I'm at Techcrunch Disrupt this week at Pier 94, which is all the way over the West Side Highway (Silicon Alley or Valley this is not...)

It's my first one and takes a little adjusting to the tech- and funding- biases which are commonplace in the startup world.

Case in point: FACEBOOK IPO. FACEBOOK IPO. FACEBOOK IPO. FACEBOOK IPO. YAHOO! WOES. FACEBOOK IPO. FACEBOOK IPO. FACEBOOK IPO. PINTEREST. FACEBOOK IPO. FACEBOOK IPO (in that order)

Then there's the Michael Arrington - Ariana Huffington love affair / spat, which I think may have finally played itself out. Which is good.

These events are pretty grueling for all parties concerned and a special accolade to the startups who have to be "on" constantly as they "man" their booths and work the floor/room throughout the day(s).

I was contacted by several startups and as a blogger/"influencer" and believer in building bridges/relationships with the new content creators/creative class, I wanted to single out those who took the time to reach out in advance of the event:

• Activegift.me
• Chat&
• Runfaces
• ExpertTrivia (Red Ticket Games)
• GuidePal
• Lockerdome
• Parlor.FM
• SocialStock
• CallApp

In terms of themes, definitely encouraged to see quite a bit of activity in the audio category. As a podcasting "veteran", I am intrigued with the text-to-talk, next gen conference calls, audio apps etc. Another trend that is impossible to ignore is the photo/visual explosion and truly, brands need to have photo / visual POV's if not strategic approaches nowadays.

Can't believe I just said that, but it's true. Video is all the rage, but "still images" AKA Photos is right up there (or will be)

All in all, I visited with 26 startups and saw another 20 pitch on the main stage. I thought I'd share 10 ideas or tips about effective pitching (at least from the perspective of a brand marketer/agency/potential investor). Maybe you agree. Maybe you disagree. Feel free to "join the conversation":

1. Keep it simple (stupid) - the K.I.S.S. approach. This could also be called "know your audience". So many pitches dived into tech-speak and complex walkthroughs of product features versus the classic elevator pitch, the idea, the problem being solved, the consumer value proposition and corresponding benefit, points of differentiation etc.
2. Pretend I'm your grandmother. Or grandfather in my case. This is an extension of K.I.S.S. with a key nuance: talk English please :)
3. Use examples. Make it real. Or hypothetically real i.e. give me a sense of product in action and in the case of the Evol8tion business model and our brand clients, describe the perfect or your ideal brand activation.
4. Let the product do the talking....demonstration is key. if you can do a quick scroll, flip, swish or slide in the time allotted, terrific! And here's the catch...don't rely on poor 3G or 4G or even wi-fi connections, which often times are the product of busy networks (think of where you are after all). Cached or offline demos aren't cheating.
5. Do your homework in terms of the crowd and prospective audiences: partner, hire, investor, brand, press etc.
6. Be prepared for the Big Fish. If you get a big bite, be ready to pounce and reel it in. Anticipate this as an exception versus norm, but certainly capitalize on the serendipity.
7. Anticipate every type of question. You can't be surprised if people ask you how you make money for example. Or who your competitors are. Or a little less obvious, when they compare you to Pinterest or ask you what happens with Facebook or Google decides to do the same thing you're doing...
8. Use the audience as your influencers. The Techcrunch audience is a pretty big deal. Just ask them! Seriously though...these people (we) are self-selected as the innovators/early adopters in the tech space certainly, or if not can probably get the message out. So treat them this way..and it all begins by them downloading your app.
9. Special offers are key. I saw very little special offers targeted to this audience. In the case of KurbKarma, they deposited 10 Karma Kredits into our accounts. This could be as simple as letting everyone into a closed/private beta. The worst is putting this audience onto a waiting list...even if you release it the very next day (Uber conference, I'm talking to YOU...now can I get some more invites for my colleagues please :))
10. Comparisons are fine. If you don't make them, we will. We're a Path meets Open Table. Think Square meets Triangle. Oh you mean, like a cross between Twitter and Instagr.am for Newly Wed Cross-Dressers? I get it! The corollary of this is pushing back when we make the same comparisons or benchmarks.

There are a ton more that came up today and maybe I'll include them in a follow up post.

So do you agree/disagree with me? And more constructively, what tips would you offer up as either successful pitch-ers or caring pitch-ees?

Is Nike a Shoe company? An apparel company? A health and fitness lifestyle company? Or a technology company? DigiDay Brian Morrissey's insight and my purchase of a Nike Fuel Band prompts a great discussion about brands, branding and the future of marketing and consumer engagement in a digital world. 

Join the Conversation dammit (it's not a cliche when I coined the term and wrote the book on it!) @jaffejuice on Twitter and @mitchjoel on Twitter.

And be sure to forward this to any brand marketers you think would benefit from the discussion and ultimately give their perspective on the theme at hand.

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it HERE (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

This year's SxSW Interactive Festival in Austin has come and gone.

Here are 10 insights/reflections from the Evol8tion partners: Sam Huxley, Gina Waldhorn and myself.

This post originally appeared on our Madison & Mountain View Tumblr Blog. If you haven't already, check it out and follow all things MplusMV (the intersection of advertising and technology) 

1. What launches in Austin sometimes stays in Austin (Sam)

In the mythos of SXSW, Twitter and Foursquare both gained massive adoption at the show and went on to mainstream stardom.  Twitter’s utility at the show, creating a back channel to the panels and quickly sharing relevant news, was matched by Foursquare’s ability to easily share location and utility demonstrated at the show was applicable to the mainstream.

For the two last years, however, the darlings of the show have had limited appeal after the show ends.  GroupMe, acquired by Skype last year for $50 million, is super-useful in coordinating large groups of attendees quickly, and is often more reliable than SMS in the bandwidth-challenged environs of the Austin Convention Center.  Outside of SXSW, however, 90% of what it does can be handled by group MMS messages, iMessage, and Gchat.  Similarly, this year’s “hot” app, Highlight, uses passive location to identify users nearby with similar interests, or contacts.  Outside of large conventions, it’s hard to see how this will solve an everyday user problem, besides helping extroverts find each other more quickly.  The other issue is that it needs to run constantly to work, which leads to…

2. Passive location startups need to figure out battery usage (Sam)

The biggest startup trend was around location services such as Highlight, Ban.jo, Sonar, and Glancee.  All of them differ in utility and presentation, but share a drawback that the great-granddaddy of location services, Loopt (recently acquired by Green Dot for $43 million), had in 2005 – they are energy vampires.  The GPS chip is one of the biggest power consumers on every smartphone, and having it on constantly dramatically shortens runtime.  It will likely take phone manufacturers a lot longer to develop better batteries that can handle these apps, than the developers to figure out how to use the GPS less.  If they don’t, it will take years for passive location to go mainstream.

