http://avin.posterous.com occasionally interesting thoughts + observations on brands, tech, and culture. posterous.com Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:41:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/o7Jj8zs6-gA/video-what-is-google-and-do-i-need-it http://avin.posterous.com/video-what-is-google-and-do-i-need-it <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hC_M6PzXS9g" frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC_M6PzXS9g">youtube.com</a></div> <p>Two months without a single post, so why not get back in with something nice and easy. Right? Right. Besides, I guess I have a good excuse- got married, went on an amazing honeymoon, and have spent most of my time since then trying to figure out what it is I do again.</p> <p>Anyway, I figure many people are having similar internal debates abt Google+ now though I doubt it's as entertaining. Good break for your afternoon.</p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/video-what-is-google-and-do-i-need-it">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/video-what-is-google-and-do-i-need-it#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/o7Jj8zs6-gA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/video-what-is-google-and-do-i-need-it Mon, 23 May 2011 10:54:49 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/slHWMdnkBGE/planningness2011-what-i-learned-and-thoughts http://avin.posterous.com/planningness2011-what-i-learned-and-thoughts <p> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/VfBnRPeKkYLKZbwQPotn75EkpWFNXuUHmgqyBIiw41sRGNXiDTJx67umjIXT/Picture_19.png"><img alt="Picture_19" height="129" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/z7NoUwwWx0TGncN0M6zRotZtlP1EBIIAJ62vTsXaZZCMKMQJnRKVUs4unxgt/Picture_19.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /></div><br />Back in the office after yet another incredibly inspiring <a href="http://planningness.com/" target="_blank">Planningness</a>, thanks to the tireless efforts of <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/marklewis_sf" target="_blank">Mark</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/clairegrinton" target="_blank">Claire</a>, as well as the <a href="http://planningness.com/2011-speakers/" target="_blank">long list of fantastic and truly brilliant speakers</a>. Though I think they learned their lesson by <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/reflection-implications-rethinking-mobile-for" target="_blank">asking me to speak last time</a>, and wisely chose not to this time around (kidding...I think). <p /> Anyway, lots of people with very different backgrounds and different views on the world shared their ideas with us, and the breakout sessions were again intense yet <a href="http://instagr.am/p/EfCKv/" target="_blank">wonderfully productive</a> at the same time. Many of these folks, in planningness tradition, were from far outside the ad world, and it made it all the more interesting and fun. And of course, there was plenty of drinks with <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/chroma" target="_blank">old</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/thaz7" target="_blank">and</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/soulkat" target="_blank">new</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/ehdecker" target="_blank">friends</a> ( <a href="http://twitter.com/colincolin" target="_blank">more</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/urbangardengirl" target="_blank">and</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/oliviertse" target="_blank">more</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/paulisakson" target="_blank">and</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/marklewis_sf" target="_blank">the</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/clairegrinton" target="_blank">list</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/marshallroberts" target="_blank">goes</a>...) once the sessions let out, and I think even 3 days later I&#39;m still feeling the effects. <p /> A few people have already written up recaps/implications worth checking out (including<a href="http://influxinsights.com/2011/planning-2/5-lessons-from-planningness/" target="_blank"> Ed Cottons excellent post</a> which he seemingly posted hours after the final session while the rest of us were still knocking back a few). Given I&#39;ve been lucky enough to go to all 3 planningness events so far, I thought I&#39;d also try and share some things I&#39;ve learned overall, not just this past session, and also some thoughts as we look toward the next time we all get together. <p /> <b>The idealism from Planningness 1 has been replaced, to some degree, with practicality<br /></b>You could probably read that and take it as a bad thing, that maybe we&#39;ve become disheartened or less enthused, but I think that couldn&#39;t be further from the truth. When I left the first Planningness, I felt like <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/planning-ness-a-few-thoughts-reflection" target="_blank">I was walking on air</a>. It was the first conference of it&#39;s kind I had ever been to (which I think is true for most of us), and I got back to the office determined to change the world in 7 days or less. Well, not surprisingly, that didn&#39;t happen. And it <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/implementing-the-lessons-from-planning-ness" target="_blank">frustrated the hell out of me</a>. <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/cotton" target="_blank">Ed</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/diavolina" target="_blank">Kristina</a> keenly pointed out this feeling of high vs low at the start of their session:<br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/wNJV9XVn0wetQDINLEcXbbENrJkTYIwrxj8yfJW1ZaosuxtjTcKx2RdYj1mw/Picture_15.png"><img alt="Picture_15" height="227" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/wItuag4gSwZWXFlG9fK6PBn2tFbZM26kHyyw5tHM04p6fSe9yQXnvSdhgD6I/Picture_15.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /></div>By the second planningness, and getting the chance to speak, I was back on the horse, though I distinctly remember forcing myself to realize the types of changes and shifts in thinking we were all talking about takes time. And by our latest gathering, I think a more practical atmosphere may be starting to define the conference- each time we&#39;ll come away better armed and ready to make changes than when we arrive, but it&#39;s still not going to happen overnight. It&#39;s tough, it will be frustrating, but I think that challenge is in part what will continue to drive us forward. And the more we can push each other forward, the more likely success will be.<br /> <b><br />On that note, perhaps there&#39;s some therapeutic value in the dreaded echo chamber</b><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In a few of the sessions, we aired out in our groups some of the major problems planners face today, from our roles not being fully understood by clients, to our value in helping actually come up with creative ideas not being understood internally, to resource and time constraints on the brief/briefing process, and everything in between. And I guess to some that could be seen as a bit of an echo chamber, planners running in circles talking to each other. While I agree there are many detrimental aspects of the &#39;echo chamber&#39; as it&#39;s often referred to-- particularly that it can perpetuate the stereotype of talkers vs doers-- maybe the therapeutic side is one unspoken benefit. It helps for me to know there are others out there struggling through the same things, beyond these walls. Dealing with the same challenges, having the same fights, losing the same battles. It&#39;s not in defense of an echo chamber, but just a point to say maybe there&#39;s one helpful aspect to it after all.<p /> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/7pZWxPjVeICL53vl5u2Qx5uQptrEbJ0iGeTPmYspP3gtyMLZQiSQ8hwH96tI/Picture_14.png"><img alt="Picture_14" height="176" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/Kk1Ybd0jchC2uZz6pnZGUildWcNJm3l8JUrEELhU0GzHUsfjiO7oTchryJqU/Picture_14.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </b><br /></div></div> <br /><b>Frankly, there are too many brilliant people in this industry for agencies to fail<br /></b>Just a few lines after I said idealism has been replaced with practicality, I realize maybe this is an idealistic thought. But working with all of the people in attendance this year, witnessing brilliance and energy in action, and seeing how determined (and perhaps even a little desperate) we all are to bring about meaningful change to this industry convinces me that for all the talk of the death of agencies, there&#39;s simply too much talent for us all to fail. This isn&#39;t limited to planners, of course, and I don&#39;t think anyone else in attendance would believe that it is. We all know there are people across our own offices of a similar mind, determined to push things forward, whether you work at a large network agency or a small boutique. My hope is the more we&#39;re able to learn from each other, gain fresh ideas and approaches, we can continue to make progress. It might be slower than most of us would like, but as <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/barackobama" target="_blank">someone</a> once said, &quot;change doesn&#39;t happen over night&quot;. <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Picture_18" height="194" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/dmLW6uqEg8jjAyIvalRZJH0ykx8nNSAHTqC36CCgdaG1sNEy16pRLmKPsQ91/Picture_18.png" width="481" /> </div> <br /></div> <b>Something to think about for Planningness 4: maybe we should invite more creatives<br /></b>On that note, I might submit this humbly to our amazing organizers- what if we all looked around at our respective agencies to get some creatives out to the next Planningness? They may not be interested or may not care, but I bet there are a few that would. And I wonder if it would impact their views on what planning is perhaps seen as today vs what it can and should be, to see first hand how determined and excited we all are about the possibilities for the future, particularly when you put so many in one room and get outside the day-to-day challenges of work. Not that we want to fundamentally change the spirit and culture of Planningness, but just as <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/adrianho" target="_blank">Adrian</a> sought to bring together the worlds of production and strategy in his session, maybe we can continue to blend other worlds into our little family. <p /> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/GseDSVDeDuYjadNkG1m8w4pEXVOjjrPs2W9SvCyehl3IejpLtYV77pG3mjwN/Picture_20.png"><img alt="Picture_20" height="211" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/Ftb7c77EKCW1E0DSKKAcd4X3UrXc5wdN2XxeYgfokmzPV7uFqDAhfSlMAfZ8/Picture_20.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /></div> <br /><b>All that said...