Archive for Digital

October 9, 2011
By Simren Deogun
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in Business, Digital, News, Technology

Saying Goodbye to Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs - 1955-2011

It's a little strange: feeling so close to someone you've never met. I've read countless tweets, posts and articles all expressing much of the same sentiments -- that Steve was a genius, a leader, an innovator, a risk-taker, an admirable human being that throngs of people felt intrinsically connected to.

I've had the misfortune (or fortune depending on how you like to see the glass) of experiencing a lot of loss and heartache. That's part of my personal story. But your perspective becomes markedly different when a community of strangers suffers a loss together.

In Canada, Jack Layton was taken from us in August -- by Cancer. Steve Jobs suffered the same, horrifying fate. To be stripped of your life by something so cruel and unforgiving is equally as unbearable to experience as it is to watch, I think.

I recall the announcement of Steve's resignation -- walking into work the next day, I was inundated with everyone's thoughts, both business and personal. I'm your quintessential Machead and have never hid it. Steve said that if he felt he could no longer perform at his standard as the head of Apple he would step down, and when he did we could all almost hear the ominous clock counting down.

It hasn't sunk in for me yet. Reading through everyone else's personal stories about how Steve inspired them, about how Steve was the only reason they were who they were today, about how Steve had irrevocably changed the world showed me how deeply rooted he was in people's lives. He wasn't just a businessman or a technologist.

Steve is no doubt a legend. And I believe he's one of those indescribable people we will hold in high reverence always.

As my jaw dropped when I read that first tweet from Forbes on Wednesday, October 5 announcing his death, I could only think how sad it is to lose. But I remind myself always how much sadder it would be to never have had at all.

Goodbye Steve. And to those of you staring hardship and loss in its dark, bottomless eyes, remember him, because he took his "3 months to live" sentence and transformed it into 7 glorious years of incomparable global impact.

August 8, 2011
By Simren Deogun
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in Digital, Strategy, Technology

Questioning the Sustainability of Social Media

I've been contemplating this for about a month now. Wondering -- through all the very many nooks and crannies of my mind (and there are a lot!) -- whether or not social media in all its vastness is sustainable.

When I speak about sustainability, I am focusing in on two particular areas. One is the sustainability of the medium as an effective marketing channel and how it fits into a successful marketing strategy. The second looks at social media as a career choice.

I'll admit I follow LinkedIn Jobs, job boards, and communities -- it gives me a sense of what organizations consider important and relevant in today's business world. How do marketing jobs fare? Is there a particular skew in speciality? In what areas are companies looking to hire most?

Inevitably, the trend I've witnessed has been the growth of what is now coined the 'Social Media Bubble'. And I will contend that it is, in fact, a bubble.

From tweets to LinkedIn postings to emails in my inbox, for the past 12 months in particular, there has been a noted influx in demand for social media specialists, gurus and wizards! (Clearly, these companies don't realize that none of these individuals actually exist!)

But it sparked a question in my mind. As a member of the marketing -- and specifically these days the digital marketing -- community, is a job or career choice in social media a smart one?

My gut says NO. My instincts tell me that the bubble is real, that we, as marketers and consumers, are inextricably drawn to this massive, online, social media sub-world that is driven predominantly by a false sense of connection and community. Is that a harsh analysis? Most definitely! But, if we're being honest, very few individuals and businesses are doing it right or well.

The recent downturn in the American economy and its rather scary global market implications hint at a second recession. It's the last thing anyone wants. But I can't help having the feeling that if it were reality, social media would be the first thing to go.

It's risky and unpredictable. It's new and modern. It's a mix of controlled knowledge and an uncontrollable environment.

What all this points to is the crux of my post -- is social media our marketing saviour or does it lack the staying power to sustain itself well into the future?

People are bandwagon-jumpers. We love our trends and fads. We can't help it! But as a marketer I struggle with social media and how it fits into the mix. I cannot say I'm completely sold. And maybe that's something the Google Pluses of the world (and any other new social up-and-comers) need to keep in mind: the pitch phase hasn't ended yet, each and every one of them still has to convince me why it's worth my time -- professionally and personally.

And, on top of that, the industry needs to keep that bubble from bursting.

July 12, 2011
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Digital, Social Media, Technology

Google+: Is It the People’s Social Network?

Are you walking the halls at work wondering why people keep saying Google wrong by adding a "plus" at the end? Have you found yourself without anyone to chat with on Facebook in the last week? Is your Twitter stream looking a little sparse lately?

