the

SoDA REPORTVol. 2 2012 | Digital Marketing Outlook

A note from Managing Editor

Welcome to the second volume of The SoDA Report: 2012. In this edition, you’ll find content from some of the most influential thinkers in the digital marketing world—including industry leaders from North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. We continue to explore our industry’s transformation based on the evolving needs of the consumer, as well as through the lens of those industry leaders who are shaping the cultures, products and strategies of both agencies and brands.

If you’re reading the tablet edition, you’ll find that we’ve also added a number of new features, including interactive infographics, social plug-ins, pan & zoom photography and bookmarking that will enhance how you consume and share the content with your industry peers.

In this edition’s Industry Insider section, you’ll find an infographic created by new SoDA member company JESS3. The infographic illustrates the issues identified as most critical / top-of-mind by SoDA members in shaping the success of their businesses thus far in 2012. The issues cut across a wide range of categories such as business strategy, innovation, operations and talent cultivation. The editorial team will be analyzing how these topics are trending over time, and will include related editorial content in forthcoming editions. As an organization, SoDA is actively tackling all of these issues (and more) via working committees, the SoDA Speakers Bureau, Peer Collaboration Groups and programs such as SoDA Doc.s (SoDA’s suite of best practice documents, contracts and benchmark surveys).

SoDA celebrated a major milestone at its Global Member Meeting held this past July in Montreal, Quebec. For the first time in our five-year history, more than 50% of the offices of our member companies are located outside of North America. As we continue to increase the geographic breadth of the organization’s activities and exclusive membership ranks, you’ll also find an increasingly international focus within the editorial content of The SoDA Report and our other communications. In fact, in Q3, we’ll also be launching a multi-language version of the SoDA website in Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, French and English.

For more information on SoDA’s efforts to advance the digital marketing industry worldwide through best practices, education and advocacy, please contact us at info@sodaspeaks.com. We hope you enjoy this edition of The SoDA Report and we welcome your input to inform the development of future volumes. A special thank-you to our members, advisors and friends—as well as our founding organizational sponsor Adobe—for making this initiative and the work of our organization possible.

Saludos,

Chris Buettner Managing Editor, The SoDA Report

the

CONTENTSIntroduction

3 The SoDA Report Team & Partners5 Foreword by Angèle Beausoleil

Section ONE: Industry Insider

6 What Agency and Prodco Leaders are Grappling with Now by JESS3

7 Exposing the Creative Process: A Lesson from Charles and Ray Eames by Angela Craven, User Experience Designer, EffectiveUI

Section TWO: Modern Marketers9 Connecting with Consumers: Bridging People Stories to Product Stories by Avi Savar, Founder, Big Fuel

11 Mobile Measurement: A Best Practice Approach by Michael Lamontagne, Director, Business Analytics and Accountability,RockfishInteractive

13 Demystifying Engagement by Hamilton Jones, Managing Director, TheFARM Digital

15 Social Media Analytics: The Forgotten Sibling by Irina Sheveleva, Editor, GRAPE

17 Why Consumers Are Just Not That Into Your Brand by Alasdair Lloyd-Jones, COO, Big Spaceship

19 Curation-Inspired Creativity: The Rise of “The Really Good” by Brent Slone, Director, Strategy, Phenomblue

Section THREE: Tech Talk

21 The (Re)Birth of the Mobile Web by James Warren, Technology and QA Director, Magnani Caruso Dutton

23 Avoiding “Love at First Sight” Syndrome by Joe Olsen, CEO, Director of Strategy, Phenomblue

25 Multi-Screen Convergence by Oscar Trelles, Digital Marketing Expert, Strategist and Technologist

27 Exploring Responsive Design by Matt Webb, Interface Developer, and Jake Gibbons, Interface Developer, The1stMovement

29 Are You Ready for the Tablet Age? by Sven Larsen, CMO, Zemoga

31 3D Browser Standoff – WebGL vs. Stage3D by Matt Bilson, Technical Director, Resn

Section FOUR: Case Studies33 Empowering Young Artists / Crayola / Big Spaceship by Nathan Adkisson, Strategist, Big Spaceship

34 Dream Big / Pilsen / Encident by Claudio Lombardo, Managing Director, Encident

35 Picture Perfect Color / Redken / Firstborn byKevinArthur,ChiefOperatingOfficer,Firstborn

36 Luxurious Commerce / Elie Tahari / Fluid by Stephanie Aldrete, Director of Marketing, Fluid

37 Global Symmetry / Vodafone / Great Fridays by Rob Noble, Founder, Great Fridays

39 The Digital Locker / Allstate / IQ by John Woodbridge, Business Development Associate, IQ

40 Red Quest / MTS / GRAPE by Vladilen A. Sitnikov, Creative Director, GRAPE

43 An Integrated Brand Experience / DC Shoes / Terralever by Jon Lewis, Director of Marketing, Terralever

45 First Online Photo Studio / Panasonic / Red Keds by Vasiliy Lebedev, Co-Founder/Creative Director, Red Keds

The Society of Digital Agencies46 Mission 46 Organization Overview

The SoDA Report Team & Partners

Content Development Angèle BeausoleilEditor-in-Chief of The SoDA Report, Founder&ChiefInnovationOfficerofAgentInnovateurInc.

Angèle currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of SoDA’s trend publication, The SoDA Report. She is also the founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Agent Innovateur Inc., a new type of agency focused on creating better products, experiences and technologies for the digital consumer. She is currently incubating two social enterprises and pioneering an applied innovation graduate PhD program at the University of British Columbia (UBC). A “tradigital” marketer, Angele has spent over 25 years in traditional and digital marketing communications, most recently working closely with Fortune 500 brands and leading Dare Labs and Dare North America’s strategy and innovation group.

Steve GlaubermanChairman of The SoDA Report, CEO of Enlighten

Steve Glauberman founded Enlighten in 1983 as one of the nation’s first interactive agencies with a vision for how technology could be used to help companies market their products more effectively. Under Steve’s leadership, Enlighten quickly established a sterling reputation for creating work that was visually stunning, technically powerful, and conceptually groundbreaking. To this day, Enlighten remains committed to creating integrated brand experiences that forge meaningful relationships with consumers by offering a wide range of digital services all within an independent agency. Steve is a graduate in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.

Chris BuettnerManaging Editor of The SoDA Report, SoDA Director of Operations

After a career on the digital agency and publisher side that spanned 15+ years, Chris Buettner now serves as Managing Editor of The SoDA Report. He is also the Director of Operations at SoDA where he is charged with developing and executing the organization’s overall strategic vision and growth plan. With roots in journalism, education and the international non-profit world, the transition to lead SoDA has been a welcome opportunity to combine many of his talents and passions. After living in Brazil and Colombia for years, Chris is also fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and is an enthusiastic supporter of SoDA’s initiatives to increase its footprint in Latin America and around the world.

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Partners

Infographics PartnerJESS3www.jess3.com

Design AgencyStruckwww.struck.com

Tablet EditionLess Rainwww.lessrain.co.uk

ProductionSoDAsodaspeaks.com

Organizational SponsorAdobewww.adobe.com

The SoDA Report Production TeamNatalie Smith, Head of Production Kendyll Picard, Production Manager Robyn Landis, Designer & Copy EditorLior Vexler, Production AssistantAhsan Khan, ProofreaderSamantha Lynch, Proofreader

Welcome to Volume 2 of The SoDA Report 2012.

In the spirit of our 2012 Transformation theme, we present you with our second volume of the year. In this edition, we introduce our new infographic page, highlighting the key issues on the minds of executives from the the top global digital agencies and production companies, and a new tech review section.

Our contributors offer advice on what digital agencies and marketers can learn from the most celebrated architect and artist team, the importance of story, user experience and engagement, and how brands need to behave more like people.

