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Posted via email from Jared Hendler

Musings from SXSWi 2013

Back a week, I've have had a bit of time to reflect on SXSW, here are the things that stood out for me from this years interactive festival.

Creative Entrepreneurship vs. Marketing 

While it is hard to sum up a festival as rich and intricately complex as SXSWi, one thing stood out for me more than anything else this year - the presence of so many marketers and brand folks vs. the excitement of entrepreneurial ideas, content and platforms from previous years. Mind you, all of us who were advocates and supporters of new technology and platform invention from past years all wondered, at the time, when brands and marketers where going to show up and take advantage of the opportunity to build relationships with the digital and social platforms of the future. After all, SXSW is to digital marketing what media relationship building is to PR. But the pendulum seems to have swung the other direction this year. I hope interest and presence of brand marketers continues, but I hope that the entrepreneurial nature of invention returns next year now that we have everyone's attention.

Living in the material world…the focus is now on the hardware

Whether we are all fed up of living a virtual life online or not, the entrepreneurial focus this year was on 'The Internet of Things'. The invention of both new and everyday objects connected to the web in order to help us record and integrate our collective experience and how we interact with the world around us. Dennis Crowley from FourSquare painted a good picture when he talked about how location combined with integrated intelligence with his fitness devices (Nike Fuelband or scale similar to Smart Scale), all work together to give him a larger view of what he really needs to do to stay healthy - too many bar nights in a row compared to his prescheduled gym visits perhaps? Nike's connected shoe project looks really promising and I have been personally very interested in the flexibility of Twine given it allows consumers to connect any object and customize the hardware and software.

Google Glass

GoogleGlass was the connected device that stole the show. The most anticipated device since the Apple got into the music or phone business, GoogleGlass launches an entire category and may change the way we connect to the world in the future. There was a lot of backlash coming out of SXSW around Glass, given how Google is rolling this out. For a company that has been very open, many folks have started to feel that that is very exclusive vs. inclusive - even from the developer side. For a first version what Google has is pretty amazing. If this is adopted, we may find this embedded into our contact lenses, but for now Google needs to better manage the backlash and be as inclusive as they can be.

The power of Real Time Marketing (marketing in the moment)

Fueled by engagement from the team at Oreo during the SuperBowl, this power panel discussed the importance of making the best of moments as they are happening. Moderated by David Teicher, Associate Editor, Ad Age, included a fun debate between Bonin Bough, VP of Global Media and Consumer Engagement, Mondelez International; Steve Doan, Senior Associate Brand Manager, Oreo (a Mondelez International brand) and the infamous Gary Vaynerchuk, Co-founder, VaynerMedia. Here is a video of the panel if you missed it - it was quite a hoot! 

Elon Musk

Elon Musk gave one of the most inspired talks at SXSW. Talked about as the 'Tony Stark' of our age, Elon is quite soft spoken and when he is not busy leading development of the world's most advanced battery operated automobile, Tesla, he is focusing his energy on getting humanity back into the space race. I could not find a video of his full keynote but SaulPaul posted a great rap recap.

Vegas baby...

At first I thought I heard it wrong, but rumor had it that because of the increasing size of the conference and the lack of capacity in Austin, the organizers are potentially looking to move the interactive portion to Vegas? The V2V site (V2V short for Visionaries to Vegas), looks like it may be a dry run. I also heard that badge holders of this past festival in Austin may be able to attend for free or get a discount but I did not see that mentioned on the site at all. I don't know about you, but the idea of separating interactive from music and film, given that content is driving everything these days seems like a mistake to me. Vegas also seems like an odd fit for a conference with a very un-Vegas like culture. What do you think? I am personally bummed out about this, but at least they picked the best hotel - The Cosmopolitan (full disclosure as I worked on the launch).

Grumpy Cat

…and then there was Grumpy Cat - a Star of SXSW. If you don't know who Grumpy Cat is the CNN report sums it up. Seriously, overall a testament to the power of popular culture.

See you next year or in Vegas baby... 

