Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 318
July 3, 2012
The New Electricity
You can't click a trackpad without seeing some kind of chart that compares the growth of the Internet and mobile connectivity to traditional media channels.
As newspapers, television and radio lament plunging advertising dollars, and not a week goes by without hearing about some other publication or broadcast being folded, changed or updated with more online content, you would think that the Internet is some kind of media juggernaut destroying any other media that slips into its wake. That simply, isn't the case. It's much more complex than that. The foundation of the Internet is technology (that's obvious enough), but technology (unlike media) is in a constant state of rapid evolution and innovation. When that ethos is combined with media capabilities, you start seeing and feeling the kind of massive disruption that we see today. It's hard to imagine that the iPhone is only five years old and that three years ago, there was no iPad. By the same token, it's equally hard to imagine that companies like RIM, Kodak and Nokia are struggling to find true relevance with consumers as startups like Instagram, Pinterest and Fab capture the customer's attention.
Here come the tablets.
In the past few weeks, we've seen both Microsoft and Google come forward with their own tablets in an attempt to dethrone the iPad. In looking at a myriad of data points, it's clear that the iPad is the dominant player. Last month, eMarketer reported that the number of tablet users in the United States would increase by over ninety percent this year (more on that here: eMarketer - iPad Use to Nearly Double This Year). This represents 53.2 million iPads. This is predicated on the idea that power users will be replacing their older models, as more and more casual computer users will recognize the benefit of switching from computer to tablet. As for the iPad's place in this tablet-infested world? eMarketer says that it will represent more than three-quarters of all tablet users. In March 2012, when Apple CEO, Tim Cook, took the stage to announce the iPad 2 the biggest shock was that in the previous year, iPad 2 had outsold every single PC manufactured - beating HP, Dell, Lenovo and Acer. Now, with the latest iPad sporting retina display (offering resolution that is superior to print), blazing computational speed and mobile connectivity for LTE and 4G networks, it seems like no other tablet manufacturers would even come close.
So, how did Google and Microsoft fare with their announcements?
Unfortunately, Google and Microsoft sounded eerily similar to DEVCON 2010 when RIM (makers of BlackBerry) announced the launch of their tablet device, PlayBook. At the time, Apple's first generation iPad was in-market and the PlayBook not only felt like a "me too" product, but it lacked any additional sizzle to lure potential iPad buys away. Beyond the ability to play Flash (something Apple and non-Apple users have been critical of), the technical specifications of the PlayBook were either comparable or less-than that of the iPad. Flexing the Apple muscle ever more, the company was able to launch iPad 2 before PlayBook ever hit the retail shelves, making it seem more antiquated than it already was. The sales - and RIM's current business woes - are well documented. RIM didn't let their competitors seem cooler to consumers. Apple was head-down in product innovation while RIM seemed busy trying to figure out what (and how) their competitors were doing what they do. Microsoft's Surface is said to be coming soon as is Google's tablet, Nexus 7. While Surface more closely resembled the iPad and Nexus 7 feels more like a competitor to the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet, both devices will be launched into market lacking one, critical component: mobile connectivity.
Connectivity at core.
While you can buy an iPad with wi-fi connectivity and mobile connectivity (which requires a mobile data plan), the truth is that what makes tablets so powerful and attractive to consumers is the fundamental mobility of the device and the connectivity that it offers. The true challenge for tablets will not be about which brand wins the war by selling the largest amounts of touchable glass devices. The winners will be the ones who give consumers a fast and connected experience that has a minimal amount of friction. This is where the battle must now be fought. Mobile carriers need to step up and help this evolution of computing to evolve. While these carriers may argue that they are an integral part of the tablet's growth and future, the average consumer finds data plans both expensive and confusing. Have you ever travelled out of country and required international roaming? On a recent experience, this required me to deal with voice, text messaging and mobile data separately for my one iPhone. Three unique interactions (all of them with confusing pricing and data models) to have my smartphone stay connected in another country. Ridiculous.
We should no longer compare Internet usage to that of other media channels.
