buzzle digital marketing

This is a good interview with Sarah Lacy (Techcrunch), Richard Waters (Financial Times) and Jeremiah Owyang (Altimeter Group) on the NBC panel press:here. This well credentialed panel talk about the gap that is growing between business and consumer uptake of social media and social business in general.

Richard surmises that businesses want to do more, but do not know how!  He even suggests that the lauded ‘social media experts’ will continue to be hired because corporations need them!

Jeremiah suggests that businesses using social media well are companies that have the ‘right’ culture.

There is some discussion about ROI, and how Dell is measuring the return on social media activity as it translates to the bottom line.

In general, the panel covers some interesting issues confronting businesses looking to adopt social business more, but the headline for me is that business spending in social business is only projected to increase by a single digit amount in 2011.  That is less than 10%…

The Royal Navy have previously launched one of the most innovative digital recruitment campaigns we have yet seen when they launched the iphone app “Engineer Officer Challenge” which was a clever use of game mechanics, social gaming and the iphone platform to help sort the ‘men from the boys’ and find the best and brightest for Officer Training.

The British Army have learned from the success of the Royal Navy when in 2009 they launched the “Start Thinking Soldier” campaign.  This campaign integrates TV, the Internet and gaming in a very unique and engaging way.  The challenge for the organisation was to make the very real world of infantry operations in Afghanistan attractive to a recently graduated, somewhat lazy and skeptical 18 year old.  The British Army believe that by speaking in a language that they would understand (digital and video gaming), that new recruits would take a greater interest in joining the Army.

As part of a wider campaign that needed to attract 15,000 new recruits every year, the results have been impressive.  Since the launch in March 2009 the campaign has generated the following interest:

• 604,038 site visitors,
• 52,336 registrations,
• averaging around 10 minutes per user on the website

With the British Army now reducing its recruitment effort, and looking to make many of these soldiers ‘redundant’ in 2011 to reduce costs, it is unfortunate that such a great campaign is coming to an end.  This is a very real challenge for Defence Forces around the world.  The ‘smoothing’ of the recruiting curve is a very real challenge.  When conflicts break out, and a Defence Force needs to recruit large numbers quickly to build capability, how do you attract the attention of the right people and get them to sign their lives away (literally).

The next challenge facing the British Army is keeping in contact with the people they have had to let go…in readiness for the next conflict.  After many years of training and development, it would make sense for the British Army to refer back to the past members if there is a need for their skills in the near future.  Will we see the rise of the Defence Members Alumni; where digital technology and social networks are actuated to keep the people ‘in touch’?.

It will be intriguing to watch these tactics unfold, as the Australian Defence Force and the Department of Defence in the USA face the very same issues…

There are some interesting numbers here – as it was clearly the decade where digital had a large impact on lives around the world, and going to the movies was not the ‘look forward to’ event it used to be.

Why have movie sales stagnated – bad content, lives too busy, home cinema, or a combination of these factors?

10 years does not see so long, but these numbers reminds us how much the world can shift in that time!

(thanks to Stephanie Fox at iO9 for this great graphic)

Advertising is dead…mostly.

Many business models that are underwritten by advertising are finding it difficult to increase profits and growth (except for online advertising models, like Google, where growth continues).  People are turning away from television and print advertising, because they can, and because they no longer trust the advertisements or ‘bought’ media in general.

Instead, people are turning to other people, and online recommendation from often complete strangers to help them make purchasing decisions.

This post is not about the death of advertising (it just asks that we accept that the model is under siege), it is about the decline of traditional revenue streams in the business of sport.

This summer in Australia, we have played host to the Ashes, a 130 year old tradition, where the National cricket teams of England and Australia play for a trophy known as The Ashes. To date, it looks like the Ashes will be retained by England, as they are poised to take a unassailable 2-1 lead in the series.

There has been a lot written in the Australian press about the Australian team, its leadership and the national selectors, but little has been written about the business model that is Cricket Australia?  In general, the Cricket Australia business model has three main forms of revenue;

1. ticket sales
2. television rights
3. advertising and sponsorship

It is no secret that ticket sales are down across the sport in general (especially in the one day and test versions of the game), with the recent advent of Twenty20 cricket providing a much needed shot in the arm for ticket sales.  The other two revenue lines; television rights and advertising/sponsorship also now appear to be under threat.

Television stations pay a lot of money for the rights to broadcast the matches, and attract advertising revenue in return.  But with advertising in decline, and large corporations not willing to pay hefty advertising fees, television stations are having to negotiate harder on the broadcast rights…and so Cricket Australia is seeing another of its revenue lines under attack.  In addition, sourcing key sponsors for the summer is becoming increasingly difficult.  This year, KFC and Vodafone are the lead sponsors, in what has transcribed in to a very poor summer of cricket advertising (Mumbrella asked the question).  It would be interesting to see any post campaign analysis on the KFC and Vodafone advertising blitz.  We believe the numbers and the return on investment (ROI) would not be flattering for all involved.   The wheels appear to be falling off.