We explore social media as a party, expose the truth about mobile and tablet adoption rates, and guide you on getting your company ready for true screen convergence.

We also look at how social media data is beginning to mature, and showcase the latest and greatest case studies from our global membership.

Again, we encourage you to share your comments with us and to discuss the issues and opinions set out in this report at www.sodaspeaks.com

Enjoy.

Angèle Beausoleil, Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s Note

Angèle is founder of Agent Innovateur

Inc., a new type of agency focused on creating better

products, experiences and technologies for

the digital consumer. She is currently incubating two

social enterprises, pioneering an applied innovation graduate PhD program at the University of British

Columbia (UBC) and is the editor-in-chief of

The SoDA Report.

FOREWORD

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Section One

Industry Insider

6 What Agency and Prodco Leaders are Grappling with Now infographic by JESS3

7 Exposing the Creative Process: A Lesson from Charles and Ray Eemes article by Angela Craven, Effective UI

INFOGRAPHIC

INDUSTRY INSIDER

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What Agency and Prodco Leaders are Grappling With Now

ISSUES IDENTIFIED AS MOST CRITICAL / TOP-OF-MIND BY SODA'S C-LEVEL MEMBERSIN SHAPING THE SUCCESS OF THEIR BUSINESSES AS OF Q3 2012

INSIDE THE MINDS OF DIGITAL MARKETING LEADERS

GRAPHIC BY SoDA MEMBER

LEGAL

MARKETING EDUCATION

BU

SINESS STRATEGY

PRODUCTION

ADVOCACY OPE

RATION / FINANCE

STAT

E OF THE INDUSTRY

INNOVATION

HOW DO I LAY THE GROUNDWORK TO

STRUCTURE AND PROMOTE AN ENVIRON-

MENT OF CONTINUAL INNOVATION?

HOW DO I ALIGN ALL OF

MY EFFORTS TOWARD A

COHESIVE STRATEGY THAT

POSITIONS MY COMPANY FOR

NEW BUSINESS SUCCESS?

HOW CAN I CONSISTENTLY PROVIDE THOUGHT

LEADERSHIP TO MY INDUSTRY IN TERMS OF

STANDARDS,

COLLABORATION AND

PHILANTHROPIC EFFORTS?

WHERE CAN I FIND THE BEST

TALENT AND HOW DO I

NURTURE AND RETAIN THAT

TALENT?

WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL BEST

PRACTICES FOR OUR INDUSTRY AND HOW CAN I EARN

THE COVETED TITLE OF “FINANCIAL SUPERSTAR” WITHIN

THE RANKS OF SoDA MEMBER COMPANIES*?

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LEGAL AND

REGULATORY ISSUES IMPACTING OUR INDUS-

TRY AND MY COMPANY? DO I HAVE THE

PROPER DOCUMENTATION AND CONTRACTS

TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL GROWTH?

HOW DO THE ESTABLISHED MODELS FOR

PRE-PROD, PRODUCTION AND POST-PROD

WORK MEET (OR NOT MEET) THE NEEDS OF OUR

CURRENT DIGITAL ENGAGEMENTS?

HOW DO WE GET TO POST-DIGITAL

AND BEGIN SHARING PERSPECTIVES ON

HOW THE INDUSTRY HAS EVOLVED

AND WHERE IT’S HEADED??

WHAT TOOLS, STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES

DO I NEED TO ADOPT TO SUCCESSFULLY

NAVIGATE PERIODS OF INTENSE CHANGE?

North American Companies

South American Companies

European Companies

Australian Companies

ARTICLE

INDUSTRY INSIDER

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Exposing the Creative Process: A Lesson from Charles and Ray Eames

When a company is trying to solve a problem outside of its area of expertise, key stakeholders embark on a quest for the agency that is most capable of delivering an impressive final product. Once hired, it is commonly understood that the agency will work behind the scenes to create a solution that meets the needs of users as well as the business. But how often is a client able to see and understand what happens between discovery and final delivery? More importantly, why should a client care?

By: Angela Craven, User Experience Designer,

EffectiveUI

Angela Craven is a user experience

designer at EffectiveUI. She

is inspired by the idea that art and

design (in their various forms) can

profoundly influence people, and that

every design problem requires a unique set

of tools and processes.

The answer might be best explained in a recent documentary about the husband and wife design team, Charles and Ray Eames, titled Eames: The Architect and The Painter. The film tells the story of the Eames, their chaotic creative process, the successes it inspired, and the impact they had on contemporary design and design thinking.

Charles and Ray are most widely credited for designing the Eames Lounge Chair (still in production and in the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art), but their contributions span architecture, user experience design, industrial design, art, manufacturing, film and photography. They were known for exploring ideas in unconventional ways and had no qualms being transparent about their process because they knew it brought them successful results. Companies such as Boeing, Westinghouse, Alcoa, Polaroid and the US Navy hired the Eames Office to apply their creative problem-solving expertise to a variety of business problems.

Fast-forward forty-plus years and often the creative process is hidden from clients. The expectation, in the digital world especially, is that design deliverables should be buttoned up and beautiful at every turn. After all, clients are busy people with their own responsibilities and usually prefer something polished to react to, even if they or the designer do not yet fully grasp the complexities of the design challenge. This way of working can lead to missed opportunities for both designers and stakeholders.

We’ve all experienced a client review where a first round design is presented and the client has a negative reaction. They might mention a problem that wasn’t previously expressed. Or maybe the design doesn’t incorporate their perspective or seem to fully address their business goals.

Charles and Ray Eames

were known for exploring

ideas in unconventional ways, and had

no qualms being transparent about their

process because they knew it

brought them successful results.

But what if the client could provide the same feedback sooner? Including them in your process shows the amount of thought going into your work. This builds trust and allows clients to add their own input, or voice concerns at a point when they can be addressed more easily. Early feedback can help the team arrive at useful and innovative solutions in an efficient manner, ultimately maximizing the budget.

This collaboration can take many forms. It could be a regular touch-base meeting to review concept sketches. It could be an ideation session where the client and designer are co-sketching. It could be a workshop. Or it could be regular white-boarding sessions.

Has a client been particularly quiet in certain group settings? Follow up with them offline; they may share creative ideas and feedback more readily one-on-one. Encourage them to send their own research that can be applied to the project. Of course, not all feedback or ideas will be embraced and used in the design, but it’s up to us as designers to incorporate input that best supports the user and business goals.

Staying ahead in a demanding, fast-paced business world shouldn’t mean hiding the creative process. By exposing the imperfect along the way, as Charles and Ray did, we can build successful, polished end products that both clients and agencies have a hand in creating. B

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photo from http://www.vitra.com

Section Two

ModernMarketers

9 Connecting with Consumers: Bridging People Stories to Product Stories article by Avi Savar, Big Fuel

11 Mobile Measurement: A Best Practice Approach article byMichaelLamontagne,RockfishInteractive

13 Demystifying Engagement article by Hamilton Jones, TheFARM Digital

15 Social Media Analytics: The Forgotten Sibling article by Irina Sheveleva, Grape

17 Why Consumers Are Just Not That Into Your Brand article by Alasdair Lloyd-Jones, Big Spaceship

19 Curation-Inspired Creativity: The Rise of “The Really Good” article by Brent Slone, Phenomblue

ARTICLE

MODERN MARKETERS

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Connecting with Consumers: Bridging People Stories to Product Stories

Social media is a party. In one corner of the room, there’s a group of moms talking about education and parenting issues. In another corner, a group of recent college grads are laughing about Will Ferrell’s latest movie. Everywhere you turn, different groups of people are enjoying themselves, sharing stories, discussing current events, pop culture, and trends.All the groups are mingling and making new friends. The most influential people in the room are those with the most “followers” hanging on their every word. So what’s your move?