The true opportunity (and our future) is in benchmarking Internet connectivity to electricity and access to clean water. Let's not allow the Internet to be solely relegated to a new media channel, but let's look at it with the same optics as other utilities. We need better ways to hold our mobile carriers to higher standards by ensuring that mobile connectivity is both cheaper and more widely available to all citizens. In looking forward to Microsoft's Surface and Google's Nexus 7, we should never get too excited about any device (no matter how cool or inexpensive it is) if it's only form of true connectivity happens when you're in and around a wi-fi signal. The future of tablets (and all technology) is mobility. It's about being connected (with stable and fast speeds) with a pricing structure that isn't prohibitive to the masses. Technology is going to be a lot more interesting when the mass majority have access to it in the same way that they have access to electricity. At that moment in time, we're going to see even more disruption and innovation.
It's something that every business should be actively looking forward to.
The above post is my twice-monthly column for the Montreal Gazette and Vancouver Sun newspapers called, New Business - Six Pixels of Separation . I cross-post it here with all the links and tags for your reading pleasure, but you can check out the original versions online here:
Montreal Gazette - Best connected will be best tablet .
Vancouver Sun - not yet published.
Tags:
acer
advertising
amazon
apple
blackberry
broadcast
business column
computer
connectivity
dell
devcon
emarketer
fab
flash
google
ho
innovation
instagram
internet
ipad
ipad 2
iphone
kindle fire
kodak
lenovo
lte 4g
media channel
media disruption
microsoft
mobile
mobile carrier
mobile data
montreal gazette
new media
newspaper
newspaper column
nexus 7
nokia
online content
pinterest
playbook
postmedia
publication
radio
retina display
rim
smartphone
surface
tablet
technology
television
text messaging
tim cook
vancouver sun
July 1, 2012
Marketing In The Round
Episode #312 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.
Joseph Jaffe is widely regarded as one of the top Marketing Bloggers ( Welcome to episode #312 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast
You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast #312.
Tags:
advertising podcast
arment dietrich
artists for amnesty
blog
blogging
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business book
david usher
digital marketing
facebook
geoff livingston
gini dietrich
itunes
marketing
marketing blogger
marketing in the round
marketing podcast
now is gone
online social network
podcast
podcasting
social media
spin sucks
welcome to the fifth estate
June 30, 2012
Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #106
Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?
My friends: Alistair Croll (BitCurrent, Year One Labs, GigaOM, Human 2.0, the author of Complete Web Monitoring and Managing Bandwidth: Deploying QOS in Enterprise Networks), Hugh McGuire (The Book Oven, LibriVox, iambik, PressBooks, Media Hacks) and I decided that every week or so the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person "must see".
Check out these six links that we're recommending to one another:
The Food Lab: A New Way to Cook Pasta? - Serious Eats . "Scandal! All those rules of cooking pasta in huge tubs of furiously boiling water are a lie, apparently. Turns out you can simmer pasta in a little water just fine. But that takes all the bravado out of it." (Alistair for Hugh).
The 350-Year-Old British Post Office Is Leading The Mobile Payments Charge - Fast Company . "When I was in England recently, I visited the Post Office. It wasn't what I remembered. It's a modern place for all sorts of transactions, from on-demand payment cards to identification. And it occurred to me that, in the future, we're going to need an Internet Embassy. We'll require a place to connect our online and real-world lives. Here in North America, that could be the bank or the DMV. But the Post Office was my first view of what, I think, will be a cornerstone of lives lived both online and off." (Alistair for Mitch).
Superweeds: A Long-Predicted Problem for GM Crops Has Arrived - The Atlantic . "This week, two lefty 'I told you so' articles. The first one is from The Atlantic: environmentalists have long argued that genetically modified crops, and the heavy use of weed-killing herbicides they are designed to withstand, would result in superweeds, resistant to those same herbicides. Looks like the superweeds have arrived." (Hugh for Alistair).
Mother Jones article from 1999: Repeal of Glass-Steagall will 'create too-big-to-fail institutions that are someday likely to drain the public treasury as taxpayers bail out imperiled financial giants to protect the stability of the nation's banking system.' - Reddit . "The second 'I told you so' article is from Mother Jones, about the 1999 repeal of major banking regulations in the USA. This Reddit discussion thread points out that just about everything in that article came to pass (too-big-to-fail, financial disaster, taxpayer bailouts etc). The original article is a sobering reading, and the Reddit comment thread, as always, is filled with good stuff as well." (Hugh for Mitch).