So what is the solution?

The solution may not be simple, and it may take some years to rectify, but there are baby steps that could be taken.  There is no doubt, that social media and digital marketing are changing the way industries and brands interact with and influence people.  More than simply having a nice website with a re-run of the television commercials, can Cricket Australia turn to digital channels to help turn around the sinking ship?  Some simple ideas might include;

• pick the team – one website where all players (all state players) statistics, profiles and details are displayed, allowing people to interact and select their Australian team before each test series/match,
• become the coach – other sports use this well, where people are allowed to pick their Australian team, and manage it online, and the team with the greatest success (judged by averages throughout the summer), are rewarded,
• sponsor a player - where organisations (or individuals) can sponsor an individual player for the season in an online auction system, and donate a portion of these funds to a nominated charity?,
• join the team – could a campaign similar to the Tourism Queensland campaign be a success, where a blogger or photographer is selected to spend the series with the Australian team, and tell their story online from inside the Australian cricket team.

These are just four simple ideas that could be explored by Cricket Australia to bring the sport back to the grass roots, and generate additional interest and revenue for the organisation.

I know, we are a digital marketing agency, so why would we be interested in the predicted consumer trends for 2011?

Well, these trends highlight for use where the opportunity lies for organisations (and individuals)…and how this can be translated into great ideas online!

Trendwatching, recently released their findings and thinking on what the trends in 2011 will be.

Not surprisingly, they predict that social networking will continue to morph and evolve into other areas of our lives. We can expect more group buying and location based deals, (think foursquare and facebook places, but integrated with location based offers available for a limited amount of time).   Trendwatching have spoken for some time about the status symbols that will define who we are,and how people will share this status with more people to demonstrate their own ‘personal brand’ and preferences.  This will see more consumers broadcasting, compiling, commenting, sharing and recommending content, products, purchases, and experiences to both their friends and wider audiences. Understandably (we are seeing more and more of this) is that people will offer unsolicited opinions to their online friends about places they visited, restaurants they ate at or products they purchased. In 2011, everyone’s going to be a critic. Also we can expect more status symbols, like luxury goods, shaping our buying patterns. We all want to be perceived as special.

Most interesting for us was what Trendwatching refer to as owner-lessness, where people will choose not to buy, instead they will start to rent and share products and services instead. Better for the wallet, better for the environment.

In summary – the 11 trends they see as emerging in 2011 are;

1. Random Acts fo Kindness (RAOK) – not just free, but caring!,
2. URBANOMICS – think local, act global…cater for global citizens,
3. Made for China – products and services for emerging markets,
4. Online status symbols – feel part of a community, and show it!,
5. Wellthy – not just about money, but how good you feel,
6. Socialites – word of mouth…even moreso,
7. Pricing pandemonium – group buys and flash sales everywhere,
8. Emerging generosity - India and China will give more back to the world,
9. Planned spontaneity - mobile will drive meet ups of like people,
10. Eco-superior -my product is better for the environment than yours!,
11. Owner-lessness – rent, don’t own..

Other trends that are expected to emerge more strongly in 2011 include the notion of retailers and stores offering products, to extend their offering into advice and learning.  Clever stores will look to engage more deeply with customers, and become more involved in their lives.  As an example, lululemon stores offer free yoga on Thursday and Sunday mornings around Australia…and this translates directly into consumer loyalty and word of mouth (not to mention free foot traffic).  As a result of the GFC, we will see people be more thrifty, and considered in making purchasing decisions.  This may see increased pressure on margins for retailers and people start to understand and take interest ins ‘how much’ a product or service really costs.  In line with this, is the interest in “grow your own” – not just grow your own food or flowers, but also people building their own products after sourcing the inputs themselves….direct from the factory.

No matter which way you lok at the emerging trends, it is clear the last few years have impacted greatly on people psyche, and their buying/decisions patterns. Organisations that are thriving in this period, are those that are using some old world practices (like free yoga), but using the internet and social technology to help spread the word, and convert the interest to sales.  There is no doubt that technology that makes people feel special, and involves them in the purchasing process is going to be imperative for retailers and brands that look to be more profitable and successful.

What do you think are likely to be the biggest consumer trends in 2011?

When we sat down to watch Charlie Rose interview Andrew Mason of Groupon, we were not expecting much, as we felt we had heard it all before.

We were wrong.

