Sneak a peak at the new interactive map for Secretary Clinton's travel. Really cool and comprehensive.
Click here to view.
Too bad Hillary didn't embrace all this technology in early 2008.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Obama for America Presentation
Here is a presentation David Plouffe - Obama Campaign Manager - made in June 2008.
Key Ideas:
Click here to view.
Key Ideas:
- 50 State Strategy
- Up Early on Television
- Women
- Hispanics
- Solid Democrat Support
- Expanding States - Turning Red to Blue
- Enthusiasm Gap
- Grassroots Support
Click here to view.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Freebies + Social Media = Hot Restaurant Strategy
MD reports: Earlier this month, Denny's gave away more than 2 million Grand Slam Breakfasts in one day with the help of a Super Bowl commercial and online chatter.
This week, Quiznos gave away a million subs in three days after using only banner ads, Facebook and Twitter presence and some free local radio exposure.
Denny's may have been investing in brand awareness, but as the Quiznos promotion demonstrated, with consumers looking to save every penny they can, you probably don't need the Super Bowl part to drive a freebie.
Another current example of using a giveaway and online chatter to drive restaurant traffic: International House of Pancakes just completed its third annual National Pancake Day on Tuesday, in which it gives away a small stack of pancakes and in return asks customers to consider donating to the Children's Miracle Network or a local charity.
Social networking and restaurants are a logical match, says Reggie Bradford, CEO of social media marketing consultancy Vitrue. "Food is naturally social," he points out. "Where do you want to eat? Do you want to grab something here? This is translating to online conversations around restaurant brands. We've seen tremendous adoption of social media strategies among QSRs and fast-casual restaurants."
Combine social media with freebies, and you've got marketing dynamite. "Giving away food in these uncertain economic times obviously resonates strongly with consumers," Bradford says. "Huge gains are being made by brands who are reaching out to consumers with something tangible. IHOP deserves kudos for taking it important steps further by giving back to the community and forging loyalty along the way."
The lift in online buzz has been significant for all of these promotions, based on Vitrue's Social Media Index, which measures online conversations about a brand in social networks, blogs and Twitter.
This week, Quiznos gave away a million subs in three days after using only banner ads, Facebook and Twitter presence and some free local radio exposure.
Denny's may have been investing in brand awareness, but as the Quiznos promotion demonstrated, with consumers looking to save every penny they can, you probably don't need the Super Bowl part to drive a freebie.
Another current example of using a giveaway and online chatter to drive restaurant traffic: International House of Pancakes just completed its third annual National Pancake Day on Tuesday, in which it gives away a small stack of pancakes and in return asks customers to consider donating to the Children's Miracle Network or a local charity.
Social networking and restaurants are a logical match, says Reggie Bradford, CEO of social media marketing consultancy Vitrue. "Food is naturally social," he points out. "Where do you want to eat? Do you want to grab something here? This is translating to online conversations around restaurant brands. We've seen tremendous adoption of social media strategies among QSRs and fast-casual restaurants."
Combine social media with freebies, and you've got marketing dynamite. "Giving away food in these uncertain economic times obviously resonates strongly with consumers," Bradford says. "Huge gains are being made by brands who are reaching out to consumers with something tangible. IHOP deserves kudos for taking it important steps further by giving back to the community and forging loyalty along the way."
The lift in online buzz has been significant for all of these promotions, based on Vitrue's Social Media Index, which measures online conversations about a brand in social networks, blogs and Twitter.
Tax Rates of the Rich and Poor
From Greg Mankiw's blog. Mankiw is a professor of economics at Harvard University
From a recent CBO report, here are effective tax rates (total taxes divided by total income) for 2005, the most recent year available:
Lowest quintile: 4.3 percent
Second quintile: 9.9 percent
Middle quintile: 14.2 percent
Fourth quintile: 17.4 percent
Percentiles 81-90: 20.3 percent
Percentiles 91-95: 22.4 percent
Percentiles 96-99: 25.7 percent
Percentiles 99.0-99.5: 29.7 percent
Percentiles 99.5-99.9: 31.2 percent
Percentiles 99.9-99.99: 32.1 percent
Top 0.01 Percentile: 31.5 percent
N.B.: These figures include all federal taxes, not just income taxes.
That is, even before the Obama tax hikes, the rich face average tax rates more than twice those of the middle class, and about seven times those of the lowest quintile. These data do not tell you the optimal degree of tax progressivity, but they do describe the starting point from which policy is working.
From a recent CBO report, here are effective tax rates (total taxes divided by total income) for 2005, the most recent year available:
Lowest quintile: 4.3 percent
Second quintile: 9.9 percent
Middle quintile: 14.2 percent
Fourth quintile: 17.4 percent
Percentiles 81-90: 20.3 percent
Percentiles 91-95: 22.4 percent
Percentiles 96-99: 25.7 percent
Percentiles 99.0-99.5: 29.7 percent
Percentiles 99.5-99.9: 31.2 percent
Percentiles 99.9-99.99: 32.1 percent
Top 0.01 Percentile: 31.5 percent
N.B.: These figures include all federal taxes, not just income taxes.
That is, even before the Obama tax hikes, the rich face average tax rates more than twice those of the middle class, and about seven times those of the lowest quintile. These data do not tell you the optimal degree of tax progressivity, but they do describe the starting point from which policy is working.
NYT Going Small
NYT will launch two hyperlocal blogs starting on Monday. Each site will be led by a NYT journalist, but the paper will also use free neighborhood contributors and will work with CUNY journalism students.
The two pilot sites: one for Brooklyn and the other one for Millburn, Maplewood, and South Orange, N.J were they will focus on "cultural events, bar and restaurant openings, real estate, arts, fashion, health, social concerns and anything else that goes on.
The Times will effectively be competing with a slew of neighborhood blogs, aggregators like Outside.in, and potentially even Google ad boss Tim Armstong's new investment in Patch.com
What is happening in Millburn, Maplewood and South Orange, NJ that two leading business minds, Patch.com's Tim Armstong and the executives of NYT would each target a market that has 60k residents? Maybe it is because 61% of the residents have undergraduate degrees and 30% of the residents have graduate degrees - maybe that is the special sauce?
I was reading the final note from RMN's Editor John Temple this morning in which he revealed a startling number: In Denver, the steep decline in classified advertising alone has meant the loss of more than $100 million in highly profitable categories like help wanted and real estate.
$100m in losses from classifieds - just in Denver alone - what can the number be for a media market like NYC which is 7x bigger. Could the loss in revenues from classifieds in NYC be $700m to $1b in lost revenue?
Going small + educated readers + securing online classfied revenue + using free workers = new newspaper media model.
The two pilot sites: one for Brooklyn and the other one for Millburn, Maplewood, and South Orange, N.J were they will focus on "cultural events, bar and restaurant openings, real estate, arts, fashion, health, social concerns and anything else that goes on.
The Times will effectively be competing with a slew of neighborhood blogs, aggregators like Outside.in, and potentially even Google ad boss Tim Armstong's new investment in Patch.com
What is happening in Millburn, Maplewood and South Orange, NJ that two leading business minds, Patch.com's Tim Armstong and the executives of NYT would each target a market that has 60k residents? Maybe it is because 61% of the residents have undergraduate degrees and 30% of the residents have graduate degrees - maybe that is the special sauce?
I was reading the final note from RMN's Editor John Temple this morning in which he revealed a startling number: In Denver, the steep decline in classified advertising alone has meant the loss of more than $100 million in highly profitable categories like help wanted and real estate.
$100m in losses from classifieds - just in Denver alone - what can the number be for a media market like NYC which is 7x bigger. Could the loss in revenues from classifieds in NYC be $700m to $1b in lost revenue?
Going small + educated readers + securing online classfied revenue + using free workers = new newspaper media model.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Digital Youth Research Report - Living and Learning with New Media
Social network sites, online games, video-sharing sites, and gadgets such as iPods and mobile phones are now fixtures of youth culture. They have so permeated young lives that it is hard to believe that less than a decade ago these technologies barely existed. Today’s youth may be coming of age and struggling for autonomy and identity as did their predecessors, but they are doing so amid new worlds for communication, friendship, play, and self-expression.
We include here the findings of three years of research on kids' informal learning with digital media. The two page summary incorporates a short, accessible version of our findings. The White Paper is a 30-page document prepared for the MacArthur Foundation’s Digital Media and Learning Series. The book is an online version of our forthcoming book with MIT Press and incorporates the insights from 800 youth and young adults and over 5000 hours of online observations.
Summary - Summary of Findings
Two page summary (pdf)
White Paper
Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project (pdf)
We include here the findings of three years of research on kids' informal learning with digital media. The two page summary incorporates a short, accessible version of our findings. The White Paper is a 30-page document prepared for the MacArthur Foundation’s Digital Media and Learning Series. The book is an online version of our forthcoming book with MIT Press and incorporates the insights from 800 youth and young adults and over 5000 hours of online observations.
Summary - Summary of Findings
Two page summary (pdf)
White Paper
Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project (pdf)
Anti "clean coal" short by the Coen brothers
New PSA directed by acclaimed filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen for ThisIsReality.org, with the aim of debunking "clean coal" industry propaganda. It was produced in partnership with Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection. Just released today.
How will the coal industry respond? Will they respond?
How will the coal industry respond? Will they respond?
Charlie Rose + Jeff Bezos = Tonight
Tonight on Charlie Rose - an hour with Jeff Bezos, founder, president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Amazon.com
Check with your local PBS affiliate to see when Charlie Rose airs in your city.
Check with your local PBS affiliate to see when Charlie Rose airs in your city.
NATO's New Public Diplomacy: The Art of Engaging and Influencing
Stefanie Babst, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Strategy, recently made a speech on how NATO and diplomacy needs to change in today's hyper-connected and communication heavey environment. Here are some brief comments from that speech:
If governments are to deal effectively with the key foreign policy challenges of our age, they must engage in a new form of public diplomacy: one that combines understanding a given challenge with the ability to mobilize networks and public support to bring about concrete change.
The proliferation of new international actors, including NGOs and corporations, and the arrival of global digital and real-time technologies have blurred the lines between domestic and international news spheres. Today's audiences are no longer simply passive news recipients. The top-down communication patterns of the Cold War era are increasingly being replaced by people-to-people and peer-to-peer relationships and networks.
Globalization affects the way we communicate with each other, and presents a challenge for every political leadership. Indeed some governments find it difficult to accept that "shouting out" core messages, ever louder, in the false belief that they will eventually be heard, is no longer a recipe for mobilizing and sustaining public and political support. Instead, if they want to succeed, today's politicians need to find out what motivates people and seek to identify possible common interests. They need to involve networks and groups in their own thinking and policy planning. They need to persuade and influence.
Download the full text of her speech here: Download PDF: Babst_Public_Diplomacy.pdf
If governments are to deal effectively with the key foreign policy challenges of our age, they must engage in a new form of public diplomacy: one that combines understanding a given challenge with the ability to mobilize networks and public support to bring about concrete change.
The proliferation of new international actors, including NGOs and corporations, and the arrival of global digital and real-time technologies have blurred the lines between domestic and international news spheres. Today's audiences are no longer simply passive news recipients. The top-down communication patterns of the Cold War era are increasingly being replaced by people-to-people and peer-to-peer relationships and networks.
Globalization affects the way we communicate with each other, and presents a challenge for every political leadership. Indeed some governments find it difficult to accept that "shouting out" core messages, ever louder, in the false belief that they will eventually be heard, is no longer a recipe for mobilizing and sustaining public and political support. Instead, if they want to succeed, today's politicians need to find out what motivates people and seek to identify possible common interests. They need to involve networks and groups in their own thinking and policy planning. They need to persuade and influence.
Download the full text of her speech here: Download PDF: Babst_Public_Diplomacy.pdf
Battle Continues For Top 10 Most Influential DC Twitters
FishBowl DC reports: Earlier this week we shared with you a certain Politico's picks for the Top 10 Most Influential DC Twitters.
Webnewser brings to our attention that the LA Times' Top of the Ticket blog is out with their own take on the list, based on the numbers.
Using the tracking service Twellow, they give us these top ten:
1. NPR Politics
2. Ana Marie Cox
3. John Dickerson
4. John McCain
5. NPR News
6. George Stephanopoulos
7. Jim Long (and this is where we tell you Jim is part of the TVNewser Summit Panel on the New Tools of the Trade)
8. Obama News
9. Karl Rove
10. Casey Wach
Webnewser brings to our attention that the LA Times' Top of the Ticket blog is out with their own take on the list, based on the numbers.
Using the tracking service Twellow, they give us these top ten:
1. NPR Politics
2. Ana Marie Cox
3. John Dickerson
4. John McCain
5. NPR News
6. George Stephanopoulos
7. Jim Long (and this is where we tell you Jim is part of the TVNewser Summit Panel on the New Tools of the Trade)
8. Obama News
9. Karl Rove
10. Casey Wach
Ads in Google News Turn it into a PR Playground
MP reports: The Google News team blogs that contextual ads are now running alongside of news search results.
"What this means is that when you enter a query like iPhone or Kindle into the Google News search box, you'll see text ads alongside your News search results--similar to what you see on regular Google searches or Google Book Search."
Read between the lines and guess what that really means: Google News is now a PR playground. Given the relative ease of launching a simple Google Adwords campaign we're going to see a lot of companies - some legit, others not - buying up real estate on Google News solely for influence, not clicks. Google may bounce these ads if they don't perform - time will tell.