<br /></b>What did I miss, and what did you learn? What sticks in other people&#39;s minds? I realize I didn&#39;t get too far into details about specific sessions, would love to hear further thoughts. And I&#39;ll try and post a bit more about things in the coming days. Either way, can&#39;t wait for the next Planningness. Thanks again to Mark and Claire (and everyone else who spoke and attended). See you all soon I hope. <p /> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/C3wWSwQ43CaKmeajRFV3hc4o7JyxvlgYvtlpAgCBZPigbjxfvIgTBND2dBN0/Picture_16.png"><img alt="Picture_16" height="239" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/YB28pzZRjFCsxxJsVjyLPYb5u5cjfKIlSrtbB2zaKptOXSPODHDQXWnErOuM/Picture_16.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/planningness2011-what-i-learned-and-thoughts">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/planningness2011-what-i-learned-and-thoughts#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/slHWMdnkBGE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/planningness2011-what-i-learned-and-thoughts Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:32:35 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/ORaDijgs7-4/psfk2011-post-conference-thoughts-and-some-th http://avin.posterous.com/psfk2011-post-conference-thoughts-and-some-th <p> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/4CigIzF62zFOXROI6qoZjF7640G2IZpjvM4mjoJUK2DsQQY0ylLuLsnWNgsh/Picture_40.png"><img alt="Picture_40" height="310" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/ieiqDJOhu5k0ogmu8ROPabSjVIghmDW6Q9aDygifnNTFySoce9cxiVQHji9M/Picture_40.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p /><div style="text-align: left;">This past Friday, I was fortunate enough (along with a crew of <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/thequan" target="_blank">fellow</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/nicolexcellent" target="_blank">Arnold</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/mulberry217" target="_blank">planner</a> types) to be able to attend the <a href="http://www.psfk.com/events/psfk-conference-nyc-2011" target="_blank">PSFK conference in NYC</a>. As you&#39;ve probably heard already, an awesome day filled with lots of <a href="http://www.psfk.com/events/psfk-conference-nyc-2011#speakers" target="_blank">inspiring talks and panels with amazing people</a>. It was my first time being able to attend any of the PSFK sessions, despite wanting to go the past few years something always seemed to get in the way. And I now know that all the hype wasn&#39;t really hype, it is that good.<p /> Several people have already written great recaps and<a href="http://www.influxinsights.com/blog/article/2755/today-s-heroes-are-the-makers--lessons-from-psfk-s-ny-conference.html" target="_blank"> implications</a> from the day, and I guess that&#39;s what I get for being days behind in posting my own. Not sure how much I&#39;m adding to the dialogue, but for what it&#39;s worth, here goes with some stuff I took away from the day.<br /> </div></div> <b><br />The gap between invention and true innovation.<br /></b>This is basically a theme pulled from one part of one discussion, but I thought it was telling and interesting enough to stand on its own. One of my favorite quotes (paraphrased a bit as I tried to keep up with the rapid fire discussion) from the session on &#39;What&#39;s Next&#39; was from <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/ayeshakhanna1" target="_blank">Ayesha Khanna</a>:<p /> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/jyVnhPLrOjFue2yQ9A69nigwjgrMiKLvyCi3QOB7BkxvhZzRPcglwrFTLjJ8/Picture_41.png"><img alt="Picture_41" height="234" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/MKOZ3ULWfX1pjYiDOHOMJcZUXDCYQjGsFM8AiRFFSeQP7wVvr8XDyj0YZVU9/Picture_41.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /></div><br />She was talking broadly about the R&amp;D culture in the U.S., and how it is very good at coming up with amazing things in research labs and getting patents filed. But how many of those patents and inventions see the light of day is a very different story. Her point was that while other countries may be lagging behind on paper when it comes to # of patents, they&#39;re (quickly) getting better at getting stuff made and out into the world, where it can either be deemed useful or a flop by the masses.<p /> Got me thinking that agencies have a very similar problem-- plenty of really interesting ideas (inventions) exist within all of our walls- on concept boards, as rough sketches on napkins or tear sheets, or just in random conversations between smart minds who work in the same building. Yet more often than not those ideas go nowhere, either because a client wasn&#39;t ready for it, it wasn&#39;t sold in right, it simply wasn&#39;t feasible, not the right time, etc etc. Places like <a href="http://madebymany.com/" target="_blank">Made By Many</a>, BBH&#39;s new venture<a href="http://bbhzag.posterous.com/bbh-and-spark-ventures-launch-the-black-sheep" target="_blank"> Black Sheep Fund</a>, and others are countering this and focusing on getting stuff made and out into the world, but by and large agencies haven&#39;t broken out of the invention vs innovation trap. The more we can get stuff out of our dark labs and into the world where it can either fly or die a quick death, the better off we&#39;ll be.<br /> <b><br />Speaking of which- for planners, how may we best balance rigor with speed to innovate?<br /></b>This is something I&#39;ve been thinking about a lot recently and the conference was yet another reminder. In nearly every job description for planners you will see (or that you may be writing now), &quot;planning rigor&quot; in some form is almost always mentioned. Not that it should be surprising- applying strategic rigor, examining ideas and territories from every angle, is critical in getting to the best work. But the term and associated &#39;process&#39; can tend to feel somewhat academic to me. How much rigor is too much, and is there a point when it gets in the way of true innovation? I guess what I&#39;m asking is-- despite best intentions, do we run the risk of sometimes getting in our own way? I don&#39;t really have an answer to this, but feels like an interesting area as we all try to evolve planning broadly, and specifically within our own agencies. Making stuff, not just thinking, has been a popular rally cry for a bit now in planner echo chambers, but are getting there fast enough?<br /><b><br /></b><b>We&#39;ve only scratched the surface on the impact gaming is having on culture.<br /> </b><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/aarondignan" target="_blank">Aaron Dignan</a> of <a href="http://undercurrent.com/" target="_blank">Undercurrent</a> gave one of my favorite talks of the day, an adaptation of sorts of his new book <a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/04/11/aaron-dignan-gam" target="_blank">Game Frame</a>. He provided some lessons about how game mechanics can fundamentally change not just our approach to our work, but the workplace itself. And importantly he brought up some powerful points about how incorporating game mechanics doesn&#39;t mean just adding points and badges to everything you do. But rather thinking about the underlying behavioral motivations and how those can translate into gaming experiences in the business world (read: &quot;gamification&quot; ain&#39;t your answer). Bottom line, it&#39;s about to get so much more interesting and exciting. After watching Aaron speak, am definitely putting his book at the top of the reading list. Some of his lessons for what can be turned into a game (again paraphrased, hope I&#39;m doing it justice):<p /> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/QlB0WT6Hjy7m4CUEHGsXZBwttVCjckcmXQK4mT7MFTDUpQLNrkBPnCFIWZVm/Picture_42.png"><img alt="Picture_42" height="280" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/FYNnFh8O1g1zPyU21dhPm2CkXYXx1Vd0o0mlJeaH0dp43zx97Dn1gHaFDCpn/Picture_42.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /></div> <b><br /></b><b>Most startups didn&#39;t spend much time talking about marketing and/or advertising (at the conference, or in general, it seems).<br /></b><a href="http://www.airbnb.com/" target="_blank">AirBnB</a>. <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>. <a href="http://www.thrillist.com/NY/new" target="_blank">Thrillist</a>. <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/justingignac" target="_blank">Justin Gignac</a> and his <a href="http://justingignac.com/#61323/New-York-City-Garbage" target="_blank">NYC Garbage project</a> (as awesome as it sounds). The most inspiring people of the day didn&#39;t really mention advertising, marketing, agencies, or the like. Nor did they seem to agonize about it much in the early phases of their respective ventures. They had an idea (ideas that do, as <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/garethk/postdigitalbriefs2-august-2010" target="_blank">Gareth</a> puts it), along with a million reasons why it could probably fail, but they just went ahead and did it. No overthinking, no grand &#39;social engagement experiential explosion contact mapping plan&#39; that promised this thing would be the next Twitter, they just put their heads down and did it. They tried some stuff, it failed, and they went back and tried other stuff until something worked. It&#39;s a mentality we talk a lot about around agencies, but one that isn&#39;t quite yet in practice more often than not. <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/cotton">Ed Cotton</a> probably captured what all of this means best <a href="http://www.influxinsights.com/blog/article/2755/today-s-heroes-are-the-makers--lessons-from-psfk-s-ny-conference.html">in his PSFK recap</a> on how the makers are now the heroes, and if agencies hope to draw in the best people, perhaps we need to start infusing the values and ideals of the startups that inspire us all. <p /><b>Somewhat of a side note- nobody really talked about Facebook.<br /></b>Perhaps surprisingly, perhaps not. But I found it interesting- and honestly somewhat refreshing- that facebook occupied very little of the overall discussion and speaker sessions. This isn&#39;t some rant against FB, I&#39;m a fan, I&#39;m on it far too much, yada yada. And besides, the value (or lack) of it for both personal social connections and potential for brands has been talked about ad nauseum. Maybe it&#39;s because so many of those in attendance feel similarly, and spend so much time discussing it at their respective places of business, that it felt like this wasn&#39;t the place to talk even more about it. Or perhaps it means facebook is fully getting to the place <a href="http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2008/04/book-review-2008-04-1.ars/1" target="_blank">Clay Shirky has written</a> about: &quot;communications tools don&#39;t become socially interesting until they become technologically boring&quot;. Despite the constant changes and updates from Zuck and co, maybe it has actually just started to become part of the fabric, an assumed part of the world that doesn&#39;t need to be discussed in tech innovation circles. <p /> <b>So what did I miss?