Your coworkers, friends and twitterers might be suffering from "G+ Syndrome". Let me explain...

Google recently announced another attempt to get social networking right with the introduction (via limited test invite only) of Google+: its real-life sharing project.

With a number of failed attempts laying shame to the Google superpower, Google+ aims to forget the days of Wave (and if we're lucky Buzz!).

Early adoption (though limited with an invite-only model) has been phenomenal, with numbers of 10-20 million users floating about! Can this be an indicator that Google has finally gotten it right? Or is it simply a reflection of a tech-savvier conglomerate that's willing to jump the gun to try something new and shiny online?

So who gives a flying squirrel about Google+? Why should you spread yourself even thinner and add yet another social network to your roster? Honestly, I don't know! I'm not particularly partial to learning a whole new interface, a new way of sharing, a new way of connecting online. There's a theme here: it's reinvention. Reinventing what you already do online (surf, share, connect) to make it easier, funner, cooler! But I imagine Google wouldn't call it reinvention, they'd call it rethinking or retooling -- a simpler way to take your life and transpose it online.

I'm a digital nut -- it's what I live and breathe. So I got a little giddy at the clean interface and the "fancy" terminology: Hangouts, Sparks and Circles, oh my. Though, admittedly, it sounds like I'm in a kindergarten classroom and we're about to learn how to colour in the lines!

And yet with all its innovation (and, yes, I do believe it to be innovative) and the perfect positioning of making the network "you-focused", I still wonder the same question I've always struggled with when it comes to social media and social networks: How will it all come together?

Do I now have to choose between a Google+ post, a Facebook post, a Twitter update and a LinkedIn status change? Does each get its own dedicated time slot in my already filled-to-the-brim day? Do I pick one or two and say screw the rest? Or do I find that perfect aggregator that lets me manage them all, making my life easier, but ultimately diminishes the real value of each network itself?

Where I think Google will succeed is with sharing, conversation and engagement. It's easy to +1 something or share a great news story, funny pic or blog post. It's easy for me to make a comment on another's post and build a relationship. It's easy to get involved. For whatever reason, it feels comfortable. And comfort is not easy to create online.

I'm rooting for Google -- they may just have something here.

April 17, 2011
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Digital, Strategy

Learning to Listen to our Teenage Digital Friends

I was reading an article in the latest issue of Strategy yesterday about how social media has exponentially sped up the distribution of information and the ability for us to connect with one another.

Yes, at this point, to us marketers, this is common knowledge. But the perspective of this article focused on the youth market -- namely teenagers, aged 15-19.

They are the first generation to not know of a world without the Internet or without social media. How SCARY is that?!

68% of the teens surveyed use social networks regularly throughout the week, 48%, email and 46%, SMS. If they're not passing each other in the hall or sitting with one another in class, they are behind a screen.

And that screen is predominantly owned by Facebook.

But do they really care about connecting with or 'liking' brands? No, at least not according to the new research presented by DECODE and Strategy.

These teens carry an unusual skepticism on their shoulders when it comes to their online interactions. For them, liking a brand does not mean friendship, because they're not on Facebook to interact with brands! They don't trust them and don't feel advertising and Facebook make sense.

I love these teens! So much more honest and smarter than I could've anticipated. They see quite easily through the smoke and mirrors. Unwilling to 'like' for the sake of 'liking', but are more likely to be motivated to do so when the relationship is mutually beneficial and sincere.

So, the next time you're thinking about taking to Facebook to advertise, why not ask yourself what the teenagers (who've grown up in this digital world) would say? Are you being sincere? Are you really offering something of value? Do you honestly plan on being there day-in and day-out?

They're not liking for the sake of it, so please don't advertise for that reason either.

February 28, 2011
By Simren Deogun
2 Comments
in Design, Digital

Inspiring Website Design For The Masses

I find myself emphasizing more and more these days how important it is to lay a solid foundation, to get the basics right before heading directly into battle unprotected.

For me, when we're talking about online, it starts with the website!

If you don't know how to code or don't understand the technical mumbo-jumbo then find someone you trust to do it for you. You need a designer who understands the web and a developer who understands how to code creative designs. This is where you should begin. Then you plan, design, code, test and launch.

Here are website examples that even I draw inspiration from:

CNN

Charity: Water

Engadget

Seth Godin

Take the simple with the complex, the colourful with the monotone and find your own inspiration.

February 20, 2011
By Simren Deogun
2 Comments
in Best Practices, Digital

Stop Telling Me To Write Great Content!