"What this means is that when you enter a query like iPhone or Kindle into the Google News search box, you'll see text ads alongside your News search results--similar to what you see on regular Google searches or Google Book Search."
Read between the lines and guess what that really means: Google News is now a PR playground. Given the relative ease of launching a simple Google Adwords campaign we're going to see a lot of companies - some legit, others not - buying up real estate on Google News solely for influence, not clicks. Google may bounce these ads if they don't perform - time will tell.
Soft Money Donations Down in 2008 Election
UTI reports: The Campaign Finance Institute estimates that soft money spending by outside organizations, such as "527" political groups and nonprofit 501(c) advocacy organizations, declined slightly to $400 million in the 2008 election cycle. In comparison, those groups spent around $486 million in the 2004 election cycle, the institute said.
Sec. Clinton wants to hear from you.
From DipNote - How Might the U.S. Utilize Innovative Technologies To Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy?
Secretary Clinton recently posted her first DipNote blog entry and is participating in a new online forum, "Ask the Secretary." She also launched an internal State Department website, "The Sounding Board," to solicit feedback from Department staff. Secretary Clinton said, "There is no doubt in my mind that we have barely scratched the surface as to what we can use to communicate with people around the world, and in fact, to use them [new technologies] as tools...to further our own work and be smart about it."
Secretary Clinton recently posted her first DipNote blog entry and is participating in a new online forum, "Ask the Secretary." She also launched an internal State Department website, "The Sounding Board," to solicit feedback from Department staff. Secretary Clinton said, "There is no doubt in my mind that we have barely scratched the surface as to what we can use to communicate with people around the world, and in fact, to use them [new technologies] as tools...to further our own work and be smart about it."
But Who's Counting?
MIT's TR reports: No one really knows how many people visit websites. No established third-party supplier of audience measurement data is trusted. Internal Web logs exaggerate audiences. This matters to more people than investors who worry that they have no way to evaluate new-media businesses. The issues involved are technical, and occluded by ugly jargon, but they concern anyone anxious about the future of media as print and broadcast television and radio shrink in importance.
Happily, a California startup and Google are working to measure Web audiences in new and better ways.
Why care about something as arcane as dodgy audience measurement? Here's why: where content is free, as it is on most websites, the only thing that will pay for quality journalism--or, really, anything valuable at all--is advertising. For most new-media businesses, "display" or banner advertising is the main source of operating revenues. But the general inability to agree on audience numbers is stunting the growth of display advertising.
Every year, advertisers spend billions of dollars online; eMarketer, a research firm, predicts $25.7 billion in 2009 in the United States alone. Marketers study Web audiences to help them decide which sites to spend money on: they try to divine the number of people who visit a site every month, demographic details about those visitors, the length of time they stay on the site, the number of pages they view, and the relationship, if any, between the ads they see and the way they behave. The people who actually buy ads--media buyers and planners at advertising agencies--use this information to choose appropriate sites for campaigns. Finally, publishers use the data to set advertising rates.
Happily, a California startup and Google are working to measure Web audiences in new and better ways.
Why care about something as arcane as dodgy audience measurement? Here's why: where content is free, as it is on most websites, the only thing that will pay for quality journalism--or, really, anything valuable at all--is advertising. For most new-media businesses, "display" or banner advertising is the main source of operating revenues. But the general inability to agree on audience numbers is stunting the growth of display advertising.
Every year, advertisers spend billions of dollars online; eMarketer, a research firm, predicts $25.7 billion in 2009 in the United States alone. Marketers study Web audiences to help them decide which sites to spend money on: they try to divine the number of people who visit a site every month, demographic details about those visitors, the length of time they stay on the site, the number of pages they view, and the relationship, if any, between the ads they see and the way they behave. The people who actually buy ads--media buyers and planners at advertising agencies--use this information to choose appropriate sites for campaigns. Finally, publishers use the data to set advertising rates.
Ford's Scott Monty = Webinar
Scott Monty has been Ford's head of social media the past year and has been well received by the cool kids on his efforts. He's the company spokesperson on Twitter with nearly 13,000 follower and will explain what it takes to be successful in this environment in a SWOM webinar on Wednesday, March 4.
Also here is Scott on FoxBiz discussing social media:
Also here is Scott on FoxBiz discussing social media:
A Tale of 140 Characters, Plus the Ones in Congress
WaPo's Dan Milbank reports on last night's speech: It's a case of Twittering while Rome burns.
President Obama spoke of economic calamity and war last night in that solemn rite of democracy, the address to the joint session of Congress. And lawmakers watched him with the dignity Americans have come to expect of their leaders: They whipped out their BlackBerrys and began sending text messages like high school kids bored in math class.
"One doesn't want to sound snarky, but it is nice not to see Cheney up there," Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) announced as Obama entered the chamber.
"I did big wooohoo for Justice Ginsberg," Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) broadcast, misspelling the name of the ailing Supreme Court justice. McCaskill could be seen applauding with BlackBerry in one hand.
"Capt Sully is here -- awesome!" announced Rep. John Culberson (R-Tex.), spotting the US Airways pilot in the gallery.
Then there was Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), in whose name this text message was sent at about the time the president spoke of the need to pull the country together: "Aggie basketball game is about to start on espn2 for those of you that aren't going to bother watching pelosi smirk for the next hour." A few minutes later, another message came through: "Disregard that last Tweet from a staffer."
It's bad enough that Americans are paralyzed by economic jitters. Now the president has to deal with lawmakers paralyzed by Twitter. At a time of national emergency, when America needs the focused attention of contemplative and reflective lawmakers, they are dispatching rapid-fire thoughts in 140 characters or less.
President Obama spoke of economic calamity and war last night in that solemn rite of democracy, the address to the joint session of Congress. And lawmakers watched him with the dignity Americans have come to expect of their leaders: They whipped out their BlackBerrys and began sending text messages like high school kids bored in math class.
"One doesn't want to sound snarky, but it is nice not to see Cheney up there," Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) announced as Obama entered the chamber.
"I did big wooohoo for Justice Ginsberg," Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) broadcast, misspelling the name of the ailing Supreme Court justice. McCaskill could be seen applauding with BlackBerry in one hand.
"Capt Sully is here -- awesome!" announced Rep. John Culberson (R-Tex.), spotting the US Airways pilot in the gallery.
Then there was Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), in whose name this text message was sent at about the time the president spoke of the need to pull the country together: "Aggie basketball game is about to start on espn2 for those of you that aren't going to bother watching pelosi smirk for the next hour." A few minutes later, another message came through: "Disregard that last Tweet from a staffer."
It's bad enough that Americans are paralyzed by economic jitters. Now the president has to deal with lawmakers paralyzed by Twitter. At a time of national emergency, when America needs the focused attention of contemplative and reflective lawmakers, they are dispatching rapid-fire thoughts in 140 characters or less.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
3D Concert Movies - The Future Today!?!
At the panel discussion I attend last week at USC's Annenberg School of Communication, Innovation in Hollywood , the main take away was 3D is happening and it is happening in a big way.
I found this hard to believe - it is difficult to move beyond the old images of us all wearing those lame red-blue tinted glasses at our local movie theater over the decades. However, already in Asia you can purchase 3D television sets and smart-phones with 3D capability. These innovative items will be on our shores soon, but obviously we are short on content at this time - except maybe for some underground projects coming out of The Valley. Many of the film directors, thought leaders and studio heads who spoke at the panel believe that 3D technology coupled with digital film making will revolutionize how we entertain ourselves.
I still remain on the sidelines - but I have been wrong before about the success of technology projects - and when Disney and the Jonas Brothers commit themselves to 3D you have to take notice.
Below are some highlights from a Deadline Hollywood post regarding the project - also take note of the polling numbers - impressive and a possibly powerful trend indicator of such moives becoming real pop culture events.
DH reports: Films like Disney's Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience are a bonanza for online ticketsellers like MovieTickets and Fandango that cater to younger moviegoers. Fandango says the movie is scooping up 63% of all online ticket sales today. MovieTickets says 52%.
The value proposition of the film – which offers a front-row view of the Jonas Brothers’ hugely popular “Burning Up” concert tour – may have something to do with this phenomenon. According to a recent MovieTickets poll, moviegoers see the 3-D pic as a more economically friendly alternative to concert tickets. And Fandango found that, for 83% of Jonas respondents, the 3D presentation is a "very important" factor motivating them to buy tickets to the film.
MovieTickets Poll: "By seeing the Jonas Brothers in theaters, I’m most avoiding:
1. Expensive concert tickets (57%)
2. Nosebleed seats (18%)
3. Hours of standing (17%)
4. Lack of elbow room (8%)
According to an ongoing Fandango survey of moviegoers planning to see the film:
96% plan to see Jonas 3D this weekend
57% of those plan to attend a midnight screening on Thursday night
45% plan to take off time from school or work on Friday because of the movie
72% are planning a get-together before or after the movie
58% have previously seen the Jonas Brothers live in concert
65% have previously seen High School Musical 3 on the big screen
58% saw Hannah Montana 3D
53% saw Twilight on the big screen
96% of respondents are female
76% of respondents are 17 or younger
54% said Nick Jonas was the brother they’d most like to date
It will be interesting to see the BO (that is Box Office for those of you who drive on The 405) numbers when they are released.
I found this hard to believe - it is difficult to move beyond the old images of us all wearing those lame red-blue tinted glasses at our local movie theater over the decades. However, already in Asia you can purchase 3D television sets and smart-phones with 3D capability. These innovative items will be on our shores soon, but obviously we are short on content at this time - except maybe for some underground projects coming out of The Valley. Many of the film directors, thought leaders and studio heads who spoke at the panel believe that 3D technology coupled with digital film making will revolutionize how we entertain ourselves.
I still remain on the sidelines - but I have been wrong before about the success of technology projects - and when Disney and the Jonas Brothers commit themselves to 3D you have to take notice.
Below are some highlights from a Deadline Hollywood post regarding the project - also take note of the polling numbers - impressive and a possibly powerful trend indicator of such moives becoming real pop culture events.
DH reports: Films like Disney's Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience are a bonanza for online ticketsellers like MovieTickets and Fandango that cater to younger moviegoers. Fandango says the movie is scooping up 63% of all online ticket sales today. MovieTickets says 52%.
The value proposition of the film – which offers a front-row view of the Jonas Brothers’ hugely popular “Burning Up” concert tour – may have something to do with this phenomenon. According to a recent MovieTickets poll, moviegoers see the 3-D pic as a more economically friendly alternative to concert tickets. And Fandango found that, for 83% of Jonas respondents, the 3D presentation is a "very important" factor motivating them to buy tickets to the film.
MovieTickets Poll: "By seeing the Jonas Brothers in theaters, I’m most avoiding:
1. Expensive concert tickets (57%)
2. Nosebleed seats (18%)
3. Hours of standing (17%)
4. Lack of elbow room (8%)
According to an ongoing Fandango survey of moviegoers planning to see the film:
96% plan to see Jonas 3D this weekend
57% of those plan to attend a midnight screening on Thursday night
45% plan to take off time from school or work on Friday because of the movie
72% are planning a get-together before or after the movie
58% have previously seen the Jonas Brothers live in concert
65% have previously seen High School Musical 3 on the big screen
58% saw Hannah Montana 3D
53% saw Twilight on the big screen
96% of respondents are female
76% of respondents are 17 or younger
54% said Nick Jonas was the brother they’d most like to date
It will be interesting to see the BO (that is Box Office for those of you who drive on The 405) numbers when they are released.
U.S. Tumbles to Sixth in Innovation
RH reports: Long the unchallenged global leader in innovation and competitiveness, the United States now ranks No. 6 among the 40 most developed economies, according to a report published on Wednesday.
The report from Washington, D.C., think tank Information Technology and Innovation Foundation comes a day after U.S. President Barack Obama offered details of his administration’s plan to combat a worsening recession.
The United States now lags behind Singapore, Sweden, Luxembourg, Denmark, and South Korea in that order and placed dead last among the top 40 economies in terms of competitive growth.
Nations that once competed almost exclusively on price are now making bold innovative strides as a way to attract higher-value and higher-revenue business, the report said.
The report, titled “The Atlantic Century Benchmarking U.S. an EU Innovation,” runs counter to most global studies on competitiveness that tend to place the U.S. at the top.
The report from Washington, D.C., think tank Information Technology and Innovation Foundation comes a day after U.S. President Barack Obama offered details of his administration’s plan to combat a worsening recession.
The United States now lags behind Singapore, Sweden, Luxembourg, Denmark, and South Korea in that order and placed dead last among the top 40 economies in terms of competitive growth.
Nations that once competed almost exclusively on price are now making bold innovative strides as a way to attract higher-value and higher-revenue business, the report said.
The report, titled “The Atlantic Century Benchmarking U.S. an EU Innovation,” runs counter to most global studies on competitiveness that tend to place the U.S. at the top.
WaPo Quarterly Earnings Fall 77%
Washington Post Co. earnings fell 77 percent in the fourth quarter of last year compared with the same period in 2007, as large impairment charges drove down net income.
The Post Co. yesterday reported fourth-quarter net income of $18.8 million ($2.01 per share) on revenue of $1.16 billion, compared with net income of $82.9 million ($8.71) on revenue of $1.13 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007.
The company's newspaper division, which includes the flagship Washington Post, reported a $14.4 million operating loss for the fourth quarter and a $192.7 million operating loss for all of 2008, 41 percent of which came from the cost of early-retirement packages taken by 231 Post employees. In the second quarter of 2008, the charge dragged The Post Co. into the red for the first time in its 37-year history as a publicly traded company.
