A Future of Interactive Content & Branding

February 24, 2014

The Digital Dialogue

On social media platforms companies have direct access to their customers. This means instantaneous feedback and also the infamous concept of "customers joining the brand dialogue".

When a company opens a Facebook account, for example, they are really inviting any user to comment on their wall, posts and pictures. However not all interactions are guaranteed to be "brand kosher." What if some of your customers always comment provocatively and manage to eat away at the brand environment?

On the flip side, such interactions that pull the customer in closer help them invest into the brand and develop a much more powerful connection. Individuals have a much higher stake in something that they themselves create.

The Future of Interactive Brand Content

With the future of content moving towards video, sites like Vimeo and Youtube become more and more important. However in trying to stay even further ahead of the curve we have extremely creative platforms like interlude which is on the frontier of video.

Interlude offers a product that creates a truly unique video experience. Unlike Youtube, videos on interlude allow users to step through the screen and direct the action and story of the video. Viewers end up making decisions that influence how the video unfurls - resulting in a unique experience every time.

Additionally, this brand tool allows customers to feel empowered and create their own version of the brand story within very strict guidelines. Youtube and Vimeo are just stepping stones down the path to more attractive content that provides deeper and more meaningful experiences for users. What other platforms will spring up next that draw the user in, allowing him or her to create and still protect the brand story from being hijacked? I'm excited to see more options for content delivery!

Here is my humble attempt at using the interlude treehouse video platform. I hope that his short clip will demonstrate the power of interactive video and open your eyes to different types of content delivery. Please remember to get your mouse ready - you have to click - this ain't your average video!

Obama’s State of the Union – A Linguistic Window Into His Strategy & Mindset

January 30, 2014

Using a linguistic analysis tool called LIWC, I have attempted to pull back the veil of the president’s diction and take a glance in-between the words. After analyzing his SOTU against his previous 4 SOTU’s, key patterns emerged from the data. These numerical nuggets each told a story of the president’s speech, his strategy, his commitment and his frustration.

Travel Abroad - Take A Creative Risk

January 27, 2014

There is one social theory that argues we only shape our own identities when they become challenged or threatened. This means that we understand who we are by looking outwards and realizing who we are not.

The best example of this is travel. Did you know that in Asia it is normal to drink out of a bag when you're on the go? To them it is completely normal. For the average westerner this method obviously evokes quizzical looks.

The point is that we take plastic cups as the norm and the only logical way to drink something on the go. However creativity tells us otherwise, there are always multiple ways to go about doing things - never assume you have the best answer.

Travel helps us figure out those assumptions that we take for granted and opens our eyes to new experiences, effectively heightening our creative ability. We learn more about ourselves when we see that others are different from us in ways we couldn't imagine.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”

— Proust

Take A Creative Risk

Seeing that travel is the great eye-opener, it makes sense that so many travelers plan creative projects to document or encapsulate their voyages. I would argue that such travel projects are at risk of being extremely creative and dangerously fun. Next time you go on a trip besides planning your flight and housing try planning a creative project - photos, painting, drawings, audio, video - however you wish to capture it. You may find the experience very refreshing and a great source of inspiration even after it's completion.

#ProjectGlob(o)

In a couple days I will be leaving on a trip to Amsterdam, Fribourg, Munich and Madrid and I have decided to plan #projectglob(o). For now, my creative project is going to be a surprise to all of you guys - you will have to wait till I publish it in the coming weeks! Stay tuned!

PART II - The Results

I enjoyed my travels so much - so many countries - so many languages. As with most things, my project made some changes along the way - but I am happy with the results. Every time I come back from traveling I am both a little depressed and also more self-assured. I definitely learned about myself and enjoyed spending times in other cultures and languages. Anyways - here are the results of my travel project. I hope that you will consider trying a creative project on your next trip abroad! Safe travels!

IBM - 5 Innovation Predictions

January 27, 2014

IBM released the other day their predictions for the future of tech and society. A lot of these insights are very interesting and some are not that surprising.

Classroom adapting to student
Buying local over digital
Doctors using DNA to diagnose
Safety systems adapt and outsmart
The city will help you live in it

Very cool article - worth a skim to get a feel what direction technology and therefore our experience will be taken in the next five years.

Branded Social Media - it's not superficial

January 14, 2014

As you have selected to revolve your social media actions around your brand and not around your content, you will see more powerful customer connections that can identify with your brand and its values, rather than its day-to-day content.