Avi Savar began his television career in the

agent-training program at ICM in Los Angeles after

graduating from college in 1995. After two years in

Los Angeles, Avi headed to New York, where he quickly transitioned to the creative

side of entertainment as an independent

producer. He created highly stylized programming for companies such as USA

Networks, Fox, Columbia Tri-Star, and Showtime. In 2004, Avi launched

Big Fuel Communications, which initially operated as a content production studio. Seeing the shift

towards social media as the focal point of

consumer interaction, Avi transitioned Big Fuel

beyond content production to be a full-service

marketing agency that both produces and leverages

content.

Lead with people stories, not product stories. Marketing has taught us to always lead with our product story—distilling our message down to a “unique selling proposition” and driving it home with features and benefits. However, if you walk into that party and the first thing you do is try to sell your product, nobody will talk to you and you certainly won’t get invited back. You have to start a dialogue around something that is important to them, not what’s important to you. Only then will you have earned the right to talk about yourself.

People need to like you first—then they’ll ask what you do for a living. This means it’s critical to have the right “opening line”– a way to enter the conversation that starts with the consumer’s agenda (but can seamlessly migrate to your agenda). You need to think of your fellow partygoers as audiences rather than consumers. Like a publisher, you need to help or entertain first; showing or selling comes later.

Use content to make connections. The right story, joke or anecdote at a party goes a long way, and social media is no different. If those moms are talking about parenting issues, turn them onto a parenting expert who can help with their problems. If those grads are laughing about Will Ferrell’s latest movie, give them something similar to laugh about, or recommend another movie for them to see.

Embrace fragmentation. Just like a party, social media is made up of many groups—people with different interests, different likes and different dislikes. You may need a few different opening lines if you are going after different audiences. In the same way you would work the room at a party, the way to get scale in social media is to break your audience into segments. As you walk around having conversations with different groups of people, you naturally adjust your talking points based on who you are speaking with.

By: Avi Savar, Founder, Big Fuel

At the end of the night you will have met everyone at the party. If you are interesting, relevant and sociable, people will remember you and be willing to learn more about you.

Leverage the influencer. Have you ever walked into a party where you didn’t know anyone? It’s not impossible to meet people, but you certainly have to work hard at it.

Now, what if you walked into the party with the most popular kid in school? You get instant credibility, everyone in the room knows who you are, and talking to them becomes that much easier. Simply put, leveraging the right influencers makes you “cool by association.” You don’t have to work as hard meeting people, you get to talk about yourself more, and instead of trying to figure how to start a conversation with people, they will come talk to you.

The Social Media Party is not about making eye contact (impressions); it’s about shaking hands (engagements). It’s about meeting people, talking to them, and sharing with them. B

Embrace fragmentation...

The way to get scale in social

media is to break your audience into segments.

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ARTICLE

MODERN MARKETERS

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Mobile Measurement: A Best Practice Approach

With smartphone adoption now surpassing 50% of all mobile phone users in the US (a milestone that has already been eclipsed in other markets such as South Korea), many retailers have launched into the mobile space, whether by developing a mobile-enabled website, an app, or a fully integrated mCommerce solution. Understanding how to leverage data analysis and reporting to help build a great customer experience are critical in a retailer becoming successful with mobile.

By: Michael Lamontagne, Director,

Business Analytics and Accountability,

Rockfish Interactive

Michael Lamontagne leads the Business

Analytics & Accountability team at Rockfish. In his career,

Michael has worked with leading retail,

CPG, restaurant and financial companies to help them analyze

and understand online behavior with

a focus on tying online, mobile and social performance

to business and financial impact.

Before deploying a mobile experience, marketers need to have a clear understanding of that experience’s value proposition to consumers. They should also anticipate how the experience will impact their core businesses.

For example, is the mobile experience meant to enhance the in-store experience, or is it meant to be another sales channel? Clearly articulating these two points (1—the value proposition for consumers, and 2—the impact on the core business) will help determine how to measure the experience.

The four core areas to consider when establishing a measurement-driven approach to gauge the efficacy of mobile experiences are:

• Success Measures and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)• Technical Implementation• Testing and Optimization• Reporting

Success Measures & KPIsThe critical first step is to set specific goals for your mobile strategy. As part of this goalsetting, outline the specific key performance indicators (KPIs) that you consider benchmarks for your mobile campaign’s success. Consider setting KPIs in the following categories:

• Awareness – Are a sufficient number of people finding the mobile experience in order to merit the investment or to move the needle on other key brand metrics? Across mobile websites and apps, awareness KPIs will help to measure how much exposure the experience is receiving.

Before deploying a mobile experience,

marketers need to have a clear

understanding of that experience’s

value proposition to consumers.

• Engagement – What are people doing on the site? Metrics in this category should focus on the overall user experience, including how and when consumers will likely use the app.

• Conversion – Are visitors doing what we want them to? Every mobile experience should have a specific goal that defines a successful interaction with the mobile platform.

• Retention – Do visitors find the content valuable enough to come back again? Returning users are extremely important, especially given that a large majority of mobile users access the apps they download only once.

Technical ImplementationOnce KPIs have been established, make sure that you have the proper tools in place to track your goals. There are many good options from Omniture, Google Analytics and Flurry. Wherever possible, use the same platform employed for website analytics to ensure consistent measurement methodologies are used across all platforms.

Test & OptimizeAs with all online channels, you should constantly seek to optimize the performance of your mobile experience.

• Performance of KPIs – KPIs should be the driving force behind any optimization. They will help you determine the areas of opportunity that need addressing.

• Ratings and Reviews – Consumers who use your app will share feedback on what they like and don’t like on app stores and forums. Leveraging this source of feedback can help to pinpoint specific pain points.

• Industry – Studies and research are constantly being conducted to help inform best practices and standards across the mobile landscape. In a rapidly changing industry with continually improving technology, the need to understand industry trends is key to identifying if your app is performing well against the competition.

ReportingWhen reporting on the performance of your mobile experience, employing a standard approach is very important. Some guidelines include:

1. Establish a consistent cadence of reporting (daily, weekly, etc.).2. Develop reports that focus on the KPIs and are tailored to the audience.3. Provide context in the reports by comparing KPIs against goals, industry

benchmarks, timeframe (i.e., month-over-month) and competitive information.4. Educate your audience about what the reports contain and how they should be

interpreted and used. B

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ARTICLE

MODERN MARKETERS

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Demystifying Engagement

“We need deeper engagement with our consumers.” Ever heard that before? Engagement is such a misunderstood word. It is often used in an excessively broad manner as the KPI for all digital activity, but understanding what it means to your consumers within the context of your brand is typically unclear. This leads to vague outcomes and metrics that don’t tell you if you’re actually heading in the right direction.

By: Hamilton Jones, Managing Director,

TheFARM Digital

Hamilton’s career spans 16 years across

traditional and digital advertising. He has

worked for large global agencies and networks

(Publicis Groupe, Aegis Media and WPP)

as well as a string of niche, highly-awarded

digital independents (including TheFARM)

in roles focusing on digital strategy, client

management, business development and media.

You can follow his thoughts @hamvjones

Engagement as a concept in digital isn’t new. Previous incarnations include: interaction rates, talkability, dwell time, open rates, and participation in UGC initiatives. It can still be any of these, but engagement is now more commonly gauged by a combination of various metrics, actions and desired outcomes. It’s not surprising that this causes confusion.

Digital effectiveness is now measured less in terms of click-throughs and paid media impressions, as brands seek to lay the foundation for a dialogue and connection with consumers that ultimately translates to earned reach and sales. There is, of course, always a case for direct response and acquisition initiatives if you can join the dots directly to sales. As for “engagement,” the biggest challenge is getting the subjectivity out of the word to turn it into meaningful metrics that can help drive your brand forward.