I've done it. You've probably done it, and if you haven't, then I know you've read it. We keep reading and re-reading the same rules of thumb, same best practices, same tips on how to be good, nay great, marketers online.

But how many times can we read the same lists before we get frustrated? Before we tune them out completely?

And yes I do know the counter argument -- not everyone is up to speed; in digital marketing we do not yet operate on a level playing field. But, in the same vein, I think we're being so repetitive because we don't know what else to say.

We can't legitimately predict where the world of digital will take us. The beauty of its attraction lies within its unpredictability and its constant advancement.

And to that I say that there are no best practices, no rules of thumb -- that there is something to be said about trying something new and not being afraid to do so.

There is a lot data can tell us, like when to send an email, where to put your call-to-action button, how to create a search engine optimized webpage, but in the end there are always going to be those thought-leaders that will disprove these 'best practices'.

They will be the ones who try something new and by doing so create a new trend, which in turn impacts the course of all future data. Whether they send that email at midnight or turn that button into a video, they will find a way to transform our benchmark of success.

So my tip to you is to walk into work tomorrow, grab a piece of scrap paper and write a list of 3 benchmarks you'd like to break. Three benchmarks that have governed how you market online and made you fall into complacent obedience. Write that list and stick it up on your cubical or office wall. And remind yourself of it everyday, remind yourself that you are making the choice to be different, that you are choosing to set your own benchmark!

January 23, 2011
By Simren Deogun
1 Comment
in Business, Digital, Social Media

The LinkedIn Revolution: It’s More Than A Wallflower

I love LinkedIn! I've been known to cry out in disgust when I come across a professional (of any kind) who doesn't have a LinkedIn profile.

WHAT?! How can you not have a LinkedIn profile? With almost 2 billion people around the globe using the internet, what is your excuse?

Though, I admit my immersion in technology and marketing may impose the slightest of biases when it comes to this digital landscape. But I know that LinkedIn, though slower in its development and adoption of new features and functionality than its social network counterparts, is undoubtedly a powerhouse that is not going away.

On occasion, LinkedIn may appear the wallflower of the bunch, but I like to think of it as the cautious friend telling you to slow down lest you get a speeding ticket.

Social Media is a fad. Or at least the amount of time we allow social media to consume in our day-to-day is a fad. It will change and evolve, and then hopefully merge and simplify. But what sets LinkedIn apart from the 'fad group' is that it travels outside instant and real-time gratification.

I argue that it is viable and valuable because of the extremely long shelf-life of its content. It is, perhaps, the good twin of Facebook (i.e. Facebook = evil) because its service is based in professional development. (By the way, Facebook is by no means "bad" but rather driven by personal impulse, personal ego, and personal connectivity.)

What does LinkedIn have to offer?

Professional Network: LinkedIn is not for connecting with some high school acquaintance of yesteryear or last night's pub crawl participants. It demands a mutually beneficial relationship between two colleagues, peers, or professionals. I believe in order to use it well, you must establish LinkedIn connections with those who can enhance your professional know-how and reach.
Profile: A detailed summary of the professional you. From specialties and skills to experience and education. That profile is a powerful indicator of not only your professional capabilities but also your professional brand. It is your online resume.
Apps: Yep, LinkedIn has apps too! But if you didn't know about them that is certainly more LinkedIn's fault than your own. Events, Tweets, WordPress and an Amazon Reading List are amongst the heavy hitters. This is where that "brand" really comes alive in your profile. You get the chance to inject a bit of the real you.
Twitter Integration: Beyond Twitter simply being an add-on app for LinkedIn, this integration helps to marry the real-time influx of info on Twitter with the more constant and cautious focus of LinkedIn. Maintaining a professionally-driven Twitter account is an amazing way to sync these two fantastic worlds.
Ads: Just two weeks ago, LinkedIn threw its hat into the social network ad ring, joining ruler Facebook and its sickly protege Twitter! Still in beta (sadly), LinkedIn DirectAds (let's hope they drop the 'Direct' in Alpha!) offer what has made Facebook so successful in this realm: highly targeted online advertising that is cheap, simple and easy-to-use. I only wonder why it took them so long.
Sharing: Again, following in the footsteps of its predecessors, LinkedIn launched a share button late last year. But if you have a company or professional blog, this button is perfect to get people in your LinkedIn network talking about you.

More Fun Stuff from LinkedIn:

Create your own Email Signature: A customizable LinkedIn Signature for Outlook Express, 2000, 2003, 2007 and Mozilla Thunderbird.
Mac Search Widget: Search LinkedIn direct from your Mac.
LinkedIn Mobile: Get the LinkedIn mobile app for your BlackBerry, iPhone or Palm device.

