dontscrewus.org.

Interesting video via @agencyspy. Is repurposing an artists work stealing? Semantics...

I'm a social media guru! Write me a check!

Big News

Big news today (for me at least). 1800 tequila's new national tv camapaign starring Michael Imperioli which was produced by the amazing talent at Agent16 begin airing today! Check them out here Agent16 or here 1800.

In other news, I've been working at Agent16 for almost 2 years (anniversary in December :-D) and my picture is now on the website. It's such a small thing, but it's the first company that has ever done it and I am both honored by the gesture and mortified by the ghetto picture.

RT @iboy: @agencyspy Do you think that someday people will aspire to be a trend on Twitter?

This is such a scary thought. People are now so obsessed with fame and being infamous more so than famous, this seems like the next logical step.

Olbermann Makes Agency Worst Person in the World

Cut to 2:32
Apologies to WWF for incorrectly tweeting that they were behind this ad. To DDB Brasil- Really?

via http://www.mediabistro.com/agencyspy/news/_more_details_on_wwf_and_ddb_brasil_olbermann_makes_agency_worst_person_in_the_world_130079.asp

Everything You Need To Know About Social Media

View more documents from David Griner.

Power Of Social Media

View more documents from Monty Metzger.

No baby shoes, no service?

What the F**K is Social Media: One Year Later

View more documents from Marta Kagan.

Business Guys on Business Trips

Business Guys on Business Trips

Shared via AddThis

Necessary Bluntness

Nobody likes a copycat especially since you can't get a way with it anymore

In this day and age is it really possible to be a copycat and get away with it? Like I'm copying the idea for this this post from this agencyspy article but at least I gave them credit! See smart use of plagiarizing.

There is no shame as using another idea as inspiration or even as a template but I think this goes past that line. Thoughts?

BTW both are beautiful pieces of work (gotta give credit where credit is due).

No talking at tweetups

I attended a tweetup or meetup (whichever you prefer) last night in Dumbo. Upon arriving in the very hot, echoey space (sans a/c), we were greeted with free cupcakes and cold beers. A+ for hospitality in the beginning. What the organizers don't get an A for is organizing a panel discussion in a large echoey space where no one could hear what was being said even with the help of a crappy PA system. Unlike most I decided to stay and tough it out in the hot space and try to meet a few new people and socialize with ones I was already acquainted with. I guess this was my mistake. Several times someone would yell over the loudspeaker that there was no talking and if you wanted to talk to take it outside. Really?

Finally frustrated I retreated to a corner of the room to talk to a few people and was summarily and rudely shushed by someone and told there was to be no talking. Really? No talking at a tweetup? That's a new one.

First of all if you are going to have a panel discussion that goes on ad nauseam maybe you should bill yourself that way and maybe provide a fan and some seats. Second how about not being rude to guests who schlepped from Manhattan in hopes of networking only to be shoved into an oven of a room and told no talking.

Good times had by all, thanks for the free beer!

AR for the sake of AR?

Culture is our Business

Agent16's new website went live yesterday and I'm really excited about how great it looks. New UI, using a tumblr platform which will allow for blogs, RSS feeds and of course a tweet wall. The site is still in the beta stage and more updates will be added in the coming weeks.

I'm happy that we are now practicing what we preach. We've taken "Culture is our Business" and personified it not only through our work but through the platform in which you view it.

Please visit our site, order a book, download a whitepaper, read a case study, watch some awesome videos or just learn more about us.

www.agent16.com

Does twitter cost you money? Classic!

New York, NY

I enjoyed this tweet so much I had to post it. Thanks @dens

Sixth Sense

Minority Report in the Real World

The Augmented Reality Business Card

AR Business Card from James Alliban on Vimeo.

Augmented Reality- Ribbons

Virtual Ribbons from James Alliban on Vimeo.

Wish List

OK I think is the summer I finally make a commitment. No, not to a man, not to a pet but to a bike. I've been avoiding this commitment for years due to my fifth floor walk up situation which is taxing enough without a 50lb bike strapped to my back. But my super informed me today that I can park it in the buildings back "garden" but of course they will not be responsibe for theft, damage,blah blah.

