Future of TV

There has been tons of discussion around the future of television and programming and how people watch shows these days. Just wanted to bring to light these two very different, but pretty cool alternative ways people are watching and engaging with television.

1. WIG Series- Started out as a website of TV show series hosted on Youtube, which was then was backed by Fox Network, and is now being picked up by Hulu. Scripted dramas streaming from your computer (or apple tv/game system…) for FREE. The two co-founders had connections with big stars so instead of crappy youtube series content, they are highly respected and well written dramas (with a HBO and Showtime feel) available for free online.

http://www.watchwigs.com/

http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/hulu-picks-up-wigs-series-as-fox-expands-beyond-youtube-exclusi…

2. A teen reality show is now documented and watched all via social media. “@SummerBreak” is a new series that will exist exclusively on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Youtube and Vine. Instead of a standard 30 minute tv spot this will be a 27/7 steam of all the content from the channels listed as well as 60 minute webisodes posted throughout the series to catch up.

http://mashable.com/2013/06/14/summer-break-reality-show-social-media/

http://www.youtube.com/user/SummerBreakNetwork?feature=watch

I know my behavior with TV has certainly changed and has since been supported by Netflix Original Series with watching whole seasons at once, rather than waiting for weekly episodes. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

PNCA Continued Education- Digital and Social Strategy

I have been lucky enough to be involved the past two semesters with Pacific Northwest College of Arts Continued Education program, specifically the class taught by Dave Allen, “Digital Strategy.” Alison Reilly and I spoke in the class discussing Digital and Social Strategy, while also going through real life tactics that people can take home and use. I have met so many great people and look forward to next semester.

“Digital communications strategies and their transformative impact on design and marketing practices continue to provide a key focus of our program for creative professionals. I am pleased that our workshops and courses have been taught by industry leaders and have also engaged voices from Portland’s most innovative agencies and studios. Jessica Williams, a Social Media Strategist at the NORTH Social Lab, visited a recent session of our Digital Marketing class as a guest presenter where she spoke about evidence-based, best practices for social media marketing. Jessica also shared with us her insights into the dynamics of the creative workforce.”

Quick write up here: PNCA Blog

Why Tumblr is Content Ready For Brands

An interesting article came out titled “‘Tumblr’ Now more Popular Google Search Than ‘Blog’”

and I began to think about how this measures up to all the trends in online marketing these days.  (Great title by the way, Mashable. Clever.)

photos. cute cats. socially timed content.

Even on branded pages! So. Now: Tumblr is more popularly searched than the word blog. Why? Because people are starting to see the advantage of having a Tumblr (both people and brands) and how easy it is to maintain. You don’t have to be a writer, professional blogger, mommy of three, etc. Tumblr offers photos, quotes, images, gifs, and even gives you that option of writting long blog posts, if you must.

Interesting points:
-the word “blog” has been on a decline since May 2009, which is around the same time Twitter became the third highest ranked social network according to visits.

Since people seeing that it was easier to tweet, post on facebook etc. the halfway “I really want to be a blogger when I grow up” bloggers dropped off. Now that we see content is the most important thing to be relatable on social for brands these days, why not join Tumblr?

Content + Social timing > long lasting campaigns/creative. That is why Tumble is the perfect medium.

I think we will see a shift of the age group of users on Tumblr then when I first bagan research earlier this year on Tumblr, finding out that the average age group  on the platform for 14-20. Brands will use it as a resource to easily and quickly post contest that the billion+ users are sharing the same images.

By the way, my Tumblr: http://www.jessicajeanthings.tumblr.com

Enjoy.

source:
http://mashable.com/2013/01/02/google-search-tumblr-blog/

SEO: ” Times Are A Changin’ ” by Wil Reynolds

This is a summary of the closing keynote at Searchfest 2012 in PDX

Speaker: Wil Reynolds – SEER Interactive

Quick Summary:

Isn’t it about time, we actually get rewarded for doing things right? Isn’t it time, building good content and not $15 dollar articles gives us a boost? What about building community, and connecting with people? We’ve been told for 10+ years that those tactics were the key to success, and they weren’t really. Lately it looks like that is starting to change, and we’re going to delve into examples of where it is and is not working, with specific takeaways on how to balance out your campaigns to get you ranked today and protect you for the LONG haul.

My Takeaways:

-The SEO Dilemma: What Google says will work vs. What actually works

-Honest Conversation: non-quality links, buy outs and paying for links beats real interactive and natural or organic links and conversations. WHY

-How to help balance both sides of social and paid and low quality links: You can’t jump away from crap tactics when they are the ones that worked.  You can’t always depend on good links for high rankings.

-Today: we need to build the bridge between the two forms of booting a website and or company.

TACTICS (3):

1. Infographics: Beings with a human condition. Where do I fit in the world? I want to learn more. I want to impress people. People will go find out things they want to share but people are lazy.

      +A snippet of information that allows your to say “Hey, did you know…”

      +We want to learn something new but then move on

“I don’t mind losing, but I want to know whether or not I lost”

Agency Challenge: Understand the depth of your client’s goals

Client Challenge: Is your agency asking you questions

Few questions = more risk your strategy

2. Asset Building: If you have a large client, look go look for assets that they have already been using. you will find links through scholarships and opportunities that they are already using.

