Please Stop It: Five Things I Hope Not To See Again in 2012.

Dezember 13th, 2011 • 2 comments Allgemein
Tags: 2011, 2012, Future, List, personal, Prediction, Rant, Trends

My calendar reminds me that I still haven’t really proceeded with my Christmas shopping. And this usually is a clear indicator that another year goes by. Much has happened in 2011. And still – some of the most annoying stuff is still there. So before the year ends I would like to articulate my hope that I won’t see 5 things ever again after January 1. But probably I will anyway.

1. Social Media Infographics
Social Media Infographics are probably the most painful thing to witness while browsing through a whole lot of inspiring thoughts in blog feed every morning. Originally the idea was quite good: take dull information and turn it into something nice. By late 2011 social media infographics have unfortunately become a metaphor for reducing information to colorful shit. Many of them are simply wrong or misleading, many of them are even Spam. For the love of Baby Jesus. Stop that.

2. Social Media Boutique Agencies

Whenever I think about the artist formerly known as Social Media I also think about its maturity in 2011. And one sign that the social media evolution isn’t yet where it is supposed to be is quite evident: Social Media Boutique Agencies still exist. I have absolutely no idea why some major companies still let specialized ‘social media vendors’ pitch for isolated accounts. It is against the idea of tearing down the silos. It makes no sense from a management standpoint – and no: they are not necessarily more thoughtful, up-to-date or inspiring than more holistic vendors. Quite often the opposite is the case.

3. TV is Dead Bullshit
Even the Guardian still uses tabloid-style headlines like ‘TV is dead‘. Can we please clarify one thing: Claiming that TV is dead is simply not true. TV (and TV advertising) will definitely reinvent itself over the next couple of years. It will take over a new role in a more digitalized world. But one thing is for sure: My dad still will rather watch TV than tweet.

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Consumer Love. IBM shows how not to ask the right questions.

August 15th, 2011 • Reports, Social, Social Business, Strategy
Tags: Adaptation Marketing, Facebook, IBM, Media, Prediction, Presentation, Report, Research, Social Influence Marketing, Social Networks, Strategy, Trends

IBM has just published a study called ‘From Social Media to Social CRM‘ (PDF download). I first liked it because it was not boring. It did not repeat the same old shit that you read anywhere else. In fact…it seemed quite uncomfortable and innovative. At first.

So at first some of the study’s claims did not sound very surprising, nevertheless heretic for many people in the industry. IBM found out that most people are not so much into learning about your next campaign on social networks. They are actually almost exclusively interested to meet their friends. And pretty much the only reasons why they friend a brand – according to IBM – is VOUCHERS.

Yes. All of us hate these types of relations.

Who wants to date a girl that only spends time with you because you pay all the restaurant bills?

IBM has got an explanation for you why you spend time with this girl (the social consumer): Simply because you want to think the girl loves you.

Businesses are three times more likely to think consumers are interested in interacting with them to feel part of a community. Businesses also overestimate consumers’ desire to engage with them to feel connected to their brand. In fact, these two activities are among the least interesting from a consumer’s perspective.

Consumers are willing to interact with businesses if they believe it is to their benefit, feel they can trust the company and decide social media is the right channel to use to get the value they seek. That value could be in the form of a coupon or specific information. Engaging with a company via social media may result in a feeling of connectedness for consumers – an emotional, intangible gain – but the wish for intimacy is not what drives most of them.

I agree with the latter claim even though IBM streamlined the study to make sure everyone understands VOUCHERS as the key consumer desire. How? By benchmarkting the girl’s (social consumer’s) top reasons why she dates you compared to your top reasons why you date her. The result could not be much different. And yes: According to this study most of her top reasons to date you are connected to restaurant bills.

So does that mean all of us should forget about investing into next year’s social activation? Definitely not.

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OMFG. Facebook Eats the Web.

Juni 27th, 2011 • Social, Trends
Tags: Diagram, Facebook, Future, Media, Prediction, Social Influence Marketing, Social Networks, Tech, Trends, Truth, World

About two weeks after the world almost ended Inside Facebook reported about a couple of people enjoying summertime instead of staring at their computer monitors 24/7 traffic drop on Facebook the opposite seems to be true. Facebook in fact eats the Internet.

Ben Ellowitz, Founder and SEO of Wetpaint writes:

When you exclude just Facebook from the rest of the Web, consumption in terms of minutes of use shrank by nearly nine percent between March 2010 and March 2011, according to data from comScore. And, even when you include Facebook usage, total non-mobile Internet consumption still dropped three percent over the same period.

Technically he separates between two different webs: The dominating Facebook-driven web and the web of documents. And the web of documents is under sever pressure. “The illusion of the growth of the internet is just that – a mirage caused by Facebook posting 69% growth over the last year.” (We are Social). Ellowitz’ conclusion: future companies will need to spend less time on SEO, and more time on optimizing for Facebook – the web inside the web.

Read the full article here. I don’t think Facebook can replace the document web. But to be honest, I don’t want to find out. It seems we are currently handing over the greatest invention of mankind to Goldman Sachs and Mister Zuckerberg. Doesn’t feel right.

OMFG. It’s as if Skynet and Satan had a Brood of Soul-Eating Children.