Social platforms have helped clients better understand the role of engagement. The data and metrics that flow from strong social initiatives show the multiplier effect that consumer conversations can have, extending a brand’s reach beyond what can be achieved via paid media alone.

Even with this greater understanding, however, many clients and agencies still rely on generic, product-focused insights when it comes to kicking off new initiatives. All too often, it still seems they think people will connect with the message or brand for the mere sake of it.

The best way to determine if an idea will engage people starts with asking the right questions. Your unique, driving insight needs to highlight why the consumer will connect with the brand, and why they would want to share that connection. You will

Include an engagement insight

“Why do I care?” and a social insight

“Why would I share?” in every

brief.

Challenging your team to really

dig deep for the engagement insight

will give you a greater platform

to drive brand engagement,

generate earned media and the

metrics to know it’s working.

be able to generate stronger value for all involved by better understanding what is valued by different cross-sections of your consumer base, how your idea fits into their use of digital, and where it intersects with the brand.

Putting this into a brief helps fuel ideas that have engagement at their core. It lays down the foundation for clear metrics that will draw on the right data, while letting you know if you’re achieving your goals and how to optimize the campaign throughout its lifecycle.

At a recent Facebook Showcase in Sydney, Namita Moolani (Facebook) challenged a room full of clients and agencies to include an engagement insight “Why do I care?” and a social insight “Why would I share?” in every brief. We agree. It’s a simple thing, but challenging your team to really dig deep for the engagement insight will give you a greater platform to drive brand engagement and generate earned media—and the metrics to know it’s working. Try it. B

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ARTICLE

MODERNMARKETERS

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Social Media Analytics: The Forgotten Sibling

In Volume 1 of The SoDA Report, I had the opportunity to moderate a fantastic panel discussion with a number of heavyweights from the world of digital analytics. In retrospect, I felt like the topic of social media analytics did not receive sufficient attention during that session. As a result, I collaborated with the Head of Social Media at GRAPE, Michail Geisherik, to outline some of the most salient trends at present in the rapidly evolving world of social media analytics.

By: Irina Sheveleva, Editor,

GRAPE

Irina graduated from the School of

Philology at Moscow State University and

entered the media market as a reporter

for Adindustry Magazine. She

later became Editor-in-Chief of a corresponding

website. As Editor at GRAPE, Irina runs the agency’s

digital media trends team and oversees its trends newsletter and

social platforms.

While there are still traces of the once all-consuming obsession with the volume of “likes” on Facebook brand pages, marketers are gradually beginning to shift their attention to deeper and more insightful KPIs to judge the efficacy of their social media efforts.

The evolving science of social analytics includes analyzing how different groups of consumers engage with your brand beyond the “like,” how they respond to different types of branded and non-branded messages over time, and how their actions correlate with brand metrics such as favorability, purchase intent and actual sales.

The growing array of tools for measuring social media activity is requiring ever greater levels of accountability—both from agency partners and from the client-side digital marketers charged with orchestrating a brand’s social presence. In an environment where you can now measure the impact of each particular post and action that you make on behalf of the brand, marketers need to be able to filter through the avalanche of data available in order to mine the truly actionable insights.

In the case of Facebook, one critical KPI is page rank. Within Facebook’s internal measurement system, page rank determines the prominence of your brand’s posts in the newsfeeds of your “fans.” The higher the engagement rate with content on your brand page, the more likely it is that your posts will appear in newsfeeds.

This is particularly critical given that the newsfeed—not display ads or other tactics—is undeniably the single greatest driver of consumer engagement on brand pages. So, rather than posting as much content as humanly possible to see what “sticks,” brands need to strive for better communication quality in order to remain relevant and visible with consumers.

In an environment

where you can now measure the impact of

each particular post and action

that you make on behalf of the

brand, marketers need to be able

to filter through the avalanche of

data available in order to mine the truly actionable

insights.

We are all waiting for a technology solution that seamlessly unites information about the user’s search preferences and social activity together with additional online and offline data sets, in order to gain a more holistic understanding of consumers. Combine that with enhanced targeting techniques and more turnkey solutions for optimization and we will have found the Holy Grail.

The race is on and we’ll see which of the major (or heretofore unknown) players crosses the finish line first with a truly world-class, holistic analytics solution. B

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ARTICLE

MODERN MARKETERS

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Why Consumers Are Just Not That Into Your Brand

Marketers clearly understand the need to gain people’s affinity with their brands, but I would argue their method is misdirected. Neuroscience has shown that behavioral mirroring is where real empathy happens, yet marketers’ obsession with such things as Facebook “likes” could not be more out of sync with the concept of mirroring.

By: Alasdair Lloyd-Jones, COO,

Big Spaceship

Alasdair leads the development and

implementation of Big Spaceship’s strategic

vision. His experience spans 25 years in the advertising industry

as a client, brand strategist, CEO and

President, both in the UK and the States.

He’s held positions at Y&R London, TWA

Getaway Vacations London, Osprey

Communications, Deutsch LA, Ogilvy

LA, Publicis NY, and Cutwater SF as Co-President and Chief

Strategic Officer.Alasdair has worked

across numerous categories including

technology, financial, automotive, packaged

goods, luxury, government, alcohol,

fast food, and toys.

Here are ten new behaviors you can adopt to achieve greater affinity and a more meaningful collaboration between departments, partners and consumers.

1. Avoid the Big Data crush Instead of holding out hope for the promise of Big Data, which according to

McKinsey we currently lack the skillset to interpret, embrace the concept of intuition and use what data you can interpret to test your hunches.

2. Capitalize on digital’s malleability The ease and speed in which products, platforms and services can be created,

launched and improved through strong feedback mechanisms makes digital one of the most malleable forms of prototyping available today.

3. See the consumer through new eyes Start every engagement with questions around consumer behavior. Challenge

yourself to think about what behaviors you want to affect and what behaviors you can play to. These questions will better serve you than the elusive search for an insight.

4. Borrow existing behaviors Building on the previous point, when thinking about your brand and its interaction

with consumers, look to the behaviors people already exhibit through their current brand interactions and see what can be borrowed.

5. Make what already exists more useful When it comes to innovation, think about making the stuff you own more useful

rather than always trying to make more stuff. Look for relationships across business verticals that, when combined, could create a new proposition for people.

When it comes to innovation, think

about making the stuff you own

more useful rather than always

trying to make more stuff.

6. Eliminate the distance between product creation and marketing Consumers are having a greater influence in the development of new products

and the advancement of existing products, so for marketing to be effective it has to start side by side with the product guys.

7. Put communication partners at the center As a simple add-on to point 6, bring your communication partners into the

center of your product/marketing ecosystem. They bring lateral thinking and a perspective that lives outside of the day-to-day business, which is likely closer to that of your consumer.

8. Fix your agency partners’ dysfunctions If meetings with your communication partners are often overcrowded and

unproductive, you clearly have a level of dysfunction within your partner ecosystem. Get your partners to work in small multi-disciplinary teams, where everyone in the meeting has an active role in delivering on the brief.

9. Develop frameworks, not processes, to achieve more innovative solutions

Set processes are something your teams lean against while frameworks provide your teams with something to lean into. The introduction of principles and values—the ingredients of a strong framework—enable a reduction in the reliance on processes. This results in increased creativity, increased ownership, and—in my experience—fresh ideas.