There were several pearls of wisdom that Andrew shared, that were a fresh perspective on what Groupon is, and what he wants it to become. In many ways, this vision is best illustrated, when Andrew responds to Charlie’s question “so what next” with a laconic “we want to make self-driving cars, I don’t know how we are going to do it, but we sure are interested in doing it”.

And that’s the point…Andrew Mason and Groupon have a BIG vision. They want to change the world. You say “yeah I have heard it all before with Microsoft, Google, Apple…blah blah, change the world blah”. but this is the thing; those companies are actually changing the world.

Andrew Mason and Groupon have a very simple vision, with a focus on the tactical execution to achieve this vision. Their tactical execution is what we see as consumers; Groupon, the group buying coupon site. But behind Groupon, there is so much more, as we learnt in this interview. When Andrew explains the motivation for Groupon, which is really about helping ‘Mom and Pop’ businesses market themselves and experience success, the broader business model starts to make sense.  Andrew talks about helping consumers get out and experience their local area, and their local shops, and discover the great products and experiences that can be provided by their own local businesses.  This really is a beautiful and simple vision.

At the centre of this vision is the ‘hyperlocal’ thinking of connecting communities and helping communities to thrive.  Mason reminds us also, that his idea is really not so unique, but what is unique are the market conditions, and tools available to help a business idea like Groupon explode (and it has exploded, now officially the fastest growing business in history – signing up 3 million subscribers per week).  The market conditions where communities matter, and corporations have become the greedy evil guy…tools like twitter, facebook and smartphones have all come together to produce the perfect storm…and Groupon is the shelter from this storm.

So, if this idea really is so simple, then why didn’t any of us think of it?  The answer to this probably lies in our intuition and connectedness with the meme’s and sentiment that exist in our local markets and local communities.  Those people who are the closest to this ‘vibe’ are the most likely to generate the great ideas.  Then there is the execution; and Andrew talks candidly about focus and not trying to do too much (hint hint).

To demonstrate the power and resilience of Groupon’s vision and their commitment to this cause, you only need to take a minute to understand why they declined the $6bn offer that Google made last month.  Mason says they are only interested in deals that take them to the place where they want to go; and that is where the world is a better place through connected communities where everyone who can provide a great local experience thrives and prospers.

Sounds simple?

(we cannot embed the video – so watch the interview here)

Google’s DoubleClick Ad Exchange – which allows the automated trading between publishers and advertisers of online ads – is launching in Australia. The service will look to create a marketplace where advertisers – (or their agencies), can bid in real time against specific criteria so that their ad stands a better chance of reaching a relevant audience.

Google claims that AdExchange delivers publishers an average revenue that is on average 130% higher than selling their inventory into an online ad network.

Matthias Kunze, director of publisher monetisation for Google in Japan and Asia Pacific, recently told Mumbrella: “We are pretty excited about launching this in Australia. It’s one of the most advanced markets in the world along with the US and the UK, but online display advertising is still a very complicated process. It’s very difficult to buy an online campaign.

“So some advertisers either do not bother at all or do not publish as many ads as they might.”

Despite the concerns about privacy and some complications around ‘auto-refreshed’ ads in the Australian landscape, this is still a move into a direction that business in Australia should welcome.  With some understanding, this allows organisations to plan their digital ad spend and placement a little more closely.  For too long, this ‘art’ has been left up to agencies and brokers.  Whilst the ‘practitioners’ (agencies and brokers) may continue to conduct the campaigns, organisations will have a more transparent view of ad placement, pricing and effect.

They say you cannot plan for viral, it just happens.

We believe this to be true, but like Seth Godin and his excellent tips on “I spread your idea because…” This insightful and illustrative presentation from Griffin Farley, a strategy Director at BBH in New York shows, you can definitely increase your chances of going ‘viral’ (propogation) by employing some clever tactics.

Enjoy, and learn from this presentation.

Influencers is a short documentary that explores what it means to be an influencer and how trends and creativity become contagious today.

The film attempts to understand the essence of influence, what makes a person influential.

Written and Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, the film is a snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today’s pop culture, and is a unique approach to film making which combines the documentary style and the online experience.

Influencers is a short documentary that explores what it means to be an influencer and how trends and creativity become contagious today in music, fashion and entertainment.

The film attempts to understand the essence of influence, what makes a person influential without taking a statistical or metric approach.

Written and Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, the film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today’s pop culture.

INFLUENCERS FULL VERSION from R+I creative on Vimeo.

After 12 months of hibernation, buzzle has returned as a digital marketing agency, delivering services including;

• brand development
• digital marketing strategy
• design and development, and
• measurement and management

The team at buzzle believes that digital is the most effective way to reach out and engage with people, attract their attention, involve them in your business and capture their imagination.

