my first time to Austin.  Call me what you want: newbie, outsider, yankee, tourist. I can take it… and I’m ready for the initiating.  Why?  It's because I’m curious and I channel that as my compass... for this foray into the unknown. 

And when I say that I have no idea what I’m getting myself into, I really mean that.  I got the "green light" to go yesterday (day before the festival) after begging every single one of my bosses to find it in their hearts to send me. Getting the “okay” led to polishing and shipping all of my client work double-quick, booking for the last seat on the last jetBlue flight to Austin, packing my blog and video gear, stuffing a bag full of clothes and sitting down with Courtney (the lady friend) for a nice meal before send-off.  Ironically she chose a BBQ restaurant.  (Smoke Joint in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn - worth checking out.)

So here I am now typing at 30,000 thousand feet en route to the Lone Star State.  I don’t know much about what I’m going to do here because I haven’t had a moment to surface for air(!!!) – let alone do any proper festival planning.

What I do know is this: Austin and SXSW are worth the scramble.  What city and festival have been more talked about and more game-changing in the last decade?  The making of history happens here - and I’m sure we will all witness great things at SXSWi 2010. Peter Kim's Post "Being There" has me excited because it makes a really important point.  It’s one thing to know what was talked about at a festival; it’s another thing to experience the magic.  The magic happens in the conversations, the serendipity and the meeting of new friends.  I’m heading to SXSW alone but I’m certain that will quickly change.  I look forward to "the unexpected" and I hope to meet great people this weekend.  If you’re interested in connecting please reach out on Twitter (@Fasciano).  I’ll be attending the panels, working with the @Digitas crew, and shooting a video project that I’m hoping will capture the atmosphere and voices of Austin.  Let me know if you want in!

PS, Recommendations for a SXSW newbie are greatly appreciated!!!  Hope everyone has a blast!