As many of us are prone, I welled up with the holiday spirit, thankful for so much and wanting to give as much as I could to my mother, girlfriend, brother, my two sisters and my children, my client managers, my staff, the doormen, valets and porters in my building, the security people and super at my office, tutor, caretaker, housekeeper, dog walker. . . there seemed no end. I was determined to give and “share.” My company even donated over a hundred pounds of canned food to City Harvest.

For many of us, 2011 has been another year of constricted budgets, of doing more with less. Speaking as an agency owner, I see now that our client managers have been just as challenged as we were in delivering at the standards to which we all aspire — and yet, together we have all collectively managed to achieve some very impressive brand and marketing products! The commitment to rise above has truly been an inspiration to witness, a defining spirit of the times.

When I began IridiumGroup 17 years ago, I aimed for business success; I never imagined that I would also meet so many important friends and professional peers who would add to the richness of my life. Whether it has been professionals employed at our firm, vendors, partners, or client managers, I am truly fortunate to have the experiences that I have had in 2011. It may sound like a cliché, but it’s taken me 50 years to understand that human relationships are all we ever really have. The rest — the material, the money, homes or land, equity in anything at all — just passes through the generations. As they say, you can’t take it with you. More to the point, nothing helps us navigate our exceptionally difficult lives so much as human companionship. As it turns out, “people” are not all that bad.

*   *   *

I have two children, 19 and about to be 16. They live predominantly in the new media world. Truth be told, they rarely ever leave it. My son doesn’t want to leave his computer for the sake of conversation or human contact. On a whim, I considered that we should all take a trip to Barnes & Noble to discover, to buy — gasp! — a book. What a great way to introduce my son to other forms of interest and entertainment!

The impetus was pure and it looked productive for some time. I steered my son to a section of teen fiction where, 2-3 years ago, he devoured spy/thriller novels. My daughter, driven on a mission, located the entertainment section of literature with little distraction. Neither cold war submarines, nor new age drones could navigate as well as this. In my own pursuit, I dallied about with David Carr’s new book, meandered through the DVD section of films (as I am inclined), having very little attention generally, and having even less time.

We reconvened in 30-40 minutes. What had they selected? What Hemingway epic or classic novel had they picked? What ideas most captured, enraptured and engaged them?

True to form, my son had studiously, carefully considered and selected a book entitled, “How to learn Java in 24 hours.” O.K., not what I had envisioned. My daughter chose the new autobiography by Jay-Z, “Decoded.” Later, she would call the rapper a “great philosopher” and declare that she burned through this book at light speed, even as she has spent 3 weeks trying to read 4 chapters of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

So my daughter wants to decode; my son wants to learn how to code. We are an entertainment society, and there’s really no surprise in their picks. My mother and father never understood the Rolling Stones. For me, the only surprise is the depth and speed at which it all happened. In the words of Kanye and Jay-Z, “that shit cray.”

*   *   *

As we consider another year of prospective business, as well as uncertainty in the markets, I’m considering all that I value and ways that I can personally improve in 2012. I want to take a moment to thank you, and to wish you and your family an incredibly successful year. Please stay safe in your travels and celebrations, and know that I am very grateful for the privilege of knowing and working with you.

Have a glorious, inspired holiday weekend and a dedicated, sustainable commitment to your new plans for 2012.

Tags: 2012, Barnes & Noble, City Harvest, Coding, Decoded, Java, Jay-Z, New Year
Posted in Advertising, Business, Marketing, Media, Social Media, Technology | 1 Comment »

Design is everywhere — in your brand, in the holiday season, on the sweaters we wear! At IridiumGroup, we develop strategies and design for brands. But why should we have all the fun? This month, we’re giving you the gift of a blank canvas to share your own story and create your own brand… on a sweater. Design and express winter apparel that is uniquely YOU, and register for the chance to win a prize. Visit sweatershowdown.com to create your design.

We are utilizing emerging technologies like HTML5 Canvas, SVG, data API and the Facebook API among others. As a more technically intensive site, we recommend that you use a modern browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Our Holiday Sweater Showdown is easy, fun, and — apologies extended — somewhat addictive. Click below and express your own personal sense of holiday spirit and seasonal fashion!

Tags: competition, design, holiday, IridiumGroup, showdown, sweater
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Where does your organization rank in the realm of interactive marketing? Are you best in class at application of your brand online? Are you poised for the invariable changes that will affect this area of your brand? Read this Q&A if you would like to learn astute insights into the world of opportunity — and risk — that can affect your performance in the brave new world of digital brand management.