The Post Co. yesterday reported fourth-quarter net income of $18.8 million ($2.01 per share) on revenue of $1.16 billion, compared with net income of $82.9 million ($8.71) on revenue of $1.13 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007.
The company's newspaper division, which includes the flagship Washington Post, reported a $14.4 million operating loss for the fourth quarter and a $192.7 million operating loss for all of 2008, 41 percent of which came from the cost of early-retirement packages taken by 231 Post employees. In the second quarter of 2008, the charge dragged The Post Co. into the red for the first time in its 37-year history as a publicly traded company.
iTunes Proves to be a good way to Learn
RWW reports: Skip the lecture, download the podcast. That's probably not what university professors tell their students, but perhaps they should. New psychological research conducted by Dani McKinney, a psychologist at the State University of New York in Fredonia, shows that students who only listened to podcasts of lectures achieved substantially higher exam results than those who attend class in person.
Want a Ford Fiesta? Blog About it.
MediaPost reports: Calling Ford's "Fiesta Movement" program a pre-launch is an understatement. The car--a hit in Europe--doesn't show up in U.S. showrooms until a full year from now. And that says a lot about why Ford is giving 100 people the compact Ford Fiesta for six months to drive it around and blog about it: It's as much about getting consumer input about the car as it is getting buzz going about the vehicle.
It is also a savvy move by the cash-strapped automaker because it is relatively inexpensive and hits squarely at the Millennial target buyer who spends a lot of time on social media sites. The company says Millennials will make up some 70 million new drivers by next year, or 28% of the driving population. And these younger buyers are also less likely than older consumers to have acquired strong feelings of loyalty for an auto brand.
Marketing Daily talked to Sam De La Garza ("SDLG"), Ford's small car marketing manager, and Scott Monty ("SM"), manager of digital and multimedia communications.
Q: When does this program start?
SM: The application process ends on March 13, and that's when we will be able to make a decision about who the actual 100 "agents" are. We will probably have that ready by April 12, around the time of the N.Y. auto show.
Q: Is the major purpose here product/focus-group type feedback to Ford engineers and designers, or viral marketing for the car?
SDLG: The overall purpose is to get feedback on the car, and secondary is to get the entire messaging out to social networks. Of course, there is a major balance here because we know we need to generate a lot of excitement on the one hand, but I'll tell you the opportunity to gain feedback on this car is a heavy priority.
Q: How do you decide on who these 100 "agents" are who get the Fiesta for six months?
SM: Part of it is their demonstrated enthusiasm for and interest in the program, to see if they are into the whole thing. Second is demonstrating that they have an online audience they can share it with. They may be regular folks who have blogs, would-be journalists or part-time auto bloggers.
SDLG: I think as we see the caliber of people [applying], we have changed our ideas a bit on the fly. Our original thoughts were around trying to use filters and criteria like: "Do you have over 500 friends on Facebook?," "Do you have over 1,000 followers on Twitter or 250,000 subscribers on YouTube?" But these are basic thresholds; the next step is seeing what type of "pull" they get from their application videos on YouTube, which shows they can be a valuable agent for us. One of the fascinating things I've learned is that while we sat in a conference room war-gaming this out, we focused on individuals, but we are also getting families and couples submitting YouTube videos, which is really exciting because now we can hit two networks all at once. It's fascinating to see how flexible we have to be with this new approach.
It is also a savvy move by the cash-strapped automaker because it is relatively inexpensive and hits squarely at the Millennial target buyer who spends a lot of time on social media sites. The company says Millennials will make up some 70 million new drivers by next year, or 28% of the driving population. And these younger buyers are also less likely than older consumers to have acquired strong feelings of loyalty for an auto brand.
Marketing Daily talked to Sam De La Garza ("SDLG"), Ford's small car marketing manager, and Scott Monty ("SM"), manager of digital and multimedia communications.
Q: When does this program start?
SM: The application process ends on March 13, and that's when we will be able to make a decision about who the actual 100 "agents" are. We will probably have that ready by April 12, around the time of the N.Y. auto show.
Q: Is the major purpose here product/focus-group type feedback to Ford engineers and designers, or viral marketing for the car?
SDLG: The overall purpose is to get feedback on the car, and secondary is to get the entire messaging out to social networks. Of course, there is a major balance here because we know we need to generate a lot of excitement on the one hand, but I'll tell you the opportunity to gain feedback on this car is a heavy priority.
Q: How do you decide on who these 100 "agents" are who get the Fiesta for six months?
SM: Part of it is their demonstrated enthusiasm for and interest in the program, to see if they are into the whole thing. Second is demonstrating that they have an online audience they can share it with. They may be regular folks who have blogs, would-be journalists or part-time auto bloggers.
SDLG: I think as we see the caliber of people [applying], we have changed our ideas a bit on the fly. Our original thoughts were around trying to use filters and criteria like: "Do you have over 500 friends on Facebook?," "Do you have over 1,000 followers on Twitter or 250,000 subscribers on YouTube?" But these are basic thresholds; the next step is seeing what type of "pull" they get from their application videos on YouTube, which shows they can be a valuable agent for us. One of the fascinating things I've learned is that while we sat in a conference room war-gaming this out, we focused on individuals, but we are also getting families and couples submitting YouTube videos, which is really exciting because now we can hit two networks all at once. It's fascinating to see how flexible we have to be with this new approach.
Women increasingly drawn to social media
BR reports: The number of women attracted to the world of social networking has grown by a massive 53% in just 12 months, according to research by consumer magazine publisher IPC.
The Women's Space 2 study revealed that two-thirds of women count social networking as one of their regular online activities, compared with 43% in 2007.
The Women's Space 2 study revealed that two-thirds of women count social networking as one of their regular online activities, compared with 43% in 2007.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Learning from Obama’s Campaign Structure: How to Organize for Success
Part Two of a six-part series on Team Obama and Election 2008 by epolitics.
Structure isn’t sexy — but to talk about the critical online tools of 2008 without discussing the framework that governed their use would be missing the most important part of the story. ANYONE could employ (most of) the technology the Obamans used, but very few online communicators have ever done so either as effectively or on such a scale. One important lesson from Obama: the tools don’t matter as much as how you use them.
Here is the link to the article - click here.
Structure isn’t sexy — but to talk about the critical online tools of 2008 without discussing the framework that governed their use would be missing the most important part of the story. ANYONE could employ (most of) the technology the Obamans used, but very few online communicators have ever done so either as effectively or on such a scale. One important lesson from Obama: the tools don’t matter as much as how you use them.
Here is the link to the article - click here.
PdF Conference 2009 - You Must Attend + Register Today.
The Personal Democracy Forum is the world's largest and best known conference on the intersection of technology and politics. For the sixth year, more than 1,000 top opinion makers, political practitioners, technologists and journalists will come together to network, exchange ideas, and explore how technology and the Internet are changing politics, democracy, and society.
The 6th annual Personal Democracy Forum will take place on June 29-30, 2009 at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, in the heart of New York City.
Speakers will include:
David Almacy, former White House internet director under President Bush
Gina Bianchini, co-founder of Ning.com
Danah Boyd, Microsoft Research
Bev Godwin, director, USA.govJ
eff Jarvis, blogger and author of What Would Google Do?
Vivek Kundra, chief technology officer of Washington, DC
Cyrus Krohn, e-campaign director of the Republican National Committee
Craig Newmark, founder and customer service representative of Craigslist
Beth Noveck, author of the forthcoming book Wiki Government
Mark Pesce, digital futurist
Maria Teresa Peterson, executive director of Voto Latino
Frank Rich, New York Times Columnist
Joe Rospars, Obama '08 new media director
Nate Silver, founder of fivethirtyeight.com
David Weinberger, author of Everything is Miscellaneous
Michael Wesch, assistant professor of cultural anthropology, Kansas State University
Randi Zuckerberg, director of market development at Facebook
Register now and save $100 with our early bird rate, good until March 6.
The 6th annual Personal Democracy Forum will take place on June 29-30, 2009 at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, in the heart of New York City.
Speakers will include:
David Almacy, former White House internet director under President Bush
Gina Bianchini, co-founder of Ning.com
Danah Boyd, Microsoft Research
Bev Godwin, director, USA.govJ
eff Jarvis, blogger and author of What Would Google Do?
Vivek Kundra, chief technology officer of Washington, DC
Cyrus Krohn, e-campaign director of the Republican National Committee
Craig Newmark, founder and customer service representative of Craigslist
Beth Noveck, author of the forthcoming book Wiki Government
Mark Pesce, digital futurist
Maria Teresa Peterson, executive director of Voto Latino
Frank Rich, New York Times Columnist
Joe Rospars, Obama '08 new media director
Nate Silver, founder of fivethirtyeight.com
David Weinberger, author of Everything is Miscellaneous
Michael Wesch, assistant professor of cultural anthropology, Kansas State University
Randi Zuckerberg, director of market development at Facebook
Register now and save $100 with our early bird rate, good until March 6.
Learning from Obama: Lessons for Online Communicators in 2009 and Beyond
epolitics has launched a six part series on Team Obama and Election 2008 - here is the intro to part one:
Without the internet, Barack Obama would still be the junior senator from Illinois. Instead, his two-year campaign for the White House relied on electronic communications to an unprecedented extent for its core functions: organizing volunteers and staff, finding new supporters and putting them to work, turning out voters on election day and (of course) raising staggering amounts of money — all contributing to a crucial edge in the primary and general elections.
For the complete article - click here.
Without the internet, Barack Obama would still be the junior senator from Illinois. Instead, his two-year campaign for the White House relied on electronic communications to an unprecedented extent for its core functions: organizing volunteers and staff, finding new supporters and putting them to work, turning out voters on election day and (of course) raising staggering amounts of money — all contributing to a crucial edge in the primary and general elections.
For the complete article - click here.
Parties' new battleground: Google
Politico reports: If you Googled “stimulus” earlier this month, you probably stumbled upon a collection of ads blasting the Democrats’ economic recovery plan. Search the phrase “card check” and Google turns up labor union ads backing the controversial Employee Free Choice Act. The “Roy Blunt” Google search, meanwhile, sends you straight to a sponsored link for the Missouri Republican’s new Senate campaign.
This isn’t an accident.
Campaigns and other political organizations are finally getting Google-savvy, latching onto an advertising tool that most companies have been using for years. The campaigns are using targeted search terms — acquired in Google auctions — to put their message in front of interested online readers in hopes of influencing the political debate outside traditional media and advertising outlets.
This isn’t an accident.
Campaigns and other political organizations are finally getting Google-savvy, latching onto an advertising tool that most companies have been using for years. The campaigns are using targeted search terms — acquired in Google auctions — to put their message in front of interested online readers in hopes of influencing the political debate outside traditional media and advertising outlets.
SF Chronicle to close???
LA Observed reports: Hearst posted the news that it will seek quick "significant" cuts to both union and non-union staff at the Chronicle. If enough savings aren't realized, the company says it will seek a buyer for the paper. If no buyer emerges, the paper will close.
The 10 Emerging Technologies of 2009
MIT's Technology Review presents its annual list of 10 technologies that could change the way we live.
Each year, Technology Review chooses 10 emerging technologies with the potential to change lives around the world. Some of this year's choices, such as paper-based medical tests and intelligent software that acts as a personal assistant, could reach the market within a year.
Others, like biological machines and nanopiezotronics, could take longer but promise fundamental shifts in fields from computing to medicine, communications to manufacturing. The list includes technologies miniature and massive--from fast, cheap, capacious computer memory to batteries that can store enough energy to power a city. All are technologies that we bet will make a huge impact in the years ahead.
See the 10 Emerging Technologies of 2009.
Each year, Technology Review chooses 10 emerging technologies with the potential to change lives around the world. Some of this year's choices, such as paper-based medical tests and intelligent software that acts as a personal assistant, could reach the market within a year.
Others, like biological machines and nanopiezotronics, could take longer but promise fundamental shifts in fields from computing to medicine, communications to manufacturing. The list includes technologies miniature and massive--from fast, cheap, capacious computer memory to batteries that can store enough energy to power a city. All are technologies that we bet will make a huge impact in the years ahead.
See the 10 Emerging Technologies of 2009.
Luckiest guy
From Seth Godin's blog today:
This is my 3,000th blog post. (In a row).
Within a week of starting this blog, I had a feeling I wouldn't be giving it up any time soon. It's a difficult habit to develop, but an even harder one to break.
The impact of having one's own personal long tail is huge. It's not about googlefu (at least it shouldn't be) but your footprint expands nonetheless. Do a google search on seersucker suit and there I am, listed third, with a vaguely relevant post. Do one on advice for authors and there I am again. Drip, drip, drip, it adds up. The hard part, as you can guess, is the first 2,500 posts.
After that, momentum really starts to build.
Of course, given the lack of ads here, traffic isn't the goal, spreading ideas is. With that in mind, if you'd like to celebrate this milestone (there won't be another like it for three years or so) please go ahead and start a blog. If you already have a blog, please go ahead and post something really interesting today.
If you'd like to vote on your favorite posts over the years, or see my book collecting some of them, it's all here.
And thanks. Thanks for reading and sharing and instigating and helping me grow. I appreciate it more than you know. It's a privilege.
This is my 3,000th blog post. (In a row).
Within a week of starting this blog, I had a feeling I wouldn't be giving it up any time soon. It's a difficult habit to develop, but an even harder one to break.
The impact of having one's own personal long tail is huge. It's not about googlefu (at least it shouldn't be) but your footprint expands nonetheless. Do a google search on seersucker suit and there I am, listed third, with a vaguely relevant post. Do one on advice for authors and there I am again. Drip, drip, drip, it adds up. The hard part, as you can guess, is the first 2,500 posts.