3. The accelerator bubble (Sam)

One of the best panels this year was “Exploring the Top from TechStars, Frank Gruber from TECH Cocktail, Gabriella Draney of Tech Wildcatters, and Aziz Gilani from DFJ Mercury.  It was a solid, wide-ranging discussion, but one topic stood out – the incredible growth of accelerator programs worldwide.  There are currently over 200, and David estimated that there will soon be close to 500. This is an industry that is relatively immune to the normal forces of market contraction – most are isolated regionally, so they face little competition, and most of the founders have large amounts of capital that can keep the lights on until they lose interest.  The downside is that there is a finite pool of experienced mentors for startups to access, and bad advice early is one of the leading killers of great ideas.  The upside is more access to capital means more ideas get funded from a wider range of locations.  Time will tell on which wins out.Accelerator Programs” with David Cohen

4. Serendipity Rules (Joseph)

Going with the flow can produce incredible results. From meeting Christian Arno, the CEO of Lingo24 at the airport check in counter, to meeting Allison Hemming, Top Gun at The Hired Guns, on the plane, and sharing a cab downtown with Justin Glenn Davis, Lead Strategist, at Oniracom. Juan Andres Munoz Fernandez, CNN, Snr. Interactive producer.- outside hotel room door getting the newspaper. I also got a chance to catch up with Jeff Cutler and Chris Brogan one morning early at the Driskill, and it all came from waking up ultra-early due to Jet Lag and sending out a mundane tweet about being up at the crack of dawn. Who says what you had for breakfast on Twitter wasn’t valuable!?!

5. Tail wagging the dog (Joseph)

Big brands were out en masse at SxSW, but I’m just not sure it was because they really should have been there (based on proven media rationale) or because their social media manager or agency told them
they should be there. From talking to various brand managers, I understand how the opportunity to reach 50,000 Millennials had merit, but how many of them were actually “reached” and was it worth the cost?

For those brands that did participate, the ones that added value really scored above those indulging themselves. Chevy’s ride system added obvious utility, whereas Kraft (an Evol8tion client) delivered simple pleasure (and sampling) with their Mac ‘n Cheese Food Truck and speculative move in the form of branded umbrellas (keep your noodle dry). Pepsi’s presence on the other hand seemed to be inconspicuous and even absent (this may have had something to do with a much larger presence last year and perhaps not the best location this year).

Let the debate continue…

6. Nike rawks (Joseph)

Nike decided to launch their Fuelband in Austin. Apparently you can only buy them in Austin (during SxSW) and a concept/factory store in Manhattan, NY. This was a really smart seeding strategy that involved a kick-ass experiential outdoor installation, a pop-up store inspired by Apple, a seamless buying experience with personal shoppers and a constant line outside designed to raise the eyebrows and good old fashioned word-of-mouth. As the festival unfolds, more and more people joined the line based on interactions with others at the festival. Really smart implications for future festivals, namely an initial pop followed by consistent ramping up due to the momentum established by the steady flow of buyers.

The big loser in my opinion was Facebook. Not only were they completely absent, but rumor has it that their employees had to pay their own way there. Guess they were too busy counting their IPO moolah, but on two counts: their presence and actual consumer usage, my take was a giant flat-line.

7. The Freaky Line has been crossed (Joseph)

As Robert Scoble refers to the suite of new services like Highlight, Glancee, Banjo and Sonar. A whole bunch of times my Banjo twanged, the person in question was literally standing next to me. Very freaky indeed. I’m still not sure how this will play out, but glad I got to play this time round.

It was also commonplace to hear every startup pitch begin with “log in with your Facebook account,” which seems like the path of least resistance, but at what cost?

8. Design and User Experience will win the SoLoMo race (Gina)

From accelerator pitches to the line for the bathroom, every other conversation was with the founder of “the next revolution in Social Local Mobile utilities.” The space is certainly ripe for innovation, but the only problem being solved for seems to be “how do I find new and interesting things to do and places to go around me.” While there may be nuances in the platform approach (I.e. A virtual telephone pole with virtual fliers vs. an only positive recommendation engine) the usage and value propositions are the same, which means the battle for mass penetration is going to be won by getting user experience and design perfect (and this was the recommendation made to many of these startups by the VC judges on the accelerator panels).

9. Startups need storytellers (Gina)

After watching 50+ pitches, it became very apparent that a great idea can be lost in a terrible pitch. With the typical competition contestant having a technology background, and being given only 3 minutes or less to pitch their idea, the number one question from the VC’s we heard over and over again was “so, what exactly does it do?” Startup founders have no experience selling, story-telling, or pitching, and thus a great idea is often lost in a too technical, emotionless, example-less, drab presentation. Startups need the consultation (or better yet a staff member) from those who know how to sell a great idea.

10. We NEED to be thinking globally (Gina)

Some of the most interesting startups I connected with were from Chile, Australia, and London. With alternative (and sometimes more advanced) hardware, creativity abounds overseas. South America in particular had a noticeable showing throughout the conference, in both attendee and presenter numbers. With labor cost in South America being significantly cheaper (and creative design being a force to be reckoned with in S.America and Europe) not having a focused global effort will most certainly lead to missed opportunities.

So what were your takeaways?

I had the pleasure recently of doing interviews with Dave Delaney on Jump Start Foundry and Diana Yazidjianon Yaziness on Evol8tion and Flip the Funnel respectively.

Check them out if you have some spare time and my thanks to both Dave and Diana for great conversations all round!

Jump Start Foundry direct link is here (MP3)

Yaziness interview below:

Bonus clip on Evol8tion:

Could this be the year that advertiser's finally gave up? Forget #brandbowl. This was the year of #blandbowl.

