Jaffe Juice

From Z.E.R.O. to Hero via Kickstarter

It's hard to resist making this a looooooooooooong post, so instead I'll do my best to be as brief and succinct as possible, so here goes...

My good friend and ex-client, Maarten Albarda and I are co-authoring a book together. It's my 4th book (after Life after the 30-second spot, Join the Conversation and Flip the Funnel) and Maarten's first. Besides sharing the same vision and passion for the subject, we're bringing a 1-2 punch to the table in the form of advertising-agency perspective on the giant elephant in the room: media or rather paid media.

The book is called z.e.r.o. and the sub-title, "zero paid media as the new marketing model" kind of says it all (and in less than 140 characters).

The book posits that in a perfect world, your paid media budget would be z.e.r.o. - literally, but also figuratively in the form of an acronym which stands for Zealots (advocacy), Entrepreneurship (innovation), Retention (customer centricity) and Owned Assets (moving from tenant to landlord)

On one hand, it's me returning to my "Life after" roots, but on the other other (and more poignantly), it's our set up of our premonition of a perfect storm approaching in marketing; one in which the bottom could conceivably fall out of the media model. Fortunately, the world is not perfect and change takes longer than we expect, but then again...just look at how your world has changed in the past few years to validate the fact that sitting and doing nothing is not a viable solution.

For me, it's a bold move for two reasons:

1. I've made the move from being a 3-time published author to self-publishing (thanks to Richard @ Wiley for everything to get me this far and props to my new home, Archway Publishing)
2. We're kickstarting this revolution and here's how you can play a key role.

Kickstarter component:

• Go to Kickstarter and visit our page or just search Kickstarter for Z.E.R.O. or zero
• Check out the video and the overview of the book
• Review the various pledge rewards and become a backer. We've named them after famous misers.
• From the Hetty Green and Warren Buffet (digital and hardcover copies respectively) to the maximum reward, which delivers 10 autographed books and an in-person keynote from either Maarten or myself (only 2 available per person)
• The no-brainer and value rewards are the Mr Burns and Mr Krabs respectively, that also include a 140-character acknowledgement (plug) in the book itself

We just pre-launched the book and Kickstarter campaign at the Festival of Media in Montreux, but here's the crazy part...in just over 24 hours after I hit the publish button (in stealth mode), we've almost hit our initial funding goal of $10,000. With your help, we'll push this over the edge and see how far we can take it.

The wild thing is that the book will become it's own case study insofar that it will demonstrate how we were able to self-publish our book for "z.e.r.o." by tapping into our advocates and leveraging our owned assets. It's U.N.M.2.P.N.M. circa 2005 retooled for 2013.

So...if you're part of my community and/or appreciate my content, show your support on Kickstarter with the pledge amount (or more if your heart desires). I will post regular updates over the 6 week period to acknowledge my backers (which would be you)

And all things being equal, Z.E.R.O. will launch in September of 2013 and will contain the 10-point action plan towards implementing this bold vision towards helping marketing evolve, normalize and allocate scarce resources to a re-prioritized hierarchy of connection points.

 

What brands and startups can learn from Second Life

My first Online Spin article, where I revisit good old Second Life as an analogy to present day commitment to startups by brands. It's all about patience, commitment, perseverance and staying the course, but more importantly, it's about recognizing that brands (and not the media) have the power to make the difference in terms of an emerging platform.

I guess I was called a “Second Life booster” back in the day -- and guess what, I was OK with that. I still am. As an early adopter (professionally) in the virtual world of Second Life, I witnessed firsthand the highs and lows; how the press initially went gaga over it, and then turned their back, to the point of making it their personal vindictive mission to destroy evidence of any self-created hype.

Perhaps my former company’s island of crayonville was a utopian oasis that existed in the eye of the storm. Perhaps our “Virtual Thirst” foray for our client, Coca-Cola, was the exception to the norm, since the brand did not (like many others in the early days of Second Life) get pelted with flying penises for its troubles.

In many respects, we were witnessing a mini-bubble being artificially pumped up and then burst in spectacular fashion. And all the while, real people were making real money -- admittedly, doing unreal things.

