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PAOLO BOLPET web strategist

Aiutarvi a trovare la comunicazione più efficace nel nuovo contesto web.

Ideare e sviluppare la presenza online di società e istituzioni su web e social media.

Partner di eFlux - crossmedia group

Profile

Paolo Bolpet

Web experience & Social media strategy
Marketing and Advertising | Trieste Area, Italy, IT

Summary

Ideare e sviluppare la presenza online di società e istituzioni su web e social media, in linea con gli obiettivi di lungo termine.

Sulla base delle mie conoscenze del contesto internet, delle statistiche e dei trend, analizzo obiettivi e target del Cliente e fornisco strumenti, metodologie e best practices per raggiungere risultati misurabili.

In questo momento sto lavorando con:
- Area Science Park
- Emaze Networks
- GFB Consulting
- Innovation Factory
- Snaidero cucine
- Cesar Arredamenti
Specialties: Web marketing, web user experience, search engine marketing, social media marketing, persuasion design

Experience

  • Jun 2009 - Present

    Web Strategist / eFlux Crossmedia Group

    Analisi degli obiettivi e dei target, pianificazione strategica della comunicazione web.
    Nello specifico consiglio aziende, enti pubblici e singoli su quale sia la strategia di comunicazione web & internet più efficace.
  • Mar 2003 - Jun 2009

    Chief Operating Officier / Wave Net S.r.l.

    Mi sono occupato del coordinamento e ottimizzazione delle attività progettuali e produttive di Wave Net per renderle più efficaci e funzionali ai fini della mission aziendale.
    Ho seguito tutto ciò che riguardava il rapporto con i Clienti e la realizzazione delle commesse, dalla acquisizione del contratto alla consegna alla pianificazione delle attività post-consegna.
    Principali progetti seguiti:
    - Area Science Park
    - Calligaris Spa
    - Cesar Arredamenti Spa
    - Comune di Monfalcone
    - Comunità Montana del Torre, Natisone, Collio
    - DraftFCB per Mercedes Benz, SMART, Nestlè Waters
    - Gruppo Danieli
    - Gruppo Simeon – Carpenterie per l’architettura
    - Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia per InnovAction – Fiera della Innovazione
    - Snaidero Rino Spa
    - Turismo FVG per il progetto web Italy Golf & More
    - Udine e Gorizia Fiere Spa
  • Dec 1995 - Jun 2009

    Socio fondatore / Wave Net S.r.l.

    Nel novembre del 1995 un manipolo di eroi fondava Wavenet: 4 personaggi dai percorsi più diversi ma con una voglia di scoprire mondi nuovi molto simile a quella dell'equipaggio della Enterprise.
    Abbiamo aperto l'accesso ad Internet a Cervignano, uno dei pochi nel Friuli Venezia Giulia - all'epoca c'erano solo Inet, Nettuno, spin e noi ed alcuni altri disperati; qualcuno ha abbandonato, qualcuno è fallito. Siamo rimasti in pochi.
    Da Cervignano (25 mq) a Trieste dove abbiamo aperto Everest, a Monfalcone quando siamo stati acquistati da Netesi.
    Pensate che il bilancio Wavenet del 2002 è stato consolidato nella Telecom Italia Spa appena acquisita da Tronchetti Provera... non risultavamo nemmeno nell'arrotondamento, ma la soddisfazione era tanta: eravamo stati selezionati un paio di anni prima da cacciatori di teste come una delle migliori e più promettenti start-up del settore.
    Poi Telecom Italia ha accettato di lasciarci il controllo dell'azienda e siamo rimasti fornitori ufficiali.
  • 2001 - 2003

    Chief Operating Officer / Netesi SPA (Telecom Italia Group)

    Azienda di fornitura di servizi SaaS del Gruppo Telecom Italia. Responsabile Operazioni del dipartimento Web Applications
  • Jul 1987 - Dec 1995

    Supporto Logistico Integrato / Meteor CAE SpA

    Sono entrato in Meteor nell'87, ho cominciato il 1° luglio ed il 1° agosto mi hanno subito mandato in ferie coatte (... chiudeva l'azienda).
    Ho cominciato scrivendo Manuali tecnici, quelle cose del tipo "schiaccia il bottone rosso, poi controlla se il razzo è partito...", ho finito per essere coinvolto nella certificazione di qualità dell'Azienda (cose militari, mica buffonate all'italiana).
    Sarà lì che ho imparato la forma mentis del bulgaro che mi distingue: più che scrivere manuali mi piaceva dire agli altri come scriverli.... sono sempre stato molto didascalico...
    Ho lasciato nel '95 per cofondare Wavenet... e non volevano lasciarmi andare via... machecciò??!!
  • Feb 1987 - Jun 1987

    Coordinatore Ispettori di Qualità / Rintercontrols Qualitest Engineering

    Coordinavo gli ispettori che dovevanoi andare ad effettuare dei collaudi per conto di grosse aziende... dopo tre mesi sono scappato

Education

  • 1982 - 1986

    Università degli Studi di Udine

    Scienze dell'Informazione
    Activities: In bar a magiare panzerotti e a parlare di politica. E fra un esame e l'altro a fare il militare su in montagna dalle parti di Cividale, ad ascoltare se Tito aveva ancora qualcosa da dire o da ridire
  • 1977 - 1982

    Istituto Tecnico Industriale "A. Malignani" - Udine

    Diploma in Electronics
    Activities: Mi ricordo che avevamo una classe di letterati: su 30 in 20 abbiamo portato Lettere come seconda materia. E poi l'attività nell'Arci e l'impegno sociale.

Additional information

Websites:
Honors:
Con gli amici e colleghi di Wavenet abbiamo vinto molti premi, questi sono quelli per progetti in cui ho messo lo "zampino": - 2008, 1° Premio "Web Branding" al Grand Prix Brand Identity per il sito www.snaidero.it - 2007, Premio Speciale Miglior sito education al Bardi Awards per il sito www.grandeguerrafvg.org - 2007, 2° Premio No Business al Bardi Awards per il sito www.area.trieste.it - 2006, Premio Speciale Miglior Sito Evento al Bardi Awards per il sito www.snaiderogroup.com/eurocucina
Interests:
Amo José Saramago e "Memorial del Convento" è uno dei più bei libri che abbia letto. Leggo Libri noir e polizieschi. Leggo fumetti, Giraud ad esempio. Ho già visto sette volte Quinto elemento di Luc Besson... e la prossima non sarà certo l'ultima.
Assoc.:
eConsultancy - Digital Marketers United

Posts

  • June 15, 11:33 AM

    eFlux - crossmedia group, è online il nuovo sito

    Dopo quasi un anno di gestazione, i calzolai hanno messo le scarpe. E' online il nuovo sito eFlux e nei prossimi mesi concentreremo una grossa fetta del nostro tempo a potenziare la presenza di eFlux - crossmedia group nel nuovo contest web.

    E per segnalare il nuovo contesto web vi allego gli screenshot del nuovo sito eFlux presi da un Iphone(R).

    Follow us into the future

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  • June 15, 05:40 AM

    Marotta & Russo: Installazione eFlux@“Città Caldogno” (Vi)

    Ospito volentieri il comunicato di un'opera che mi accomuna in molti sensi: amicizia e stima - anzitutto - ma anche arte, fino al punto in cui questa riesce a scuotere il cuore di un materialista come il sottoscritto. Non tutte le opere comunicano ad ognuno di noi un senso, anche perché ciascuno di noi è sensibile a linguaggi e forme diverse e le diverse emozioni - che comunque tutti abbiamo anche se nascoste da un muro di granito - vengono stuzzicate in modo diverso. Le opere di Stefano e Roberto (Marotta&Russo per l'appunto) parlano il nostro linguaggio, forse non quello di tutti ma senz'altro quello del nostro tempo, quello che riconosciamo.

    Paolo Bolpet, sensibile ai linguaggi...

    Marotta&Russo: Installazione eFlux@“Città Caldogno” (Vi)

    È stato inaugurato lo scorso sabato 12 Giugno 2010 il nuovo complesso residenziale, commerciale, direzionale e sportivo “CITTÀ CALDOGNO”, situato nel centro di Caldogno (Vi).
    Nell’occasione è stata presentata al pubblico l’installazione permanente intitolata “eFlux” del duo artistico udinese Marotta & Russo. L’imponente opera è stata appositamente concepita e realizzata per i 400 metri quadrati di superficie ed i 30 metri di lunghezza delle pareti interne del grande edificio ospitante il modernissimo “Centro Piscine”, collocato nel cuore del nuovo complesso residenziale (www.cittacaldogno.it).

    eFlux di Marotta & Russo

    Abbiamo pensato al grande edificio ospitante le piscine del complesso urbano “Città Caldogno” come l'elemento centrale, non solo dal punto di vista fisico ed architettonico, della nuova comunità. Una sorta di “cattedrale” laica, insomma, capace di essere e di rappresentare il centro di relazione e di confronto – lo spazio sociale – di una città ideale, neo-rinascimentale, alla sua fondazione. 

    L’intervenire con un’opera permanente sui 400 metri quadri delle pareti interne del complesso, con la volontà di esaltare e mettere in moto tali potenzialità insite nelle funzioni della struttura, è stata la nostra assunzione di responsabilità, il nostro compito di artisti. Per ribadire – in un’ottica contemporanea e tramite le nostre peculiari estetiche digitali – le antiche valenze, civili ed emblematiche dello spazio paretale e la funzione sociale e mitopoietica dell’Arte. Due le polarità da noi poste in relazione, l'acqua e la città: ovvero l’elemento lustrale ed ancestrale, in rapporto stretto con il concetto di nascita e quello sociale ed antropologico, in riferimento alla fondazione di una comunità. 