Posted via email from Jared Hendler

Brands are now owned by the social consumer.

PepsiCo announced on Friday that it would no longer use an ingredient in Gatorade in response to an online petition that attracted more than 200,000 signatures from 15 year old Sarah Kavanagh.

When it comes to building relationships with consumers, social media has become a pivotal component, and we as marketers often talk about how the consumer ultimately is the owner of the brand message within these channels. As I like to say, the ultimate compliment to any brand is to allow the consumer to be the 'programmer of your network'. When you think about it, no matter how large the marketing budget of the brand, it cannot drown out the voice of the consumer. In other words, your consumer's voice actually 'outspends' your brand - so embrace it.

But this goes beyond marketing. We have always spoken in context of marketing and brand influence, but we have yet to realize that the conversation actually allows the consumer to influence the development of the product itself. I am convinced that this is just the beginning. Pepsico made the fatal mistake of announcing that the ingredient that is being removed from Gatorade, brominated vegetable oil, which is actually banned as a food ingredient in Japan and the European Union, will actually remain in some of its other large brands like Mountain Dew - I cannot wait until the fans get hold of that one! Studies suggest possible side effects include neurological disorders and altered thyroid hormones.

Here's the deal, we all have much more information at our fingertips these days. Brand owners in both the product and marketing departments need to stop talking down to their consumers and embrace them as true partners. Realize that the consumer has a stake and interest in the development and evolution of product and not just the message.

Now lets see if we can create something meaningful together.

Link to the complete article in the New York Times: PepsiCo Will Halt Use of Additive in Gatorade

 

Posted via email from Jared Hendler

2013 predictions lists that are actually insightful…

I'm not one to republish 'best-of' or 'predictive' types of lists, because I often find them to be either too generic or too polarizing to be helpful, but two lists stood out to me for this year. Conveniently one is for PR and the other for Advertising.

The PR list covers some interesting observations about LinkedIn, the power of advocacy, the reputable return of the seasoned journalist, importance of mobile, visual storytelling and PR finally winning the battle to best manage social media.

On the Advertising side, look forward to additional thoughts on mobile, the evolution of the dreaded banner ad, big data and the newly coined "Native Advertising".

Both are short and succinct and worth a read-through.

Would love your thoughts... 

Posted via email from Jared Hendler

Crowdsourcing the presidential election.

Trying to predict the outcome of an election is not new. Doing so in real-time, based upon current conversations and search information from qualitative data vs. traditional polling, especially months and weeks before the election is. The question is, does it risk the ability to sway the population as everyone chases popular opinion? The larger the crowd, the more people show up for it. Sadly, it's a social norm to follow the herd - think about it. Great for brands, not good for elections.

In this weekends NYTimes article, Google's Crystal Ball, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz analyzes Google search data to see what folks are searching for by state, as it relates to each candidate. Comparing this to numbers from the last election, especially with a focus on the swing states, may show the accuracy of how search data could predict which way people are leaning based upon things such as sentiment analysis. Simply fascinating.

The Daily introduced a real-time, agree/disagree 'dial' to poll Democrats and Republican's in real time, and it was fantastic to participate in and to watch in last week's debate. If you did not try it in the last debate and you own an iPad, Android or Kindle Tablet, download The Daily and try it tonight. I found it absolutely fascinating to watch people's reactions to the arguments in real-time. I was especially fascinated by the fact that the Republican audience was completely unified in their position, while the Democrats were often not as unified around the same issue - a weakness for Obama and the Democratic party, but solid proof that The Democrats are not as polarized, easier to work with and more open to listen to the issues. It was even more scary to watch how folks are swayed by popular opinion in real-time vs. making their own decisions based upon the facts. We know and accept that this is how it works, but usually after much debate, research and discussion followed up by the usual sensationalized coverage by the media - not instantaneously by following your fellow man. An eye opener for sure.

While many of us may view these tools as toys to keep us entertained before, during and after a debate, unlike the debate itself, this may be how elections are won and lost in the future.