10. Be courageously patient Changing set ways of doing things will create anxiety among those who lean

on routine, but will excite those who thrive on being in sync with the new behavioral dynamics of the consumer. Both parties are likely critical to your business, so it will be down to you to decide on the pace of change that respects the human dynamics of your employees. B

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ARTICLE

MODERNMARKETERS

P 19

Curation-Inspired Creativity: The Rise of “The Really Good”

Technology advances are leading to a curation phenomenon. Through photo- and idea-sharing sites, curated pages are inspiring creativity and giving rise to a new class known as “The Really Good.” Let’s explore some key themes stemming from this phenomenon.By: Brent Slone,

Director, Strategy, Phenomblue

As Phenomblue’s Director of Strategy,

Brent Slone specializes in shepherding brand

messages for clients across digital channels

to create meaningful experiences for users,

while garnering results. Brent has a diverse advertising

background, previously working with agencies

including Saatchi & Saatchi New

York, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, and R/

GA. His background includes working

on award-winning integrated campaigns

for brands such as JCP Teen, Edun Fashion Clothing Collection,

Nike, Head and Shoulders, Alfa Romeo

and the National Parks Service.

Every day more and more people are discovering that they have the ability to create works of art, master new recipes and snap brilliant photographs.

In the past, when people required creative guidance, they looked to professionals. These professionals owned expensive equipment, had a portfolio of published works and had fine-tuned their crafts through years of education and work experience.

Today, technology is creating a more level playing field. Socially-integrated applications and websites have dropped the barrier to entry for creative endeavors – including both research and production. Now, aspiring artists can find creative guidance and inspiration from a new source of expertise – the curated works and ideas of “The Really Good.”

When we talk to our friends and refer to someone in our circles who is creative and talented, we always say, “They’re really good at [insert hobby, talent, skill here].” Chances are they are driven by curiosity and passion.

What’s really interesting is the effect “really good work” has on others after it is shared across sites like Pinterest.

Within the last few months, most of us have heard from friends and family about countless projects that have come from Pinterest. Sites like Pinterest and Dribbble allow anyone to curate “really good ideas” from “really good people.” In our view, the process of how the work is created and subsequently showcased is what motivates others to act.

Today, technology is creating a more level playing field. Socially-integrated

applications and websites

have dropped the barrier to

entry for creative endeavors.

Three key themes permeate Social Photo/Idea-Sharing sites:

1) The work is created with everyday materials.

2) People use simple tools.

3) Individuals, not expansive groups, are creating the work.

Once people have collected enough ideas and have been sufficiently inspired, they reach a decision point and claim “I can do that.” With enough practice, they become part of “The Really Good,” inspiring others to create. B

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Section Three

Tech Talk

21 The (Re)Birth of the Mobile Web article by James Warren, Magnani Caruso Dutton

23 Avoiding “Love At First Sight” Syndrome article by Joe Olsen, Phenomblue

25 Multi-Screen Convergence article by Oscar Trelles

27 Exploring Responsive Design article by Matt Webb and Jake Gibbons,

The1stMovement

29 Are You Ready for the Tablet Age? article by Sven Larsen, Zemoga

31 3D Browser Standoff – WebGL vs. Stage3D review by Matt Bilson, Resn

ARTICLE

TECHTALK

P 21

The (Re)Birth of the Mobile Web

App mania set in just four years ago with the iPhone 3G, but as smartphones, tablets and connected devices proliferate and fragment, marketers are confronted with many choices: multiple operating systems on which to build, widely varying use patterns, and a dizzying array of screen sizes to support. What used to be simple suddenly became a lot more complicated and harder to grasp.

By: James Warren, Technology and QA Director,

Magnani Caruso Dutton

James Warren manages Magnani Caruso

Dutton’s team of web, social, and mobile

developers, along with quality assurance

analysts. He has twenty years of experience

providing technical, project, and quality

management to Fortune 500 companies. Since

1999, Magnani Caruso Dutton has been

thoughtfully guiding its clients through the ever-changing digital

landscape.

Nearly five years later, the reality of an app-based strategy has set in. Such a strategy requires maintaining multiple code bases for slightly varying messages per device, and it also means that each release requires budget and time. As cost management and time-to-market are increasingly important, a level of complexity has emerged for which most businesses are not prepared. During the last few years, reluctant tradeoffs have been made on which devices to support and which ones not to support.

Luckily, relief has arrived just in time and in the form of the most-used app on anyone’s tablet or smartphone...the browser. More specifically, there are now a wealth of opportunities offered by HTML5 and responsive web design. These advances are putting the browser back at the forefront of the marketing playbook.

The latest mobile devices ship with modern browsers that can access many common native functions through app platforms, allowing you to author from HTML5 device-APIs.

HTML5 in combination with the mobile operating system can provide access to the device hardware: the camera, microphone, GPS, gyroscope and compass, among other functions. You don’t need to manage multiple releases, since the app can be refreshed the next time the consumer accesses it.

Yes, HTML5 is a work in progress and implementation protocols are still being developed. Despite that fact, core components have already been used successfully in many web apps, underscoring the fact that rich, browser-based mobile apps can be deployed now without fear of jeopardizing the user experience.

Native apps are no longer the only game in town when

it comes to providing rich,

device-optimized experiences to

your consumers.

To go one step further, responsive design has eliminated the need for a standalone M. site. Now, developers can create a version of the same web page optimized for screen size and interface mode (touch or mouse).

With responsive design, not only can mobile development efforts be standardized into a single code base, but so can desktop development. Imagine a single core code base for all devices and desktop browsers. Imagine that this code base can classify devices and desktops into categories and serve up a customized version of the app to match the device or desktop experience.

The benefits go beyond practical technical and QA considerations, and include strong brand benefits. We can create a single, adaptive environment to engage your audiences in a way that is consistent across all touchpoints, all the while respecting best practices for the various devices.

Apps are not dead, not by a long shot, and native app developers will contemptuously point out a multitude of reasons why native apps should be the only types of applications created. For example, if fast and responsive animation and graphics are needed—or if access to hardware not available through HTML5 device APIs is an imperative— a native app is still the solution.

However, native apps are no longer the only game in town when it comes to providing rich, device-optimized experiences to your consumers.

By combining your mobile and desktop strategies, it is possible to save time and budget, and ensure consumers experience your brand in a consistent manner wherever they are browsing and searching, be it a desktop or mobile app store search.

The secret to success in mobile technology is to know your consumers, their use patterns and the devices they are accessing. Filter your strategic and messaging goals through that lens and you can offer an experience that fulfills their needs. For many companies, the mobile web could help successfully transition from being software developers to being marketers once again. B

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Rich, browser-based mobile apps can be

deployed now without fear of

jeopardizing the user experience.

ARTICLE

TECHTALK

P 23

Avoiding “Love at First Sight” Syndrome

Many brands get excited about the latest and greatest technology as a conduit to consumer engagement or digital branding. However, many of these same brands struggle to create truly effective, engaging experiences (powered by that great new technology) and often end up producing mere novelty with little or no value for consumers.

By: Joe Olsen, CEO,

Phenomblue

Joe Olsen is the co-founder and CEO of

Phenomblue. Founded in 2004, the interactive

brand experience company was named

one of the top 25 agencies on the West

Coast and received agency of the year

nominations in 2011. Joe is also a frequent

industry speaker and serial entrepreneur,

with Phenomblue being his third startup.

Prior to that, Joe was a software consultant

creating emerging media solutions and driving

strategic technology planning for clients

on behalf of technology companies, such as

Microsoft, Adobe, and Apple.

Connecting customer-centric ideas with technology is ultimately about understanding the fundamental way technology can create a more compelling experience with a brand. It’s understanding the nuances of the platform, device, approach or medium and designing an experience that leverages what’s different to create something truly unique.

Generally speaking, we believe that good digital marketing first and foremost facilitates interaction between two or more consumers with a brand, rather than a 1:1 marketing approach between a single consumer and a brand.