After that, momentum really starts to build.
Of course, given the lack of ads here, traffic isn't the goal, spreading ideas is. With that in mind, if you'd like to celebrate this milestone (there won't be another like it for three years or so) please go ahead and start a blog. If you already have a blog, please go ahead and post something really interesting today.
If you'd like to vote on your favorite posts over the years, or see my book collecting some of them, it's all here.
And thanks. Thanks for reading and sharing and instigating and helping me grow. I appreciate it more than you know. It's a privilege.
MPs fail to get onboard with social media
BR reports: Few MPs use social media or have their own blogs, according to a new report, that says they use internet too much to inform and not enough to talk to constituents.
The report by the Hansard Society, sponsored by Microsoft, reveals that MPs are using the internet primarily to inform their constituents rather than engage with them.
Called 'MPs Online: Connecting with Constituents', the report says the most widely used digital media by MPs are those that are mainly passive in nature, such as websites. Interactive forms that could be used by MPs to develop a two-way conversation with their constituents, such as blogs and social networking, are used much less commonly.
Even when social media is used by MPs it is more often in a passive mode with parliamentarians talking but not exploiting their full interactive potential.
Key findings from the research are that:
92% of MPs use email
83% of MPs have a personal website
23% when it comes to the number of MPs using social networking
11% of MPs have a blog
Factors such as age and marginality of constituency do not appear to be a barrier, but time, resources, the abusive reputation of the blogosphere and the need to prioritise constituents' needs all make blogging unpopular with MPs.
Click here to download the full report.
The report by the Hansard Society, sponsored by Microsoft, reveals that MPs are using the internet primarily to inform their constituents rather than engage with them.
Called 'MPs Online: Connecting with Constituents', the report says the most widely used digital media by MPs are those that are mainly passive in nature, such as websites. Interactive forms that could be used by MPs to develop a two-way conversation with their constituents, such as blogs and social networking, are used much less commonly.
Even when social media is used by MPs it is more often in a passive mode with parliamentarians talking but not exploiting their full interactive potential.
Key findings from the research are that:
92% of MPs use email
83% of MPs have a personal website
23% when it comes to the number of MPs using social networking
11% of MPs have a blog
Factors such as age and marginality of constituency do not appear to be a barrier, but time, resources, the abusive reputation of the blogosphere and the need to prioritise constituents' needs all make blogging unpopular with MPs.
Click here to download the full report.
Huffington Post rumoured to be making bid for Outside.in
BR reports: The Huffington Post is rumoured to buy local news aggregator Outside.in from founder Steven Johnson following its $25m of funding from a Silicon Valley investment fund at the end of last year.
Johnson, an American popular science author, launched online service Outside.in in 2006 describing it as "an attempt to collectively build the geographic web, neighborhood by neighborhood".
The Huffington Post, founded by Arianna Huffington, received backing from Palo Alto, California-based Oak Investment Partners in December to invest in technology and expand its content offering. Huffington said at the time that she was planning to roll out local versions of The Huffington Post in select cities and it appears that the plan is going ahead.
*** Update - SAI reporting there is no deal in the works ***
Johnson, an American popular science author, launched online service Outside.in in 2006 describing it as "an attempt to collectively build the geographic web, neighborhood by neighborhood".
The Huffington Post, founded by Arianna Huffington, received backing from Palo Alto, California-based Oak Investment Partners in December to invest in technology and expand its content offering. Huffington said at the time that she was planning to roll out local versions of The Huffington Post in select cities and it appears that the plan is going ahead.
*** Update - SAI reporting there is no deal in the works ***
Webinar: Corporate Trends in Social Media Marketing - eBook Findings
Recently, Chris Brogan, President, New Marketing Labs sent out a survey asking those involved in social media a few questions about their current corporate social media marketing initiatives. Over 600 people participated and along with the help of Mike Lewis, VP of Marketing at Awareness, Inc. an eBook was created from the survey results as well as from interviews of some key companies successfully utilizing social media.
How are companies currently using social media?
How much of the 2009 marketing budget are marketers allocating to social activities and how is that money being allocated?
What social media vehicles and channels are currently being used and what is the migration/upgrade path?
How can companies use social media to demonstrate real business value?
What is preventing companies from adopting social media?
Join them on March 9th at 2:00 PM EST to see the survey results along with the social media strategies of a number of leading companies. Learn how these companies are already reaping the rewards of their investment in social media marketing. By attending, you will receive a copy of the 'soon to be finalized' eBook (an executive summary of the findings can be downloaded here).
How are companies currently using social media?
How much of the 2009 marketing budget are marketers allocating to social activities and how is that money being allocated?
What social media vehicles and channels are currently being used and what is the migration/upgrade path?
How can companies use social media to demonstrate real business value?
What is preventing companies from adopting social media?
Join them on March 9th at 2:00 PM EST to see the survey results along with the social media strategies of a number of leading companies. Learn how these companies are already reaping the rewards of their investment in social media marketing. By attending, you will receive a copy of the 'soon to be finalized' eBook (an executive summary of the findings can be downloaded here).
From Tweet to Action to Fun to Advocacy
ATR (Americans for Tax Reform - @taxreformer) sent out a message via Twitter this morning to take part in their "O-BINGO!"
From the ATR site: On Tuesday at 9:00 PM Eastern, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress. To help you endure the 50-minute speech, below is a handy Bingo card you may use to check off terms and phrases likely to be used. As a bonus, print out the different versions of the card and watch the speech with your friends or family.
This is clearly a fun way to make a point and paint a picture. ATR has used various communication tools to promote their Bingo game and at the same time are making an advocacy point of view - good stuff.
What is your organization doing for tonight's speech?
Do you have a countdown clock like MSNBC's does?
Will you be Twittering? Responding? Posting?
What if Obama Attacks your pet project?
What if Obama Praises your pet project?
From the ATR site: On Tuesday at 9:00 PM Eastern, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress. To help you endure the 50-minute speech, below is a handy Bingo card you may use to check off terms and phrases likely to be used. As a bonus, print out the different versions of the card and watch the speech with your friends or family.
This is clearly a fun way to make a point and paint a picture. ATR has used various communication tools to promote their Bingo game and at the same time are making an advocacy point of view - good stuff.What is your organization doing for tonight's speech?
Do you have a countdown clock like MSNBC's does?
Will you be Twittering? Responding? Posting?
What if Obama Attacks your pet project?
What if Obama Praises your pet project?
200+ Internet Marketing Gurus on Twitter
Get your tweet on!
List from Marketing Pilgrim with the twitter accounts/names of leading marketers. Click here for the list.
List from Marketing Pilgrim with the twitter accounts/names of leading marketers. Click here for the list.
Florida locals create "grassroots" sandal company
IFA reports: “In Florida, all we do is live in sandals,” said Joel Alwinson, a University of Central Florida alumnus and Arks executive officer. “So I couldn’t believe there was not a camo–leather sandal out there.”
They pored over leather and foam samples in Joel’s house.The result was a line of sandals made with high–quality aniline leather that doesn’t bleed when wet, unlike existing leather sandal brands.As true Florida boys, the founders of Arks want their company to have a homegrown, community reputation.
As a result, they are selling their sandals through a “grassroots campaign” and not through retailers. Arks has sales representatives in Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Orlando.The founder’s motto and mission statement for Arks is, “A way of life.”
Roberson said that is how Arks is going to conduct its sales. The marketing approach is to have a team of sales representatives who create relationships with customers.
“Arks is the Mary Kay of sandals,” Alwinson said. “We are setting up sales representatives and creating communities.”Part of its community–oriented vision is to help local nonprofits, and for every pair of sandals sold, Arks donates $5 to various nonprofit organizations.
They pored over leather and foam samples in Joel’s house.The result was a line of sandals made with high–quality aniline leather that doesn’t bleed when wet, unlike existing leather sandal brands.As true Florida boys, the founders of Arks want their company to have a homegrown, community reputation.
As a result, they are selling their sandals through a “grassroots campaign” and not through retailers. Arks has sales representatives in Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Orlando.The founder’s motto and mission statement for Arks is, “A way of life.”
Roberson said that is how Arks is going to conduct its sales. The marketing approach is to have a team of sales representatives who create relationships with customers.
“Arks is the Mary Kay of sandals,” Alwinson said. “We are setting up sales representatives and creating communities.”Part of its community–oriented vision is to help local nonprofits, and for every pair of sandals sold, Arks donates $5 to various nonprofit organizations.
More Obama message and media team appointments
Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun Times reports: President Obama Announces More Key White House Staff.
Daniella Gibbs Leger, Director of Message Events
Gibbs Leger was most recently the Vice President for Communications at American Progress.
Macon Phillips, Director of New Media
Phillips has served as Director of New Media for the Presidential Transition Team, developing Change.gov and overseeing the transition's overall online communications. Prior to that, he served as the Deputy Director of New Media for Obama for America, managing the day to day operations of the campaign's online program. Before the campaign, Macon led Blue State Digital's strategy practice, working with clients like the Democratic National Committee and Senator Ted Kennedy.
Christina Reynolds, Director of Media Affairs
Reynolds was most recently the Director of Rapid Response for the Obama-Biden campaign. Prior to that, she was research director and senior communications adviser for John Edwards' 2008 presidential primary campaign.
Dag Vega, Director of Broadcast Media
Vega served as Director of Surrogate Press for the Obama campaign where he supervised the TV booking operation and managed the media outreach for elected officials and policy experts speaking on behalf of the campaign.
Amy Brundage, Regional Communications Director
Brundage most recently served as a spokesperson for the Obama-Biden Transition Team and as the Midwest Communications Director in the Chicago headquarters for Obama's presidential campaign.
Cammie Croft, Deputy New Media Director
Croft comes to the White House from the Obama-Biden Transition Project, where she served as the Deputy New Media Director, specializing in online communications. Prior to that, as the New Media Rapid Response Manager for the Obama for America campaign, she oversaw efforts to integrate new media and communications, including managing websites such as FighttheSmears.com and UndertheRadar.com
Corey Ealons, Director of African American Media/Coordinator of Special Projects
Ealons served as director of African American Media during the General Election for the Obama-Biden campaign.Shin Inouye, Director of Specialty MediaInouye was most recently a spokesperson for the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Prior to that, he was the Constituency Communications Coordinator at the Obama for America campaign.
Jesse Lee, Online Programs Director
Lee worked in the New Media department for the Transition team doing online outreach, having done online communications for the Democratic National Committee during election season.
Katherine Lyons, Deputy Director of Message Events
Lyons most recently served as the Southwest regional spokesperson for the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee. Prior to that, she served as the Obama campaign's Director of Message Events for the general election.
Luis Miranda, Director of Hispanic Media
Miranda was most recently Deputy Communications Director at the Democratic National Committee, overseeing regional and specialty press.
Moira Mack Muntz, Regional Communications Director
Mack Muntz has advised and managed earned media strategy for numerous political, ballot initiative and issue campaigns.
Katie Stanton, Director of Citizen Participation
Stanton joins the New Media team as Director of Citizen Participation. Prior to this role, Stanton was at Google where she was a Principal in the New Business Development team responsible for OpenSocial, Google Moderator, and various election-related initiatives.
Joelle Terry, Deputy Director of Message Events
Terry most recently served as the Director of Communications Planning for the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee and as the Deputy Director of Surrogate Press during the General in the Chicago headquarters for Obama's presidential campaign.
Gannet Tseggai, Regional Communications Director
Tseggai started on Obama's presidential campaign as the Iowa Deputy Press Secretary in 2007 and worked in five states during the primary. During the general election, she served as the Northeast Communications Director in the Chicago headquarters.
Daniella Gibbs Leger, Director of Message Events
Gibbs Leger was most recently the Vice President for Communications at American Progress.
Macon Phillips, Director of New Media
Phillips has served as Director of New Media for the Presidential Transition Team, developing Change.gov and overseeing the transition's overall online communications. Prior to that, he served as the Deputy Director of New Media for Obama for America, managing the day to day operations of the campaign's online program. Before the campaign, Macon led Blue State Digital's strategy practice, working with clients like the Democratic National Committee and Senator Ted Kennedy.
Christina Reynolds, Director of Media Affairs
Reynolds was most recently the Director of Rapid Response for the Obama-Biden campaign. Prior to that, she was research director and senior communications adviser for John Edwards' 2008 presidential primary campaign.
Dag Vega, Director of Broadcast Media
Vega served as Director of Surrogate Press for the Obama campaign where he supervised the TV booking operation and managed the media outreach for elected officials and policy experts speaking on behalf of the campaign.
Amy Brundage, Regional Communications Director
Brundage most recently served as a spokesperson for the Obama-Biden Transition Team and as the Midwest Communications Director in the Chicago headquarters for Obama's presidential campaign.
Cammie Croft, Deputy New Media Director
Croft comes to the White House from the Obama-Biden Transition Project, where she served as the Deputy New Media Director, specializing in online communications. Prior to that, as the New Media Rapid Response Manager for the Obama for America campaign, she oversaw efforts to integrate new media and communications, including managing websites such as FighttheSmears.com and UndertheRadar.com
Corey Ealons, Director of African American Media/Coordinator of Special Projects
Ealons served as director of African American Media during the General Election for the Obama-Biden campaign.Shin Inouye, Director of Specialty MediaInouye was most recently a spokesperson for the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Prior to that, he was the Constituency Communications Coordinator at the Obama for America campaign.
