Mobius

Parson's Syllabus for Spring 2012

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Parsons The New School for Design

Communication Design Department

Advertising & Marketing

Advertising Concepts - 2804 - PUCD 3060 - B

Spring 2012

Parsons 2 W 13th 1102 6:00 pm - 8:40 pm Wednesday

Tom McManus

dumcmanust@newschool.edu

917 533-4110

by email

Course Description Few industries have been so transformed like advertising; yet even the newest outlets for reaching current and future customers rely on the age-old process of persuasion. This course focuses on and deconstructs this process of persuasion by stripping away the technology, the media, and the computer and focusing first and foremost on the product. What is it about the product that will differentiate it from its competitors? What will differentiate it that will resonate with consumers? Once this differentiation is determined, students focus on how to communicate that difference, no matter how small or how great, in a way that will incite the consumer to act.

How to be a New Media Storyteller

The marketing industry has seen more changes in the last two years than in the previous 100. This course will help you prepare for this complex and changing world. You will learn how to come up with concepts for print campaigns. But most importantly, you will learn how to create 360 campaigns that are media agnostic. You will become idea writers.

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Concrete and proven methodologies will be taught that will enhance your creativity. In this class you will not play with words. You will play with ideas. You will be given conceptual tools that will push your creativity and prepare you for this most competitive industry.

Ugliness does not sell.

During the last four weeks the emphasis will be on design. Two campaigns that are approved by the teacher will be art directed to industry standards. Emphasis will be placed on students finding their own voice when it comes to design.

If you want to be challenged then this class is for you.

Course Outline

WEEK 1	Jan 25	Marketing and Advertising Introduction. The business and art of our craft. • How to make a comp. • Planning a brief. • The product ladder of the mind. The leader, challenger, niche players. How to write a tag line for each one. • How to craft a campaign and write for the consumer. • Tone and manner. Demographics, Psychographics. • How planning is integral to the creative process.	Read: Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition Due: Week 3 Create a campaign for “Krazy Glue” Due: Week 2
WEEK 2	Feb 1	“Krazy Glue” Concrete creative tools: a. Cause and Effect b. Demonstration c. Hyperbole d. Understatement e. Reversal f. Irony g. The High Ground h. The Stupid i. The Vernacular j. The Truth k. The Red Herring	Create a campaign for “Sci Fi Channel” Due: Week 3
WEEK 3	Feb 8	“Sci Fi Channel” How to create a campaign based on a brand truth. No puns, no word plays. Work with ideas. How to make your ideas bigger. Be bigger than the category.	Read: Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Advertising Due: Week 5 Create a campaign for “Juicy Fruit Gum”
WEEK 4	Feb 15	“Juicy Fruit Gum” How marketing can create a product difference where there is none.	Create a campaign for “Smart Car”
WEEK 5	Feb 22	“Smart Car” Positioning for a niche service.	Create a campaign for “Norton Anti-Virus” Due: Week 6
WEEK 6**	Feb 29	“Norton Anti-Virus” Administer Mid Term Evaluations **on or about this date (see notice for each semester)	Create a campaign for “Trek Bikes” Due: Week 7
WEEK 7	March 7	“Trek Bikes” How to construct a 360 campaign.	Create a campaign for “Paul Reed Smith Guitars” Due: Week 8
WEEK 8	March 21	“Paul Reed Smith Guitars”	Create a campaign for “Greece” Due: Week 9
WEEK 9	March 28	“Greece”	Create a campaign for “Busch Gardens” Due: Week 10 Read: OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT SHOULD I DO? Due: Week 11
WEEK 10	April 4	“Busch Gardens”	Create a campaign for “Skip Barber School of Racing” Due: Week 11
WEEK 11	April 11	“Skip Barber School of Racing” . Determining which are the two best campaigns you have to go into design.	Design one of your campaigns approved by the teacher. Due: Week 12
WEEK 12	April 18	Go over design of one of your campaigns approved by the teacher: The postcard vs. The letter design. The Japanese Rock Garden and what we can learn about designing ads from it. How to design from your own personal relationship to the subject matter at hand. How to go beyond dujour design.	Design the second of your campaigns approved by the teacher. Due: Week 13
WEEK 13	April 25	Go over the design of the second of your campaigns approved by the teacher. “To suggest is to create, to describe is to destroy” lecture. Inspired simplicity. Rigorous production standards. How to take your photography to a different level.	Further explorations of the design of your two campaigns. Due: Week 14
WEEK 14	May 2	Fine tuning of your designs. Prepare your portfolio for final presentation.	Print your portfolio as case studies. Prepare final presentation.
WEEK 15	May 9	Final presentations of your work. A top professional of our industry will help me critique your work. How to promote yourself to get a job in advertising. Creating the “Super Portfolio”. Former students of this class will tell how they landed great jobs in advertising.

Learning Outcomes

By the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Understand positioning of brands and develop tag lines.

2. Create print campaigns based on a tag line.

3. Create 360 campaigns that are media agnostic.

4. Learn how to design for both “letter and postcard” ads.

5. Put their portfolios together and how to market themselves as art directors.

Assessable Tasks Students will need to complete 2 campaigns by week 11. Design of the campaigns will need to be finished by week 15. Presentation skills will be graded too.

Final Grade Calculation

Concept: 50%

Design: 30%

Class participation: 10%

Attendance: 10%

Required Reading

Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition [Paperback] Jack Trout

Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Advertising (Adweek Series) [Paperback]

OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT SHOULD I DO? (English version) [Paperback]

Recommended Reading

The Idea Writers: Copywriting in a New Media and Marketing Era (Advertising Age) by Teressa Iezzi

Truth, Lies and Advertising : The Art of Account Planning [Hardcover] Jon Steel

Resources

Materials and Supplies Magic markers, paper and a good internet connection

Grading Standards

Failing grades are given for required work that is not submitted, for incomplete final projects or for examinations that are not taken (without prior notification and approval). Make-up work or completion of missed examinations may be permitted only with the approval of the instructor and the program director.

This is for two campaigns that are below average in concept, marketing insight and design. A D+ is offered when one of these attributes are good. Presentation skills are inadequate and awkward. Little active participation and little knowledge of reading assignments

C/C+

This is for two campaigns that are average in concept, marketing insight and design. A C+ is offered when one of these attributes are excellent. Presentation skills are adequate but not impressive. Somewhat active participation and some knowledge of reading assignments

B/B+

This is for two very good campaigns that have at least outstanding concept, marketing insight or design but not necessarily all three. B+ work would have at least two of these attributes. Presentation skills are important and can make the difference between a B and a B+. Active participation and knowledge of reading material is required.

This is given for work that is outstanding for conceptual rigor, marketing insight and superior design. The work must look like actual ads and the presentation for two 360 campaigns must be flawless. Class participation and the critiques of other ads and campaigns must be insightful, cogent, and articulate. Presentations must be organized, succinct and persuasive. Active participation and knowledge of reading material is required. Grasp of additional reading assignments can make the grade an A+.

A grade of I (Incomplete), signifying a temporary deferment of a regular grade, may be assigned when coursework has been delayed at the end of the semester for unavoidable and legitimate reasons. Incomplete grades are given only with the written approval of the instructor and the program director. The Request for an Incomplete Grade form must be filled out by the student and instructor prior to the end of the semester.

For undergraduate students, if a grade of incomplete is approved, outstanding work must be submitted by the seventh week of the following Fall semester (for Spring and Summer courses) or by the seventh week of the following Spring semester (for Fall courses). Otherwise, a grade of I will automatically convert to a permanent unofficial withdrawal (WF) after a period of four weeks. For graduate students, the maximum deadline for completion of an incomplete is one year though a shorter period may be imposed at the discretion of the instructor.

Divisional, Program and Class Policies

● Responsibility

Students are responsible for all assignments, even if they are absent. Late papers, failure to complete the readings assigned for class discussion, and lack of preparedness for in-class discussions and presentations will jeopardize your successful completion of this course.

● Participation

Class participation is an essential part of class and includes: keeping up with reading, contributing meaningfully to class discussions, active participation in group work, and coming to class regularly and on time.

● Attendance

Faculty members may fail any student who is absent for a significant portion of class time. A significant portion of class time is defined as three absences for classes that meet once per week and four absences for classes that meet two or more times per week. During intensive summer sessions a significant portion of class time is defined as two absences. Lateness or early departure from class may also translate into one full absence.

● Blackboard

Use of Blackboard may be an important resource for this class. Students should check it for announcements before coming to class each week.

● Delays

In rare instances, I may be delayed arriving to class. If I have not arrived by the time class is scheduled to start, you must wait a minimum of thirty minutes for my arrival. In the event that I will miss class entirely, a sign will be posted at the classroom indicating your assignment for the next class meeting.

● Academic Integrity

This is the university’s Statement on Academic Integrity: “Plagiarism and cheating of any kind in the course of academic work will not be tolerated. Academic honesty includes accurate use of quotations, as well as appropriate and explicit citation of sources in instances of paraphrasing and describing ideas, or reporting on research findings or any aspect of the work of others (including that of instructors and other students). These standards of academic honesty and citation of sources apply to all forms of academic work (examinations, essays, theses, computer work, art and design work, oral presentations, and other projects).”

It is the responsibility of students to learn the procedures specific to their discipline for correctly and appropriately differentiating their own work from that of others. Compromising your academic integrity may lead to serious consequences, including (but not limited to) one or more of the following: failure of the assignment, failure of the course, academic warning, disciplinary probation, suspension from the university, or dismissal from the university.

Every student at Parsons signs an Academic Integrity Statement as a part of the registration process. Thus, you are held responsible for being familiar with, understanding, adhering to and upholding the spirit and standards of academic integrity as set forth by the Parsons Student Handbook.

Guidelines for Written Assignments

Plagiarism is the use of another person's words or ideas in any academic work using books, journals, internet postings, or other student papers without proper acknowledgment. For further information on proper acknowledgment and plagiarism, including expectations for paraphrasing source material and proper forms of citation in research and writing, students should consult the Chicago Manual of Style (cf. Turabian, 6^th edition). The University Writing Center also provides useful on-line resources to help students understand and avoid plagiarism. See http://www.newschool.edu/admin/writingcenter/.

Students must receive prior permission from instructors to submit the same or substantially overlapping material for two different assignments. Submission of the same work for two assignments without the prior permission of instructors is plagiarism.

Guidelines for Studio Assignments

Work from other visual sources may be imitated or incorporated into studio work if the fact of imitation or incorporation and the identity of the original source are properly acknowledged. There must be no intent to deceive; the work must make clear that it emulates or comments on the source as a source. Referencing a style or concept in otherwise original work does not constitute plagiarism. The originality of studio work that presents itself as “in the manner of” or as playing with “variations on” a particular source should be evaluated by the individual faculty member in the context of a critique.

Incorporating ready-made materials into studio work as in a collage, synthesized photograph or paste-up is not plagiarism in the educational context. In the commercial world, however, such appropriation is prohibited by copyright laws and may result in legal consequences.

● Student Disability Services

In keeping with the University’s policy of providing equal access for students with disabilities, any student with a disability who needs academic accommodations is welcome to meet with me privately. All conversations will be kept confidential. Students requesting any accommodations will also need to meet with Jason Luchs in the office of Student Disability Services, who will conduct an intake, and if appropriate, provide an academic accommodation notification letter to you to bring to me. At that point I will review the letter with you and discuss these accommodations in relation to this course. Mr. Luchs’ office is located in 79 Fifth Avenue, 5^th floor. His direct line is (212) 229-5626 x3135. You may also access more information through the University’s web site at http://www.newschool.edu/studentservices/disability/.

Tom McManus

How to brand a country

2012-01-24T23:11:00.003-05:00

Brand USA, a partnership of the travel industry and federal government, plans a $200 million campaign to attract visitors to the country.

The theme: "United States of Awesome Possibilities."

Suppose Brand USA spent $200 million in each of the next five years promoting its "awesome possibilities" idea. Five years from now, how many people are likely to associate "awesome" with the United States?

Not very many.

That's the problem with marketing today. Almost every campaign starts with a press conference and a blaze of publicity about a new logotype (the letters "USA" spelled out with multicolor dots), a new website (discoveramerica.com) and an inspirational message (United States of Awesome Possibilities).

"We will be able to reach audiences around the world by showcasing the best of America and spreading the message that we welcome visitors with open arms," said Chris Perkins, Brand USA's chief marketing officer.

Nice thought, but its weakness is communicated by the phrase "showcasing the best of America." No marketing campaign can do that. The best any marketing campaign can do is to emphasize a single word or concept. And oddly enough, the loftier the word and the more abstract the concept, the more difficult that is to accomplish.

Other countries going the "awesome" route:

Brazil is "sensational."

Germany is "simply inspiring."

Korea is "dynamic."

Greece is the "true experience."

Singapore is "unique."

Kenya is "magical."

India is "incredible."

And dozens more.

Only one approach has a chance of working in a message-saturated society: Bring your slogan down to Earth.

Take the launch of Apple's iPhone 4S. The operating system has 200 new features, including deep integration with Twitter and the ability to edit photos. It has an eight-megapixel camera with a greatly improved sensor, a five-element lens and a wider aperture. It has 4G-class download speeds and an improved voice-call reception because the phone can switch between two antennas to pick up the best signal.

Wow! What an opportunity for the wordsmiths at TBWA Media Arts Lab to capture the essence of this awesome, sensational, unique, incredible phone. Instead, they concentrated on a single feature.

Headline of a typical ad: "Will I need an umbrella this weekend?"

Copy: "You speak. Siri helps. Say hello to the most amazing iPhone yet."

Try to say everything and you end up saying nothing. Make your message real, and you not only connect with people but entice them with the suggestion that there is more to learn about your brand.

The Halo Effect
What psychologists call "the halo effect" marketing people call "positioning." When you focus on one concrete thing, consumers are inclined to attribute good qualities to your product.