Here are my wants-

It must be purple

White wicker basket with little flowers attached

In Good condition

Preferably a Raleigh

Made for a woman between 5' and 5' 7"

At least a 3 speed

around $100

What are the odds of this wish list becoming a reality? About slim to none but a girl can dream right?

*bike pictured above is close to my dream bike but not close enough :-(

Why I love New York

You have to be tough and unfazeable to live in NYC. Never were these words made truer than this afternoon when I was greeted by bare ass cheeks on Wall Street. Frankly I always enjoy a random streaker but this was so much more. He didn't slink around in a trench coat and flash hapless old ladies. He boldly ran through one of the busiest thoroughfares in NYC with his junk out for the world to see boldly claiming to be the World's Fastest Nudist. I wonder who he had to race to get that title?

Of course I tweeted about this 5 minutes after the sighting and quickly received a response from what I will now refer to as 'WFN' - "in the city this week. and I'm naked everyday. so there's a chance you might see my white junk again. running by that is." Is everyone on twitter now??!! (@fastestnudist if you're interested)

WFN if you are out there and read my blog please comment, I need, no must know more!

What's a Social Media Expert?

If you've ever come across someone who calls themselves a social media expert or guru they're probably not. Read Peter Shankman's post at http://shankman.com/ for great insights.

Al Sharpton has never been more eloquent

Al Sharpton stirringly, if inaccurately, told Jackson's children that there "wun't nothing strange about your daddy." Sigh.

Check out the this video at gaweker and The Ten Most Important Moments of the Michael Jackson Memorial Mess

Why don't I have a name?

Come on is it really hard to find out who the "unidentified man" in this picture is? ohh cnn.com

A trillion dollars ain't what it used to be

The "Trillion Dollar Campaign" for the newspaper The Zimbabwean from TBWA Hunt Lascaris, Johannesburg, South Africa, plastered real Zimbabwean trillion-dollar banknotes onto billboards, murals and fliers, serving as a real-life symbol of the country's record inflation and economic collapse.

http://www.facebook.com/jenean.chapman

I got my facebook vanity url. now all is right with the world. Night nerds!

zunePhone ad

who wants to buy me one?

Where am I now?

If your foursquare account is linked to your twitter account then everyone probably knows where you are. Just pointing out that it doesn't make sense to be choosy about who follows you one one and not the other.

Brunch is my favorite meal of the day

Social Media Venn Diagram

need i say more?

Unexpected invites equal good times

My "social calendar is usually pretty well planned out. Tonight was Diggnation at Webster Hall in NYC but around noon I got an email saying I was on the guest list for the Gawker/IAB party. Frankly I have no recollection of rsvp'ing for said event but I figured open bar, who am I to say no? Plan was, one drink, quick network and then on to Diggnation.

As luck would have it, on my way in, I met two cool reporters from Mediapost and stuck to them like leeches for the rest of the night. Thankfully they were very nice and welcomed my random advances and a good time was had by all. Best line of the night was of course Mark Walsh's demand to "keep the pheasant coming!" Sounds odd but this event was a extraordinary in that the hors d' oeuvres included pheasant, caviar Bellini's, and foie gras. Open bar and good eats, what more can you ask for?

I never made it to the Diggnation, but from what I've reviewed on twitter, it was awesome and all the twitterati were out in full force. Frankly if given a choice between being in a huge maze of a space with strangers and loud music or a beautiful roof deck with an open bar and chill people, I'll always take the latter.
Thanks Nick Denton, youmade a brief and late cameo but pheasant was enjoyed by all :-D

Rocking past your prime

I saw the documentary Anvil this weekend and all I have to say is some people were not meant to rock and roll all night. These guys really should have given up the dream in the late 80's.

I suppose they are supposed to be the non fictional spinal tap but since I haven't seen that film. I say, you're time is up Anvil. Get a Job!

Decisions, Decisions...

