DOUG SCHUMACHER

experience designer + writer

social

Creativing :: Mary Meeker’s online advertising predictions, Flash ads on iPhone, and 600 shopping mashups

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What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site
Creativing.com:

Tweet of the Week

I say, “Someone I follow on Twitter said…” way too often in normal conversation.

@CMSummit – Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends Presentation

Probably the single best predictor of the future of the ad business I’ve seen in one place.

Record A Song On The Subway… Or Anywhere : NPR

Yes, there’s no shortage of tech wonders as of late. And yet, sometimes things really stand out amid a wave of innovation that reminds us just how absurdly advanced things are becoming. This did that for me. I’ve been playing with multi-track recording for years, and to think that technology that you can record a studio album on could be something you carry around on your phone is remarkable. As if we need yet another reminder of really how crazy this mobile revolution is going to be.

Bros Icing Bros

Latest in the ‘creative meme’ department. This would seem to have all the earmarks of a brand-driven meme; especially the seemingly way-too polished website. Then again, the whole thing is an insult to the brand. Interesting, but I’m not ready to carry around my “Ice Block” just yet.

BP buys Google, Yahoo search words to keep people away from real news on Gulf oil spill disaster

Just pathetic. This isn’t the era of transparency because someone thought it was a good idea. It’s because the free flow of information is such that it’s more and more difficult for companies like BP to lie.

Live, From Deep in the Gulf – NYTimes.com

While I haven’t found much to credit BP for in this mess, this is one instance. It really plays to a much deeper approach to handling this problem. Instead of trying to spin everything, acknowledge the problem, and give people access to information so they don’t feel like they’re being played. Of course, they haven’t done that across the board, and thus this feels more like an aberration for the brand versus a genuine effort to level with the public.

IfItWasMyHome.com – Visualizing the BP Oil Disaster

This smart data/map mashup places a region equal to the BP oil spill on a map in the area your most familiar with: Your home area. What I find really smart about this is that the title “If it was my home” adds emotional relevance that just the technology mashup alone wouldn’t do.

Adobe to Bring Flash-Based Ads to iPhone

I wouldn’t think Apple would oppose this, because unlike their previous blocking of using Flash to author iPhone apps, the authoring of banner ads isn’t where the money is; it’s in selling the ad units. That’s a very different scenario from apps, where it’s all about the sale of the app, and so Apple would have a much more vested interest in controlling that process. Whatever the case, though, it’s odd to see a company like Adobe — which via Flash played such a large role in bringing a richer experience to online advertising — being relegated to this sort of workaround to keep their technology relevant. Another reminder of how fast things change in this biz.

Best Buy’s Movie Mode Enables Second Screen Interaction | MobileBehavior

As we’ve seen, the future may not be so much about the merger of the proverbial three screens as it is the integration of them. This is a mobile app that gives you a peak into what characters are saying during the end credits of a movie. Seemingly a small sliver of the real potential here.

Seth’s Blog: Paperback Kindle

It’s interesting to see how Seth’s recommendation to the Kindle team for warding off Apple is all about user share. That’s something every mobile manufacturer and carrier should be taking notes on, as well. But the crux of the story is in the last line, when he tells of seeing a kid in diapers operating an iPod Touch. One of these days people will stop underestimating the importance of good user interface design.

600 Shopping Mashups

One of the things I recommend is reading about marketing-oriented technology, even if you don’t understand much of what they’re saying. So while the site is Programmable Web, don’t let that scare you. What’s readily noticeable is that the vast majority of these are shopping comparison tools. And while they may be full-screen tools right now, most are probably a fairly simple conversion away from being a mobile app. The list is definitely worth a quick scan.

Creativing :: Facebook plugins overview, Personalization gone extreme, and crowdsourcing crime fighting

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Tweet of the Week

Just geeked out about iPads with some SF policemen. Man I love this city.

McDonald’s to Use Facebook’s Upcoming Location Feature – Advertising Age

Facebook offering location based technology was inevitable, and it will be interesting to see how this further shapes the war between Facebook and Twitter. The bomb drop stat in here is Facebook has over 100 million users on it’s mobile app alone, which is what Twitter has in it’s entirety.

Participatory Sensing: SnapScouts App Crowdsources Crime Prevention | MobileBehavior

The idea of crowdsourcing crime fighting might seem a bit nutty, but then again, that’s not far from America’s Most Wanted TV show. I can only imagine the abuse this could generate in the form of practical jokes. At any rate, the app is enough to pull comments from Bruce Sterling, who sees it as a key link to the future.