    Abbiamo quindi delineato sulle pareti interne dell’edificio uno skyline urbano essenziale – ad un tempo contemporaneo e futuribile – mobilmente rispecchiato nell'acqua delle piscine sottostanti, in un tutt'uno percettivo ed ambientale. Operando così una trasposizione analitica, funzionale ed estetica di un modello ideale di città nuova e contemporanea, ubiquamente pervasa da invisibili infrastrutture cablate e da potenti reti di telecomunicazione che costantemente ne ridefiniscono i contorni in relazione con il mondo. Una città – e civiltà – nuova, quindi, che è soggetto, oggetto e contesto di un flusso elettronico incessante, “liquido”, socialmente fertile e culturalmente connotato.

    Marotta & Russo sono un duo di artisti udinesi (www.avatarproject.it). 
    Marotta & Russo sperimentano le possibilità espressive e visive offerte dai new media, mettendole in relazione critica rispetto alle categorie psicologiche, logiche e linguistiche indotte dal Digital Lifestyle contemporaneo.

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  • November 25, 10:12 AM

    L'agenzia di comunicazione eFlux Crossmedia Group di Udine lancia il nuovo webspot per la cucina Orange di Snaidero - eFlux Crossmedia Group

    11.24.2009 – Avvalendosi dell’esperta regia di Massimo Garlatti Costa, il video è uno spot virale di tipo "web 2.0". Ovvero realizzato a partire da un web casting collaborativo operato fra coloro che avevano aderito all'invito rivolto quest'estate da Snaidero direttamente al suo pubblico.

    Lo spot costituisce il punto di partenza della rinnovata idea di comunicazione web che l’agenzia eFlux ha progettato e sviluppato per Snaidero. Esso, infatti, rappresenta il cardine della webstory che prende il suo avvio con la nuova campagna Snaidero in programmazione per dicembre e gennaio prossimi.

    Dotato di un tono in grado di sottolineare l’intelligenza progettuale e l’innovazione nell’impiego dello spazio di cui Orange è capace, il webspot si avvale di uno stile amichevole, ironico e coinvolgente. Del tutto inedito per il settore cucine, ma perfettamente in linea con i valori di Snaidero e con il mood contemporaneo.

    eFlux Crossmedia Group
    eFlux – Crossmedia Group è un nuovo progetto imprenditoriale che nasce dalla volontà, l’entusiasmo e l’ultradecennale esperienza di un gruppo di professionisti provenienti da due storiche agenzie di comunicazione: Avatar Studio e Wavenet.
    eFlux – crossmedia group ti affianca come partner nelle tue necessità di comunicazione d'impresa con l’efficacia di un approccio innovativo e crossmediale.

     

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  • November 01, 06:04 AM

    Web marketing trends nel 2010

    Questo mio intervento prende spunto da due articoli di Eric Tsai uno intitolato 3 brand marketing trends that will continue in 2010 e l'altro incentrato invece su 3 web marketing trends that will accelerate in 2010, articoli molto interessanti e ben strutturati che consiglio di leggere e con cui mi trovo essenzialmente d'accordo. Qui di seguito vi sottopongo il mio personale contributo a queste previsioni in chiave di mercato italiano o eruopeo:

    • Monitoraggio dei social network e Social Media Marketing Si fa un gran parlare da molto tempo di Facebook, di Myspace e di come le aziende devono entrare in questo nuovo contesto a fare marketing, pubblicità e quant'altro. Quello che dico ai miei clienti è che siamo in questo momento come a 15 anni fa in cui le aziende dovevano valutare se realizzare o meno un sito web e come realizzarlo: i social network sono ormai un contesto con cui tutte le aziende, i professionisti e le istituzioni dovranno confrontarsi nell'immediato futuro, questo processo è ineluttabile; piuttosto la domanda non è se entrare o meno, se confrontarsi o no, ma come creare delle relazioni con gli utenti dei social network. gli strumenti in mano alle aziende in questo momento sono sostanzialmente gli stessi di qualsiasi altro ambito di intervento: a) raccolta dati e analisi, b) definizione degli obiettivi, c) elaborazione della strategia, d) misurazione dei risultati. Nello specifico si parte da un monitoraggio dei media sociali (blog, forum, social network) per capire se s parla di noi e come se ne parla, senza questo monitoraggio è inutile passare alla fase successiva. Esistono una serie di strumenti a disposizione, alcuni estremamente potenti (e costosi) altri gratuiti oppure società che lo fanno per vostro conto.
    • Misurazione e analisi delle attività La diffusione di Google Analytics (ex Urchin), riaffermata con l'uscita delle ghiotte features della versione 4.0 che lo avvicinano sempre più ai tools di tipo Enterprise, fa si che ormai parlare di web analytics sia cosa di tutti i giorni (non ostante mi trovi ancora clienti che chiedono il contatore...). Questo strumento ha di fatto tolto ai marketers una ulteriore scusa per non misurare l'efficacia delle proprie attività online, ma anche offline. La crisi economica ha ulteriormente accelerato l'ansia delle aziende di avere dati in merito alle proprie attività promozionali e quindi ormai la maggior parte delle attività online vengono monitorate da qualche strumento di web analytics. La prossima sfida è capirne le potenzialità, ovvero: a) individuare gli obiettivi delle campagne online/offline, b) definire quali indicatori di performance (KPI, key performance indicators) possono darci la visione della efficacia di queste campagne c) monitorare l'andamento dei KPI per le campagne attive d) correggere le attività in relazione all'andamento dei KPI.
    • Video comunicazione Strumento ancora sottovalutato - in quanto i marketers sono legati ad una concezione molto pubblicitaria o istituzionale dei video - stanno diventando uno dei principali canali di comunicazione online in svariati campi, dalla brand awareness, al training, alla conversazione, al e-commerce fino ad arrivare al video-banner, evoluzione estremamente accattivante del video spot. Il video non ha mai perso il suo appeal nei confronti degli utenti, il calo di attenzione deriva a mio avviso più dal suo eccessivo sfruttamento in campo pubblicitario (interuptive advertising). Che il video riprendesse il sopravvento dopo la sbornia del web, alcuni di noi lo avevano capito già da tempo, il modo con cui sarebbe evoluto era forse più difficile da prevedere. Gli investimenti necessari a fare dei video di qualità sono ormai ragionevoli ed il loro vasto campo di utilizzo ne fanno uno degli strumenti con più alto ROI attualmente in circolazione. Si pensi anche solo ad un video di prodotto che può essere utilizzato - se ovviamente realizzato in modo intelligente - per la presentazione del prodotto sul web, nelle fiere, presso i rivenditori, in video-banner promozionali, in concept site dedicati.
    • Mobile comunication La diffusione degli smartphone e delle connessioni mobile a banda larga, stanno definitivamente consacrando il telefono cellulare come il dispositivo di accesso preferito da molti utenti e dalle nuove generazioni in particolare; si pensi che per i più giovani ormai l'accesso ai social network avviene via cellulare, saltando piè pari il PC. La creazione di siti web ottimizzati o di  applicazioni dedicate (vedi Apple Iphone o Google Android) va a mio avviso valutata molto seriamente: si pensi alla applicazione sviluppata da Illy Caffè per la ricerca su Iphone di bar con il caffè del produttore triestino.
    Questi a mio avviso gli spunti su cui meditare con molta attenzione, ma state sintonizzati... ne vederete delle belle e tenete d'occhio eMarketer, sempre notoriamente ricco di dati interessanti su quanto si sta muovendo nel campo del internet marketing. 
    Buona meditazione a tutti.

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  • October 09, 07:54 AM

    Reputation management nell'era del 2.0

    Oggi mi chiama un cliente per il quale seguiamo la comunicazione web e mi chiede una opinione su come gestire alcuni reclami molto pesanti che l'azienda ha trovato su un blog, chiedendomi anche se vi potessero essere gli estremi per una azione legale.
    Dopo aver spiegato la mia posizione in merito ed averla argomentata, mi è subito venuto in mente un fatto molto intertessante accaduto la scorsa settimana nell'asfittico panorama politico italiano: il giudice Woodcock ha querelato il presidente della camera Fini per alcune dichiarazioni fatte da quest'ultimo nel corso di una trasmissione televisiva; all'annuncio di Fini di non avvalersi della tutela del lodo Alfano e di andare subito in giudizio, Woodcock ha risposto ritirando la querela e dando a fini del galantuomo.
    Questi due fatti sono importanti perché danno un piccolo quadro di come debba essere gestita la reputazione in questo periodo storico che, non dimentichiamo, è in piena crisi economica ed in cui aziende ed istituzioni stanno vedendo il punto più basso della loro credibilità.
    Il fatto che ciascuno possa esprimere le proprie opinioni pubblicandole online su forum, blog o altro è cosa ormai metabolizzata; gli effetti che questo può avere in modo diretto su di noi e sulla nostra attività invece no. Quando accade è come se ci svegliassimo da un film "ma come? succede veramente?? ma io li denuncio!".
    Quando ancora nel 1999 Cluetrain Manifesto diceva "1. Markets are conversations" prendeva atto di un fatto (scusate la rima) e già ci suggeriva un futuro in cui la chiacchiera a tavola o al bar sarebbe esplosa sul social web e qui e con queste nuove sfide dovranno confrontarsi le aziende e gli addetti alle pubbliche relazioni, ma la domanda che sorge spontanea è: "sono pronti?" perché se vedo sorgere nuove competenze e professionalità nelle grosse organizzazioni internazionali (vedi Edelman) o in alcune agenzie americane o inglesi (Brian Solis o Deirdre Breakenridge per fare alcuni facili esempi), in Italia vedo una generale sottovalutazione delle attività online dovuto in gran parte alla esternalizzazione delle attività di PR e Ufficio Stampa ed alla scarsa preparazione di queste. Si parlava di questo aspetto un po' di giorni fa con un vecchio amico che si occupa di CRM con cui osservavamo la pratica di tenere in casa costose infrastrutture per gestire ad esempio i contatti (senza capire che proprio i contatti sono la ricchezza, non la loro gestione) e su un altro versante quello di dare all'esterno la gestione delle PR sul social web, dove invece è più strategica la presenza di personale qualificato della Azienda - che mette la sua faccia sulla strada.
    L'impressione generale che deriva da tutto questo è che fondamentalmente le aziende devono chiarire e chiarirsi su quali siano attività strategiche e quali invece semplice operatività (o commoditiy). Riguardo a questo ma meriterebbe un approfondimento, la pratica in tempi di crisi di disfarsi dell'unica arma strategica in mano alle aziende: le pubbliche relazioni e il marketing... buffo, è come preparare una bomba ad orologeria e sedervici sopra.