Eamon Sisk joined IridiumGroup as part of our continued investment in an “A-Class” level of capabilities for interactive communications. Eamon has worked for over eight years as an independent consultant, analyzing organizational platforms to evaluate all channels of brand expression online. Since joining our firm, he has led weekly professional development meetings for our entire staff, lecturing on the latest advances in technology and digital/interactive communications. I have personally witnessed the transformative benefits of having someone so insightful and passionate about the subject on our team. We have gone from a good interactive design group to a smart, talented team of professionals that are adept not only in design, but in content structure, architecture, and emerging technologies.

I sat down with Eamon to pose a few questions about brand management in social media, email campaigns and newsletters, microsites, and on flagship corporate websites.

Q. Social media has realized rampant expansion, but I’ve seen a bit of a backlash in recent months. What is its true value as a marketing platform? Isn’t it mostly valuable as a research tool for R+D units, less so as a way to create an experience for the consumer?
A. Social media provides a valuable opportunity for businesses to connect with their customers in a way that would be very difficult to do prior to its existence. I would argue it’s valuable for all aspects of your business. Sustainable growth, improving customer relationships (strengthening your brand), and insights for new market growth are just a few that stand to gain something from the social media platform.

Q. You have taught our firm a lot about something called Responsive Design for web. Can you share a brief idea of what this is, for those who want to learn more?
A. The way we consume the web is constantly evolving. With an ever-growing number of internet-enabled devices of all shapes and sizes, how do we ensure our audience is receiving a quality experience no matter what device they are using? Responsive web design addresses these concerns by tailoring the presentation of the content to the device in a way that is clear and functional. As a result, this makes your content easy to manage and update, unlike one-off, native applications created for each channel.

Q. You read and discuss this with peers constantly. You’re clearly a good prognosticator and passionate about where the technology is headed in 3 years, 5 years, and beyond. In 100 words or less, can you share a vision?
A. Currently, we are seeing this trend of data becoming centralized. I think there will be a decentralizing shift that follows. Over the coming years, practices will emerge on how to best make sense of all the information that’s being collected. The decentralization shift will only happen when our personal devices are powerful enough to carry out that analysis efficiently and effectively. With advances in AI, our devices will become more reactionary. I see our devices becoming self-aware, situation-aware and “social” which will lead to them becoming more proactive agents in our lives.

Q. How does the user-experience change, generally for all companies, when the core website converts to a small, mobile screen?
A. Generally speaking, the content won’t change. Users inherently expect a different experience because of the device they are using. At the same time, they expect to access the information they need clearly and easily, mobile or not. In order to do this successfully, we tailor how the content is presented and how users will interact with the content.

Q. Gaming is a growth industry worth $74 billion annually. http://www.joystiq.com.  But you claim that this is all shifting from desktop to mobile. How so? And how does that affect other forms of content?
A. I think it’s safe to say the market for desktop/console gaming has matured, but there is a huge growth opportunity in the mobile space. Content creators/providers should recognize this and follow suit.

Q. Where will Facebook be in 2015? LinkedIn?
A. Last time I was asked about Facebook, my response was somewhat dismissive, but I’ve been really impressed with their ability to pivot. I think they’ll be just as relevant or maybe even more so as they are today. I don’t follow LinkedIn’s business so I can’t give an educated response on that.

Q. Where should CMO’s be placing most of their investment presently, when they consider all of the channels available to them?
A. They should be investing internally. Most companies lack governance, particularly when it comes to the web, it’s damaging their brand image and they’re missing opportunities for additional revenue.

Q. Everyone talks about the cloud. Can you share your thoughts briefly? Most beneficial aspects? Risks, if any?
A. The cloud helps us manage our digital life. Being able to access files no matter which device we are using simplifies our lives. You give up some control when it’s managed by a third-party so rights and privacy should be a concern.

Q. For marketers, multiplying channels can feel like musical chairs on steroids. How do we manage the content through all of this confusion? What changes in the experience between desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile device?
A. Structuring your content will eliminate confusion. Devices shouldn’t dictate content so from that perspective, nothing should change.

Q. What is the most interesting thing you have read lately? Feel free to provide more than one link.
A. Currently, I am reading “The Innovator’s Solution” by Clayton Christensen. I have “Designing for Emotion” by Aarron Walter and “Mobile First” by Luke Wroblewski queued up.

