Three Minds On Digital Marketing @ Organic

As we all know in interactive, data is everywhere - everything we do is or can be tracked. The question is are we looking in the right place.

This is a very interesting visualization of information from a somewhat different angle.  This organic visualization, "code swarm" by Michael Ogawa from UC Davis is history of commits to a software project (a commit happens when a developer makes changes to the code or documents and transfers them into the central project repository). However, instead of focusing on the actual code, the focus is on the relationships between developers and their code.

Other than this being a great way to look at a universe of information based on relationships, time and events, I think there could be a real opportunity for us as digital marketers to use models like this from an analytics perspective to find new ways of targeting messages to customers.

Imagine doing a similar exercise for a client. Would there be patterns that we have not seen before and how could we leverage those patterns from a marketing and experience perspective?

See more videos at

http://vis.cs.ucdavis.edu/~ogawa/codeswarm/

Baron Conway

A little-noticed story from Anheuser-Busch last week given the focus on the presumptive InBev takeover: last week A-B announced that it will stop selling alcoholic energy drinks. 

Relenting to pressure from anti-underage drinking activists and state attorneys general, they are pulling the plug on the tiny Bud Extra and Tilt brands (shortly after I got married, I used to see this ad every day on my commute).  Several brewers are accused of designing and marketing "alcopops" specifically for the under-21 market, and ultimately it seems A-B has decided that the controversy was not worth the minimal gains.

While it will have little effect on A-B's business, it's a big deal for category leader Miller and their Sparks brand.  I've tried Sparks and last year I reviewed Sparks.com, which seemed to give an insight into their product strategy:

"Navigating the site definitely feels like stepping into the mind of a teenage boy - air guitar contests, skateboards, doodles - but in a bold move, no shots of attractive girls.  Is it specifically targeted at underage drinkers?"

If the Center for Science in the Public Interest and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's case against SAB Miller goes forward, we will soon have our answer.

Misha Cornes

I was chatting this weekend with an Organic alum about the value of entertainment content online. One of the cardinal rules I learned in working with clients like 20th Century Fox is that movie promos have permission to be much much more intrusive into the digital experience than any other form of advertising. In 2004 or so, Organic developed a lot of really aggressive takeovers for the Yahoo homepage, for example, and people tolerated and even embraced this content. Picture Wolverine slashing out from behind the homepage for XMen, and you'll get the idea.

A couple of years later, you started to see media platforms leverage movie content as a kind of reverse product placement tool. Google, for example, has partnered with blockbuster titles in Summer 2006 (The DaVinci Code) and 2007 (The Bourne Ultimatum) to promote the launch of Google Maps, Google Earth, etc.  In each case, the film content drove interest in trying out new online tools.  I'm surprised not to see a major studio-web portal partnership (yet?) this summer.

Now Papa John's pizza is using movie previews to drive traffic to its site, in this case partnering with The Mummy franchise to offer an exclusive trailer. It's a smart relationship given the overlap in their audiences - I guess Adam Sandler wasn't available. Even though the basic value proposition of the web is ubiquity, it shows that exclusivity can still mean something online, particularly for premium content like movies. This campaign would have been even more powerful if the only place you could see a Mummy trailer was on Papa Johns.com

Misha Cornes

Weather: Oven-like
Energy Levels: Running on empty
Mental State: Sleep mode

Last night was the Film, Titanium and Integrated awards show and the Closing Gala. While HBO Voyeur continued to make waves, it was Halo 3 "Believe" that took both the Integrated Grand Prix and a Film Grand Prix. In an unprecedented and questionable move, the Film Jury also awarded a second Film Grand Prix to Cadbury's "Gorilla" viral video because, as Jury President Craig Davis explained, they couldn't decide between the two. Really?? One is a piece of art that redefined its category, the other is a guy in a gorilla suit playing drums with a punchline that warrants a single viewing. Oh well...

The Titanium Grand Prix, on the other hand, was a welcome surprise for us. To channel Bill Murray, the kids from nowhere...from just outside of Tokyo...tears in their eyes I guess...the two guys from Projector Tokyo took home their second Grand Prix of the week for Uniqlock. Hooray for widgets with dancing Japanese girls!