We believe people are tired of being talked at by one-way campaigns, and that that people want to be involved, and want to be part of great ideas that they can share and interact with.

Our campaigns are intended to attract the attention of customers and capture their imaginations through ideas that inspire and involve.

We do believe that people do talk to other people, and that a small number of the right people can change the world and make amazing things happen.

Our interest is in helping organisations do this online, by creating ideas and campaigns that generate buzz.

Our focus will be on emerging and ambitious organisations that recognise that digital is more effective, and understand that people are people before they are customers.

With over 10 years experience in digital, working with financial services, management consultancies, construction, digital publishing, real estate and events management, our core team have a broad hands-on experience in all areas of the digital mix.  By working with the best in the business across specialist areas such as multimedia, brand development and design, we work efficiently by only using the resources we need to get results. Regardless of the industry, we know one thing is true.

People talk…to other people.

We look forward to talking to you…

Your business can already tell us much about your brand.  It is less about creating a brand, and more about uncovering your brand.

What are the opportunities in the market, and what is everyone else doing…what brand messages will work?

Your target audience are the people who need to know more about you; and we need to know more about them, what interests them, and what attracts their attention.

What is your value proposition, and what positioning statement will attract your target and capture their imagination?

There is so much more to identity than just a great logo (but it does help). This is where the brand starts to come alive and connect with people.

Understanding your audience online, and where they are spending their time, or what they are doing informs our strategy.

Ideas are currency, especially good ones that can be brought alive online, and attract the attention of capture the imagination of your audience.

There are a plethora of channels for reaching your target, but what are the most effective digital channels for attracting their attention and capturing their imagination?

There is so much content online.  Our strategy should involve creating content that is unique and compelling, and sharing it with the right people in he right places.

All campaigns need to be managed and adjusted to ensure they are achieving the business objectives.  Implementation is everything.

Content comes in many shapes and sizes.  Regardless of its shape or size, content is still King!

The hub of many successful digital campaigns is a well designed website that conveys a brand, and delivers on the elements of your digital marketing strategy.

Social can play a big part in developing your brand and getting people involved to help you tell your story.

Video, cartoons, illustrations or flash can be entertaining and engaging.  Story telling can be a much richer experience.

Need to attract more interest in your brand, or capture the imagination of the people that matter most to you…there’s an app for that.

As you develop a following online, they become a community.  Healthy communities need to be managed and nurtured to stay engaged and involved.

Successful campaigns are never about the BIG idea.  They are about a collection of great ideas that keep emerging and continue to be implemented.

Digital is more effective, because you can measure (almost) anything.  We track and analyse what is important, and act on this accordingly.

One campaign is never enough.  One big idea never survives.  To keep people talking, organisations need new ideas and new innovations.

Digital never sleeps.  There is always ‘the next big thing’ and keeping abreast of emerging trends is critical.  We stay close to keep you informed.

Google goggles in not (brand) new, but it does need a rethink for marketers.

With its visual search app, Goggles, the company is trying to promote the idea that marketers can use it to connect traditional media (e.g., print or outdoor ads) to “immersive” and dynamic online experiences. This is already being done to varying degrees with SMS and QR codes linked to products, print and other traditional media.

In this video, Google explains its Goggles ‘experiment’ with several mainstream brands.

Do you see this becoming a more widely used service by marketers to promote their wares?

Innovation means so many things to so many people.

When most people think of innovation, they will typically recall large scale change or new products and services that created a step change.

But innovation does not always need to be about the next big idea.  Innovation is often about the minutiae, and the small changes in the right direction that result in a stepped change in the result or outcome of the small changes well implemented.

There is also a lot of talk (especially in Europe and the US) about design thinking, and design centred innovation.  In Australia, for Australians, design is often akin to new products, and the ‘physical; but is it more?

It is easy enough to cite Apple and the iPod or iphone (or any of their products) as great examples of design led innovation, and design at the centre of a products success.  This is an example of the physical aspect of design.

However, when design is defined as ‘the true meaning’ of something, it can take on a new world of opportunity, and provides a different lens through which to view the world and our interactions.

Finding the meaning in a product, service or experience is not a straightforward process – and can require detailed ethnographical studies and years of understanding of the ‘why’.

Yet, finding the true meaning behind a service or a product (or an experience) is the key to innovation and true ‘design’ of a new outcome.  So much of what we consume on a daily basis has meaning.  Why do we really drive the car we drive (for most of us, it is more than getting from A to B), why do we wear the clothes we do…even the humble suit is a derivative of the suits of armour worn in the 14th Century that were worn to provide status and protection.

Smart Design: The Breakup Letter from Smart Design on Vimeo.

The Breakup Letter is a design research tool that Smart Design uses to understand the emotional connection between people and their products, services, and experiences.