</b><b> I&#39;m sure there&#39;s plenty. </b><br />I&#39;ve realized that aside from a steady stream of hashtagged tweets (or perhaps because of that), I&#39;m not too good at taking actual notes during conferences. Look forward to hearing others thoughts in the coming days. In the meantime, big thanks to <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/piers_fawkes" target="_blank">Piers Fawkes</a> and the rest of the PSFK crew, and all the fantastic speakers who were good enough to share their time, energy, and perspectives with the rest of us. </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/psfk2011-post-conference-thoughts-and-some-th">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/psfk2011-post-conference-thoughts-and-some-th#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/ORaDijgs7-4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/psfk2011-post-conference-thoughts-and-some-th Sun, 06 Mar 2011 20:37:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/G_jEbIS-mIQ/newpresentation-brands-and-digital-culture-it http://avin.posterous.com/newpresentation-brands-and-digital-culture-it <p> <div style="text-align: left;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Presentation_full_of_shit" height="226" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/vN4AaigYSKmIrfdF10089f4iZLmjdPDjtVUPKLrxAtG4S8975ZTqM57vTMoA/presentation_full_of_shit.png" width="416" /> </div> In late February, I was invited out to the <a href="http://www.olin.wustl.edu/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Olin School of Business @ Washington University in St Louis</a> to speak at a new marketing seminar series they've just started this school year.</div> <p><br />(Full disclosure, the <a href="http://www.olin.wustl.edu/facultyandresearch/Faculty/Pages/FacultyDetail.aspx?username=narasimhan" target="_blank">professor in question who invited me is my father</a>, and I'm still not sure if I deserved the privilege on my own merits. But was glad to get the chance to meet and speak with some future clients).<p /> Basically, the seminar series is designed to bring more industry people into the classroom, and provide lessons of both success and failure for MBA students. Sessions so far have ranged from how to develop brand strategy, to how to manage agency-client relationships. Specifically the session I was asked to speak at revolved around what role digital platforms can play for brands. Obviously something <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/avin_narasimhan" target="_blank">I'm kind of interested in</a>, but I have to admit I am always more nervous to speak in front of students than I am in front of executives. <p /> Anyway, I tried to approach the session by providing a few broad principles/guidelines/themes based on stuff I've learned and done, stuff others have done, stuff I've shamelessly stolen from people far smarter than me (though I tried to credit you when I did, please don't hate me if I missed something). I originally planned to talk about 5 such themes, but the night before I called an audible and cut it to 3 due to time constraints. But, I've included all 5 in the deck below should you be curious. Don't think any of it is revolutionary, but more so I hoped to give the class some ideas they could act on in the near future when they get the chance to put class lessons to action in internships or full-time jobs. <p /> And so, with that long-winded introduction...would love to hear any thoughts/feedback/comments/criticism/insults/etc.</p> <p> <object height="355" width="425"> <object height="355" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=brandsanddigitalculturevwustlmba3611vfinal-110306222631-phpapp01&stripped_title=brands-and-digital-culture-it-doesnt-have-to-suck&userName=anarasimhan" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /> <embed name="__sse7172805" allowfullscreen="true" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=brandsanddigitalculturevwustlmba3611vfinal-110306222631-phpapp01&stripped_title=brands-and-digital-culture-it-doesnt-have-to-suck&userName=anarasimhan" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="355" width="425"></embed> </object> </object> <object height="355" width="425"> </object> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/newpresentation-brands-and-digital-culture-it">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/newpresentation-brands-and-digital-culture-it#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/G_jEbIS-mIQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/newpresentation-brands-and-digital-culture-it Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:27:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/ysKVJUHPHKE/infographic-how-obama-invested-in-2009 http://avin.posterous.com/infographic-how-obama-invested-in-2009 <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/cqjHkzxuqEzjaGHvimGeAqfcqrwzJqdxoxvflDhAocgJmckHCvpbtwawakxh/media_httpwwwmintcomb_zwkfq.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Media_httpwwwmintcomb_zwkfq" height="876" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/cqjHkzxuqEzjaGHvimGeAqfcqrwzJqdxoxvflDhAocgJmckHCvpbtwawakxh/media_httpwwwmintcomb_zwkfq.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/how-obama-invested-in-2009-02212011/?display=wide">mint.com</a></div> <p>Nice way of breaking things down in a clear and fairly transparent way (though I'm sure people will complain that it's only a 'range' rather than exact amounts). Wonder if other members of gov (or 2012 candidates) would be willing to disclose the same?</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/infographic-how-obama-invested-in-2009">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/infographic-how-obama-invested-in-2009#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/ysKVJUHPHKE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/infographic-how-obama-invested-in-2009 Sun, 09 Jan 2011 12:25:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/9QC5vwtXjBM/wetransfer-just-may-be-a-worthy-dropio-succes http://avin.posterous.com/wetransfer-just-may-be-a-worthy-dropio-succes <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-01-10/BwfttqJcvegyidEwtwnggcbJlvmqBogkpExchsoaqeoraxbzAyHIiyEnoixJ/Picture_2.png.scaled1000.png"><img alt="Picture_2" height="248" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-01-10/BwfttqJcvegyidEwtwnggcbJlvmqBogkpExchsoaqeoraxbzAyHIiyEnoixJ/Picture_2.png.scaled500.png" width="500" /></a> </div> Not too long after the<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/209328/facebook_buys_most_of_contentsharing_site_dropio.html" target="_blank"> announcement broke that facebook had acquired drop.io</a> (and subsequently the latter would no longer be accepting new drops), I along with <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=drop.io+facebook" target="_blank">many others felt a bit frustrated</a> by the sudden lack of (good) file transfer options. Have never really had a good experience with <a href="https://www.yousendit.com/" target="_blank">Yousendit</a>, so that didn't really seem like an option. But then <a href="https://www.wetransfer.com/" target="_blank">WeTransfer</a> quietly bubbled up, without a lot of fanfare, but seemed intriguing. After trying it out several times, I'm starting to wonder if the experience may be even a little bit better than <a href="http://drop.io/" target="_blank">drop.io</a> (though I do miss my drops, I won't lie). Love the dead simple UI and transfer process, and 2GB free limit is pretty impressive. Have been using it several times a week for the past month and a half or so, and have yet to have any issues. And I love that they took the time to think about adding an extra element of design to the background. Small detail, but nice touch.<p /> Should you require something a bit more heavyweight, there's also a <a href="http://www.wetransfer.info/#/channels" target="_blank">paid, yearly subscription option</a>:<br /><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-01-10/EGEghdhgzEiyivaqceJyffFFwhbrqBquzwdptratcBzkzedDsqItvAIEuosj/Picture_3.png.scaled1000.png"><img alt="Picture_3" height="446" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-01-10/EGEghdhgzEiyivaqceJyffFFwhbrqBquzwdptratcBzkzedDsqItvAIEuosj/Picture_3.png.scaled500.png" width="500" /></a> </div> In case you're wondering, no I don't work for WeTransfer in any capacity, but have been happy enough with it (particularly given the surprising lack of suitable post <a href="http://drop.io/" target="_blank">drop.io</a> alternatives) that I figure it's worth pointing anyone else to it who may still be looking for a good service. Anyone else have other options they've turned to in a post <a href="http://drop.io/" target="_blank">drop.io</a>world?</p> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/wetransfer-just-may-be-a-worthy-dropio-succes">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/wetransfer-just-may-be-a-worthy-dropio-succes#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/9QC5vwtXjBM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/wetransfer-just-may-be-a-worthy-dropio-succes Fri, 10 Dec 2010 06:41:00 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/AAB1vSi8Wkk/pre-holiday-reading-most-contagious-2010 http://avin.posterous.com/pre-holiday-reading-most-contagious-2010 <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <object height="417" width="500"> <param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=mostcontagious2010-101209123926-phpapp01&amp;stripped_title=most-contagious-2010" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /> <embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=mostcontagious2010-101209123926-phpapp01&amp;stripped_title=most-contagious-2010" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="417" width="500"></embed> </object> <div class="posterous_quote_citation"> <p><span style="font-size: small;">The latest installment of <a href="http://www.contagiousmagazine.com/">Contagious Magazine's 'Most Contagious'</a> is out, and always is full of inspiring ideas and work. Particularly enjoyed section 08 on Gaming, and not surprisingly, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/angry-birds/id343200656?mt=8&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D6">Angry Birds</a> gets its fair share of time (hate it or love it, it's hard to deny that it's <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703945904575644940111605862.html">taken hold of an unhealthy amount of many people's time</a>).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Full pres is worth a few minutes of your time, and definitely one to keep on hand for quick reference.</span></p> via <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/contagiousmag/most-contagious-2010?from=ss_embed">slideshare.net</a></div> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/pre-holiday-reading-most-contagious-2010">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/pre-holiday-reading-most-contagious-2010#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/AAB1vSi8Wkk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/pre-holiday-reading-most-contagious-2010 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 07:42:16 -0800 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/sJ_QPC6xwEQ/branding-decoded-jay-z-on-hip-hop-and-marketi http://avin.posterous.com/branding-decoded-jay-z-on-hip-hop-and-marketi <p> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Media_httpnewsonecomf_licfh" height="267" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/EyljchrylnuyIjwbgcIdDreafkCcszeJkJvmnGaaDxCtcxfBJAyHArgBraHy/media_httpnewsonecomf_lICfh.