Survival Guide

So Google is following Amazon and providing a scalable platform for web apps and web services development and hosting http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/07/google-jumps-head-first-into-web-services-with-google-app-engine/. In my role I am often caught between the need to follow the latest trends/support where advertising technology takes us, and the ever present challenge to make sure that security, loss of data and service reliability are taken care of.

I often find that many IT departments are in conflict with marketing because they are bound by the requirement to maintain systems and services. And to the IT group that often means keeping everything inhouse. The trend towards hosted apps, mashup sites, open source hosted sites, web service offerings, etc. continues relentlessly. These systems can be integrated and co-exsit with our mainstream online marketing activities. In fact by using the plethora of services available, we can not only reduce our workload, but significantly improve our product offerings, reach more people and drive sales — all while looking like technology hero’s.

I’m not saying that we should follow every trend but we must recognise that there are other solutions that we may not have full control over but do present serious opportunities to lower costs, improve time to market and meet the business goals that we all strive to achieve.

While seated at dinner the other night, I heard my Blackberry alert for an incoming text message. I should have left it alone but wondered over to pick it up and see who the sender was. Of course it was from my 20 year old daughter who texts constantly to the entire world. The most interesting thing was that she was actually just across the table from me but chose to communicate through text messaging rather than talk. So like a good dad I asked her why she didn’t just tell me and her reply was “Oh sorry I always text when I can’t be bothered to talk to someone, I forgot it was you” one brief apology later and all was well. Its no wonder that last year in one month alone Verizon reportedly handled 10 Billion text messages http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSWEN958520070724

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I was a little under the weather this past week and so I spent more time than usual in the Webkinz World with my six year old. A fascinating place. I was interested in the marketing model, the convergence of the on line and offline world, the user experience and the depth of things to do on the site. He was interested in the $800 football bed for his frog “Greenie.” In amongst the thoughts of how they came up with what games to push, who developed them and how they were tested, I found myself asking - “why didn’t I think of this” (along with most every other parent who has visited this place). He was wondering why he could only buy one type of truck for Greenie and thinking he would like a fourth to add to his collection. (more…)

One of the most thought provoking articles that I’ve come across in a while appeared in the January 21, 2008 issue of AdAge Magazine (http://adage.com/abstract.php?article_id=123200). Essentially the article talks about two very different worlds that are rapidly converging within the social network space.

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That probably seems like a weird thing for an Interactive Creative Director to say, but truth is, it’s not. Not a single discipline, anyway. At least, not when you look at the way the people use digital things.

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In the many client meetings I attend each week, I often hear the phrase “we need to get on YouTube” or “we need a MySpace page”. Getting a brand into these popular online properties is often seen as akin to getting past the velvet rope that separates the popular kids from the rest of the world. But uploading brand content to these and other social networks needs as much of a strategy and objective behind it as any other marketing initiative.

Knowing the target audience is crucial in determining if these networks are right for your brand—does your product appeal to that younger, more internet-agile consumer? How often do they watch video online? Do you know what they do when they go online? Taking a strong look (ie. research) at how your consumer behaves within this medium is just as important as understanding how and why they read Women’s Day or watch Desperate Housewives.

Because most of the social networks require constant supervision and updating (more so than many websites or microsites that a brand would launch), having plans, and funds, in place for ongoing content development often resembles the plot points of a television or movie script. Telling a story, creating character, working with the variable ebb and flow of entertaining commentary can make or break your presence—the more you plan and create, the better you will be.