It's what "Driving" did for BMW.

It's what the "Slowest ketchup in the West" did for Heinz.

It's what "Please don't squeeze" did for Charmin.

It's what "Pizza. Pizza" did for Little Caesars.

It's what "Curiously strong" did for Altoids.

It's what "Not from concentrate" did for Tropicana.

It's what "Free shipping. Both ways" did for Zappos.

Yet what do most slogans try to convey? Everything. Guess what companies are using these slogans.

"Truth in engineering."

"The power to do more."

"Solutions that matter."

"For those who do."

"Ideas for life."

"Bring your challenges."

"Make. Believe."

"Ready for real business."

From top to bottom: Audi, Dell, FedEx, Lenovo, Panasonic, Prudential, Sony and Xerox.

Here's the paradox. Even if massive advertising programs were successful in associate these slogans with the companies' brand names, so what? Would you buy an Audi because you thought the company told the truth about its engineering?

And no slogan will work for a brand that covers a wide range of products or services. Before you can bring your slogan down to Earth, you need to bring your brand there so it stands for something.

What's a Subaru?
"If you asked a Subaru dealer or an employee or the press what Subaru was all about, it was pretty confusing," George Muller said in 1993, when he took over as president of Subaru of America.

He chose to focus on four-wheel-drive vehicles. Advertising theme: "The beauty of all-wheel drive." (What the auto industry calls "all-wheel drive," people call four-wheel drive.)

It was an exceptionally bold decision because at the time four-wheel-drive vehicles represented 48% of Subaru's sales. But the company had lost $250 million the previous year, so something had to be done.

It didn't take long to turn the brand around. Three years later, Subaru was essentially a four-wheel-drive brand, and sales were up 16%, to 120,748 units.

Subaru registered a sales increase in 12 of the 14 years between 1996 and 2010. It sold 263,820 vehicles in the U.S. in 2010, more than Volkswagen, Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, Mazda, Chrysler, Buick, Cadillac, Acura and, of course, "Truth in engineering" which moved only 101,629 units. (If Subaru had a better name, it would probably have been even more successful.)

What should Brand USA focus on?
Brand USA should take a tip from iPhone. It's impossible to sum up a smartphone's features.Apple has built its marketing program for the device on Siri, the feature that has received the most publicity and the most attention from consumers.

What feature of the U.S. would most foreign visitors be interested in?

Look at it from the point of view of other countries. What do most first-time visitors to France want to see? Or those to the U.K.? Or to Italy?

Paris, London and Rome.

What do most first-time visitors to America want to see?

New York City.

The Siri of Brand USA is New York. It should be the focus of a marketing campaign to attract foreign visitors. Furthermore, the Big Apple has the perfect symbol for "spreading the message that we welcome visitors with open arms."

The Statue of Liberty.

Al Ries is chairman of Ries & Ries, an Atlanta-based consulting firm he runs with his daughter and partner, Laura. The website is www.ries.com.

12 Mistakes in Starting a Design Business

2011-12-30T11:34:00.001-05:00

Article by David C. BakerJune 18, 2002.The reason firms fail is not creativity, location, or the marketplace. It's management ability. Your firm is a direct reflection of you, and you must take responsibility for it. Here are the most common 12 mistakes we see creative service firms make. If you are managing a firm now, you'll identify immediately. If you are an employee, this might give you some context for the decisions you may not agree with. If you are considering starting a company, this will help you learn from the mistakes of others.Rely on Referrals: Enough good work does not come from two traditional sources: referrals and repeat business, but rather from new leads. The problem with referrals and repeat business in a growing, changing firm is that a prospect's perception of you will not keep pace with reality. Many firms look for work. Some look for work that pays. Few look for work that pays...and that they enjoy.Use Wrong Positioning: Most imply (though they seldom say): “If you come to us, we'll do it quick, cheap, and you'll get to work directly with a principal.” Instead, emphasize (in descending order of importance): category experience; a defined, proprietary process; strategic focus; leadership; and that you are fun to work with. It's about generating stuff that works, and if it looks good, it's gotta look good because looking good works. Results are too measurable anymore to get away with decoration and/or sloppy work, whether it's PR, advertising, or design.Stay a Generalist: Specialization occurs in every area of life. We stay a generalist, not because the marketplace demands it, but because we get bored easily and because we don't have a marketing plan and thus feel compelled to cast the net wide. Firms that specialize thrive, especially in larger cities. We can focus in up to two areas (in terms of our own mental capacity). In cities that will be two specialties. In rural areas that will mean a general local provider, and a niche regional provider. What will this do? It will make it easier to find business, to service it without learning on the job, and to find employees.Feed Gorilla Clients: It's unsafe to have any client larger than 35% of your business. Our studies show that it's difficult to recover from the loss of any client larger than that. (It doesn't matter if you have different contacts in other departments.) And client relationships are now shorter and shorter every year (less than 3 years for the average client relationship). If you have a large client, be honest; have a marketing emergency folder; set aside 3 months of overhead; have a maintenance marketing plan in place for at least 6 months; and job work out, retaining account service and creative direction. You can borrow money, but you can't borrow marketing.Misunderstand Growth: Smaller can be better, based on what you want. Firms with fewer than 10 employees achieve 16% more billings per employee than larger firms. Probably because of more management scrutiny. Net profit, however, is lower with smaller firms, since it is spread across a smaller employer base. But what is “small” or “big”? Without good systems, more than 5 employees per principal or senior manager will “feel” big. What it comes down to is what you want to do. And that can change over time. When you started, you did everything. Though you whined about it, there was a secret adrenaline rush....which translated into a learned significance.Hire to Delegate To: So...you get really busy, and you have more than you can do. You hire people to delegate to. That moves the upside down funnel higher, and you become even more of a bottle neck. In the process, you want people to implement your ideas. You judge work instead of shape it. In effect, you are working “in” your business instead of “on” it.Manage for Significance: Hiring all these people doesn't solve the problem, and you are still too busy. You learn to be important because you can do everything. You are forced to peel off areas of significance and re-learn your role. If you continue struggling, you'll likely refuse to put things in writing, insist on seeing everything in the shop, steal the credit, and manage for loyalty, not results. If this carries over into client relationships, you won't be effective because you'll take on assignments with hopeless budgets and schedules to be the white knight. In effect you'll be looking for acceptance from clients instead of a fighting for a strong direction.Think Employees are Entrepreneurs: One of the reasons you left the big firm to start your own was because you hated structure. So you vow to avoid all those stupid rules. One day you begin to realize, though, that many of those rules have a purpose. And that the people who work for you aren't entrepreneurs. If they were, they'd be starting their own firms. Employees usually always want more structure, communication, job descriptions, regular reviews, etc.Ignore Production/Traffic Issues: Having more than 5 employees per principal/senior manager will feel big unless you have good systems. Without them, you'll be unable to do a mind dump. The best systems have centralized responsibility for budget and schedule. Most firms are deadline-based vs. management based, and as a result they bill for only a portion of their time because it's not as important as meeting the deadlines.Spend your Way into Prosperity: More than 90% of those making lots of money have no fixed obligations (leases, loans, or credit card balances) for depreciating assets. In a small service company, there is no separation between how a principal views money and how money is used in the business, and that can spell trouble. Is cash the best filter for acquiring a depreciating asset? It may apply the brakes for companies who are growing too quickly. And the act of spending cash makes it less likely that you'll acquire more than you need.React Slowly to a Downturn: Entrepreneurs are optimistic to a fault and believe that hard work can solve anything. They also react slowly, like a deer in the headlights. In a downturn, it's tempting to let “admin” people go first because they aren't viewed as income producing. Unfortunately, they are the toughest to train, and the hardest to find freelance. Regardless, it seldom makes sense to use other's money.Count on Selling Your Firm: It doesn't usually happen. Often the likely buyer is someone in your firm with no money, who wants to use your money to buy you out. If you want to sell, institutionalize your firm. In the process, build a strong retirement fund, assuming you won't sell it.Re-published with permission from ReCourses, Inc. All rights reserved.

Alan Kay on UI

2011-12-15T13:52:00.001-05:00

This is OCR of PDF so sorry about jumbled type. Blame Adobe!

During the late 1960s, while a graduate student at the University of Utah,Alan launched the field of interactive computer graphics. In 1968 he attended Douglas
Engelbart's historic presentation of the ON Line System, which introduced the
mouse to computing, suggesting for the first time the possibility of "navigating"
information space. In the early 1970s, after forming the Learning Research
Group at the newly founded Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), Kay synthesized
these influences into what is considered the most crucial advancement
of human-computer interactivity, the graphical user interface (GUI The idea of iconic, graphical representations of computing functions-the folders, menus, and overlapping windows found on the desktop-based on his research into the intuitive processes of learning and creativity.
The G U I was an entirely new approach to interactive computing. The fundamentals
of the computer interface had received scant attention since the birth of
the first digital computer, EN lAC, twenty-five years before. At the time, computers
were programmed and operated almost exclusively by scientists. Early on that designing an intuitive, easy-to-use interface required a subtle understanding of the dynamics of human perception. Norbert Wiener's concept of the digital computer had been modeled after the brain, with its sophisticated
network of message passing and synoptic relays. Kay went deeper in this direction.
He drew on the theories of psychologists Jean Piaget, Seymour Papert, and
Jerome Bruner, who had studied the intuitive capacities for learning present in
the child's mind, and the role that images and symbols play in the building of
complex concepts. Kay came to understand, as he put it, that "doing with images
makes symbols." This was the premise behind the G U I, which enabled computers
users to formulate ideas in real time by manipulating icons on the computer
screen.

Kay's approach made computers accessible to nonspecialists. More important,
it transformed the computer into a vehicle for popular creative expression.
In this essay, Kay describes his realization that the computer was not just a
computational device but a medium in its own right. Computers, I might one day replace books. This led him to build a prototype for a personal computer, the Dynabook, which would be capable of dynamically representing images and concepts. This notebook-sized computer, able to provide
unprecedented access to information, images, sound, and animation, was a revolutionary
departure not only from the stasis of the book but also from the passivity
of television. While the Dynabook was never built, it led to the Xerox Alto,
the first true multimedia machine.

When I was asked to write this chapter, my first reaction was "A book on user
interface design-does that mean it's now a real subject?" Well, as of 1989, it's
still yes and no. User interface has certainly been a hot topic for discussion since
the advent of the Macintosh. Everyone seems to want user interface but they are
not sure whether they should order it by the yard or by the ton. Many are just now
discovering that user interface is not a sandwich spread-applying the Macintosh
style to poorly designed applications and machines is like trying to put Beamaise
sauce on a hotdog!

Of course the practice of user interface design has been around at least
since humans invented tools. The unknown designer who first put a haft on a
hand axe was trying not just to increase leverage but also to make it an extension
of the arm, not just the fist. The evolutionary designer whom Richard
Dawkins calls the Blind Watchmaker has been at it much longer; all of life's startling
interfitness is the result. A more recent byproduct of the industrial revolution
called ergonomics in Europe and human factors in the u.s. has studied
how the human body uses senses and limbs to work with tools. From the earliest
use of interactive computing in the fifties-mostly for air traffic control
and defense-there have been attempts at user interface design and application
of ergonomic principles. Many familiar components of modem user interface
design appeared in the fifties and early sixties, including pointing devices, windows,
menus, icons, gesture recognition, hypermedia, the first personal computer,
and more. There was even a beautifully designed user interface for an
end-user system in JOSS-but its significance was appreciated only by its designer
and users.

Therefore, let me argue that the actual dawn of user interface design first
happened when computer designers finally noticed, not just that end users had
functioning minds, but that a better understanding of how those minds worked
would completely shift the paradigm of interaction.

This enormous change in point of view happened to many computerists in
the late sixties, especially in the ARPA research community. Everyone had their
own catalyst. For me it was the FLEX machine, an early desktop personal computer
of the late sixties designed by Ed Cheadle and myself.

Based on much previous work by others, it had a tablet as a pointing device,
a high-resolution display for text and animated graphics, and multiple windows,
and it directly executed a high-level object-oriented end-user simulation language.
And of course it had a "user interface," but one that repelled end users instead
of drawing them closer to the hearth. I recently revisited the FLEX machine
design and was surprised to find how modern its components were-even a use
of icon-like structures to access previous work.

But the combination of ingredients didn't gel. It was like trying to bake a pie
from random ingredients in a kitchen: baloney instead of apples, ground-up
Cheerios instead of flour, etc.

Then, starting in the summer of 1968, I got hit on the head randomly but repeatedly
by some really nifty work. The first was just a little piece of glass at the
University ofIllinois. But the glass had tiny glowing dots that showed text characters.
It was the first flat-screen display. I and several other grad students wondered
when the surface could become large and inexpensive enough to be a
useful display. We also wondered when the FLEX machine silicon could become
small enough to fit on the back of the display. The answer to both seemed
to be the late seventies or early eighties. Then we could all have an inexpensive
powerful notebook computer-I called it a "personal computer" then, but I was
thinking intimacy.

I read McLuhan's Understanding Media [1964] and understood that the
most important thing about any communications medium is that message receipt
is really message recovery; anyone who wishes to receive a message embedded
in a medium must first have internalized the medium so it can be
"subtracted" out to leave the message behind. When he said "the medium is the
message" he meant that you have to become the medium if you use it.
That's pretty scary. It means that even though humans are the animals that
shape tools, it is in the nature of tools and man that learning to use tools reshapes
us. So the "message" of the printed book is, first, its availability to individuals,
hence, its potential detachment from extant social processes; second, the uniformity,
even coldness, of noniconic type, which detaches readers from the vividness
of the now and the slavery of commonsense thought to propel them into a
far more abstract realm in which ideas that don't have easy visualizations can be
treated.