Jesse Lee, Online Programs Director
Lee worked in the New Media department for the Transition team doing online outreach, having done online communications for the Democratic National Committee during election season.
Katherine Lyons, Deputy Director of Message Events
Lyons most recently served as the Southwest regional spokesperson for the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee. Prior to that, she served as the Obama campaign's Director of Message Events for the general election.
Luis Miranda, Director of Hispanic Media
Miranda was most recently Deputy Communications Director at the Democratic National Committee, overseeing regional and specialty press.
Moira Mack Muntz, Regional Communications Director
Mack Muntz has advised and managed earned media strategy for numerous political, ballot initiative and issue campaigns.
Katie Stanton, Director of Citizen Participation
Stanton joins the New Media team as Director of Citizen Participation. Prior to this role, Stanton was at Google where she was a Principal in the New Business Development team responsible for OpenSocial, Google Moderator, and various election-related initiatives.
Joelle Terry, Deputy Director of Message Events
Terry most recently served as the Director of Communications Planning for the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee and as the Deputy Director of Surrogate Press during the General in the Chicago headquarters for Obama's presidential campaign.
Gannet Tseggai, Regional Communications Director
Tseggai started on Obama's presidential campaign as the Iowa Deputy Press Secretary in 2007 and worked in five states during the primary. During the general election, she served as the Northeast Communications Director in the Chicago headquarters.
SEIU's “Grassroots Lobbyists” Effort - Making A Difference
Mike Kingsbury is a Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign. You can read more about the program here. Video included below.
I like how they make this action more tangible with this "candid" interview - it captures his excitement to be part of their legislative effort.
I like how they make this action more tangible with this "candid" interview - it captures his excitement to be part of their legislative effort.
Marketing Obama’s Stimulus Package: It Depends
IBT reports: Did President Barack Obama correctly sell the $787 billion stimulus package? Since it has been enacted into law by Congress and signed by the president, one might answer yes. But the fact that the bill passed with little Republican support could say otherwise, argue two researchers.
A new study by Neil Malhotra and Yotam Margalit suggests that Obama’s political strategists might have gotten even more than $787 billion if they had relied less on Democratic Party lawmakers to sell the package and expended more time and effort arguing for the merits of the package early on. Moreover, to get more support from Republican voters, Obama could have avoided blaming the financial crisis on the Republican Party and the Bush administration and been more alarmist about the consequences.
Today, amid the faltering economy, the Obama administration must still rally the American public around the plan. In the future other stimulus packages may need to be passed, including more asset purchases and the creation of a "bad bank" of problem loans. The study outlines a few key tactics the president might employ.
"Understanding how citizens construct opinions about the preferred policy for dealing with the economic crisis has important applications for gauging how the battle over public opinion is likely to shape up in the months ahead," the authors write.
A new study by Neil Malhotra and Yotam Margalit suggests that Obama’s political strategists might have gotten even more than $787 billion if they had relied less on Democratic Party lawmakers to sell the package and expended more time and effort arguing for the merits of the package early on. Moreover, to get more support from Republican voters, Obama could have avoided blaming the financial crisis on the Republican Party and the Bush administration and been more alarmist about the consequences.
Today, amid the faltering economy, the Obama administration must still rally the American public around the plan. In the future other stimulus packages may need to be passed, including more asset purchases and the creation of a "bad bank" of problem loans. The study outlines a few key tactics the president might employ.
"Understanding how citizens construct opinions about the preferred policy for dealing with the economic crisis has important applications for gauging how the battle over public opinion is likely to shape up in the months ahead," the authors write.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tropicana Discovers Some Buyers Are Passionate About Packaging
NYT reports: The PepsiCo Americas Beverages division of PepsiCo is bowing to public demand and scrapping the changes made to a flagship product, Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice. Redesigned packaging that was introduced in early January is being discontinued, executives plan to announce on Monday, and the previous version will be brought back in the next month.
Also returning will be the longtime Tropicana brand symbol, an orange from which a straw protrudes. The symbol, meant to evoke fresh taste, had been supplanted on the new packages by a glass of orange juice.
The about-face comes after consumers complained about the makeover in letters, e-mail messages and telephone calls and clamored for a return of the original look.
Some of those commenting described the new packaging as “ugly” or “stupid,” and resembling “a generic bargain brand” or a “store brand.”
“Do any of these package-design people actually shop for orange juice?” the writer of one e-mail message asked rhetorically. “Because I do, and the new cartons stink.”
Others described the redesign as making it more difficult to distinguish among the varieties of Tropicana or differentiate Tropicana from other orange juices.
Such attention is becoming increasingly common as interactive technologies enable consumers to rapidly convey opinions to marketers.
“You used to wait to go to the water cooler or a cocktail party to talk over something,” said Richard Laermer, chief executive at RLM Public Relations in New York.
“Now, every minute is a cocktail party,” he added. “You write an e-mail and in an hour, you’ve got a fan base agreeing with you.”
That ability to share brickbats or bouquets with other consumers is important because it facilitates the formation of ad hoc groups, more likely to be listened to than individuals.
“There will always be people complaining, and always be people complaining about the complainers,” said Peter Shankman, a public relations executive who specializes in social media. “But this makes it easier to put us together.”
The phenomenon was on display last week when users of Facebook complained about changes to the Web site’s terms of service using methods that included, yes, groups on facebook.com. Facebook yielded to the protests and reverted to its original contract with users.
And in November, many consumers who used Twitter to criticize an ad for Motrin pain reliever received responses within 48 hours from the brand’s maker, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, which apologized for the ad and told them it had been withdrawn.
“Twitter is the ultimate focus group,” Mr. Shankman said. “I can post something and in a minute get feedback from 700 people around the world, giving me their real opinions.”
Neil Campbell, president at Tropicana North America in Chicago, part of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, acknowledged that consumers can communicate with marketers “more readily and more quickly” than ever. “For companies that put consumers at the center of what they do,” he said, “it’s a good thing.”
Also returning will be the longtime Tropicana brand symbol, an orange from which a straw protrudes. The symbol, meant to evoke fresh taste, had been supplanted on the new packages by a glass of orange juice.
The about-face comes after consumers complained about the makeover in letters, e-mail messages and telephone calls and clamored for a return of the original look.
Some of those commenting described the new packaging as “ugly” or “stupid,” and resembling “a generic bargain brand” or a “store brand.”
“Do any of these package-design people actually shop for orange juice?” the writer of one e-mail message asked rhetorically. “Because I do, and the new cartons stink.”
Others described the redesign as making it more difficult to distinguish among the varieties of Tropicana or differentiate Tropicana from other orange juices.
Such attention is becoming increasingly common as interactive technologies enable consumers to rapidly convey opinions to marketers.
“You used to wait to go to the water cooler or a cocktail party to talk over something,” said Richard Laermer, chief executive at RLM Public Relations in New York.
“Now, every minute is a cocktail party,” he added. “You write an e-mail and in an hour, you’ve got a fan base agreeing with you.”
That ability to share brickbats or bouquets with other consumers is important because it facilitates the formation of ad hoc groups, more likely to be listened to than individuals.
“There will always be people complaining, and always be people complaining about the complainers,” said Peter Shankman, a public relations executive who specializes in social media. “But this makes it easier to put us together.”
The phenomenon was on display last week when users of Facebook complained about changes to the Web site’s terms of service using methods that included, yes, groups on facebook.com. Facebook yielded to the protests and reverted to its original contract with users.
And in November, many consumers who used Twitter to criticize an ad for Motrin pain reliever received responses within 48 hours from the brand’s maker, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, which apologized for the ad and told them it had been withdrawn.
“Twitter is the ultimate focus group,” Mr. Shankman said. “I can post something and in a minute get feedback from 700 people around the world, giving me their real opinions.”
Neil Campbell, president at Tropicana North America in Chicago, part of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, acknowledged that consumers can communicate with marketers “more readily and more quickly” than ever. “For companies that put consumers at the center of what they do,” he said, “it’s a good thing.”
Social Network ROI
From SWOM: Designed with non-profits in mind, this ROI chart is a few years old - but worth checking out - an online calculator to help determine the ROI of social networks for your organization.
Moo's move: opening a US office
UKG reports: Print-on-demand company Moo.com - purveyors of teeny business cards - have long trumpeted their fondness for Britain's Royal Mail, which helps them deliver around the world. And I've written before about them transcending their physical location to act like a global company, rather than one that feels hindered by being based in the UK (as many dotcoms outside Silicon Valley do). But even though the company has become a central part of the capital's internet scene - as the heart of the so-called "Silicon Roundabout" - it's not stopping there: and is today set to announce a new US office.
The basics are pretty straightforward - a new space in Rhode Island that will supply all of the company's North American customers (which is, I'm told, 50% of the business). It will make dispatching orders in the US cheaper, faster and provide customer service too. But given Moo's connections with partners like Flickr and Facebook, why not open in San Francisco? Founder Richard Moross told me that it was more about logistics.
This is a cool concept that is user friendly and super easy to use. Moo allows you to be creative by using numerous photos to decorate biz cards, postcards and thank you notes with the same printed message - imagine a Chinese New Year party where you could use all those cool China vacation photos - up to 100 - with the same invite message. Coupled with networking sites like Flickr and Facebook - you can really get your creative on with an endless supply of photos and graphic at your disposal.
I just placed my first order for mini biz cards using five different photos - I will keep you posted.
The basics are pretty straightforward - a new space in Rhode Island that will supply all of the company's North American customers (which is, I'm told, 50% of the business). It will make dispatching orders in the US cheaper, faster and provide customer service too. But given Moo's connections with partners like Flickr and Facebook, why not open in San Francisco? Founder Richard Moross told me that it was more about logistics.
This is a cool concept that is user friendly and super easy to use. Moo allows you to be creative by using numerous photos to decorate biz cards, postcards and thank you notes with the same printed message - imagine a Chinese New Year party where you could use all those cool China vacation photos - up to 100 - with the same invite message. Coupled with networking sites like Flickr and Facebook - you can really get your creative on with an endless supply of photos and graphic at your disposal.
I just placed my first order for mini biz cards using five different photos - I will keep you posted.
Bebo Now Emphasizes Lifestreaming - Updates Profile Pages
RWW reports: Bebo, AOL's social network, added a lifestreaming feature today that allows users to pull in updates from Twitter, Flickr, and Delicious, as well as from Facebook and Myspace. Bebo also introduced another new feature called 'Lifestory,' which displays your updates in a scrollable and zoomable timeline that is somewhat reminiscent of ThisMoment. With LifeStory, you can quickly create new events on your timeline and add photos, videos, and text. This feature, however, is not integrated with your lifestream.
According to the Guardian, Bebo argues that it is different from Facebook, because "Facebook is a closed, proprietary network that brings friends together through one website."
Clearly, Bebo is trying to differentiate itself from other social networks by becoming more of an aggregator. Thanks to Bebo's SocialInbox, you could already aggregate your friends' updates on other services, even if they aren't Bebo members. Bebo also allows you to check your Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and AOL Mail accounts from within the service
According to the Guardian, Bebo argues that it is different from Facebook, because "Facebook is a closed, proprietary network that brings friends together through one website."
Clearly, Bebo is trying to differentiate itself from other social networks by becoming more of an aggregator. Thanks to Bebo's SocialInbox, you could already aggregate your friends' updates on other services, even if they aren't Bebo members. Bebo also allows you to check your Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and AOL Mail accounts from within the service
The 25 Most Valuable Blogs
24/7 Wall Street list of the twenty-five most valuable blogs.
1. Gawker Properties -- $170 million.
2. Huffington Post -- $90 million.
3. The Drudge Report -- $48 million.
4. Perez Hilton -- $32 million.
5. Sugar, Inc -- $27 million.
6. TechCrunch -- $25 million.
7. MacRumors -- $21 million.
8. SeekingAlpha -- $11 million.
9. GigaOm -- $9.5 million.
10. Politico -- $8.7 million.
11. SmashingMagazine -- $7.7 million.
12. SearchEngineLand -- $4.5 million.
13. Boing Boing -- $3.6 million.
14. ReadWriteWeb -- $3.4 million.
15. SB Nation -- $2.7 million.
16. Destructoid -- $2.5 million.
17. Mashable -- $2.5 million.
18. Alley Insider sites -- $2.25 million.
19. /film -- $2.1 million.
20. The Superficial Network -- $2 million
21. Neatorama -- $1.5 million.
22. Daily Kos -- $2 million.
23. Talking Points Memo -- $1.2 million.
24. VentureBeat -- $1 million.
25. Wowowow.com -- $1 million.
Social networks that matter: Twitter under the microscope
Social Computing Laboratory, HP Labs reports: Scholars, advertisers and political activists see massive online social networks as a representation of social interactions that can be used to study the propagation of ideas, social bond dynamics and viral marketing, among others. But the linked structures of social networks do not reveal actual interactions among people. Scarcity of attention and the daily rythms of life and work makes people default to interacting with those few that matter and that reciprocate their attention. A study of social interactions within Twitter reveals that the driver of usage is a sparse and hidden network of connections underlying the “declared” set of friends and followers.
Full paper in PDF format
Full paper in PDF format
Why the Click Is the Wrong Metric for Online Ads
AdAge reports: The great paradox of the web is that it's an interactive medium and everything can be measured. And that's wonderful -- unless you're measuring the wrong thing.
In the past several months, there has been increasing evidence that the most easily measured metric on the web, the click, is not the right metric to use for many advertisers. And that's good news for publishers struggling to monetize their content with online ads.
