Flagged For Follow Up

The Ethics of ‘Outing’ an Anonymous Commenter

Ian Sohn — 2009-07-10T14:40:03-04:00

There is a battle raging on one of my favorite blogs, PSFK, about a new campaign for Levi's from Wieden + Kennedy [that's an advertising agency for those of you who don't live in the echo chamber]. If you're interested, check out the post and comments here.

But this post isn't about the campaign, but rather something I noticed in the comment thread. Someone, identifying herself only as "megan," left an anonymous comment for Piers Fawkes [who wrote the post] saying "your negative rants on wk are getting boring."

I happen to believe that anonymous commenting is pretty cowardly. But I'm neither naive nor dogmatic about it - I realize that for a variety of reasons people sometimes feel they need to hide their identity, or just aren't comfortable identifying themselves. But still, I'm not a big fan. Apparently Piers has a zero tolerance policy, judging by his 'outing' of Megan as a W+K employee

So the question I pose [and I invite Piers to respond, and I hope he appreciates the spirit in which this post is drafted] is, what are the ethical standards for a blogger 'outing' an anonymous commenter?

Do we owe our readers a disclaimer that their identity may be revealed, despite their desire for anonymity?

As masters of our own domain (pun intended) do we have a right to do anything we want with the back-end analytics at our fingertips?

What's the upside of 'outing' commenters? Does it level the playing field? Force people to own up to their words?

Please leave your comments - I hope the subject-matter here compels you to leave your name.

What Would I Do to Fix Yahoo!

Ian Sohn — 2009-07-06T21:21:17-04:00

I love Yahoo! Just as much as the guys below.

I've had a MyYahoo page for as long as I can remember, and it's still my home page at work and home. I was a big Terry Semel fan. I've had Yahoo! email addresses for years, and have no plans to switch to Gmail. Yahoo! is where I first learned about RSS. I've partnered with Yahoo! at previous jobs. I've bought and sold YHOO a few times over, and while I don't own it now, think it's available at a great price.

So I was terribly excited to see AdAge's headline, What Would You Do to Fix Yahoo, a story asking industry experts and readers for their suggestions on how to fix Yahoo!

I'm not going to judge their suggestions, but let's just say I wasn't terribly inspired by most of the ideas, which included: owning fun, changing corporate colors from purple to red, changing the name of MyYahoo to YaYou and others.

If you've read this blog for long enough you'll know that I'm not going to sit here and claim to have the answers. Heck, I just read the article about five minutes ago and haven't really thought about it.

But here's what I do know ... the fact that not one branding or marketing expert mentioned Flickr or Delicious in the AdAge article is a huge problem. Even worse, that consumers have no idea that Yahoo! owns two of the most trafficked, important and just plain awesome online communities.

Whatever Yahoo's! fix is, I promise you it involves integrating it's core search and email functionality with the best-in-class Flickr and the highly utilitarian Delicious.

Would love to hear your suggestions. And if anyone from Yahoo! reads this, I am happy to serve as a beta tester!

Contextual Ad for FRS Healthy Energy

Ian Sohn — 2009-07-04T13:40:38-04:00

While I find ESPN's Tour De France site lacking [namely, as the opening time trial was taking place there was nowhere on the site to follow finish times!], the ad for FRS Healthy Energy tucked away on the right hand column fits in perfectly with the site ... as if it's an editorial module.

Branded Entertaiment Innovation?

Ian Sohn — 2009-07-04T10:32:24-04:00

This is a deck I created in September of 2003, back in my entrepreneurial days.

Get past the horrific slides (a .PPT ninja I'm not).

Agency Cd Scenario Leave Behind

View more documents from iss206.

Focus on the basic premise ... pretty close to what specialized branded entertainment agencies are pitching today (6 years later).

Since there's nothing I can do with this deck now, I figured I would share it for the benefit of any brand managers interested in getting into the branded entertainment game ... for one very specific reason:

When your big (and possibly expensive) agency pitches you on their big idea, show them this terrible ugly deck, created by one young guy in his NYC apartment nearly 6 years ago.

Is their big idea significantly more innovative than what's in here, or are they selling you the same pre-packaged programs that have been around forever?