    Ma se siete curiosi di sapere cosa ho detto al mio cliente...
    • Dotarsi di un sistema di reputation monitoring, che non significa necessariamente spendere soldi in tools o sistemi, ma soprattutto seguire un metodo, un processo di monitoraggio della rete e dei canali preferenziali dei propri clienti; questa può essere una attività data in outsourcing, in quanto non strategica; un'agenzia può ad esempio redarre una lista di siti da monitorare, tenere aggiornata la lista e fornire anche gli alert in base all'analisi delle conversazioni (riocordate! negative ma anche positive... ma di questo parleremo un'altra volta); analizzare gli interventi ed assegnare loro una priorità, un po' come il colore che viene dato alle emergenze mediche al pronto soccorso.
    • Rispondere alle critiche nel posto in cui sono state formulate, immediatamente, con autorevolezza (deve essere una persona che parla a nome dell'azienda, preferibilmente nome e cognome), accettando le critiche (se fondate), ringraziando per l'aiuto (se effettivo), ricordandosi che viviamo in un paese civile anche se l'interlocutore potrebbe non ricordarselo e soprattutto fornire soluzioni e non risposte evasive; ricordare che non state rispondendo alla persona - sarebbe sufficiente una email - ma state dando informazioni che devono essere utili a tutti quelli che leggono.
    • Misurare se possibile, ma senza troppa ansia, gli effetti delle attività di reputation managment: una risposta efficace su un blog vale comunque un milione (chi ricorda il Sig. Bonaventura di Sergio Tofano?); misurare gli effetti delle azioni di reputation management non è impossibile ma non è facile; rispondere ad un commento è un conto, fronteggiare centinaia di clienti su canali diversi è altra cosa, per cui anche gli investimenti da dedicare devono essere proporzionali alla minaccia, tranne uno: il tempo da dedicare che si deve trovare sempre.
    Qualche link interessante lo trovate qui Best Internet Marketing Posts by Tamar Weinberg, altri li trovate sulla rete cercando Reputation Management. Buon lavoro

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  • September 04, 09:07 AM

    Social media: engagement & diffusione

    Questo post mi viene ispirato da due fonti estremamente interessanti:

    Il pensiero che mi è venuto dalla lettura dei due testi è che
    • ormai il fenomeno social media, web 2.0 o comunque chiamar si voglia, non si può semplicemente ignorare; le aziende ma ancora di più le istituzioni devono in modo urgente essere presenti e attivi
    • diventa sempre più difficile capire come operare in questo nuovo contesto - ovvero quello che internet è diventato negli ultimi anni, perché i canoni classici del marketing e della comunicazione non sono più applicabili
    Considerazione a margine è che aziende ed istituzioni, in questo marasma rischiano di fare la fine dei tonni nella tonnara.
    E allora? Che fare?
    Non posso che ripetere i suggerimenti del buon senso, con l'aiuto di quello che Josh Bernoff (coautore di Groundswell) chiama il metodo POST (People, Objectives, Strategy, Technology)
    1. Analizzare il proprio contesto: collaboratori, clienti, fornitori, prospect, ovvero il "people" le persone che compongono il nostro immediato contesto;
    2. Stabilire precisi obiettivi: chiari, semplici, raggiungibili e soprattutto misurabili;
    3. Costruite la vostra strategia con il supporto di esperti: parlate con loro e lasciatevi convincere, non ate per scontato che la grande agenzia abbia le competenze anche per fare le uova a pois; l'importante è la strategia venga costruita "assieme a voi" non "sopra di voi"
    4. Poi, solo alla fine di tutto ciò, scegliete la tecnologia che meglio si adatta a tutto quanto avete stabilito e soprattutto alla possibilità di essere gestito
    Questo ultimo punto mi fa venire un mente un ultimo monito: diffidate da chi si offre come gestore in outsourcing delle attività sui social media; queste attività non possono essere gestite al di fuori della vostra realtà: devono venire presto integrate, magari dopo un periodo di affiancamento, di training, di introduzione di best practices, ma comunque devono essere svolte all'interno della struttura e diventarne parte integrante come flusso di lavoro e di "vision". Riguardo a questo ho appena dato una letta veloce ad un ebook di Amber Naslund dal titolo "Building a social media team" in cui ad un certo punto sottolinea:

    I’d recommend against having your agency do the outreach on your behalf, at least for the long term. They might be able to act as guideposts and training wheels as you get going. And I think there is immense value in having trusted, experienced experts on your team to lend their talents and ideas.

    See and download the full gallery on posterous

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  • September 03, 05:40 AM

    From the net: The Reports of Summer, Five Easy Pieces

    Marketing & Strategy Innovation

    The Reports of Summer: Five Easy Pieces

    by Joel Makower on 1 September, 2009 - 17:21

    The normally dry days of August have been fertile when it comes to research and reports on green business topics. Recent weeks have seen a flurry of publications from corporate, nongovernmental, and other organizations. Whatever happened to slow summer days?

    I've pored through much of what's been served up this summer. Herewith are summaries of what I learned from five of them:

    • Water Footprinting: Identifying & addressing water risks in the value chain (Download - PDF), a joint effort of WWF and the beverage giant SABMiller, was published recently during World Water Week. Water footprinting is being used increasingly to understand the total amount of water it takes to create the clothes we wear, the food we eat, and the beverages we drink, among other products and services. Water footprinting isn't just an academic exercise: it can help companies make better decisions about how it manages it plants, works with suppliers, or engages with governments on policy issues.

      The report provides insight into the learnings of two water footprint pioneers, WWF and SABMiller, who collaborated with consultancy URS Corp. to undertake water footprints of the beer value chain in South Africa and the Czech Republic. The report discusses what the water footprint results in South Africa and the Czech Republic mean for SABMiller's businesses and their action plans in response to the findings.

      Why would a company open itself up to such scrutiny? Perhaps because of the findings:

      In comparison with other beverages, beer's water footprint is relatively small; for example an independent report has estimated that coffee, wine, and apple juice all have water footprints more than three times that of beer.

      However, the water footprint figure itself does not give the whole picture, as WWF and SABMiller point out. More important is the context — where water is used, what proportion of the area's total water resource it represents, and whether water scarcity creates risks to the environment, communities and businesses now or in the future.

    • Climate Change Compass: The Road to Copenhagen (download - PDF), from the U.K.-based research firm EIRIS, compares 2009 performance of the 300 large companies and finds that "while corporate commitment to mitigation has improved, unmitigated risk is still unacceptably high." EIRIS reviewed the 300 largest global companies by market capitalization listed on the FTSE All World Index to assess the current state of corporate responses to climate change. The report highlights the direction companies are taking with regard to the issue and examines its implications for investors.

      Fully a third of the companies studied have unmitigated climate change risk, about the same as a year earlier. Just over half (55%) have short-term targets on climate change (compared to 48% in 2008), while 91% of "high" and "very high" impact companies (such as those in industrial metals, food producing, and oil and gas production) disclose absolute CO2 or greenhouse gas emissions data (73% in 2008).

      Even where there's good news, it's still rather sobering. EIRIS found that about one in five (19%) companies deemed to have a "high" and "very high" risk still have "no or a limited response to climate change." This is an improvement from 34% of companies in 2008, but hardly anything to cheer about.

    • Carbon Risks And Opportunities in the S&P 500 (download here), a collaboration of the nonprofit Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute and Trucost, a global provider of environmental data and analysis, analyzes the potential financial implications of applying a carbon price to global emissions for companies listed on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. It concludes that "the financial risk to companies in the S&P 500 would vary greatly under a cap-and trade program requiring the purchase of carbon emission credits."
      If a market price of $28.241 were applied to each ton of CO2-e emitted by companies in the S&P 500 and their first-tier suppliers, carbon costs would total over $92.8 billion. This equates to over 1% of revenue from the companies in 2007, and over 5.5% of combined EBITDA.

      At the company level, carbon costs would vary, from less than 1% of EBITDA for 203 companies, "while 71 companies could see earnings fall by 10% or more."

      Trucost and IRRC point out that some large investors are beginning to view their portfolios through the lens of carbon risk and mitigation, a hopeful sign that could push companies to become more proactive even in advance of legislation.

      One recent development within the institutional investing arena is that some asset owners and managers have begun to invest in companies that are on a clear path to reducing their emissions, or that provide "solutions" such as energy efficiency and clean technologies and renewable energy supplies. For instance, the Norwegian Government Pension Fund – Global announced plans in April 2009 to allocate approximately $2.8 billion to an environmental program, including investments in "climate-friendly energy" and improving energy efficiency.

    • Removing the Roadblocks: How to Make Sustainable Development Happen Now (download - PDF), published by the law schools at UCLA and UC Berkeley and sponsored by Bank of America, is the first in a series of reports on how climate change will create opportunities for specific business sectors and how policy makers can facilitate those opportunities. It focuses on California but has relevance outside the Golden State.

      The report identifies four major obstacles "blocking environmentally sustainable neighborhoods," including aging utilities and scarce transit lines, the high cost of building multi-level structures, regulatory barriers from planning and zoning laws, and tax incentives that favor suburban sprawl. The report recommends long- and short-term action steps that policy makers and industry professionals can take to remove these obstacles.

      Among the recommendations for "industry leaders":

      • Invest in sustainable development and utilize the experience and expertise of sustainable developers.
      • Create a group of industry leaders to lobby government decision-makers to end the barriers to better land use policies.
      • Conduct a public education and outreach campaign "to inform voters about the benefits to them of sustainable development and the need for infrastructure support like transit and utility upgrades."
    • How Green Will Save Us is the intriguing cover headline of the September issue of Harvard Business Review (view here, subscription required), a package of stories covering innovation, energy, consumers, and green technology. In the lead story, "Why Sustainability Is Now the Key Driver of Innovation," the authors report on their study of sustainability initiatives of 30 large corporations, concluding that "sustainability is a mother lode of organizational and technological innovations that yield bottom-line and top-line returns."