At IIT’s 2010 Design Research Conference, Smart Design asked participants of their Sex Ed workshop to test out this tool by writing and reciting a Breakup Letter. Each participant took 15 minutes to write a letter and then shared their stories of finally moving on.

We all loved the Old Spice campaign.  It was such a clever and engaging mix of character, script, set and simplicity that entertained us.

In fact, we were so entertained, that it is regarded as one of the most successful social media campaigns of all time.

But, the very reason a brand invests in such a campaign is to, well, sell more of what they are promoting.

You can argue that there is a branding and awareness benefit – blah, blah, blah, but all this is a waste of time and money if it does not equate to increased sales?

Now that all the hoopla has blown over, and the smoke has cleared, people are taking a lot of interest in actual ‘results’ from the campaign – you now; what is the bottom line?

With such an enormously successful campaign online, it is a fair question to ask too.

From early reports – the numbers are not looking so good (Mike Ryan over at Yahoo TV in fact reported that there has been a drop in sales?)

From our perspective – you have to wonder how much more ‘successful’ this campaign had been for Old Spice, if they had taken the time to actually develop an entirely new product line, or consider a new sub-brand (to remove the stigma associated with Old Spice – i.e. “my father use to wear that stuff”).  Imagine if Procter and Gamble ( the brand behind the Old Spice brand), had seen this exercise as an exercise in innovation; and taken the time to really capitalise on what went on to be a highly successful campaign!

Granted, when you are focused on ad land and in the midst of a campaign, it is difficult to see the forest from the trees – and you always think that the campaign will translate to sales…but who did some research to understand what the numbers for Old Spice really looked like, and who was buying it?  Rub these numbers against the target audience – and the actual consumers of the recent campaign, and we think there would be a serious mismatch.

20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing – but lost opportunity off the back of the most successful social media campaign is not.

This must prompt brands and consumers alike to ask “what good is social media anyway”.  Surely it is time to raise the bar on the conversation and recognise that at the centre of every ‘successful’ campaign there needs to be an even more successful product and innovative product development.

Or is this why the campaign was such a success – people did not feel like they were being sold too as they quipped “I wouldn’t buy it anyway”…

It will be even more entertaining to see how the campaign is regarded at upcoming ‘ad awards’ – no doubt it will win numerous awards and recognition; and no doubt business will ask again “did it generate any sales?”

And rightly so…

Update (thanks to Yahoo TV): A representative for the Old Spice ad campaign clarifies the sales trend and goal of the “Old Spice Man” commercials as follows: “[The] campaign is for Old Spice Body Wash overall, not specific to just Red Zone After Hours which just happens to be the body wash bottle used in the TV spots….Since the Smell Like A Man, Man campaign broke in February, Old Spice has month over month strengthened its market position and is now the number one brand of body wash and anti-perspirant/deodorant in both sales and volume with growth in the high single/double digits.” – ah, sphinn

BBH London have produced some great branded content over the last few years.  This is one of our favourites…does your brand have a story like this?  We see so many brands that have amazing stories – but no-one is telling them.

This Monday, 31 May 2010, from 5:30pm to 8 PM, will be the first in a series of events called the SME technology Forum.

The SME Technology Forum Series provides owners and executives in small and mid-sized companies with practical insights, tools, and case studies on how to leverage technology and accelerate growth.

The first event is Getting Results from Crowd Sourcing. Outsourcing is the name used to describe how companies access resources from large groups of people often around the planet.

The event includes four keynote speakers such as a Yvonne Adele (Ideas Culture), Matt Barrie (Freelancer), Alec Lynch (Design Crowd), and Phil Sim (MediaConnect). Every event in the SME technology series includes an interactive expert Roundtable session, where the ‘experts’ will answer questions and facilitate discussion on a range of highly practical topics.

We have been asked to chair the round table titled “own your market, using technology to establish yourself as a thought leader!”

We are going to take the opportunity to talk about the iPad, and the role a device like the iPad can play in positioning business owners or executives as thought leaders.

Registration is $60 including GST.  The event is being held at the Deloitte offices in Sydney, level 9, Grosvenor place, 225 George Street, Sydney.

With the new iPad now released here in Australia on Friday 28th May, we were always going to see a rush of new applications!

We have spoken before about magazines on the iPad, and the new industry we called magazining.