Apple Worship: Creating a Brand – Design and Architecture on KCRW

There’s a good interview at the front of the podcast with brand marketer Sasha Strauss on how brands extend beyond feature sets and price points.

Advertising Lab: Private Customized Adventures

A company that will privately engineer someone’s day, for better or worse? A bit creepy, but could definitely see this used positively for a buzz-worthy human interest story.

5 Ways Facebook Will Impact E-commerce

What most brand’s want to know about Facebook’s Open Graph is “How will this help me sell more product?”. Here are some good examples of that.

Facebook’s Social Plugins

Facebook’s Open Graph was just announced, and it’s the pervasiveness of the “Like” button that seems to be the topic of most conversation. However, there are a number of plugins that marketers can use on their sites to make a visitor feel more at home. They’re explained, with visuals, on this page.

Confessions of an Executive Producer: i have seen the future

I’m not familiar with the Canon D5, but certainly appreciate how technologies — even the non-Net variety — impact the marketing and advertising business. Jerry Solomon, Managing Partner of Epoch Media, outlined some interesting thoughts on how this, camera and others like it to come, will further shape the production process.

8 Lessons for Creating Social Impact | Fast Company

While focused on physical product design, I was struck by how similar these principle’s are to product/app design on the Web.

Tim Hanlon Reviews New Role at Catalyst S+F, And Agency As Venture Fund

A lot of advertising people are reevaluating their careers, and the industry at large. Tim Hanlon just joined CatalystSF as a partner responsible for venture investments, and shares his thoughts on the changing role of agencies. It’s a particularly interesting POV given his venture capital background, and I think this is a space a lot of agencies would love to be operating in, assuming they can make the numbers work.

Creativing :: Hugo Chavez Tweets, Facebook’s Open Graph explained, and the best iPad app yet

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Tweet of the Week

Technically, “Twitterer” of the week. This week, Hugo Chavez joined the digerati. And his username roughly translates to ‘devil’ in many Latin American countries, although in Venezuela, it also means ‘rabble-rouser’. Either way, a little nutty coming from the 5th largest oil producing nation in the world.

The Color of Words | Codename: “Cuttlefish”

Copywriters and Art Directors, unite. This is both entertaining and useful for checking people’s creative color explorations. Each color is given a name, generally closely tied to the color it brings up. Well worth a few minutes of mousing around.

Facebook Sends Window Decals to Local Businesses

Start looking for this type of thing to be as common on a store window as credit card stickers.

Augmented Reality Billboard Puts Passersby in a Street Fight [VIDEO]

Strong execution using Augmented Reality in a digital billboard.

MobilGlyph: Making Data Tangible – Popwuping

Video demonstrating the use of QR codes as a way to enable data entry in a mobile phone for illiterate people. The final interface is a little like scrolling through the Facebook mobile app to make a call.

Facebook and the New SEO | Stay N’ Alive

If you read one article this week, this is probably a good one to read. An explanation on the power of Facebook’s new Open Graph Protocol and it’s potential impact on advertising.

More Absurd Social Media Analysis – The Value Of A Fan

If you didn’t hear about the attempt to value a Facebook Fan at $3.60, it pulled a lot of commentary. Beyond the narrow definition of the value of a Fan that this approach took, it’s just as wrong to think that every company will benefit the same from their fan base. At any rate, this post delves into why whatever the value, the equation they used doesn’t really capture it.

Google TV to be Unveiled Next Month

Here comes Google TV. And the web-enabled TV platform is based on Android. Get ready to use your mobile phone as the remote control for your entire TV. And while you can do this with an iPhone and AppleTV today, it is an Apple TV after all. And the power of bringing together numerous mobile phone and TV manufacturers on the same platform will likely pay off well for the Google TV participants.

Google’s nightmare: Facebook ‘Like’ replaces links – CNN.com

Why Facebook’s ‘Like” and Open Graph system are such a threat to Google. It takes the idea of indexing what’s popular on the Web, and puts that information inside Facebook, where Google’s search algorithm can’t ‘see’ it. Not good for Google if that algorithm drives the bulk of your revenues.