For example, take our experience working with Microsoft Surface, a multi-touch social computing platform from Microsoft. While social computing is the technical term for this multi-touch OOH platform, brand marketers often compare it to tablets, kiosks and other single-user platforms. The fundamental reason for the Microsoft Surface platform’s success is its capability to provide an in-person experience with a brand between two or more consumers simultaneously (i.e. social computing).

Again, this notion can be lost if brands are not well-versed in the technology—something that remains our responsibility as an agency.

We ask our clients for full technology discovery sessions prior to evaluating one approach over another. When we facilitate these discovery sessions, we discuss the engagement factors and unique customer-centric opportunities that exist within the company’s consumer base. We examine current implementations of the technology in the marketplace or similar platforms, and brainstorm the creative back to the solution.

A unique and successful approach will put us into the shoes of the creator, provider or manufacturer. Who would we sell this to, and why? If we can answer that question, the principles driving the conclusion are generally good principles for evaluating the marketing or advertising effort.

At the end of the day, it still comes down to

being pragmatic and thorough in

your approach to utilizing new technology, and avoiding “love

at first sight” syndrome.

At the end of the day, it still comes down to being pragmatic and thorough in your approach to utilizing new technology, and avoiding “love at first sight” syndrome. While this is still a basic principle in advertising and marketing, it’s something often ignored in the digital and interactive space.

Although creative is generally at the heart of a good experience, technology is the interface. As we all know, a good idea is only as good as its execution. B

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ARTICLE

TECHTALK

P 25Multi-Screen Convergence

The mobile revolution, driven by the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, is having a profound impact on the way consumers interact with content. The TV screen is starting to compete for attention with mobile devices in the living room, and enhancing the viewing experience will not be enough to keep consumers engaged. As screens converge, the challenge is creating experiences that can be initiated on any screen and carried over to another.

By: Oscar Trelles, Digital Marketing

Expert, Strategist and Technologist

Oscar is a digital marketing and advertising

professional with over a decade of experience

leading multidisciplinary teams at creative agencies.

Throughout his career, he has produced work for

brands and companies such as Adobe, Allstate

Insurance, Best Buy, Coca Cola, Diageo, Microsoft,

New Line Cinema, Nintendo, Old Spice,

Pfizer, Reebok, Starbucks, Starwood Hotels, Toyota

and Victoria’s Secret, among many others.

Oscar writes for industry publications such as

Econsultancy and SoDA, and is an occasional guest

conference speaker and panelist, having addressed audiences at Adobe MAX,

WebDU, Click:NY, and other events. He is also a

judge for competitions such as The FWA Site of the

Year, the Webby Awards, the FITC Awards, and

MassChallenge. Find him on Twitter @oscartrelles.

Understanding the journey from screen to screen, as well as the context each screen has for the consumer, is key to creating context-aware, personal messaging that helps brands establish relationships with consumers—relationships based on relevance instead of repetition. From watching movies and TV shows primarily on TV sets, then on personal computers, and now on tablets, consumers have naturally come to expect content that is optimized for all the devices they own, and accessible on demand. Services designed around this need have created a new type of consumer that considers a cable subscription superfluous. Known to some as “cord-cutters,” this group’s growth will continue to accelerate, as digital natives grow up rejecting the idea of paying for content they can find online.

Given the growing availability and diversity of devices and content delivery services, consumers can no longer be thought of as having a uniform set of devices, because individuals assign subjective value to each screen. That value is primarily driven by the intrinsic function and features associated with each device, and how those functions affect the consumer’s state of mind using them. Together these factors determine what I call mobility context.

A mobility context is the interaction space created by the combination of:• the form factor of a device;• its unique attributes; and• the amount of time a user is willing to spend using the device exclusively.

Smartphones, for example, are about “here and now.” Because of their size and the ubiquitous cellular connection, they have become an extension of our bodies, and their owners can be expected to carry them everywhere (and I mean everywhere).

Understanding the journey from screen to screen,

as well as the context each

screen has for the consumer, is key to

creating context-aware, personal messaging that

helps brands establish

relationships with consumers—relationships

based on relevance instead of repetition.

These are the devices we use to get directions, to check prices on Amazon before buying at a brick and mortar store, to check to see if our friends have already checked in at the cafe where we are meeting, or send them a quick note if we are running late.

Consumers now make purchasing decisions across mobility contexts, making every screen a vehicle for awareness, consideration, and maybe even closing a deal. Consequently, mobile commerce is expected to experience continued revenue growth, as more transactions take place at the consumer’s fingertips.

However, this is not limited to impulse buying or online retailers: Starbucks reported in July 2012 that 25% of its total transactions were processed via mobile—close to 55 million transactions.

Competitive advantage will not be found in maximizing “air time” on every screen, but in understanding customers’ real-life problems—and providing integrated solutions that make their lives easier and help them navigate information overload, so that they can make faster and better-informed decisions.

For example, it is interesting how IntoNow—a social TV app acquired by Yahoo! last year—does an amazing job at identifying what movie or show I am watching right now, but fails with commercials. Considering how many TV commercials now contain calls to action pointing to online content, wouldn’t it make sense for IntoNow to offer marketers a way to activate them?

Focusing on the relationship with consumers and creating solutions that seamlessly integrate across screens should become a primary method of differentiation among marketers.

The most successful marketing will engage individuals by marrying their specific interests and needs with experiences that are aware of the mobility context—and take full advantage of the unique attributes of the screen being used at the moment. B

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ARTICLE

TECHTALK

P 27

Exploring Responsive Design

Mobile and tablet usage is exploding in the United States and around the globe. In the U.S., almost 50% of all adults now own smartphones (66% for those ages 18-29).* Industry analysts predict those percentages will increase significantly over the next two years. More and more consumers are now opting to buy mobile and tablet devices instead of PCs, a fact that dramatically impacts how they interact with websites, how they research products and services, and how they purchase those products and services—both online and offline. *(Source: Pew Internet, September 2012)

By: Matt Webb, Interface Developer, and

Jake Gibbons, Interface Developer,

The1stMovement

Matt and Jake are interface developers

at The1stMovement, where they produce

creative and innovative web

interfaces for clients like Pentax and Cisco. You can find them on Twitter talking about the digital industry,

tech and other completely random topics. Matt can be followed on Twitter @creatify_me and

Jake @jayseeg.

In an effort to prepare for this massive shift from desktop-accessible only sites to a mobile majority, a new approach to design and development has arisen called responsive design (RD). RD aims to deliver an optimal user experience for different screen resolutions and devices, while using one scalable website codebase rather than separate codebases for each edition of mobile, tablet, and desktop.

For a great primer on RD, check out this article about “Future-Proof Digital” on the SoDA blog by Rachel Peters (http://societyofdigitalagencies.org/2012/05/future-proof-digital/).

While RD can provide “future-proof solutions” and comes in a variety of flavors, experts will tell you it is not a magic bullet. One brand’s RD may simply be a reflow of content from mobile to desktop sites, while more complex RD could use device-specific features like GPS for mobile, simplified content presentation in tablets, and immersive presentations of all content in a desktop form.

When poorly implemented, RD can result in a negative user experience. Common missteps include sending too much content to a mobile user, causing excessive download times, or using features not available on all devices of a certain class. Despite the potential pitfalls, a responsive design approach should be considered for all future-forward solutions.

Before ultimately deciding if it is right for your organization, ask yourself:

• Does it need to be a native app? RD cannot replace the need for a native app. If your mobile strategy calls for more device-specific functionality, then a native app would be a better solution than a responsive design approach.

After a responsive design has been

implemented, there is a great

opportunity for creating a rich ecosystem of cross-device interactions.

• Are you converting an existing site? A key tenet of responsive design is mobile first. In other words, think about your mobile users first and then expand to other devices. By converting a legacy site into a RD, you could run into performance issues because there is too much content for a mobile context.