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="430" /> </div> <p /> Whether or not you&#39;re a fan of Jay-Z or hip hop in general, it seems what <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304741404575564092478617462.html" target="_blank">many can agree</a> on is that the man is an incredibly talented entrepreneur. He&#39;s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocawear" target="_blank">built businesses from scratch</a> and has inspired thousands if not millions of young people around the world with his success. His new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Decoded-Jay-Z/dp/1400068924/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1290618849&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">Decoded</a>, is fantastic (I say this as a big fan, but I actually think if you don&#39;t like him or hip hop, you might benefit the most from getting his honest, candid perspective on life, music, the art form, and more). The way he explores the origins of hip-hop culture and weaves in his own life story and music is incredibly powerful, and the breadth of topics make it a pretty great read. <p /> Anyway, among the many topics he covers, Jay also gets a bit into branding and specifically the role your customers can play in shaping and defining it. In my opinion, he breaks it down better than any explanation or definition I&#39;ve heard coming from an agency guru or marketing &#39;expert&#39;. His explanation comes at a point in the book when he&#39;s talking about hip-hops influence on culture, and specifically brands, centering around the <a href="http://www.spin.com/articles/jay-z-boycotts-cristal" target="_blank">dust up he had with Cristal</a> after some, well, <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5497540" target="_blank">less than pleasant remarks</a> from that companies CEO. What&#39;s fantastic about his break down is that, in a very plain spoken manner, he gets to the heart of the impact your customers have on your brand (beyond the transaction); how they can ultimately take you on a course you never anticipated (in a good way); and that should be empowering, not frightening. And perhaps my favorite part, he does it without ever using the words &quot;social&quot;, &quot;conversation&quot;, &quot;community&quot;, &quot;engagement&quot;, &quot;co-creation&quot;, &quot;two-way connections&quot;, or any other marketing-ese. <p /> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">Cristal meant one thing, but hip-hop gave its definition some new entries. The same goes for other brands: Timberland and Courvoisier, Versace and Maybach. We gave those brands a narrative, which is one of the reasons anyone buys anything: to own not just a product, but to become part of the story.</blockquote> <div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">Cristal, before hip-hip, had a nice story attached to it: It was a quality, premium, luxury brand known to connoisseurs. But hip-hop gave it a deeper meaning. Suddenly, Cristal didn&#39;t just signify the good life, but the good life laced with hip-hop&#39;s values: subversive, self-made, audacious, even a little dangerous. The word itself- Cristal- took on a new dimension. It wasn&#39;t just a premium champagne anymore- it was a prop in an exciting story, a portal into a whole new world. Just by drinking it, we infused their product with our own story, an ingredient that they could never bottle on their own.<br /> </blockquote><div><br /><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">When people all over started drinking Cristal at clubs- when Cristal became a household name among young consumers- it wasn&#39;t because of anything Cristal had done. It was because of what we&#39;d done. If Cristal understood this dynamic, they would&#39;ve never been so dismissive. The truth is, we didn&#39;t need them to tolerate us with &quot;curiosity and serenity&quot;.<br /> </blockquote><div><br /><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"><b>In fact, we didn&#39;t need them at all.</b></blockquote><div><br /> Brilliant, and a good lesson for any brand to keep in mind. And an interesting example of how important <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/bdwcu/griffin-farleypropagation-planning" target="_blank">propagation planning</a> can be: if you focus only on who you think your &#39;target&#39; is, and fail to recognize the impact different groups have on each other, you could miss out on some major opportunities (and get burned in the process, as Cristal discovered). <br /> </div></div></div> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/branding-decoded-jay-z-on-hip-hop-and-marketi">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/branding-decoded-jay-z-on-hip-hop-and-marketi#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/sJ_QPC6xwEQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/branding-decoded-jay-z-on-hip-hop-and-marketi Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:41:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/MKKZhlohlHs/the-ongoing-evolution-of-the-planner-career-p http://avin.posterous.com/the-ongoing-evolution-of-the-planner-career-p <p> <div style="text-align: left;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/WKTgu1PSaKLXPc2XTgvu4TGOXf5dsaKuLtyzGmgKJxH7sJoFpAfGsCqExk3n/planning3.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Planning3" height="397" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/gF4SyNjwPX7ckKM0oUvtAk2Ybm3jkIFlTkBgzvnwa6NzUfzYkYK6xHMvsM0t/planning3.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">&nbsp;</span> Ever since returning from <a href="http://planningness.com/" target="_blank">Planning-ness</a>, have been thinking a bit about how much the planning career path has changed. Not just the substance of what planning is/does, which has been written/talked about extensively by people far smarter than I, so I won't try and reinvent the wheel on that part. But what's interesting to me is how planners today move through their careers, and how that has changed dramatically in just a few years.This may be a bit skewed to the younger side of planners/planning, but I think it applies beyond that, as we all seek to reinvent what we do and what our role is within our agency worlds. <p /> </div> <p><br /><strong>What a planner's path was, circa 10 - 15 years ago.<br /></strong>(A completely arbitrary timeframe, and there are a lot of assumptions here, so call me on it as you see fit). Seems like planners then had few chances to connect with or collaborate with other planners beyond the 4 walls of the agency within they worked at that given time. Young planners were rarely exposed to the broader planning world, maybe once a year at the <a href="http://www.aaaa.org/pages/events.aspx?webcode=EventInfo&amp;RegPath=EventRegFees&amp;REg_evt_key=6ebffed4-c9bf-4a8d-bfd8-9a3df778d26c" target="_blank">4A's conference</a>, but other than that, it seems pretty limited. There was little chance to share thinking or ideas that extended beyond current client work with a broader peer group, unless you were a heavy hitter at director level or above. And I have to imagine that made most initial career moves pretty incremental, since only a small group knew how you thought or what you might have to offer.<p /> <strong>Planner's career paths today, and their reach beyond agency walls.<br /></strong>What's amazing to me about planning today is the fact that 'work' isn't always confined to the walls of your agency. Obviously, there are <a href="http://www.facebook.com/murraygh" target="_blank">a</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/akispicer" target="_blank">few</a> <a href="http://garethkay.com/" target="_blank">key</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/mr_chrismurphy" target="_blank">people</a> (and they are not the only ones) I've worked with to whom I credit basically all of my career growth, and without them I would be nowhere. But I'm also aware of the fact that part of my journey so far has been made possible because of some connections I've made and the relationships I've fostered among people I've never worked with. I've been <a href="http://twitter.com/chroma" target="_blank">able</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/paulisakson" target="_blank">to</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/mikearauz" target="_blank">connect</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/marklewis_sf" target="_blank">with</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/anibalcasso" target="_blank">some</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/thaz7" target="_blank">smart</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/jasonoke" target="_blank">people</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/jtwinsor" target="_blank">who</a>, in a similar situation 15 years ago, I may have only heard of in name, but never gotten the chance to know or collaborate with. And it's added another layer of richness to the job. <br /> <strong><br />It's also lead to a more accessible form of career networking.<br /></strong>I'll admit, I'm not the strongest face-to-face networker in the world. Walking up to random people at conferences and striking up conversations has always been weird and uncomfortable for me, and I've always been envious of those who seem to have no problems with it. But today, it seems like the need to be at things like the 4A's "festival" in order to make those same connections is less necessary (not that it doesn't have it's role, personally don't see it as an either/or). Being able to make a series of digital introductions has helped me make connections I may have never otherwise had (in fact many strong professional connections for me are people I've only met a couple times or never at all, as <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/what-defines-closeness-in-relationships-these" target="_blank">I've written about before</a>). Think this is a major shift, because it's allowed people like me who may be a bit more introverted and less comfortable with big networking events to still seek out connections on a more one-to-one basis. And some of those connections have lead me to amazing opportunities (like, for example, the <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/reflection-implications-rethinking-mobile-for" target="_blank">chance to speak at Planning-ness</a> this year). I'm not quite sure what I would've done without this. In fact, I'm not sure how I would've grown as a planner without some of the tech we take for granted to connect me with such an incredibly diverse and talented pool of people. <p /></p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/Z5W8Cdjx9nRNdJZ57Exgzo2ibdDRxop22B8gChW8wpgDafxoTPhITMbGAu5d/Picture_37.png"><img alt="Picture_37" height="99" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/WihdMiGi0imoBUR1RPa9CN33u7Lh1Dggg6B2ncNhXW37N6GLytMbGINJRUrb/Picture_37.