Februar 23rd, 2011 • 2 comments Business, Social
Tags: Adaptation Marketing, Ads, Agencies, Business, Funny, Future, Media, Prediction, predictions, Shit, Social Influence Marketing, Strategy, Trends

Rubbishcorp calls it ‘Officially the most shittest thing I have ever posted on this blog.’ A Youtube commenter replied ‘If you work in marketing, kill yourself. If you made this video, kill yourself twice.’ And who am I to disagree?

‘We are the future’ is a declaration of professional bankruptcy. It is a video about the weird Reality filter that many media agencies use to look at the world (this time it’s the PHD network). It’s about people who believe that other human beings ask for more marketing content. Or – to quote rubbishcorp one more time – ‘it’s a reflection of the views of a bunch of middle aged ad-people about some random technologies that none of them have any actual understanding of.’ And yes, PHD rightfully is getting grilled on the intertubes right now.

If you watch it you will find out that it’s pretty much the video version of ‘Stuff real people don’t say about advertising‘. Only this time it is not meant to be ironic. To finally illustrate my thoughts with one more Youtube comment – ‘Oh jesus, its like skynet and satan had a multicultural brood of consumerist nega-children that eat souls through the innernets.’ Thanks.

Thanks to jkleske for sharing it.

Agencies. What the hell is a Creative Technologist?

Dezember 8th, 2010 • Jobs, Trends
Tags: Adaptation Marketing, Agencies, BBH, Connection Planning, Creative Technologist, Creativity, Prediction, Strategy, Tech, Trends

The job profile ‘Creative Technologist’ has become something like the It-job of 2010. I don’t know when these thing start, but if you want to be hot in digital nowadays you must be into social media a creative technologist.

I doubt there is a desperate need for an autonomous job profile like this in most digital agencies. But I sense there is one in rather traditional shops. BBH (even far from being a traditional agency) have an attitude on the role of a Creative Technologist. Or to be more precise – BBH’s Griffin Farley has presented his vision about the (future) role of a creative technologist.

As usual, great stuff Griffin.

Morgan Stanley. State of the Web 2010.

November 18th, 2010 • Reports
Tags: Business, Lifestyle, Mobile, Prediction, Presentation, Reports, Social, Social Influence Marketing, Social Networks, Strategy, Tools, Trends, Truth, World

Every year anew Morgan Stanley’s state of the web presentations provide a lot of food for new thoughts in digital marketing. You can find the deck below. And I guess you’ll also be amazed by the dynamics that are reshaping our world. (via BBH)

Helge Tennø. Brands in the digital media environment.

Oktober 22nd, 2010 • Brands, Media, People
Tags: Brands, Business, Cool, Display, Helge Tennø, Media, Prediction, Presentation, Strategy, Trends, Truth, visual

I am a fan of Helge Tennø‘s presentations. Helge is a very insightful planner at Scandinavian Design Group and he blogs on 180360720.  Nevertheless there is a massive flaw in his decks. They are definitely too well designed. The pure beauty of his decks sometimes covers their insights. Please Helge, do me favor and integrate more cliparts (wizards and stuff) to avoid distraction.

His latest deck is about the future of media brands in a digital age. Helge’s claim: Media companies need to understand the value of their direct relationship with the reader. And how they, by collaborating with commercial companies, can grow and extend this value and monetize it. Simply because display advertising is not relevant anymore and there is no way they can survive the traditional way.

Oh Boy. I think Social Just Ate Itself.

Oktober 19th, 2010 • Allgemein
Tags: Lifestyle, Prediction, Trends, Truth, TV, visual, World

Sometimes I find digital marketing quite funny. No matter how much you talk about a world of free conversation, open brands etc – I am under the impression we are getting back to a more traditional usage of digital media. Lean back that is.

• The success of Apple’s iPad – a win for lean back marketing. The thing is not a machine for creators. It’s TV. Read Jeff Jarvis’ rationale to return his iPad.
• According to emarketer brand campaigns and ads generate most Fans on Facebook. Yes, we are talking about banners.
• Even Mashable calls the youtubized Old Spice TV campaign a Social Media campaign. What a surprising definition.
• Apple TV vs google TV. Hey, what’s on TV tonight, darling?

These are only a couple of examples that seem to form a new picture of what’s happening in marketer’s minds. No doubt, Earned Media is stressful, content heavy and soooo very different from what agencies and marketing departments feel comfortable with. But are we slowly getting passive again?

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Bryan Rieger. Rethinking the Mobile Web.

September 20th, 2010 • Mobile, People
Tags: Cool, Creativity, Experimental, iPhone, Mobile, Prediction, Presentation, Tech, Tools, Trends, Truth, World

The Mobile Web and our mental picture of it is neither accurate nor inclusive – that’s the conclusion of Bryan Rieger’s great deck ‘Rethinking the Mobile Web’. Bryan is owner of the small London-based mobile consultancy Yiibu and obviously a very smart guy.

Interface Design. A Day in 2014.

September 6th, 2010 • 5 comments Tech, Tools
Tags: Case Study, Cool, Creativity, Design, Experimental, Future, Ideas, Interfaces, Media, Mobile, Prediction, Presentation, Study, Tech, Tools, Touch, Usability, UX, visual, World

We all love interface design studies, don’t we? Notorious Swedish UX company TAT.SE has conducted an experiment in open innovation of User Interfaces. And the winner is this little case study staging a possible day in 2014. Nice one. I want the mirror (via).