And if their version of innovation is tossing around the term "webisode," tell them about all the awards BMW and Fallon won for that idea in 2002.

I'm not saying I ever had, or currently have the answers. Just sharing ...

The Triumph of Randomness

Ian Sohn — 2009-07-03T07:00:20-04:00

A great read to start my holiday weekend, courtesy of Leonard Mlodinow and The Wall Street Journal, called The Triumph of Randomness.

Looking for order in patterns has allowed us to understand the patterns of the universe, and hence to create modern physics and technology; but it also sometimes compels us to submit bids on eBay because we see the face of Jesus in a slice of toast.

What's With The Media Bashing?

Ian Sohn — 2009-06-26T12:06:36-04:00

To those using Michael Jackson's death as a reason to bash "Old" Media:

You rightly criticized the mainstream media for calling the 2000 election prematurely. That was an unmitigated disaster.

Now you're wrongly criticizing them for their initial reporting (or lack thereof) out of Iran; and their hesitation to confirm Michael Jackson's death.

You can't have it both ways.

At at the end of the day, I'll take solid reporting over knowing something 20 minutes earlier.

Because unless we're talking a terrorist attack or natural disaster, those extra 20 minutes it took to get the story right won't matter in the long run.

And besides, what value comes of bashing "old" media? Perhaps I'm biased since my wife spent many years as a national TV news producer, but what seems lost on the Twitterati is that behind the mastheads and animated logos sit a smart, dedicated, thoughtful group of producers, editors and reporters who want - more than anything - to get the story right.

No, MY Day Was Worse Than Yours

Ian Sohn — 2009-06-19T07:13:54-04:00

Self-reporting, particularly when it comes to self-reporting how hard we work, is for some reason a topic I've been really interested in lately.

I was already convinced, even before reading this article from the Wall Street Journal called Overestimating our Overworking, that most people [including myself at times] are wildly inaccurate in terms of how much they think they work vs. reality.

Now comes another little gem from the Journal, Misery Poker: It's One Game Worth Losing. It's about the one-upsmanship taking place between co-workers, friends and spouses ... whose life [home and work] is tougher?

I particularly like this passage [and the image in this post, credited to David Gothard]...

Some say the pressure may be turning us into narcissists: To protect ourselves, we push others away. "It's 'Hey, I'm tap dancing as fast as I can, so if you think you have problems, take a look over here,' " says Ed Dunkelblau, a psychologist and director of the Institute for Emotionally Intelligent Learning in Northbrook, Ill.

What Lollapalooza Tells Me About The State Of Music

Ian Sohn — 2009-06-16T19:59:52-04:00

[this post was inspired by a conversation with my cousin, who has been a manager in the music business for 3+ decades, and has seen it all]

On the surface one might look at the ticket frenzy caused each year by Lollapolooza and declare the music industry alive and kicking [not the record labels, but the music industry].

But take a careful look at the big-draw headliners for Lollapalooza 2009 ...

Depeche Mode: Formed in 1980
Tool: Formed in 1990
Jane's Addiction: Formed in 1985
Beastie Boys: Formed in 1979
Lou Reed: Born in 1942
Snoop: First broke in 1992

Yes, folks ... all achieved their fame and fortune in the pre-Napster era. These bands are legends. Kings of Leon are a fine band. I'm sure The Decemberists are too. But chances are neither will be the headline draw for an outdoor music festival 25 years from now.

The era of music superstar will die-out with the generation of bands listed above. After that, we'll be left with a much wider array of artists, but none that are likely to capture the hearts, minds and spirits of the population at large.

Blame it on whoever you want, but the fact is that young consumers don't value music the way they should; and record labels couldn't have handled the digital revolution in a more inappropriate fashion.

And while some celebrate the 'long tail' era of music, I for one will miss those superstar bands ... the ones that sell out arenas every night; the ones that bridge generations; the ones that we all know the words to their greatest hits; the ones who define eras, not just the moment. The Killers are a fine rock band ... of the moment. Tool is a superb rock band of a generation. It's that simple.