Amongst the early adopters, the magazine that seems to be generating the most interest on the iPad, is WIRED magazine. It kinda make sense: this long standing tech magazine should be something worth reading on the new iPad?  Here’s what we found:

The new WIRED app for the iPad has the following enhancements:-

• Every page in the issue is individually designed for optimal viewing on the iPad screen in both portrait or landscape orientation.
• Navigation from the cover, which allows readers to touch cover lines and go directly to stories, giving direct access to editorial content.
• Content organized in vertical stacks rather than magazine-like spreads.
• Design cues throughout that lead the reader through the issue, augmenting the scroll bar with subtle indications of more content and additional features to explore.
• Drop down Table of Contents (TOC) and Browse view (zoomed out view of stacks of content) make for easy navigation and sense of place within the issue.
• Orientation-appropriate photography offers different images taking advantage of layout changes whether in portrait or landscape mode.
• Animated 360° images show readers every side of Iron Man and let them explore the history of Mars landings.
• Unique slide shows take readers through multiple views using touch for image progression.
• Four editorial videos including an exclusive clip from Toy Story 3. All video is embedded into the app allowing for automatic load, display in HD and access without a connection.
• Music to enhance story telling, including an exclusive listen inside Trent Reznor’s recording studio.

What makes WIRED magazine so impressive, is the way they use multi-media to get the message across, and provide unique content for readers. For once, a reader who subscribes to WIRED magazine on the iPad gets content which is different than that in the newsstand version of the magazine. What is also surprising, is the story behind how wide the iPad is published.

The publishers of WIRED use a custom developed Adobe product to produce the print version of the magazine. Conveniently, the very same customized Adobe product is also being used to produce the iPad version of the magazine. What this means for the publishers, is that they can produce two versions of the magazine effectively from the very same platform. Magazine publishers, in general, will fast be running out of excuses to NOT have an iPad version of their magazine!

Having now experimented with several magazines on the iPad, the one thing we are noticing is the quality of the advertising (or lack thereof).

Everyone initially commented that the iPad would represent new opportunities for advertisers. Certainly, advertisements in full HD and colour with nice images do look good on the iPad. However, unlike the way you interact with a magazine, we have seen little to no innovation in advertising on the iPad.

WIRED are claiming new innovations in advertising on the iPad version, but it was not overly obvious to us? And herein lies an opportunity.

The richness, and the level of engagement of magazines on the iPad should mean that advertisers and agencies have an open field experimenting with new ways of getting their messages across. At Seggr we believe there is an opportunity to narrate more engaging stories and make use of techniques such as branded entertainment to get close to readers.

WIRED Magazine for the iPad is no different, the way the content is presented is unique and groundbreaking, but it’s full of bog standard ads. Not one of these advertisements are very imaginative – at most they only effectively take advantage of the bright 10 inch display on the iPad.

Come on advertisers the iPad represents an amazing opportunity to actually engage and entertain your readers.

Earlier this week, Techcrunch held the super successful follow on to its TC50 conference in New York. It was billed as:

TechCrunch Disrupt is the only conference that gathers both Web innovators disrupting media and technology and also executives successfully navigating disruption to talk about turning change into opportunity.

As you might expect, there were some pretty interesting topics covered and an awesome line up of speakers – the highlight being Charlie Rose’s interview with Kleiner Perkins partner, John Doerr. He noted that while it took Apple 74 days to reach the sale of 1 million iPhones. For the iPad this inflection point was reached in 28 days!

John asked us to postulate out ten years from now: the iPad is the start of a major disruption, it’s not a computer, you don’t need files or a mouse, what you see is what you touch. It’s the beginning of a whole new wave of magical surfaces – what John calls, the third wave. For him, we are in the process of reinventing the web, its people, places and relationships through social, through mobile and through new kinds of commerce.

At TCdisrupt, we were interested in tuning into the conversations around the ipad, and what is happening on this device.

We have spoken before about who we think will buy the iPad and our opinion remains unchanged.

Having had a good chance to experience the iPad and some of the apps that have hit the market (the app store now works in Australia on the iPad), we are starting to notice the move (as we predicted) towards curation, and seeing the iPad used more as a lifetool!

Techcrunch Disrupt also uncovered some interesting ventures that are now making some real inroads with their technology.

Once such venture is SkyGrid;

SkyGrid lets you discover and share the things you care about. The unique combination of real-time and relevance gives people information they care about and want to share.

Robert Scoble spoke with Skygrid CEO, Kevin Pomplun earlier this week, and uncovered some more about this unique Browser Streaming service that effectively lets you choose and receive the information that matters most to you!

Another similar application that we are a big fan of, is the Early Edition app.  This app let’s you select the RSS feeds you want to receive, and then organises them into you very own customised newspaper…neat right?

When speaking about the effect these apps and the thinking around them is having on the news industry, Scoble says “flowing beats paging everytime” – what he means is, information that is organised and flows into your conscious through a browser or app beats paging between the numerous news sites and websites to get the same information.  And he is right!

What does this mean to news as we know it?  It is early days, but you can sense the power of organised, packaged news being eroded.  These apps are the next wave of consumer-selected content, and will put pressure on any news provider to produce the ‘best of news’.