When "Creative Destruction" Destroys More than It Creates - Harvard Business Review . "Whenever someone says that they're in the business of 'creative destruction' or that they have penchant to 'cannibalize' their own business, it always gives me pause. Is the ability to know what to destroy or what to cannibalize a learned and scientific skill or is it a gut reaction? The more I think about business philosophy - in particular when I look at people like investment advisors and those who play the stock market - I think that they are (more or less) gamblers. Yes, some use data, but the majority are working off of their own gut. That could be good. It could be bad. I'm apathetic to sides. I'm more curious about topics like this: when things are destroyed or cannibalized, does anyone ever take stock to see what value of the things that were destroyed along with it?" (Mitch for Alistair).
Recipes - IFTTT . "I always frown upon those brands who are looking for shortcuts. In particular, the brands (and individuals) who are looking for ways to automate their social media experience. It's screams of being inauthentic but it also undermines the entire point of what makes social media so great (in my own, humble, estimation): the real interactions between real human beings. That being said, I could not help but smile and be curious about this site: If This Then That (IFTTT). What is, ultimately, a huge, long list of social media macros to make it look like you're sharing and thanking a lot of people can now be automated by following some of their recipes. Check this out, you may well soon find yourself automating your own social media experience to make it look like you're doing a whole lot more than you truly are." (Mitch for Hugh).
Now it's your turn: in the comment section below pick one thing that you saw this week that inspired you and share it.
Tags:
alistair croll
bitcurrent
complete web monitoring
fast company
gigaom
harvard business review
hugh mcguire
human 20
iambik
if this then that
ifttt
librivox
link exchange
linkbait
managing bandwidth
media hacks
mother jones
pressbooks
reddit
serious eats
story
the atlantic
the book oven
year one labs
T-Commerce And The Rise Of Tablet Shopping
Does it matter which device a consumer uses to connect with a brand?
Think about this question another way: does the rise of the tablet make for a different shopping experience when compared to the desktop or mobile Web? Touch, screen size, portability does add a different layer. Currently, the experimentation hasn't evolved much, but when compared to more traditional human behaviors, it's not hard to see how closely the tablet can both mimic and enhance consumers who have had some type of catalogue experience in their past.
New opportunity or just another screen?
Personally, I see a time (in the near-future) when the screen experience becomes somewhat ubiquitous (meaning, the Web is just the Web and the responsiveness of the shopping experience will only be predicated by screen size and location), but that's not the world as we know it today. Tablets (in particular, the iPad - which is the dominant player) are changing online shopping and it's forcing the physical store experience to evolve as well. Just this week, MediaPost had a fascinating news item titled, Tablets Change Shopping, Media Habits. A new report by InMobi and Mobext titled, The Role of Connected Devices in the Consumer Sales Journey uncovered some consumer habits that were unique to the tablet market...
From MediaPost's news item:
Tablet use has risen quickly to 29.5 million U.S. users, 11% of the total U.S. population.
Over 60% of U.S. tablet owners spend at least 30 minutes each day accessing media content on their tablets and 52% use a tablet to fill what previously would have been "dead time."
After buying a tablet, 29% of tablet owners claimed they stopped surfing the Internet via their PC and/or laptop. Nearly half of tablet owners -- 48% -- agree that tablets' appealing design and accessibility make it is easier to access media content than on a PC or laptop.
When it comes to shopping, 22% of tablet users claim they've shopped less in physical stores since purchasing a tablet and more than half (55%) make purchases on their device in an average month.
Tablet use peaks at home in the evening between 6 p.m. and midnight for most owners.
In relation to considered purchases, 55% of tablet owners said they first learn about the product on their tablet, 53% actively evaluate the product, and 58% follow through with purchasing those goods on their tablet.
When you play, you pay.
When you play with technology and it's easy to use, connected and a more natural experience, you become more comfortable. When that happens, you are more likely to buy and try new experiences. When it comes to devices, tablets are the new and bright shiny object that are getting our attention. Look no further than Microsoft's leap back in hardware production with their upcoming tablet, Surface. Google also announced their tablet, Nexus 7, at this year's Google I/O 2012 developer conference this past week. I'm less confident in Microsoft and Google's attempts at cracking the penetration that Apple's iPad is having, simply because both the Surface and Nexus 7 are making their debut with wi-fi only. The key to tablet's success and growth is intrinsically tied to the mobile connectivity. Along with touch, speed, slender size and ease of use, having it always connected/always on is another key component of its success when compared with desktop computers and laptops.
What this all really means...
