Archive for March, 2010
Get ready to relive your glory days; Enroll at the School of WOM
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010Class is about to be in session for The School of WOM, a three day course that teaches the Art & Science of Creating Talkable Brands. Held at the Swissotel in Chicago, the School of WOM goes beyond just learning basic tactics and takes a much more hands-on approach. Students will work and collaborate with instructors to get the most out of reaching and engaging the social consumer across business disciplines.
Keynote Speakers include Jeanne Bliss, Author of Chief Customer Office, Andrew Mason, CEO of Groupon and Rob Morris of Love 146. So pack your book bag and sack lunch and head to the Windy City May 24th – 26th.
To learn more about the School of WOM, or to enroll and get your official Student ID go to http://womma.org/schoolofwom/
Proud School of WOM Classmate and Spring Creek Group Principal Clay McDaniel circa …?
Social Media Conference Northwest 2010 Wrap
Monday, March 29th, 2010
I’m fairly sure that most in attendance at last week’s Social Media Conference Northwest 2010 would agree that the event was a hit. Check out this article in the Herald which features our very own Clay McDaniel for a good overview of the content.
Also, check out the Social Media Conference Northwest 2010 site for great video interviews with attendees and presenters.
Here are a few of our favorites:
Guest Post – An Update from CTIA 2010
Friday, March 26th, 2010
Editor’s Note: As much as we’d like to travel the globe non-stop in search of knowledge, sometimes there’s a conference or event we just can’t make. When this happens, we’ll reach out to our friends around the industry and get some reports about what we missed. Here’s a post from CTIA 2010 in Las Vegas, from our colleague Sharon Goldstein, a consultant who specializes in the mobile industry.
A Tale of Two Showrooms
CTIA has always had a split personality, part sleek lithe sexy application providers and part lumbering behemoths. While the show has neither the glamour of SXSW, the location of Global World Congress nor the pure gadget focus of CES, it’s still a great place to get a read on the state of the mobile industry. Here are a few thoughts about the event.
1) 140 devices per user?
How many devices do you own? I have several smartphones, two cameras, a television, two laptops, a DVR and am actively debating iPad and Kindle purchases. Depending on how you count that’s somewhere between 10-15 devices. Wednesday Padmasree Warrior, CTO of Cisco, made what I found to be an astonishing claim that the average user will have 140 devices by 2013, or 1 trillion devices overall. Even with the futurist kitchen, telematics and toys for tots, that number feels aggressive. Furthermore, Cisco expects that a full two thirds of mobile traffic will be video by 2013. Regardless of whether you believe the numbers, the reality is that consumers continue to acquire devices, more and more of which have broadband data needs.
According to Ralph de La Vega, who is both CTIA chairman and CEO of AT&T , the US leads in most advanced 3G networks — HSPA and EV-DO — with 33 percent of global subscribers. Additionally, we’re disproportionately investing in next generation technologies. Despite the fact that we’ve got just 7 percent of the world’s subscribers, the US is expected to spend as much as a third of the world’s spending on LTE (a 4G technology) this year.
Looking at these market dynamics, the question is, when will we actually see an improvement in the mobile broadband experience? Can the industry keep up with the acceleration of demand? I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on this topic.
2) Talk is cheap (or possibly free)
The apps providers are definitely counting on more throughput, as are the operators. Today Skype announced that all Verizon smartphone customers with data plans would be able to download Skype. Furthermore Skype to Skype calls are free – they count against neither your minutes nor your data plan. In addition, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse announced the LG EVO phone, a 4G handset with both front and back facing cameras.
By specifically addressing both VOIP and video services, Sprint ad Verizon have delivered proof points that carriers are finally softening in their stance on VOIP and Video-enabled mobile communications. It’s not a minute too soon either, given the burgeoning market of companies focused on this space including Fring, Knocking Live, Nimbuzz, Qik, and Sgiggle. This will be a battle worth watching.