Up until a couple of hours ago I was all set to head to @jaffejuice tweetup tomorrow night on the UES until I came across this gem
http://adweek.blogs.com/tweetfreak/2009/05/tweetup-throwdown-jaffe-v-marchese.html

Both tweetups are hosted by social media superstars but frankly one has an open bar and is walking distance from home. Decision was made for me.

Sorry @jaffejuice maybe I'll make it to your 20K tweetup :-D

Memorial Day

3 day weekend starts in T-Minus 2.5 hours. I'm already there in my mind....

Best Week Ever

I attended the "best week ever tweet up" in the East Village last night and it was quite the scene. Twitterers hailed from far and wide, Pat Kiernan from the UWS, bloggers from Brooklyn and even a busload of guys from Easton, PA.


Other than harassing the "celebs" at the event I also took the time to do a little investigating into why people come to these things.
My findings:

• networking
• give aways
• something to do
• fan of the show
• just happened to be at the bar and wandered in (I personally went for all of the above- minus just wandering in).

Tweetups really get a bad rap. Everyone thinks it's a bunch of nerds who gather to talk about twitter. This really isn't the case at all. It's actually a new way to meet up with people who have similar interests in a relaxed casual atmosphere. Drinks + common interests + technology = tweetup. See you at the next one!

No Impact Man

I was lucky enough to be invited to hear a talk today from "No Impact Man" Colin Beavan on how every person can change their carbon footprint and impact on the earth. It was interesting to hear how Colin and his family live in the East Village with no TV, no car (or subway), eating only locally grown food, or use of any products that will leave a footprint (no plastic utensils, take out containers, bottled water). Colin has really taken being green further than anyone I have ever met and I really admire his dedication to living his life with minimum to no impact.

He described his life prior to the switch and how much his life has been enriched by eating locally grown food (nothing pre-packaged), spending time with his family and friends instead of being ruled by a TV schedule and by enjoying the things in life that most of us take for granted.

If all of us, including large corporations had more of an interest in our relationships and the welfare of our fellow man, how different would marketing and life in general be? Switching your lifestyle to have no impact is drastic but well worth it, if quality of life is a priority.

Wolfram Alpha

This week everyone is talking about the new computational search engine Wolfram Alpha. Mathematical based search engine? I'm skeptical now but I'm sure if I need figure out an integer or complicated equation this will be my go to search engine (why didn't this exist when I was in tenth grade and really needed this?!). For now I'm sticking with google.

More info at http://mashable.com/2009/05/17/wolfram-easter-eggs/

Is Real Housewives a reality show or a HSN spinoff?

I, like many am obsessed with "The Real Housewives of New York," but as much as I love the show it has become less about the lives of the ladies and more about them hawking their merchandise.

Initially I started watching the show because I'm fascinated by people who are obsessed with being on television and being recognized. By the end of season2 I've come to realize these women not only want that, but skin care lines, book deals and press for their companies.

I'm all for a subtle product placement but the shameless plugging that went on this season is making me yearn for the Real Housewives of New Jersey. Keep it real ladies...

To Tweet or Not to Tweet

I'm presenting in a few weeks to my agency "Why Ad Agency's Need Twitter." In an effort to get the agency as a whole on board with the idea of twitter and inform them of the vast ways it can expand their horizons.

As a resource for my presentation I've subscribed to an amazing blog called Fuel Lines ( http://fuelingnewbusiness.com/) by Michael Gass that gives great tips on how to use social media to improve your new business prospects. He outlines the ways that twitter can be used to increase your agency's overall footprint and how social media can be used as a strong PR resource.

I've been using twitter now for about four months and I've found it to be an invaluable tool for my jobs as a business development manager.Its' a great networking tool to get to know people in the industry, interact with CMO's as possible prospects and get instant responses to industry related and personal questions. Social media is now mainstream and as much as some of us want to resist it's lure it's really inevitable.

In this economic climate I think it's imperative that everyone in an agency be part of the new business process and a great way to participate is to tweet, network, and become part of the social media landscape.

