[ paul isakson ]

Helge Tennø on Content Marketing

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Helge was kind enough to contact me a couple weeks back to get some thoughts on this presentation. I meant to share it then but was traveling and let it fall down the Gmail inbox rabbit hole a bit. Thankfully, Damiano reminded me today.

Some things I especially liked were:

Slide 3: The thought of not focusing on one idea, but creating a range of ideas that engage people and bring them closer to the brand - something that the research of Duncan Watts is leading people to and something that Faris and Noah have been on to for quite a while, as have a few others.

Slide 33: If you're producing applications for brands/clients, always remember that the application is a means to an end, not the end itself.

Slides 47-59 on Emotional Research - it's time to start looking at things differently, don't you think?

Anyway, give it a read and be sure to let Helge know what you think over on his post of it or on Slideshare.

What's Next In Advertising - Uwe Gutschow's Take

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If you have followed this blog for a while, you know that I'm a fan of mash-ups and remixes. Never in a million years though, did I expect something I created to become part of a remix/mash-up of sorts. I'm honored, flattered and impressed all at once.

What am I talking about? Well, Uwe Gutschow and Don Longfellow have picked up the "What's Next In Marketing & Advertising" presentation I shared a couple months back and taken it further with their "What's Next In Advertising - Moving from Advertising to Marketing."

As you can guess from the title, their main point is that advertising needs to go from where it is and has been (interruption and now, annoyance) to adding value. They say we need to "create marketing solutions, not ads" and "stop pitching people with messages," and "start providing useful content." I wholeheartedly agree.

Please give it a look and let them know what you think over on Uwe's post.

To download the slide show or view it full screen, jump over here.

How Brands Can Get Ahead In A Recession

First, if you haven't read either of the above, I highly recommend them. (Clicking on either of the quotes above will take you to their respective pages on Amazon.com.) Now then...

Every day, I'm convinced these statements are increasingly true. Especially today in our open-source, collaborative, conversation culture. The more good things you do for people, the more of your thinking and ideas that you share, and the more you help people out, the more good things will come back to you.

I've personally experienced this throughout my life, but none more so than in sharing things here. (Just as I'm sure many of you have.) Now we're in a situation where this mantra could create significant returns for brands if they are willing to take heed.

With growing talks of a global recession and reports of consumer confidence sinking around the globe, people are looking for ways to make their dollars go further. Brands that truly try to help people get through this period solely for the purpose of wanting to help make peoples' lives a little bit easier will come out significantly ahead of the pack when things turn around.

Almost everyone has natural tendencies that kick in when money starts getting short which tell them to hang on to as much as possible. This is just as true for businesses as it is for people. But if a business is willing to take a little less profit now in order to create greater savings for people and help them get what they want, it will come back to them when people have more money to spend.

It's not an easy decision to make. Especially when there are outside demands from stockholders and parent companies. But I have no doubts that those who approach this the right way - by doing what's best for the people who buy their products or services - will end up far better off than if they just try to ride it out by cutting costs that do not get passed through to consumers/customers.

On a related note, David Armano has turned a smart post titled "10 Ways Digital Can Help You Thrive In A Recession" into an easy to view slide show. You can view it below, on Logic + Emotion, or in glorious full-screen mode through SlideShare.

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I'm certain there are several great examples out there that show this and I know I've heard or read them several times before. Right now, I'm simply too tired to look them up. Ha. Sorry, but just being honest. So, if you know of any off-hand, please share them in the comments...

A Few Worthwhile Reads

Some interesting things I came across yesterday and would like to post more on, but probably won't be able to for a day or two if at all, so for now, here are the links...

First, Dave Trott Live Chat via Scamp - Dave shares some great advice and thinking on how to get a job in this business and what he thinks makes for great advertising today. I also really liked Scamp's approach to this for two reason. First, Scamp wrote a post arguing that much of what Dave wrote 30 years ago on getting a job in advertising was irrelevant today and followed it up by allowing Dave to have a conversation with Scamp's readers to defend/explain himself on the Scamp blog. Second, I think using the comments section of a blog post to host an audience driven interview was a fantastic idea. Thanks to Alan (a.k.a. Tangerine Toad) for pointing it out via Twitter.