3) It’s a snap(finger)
I’m a sucker for a good business idea – one with a massive addressable market, a clear business model, and a benefit for everyone involved. When you can make that happen with a mobile application, it’s even sexier. My favorite app of the conference wasn’t one that leverages social networking per se, but is the logical next step for companies embracing location based apps such as Foursqaure, Whrrl or Gowalla. Snapfinger, who just announced support for Android yesterday, were definitely the belle of their panel at the OMS Developers Pitch program on Wednesday.
Talk about a total addressable market, there are just under 750k restaurants in the US that result in 4B transactions annually. Snapfinger is focused on bringing the bulk of those transactions online and on mobile phones. Consumers enter through the Snapfinger brand, however once a user chooses a restaurant, the experience is private labeled or that business, making it a clear win for all. In return for facilitating, Snapfinger gets $0.50-$1 for each transaction, more if they succeed in upselling the consumer. I’m guessing Michael Pollan would not approve. Now that it’s tied to GPS, the offering is even more powerful – find food nearby, pay online, and pick up – no wait and no lines. It’s no wonder that the CEO expects 90% of their transactions to be mobile in the near future.
Sharon Goldstein is a marketing catalyst specializing in mobile and social media. When she’s not trolling conferences she helps companies launch, position, fundraise and monetize. Follow her on Twitter: sygoldstein or find her on linkedin.
Seattle’s Cheezburger Network, on SXSW
Thursday, March 25th, 2010You may have read our posts from last week about our trip down to SXSW in Austin. I think our posts focused on the buzz and what people were talking about in the panel discussions.
But I’m glad that Cheezburger Network’s Scott Porad wrote about the other side of SXSW – the people. This started as a people-driven conference, and for a people-driven industry like social media, SXSW is the epicenter of connections. Here’s a link to the post Scott wrote for Seattle20. We’re not usually in the business of driving traffic *away* from our blog, but Scott gives a good recap of some non-measurable reasons to attend events such as this.
Buffett (not Jimmy) Sings the Hits in New GEICO Video
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010That’s right, Warren Buffett has taken to YouTube. Buffett, whose company Berkshire Hathaway owns GEICO, appeared in an online video for the insurance giant known for its clever ads. In the video, GEICO customer service representatives sing a song of devotion to GEICO customers while a man in a gecko costume shreds some choice solos. Towards the 30 second mark, Buffet is enters, he dons a bandana, long hair and 1990’s era Axl Rose attire and croons in his raspy, 79 year old voice.
So far this video has gotten 61,292 views on GEICO’s YouTube channel, which is a respectable number for a video created by a brand. Even though it has not necessarily dominated the internet, it has achieved what social media marketers strive for in their campaigns, it got picked up by traditional media. Getting coverage from newspapers and television is a mark of a successful social media campaign, the irony of this notion is a whole other blog post, but social media marketers would have to agree with it. In this sense, Lizard Ballad is a rousing success not to be taken lightly.
If this video says anything about the state of corporate social media strategy, it’s that CEOs are now beginning to take it seriously (or in Buffett’s case, not so seriously). The maturation of SMM has been shown in many ways before but none have been as unique and personal as Buffett’s opus. This is the first time (that I can think of) that a big wig is joining the fun and being a content creator. So get ready for the zits folks, it looks like social media is hitting adolescence.
Turn the Nestlé Facebook FAIL into a WIN for Your Brand in Five Steps
Friday, March 19th, 2010
If you’ve been watching, well, pretty much anything that’s not basketball today, you’ve no doubt seen the debacle that’s unfolding over on the Nestlé Facebook page. If not, check out this AdAge article for an overview.
However, this could just have easily been a case study full of WIN instead of a case study ripe with FAIL that will no doubt be included in the “what not to do” section of decks for years to come. At the core, the mistake wasn’t necessarily made on the Facebook page, but in the communication layer that exists between Nestlé and their agency (or possibly agencies).
To make sure this never happens to you, here are our five steps for creating PR and SMM WIN:
- Have a Plan – Oftentimes the jump into social media is made with a sort of “well, everyone else is doing it, we might as well do it too” sort of thinking – bad idea. Have a plan for what you want to accomplish in the social media space. This will help you divide duties among your groups and agencies.