• Will budget allow it? One common misconception is that RD costs less, but that’s only true to an extent. RD typically costs more upfront. It can, however, be significantly more efficient than building device-specific websites over the medium-term to long-term. The extra upfront cost is well worth the investment, as it can help ensure the future viability of your site over a longer period of time. It can also result in a stronger user experience, given that the constraints of a mobile-first approach force focus on the content that’s most important to your users.

When considering RD, feel confident that your users will appreciate the approach because it results in context-appropriate content. Your production teams will also be grateful that there is only one codebase and CMS to develop and maintain.

Additionally, after a RD has been implemented, there is a great opportunity for creating a rich ecosystem of cross-device interactions. For example, mobile users could check prices at a physical location against the competition, and share the location with their friends who are using a tablet.

Providing users with more touch points and compelling reasons to use them can increase engagement and customer satisfaction. B

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ARTICLE

TECHTALK

P 29

Are You Ready for the Tablet Age?

Want to know the future of digital media? Or, for that matter, media in general? You don’t need a degree in advanced engineering or computer programming. You need basic arithmetic. And here’s the simple equation that’s going to change everything: 169.7 mm > 101.5 mmBy: Sven Larsen,

CMO, Zemoga

Sven Larsen is an award-winning digital

media executive with over 20 years worth

of experience building brands and creating content for a diverse array of companies,

including Marvel Entertainment, Time

Warner, Penguin Pearson, the Financial Times, the Economist,

Cracked.com and Teshkeel Media. He’s also a hockey-loving, comic-book-reading, Apple-worshipping

communications and technology geek who is always getting excited

about what comes next. He lives with his wife

Monica in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and to date

has composed over 100 songs about their dog

Gia.

What do those numbers mean? The number of Pinterest vs Instagram users? Is it the Golden Ratio?

Well, for Mass Media watchers it very well may be. 169.7 mm is the number of iPads that Gartner expects will be sold in the calendar year 2016 (and that’s only iPads—they’re projecting the entire tablet market to be over 350 mm units). Meanwhile, Nielsen estimates the number of households across America that have traditional television sets in 2012 to be 114.7 mm. With a rate of decline of approximately 3% per year, by 2016, the number of households with TVs drops to only 101.5 mm.

Simple math dictates that we’re going to be changing the way we talk about mass market advertising in the next few years. The questions we’re going to be asking are things like:

• Is the third screen now the primary screen?• What’s the optimum run time for a video ad? (Is the 30-second spot dead?) • How can we evolve advertising to take advantage of the technological capabilities

of devices that are so much more robust than traditional televisions?• How do we measure viewership and audience engagement?

The point is simply this. We’ve moved beyond the Internet Age or the Digital Age or even the Mobile Age (which was really the Smartphone Age) to a new chapter in marketing and communications: the Tablet Age. The cultural impact of these new devices is potentially as disruptive as when the worldwide web initially launched.

Keep in mind that the iPad is still a very young technology (hard to believe that the first models were introduced in April 2010) and developers are just starting to explore the full capabilities of the device. As penetration grows deeper and wider, potential applications will only expand.

Simple math dictates that

we’re going to be changing the way

we talk about mass market

advertising in the next few years.

How will consumers use the device?

As a portable television?As a remote control for smart appliances and household systems?As a tool to create content for private networks giving rise to hyper-targeted niche marketing opportunities?All of the above plus much more?

No one knows for certain. What we do know is that anyone who doesn’t have a strategy for iOS and Android is missing a key component of their digital plan. Additionally, responsive web design, native applications, and content compatibility (e.g. HTML5) need to be primary considerations, not afterthoughts.

For those of us in the digital development space, this is a completely different conversation than what we were having two years ago.

How will the conversation in your industry be changed by this emerging trend? Are you ready for the coming of the Tablet Age? B

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SOURCES: http://bgr.com/2012/04/10/tablet-sales-to-double-in-2012/http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/reports-downloads/2011-Reports/ 2010-2011-nielsen-television-audience-report.pdf

While hardware-accelerated 3D experiments have been wowing audiences for a few years, the technologies are still in experimental stages and are not quite ready for prime-time audiences.

The two main opponents (a.k.a. options) lauded as favorites are: 1) HTML & WebGL 2) Flash & Stage3D

WebGL

With many impressive experiments and some high-profile browser specific sites such as Ro.me, backed up by libraries such as Mr Doob’s Three.js and a solid fan community, WebGL clearly offers great potential for 3D experiences.

However it’s not all rainbows and walks in the park. Browser behemoth Internet Explorer (IE) doesn’t support WebGL and Microsoft seems cautious about adding it any time soon. Hardware support is also an important factor for adoption, and while some systems do not support it, WebGL’s support is wide and expanding.

Stage3D

Ever since the beta releases of Flash Player 11, Adobe has been pushing Stage3D hard. At Resn, we put it to the test in the FWA winning experi-ganza Rhizopods and fully unleashed it on the world in Never Stop, Never Settle for Hennessy. We’ve found that with libraries such as Away3D, it is truly a brave and exciting new world.

Desktop browser support of Stage3D is growing fast, and it won’t be long until it builds critical mass adoption. Hardware support is less comprehensive than WebGL, but it is expanding with new updates from Adobe. Flash also offers a software rendering mode for those with hardware that requires set-up assistance. This mode handles some situations well, but can also result in very slow playback.

The leveraging of hardware-accelerated 3D in a web browser has resulted in the creation of some truly stunning experiences. Yet, while many users will proclaim “Wow, nice job!!!” others will gladly share “U suk. Doesn’t work.”

Matt lives in three accelerated dimensions

at the bottom of the world, New Zealand.

You should follow him and the rest of the Resn

troublemakers on Twitter: @mattbilson

@resn_has_no_i

By: Matt Bilson, Technical Director,

Resn

REVIEW

TECHTALK

P 31

3D Browser Standoff—WebGL vs. Stage 3D

Browsers are advancing

by leaps and bounds…

Desktop browser support of Stage3D is

growing fast and it won’t

be long until it builds critical

mass adoption.

In our experience, we have found it necessary to adapt the experience in order to demand less from a user’s hardware if the software mode is detected. In the end, such adaptations provide a great experience for all users but increase development time.

So where does this leave us?

Browsers are advancing by leaps and bounds. However, unless you have the luxury of ignoring IE in a project, Flash is currently the only viable option when it comes to hardware-accelerated browser 3D. For now.

With time, it’s likely the masses using IE will have their WebGL socks blown off. And hopefully, mobile support will increase at a much faster rate.

It’s still early, but WebGL is already available in Firefox and Opera on Android, and within iAds on iOS and on the Blackberry Playbook. With an open-source Android browser implementation available and little standing in the way of Apple opening up Safari on iOS to WebGL, you won’t have too long to wait.

This may give WebGL the advantage it needs to win in the “browser based 3D fun” ring. WebGL on an iPad? Yes please. B

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Section Four

Case Studies

33 Empowering Young Artists / Crayola / Big Spaceship by Nathan Adkisson, Big Spaceship

34 Dream Big / Pilsen / Encident by Claudio Lombardo, Encident

35 Picture Perfect Color / Redken / Firstborn by Kevin Arthur, Firstborn

36 Luxurious Commerce / Elie Tahari / Fluid by Stephanie Aldrete, Fluid

37 Global Symmetry / Vodafone / Great Fridays by Rob Noble, Great Fridays

39 The Digital Locker / Allstate / IQ by John Woodbridge, IQ

40 Red Quest / MTS / GRAPE by Vladilen A. Sitnikov, GRAPE

43 An Integrated Brand Experience / DC Shoes / Terralever by Jon Lewis, Terralever

45 First Online Photo Studio / Panasonic / Red Keds by Vasiliy Lebedev, Red Keds

CASESTUDIES

The SoDA Report Vol. 2-2012

P 33

Use screens to get kids offline to explore their creativity.