Last night I was live tweeting as part of Wharton's Future of Advertising program and so actually so most - if not all of the ads - versus actually socializing with human beings and even enjoying the game.

It gave me the opportunity to utter WTF about 20 times. 

I believe there were about 54 to 70 spots depending on different accounts (which may include halftime show or perhaps pre-game), but that seems like a LOT of clutter.

In addition, according to @AlanKercinik - who was keeping me updated on - auto made up about 31% of ALL creative spots. Seriously guys, how are you not all hopping mad that you all just canceled each other out and pretty much zeroed out any ability to differentiate.

Flashy Flashy Flashy. Fast Fast Fast. Bright Bright Bright. Hashtag. Dogs. Hot Chicks. Dogs. 4 Wheels. Hashtag. Overproduced Hyperbole. Hashtag. Fast. Fast. Fast. Brand in question: ?????????

In general, I couldn't believe how over the top and overproduced some of the spots were, to the point where they went completely over the heads of people watching.

Reminder: Most people are inebriated and/or watching with groups of people making lots of noise with the sound of the TV either being drowned out by the noise or turned down.

Reminder: Copy. Text. Spoken Word don't work. Keep it Simple. Stupid which is why Coke's Polar Bears works. It's safe and predictable, but people get it.

To me, I think advertising in the Super Bowl has become a giant ego trip for most advertisers (like the tax prep software one that no one will remember tomorrow) and it's all about the announcement itself, rather than the execution. Look at me...I'm a playa!!!! Yawn.

It should be so simple i.e. focus all your efforts on hitting the fast ball zipping straight down Broadway for a game winning home run...made all the easier if an existing platform/equity can be leveraged (e.g. Polar Bears) but instead it becomes a completely insider and incestuous attempt to outdo one another in terms of lavish production.

...but this post was really meant to be about innovation (or the lack thereof) from the Big Game. Starting with basic new media best practices and integration like making sure your freaking website doesn't crash (Coke, Acura) or how about the complete neglect of your digital storefront; your home i.e. your website.

From what I heard only Bud Light did some kind of intelligent drive to digital via it's Facebook integration to get people to donate money to Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF), although I completely missed it during the spot. People were saying, "why did they use such an ugly dog?" 

All in all, with over 50 spots, only 2 companies did anything that could be called "innovative". Let me be clear...I take my hat off to both companies for their efforts and I wag my (M.I.A. middle finger) at all the others for zzzzzzzz....boring, bland, safe and mediocre creative. That said, I'll also offer a little commentary on what worked/could have worked better.

The first was Coke's Polar Bowl, which apparently had two Andy Serkis characters covered in bulbs reacting live to the game itself and broadcasting themselves as two Polar Bears supporting the Pats and Giants respectively. Ordinarily that would be awesome to follow this live streaming, except for:

1. The scarf colors were ambiguous given both teams sort of wear the same colors
2. The site went down
3. It didn't work on iPad or iPhone, which imho, is how many people would be watching TV these days and especially at a party. I'm sure someone at Coke or their agencies will explain this to me...and I assume it would have worked on Android, but either way, I think it was a missed opportunity 

Next time, take into account how people typically watch TV in a multichannel multiscreen environment.

The second was the Shazam Bud Light integration during the Half Time show with Madonna. The idea was that you'd Shazam the new song by Madonna and then get to download the LMFAO remix. The challenges here were as follows:

• Shazam had to work over the noise of the party (it did)
• There were several steps that had to be followed e.g. verifying age, e-mail address and filling out marketing opt-in boxes (it is what it is)
• The disappointment of not being one of the first million as what happened to me...

Overall, the big winners here were Shazam and LMFAO/Madonna...both getting ridiculous downloads of app and track respectively. I feel Bud Light scored 1,000,000 kudos but fell short on anything from 1 disappointed customer (me) to countless many more millions of potential new customers and/or exisiting loyalists.

Next time don't use a cap and set a record for music downloads!!!

And that's about it from the Super Bowl that really was a Super Bust when it comes to creativity, originality and innovation.

See you next February. Go Giants!!!

It's a Super Bowl flavored episode of The Beancast, where host Bob Knorpp is joined by panelists Steve Hall (Adrants), Tedd Aurelius (Martin Agency), Dan Goldgeier (AdPulp) and yours truly to discuss the following marketing topics:

• Super Bowl run up
• Admeter Impact
• Agism in Adland
• Owning vs Creating Content
• Ads in Search Results

Download or listen here

Subscribe to this wonderful podcast series via iTunes here

PS I even got the title of the episode named after me as I attempt to validate Life after the 30-second spot to talk about Evol8tion (somewhat successfully)

In this episode, Mitch and I discuss my new company, Evol8tion, as well as the intersection of Marketing/Advertising and Technology in the form of Madison Avenue and Mountain View. We also interject some Super Bowl discussion

Join the Conversation dammit (it's not a cliche when I coined the term and wrote the book on it!) @jaffejuice on Twitter and @mitchjoel on Twitter.

And be sure to forward this to any brand marketers you think would benefit from the discussion and ultimately give their perspective on the theme at hand.

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it HERE (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

In my new capacity at Evol8tion, we're looking to make connections between technology-based startups and established/blue chip brands.

The Evol8tion mission is to match "viable startups" to their "brand soul mate," but the real platform here is innovation, defined as new approaches that achieve disproportionate positive business outcomes and effect transformational change.

Actually that definition is mine, as the dictionary one is so bland...but you get the gist: doing things differently in order to get a result (which is the opposite of - or antidote to - Einstein's definition of insanity, as well as synonymous with "productive originality" which is actually the definition of creativity...but I digress)

A while back (2007) I started Fatblogging, which I believe is attributed to none other than Jason Calacanis, who put it out there originally. Sebastian Keil later created an autobot on Twitter to RT any #fatblogging tweets.

The concept was simple - lose weight by / via community. Put it out there and put it out there publicly. Get the support of the community, but also be accountable and beholden to that same community who will encourage and congratulate, but also chastise and commiserate. Why not?

I started (according to the post at around 224 pounds) and have yo-yo'ed since to 177 and back up to 212. Interestingly enough, I'm at the same weight now as I was in 2007 when my third child was born, so that can't be too bad. The real prize is to get back to my wedding weight of around 181, which takes me back to the beginning of 1999.