Lessons from Yahoo’s iPad App in the Cloud

The most impressive iPad app i’ve seen yet. And from Yahoo, no less. I really like how seamlessly this app brings together a large cross section of news and entertainment. When they go to the TV listings, you can see how you could navigate directly to the show, when available. Then, just add a button to push the video feed to a large TV monitor, and the iPad becomes a must-have device for finding content that you then share with everyone in the room. Compare that to the current way of finding out what’s on TV and then playing it.

Creativing :: Na’vi seen at the mall, Facebook’s threat of dominance, and Twitter’s new capabilities

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Tweet of the Week

Project Virgle was an April Fools joke but Sir Richard is discussing Google/Virgin collaborations with humor.

Facial Recognition Software Turns Shoppers into Na’vi Avatars – MarketingVOX

I really like how they’ve taken an idea that could have easily been applied to an app, and placed it in the middle of one of the busiest malls in LA. I’d guess there are crowds around this checking it out. Then to link that to a database acquisition is icing on the cake.

Create Super Customized Dress Shirts with Blank Label

I’m impressed by how H&M can get take fashion trends from the street to their shelves in 6 weeks. But this might even circumvent that speed to market.

Google Buzz Hits Google Maps; Search Suggest Comes To More Countries

With all the ‘buzz’ about Facebook, Foursquare, Apple and Twitter, I’ve almost forgotten about that little company Google. At any rate, this is a pretty good UX, really only limited by first, a lack of quantity, and then, a way to filter. But the combination of logins in an environment as practical and comprehensive as Google Maps has obvious big potential. Especially for mobile.

Hospital Outfits Staff with 100 iPads

What really impresses me about the iPad is the distinct benefits we’re already seeing coming from it. Game changing for businesses and people alike. Here’s another good story about how the iPad has enabled a 99 year old woman to start reading again with the text enlarging feature (yeah, that was dooable in most browsers, but not really practical). http://mashable.com/2010/04/23/ipad-99-year-old-woman/

How Does One Compete With This Beast? Here’s How: | Stay N’ Alive

A developer (who also happens to be a good writer) gives his take on the impact of Facebook’s latest announcement around global connect, and what the next evolution of the Web might be beyond that.

On Google’s Brand – John Battelle’s Searchblog

John has literally written the book on Google, so always interesting to hear his thoughts. And given he’s been a big proponent of the Google way, his sense that Google is meeting a critical point in their history is clear.

Ajaxian » Blowing up HTML5 video

The Apple – Adobe brawl over Flash is looking like a bantam-weight fight compared to the Facebook – Google square off. But if you’re in content development, it’ll probably factor into some of your decisions over the next few years. What’s interesting to me about this is the text at the top of the page remains searchable HTML text, while the video is able to expand right over that text. Keep in mind that the big problem with Flash for many people is it’s relative invisibility to search engines. That, and this would enable all sorts of expandable banner ideas, possibly without requiring rich media apps and their related ad serving fees.

NYT: Twitter Gets More Features, and Competitors

If you had any doubts about Twitter’s continuing popularity, they’re adding 300,000 new users a day. Remarkable. Their new service, titled “@ anywhere”, will integrate location-based services to Twitter as well as a database of nearby places, for which you can then view a feed to Tweets coming from that specific location. Pretty remarkable stuff for finding out what’s going on wherever you are.

Facebook Looks to Extend Its Presence – NYTimes.com

Interesting to note that Facebook using Connect to spread their presence across other websites is very similar to a tactic Google used a decade ago, when they syndicated their search box to other sites around the web, and then followed by doing the same with their advertising system. Facebook is also changing their “Share” button to “Like”, although the real story is they’ll be tracking the things you “like” and you’ll be able to see things across the web that were “liked” but your friends. As we already know that seeing what your friends like is a big draw, this is a great idea. Here’s Facebook’s own page explaining this in a very simple graphic: http://www.facebook.com/sitetour/connect.php

How Facebook won the web – CNN.com

Mashable’s Pete Cashmore weighs on on why Facebook is a serious threat to both Google and Twitter, with the implication that the best solution for those two would be for Google to buy Twitter.