 

Posted via email from Jared Hendler

Social TV, the Second Screen and the Opportunity for PR.

62% of consumers use social media while watching TV on a weekly basis. This fact is stunning and an increase of 18% over last year, according to the results from the annual Ericsson ConsumerLab study. While folks may not all be chatting about the content on their big screen, 25% of the 65% are - and that's still a big and growing %.  For a summary of the study, go here.

How many of us have texted our friends while watching a broadcast show, a live presidential speech or a sporting event? What about the chatter around those Super Bowl commercials? With Social TV, the opportunities to connect with others outside of our direct social networks around things we love are endless. The ability for our clients to do the same, in real-time, is there. I could even see the re-imagining of the commercial as a real-time call to action to engage. Simply connecting with a larger audience around the breaks within major events such as the Super Bowl or The Oscars brings endless opportunities, especially if curated around carefully promoted search terms and hashtags.

And more proof-points are coming our way. The Council for Research Excellence (CRE) will be conducting a new study to determine the impact of social media activity on television viewing. Keller Fay Group, Nielsen, Nielsen Life360, NM Incite, and Bluefin Labs have all agreed to participate in conducting the study. It will consist of three different components: A quantitative survey conducted by consulting firm Keller Fay Group of up to 1,600 participants recruited by Nielsen, all checking in multiple times per day over the course of a week via a mobile app; a social media analytics project from NM Incite, with the social TV analytics provided by Bluefin Labs; and ethnographies provided by Nielsen Life360, where 200 panelists will record media usage for seven days using their own smartphones. Comprehensive it is!

And there is plenty to research as Second Screen Social TV offerings are well underway. Here are a few that I have been tracking:

Yahoo was the first and most vocal with their easy-to-use IntoNow tablet app. While watching TV, the app recognizes the content through sound recognition and conveniently pulls up all the social streams around that particular piece of content all in real time.

YouToo.com (a social TV company) enables folks to record Video messages that then have the chance to appear in conjunction with the broadcast show. One example is Ricki Lake's new daytime talk show which will be accompanied by its very own social network, hosted by YouToo to allow users to record videos in response to on-air topics, which if approved by producers, could show up on later broadcasts.

UK-based social TV company Zeebox will be launching in the US soon and is expected to announce a deal with Comcast along with Time Warner Cable. It will provide both cable operators access to its social TV technology for use within their existing mobile apps, as well as launch its own app in the market. Zeebox's mobile app allows TV viewers to see what their friends are watching, follow social conversations and interact with others around shows, access additional information on a program, and has an m-commerce capability that allows users to buy things they see on TV.

Mass Relevance has teamed up with Turner Sports to launch The 13th Man, a new social/second-screen tool tied to the 2012 Ryder Cup. Available on the tournament's website, the social tool will allow users to access fan conversations and reactions in real-time during the Cup over the next five days.

VH1's Love & Hip Hop:Atlanta was the most social TV show (excluding sports) of the summer, according to data from Trendrr.TV. On average, the show generated more than double the social interactions per episode vs. the second-most social summer series. Females were responsible for 67% of all social interactions related to the show. Behind Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, the other top shows/genres for SocialTV are:

• The Bad Girls Club (Oxygen)
• Keeping Up with the Kardashians (E!).
  
• Sports programming dominated social TV as the end of the NBA Playoffs on TNT and ESPN generated 4.4 million social media comments and interactions; ESPN's coverage of Euro 2012 brought in 25 million social interactions; and NBC's Olympic coverage generated 28 million social interactions.
• The top three dramas were Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family), Teen Wolf (MTV), and True Blood (HBO).
• Excluding Olympic and other sports-related networks, BET, MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, and ABC Family were the most social cable networks this summer.
• Discovery's Shark Week brought in more than 4.3 million social interactions during that one week in August.

For those entertainment companies that have yet to get into the action, mPortal has released a new set of social TV APIs that are designed to help content and service providers build second-screen apps for connected devices. The APIs allow providers to develop an interactive experience that connects audiences with friends across selected social networks while giving insight into individuals' unique viewing preferences.