McLuhan's claim that the printing press was the dominant force that transformed
the hermeneutic Middle Ages into our scientific society should not be
taken too lightly-especially because the main point is that the press didn't do it
just by making books more available, it did it by changing the thought patterns
of those who learned to read.

Though much of what McLuhan wrote was obscure and arguable, the sum
total to me was a shock that reverberates even now. The computer is a medium!
I had always thought of it as a tool, perhaps a vehicle-a much weaker conception.
What McLuhan was saying is that if the personal computer is a truly new
medium then the very use of it would actually change the thought patterns of an
entire civilization. He had certainly been right about the effects of the electronic
stained-glass window that was television-a remedievalizing tribal influence at
best. The intensely interactive and involving nature of the personal computer
seemed an antiparticle that could annihilate the passive boredom invoked by
television. But it also promised to surpass the book to bring about a new kind of
renaissance by going beyond static representations to dynamic simulation. What
kind of a thinker would you become if you grew up with an active simulator connected,
not just to one point of view, but to all the points of view of the ages represented
so they could be dynamically tried out and compared? I named the
notebook-sized computer idea the Dynabook to capture McLuhan's metaphor
in the silicon to come.

Shortly after reading McLuhan, I visited Wally Feurzeig, Seymour Papert, and
Cynthia Solomon at one of the earliest LOGO tests within a school. I was amazed
to see children writing programs (often recursive) that generated poetry, created
arithmetic environments, and translated English into Pig Latin. And they were
just starting to work with the new wastepaper-basket-sized turtle that roamed
over sheets of butcher paper making drawings with its pen.

I was possessed by the analogy between print literacy and LOGO. While
designing the FLEX machine I had believed that end users needed to be able to
program before the computer could become truly theirs-but here was a real
demonstration, and with children! The ability to "read" a medium means you can
access materials and tools created by others. The ability to "write" in a medium
means you can generate materials and tools for others. You must have both to be
literate. In print writing, the tools you generate are rhetorical; they demonstrate
and convince. In computer writing, the tools you generate are processes; they
simulate and decide.

If the computer is only a vehicle, perhaps you can wait until high school to
give "driver's ed" on it-but ifit's a medium, then it must be extended all the way
into the world of the child. How to do it? Of course it has to be done on the intimate
notebook-sized Dynabook! But how would anyone "read" the Dynabook,
let alone "write" on it?

LOGO showed that a special language designed with the end user's characteristics
in mind could be more successful than a random hack. How had Papert
learned about the nature of children's thought? From Jean Piaget, the doyen of
European cognitive psychologists. One of his most important contributions is the
idea that children go through several distinctive intellectual stages as they develop
from birth to maturity. Much can be accomplished if the nature of the stages is
heeded and much grief to the child can be caused if the stages are ignored. Piaget
noticed a kinesthetic stage, a visual stage, and a symbolic stage. An example is that
children in the visual stage, when shown a squat glass of water poured into a tall
thin one, will say there is more water in the tall thin one even though the pouring
was done in front of their eyes.

One of the ways Papert used Piaget's ideas was to realize that young children
are not well equiped to do "standard" symbolic mathematics until the age of 11
or 12, but that even very young children can do other kinds of math, even advanced
math such as topology and differential geometry, when it is presented in
a form that is well matched to their current thinking processes. The LOGO turtle
with its local coordinate system (like the child, it is always at the center of its
universe) became a highly successful "microworld" for exploring ideas in differential
geometry.

This approach made a big impression on me and got me to read many more
psychology books. Most (including Piaget's) were not very useful, but then I
discovered Jerome Bruner's Towards a Theory of Instruction [1966]. He had repeated
and verified many of Pia get's results, and in the process came up with a
different and much more powerful way to interpret what Piaget had seen. For example,
in the water-pouring experiment, after the child asserted there was more
water in the tall thin glass, Bruner covered it up with a card and asked again. This
time the child said, "There must be the same because where would the water
go?" When Bruner took away the card to again reveal the tall thin glass, the child
immediately changed back to saying there was more water.
When the cardboard was again interposed the child changed yet again. It
was as though one set of processes was doing the reasoning when the child could
see the situation, and another set was employed when the child could not see.
Bruner's interpretation of experiments like tllese is one of the most important
foundations for human-related design. Our mentalium seems to be made up of
multiple separate mentalities with very different characteristics. They reason differently,
have different skills, and often are in conflict. Bruner identified a separate
mentality with each of Piaget's stages: he called them enactive, iconic,
symbolic. While not ignoring tlle existence of other mentalities, he concentrated
on these three to come up with what are still some of the strongest ideas for creating
learning-rich environments.

The work ofPapert convinced me that whatever user interface design might
be, it was solidly intertwined with learning. Bruner convinced me that learning
takes place best environmentally and roughly in stage order-it is best to learn
something kinesthetically, then iconically, and finally the intuitive knowledge will
be in place that will allow the more powerful but less vivid symbolic processes to
work at their strongest. This led me over the years to the pioneers of environmental
learning: Montessori Method, Suzuki Violin, and Tim Gallwey's Inner
Game of Tennis, to name just a few.

My point here is that as soon as I was ready to look deeply at the human element,
and especially after being convinced that the heart of the matter lay with
Bruner's multiple mentality model, I found the knowledge landscape positively
festooned with already accomplished useful work. It was like the man in
Moliere's Bourgeois Gentilhomme who discovered that all his life he had been
speaking prose! I suddenly remembered McLuhan: "I don't know who discovered
water but it wasn't a fish." Because it is in part the duty of consciousness to
represent ourselves to ourselves as simply as possible, we should sorely distrust
our commonsense self view. It is likely that this mirrors-within-mirrors problem
in which we run into a misleading commonsense notion about ourselves at every
turn is what forced psychology to be one of the most recent sciences-if indeed
it yet is.

Now, if we agree with the evidence that the human cognitive facilities are
made up of a doing mentality, an image mentality, and a symbolic mentality, then
any user interface we construct should at least cater to the mechanisms that seem
to be there. But how? One approach is to realize that no single mentality offers
a complete answer to the entire range of thinking and problem solving. User interface
design should integrate them at least as well as Bruner did in his spiral curriculum
ideas.

One of the implications of the Piaget-Bruner decomposition is that the mentalities
originated at very different evolutionary times and there is little probability
that they can intercommunicate and synergize in more than the most rudimentary
fashion. In fact, the mentalities are more likely to interfere with each other as
they compete for control. The study by Hadamard on math and science creativity
[1945] and others on music and the arts indicate strongly that creativity in
these areas is not at all linked to the symbolic mentality (as most theories of
teaching suppose), but that the important work in creative areas is done in the initial
two mentalities-most in the iconic (or figurative) and quite a bit in the enactive.
The groundbreaking work by Tim Gallwey on the "inner game" [1974]
showed what could be done if interference were removed (mentalities not relevant
to the learning were distracted) and attention was facilitated (the mentalities
that could actually do the learning were focused more strongly on the environment).
Finally, in the sixties a number of studies showed just how modeful was a
mentality that had "seized control"-particularly the analytical-problem-solving
one (which identifies most strongly with the Bruner symbolic mentality). For
example, after working on five analytic tasks in a row, if a problem was given that
was trivial to solve figuratively, the solver could be blocked for hours trying to
solve it symbolically.
This makes quite a bit of sense when you consider that the
main jobs of the three mentalities are:

enactive know where you are, manipulate
iconic recognize, compare, configure, concrete
symbolic tie together long chains of reasoning, abstract

The visual system's main job is to be interested in everything in a scene, to
dart over it as one does with a bulletin board, to change context. The symbolic
system's main job is to stay with a context and to make indirect connections.
Imagine what it would be like ifit were reversed. If the visual system looked at the
object it first saw in the morning for five hours straight! Or if the symbolic system
couldn't hold a thought for more than a few seconds at a time!

It is easy to see that one of the main reasons that the figurative system is so creative
is that it tends not to get blocked because of the constant flitting and darting.
The chance of finding an interesting pattern is very high. It is not surprising,
either, that many people who are "figurative" have extreme difficulty getting anything
finished-there is always something new and interesting that pops up to
distract. Conversely, the "symbolic" person is good at getting things done, because
of the long focus on single contexts, but has a hard time being creative, or
even being a good problem solver, because of the extreme tendency to get
blocked. In other words, because none of the mentalities is supremely useful to
the exclusion of the others, the best strategy would be to try to gently force synergy
between them in the user interface design.

Out of all this came the main slogan I coined to express this goal:
Doing with Images makes Symbols

The slogan also implies- as did Bruner-that one should start with- be
grounded in- the concrete "Doing with Images," and be carried into the more
abstract "makes Symbols."

All the ingredients were already around. We were ready to notice what the
theoretical frameworks from other fields of Bruner, Gallwey, and others were trying
to tell us. What is surprising to me is just how long it took to put it all togetller.
After Xerox PARC provided the opportunity to turn these ideas into reality, it still
took our group about five years and experiments with hundreds of users to come
"up with the first practical design that was in accord with Bruner's model and really
worked.

DOING mouse enactive know where you are,
manipulate with IMAGES icons, windows lCOnlC recognize, compare, configure, concrete makes SYMBOLS Smalltalk symbolic tie together long chains of reasoning, abstract

Part of the reason perhaps was that the theory was much better at confirming
that an idea was good than at actually generating the ideas. In fact, in certain
areas like "iconic programming," it actually held back progress, for example, the
simple use of icons as signs, because the siren's song of trying to do symbolic
thinking iconically was just too strong.

Some of the smaller areas were obvious and found their place in the framework
immediately. Probably the most intuitive was the idea of multiple overlapping
windows. NLS had multiple panes, FLEX had multiple windows, and the
bit-map display that we thought was too small, but that was made from individual
pixels, led quickly to the idea that windows could appear to overlap. The contrastive
ideas of Bruner suggested that there should always be a way to compare.
The flitting-about nature of the iconic mentality suggested that having as many
resources showing on the screen as possible would be a good way to encourage
creativity and problem solving and prevent blockage. An intuitive way to use the
windows was to activate the window that the mouse was in and bring it to the
"top." This interaction was modeless in a special sense of the word. The active
window constituted a mode to be sure- one window might hold a painting kit,
another might hold text- but one could get to the next window to do something
in without any special termination. This is what modeless came to mean for methe
user could always get to the next thing desired without any backing out. The
contrast of the nice modeless interactions of windows with the clumsy command
syntax of most previous systems directly suggested that everything should be
made modeless. Thus began a campaign to "get rid of modes."
The object-oriented nature of Smalltalk was very suggestive. For example,
object-oriented means that the object knows what it can do. In the abstract symbolic
arena, it means we should first write the object's name (or whatever will
fetch it) and then follow with a message it can understand that asks it to do something.
In the concrete user-interface arena, it suggests that we should select the
object first. It can then furnish us with a menu of what it is willing to do. In both
cases we have the object first and the desire second. This unifies the concrete
with the abstract in a highly satisfying way.

The most difficult area to get to be modeless was a very tiny one, that of elementary
text editing. How to get rid of "insert" and "replace" modes that had
plagued a decade of editors? Several people arrived at the solution simultaneously.
My route came as the result of several beginning programmer adults who
were having trouble building a paragraph editor in Smalltalk, a problem I thought
should be easy. Over a weekend I built a sample paragraph editor whose main
simplification was that it eliminated the distinction between insert, replace, and
delete by allowing selections to extend between the characters. Thus, there could
be a zero-width selection, and thus every operation could be a replace. " Insert"
meant replace the zero-width selection. "Delete" meant replace the selection
with a zero-width string of characters. I got the tiny one-page program running
in Smalltalk and came in crowing over the victory. Larry Tesler thought it was
great and showed me the idea, already working in his new Gypsy editor (which
he implemented on the basis of a suggestion from Peter Deutsch). So much for
creativity and invention when ideas are in the air. As Goethe noted, the most important
thing is to enjoy the thrill of discovery rather than to make vain attempts
to claim priority! . ..

The only stumbling place for this onrushing braver new world is that all of
its marvels will be very difficult to communicate with, because, as always, the user
interface design that could make it all simple lags far, far behind. If communication
is the watchword, then what do we communicate with and how do we do it?

We communicate with:
• Our selves
• Our tools
• Our colleagues and others
• Our agents

Until now, personal computing has concentrated mostly on the first two. Let
us now extend everything we do to be part of a grand collaboration- with one's
self, one's tools, other humans, and, increasingly, with agents: computer processes
that act as guide, as coach, and as amanuensis. The user interface design will be
the critical factor in the success of this new way to work and play on the computer.
One of the implications is that the "network" will not be seen at all, but
rather "felt" as a shift in capacity and range from that experienced via one's own
hard disk ....

Well, there are so many more new issues that must be explored as well. I say
thank goodness for that. How do we navigate in once-again uncharted waters? I
have always believed that of all the ways to approach the future, the vehicle that
gets you to the most interesting places is Romance. The notion of tool has always
been a romantic idea to humankind- from swords to musical instruments to
personal computers, it has been easy to say: "The best way to predict the future
is to invent it!" The romantic dream of "how nice it would be if ... " often has the
power to bring the vision to life. Though the notion of management of complex
processes has less cachet than that of the hero singlehandedly wielding a sword,
the real romance of management is nothing less than the creation of civilization
itself. What a strange and interesting frontier to investigate. As always, the
strongest weapon we have to explore this new world is the one between our
ears- providing it's loaded!