      The quest for sustainability "is already starting to transform the competitive landscape," say the authors.

      By treating sustainability as a goal today, early movers will develop competencies that rivals will be hard-pressed to match. That competitive advantage will stand them in good stead, because sustainability will always be an integral part of development.

      But it's not easy, they point out. Companies that have started the journey go through five distinct stages of change, with innovation opportunities at each stage:

      That model may not be quite as catchy as Elizabeth Kübler-Ross's five stages. On the other hand, the HBR issue is one of the few uplifting reads for summer's end.

      • Stage 1: Viewing compliance as opportunity
      • Stage 2: Making value chains sustainable

      • Stage 3: Designing sustainable products and services

      • Stage 4: Developing new business models

      • Stage 5: Creating next-practice platforms

    Original Post: http://makower.typepad.com/joel_makower/2009/08/the-reports-of-summer-five-easy-pieces.html

     

    Permalink | Leave a comment  »

  • August 27, 06:45 PM

    Jeremiah Owyang si unisce ad Altimeter Group (Charlene Li)

    Due delle migliori menti del panorama del Enterprise 2.0 si sono unite, sono Charlene Li, fondatrice dell'azienda e coautrice del fondamentale Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies e Jeremiah Owyang, già ricercatore di Forrester e esploratore degli strumenti del web 2.0 e delle strategie per la loro introduzione nelle aziende. A loro, a completare i gruppo dei 4 moschettieri ci sono inoltre Deb Schultz e Ray Wang

    Scrive Jeremiah sul suo blog:

    "Just a few years ago, fax, cell phones, email and the internet stormed into companies. Today, social technologies have caused many corporations to respond with a knee-jerk reaction, or shudder away in fear. Tomorrow, location aware devices, an increase in cloud computing, and augmented realities are quickly appearing on the horizon. What’s the trend? These emerging technologies are coming at an increased speed. With more changes coming, it’s painful for companies to quickly adopt without a strategy. As a result, modern companies need an on-boarding process for any emerging technology. We plan to be that guide for the world’s top brands to understand, experiment, and improve their business. How, do you ask?"

    Un saluto al gruppo che si annuncia esplosivo sulla scena delle nuove tecnologie e sui processi ad esse correlati. 4 moschettieri da seguire.

    Permalink | Leave a comment  »

  • August 13, 09:50 AM

    My lifestream... You're welcome

    Copione come sono ho deciso di utilizzare Posterous come unico punto di pubblicazione, per cui da ora in avanti le poche righe che riesco a scrivere le trovete al nuovo indirizzo Moove.IT. Il vecchio Blog www.duepuntozero.eu continuerà a funzionare come una specie di aggregatore.

    Sono stato sempre affascinato dai servizi di microblogging, per la loro semplicità, per la focalizzazione sui contenuti invece che sui fronzoli (i miei amici grafici staranno già affilando le spade dopo questa sparata!) e per la connessione con gli altri servizi di social networking come Twitter, Facebook, etc.
    Adesso però si tratta di pubblicare qualcosa.... sempre i contenuti... "content is the king" dicono gli americani.

    À La Prochaine

    Permalink | Leave a comment  »

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  • July 22, 12:12 PM

    Top 5 Mobile Commerce Trends for 2010

    The mobile trends series is supported by Samsung. Read more about the Samsung Galaxy here.


    Considering that most people would rather lose their wallet than misplace their cell phone, it’s fitting that the mobile world is quickly becoming a new hub for business. For many of us, our cell phone never leaves our side. It holds a place at the dinner table, is easily accessible in your bag’s front pocket, and often, somehow it even manages to end up sharing your pillow at night. Busy schedules mean people are often on the move and when marketers and companies can’t reach consumers at their computers, on TV, before the previews at the movies, with billboards, or magazine and newspaper ads, they must feel assured that they can still reach them on their cell phones.

    Mobile commerce, or m-commerce, is simply the ability to conduct business transactions through a mobile device. With smartphone sales rising 49% in the first quarter of 2010, never before has it been so easy to shop, anywhere, anytime from the palm of your hand. There is an enormous amount of ongoing market research, and though there has been a variety of numbers estimated and reported, they all conclude that mobile commerce is a profitable and rapidly growing market.

    By 2015, it’s estimated that shoppers from around the world will spend about $119 billion on goods and services bought via their mobile phones, according to a study by ABI Research released this past February. In the United States alone, mobile shopping rose from $396 million in 2008 to $1.2 billion in 2009, and mobile campaign spending also increased by 25 to 30% over the past year, with companies shelling out just under $313 million according to the same study. Senior Analyst Mark Beccue, said that he’s forecasting U.S. sales to reach about $2.2 billion in 2010.

    Here are five mobile commerce trends to keep an eye on for the remainder of 2010.


    1. Bargain Hunting



    It would seem that mobile purchasing often lends itself to an impulse buy. Maybe you just have to suddenly download that song from the iTunes Store or really want to make sure you have tickets to that hot concert. In this case, it’s the savvy shopper that has taken note of mobile commerce. Beccue said that in the fourth quarter of 2009, he started to notice something unexpected and a bit “weird.”

    Bargain hunting has become extremely popular with apps like RedLaser that allow users to scan product bar codes and discover it’s various prices at different retailers. Shoppers are melding the two worlds of online/mobile shopping with actual physical shopping to make sure they get the best prices.


    2. Mobile Ticketing



    “Do you have the tickets?” We’ve all been asked or have asked that question always expecting an affirmative answer, but despite our positive thinking someone often forgets the tickets. But that could very well be a conversation and frustration of the past given that mobile ticketing transactions are expected to exceed $100 billion world wide by 2012, according to a study released this month by Juniper Research. No doubt, the convenience of mobile ticketing, where customers can order, pay for, and validate tickets anywhere or anytime from their cell phones, is a driving force in its popularity.

    Websites like Fandango and MovieTickets.com have made snagging seats to the hottest movie of the moment that much easier (or more competitive) with their mobile ticketing apps. This past weekend, Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was sold out all weekend, but mobile ticketing likely helped movie goers nab those last few seats. And industry sources say that mobile ticketing can account for up to 10% of ticket sales for blockbusters like Avatar on opening weekend. “It’s a small but growing percent of overall ticket sales,” said Harry Medved, director of marketing at Fandango.


    3. Banking


    We’ve been getting used to mobile banking for a while now. Most of us have our accounts setup online and check our balances on the phone. But according to data released by comScore, 13.2 million people accessed their bank accounts from their phones during the month of April alone, which is a 70% increase from a year ago. And similarly, the number of people using mobile banking apps more than doubled, to about 5 million in the last year.


    4. Tangible Goods


    So what are people actually buying with their phones? According to a survey by the Mobile Marketing Association, 17% of mobile commerce was used for purchasing applications and ringtones, while another 6% of people used their phones for discounts and coupons, and another 6% used their phones to buy tangible goods — that is, actual goods that you can put in your hands.

    According to Beccue, eBay has been the standout leader in mobile commerce with their iPhone app that launched in 2008, and their Blackberry and Android applications that launched in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, the company saw more than $600 million dollars in goods sold via the mobile app, which was a 200% increase from 2008. The launch of their app notified bidders with push alerts and SMS notifications when they had been outbid, and allowed them to cast another attempt or keep track of ending auctions. According to eBay, one item is purchased every two seconds using eBay mobile app, with apparel, auto parts, cell phones/accessories, sporting goods and collectibles ranking as the top five categories of purchased items.


    5. Marketing



    Mobile commerce is growing and it is directly related to the amount of mobile marketing that companies are investing in. A reported 74% of online retailers either have in place or are developing mobile commerce strategies, while 20% have already implemented their complete plans, according to a study by the National Retail Federation.

    Text message marketing, where customers opt-in to receive news about deals or offer coupons, has been a widely adopted practice as it’s a direct way to engage with consumers that has a high likelihood of being read. Retailers are also investing more time and money into creative ways to reach consumers via their mobile phones with campaigns that enhance the brand identity or the shopping experience.

    eBay’s recent launch of their Fashion App is a great example. The app allows users to browse for clothes, have access to exclusive sales, and “try on” an outfit by snapping a picture with the iPhone’s camera. It then let’s you share your outfits with friends on Facebook and Twitter. All of the features really add to the shopping experience, but most importantly, consumers are able to buy and bid on what they like.


    Series supported by Samsung

    The mobile trends series is supported by Samsung. Read more about the Samsung Galaxy here.


    More Mobile Resources from Mashable:


    - How Mobile Technology is a Game Changer for Developing Africa
    - 5 Real Challenges For Non-Profit Texting Campaigns
    - 3 Free iPhone Apps to Help Make a Difference
    - Top 8 iPhone Apps for Self-Help
    - Windows vs. Apple: The Future of Mobile Games

    Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Talaj


    Reviews: Android, Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto

    More About: banking, bargain, bargain hunting, bargains, business, deals, MARKETING, mobile commerce, mobile marketing, mobile trends, mobile trends series, ticketing, trends

    For more Mobile coverage:

  • July 21, 10:07 AM

    Report: Click Fraud Rate Up To 18.6 Percent

    Click Forensics released their report on the overall click fraud rates for the paid search industry. They said click fraud was up from 17.4 percent last quarter to 18.6 percent in the second quarter of 2010. The findings of the report said: The overall industry average click fraud rate was 18.6 percent. That’s up [...]

    *** Read the full post by clicking on the headline above ***
  • July 21, 06:49 AM

    A Creative Brief To Guide Social Media Efforts

    Smart questions to guide strategy.
  • July 20, 08:51 AM

    Citroën C3 - Wash me if you can

    La C3 inaugura una nuova esperienza automobilistica, grazie al parabrezza Zenith, vera e propria innovazione tecnologica in grado di offrire una visuale ad alta definizione. Per la sua promozione è stata realizzata una divertente animazione interattiva accompagnata da questo video.