A Slow News Day

Swine flu is a hot topic again all over twitter and the news sites. Has the US stopped occupying Iraq or has cancer been cured because these stories have either disappeared from headlines or been relegated to B stories. I'm aware that if swine flu isn't contained it could become an epidemic but to cause a national panic for the flu seems to be a bit over the top.

The subway was eerily quiet this morning and Duane Reade has completely sold out of Purell. Can you say panic? I'm not apathetic to the people who have died or been affected by this illness but I don't think starting a national panic and having people abandon their normal lives is the answer either. How about wash your hands once in a while and hold your breath when people cough/sneeze next to you in an enclosed space. Otherwise, business as usuall Joe Biden!

If all else feels check these sites-
Check if you have swine flu
http://doihaveswineflu.org/
Purchase the Biden Bubble

http://kornorstone.com/db3/00225/kornorstone.com/_uimages/BubbleBoy1.jpg

Oprah-Gate 2009

@Oprah has been a top trend topic on twitter since she joined last week. I'm torn on my feelings toward her bringing twitter to the mainstream. On the one hand I'm glad bc I think it gives twitter some legitimacy and now most people should now stop asking what it is and what is the point, Oprah's on it so that's all that matters. On the other hand, I hate that people are jumping on the bandwagon just bc Oprah has given something her stamp of approval. I don't read books bc Oprah says so, I don't buy products bc Oprah says so and frankly I'm not really interested in seeing Oprah's updates on twitter.

From what I've heard she is only interacting with a select group of celebs on twitter which completely defeats the purpose. I've decided not to follow or tweet about her and fervently pray that people lose interest in this topic sooner rather than later. I have a feeling that Oprah will soon.

Adfail?

The first time I saw this video yesterday and I wasn't sure what it was for. Instantly I thought adfail but when I realized it was a video for Phillips HD TV i realized how awesome this really is. The execution is flawless and I've always been a proponent that HD is the emperor's new clothes but this made me want to check one of these out. I even ended up going to the Philips site to see if I could learn more and I never do that!

Check out the microsite and all the cool features- http://www.cinema.philips.com/?ls=gb_en

Tools of the trade

Working in new business, I am constantly bombarded with new "tools" of the trade. Tools for strategy, prospecting, cold calling, database creation and maintenance. Today i spoke to someone hawking a service that lists agencies so that marketers can search them according to their needs. What? Who does that? I asked the salesman if companies actually use this service and he claimed that they do if google fails them. Since when do Fortune 500 companies use google to find agencies?

I think if you work in new biz and you need a tool to help you build strategy you should probably switch to another field. If you're a marketer and you use google as a tool to identify your AOR ummm.. give me a call. I know a great digital marketing agency in Union Square whose tools are their amazing creative and strategic thinking.

Take that tool marketers!

PRICEY!

Worth magazine is relaunching and is pricier than ever. The magazine obviously caters to those who can afford the finer things in life but in order to qualify for a free subscription "a household has to have a minimum net worth of $2 million, have at least $1 million of equity in their main residence and live in one of 11 major markets, including New York, Boston and San Francisco." Or if you don't qualify you can shell out $20 per issue at newsstands.
I'm not in the market for a private plane or an original Picasso now anyway so I think I'll pass.

http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=136002

Please hold the additional toppings

If you enjoy fast food then you probably shouldn't watch this video. How will Domino's deal with this marketing nighttmare. This is obviously a cry from frustrated employees who need better training and supervision.

Happy Easter!

Stalkdaily- short but sweet

I joined stalkdaily.com at 6:45pm tonight, by 6:52pm I had already deleted my profile. Tweets kept warning that once they joined, someone hacked into their twitter account. I thought it looked a little fishy upon logging in- exact same layout as twitter, the only differentiation being that you can upload video. Luckily as of now my twitter account seems unharmed but after my odd omegle experience I'm a bit leery about new sites.
If you're brave check out and sign up for "stalkdaily.com."