The ability to have a public "timeline" is interesting.

It's an archived record of your highs and lows (literally) and serves as a historical reminder of how you pick up weight, lose it and maintain. Sound familiar? (Facebook has just introduced "Timeline."

Right now, I'm back in the zone and #fatblogging again, but this time thanks to my Withings wi-fi scale. Yes, it's a wi-fi scale that tweets and posts to FB automatically. I realize that's a revolting concept to many, but it's equally empowering to others...you know, the masochistic narcissists.

Truthfully, that's the smallest piece of (somewhat unnecessary) functionality to the concept. The real functionality of the scale is to automatically detect a specific family member's weight and then map it to their profile to determine BMI, lean and fat percentages etc. This is automatically added to your online account, but also iPhone and iPad apps that graphs each weigh-in relative to goal etc.

Withings also allows you to share profiles with other Withings members, as well as to alert your doctor (it has a separate blood pressure product which plugs into your iPhone) if there are irregularities / negative trends etc.

It's just another example of how health is becoming intimately intertwined with digital, social and mobile technology.

My actual weight loss regime is managed via Weight Watchers Online. I've used WWO several times before and I love it. It works. Where I typically go off the rails is losing interest in the application during my maintenance period, but that's on me. Weight loss is really not that complicated:

• smaller portions
• Food awareness e.g. jumbo movie popcorn is essentially 29 points, 80 grams of fat etc.
• Substitutions e.g. egg whites for regular eggs
• Calories In vs Calories Out

The Weight Watchers App is good, but not great. It pivots around the size and quality of the database and whilst it's interesting to know every equivalent of Denny's products, truthfully no one should be setting foot into a Denny's if they're trying to lose weight. I'm not sure WWO fully understands community 2.0 and specifically social.

Perhaps they should take a leaf out of Withings book. Or Foursquare's.

I really love the ability to manage my own weight loss...with the help of technology and the community. It's empowering. Independent. And manageable.

I'd encourage any brands that either directly are built on a health and wellness platform and/or incorporate this theme into their branding, positioning and marketing to seriously look into this field. There are limitless possibilities of partnership with early stage startups, companies and apps looking to make their mark on this exciting space of DIY "Connected" Weight Loss.

What's your favorite weight loss, health or wellness startup, site or app? Share it with the community.

Photo credit: "Diet Themed Street Sign" from Bigstockphoto

OK, so it only took me a year to finally announce what I've been up to, but trust me...it was worth the wait. 

It is with great excitement and anticipation that I can share my latest venture: it's called Evol8tion - pronounced Evolootion as in Evolution, but with an "8" which represents infinity (or two "o" 's on their side). You get the drift...

Evol8tion is an innovation agency that puts brands back in control by reverse engineering the startup to create technology solutions to business problems. Let me explain:

Innovation Agency = Innovation is typically associated with product development and packaging, but not marketing itself. The traditional agency has morphed into the digital and social agency. Innovation is the next evolution. Evol8tion is an agent on behalf of its clients (the brands) as well as an agent in the classical sense i.e. that represents the startup community.

Put Brands Back in Control = Brands have had to resort to “renting space” via middlemen in the form of paid media. We believe that brands can move from being media dependent to media discerning, i.e. become owners or even landlords in the world of impressions, attention, time spent and engagement.

Reverse Engineering the Startup = Our mantra of “startups for brands” is essentially an attempt to reverse engineer the startup from the brand backwards i.e. begin with the brand challenge and consumer insight and then work backwards into funding (via brands) and development.

Technology Solutions to Business Problems = There are too many solutions to non-existent problems or tactics in search of strategy. A branded startup needs to address a brief and ultimately deliver against a key marketing (brand health, brand love, preference, loyalty, advocacy) or business (market share, revenue, sales, profitability) KPI.

Put slightly differently: we match early stage startups to blue chip brands to partner via mentoring, pilot programs and/or investment (way under 140 characters, so there!)

Here's a video which explains in a little more detail about the "startups for brands" positioning:

There's also a loooooong version of the video (11 minutes for the masochists out there), as well as several more that speak to our various audiences and our "Madison and Mountain View" platform.

There's way too much to say in a single blog post, so here are the highlights - and they are highlights:

• Joining me in this journey are Sam Huxley and Gina Waldhorn. Sam is ex-New Media Strategies and Y&R and more importantly, he's one of the smartest strategic veterans in the digital space. Plus he's a fellow scotch-loving mad-scientist. Gina is an angel (not investor, but worth more to me) and a thousand thanks to Sarah Fay for introducing her to me. She comes via Carat and Maxus.
• Credibility is so important, especially at the nascent stages of a startup. And when it comes to talking about blue chip brands, you don't get better than Kraft Foods and Anheuser-Busch InBev, who join Evol8tion as founding clients. I can't wait to see what we'll do together...
• We're launching a thought leadership platform and community hub called "Madison & Mountain View." The first iteration is a Tumblr-powered site which you can find here and follow via @mplusmv (what's up, Ashton?) M+MV celebrates the fusion between advertising and technology. M+MV is an independent hub and so if you want to contribute just shoot us a note

• Evol8tion's first branded product is called MatchMaker, which - with a nod to Fiddler on the Roof - will help viable startups find their brand soul mate.
• From time to time, Evol8tion will take a special interest in a particular idea(s). To kick things off, we'll be working closely with TrashCanKidz and Tunespotter to help get them to the next level and explore particular connections with carefully selected brands.

The bottom line is that we see tremendous opportunity in connecting two worlds that - until now - have not naturally come together. Our vision is to swim far upstream through early stage participation with early stage startups.

We think there is significant upside, considering something like 97% of startups never get funded. Perhaps it's just because they never met their brand soul mate <3

So whether you're a brand, startup or potential partner, find out more by watching your video or contacting us to find out more.

So that's it for now. I invite you to:

• Visit our website (www.startupsforbrands.com)
• Ask the Evol8tion 8-ball a question or two
• Browse our vision deck using the very cool Greener Mags platform
• Follow us on Twitter (@evol8tion)
• Check out Madison & Mountain View (www.madisonandmountainview.com) and @mplusmv
• Download our press release -  Download Evol8tion Press Release
• Check out our videos

...and on the 24th only...we're hanging out in a Google + hangout if you want to chat during the day (you'll need to add the page to your circles)

P.S. Just realized that I founded crayon, sold crayon, launched Evol8tion and celebrate my birthday on the same day (the 24th). I had better head for the casino to bet on black...