3. Leveraging Community: Breaking down followers or customers depending on what or who they are. Reaching out to them is automatically easier because they already follow you and know what you are all about. Start this conversation!

+Warning: Do not @ everyone in a certain category with information. You want to start conversations with particular people.

TOOLS:

Guest Post Links available from your followers: http://www.bit/ly/guest-post-gdoc

inboxq.com

Call Me A Blogger- SearchFest 2012

Recently, I was a live blogger for Portland Oregon Searchfest 2012. SearchFest presents multiple informative learning tracks, workshops, and panel sessions designed to provide direct insight into the most up-to-date strategies and technological advancements in online search marketing and social marketing.

Industry experts and thought leaders from around the country deliver in-depth presentations ranging from basic SEM and social media fundamentals to specific advanced techniques.

Two sessions I wrote for are “Social Media Strategy” and “SEO On-Page Optimization.” I have a lot of fun summarizing these presentations for SEMPDX and invite you to go take a look. My summaries of other presentations are coming up on my personal blog to come.

Social Media Strategy:

http://www.sempdx.org/sempdx-events/current-events/advanced-on-site-seo/

Advanced On-site SEO

http://www.sempdx.org/blog/social-media-marketing/social-track-social-media-strategy/

Brand Communication- let’s see it

How great would it be to have the possibility of browsing through a mall, grocer, hardware store or any place that you buy products locally, nationally and internationally and instantly know the complete background of the brand and the product.

How it’s made – Sustainable materials, post consumer waste distribution, price comparisons to other products.

Where it is from– Location and shipment procedures.

Associations with the brand– What they stand for and believe, other products they make, social or environmental movement they support.

A vision that several colleges have come up with in the University of Oregon SOJC is something along the lines of a Iphone scanner, giving full transparency about the brand selling the product.

Now a days, consumers have several sources peeking into this idea, giving them a platform to discover what the brand and company is all about but all are missing some links into the social movement aspect of what the brand really believes in.

The Good Guide-

This website and app enables consumers to get evaluations of the health, environmental, and social impacts of  products such as toys, food, and household products. Although giving great details about the product, they leave out what the brand is doing for these environmental and social implications. I think that knowing what the company and brand stands for is just as important as knowing about the product.

Green Washing Index

This site is produced by consumer input and opinion on the messages and negative advertising companies use to represent themselves as green. Although useful in information on what products to avoid and what companies are the worst green washing offenders, it gives little detail into the products overall information and nothing about the brand involvement in sustainability movements.

Since American consumerism depending on transparency and sustainability is at an all time high, having a platform to seek out all information about a company, brand and product in one place would certainly bring to light those who are dominating the market for the better good of the world and environment.

4 Sustainability Principles (paraphrased)

1. We are not extracting substances from the earth at a rate faster then they can be restored and/or allowing them to build up on the earth’s surface.
2. We are not subjecting nature to man made chemicals that cannot be broken down.
3. We are not physically degrading the earth.
4. People are able to make their basic needs.

Those are just the basics. Looking into a brands belief and movements are important in making smart consumer decisions about which products to buy over others.

Baby steps to Big Picture: B-Bike Movement

Great national and international problems can not be solved in one day and certainly not by one person. The focus is on team work and starting with smaller ideas that a majority of people can adapt and accept.

Propaganda and fear-based sales won’t work for the long term social change, but instead trusting teamwork among innovators around the world are the solution to kick starting attention around the topics of Global Warming, Green House Gases and CO2 Emissions.

Thanassis Cambanis writes in an article “No Big Deal” about what it takes to solve such problems:

“We can address problems by making smaller changes. A global problem… simply can’t be solved by one country or one person. Going incremental is practical; it allows us to solve specific problems even while broader agreement remains out of reach.”

A program that stood out to me comes from Alex Bogusky, chief creative for Crispin Porter + Bogusky, moved to Denver Colorado and begin a bike sharing program: B-Bicycle.

The first large-scale bike-sharing program in the U.S. Starting in Denver, CO, distributes bikes among 40 “B-stations,” for people to share and transport.

This concept was thought up to reduce pollution, traffic, and rising oil costs. Bogusky believed that urban transportation needed a face lift. B-cycle is easy, and relatively inexpensive. This idea is located in one town but has the capabilities of starting a national trend of bike riding while raising awareness of the environment impacts cars.

One idea in one small town can lead to a world full of possibilities and inspire others to continue thinking of innovative ways to help our planet.

BEST ALTERNATIVE FUEL: YOU.

Celebrities and Impact on Green Thinking

Featured: Don’t Mess With Texas

This was a statewide advertising campaign started in 1986 to keep trash off of Texas streets and highways, using celebrity PSA’s, radio spots and national commercials. The Texas Department of Transportation wanted to bring in big attention to this statewide issue, using celebrities to do just that.

If you are caught littering in Texas you can receive up to a $2000 fine.

Don’t Mess with Texas partners with the Adopt-a-Highway program and Keep Texas Beautiful, partners in the annual Trash-Off, the state’s one-day cleanup event.