Omegle- match.com for the friendless

I just tried this new service Omegle. All I have to say is - SO WEIRD! My first indication that something was off was the fact the tagline for the service is "Omegle, talk to strangers!" I'm getting the impression that everything is now fair game if you tag it as "social networking." Would you randomly speak to a stranger on the street, especially one who refused to give you their name?
The set up is like AIM but instead of the person you are speaking to having a username, their text comes up next to the username "stranger." That was enough to put me off.
If you are friendless and lonely, I highly recommend you try this but otherwise, I'd say steer clear.

www.omegle.com

When logos go wrong

Passion Brands

We had an agency party tonight to celebrate the release of Passion Brands an amazing book on brands that consumers find themselves invariably drawn to. Such a great turnout and such an eclectic group of people. Props go to my co workers who have such an amazing sense of style and managed to turn the front of our agency from a bunch of cubes into a cool hip space that we now all vie to hang out in. Special shout out to AD (you know who you are) who helped me put the event together, grueling and fun!
I hope the author (Kate Newlin) enjoyed her book party as much as we enjoyed putting it together for her. We wish her all the best and hope everyone buys/reads the book-
http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Brands-Gotta-Drive-Friends/dp/1591026873/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239156951&sr=8-1

Do you google yourself?

I google myself one every 2 or three months. I have no idea why or what I'm hoping/ expecting to find. I guess it's little narcissitic but I've heard that anything that you put on the internet, even if you think you've removed it, lives forever. I'm worrying that one day my halloween pictures from 5th grade might appear and a potential client will see it and be scared off.

Realistic worry? Probably not.

Twitter vs Facebook

A couple of non social networking friends have asked what's the difference between twitter and facebook and why do you need to be on both. Obviously I don't "need" to be on either, I have lived many years (I choose not to reveal how many) without social netoworking of any kind.

The list of differences between these two applications is endless but personally the biggest difference to me is the way in which I use these tools. I use twitter more as a networking tool to meet people in my industry (I use LinkedIn similarly), locally and in other states and just to be a voyeur into what random interesting people find intriguing these days. Working in advertising , I attempt to keep current and sometimes I need to be pointed in the right direction (usually away from perezhilton and dlisted.com) towards pertinent and forward thinkers. I find that I get a lot of random tips, advice and direction through twitter.

For me, Facebook is just way to be nosy and find out what old friends (and people who I barely knew in high school) are up to. It really has no real value past this for me.

This is just my experience with these tools. I'm sure others only use one or the other or neither and manage to get through life everyday. Just the thought gives me the vapors!

How do you present your creds

Interesting post on the 4A's business development blog from Diane Woodruff on how can we present credentials/capabilities in an innovative and techonologically savvy way. Such a great point, especially now that agencies are hawking their digital ability but yet still sending a hard copy of a deck via snail mail, not exactly technologically advanced?
My agency has tried to up the ante with sending a reel or putting our creds on a ditgial device but I don't think that either of these methods are entirely relevant or innovative.
Would love to hear ideas on what other agencies or people in other industries are doing to package their capabilities in an eye catching technologically advanced way.

http://www2.aaaa.org/blogs/AAAA-Blogs/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=42#Comments

New Skills

I'm convinced that in this new economy I need to up my skill ratio. I'm very lucky that my company offers an online tutorial course where you can learn new skills that are really helpful in my field. Unfortunately they tend to be creatively skewed and I'm an account person. So right now I'm attempting to teach myself indesign. I figure even if I only become moderately apt in using it, I'm still better off than someone who has no idea how to use it at all. Ok back to the drawing board... I really wish I had some creative aptitude (it would really help right now).
Great resource- http://www.lynda.com/

This has been a crazy month for new business which is really good in this crazy economy. For the month of March, we have been involved in 4 pitches and I'm exhausted but so happy and proud of the work we've put out. For such a small agency we really have some of the best creative minds I've ever worked with. They make me "enjoy" my 12 hour days :-D

It's earth hour and my lights are out but I'm still posting and twittering so I think I'm missing the point. Since I'm not watching tv, I'm about to use my favorite website, if you don't know about, it's awesome-http://www.southparkstudios.com/
All seasons and episodes of my favorite show. Enjoy..

My First Post

I finally have started my blog! Victory is mine! I’ve been trying to start this for months. Now my only challenge will be keeping it up.