Creativing :: iPhone’s mobile ad platform, Facebook is #1, and Farmville has peanuts for profits

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What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:

Tweet of the Week

I’m kind of sad that @BarackObama isn’t having more fun with Twitter. I’d like to see him retweet a Kardashian.

iPhone 4.0 OS’s iAd Ad Platform

Jump straight down to the iAd section. While it makes business sense to see in-app advertising as different search-based advertising, I find Jobs’ plan of replicating the TV viewing experience on the iPhone rather disconcerting. Isn’t TVs pervasive in-your-face push advertising something that drove a lot of people to online content in the first place? And what makes him think that they’ll have the tolerance for anything close to that level of intrusion in a mobile experience, where I’m paying a lot more for usage than I am with my cable service.

I realize the developers can probably set their own level of ad saturation, but then again, so have the networks.

And lastly, I don’t agree that mobile devices aren’t about search. 30% of searches on Google are already local, and my guess would be that search will be just as prevalent on mobile devices as desktops.

Facebook Reaches Top Ranking in US – Hitwise

Nothing short of remarkable, and perhaps most interesting that their business model is about as 180 from Google as could be. Instead of providing sheer utility at various online touchpoints, like search, maps, email, etc, Facebook has made an engagement play — typically the biggest challenge online — and is beating everyone at fundamental traffic stats. What’s more, they’re not only pulling amazing visit numbers, but in January 11% of all time spent online was spent on Facebook, according to these Compete numbers.

The Apple-Adobe War Escalates: Using Flash to Build iPhone Apps Banned

I get how Apple might not want to support Flash, but I don’t get why they keep slamming the door on the developer community. I can’t imagine that a company can continue this forever without serious backlash, be it direct in the form of product boycotts, or indirect in the form of someone else with a more open system (ahem, Google) taking them to the mat. If you doubt that anti-Apple sentiment is building, read the comments at the end of the article.

It’s Peanuts: Farmville Reaps Brand Placement – Advertising Lab

Considering Farmville now has over 82 million monthly active users, the idea of a nut company sponsoring a peanut crop is a smart strategy. There isn’t much info on the execution, but seems like an idea that would be hard to screw up.

6 Ways Brands are Using Social Media For Real-World Action

Good social media-driven case studies that are an inspiring and insightful read.

5 Years Ago Today the Web Mashup Was Born

Google Mashups are usually a great visualization of database-driven marketing solutions, so they’re usually pretty insightful. What else is interesting is how quickly this exploded after the first one launched. Much the way things happen online when an obviously good idea drops.

Facebook Limits Status Updates To 420 Characters

Curious how much the business world is changing? Imagine any of the most talked about companies 30 years ago making a pot joke out of one of their primary feature settings.

The Top 10 Most Watched Web Series, March 2010

Interesting overview of the most popular web video series’. The not-so-secret formula? A kids show presence with a much more adult tone to the episodes.

Photoshop Content-Aware Fill Demo “PatchMatch” (Video)

This is a remarkable demo of PS’s ability to clean up and even add missing elements to photos. All in a very automated way. The day of completely digitally-generated movies and commercials may seem like a long way off, but then again, seeing leaps in technology like this demonstrate that aspects of it are remarkably within grasp.

Creativing :: YouTube tips for goin’ viral, Big Brother on Facebook, and new media units when you fly

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What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:

Tweet of the Week

“Orkut for Android?” Nice. If they just added pro sports, scrapbooking, and Ron Paul, I’d finally have my perfect “Who Cares?” engine.

Five Keys For Creating Viral YouTube Titles

Interest in creating viral videos will probably be around for a while. These simple tips are well worth the quick read. I also found the video for creating a “Tim Burton” look with makeup surprisingly interesting.

Digital Marketing: YouTube Opens Up Overlays – Advertising Age

I still say the YouTube deal will ultimately play out (and pay out) well for Google. With the level of usage still going through the roof, and Google wanting to get their text ads in every nook and cranny of the Internet, this video-based version of Adwords is right out of their play book.

“My Mom’s On Facebook” Song Goes Viral

From somewhere between Twisted Sister and Save By The Bell comes this video that’s trending upward. Not sure what qualifies as ‘going viral’, but at 250k views in a couple days, it seems headed there if it isn’t yet.

Attention, “Star Wars” Fans: The iPhone Lightsaber Duel is Coming

So I’ll admit to downloading the first Lightsaber iPhone app. And this bluetooth-based multiplayer version certainly ups the ante. Sold!

Facebook, The Tool Of Big Brother?