P.P.S. Mad props to Grant Lyons and Will Cameron for all their help on our visual identity

It's time to evolve...

File this one somewhere between Holy Sh1t! and Who gives a Shit...

When you see a headline that reads, "Amazon will pay shoppers $5 to walk out of stores empty-handed," it definitely warrants a further read.

Turns out Amazon was in fact offering consumers $5 off if they compare prices using their mobile app during a one day promotion, which took place on December 10th. Actually it was 5% off or up to $5 on a maximum of 3 items.

So yes....lots of conditions, but this is a probe being launched to scour the realms of possibilities and potential. Or of course, if you're a traditional retailer it might feel like an anal probe.

The process is still clunky:

• consumers would walk into a store
• open up their Amazon.com App
• scan a bar code or take a photo of the item in question
• check and compare prices

In retailers' favor, this process makes several assumptions and requires several additional steps to be in place:

• To start, consumers would need to have the app downloaded
• ...and be aware of the service (requires advertising, messaging, CRM etc)
• They'd have to have the time to conduct the comparison searches (which - when time strapped and/or distracted by kids etc - is no given)
• The offer in question would have to be compelling and whilst $5 isn't exactly like hitting the Powerball jackpot, it's not insignificant, especially in these trying times
• They'd have to sacrifice the convenience or desire of walking out the store with the item in question in favor of receiving it 2+ days later

That said, it's quite possibly the beginning of the end and any retailers that ignore this (and mobile in general), are doing it almost certainly at their peril.

Retailers will have to invest now - more than ever - in a combination of innovation, service and experience if they are to remain competitive, differentiated and compelling to consumers. 

Anything less is just not good enough.

(Hat tip to Niv for sending this)

In this monthly debate, Mitch and I have a meaty conversation about one of the hottest and endless topics in the marketing world: how to correctly value, price and position ideas.

It all stems from an article which Scott Montgomery wrote in Ad Age, where he attempted to debunk the myth about how long idea generation takes and on a parallel path, how ideas should be valued and compensated as such.

We also open on a brief conversation about blogging, authentic voices and being re-certified.

Join the Conversation dammit (it's not a cliche when I coined the term and wrote a book on it!) @jaffejuice on Twitter and @mitchjoel on Twitter.

And be sure to forward this to any brand marketers you think would benefit from the discussion and ultimately give their perspective on the theme at hand.

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it HERE (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

Matt Straz just wrote a short and succinct post on Mediapost's Online Spin, giving 6 reasons why you *shouldn't* join a startup. In short, the idea is that you should do it for the right reasons, as opposed to:

1. You probably won't get rich
2. The odds are against you
3. You will work really hard
4. Things could get ugly
5. You may have to buy your own drinks
6. Someone has to work at the big companies

One comment by Kurt Ohare adds 4 more:

• Don't join unless you are passionate about the product
• Don't expect a normal work-life
• (paraphrasing) if you're not a self-starter, then this isn't for you i.e. if you like delegation, micromanagement and being spoon fed like a good employee (I might have taken a few more liberties there)
• (paraphrasing) don't join unless you're prepared to put skin in the game...which can translate into reduction of salary, investment of time and/or $$$

Matt is a former agency guy. And he's also (according to his bio) someone who has recently exited a startup i.e. he's been around the block at least one time.

I love the article based on the fact there is no doubt a mixture of his own biases, preconceptions, wisdom, experience and perhaps even neuroses built into the perspective.

Madison Avenue agencies are going to continue to lose talent to Startup Nation...and where they are able to entice those on the other end of the coast to defect from the Valley to the Avenue, this will be shortlived. 

I guess Matt is giving fair warning that the grass is not always greener on the other side, especially if reasoning, rationale and/or motivations are suspect. 

Personally, Every single reason is exactly why I think people should join startups, led by these simple assertions:

With technology today, anything...and I mean, anything is possible.

Now is the time to dream it...and to do it (as Walt would have once said).

Innovation is no longer a nice-to-have, but a strategic imperative and necessity

We are living through unprecedented times, where economic, social, cultural and creative disruption and upheaval are fastly becoming the new normal...the new status quo. 

As Bill Bernbach once said, safe advertising is the riskiest advertising of all and I think people are going to be faced with a multitude of push and pull drivers which will absolutely affect how they choose to spend - or invest their professional lives.

Here's what I would leave you with:

• What legacy will you leave behind?
• How are you making a difference?
• How will you change the world...for the better?
• How sure are you that your loyalty in your company will be rewarded with a gold Rolex versus a pink slip?
• There's a saying that goes, "No one ever said on their deathbed, I should have spent more time in the office." Says who?

Matt - thank you for writing your article. I think the spirit is captured in the first and last paragraphs:

• America is a startup nation
• A startup is an incredible opportunity to make a significant contribution

...but it is not for everyone. And the last thing we need right now is for more "noise" versus "signal". 

It's time to make America great again. And it's time to make the world great again. That's never going to happen sitting buried in a cubicle, thinking "If only...."

#wafflydiatribeandsemirantover

I recently sat down with co-founder and CEO of eMarketer, Geoff Ramsey to talk about his new book, Digital Impact.

In addition to being an industry veteran, he's also an all round nice guy and friend.

It was really great to catch up with an "old timer" about the evolution of the new media space.

Buy the book here.

@jaffejuice on Twit-tah.

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it HERE (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

I just finished recording one of my monthly "debates" with my industry colleague and friend, Mitch Joel. I had two topics I wanted to discuss - the first of which was #occupywallstreet. We had a really terrific conversation around the movement and right at the end of the conversation, Mitch innocently brought up my second topic, which we very briefly skirted.

So now I want to discuss further...

Steve Jobs. Legend. Icon. Visionary. Dreamer. Ideal Client. Over the past few weeks, we've said good bye to a business genius. To be sure, Steve Jobs grew, turned Apple around and then extended this leadership by transforming it into the world's most valuable company, taking over from Exxon Mobile (at least this was in August)

And then, as if by some grand design, Steve Job's commissioned Biography, aptly titled, "Steve Jobs," comes out days after Jobs passes away and rockets to number 1 on Amazon.com. Hot on these heels are a number of press appearances, including the book's author, Walter Isaacson, making an appearance on 60 minutes.