Now we're heading back where we hope to bring home some of the magic...and by "magic" we mean the food from Chez Vincent et Nicholas.

Conor Brady + Sam Cannon

 Weather: Bright
Energy Levels: Stable (Conor's better, now Sam has the sore throat)
Mental State: Read Only

We saw a couple of interesting seminars, including one put on by Leo Burnett and our pals at Contagious Magazine which paraded by a good number of campaigns that in some way explemplified what they called "Human Kind" advertising. Here to more of that kind of thinking...

Come to think of it, that may have been yesterday...these days seem to blur together at this point in the week, thanks in part to a nightly ritual called "the gutter bar." By day it's an unassuming bistro next to the Hotel Martinez; by night 72 La Croisette transforms into a sea of drunken (or hopped up on very expensive Coca-Cola Light) advertising fools. As the bar technically accommodates about 50-75 people, the gutter -- and street, alleyway, median, and the Martinez driveway -- is the only place for its hundreds of patrons to go. And there you have it: agency CEOs, ad students, film producers, digital divas, creative directors, and media sales people literally rubbing shoulders with each other into the morning hours. Even when that evenings' parties disappoint or that one friend keeps flaking on you, there's always the gutter bar.

Conor Brady + Sam Cannon

Weather: Azur
Energy Levels: Medium Rare
Mental State: Overstimulated

Our workshop took place yesterday afternoon at the Palais de Festival. Everyone seemed to have fun -- apart from those who were hoping to sleep in a dark, air-conditioned room for a couple hours, or those who were turned away due to room capacity. We discussed why we care so much about empathy-based insight, walked through some work, talked about Camp Organic, and then an intrepid 35 or so attendees stuck around to do a mini-Camp O. The results were really impressive given the fact that "mini" meant 1 hour. To see more, visit Camp Cannes, our workshop blog.

Also, last night was the Cyber Lions ceremony. It was nice to see some of our favorite non-Organic work get represented, with Grand Prix awards going to the Uniqlock and Sol Comments campaigns. It was also nice to see our friend and former CCO Colleen DeCourcy finally unwind after a grueling week as Cyber Lions Jury President. (Nice job, Colleen!)

By comparison, Thursday should be a bit more relaxed. We'll see...

Conor Brady + Sam Cannon

I wanted to bring to people's attention a very extraordinary video of which I was recently made aware.  This happened a while ago, but I only heard of it recently and it moved me greatly.
 
Randy Pausch is a retired professor of Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University.  He recently retired at age 47 because he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.  In order to leave a lasting legacy for his children he gave this "Last Lecture".
 
It's quite long, but well worth the time.
 
Randy's lecture and life are a testament to the extreme pursuit of the ultimate User Experience.  The Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon is a testament to the types of Computer Human Interaction that can be developed and expands the boundaries of what can be expected when interacting computers.  I am not able to express the simultaneous joy and sorrow that I experienced in viewing his lecture. 
His words speak much more eloquently than I ever can.
 
You can learn more about Randy and his current health status here.
 
He also has an excellent lecture on Time Management viewable on Google video.
 
Lee Tsao

Burma has been on everyone's mind in the last few days as a result of the catastrophic cyclone that struck on Friday, killing as many as 10,000 people.  It's a tragic way to bring the appalling human rights situation in Burma back to the forefront of the collective consciousness after the monk-led anti-government protests of September 2007 failed to bring about any changes.

My mother is Burmese and I have plenty of family living in Rangoon/Yangon.  One of my cousins was arrested and beaten by the Burmese government for his association with opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.  For me and for anyone concerned about the Burmese political situation, it's hard not to feel powerless in the face of an immovable military regime.

The U.S. Campaign for Burma is taking an interesting and provocative approach to making Burma relevant, refusing apathy and sending the message that collectively, we can do something about the situation.  In conjunction with the Human Rights Action Center and social shopping site Fanista, they have created a 30-day campaign that uses short celebrity videos to raise awareness of the plight of the worlds only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient and the atrocities occurring in Burma.  Some of the spots are serious (Julie Benz), many are humorous or irreverent (Will Ferrell, Jennifer Aniston).  Each is unique and worthy of pass-along.

