Three Minds On Digital Marketing @ Organic

Where Can I Get Tacos And The Google?

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:36:10 -0800

Image Credit: dro!d (Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico) Neatorama posted a fun article today about the Strangest Internet Cafes From Around the World. While the growth of cyber cafes is declining in some parts of the world, others are seeing internet access pop-up in more interesting locations and with "unique" branding. I guess everybody needs a hook. Marta Strickland

Chipping Away At The Garden Wall

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:55:17 -0800

Facebook just had their annual developers' conference and announced a few interesting changes to their empire. The New York Times reported on a few of these that are especially interesting - Facebook Connect and the Great Apps program.

Facebook Connect makes Facebook users' credentials and their friends portable. This is pretty powerful in that it allows small companies and opportunity to develop services external to the Facebook domain that take advantage of the fairly significant existing user base (and their networks). So it's advantageous to independent developers and as such should spur more innovation, and probably more meaningless clutter as well. It's advantageous to Facebook as they can start to open up the walled garden in a very controlled way.

As for the user themselves? Well, in some ways it's a step in the right direction. On the other hand it doesn't go the complete distance that adopting OpenID would in giving users ownership of their social graph. At the end of the day it's all about balancing user needs against business needs and this will continue to be a work in progress for anyone trying to drive profit from social networking.

On the other side of the coin, Facebook also announced the "Great Apps" program - essentially a certification program designed to elevate 'meaningful' applications up out of the vast sea of mediocrity that makes up the Facebook application collection. Obviously not their words.

Anyway, there's obviously a ton of completely useless Facebook apps out there and as a result a continually increasing likliehood of application burn-out and backlash. There are ways to filter, but some sort of "seal of approval" isn't a bad idea, provided the results resonate with the user base.

The nice thing is that, in theory, the "Great Apps" won't be limited to the big players. Applications will be considered when they exemplify all ten of Facebook's guiding principles for a social application. These principles are actually a pretty good representation of best practices for creating a successful social networking marketing program. At the end of the day, how well something exemplifies the ten principles is probably quite subjective. But gaining "Great Apps" status seems like a worthwhile bonus metric. At the very least, making an honest effort to exceed the criteria for each principle can only benefit the program.

The principle I think many marketing-born apps miss out on is "useful" - although Facebook includes "entertainment" in that category, kind of a big loophole and likely to be one many gravitate towards. And I'd add something that seems missing from Facebook's ten principles - creating a "find". iLike, one of the first Great App selections, does meet Facebook's ten principles as well as providing an engine for one of the classic "finds"- new music. Users can share music they've discovered and ideally garner appreciation. Maybe that's covered by Facebook's "useful" principle, but worth explicitly keeping in mind IMHO.

David Lewis

Google Maps Adds Walking Directions

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:05:41 -0800

Yesterday, Google launched a beta feature called "walking directions" on Google Maps. While the directions are limited to routes shorter than 6.2 miles (or 10 kilometers), they provide a few useful advantages for walkers over regular driving directions. First, the walking directions ignore the direction of one-way streets. Second, it supposedly takes into account terrain, giving pedestrians a more flat and walkable route when possible. Google acknowledges that the feature is clearly in beta, even adding this warning: "Use caution when walking in unfamiliar areas." It's obvious from a quick query on walking from the Ferry Building to Organic San Francisco that Google must not know the layout of the sidewalks around the Embarcadero Plaza, or it might have given me a slightly more direct route. Hopefully, they will be adding more information about sidewalks, pedestrian bridges, traffic, and even crime statistics. Another feature missing that seems like a given is that there are no walking directions on Google Maps various mobile versions. This feature would be far more useful than its online counterpart, so you would assume it is a feature on it's way. Then again, I've always assumed the same thing about Google My Maps, and I have yet to see results. Marta Strickland

If fonts were people!!