Virtual worlds, gaming environments, augmented reality, avatars and 3D simulation should not be alien terms to you. It should not come as a surprise that these items once coexisted in perfect harmony with each other, along with red dragons and drag queens. What might surprise you is my assertion that brands were to blame for the demise of Second Life.

Can you imagine if Christopher Columbus had looked out his telescope at the “New World” only to see angry, strange-looking people with painted faces and ornate head dressings waving native weapons -- and subsequently turned around to head back to Europe?

Sound familiar? It should be, because it’s the same scenario that happened in Second Life. And I hope it doesn’t happen again with respect to collaborating with startups.

These days, brands have become enamored with the next bright and shiny object, namely conducting tests or experiments with startups. Only startups aren’t some passing fad, gimmick, flavor of the month or test tube guinea pig. Collectively, they represent value propositions or utilities that disrupt norms, challenge conventions and move markets. Only they won’t get to realize their vision -- their proof of concept -- if brands continue to hold them at arm’s length, dispatching their agency minions to negotiate the impossible “big ideas at scale.”

Innovative and unprecedented executions are absolutely doable. It falls apart when brands turn away because the reach isn’t there -- or, put differently, they can’t measure or compare these “startlings” to incumbent blunt instruments like TV, radio, print or even online.

My message to brands is very simple: don’t be turned off startups’ lack of reach. In fact, this should turn you on! You’re dealing with the most fertile real estate, untouched and unspoiled by the “masses” (even your competitors). You have the incredible opportunity to help them achieve their path to reach with your brand dollars, talent, resources and media.

You have the unique chance to join forces with them at the earliest possible stage to co-create and own that big idea.

And, irony of ironies, you have Second Life to thank.

“You’re welcome!” – Divo Dapto

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/188129/what-brands-and-startups-can-learn-from-second-lif.html#ixzz2HNw16pTu

 

Related articles

Startups: Keep It Simple, Stupid

The Thing about Timing

Why Ideas are a Bad Place to Start a Startup - or - Why Ideas are Evil

New Year Resolution: Startups, improve your branding!

Mondelez Taps Nine Tech Startups For Big New Mobile Program

CES Startup Showcase

Key Leg In Start-Up Equation: Marketing

I am so behind in terms of posting my Mediapost columns to Jaffe Juice and so here begins a systematic catch-up of two articles per week until I'm up to speed again. I've also since moved to a bi-monthly schedule where I'm writing for "The Online Spin" on MediaPost.

Here's my article titled, "Key Leg in Start-Up Equation: Marketing"

The start-up world is build on a two-legged platform of technology and finance. If you don’t believe me, just watch Bravo’s "Start-ups: Silicon Valley," which does its best to tell a story about VCs raising capital and bootstrapping a new venture, together with the freaky and geeky world of engineers, programmers and developers. 

Only that story is incomplete. There’s actually a third leg, which you don’t get to hear about. Perhaps you’ll catch a fleeting glimpse of a throwaway “marketing” or “sales” reference, but for the most part, it’s conspicuously absent in this show, industry and market in general.

I would argue — and I am a Madison Avenue guy who eats, sleeps and breathes brands — that the marketing leg is the most important part of the entire equation. Yet, it’s the one that is the most undervalued, underinvested, underutilized and misunderstood. 

Most start-ups have the same visions (or sometimes delusions) of grandeur: We’ll get big fast because everyone will just go crazy sharing us with their friends, fans and followers on Facebook, Twitter and whatever else is popular at the time. Then we’ll monetize by selling ads — or just sell to Facebook, Twitter or whatever else is popular at the time.

That statement is fraught with holes and gaping voids, and it begins with the disconnect between today’s empowered consumer and their absolute disgust for interruptive advertising, banal messaging and irrelevant spam.

Contrary to popular belief, brands aren’t lining up waiting to advertise on the 1000th photo app to call themselves the “Instagram of….” Or “Instagram meets….” Hell, they’re barely doing anything on Instagr.am itself. 

Brands are trapped within their own identity crisis, trying to figure out whether their start-up infatuation is a one-night stand or something more profound; whether it’s a quantity (scale) or quality (engagement) play; whether their metrics of success are ROI-based (return on investment) or ROI-based (return on innovation).