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/uZOGWiQOH6PgqsmsgRwEo2xlGFYmhs9Qz0q3qAE5ELyGkc8yHESoNhPp8BY9/Picture_27.png"><img alt="Picture_27" height="101" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/Y7ojRZfzGUkfUn0WCottwXN2vt3iGS1rwf7KbwnuLJt8bgXc0PQDnfTlwHmc/Picture_27.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/the-ongoing-evolution-of-the-planner-career-p">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </p> <p><br /><strong>From personal to collective- the effect on planning itself.</strong><br />Beyond just changing the career path, feels like something else happened. I clearly remember times a few years ago when I was given the figurative pat on the head and a knowing smirk by agency/client folks alike for suggesting such ludicrous things as a company having a blog or, god forbid, tweeting about stuff. I'm sure many of you have experienced the same, and it goes without saying it's not a great feeling. My point in mentioning that is I really believe planners have kept each moving forward, helped keep each other motivated in the face of adversity, and we've kept each other progressive in part by our constant connection to one another. I imagine most of our departments are quite small, and we're all so busy, but the outlet we have to the larger planner crowd I think keeps many of us going (I know it's a huge part of my day, and how I decompress amidst the madness) and serves as a key source of inspiration. Not to mention that we now have access to a free <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/Malbonnington/awesomeness" target="_blank">gold mine</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/malbonster/backingthebucket" target="_blank">of insights</a> and information, from incredibly smart people all around the world. <p /> <strong>And beyond planning, it feels like a big benefit to agencies. <br /></strong>All of this makes it clear to me that planners can help drive a more collaborative spirit through our respective agencies given our own benefit from working together. For all the talk of openness and collaboration, I think it's safe to say many of us likely still work in places that see other agencies as "enemies" and which shy away from sharing intel openly and freely. While obviously we don't advocate handing over every company secret, what we can help drive through is a more open dialogue in the agency world, and push our peers to let go of the mindset that collaboration with 'competitors' is not OK. And in fact, it can lead to some of the best partnerships you've never thought of. We're already starting to see it come to life (<a href="http://bdw.colorado.edu/#/programs/making-digital-work-nyc.php" target="_blank">at Boulder Digital Works, for example</a>) and I'm sure we could use more of it.<p /> <strong>So what does it all mean?</strong><br />Until last night, I wasn't quite sure where I was going with this, if it's even all that interesting, or how to end this little ramble. But a <a href="http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2010/11/art-copy-whats-the-next-generation/comment-page-1/#comment-1047" target="_blank">great post by Thas</a> around what our generation's story is or will be (similar to how generations in this business before had things like <a href="http://www.artandcopyfilm.com/" target="_blank">Art + Copy</a>), got me thinking how we progress through our careers today can ultimately lead us to and help shape that next story. It's almost better that we don't know exactly what it is, and it's an opportunity to figure it out together, along with everyone else out there. A more collaborative career path, enabled by technology. More than ever, we can (and we are) helping each other chart the course for the future. And maybe what's most exciting to me is that it's not just happening within the walls of only one agency, but across our broader community. We all have a role to play (if you want one). I'm not the first one to say this is an exciting time to be in this business, and I'm sure I won't be the last.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/the-ongoing-evolution-of-the-planner-career-p">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/the-ongoing-evolution-of-the-planner-career-p#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/MKKZhlohlHs" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/the-ongoing-evolution-of-the-planner-career-p Tue, 26 Oct 2010 20:08:32 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/4Z3AN5D_9us/walmart-sneaking-into-groupon-territory http://avin.posterous.com/walmart-sneaking-into-groupon-territory <p> <div style="text-align: left;">Caught this today on facebook, and attempting to break a weeks long post drought. Anyway, don&#39;t recall hearing much about it but seems <a href="http://www.facebook.com/walmart?v=app_140539435973047" target="_blank">Walmart is quietly getting into the group buying game</a>:<p /> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/EeTD9Wk2jIwpmhflG2TFL5ATaH3uxaCxyJKRToGfx0cslXvpBJ8ZJdlt4OHL/Picture_16.png"><img alt="Picture_16" height="636" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/1iRUB3FVUlxqRRs3OfMlG5tRw7ZgtkpX6B2TYOEj4dShdNNWkmV0ezgdd3cc/Picture_16.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p /><div style="text-align: left;">I guess if it were any other company I&#39;d wonder why they didn&#39;t go the route of partnering up with <a href="http://www.groupon.com/boston" target="_blank">Groupon</a> and leverage and existing loyal base of fans. But, given that it&#39;s Walmart, and playing nice/cooperating isn&#39;t exactly their thing, suppose it&#39;s not too surprising. Plays right into their singular focus on prices. And I&#39;m sure they&#39;ll see some success through it. <p /> Though I have to wonder, is it yet another attempt to crush a startup/existing business through sheer size and scale? Seems so. And it&#39;s the reason I&#39;ll be sticking to Groupon, thank you very much. <br /> </div></div></div> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/walmart-sneaking-into-groupon-territory">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/walmart-sneaking-into-groupon-territory#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/4Z3AN5D_9us" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/walmart-sneaking-into-groupon-territory Mon, 04 Oct 2010 06:52:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/ubgwZWs1fEk/reflection-implications-rethinking-mobile-for http://avin.posterous.com/reflection-implications-rethinking-mobile-for <p> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/59k9Kq1LWR9KkjlQtufaawRvcRSSXpRxF7aBB5yIQ66OjfUrZAWk3NgNtbdb/Picture_42.png"><img alt="Picture_42" height="124" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/GaYEBR8x5J70388hJoxJJ9QqyqI3m5ZZNMETywOHbaJ9s6otzbvow66cMM39/Picture_42.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p /> <div style="text-align: left;">Back at the office in Boston, and clearing my head after 2 awesome days in <a href="http://planningness.com/2010-sessions-boulder/" target="_blank">Denver at Planning-ness</a>. <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/planning-ness-a-few-thoughts-reflection">Yet again</a> feel like I <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/new-marketing-tools-recap-from-planning-ness" target="_blank">learned so much more</a> than I can possibly process just yet. Thanks to <a href="http://twitter.com/marklewis_sf" target="_blank">Mark</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/clairegrinton" target="_blank">Claire</a> (not to mention my favorite Brit, <a href="http://garethkay.com/" target="_blank">Gareth</a>, for having client conflicts that opened up a spot :-) (sorry dude, we missed you)), I was incredibly lucky to have the chance to present and work with a group of amazing people. I dragged Dino (<a href="http://twitter.com/chroma" target="_blank">@chroma</a>) into presenting with me, which made it all the more fun and entertaining experience.</div> </div> <p><br /><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/anarasimhan/rethinking-mobile-for-brands-planningness-2010" target="_blank">I posted the deck</a> on Friday, but here it is again in case you haven't yet seen (and it serves as reference for the rest of this post).</p> <p> <object height="355" width="425"> <object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=planningnessrethinkingmobileforbrands93010vfinal-101001143155-phpapp02&stripped_title=rethinking-mobile-for-brands-planningness-2010&userName=anarasimhan" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed name="__sse5335533" allowfullscreen="true" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=planningnessrethinkingmobileforbrands93010vfinal-101001143155-phpapp02&stripped_title=rethinking-mobile-for-brands-planningness-2010&userName=anarasimhan" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="355" width="425"></embed></object> </object> </p> <p><br />Beyond the deck, wanted to give a bit more context around how we approached the session, what we learned, and some initial thoughts on implications for brands and mobile experiences. And share a bit of what the group who attended the work session taught me. <p /> As you can tell from the deck, our overall aim was to bring forward some thoughts on why brands struggle with mobile today, and some ways we can go about changing that. Branded mobile experiences are something we're surely all dealing with at our respective agencies, but I think in many ways we're all struggling to find the right answers to some key questions. We brought a few theories forward in our presentation, and our workshop challenge was to take a brand that we assigned, and think through a rich mobile experience (ie more than just an idea for an app). <p /> </p> <p> <object height="355" width="425"> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/HanWC0H4M7phcJ7hH96FYqG1YaZZG4ObM6I4jCS09aHGXFSHTcsXAtOtvTqb/Picture_41.png.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Picture_41" height="279" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/ikoU1t4jxHDbGB8GbGkkYHAM8NpkecVUJYKgc8Ftr8Hix9xqho8Fy0aAT9ps/Picture_41.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </div> <br />We posed a lot of questions to the group that chose to attend (reflected in the deck so I won't repeat them all here), and asked a lot of them. And to be honest, both in quantity and quality, we got for more than we were expecting. People came up with some pretty incredible ideas. It speaks to the caliber of people in the room, perhaps more than anything else. <p /> We got some <a href="http://twitter.com/lizazzolino/status/26037680545" target="_blank">decent</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/erinmiddleton/status/26009239289" target="_blank">feedback</a> from those in attendance and <a href="http://twitter.com/christina_dorr/status/26118725892" target="_blank">from</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/MattJMcD/status/26109740147" target="_blank">our</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/teamoneusa/status/26109740260" target="_blank">broader</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/thaz7/status/26109576049" target="_blank">connections</a>. And the session definitely helped add on to the initial implications we had in our presentation (there were actually so many great ideas coming from all of the groups, we didn't really get to wrap up with implications at the end). I felt we learned as much from people in the session as they did from us. <p /> Anyway, here are some of the key points I wanted to sum up.