Reality TV: How to write concepts

2011-11-18T12:00:00.001-05:00

When marketing an original reality-based project to the television industry, be sure to explore the following points before you create and pitch your concept:Why do we watch them?If you look at most of the reality show ideas that get produced, they most often revolve around a specific issue or event that everybody can relate to, and out of that is built a game. They are in essence, game shows. But even more importantly, they are big fun, and often dramatic social experiments. Another thing to remember is that some things are fun to play, and some things are fun to watch. To truly connect with an audience and have entertainment value in a show, you need both.The quality of a reality-based show can span from awful to inspiring. But the reason viewers tune in is because we have an insatiable appetite for witnessing and being entertained by the human experience.Conceiving and Creating:Learn what Producers and Network Executives look for in new projects. Read our exclusive interviews with Industry Executives Here.Be Specific in your concept, and try several approaches- Here’s a typical scenario that will give you an idea of why being specific and unique is important: “Ms. Network Executive” gives a production company executive the inside scoop that they would love to find a show that places contestants in some sort of "fish-out-of-water scenario" and would like it to involve a family. That in itself is a generic idea, but it does send the creative mind in a specific direction. What she’s hoping is that you will be the one to deliver an approach to that concept that is totally unique and something they never would have thought of. They themselves may be spending time trying to develop the concept internally, while also taking pitches from a handful of producers. Many producers will create two or three variations on the same concept. And each of those will give you a different result, a different experience as a viewer, and therefore they are considered by any executive taking stock- different shows. So don’t be afraid to work on several shows within the same theme. It can only increase your chance of making a sale.Choose concepts and subjects that are highly marketable- Titles are very important, they should roll off the tongue easily, provoke conversations, and simply tell you exactly what you’re going to be watching. “Blind Date”, “Temptation Island”, “The Bachelor”, "The Apprentice" are all good examples. Word play is always a good way to grab attention and create curiosity. “Meet the Parents” “Elimidate” “Joe Millionaire” or "Wife Swap" are all specific to what their show is about, but use known phrases to create new titles that peak curiosity.Think of movies- "Story" is a critical element to define when developing a reality-based project. When you look at movies, look at the core concept and story elements of the film, and a reality show just might be staring you smack in the face. “Cannonball Run”, “Meet the Parents”, “Around the World in Eighty Dates” “The Fugitive” are all specific examples of film concepts that have translated into reality-based shows for television.Identify Unique Professions or Lifestyles: One of the simplest and most successful sub-genre of reality show is the documentary style series covering unique professions or lifestyles. These stories serve the insatiable curiosity viewers have to gain insight into other peoples lives and jobs. Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" is a guilty-pleasure glimpse into the spoiled and faux-glamorous lives of a certain group of women in Orange County, California. Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" takes us out on the high seas with Alaskan king crab fishermen battling giant waves and wind as they fight to pull their catch and earn a days pay. Both of these series are covered in documentary style format, so if you have a subject or idea for a reality series that fits into this style, you've got to have the actual people involved to pitch it. Repo men may have a compelling profession, but you'll need to have the stories of the actual, specific repo man that would star in the series. Again, it's not just pitching the idea, but pitching the specific person and profession that the series would be focused on. For help in this area, feel free to contact Scott Manville at the TV Writers Vault for some expert advice.They are plays in morality or social dynamics. “Survivor”, produced by Mark Burnett Productions, is a microcosm of our society. We are stuck living together, therefore we must get along. Each person must strategize to win, but must do so without creating enemies, because it is their neighbor that votes if they can continue or if they get kicked out. It isn’t always fair, and therein lies the fun. In that pressure-cooker atmosphere we see the players true character rise to the surface. Even though the show is set up, you get real drama. Another example: To put a group of young adults together in the same house that are strangers, living, working and playing creates an inherent “soap opera” for the audience to watch. That was Bunim/Murray Productions’ “The Real World”, and it opened up the young viewing audience to a new form of compelling TV. Documentary-style coverage of a set-up situation.A recent television hit, "The Apprentice", another Mark Burnett brainchild, has similar game elements to that of Survivor but takes place in a different jungle- the corporate jungle. Aspiring business mavens must work together under the scrutinizing eye of Donald Trump. Poor performers of the weekly business task face Trump in his boardroom where each week one person is fired. A marketing person will tell you that people will tune into this show to see Trump fire someone each week. True! But the reason viewers find it compelling to watch is because of the specific moments of drama that come out of situations and challenges that face us all. As in most dramatized pieces, it is a "heightened reality" that makes it entertaining to watch.A show that has branded the cable network of Bravo with a "Network Hit", "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"is a simple and entertaining formula that brings opposite worlds together when hapless straight guys are thrown to the mercy of five gay experts in all that is hip and chic, in hopes of resurrecting their lifestyle and appearance. The result of bringing these two mismatches together.... comedy and quality entertainment. The lynch pin in this show isn't the obvious "comedy that ensues", but the heart strings that the show touches when someone's life is changed for the better. You'll notice this as the root of any successful makeover show. It's not about the makeup and furniture, it's about changing lives.A new show that's getting great critical acclaim in reality programming is "Wife Swap" on ABC. Beyond being a "fish-out-of-water" concept, the show is built on casting "oil and water". Husbands and wives discover the grass ISN'T always greener when they swap husbands or wives to experience family life through someone else's perspective and practices.Another good example was the WB reality series, “High School Reunion”. A production executive went to their high school reunion and experienced the organic drama and issues that are alive at any high-school reunion. That was the nucleus of what became a prime-time reality show. The show keys on the characters we all know; the beauty queen, the jock, the nerd, the bully, the loner, the gossipers, the rockers, etc. They chose to build the show around a ten-year reunion because having most of the people at age 28, they’ll find a large chasm in the career and life progress of each person. Some will already be huge successes, some will have taken turns for the worse, most will be insecure and frustrated. Again, it is all built for drama. And you can be sure that there will be humor with revenge fantasies played out, unrequited love rekindled, or even a grudge match between the ex-nerd turned judo champ and the ex-bully turned couch potato. It’s something we all relate to, and fun to watch.ABC’s hit franchise “The Bachelor” is both simple in concept and execution, but what the Producers of the show know how to do is pull drama from specific moments of tension and anticipation. It’s classy, it’s romantic, and again- it’s real drama that we’re watching. And one thing that puts it a cut above the rest is that it isn’t necessarily a journey of breaking hearts as much as it is a journey of two people finding true love with each other (that hopefully lasts beyond the air-date of the show). The show romanticizes the courting process and we can't get enough of it.Another form of reality-based programming that's come back into play has been the hidden-camera show. A few of the more popular shows have been “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment” and "Punked". The segments are semi-scripted for direction, but improvised by the actors involved with the "marks" that the joke is being played out on. The concept is simple but limitless- You have very talented improv actors posing as a variety of characters in varying situations that are all fabricated, and always funny. Unsuspecting “marks” become players in what is essentially an unscripted scene of comedy and drama..The following is a simple structure (content not included) of presentation for any project, and is similar to the registration/submission form used for the Television Writers Vault. Most project outlines describing a show will be 1 to 5 pages in length:AUTHOR NAME :TITLE OF SHOW :FORMAT OF SHOW ("Reality Series", "Game Show", "Made-for-TV-Movie", "Drama Series" etc.) :Reg.Writers Guild of America # or www.CreatorsVault.com registration number (Recommended, but not mandatory):LOGLINE (1 or 2 sentence description of your concept. Similar to what you might see in TV Guide or on a poster for a movie, but a bit more descriptive of content). TREATMENT (Synopsis, Outline) A detailed description of your show as we would see it on TV. Usually 1 to 5 pages in length).It's important to be efficient with your descriptions, yet give enough information to provoke interest of the reader. The golden rule: Show the reader what we are watching.There is no “right” way to form a TV pitch for the various reality-based and scripted genres in television. However, there are philosophies and formats that will help the buyer see more clearly what your TV show idea is, and it’s potential. Following are a few samples of written pitches for reality show concepts. These are very basic synopsis' written. A more developed and expansive version can be written at any point in the development process.Sample "Treatment/Synopsis" For A Reality TV Show Proposal: The following original concept is protected by the Creators Vault and Writers Guild of America. If you wish to contact the author for proposal of purchase, please do so HERE. I.P. Addresses and report-back features are recorded upon browsing this page for security, and to prevent intellectual property theft.Author Name Available Upon RequestGenre: Reality SeriesTitle:"Broadway Bound!"Logline (short pitch):"Waiting For Guffman" meets "American Idol". A flamboyant Broadway director and choreographer descend on a small town, infiltrating the local play. One performer will be taken back to Broadway for a featured part in a real Broadway show.Synopsis: [content should be 3 to 7 paragraphs outlining the content of the show as it unfolds. Be specific and original in your execution](Themes: Reality-based, fantasy fulfillment, talent performance, comedy)A docu-series for television In every small town, there are big dreams…In Washbuckle, Missouri the regional theatre holds open casting calls for their annual musical review. Some members of the troupe have dreams of making it to Broadway or Hollywood. Others are content in being the star of Washbuckle, Missouri hogging what little limelight there is year after year.But what happens when, just one week before opening night, a ruthless Broadway Director and Choreographer drops into town with the agenda of taking control of the small town production while scouting for talent to find his “star”? It’s a fascinating look at big dreams in small town America.The personal stories and archetypical characters that collide as opening night approaches. The ego-maniacal local theatre director getting systematically pushed aside by the big-city Broadway director. The humorous moments as the city-slickers struggle to tolerate the small town ways and mentality. The infighting among potential cast members. The panic that ensues as the cast, choreography, and production are turned on it’s tail at the eleventh hour. The inspiring moments that rise to the surface amidst the chaos of opening night…. And “the decision”. One person from the cast will be chosen for a spot in a hit Broadway production, a trip to Hollywood for a spot on a soap-opera and every chance they could ever hope for being famous?Seven episodes:1. Meet the town folk. Get to know the key characters and the theatre group. We’ll also watch in parallel the merciless Broadway Director in action in New York, seeing the contrasts in both characters. We’ll take a humorous look at the awful auditions for the small town play. We’ll see the announcement (or rumor) of the impending arrival of the Broadway Director scouting for talent, and witness the anxiety that is infused in each of our small town characters fighting to get into the play.2. In-fighting, tensions escalating, accusations, the director starts feeling the pressure. People are cast. Hearts are broken, hopes are sparked. They have a first run-through with the cast. The mysterious Broadway director in black sits in the back. (Imagine a Simon Cowell) snapping from the back row, “Stop! Every one of you STOP!!” He then marches down the isle. An imposing figure. He introduces himself and delivers the news that he has come to find talent. And someone from this town, in this play, will be chosen. He goes on about how he sees nothing but problems. The play will be re-cast, the production will stop now! (One week before opening night)3. The new director and small-town director fight. Cast members protest. New auditions are held, and performances scrutinized. A new cast is announced, and from that cast will come his “star”. 4. The pressure is on to bring it together for opening night, we’ll cover four days of rehearsals, as well as the personal struggles surrounding the production. Anticipation, anxiety, resentment, hope, adrenaline. Opening night! We see the performance and the reactions of our Broadway director. Cliff-hanger for his decision on who will be Broadway bound!5. Re-cap of the series, the performances, the arguments, and finally… the decision. One of the people that landed a role, large or small in this little play is chosen. We share in the afterglow, the elation, and the disappointment of others. And sharing a dream come true for that one person selected.6. Broadway New York!! Our winner is whisked around like a star. Taken backstage of a REAL Broadway production, immersed in the whole lifestyle. Meetings with Hollywood talent scouts, directors of other productions, agents, etc.7. We see our small town hero take his leap of faith, jumping headfirst into a Broadway show. A dream is realized.ENDSample "Treatment/Synopsis" For A Reality TV Proposal: The following original concept is protected by the Creators Vault and Writers Guild of America. If you wish to contact the author for proposal of purchase, please do so HERE. I.P. Addresses and report-back features are recorded upon browsing this page for security, and to prevent intellectual property theft.Author Name Available Upon RequestGenre: Reality SeriesTitle:"The Last Tango"Logline (short pitch): Temptation Island” meets “Around the World in Eighty Dates”Synopsis:Five un-married couples will be brought together for a relationship-altering journey. In this series, each person will explore and discover what their relationship is really made of when faced with The Last Tango. Those couples cast will be currently involved in a “long engagement” or living together as boyfriend/girlfriend for an extended period. All will be at a turning point, or breaking point in their relationships.Each couple will be separated into groups of five men and five women. We will then follow each group of men and women on a romp-around-America Last Tango before marriage. Locales will be Hawaii, Las Vegas, Nashville, New York City, Beverly Hills, and Miami. On their journey they will be set-up at events, outings, and other social adventures where they will meet and spend time with a variety of tempting prospects or “dates”.Each of our couples will be privy to fear-provoking information about their significant other’s activities while they themselves are in the midst of their own journey of temptation, or perhaps the discovery of a new love. It’s a triangle of conflict that will boil over into the final episode when our couples are reunited.========[SAMPLE EPISODE SEGMENTS DETAILED IN THIS PORTION]========Final Episode: One person of each couple does not know they will return from their Sabbatical to face an ultimatum by their partner on Live TV. It is at that moment they will be confronted by their significant other who poses the ultimatum; “Marry me now, or lose me forever”.Each relationship faces peril or a prize; to part separate ways or get married at that moment. Ten adventures, five couples, five ultimatums, all leading to five moments of drama on Live TV.For some it will be the final straw. For others, a new beginning.“Can your relationship survive The Last Tango?”END