Foul Balls

Ian Sohn — 2009-06-14T11:50:41-04:00

My wife took me and my 2.5 year old, Henry, to Wrigley Field for an early Father's Day. Seats were incredible ... third first base line, three rows up. If you've been to Wrigley, you know how close to the action that puts you.

And also how many foul balls come your way, particularly from left-handed hitters.

So here's what I forgot since the last time I was at a game ... people are way too insane about catching a foul ball than they should be. I'm talking grown men ... I saw one guy fall backwards over his chair trying to catch a ball that came off the bat of some no-name player and is worth $2 [max]. I promise you that guy does not try as hard at his job as he did trying to nab that baseball.

What is this madness all about? Clearly there are a few things at play ... (1) people love free stuff (2) people love taking a piece of the action home with them (3) grown men love making great catches, as if to prove that were it not for the knee injury in high school, they would be the ones on the field.

But I'm interested in reading something a bit more academic, or rigorous. I tried Google, thinking a sociologist somewhere has done a study on this. But came up empty (it's a tough set of search terms to nail). So I'm calling all sports fans and clever thinkers [that's you Noah Brier, Alan Wolk, Ian Schaffer, among others] ... where do you think [if at all] something interesting exists on this silly topic?

5 Brands I Shouldn't Love (But Do, and Why, and What Other Brands Can Learn)

Ian Sohn — 2009-06-10T21:59:37-04:00

Why I shouldn't love them: They sell shoes. And mostly shoes I could find in a million and one other places.

Why I do: They are simple, fast, attentive.

What you can learn from my love: Even if you are a box pusher, you can create brand love around superior customer service.

Why I shouldn't love them: Um, they make creams and lotions.

Why I do: They've recognized that men prefer different packaging than women. I have no problems with my Kiehl's facial Fuel sitting on my bathroom counter.

What you can learn from my love: Not all customers are created equal. Cater to our specific needs, and we'll reward you with purchases and WOM (this post is a good example).

Why I shouldn't love them: They were kicked around by investors and marketing analysts alike in the late 90s and early 00s. It would have been easy to pile on.

Why I do: They've bucked the designer jean trend ... the $50 501 is still a thing of beauty.

What you can learn from my love: Leveraging your status as a "classic" is a good thing, as long as you don't come off as "old".

Why I shouldn't love them: No iTunes distribution.

Why I do: Love Me Do, Let It Be, Help ... just to name a few.

What you can learn from my love: Content is king.

Why I shouldn't love them: 100+ years of misery, and historically owned by a company that seemed to care less about fielding a competitive team than a good TV deal.

Why I do: Wrigley Field is a shrine unlike any other.

What you can learn from my love: It's not always about being the biggest and baddest, but rather about your providing the best all-around experience for your customers.

The 12-Steps of Pitching

Ian Sohn — 2009-06-09T20:16:02-04:00

Pitch -4 weeks: Let’s jump all over this.
Pitch -3 weeks: Pitch isn’t for 3 weeks … plenty of time.
Pitch -1 week: We’re in pretty good shape for a week to go.
Pitch -2 days: What's our strategy?? We have A LOT to do. But let’s get it done today so we can get a good night's sleep before the pitch.
Pitch -1 day: This is gonna be a long night …
Pitch -2 hours: Who’s got the preso on USB?!
Pitch -15 minutes: What floor are they on?
Pitch +5 minutes: We rocked it! Where’s the bathroom??
Pitch +30 minutes: Man, I wish I would have emphasized that one point a little harder.
Pitch + 3 hours: [stunned silence as you stare at the never-ending to-do list that’s piled up over the last week]
Pitch +1 day: That wasn’t so bad. Pitching is fun!
Pitch +1 week: This looks like an interesting new prospect, would love to be involved in the pitch.

Return to #1 on this list.

Mobile Blogging (Moblog)

Ian Sohn — 2009-06-07T17:34:33-04:00

Remember when the notion of mobile blogging seemed innovative? Where or what I'm posting from rarely crosses my mind.

P.S. Posted from my iPhone

What Mona Lisa Have I Painted?

