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Interview: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré (Pt. 3) - On Coca-Cola, Target & AKQA's #1 Core Value

 


Target_Gift_iPhone_App In part three of this source interview for my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré shares insights on a few more of his agency's most successful initiatives - including Design The World a Coke and the holiday iPhone app for Target - as well as how AKQA organizes itself around its #1 core value: Innovation.

OD_Tom_Bedecarre_AKQA Tom Bedecarré, CEO, AKQA (Pt. 3): Coca-Cola, Target and AKQA's #1 Core Value

(Approx. 4:56)

 

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

OD_cover "... EXCELLENT ..."

“Through persuasive arguments and Q&A's with the major players in advertising, Mathieson makes an excellent case for greater creativity and outside-the-box thinking backed up with solid ideas."

Publisher's Weekly


 

 

 

 

 

>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

 

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Interview: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré (Pt. 2) - Nike, Visa & The Surprising Power of Facebook

 

More from my source interview with AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré, for my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND.

In part two, Bedecarré talks about some of AKQA's all-time greatest initiatives, beginning with the Nike PhotoID mobile app (see video above). Along the way, we'll learn that for all the hype that surrounds Facebook, Bedecarré believes it remains grossly undervalued by marketers.

OD_Tom_Bedecarre_AKQA Tom Bedecarré, CEO, AKQA (Pt. 2): Nike, Visa & the Surprising Power of Facebook

(Approx. 5:10)

 

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

OD_cover "... EXCELLENT ..."

“Through persuasive arguments and Q&A's with the major players in advertising, Mathieson makes an excellent case for greater creativity and outside-the-box thinking backed up with solid ideas."

Publisher's Weekly


 

 

 

 

 

>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

 

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Justin Timberlake, Sony Launch 'Media Monster Wars' Facebook App



It's a social game that uses the content from your wall to create a monster. The more stuff you've got there - photos, videos, comments, likes, etc. - the cooler and meaner your monster. I guess it's all supposed to sell VAIO notebooks, which presumably can handle all your crap. Great positioning for the product by the way. Though it remains to be seen how your friends and family take becoming metaphorical DNA for a dastardly goon But hey, they make up the stuff of your life, so what does it say about you?

Read more here.


Interview: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré - On Building The Agency of Tomorrow, Today (Pt. 1)

OD_Tom_Bedecarre_AKQA Tom Bedecarré is succeeding like few others in creating the ad agency of tomorrow, today.

In just the last few days, his global firm, AKQA, launched the new campaign for "Halo: Reach," which includes everything from a dark, engrossing online video series set in the video game's universe, to a robot that is enables fans to help select the position of 54,439 points of light for a new social media-enabled light sculpture.

And Friday morning, AKQA will launch the latest in a long line of innovative digital & mobile initiatives for Target.

Dubbed My TargetWeekly, the solution will enable shoppers to customize Target's weekly ad to best fit their interests, and to even create alerts, which will send them the latest offers on their favorite brands and items via PC and mobile phone. The idea: to target, as it were, the smaller number of hard-to-reach, digitally savvy shoppers - who tend to spend more than others. They can even share their shopping experience via Facebook.

"Target is doing what smart retailers have to do: Go to where the customers are," Rebecca Lieb, vice president, North America at the research firm Econsultancy, tells USA Today. "You have to engage people on their own terms."

That may as well be Bedecarré's persona motto. In part one of an expansive source interview for my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, Bedecarré shares the behind the scenes steps he took to shape what is arguably one of the most forward thinking digital marketing firms in the world

"There are a lot of advertising people who want to hang onto the past, want to hang onto 30-second television commercials and full-color magazine ads, and I think it's very hard to catch up," he tells me, with considerable understatement, before explaining how his team started putting the pieces in place a decade ago to capitalize on this amazing new era.

Over the next few days, I'll share more from this interview, including Bedecarreé's insights on some of today's mos exciting new channels, as well as his firm's most famous digital initiatives, from Design The World A Coke, to Nike PhotoID, to the Target snow globe iPhone app and more. 

Tom Bedecarré, CEO, AKQA: Building The Agency of Tomorrow, Today (Pt. 1)

(Approx. 3:10)


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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

OD_cover "... EXCELLENT ..."

“Through persuasive arguments and Q&A's with the major players in advertising, Mathieson makes an excellent case for greater creativity and outside-the-box thinking backed up with solid ideas."

Publisher's Weekly


>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

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'Scott Pilgrm' Vs. 'The Matrix' Mashup



It's no "Toy Story 3: Inception," but it'll do on a Monday. And let's face it, The Matrix hasn't seemed this fun since Neo did his first Joey Lawrence impersonation ("Whoa").

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

OD_cover "... WITTY, INSIGHTFUL, DYNAMIC & HIGHLY INSPIRING ..."

“THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is witty, insightful, dynamic, and highly inspiring. This book should be required reading for marketers—or anyone trying to understand how to keep their brand relevant and energized through the rapidly changing consumer landscape. Mathieson has a gifted ability to dig under the breakthrough ideas that are keeping top brands engaged with their current and new consumers, offering key insider takeaways that we all can learn from.”

Alison Moore
Vice President, Brand Strategy
& Digital Platforms
HBO



>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

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Campaign for Microsoft 'Halo Reach' Hits Web With First In Series of Teaser Trailers [Video]



Okay, so it borrows heavily from Battlestar Galactica, but it still looks cool. The first of what appears to be a series of teaser trailers for the launch of the new Halo, which hits stores next month.

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

OD_cover "... EXCELLENT ..."

“Through persuasive arguments and Q&A's with the major players in advertising, Mathieson makes an excellent case for greater creativity and outside-the-box thinking backed up with solid ideas."