    Fonte: Giacomo Iacovelli
  • July 19, 06:00 AM

    It’s Not About Influence, It’s About Trust

    If you did a tag cloud on what was being bounced around the social media echo chamber in the last 14 days, the word “influence” would probably be the largest. Yes, even larger than “Old Spice.” Whether it’s the sadly lacking Fast Company Influence Project or the various voices in the social world trying to defend or attack it, we’ve suddenly become obsessed with measuring influence, finding out who is influential and figuring out how to generate influence.

    Not a bit of it matters. If you’re looking at influence, you aren’t looking deep enough. It’s like judging a car by its color and not its engine. Influence is only a coat of paint. What drives influence is trust. He who has earned the most trust wins.

    Do you trust Guy Kawasaki? Perhaps. But when you find out he has a team of people tweeting on his behalf, your trust in him is likely diminished. He has influence, but not as much trust as some. Do you trust Perez Hilton? I sure hope not … or at least not for most things. But Perez Hilton has a great deal of influence.

    The difference in influence and trust is the difference in quantity and quality. Perez Hilton can get you a lot of eyeballs, but are they the right eyeballs and will they do anything with your information? Louis Gray won’t get you a lot of eyeballs, in comparison, but the ones he gets are golden. He gets them because his audience trusts him.

    Stop looking for the candy apple red and start looking for the V6. It will make you a smarter PR pro.

  • July 16, 04:02 AM

    Downloadable Cheat Sheet – The Case for User Reviews

    There are two sides of the social commerce coin – helping people to connect where they buy, and buy where they connect.

    Whilst much of the current buzz around social commerce is about helping people buy where they connect – i.e. on social platforms such as Facebook, the flip side of social commerce – helping people connect where they buy – is where much of the compelling evidence lies.

    Between them, social commerce software providers Bazaarvoice and PowerReviews have amassed a considerable body of evidence to show that publishing user reviews can;

    • Increase traffic
    • Improve conversion
    • Enhance order value
    • Reduce returns

    Here’s a quick downloadable summary of their evidence – the case for user reviews – that we’ve prepared for a client asking for supporting evidence. Click through to download from Slideshare.

  • July 17, 06:17 PM

    Facebook Will Celebrate 500 Million Users Next Week


    Facebook will finally reach the impressive 500 million user milestone sometime this coming week. To celebrate, it’ll launch “Facebook Stories,” a visual memorial to all the ways the social network has changed people’s lives.

    All Things Digital’s BoomTown blog uncovered the details in an interview with Facebook marketing guru Randi Zuckerberg last week. She said that while previous announcements of this nature have been about the numbers, this time the company wants it to be all about the users.

    That’d be empty PR-speak on its own, but she’s talking about a real initiative: Facebook Stories will be a website within Facebook that’ll sort actual, submitted user stories by location and theme. Theme examples given included “finding love” and “natural disasters.” Each story will be limited to the same number of characters a Facebook status caps out at: 420.

    Facebook has already posted a form through which you can submit your own story. If your story becomes popular — that is, if it gets more “Likes” than most — it could be featured among other popular stories.

    Facebook reached 400 million users five months ago. This time last year, it had just reached 200 million, and eight months before that it was at just 100 million. The site launched in February of 2004, and has since become the most popular social site on the web.


    Reviews: Facebook

    More About: 500 million, facebook, facebook stories, milestone, randi zuckerberg, social media, social networking, trending, users

    For more Social Media coverage:

  • July 17, 11:47 PM

    10 Vintage Apple Ads That Time Forgot [VIDEOS]


    As Apple’s latest TV commercials for the iPhone 4’s “FaceTime” functionality dazzle us with blandness, it got us thinking about the company’s ad campaigns of years gone by.

    Although Apple has had some amazing ad successes in recent years — so much so that the release of a new Apple ad becomes news in itself — that’s not always been the case.

    Here, we step back in time and bring you ten vintage commercials from Apple that time forgot — and in many cases, for good reason.


    1. Alligators


    What's a good euphemism for the cutthroat world of business? Oh yeah... alligators. Thank goodness someone boats in with a Mac, although we're not convinced with the whole water + electronics sends the right message safety-wise. Unless they were suggesting a new way to really eliminate the competition.


    2. Homemaker


    Here talk show host Dick Cavett becomes the first celeb to advertise for Apple, although with his blatant sexism we're not sure he's quite a poster boy for the brand. And since career-minded women were featured regularly in early Apple ads, it suggests the female market was a target audience. However, we're not convinced that calling a computer "the appliance of the 80s" would have made that many rush out and buy one.


    3. 20th Anniversary Mac


    With its unusual design the limited edition T.A.M. was a love it or hate it machine. Although it's now a collector's item, at the time its high price tag made it a commercial flop, and after seeing this overblown ad, we're not surprised.


    4. Kevin Costner


    This shows how much times have changed since the early 80s for Apple. In this case, there's a lot less Kevin Costner and pit bulls. Made in the days before it was branded a "Mac," it's interesting to hear the slogan about the two kinds of people in the world, "those who use computers and those who use Apples." This soon changed for good when the Macintosh line came along. And really how many times have you heard someone say they "use an Apple?" Exactly.


    5. The Personal Computer


    Just try and follow the complex train of thought here. And while we're on the topic, what's with the lame sound effects?


    6. Newton - Restaurant


    So the message here is to get a Newton in case the person you're having lunch with turns out to be some kind of psychopath? Huh? And FYI -- if you've interviewed a hundred people for one position then there might be something wrong with your recruitment process.


    7. Nightmare


    Ever have one of those "forgot to do your homework" nightmares? No, neither have we.


    8. The Power to Succeed


    Unlike today, many of Apple's early ads focused on the business market in an "anything you can do I can do better" battle with Windows PC. This cringe-worthy ad aired in the UK and offers an awful, caricatured glimpse into the world of business.


    9. Middle Seat


    Not really "vintage," but this ad from 2001 for the iBook, featuring Heros star Milo Ventimiglia as the guy you hope you never have to sit next to on a plane, may well be the reason some PC users have a low opinion of Mac owners.


    10. We Are Apple (Leading The Way)


    Not an advert, technically, more a corporate message. This is still unspeakably bad. It's hard to see how Apple made it from this to the ultra cool consumer brand it is today. It makes Apple's success all the more remarkable.


    More Apple resources from Mashable:

    - Top 6 Free World Cup iPhone Apps
    - 10 Great iPhone Apps for Growing a Garden
    - 5 Fantastic Free iPhone E-book Reader Apps
    - 10 Essential Money-Saving iPhone Apps
    - 10 Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Google

    More About: advertising, adverts, apple, commercials, videos, vintage

    For more Apple coverage:

  • July 18, 12:35 PM

    A Collection of Splendid Illustrated Websites

    A collection of more than thirty great website designs that feature illustrations.
    Most common are illustrations in headers and backgrounds, often of site mascots or characters.

  • July 16, 03:07 PM

    Apple offers free cases for iPhone 4. But few apologies.

    Today Apple did something momentous — the iPhone maker held a press conference for the first time that was not meant for a new product launch. Instead, CEO Steve Jobs took the stage to announce that Apple would be sending all iPhone 4 owners cases to fix a problem with the phone. But if you look at the company's own metrics, you wouldn't know anything was wrong at all.

    Apple's internal customer service platform may be good for a lot of things. But gauging consumer outrage is not one of them.

    A company like Apple spends a lot of time working on customer service initiatives. And Apple's in house Applecare department is a one stop shop for all product problems. But it is not designed to suss out consumer angst. And today's announcement proves that if Apple had only been using internal metrics, it would have ignored reception complaints.

    That's not what happened. Apple will be providing free cases to all iPhone 4 owners who purchase the product before September 30. And those that already purchased cases will receive refunds.

    But Steve Jobs is adamant about the iPhone 4's product quality. As he said today:

    "There is no Antennagate... there is a challenge for the entire smartphone industry to improve its antenna technology so there are no weak spots. So today we're going to try and take care of our customers."

    Jobs would like to paint "Antennagate" as an overblown issue created by blogs. And Apple's internal metrics seem to help with that effort.

    Both AT&T and Apple have a "buyer's remorse" clause that allows customers to return phones they are dissatisfied with. But people aren't doing that. Return rates for the newest iPhone are lower (1.7%) than return rates for iPhone 3GS (6%).

    And AppleCare has not been slammed with complaints coming in. The company's data shows that only 0.55% of iPhone 4 owners have called in about reception issues.

    Furthermore, Jobs notes that iPhone 4 has better reception than any prior phone the company has made. It only drops "less than 1" call per 100 more than the 3GS.

    And yet, today Apple announced that it will be trying to rectify the reception issue at great expense. Why?

    Because there would be consumer repurcussions if the company were to ignore this problem. Consumers aren't necessarily going to phone up and tell a company when they are unhappy with a product. Instead, they often go to the internet. Jobs would like to claim that blogs are out to get him. He said today:

    "We've been around for 34 years... haven't we earned the credibility and the trust of the press? I think we have that from our users. I didn't see it exhibited by some of the press as this was blown so far out of proportion. I'm not saying we didn't make a mistake -- we didn't know that it would have these issues, we didn't know we were putting a bull's eye on the phone... but this has been so overblown. But to see how we could do better is going to take some time."

    But the fact is that the iPhone does have reception issues. And when Consumer Reports proclaimed that it could not recommend the iPhone this week, it really started to be a problem for Apple. At the least, the bad press would not going away.

    There are plenty of reasons that consumers might not call Apple to let them know of the problems they're having. For starters, if it's a known issue, what is a customer service rep going to do?

    Today, information is so readily available that customers don't need to go to a company to learn about problems with their product. Often, they don't even need to go there to get the solution. In the case of iPhone 4's antenna problems, there would be no need. They just had to wait for this press conference and read a few blogs to find out what to do.