This is one battle that quality content WILL win…now, how do we find that quality content in the first place??

Remember, the iPad is just like a giant iphone or ipod, so why bother getting one…yeah, right!

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(postscript: as I write this post, the iBook Store has just become available on the iPad in Australia – something we were told by certain news sources we would not see until 2011)

AllFacebook used to be a great little application for checking out the strongest categories and pages on Facebook.

But the data was always a little inaccurate with lags in the data reporting.

Now, Fan Page List has solved some of these frustrations with a seemingly accurate record of Facebook metrics.  Looking at the most popular Fan Page’s on Facebook is an intriguing exercise, which helps to uncover some insights into what attracts our interest online.

Take for example the top 10 Fan Pages on Facebook;

1. Texas Hold’em Poker
2. Mafia Wars
3. Michael Jackson
4. Facebook
5. Barack Obama
6. Vin Diesel
7. Lady Gaga
8. Starbucks
9. Family Guy
10. Megan Fox

Looking through this list, you will recognise that 50% of the most popular fan pages are for individuals.  The top 2 are for games, and of course, Facebook itself is also included (do we sense a conspiracy?).

Noticeably, there are only 2 ‘Business Brands’ included in the list – Starbucks and Facebook?

What does this tell us about Facebook and what is ‘popular’.  We find it fascinating that games are able to attract such a large fan base.  Do we just want to be entertained, challenged, rewarded, and recognised in order to idolise an object?

If so, what could brands learn from this??

The ‘personal brands’ that are included in the list are possibly thanks to the hard work of the social media team of the individuals, or the celebrities themselves?  What is clear is that apart form Barack Obama, music and movies are the common them for the biggest fan pages for individuals?  There is also a lot to be said for ‘personality’.

Put this all together, as we cannot help but think that Branded Entertainment (with the right music score) has a lot of promise for brands looking to engage with their audiences.  Branded Entertainment with gaming elements might just be the holy grail?

Who will be the first brand to commission a short film (or series) that entertains, and sets challenges and rewards for it’s target audience?

Think Survivor or Search for a Rock Star (INXS) or The Apprentice on the iPad as a recruitment campaign?

TRANSCRIPT: Overall, the iPad is a beautiful product (but you would expect this), fast, clever, but not overly portable.

For instance we were scared to drop and damage our iPad. We feel it is a little like a range Rover;  it is a very capable beautifully designed, perfectly engineered but not overly practical where people may be too scared for instance to take it off road.

We believe over the next couple of months, you will see accessory makers go crazy and accessories like cases and carrying devices for the iPad turning up everywhere!

However what is different, is we believe this is a continuation of Apples foray beyond hardware. They have a simple design philosophy, which is a proven formula that makes getting content into consumers hands fun, enjoyable, and overall a special experience. This is important to note, we’ve spoken before about how we don’t believe this is a device for everyone.  We believe that the iPad positions Apple where they have always preferred to be; amongst the fashion conscious, information craved, design focused, well-heeled professional.  The iPad is a beautiful device that enhances the distribution and consumption of paid content. We believe that is where Apple will devote its energy over the coming months. They will concentrate on securing premium paid (and unique) content deals that see Apple click the ticket on the way through as people purchase this content, and ultimately Apple get richer along the way.

So welcome to the age of digital media consumption as it should be.  So what will a device like this mean to brands, and ultimately consumers?

Firstly it has been said to some time that brands are publishers, in fact when asked in 1916 what he would do with the New York Times if he had unlimited resources, the editor replied; I would publish a magazine every day.

Next, design and more importantly information design will become a vital component in getting our message across to target audiences. Branded content and brand entertainment will become the new advertising story-lines.

Finally we believe for the right brands that are looking to attract the well-heeled design conscious, then their digital strategy just became a whole lot more important. If banner ads and flyovers with a few ad words were your strategy previously, is about to die a painful death.

Overall tools like the iPad have the potential to marry brands with content and entertainment like never before, finding the right product and experience will become easier for consumers, but only if brands are willing to experience more with media, software, and applications that ‘talk to’ and ‘play with’ the new iPad customer. More content will be consumed for sure on a device like this, so brands, start producing!!

A big thanks to Hugo Ortega of Tegatech for getting the new iPad into our hands early!!

Mashable have started to build the hype and bring to life the ipad, by demonstrating some of the ipad apps that are starting to appear and catch their attention.

MightyMeeting is one such app.  It is an application that lets your run presentations and meetings from the iPad (and also iphone), whether doing something in person or across the world.

This tool is great in that it challenges us further to ask the question “do I need to actually be at that meeting”.  There are some times where this technology will be the perfect solution to having to take transport or waste time making it to a meeting where face to face time is just not necessary.

