February 2012

I’m off to drink from the fire hose of inspiration, innovation and ingenuity—otherwise known as TED. When I return, I promise to distill and share the highlights from my favorite speakers who are changing the world and inviting us to do the same. But as I pack my bags and ready myself to be relatively unplugged for the week, I can’t help but note that TED is a fascinating OPEN brand case study.

While TED was founded in 1984 by Richard Saul Wurman and Harry Marks as a relatively exclusive, one-off, Silicon Valley insiders-only conference in Monterey, it has blossomed into an inclusive, ongoing, global phenomenon. Now, there are many readers who will take issue with my “inclusive” reference given its hefty price tag for the privilege of attending an in-person event. [...] Read >

Nowhere in digital is innovation happening faster than in the development of APIs. Just as the rush was on in the early days of the web for companies to have websites (properties), in recent years it’s been all about creating APIs (services). Right now we see API growth on its steepest upward trend yet—with the leading web API directory recently posting a count of 5,000 identified open APIs—just four months after breaking past the 4,000 mark. To put that growth in perspective, it took about 8 years to get to the first 1,000. You probably first heard about APIs in the context of major web platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Google or Amazon. But these days brands everywhere are jumping into the fray. Why? [...] Read >

In less than two years and ahead of all penetration forecasts, the tablet has emerged as an essential platform for commerce and, more importantly, conversion.

Recent holiday statistics reported by IBM show that the iPad accounted for an astonishing 7% of total online sales on Christmas Day, and shoppers using an iPad often bought more items, more often. And the Pew Internet Research group just released a report indicating that tablet and eBook ownership in the U.S. doubled to nearly 20% during the 2011 holiday period.

The tablet’s lean and glean functionality makes it an ideal shopping device, but the device alone doesn’t create an ideal digital shopping experience. Consumers want more. [...] Read >

It’s the most wonderful time … of the TV advertising year! That’s right—the Super Bowl. I, along with nearly all of my marketing brethren, spend a Sunday afternoon glued to our sets—and increasingly, our 2nd and 3rd screens (for more information, see Dan Shust’s blog), whether we know a first down from a field goal, and we observe, opine, tweet, post our thoughts on the state of advertising. Then we spend another week “armchair quarterbacking”—each publishing our point of view as to which ads rocked, which ads missed the mark, who got the biggest bang for their not-so-insignificant buck, and who should have saved their money. And with brands increasingly pre-releasing their ads, the din of Super Bowl ad commentary can drown out just about everything else for a couple of weeks. [...] Read >

Be careful what you wish for. As agency and industry experts, we love to preach about infusing digital into brand experiences, and each year the Super Bowl gets the brightest spotlight and the greatest critique. This year it wasn’t just digital that was getting buzz, but rather it was the infusion of social media to “extend” the life of million-dollar ads.

Brands heard the call after last year’s criticisms about a lack of digital engagement tied to high-octane ad buys. In an effort to step up to the challenge, boy did the pendulum swing the other way, and it wasn’t pretty. [...] Read >

When Sunday’s big game is over, we finally may be able to say, “Interactive TV has arrived.” Nearly half of Super Bowl advertisers are partnering with soundprint tech companies, who will help turn a traditionally passive activity into a socially interactive experience.

For years, tech enthusiasts have talked about interactive TV. On Sunday, it will be at the fingertips of more than 100 million people. Only the interactions won’t be on viewers’ televisions, they’ll be on smartphones and tablets. Which is no surprise when you consider a 2011 Nielsen/Yahoo report that found about 86 percent of people use mobile devices to access the Internet while watching TV. [...] Read >