10 strategic benefits of Google+ brand pages

2011-11-17T09:41:00.001-05:00

With the combination of 40 million users in a little more than 88 days, and a 68 percent share of the search market, Google is positioned to fully maximize social engagement with Google+. The initial launch strategy was primarily consumer focused and any branded solutions were put on hold. With the recent release of Google+ pages, now is the time to define your brand's strategy when it comes to fully maximizing the benefits of Google+ both short and long term. There has been a lot of discussion about how Google+ compares to Facebook and the ideal ways to leverage the platforms. It is important to note that even though there are many similarities, the fact remains that both platforms have some major differences and strategy around maximizing resource allocation will be key moving forward.On the surface the two networks are eerily similar. Both have status updates (news feeds and streams), photo sharing, social games, and external activators ("like" button and +1). Further, they both enable third-party development, integration with mobile, and a desire to connect and share. But the fundamental difference is that Facebook is a true social network -- and has been from day one -- and that is the true strength of the platform. Google+ appears to be a social network but is actually a representation of the evolution of user behavior tied to relevant content, search, discoverability, and connection.Thus, when it comes to maximizing your Facebook strategy, be it acquisition, engagement, or advocacy, it is fairly self-contained within Facebook's walled garden, with the ability to aggregate content to third-party locations and a limited contextual impact on topical search results. That being said, one of the key points of differentiation is how Google+ content is directly relevant to search results, and how that will potentially drive business value around the +1 as it is pervasive beyond Google+.This statement was just reaffirmed by an email I received from Google this morning: "Your +1's reach not only the 40 million users of Google+, but all users who come to Google every day."Here are 10 potential strategic advantages and benefits for brands to incorporate Google+ into their 2012 social and search strategies.Potential brand benefits of Google+ brand pagesIntegration with Google searchGoogle currently owns 68 percent of search market share. The fact that the Google +1 icon is now a part of every Google search result shows a glimpse of the level of integration Google has in store for users and brands alike. A user can directly recommend a link from search results, and that recommendation is simultaneously shared on the user's Google+ +1 profile section. By combining paid search and incenting +1 behaviors, you can begin to see the potential of this level of integration. The user may not be actively engaged on Google+, but the ability to drive a user to engage by recommending content with the click of a single button is appealing.Now, you can also automatically add Google+ pages to your circles from Google Search. Here is an example of a search for BlackFin360. I choose to +1 the page:The +1 is then aggregated into my Google+ profile under +1s.Google +1Similar to the Facebook "like" button, the Google +1 button has the opportunity to truly transcend the platform by driving significant third-party integration. In fact the Google +1 button overtook the Twitter tweet button on most major websites, with a 33 percent spike in integration recently. Granted, it is still far behind the "like" button in terms of saturation, but the fact that both Facebook and Google+ drive engagement to a central destination -- as opposed to simply being a conduit to various destinations such as Twitter -- shows the potential of third-party integrations to drive engagement.According to Google, "People can now recommend your brand, not just your individual ads or sites, helping your +1's add up faster."The +1's value goes beyond Google+ and really speaks to the longer-term goal of Google, which is true integration and relevance across social and search content. This is an incredibly smart move by Google. What will really win the day for Google is the ability to connect social, search, and self-service profiling. This will further enable brand sites more so than Facebook's internalized approach. Further, with the addition of the +1 to image searches as well as integration with YouTube, it is possible to drive additional +1s from multiple points.Direct connectNow you can also automatically add Google+ pages to your circles from Google search. By adding +BrandName as part of your search query, you will be taken directly to the brands Google+ page and have the ability to add to your circles. This is not immediately available and certain steps have to be taken in order to enable this process, but the potential benefits are significant.Circles and user segmentationAllowing brands to potentially segment fans is a big win. One of the issues with brand management on Facebook is tied to messaging across audience segments. By allowing brands to seamlessly categorize fans, it allows the style of engagement to change dramatically. Imagine if you are driving engagement with 13- to17-year-old segments as well as 18- to 24-year-olds. The brand and social persona's associated with content could shift to further driving engagement based on audience segment versus a one-size-fits-all approach.One important note about "circles" for pages is that the brand page cannot add people to its circles until users have already added the page to one of their circles. This is primarily based on messaging to users and having to opt-in by adding the brand into their circles first. Another major change from the user profiles is that all content is set to public.When it comes to driving an acquisition strategy within Google+ as a brand, it is initially inherently more valuable for a user to add you to a circle as opposed to giving you a +1. Think of it this way: The addition to a user circle is equivalent to a Facebook "like" in terms of impact to the stream and ability to interact directly with users.Branded circles are arranged by Following, Customers, VIPs, and Team Members.Google advertising programs Google+ will inherently "increase the performance of your ads: +1's surface recommendations in search and display ads." (Or so the email from Google referenced.) Looking at the tightly coupled integration with social content, relevance associated with interests within Sparks and Google's display network, Google AdWords and Double Click advertising products, and how robust Google Analytics can be in comparison to Facebook Insights, it is easy to see the strategic benefit to a brand to take advantage of this level of integration.Sparks and recommendation engineOne of the most impactful elements of Google+ for brands is potentially Sparks. Brands could focus advertising dollars on Sparks programs that are relevant to their brands and product offerings. Taking it a step further, creation of a recommended or +1 relevance based on users and circles sparks, or interests, that is socially shared could be very compelling. This would be very similar to Facebook's sponsored stories.YouTube, Hangouts, and Google TV integration With YouTube a part of the Google family, Google+ integration was sure to be a part of the strategy. The inherent social nature of YouTube translates well in terms of integration of +1 -- embedding video and further integrating the YouTube and Google+ experience to make sharing and recommending content even easier. From a brand perspective, being able to distribute unique, consumer-generated content that is relevant to the brand while driving +1s back to a brand page is very appealing. One of the interesting additions was also the decision to integrate Hangouts with YouTube's sharing options.Now a brand can post video content and possibly give a product preview to VIPs or influencers. This takes the traditional webinar and flips it into a more engaging way to drive F2F discussions.One area that really intrigues me is how Google TV may integrate with Google+ to create a truly social entertainment experience. I envision further integration between Google TV, YouTube, Hulu, and Android to drive truly integrated entertainment experiences across screens. From a media perspective, you could bridge the gap between traditional and digital placement by incorporating a relevant ad placement via information collected from Sparks and Google Search. This to me is the future of enhanced television.Google+ and social gamingGoogle invested $100 million into Zynga in 2010, and recently rolled out Google+ Games. With more than half of Facebook's 700 million users using Facebook social games every day, it is a key motivator for brands to monitor the Google Games offering. Keep an eye out for how Zynga and others align with Google+ to further drive engagement, creation of options to add users into brand circles, and how game engagement will translate to the Google AdWords program.The success of recent brand integrations on Facebook with FarmVille, including a recent world record for driving "likes," has forced brand managers to take notice of the power of social games and strategic partnerships with the game providers. With the additional layers of integration found with Google+, it will be interesting to see who can quickly capitalize.Third-party development platformOne of the keys to successful Facebook engagement has been the enablement of third-party developers to create an application ecosystem within the platform. As with the recent rollout of Google+ Games, Google+ will provide developers access to relevant APIs, as it has done in the past, and the ability to extend the platform. This is crucial to creating opportunities to engage and differentiate on the platform.Take a look at Google's robust APIs (click to enlarge):Android integration With the Android's market share currently at 49.5 percent, integration with Google+ is a key point of differentiation for both Google+ and Android. With both an app and web version of Google+, and an Android exclusive with the Google+ Huddle functionality, the level of integration between Android and Google+ is palpable. With the recent release of Ice Cream Sandwich, Android's latest operating system, Google+ also saw a major revamp in terms of user interface and the ability to interact with the platform and share directly from Android devices. With the streamlined changes, and the AdMob and Adsense offerings, it will be very interesting to see how brands fully capitalize on +1 and mobile behaviors to further drive engagement and relevant ad serving.Other areas of focus and interest will be how international or localized regions are supported in terms of aggregating brand +1s, and how the Google+ commerce and currency platform strategies will unfold.Brands will need to evaluate the true reach and amplification of the +1 from an earned media perspective. Be sure to note the differences in what shows up individually in your streams versus what is tied to content. With Facebook, one of the secrets outside of EdgeRank is the level of detail that is shown by interaction.There is enough evidence of the potential benefit of Google+ brand pages to dedicate time and ample resources to develop a platform-related digital strategy heading into 2012.Tom Edwards is SVP of digital strategy and emerging technology at Red Urban.

Chinese self-immolation (Warning! Hard to Watch)

2011-11-16T16:46:00.001-05:00

Guiness Book of Records for Smoke on the Water

2011-11-03T11:12:00.002-05:00

Tree of Life Evolution Scene

2011-10-31T21:36:00.000-05:00

Leni Riefenstahl: eat your heart out

2011-10-30T16:25:00.000-05:00

Cinema Paradiso Ending and Titles

2011-10-30T15:56:00.001-05:00

Occupy Wall Street to "Think Different" Apple Commercial

2011-10-21T02:08:00.001-05:00

Unexpected story lines are great. Spoiler Alert!

2011-10-11T12:06:00.002-05:00

Game of Thrones Episode 9 Review - "Long Live Lord Eddard Stark!!!!!!" | LookEnd

The first to do this was Hitchcock in "Psycho".

2011-10-05T19:30:00.001-05:00

Steve Jobs Dies. Best Steve Jobs Quotes
By Jennifer Valentino-DeVries

Below, a compendium of some of the best Steve Jobs quotes.

On Technology
“It takes these very simple-minded instructions—‘Go fetch a number, add it to this number, put the result there, perceive if it’s greater than this other number’––but executes them at a rate of, let’s say, 1,000,000 per second. At 1,000,000 per second, the results appear to be magic.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“The problem is I’m older now, I’m 40 years old, and this stuff doesn’t change the world. It really doesn’t.
“I’m sorry, it’s true. Having children really changes your view on these things. We’re born, we live for a brief instant, and we die. It’s been happening for a long time. Technology is not changing it much — if at all.
“These technologies can make life easier, can let us touch people we might not otherwise. You may have a child with a birth defect and be able to get in touch with other parents and support groups, get medical information, the latest experimental drugs. These things can profoundly influence life. I’m not downplaying that.
“But it’s a disservice to constantly put things in this radical new light — that it’s going to change everything. Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” [Wired, February 1996]

***

“I think it’s brought the world a lot closer together, and will continue to do that. There are downsides to everything; there are unintended consequences to everything. The most corrosive piece of technology that I’ve ever seen is called television — but then, again, television, at its best, is magnificent.” [Rolling Stone, Dec. 3, 2003]
On Design
“We think the Mac will sell zillions, but we didn’t build the Mac for anybody else. We built it for ourselves. We were the group of people who were going to judge whether it was great or not. We weren’t going to go out and do market research. We just wanted to build the best thing we could build.
When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it’s all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don’t take the time to do that.
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.
“Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have. [Wired, February 1996]

***

“For something this complicated, it’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”
“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” [BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998, in a profile that also included the following gem: "Steve clearly has done an incredible job," says former Apple Chief Financial Officer Joseph Graziano. "But the $64,000 question is: Will Apple ever resume growth?"]

***

“This is what customers pay us for–to sweat all these details so it’s easy and pleasant for them to use our computers. We’re supposed to be really good at this. That doesn’t mean we don’t listen to customers, but it’s hard for them to tell you what they want when they’ve never seen anything remotely like it. Take desktop video editing. I never got one request from someone who wanted to edit movies on his computer. Yet now that people see it, they say, ‘Oh my God, that’s great!’” [Fortune, January 24 2000]

***

“Look at the design of a lot of consumer products — they’re really complicated surfaces. We tried to make something much more holistic and simple. When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop there. But if you keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can often times arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions. Most people just don’t put in the time or energy to get there. We believe that customers are smart, and want objects which are well thought through.” [MSNBC and Newsweek interview, Oct. 14, 2006]
On His Products
“I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard on something, but working on Macintosh was the neatest experience of my life. Almost everyone who worked on it will say that. None of us wanted to release it at the end. It was as though we knew that once it was out of our hands, it wouldn’t be ours anymore. When we finally presented it at the shareholders’ meeting, everyone in the auditorium gave it a five-minute ovation. What was incredible to me was that I could see the Mac team in the first few rows. It was as though none of us could believe we’d actually finished it. Everyone started crying.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

Playboy: We were warned about you: Before this Interview began, someone said we were “about to be snowed by the best.”
[Smiling] “We’re just enthusiastic about what we do.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“We made the buttons on the screen look so good you’ll want to lick them.” [On Mac OS X, Fortune, Jan. 24, 2000]

***

“It will go down in history as a turning point for the music industry. This is landmark stuff. I can’t overestimate it!” [On the iTunes Music Store, Fortune, May 12, 2003]

***

“Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything. … One is very fortunate if you get to work on just one of these in your career. Apple’s been very fortunate it’s been able to introduce a few of these into the world.” [Announcement of the iPhone, Jan. 9, 2007]
On Business
“You know, my main reaction to this money thing is that it’s humorous, all the attention to it, because it’s hardly the most insightful or valuable thing that’s happened to me.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” [The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993]

***

Q: There’s a lot of symbolism to your return. Is that going to be enough to reinvigorate the company with a sense of magic?
“You’re missing it. This is not a one-man show. What’s reinvigorating this company is two things: One, there’s a lot of really talented people in this company who listened to the world tell them they were losers for a couple of years, and some of them were on the verge of starting to believe it themselves. But they’re not losers. What they didn’t have was a good set of coaches, a good plan. A good senior management team. But they have that now.” [BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998]

***

“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” [Fortune, Nov. 9, 1998]

***

“The cure for Apple is not cost-cutting. The cure for Apple is to innovate its way out of its current predicament.” [Apple Confidential: The Real Story of Apple Computer Inc., May 1999]

***

“The problem with the Internet startup craze isn’t that too many people are starting companies; it’s that too many people aren’t sticking with it. That’s somewhat understandable, because there are many moments that are filled with despair and agony, when you have to fire people and cancel things and deal with very difficult situations. That’s when you find out who you are and what your values are.
“So when these people sell out, even though they get fabulously rich, they’re gypping themselves out of one of the potentially most rewarding experiences of their unfolding lives. Without it, they may never know their values or how to keep their newfound wealth in perspective.” [Fortune, Jan. 24, 2000]