    Apple is usually incredibly reticent to respond to critics, letting its impressive sales figures and customer satisfaction speak for itself. But today they did the right thing. As Jobs said:

    "We do this because we love our users, and if we screw up, we pick ourselves up and we try harder. And when we succeed, they reward us by staying our users. We take this really personally. Maybe we should have a wall of PR people keeping us away from this stuff, but we don't, we take it really personally. So we've worked the last 22 days on this trying to solve the problem. And we think we've gotten to the heart of the problem."

    Images: Engadget

  • July 17, 01:34 PM

    Now That's Viral, Man

    If you haven't followed the Old Spice phenomenon from this week, you've missed out. It's a great example of a really strong performing viral campaign that harkens back to some of the classics like Subservient Chicken, Shave Everywhere, and Tea Partay.

    It started on on television earlier this year with the following Old Spice commercial, "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" (link for those of you in RSS readers):



    (If you'd like to see how this was accomplished, Leo Laporte has a great interview with the agency.)

    That commercial, first aired during the Super Bowl in early February, as of this week has garnered over 14 million views. And then the next commercial, "Old Spice: Questions", went up on YouTube:




    Those ads are pretty funny to begin with and were passed around a good deal. But this week, Wieden + Kennedy, creators of the campaign for Procter & Gamble, took it to the next level. First, they began by promoting the latest video with a number of tweets, to ensure it was seen by many:









    And then they fired a warning shot across the bow via the @OldSpice Twitter account, lest anyone question what they were up to:

    And what happened next made all the difference between the past and the future of viral campaigns. They could have easily engaged people on Twitter all day long and continued to push for views of their existing videos. But what Old Spice did was head and shoulders (if I can use another P&G product reference in a bad pun) above anything I've personally seen before.

    The marketers targeted a handful of influencers to kick off the process - Kevin Rose (founder of Digg), Ellen Degeneres, Ashton Kutcher, The Huffington Post and others. Questions were requested and collected on a number of platforms: Twitter, the Old Spice Facebook page, YouTube, Reddit, 4Chan, blogs and Yahoo, to name a few. And then, during the course of the day, the questions were answered in near-real time via custom-made YouTube videos like this one:





    At the end of the day, there were over 80 video responses made. W+K's creative director Iain Tait describes how they did it in an amazing behind-the-scenes look at the process on Read Write Web via an interview by Marshall Kirkpatrick called How the Old Spice Videos Are Being Made. Suffice it to say there was a high degree of coordination between the social media team and the creative/production team. Tait also discusses his view of influence in a Fast Company interview: The Team Who Made Old Spice Smell Good Again Reveals What's Behind Mustafa's Towel.

    From what I can tell, the reasons it worked so well are summed up as follows:
    1. Go where the people are
    2. Choose your influencers wisely
    3. Use a personalized response
    4. Respond on a universally understood & sharable platform (like YouTube)
    5. Use a real-time platform to reply and promote replies (like Twitter)
    6. Have fun, engaging content
    So, this sets the bar high for the next major viral hit. Do you have any idea what's going to make the next one work well?

    Bonus content:



  • July 14, 04:54 PM

    Social Objects and CPG Marketing

    Place the interests of your customers and stakeholders at the center of the conversation.
  • July 13, 02:42 PM

    Creative Commons Licensing Now Available for Vimeo Videos


    You can now opt in to a Creative Commons license for videos you upload to hosting service Vimeo, giving you more precise control over where and how others can use your work.

    Vimeo announced its support for Creative Commons in a blog post today, saying that it’s doing this to make it easier for people to borrow, build upon and redistribute Vimeo videos without contacting their creators.

    Each time you upload a video, you’re given a choice between the six major Creative Commons licenses: Attribution, Attribution Share Alike, Attribution No Derivatives, Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike, Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives. Descriptions of each are provided in Vimeo’s FAQ and at the Creative Commons website. You can also choose one when modifying an existing video.

    Vimeo rep Dalas Verdugo was careful to note that these licenses don’t have any impact on the old rules for embedding users’ videos, and Marketing Director Deborah Szajngarten told CNET that you’ll soon be able to search Vimeo by license just like you can at Creative Commons’s own site.

    Creative Commons is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco that aims to make it easier to share and adapt creative works on the Internet. Traditional copyright laws still work counter to the culture and customs of the web in some cases, so these custom licenses have become quite popular. Sites that use them include Wikipedia, Flickr and blip.tv. Google Co-founder Sergey Brin donated half a million dollars to the organization last year.

    Vimeo is an underdog compared to YouTube in the online video game, but the site’s operators have nevertheless done a pretty good job of catching up with new trends and technologies, and have even led the pack in some cases. They’ve implemented user video analytics, 1080p HD uploads, HTML5 streaming for devices like the iPad and Facebook Connect.


    Reviews: Flickr, Internet, Vimeo, Wikipedia, YouTube

    More About: creative commons, license, video, Vimeo

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  • July 13, 05:32 PM

    Facebook Hits New Traffic Record


    With its most recent privacy backlash seemingly behind it, Facebook surged ahead to a new traffic record in the U.S. during the month of June. According to comScore, the social network pulled in more than 141 million unique visitors in the U.S. during the month, beating its previous record (set in May) by better than 11 million.

    Year-over-year, Facebook’s traffic has nearly doubled, from 77 million unique U.S. visitors in June 2009. As a result, as you can see in the chart above, Facebook has blown past its social networking competition –- most notably MySpace and Twitter, both of which have shown little growth in the past year according to comScore.

    Twitter, however, is quick to point out that it is still seeing record traffic in terms of tweet volume, a result of users accessing the site through third-party clients and mobile devices instead of its website.

    In any event, Facebook’s continued growth puts it within striking distance of Google for title of most visited web property in the U.S.; the search giant had a total of 179 million unique visitors across its sites in the month of May.

    Is there any end in sight to Facebook’s growth? At the moment, a recent survey suggesting teens are starting to suffer “Facebook fatigue” is about the only bearish news to report about the social network, but there is that pesky movie about the company’s controversial beginnings that hits theaters in October.


    Reviews: Facebook, Google, MySpace, Twitter

    More About: ComScore, facebook, Google, myspace, social networking, twitter

    For more Social Media coverage:

  • July 07, 12:15 PM

    Best Practices for Social Media: The basics of program planning

    No time to write anything new today, so here’s something from the archives that might be worth another look:

    Now that we’re hopefully beyond the “what is social media and why does my company need to understand it” phase, let’s move into some practical thinking: How to actually start planning for a Social Media program, and to that end, how to look at four distinct types of activities and roles needed to do this well.

    First things first: The four principle components (or building blocks) of any social media program, each with its very own management imperatives. They are (yes, in order): Development, integration, management and measurement. This is important to point out because it lays the foundations for structure and the assignment of specific roles within the context of Social Media. (Hint: A Social Media practitioner isn’t necessarily a jack of all trades. Some are strategists. Others are communicators. Others still like to play with numbers, not people.

    In other words, you need to realize that just because someone is a Social Media practitioner doesn’t mean they are suited to perform any and all Social Media duties your organization requires.)

    Let’s take a very brief look at the four building blocks of any well structured Social Media program, especially in the enterprise space:

    Development is basically the strategy behind your Social Media program. The build. The framework. Someone at a Director or C-level has to put the strategy together. That someone has to ask the macro questions:  How can Social Media help the company? What are we trying to accomplish? How can we build a program that will accomplish these objectives? Who will be the principal players? Where will the funding come from? What should the program look like? What should be its macro components? What time-frame are we working with? What and when will the milestones be? What needs to happen in order for this program to happen and be successful? What tools will we use? How will we gauge success?

    Integration is the plugging-in of the program into the organization: Training staff. Recruiting staff. Working across silos to incorporate the social media program into the company’s current activities. Working with HR to develop social media policies, guidelines and training. Working with PR to coordinate corporate communications. Working with customer service to embed Social Media into existing customer support initiatives. Working with IT to make sure the company’s Social Media ecosystem is swift, painless, and secure. And so on. You get the picture. The integration piece requires someone with operational leadership experience. Someone who knows a) how Social Media fits into every department’s world, and b) how to actually work with department heads and key staff to smoothly embed Social Media into their processes.

    Management is the day-to-day execution of the Social Media program. This can look like a multi-layered management structure (most likely for an enterprise-space company) or it can be a one-man show (small business or business in its first year of dabbling in Social Media). Types of activities that fall under the management umbrella are things like community engagement, customer support, business intelligence, market research, content production, publishing, monitoring, etc. This is hands-on work. We’re outside of the realm of strategy here. This is pure execution. Where the rubber hits the road.

    Measurement is… well, you know. Someone has to measure success, failure, even stagnation. Incidentally, measurement doesn’t just involve overall financial impact (ROI) and non-financial impact. It also involves the performance of individual departments based on their specific goals and objectives. (The Customer Service team is certain to use a very different set of metrics to define success than, say, the Public Relations team.) Certain campaigns may also require separate measurement independent of the entire program.  And drilling deeper still, measurement also involves individual performance: If, for example, a community manager is evaluated on their ability to grow their community by x% and respond to a minimum number of daily queries, then measurement lives there as well. In other words, in addition to the macro components to measurement that we usually talk about (like ROI), don’t forget the layers of micro components as well.

    As you may have guessed, one person probably shouldn’t handle all four elements of a Social Media program unless they absolutely have to. There are three basic reasons for this:

    1. Most people, no matter how talented and hard-working don’t have all the skills required to do it all (or do it all exceedingly well). Some people are analytical by nature (measurement), others are fantastic strategists (development), others – operational superheroes – see how all the pieces fit (integration) and some are natural charismatic “get it done” powerhouses and avid consumer advocates (management). Rarely do you find strong analytical, strategic, management and integration skills in just one person.

    2. Even if you do find that one person, s/he probably can’t handle that complex and involved of a workload for very long without suffering a spectacular burnout. Even the most multi-talented social media manager/director can’t do it all. Try to integrate a social media program across several departments AND be an effective community manager AND be responsible for program measurement to senior management. Good luck with that. Spread the load.