Simply put, many advertisers in the past gave most of the credit for a sale or conversion -- which in the web world could include anything from visiting a website to printing an online coupon -- to the last ad clicked on or seen by a consumer. But that means brand-focused sites such as NYTimes.com and MarthaStewart.com and even social-media sites such as Facebook and MySpace lose credit because they are often not where a consumer will see that last ad. And when they lose credit, they lose advertisers, and when they lose ad revenue, well, you've read that story.
"Publishers have a lot to gain," said Steve Kerho, VP-analytics, media and marketing optimization at Organic. Mr. Kerho has been doing lots of analysis on how online-display ads affect search and conversions and found that in some cases, a display ad can increase a search ad's click-through rate 25% to 30%. If he had simply measured the clicks from search, he would have missed the display ads' influence.
The evolution toward better attribution models has been occurring over the past several years. Yet by some informal estimates, as many as half of all online advertisers are still measuring using rudimentary models, such as the click, which is hurting publishers.
In the past several months, there has been increasing evidence that the most easily measured metric on the web, the click, is not the right metric to use for many advertisers. And that's good news for publishers struggling to monetize their content with online ads.
Simply put, many advertisers in the past gave most of the credit for a sale or conversion -- which in the web world could include anything from visiting a website to printing an online coupon -- to the last ad clicked on or seen by a consumer. But that means brand-focused sites such as NYTimes.com and MarthaStewart.com and even social-media sites such as Facebook and MySpace lose credit because they are often not where a consumer will see that last ad. And when they lose credit, they lose advertisers, and when they lose ad revenue, well, you've read that story.
"Publishers have a lot to gain," said Steve Kerho, VP-analytics, media and marketing optimization at Organic. Mr. Kerho has been doing lots of analysis on how online-display ads affect search and conversions and found that in some cases, a display ad can increase a search ad's click-through rate 25% to 30%. If he had simply measured the clicks from search, he would have missed the display ads' influence.
The evolution toward better attribution models has been occurring over the past several years. Yet by some informal estimates, as many as half of all online advertisers are still measuring using rudimentary models, such as the click, which is hurting publishers.
Nike Adds SocNet Sharing Feature to Marketing Emails
MV reports: Beginning with a February 12 inbox blast, Nike incorporated a ShareThis button to the bottom of email messages promoting its Lunartrainer+iD product line.
ShareThis enables users to share portions of an email — or website — with friends across the networks they use, giving otherwise static messages a potentially "viral" quality. It and functionalities like it are dubbed "share with your network" (SWYN) links. The act represents growing interest by traditional marketers to incorporate more dynamic and social characteristics into email, which generally tends to be one-way monologues between marketers and clients.
In December 2008, for example, Goodmail announced a service that embeds video into email messages. Silverpop has also experimented with integrating email campaigns into social networks. The move to make email more "shareable" is also part of an across-the-board trend toward incorporating more social network characteristics into all aspects of marketing communications, including mobile spaces and static websites.
ShareThis enables users to share portions of an email — or website — with friends across the networks they use, giving otherwise static messages a potentially "viral" quality. It and functionalities like it are dubbed "share with your network" (SWYN) links. The act represents growing interest by traditional marketers to incorporate more dynamic and social characteristics into email, which generally tends to be one-way monologues between marketers and clients.
In December 2008, for example, Goodmail announced a service that embeds video into email messages. Silverpop has also experimented with integrating email campaigns into social networks. The move to make email more "shareable" is also part of an across-the-board trend toward incorporating more social network characteristics into all aspects of marketing communications, including mobile spaces and static websites.
Paper Cut: Missouri College Embraces E-Textbooks
NPR reports: The college textbook is on track to becoming a relic of the paper-and-ink era. On campuses around the country, professors and students are selecting digital versions of books that can be read off of a computer screen.
Most college students are used to going online for music, videos and news — so why not textbooks?
One college in rural Missouri is the first trying to go entirely book-free. At Northwest Missouri State, all students are issued a laptop when they arrive on campus. Just before his business finance class begins, junior Kevin Green takes out his laptop and clicks on his textbook.
Some e-textbooks are just on-screen versions of the bound copies. But the newest books are interactive — you can search, mark pages, highlight, and cut and paste passages. You can share notes in a kind of social network with the rest of your class — or even click on a video.
The new generation of textbooks is trying to be in tune with the way students learn in the age of Wikipedia and YouTube. And textbook writers will have to keep up, says Frank Lyman of CourseSmart, a digital distributor that's working with nine major publishers.
Most college students are used to going online for music, videos and news — so why not textbooks?
One college in rural Missouri is the first trying to go entirely book-free. At Northwest Missouri State, all students are issued a laptop when they arrive on campus. Just before his business finance class begins, junior Kevin Green takes out his laptop and clicks on his textbook.
Some e-textbooks are just on-screen versions of the bound copies. But the newest books are interactive — you can search, mark pages, highlight, and cut and paste passages. You can share notes in a kind of social network with the rest of your class — or even click on a video.
The new generation of textbooks is trying to be in tune with the way students learn in the age of Wikipedia and YouTube. And textbook writers will have to keep up, says Frank Lyman of CourseSmart, a digital distributor that's working with nine major publishers.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Tim Armstrong Going Small with Patch.com
As I have posted on this blog - newspapers need to "go small or go big."
Tim Armstrong of Google and Polar Capital Group (Armstrong's private investment company) has made a major commitment to the "go small" approach with the help of heavy-weight journalism thought leaders Phil Meyer and Jeff Jarvis by launching Patch.com.
According to their website, Patch's mission is "no matter what's going on in your community, we've got it covered. Visit Patch to keep up with news, businesses, and events, check out photos and videos from around town, see what neighbors are up to, and get in on the conversation." Even their logo contains grass - as in grassroots community branding and thinking.
Currently the service is only operating in New Jersey. Namely in South Orange, Maplewood and Milburn. All of which are townships or villages - really thinking small - no?
Here are some quick attributes of these towns:
Average population: 19,782
Average median age: 37.2
Average median household income: $116,632
Average media home value: $756,507
Average White population: 67%
Average Asian population: 5%
Hold Bachelor Degree: 61% of the population
Hold Graduate Degree: 30% of the population
Are Married: 59% of the population
Top Industries: 1) Professional, Scientific, Technical Services; 2) Finance/Insurance; 3) Educational Services; 4) Healthcare
Average Local Library Budget: $1,516,637
Average Commute: 33 minutes
In the Labor Force: 71% of the population
It will be compelling to see how Patch.com moves forward. They clearly have a strong team and serious investors; and based on the demographics above, have selected cities with well educated and well paid citizens involved in industries that are technology driven and heavy consumers of information.
Patch.com isn't the only team looking to tap the local/"go small" news web business model. The Printed Blog, has launched a publication which only contains content that is exclusively available online and then prints the articles twice a day for distribution.
According to their website, "The Printed Blog is the world's first daily newspaper comprised entirely of blogs and other user generate content. The result is a revolutionary newspaper that reads and functions like a web feed - yet can still be enjoyed on the train or spread across the breakfast table, for an uninterrupted, pleasurable tactile experience."
The Printed Blog is currently in the testing stage. It has released small print runs of the newspaper style blog in Chicago and San Francisco.
Tim Armstrong of Google and Polar Capital Group (Armstrong's private investment company) has made a major commitment to the "go small" approach with the help of heavy-weight journalism thought leaders Phil Meyer and Jeff Jarvis by launching Patch.com.
According to their website, Patch's mission is "no matter what's going on in your community, we've got it covered. Visit Patch to keep up with news, businesses, and events, check out photos and videos from around town, see what neighbors are up to, and get in on the conversation." Even their logo contains grass - as in grassroots community branding and thinking.
Currently the service is only operating in New Jersey. Namely in South Orange, Maplewood and Milburn. All of which are townships or villages - really thinking small - no?
Here are some quick attributes of these towns:
Average population: 19,782
Average median age: 37.2
Average median household income: $116,632
Average media home value: $756,507
Average White population: 67%
Average Asian population: 5%
Hold Bachelor Degree: 61% of the population
Hold Graduate Degree: 30% of the population
Are Married: 59% of the population
Top Industries: 1) Professional, Scientific, Technical Services; 2) Finance/Insurance; 3) Educational Services; 4) Healthcare
Average Local Library Budget: $1,516,637
Average Commute: 33 minutes
In the Labor Force: 71% of the population
It will be compelling to see how Patch.com moves forward. They clearly have a strong team and serious investors; and based on the demographics above, have selected cities with well educated and well paid citizens involved in industries that are technology driven and heavy consumers of information.
Patch.com isn't the only team looking to tap the local/"go small" news web business model. The Printed Blog, has launched a publication which only contains content that is exclusively available online and then prints the articles twice a day for distribution.
According to their website, "The Printed Blog is the world's first daily newspaper comprised entirely of blogs and other user generate content. The result is a revolutionary newspaper that reads and functions like a web feed - yet can still be enjoyed on the train or spread across the breakfast table, for an uninterrupted, pleasurable tactile experience."
The Printed Blog is currently in the testing stage. It has released small print runs of the newspaper style blog in Chicago and San Francisco.
Clinton presides over State Department 2.0
AFP reorts: Barack Obama outdueled Hillary Clinton on the Web during their battle for the Democratic presidential nomination. But Secretary of State Clinton is giving President Obama a run for the money in the latest Web 2.0 sweepstakes.
The former first lady has taken to digital diplomacy with a vengeance, contributing to DipNote, the slick State Department blog, and soliciting questions from the public online, a feature called "Ask the Secretary."
She also has her aides firing off updates -- more than 1,000 so far -- on the @dipnote feed on micro-blogging service Twitter and posting photos on the State Department Flickr page at flickr.com/photos/statephotos/.
In addition to longstanding websites State.gov and America.gov, there is an official State Department YouTube channel at youtube.com/statevideo and a State Department Facebook page which instead of friends has "fans."
Clinton is not just using the Web for public diplomacy. One of her first acts after taking office was to create an internal State Department website, "The Sounding Board," to solicit feedback from department staff, who have the option of posting anonymously if they prefer.
I am using @dipnote and the state department blog and have found both to be quick and informative ways to stay abreast of US foreign policy. The services are concise and professional. It will be interesting to see how fast it will take other cabinet members to get up to speed - treasury seems to be missing a valuable communication tool here - but maybe the secretary only needs to communicate with ten guys.
The former first lady has taken to digital diplomacy with a vengeance, contributing to DipNote, the slick State Department blog, and soliciting questions from the public online, a feature called "Ask the Secretary."
She also has her aides firing off updates -- more than 1,000 so far -- on the @dipnote feed on micro-blogging service Twitter and posting photos on the State Department Flickr page at flickr.com/photos/statephotos/.
In addition to longstanding websites State.gov and America.gov, there is an official State Department YouTube channel at youtube.com/statevideo and a State Department Facebook page which instead of friends has "fans."
Clinton is not just using the Web for public diplomacy. One of her first acts after taking office was to create an internal State Department website, "The Sounding Board," to solicit feedback from department staff, who have the option of posting anonymously if they prefer.
I am using @dipnote and the state department blog and have found both to be quick and informative ways to stay abreast of US foreign policy. The services are concise and professional. It will be interesting to see how fast it will take other cabinet members to get up to speed - treasury seems to be missing a valuable communication tool here - but maybe the secretary only needs to communicate with ten guys.
Did You Know 2.0
An official update to the original "Shift Happens" video from Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod of graphic design and development firm XPLANE. This June 2007 update includes new and updated statistics, thought-provoking questions and a fresh design.
For more information - check out http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/.
For more information - check out http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Why Republicans Don't Get the Internet
Meghan McCain commentary posted on The Daily Beast: The Republican party isn't exactly Internet savvy. That's no secret. This has been a source of personal frustration for me for a very long time. Unless the GOP evolves as the party that can successfully utilize the Web, we'll continue to lose influence. I think nothing confirms this fact to be more true than this recent election. I don’t claim to be an expert on mobilizing voters, but a significant number of the readers on mccainblogette.com, my blog, were between the ages of 18 and 30, a key demographic that either party would want. Many of the established Republican strategists told me that young people would not visit my web site. I used to categorize many of the advisors in my father's campaign into one of two groups: those that "respected" the Internet and those who didn't. It was a running line between me and my friends who worked on my site.
Perhaps the problem isn't that one party is more adept at using the Internet, but how each executes the online tools they have. "I don't buy the argument that Democrats are more naturally 'grass rootsy' and therefore use the Internet better," Steve Grove, YouTube's head of news and politics, wrote me in an email. "Online tools are political tools like any other, and I think you're already seeing the GOP step it up through efforts like 'Rebuild the Party' and the RNC's weekly YouTube responses to President Obama, which demonstrate their passion to get back in the game."
To be fair, there are some Republican websites that appeal to young people—they are not as well-publicized as some of the Democratic ones, but they do exist. I've bookmarked Andrew Breitbart Presents Big Hollywood, which focuses on conservative relationships with people in Hollywood (or lack thereof). The site proves that not all of the entertainment industry completely leans left and the contributors on the site are informative, entertaining, and not the normal "political pundits" you would find on a typical Republican site. It is also just plain entertaining. I've also been reading Conservative Punk for quite a while, which I like because site because it is not shoving one agenda down your throat. Instead, it considers itself a place to let young people make decisions on their own. The posts range from YouTube videos and humorous political cartoons to traditional articles.