<p /> <strong>We may not know exactly what we are doing, but the fun part is figuring it out. </strong><br />Neither of us claimed to have all the answers from the outset. Truth is, I've been doing plenty of thinking around mobile, how to actually do it right, and a lot of what's been banging around in my head was reflected in this deck/session. While I would've loved to have 25 case studies of smashing mobile success, I don't. In fact, I'm not sure anyone does right now. But it felt like an interesting and challenging enough topic to at least start the conversation among the planning community.<p /> And these sentiments weren't limited to our session. The idea of experimenting with the slightly unknown was a common theme throughout, and speakers from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/akispicer/fallon-brainfood-x-planningness-2010-how-to-plan-apps" target="_blank">Aki </a>to <a href="http://paulisakson.typepad.com/planning/2010/10/how-to-wander-with-purpose.html" target="_blank">Paul</a> highly encouraged doing stuff even if you're not all that familiar with it, rather than endlessly debating and worrying about the reasons not to do something. It's one of the things that I think drew people to planning-ness last year and again this year-- to try and do stuff that none of us are necessarily comfortable or experienced in, but stuff that we all collectively know needs to happen. <p /> <strong>Complexity and potential richness, while challenging, makes mobile even more interesting.<br /></strong>One of the reasons I wanted to try and do a session about mobile is that I feel most brands currently have a somewhat limited view of the potential-- ie smartphone apps. Again, not at all wrong (I'm an app freak, but few are from big brands), just that there could be more to it, and it's not always the best/right answer. Truth is there's a lot we can do, given that there is a lot people do on their phones, we just need to find the right ways to provide value at the right times (wow, incredibly obvious I know, but I guess worth reminding ourselves). So we tried to challenge people in our work session to think outside the mobile app. And specifically, think about at least 3 elements other than an app for a branded mobile experience. In hindsight I probably went on a bit too much about 'thinking beyond apps', and my point wasn't to say it's wrong, but rather there can be many other elements to the mobile experience. <p /> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/SwhBSvnJxs8wn8IMxBLwsV8M9beNa8PQOuB3WRmxXERbfV0BW2ezVdy0IsJG/Picture_40.png.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Picture_40" height="256" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/9SXIDUdvK9UsHLn2ovtkO6BRdCZreF36sTmdIB4hroa8GOAROfYV4Z0l3vMm/Picture_40.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </div> <br />Our assumption was that thinking beyond the app would prove somewhat challenging. But surprisingly, many people in our groups were able to go above and beyond, and brought some incredible thinking to the workshop. We were blown away not only by the quantity of ideas but also by the quality of each and every one that the various groups brought to the larger session.It was not easy, but smart people brought some smart thinking to the table. <p /> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/Msh80rGSOALGlN9ANP6zrrciznLsetLe5Wrvwc8AJCeZDrwWlsKNiBuBejYC/IMG_2002.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_2002" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/BgziA8TCPl0EpH181DhvvVsjIAtwBMI1bS4fwi87Z7K9tpoQbFaKpyT4gtJp/IMG_2002.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </div> </object> In retrospect, one thing we should've added to the workshop was to challenge people to think about how they would actually get people to know about their mobile ideas. Would it be through traditional ads? In-store promotions for those who had retail brands? Rely on brand site and social web delivery? But, I suppose there's only so much you can cram into a 45 minute work session.</p> <p> <object height="355" width="425"> <strong>Mobile is a huge opportunity for planners, in particular</strong><strong>.<br /> </strong>Perhaps the most interesting thing still to me is that, after our session, after talking with creatives, after talking with media folks, mobile is still a vague area that we're all trying to figure out. Scary perhaps for some. But should be exciting for planners. Just as <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/akispicer/fallon-brainfood-x-planningness-2010-how-to-plan-apps" target="_blank">Aki talked about when it comes to planning apps</a>, the same goes for mobile. Planners have an opportunity to figure this shit out in the immediate and help bring others along. We have the chance to not only set strategy but actually make ideas happen. Or at the least, get more involved in the making of ideas than perhaps we have been in the past when it came to traditional advertising (or to steal another Aki phrase, "ad-like objects"). And I think this reality of blurring lines will make our job more difficult-- and provide a further filter for who chooses to take on the challenge. It is definitely outside the 'skill set' traditionally asked of planners, but a challenge I think is necessary. And it's a mentality we'd be smart to look for in future hires at our respective agencies. <p /> <strong>But I'm curious- what might you have done differently with this session?<br /></strong> </object> We got a ton out of this session, and it felt like people were into it, but I'm also curious to hear other angles in or ways to approach the topic. <object height="355" width="425"> What are some of those topics or challenges around mobile that you may be dealing with at your agency? What do you think was missing? Any other ways you've been thinking about/doing to address current issues with mobile ideas? How would you have gone about a workshop on the same topic? Love any and all thoughts. <p /> Thanks again to Mark and Claire (and though I wasn't there, sounds like <a href="http://twitter.com/thaz7" target="_blank">Thas</a> killed it in NYC) for a great Planning-ness 2010. Can't wait for next year. <br /> </object> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/reflection-implications-rethinking-mobile-for">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/reflection-implications-rethinking-mobile-for#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/ubgwZWs1fEk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/reflection-implications-rethinking-mobile-for Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:03:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/EMXBQGfD47E/what-defines-closeness-in-relationships-these http://avin.posterous.com/what-defines-closeness-in-relationships-these <p> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/IvXvOp5D7G1TbPMGVzhX6HZsm5rie31anGxSdelDWJnYFberQHZbi6qHHQ2C/Picture_23.png"><img alt="Picture_23" height="226" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/5LRUW8OmvH8rfoov2ZZ08gKMNv1AUdMFxsGm0OfxTdcaUAvVeUaNRAW9ZOH1/Picture_23.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"><br />As many of the 12 or so of you who read my ramblings here on a regular basis may know, I <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rosemary.abendroth#%21/avin.narasimhan?v=wall&amp;story_fbid=10100297266527359&amp;ref=notif&amp;notif_t=like" target="_blank">got engaged to my amazing girlfriend</a> of 4+ years this past weekend. It was a whirlwind experience, highly emotional, and altogether filled with pure awesomeness. It's one of those experiences that is simultaneously highly personal (proposal between she and I) and yet incredibly collective as well (announcing the news to the people in our lives). It was the second part, the process of <a href="http://twitter.com/avin_narasimhan/status/24825412667" target="_blank">announcing it to our friends and networks</a>, that got me thinking about the notion of closeness in culture today. (yeah, I know, I'm a nerd. But in my defense, I didn't really start thinking about it until the next day, I did in fact have an engagement to celebrate and a new fiancee to spend time with). Not sure I've fully explored the implications yet, but figured it was an interesting enough social experience to workshop some thoughts here.</div> </div> <p>The way we shared the moment was reflective of the world we live in. Just a few years ago, the announcement would have come through hours of sitting on the phone (or, even sending out series of emails to friends and family). Instead, it was instantaneous-- we flipped the switch on our facebook relationship statuses, tweeted about it (though I didn't go the route of <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/08/09/qik-proposal/?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed:+Mashable+%28Mashable%29" target="_blank">actually proposing via twitter</a>), and texted (rather than calling) our parents with pictures of the ring. Aside from our parents, we didn't have a conversation with anyone until later the following day. And what was really interesting to me was who, out of all the people our respective networks online reach, ended up sharing the moment with us at different points in time.</p> <div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <div style="text-align: center;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Picture_22" height="807" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/MivGBb1af1rY9Ene6pgmeRVTOvaYqaI9mx6zzts7oZHr6pDGUxyIZC34ot6s/Picture_22.png" width="295" /> <img alt="Picture_21" height="605" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/DdRZy8StkGlbQvUf43c1v10ooTLtK5wp6DTTYXPmK2VLg6tx7ZHEnstfM95Y/Picture_21.png" width="278" /> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/what-defines-closeness-in-relationships-these">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </p> The announcement and sharing was essentially entirely digital, and many of the people who responded are people I've known less than 3 or 4 years. They're all, not surprisingly, <a href="http://twitter.com/avin_narasimhan/followers" target="_blank">highly connected</a> and active online. And in the moments that followed our announcement, you could say, in that moment, they were 'closer' in some ways to me than some family and friends I may have known for years, who may know every detail of my life but weren't necessarily the ones reacting to and taking part in this major life moment in real time. In fact, many of our friends and family didn't find out until a full 24 hours (or more) later.