    3. Community managers and customer service representatives probably don’t need to worry about silly things like R.O.I. What they need is an environment that allows them to engage with the public without having to worry about measurement and strategy and integration. Some things just don’t go well together. If everyone can just focus on what they do best, everything will flow much more smoothly. Specialization isn’t a bad thing. (Remember this?)

    If this all seems like common sense, you’re right. It is. But how many Social Media programs, even among the world’s top social brands actually have such a structure in place already, or the right types of people in the right roles, even? (Don’t worry. You don’t have to answer that.)

    Just food for thought. Again, this might not work for every company… but it probably does.


    Filed under: account planning, adaptation, management, management lessons, marketing communications, smart business, social media Tagged: brandbuilder, development, integration, management, measurement, olivier blanchard, planning, R.O.I., social media
  • July 07, 11:08 AM

    Google Considering Display Ads Across Network, Including In Maps, Gmail

    Google is already a major player in display advertising and is poised to become even more formidable in the next few years. Not so quietly the company has amassed or built a huge array of assets that could see it best many if not most other display competitors and networks, including market leader Yahoo. Google [...]

    *** Read the full post by clicking on the headline above ***

  • July 09, 12:40 PM

    Facebook closes its gift shop, opens the door to third party virtual goods.

    As of August 1, Facebook is closing its Gift Shop, which has brought in approximately $100 million for the social network. Facebook isn't giving up on the lucrative virtual goods business, however. The social network is positioning itself as an intermediary for selling third party products online.

    Less than a year ago, Facebook was rehabbing is Gift Shop, and introduced the idea of Facebook Credits. Rather than paying for virtual gifts — like birthday cakes, troll dolls and campaign buttons — to put on their friends' Facebook pages, users could purchase credits that could be used for that purpose.

    But now the company is doing away with the gift shop all together. According to the Facebook blog:

    "Closing the Gift Shop may disappoint many of the people who have given millions of gifts, but we made the decision after careful thought about where we need to focus our product development efforts. We'll be able to focus more on improving and enhancing products and features that people use every day, such as Photos, News Feed, Inbox, games, comments, the 'Like' button and the Wall."

    While gifts may be going away, Facebook is hoping to invest more in (and likely receive more from) Facebook credits. More from the company's blog:

    "Out of the Gift Shop's "gift credits" came the virtual currency, Facebook Credits, that now makes it easier for people to buy premium items across the many games and applications on Facebook."

    Credits is a long-term plan for Facebook. The social network allows third parties to use its Credits system, but takes a 30% cut of all transactions. That gives Facebook a pretty big stake in all transactions on the site.

    The thing that is still unclear is why Facebook is doing this now. Credits may one day contribute impressive revenue to the site, but not for awhile. Ethan Beard, Facebook's director of the Facebook Developer Network, recently told VentureBeat that Facebook isn't going to be calculating profits from Credits for years to come:

    "We expect to reinvest profits from Facebook Credits back into the product for the next several years, so it will bring very little or marginal profit."

    Considering gifts generally cost $1 (or ten credits) to share on Facebook, the network is currently generating $35 million a year from the shop. That may be a small part of the $835 million in revenue that social games like Farmville will bring in this year, but virtual goods are big business online. Facebook just seems to think that helping to mediate transactions — rather than selling its own products — will be a bigger business for the company in the long run.

  • July 07, 12:09 PM

    YES! The Vuvuzela Will Blend [VIDEO]

    In the past, you may have shed a few salty tears (or clutched at your failing heart) to see the likes of the iPad and the iPhone 4 devoured by the steely jaws of a Blendtec blender in the “Will It Blend?” series. But what if a vuvuzela were to meet that same cruel fate?

    The South African stadium horn has become the Internet meme du jour during the lengthy reign of the World Cup, cropping up everywhere from smartphone apps to Google Street View. It’s the instrument that the world loves to hate and in the above vid it meets its maker. Enjoy.


    Reviews: Internet, World Cup

    More About: humor, pop culture, viral video, vuvuzela

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  • July 07, 03:14 PM

    40+ Essential Social Business Resources


    Business and social media are becoming more and more inseparable. Most businesses, from big brands to startups, are expected to have an efficient, developed social media presence.

    The good news is that you don’t have to go it alone. We’ve collected a list of Mashable resources, published over the past months, that can help you start, manage, or grow your social networks.

    Whether you need an app on the go, are looking for real-world examples, or want to expand your marketing online, this list of resources can help your business needs.


    Social Media


    Below are some resources covering the most popular social media sites. Ranging from Twitter to LinkedIn to Foursquare.

    If you’ve ever wanted to develop your business strategy on Twitter, manage B2B marketing on Facebook, or finally leverage Foursquare as a useful workplace tool, these resources will be right up your alley.

    Check out these posts and then scroll on to see how you can take some of these resources with you on the go.


    Mobile


    The social businessperson is a mobile one, and there are lots of smart ways to take your work with you when you’re on the go.

    Here, we’ve narrowed down the mobile and business posts from the past few months to three of the most useful for managing your social presence in the palm of your hand.


    Real World Success


    While we’re all obviously fans of the digital world, it’s great to see when social media leads to real results.

    Here we’ve collected some of our posts documenting the real ways in which social media has impacted several professions as well as some small businesses with great success stories.

    Social media may take place in the digital world, but that doesn’t mean its effects are limited to your computer. Read on for some examples.


    Starting Up


    One of the hardest parts of a starting up a business is trying to own your social media presence, build a team, and raise funds for your new venture.

    If you’re looking for some tips on what to name your company or are just looking for some ways to grow your market, we’ve got some great resources from the past few months to get you going.

    After you’ve read through, continue on to our Business 101 stories for even more useful tips.


    Business 101


    Here are some posts in which we sat down and did some deep thinking: How does data affect business relationships? What will Facebook’s changes really mean for your company?

    These resources take a broad approach to the practical questions every business faces. Read through to get some insights (and advice) on the pitfalls and potential future of business in social media.

    After you’re done, continue on to our tips and resources for networking online.


    Networking


    Regardless of what level of business you have, the one constant is networking. You’ll always need to meet new contacts, expand your network, and share with your community.

    This list of a resources is a perfect primer for all the challenges you could face online and offline. If you need to become a savvier networker, need to manage your existing contacts, or even need tips on how to bring your social world offline, read through these resources as a start.

    When you’re all set up to network, continue on to our resources for marketing your business using social media.


    Marketing


    Marketing and social media have always gone hand-in-hand, even before the days of Twitter and Facebook.

    Of course, now with even more tools available to the social media marketer, we’ve come up with some good tips and resources for the well-rounded marketing team.

    Whether you need help running a daily deal, want to take steps to improve your customer outreach, or are looking to include QR codes into your marketing strategy, these resources will set you on the right track.

    Images courtesy of iStockphoto, style-photographs, Pablo631, hjalmeida, GodfriedEdelman, geopaul
    [img credit: tsevis]


    Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Mashable, Twitter, iStockphoto

    More About: apple, blackberry, business, facebook, foursquare, linkedin, MARKETING, Mobile 2.0, networking, social media, startup, strategy, twitter

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  • July 06, 09:01 AM

    The Evolution of The Logo

    Spacer in The Evolution of The Logo
      

    Logo design has been a controversial subject in the design press lately. One branding professional recently claimed that logo design is not that hard to do and another said that logos are dead; some rebutted while others concurred. Why all the fuss?

    We live in a Brand Era, where branding is in, and for some, aspiring to the Paul Rand style of logo craftsmanship is about as hip and contemporary as writing your invoices with a quill. Yes, logo design is only one facet of the powerful force that we call brand identity. Yes, a branded design environment can communicate sophisticated brand meaning without much (any?) usage of logos. But some ‘brand gurus’ or ‘brand evangelists’ (translation: ‘bastions of corporate pretension’) seem to enjoy making hyperbolic pronouncements just to sound shocking or cutting-edge. Logo design is not dead. The technological advancements and tumultuous industries of our century are causing its role in our culture to evolve.

    Perhaps this clamorous debate is cause for a look at where logo design comes from, what state it’s in currently, and where it’s headed in the future. Where does a logo ultimately derive its power from? If we’re so hung up on divining what this Brand Era means for our clients, can we envision a Post-Brand Era?

    [By the way, did you know we have a brand new free Smashing Email Newsletter? Subscribe now and get fresh short tips and tricks on Tuesdays!]

    Symbolism

    The history of logo design begins with the roots of human expression. In fact, the fundamental power of symbols remains most important element of logo design. A logo has meaning because it draws on centuries of signs and symbols (including the alphabet) in human literary and visual language. A logo designer who uses an image of an apple, for example, is drawing on centuries of potent symbolic usage. For most Western viewers, the image of an apple summons our associations with nature, food, the ‘forbidden fruit’ in the Garden of Eden, Snow White, Apple computers, et cetera. To design a logo with symbolic resonance is to participate in the lineage of social dialogue.

    Fragment of a vase, third millennium B.C. The figures on this vase bear a striking similarity to the cave paintings of Lascaux and even to contemporary imagery like the Puma logo. These similarities reveal the harmony and union of human communication over great distances of time and geographic location.

    To communicate effectively with design, it’s important to view the big picture of human communication and mythology. Logo design as we know it today is a strategy that rose to popularity with brands and corporations of the twentieth century. However, people and organizations have been identifying themselves with an enormous variety of marks, signatures, and emblems for centuries. In terms of visual communication, a modern company that represents itself with a logo, color scheme, and slogan is not very different from a 15th century royal court that invoked identity and unity through the use of family crests, uniforms, and religious symbolism.

    In semiotics (the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation), human communication is discussed in terms of signs and signifiers. Signs can take the form of words, images, flavors, or even odors: things that have no intrinsic meaning until we invest it in them. We perceive, understand, and negotiate the world around us by investing meaning in all manner of signs and symbols. In the West, an image of a snake signifies evil. But without our Western cultural and mythological associations (many of which are rooted in the Bible), a serpent is just a serpent.