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:56:50 -0800

CollegeHumor A bit of Tuesday afternoon fun. If fonts were people and there was a "font conference" this is what it would be. Enjoy! Baron Conway

Wine Tastings Are Now Just A Tweet Away

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:21:38 -0800

I'm a big fan of wine and would love to say that I spend my free time jetting off to the various regions of Italy, Spain and France to taste the latest offerings from the wine producers there. In fact, I would love to say that I spend my free time just making it to a tasting somewhere here in NYC. Unfortunately, my schedule mostly doesn't permit it. If you find yourself in a similar situation at times, you can thank Twitter for helping to change all that for you. Twitter has been used by a new wine company, Bin Ends, located in Braintree, Massachusetts, to facilitate online wine tastings. Dozens of people, armed with their Twitter accounts, participated recently in the now-monthly tastings that will be held on the third Thursday of every month. To do this, Bin Ends first sent out the list of wines that were going to be tasted weeks in advance to allow the oenophiles the chance to go out and buy them - preferably through Bin Ends' online or brick-and-mortar store. Then, tweets were sent by Bin Ends from their Twitter account to the other Twitter users that were "following" them to spread the time and date of the tasting. Finally, when the day arrived, additional tweets were sent out from Bin Ends telling the tasters which wine to taste next as well as thoughts from the distributors about the wine. As each wine was tasted, the comments started pouring in. Overall the response from the tasters was positive. Craig Drollett of Bin Ends said that "there wasn't a single negative comment that came across." To ensure that people were not isolated in their tastings, Drollett says, "[w]e encouraged people to get a group of friends together and pop the laptop up on the table with the bottles of wine." For more information, or to sign up, check out http://www.binendswine.com/tastings. Chris Patten

Future Apps Will Be Sticky Notes And Filing Cabinets

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:26:02 -0800

Every day, the web sees the announcement of another avenue for communication. It could be a new social network, a new microblogging tool, or a new aggregation platform that allows you to start wrangling your social content stream into one space. Even with the move towards more aggregation, the sheer amount of information available is overwhelming. Just thinking about my own digital lifestream in the course of a year, the record of my activity, the content I as a single web user produces, can give me a headache. It's only getting worse. It's not just the data. Now the tools themselves have become cluttered. I have Twine, Facebook, Twitter, Friendfeed, and MySpace all supposedly providing me a useful feed of top level information, many with their own set of apps and tools to make creating content and sorting through information easier. It's too much. I'm fatigued and I don't think I'm the only one. We need better social tools. We need applications based on user empathy, applications that understand the mindset we are in. They need to understand when we want to open the social floodgates and when we want to turn them off.

Social Trendcasting For the Web In-Crowd

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:37:31 -0800

It's Digg meets Yahoo! Answers. It's IdeaStorm meets Wii's Everybody Votes. Sure, Edopter is taking from a lot of things that already exist, but that is part of what makes it so easy to use. Placing themselves in a new bucket called social trendcasting, Edopter claims to "combine your insight and worldwide buzz to tap into the next big thing. Create and follow trends, share and discuss them - then watch as they spread across the world." It's an innovative concept that combines user generated content, social voting, influencer data, and internet buzz measurement to track the popularity of trends over time. There is a lot to like about Edopter. The interface is intuitive and there are many useful graphs to help you track your trends. I also like the idea of users gaining not just points, but a portfolio of predicted trends and an opportunity to acquire recognition and "exclusive stuff". However, just like many other start-up web applications, the site is attracting early adopters and thus skewing the accuracy of the trend measurement. In what other world could Semantic Web be on the top 10 most popular trends across all categories? Marta Strickland

Is Reading Safe for Girls?

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:50:35 -0800

There was an interesting article in the New York Times about how there has been a shift in new teen romances, "brands are more important than romantic relationships to the female protagonists' popularity." Dr. Naomi Johnson, a communication professor at Longwood University in Virginia wrote her dissertation on female characters' obsession with being pretty, thin and stylish. She did this by reviewing three popular teen series, "Clique", "Gossip Girl", and "A-List". What she found was interesting. In these new teen romances, she wrote, "Heroines no longer become women through romance, they become feminine through consumption" On average, there was more than one brand mentioned per page and the bad guys are often indicated by their unfortunate brand choices. Although all the representatives of the "Clique" series were adamant that there had never been any paid product placement in these books, cross-promotion or barter exchange, the books are represented by Alloy Entertainment. One of Alloy's biggest revenue streams is product placement and they are "very good" at reaching the pre-teen and teenage audience. This goes into the face of the rise of the Alpha Girl. Alpha Girls have an "emancipated confidence" that is raising self-esteem, reducing depression, and altering gender roles among girls and young women. So what does this mean? Maybe the difference with the girls coming of age is that they want the same things girls have always wanted, but now they will provide the clothes, fun and happiness for themselves versus looking to a boy to make it happen for them. Full article in the New York Times: In Novels for Girls, Fashion Trumps Romance Embarrassingly as it is to admit I have recently become obsessed with teen romance novels (I like vampires, fairies, witches rather than the mean fashionable girls). Kari Girarde

Changes at ThreeMinds

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:30:46 -0800

As some readers of this blog know, I am stepping down as Editor-in-Chief of ThreeMinds. Today is my last day at Organic.