Ian Sohn — 2009-06-06T17:05:23-04:00

Right or wrong, as a marketer [and perhaps particularly as someone on the agency side] I feel self-imposed restraint about what I can/can't say in the public eye of social media. Both in the content of what I put out and the tone in which I convey it.

Why?

You never know what brand you're pitching next. And without a doubt, most prospects are going to Google the pitch team to see what they're all about. How would they feel if they came across a snarky blog post about their recent ad campaign? Or a sharply worded critique of how they handled a recent crisis in social media? Some would be fine [maybe even appreciate it]. But there are a lot of fragile egos out there.
It's a small world, this marketing echo chamber in which we play. You never know who your next potential boss might be. Do you want to be face-to-face with a person you harshly criticized (a) on day one of that person as the new boss at your company or (b) during a job interview?
What Mona Lisa have I painted that gives me the right to cast stones?

How does this affect/restrain my social media behavior?

A foul word slips out every once in a while, but for the most part I keep it clean. Some people are very sensitive to language.
Particularly when it comes to creative, I constructively question, but stop short of criticizing.
I find myself staying away from certain brands altogether ... particularly if they are big players in categories I know I want to work in.
I never [at least to the best of my memory] talk trash about another agency. I've walked in their shoes, and have no interest in piling on the negativity.

Don't get me wrong ... I have opinions. Strong ones. But I express them in other ways than in the public eye.

Do you think I'm taking the easy way out? Do you have any of the same concerns? Would love to hear your POV.

Overestimating Our Overworking

Ian Sohn — 2009-06-06T07:56:03-04:00

This is a topic that's been interesting me lately. Fortunately, along comes the Wall Street Journal with a little piece called "Overestimating Our Overworking."

Pull quotes below explaining the discrepancies between what people really work, and what they claim to work:

The first is the gray definition of much white-collar labor.

The second reason people overestimate is that they discount exceptions that don't fit the mental pictures they create of themselves. If you work four 14-hour days, then quit after 8 hours on Fridays, you'd think a "usual" day was 14 hours, meaning that you work 70-hour weeks. But you don't. You work 64 -- maybe.

Finally -- and this is the big one -- work is a competitive sport. In an era with little job security, we all want to seem busy and hard-working. If publications such as Fortune call 60 hours "part-time," what professional would claim to work less?

Bad Boy Pitch Men

Ian Sohn — 2009-05-30T11:54:54-04:00

[This post originally appeared on Ogilvy PR's travel and toursim blog, Being There Doing That]

Bob Marley is a legendary singer/songwriter, unmatched political activist, but also arguably the world’s best known lover of sensimillia and a prolific producer of children (12 in all … three with Rita, two adopted, seven with separate women).

Iggy Pop was the dynamic front man for The Stooges (and later a solo artist), but also was know for his on-stage antics including self-mutilation, audience abuse and stage diving (not to mention his legendary drug habit).

On paper neither Marley nor Pop are the celebrities who immediately come to mind as corporate pitch men. Yet Marley – 28 years after his death – is still very much the voice of Jamaica tourism; and Pop’s “Lust for Life” has been the soundtrack of Royal Caribbean commercials for the better part of the decade.

In a world where brands go to great lengths to protect and promote a reputation, what gives?

Bob Marley put Jamaica on the tourism map (some would argue Chris Blackwell, the legendary founder of Island Records, put Marley, and therefore Jamaica, on the map). Marley and Jamaica are – and always will be – inextricably linked. Don't you agree that most travelers to Jamaica come to experience the Marley lifestyle (whatever that entails)? As the island’s most famous son (Legend alone has sold upwards of 20 million worldwide), it would be a huge miss if Jamaica didn’t feature him in their outreach.

The Royal Caribbean case is a bit trickier. There's some online chatter questioning the choice of Pop’s song for a family-friendly brand. But I’m of the mind that (1) Iggy Pop was never a household name and (2) “Lust for Life,” at least in the US, was never a “hit” song (according to Wikipedia “Lust for Life” reached #28 in the UK Albums Chart and peaked at #120 on the Billboard charts in US). I doubt that beyond a small percentage of the population, Pop has a lot of relevance. And while the bulk of the lyrics are PG-13, the refrain, I’ve got a lust for life, works for Royal Caribbean (both lyrically and energetically).