***

“The system is that there is no system. That doesn’t mean we don’t have process. Apple is a very disciplined company, and we have great processes. But that’s not what it’s about. Process makes you more efficient.
“But innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized something that shoots holes in how we’ve been thinking about a problem. It’s ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea.
“And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We’re always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it’s only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important. [BusinessWeek, Oct. 12, 2004]
On His Competitors
Playboy: Are you saying that the people who made PCjr don’t have that kind of pride in the product?
“If they did, they wouldn’t have made the PCjr.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“Some people are saying that we ought to put an IBM PC on every desk in America to improve productivity. It won’t work. The special incantations you have to learn this time are the “slash q-zs” and things like that. The manual for WordStar, the most popular word-processing program, is 400 pages thick. To write a novel, you have to read a novel––one that reads like a mystery to most people. They’re not going to learn slash q-z any more than they’re going to learn Morse code. That is what Macintosh is all about.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste. They have absolutely no taste. And I don’t mean that in a small way, I mean that in a big way, in the sense that they don’t think of original ideas, and they don’t bring much culture into their products.”
“I am saddened, not by Microsoft’s success — I have no problem with their success. They’ve earned their success, for the most part. I have a problem with the fact that they just make really third-rate products.” [Triumph of the Nerds, 1996]

***

“I wish him the best, I really do. I just think he and Microsoft are a bit narrow. He’d be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger.” [On Bill Gates, The New York Times, Jan. 12, 1997]
On Predicting the Future
“I’ll always stay connected with Apple. I hope that throughout my life I’ll sort of have the thread of my life and the thread of Apple weave in and out of each other, like a tapestry. There may be a few years when I’m not there, but I’ll always come back. [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“The most compelling reason for most people to buy a computer for the home will be to link it to a nationwide communications network. We’re just in the beginning stages of what will be a truly remarkable breakthrough for most people––as remarkable as the telephone.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“The desktop computer industry is dead. Innovation has virtually ceased. Microsoft dominates with very little innovation. That’s over. Apple lost. The desktop market has entered the dark ages, and it’s going to be in the dark ages for the next 10 years, or certainly for the rest of this decade.
“It’s like when IBM drove a lot of innovation out of the computer industry before the microprocessor came along. Eventually, Microsoft will crumble because of complacency, and maybe some new things will grow. But until that happens, until there’s some fundamental technology shift, it’s just over.” [Wired, February 1996]

***

The desktop metaphor was invented because one, you were a stand-alone device, and two, you had to manage your own storage. That’s a very big thing in a desktop world. And that may go away. You may not have to manage your own storage. You may not store much before too long. [Wired, February 1996]
On Life
“It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy.” [1982, quoted in Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple, 1987]

***

“When you’re young, you look at television and think, There’s a conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down. But when you get a little older, you realize that’s not true. The networks are in business to give people exactly what they want. That’s a far more depressing thought. Conspiracy is optimistic! You can shoot the bastards! We can have a revolution! But the networks are really in business to give people what they want. It’s the truth.” [Wired, February 1996]

***

“I’m an optimist in the sense that I believe humans are noble and honorable, and some of them are really smart. I have a very optimistic view of individuals. As individuals, people are inherently good. I have a somewhat more pessimistic view of people in groups. And I remain extremely concerned when I see what’s happening in our country, which is in many ways the luckiest place in the world. We don’t seem to be excited about making our country a better place for our kids.” [Wired, February 1996]

***

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

***

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

***

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

***

“I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.” [NBC Nightly News, May 2006]

***

And One More Thing

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]
Follow Jennifer Valentino-DeVries on Twitter @jenvalentino.

Tilt Shift Video

2011-09-22T09:38:00.001-05:00

2011-09-22T08:57:00.001-05:00

Facebook workshop

A quick note about a couple of the updates to Facebook that came out today. One of the biggest for us to be aware of seems to be a change in how "liking" content translates to it being published.

As of today, when a user "likes" content within Facebook, that will no longer be published on their wall or in a news feed. So, if I go to Athenos.com and "like" a video we post, a post by Yiayia, or anything else that we have posted to the page, that will no longer be published and pushed out to my friends in my news feed. In order to publicize content, I would need to choose "share" instead. For content from another site outside of Facebook (ie. Yiatube), it will still be published to my wall and news feed if I "like" or "recommend" something.

This will probably result in less overall impressions for brands, but may also shift user behaviors in cases where they were intending to actually publicize their support of content. In that sense, it could make being "shared" a more valuable metric to watch now, as users will be making a more conscious decision to broadcast their support of content.

Also, brands can no longer block users from commenting on their walls until they become fans. For us, this basically means you can't assume your number of fans equates to the number of people who have interacted with your page - because they can interact with it without ever becoming a fan. Just something else to keep in mind when looking into Facebook metrics.

Baby birth on Google Street View

2011-09-21T09:10:00.001-05:00

Tim Leake at Saatchi & Saatchi, NYC on Hyper Island

2011-09-16T09:04:00.000-05:00

“Three days of rewiring your brain”. That’s how Tim Leake at Saatchi & Saatchi, New York describes the Hyper Island Master Class. The Hyper Island speaker – who books meetings with himself and runs away from anyone who calls themself an expert – shares his view on the industry where change is your only constant.

How and why did you first get involved with the Hyper Island Master Class?
I signed up for the very first Master Class that Hyper Island did here in the United States, about a year and a half or 2 years ago. I come from a very traditional background and I have always been into digital stuff but not practicing it as a professional so it was overwhelming to me. It was scary and I could tell it was changing the industry. But I couldn’t put my finger on how and what I was supposed to do about that. I had taken on a role where I had kind of volunteered myself within my group at Saatchi to lead this change. And when I was reading the description of what the Hyper Island Master Class is meant to achieve I said ‘YES! That is exactly what I need’. After that first Master Class, I kept in touch with Anders Sjöstedt, the managing director at Hyper Island, US. We would just get together for breakfast and chat about how things were going. Eventually that led to me putting together a presentation on implementation. The one big thing that was missing from the original class I felt was some specifics on how to take the sort of ‘perfect world’ you are dealing with in these three days and actually apply it in your daily work. So I started doing that presentation and that eventually lead to speaking on other topics as well, and now I am much more involved with Hyper Island on many levels, which has been fantastic.

So, what is a Hyper Island Master Class? How would you describe it?
In a nutshell it’s three days of rewiring your brain to prepare for this digital world. It’s three days where thought and reflection becomes more important than just responding to emails, which is a really important thing these days. You get to sit down and focus on the right things for a little bit.

What do you think the ideal conditions are to inspire creativity?
In general you need the freedom to fail and the freedom to look stupid. If you are talking ideal conditions you need to remove judgements. You either have to be the sort of person that does not care about judgements or you have to some- what remove them from the equation so you have the freedom to try new things and you need not be worried about the fact that they may or may not work.
Lack of focus is becoming a huge problem. As we get bombarded by more stimuli we start to lose focus. “Ok I need to check Twitter, I need to check Facebook, I need to check my emails, I need to read up on Quora, there’s all these blogs I want to read”. Cultivating an environment that allows people to focus is a really important thing for creativity. Not that you need a lot of time but you need to be able to focus on things for at least a little bit without being distracted.

So on that note…focus, how do you get in the zone?
I think a stopwatch helps. There’s something tangible about starting a stopwatch that lets me know ‘ok now I am working on this’ and I am going to keep working on it until the stop watch gives up, however much time you want that to be. I also think pulling the Ethernet cable out of your computer helps so there are no new emails coming your way and you are just focused on working.
I also like booking meetings with myself. Nobody questions meetings. So, if I book the conference room for a two-hour meeting, I can just go there and work. Sometimes I don’t even have anything planned for that time. I just go in and focus on something. It tends to be a huge help.

In your opinion, how does a Master Class help professionals face the challenges currently faced by the industry?
The biggest current challenge we have to deal with now is constant change. And so it’s not necessarily some technical or technological thing we need to bone up on because a few years ago we thought it was flash. Flash is not as big of a deal now as it was five years ago and five years from now it might not even be around anymore. What we need to do is get really good at change because in a changing industry, in a changing environment, the change itself is your only constant. So if you understand how to adapt to change you will always understand how to keep up with everything.
I think that is the biggest thing that I walked away from the Master Class with. It gave me a skill set and a mind set to constantly keep up with change. And I do think it really does open your mind. It gives you a certain sense of clarity. “Oh, this isn’t as scary as I might have thought”. There is so much out there that you can’t understand but it is not nearly as daunting as a lot of people might think, because once you start to look at the unknown as being something exciting, something you want to go figure out, then it’s a fun challenge rather than something intimidating.

What have you learned about learning?
Learning never stops. Anyone that ever calls him- or herself an expert on anything is a person you need to run away from, really fast.
People act like they know it all when, in fact, the world and the environment are changing around them. So it’s the person who is constantly questioning and trying something else that I am attracted to. They are the ones we want to be around because they are going to discover new things and new ways of solving problems.

What is yesterday?
A lot of people in the tech world are chronic neophytes. It’s always about “what’s the next best thing”. They are already bored of Quora or Foursquare, which are still relatively new. I’m not really like that. I actually think there is a huge opportunity when something like Facebook becomes widespread. That’s when it has a real opportunity to be useful and valuable.
I don’t know why we are constantly looking for the next Twitter, when Twitter itself hasn’t necessarily been fully realized yet.
There’s a greater utility to the things that are seemingly boring, and ‘yesterday’. Everybody is using them and they become a mass communication tool. Television, in a way, is yesterday yet it’s still vital to most people in everyday life. It’s still a very relevant medium. It just needs to be used in the context of a digital world.

What is today?
Today is a little easier to define. The buzz is in social and in mobile. The ability to have a phone or an iPad, or whatever, with you all the time means that you are always connected. And the way that social spreads ideas and helps keep communication instantaneous on a mass level – as opposed to an email which is instantaneous but on a one-on-one level. That’s all really interesting. Some people would still call those things “yesterday” because they are already bored of them. In my mind this is what’s happening right now. It’s where the little revolutions are taking place.

What do you see as the major future development – the seed that is going to grow?
I don’t know if it’s possible, but I wish for simplicity, clarity and truth. There is so much information flying around the Internet and anybody can put anything out there. I wish some coder out there would create some algorithm for truth. I think that would be huge.
“Speed” is another trend that needs addressing. The crowd moves a lot faster than organisations can. I think the next big thing, over the next 5 years, will be the tools that can help organizations keep pace and respond to the crowd.

Some thoughts on today's new media

2011-09-16T08:56:00.001-05:00

A brand should insert itself meaningfully into people’s
lives by enabling and enriching their existing behaviors,
not by requiring new ones.

Go and find some really relevant content
you would like to communicate and then choose the
best medium channel through which to address the
desired people.

In most cases, however, you need paid media, press
and word of mouth, to draw people’s attention towards
owned media. Yet then owned media provide a
means to bind and keep these people.

Where paid media, press and word of mouth
work rather like a sieve (one goes in and out again, just
a few stay), owned media are the collecting basin to
keep all those purchased contacts.

Many companies and agencies still believe that an
additional website and banner ad turn their traditional
campaign automatically into an integrated campaign.
Over the last few years, we have formed our own opinion
on this and have spotted three different types of integrated
campaigns.

1. The adaptive campaign

Let’s say you have an idea for a great TV spot, for instance.
Now you think of how this TV spot could look
like printed, as a banner ad and as a website. Still basically,
each execution is the same. This may make every
execution very recognizable, but also lame. There is a
reason why you get annoyed when you see the same TV
commercial four times in a row. Many creatives already
call this an “integrated campaign”, but we would rather
call this an “adaptive campaign”.

2. The integrated campaign

You have a medium-independent idea based on an insight
that suits your brand or product. Based on this
idea, you come up with concepts for all required campaign
media (TV, print, web, out of home, etc.). Compared
with the adaptive campaign, the individual media
display the campaign idea in their very own way.
Here, each campaign component has its own idea, tailor-
made to fit the respective medium.
So, let’s say your campaign idea is “Deals so good, happiness
is hard to hide”. Here, the TV spot shows people
who are unable to bargain anymore, since they can’t
manage to suppress their joy. Online, you can hire a virtual
“dealer” to negotiate on your behalf on Craigslist
etc. No award winner here, but you get the point.
The result: People discover and experience more and
more with each campaign component, but perceive
the overall campaign as one whole, integrated experience.
This is, for us, the basic version of an integrated
campaign.

3. Integrated campaign with event character

You have a medium-independent idea that feels already
press worthy without any execution. Based on
this idea, which is usually of an event nature, creating
TV spots, banner ads or funny Facebook apps comes
easy. A good example for this would be Crispin’s Coke
Zero campaign.
The idea: “Coke Zero” tastes like Coke; that’s why Coke
sues “Coke Zero” and thus, basically themselves. On TV,
real-life reactions of lawyers on this were shown and
online you were able to sue your friends for the same
taste.
Other good examples are the “The Best Job in the World”
campaign in which you were able to win the job of your
dreams of becoming a paid inhabitant of an Australian
island, or Burger King’s “Whopper Freakout” campaign
in which the Whopper disappeared from the menu for
one day to prove the people’s love for the burger by
showing their reactions.
In a best case scenario, the campaign always leads to
a brand platform to keep the conversation going, even
when the campaign is over – even if the platform is just
a Twitter account. We believe this to be the master class
of an integrated campaign.

Tom McManus

Integrated Media Lab Syllabus

2011-09-15T14:21:00.002-05:00

Parsons The New School for Design

Communication Design Department

Integrated Media Lab

PUCD 4144 – A CRN 2167

Fall 2011

Parsons 2 W 13th 1102 6:00 pm - 8:40 pm Thursday

Tom McManus

mcmanust@newschool.edu

917 533-4110

Blog: Demagnetization Mureins

Twitter: @Tomster2009

Course Description

Today, a creativeis expected to be able to come up with everything from an ad to a website, amobile application to a TV show, and a tweet to a radio spot. Creative’s now uselocation-based platforms, designed communities, and Facebook applications to engagebrands in addition to the TV spot.

