Jaffe Juice

28 days to Z.E.R.O.

Quick update on our Z.E.R.O. Kickstarter Campaign: with 28 days to go (so less than half remaining), we are at $12,632 from 81 backers

I was just interviewed for About.com in their Entrepreneur column. Also, Saymedia wrote a very cool column on 10 Interesting Media Winners on Kickstarter. To be listed alongside heavyweights like Veronica Mars Movie Project (Warner Bros) and Zach Braff is pretty cool...but then again, so is Z.E.R.O.

Even though we reached our funding goal, this doesn't mean the project is over. In fact, I hope that you will get behind this project for a bunch of reasons:

• You're a "fan" (a real one) of my work. From Life after the 30-second spot to Join the Conversation to Flip the Funnel. From @jaffejuice to Jaffe Juice (this blog) to Jaffe Juice (podcast) to Jaffe Juice TV (currently asleep). From crayon to Evol8tion.
• You believe in the Z.E.R.O. manifesto (or are curious), namely that in a perfect world, paid media would be zero
• You want to learn more about Kickstarter
• You want to be a part of this "live" case study in the making (turning the book into its own case study)
• You want to see your name/company/plug in the book ($67+ level of reward)
• You want to take advantage of DEEPLY DISCOUNTED experiences like private conference calls, brainstorms, webinars, lunch (or dinner) and in-person keynotes

Seriously. It's a no brainer and by not taking action, you're sending out all the wrong signals and making me sad.

...but seriously, as I've often said, "the only way to understand change is to experience it" and so I challenge you to experience Kickstarter and help kickstart this project.

I want to secure a minimum of 100 backers and to sweeten the pot, I will upgrade the 100th backer to the next highest reward!

So make the move. Try it out. At least visit the page and find out for yourself what the book and crowdfunding project are all about.

Maarten and I really appreciate your support. Really.

PS If you have pledged, you'll get a private backer update shortly, but please continue to share this and spread the word with your networks!

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Jaffe Juice #168 - Attack of the Customers with author, Paul Gillin

It's like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, but much scarier, especially if you don't know what you're doing with respect to dealing with "backlashing" customer. Fortunately for you, author Paul Gillin, who - along with Greg Gianforte - wrote "Attack of the Customers' does know a thing or two about the emerging space.

Purchase the book on Amazon.com here.

In this Jaffe Juice podcast conversation, I spoke with Gillin and you can listen via streaming or download here.

We have a lively discussion about whether this is attacks or just overdue customer activism, how to deal with customers in a public space. Whether customer attacks are premeditated and much more.

PS Our friends at JCPenney could probably take a leaf out of this book!

Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes here for more interviews like this one, as well as my monthly debate with fellow author and thought leader, Mitch Joel.

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Jaffe Juice #167 - Jaffe & Joel tackle Rise of Machines vs Scaling Humanity

Attack of the Customers: Why Critics Assault Brands Online & How to Avoid Victimization

Jaffe Juice #167 - Jaffe & Joel tackle Rise of Machines vs Scaling Humanity

In this episode of our monthly debates, Mitch and I tackled the "Rise of Machines" i.e. automation of marketing & advertising versus "How do you Scale Humanity?" with respect to investing in talent and "humans" to serve "other humans." It's The Matrix meets Sixth Sense. Creepy! @mitchjoel and @jaffejuice

Listen live or download here.

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

Photo credit: Bigstock Photo

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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

 

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The occasional rotten Apple

My weekly Mediapost innovation column focuses on the supply chain brainfart lag with Apple's new iPhone 5 between product announcement, release and the resulting accessory time lapse to supply the stores with protective cases.

Here's the link to the article on Mediapost and a sample of the text is below:

I have a love-hate relationship with Apple. I’d like to describe myself as a Pragmatic Advocate (as opposed to a Zealot Fanboy prepared to sleep outside for 5 days to get a phone that everyone else will have within days or weeks).

I personally have switched almost entirely to Apple products (Phone, Pad, Air) based on the unbeatable form and function combination that truly is superior to anything else on the market. I don’t do this blindly. I feel like it’s been a logical and natural process. I love the tangible product family, however I really love the intangible service and experience excellence (Blue shirts, Genius, 1-to-1) that truly separates them from their competition. 

With a bar set so high, one would think it’s OK to slip up once in a while. Perhaps they’ve earned a Mulligan or two in the marketplace. Only that they actually slip up more often than one would think (the antenna fiasco, battery issues, cracked screen, overheating – the list goes on.) My problem with the company is their detached closedness, secretive opacity and perceived arrogance associated with how they go to market. 

This is a company that projects aloofness and a superiority complex, which does not behoove a humble leader. I say that intentionally, because I don’t think they want to be humble. They absolutely believe they know better than their consumers and aren’t influenced by the market. 

I don’t even have a problem with that. I just wish the company would — occasionally — admit when they’ve made a mistake. 

Here’s the most recent one: My new iPhone 5 arrived on Friday, Sept. 28. Today (as I write this), it’s October 12. 

I still don’t have a case for my iPhone. 

The Apple store has nothing in stock. In fact, they’ve never received a single case. They also have “no idea” when they’ll receive cases. They are, however, very happy to sell you Applecare for $100 and a $49 replacement fee for when (not if) you drop your caseless phone and crack the screen.

Can you see what’s wrong with this picture?

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/185162/the-occasional-rotten-apple.html#ixzz29StZtSnh

 

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

Jaffe Juice #164 - Jaffe and Joel debate the death of Marketing

Mitch Joel, author of Six Pixels of Separation and the upcoming smash hit, Ctr Alt Delete, and I sat down for our regular "debate" to discuss an article on the Death of Marketing that was written for Harvard Business Review.

The irony is that the title of the article was kind of misleading and arguably just a cheap (yet proven) trick to get some blood flowing (or boiling). Ironically, Mitch blogged that it proved that Marketing wasn't dead at all!

In fact the article itself was really a manifesto and endorsement for both "Join the Conversation" and "Flip the Funnel" i.e. highlighting the following proof of live "after" Marketing:

• Restore Community Marketing
• Find your Customer Influencers
• Help them Build Social Capital
• Get your customer advocates involved in the solutions you provide

So Mitch and I got into a pretty interesting discussion about whether Marketing is Dead or Not. Or more importantly, whether it is going through a Renaissance, Revival or something else...

Join the Conversation dammit (it's not a cliche when I coined the term and wrote the book on it!) @jaffejuice on Twitter and @mitchjoel on Twitter.

And be sure to forward this to any brand marketers you think would benefit from the discussion and ultimately give their perspective on the theme at hand.

Listen to it LIVE (left click) or download it HERE (right click)

Subscribe to the show via iTunes here

Photo credit

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 [email protected] 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