But more often than not Republican sites fall short. Although Rebuild the Party is an interesting attempt to reestablish the party's image-and communicating the reasons why one should join-using the Internet, the website is about as provocative as a blue suit, white shirt, and red tie. At the time that I write this, the video on the homepage features various individuals, most of them I would guess between the ages of fifty and sixty, explaining why they consider themselves Republicans. Had I still been an independent, there is nothing about this website or video that would sway me as a twenty-four year old woman to join the GOP. (I was an Independent until I registered as a Republican for Father's Day last May.)
Until the Republican party joins the twenty-first century and learns how to use the Internet, its members will keep getting older and the youth of America will just keep logging on to the other side.
Perhaps the problem isn't that one party is more adept at using the Internet, but how each executes the online tools they have. "I don't buy the argument that Democrats are more naturally 'grass rootsy' and therefore use the Internet better," Steve Grove, YouTube's head of news and politics, wrote me in an email. "Online tools are political tools like any other, and I think you're already seeing the GOP step it up through efforts like 'Rebuild the Party' and the RNC's weekly YouTube responses to President Obama, which demonstrate their passion to get back in the game."
To be fair, there are some Republican websites that appeal to young people—they are not as well-publicized as some of the Democratic ones, but they do exist. I've bookmarked Andrew Breitbart Presents Big Hollywood, which focuses on conservative relationships with people in Hollywood (or lack thereof). The site proves that not all of the entertainment industry completely leans left and the contributors on the site are informative, entertaining, and not the normal "political pundits" you would find on a typical Republican site. It is also just plain entertaining. I've also been reading Conservative Punk for quite a while, which I like because site because it is not shoving one agenda down your throat. Instead, it considers itself a place to let young people make decisions on their own. The posts range from YouTube videos and humorous political cartoons to traditional articles.
But more often than not Republican sites fall short. Although Rebuild the Party is an interesting attempt to reestablish the party's image-and communicating the reasons why one should join-using the Internet, the website is about as provocative as a blue suit, white shirt, and red tie. At the time that I write this, the video on the homepage features various individuals, most of them I would guess between the ages of fifty and sixty, explaining why they consider themselves Republicans. Had I still been an independent, there is nothing about this website or video that would sway me as a twenty-four year old woman to join the GOP. (I was an Independent until I registered as a Republican for Father's Day last May.)
Until the Republican party joins the twenty-first century and learns how to use the Internet, its members will keep getting older and the youth of America will just keep logging on to the other side.
Yeah Campaign Hacks! Fast Company Confirms Campaign Staffers Get Tech
Fast Company names Team Obama as this year's most innovative organization. Better than Google, Facebook, Crispin Porter + Bogusky , Zappos, Lego and Toyota.
As someone who worked for Team McCain during the campaign and battled Team Obama, I can say as a campaign professional it was exciting to see their commitment to new communication platforms. Furthermore, to see the public/tech industry/marketing types/thought leaders finally give recognition to the efforts of faceless staffers and campaign operatives working in the trenches to harness powerful communication tools and new technologies to engage more citizens in the democratic process is rewarding and thrilling.
Here is a quick overview of the Fast Company article which reports that this year's most successful startup took a skinny kid with a funny name and turned him into the most powerful new national brand in a generation.
Barack Obama's presidential-campaign team relied on technology -- what was known internally as the "triple O," or Obama's online operation -- to connect with voters better, faster, and more cheaply than ever before. The team has become the envy of marketers both in and out of politics for proving, among other things, just how effective digital initiatives can be. "We never felt like, 'This is our community,' " says Chris Hughes, the campaign's director of online organizing. "This is the community of all the people who empowered it." The community that elected Obama raised more money, held more events, made more phone calls, shared more videos, and offered more policy suggestions than any in history. It also delivered more votes. And it continues to act: In mid-December, house parties were held in 2,000 cities and towns to discuss how to carry on; 86% of those surveyed said they plan to provide grassroots support to Obama's legislation.
As someone who worked for Team McCain during the campaign and battled Team Obama, I can say as a campaign professional it was exciting to see their commitment to new communication platforms. Furthermore, to see the public/tech industry/marketing types/thought leaders finally give recognition to the efforts of faceless staffers and campaign operatives working in the trenches to harness powerful communication tools and new technologies to engage more citizens in the democratic process is rewarding and thrilling.
Here is a quick overview of the Fast Company article which reports that this year's most successful startup took a skinny kid with a funny name and turned him into the most powerful new national brand in a generation.
Barack Obama's presidential-campaign team relied on technology -- what was known internally as the "triple O," or Obama's online operation -- to connect with voters better, faster, and more cheaply than ever before. The team has become the envy of marketers both in and out of politics for proving, among other things, just how effective digital initiatives can be. "We never felt like, 'This is our community,' " says Chris Hughes, the campaign's director of online organizing. "This is the community of all the people who empowered it." The community that elected Obama raised more money, held more events, made more phone calls, shared more videos, and offered more policy suggestions than any in history. It also delivered more votes. And it continues to act: In mid-December, house parties were held in 2,000 cities and towns to discuss how to carry on; 86% of those surveyed said they plan to provide grassroots support to Obama's legislation.
Fast Company: World's Most Innovative Companies
#1 Team Obama
#2 Google
#3 Hulu
#4 Apple
#5 Cisco Systems
#6 Intel
#7 Pure Digital Technologies
#8 WuXi PharmaTech
#9 Amazon
#10 Ideo
Complete list here.
#2 Google
#3 Hulu
#4 Apple
#5 Cisco Systems
#6 Intel
#7 Pure Digital Technologies
#8 WuXi PharmaTech
#9 Amazon
#10 Ideo
Complete list here.
How Obama Won It With the Web
Fast Company reports: This election year, both campaigns flooded the Web with campaign material, hoping that supporters would pass it on to friends. But the Obama campaign ultimately proved more tech-savvy, leaving the McCain campaign playing catch-up almost from the start. That's due to what Andrew Rasiej, founder of TechPresident.com, calls a "culture of belief in the Internet" among Obama and his staffers. "They leap-frogged the mainstream media by producing content that they knew would get distributed for them once it was uploaded."
It wasn't just YouTube videos, either. Obama's campaign was also smart about segmenting its supporters, crafting different methods of communication for each group. With younger voters, for instance, they made use of text messaging; for older voters, they sent short, concise emails. Early on, the campaign used their supporters' information judiciously--an email or a text every few days, at most--to keep people abreast of the latest news and talking points without the expense of TV ads or direct mailings. But the final days before November 4 saw the Obama campaign sending daily emails and texts exhorting supporters to vote with friends, participate in phone drives, and volunteer at campaign events near the supporter's home. They even offered a contest in which last-minute donors could be selected to attend Obama's election-night party.
The extent to which the Obama campaign focussed on their online campaigns not only promises to change future elections, but also the President-elect's administration. According to Rasiej, President Obama could keep contact with his constituents regularly, reaching out to them for support of legislation in specific parts of the country, or taking informal referenda on big ideas. At a technology debate held last week by Wired magazine, Reed Hundt, former FCC chairman and Obama technology advisor, said that the forthcoming administration would have a commitment “to have our entire democracy include everyone and through these tools [like Twitter and text messaging] be able to share information in a rapid way and have ideas shared from below." How did Douglas Holtz-Eakin, McCain's senior advisor and surrogate respond? In a move that smacked of the campaign's larger Web initiative, he failed to show up for the technology debate at all.
It wasn't just YouTube videos, either. Obama's campaign was also smart about segmenting its supporters, crafting different methods of communication for each group. With younger voters, for instance, they made use of text messaging; for older voters, they sent short, concise emails. Early on, the campaign used their supporters' information judiciously--an email or a text every few days, at most--to keep people abreast of the latest news and talking points without the expense of TV ads or direct mailings. But the final days before November 4 saw the Obama campaign sending daily emails and texts exhorting supporters to vote with friends, participate in phone drives, and volunteer at campaign events near the supporter's home. They even offered a contest in which last-minute donors could be selected to attend Obama's election-night party.
The extent to which the Obama campaign focussed on their online campaigns not only promises to change future elections, but also the President-elect's administration. According to Rasiej, President Obama could keep contact with his constituents regularly, reaching out to them for support of legislation in specific parts of the country, or taking informal referenda on big ideas. At a technology debate held last week by Wired magazine, Reed Hundt, former FCC chairman and Obama technology advisor, said that the forthcoming administration would have a commitment “to have our entire democracy include everyone and through these tools [like Twitter and text messaging] be able to share information in a rapid way and have ideas shared from below." How did Douglas Holtz-Eakin, McCain's senior advisor and surrogate respond? In a move that smacked of the campaign's larger Web initiative, he failed to show up for the technology debate at all.
Why Big Brands Struggle With Social Media
Mashable provides commentary from Tom Smith who is the founder of Trendstream, a research consultancy that specialises in providing research and consultancy on social media, web and mobile. He formerly worked as Head of Consumer Futures at Universal McCann.
Social media continues to grow globally in terms of adoption, usage, interest and impact in a massive way. It’s undeniably changing the way that content and information work particularly in terms of the publishing of consumer opinion. This has transformed the way that consumers relate to brands and the way that brands should operate, driving direct interaction, transparency and a more consultative approach.
However, we still operate in a system defined by the old media world and consequently big brand involvement is still in the main tentative and sporadic. From my experience of trying to get big brands to embrace the social revolution, there are a number of reasons why they have yet to embrace the real opportunities that involvement can deliver:
1. Social Media is often viewed as just another marketing channel
2. It does not fit into current structures
3. Communities and content are global
4. Social media needs a long term approach
5. No guaranteed results
6. The metrics are new
Social media continues to grow globally in terms of adoption, usage, interest and impact in a massive way. It’s undeniably changing the way that content and information work particularly in terms of the publishing of consumer opinion. This has transformed the way that consumers relate to brands and the way that brands should operate, driving direct interaction, transparency and a more consultative approach.
However, we still operate in a system defined by the old media world and consequently big brand involvement is still in the main tentative and sporadic. From my experience of trying to get big brands to embrace the social revolution, there are a number of reasons why they have yet to embrace the real opportunities that involvement can deliver:
1. Social Media is often viewed as just another marketing channel
2. It does not fit into current structures
3. Communities and content are global
4. Social media needs a long term approach
5. No guaranteed results
6. The metrics are new
How Many Web Gurus Did It Take to Elect Obama?
Valleywag reports: The Internet won the election for Obama, right? President Change's team of online experts are trying to cash in on their expertise. Here are the contenders for the title of "Obama's Web guru."
Thomas Gensemer - Blue State Digital
Jascha Franklin-Hodge - Blue State Digital cofounder and CTO
Joe Rospars - Blue State Digital cofounder and veteran of the Dean campaign
Chris Hughes - Faecbook cofounder
Scott Goodstein - campaign management background
Arun Chaudhary - "video guru" won the "YouTube primary" for Obama
Joe Trippi - Howard Dean's campaign manager
Katie Stanton -Googler who launched Google Finance
Thomas Gensemer - Blue State Digital
Jascha Franklin-Hodge - Blue State Digital cofounder and CTO
Joe Rospars - Blue State Digital cofounder and veteran of the Dean campaign
Chris Hughes - Faecbook cofounder
Scott Goodstein - campaign management background
Arun Chaudhary - "video guru" won the "YouTube primary" for Obama
Joe Trippi - Howard Dean's campaign manager
Katie Stanton -Googler who launched Google Finance
Friday, February 20, 2009
Chralie Rose + Mark Andreessen = Broadcast
If you care about innovation, ideas, business models, communications,technology and content - make the time to watch this. It will be the best thing you do this weekend.
CNN and Facebook to provide interactive coverage of key Obama speech
BR reports: CNN and Facebook will tie up once more to launch a live online stream and forum for US President Barack Obama's first State of The Union address on February 24.
CNN.com Live will provide streamed coverage of Obama's speech to Congress, in which he is expected to confront the US' economic problems. It will also offer analysis from a number of anchors produced specifically for the digital audience. The site will enable users to update their Facebook status directly from the CNN.com Live player, where they will also be able to see status updates from their friends and other Facebook users.
On Facebook, the status updates for those using CNN.com Live will be published in their News Feed with hyperlinked tags that read "via CNN.com Live". Users' friends can click the link to watch the CNN.com Live coverage.
CNN.com Live's online coverage will begin at 8am in Washington and run until 5am on February 25. It will include Republican governor Bobby Jindal's rebuttal to Obama's speech.
What is your plan for Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning? Will your members be commenting and shaping public opinion on the speech?
CNN.com Live will provide streamed coverage of Obama's speech to Congress, in which he is expected to confront the US' economic problems. It will also offer analysis from a number of anchors produced specifically for the digital audience. The site will enable users to update their Facebook status directly from the CNN.com Live player, where they will also be able to see status updates from their friends and other Facebook users.
On Facebook, the status updates for those using CNN.com Live will be published in their News Feed with hyperlinked tags that read "via CNN.com Live". Users' friends can click the link to watch the CNN.com Live coverage.
CNN.com Live's online coverage will begin at 8am in Washington and run until 5am on February 25. It will include Republican governor Bobby Jindal's rebuttal to Obama's speech.
What is your plan for Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning? Will your members be commenting and shaping public opinion on the speech?
Event: Innovative Advocacy In the 111th Congress
The Grassroots Forum returns on Friday, March 6 for an insider’s look at the 111th Congress as well as case study on how to most effectively use video with your advocacy and lobbying campaigns.