In thisclass you will be trained to be skilled in using new media technologies in theservice of branding, advertising, and marketing.

You will bringemerging technologies into the concept process from briefing throughdevelopment to final delivery.

Course Outline

WEEK 1	9/1	Marketing and Advertising introduction. “Learning from Cannes” presentation • 13 trends from Cannes 2011. • T-Shaped creative (collaboration) • Paid, Earned, and Owned media. • Storytelling meets Digital	Download and read PDF for week 2: “Oh My God What Happened” Read Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Three Rules of Epidemics” Create a campaign for “White Roof Project”
WEEK 2	9/8	Seth Godin on influencers, standing out, tribes, the Purple Cow Derek Sivers: How to start a movement Malcolm Gladwell’s “Social Epidemics” “White Roof” campaign discussion	Read for week 3: “The Idea Writers” Create a campaign for “Conflict Free Diamonds”
WEEK 3	9/15	“Branding: How to get more people to buy more stuff for more years at a higher price” Purpose Driven Banding “Conflict Free Diamonds” campaign discussion	Download and read PDF: Malcolm Gladwell True Colors Read “The Brand Gap” Create a campaign for “Rosetta Stone”
WEEK 4	9/22	“Facebook: Beyond the Like Button” • How to use Social Ecology for brand amplification • From interruption to content creation and brand engagement “Rosetta Stone” campaign discussion	Read “Zag” Create a campaign for “Trek Bikes”
WEEK 5	10/6	“Trek Bikes” campaign discussion	Read “Truthl Create a campaign for “And1 basketball shoes”
WEEK 6	10/13	“And1” campaign discussion	Create a campaign for “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”
WEEK 7	10/20	“Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” campaign discussion	Create a campaign for “Petco”
WEEK 8	10/27	“Petco” campaign discussion	Create a campaign for “Local Harvest”
WEEK 9	11/3	“Local Harvest” campaign discussion	Create a campaign for “Comedy Central”
WEEK 10	11/10	“Comedy Central” campaign discussion	Create a campaign for “The New Museum”
WEEK 11	11/17	“New Museum” campaign discussion	Complete and narrow down concepts to be produced
WEEK 12	11/22	Discuss which campaigns are to be produced.	Start assembling your case studies with art direction
WEEK 13	12/1	Go over the design of the second of your campaigns approved by the teacher. “To suggest is to create, to describe is to destroy” lecture. Inspired simplicity. Rigorous production standards. How to take your photography to a different level.	Further explorations of the design of your two campaigns as case studies.
WEEK 14	12/8	Fine tuning of your designs. Prepare your portfolio for final presentation.	Print your portfolio as case studies. Prepare final presentation.
WEEK 15	12/15	Final presentations of your work. How to promote yourself to get a job in advertising. Creating the “Super Portfolio”. Former students of this class will tell how they landed great jobs in advertising.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course you will be able to:

- Discuss the implications digital has on the advertisingindustry

- Problem Based Learning, Experience Based Learning, and theCase Method

- Describe current trends in digital media

- Understand the impact social media has on organizationsand brands

- Understand how and when different online channels can beused

- Assess the current work practices in relation to digital

- Trends within digital media (eg. social media,interactivity, user-generated content, motion graphics and rich media andmobile solutions)

- Digital brand development and marketing in digitalchannels

- Social media and social networking

- Paid, Earned, Owned and their ramifications in ourindustry

Assessable Tasks Students will need to complete 2campaigns by week 11. Design of the campaigns will need to be finished by week15. Presentation skills will begraded too.

Final Grade Calculation

Concept: 50%

Design: 30%

Class participation: 10%

Attendance: 10%

Required Reading

OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED ANDWHAT SHOULD I DO? (English version) [PDF]

The Idea Writers: Copywritingin a New Media and Marketing Era (Advertising Age) by Teressa Iezzi

Truth, Lies and Advertising: The Art of Account Planning [Hardcover] Jon Steel

What Defines a Meme

Recommended Reading

Facebook Social Network

Resources

Materials and Supplies All students must have a Twitter and Facebookaccounts

Grading Standards

Failing grades are given for required work that is notsubmitted, for incomplete final projects or for examinations that are not taken(without prior notification and approval). Make-up work or completion of missedexaminations may be permitted only with the approval of the instructor and theprogram director.

This is for two campaigns that are below average in concept,marketing insight and design. A D+ is offered when one of these attributes aregood. Presentation skills are inadequate and awkward. Little active participation and little knowledge of readingassignments

C/C+

This is for two campaigns that are average in concept,marketing insight and design. A C+ is offered when one of these attributes areexcellent. Presentation skills are adequate but not impressive. Somewhat activeparticipation and some knowledge of reading assignments

B/B+

This is for two very good campaigns that have at leastoutstanding concept, marketing insight or design but not necessarily all three.B+ work would have at least two of these attributes. Presentation skills areimportant and can make the difference between a B and a B+. Activeparticipation and knowledge of reading material is required.

This is given for work that is outstanding for conceptualrigor, marketing insight and superior design. The work must look like actualads and the presentation for two 360 campaigns must be flawless. Classparticipation and the critiques of other ads and campaigns must be insightful,cogent, and articulate. Presentations must be organized, succinct andpersuasive. Active participation and knowledge of reading material is required.Grasp of additional reading assignments can make the grade an A+.

A grade of I (Incomplete), signifying a temporary defermentof a regular grade, may be assigned when coursework has been delayed at the endof the semester for unavoidable and legitimate reasons. Incomplete grades aregiven only with the written approval of the instructor and the program director.The Request for an Incomplete Grade form must be filled out by the student andinstructor prior to the end of the semester.

For undergraduate students, if a grade of incomplete isapproved, outstanding work must be submitted by the seventh week of the followingFall semester (for Spring and Summer courses) or by the seventh week of thefollowing Spring semester (for Fall courses). Otherwise, a grade of I willautomatically convert to a permanent unofficial withdrawal (WF) after a periodof four weeks. For graduate students, the maximum deadline for completion of anincomplete is one year though a shorter period may be imposed at the discretionof the instructor.

Divisional, Program and Class Policies

● Responsibility

Students are responsible for all assignments, even if theyare absent. Late papers, failureto complete the readings assigned for class discussion, and lack ofpreparedness for in-class discussions and presentations will jeopardize yoursuccessful completion of this course.

● Participation

Class participation is an essential part of class andincludes: keeping up with reading, contributing meaningfully to classdiscussions, active participation in group work, and coming to class regularlyand on time.

● Attendance

Faculty members may fail any student who is absent for asignificant portion of class time. A significant portion of class time isdefined as three absences for classes that meet once per week and four absencesfor classes that meet two or more times per week. During intensive summersessions a significant portion of class time is defined as two absences.Lateness or early departure from class may also translate into one fullabsence.

● Blackboard

Use of Blackboard may be an important resource for thisclass. Students should check it for announcements before coming to class eachweek.

● Delays

In rare instances, I may be delayed arriving to class. If I have not arrived by the time classis scheduled to start, you must wait a minimum of thirty minutes for myarrival. In the event that I willmiss class entirely, a sign will be posted at the classroom indicating yourassignment for the next class meeting.

● Academic Integrity

This is the university’s Statement on Academic Integrity: “Plagiarismand cheating of any kind in the course of academic work will not betolerated. Academic honestyincludes accurate use of quotations, as well as appropriate and explicitcitation of sources in instances of paraphrasing and describing ideas, or reportingon research findings or any aspect of the work of others (including that ofinstructors and other students). These standards of academic honesty and citation of sources apply to allforms of academic work (examinations, essays, theses, computer work, art anddesign work, oral presentations, and other projects).”

It is the responsibility of students to learn the proceduresspecific to their discipline for correctly and appropriately differentiatingtheir own work from that of others. Compromising your academic integrity may lead to serious consequences,including (but not limited to) one or more of the following: failure of theassignment, failure of the course, academic warning, disciplinary probation,suspension from the university, or dismissal from the university.

Every student at Parsons signs an Academic IntegrityStatement as a part of the registration process. Thus, you are held responsible for being familiar with,understanding, adhering to and upholding the spirit and standards of academicintegrity as set forth by the Parsons Student Handbook.

Guidelines for Written Assignments

Plagiarism is the use of another person's words or ideas inany academic work using books, journals, internet postings, or other studentpapers without proper acknowledgment. For further information on properacknowledgment and plagiarism, including expectations for paraphrasing sourcematerial and proper forms of citation in research and writing, students shouldconsult the Chicago Manual of Style (cf. Turabian, 6^th edition). TheUniversity Writing Center also provides useful on-line resources to help students understand and avoidplagiarism. See http://www.newschool.edu/admin/writingcenter/.

Students must receive prior permission from instructors tosubmit the same or substantially overlapping material for two differentassignments. Submission of thesame work for two assignments without the prior permission of instructors isplagiarism.

Guidelines for Studio Assignments

Work from other visual sources may be imitated orincorporated into studio work if the fact of imitation or incorporation and theidentity of the original source are properly acknowledged. There must be nointent to deceive; the work must make clear that it emulates or comments on thesource as a source. Referencing a style or concept in otherwise original workdoes not constitute plagiarism. The originality of studio work that presentsitself as “in the manner of” or as playing with “variations on” a particularsource should be evaluated by the individual faculty member in the context of acritique.

Incorporating ready-made materials into studio work as in acollage, synthesized photograph or paste-up is not plagiarism in theeducational context. In the commercial world, however, such appropriation isprohibited by copyright laws and may result in legal consequences.

● Student Disability Services

In keeping with the University’s policy of providing equalaccess for students with disabilities, any student with a disability who needsacademic accommodations is welcome to meet with me privately. All conversations will be keptconfidential. Students requestingany accommodations will also need to meet with Jason Luchs in the office ofStudent Disability Services, who will conduct an intake, and if appropriate,provide an academic accommodation notification letter to you to bring tome. At that point I will reviewthe letter with you and discuss these accommodations in relation to thiscourse. Mr. Luchs’ office islocated in 79 Fifth Avenue, 5^th floor. His direct line is (212)229-5626 x3135. You may alsoaccess more information through the University’s web site at http://www.newschool.edu/studentservices/disability/.

Tom McManus

How to Write a Creative Brief

2011-09-01T15:40:00.001-05:00

How To Write A Creative Brief, by True Digital

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Integrated Media Lab at Parsons

2011-08-30T22:52:00.000-05:00

Learning From Cannes

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Diane Arbus Documentary Part3

2011-08-30T22:34:00.003-05:00

Diane Arbus Documentary Part 2

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Doon Arbis on Diane Arbus

2011-08-30T22:29:00.000-05:00

Audi Superbowl Commercial

2011-08-30T20:57:00.001-05:00

Thanks Steve!

2011-08-30T20:30:00.000-05:00

BMW films

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Mercedes Benz Tweet Race

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Uniqlo Lucky Line

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Phone made from wood

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Powa

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Crush Project

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Chrome Fastball

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Tipp X

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kaizer orchestra

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Wall of Fame

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Sneakerpedia by Foot Locker

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Cannon "The Story Behind The Stills"

2011-08-30T18:02:00.002-05:00

Reporters Without Borders

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VW test drive in a print ad

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AKQA UPS scanner

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Heartbrake Warfare

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Uniqlo Lucky Line

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Pay with a tweet

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WWF file format

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Bosche Spirit Level

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Home Plus

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DeCode

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ROM

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Sticky Bits

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13th Streeet Horror

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The Nativity Story

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Old Spice Campaign Case Study

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Social TV

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Subservient Chicken

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What to do with your hands when presenting

2011-08-30T16:31:00.000-05:00

Why companies are flocking to HTML5

2011-08-30T15:45:00.000-05:00

Why companies are flocking to HTML5
by JP Mangalindan • Aug. 30, 2011

A new crop of apps from Amazon, LinkedIn and Box.net are the latest to take advantage of HTML5. They also signal this young language already has business' blessing.

FORTUNE -- Something in the last 18 months kicked the HTML5 adoption machine into overdrive. Maybe it was tech giants Apple and Microsoft joining hands and dubbing it the future of the web. Maybe it was Google's launch of the Chrome Web Store, with its focus on HTML5, last December. Maybe it was the HTML5-friendly iPad's meteoric sales. Whatever it was, a recent wave of consumer-facing web apps from Amazon, Box.net and LinkedIn confirm that this much-hyped language has business' blessing.

HTML5 is the latest version of the Web's bedrock markup language, HTML. But it has come to stand for much more than the average, slow-gestating technical standard. HTML5 is also shorthand for a set of features and capabilities intended to make web sites behave more like conventional desktop applications, incorporating video, complex interactions and data as well as greater compatibility with new devices like smartphones and tablets. In development since the early-2000s, HTML5 was rocketed into the mainstream in April last year when Apple (AAPL) boss Steve Jobs issued a public missive deriding Adobe's (ADBE) Flash and anointing HTML5 as the web's future. Now, companies are turning to it to cut down on costs that can soar when developing simultaneously for Apple's iOS and Google's (GOOG) Android as well as to circumvent the headaches of varying app stores.

Indeed, adoption has soared. A recent survey from video search engine MeFeedia showed that at least 69% of web video is now available for playback via HTML5. Last December, that number was 54%; in January 2010, months before the iPad became a hit, it was 10%. "Developers out there are getting better at supporting all of HTML5's more critical features, which is why we're seeing more publishers building the actual experiences they want using web technologies," says Faruk Ates, a creative design and web consultant who worked at Apple for three years.