December 5, 2010
By Simren Deogun
1 Comment
in Digital, News

Coltan: Today’s Digital Epidemic

A recent Globe and Mail Article -- Smartphones: Blood stains at our fingertips -- by Iain Marlow and Omar El Akkad discussed an extremely relevant issue concerning today's technology that I knew nothing about: Coltan.

Coltan is a rare mineral located -- in its largest deposit -- in Eastern Congo, a noted war-ridden region of Africa. But, even in its rarity, it makes it into our everyday North American lives in the form of tantalum: an integral part of the circuitry inside our favourite smartphones, PCs, laptops and other treasured high-tech devices.

The mining and sale of this expensive mineral is known to fund warlords in Congo, while the consuming public remains oblivious. Much like the catastrophic impact of Blood Diamonds only a couple years ago, Coltan is the new-found blood on our ignorant hands.

As consumers, we thrive off of the marketer's message. The guarantee of high-quality technology in an unavoidably digital age sold to us at a fair and reasonable price.

But we're being duped. Or at least the segment of the consuming public that cares about human life is being duped. And I would hazard to say that that segment is markedly large.

When asked, we rise to the occasion -- Americans and Canadians alike. I believe this wholeheartedly. If paying a little more for my BlackBerry or iPhone or iMac means saving lives, do I really have the choice to say no?

When disaster struck Haiti or Pakistan or even right here at home, did we say no? Did we say we wouldn't help? This is another disaster, one that has killed millions of lives for more than a decade.

So, if it takes some more money for me to have the freedom to write this on my MacBook in a comfy chair with no threat at my door, then I readily accept that option. Because I think one thing we certainly can't afford to say is no.

But, alas, one large part of this issue is marketing the need for that support, to reach out and help those in need. This next decade will present to us a new era in messaging and marketing. Wherein it is not only about the latest technology and its bevy of indescribably awesome features, but also about what that organization represents and what your purchase stands for.

Please read this article and pass it on: Smartphones: Blood stains at our fingertips. Change is now at your fingertips.

November 14, 2010
By Simren Deogun
1 Comment
in Digital, Resources, Social Media

RockMelt: A Social Browser Learning To Walk

This past week saw the infectious rise of RockMelt, a new social browser built on Google's open-source Chromium browser platform. It offers all the regular browser functionality of Google Chrome (and its competitors) except with the addition of side panes that instantly connect you to your desired social networks.

The primary caveat is that you are required to have an active Facebook account to even get your foot through the door. To begin using RockMelt, you must login with your Facebook credentials; pictured right are all the fanciful permissions RockMelt insists you 'allow' for its use. An immediate turn-off for me!

But, nevertheless, I conceded being the digital nerd that I am -- under different circumstances though, the result may have not been the same, after all, my Facebook account is very personal to me. Just something to think about, RockMelt.

The heavy reliance on Facebook integration clearly defines (what at least RockMelt perceives to be) the hub of social connectivity on the web today: It's Facebook or bust.

RockMelt is smart to offer quick and easy access to any social network of your choice, including Twitter and WordPress.

I was excited to try RockMelt, having searched extensively for that all-in-one social aggregator. I was always left disappointed, in some instances there weren't enough features or maybe too many or I didn't have enough control. And yet, when my Twitter stream lit up with innumerable mentions of RockMelt, a pang of hope resonated inside of me.

In these first few days of use, disappointment has seemed inevitable. Built on Chromium, RockMelt lacks a unique and consistent design for its UI, it feels more like pieces of a puzzle forced together as opposed to ones that naturally fit. The side panes offer extensive possibility, but with the whole left pane dedicated solely to Facebook, I was left feeling cramped.

There is something also unbelievably unintuitive about the whole thing that I just can't seem to get over. To post a new tweet or status or the like, I have to use the left pane where my Facebook profile lives, input the content and select the relevant network. However, updates to my Twitter stream (and other networks) are viewed on the right. Why isn't it all in one place? Why can't I view and update Twitter in the same pane? Yikes.

I can't help but think that much of the marketing and buzz propelling RockMelt into the media forefront is predominantly two-fold. One, that it is much of a novelty product with little competition (despite a lacklustre predecessor in Flock). And two, that it is mysterious. Just ask Sally Hogshead, and she'll tell you mystery falls under "mystique" -- one of her seven triggers of fascination.