It's been a great five year run. In many ways my career here took off as I became more involved with ThreeMinds. There are amazing synergies between coalescing my random thoughts into cogent posts and bringing a strong point of view on digital marketing to clients.

Marta Strickland, a senior strategist in our Detroit office, will be stepping in as the new Editor. In addition to being a prolific author on this blog and Recently Consumed, Marta is a forward-thinking technologist with a keen interest in social media and the semantic web. With your help, she and the rest of the team will taking ThreeMinds to the next level.

I want to thank everyone for their readership and their participation in ThreeMinds. It's been a very rewarding process for me and I have learned a great deal from all of you. I first worked here as an MBA intern more than eight years ago, and Organic and ThreeMinds will always have a place in my heart.

The next step for me is to work on the broader challenge of experience design. I will be building the Strategy practice at Method, a design studio that focuses on bringing innovative products and services to market. You'll be seeing more of my thoughts on design, digital marketing, and the customer experience there.

Misha Cornes

Is Your Photo Museum-Worthy?

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:21:29 -0800

image credit regelzam0ra (Flickr) Searching for "street photography" in flickr groups returns 6,497 groups. It appears people around the world are drawn to capturing the urban lifestyle. In a similar fashion, Blurb, an online book publisher, recently hosted a photography book contest. Anyone can use Blurb's site to put together books using their own photos. Sure, anyone can take photos. But has the advancement -- and nearly norm -- of digital photography allowed anyone to become a photographer? Maybe it's that the medium simply allows for us to share our captured moments more easily. And what defines a true photographer anyway? It's all in the eye of the beholder. Sarah Jo Sautter

The Cult of Joss Whedon Working for the Greater Good

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:11:28 -0800

While I don't understand the craze behind Joss Whedon, I have to respect the major Web 2.0 embracing that is demonstrated in his latest project, Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. This is not another viral video, this is not another web sitcom. It's an event, a moment in time, a quickfire community assembled around valued content. Dr. Horrible a three part series releasing every two days and then coming down for good. All acts will be available until midnight, Sunday, July 20. Then they will "vanish into the night, like a phantom (but not THE Phantom - that's still playing. Like, everywhere)" according to Letter from Joss Whedon available on the site. It's ingenious. In a time of disposable culture, grassroot advocacy, and niche social networks, Joss is tapping into the vein of Web 2.0 in a way that most of traditional media has yet to comprehend.

"It is time for us to change the face of Show Business as we know it. You know the old adage, "It's Show Business - not Show Friends"? Well now it's Show Friends. We did that. To Show Business. To show Show Business we mean business. (Also, there are now other businesses like it.) "

And it looks like it's already working. The first installment released on Tuesday crashed the website. So why is this important? Again, I'll defer to Joss who explains it best in his letter...

"Do what you always do, peeps! Do what you're already doing. Spread the word. Rock some banners, widgets, diggs... let people know who wouldn't ordinarily know. It wouldn't hurt if this really was an event. Good for the business, good for the community - communitIES: Hollywood, internet, artists around the world, comic-book fans, musical fans (and even the rather vocal community of people who hate both but will still dig on this). Proving we can turn Dr Horrible into a viable economic proposition as well as an awesome goof will only inspire more people to lay themselves out in the same way. It's time for the dissemination of the artistic process. Create more for less. You are the ones that can make that happen. Wow. I had no idea how important you guys were. I'm a little afraid of you."

Marta Strickland

My First iPhone App Will Be...