Mighty Meeting has the potential to be used in so many ways.  We start to think how it could be used to tell brand stories, or to involve customers (and complete strangers also) in the product feedback or idea generation process??

Simply upload your contacts (or database), schedule a meeting, and involve who ever you want to get involved in the discussion or presentation?

When was the last time you saw an organisation generate a real time conversation with their community around a product or service offering?

The launch of the ipad cannot come soon enough for us.

Personal motto –  ”If it’s not on that list, I’ll do it”.

Chris Saunders is a solutions architect with 15 years experience across a number of industries, primarily digital marketing and e-learning. Having most experience with Microsoft technologies, he does, however, consider himself technology agnostic and will happily work with any platform so long as it’s the appropriate choice. Chris also believes heavily in innovation and as such prefers to work with the latest and greatest technologies where possible and appropriate.

Chris has spent four years with a major player in the digital marketing arena as a senior developer, team lead and finally solutions architect. Next was an extended ‘holiday’ in the form of freelancing with other similar firms to broaden his industry experience and now Chris has joined Buzzle where he can use this experience in a greater capacity, providing not only technology considerations and solutions but also contributing to the strategy, delivery and client service provided primarily by his colleagues.

Rebecca has worked as a senior manager in digital marketing and e-business roles for more than 10 years. She has served as a member of the board of directors for numerous companies and has held senior marketing and e-business roles for large global organisations including SAP and Johnson & Johnson. She was also a founder and director of top 20 web development and software implementation company, Dark Horizon (Internet World Magazine, June/July 2000). During this time she raised venture capital to develop and export Australia’s first cloud based, e-mail marketing software application.

Her skills and expertise include both business-to-consumer and business-to-business marketing across the IT, Telecommunications, Professional Services, Entertainment, Tourism, Medical/Pharmaceutical, Media and FMCG industries. As a consultant she has worked with brand name organisations including Optus, Coca-Cola Amatil, NRMA and Trust Company Limited.

Rebecca excels in stakeholder management and has worked with “C” level executives in large organisations. She also has experience working with owners of SMEs and start-up businesses.

She has been involved in the digital industry as an entrepreneur since 1997 and is passionate about digital marketing, social media, e-business strategy and innovation, as well as consulting to start-up and spin-off companies.

Rebecca has spoken at numerous conferences, including Redesigning your Intranet (2004), Email Management (2004) and Travel and Tourism Online (2000). She has broad experience in strategic marketing communications, e-business and digital marketing. She also has a Masters in Professional Communication, as well as a degree in Psychology and started her career as a journalist.

Biography – Todd has 20 years digital marketing experience, and has created many industry firsts, as well as creating one of the first digital agencies in Australia. Prior to joining buzzle as the direcro of strategy and ideas, Todd was the Director or Digital for George Patterson Young and Rubicam.  In 2007, Todd Set up Amnesia’s Tokyo office to manage clients in Japan, including the Disney Online/Mobile account, then moved to the U.S. to manage global Microsoft digital/social for Asia Pacific out of Seattle.

Over the years, Todd has worked with; AMP, BT Australia, Commonwealth Bank, Aussie Home Loans, Qantas, Volkswagen, Unilever, Virgin, Smirnoff, Expedia, TAFE, Carnival Cruises, The Brain Resource, DoCoMo and the Fairy Sparkle foundation.

Luke has been playing with digital since 1981 when he stole his fathers calculator, pulled it apart, and then buried it in the backyard after not being able to re-assemble it.

Being one of the original pioneers at Mortgage Choice, where 5 of us helped build an amazing business, I learnt from some very savvy entrepreneurs, which took me to London to establish an office there. Being recognised as the guy who ‘knew stuff about stuff’, I got left with the technology and programme management responsibilities to bring the new office to life.

My transition was complete, when at the turn of the century, I was handed the responsibility of building websites at St George Bank and advising business leaders on how to optimise their digital channels. With agressive investments in internet ventures such as Netxsurance, Autobytel, Business in a Box, Marketboomer, and Virtual Communities amongst others, my attention turned to developing and implementing the digital strategy to extract value from these investments. I survived the dotcom boom.

That period was a lot of fun, and I learnt a lot.

This experience prepared me well for the next few years, where I led the team that delivered the internet strategy for the Corporate and Business Bank. Working alongside some of the biggest brains in the land with Bain Consulting, I rolled out the industry specialist strategy, using digital channels to support the sales force.

Since this time, I have run web development businesses, built online strategies and platforms for travel companies, and founded my own business…which bring me here today.

I am a marketer, and I love digital. Some might call me a marketing technologist…but that makes me blush.