Musicians, athletes, celebrities and other famous Texans have appeared in “Don’t Mess with Texas” radio and television public service announcements.

Why it works:

Since 1997, EnviroMedia has lead the U.S in social marketing agency delivering sustainability consulting with ethical campaigns surrounding green products and way of living. ” Don’t mess with Texas” is one of the many campaigns they run besides working for companies dedicated to public health and a better enviornment attitude are their main focus. Using research, experiential marketing, creative and media planning, they are trying to change the attitude and the behavior of people around the nation.

The use of celebrities brings in a community of Texas and people all over the United States to care about an issue that was before, unattended to; Littering. The following celebrities are just some of the featured people in the year’s past campaigns:                                              

• Lance Armstrong
• Asleep at the Wheel
• Erykah Badu
• Marcia Ball
• Joe “King” Carrasco
• Johnny Dee and the Rocket 88’s
• Joe Ely
• The Fabulous Thunderbirds
• George Foreman
• Tish Hinojosa
• Los Lonely Boys
• Jennifer Love Hewitt
• Lyle Lovett
• Billy Mays
• Matthew McConaughey
• Willie Nelson
• Andy Pettitte
• LeAnn Rimes

View all ads HERE

Kevin Tuerff, founder of EnviroMedia commented on the commitment his agency has to working with ‘green’ clients only:

“If Nike wanted us to do a multi million dollar campaign on a new green shoe they produced we would. If they then came out with another one not using sustainability and green techniques we would turn them down. We would be sad, but we wouldn’t do it.”

Corporations- Ideas for Good

Corporations are sometimes the enemy. But what if we make them our friends. What could come of a positive relationship between huge business moguls and the rest of the consumer population?  The companies with the most power and funds in the United States have a large impact on the way consumers use and buy their products and thus advocating for energy efficient means and involving people in their efforts can be a positive shift in the way people consume.

Some corporations (such as Walmart) have the revenue of smaller countries in this world, and can have just as much of an impact on improving our environment using sustainable thinking. The CEO’s of these companies, unlike the senate or congress, do not have to vote and pass laws. It takes one decision on their part to change the way they represent their company, decide what products to sell and put limitations of the negative environmental effects it takes to make products.

500 Corporations around the world make up for half of the United Sates economy and the consumers are the driving force behind deciding where and who they are buying from. If all of the corporations in power made decisions based on smart and sustainable research and results, a large positive impact on our Eco-system could follow.

EXAMPLE:

Toyota has launched a campaign: “Ideas For Good,” asking the public to submit ideas on how to reuse Toyota technology to benefit society in a non-automotive capacity.

Consumers chose a Toyota technology, T.H.U.M.S. (Total Human Model for Safety) and submit ideas of how this can be used for something in the world besides cars in efforts to sustainability and helping the environment.

The winners of this project not only gets a choice of  a Toyota car, but funding to help the idea and project they had come up with. This incentive project boosts the moral of the company as well as connecting the community to the better of the environment, getting the message out that technology innovation is an important step in reducing negative environment impacts.

RESULTS:

The role of corporations have a responsibility to sustainability, placing their product position into the hands of the communities and consumers who support their cause or products.

Adam Werbach, enviornmentalist, sustainability advocate and consultant to non-profits, and author of “Strategy for Sustainability,” states:

“Companies are like friends, you must accept them for the good and the bad, knowing that no one is perfect.”

Transpareny Importance- Advertisment Responsibility

Message makers + Communication + Defining the message

These are all important aspects of advertising and the agencies creating brand and company messages and stories. In order to get the ball rolling for connecting consumers with sustainable and energy efficient lifestyles through the use of products that advocate for these things, one thing should be clear (no pun intended) TRANSPARENCY.

How do you provide trust in a brand from it’s consumers? You tell them everything about yourselves, leaving no room for mystery or message meanings that may confuse or trick a potential buyer.

SUSTAINABILITY= HONESTY

Some ways that companies and their advertisers can avoid mixing messages, schemes and marketing techniques to convince their customers that the product or service that they are providing are authentic are:

1. Global Reporting Initiative:

+Companies disclosing information of the sustainable content of a product.

+Releasing Carbon Emmision statistics of use making the recycling a product.

+Offering this information freely and easily for consumers to look and connect with the particular brand. (On their website)

 

According to Globalreporting.com : “Reporting leads to improved sustainable development outcomes because it allows organizations to measure, track, and improve their performance on specific issues”

 

2. Renewable Energy Certificate:

+Building and company releasing information about the energy used to run or maintain a building or company and it’s effects on the environment.

+Solar Electric, wind and geothermal technologies to efficiently maintain a business, letting future buyers or investors know about the sustainability of the previously mentioned arenas are.

These examples of transparency move into the realm of advertising by starting a MOVEMENT into the markets resulting in socially good outcomes. This not only effects the business using transparent advertising and sustainable thinking, but the people and investors interested in supporting them.

Key transparent marketing goals:

Not sell, but disclose information to the companies values.

Allow others to decide rather than forcing incentive and information on them.

Showing credibility, why you say who you are and what you are about.