Then there’s the scope and scale of a “test”, “experiment” or pilot program. Brands are typically noncommittal when it comes to investing anything beyond chump change into a start-up desperate to get some proof of concept and validation. On the flipside, there are way too many start-ups that see an abundance of $-signs when a brand and/or their agency pays them a visit. 

The Wild West is back, and the biggest problem is a lack of rules (of engagement), process and set of best practices, upon which to build a solid and enduring bridge of collaboration and mutual benefit.

I believe the meeting of the minds happens in the win-win wheelhouse of marketing. Ultimately, this is where both sides see eye-to-eye. Digital or technology based start-ups are founded on the basis and belief of being able to solve a problem (sit or squat), correct a market inefficiency (uber) and/or change the game (square). Brands couldn’t agree more, especially when it comes to delivering against a consumer insight, human truth and customer benefit.

No one wants a three-legged stool with a wobbly, weakened and/or uneven leg. Isn’t it time we shored up the marketing component of this succinct and compelling equation in order to ensure that start-up monetization, acceleration and evolution is balanced and counterbalanced with brand innovation, differentiation and transformation? 

That’s rhetorical. The answer is yes.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/187508/key-leg-in-start-up-equation-marketing.html#ixzz2HNral5Qf

 

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Workplace of the Future

My weekly Mediapost column is out which focuses on the workplace of the future and how innovations in how, where and when we work will impact on companies - large and small, especially as it relates to talent. Check it out.

I’m personally fascinated with innovation in the workplace. About 10 years ago, remote working — AKA working from home — was gaining traction, offering new possibilities with groups like women looking to balance a family and a career. With VPN access and the continued adoption and proliferation of high-speed broadband and wi-fi, remote working became a reality even before Blackberry made access ubiquitous via push e-mail.

Companies like Jet Blue led the way in terms of powering their entire call centers (ticketing, customer service) using stay-at-home moms, largely based in Utah. Dell perfected the ability to outsource their technical support to countries like Malaysia, India and the like.

Unfortunately, trends in the workplace seem to have taken a turn for the worse during the same period. Open plan seating is just another way of putting lipstick on a pig in the form of cubicle purgatory. Once upon a time, we could aspire to occupy that corner office. No more. It’s sad that the model for today’s corporate office environment is 1999s Office Space and no, giving everyone locked and supervised iPhone’s doesn’t exactly make me feel differently.

What excites me is the boom of shared workspaces geared to today’s start-up, consultant or mercenary. I’m not talking about the more corporate kind offered by companies like The Regus Group, but companies like Grind, WeWork or Alley to name but a few. It's a mushrooming category of cool places to rub shoulders with fellow creative class, founders and entrepreneurs.

Perhaps once upon a time, it was cool to have a “virtual assistant” who would answer the phone and dupe your caller into thinking you were larger than life. Nowadays, the transparency afforded by social media is sort of a democratized open secret that lumps everyone into the same Twitter, Facebook, Web, Moo Card, Card Munch, Evernote and Dropbox melting pot.

Getting wi-fi is not a differentiator, any more. It’s pretty much free no matter where you go (Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, Cosi, Panera, McDonalds and the list goes on) and if Google gets its way, it’ll soon be accessible in every public place or space. A desk and a chair is essentially a commodity, but what makes the difference here is the ability to be a part of a growing community and movement. 

At Evol8tion, we don’t have an office. Rather, we utilize partnerships with said shared workspaces. Sometimes we pay and sometimes we don’t. We choose to move around like nomads with next to no overhead.  What really attracts us to these spaces is the commonality of the people who work there and the collaborating opportunities that are just waiting to happen. Need a freelancer Web developer? Guess where you can find them.

In addition, there is so much value add in the form of guest lecturers (from Cindy Gallop to Noah Brier to myself), events (mixers or pitch nights), office hours with potential investors or even mid-day yoga.

The innovation doesn’t stop there. A company called Loosecubes is doing a “Priceline” with available space across companies of all shapes and sizes. Major corporations with excess space (perhaps due to inevitable rounds of layoffs) can now put this space to use and in the process, get a leg up on talent acquisition, ideas and even a bit of incremental revenue.

If we want to see more innovation in the workplace, doesn’t it make sense to begin – literally – in the workplace?