The idea is simple. Govt agencies like the FBI and DEA are using Facebook to lure and track suspects across a number of potential infractions. On the surface, it’s almost funny to think that some FBI agent could be posing as a cute girl to lure a criminal into confessing something stupid online. Of course, if it goes beyond the FBI and some ‘stupid criminal’ to monitoring general citizen activity, that presents another picture. And while the intent may be different between those two, the basic activities are identical. More privacy regulation fun ahead.

The Current State of Twitter [INFOGRAPHIC]

Sometimes I like data just for the way it’s presented. These charts are a lesson in info design. It’s also interesting to note how the majority of Twitter users have posted so few times. I’d guess squatters are making a fairly big impact, but still a very high percentage of “users” rarely use it. Also interesting is the days of the week. It still looks like a heavy workplace distraction that spills over into the commute home or drinks after work.

Google TV: Five Burning Questions – Yahoo! News

I don’t usually like speculating on things too far out in the future. As Wired magazine once said, It’s virtually impossible to predict technology more than 6 months out. But this article brings up some great scenarios to consider, and involves speculation on the future of advertising. I also think the idea of Web-capable TV will probably happen fast. I could almost see people forgoing home computers, and bridging the gap with mobile phones and a Web-enabled TV.

New Ad Opps Abound at Airports, in the Air – MarketingVOX

If you fly much, you likely noticed the increase in ads popping up everywhere; from security bins to seat trays. The new interactive displays are not only showing up at airports, but in downtown areas as well. Triggered by motion (the one’s I’ve seen), they’re a fun technology, but I haven’t seen them really used that creatively yet. Opportunity alert!

4 New APIs: a Job Search API, a Movies API, a Book Metadata API, and an API for Researchers

A short article about some new APIs. Keep up on these. They’re the backbone of innovative marketing solutions of the future.

Creativing :: Free ebooks correlate to printed sales, Social media crisis lessons, and the first ChatRoulette campaign

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What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:

Tweet of the Week

There are pretty much just two writer moods: “I am a GOD!” and “I suck!” Today, Minions, I am a GOD!

Free ebooks correlated with increased print-book sales – Boing Boing

A similar correlation has been shown in the music industry between file-sharing and volume of music purchased. I’m sure there’s a similar correlation between YouTube and TV watching (a la “Lazy Sunday”). The takeaway? If you have something to say, lay it out there. If it’s valuable, people will want more.

3 Crisis Survival Lessons for the Social Media Age

Case Studies are often the best way to learn. While these aren’t full of deep stats, reading about these 3 situations will decrease your odds of repeating them.

We’re Not In Kansas Anymore. Well, We Are — Google, Kansas.

While their tactic may not be all that tight, I think strategically Topeka is dead on to be in hot pursuit of Google’s broadband ISP service. It will have a positive impact on education, attracting businesses, and overall economic efficiencies. But next time, hopefully they’ll call in a good creative shop to help with the execution.

Google Kansas II: Duluth Strikes Back [VIDEO]

A shot back across the bow of Topeka. It’s nice to see people across the US so excited about broadband. This also demonstrates how people everywhere are taking marketing into their own hands. Google-style, you could say.

Is Content King? Then Distribution Is Crown Prince – Advertising Age

A lot of good points about content and the distribution of that content. It seems to me that right now, there’s more emphasis on distribution. Everyone and their mother setting up social media distribution points and trying to game the search game. While not really offering distinct content of any sort that’s being pushed through those channels

Those Hooves? That’s the Sound of the Internet Search Apocalypse – Advertising Age

SEO is quickly becoming a system too easily gamed. I have to think this will end someday soon. The question is, will Google end it on their own, or will one of their competitors end it by offering a better product, or will government step in? Stay tuned.

How Lionsgate Plans to Take on ‘Twitter Effect’ for ‘Kick-Ass’ – Advertising Age

The technology behind this is about integrating the conversation streams across Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. This makes a lot of sense from a brand management and social conversation standpoint. In the comments, you’ll find some good counterpoints about loss of cohesion in the conversation, but I’m not sure it’s any worse than most YouTube threads for movie trailers. If anything, my issue is that the brand’s presence in these threads seems to heavy-handed.

Adverblog: French Connection brings Chatroulette into its Manifesto

If there’s any question about the need for speed in today’s marketing climate, consider this UGC campaign based around ChatRoulette for French Connection. A simple, quickly-deployed UGC campaign that leverages a rocketing trend.

Amazing iPhone » Time warp your iPhone 3GS video with Slowmo app

This actually looks pretty cool.