    Greek signature seals, fifth century B.C. Affluent Greek citizens used these molded stamps to sign or endorse documents. Using an animal image to identify oneself has a long history predating famous animal logos like Lacoste and Penguin.

    Symbols are highly subjective and dependent upon cultural reference. The swastika, for example, is a symbol that was used by various cultures across the globe for over 5,000 years to symbolize a variety of positive meanings including good luck, life, sun, power, and strength. In fact, the word swastika comes from the Sanskrit svastika, which means “good fortune” or “well-being.” Sadly, those meanings have all been usurped by the atrocities of the Nazi party. No symbol has inherent meaning of its own, but when maligned by indelible association with war and unspeakable tragedy, a simple symbol like the swastika can be transformed into a potent talisman capable of eliciting an intense reaction from the viewer. Our complex emotional responses to rudimentary images reveals the profound depth of our relationship with the visual world around us.

    The meaning of a logo is often an elusive concept, and two top professionals may disagree about whether a particular logo is a masterpiece or an abomination. This subjective nature of meaning in logography is part of the beauty and wonder of the craft.

    Historical Identifying Marks

    A wide variety of stamps, symbols, and signatures have been used to identify people over the centuries. Here are a few.

    Printer’s marks, late fifteenth century

    The printer’s marks above are variations on an ‘orb and cross’ theme, symbolizing the idea that “God shall reign over Earth.”

    Aldus Manutius, printer’s trademark, c.1500.

    This printer’s trademark symbolizes a beautiful paradox. It was used in conjunction with an epigram reading “Make haste slowly.” Swiftness is visually represented by the speedy sea animal and stillness is represented by the anchor.

    Rembrandt ‘branded’ his authorship on his paintings with a variety of signatures during the course of his career, but the distinctive ‘R’ and unique personality of the letterforms provide unity to the marks.

    Corporate Identity

    The industrial revolution profoundly expanded the reach and power of mass production and the marketing used to promote it. Corporations now found that a simple identifying mark was insufficient for distinguishing themselves amongst growing competition in broadening markets. “The national and multinational scope of many corporations made it difficult for them to maintain a cohesive image, but by unifying all communications from a given organization into a consistent design system, such an image could be projected, and the design system enlisted to help accomplish specific corporate goals.” (Meggs’ History of Graphic Design, by Philip B. Meggs and Alston W. Purvis).

    In other words, the logo was now being used as one element in a broader system of visual elements used to identify the entire output of a corporation — many of which were becoming larger and more powerful than any had every been before.

    Here are some notable developments in the evolution of identity design.

    Wiener Werkstätte

    The Wiener Werkstätte was a manufacturing and marketing enterprise founded in Vienna in 1903 — decades before graphic designers were doing work that was officially recognized as corporate identity. This group of craftsmen and designers were true trailblazers.

    Marks of the Werkstätte, left to right: Werkstätte monogram, rose logo, logo for Galerie Miethke designed by Kolo Moser

    Wiener Werkstätte letterhead printed in ‘Wiener Werkstätte blue,’ 1914. The group’s obsession with squares and grids is evident here.

    A trademark was proposed for the Werkstätte, but designer Josef Hoffman proposed a complete graphic identity. The appearance of the group’s letters and articles was unified by four elements: the Werkstätte’s red rose symbol plus the monogram marks of the Werkstätte, the designer, and the producer. These standard elements, along with the use of the square as a decorative motif, were used to design everything from invoices to wrapping paper.

    Now that’s dedication to designing an immersive brand environment: the Werkstätte logo forged into the handle of a cupboard key.

    Identity Masters

    Westinghouse logo and annual report designed by Paul Rand

    Extraordinarily influential designers like Paul Rand, Milton Glaser, and Alan Fletcher helped shape the graphic identity of consumer culture during the second half of the twentieth century. Rand, for example, designed many ubiquitous logos and his varied identity work for IBM became a benchmark in the industry. These great designers have been covered in depth elsewhere (check out ‘The world’s best logo designers?’ by David Airey), so we won’t spend too much time on them here.

    Music Television

    “The move of information from the printed page to other media has changed the nature of graphic identity. The MTV logo, which emerges from an unexpected metamorphosis, is probably the ultimate in animated identity.” -The New York Times, September 1996

    The MTV logo was designed by the now-defunct studio Manhattan Design in the early 1980’s. Former Manhattan Design member Frank Olinsky tells the story behind the creation of this logo here.

    This logo was a revolution in corporate identity because it adapted to the language of television and shattered standing notions about the ‘rules’ of logo use. In the early 80’s, television had become a ubiquitous medium. The MTV logo adapted to the nature of this medium by exploiting the speed and motion of the moving image: it was regularly animated, shattered, decorated, erased, and reborn in the course of a brief station identification spot. This showed that logos could be adaptive vessels for graphic identity and demolished the notion that trademarks should always be presented in a consistent, static form. The logo had evolved to fit the culture of the television era.

    The Brand Era

    “In order to be successful multinational corporations, you need to produce brands, not products.” -Naomi Klein

    Lebron James is deified in a Nike desktop wallpaper ad. The Swoosh is tiny; the brand is huge. For some, Nike epitomizes successful branding. For others, it’s the poster child for deceptive marketing, sweatshop labor, and unethical business practices.

    Now that the whole world has been branded, the Twentieth Century approach to branding is old school. I’ll call our present day in age the Brand Era. The logo has evolved from a mark of quality on a product to a visual distillation of a cultural ideal — one that’s capable of accruing or asserting brand equity in a variety of marketing environments and inspiring great allegiance among consumers. “In this corporate formula,” says Naomi Klein, “the brand has little to do with the life of the product. Rather, it is a free-standing idea. The goal of the successful brand has become nothing short of transcendence from the world of things.”

    In this twenty-first century brand space, Nike is no longer a shoe company — it is a concept that represents transcendence through sports. Consider the Nike ad above: Lebron James is deified in a Christ-like pose and with religious language (‘witness,’ ‘believe’), both of which imply spiritual transcendence. In the case of Michael Jordan, the star was granted superhuman powers in Nike ads (picture him achieving flight, suspended midair en route to the hoop). In the corner floats the simple, austere Swoosh. In this context, the logo is a sponge, soaking up the ‘brand equity’ created by themes of transcendence and flight as well as the basketball star’s fame/endorsement/deification.

    ‘Brand evangelists’ now use all kinds of lofty language to describe ‘brand worlds’ and ‘branded landscapes.’ At best, this kind of language describes creative brand strategy that can provide organizations with an innovative approach to defining themselves in today’s corporate culture — a place where tumultuous economies and rapid technological change require constant adaptation. At worst, this kind of behavior is an attempt to pull the pretentious wool over the novice client’s eyes, using ostentatious language to leverage the sale of mediocre design and commonplace brand strategy. None of us entered this field to become snake oil salesmen, so don’t pitch like them.

    A Post-Brand Era?

    Ask someone standing in Times Square if logo design is dead. Image: ‘Times Square Parade’ by Alexander Chen

    In this era, the brand is bigger and more powerful than ever. Brands have become so big that some people have logo tattoos (physically branded with a brand) while celebrities like Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey have successfully developed themselves into personal mega brands. Brands like Nike have transformed themselves into lifestyle choices that consumers can integrate into their own identity. How much further can we go? What comes next?

    Naomi Klein has noted that the many successful brands have already achieved “transcendence from the world of things,” meaning that the dissemination of a brand’s identity has become more valuable than its production of physical commodities. Technology will soon liberate brands from the visible world even further, as companies enter the fields of nanotechnology, synthetic life production, virtual space, and more. What will ‘brand identity’ mean for a person who has branded cells injected into their body to eradicate cancer? And you thought the favicon was small. Brands will occupy startling new environments (like the bloodstream) in the 21st Century.

    The MTV logo famously introduced a logo that could undergo a costume change during every performance. How else can a logo break the rules to adapt? Is there a way to explode the logo, to decentralize it? What about a logo that consisted of separate elements that could be displayed on their own or joined together to create a unified whole? If branded products exist on a molecular level that’s invisible to the naked eye, could they project external holographic brand identity?

    The role of brand identity in the future remains to be seen. But it appears as though — barring the apocalypse or some Naomi Klein-inspired activist revolution — brands will continue to expand into new areas. Just as most industries are dealing with abrupt transitional periods due to the disruptive effects of technology, so is ours. In fact, their transitional periods become our transitional periods, because they are our clients.

    As brand identity designers, merely designing a logo for a client is not good enough. It is also unacceptable to stand on the cultural sidelines or design with our heads in the sand. We must be students of the changing cultures around us. We must take active roles in the use of design to strengthen and navigate the futures of the industries, people, and causes we believe in.

    The Road Ahead

    For now, brand identity design is thriving. Branded design environments (like a website with an integrated design strategy expressing brand qualities) can coexist with traditional logo design. In the future — as always — it’s creative thinking that will lead the way. One valuable asset will be the willingness to take a risk when it comes time to develop a strategy for a brand’s visual persona. The faster technology propels our culture, the more design risk-takers we’re going to need.

    Whatever changes may come, one thing will remain. As graphic artists and designers, we possess the power (just as any two year-old with a crayon does) to ascribe meaning to the world around us. We put an expressive face on raw information. The fundamental desire of humans to understand the world in visual terms is a desire that we can understand and foster. Graphic design’s ability to provide meaning and useful information will prove more valuable than ever during uncertain and challenging times.

    Partial Bibliography

    • Typography and Graphic Design: from Antiquity to Present by Roxane Jubert
    • Meggs’ History of Graphic Design by Philip B. Meggs and Alston W. Purvis
    • Graphic Design: A Concise History by Richard Hollis
    • No Logo by Naomi Klein
    • Wiener Werkstätte: Design in Vienna 1903-1932 by Christian Brandstätter

    © Dan Redding for Smashing Magazine, 2010. | Permalink | Post a comment | Add to del.icio.us | Digg this | Stumble on StumbleUpon! | Tweet it! | Submit to Reddit | Forum Smashing Magazine
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