And as I'm watching Isaacson and listening to various accounts of Jobs' life, I'm deeply troubled. The fact remains, Jobs does not appear to be a very nice man at all. In fact, he comes across as a proper son of a bitch. Denying paternity rights to his child, refusing to give options to one of his long time colleagues and when a sympathetic co-worker offers to give some of his options if Jobs matches him, Job says, "good idea...I'll give zero and you give zero".

Jobs also critiques Bill Gates in the biography, calling him "basically unimaginative" and someone who "shamelessly ripped off other people's ideas". Not that we needed a book to see Mac vs PC commercials which did likewise. This to a man who has pledged to give away half his fortune to charity.

And in Jobs' corner? FoxConn, anti-suicide clauses and the like.

I'm confused. I see the iconic Apple commercial that talks about the people that are crazy enough to change the world and they are all good people.

Or maybe there weren't, but chose not to commission a biography.

I wonder if this commercial was briefed by Steve Jobs to be about Steve Jobs i.e. his future legacy.

I'm confused because I wonder if being a visionary genius and being a mensch are mutually exclusive.

I'm confused because I wonder why Apple doesn't bring all those jobs back to America as it continues to manufacture luxury products at bargain basement prices and charge a fortune to an endless sea of willing lemmings.

I'm confused because the same sea of lemmings are probably occupying wall street right now with a 110% incidence of owning at least 1 i-product.

...and I'm probably one of them as I have my iPad, MacbookAir, iPhone, iPod and about to make the permanent switch away from PC to Mac. And I bought the book as well.

So am I a hypocrite? Probably. A confused one, because I'm not sure if it's fair or right to mix personality with profits - or at the very minimum, a person's private life with their business leadership.

Was Steve Jobs a right ole meanie? Most likely, but the people around him adored him and look back on even the public displays of displeasure with pride. The honor of getting to work with a true legend...

So is all of this irrelevant? At the end of the day, isn't it just about manufacturing the world's greatest suite of products? Perhaps and perhaps not. The world is certainly blurring and younger consumers in particular are not separating the products the buy from the companies' ethics, morals and business practices that manufacture them.

Personally, I will choose to divide Steve Jobs the man, CEO, business leader and visionary into two buckets. I will discard the things about him that I don't identify or agree with, or approve and I will integrate the practices, principles and ideas which I can learn from.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

Steve Jobs was a complex man to be sure. I'm not sure it's fair to hold him to a higher standard, after all he was human. Very human. Sadly so. I also don't think it's right to worship him as an idol - false, American or otherwise. That too ends badly for all.

I guess I will continue to support the company, based on my - along with seemingly everyone else's - inability to "force quit" this addiction to design, functionality and sexiness in general. Although I'm not sure how long this may be the case if the company chooses not to adapt, evolve and be a better company in the wake and shadow of its creator, who might not always have been as such.

You can quote them.

Disagree with them.

Glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can't do it ignore them...

In this episode, Mitch and I discuss #occupywallstreet - its consumer behavior insights and learnings for brands and brand marketers.

We discuss some of the obvious and less than obvious catalysts or ingredients that have contributed and combined to create - arguably - a force for change and an idea whose time has come.

We debate whether #occupywallstreet is just the left's version of #teaparty or something else.

We also attempt to isolate government versus big business' role and ultimately responsibility in terms of weighing in, being accountable and taking action.

Most interestingly, we chip in our respective marketing POV's and 2c as we talk about some practical and tactical next steps and ideas.

Oh yeah, there's the whole social media component as well. I almost forgot.

PLUS: At the end, we get into a really meaty topic and I turn the tables on YOU for your thoughts, input, feedback, pushback, ideas and recommendations.

Join the Conversation dammit (it's not a cliche when I coined the term and wrote a book on it!) @jaffejuice on Twitter and @mitchjoel on Twitter.

And be sure to forward this to any brand marketers you think would benefit from the discussion and ultimately give their perspective on the theme at hand.

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it here (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

John Wall is one of the good guys. He's also a social media veteran - meaning he's been doing this at least since 2005.

In fact, I met John when he was the host of the wonderful, "The M Show".

Today, John podcasts with another well known name in marketing podcasting circles, Christopher Penn (host of "The Financial Aid Podcast"). Their show is called "Marketing over Coffee" and it's a pretty popular and really informative show which I recommend you subscribe to.

A few weeks back, I was in Boston for a panel at the DMA, led by Beancast host, Bob Knorpp. John and I found some time to sit down together to talk about podcasting memories, Flip the Funnel, social media stuff and....of course....marketing...over...coffee.

Listen direct by left clicking or download by right clicking here

Enjoy!

PS Appreciate the Sean Connery photo, whatever the connection or implication.

Shownotes below:

01:42 Starting with Flip the Funnel, Crayon and Powered, the peril of wooing strangers

05:22 Did Flip the Funnel run on it’s own as predicted?

08:35 Operationalizing the Ambassador and Advocacy Program

10:13 Bullish on the Future

13:10 Can the existing bureaucracy adapt or will they be replaced?

16:11 What’s the future of Direct Marketing?

21:35 The Podcasting Phenomenon

23:02 Upcoming Events:

• BlogWorld Expo and Podcamp LA – Nov. 3-5, 2011, Los Angeles, CA – MOC20, 20% off any pass, MOC50, 50% off Expo

23:25 The 38th Annual Marketing Over Coffee Awards Coming Soon!

Latest Beancast marketing podcast is up, where I join host Bob Knorpp, and panelists Tim Malbon, Darrell Whitelaw and Anthony Kalamut to discuss the following topics:

• The Death of Deals
• Mobile Shopping or Buying
• Apple after Jobs
• Twitter looking for PR Help
• September 11th Marketing

Download or listen here

Subscribe to this wonderful podcast series via iTunes here

Location Based Marketing or LBM is definitely riding the crest of a wave. The growth of mobile, gaming and loyalty marketing are all converging quickly and explosively. So join me as I chat with authors Aaron Strout and Mike Schneider as we discuss their newly release book, "Location Based Marketing for Dummies". 