As tablets advance and get more interesting, commerce - as we have seen it to date - will adapt. Simple Web pages with a picture or two that can be enlarged by clicking on a magnifying glass icon are going to go the way of having a corporate MySpace page. Touching, twisting and multi-gesture on tablets will elevate the online shopping experience, bringing it fairly close to a physical retail experience... where you can practically touch, feel and smell everything, only it will still be behind the glass.
Are you ready for the rise of tablets and how it changes the digital brand experience?
Tags:
apple
brand
connected devices
consumer
consumer sales journey
desktop computer
digital brand experience
google
google io
human behavior
inmobi
ipad
media content
media habit
media post
mediapost
microsoft
mobext
mobile device
myspace
nexus 7
shopping experience
store experience
surface
t commerce
tablet
tablet commerce
tablet shopping
June 29, 2012
What You Need To Know About Facebook, Content And Brands
It's all about the fleeting moment.
For the longest time, there was a commonly held sentiment that the brands who create the best (and most relevant and most contextual) content will win. Creating content is not easy. It's especially not easy for brands that have been, primarily, marketing-driven organizations. The kind of brands that have seasonal campaigns that are driven by creating as many exposures to the brand as possible. These types of campaign-led companies have always (and will continue to) grapple with the creation, editing and nurturing of valuable content. We know that brands who have a fundamental grasp of creating content are brands that have embraced a publisher's mindset. They see content over an extended period of time and as an enabler of extending the brand narrative in new, unique and more shareable forms.
It's not easy and it's getting harder.
It's ironic to see so many brands embrace Facebook and the content creation capabilities of the channel because of how easy Facebook makes it to create, publish and share content. The race to get as many Facebook likes as possible continues. You see it every day on TV and in print as brands end the majority of their advertising with a "don't forget to like us on Facebook"-type of call to action. It's true that Facebook is awesome for keeping a brand fresh. Never has it been easier to have an idea and be able to share it with the world, instantly. But is it working? This is where the irony kicks in...
It's working for some.
It's doubtful that we're talking about the standard 80/20 rule. It's more likely that there is only a small percentage of brands who are truly leveraging the Facebook channel to tell a better story and create more tangible connections. It's also increasingly challenging because it's not just about Facebook. There is an overwhelming amount of channels for people to connect in the social media spheres (YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn and on and on). This means one thing: the ability to capture attention and keep it in the world of the real-time stream is not easy.
It's starting to get even more complicated.
Yesterday, MediaPost, published the news item, Marketing Content Has Short Shel Life On Facebook. Here's the crux of it: "A new study from Omnicom's OMD concludes that the average content posting by an advertiser on a Facebook page has a surprisingly low shelf life: about 18 hours... One post a day was optimal -- any less and there's a risk that brand awareness and engagement by consumers will wane, while multiple daily posts are more than the typical fan wants or can keep up with. 'The impetus is on content managers to update their pages while not overwhelming fans,' the report states." Translation: you have to create 365 pieces of content each and every year (at least) and - in the best case scenario - that content will resonate for in and around 18 hours at a pop. If you're lucky.
Does this make any sense?
There's always many different viewpoints to bring to data like this. It will be easy for brands to throw their arms up in the air and claim that these types of report don't incite value to the overall economic value of the brand. That's true. But, this report is not taking into account the aggregate effect of brands that are present on a channel like Facebook and (hopefully) engaged with the people they are connected to. What is that worth? The truth is that the majority of content doesn't have a substantial shelf life because it's simply not interesting. The truth is also that in a saturated marketplace, brands have to understand the value that comes from not only creating content that is compelling but in sticking around to see it through. Not as a one-off but as a long term commitment to something (and that something is the result of defining a better digital marketing strategy).
Strategy matters.
This news item makes it clear: you don't have a long time to make a good impression. Brands on Facebook (and other social media) are relegated to the same laws of the real-time Web as everyone else is. If your consumers are not connected and watching you when you publish your content and try to engage, it doesn't matter how many friends and followers you have. It simply becomes more digital tumbleweeds. It's also important to remember that getting started is hard simply because your content will (most likely) have a very short half-life - and that's all the way through.
Lots to think about as the concept of content marketing evolves.