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:10:19 -0800

image credit gizmodo The decision to get an iPhone might seem like an easy choice to most people. The fact that this decision has been so hard and so long coming (since February) has more to do with how much I use my phone, strangely, and not how little. I would rather hold out with my frustrating, but familiar Motorola Q for the right phone, than jump into another 2 year contract with the wrong one. My love for all things Google certainly hasn't helped in the matter. I had recently changed my mobile signature to say "still holding out for the Android", but with the Android release delays and developer drama, I just can't hold out any more. I'm going to get an iPhone. When my current cell contract runs out (coincidentally on my birthday), there will be no more debating, I'm just going to do it. Now that I'm convinced, I've already begun shopping what apps I'm going to fill my phone up with from the first day. The two I'm most excited about: Google Mobile and Where™. While I'm terribly frustrated that yet again Google did not integrate Google My Maps into their new app, the usefulness and intuitive interface cannot be denied. Google Maps is just meant for a fast touch screen interface. Where™ is another location-based application that delivers local information via Eventful, Yelp, GasBuddy, Zipcar, ShopLocal, Starbucks, Buddy Beacon® and more. While I am yet to find a mapping application that feeds in my custom GPX data, both of the options listed above are a great start in that direction. And, best of all, they are both free. Something I won't soon be taking for granted. Marta Strickland

Book Review: Buying In

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:27:56 -0800

I have been looking forward to the release of Rob Walker's new book for months. Walker writes the Consumed column for the New York Times Magazine and is one of the few journalists to write critically about popular culture and consumer trends rather than simply chronicling the ad industry as a business. And unlike your typical marketing guru, he isn't hawking consulting services, his company, or his other books.

The result is a refreshingly jargon-free analysis of the interplay between brands and consumers. Walker has an omnivorous intellect and he moves effortlessly through a range of topics including the history of advertising, world of mouth, the rise of hip-hop, and role of academic psychology in shaping marketing.

His central thesis is that all the talk about a new era of consumer control is wrong. While the orthodoxy is that consumers are tuning out advertising and demanding authenticity, it's equally true that brands have more allure for consumers than ever. And that allure doesn't just mean active consumer collaboration - reworking and remixing a brand. He gives numerous examples of consumers adopting products whole as the key expression of their identity.

With Timberland boots, for example, you had a new segment of the population- inner city African Americans- adopting a no-nonsense 50's-era shoe originally designed for rural, blue collar New Englanders. The hip-hop segment ultimately became more profitable and more influential to Timberland's future, essentially forcing this conservative company to update its style to include, for example, a florescent pink model. On the flip-side, you have brands like American Apparel or Pabst Blue Ribbon that both represent and define a lifestyle for their audience.

Walker calls this blurring of the relationship between brand and brand consumer "murketing" - which began as a joke at the expense of buzzword-loving marketers but seems to have stuck (Walker's site is www.murketing.com)

If I have any complaints about Buying In, it's that it lacks a central framework that ties the argument together. No matter what the (fascinating) anecdote, the conclusion is little more than "yep, that's murketing too". Maybe this is the downside to Walker's chops as a magazine journalist. It felt like each chapter makes a very compelling essay, but altogether it falls just short of being a seminal book. Recommended reading.

Misha Cornes

Alinea Mosaic

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:38:47 -0800

Grant Achatz received a standing ovation at this year's James Beard ceremony after winning the Best Chef US award. He is most known for his work at Chicago restaurant, Alinea, within the realm of molecular gastronomy.

Since then, he is scheduled to release an "impressive and epic" book this fall. As a precursor, he has launched Alinea Mosaic, an online companion for those who have pre-ordered the book: http://alinea-mosaic.com/.

The site will feature video demonstrations, pictures, recipes and the like. In addition, the site features an online forum, where Mr. Achatz answers questions from his cult-following of chefs and foodies. A beautiful and personal introduction to a highly anticipated work.

Read more on Achatz in Wired.

Rachel Nathan

Loopt Your iPhone

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:20:06 -0800

Did you leave early last Friday to get your Iphone? Uh-huh~ So now you have you iPhone in hand, and finally got it activated, let's put some cool apps on it.

Loopt provides a cellphone-based GPS sharing system with the goal of providing an innovative social mapping tool that allows friends to visualize one another using their cell phones and share information about interesting places.

Loopt's geosocial networking services show users where friends are located and what they are doing via detailed, interactive maps on their mobile phones. Loopt helps friends connect on the fly and navigate their social lives by orienting them to people, places, and events. Users can also share location updates, geo-tagged photos, and comments with friends in their mobile address book or on online social networks, communities, and blogs.

Loopt was designed with user privacy at its core and offers a variety of effective and intuitive privacy controls.

Their latest release for the iPhone integrates microblogging and reviews from Yelp into its interface.

Beside iPhone, Loopt also works on Blackberry too!

http://www.loopt.com/

Euphenia Cheng