- Divide and Conquer – Overlap isn’t your friend. When overlap in responsibilities occurs, that’s when things fall through the cracks. Give distinct responsibilities to your teams/agencies and hold them accountable.
- Lay the Groundwork for Communication – Funnily enough, communications companies are notoriously bad at communicating. By creating a clear path for escalation of problems/questions, you can sidestep the bullets being slung at your brand and gracefully respond with the correct information.
- There’s no I in TEAM – If your agencies decide to go all-out in competing for themselves alone, your brand will be the one that suffers. Create a sense of team within your larger group and emphasize that wins for the brand outweigh an individual’s wins— despite the compartmentalized nature of the work.
- If You’re Not Early, You’re Late – The social media world moves at a breakneck pace. In order to be on time, you’ve got to be early in thinking about what the next issue you’ll be faced with will be. Then you can bring your agencies together and create a plan of attack.
*NOTE: The Nestle image above was not changed in any way.
Twestival Seattle: Book Some Air Time
Friday, March 19th, 2010
We’re about to give you the chance to actually follow through on one of our favorite empty threats from childhood. “I’m going to run away and join the circus” used to just be an unfulfilled promise you made to your parents when you didn’t want to eat your vegetables, but at the upcoming Twestival Seattle on March 25th, we’re giving you the chance to make it a reality.
Since Twestival Seattle is going down at Emerald City Trapeze this time around, Spring Creek Group decided to sponsor a little “Air Time,” where a few lucky attendees will get their chance to fly through the air with the greatest of ease (under the guidance of some trained trapeze professionals, of course). If hurtling through the air at rapid speeds isn’t your bag, you can still get your trapeze fix as you check out a professional flying show later in the evening. For all you former circus runaways, there are 60 flying spots available– so if you’re interested, be sure to drop a line to ShaunaCausey@gmail.com.
One hundred percent of this edition of Twestival Seattle’s proceeds will go directly to Concern Worldwide, an international humanitarian organization that works to make education more accessible for some of the world’s poorest children.
Bottom line: Twestival Seattle is benefiting a great cause, and it’s always a good time with some good folks- so we hope to see you there! For more details, and to register for the event, head here.
Daily Recap: SCG at SxSWi
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
For a shop that focuses on three key areas (analytics, engagement and campaigns) dividing and conquering the massive list of available panels at SxSWi becomes a somewhat easier task. However, even when you attack the festival with a team of eager attendees, you’re left with that nagging question: “What if I missed the single most-important panel of SxSWi?”
On that note, here are just a few of the things that caught our attention at SxSWi so far:
Twitter Announces @Anywhere: Evan Williams SXSW Keynote
Monday, March 15th, 2010
Sitting in a black leather chair in front of a packed house, Evan Williams, CEO and founder of Twitter didn’t waste any time before announcing the newest feature for Twitter users around the world – @Anywhere.
The tool, which actually lets users interact with Twitter users and organizations using Twitter on Web sites, truly embodies the name by allowing the clicker to follow or message a user directly from the hover-enabled Twitter menu that pops up. At launch the program will include sites like The New York Times, Bing, Yahoo! and others. Look for more information on this new tool soon. For more information about the new service, check out the Twitter blog.
In the interview-style keynote, Williams also talked a bit about the continued goals of Twitter. With such explosive growth, companies can sometimes lost their path, but Williams assured the audience that Twitter is still working toward their original goals. “We’re still focused on how we create the best experience for users and businesses,” said Williams.
More to come after the keynote.
Congratulations: Jim Copacino
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Tonight’s the night for the Annual Seattle ADDY Awards bash! We are looking forward to spending quality time with our agency friends and partners. If you haven’t heard of the ADDY awards, and are curious check them out here.
We are especially excited to congratulate our friend Jim Copacino of Copacino + Fujikado for receiving this year’s lifetime achievement award. Lifetime achievement is a pretty good description of the effort, time and passion Jim has brought to the advertising industry and Seattle brands. He started his career in New York more than 35 years ago and has been leading campaigns with his own agency for more than twelve. If you are lucky enough to know Jim, he is also an incredibly generous guy. Congratulations!
Hope to see you tonight at the bash!