Tags:
advertising
brand
brand awareness
brand engagement
brand narrative
content
content marketing
data
digital marketing
digital tumbleweed
facebook
facebook page
linkedin
marketing content
marketing organization
mediapost
omd
omnicom
pinterest
publishing
real time web
social media
twitter
youtube
Finding Your Start
This week has been about starting.
The past few blog posts have been about finding the nerve to start or about thinking and acting like a startup (whether you're just getting started or if you're a lumbering giant in your industry). In the blog comments, on Twitter, on Facebook and even in some casual conversations that I had in Silicon Valley this week, the most common question is "how?" How do you get started. I jokingly told a writer friend that the easiest way to start writing is to simply, shut up and write. It sounds simple enough, but you would be surprised.
Shut up and start.
OK, let's assume it's easier said than done and that you need a little inspiration. No one has influenced my ability to just sit down and get started more than Mark Levy. Who is Mark Levy? I had heard his name is some of my online social networking circles, and while reviewing his site I was amazed to see testimonials like: "Mark Levy is a positioning guru extraordinaire and is my guru in residence" from David Meerman Scott author of The New Rules Of Marketing And PR and many other bestselling business books. Simon Sinek, the bestselling author of Start With Why claims that Levy helped him find his "why," and corporate Blogging expert, Debbie Weil, then said that Levy is a "horse whisperer for writers and business thinkers." Beyond that high praise, Levy is also the author of Accidental Genius - Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight and Content. Since having Mark on my podcast back in September of 2010 (you can take a listen to it here: SPOS #221 - Unlocking Creativity And Your Accidental Genius With Mark Levy), I've had Mark speak at some events and I've had the pleasure of becoming friends with him. Just today, I noticed that he's giving away a free e-book titled, List-Making as a Tool of Thought Leadership. I don't know why Mark is giving this content away for free, but here it is and it will simply and easily answers one important question in your life:
How do I get started?
This free e-book should take you no longer than an hour to review, and I promise you that you will never be stuck again, you will never find yourself asking, "how do I get started?" and you'll even re-think everything you know about brainstorming and putting your ideas on paper. Big claim? You bet. And this isn't marketing hyperbole, but the real truth. Find a challenge that you have in your life and follow Mark's list-making technique and tell me if you don't have new and inspiring resolutions in under ten minutes.
So, what are you waiting for...
Get started: List-Making as a Tool of Thought Leadership.
Tags:
accidental genius
blog
brainstorm
business book
business thinker
content
corporate blogging
creativity
david meerman scott
debbie weil
facebook
ideation
listmaking as a tool of thought leadership
mark levy
marketing
online social networking
silicon valley
simon sinek
start with why
startup
the new rules of marketing and pr
twitter
writer
writing
June 26, 2012
Are Startups The Future Of Media?
Who holds the future of media in their hands?
If you take a serious look at the media world, there are only a handful of significant players. While it may be easy to define "significant" as a company doing interesting things, it's more practical to look at the media landscape, and you'll note a handful of advertising networks and multi-national media corporations command the majority of audience. Yes, players like Apple and Google nudge the landscape, but only a little (at this moment in time). This past week, iMedia posted a blog item titled, 9 startups that marketers will love. It caught my attention (a great linkbait of a title, if ever there was one). Sure, some of these startups were interesting. Sure, some of these startups will succeed. Sure, some of these startups will fail (in fact, if we look at the statistics, the majority of them will fail). But, what struck my attention was that there were very few (if any) on this list that look like any of the 800 pound gorillas we see in the marketing and media mist.
So, who shapes the future of media?
No one can deny that the Internet, social media and mobile technology is causing major disruption to the marketing and media landscape. Yet, to this day, if you look at where the lion's share of the media dollars flow, it still looks like the major holding companies dominate. This should come as no shock. Just last week, WPP (a leading marketing and communications network) purchased AKQA (one of the biggest independent digital marketing agencies). Moves like this validate that the bigger (and more established) companies are not only getting smarter at a quicker click, but that they're also willing to dig into their pockets to purchase the skills required for survival in this ever-evolving landscape. A few years back, I was asked to sign copies of my book, Six Pixels of Separation, at an ad:tech event in New York City. The night before the conference, a reception was held at Ogilvy & Mather. Their beautiful offices housed a floor that was dedicated to new technology and experimentation (a lab, of sorts) in the advertising world. Over a year ago, famed ad shop, kirshenbaum bond senecal + partners announced a new venture capital fund (kbs+p Ventures) aimed at investing in and nurturing the latest advertising and media startups. In fact, everywhere you turn, there are acquisitions, investments or labs being formulated by some of the bigger and more traditional companies to ensure that no startup steps in... and dominates.