The Honorable Joe Barton (R-TX) Invited Guest
My Perspective on the 111th Congress
Elvis Oxley
An Advocacy Case Study: How Serendipity Fathered InsideLobbying.com
Date/Time:
Friday, March 6 from 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Location:
National Cable & Telecommunications Association
25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW - Suite 100
Two blocks west of Union Station (Metro red line)
These events are complimentary for communications, advocacy, and grassroots professionals but an RSVP is required by calling (202)715-1737 or emailing grassroots@illumen.org. Lunch will be provided.
The Honorable Joe Barton (R-TX) Invited Guest
My Perspective on the 111th Congress
Elvis Oxley
An Advocacy Case Study: How Serendipity Fathered InsideLobbying.com
Date/Time:
Friday, March 6 from 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Location:
National Cable & Telecommunications Association
25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW - Suite 100
Two blocks west of Union Station (Metro red line)
These events are complimentary for communications, advocacy, and grassroots professionals but an RSVP is required by calling (202)715-1737 or emailing grassroots@illumen.org. Lunch will be provided.
Making Waves: Will 'Malibu' Give Spot Runner A Network Beach Front
MDN reports: Spot Runner, the company that harnessed the Internet to let small advertisers create commercials and plan and buy TV advertising time with the same scale and efficiency as national advertisers, is turning its sights on the national TV advertising marketplace. After months of quiet incubation, the start-up is ready to turn on a new system that will compete directly with services being developed by Microsoft, Google and the cable TV industry's Canoe Ventures, which all hope to make an exponentially fragmented TV advertising marketplace more manageable, more effective, and more lucrative for both buyers and sellers of TV advertising time.
Codenamed Project Malibu, the new system essentially is an online transactional platform that will enable TV networks - and ultimately, suppliers of online video - to automatically post their supply of advertising inventory for agencies to plan, buy and post via powerful, but easy-to-use tools and analytics.
Nick Grouf, the founder and CEO of Spot Runner, concedes that Spot Runner is coming late to the game, but says Malibu's open system is superior to Microsoft's Navic, Google's TV Ads, and Canoe Ventures, and ultimately will win favor in the marketplace by serving as a superior "interface" linking buyers and sellers, not an impediment.
Codenamed Project Malibu, the new system essentially is an online transactional platform that will enable TV networks - and ultimately, suppliers of online video - to automatically post their supply of advertising inventory for agencies to plan, buy and post via powerful, but easy-to-use tools and analytics.
Nick Grouf, the founder and CEO of Spot Runner, concedes that Spot Runner is coming late to the game, but says Malibu's open system is superior to Microsoft's Navic, Google's TV Ads, and Canoe Ventures, and ultimately will win favor in the marketplace by serving as a superior "interface" linking buyers and sellers, not an impediment.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Innovation in Hollywood: Past, Present & Future
I am atteding a discussion this afternoon: Innovation in Hollywood: Past, Present & Future @ the USC Annenberg School's Auditorium @ 5:00pm Today
Author Scott Kirsner will explore Hollywood's relationship with innovation -- from the days of Thomas Edison to the era of YouTube, the iPod, and the Xbox. This discussion will explore how new technologies and new ideas have shaped the movie industry, and where we're heading next. Kirsner, author of a new book, Inventing the Movies, will open the evening by taking us on an illustrated spin through Hollywood's tech history.
He will be joined by:
David Wertheimer, former president of Paramount Digital Entertainment and current CEO of the Entertainment Technology Center @ USC
Brian J. Terwilliger, CEO, Terwilliger Productions and Producer/Director of "One Six Right”
Steve Schklair, CEO, 3ality Digital Systems;
Evan and Gregg Spiridellis, co-founders, JibJab Media
Cliff Plumer, CEO, Digital Domain
After spending three years working on the MSFT antitrust case and being a proponent of intellectual property - but at the same time loving innovation - it should be an interesting discussion. Also, it will be compelling to hear the JibJab brothers chat about their work.
I will post a report - post event.
Author Scott Kirsner will explore Hollywood's relationship with innovation -- from the days of Thomas Edison to the era of YouTube, the iPod, and the Xbox. This discussion will explore how new technologies and new ideas have shaped the movie industry, and where we're heading next. Kirsner, author of a new book, Inventing the Movies, will open the evening by taking us on an illustrated spin through Hollywood's tech history.
He will be joined by:
David Wertheimer, former president of Paramount Digital Entertainment and current CEO of the Entertainment Technology Center @ USC
Brian J. Terwilliger, CEO, Terwilliger Productions and Producer/Director of "One Six Right”
Steve Schklair, CEO, 3ality Digital Systems;
Evan and Gregg Spiridellis, co-founders, JibJab Media
Cliff Plumer, CEO, Digital Domain
After spending three years working on the MSFT antitrust case and being a proponent of intellectual property - but at the same time loving innovation - it should be an interesting discussion. Also, it will be compelling to hear the JibJab brothers chat about their work.
I will post a report - post event.
Laid-Off Copywriter Turning Blog Into Job Site
AdAge reports: Job seekers, take heart - Erik Proulx plans to set you up. The former senior copywriter at Arnold, Boston, is in the process of transforming his 3-month-old blog for the advertising industry's growing pool of unemployed, Please Feed the Animals, into what he hopes becomes the de facto industry site at which job seekers and advertising agencies can find each other.
Please Feed the Animals "It's a blog right now, but in the next month or two, it is going to become a matchmaking site for out-of-work advertising talent and hiring agencies," he said. "It's going to be totally free. Nobody's going to have to pay once they log on. And if you're an agency, it's free to look for talent." And unlike other job sites, it will be specific to advertising and to all disciplines in advertising.
Please Feed the Animals "It's a blog right now, but in the next month or two, it is going to become a matchmaking site for out-of-work advertising talent and hiring agencies," he said. "It's going to be totally free. Nobody's going to have to pay once they log on. And if you're an agency, it's free to look for talent." And unlike other job sites, it will be specific to advertising and to all disciplines in advertising.
This is What I am Thinking - Let Me Show You
LAT Tech Blog reports: Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey in an interview discusses the origins of the microblogging site, as recorded on scribblings made on a legal pad, and how its name evolved from "Status/Stat.us" to "twittr" to Twitter.
This article remindeds me of a great book I just purchsed - per the stellar recommendation of a good friend who chose Ann Arbor over Chapel Hill to pursue his MBA - entitled The Back of the Napkin - Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures.
Great book - easy to grasp and filled with drawings (surprising) on how to express concepts. As a visal leaner it is great to see how simple drawings can become the new next thing and how the complex can be made basic.
Here is the link to purchase the book so you can better explain that awesome pitch you want to give a VC the next time you are both near napkins and/or other paper products.
This article remindeds me of a great book I just purchsed - per the stellar recommendation of a good friend who chose Ann Arbor over Chapel Hill to pursue his MBA - entitled The Back of the Napkin - Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures.
Great book - easy to grasp and filled with drawings (surprising) on how to express concepts. As a visal leaner it is great to see how simple drawings can become the new next thing and how the complex can be made basic.
Here is the link to purchase the book so you can better explain that awesome pitch you want to give a VC the next time you are both near napkins and/or other paper products.
Charlie Rose + Mark Andreessen Tonight
Tonight's show will be with Marc Andreessen - the software engineer best known as co-author of Mosaic, founder of Netscape and founder of Ning.
Check here to see when your local PBS affiliate will be airing this episode in your city.
Check here to see when your local PBS affiliate will be airing this episode in your city.
Six ways to make Web 2.0 work
Smart Guys Alert!
McKinsey Quartley reports: Technologies known collectively as Web 2.0 have spread widely among consumers over the past five years. Social-networking Web sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, now attract more than 100 million visitors a month. As the popularity of Web 2.0 has grown, companies have noted the intense consumer engagement and creativity surrounding these technologies. Many organizations, keen to harness Web 2.0 internally, are experimenting with the tools or deploying them on a trial basis.
Over the past two years, McKinsey has studied more than 50 early adopters to garner insights into successful efforts to use Web 2.0 as a way of unlocking participation. We have surveyed, independently, a range of executives on Web 2.0 adoption. Our work suggests the challenges that lie ahead. To date, as many survey respondents are dissatisfied with their use of Web 2.0 technologies as are satisfied. Many of the dissenters cite impediments such as organizational structure, the inability of managers to understand the new levers of change, and a lack of understanding about how value is created using Web 2.0 tools. We have found that, unless a number of success factors are present, Web 2.0 efforts often fail to launch or to reach expected heights of usage. Executives who are suspicious or uncomfortable with perceived changes or risks often call off these efforts. Others fail because managers simply don’t know how to encourage the type of participation that will produce meaningful results.
Full report - click here.
McKinsey Quartley reports: Technologies known collectively as Web 2.0 have spread widely among consumers over the past five years. Social-networking Web sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, now attract more than 100 million visitors a month. As the popularity of Web 2.0 has grown, companies have noted the intense consumer engagement and creativity surrounding these technologies. Many organizations, keen to harness Web 2.0 internally, are experimenting with the tools or deploying them on a trial basis.
Over the past two years, McKinsey has studied more than 50 early adopters to garner insights into successful efforts to use Web 2.0 as a way of unlocking participation. We have surveyed, independently, a range of executives on Web 2.0 adoption. Our work suggests the challenges that lie ahead. To date, as many survey respondents are dissatisfied with their use of Web 2.0 technologies as are satisfied. Many of the dissenters cite impediments such as organizational structure, the inability of managers to understand the new levers of change, and a lack of understanding about how value is created using Web 2.0 tools. We have found that, unless a number of success factors are present, Web 2.0 efforts often fail to launch or to reach expected heights of usage. Executives who are suspicious or uncomfortable with perceived changes or risks often call off these efforts. Others fail because managers simply don’t know how to encourage the type of participation that will produce meaningful results.
Full report - click here.
Debunking Six Social Media Myths
BW reports: For companies, resistance to social media is futile. Millions of people are creating content for the social Web. Your competitors are already there. Your customers have been there for a long time. If your business isn't putting itself out there, it ought to be. But before you take the plunge, bear in mind the many myths that surround social media.
Myths:
1. Social media is cheap, if not free.
2. Anyone can do it.
3. You can make a big splash in a short time.
4. You can do it all in-house.
5. If you do something great, people will find it.
6. You can't measure social media marketing results - I know this is a complete falsehood - check out BrickFish @ www.brickfish.com
For the complete article - click here.
Myths:
1. Social media is cheap, if not free.
2. Anyone can do it.
3. You can make a big splash in a short time.
4. You can do it all in-house.
5. If you do something great, people will find it.
6. You can't measure social media marketing results - I know this is a complete falsehood - check out BrickFish @ www.brickfish.com
For the complete article - click here.
Obama sushi
BoingBoing reports: Japanese sushi chef has developed a fantastic Obama sushi: "Obama's skin is Amis (small shrimp) TSUKUDA煮use. 髪は黒ゴマで、歯はかまぼこ。 Hair is black sesame, fish paste teeth."
Japan can't be stopped!
Team Obama Off The Twitter
@mikeallen tweets: FREE TWITTER! WHers have Twitter-envy -- try to get on and find the systems folks have them tweet-blocked
Popularity Poll Ranks Startups
TR reports: The buzz surrounding a startup might not guarantee success, but it can help when it's time to find funding. Now a company that offers tools for monitoring the startup scene has released a ranking of over 25,000 startup businesses according to their "impact and importance"--in other words, how much buzz they are generating.
Topping the list are familiar companies like the social-networking sites Facebook and LinkedIn, and the video-hosting site Hulu. The other companies in the top 10 are Etsy, Twitter, Yelp, OpenDNS, Mahalo, Kayak, and Blip.tv. Companies that have jumped up the rankings over the past month include Care.com, a source for local caregivers; Reply.com, a place to buy or sell online clicks; and Quantcast.com, a site that generates statistics of websites' traffic. One of the biggest movers is the PowerPoint-presentation-sharing site SlideShare.
Last year, the company behind the new list, YouNoodle, launched a tool designed to predict how much money a startup would raise, based largely on the background and business connections of its founders. The Startup Predictor tool employs information inputted by users to come up with a three-year value for a startup before it has received significant funding.
Hiring a Business Development Manager
How a job annoucement should be - check this out - click here.
Steele: GOP needs 'hip-hop' makeover
Does this mean we can finally get De La Soul to play at the national convention?
WT reports: Newly elected Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele plans an “off the hook” public relations offensive to attract younger voters, especially blacks and Hispanics, by applying the party's principles to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings.”
The RNC's first black chairman will “surprise everyone” when updating the party's image using the Internet and advertisements on radio, on television and in print.
Chairman Steele check out this blog: Hip Hop Republican
WT reports: Newly elected Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele plans an “off the hook” public relations offensive to attract younger voters, especially blacks and Hispanics, by applying the party's principles to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings.”
The RNC's first black chairman will “surprise everyone” when updating the party's image using the Internet and advertisements on radio, on television and in print.
Chairman Steele check out this blog: Hip Hop Republican
CA Passes Budget
For major legislative events like this - Twitter has proven to be an invaluable tool for communications and information.From the quick rapid distribution to the ability to crowdsource a large group's thinking - Twitter can't be stopped.
Twitter is such a powerful tool that during the deliberations the LAT simply proved a link to their own tweet as well as to the search feature capturing all tweets about the CA budget. Think about that - the LAT provided a link in their breaking news section/front and center on their site to amateur, professional and crank tweets - amazing.
Already in this year - Twitter has influenced the coverage of the GOP Chairman's race and CA budget battle; and we are only seven weeks into the year. @biz is already abuzz about the Oscars: A Twitter+Oscars mashup—I'll bet Oscars are a big night on Twitter http://cvtwt.com/aa09/
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