I remember back in 1997 when I interviewed at TBWA\Chiat\Day, they were experimenting with an incredibly innovative approach, which was ahead of its time. When I eventually joined them in 2001, it was no more. The idea:  no one had an office, except for the CFO and HR, for obvious reasons. Instead people just had lockers and could move around anywhere in the office, logging in and out of shared terminals.

What other trends do you see affecting work? What innovative approaches are helping companies – big and small – do better at attracting, retaining and maximizing the full potential of their talent pool?

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/185056/workplace-of-the-future.html?edition=52727#ixzz2A9XZXGNe

Photo credit here

 

Find your (brand) greatness

My latest MediaPost column is up, which focuses on how Nike used Fuelband to activate their #FindyourGreatness platform. Or perhaps it was the other way round.

It's a great example of what happens when "you put 1 (technology) and 1 (creativity) together? You get 12, August 12, 2012 to be specific. #findyourgreatness Day. On August 12, all Fuelband users had an opportunity to set a “world” record of Fuel earned in a single day. A global challenge uniting every single customer. In addition, individuals had the opportunity to set their own personal best and break their records."

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/182750/find-your-brand-greatness.html#ixzz26MqT6Ism

A New Weekly Mediapost Column on Innovation

I began my thought leadership/writing career with a column on Mediapost and so it is fitting to return to the scene of the crime so to speak for a new weekly column on all things Innovation.

My primary focus will be on technology-led innovation, which is about as wide and deep as the blue ocean (digital, social, mobile, emerging, startups etc), but I hope to also dial into true originality, disruptive thinking and creative flair as it relates to the ability to tell stories, surprise and delight (some might call it classic advertising...or at least my good friend Don would)

Mediapost were very kind to write up this piece, which outlines my return to weekly thought leadership columns and also gives a pretty good update on my update so to speak.

And so without further ado, my first piece which is a context setter/manifesto of sorts, outlining why now has never been as good a time to be focusing on the convergence between Madison Avenue and Mountain View...

Survival demands Innovation and Creativity

A war is being waged.

Its crusaders are the passionate pioneers that represent a new marketing reality never seen before in history. This is the story of the evolution of the Internet -- and its progression from a superficial flavor of the month to quite possibly, the most profound weapon ever presented to the treasure-chest of the marketing community.

The war in question is a war against ignorance and those who resist change. It is being fought on two playing fields, by two very different armies. Their insignias are the head and the heart. Progress has been varied.

The infantry of the head, earmarked by research, data, metrics and media has emerged victorious.

The warriors of the heart, however, have not fared as well. Along the way, there have been many casualties, but when the dust settled, the brave and the dedicated creative community stood firm, supremely focused on their prime directive: to win the battle for the heart.

I wrote that blurb in 2004 when I put together a roadshow called “The Battle for the HeArt”. You’ll notice that I capitalized the A in Heart, as this was about art; the right brain; creativity…or the lack thereof in the online space. My position was that online was dominated by science; the left brain; analytics; metrics.

And in the vacuum, was an infinite void of desolate inspiration.

Battle for the HeArt was a Creative Roadshow, designed to celebrate, uplift and showcase the best online creative you’d never seen or perhaps had, but you couldn’t quite articulate or put your finger on exactly what made it unique or special.

The show lasted two years and save for the fact I founded my first company, crayon, it would have continued. Interestingly enough, 2006’s Battle (the third year) would have been sub-branded as Madison + Mountain View (I even registered the URL www.madisonandmountainview.com, with a positioning that the future of advertising lay in technology.)

It’s kind of sad and even pathetic that we’re asking the same questions today. We're questioning the lack of creativity and innovation in the online space. It’s not too late for an intervention though, but I fear that soon enough, it will be unless we inject a good dose of truly game-changing digital whoopass into the mix.

My antidote is the intersection of technology and advertising; Mountain View meets Madison Avenue. I’ll use Albert Einstein's famous quote to illustrate my point: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

Dictionary.com defines creativity as “productive originality.”

Originality = Doing things Differently
Productive = Getting a Result

“Doing things differently to get a result” is, in fact, the exact opposite of doing the same thing over and over again to get a different result. So it hit me: Creativity is the solution to insanity; the remedy to mediocrity and status quo. 