The goal is gather a million signatures of support for Burma in 30 days.  Welcome to social action, new media style!  As Human Rights Action Center founder Jack Healey writes:

"I've thought long and hard about how to create a new paradigm, a new thrust, a new energy, a new force. I am bored by public service announcements and feel that they have lost their effectiveness. I set out to create a new genre...A big or small non-profit can now define themselves without raising tons of cash through direct mail, cutting down trees for the paper, and can go up online and get the world to respond in a new way."

Sign up, add your voice, make a donation, and spread the word!

http://www.burmaitcantwait.org

Misha Cornes

Proctor & Gamble Productions, the entertainment arm of P&G that sponsors and produces the two longest-running soaps on TV (each on the air for more than 50 years!), has come under fire for a same-sex storyline on As The World Turns.  Specifically, for a kiss that occurred between two gay teens on the show.

It's hard for me to believe that the same week The New York Times Magazine ran a cover story on young gay rites (describing them as a natural outcome of the mainstreaming of homosexuality), groups like the American Family Association can still plumb outrage over "open mouth kissing" and try to organize a boycott.  Talk about your two Americas.

What does a mainstream marketer like P&G do?  In the days before social media, they could  provide a fragmented response that would (appear to) cater to the needs of each constituency.  This time, they decided to listen.  P&G has set up an automated hotline to tally the national pulse on the issue.  (1-800-331-3774)

We appreciate you taking the time out of your day to share your thoughts with us.

If you are in support of the Luke and Noah storyline, press 1
If you have concerns about the storyline, press 2

Callers can also voice their opinion on another proposed boycott of MTV and BET's profanity-laced hip-hop programming.  It's not a full conversation about the direction of the brand (and honestly, post-Ellen, where is the controversy about depictions of gays on TV?), but it's a start.  Even Perez Hilton was shocked.

Misha Cornes

(For those of you who haven't seen the announcement, Mark Kingdon, Organic's CEO, is stepping down to lead Linden Lab, the maker of Second Life.  Tomorrow is his last day.  -Ed.)

When someone chooses to leave the company at a natural point in their career, when their work is done and the timing is comfortable and right for Organic, I like to say that person is "graduating."   I am officially "graduating" from Organic on Friday, May 2nd.

Omnicom has begun a search for a new CEO for Organic.  Until the role is filled, an interim management committee made up of seasoned Organics will be responsible for major executive decisions:  Chuck Russo (EVP of Client Development), Marita Scarfi (CFO and COO) and Jonathan Nelson (Founder and Chairman).  

On a personal level, Organic has been my life for seven years.  It's not easy to leave but I am very confident the company is in a terrific place which makes it a comfortable time for me to graduate.  

The company:

•    Has superlative talent in every corner of the company and a tight-knit management team
•    Is doing some of the very best work the company has have ever done
•    Has a premier roster of client relationships
•    Is  considered a leading brand in the marketplace
•    Has a unique and cohesive culture that allows people to learn, grow and do great work

Organic's people and culture are the magic in the company's success.  Organic has this hidden, hard-to-identify attribute that it's taken me the better part of seven years to understand.  It's a mash-up of natural intelligence, great creativity, kindness, sincerity, compassion and determination.  I think it's very evident in Camp Organic - an exercise in customer empathy.

I am very thankful for my time at Organic - and by extension, my time over the past several years with Omnicom. I met and worked with many, many exceptional people who are responsible for the company's success - a special thanks to each of them.

The past seven years would make a great business book because it's three success stories in one:  turning around a dot-com darling, repositioning the company as a leader in user-centered design and online marketing and managing through a period of rapid growth period that redefined the company.  I finished the final chapter, and so it's time to move on.

Thanks to everyone for making this a truly exceptional life experience.  And, a big thank you to all of the bloggers and readers of ThreeMinds for your support since our inception.  

Mark

PS: Follow the jump to learn more about the picture above.