Amazon's (AMZN) Cloud Reader made waves when it was announced a few weeks ago. While it has a polished user interface and offline reading capability, it's still rough around the edges with limited web browser support and a lack of notable features Kindle e-reader users already take for granted, including text highlighting, notes and full-screen reading. Still, that hasn't stopped user from kicking the tires. Amazon would not disclose numbers, but a spokesperson told Fortune that its Cloud Reader had the best first week of any Kindle app to date. The company says missing features will be folded into future updates.

LinkedIn (LNKD) and Box.net's HTML5 apps, meanwhile, use the technology for different reasons. While Amazon's Cloud Reader seems intent on becoming the primary web app for Kindle users, LinkedIn's is merely supposed to complement apps developed for Android and iOS. In other words, users who don't own either type of device will still get functionality that approximates the native app. Same goes for Box.net's new web-based offering. Although the Palo Alto-based cloud storage provider uses some HTML5 coding in its main site, it didn't fully embrace the Web technology until more recently thanks to a new wave of engineers. "We probably could have supported it a year ago," says Box.net CEO Aaron Levie. He says HTML5's increasingly powerful tools blur the lines between Web and cloud, desktop and client-like functionality.

That doesn't mean the technology doesn't face obstacles. HTML5 apps are often limited when compared with their native counterparts. In LinkedIn's case, the feature sets are similar but the user interface is noticeably less flashy. Some mobile device's assets, like the camera, remain off-limits to HTML5. "Generally, there are certain areas where native is going to do better for you, like media photos and pictures," explains Joff Redfern, LinkedIn's mobile product head. "It's sometimes a little harder to get at via HTML5. Other areas, like say, 'infinite lists' that scroll with dates that continue on and on, are handled a lot more gracefully in native code." Box.net's Levie admits certain programming tasks are still difficult to achieve in HTML, like getting the iPhone and iPad's built-in Safari browser to allow file uploads.

Another problem is distribution. Apple's App Store and Google's Android Marketplace are partly popular because they keep the barriers to entry low for native apps. Currently, there aren't many equivalent web app stores besides Google's fledgling Chrome app store. And, consumers don't have an awareness of HTML5, the way they might of the Amazon, Apple or Google brands.

What's certain is that HTML5 will likely play a pivotal role as companies position themselves vis-a-vis each others' devices and marketplaces. It may take years before new HTML5 apps tackle more rigorous tasks that process lots of data, like video editing for instance. In the mean time, more and more major firms are likely to find the technology's flexibility and low costs too tantalizing to resist.

«

How to add retweet button to PDF

2011-08-29T17:21:00.002-05:00

How To Add A Retweet Button Inside Your Pdf Documents

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2011-08-29T17:07:00.001-05:00

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Apple's Purpose

2011-08-25T13:19:00.001-05:00

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Steve Jobs on market-testing: "I don't need you!"

2011-08-25T13:13:00.001-05:00

“The big thing about Steve Jobs is not his genius or his charisma but his extraordinary risk-taking. Apple has been so innovative because Jobs takes major risks, which is rare in corporate America. He doesn’t market-test anything. It’s all his own judgment and perfectionism and gut.”
Alan Deutschman, who wrote a biography of Mr. Jobs

Throwing Paint LED

2011-08-23T09:47:00.000-05:00

Throwing some Paint, LED wall test.. from greyworld on Vimeo.

Facebook Labs on Facebook

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Cannes quotes

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Mercedes Benz Tweet Race

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Brands Now Direct Their Followers to Social Media

2011-08-04T12:27:00.000-05:00

nytimes.com
Brands Now Direct Their Followers to Social Media
by ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN • Aug. 3, 2011 Read Later
Advertising

MARKETERS promoting their products online have followed a fairly standard arc historically, first buying digital ads and building their own Web sites in the early years of the Internet, and more recently amassing followers on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

Now, companies increasingly are running online ads that focus less on pitching their products than promoting their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts.

The ads, which have menu tabs and increasingly resemble mini-Web sites themselves, allow users to click within the ad to see a brand’s Twitter messages or Facebook wall posts in real time, or to watch a brand’s video content from YouTube — all without leaving the Web page where the ad appears.

A recent online ad for Mrs. Meyers, the cleaning brand, for example, said, “Clean should smell better” and instructed users to “Hover to expand.” When a cursor is placed over the ad, it extends downward to expose an area that, depending on what button is clicked, displays real-time Facebook wall posts, Twitter users posting about Mrs. Meyers, or a video from the brand about Thelma Meyer, for whom the brand is named.

Although Internet users rarely click on an ad to be taken away from a page — only one in a thousand do so, according to Google — they could engage with all those tidbits in the Mrs. Meyers ad without leaving the Web page they were visiting.

And engage they did, according to Flite, the media and technology company that produced the ad.

Consumers on average spent 30 seconds interacting with the ad, compared with an average of what, according to Google, is just 11 seconds. In addition to spending more time on the ad, consumers were more likely to click on a “learn more” button to go to Mrs. Meyers’ own Web site, with 35 of every 1,000 users clicking through, compared with an average, again, of just one in 1,000.

“Brands are building a great presence on social networks and are looking at ways of making it more accessible,” said Giles Goodwin, president for product and technology at Flite.

The company refers to its technology as a “cloud-based ad platform” because it infuses ads with live content from other sites including Facebook and Twitter, and it has produced such ads recently for brands including Coca-Cola, Lancôme, Volkswagen and AT&T.

Another media and technology company, Kontera, is taking a similar approach with in-text advertising, where advertisers pay for keywords to be hyperlinked within an article or blog post. While clicking such words often takes users to an advertiser’s Web site, with Kontera, ads pop out in a window on the same page, and many ads that Kontera is doing these days highlight advertisers’ social networks over their products.

In recent ads for Ritz crackers, the Kraft brand, for example, the brand wanted to highlight a promotion with “Glee” that included a sweepstakes to win a trip to meet the cast of the Fox show on their set in Los Angeles.

On the Kontera network of sites — which include those for the magazines U.S. News & World Report, Shape and Men’s Fitness — words in content likely to relate to the show, including of course the word “glee” and the names of both the characters and the actors who play them, were highlighted. Positioning the cursor over those words caused an ad to pop out in a window that promoted the sweepstakes and highlighted posts on the Ritz Facebook page about the show and contest.

“Social media is not a tactic that stands alone from your advertising campaigns,” said Chris Karl, a senior vice president at Kontera.

The “Glee” in-text ads presented themselves to fans of the show when they were most likely to be reading about it, then ended up signing them up as followers of the brand on Facebook, which was required in order to enter the sweepstakes.

As for why Ritz aligned itself with the television show to begin, the crackers, often served at social occasions, share the show’s spirit of being “all about fun and a champion of fun,” said Sheeba Philip, the marketing director for Ritz.

“A program like Kontera’s is really effective for reaching consumers with common and shared passion points,” Ms. Philip said. “It really was a push to drive people to Facebook to learn more about the brand.”

For other in-text ads by Kontera for Verizon, the brand did not even promote its own social network account, but rather that of Will Power, the race car driver who competes in the Indy Racing League, and whom Verizon sponsors. While Mr. Power is not, of course, likely to send Twitter messages with Verizon slogans, in the photo of the driver posing alongside his car on top of his Twitter page, the Verizon logo is prominent on both his uniform and car.

Andy Smith, a co-author (with Jennifer Aaker) of “The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways to Use Social Media to Drive Social Change,” said incorporating live content from Facebook and Twitter allows online ads “to feel less static,” and even to be “at least as current if not more current” than adjacent editorial content.

Even if those live snippets in ads include brands apologizing about missteps or customers griping, it still could benefit advertisers because in an era when consumers actually become friends with companies on Facebook, those consumers may expect some warts-and-all human characteristics.

“There is transparency in being willing to say, ‘This is what people are saying about us,’ ” Mr. Smith said. “And with the relationships that people have with brands today, the more honest and human they seem, the more likely consumers are to like them and stick with them.”

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Official Google Blog: What does the future of display advertising look l...

2011-07-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

Official Google Blog: What does the future of display advertising look l...: "This afternoon, we gave a keynote address at the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s MIXX Conference in New York, entitled “Display 2015: Smart..."

Official Google Blog: Google Apps highlights – 7/22/2011

2011-07-23T04:49:00.000-05:00

Official Google Blog: Google Apps highlights – 7/22/2011: "This is part of a regular series of Google Apps updates that we post every couple of weeks. Look for the label “ Google Apps highlights ' an..."

Cannes observations

2011-07-21T11:59:00.000-05:00

10 Changes in advertising: Cannes 2008

View more presentations from Guillaume Pagnoux

The future of social is integrated

2011-07-20T22:59:00.002-05:00

The future of social is integrated

View more presentations from The Social Practice

Trends from Cannes 2011

2011-07-20T22:42:00.002-05:00

12 Trends from Cannes 2011

View more presentations from The Social Practice

Google Skunk Works

2011-07-19T14:16:00.001-05:00

Guitar Oscillations Captured with iPhone 4

2011-07-18T11:24:00.001-05:00

IAB Digital Conference notes

2011-07-18T09:55:00.000-05:00

http://www.iab.net/events_training/2011/digitalvideo/recap

Re Video and pre-roll:

Video + info performs better than just video alone. Adding useful maps or apps to purchase, etc. generates more engagement.

When consumers get to choose their pre-roll, recall is higher.

If you're just creating videos to put on your website or microsite, your raft is sinking. Distribute, publish, put your videos where the eyeballs are, where they will be seen.

Add interactivity to your video, especially do-able with rich media. Now you can embed apps.

Become an entertainer, not just a product pusher.

:15 pre-roll has evolved. Now it can contain a mini-slide show, an app, everything is embedded in the player so you don't need to click away to engage with content. And everything in the player is trackable.

Live twitter feed can also be incorporated into player as well as long form content.

6% vs. 1.5% engagement, 69 seconds vs. 19 seconds time spent.

#1 i-Roll apps is Googlemaps

Soon to add RSS feeds and Foursquare

Can track video even in expandable format

Re Storytelling:

Brands don't sell brands, people do.

Youtube is the new digital campfire. 2.5 billion views per day.

Trick is turning passive viewers into active brand advocates.

Campaign needs to be "rewarding" to the user.

Build a conversation. (Old Spice turned a campaign into a community, tapped into audience with video response. Give the user a stage. Bring them into the storyline. Imitation = engagement.

Re Google:

Exploit Google technology.

(see Chubby Bunny voice recognition, Google goggles Mt. Rushmore image recognition, Data visualization a la The Wilderness Downtown example, Netflix map search by zip top 10 rentals in your area, Stella Artois "bars near me" phone app, find ways to use the technology that's out there to enhance user experience and engage audience.)

Re future of digital:

"The Confession" is a series launched on digital, not TV. The webisode or wepisode has evolved. The best show on TV is not on TV. Consumer viewing patterns have changed, cable means nothing, people are streaming video on Netflix and Hulu.

Youtube has created a model almost like old networks where they do not create content, they simply aggregate user generated content with a big following and have created "channels" like cooking or art or comedy and direct viewers to their content based on what they like, preferences, etc. like amazon. youtube does not make the content but they will make money on the back end when they can successfully convince advertisers to buy ads on those channels.

Brands need to integrate into content vs. just pre-roll.

Narratives, storytelling will be key in future.

Measurement is still a thorny issue, there is no standard right now, every metric is different, tells a different story, no real ROI, lots of data but no reliable data. Ideally, there would be a way to measure across all media, all platforms, all channels.

How to paint Graffitti

2011-07-13T16:12:00.001-05:00

Mobius

Parson's Syllabus for Spring 2012

How to brand a country

12 Mistakes in Starting a Design Business

Alan Kay on UI

Reality TV: How to write concepts

10 strategic benefits of Google+ brand pages

Chinese self-immolation (Warning! Hard to Watch)

Guiness Book of Records for Smoke on the Water

Tree of Life Evolution Scene

Leni Riefenstahl: eat your heart out

Cinema Paradiso Ending and Titles

Occupy Wall Street to "Think Different" Apple Commercial

Unexpected story lines are great. Spoiler Alert!

Tilt Shift Video

Baby birth on Google Street View

Tim Leake at Saatchi & Saatchi, NYC on Hyper Island

Some thoughts on today's new media

Integrated Media Lab Syllabus

Twitter: @Tomster2009

Derek Sivers: How to start a movement

“Rosetta Stone” campaign discussion

How to Write a Creative Brief

Integrated Media Lab at Parsons

Diane Arbus Documentary Part3

Diane Arbus Documentary Part 2

Doon Arbis on Diane Arbus

Audi Superbowl Commercial

Thanks Steve!

BMW films

Mercedes Benz Tweet Race

Uniqlo Lucky Line

Phone made from wood

Powa

Crush Project

Chrome Fastball

Tipp X

kaizer orchestra

Wall of Fame

Sneakerpedia by Foot Locker

Cannon "The Story Behind The Stills"

Reporters Without Borders

VW test drive in a print ad

AKQA UPS scanner

Heartbrake Warfare

Uniqlo Lucky Line

Pay with a tweet

Renault iPad app

Friskies Cat Food iPad app

WWF file format

Bosche Spirit Level

Whopper Sacrifice

Home Plus

DeCode

ROM

Sticky Bits

13th Streeet Horror

The Nativity Story

Old Spice Campaign Case Study

Social TV

Subservient Chicken

What to do with your hands when presenting

Why companies are flocking to HTML5

How to add retweet button to PDF

Nice article on Art Direction

Zag Brand Strategy

The Brand Gap

Apple's Purpose

Steve Jobs on market-testing: "I don't need you!"

Throwing Paint LED

Facebook Labs on Facebook

Cannes quotes

Best quotes from Cannes

Cannes powerpoints

Digital Storytelling

Mercedes Benz Tweet Race

Brands Now Direct Their Followers to Social Media

Official Google Blog: What does the future of display advertising look l...

Official Google Blog: Google Apps highlights – 7/22/2011

Cannes observations