@jaffejuice on Twitter.

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it here (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

Mega links:

The book

• Amazon
• Book website

Aaron Strout

• His blog
• His company
• His Twitter handle
• His podcast

Mike Schneider

• His company
• His blog
• His Twitter handle

Yes, it's that time of the year again. Time to rock the vote as the SxSW panel picker moves into overdrive and the audience participation phase of the rigorous selection process begins.

For those of you who don't know what SxSW (South By Southwest) is, check out the Wikipedia Entry. Or if not, in short it's essentially the banner event in the entire interactive/new media/social media/emerging media (you get the picture) calendar. Think CES for consumer electronics. Cannes for Advertising. SxSW for Interactive. The festival is not only for the geeks. There's also a Film and Music festival and for those of you that can make all 3 (Interactive and Music run back to back, but Film bleeds into both), you'll benefit tremendously from the blurring and synergy that comes from naturally overlapping trades.

One of the great things about SxSW is that anyone (and I mean ANYONE) can share the stage via the Panel Picker process. Literally thousands of proposal are submitted and via a 3-pronged vetting system (staff picks, advisory board, public), the eventual shortlist is chosen.

Last year, your votes helped me secure a speaking slot where I spoke about "Flip the Funnel" and took questions from the audience. Within about 60 seconds after the event, every single copy of the book has been sold in the bookstore. I hope they'll bring more copies this time round.

So this year, I'd like to reach out to you again. This time, I'm hoping to secure a more visible and desirable speaking opportunity (as in solo keynote/presentation) and on a personal note, I'd love to give you - FOR FREE - the content that I'm typically paid to deliver and have done so many times in the past.

So if you're planning on being at next year's festival, check out my session and if you're so inclined, I'd be honored and humbled by your all-powerful vote. How's that for submission?  

My session is titled, "Change the Game. Or Go Home: The Rise of Innovation" and it focuses on what I believe will be the next wave of growth, development and investment in the space. Here's a blurb on the session itself:

Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. That’s kind of where we are today with digital, social and even emerging media. We’re still trying to teach an old dog new tricks with tired objectives like awareness, reach and engagement. It’s time to break that mold and build a better mousetrap. True Innovation. Madison Avenue meets Mountain View. The prime directive should be Transformational Change. Metamorphosis. A complete reinvention of the customer journey, customer experience and ultimately go to market strategy. Not only can it be done for any company, it’s already being done by some. In this provocative keynote, thought leader and bestselling author Joseph Jaffe will outline the brand evolution from campaign to commitments to platforms that flip the funnel, activate advocacy and differentiate brands from their commoditized competitors. There is a new model and a better way. Come find out for yourself.

Here's the link where you can find out more and vote for my session. Feel free to comment on the session entry as well, especially if there are themes or questions you'd like me to address.

And to whet your appetite, a clip from a few weeks ago, where I keynoted at Google's "Think Infinite" event in Buenos Aires, Argentina on the same subject. Hopefully I can give you a similar presentation in Austin in March of 2012!

In this episode, Mitch and I discuss the oft maligned "social media expert" (12.9 million results on Google!) and make the case for and against the importance of specialization and subject matter expertise versus the "one size fits all" approach of the larger players (agencies).

To be sure, there are several key benefits and shortcomings of "one throat to choke" i.e. single point of contact versus the peacock approach. And visa versa.

It's less about the size of the agency than it is about making sure:

1. Brands are able to deploy an integrated approach
2. Execution. Execution. Execution to balance all the strategic and creative ideas
3. Honesty and management of expectations

I'm fairly certain you know which end of the spectrum I sit, but why not take a listen and weigh in with your perspective? @jaffejuice on Twitter and @mitchjoel on Twitter.

And be sure to forward this to any brand marketers you think would benefit from the discussion and ultimately give their perspective on the theme at hand.

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it here (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

It's a double edged sword with respect to celebrities, personalities, people of prominence or even just people with a job. They need to "join the conversation" and yet when they do, they seem to muck it up and more often than not, royally mess up their lives. So Mitch and I discuss and provide some triangulated thoughts on how to navigate through this unpredictable panacea. Follow us on Twitter: @jaffejuice @mitchjoel

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it here (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

Latest Beancast marketing podcast is up, where I join host Bob Knorpp, and panelists George Parker, Griffin Farley and Jeff Cutler to discuss the following topics:

• The Cannes P.R. Controversy with an Ad Agency (vs P.R. firm) winning the grand P.R. prize
• Branded Content versus Ads
• Monetizing Social Networks for Kids
• Mobile's effect on SEM
• Another year where online video fails to capture the Upfront wave

Download or listen here

Subscribe to this wonderful podcast series via iTunes here

Just in time for the Upfronts and perfectly timed with The Rapture, Mitch and I lock horns to debate the 30-second spot and all the sweeping generalizations surrounding its demise or resurrection.  

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it here (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

Latest Beancast marketing podcast is up, where I join host Bob Knorpp, and panelists Matt McDermott, Bill Green and Alan Wolk to discuss the following topics:

• The LinkedIn Bubble
• Netflix Traffix
• Brand Tagging on Facebook
• Shopping Smackdown: Tablets v Mobile
• Ronald (McDonald) lamesauce (as opposed to Barbera Streisand and Duck Sauce)

Download or listen here

Subscribe to this wonderful podcast series via iTunes here

As per "Flip the Funnel," I say that the two most powerful words in the English language are "Thank you". I think "I'm sorry" equally qualifies.

I'm sorry.

I just wanted to say that I'm sorry I haven't been posting to the blog, podcast or video show.

It's just that I've been so busy.

Yes, I know that's no excuse, so maybe it's also a little bit of "writer's blog" or "blogger's block" at this point.

Hopefully things will revert to the "new" normal. Soon.

In the interim, follow me on instagr.am where I seem to have found a nice authentic voice.

Seth Godin was right. It is all about permission marketing.

Here's a new spin on the idea of being bale to take permission to the next level: relevance.

Using Quora as an illustration of how to segment and even sub-segment what might have been one e-mail newsletter or subscription into over 40!

Call it multichannel servicing if you like. Either way, it's a smart way to slice and dice and CUSTOMIZE your information and add the all important CONTEXT to your CONTENT.

What do you think?