And so the public is fascinated, but admittedly not impressed.

I contend that any individual social network does a much better job presenting to and handling its audience, from Facebook's standalone experience to Twitter's new two-column interface and its bevy of amazing third-party managers (including Hootsuite and Seesmic).

RockMelt is a step in the right direction for the digital landscape, especially when it comes to "social aggregation" and target marketing. But it doesn't feel right yet, call it intuition or foolishness but I imagine something is on the brink of exploding, and RockMelt just might be the stepping stone to achieve that.

November 7, 2010
By Simren Deogun
1 Comment
in Digital, Technology

The QR Code Sensation

QR Codes -- or Quick Response barcodes -- are two-dimensional barcodes that when scanned by a smartphone will direct the user to a predefined URL. The codes can also contain embedded messages, email addresses and images.

I used Kaywa QR-Code and BeQRious.com to generate my own barcodes in seconds.

To scan the codes, I downloaded a free application -- QR Code Scanner Pro -- on to my BlackBerry 9700 (for Android and iPhone, try QuickMark QR Code Reader) that when launched, I simply pointed at my codes to scan. Easy enough!

Kaywa Qr-Code

Beqrious.com

The technology behind the codes is simple to use and implement, as shown above. The barriers, however, are two-fold: one, knowledge and understanding, and two, the ability to scan and use the barcodes.

As a novel -- and admittedly peculiar-looking -- piece of marketing, these barcodes lend themselves toward innovation with the near certainty of becoming a mainstream channel incorporated into both print and digital marketing initiatives.

The catch is moreso usability. The public can be easily educated on these cute little codes, but even if they know what they are, we need to seriously consider if they have the technology to use them. Without a smartphone, the codes are essentially useless to both the user and the marketer.

However, let's keep in mind that the smartphone market is growing: 17% adoption for the US, 12% for Canada and a staggering 28% for Italy. Still, these numbers are low, to be honest. And that means QR codes are (and will likely remain to be for the next 12-18 months) a niche marketing channel.

They're cool, which definitely helps. Innovative, no doubt. Can hold a great deal of data/information. Appeal to that ever-important 18-55 demographic, who represent the largest age demographic group for mobile. And they're INEXPENSIVE.

My take is to NOT shy away from the QR Code but to embrace it. Implement and use them in unique ways as part of your digital/social media marketing, just make sure you have a way to collect data, track metrics and measure success from them. Happy Barcoding!

And, if you're really interested in the new world of barcodes, check out stickybits for some intriguing ideas around tagging digital content.

October 24, 2010
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Digital, Technology

What Did ‘The Social Network’ Teach Us About Marketing?

Now that "the Facebook movie" -- better known as The Social Network -- mania has subsided, I think it especially timely to resurrect its message, marketing-style!

The poignant part of the movie for me was when Zuckerberg turns to Saverin and says, "It's cool now. And if it's filled with pop-ups for Mountain Dew, it won't be." Saverin wants ads on The Facebook because ads equal money. But Zuckerberg doesn't want the sanctity of his "cool" online networking experience to be infiltrated by overbearing advertisements.

What does The Social Network teach us? If it is cool, it will sell. Well, yea, if your target market is the young, college demographic!

Facebook, in its infancy, successfully filled the void of connecting and building relationships online with an uber-personal but rudimentary approach -- friends! More friends must equal more cool, right?

But it's not just about being cool. "Cool" ultimately represents the intangible properties of history's 'insanely great' marketing successes. "Cool" is that which cannot be planned or manufactured or anticipated -- it is precisely that which is ruined when it is planned, manufactured or anticipated. Yet, the concept and definition of cool is in constant flux.

Twitter embodies "cool" by being current and timely. iPhone takes on "cool" with good looks, charm and apps. Coca Cola is "classic cool" because it has modernized an old brand without abandoning its roots. Tickle-Me-Elmo was "cool" because it was unexpectedly infectious and cute.

Each of these products has its own difficult-to-measure but incredibly powerful cool factor. And almost each has evolved over time to effectively enhance and translate its intangible key to success on a global scale.

Ask yourself what your cool is. Where does it come from and why? And, if you have no perceivable cool to be found, are you trying too hard? Think back to high school and remember that one classmate who wore too much gel, too much makeup or sunglasses indoors, he/she was trying too hard to be cool. Don't be that kid, be your own.

Cool is dynamic, influential and flexible. It can be neither consistently defined nor created. It comes from the purest form of invention, where intent is earnest, meaningful and driven.

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