Has media - finally - learned its lesson?
Sir Martin Sorrell (famed Chief Executive Office of WPP) coined the term "frenemy" when discussing his roster of agencies relationship with Google back in 2009. Madison Avenue was quick to jump on the Facebook bandwagon and provide whatever services they could once the online social network started gaining traction. So, while these companies were "sleeping with the enemy," it becomes abundantly clear that they're doing everything humanly possible to either get in there much earlier or be in a position where they, themselves, are not only feeding brands into a machine, but becoming the actual creators of the machine as well.
So, how's that working out for big media?
Last time I checked, no media company was behind the creation of Twitter, Path, Instagram, Zynga, Pinterest, Highlight or any other new media darling du jour. My guess is that they'll be investors as soon as they physically can be, but with all of their labs, venture capital and chest-thumping, they are still lacking the entrepreneurial spirit that these other companies have to create something that truly captivates an audience. It reminds me of a conversation I had a few months ago with Peter Coughter (a classic advertising creative executive and the author of The Art of The Pitch). In talking about the relationship between agencies and brands, he said: "look, you make the shoes, we'll make the ads." Maybe, it's a line that doesn't just suit the client/agency relationship, but best describes the friction that media companies are facing in this brave new world? Perhaps, agencies make the ads and they need to leave the innovation of the channels and platforms up to those startups? It seems to be the way things are evolving naturally... doesn't it?
What's your take?
The above posting is my twice-monthly column for The Huffington Post called, Media Hacker . I cross-post it here with all the links and tags for your reading pleasure, but you can check out the original version online here:
The Huffington Post - Are Startups The Future Of Media?
Tags:
ad tech
advertising agency
advertising network
akqa
apple
brand
business column
digital marketing
facebook
frenemy
future of media
google
highlight
imedia
instagram
kbsp ventures
kirschenbaum bond senecal partners
marketer
marketing professional
media
media column
media corporation
media hacker
media landscape
mobile technology
new media
ogilvy mather
online social network
path
peter coughter
pinterest
sir martin sorrell
social media
startup
technology
the art of the pitch
the huffington post
twitter
venture capital
wpp
zynga
June 25, 2012
The Creative Push
When does creativity strike?
I struggle with this concept on a daily basis. An old friend of mine is a creative copywriter. I remember back when we were in university how consumed he was with great advertising creative. At the time, there was no Internet and he would wait - patiently - for the latest advertising annual to come out. He would go through these annuals like a detective surveying a murder scene for the first time. These magazines were never loaned. They were reference material and a mythical gateway of ideation. With a notepad constantly in hand (in case an idea struck), there would be times in our friendship when he would simply disappear because something had come to him and it needed to come out (dozens of napkins died by his pen). One summer, a bunch of us did a roundtrip to visit him at university. Over some chicken wings and beer, he said something that stuck with me to this very day about the creative process. We were ruminating about how stressful it can be to have to come up with great ideas on a tight deadline with a limited budget. He said: it's like jumping off of a cliff naked and hoping that there's a branch somewhere on the way down to snag some part of your skin (at the time, I think he said an eyelid!). Sounds like more luck than experience, but it isn't.
The waiting isn't the hardest part.
Some people, wrongly, assume that waiting for these ideas to strike is the hardest part. Those who have put time into their craft (and this can be anything from writing or being a creative director to painting or programming an app) know that it's not the waiting... it's the starting. It's a message that you will read in every book about creativity, and it's the same concept you will uncover in every book about personal development. Coming up with goals is not the hardest part: starting to make that list and putting real deadlines against it is the hardest part. Hoping you will overcome your anxiety after seeing a therapist is the wrong approach to take. Once you begin the process, you realize that most of our psychological issues begin to fade when we start to push through that fear by actually starting to heal ourselves. I often reflect on two books by Steven Pressfield: The War Of Art and Do The Work. I am in love with Pressfield's blue collar work ethic when it comes to writing and creativity. If your neighbor wakes up, brushes their teeth, takes a shower, feeds the kids, gets them off to school, kisses their spouse goodbye for the day and heads off to the office, why don't creative people do the same? I wish I could say that I bring this type of work ethic to my work, but I don't.