• Share JJTV with your e-mail agency, colleagues, clients and followers
• Tweet or RT: New JJTV - Seth Godin was right, but now we can add customization and context to the mix - http://bit.ly/permission20
• Subscribe to the show via iTunes or YouTube
• Leave a video comment

From time to time I drop by my friend, Jim Blasingame's Small Business Advocate Radio show.

This week I was on the show and we discussed the following:

• Social Media is custom-made for small business
• Using social media to gain a competitive advantage
• The dangers of being competitive but irrelevant

I recently was closing keynote at an ANA Brand Conference in New York City. Before I presented, I was interviewed by Peter Cervieri on my keynote, Flip the Funnel, Content Strategy and more.

Here is the interview:

I found this deep in the JJTV vaults and given my lengthy absence, thought it was opportune to upload and resuscitate!

The central idea is about assets vs access. The way the world used to work, brands would need to buy access to consumers through middlemen i.e. the media.

They also never really had assets in the form of content, which is why they needed to sponsor and subsidize existing content.

With the dawn of new media and social media, brands were now able to go direct to consumers i.e. direct access or what I call "Direct to Consumer".

In addition, brands have found new access to assets in the form of sponsorship, tickets...but more importantly access to the ultimate asset i.e. the brand and the people behind the brand.

Arguably - through consumer generated content - brands have also been able to dabble in asset creation and management...but at the end of the day, it's always going to come down to access vs assets.

What do you think?

• Share JJTV with your CMO, colleagues, clients and followers
• Tweet or RT: New JJTV - The difference between assets versus access - http://bit.ly/accessvsassets
• Subscribe to the show via iTunes or YouTube
• Leave a video comment

Latest Beancast marketing podcast is up, where I join host Bob Knorpp, and panelists Ty Montague, Natalie Zmuda and Gunther Sonnenfeld to discuss the following topics:

• Hulu's Crossroads
• Measuring Effectiveness of Out-of-Home
• Don-Google
• D.I.Y. Privacy
• The Ad Supported Kindle

Download or listen here

Subscribe to this wonderful podcast series via iTunes here

Is it just me or does this feel too desperate? Kind of feels like the whole weblebrity craze on YouTube falling all over you for "subscribes"...which is fine for them, but pretty tacky for brands.

 
 
I also have a strategic concern about the fact we're creating closed walls around our brands and their content which can only be unlocked (or perhaps I should say un-liked) by "liking" them. In this case I expect the Like button to be immediately replaced with an "Unlike" button and a Thumbs down icon which allows me to opt back out after I've "unwrapped my chance to win prizes".

I've become a HUGE fan of Instagr.am. I may do a JJTV episode on this soon (and if you haven't noticed, I'm been rather busy in the past month, hence the non-existent updates on both blog and video show), but for now, let's just say it's my favorite app.

I've really started taking my photos (shooting, editing) much more seriously - all of course within the context and confines of an iPhone 4 shell.

...but this post is really about the fact, a photo (and Steve Garfield) made a sale.

 
My quality "filter" is much tighter when it comes to the people I follow on Instagr.am and Steve Garfield certainly qualifies when it comes to visual creativity.

Anyhoo, I was perusing my feed and saw this photo of the new iRig Mic and bought it. Plain and simple.

There are way too many juice possibilities and implications to mention and you know me...I'll lead you to water, but the drinking is up to you.

PS The sound you hear is not the sound of a flash, it's the sound of cash (register)

Interesting experience with a Bud Light bottle at SFO International from a few days ago. My bottle contained a blank space with a "Make your Mark" line. I wasn't sure what it meant, so I hunted around until I found a "Use a Coin or Key to Write on your Bottle" instruction around the neck of the bottle.

 
So is this an example of CGD (Consumer Generated Drinking)? Or perhaps a way to personalize your bottle at a bar or party to avoid your beer being mistakingly consumer?

What do you think?

What's going on in Japan right now is nothing short of catastrophic. And it's not even remotely over yet.

The world is paying attention. The world is listening. Hopefully the world is learning too. Mother Earth is not happy.

Thankfully the world is responding as well with incredible empathy, volunteerism and contributions.

As you may recall, about a year ago I "auctioned" myself off for a Keynote presentation in exchange for a minimum bid of $10,000. 100% of the proceeds would go to the Red Cross to help with Haiti Earthquake relief. I actually ended up getting two very generous companies (Mars and Nascom) to step up and was able to send $20,000 to the Red Cross.

This time I want to step it up and thought I'd do it in association with #sxswcares (started by CauseVox's Rob Wu, Leigh Durst, Jess Lin and Deb Ng in association with the SxSW organizers).

So here are the details:

• I'm "auctioning" off two presentations.
  • Update: Happy to inform that the first is already gone
• The price is USD $15,000 for a Jaffe Keynote (my speaking page is here)
• The minimum offer is $15,000, but of course you can give more.
• 100% of the proceeds will go to Red Cross via SxSW.
• I also have several Platinum and Gold passes to next year's festival to give away (Platinum to the higher bidder of the two and Gold to the lower)
• The only small print (if at all) is that travel expenses are over and above and in accordance with my usual terms and conditions (inquire within)

I also call on other book authors, public speakers and consultants to follow suit and join the #keynoteforacause movement. Perhaps $15,000 is too rich for your (tiger) blood. Perhaps it's a fraction of what you normally charge, but every little bit counts.

Our thoughts, prayers and wishes are firmly with the people of Japan during their time of need.

In this episode, we step it up by inviting Jonathan Salem-Baskin to join Mitch Joel and myself in our monthly debate. Perhaps JSB will join us on a more frequent basis as we rebrand ourselves as "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" or "The Three Musketeers" or whatever floats your boat.

In this episode, we use Jonathan's very crabby post which references a Forbes article about the rise of the "Chief Customer Officer". We talk about whether companies like Forrester or Ad Age are boosting nonsense titles, or in fact whether this title for example, should be folded into the Chief Marketing Officer's roles and responsibilities.

...but we don't stop there, questioning the role and relevance of the CMO title itself!

Personally, I'm in favor of the Chief Customer Officer, which is why I think this makes for a lively debate with some very poignent takeaways.

Hope you enjoy it as well.

Original JSB blog post here and Forbes article here

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it here (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

Follow Jonathan, Mitch and myself on Twitter