Publisher's Weekly


>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

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Interview: Tim Zuckert, CEO, ShiftControl Media, On The Power of Branded Games, Pt.2

T Zuckert Shift Control In part two, more on pass along rates, the pros and cons of iPhone-based games, and whether branded games really make sense in this economic climate.

Audio Interview: Tim Zuckert, CEO of ShiftControl Media - On Boosting Engagement Through Branded Games (Part 2)

(Approx 4:34)

Also listen to Part One: The Serious Business of Branded Games

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

OD_cover "... REQUIRED READING FOR THE DIGITAL AGE ..."

“Absolutely inspiring! Mathieson takes us on a lively journey through the digital marketing universe, with powerful insights into what has worked, what hasn’t, and most important of all—why. His 10 rules of engagement will spark creativity and inform a new generation of digital marketing initiatives— including my own. Put simply, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is required reading for the digital age.”

Peter Cole, Technology Director, R/GA

>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

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Interview: Tim Zuckert, CEO of ShiftControl Media - On The Serious Business of Branded Games

T Zuckert Shift Control Turns out there's some serious business to be had from fun and games.

In part one of this exclusive audiocast, Tim Zuckert, CEO of ShiftControl Media, shares some of the astonishing statistics associated with branded games, and his insights on why a growing number of brands are exploring this emerging channel. 

Zuckert, of course, is the man behind Coca-Cola's "Happiness Factory" branded game, as well as initiatives for Yahoo, Starwood Hotels, Energizer and many others. 

In this, a source interview for my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, he'll showcase the engagement branded games can activate - and have you thinking differently about what games can do for your brand.

Audio Interview: Tim Zuckert, CEO of ShiftControl Media - On Boosting Engagement Through Branded Games (Part 1)

(Approx 5:01)

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

OD_cover "... REQUIRED READING FOR THE DIGITAL AGE ..."

“Absolutely inspiring! Mathieson takes us on a lively journey through the digital marketing universe, with powerful insights into what has worked, what hasn’t, and most important of all—why. His 10 rules of engagement will spark creativity and inform a new generation of digital marketing initiatives— including my own. Put simply, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is required reading for the digital age.”

Peter Cole, Technology Director, R/GA

>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

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New Horror Flick Spooks Up Laughs Via Chatroulette



Creepy Chatroulette is the perfect platform for a devilishly good campaign. (NSFW)

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

OD_cover "... REQUIRED READING FOR THE DIGITAL AGE ..."

“Absolutely inspiring! Mathieson takes us on a lively journey through the digital marketing universe, with powerful insights into what has worked, what hasn’t, and most important of all—why. His 10 rules of engagement will spark creativity and inform a new generation of digital marketing initiatives— including my own. Put simply, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is required reading for the digital age.”

Peter Cole, Technology Director, R/GA

>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

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Why Consumers Might Just Flip Off Foursquare & Drop Kick Shopkick

It's always about location, location, location.

Except when it's not.

Google and Facebook are launching geo-targeted services for the PC and mobile. Shopkick is a new app that sends you offers when you're in stores. And Foursquare has been a social media cause celebré since its inception.

But as I talk about in my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, such services barely bring more value than basic signage in stores would bring - why do I need to use my mobile phone to get a special offer at Starbucks, when a sign for a special offer would do the same thing? Many people are already complaining that the actual offers aren't worth the login (or check-in).  

And let's face it. The minute, the moment, the nanosecond you and I find ourselves receiving - or asking for - dubious offers at 20 different retailers as we walk down the street, it's all going to get very old, very fast.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of Dennis Crowley, co-founder of Foursquare (I interview him in the book - listen the source interview here). If anyone can make a go of Foursquare, it's him. And I think Shopkick is a step in the right direction.

But in the book, I look at the kind of app that would truly bring value to consumers - and it has far more to do with who the user is, rather than where the user is standing.

Instead of a intermediary app like Shopkick, think more along the lines of next-generation version of that old Gap StyleMixer app from a while back. Strip out the silly share-an-outfit features. And instead imagine a new kind of Gap app (or "gapp," if you will) that you activate as you enter the store.

The app could keep track of your past purchases and bring up any new offers that may be of interest to you - and uniquely you.

Like those jeans you bought last month? You're going to love these shirts - complete with a map to location of the merchandise in-store.

Using the app’s scanner, you can scan products, access shopper reviews and see recommendations on accessories and other items. Walk into the dressing room, snap an image of yourself in the mirror, and share the look with your friends via social media, to see if it's "fly" or "forgettaboutit."

And then you simply walk out the door - the charges are automatically applied to the credit card information you entered in the app's interface, and the security device is disabled and you're on the way. Without ever digging for cash, writing a check, swiping a card or standing in line. 

All with the ability for the user - not the service - to control what personal information is shared, if, when, and how, through a simple interface.

It's all coming faster than you think. And it will bring value that Google, Facebook, Foursquare and Shopkick can't offer - at least not yet.

Bottom line: It's not (just) about the location of shoppers.

It's about the shoppers themselves - and the services and offers they demand - when, where and how they want them.

Read more about the book, here.

 

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>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

OD_cover "... REQUIRED READING FOR THE DIGITAL AGE ..."

“Absolutely inspiring! Mathieson takes us on a lively journey through the digital marketing universe, with powerful insights into what has worked, what hasn’t, and most important of all—why. His 10 rules of engagement will spark creativity and inform a new generation of digital marketing initiatives— including my own. Put simply, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND is required reading for the digital age.”

Peter Cole, Technology Director, R/GA

 

 

 

 

 

>>> IN STORES NOW - LEARN MORE (AND ORDER YOUR COPY) - HERE <<<

 

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