Given the expanding opportunities to engage with the content that we crave, the Public Relations industry is in a great position to help brands and organizations connect in real time through a medium that used to be a one-way, static affair. Truthfully I don't see it going any other way. As with traditional social media, if you are not involved in the conversation, it moves on without you and the entertainment industry cannot afford to let that happen.

And then there is something else to consider - the fact that mobile is engaging us in ways that may exceed the immersive experience of TV and the fact that mobile devices are what we use when we engage in Social TV. I really loved this post by Matt Cohler from Benchmark Capital: Mobile Will Grab TV Advertising’s Crown.

For those of you who are joining us for Social Media Week this week in Los Angeles, the entertainment capitol of the world, I'd love to know how you plan on using the technologies at your disposal to connect with an audience that is clearly passionate about the content you are producing.

Posted via email from Jared Hendler

Apps, the future of a new TV experience, and the death of the old.

What if apps did for TV's and the entire viewing experience what apps did for phones?

It was not so long ago that the idea of loading an app on a phone was not possible. The first iPhone did not allow this and it took some time before the API and developer kit was opened up. Today, this is commonplace...and the same is now happening to our connected TV's.

This is significant, because it brings us closer to an à la carte, on demand, one on one engaged world...even in TV land.

New research from Parks Associates shows US smart (connected) TV owners who watch online video increased by over 30% in six months. 75% of US smart TV owners who connect their TV's to the web watch on-demand online movies monthly - up from 57% in 2011. 71% watch online TV shows monthly, up from 51% in 2011. From a daily perspective, 30% watch movies and 32% watch TV shows. Parks Associates projects that the number of internet-connected TVs shipped will jump from less than 1% in 2008 to over 45% in 2012, and that's a big jump in a relatively short amount of time folks.

Add all of the X-Boxes, Rokus, Google Nexus Q's and Apple TV's and you suddenly have a television viewing revolution as people start to download the apps of the networks or content partners they love as opposed to prescribing to hundreds of channels pre-packaged by the cable operators they don't.

For now, there is just one problem, content creators and the networks cannot afford to spite the hand that feeds them (cable and satellite companies) by selling directly. However there is no doubt that the pendulum will swing in that direction once a majority of folks start to connect to their programming in this way, and online advertising has the potential to exceed traditional and there is evidence of that. ComScore's monthly Video Metrix report shows more than 11 billion online video ads were viewed in June, up from over 10 billion in May. In addition, each of the top five online video advertising properties delivered more than 1 billion video ads in June. Google properties came in first (1.41 billion ads delivered), BrightRoll (1.39 billion ads), Hulu (1.33 billion), Adap.tv (1.15 billion), and TubeMogul (1.04) billion. ComScore finds that video ads reached 53% of the total US population an average of 68 times during the month. 

Another report argues that real-time buying of video ads may be a superior method for buying digital video, something cable cannot do to the same degree based upon habits and real-time detailed demographics information (

Forrester on behalf of TubeMogul)

 

. "Real-time buying puts marketers in the driver's seat, not only in terms of seeing exactly where an ad is running and for what price, but by reducing media waste by allowing for real-time adjustment based on impact and budget".

As for live TV, operators such as Aereo are offering connectivity via remote antenna rental. I'm also sure that digital antennas will start to pop up within TV's and digital boxes. If you have not tried a digital antenna yourself, the free signal that the major networks broadcast delivers a better picture than you get via most cable or satellite companies. Give it it try!

In addition to cheaper bills and better control, apps will give us innovation that cable has never been able to deliver in an efficient manner; such as the ability to purchase directly from in-program product placement or from advertising, which, by the way, will need to become much more adaptive in format to the new medium. Meaning the traditional :30 and :60 will change or disappeared entirely. One example of this is how TiVo has partnered with PayPal to develop interactive TV ads that would allow viewers to make purchases with their remotes while watching TV.

There is not doubt that this future is upon us. Watch for my next post on the opportunity of PR with social TV and the second screen.

Posted via email from Jared Hendler