Many brands use music from well-known artists to market their product/service (it makes particular sense for travel services and destinations as music can immediately convey a lifestyle or feeling) . And with the music industry in a rough state, bands will continue to aggressively license their work for compensation. Some fans consider this selling out. I think most bands consider this lunch money. Four immediate lessons come to mind for brands considering this route (it should be noted that I spent a few years in the music business, at a label, several small agencies and as a consultant for brands looking to connect with bands):

Embrace an artist who epitomizes what you are trying to sell. Easier said than done – there are only so many Bob Marleys.
Do your due diligence. Go beyond the lyrics. Demand that your agency provide a full research backgrounder on the artist (particularly those you aren't familiar with). Make sure you’re turning over all rocks. What does the mainstream press say? What’s the chatter in social media? Is there a conversation ready to erupt? If so, you might want to walk away.
There are different levels of association with an artist ... from licensing a song/lyrics to the artist's likeness to the artist as a pitch-man. The latter is highest risk/highest potential reward.
Again, with the state of the music business being what it is, there are deals to be had. Leverage your spend, particularly if you're interested in working with the artist beyond just using their music (e.g., personal appearances, exclusive content, etc.)

HBO / Deep Focus / Flight of the Conchords

Ian Sohn — 2009-05-30T08:57:00-04:00

Good stuff from Ian Schafer, CEO of Deep Focus ... case study on the agency's work for the season 2 launch of "Flight of the Conchords." Thanks to Dave Knox's excellent blog for the heads up.

Omma Fotc

View more Microsoft Word documents from nickgon.

Puddles and Pools - All Good

Ian Sohn — 2009-05-24T18:55:05-04:00

There are two kinds of people [how's that for a sweeping generalization] ... those who appreciate the whimsy of splashing in puddles and those who figure that if they're going to get their feet wet, they might as well dive in the deep end of a pool.

In some ways I've always wanted to be the former, but have accepted I'm the latter.

Why do I envy the puddle-splashers? I suppose it's something about their joie de vivre. An almost childlike ability to explore and move on, without dwelling on the minutiae. A short memory. They live moment-to-moment ... and enjoy the moment they're in.

Again, I tend to be a more deep-end kind of person. I see something interesting. I want to explore. I want to understand. I can't ignore the nagging questions. I can't put the thoughts out of my head when I go to sleep. It's no better or worse than the puddle splashers ... just different.

This is why I can't follow too many people on Twitter. This is why I recently trimmed my RSS feeds from 100+ to 50. This is why I don't automatically accept every friend request on Facebook. This is why I haven't yet tried FourSquare, and have done nothing more than register for FriendFeed. This is why I never - literally never - don't read an email addressed directly to me. Because at the end of the day, I need to feel like I've consumed everything I can from a particular "friend" ... browsed their status updates, seen all their photos, read all their Tweets, thought about all their blog posts and responded to all their emails.

My closest circle is made up of both types, and we appreciate each other for who we are. Sure, it can sometimes be frustrating to deal with someone who is the opposite of you. But I've also found it's a great way to discover lots of new things [if you're hanging with a puddle-splasher]; or a thoughtful detail that could only come from a deep-ender.

I wonder if you recognize these two groups in your circles. What are you? And what do you see as the pros/cons of each?

Or is this nonsense?

Interbrand's Top 20 on Twitter

Ian Sohn — 2009-05-20T23:04:26-04:00

For no reason other than curiosity I decided to look up the Twitter feeds for the corporate names of the top 20 brands on Interbrand's Best Global Brands list.

As you can see, a combination of squatters, locked accounts, actual people who happen to share a name with a brand, and the occasional brand actually using their Twitter name (Intel and Google).

Clearly not scientific. I'm sure many of these brands have accounts under different names (e.g. a brand name within their portfolio) or use a shortened version of their corporate name (e.g. Coke v Coca Cola). But it is uncanny to look at them all in one place.

Not sure what to make of this, but I am struck by the lack of activity.