Tags: adaptability, cloud, facebook, gaming industry, Linkedin, microsites, mobile device, responsive design, social media, technology, third party rights, user experience
Posted in Brand Identity, Design, Marketing, Media, Social Media, Technology | No Comments »

Floyd Norris at The New York Times hit the nail on the head this weekend with a great summary of the financial markets.

Volatile, but Nearly Running in Place

The Federal Reserve offered an official statement last week, acknowledging that it had grossly under-estimated the depth of the economic recession that began in September, 2008. . . this, all while refraining from issuing new policies to jump start the economy. They predicted 2 more years (at least) of recovery, although I cannot be sure that they used the same exact vernacular. Regardless of how they finessed their own misread of the economy, we appear to be in this for a longer duration than anyone previously expected.

Thought leadership from a respected, world-class company recently declared that we are in the “New Normal” — defined as a state of permanent global volatility. My personal opinion is that the first recession was never over, technically. And new traction is not real. The markets may have perceived recovery, but sustained recovery is not real at all. Neither is the recession.

Rather, what we are experiencing is life in the economy of uncertainty — an era of financial speculation and investment based on the erratic, constant flow of information. I forecast that global business will live here for at least the next 3-5 years, perhaps longer, before learning to adapt to the new pipeline of media data.

We have two colliding, interacting influences that are reinventing the status quo to which so many economists and analysts were accustomed. One is the traditional need for information, security, and confidence — a stable semblance of certainty in our future. The other, a seeming paradox to the first need, is technology and accessibility of information, the revolution in immediate communication that the world continues to realize. No existing terminology can adequately describe the complex new dynamic that governs the global, business information climate. It’s the traditional need for data — with a new way to feed that habit, and it is carnivorous — feeding on itself in real-time, on a 24/7 basis. News and business information, shared in multiple, tiny increments, betray the larger picture and confuse investment markets.

Consider this cascading event: Storms bubble and surface in Greece or Italy; investors react instantly in a few dozen other major markets as hours tick away. The Nikkei opens down; Dow futures begin trading down before U.S markets open; technology and immediacy of communication make it accessible to a universe of both institutional and consumer investors; the Dow loses 400 points, just hours after the news was published. Corporate CFO’s call meetings and freeze budgets in marketing and HR, so on some level B2B spending in advertising and hiring are affected. And the whole reaction continues to trickle throughout related markets and audiences.

The next day, news that unemployment in the U.S. has receded by one tenth of one percent floods online (or broadcast) news venues and investors once again react in real time. And the cascading trickle plays out again.

This mesmerizing cause-and-effect becomes even more fascinating when we consider the complicating analysis of the economy by geography, the interconnectedness of countries living in the new global paradigm. But even that has all been driven by the larger influence of technology and communication. U.S. companies were surely invested in Greece in the 1960’s, but without the same instant level of information, stocks did not rise and fall by 3-5 percent on a daily basis.

According to Norris, “Over the last three months, there has been day after day of wild swings in prices. Stocks soar when it appears that Europe will manage to work out a rescue plan for Greece. They plunge when it appears the world may be entering a double-dip recession.”

“But the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index has moved almost nowhere. An investor who spent the last three months in private contemplation, without any information about what was going on, could have emerged this week and concluded, from the stock market, that it had been a quiet time for all,” writes Norris.

Where will this all land in a year, 3 years, or even 5 years? Well, it seems clear that the progressive trend toward information and technology will remain constant. With the market capitalization and I.P.O. deals available to the Groupons and Facebooks, there is no reason to assume that innovation in this area will slow.

Given that, and knowing that news and information do change investment decisions, which further affects corporate decision-making, there’s every reason to imagine a micro-finance and micro-business world, with billions of decisions made each day, each hour, each minute. Each incremental action will come as a response to real time information, good or bad, that has been multiplied, and amplified, across thousands of new channels. The ebb and flow of investor, business, and consumer confidence will continue to increase with greater speed and fragmentation.

Tags: Dow Jones, economic recession, Europe, facebook, Federal Reserve, financial markets, financial stability, global business, global volatility, Greece, Groupon, information flow, investment, IPO, Nikkei, S&P 500, social media, The New York Times
Posted in Advertising, Business, Marketing, Media, Social Media, Technology | No Comments »