Similarly, the dictionary defines innovation as new approaches that achieve positive outcomes. Is it coincidence that this is a synonym for creativity? I think not.

I think this underscores that the future of marketing is a digital one, a tech-laden one. Brands have got to innovate in order to evolve and arguably, survive. I believe that the intersection between marketing and start-ups is one way to mix together creativity and innovation into a powerful cocktail.

The catch perhaps is that innovation is typically associated with product or packaging R&D, as opposed to marketing itself.  It’s time to change that.

I always like to quote photographer Diane Arbus who said: “It's what I've never seen before that I recognize."

Our consumers are the same. They ignore what they’ve seen before time and time again. And they notice the unanticipated. They crave the unexpected, the unpredictable, the surprise and delight. They long for the intellectual sparring that comes with an idea that provokes, irks, challenges or dares them to think or act different.

And they’re not insane, although we might be if we don’t rethink the way we go to market, or the way we utilize the full potential of the Internet and its social portfolio of gizmos and gadgets. The way we partner with our consumers -- and the way we combine what we do best (creativity) in a form, function and utility-laded service that truly delivers transformational (innovation) value.

Your Vote and Presence are requested at a SxSW Panel on the Intersection between Startups and Brands

(quick link to voting here)

Yes, it's that time of the year again. Time to rock the vote as the SxSW panel picker moves into overdrive and the audience participation phase of the rigorous selection process begins.

For those of you who don't know what SxSW (South By Southwest) is, check out the Wikipedia Entry. Or if not, in short it's essentially the banner event in the entire interactive/new media/social media/emerging media (you get the picture) calendar. Think CES for consumer electronics. Cannes for Advertising. SxSW for Interactive. The festival is not only for the geeks. There's also a Film and Music festival and for those of you that can make all 3 (Interactive and Music run back to back, but Film bleeds into both), you'll benefit tremendously from the blurring and synergy that comes from naturally overlapping trades.

One of the great things about SxSW is that anyone (and I mean ANYONE) can share the stage via the Panel Picker process. Literally thousands of proposal are submitted and via a 3-pronged vetting system (staff picks, advisory board, public), the eventual shortlist is chosen.

In 2011, your votes helped secure a speaking slot where I spoke about "Flip the Funnel" and took questions from the audience. Within about 60 seconds after the event, every single copy of the book has been sold in the bookstore. I hope they'll bring more copies this time round.

In 2012, my panel didn't make it into the final shortlist, so I'm appealling to you this time to help me make this possible - if for no other reason then the fact, we've put together a really bumper topic with incredible panelists and a super relevant theme: Madison Avenue meets Mountain View - in other words, the convergence of technology and creativity in the form of startups and brands collaborating together across a variety of engagement paths and platforms.

Here's the official description of the panel:

Why is it that so many startups have brands built into their monetization strategy and yet they only involve brands at the 11th hour? Dominated by a technology and investment focused mentality, marketing is an afterthought. On the flipside, brands recognize the growing importance of innovation and yet continue to invest in established, paid media. And that includes Facebook. But what if the process started earlier, with brands and startups collaborating further upstream to co-develop revenue streams, consumer utility and ultimately technology solutions to business problems? With less than 3% of startups ending up being fully funded, how might brands come to the rescue as White Knights? What if Instagr.am had been created for Kodak? What if Conde Nast invested in Flipboard? This panel will bring together 2 senior marketers from Fortune 500 brands, and 2 startup founders to discuss the challenges, opportunities and partnership potential that arises when Madison Avenue meets Mountain View

Here are the main questions we'll look to address/answer:

1. When in a startup's development life cycle should brands and startups be working together? How early is too early? How late is too late? What are the different engagement or partnership opportunities that are possible?
2. What are some of the pitfalls, pushback and concerns about brands and startups working together…and more importantly, how are they resolved? 
3. What is the role of the agency in terms of helping facilitate and ultimately execute on behalf of both startup and brand? 
4. What does a successful early stage startup and brand partnership look like? Who's doing a good job out there right now? How does one measure success? 
5. What can brands teach startups about marketing, emotion and monetization? What can startups teach brands about failing fast, pivoting or operating lean?