Thoughts? Opportunities? Observations? Warnings? Anyone from these brands care to comment - I'm sure readers would be interested to hear (1) if you own your own name and (2) if you have any plans for it.

Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Conference

Ian Sohn — 2009-05-16T12:53:49-04:00

Had the pleasure of attending the Word of Mouth Marketing Association conference [WOMMA-U] this past week in Miami.

The prevalent themes were very clear:

"Campaign" is a four-letter-word. It's all about conversation.
Brands cannot succeed in social media or WOMM without committing to listening.
WOMM measurement is still a work-in-progress, but strides are being made.

If you're interested in reading my posts from the conference, check them out on the Ogilvy PR Digital Influence blog. More recapping than analysis, but perhaps a nugget or two you might find interesting.

Also, here's a link to my #WOMMA related Tweets. I tried my best - with a few exceptions - to make them more than mindless noise.

Would love your feedback on any of the blog posts, or your perspective if you also attended WOMMA-U.

More Digital Holograms [Verizon + Nokia + Star Trek]

Ian Sohn — 2009-05-09T06:51:16-04:00

My previous posts on digital holograms proved pretty popular [here, here, here]. So when I stumbled on this from Verizon Wireless + Nokia + Star Trek I figured it was worth a shout out. I can't claim to understand what Verizon or Nokia have to do with the new Star Trek film, but that's another post for another blogger.

Go to the Star Trek promotional site - the instructions are very simple.

TIP: Rather than print the .PDF take a picture of it on your cell phone. I used the rather substandard iPhone camera, which worked fine.

My Little Blog Is All Grown Up

Ian Sohn — 2009-05-05T09:00:00-04:00

With a steady [albeit modest] audience and a renewed vigor for blogging, I figured it was time to graduate to an actual banner header. This is one of several minor changes I'm making over the next few weeks.

Jeff Gordon, Creative Director | Principal of J.D. Gordon Advertising [no, not Jeff Gordon of NASCAR fame, which would be both really cool and really odd] was kind enough to design the new header you see above.

I love that with very little direction, Jeff designed something reflecting my sensibility [and thank you, Jeff, for not putting an actual flag in the banner!].

Jeff, it was a pleasure working work with you. Thank you.

About J.D. Gordon [from their site]: JDG is a Midwest-based, creatively driven agency. We exist to build strong relationships between businesses and their consumers. Our clients are our partners. Together, we build their brands through strategic planning, advertising and design.

http://jdgordonadvertising.com/

Tom Cruise Gets Schooled About Facebook

Ian Sohn — 2009-05-01T19:40:07-04:00

Bloggers as "Things Collectors"

Ian Sohn — 2009-05-01T10:00:00-04:00

Yesterday John Byrne, Editor-in-Chief of BusinessWeek.com, asked a question on Twitter:

I answered:

Got me thinking that some of my favorite blogs/bloggers are fellow collectors ...

Strange Maps, as I've said many times, is one of the coolest blogs out there. It's a must read.

Noah Brier does it brilliantly and with just the right amount of editorializing. If you don't read Noah's blog, I strongly suggest you do and prepare yourself for equal amounts of hmm, wow, what?, oh!, huh?

Kaitlyn Wilkins, when she's not busy busting eardrums with her karaoke, collects and skewers like only she can. Her irreverence is legendary. If you read Kaitlyn over lunch, there's a serious possibility your diet Coke will end up coming out your nose.

Springwise collects new business idea trends, then offers perspective on what it means to you. It's entrepreneurial inspiration.

There are so many more ...

Please share your favorite collectors of things - URL and brief description - in the comments. Feel free to include yourself.

James Jarvis for Nike [Via Wooster Collective]

Ian Sohn — 2009-04-29T10:00:00-04:00

"Made with the Kind Support of Nike"

Onwards from AKQA on Vimeo.

Philips' 21:9 TV Promo

Ian Sohn — 2009-04-26T21:03:54-04:00

Someone posted this on Twitter last week [apologies, can't remember who] and then I saw it again on PSFK. This is an eye-poppingly cool video promoting Philips' new 21:9 TV. Highly recommend you watch it on the site, in HD and full screen. Site here.