Forcing it.
I do force myself to write. Writing is the catalyst for my ideation (it may be shooting videos or doodling for you). No new ideas come to light in my life without the act of writing. While a good chunk of my day is spent tinkering with words for clients, this blog, a book, an article, a presentation, a pitch or whatever, I can't follow Pressfield's dedication to a tee. I do like to wander, procrastinate, complain, occupy myself with distractions (they could be serious distractions like a client meeting or silly ones like a need to buy more socks). In the end, I do force myself to write. Often. Frequently. Daily. Why? Because I know one thing: starting leads to creating. Creating leads to ideation. Ideation leads to excellence. Not always. But, often enough. You can't fake the critical thinking that gets developed from writing.
My water broke.
I'm in the middle of editing my second business book, CTRL ALT DEL (it will be out in Spring 2013). It took me longer than expected. Not to write it, but to create the right framework. What got it to the place where the concept felt meaty enough for a book? It's a squiggly and jagged journey, but the timing may not have been perfect. When I let my other three business partners at Twist Image know that the second book was being written, one of them said it would be important for us to figure out if the timing was right and how to make everything work. I (half-jokingly) said, "my water broke... this baby is coming." Again, the creative push came because from the act of starting. Once I got started, neck deep in the words, finding inspiration and ideas was not the problem: finding enough time to let the words tumble out was.
The blank screen.
My MacBook Air is the most intimidating tool I have ever encountered. It just sits there, lid down, waiting for me. With it, I have access to create, nurture, publish and ideate anything. Is it possible for the next big idea to come out of it? Why not? Without the tools, one could complain that they simply can't create. When you write, produce or nurture, having a MacBook Air makes you realize how lazy and insufferable we all are. What a magnificent tool of creation and I'm squandering it by not using it as frequently as I probably should (why did I watch four episodes of Pawn Stars this weekend when I could have been writing and ideating more?). Your work is your art (don't believe me? Go and read Seth Godin's book, Linchpin) and we have these tools to do things we could have never imagined before. My creative tension doesn't come from finding a wall to tag, it comes from finding the nerve to lift the lid up.
Lift the lid.
I see people all of the time who are simply not spending enough time starting. It could be scribbles in a Moleskine it could be cracking open a PowerPoint and it could be opening up that blank Word document. Start. Start now, Lift the lid. Start creating.
Change the world.
I'm on my way to Silicon Valley for a few days. I just finished watching a great documentary about famed architect, Frank Gehry, called, Sketches Of Frank Gehry. In this film, Gehry's therapist is interviewed and he talks about the difference between treating patients with issues like fear and uncertainty and then people like Gehry. Here's the distinction: the majority of people are trying to figure out how to heal themselves so that they can get on with their day to day lives. People like Gehry (and some of the more renowned artists of our times) are trying to figure out how to change the world. Wow. It was a very profound moment. The difference is that these people start - as hard and as gut-wrenching at it can be. They force it. They force it because they know that something always does happen.
What are you waiting for?
Tags:
advertising
artist
blog
business book
creative copywriter
creative process
creative tension
creativity
ctrl alt del
do the work
frank gehry
ideation
linchpin
macbook air
moleskine
pawn stars
personal development
powerpoint
publishing
seth godin
sketches of frank ghery
steven pressfield
the war of art
writing
June 24, 2012
Facebook's Identity Crisis
Episode #311 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.
Joseph Jaffe is widely regarded as one of the top Marketing Bloggers (Jaffe Juice) and Podcasters (both Jaffe Juice in audio and Jaffe Juice TV in video). He is the author of three excellent books (Life After The 30-Second Spot, Join The Conversation and Flip The Funnel) and his latest business venture is, Evol8tion. A long-time friend (and one of the main inspirations behind the Six Pixels of Separation Blog and Podcast), we've decided to hold semi-monthly conversations, debates and back-and-forths that will dive a little deeper into the Digital Marketing and Social Media landscape. This is our 22nd conversation (or, as I like to affectionately call it, Across The Sound 22.20). This week, we talk about Facebook and what's next for the massive online social network? Can it continue to grow? Is there true value for brands within its ecosystem and how much bigger will Facebook become before it is an Internet unto itself? Enjoy the conversation...
You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast #311.