</div> </div> </div> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;">Got me thinking that there is another side to the argument that the social web <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/187680/surprise_facebook_friends_arent_real_friends.html" target="_blank">has created a lot of loose connections between people</a> rather than fostering a smaller collection of deeper and theoretically more meaningful ones. While there may be some merit to that, I'd argue that social technology has enabled new definitions of closeness between people.</div> </div> <p><strong>Old (but still highly relevant and meaningful) closeness<br /></strong>The first is closeness as we've always defined it-- deep relationships between two people based on years of face to face interaction and highly memorable experiences (like the one I have with the lady I just proposed to). The best friends and family you know and love, know the most intimate details about, the people you could tell stories about for hours if asked. These close relationships are some of the most fulfilling in life, and by no means is the post aimed at suggesting the value of those relationships is any lower in today's culture. To me these definitions are not mutually exclusive at all. But rather, there is just another layer that I think in the past few years has added even more depth and richness to life that wasn't possible before.</p> <p><strong>New closeness, made possible by social technology<br /></strong>Seems to me the second definition of closeness is one fueled by technology we use and rely on today-- closeness achieved through a constant (and often real-time) stream of digital interactions, where we get to know a person we've never met by observing and interacting with the things they find interesting and choose to share with us. Several of the people who reacted almost instantly to the news on twitter, I've yet to meet. Others I've only met once or twice 'in real life' (I hate this phrase, but more on that later). And while of course friends I've known for years were among the first responders, it was the additional layer of so-called 'loose' connections that made the experience feel even larger. It wasn't something just shared between family and friends, but also a broader community that knows me based on what I share with them and how I respond to what they share. Many of them may soon fall into the 'older' frame of closeness by reaching out beyond an initial congratulatory message, and those are connections I never would've had otherwise. And in fact I hope that is the case.<br /><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: mceinline;">Is one more 'real' than the other?</span></strong></p> <p>All of it was case in point that arguments about <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Id-rather-have-4-real-friends-than-500-fake-friends/298143646695" target="_blank">'real' friends vs 'social media' friends</a> are in my opinion less and less valid as technology changes the way we interact and how we build relationships and closeness. While I might not have met some of the people who reacted to the news, is the fact that they were personally interested enough to share their enthusiasm and best wishes not 'real? Just because their outward expression came via our screens rather than a hug or handshake, is it not still 'real'? I'd argue that it was all very much 'in real life', regardless of whether it all unfolded on a 3 inch screen or across the dinner table from us. The fact that we have an additional social layer made possible only through the past few years of technological advances, and that our news could be shared with a larger community of connections who are now all 'close' in their own ways was absolutely real. <p /> To bring this all back around to brands and what we do-- and this is not necessarily a fully baked implication yet-- I do think there's something in the notion of multiple layers and different types of closeness for brands to consider. If as people we can develop new layers of 'close' friends ongoing depending on our ability to connect through technology, then it seems to me that brands should be constantly looking for new, close relationships in different networks that they may not have thought to look for even the year before. It's not to suggest that massive segmentation studies should be redone every year, but rather than treating them as a bible, look for ways to add to them ongoing, creating new layers depending on how technology may be shaping and changing the ways we can connect. More of a fluid and constantly evolving input, rather than a final and unchangeable stake in the ground that shapes our direction for years.&nbsp; <p /> As I mentioned, there are germs of a full implication here but not quite there yet. Curious to hear what others think or find interesting (or not) about the notion of closeness and how/if it is changing and evolving? Any similar stories that got you thinking about it? <p /> </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/what-defines-closeness-in-relationships-these">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/what-defines-closeness-in-relationships-these#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/EMXBQGfD47E" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/what-defines-closeness-in-relationships-these Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:54:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/CcHcKoWCjfU/greatpresentationsof2010-the-awareness-fallac http://avin.posterous.com/greatpresentationsof2010-the-awareness-fallac <p> <p>&nbsp; <object height="355" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=awarenessfallacy-100827100513-phpapp02&amp;stripped_title=awareness-fallacy" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=awarenessfallacy-100827100513-phpapp02&amp;stripped_title=awareness-fallacy" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="355" width="425"></embed><br />Caught this interesting pres from <a href="http://planningfallacy.posterous.com/">Mark Lester</a> earlier today (via <a href="http://griffinfarley.typepad.com/propagation/2010/09/the-awareness-fallacy-presentation.html">Propagation Planning by Griffin Farley).</a> Smart and concise, it directly addresses the issue many of us have with the over reliance (both on client side as well as agency side) on awareness as a key measure of success. I've always felt like this was a tremendously limited metric (and part of a larger, flawed process ie the 'purchase funnel'), even more so today, but I'd argue even in the old days when advertising fell into neat buckets and most people found out about new brands or products in more or less the same way. I've never really bought into the idea that human beings are such simple machines who follow a nice, linear path from awareness to purchase. It's a bit more complicated (and more interesting) than that, and this deck does a nice job of exploring that complexity quickly. <p /> Particularly like the last section around the way many marketers and marketing research processes confuse the relationship between attitudes and behavior, summed up nicely with this chart:<p /> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/CEwDHmQuQAS3PLgimWNSnVe9picJ5Yenft1I9TW4Rl902sv4KklMyKEUr5D0/Picture_16.png"><img alt="Picture_16" height="376" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/ulJK2fH3XxBUscQ9EgFZ57jYuovCeEwmCIyCpZ0mp12HqhqTL2sfD1AGKkUK/Picture_16.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p /> <div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/lestermarky/awareness-fallacy">Full pres</a> is definitely worth a read to help get your brain working again after the holiday weekend.</div> </div> </object> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/greatpresentationsof2010-the-awareness-fallac">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/greatpresentationsof2010-the-awareness-fallac#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/CcHcKoWCjfU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/greatpresentationsof2010-the-awareness-fallac Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:49:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/-q_e_4xo8oE/techdream-the-future-of-screens-in-2014 http://avin.posterous.com/techdream-the-future-of-screens-in-2014 <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <object height="400" width="500"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g7_mOdi3O5E&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;fmt=22" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="wmode" value="transparent" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g7_mOdi3O5E&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;fmt=22" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="400" width="500"></embed> </object> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5627530/the-future-of-screens-circa-2014">gizmodo.com</a></div> <p><a href="http://gizmodo.com/5627530/the-future-of-screens-circa-2014#">This is a truly amazing video</a> put together by the good people at <a href="http://mobileuserinterfaces.blogspot.com/2010/09/future-os-screens-experience-video.html">The Astonishing Tribe</a> on what our future screens might look and act like. I'm now going to be dissatisfied with every piece of technology I buy until it comes close to resembling this. Thanks a lot guys.</p> <p>But seriously, well worth a watch, pretty incredible to imagine the possibilities. And reminds you how much more ubiquitous information could possibly be in our lives. Great stuff.</p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/techdream-the-future-of-screens-in-2014">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/techdream-the-future-of-screens-in-2014#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/-q_e_4xo8oE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/techdream-the-future-of-screens-in-2014 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:56:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/46XeJK3rtMM/tedtalks-the-beauty-power-of-data-visualizati http://avin.posterous.com/tedtalks-the-beauty-power-of-data-visualizati <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <object height="326" width="446"> <param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="wmode" value="transparent" /> <param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff" /> <param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/DavidMcCandless_2010G-high.flv&amp;su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/DavidMcCandless-2010G.embed_thumbnail.jpg&amp;vw=432&amp;vh=240&amp;ap=0&amp;ti=937" /><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="326" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/DavidMcCandless_2010G-high.flv&amp;su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/DavidMcCandless-2010G.embed_thumbnail.jpg&amp;vw=432&amp;vh=240&amp;ap=0&amp;ti=937" width="446"></embed> </object> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/david_mccandless_the_beauty_of_data_visualization.html?awesm=on.ted.com_8W90&amp;utm_medium=on.ted.com-copypaste&amp;utm_source=direct-on.ted.com&amp;utm_content=awesm-site">ted.com</a></div> <p>Seems like everyday there is someone offering up the latest infographic of the day or a new take on data visualization to wow your senses. But, not surprisingly, this T<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/david_mccandless_the_beauty_of_data_visualization.html?awesm=on.ted.com_8W90&amp;utm_medium=on.ted.com-copypaste&amp;utm_source=direct-on.ted.com&amp;utm_content=awesm-site#">ed Talk courtesy of David McCandless</a> is quite an amazing and inspiring display of data visualization unlike most others. Particularly impressed with the selection of data sets he works through (from media interest in violent video games, to $ figures randomly thrown out in news reports that are meaningless without context).