The panel will include two senior executives from blue chip brands, namely Ed Kaczmarek from Kraft Foods and Winston Wang from Anheuser-Busch InBev, as well as at least one startup founder, namely Brett Welch from Switchcam. We will also have a minimum of one case study to highight and reference.

I will moderate the panel and introduce the topic with some high level thoughts on where we see this space going and "evolving"

What makes me really excited about this panel is that it takes a hot, emerging topic from the conceptual to the realm of tangible outcomes and possibilities. And so if you're going to be at SxSW, please vote for and attend the panel and even if you're not, please register and vote regardless. We will make sure we capture the essence of the panel to share with you after the fact.

You can also share the panel via Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.

Thanks so much for your consideration!

 

 

 

Introducing Founder's Spotlight on Madison and Mountain View

I'm proud to share with you Evol8tion's first "Founder's Spotlight" from our Madison & Mountain View Tumblr Blog. Every week, we'll ask the founder(s) of a startup in our database 8 questions, including which brand(s) represent their soul mate wishlist.

Starbucks, Gap and American Express...take note as you're called out in this week's piece.

In this debut interview, we have Brian Kantor and Sean Barkulis from UPlanMe.

Welcome to Madison and MountainView’s second editorial franchise,Founder Spotlight.  Each week, we’ll ask our Evol8tion 8 questions to feature a different entrepreneur, for our readers to get to know the face behind the emerging startup.  Every company has a story, filled with passion, challenges, and an umatched drive to succeed.  Our first interview is with our friends at UPlanMe, a live interactive event marketplace - turning everyone into a natural social butterfly.  Hope you enjoy, and if you’d like the spotlight on your team - please reach out to jessica@startupsforbrands.com for consideration.

Brian and Sean are best friends who found inspiration for their startup after a family Thanksgiving meal, when they were on a hunt for some post holiday fun.  Desperately seeking to find an open (and hoppin’) East Village bar to no avail, Brian and Sean stumbled upon an idea to create customized calendars, and thus UPlanMe was born.

Brian Kantor (@BrianScottK) heads up UPlanMe’s brand and partner acquisition and previously spent the first 6 years of his career working in online, mobile, print and TV advertising for OMD, BlackBook Media andRolling Stone.  Sean Barkulis (@SeanBarkulis) currently oversees UPlanMe’s broader product strategy, business development and technology, but began his career in Finance where he invested in distressed technology and media companies. He then left to launch his own online trading platform for illiquid securities. 

UPlanMe is a live digital marketplace for events, updates and promotions – from creator, to influencer, to consumer. For consumers, UPlanMe is a customized online calendar that updates itself automatically with the events, specials and activities going on nearby. For brands & businesses, UPlanMe enables them to place updates, events, specials and schedules directly onto customers’ calendars as well as to push out that content across the web. UPlanMe also provides online calendar software to 3^rd-party publishers, so they can pull content from our database into their websites.

Tell us… what was the vision behind UPlanMe?

UPlanMe strives to be the end-to-end solution for brands and businesses to manage and promote their updates, events, specials and schedules across the social web; while allowing consumers to easily interact with those brands and businesses, so they never miss out on events and activities.

Name one failure you benefited from – what lesson was learned, and how was it applied?

Very early on we realized the “chicken or the egg” problem that impacts many startups—it’s tough to attract users to your platform without any content, and it’s even more difficult to get brands and businesses to create content for your platform without any users. We forced ourselves to find ways to find clean, useful, reliable brand-content from alternative data sources across the web- giving users valuable content to interact with, before we’d be able to sway brands to embrace our offering. As a result, we developed a suite of powerful tools and analytics for brands to leverage our platform before having a huge user base.

Who is your Mentor?

Steve Martocci, co-founder of GroupMe has offered us a wealth of advice along the way. He constantly reminds us to stay focused and keep it simple.

Help us out here, whats the best piece of advice you can give to aspiring startups?

If someone isn’t already using Facebook, then they are a late adopter,  and probably not going to use your product.  Assume all of your users are already on Facebook,  and use that info to your advantage. Let Facebook do what Facebook  does best, don’t reinvent the wheel, and remove barriers to entry for your platform.

Who are your dream Brand Soulmates, you’d like to work with?