Tags:
advertising podcast
blog
blogging
brand
business book
david usher
digital marketing
evol8tion
facebook
flip the funnel
itunes
jaffe juice
jaffe juice tv
join the conversation
joseph jaffe
life after the 30 second spot
marketing
marketing blogger
marketing podcast
online social network
podcast
podcasting
social media
June 23, 2012
Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #105
Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?
My friends: Alistair Croll (BitCurrent, Year One Labs, GigaOM, Human 2.0, the author of Complete Web Monitoring and Managing Bandwidth: Deploying QOS in Enterprise Networks), Hugh McGuire (The Book Oven, LibriVox, iambik, PressBooks, Media Hacks) and I decided that every week or so the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person "must see".
Check out these six links that we're recommending to one another:
The Marmalade Identity: Behind the scenes (Super Slow Motion Effects That Look CGI) - YouTube . "This video looks behind the scenes at German special effects house The Marmalade . Where others rely on CGI, these guys use all kinds of slow-motion, machine-controlled hackery. Amazing visuals and a unique glimpse at how some of today's most amazing video clips are generated." (Alistair for Hugh).
The Dark Side of Facebook - Emma Barnett . "I read Mitch's sobering post on the most depressing thing on the Internet right now . It brought this piece on the dark side of Facebook to mind. Know why Facebook is relatively smut-free? Turns out there are armies of people flagging your questionable content. Yes, this is an ethical and legal morass. 'It must be the worst salary paid by Facebook,' he told The Daily Telegraph this week. 'And the job itself was very upsetting - no one likes to see a human cut into pieces every day.' For me, this is the most depressing thing behind the Internet right now." (Alistair for Mitch).
Exoplanets - xkcd . "Space, the final frontier... Lovely illustration by Randall Munroe ( xkcd ) of our own solar system's planets, along with all other known planets (most relatively recently discovered) orbiting other stars (i.e. stars that ain't our sun). Apparently, 'we know nothing about what's on any of them.'" (Hugh for Alistair).
The Slow Web - Jack Cheng . "I seem to be banging on these days about too much digital, and in fact I have started prying myself away from my computer for 45 minutes of rock climbing around noon most days of the week - which has helped my sanity enormously. Anyway, here are some ideas about slowing down the flood of digital from the Web." (Hugh for Mitch).
Free Speech for Computers? - The New York Times . "In this deep and thoughtful piece, Tim Wu (author of The Master Switch ) asks: 'Is there a compelling argument that computerized decisions should be considered speech? As a matter of legal logic, there is some similarity among Google , Ann Landers , Socrates and other providers of answers. But if you look more closely, the comparison falters. Socrates was a man who died for his views; computer programs are utilitarian instruments meant to serve us. Protecting a computer's speech is only indirectly related to the purposes of the First Amendment, which is intended to protect actual humans against the evil of state censorship. The First Amendment has wandered far from its purposes when it is recruited to protect commercial automatons from regulatory scrutiny.' Computers speaking? It's an argument worth reading about and it's an argument worth thinking about as more and more artificial intelligence is developed while recommendations engines continue to mature." (Mitch for Alistair).
What Makes Jeff Bezos Tick? A $42 Million Clock, for Starters - The Wall Street Journal . "By some strange twist of fate, I found myself sitting next to Jeff Bezos at one of the TED speaking sessions this past year. I'm a massive fan of his and all things Amazon . Remember that old Saturday Night Live skit, when the late/great Chris Farley finds himself next to a celebrity and starts stammering and saying ridiculous things ('remember when you invented the Kindle ?... yeah... that awesome')? Well, that was me. My fascination comes from a deep need to better understand how he ideates and innovates. This article gives you a glimpse into the thinking of Bezos... a man who is about much more than making books digital... or selling the physical ones." (Mitch for Hugh).
Now it's your turn: in the comment section below pick one thing that you saw this week that inspired you and share it.
Tags:
alistair croll
amazon
ann landers
bitcurrent
chris farley
complete web monitoring
emma barnett
facebook
gigaom
google
hugh mcguire
human 20
iambik
jack cheng
jeff bezos
kindle
librivox
link exchange
linkbait
managing bandwidth
media hacks
pressbooks
randall munroe
saturday night live
socrates
story
ted
the book oven
the daily telegraph
the marmalade
the master switch
the new york times
the slow web
the wall street journal
tim wu
xkcd
year one labs
youtube
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