</p> <p>Well worth 15 minutes of your day. And a nice dose of inspiration for the next time you need to present absurd amounts of data in a way that won't put everyone but you to sleep.</p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/tedtalks-the-beauty-power-of-data-visualizati">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/tedtalks-the-beauty-power-of-data-visualizati#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/46XeJK3rtMM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/tedtalks-the-beauty-power-of-data-visualizati Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:26:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/2xSzl4KHKU8/results-are-in-2010-planner-survey http://avin.posterous.com/results-are-in-2010-planner-survey <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <object height="410" width="500"> <param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayerd.swf?doc=theplannersurvey2010-100818024607-phpapp01" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /> <param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayerd.swf?doc=theplannersurvey2010-100818024607-phpapp01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="opaque" height="410" width="500"></embed> </object> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://illchangeyourlife.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/the-planner-survey-2010/">illchangeyourlife.wordpress.com</a></div> <p>Yet <a href="http://illchangeyourlife.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/the-planner-survey-2010/#">another great + revealing pack of planner stats</a> from <a href="http://illchangeyourlife.wordpress.com/">Heather LeFevre</a>.</p> <p>Particularly like the addition of a fairly robust section on freelance planners and their thoughts on the pros/cons. Gives you something to think about if you've tossed around the idea as I have.</p> <p>Also a bit frustrating to see that the largest part of planner work, 73%, seems to be around print ads. Reading all of our collective tweets and bloggery you'd think that picture would be much different, but I suppose we're getting there.</p> <p>Lastly am humbled to have made the list of super smart planners at the back of this deck. Good company to be in.</p> <p>Definitely worth checking out the full report, as always. Thanks again for another great survey Heather.</p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/results-are-in-2010-planner-survey">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/results-are-in-2010-planner-survey#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/2xSzl4KHKU8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/results-are-in-2010-planner-survey Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:25:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/-g-VgOzhHFk/map-of-the-social-web-2007-2010 http://avin.posterous.com/map-of-the-social-web-2007-2010 <p> The <a href="http://www.flowtown.com/blog/">smart folks over at Flowtown</a> have <a href="http://www.flowtown.com/blog/the-2010-social-networking-map">recreated</a> the <a href="http://share.flowtown.com/b31e4482d249f163/?web=100596&amp;dst=http%3A//xkcd.com/256/">original map</a> of the social web for today&#39;s current digital landscape. Interesting to put them next to each other- not surprisingly, it&#39;s quite literally a different world. Wonder if we&#39;ll see the same total shift in another 3 years. Probably a safe guess, and a good reminder that what&#39;s important isn&#39;t the hot item of the day on the social web, but rather understanding the underlying behaviors + motivations driving it. <p /> Social web circa 2007:<p /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/MUbC5yaxLxab3Wn3NnWqheyhNYdnTTg3lvxSBlPE1QkFGabvl1IDLwNFMP3H/online_communities_small_2007.png"><img alt="Online_communities_small_2007" height="472" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/ETNhPoYbUAPEl9f1fwaiL2A3buEVTTmHH8npSL7L8js75g9Nxx5cSWsZWPhd/online_communities_small_2007.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p /><div style="text-align: left;"> And in 2010:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Social-network-map_2010" height="1038" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/rdMZqYrhQygDfqP6aYr4ii2EPjsgC2tGgUI7qBcKGLTQ2njKltvKUVEUDDIm/Social-Network-Map_2010.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /> </div> <br /></div></div> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/map-of-the-social-web-2007-2010">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/map-of-the-social-web-2007-2010#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/-g-VgOzhHFk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/map-of-the-social-web-2007-2010 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:52:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/69LfJsFHREk/greatpresentationsof2010-starbucks-on-social http://avin.posterous.com/greatpresentationsof2010-starbucks-on-social <p> <p><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=alexandrawheeler-100718090339-phpapp02&stripped_title=social-media-influence-2010-alexandra-wheeler-digital-director-starbucks" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed name="__sse4781470" allowfullscreen="true" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=alexandrawheeler-100718090339-phpapp02&stripped_title=social-media-influence-2010-alexandra-wheeler-digital-director-starbucks" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="355" width="425"></embed></object> <object height="355" width="425"> <p /> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/socialmediainfluence/social-media-influence-2010-alexandra-wheeler-digital-director-starbucks?from=ss_embed">This deck</a> (and video of the keynote, included below) have been <a href="http://griffinfarley.typepad.com/propagation/2010/07/starbucks-social-strategy-keynote-video-presentation.html" target="_blank">making the rounds</a> over the past few days, but thought it was worth sharing here as well (and a semi-decent way to break a new business induced post drought, I suppose). Concise and to the point, but probably the most important idea to me comes on slide 10:<p /> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; padding-left: 1ex;">Social fits within a larger digital, and integrated strategy<br /></blockquote> <div><br /> Simple and intuitive as that seems, to me that is a point that is so often missed and/or forgotten. I think far too often it seems people are still looking for some kind of 'social media silver bullet', planned for (or rather, not really planned for) in a silo outside of larger brand strategy. Great to see a brand like Starbucks giving a simple reminder that without a more holistic approach, in which all aspects of the business are aligned around a common point of view and purpose in the world, success isn't likely to follow. <p /> Worth 20 or so minutes of your time to watch the actual presentation as well.</div> <p /> <div><embed allowfullscreen="true" src="http://blip.tv/play/AYHtkzMC" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="300" width="480"></embed></div> </object> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/greatpresentationsof2010-starbucks-on-social">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/greatpresentationsof2010-starbucks-on-social#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/69LfJsFHREk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/greatpresentationsof2010-starbucks-on-social Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:50:39 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/-AEeq3cguj8/the-bucket-brigade-has-been-funded-congrats-b http://avin.posterous.com/the-bucket-brigade-has-been-funded-congrats-b <p> Not much more to say than <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/have-you-backed-the-bucket-brigade-yet">what I already have</a>. Awesome. <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/4WiPbVP7eEshQ5FrUD8wr2o4TBz7BJUNcH8e0yw74lXgaNaNiIlT2rHWwsC3/Picture_71.png"><img alt="Picture_71" height="237" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/avin/mAUPMPIT3W4Y9ua9aY1NdlC901aHEzQqi0jPbVKkberlHz85fH4hhCHQNPH9/Picture_71.png.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/the-bucket-brigade-has-been-funded-congrats-b">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/the-bucket-brigade-has-been-funded-congrats-b#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/-AEeq3cguj8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/the-bucket-brigade-has-been-funded-congrats-b Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:40:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~3/rLiTimOi6xg/comedic-genius-mel-gibson-vs-old-spice-man http://avin.posterous.com/comedic-genius-mel-gibson-vs-old-spice-man <p> <p> <object height="300" width="500"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7PnX1X0_o_A&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7PnX1X0_o_A&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="300" width="500"></embed> </object> <p /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PnX1X0_o_A">This has to be one of the best</a> mashups I've seen in a long time. From the talented people at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/smallpoppy">smallpoppy</a>, very well done and the timing is brilliant. <p /> Good thing is they had plenty of material to choose from, not just Gibson's rants but also from the <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/07/15/old-spice-stats/">180+ videos coming out of the brilliant Old Spice responses idea.</a> Parodies often tear down a brand but in this case Old Spice can be happy they're the hero while Gibson takes the heat (<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/07/11/2010-07-11_audio_clip_released_of_mel_gibsons_racist_rant_ex_oksana_says_she_didnt_leak_pro.html">as he should</a>). <p /> Enjoy.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://avin.posterous.com/comedic-genius-mel-gibson-vs-old-spice-man">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://avin.posterous.com/comedic-genius-mel-gibson-vs-old-spice-man#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AvinNarasimhan/~4/rLiTimOi6xg" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/77133/pondering_life_on_the_water.JPG http://posterous.com/users/1bsBydvzTPz Avin Narasimhan avin narasimhan Avin Narasimhan http://avin.posterous.com/comedic-genius-mel-gibson-vs-old-spice-man