Brands like Starbucks and Gap are perfect soulmates for us, because of their constantly evolving suite of products, offerings and promotions  that would benefit from a direct conduit into the calendars of current and prospective customers.  (Side bar: Our Evol8tion team also thinks credit card companies, such as American Express, or Chase Sapphire that consumers are consistently using at these events would also be fantastic matches)

What is your favorite startup resource?

We’re big into our communal office within the WeWork Labs - the whole “incubator” workplace has been great for us!  Being surrounded by so many like-minded startups who share the same challenges, really serves as an unparalleled resource to overcome what ails us.

Getting a bit deep here – tell us your fears, whats keeping you up at night?

We hope our users come to find UPlanMe as an indispensible part of their daily lives. Despite our tremendous progress to date, we fear that all of our energy and resources will be exhausted before we have the opportunity to realize that dream.

I really wish I thought of….  (Come on guys - don’t say Facebook… its a cop out answer!)

SinglePlatform. Whoever becomes the hub for local businesses to manage their online presence is going to go gangbusters in the coming years.

Thanks for reading!  Check back next week for more stories, and to see if your interview was chosen - be sure to follow @uplanme for their latest updates.

Kraft your Pitch Redux

On Thursday night, June 28th, Evol8tion put on our first branded pitch night called "Kraft your Pitch" in association with Grind and of course Kraft Foods.

This was a pitch night with a twist in the form of two key differences, namely:

1. Instead of pitching to investors, the startup finalists were pitching to brand managers
2. Instead of the 1 winner format, we employed a "everyone's a winner" spirit by providing marketing/agency feedback to all finalists ahead of the pitch night to help them "kraft" their pitch. Our hope is that this feedback will deliver continued value for all their future pitches to investors, brands and agencies.

At the end of the day, it is our belief that every viable startup has a brand soulmate. We equally believe that in startups, brands can find their salvation and solutions to their day-to-day problems (breaking through the clutter, engaging consumers, building brand trust, love and health, creating relevance and resonance, delivering real service and experience, providing utility)

Kraft your Pitch is one of several ways we connect early stage startups to matched brands.

Here is a 2 minute video which summarizes the night:

The finalists (congratulations to you all) were:

• Zokos
• Preplay
• Hatchedit
• GoChime
• Huddlers
• Spacesplitter
• Brouha

...across the following categories:

• Changing the Way we Shop (Shopper Marketing)
• Social TV
• Points and Perks (Loyalty Marketing, Advocacy, Flip the Funnel)
• Technology for Today
• Social Serendipity

If you want to find out who won, watch the video :)

If you'd like to find out more about branded pitch nights, contact us via our website or info [at] startupsforbrands [dot] com

Calling all startups: It's time to Kraft your Pitch

On June 28th at Grind in NYC, we'll be helping run a branded pitch night called "Kraft your Pitch."

Like the name suggests, this is an initiative we've put together for/with our client, Kraft Foods.

There are many pitch nights where startup hopefuls have a limited time to present their best elevator pitch to an audience and panel of judges (consisting of potential investors and other subject matter experts).

Startups are generally very good at talking tech and even funding, but what about marketing and monetization -  specifically, how their product and/or proposition will help deliver value for both consumers and brands?

That's where this pitch night takes on a different look and feel. For starters, startups will be selected to pitch on the basis of their pitch being a "match" to a defined Kraft focus area. In this case, we'll be honing on:

• Social TV
• Points and Perks
• Technology for Today
• Changing the way we Shop

Then, Evol8tion will spend time with each finalist prior to the pitch night to help "kraft" or customize their pitch to the marketer audience. We'll give advice, feedback and suggestions from the buy-side/agency-side to help refine and evolve their pitch.

We hope that this feedback will prove invaluable far beyond the pitch night itself and we know that the feedback the brand gives as part of the Q&A will go all the way to the bank. This is - after all - our vision at Evol8tion, namely "early stage participation with early stage startups".

And so if you're a startup looking to kraft your pitch, you can submit via www.startupsforbrands.com/kraftyourpitch.

If you'd like to attend, you can register via the same link (spots are extremely limited)

Thanks to Grind, for helping out on the event side and of course thanks to our client, Kraft, for their commitment to helping startups get to the next level.

Here's a more visual description of what I just said:

See you there!