Second, Scholz & Friends has posted an interesting presentation titled Brands and Communication in the Era of Media Democracy that is well worth a look. For those browsing here, following is the slide show. For those reading this where it won't come through, here's a link.

Lastly, BMW has revealed some inspiring thinking on the future of car design that caught the attention of quite a few. I love that they ignored conventions and took a fresh look at things. A bit from the WInding Road post:

Chris Bangle, head of BMW Group Design, describes the philosophy behind this wildly innovative GINA Light Visionary Model as “Being flexible. Thinking flexible, acting flexible – context over dogma.”

A Must Read: What's Next In Media

Neil Perkin has posted an excellent presentation on where media is today and where he sees it heading. Take a few minutes to click through the slides, ponder it a bit, and then pass it along to others you know who are trying to sort it all out.

And by all means, share your thoughts with him in the comments to his post...

Back to Basics: Creative Problem Solving

The above "tweet" from David Armano this past Friday has been sitting in the back of my mind the past couple of days. It was from Claudia Kotchka's presentation at the Institute of Design Strategy Conference.

As Alan wisely noted in response to one of my earlier posts, the behavior of agencies is often driven by the way their clients engage them. If you're a client-side marketer and you want to infuse more innovation into your marketing plans, or even into your products, listen to the essence of what Claudia Kotchka is saying.

Don't go to your agencies and ask them to create an _______ (ad, web site, etc.). Bring them the problem you're trying to solve and see what they come up with.

Fifth Conversations About The Future Of Advertising Event

For those reading this in the Twin Cities...

Brian Morrissey, digital editor for Adweek, will be sharing his thoughts on the future of advertising along with how to build brands through utility, community and authenticity at the fifth Conversations About The Future Of Advertising event tomorrow (April 28) at Fine Line Music Cafe.

The presentation begins at 6 P.M. and is cosponsored by MCAD and MIMA.

You can find all the details on the CATFOA blog along with information on the first four presentations.

A Social Media Conspiracy Theory via The Kaiser Edition

The Kaiser Edition has posted some very insightful and interesting thoughts on the whole "social media" epidemic that is sweeping through the marketing world. On top of it being those things, it's also pretty entertaining.

It lines up with something I've been thinking about lately too. There are a lot of people out there who claim to be social media strategists and experts simply because they're doing some of these things themselves.

Just because you're doing something doesn't mean you're qualified to advise people on it. I know a lot of people who technically can drive a car but I'd never want them to try to teach someone else how to do it.

Anyway, give the presentation a browse. It's thought-provoking at a minimum.

You can also find it on SlideShare if you prefer to view it there.

Joseph Jaffe Speaking in Minneapolis 04/14/08

Just a heads-up for those reading this in the Twin Cities...

Joseph Jaffe will be speaking at the fourth Conversations About The Future Of Advertising (CATFOA) event sponsored by MCAD, MIMA and MSP Communications.

You can find all the details on the CATFOA blog along with recaps of the first three presentations and an announcement for the fifth, but the quick and dirty details for this one are that it happening this coming Monday night (14 April 2008) at Fine Line Music Cafe starting at 6 PM.

It is free for all to attend and the first 250 people to come through the door will get a complimentary copy of Join The Conversation.

Fallon Brainfood: The Social 10

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Didn't get around to sharing this one last week, but meant to do it. Sorry about that.

Fallon planner, Aki Spicer, shared his thoughts on 10 Trends Marketers Should Know About Social Networking at the agency's Brainfood lunch both with the agency and beyond by broadcasting live across several social media platforms so that anyone could watch if they were so inclined. Sounds like it went pretty well. Wish I could have caught it live.

Aki starts off with a good quote from William Gibson: "The future is here. It's just not evenly distributed yet."

Much of this is inline with some of what I've shared here throughout various posts and comments elsewhere. If you're following the social media conversations around the blogs, then I would say this is a really good round-up/recap of many of those ideas with some great case studies, quotes and implications to support exactly what he said this is, "a kind of social media 101."

Anyway, give it a go if you're looking for a good perspective on this topic. If you've got comments or thoughts, be sure to leave them for Aki over on the SlideShare or on the Fallon Planning blog post.