Bursting with over 50,000 pages of content, the Crayola website needed to catch up with its new brand positioning—from a supplier of art products to an ally for parents dedicated to championing their kids’ creativity.

Much of the site focuses on getting creative ideas into parents’ hands and encouraging them to get their kids offline. The menu puts products last, an idea finder appears on every page, teachers get class content, moms can find age-specific ideas, and analog elements were used in the pixels.

“Parents need to know that there’s something for the whole family at this site, from the youngest scribblers to the most skilled designers.”

– Common Sense Media (the nation’s leading independent nonprofit advocating for kids)

PROJECT: http://www.crayola.com

AGENCY: http://www.bigspaceship.com

Empowering Young Artists /Crayola / Big Spaceship

by Nathan Adkisson, Strategist,

Big Spaceship

CASESTUDIES

The SoDA Report Vol. 2-2012

P 34

Bridge people stories to product stories to engage young Latin American consumers.

Friendship and camaraderie are at the core of Pilsen’s brand DNA. The brewer’s messaging is dynamic and entertaining, aimed at reaching

a young and daring audience. Transposing this positioning for the digital space, Encident set out to create content that would enhance day-to-day personal connections while also engaging young Latin American consumers with the brand.

The initiative focused first and foremost on inciting

conversations among friends, but tied seamlessly to the overall Pilsen product story / brand promise.

The Montevideo-based shop developed a new interactive experience in which users could create a dynamic video engaging his or her friends in a comedic and highly personalized dream sequence. Due to its innate viral nature, the site rapidly became a success in key Latin American markets (including Uruguay and Argentina) and in little time achieved the goal of positioning Pilsen as the beer to enjoy with friends.

Half of the target audience (M/F) was reached in just 10 days. The average user created multiple videos on each visit and spent approximately six minutes on the site.

PROJECT: http://www.encident.com/clients/pilsenbf/home/

PROD CO: http://www.encident.com

Dream Big / Pilsen / Encident by Claudio Lombardo,

Managing Director, Encident

CASESTUDIES

The SoDA Report Vol. 2-2012

P 35

Use mobile to enhance the relationship between professionals and their clients.

Redken Style Station is a modern business utility, custom tailored to serve professional stylists.

The Formula Finder, the application’s main feature, allows stylists to select their clients’ current hair color followed by their desired hair color. It then calculates the exact product ratios to mix.

The app also includes a Lookbook featuring signature styles and clients’ new hairstyles. A Timer feature lets colorists keep track of processing times. The Consultation section allows colorists to document and analyze clients’ goals. The Breakroom is a social network within the app that allows the stylists and certified colorists to interact and share knowledge with their peers.

Firstborn also created a custom CMS, which allows Redken to create new color options as more product lines are released.

The Redken Style Station has changed the way stylists determine the perfect color for their clients.

PROJECT: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/style-station-by-redken/id412666979?mt=8

AGENCY: http://www.firstborn.com

Picture Perfect Color /Redken / Firstborn

by Kevin Arthur, ChiefOperatingOfficer,Firstborn

CASESTUDIES

The SoDA Report Vol. 2-2012

P 36

Develop a highly-customizable interface that conveys the textures and details so integral to a luxury apparel maker’s brand story.

When lifestyle brand Elie Tahari needed to fast-track a highly-branded e-commerce website, they turned to Fluid Inc. The challenge was to deliver a beautiful, interactive customer experience to showcase the range of Elie Tahari

clothing and accessories via a unique, highly-customizable interface that could convey the rich textures and tiny details that are integral to the brand story.

It was essential to capture the workmanship, unique detailing, and meticulous tailoring that epitomize Elie Tahari. From a technical standpoint, it had to run on top of Demandware’s SiteGenesis ecommerce

platform, and adapt flawlessly to the needs of mobile users.

Fluid transformed www.ElieTahari.com into an immersive Web experience for consumers—with efficient and streamlined ecommerce underpinnings. With the use of Fluid Experience, a dynamic imaging and interactive merchandising module, Elie Tahari offers customers a shopping experience with big, rich visual and video merchandising, which complements the story of the iconic fashion brand. Fluid provided interactive displays on product-display pages and static images across the catalog and cart pages. Homepage galleries feature shoppable lifestyle imagery that are presented near full-screen and use elegant cross-fades and navigation controls. Desktop and mobile shoppers are catered to from the same platform.

“Our partners at Fluid were instrumental in creating a new site to showcase the elaborate detail and fine workmanship that Elie Tahari is known for. We are so thrilled with the final result,” said Elie Tahari, Chairman.

PROJECT: http://www.ElieTahari.com

AGENCY: http://www.fluid.com

Luxurious Commerce /Elie Tahari / Fluid

by Stephanie Aldrete, Director of Marketing, Fluid

CASESTUDIES

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Ensure a consistent user experience and visual identity system for a major multinational brand across an ever-increasing

array of mobile devices and markets around the globe.

Ensuring a consistent user experience and visual ID is an arduous task for major multinational brands like Vodafone, the British telecom giant that operates networks in over 30 countries and has partner networks in over 40 additional countries. The company was able to ensure such consistency for a dizzying and ever-increasing array of mobile devices, drastically reducing development times in the process.

The process started with the brand’s recognition that web browsing is changing at an incredibly rapid pace. With web-enabled mobile devices now commonplace, how we browse the Internet must also evolve. A simple, one-design-fits-all strategy is no longer a viable solution.

As web-enabled devices flood the market, several requirements need consideration in order to make mobile browsing a seamless experience.

In light of current trends, designers now have to account for a variety of factors when designing for the mobile web, including varying screen sizes, device capabilities, screen orientation and differences in how users interact with particular kinds of devices.

With this in mind, telecommunications giant Vodafone came to Great Fridays looking to produce a living and breathing document that would examine the challenges and factors faced by designers creating content for the mobile web. >>>

Global Symmetry / Vodafone /Great Fridays

by Rob Noble, Founder, Great Fridays

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Great Fridays created User Experience (UE) Guidelines for Vodafone that establish design frameworks for the brand’s consumer-facing, enhanced-touch mobile experiences around the globe. The document examines factors such as the mobile web landscape and characteristics of effective “web apps,” while also offering visual frameworks and a comprehensive system of templates and guiding design principles for a variety of mobile contexts.

The goal was to illustrate how to create a positive Vodafone web experience for all mobile platforms. Prototypes were produced based on the initial guidelines, with designs going through extensive user testing across the UK and Spain.

Great Fridays worked closely with Vodafone to understand the results and evolve the guidelines further. This work forms part of an ongoing experience design ecosystem Great Fridays is undertaking with Vodafone.

UX Design Teams and Global Operating Countries are able to turn around designs for Vodafone’s mobile platforms in half the time when compared to design times prior to the creation of the UE Guidelines.

COMPANY: http://www.greatfridays.com

continued | Global Symmetry / Vodafone / Great Fridays

CASESTUDIES

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The Allstate Digital Locker guides you through the process of cataloging your home by using your phone’s capabilities to create an inventory. As you go, it stores everything safely in the cloud. A challenging task that we’ve all

set out to do at one time or another now becomes easy and reliable, courtesy of Allstate.

Extensive user experience testing revealed that people wanted a flexible, cross-platform approach to the inventory process. As a result, IQ designed a system with multiple ways to capture information, including taking a photo of a room and tagging items, entering items individually, or even Googling your property to find its value.

The Digital Locker synchronizes between iOS, Android and the desktop, ensuring that if you lose your computer or phone in a catastrophic event, you have an easy roadmap to recovery. It’s an example of a brand using technology to insert itself into consumers’ lives with a useful and helpful application.

The Digital Locker / Allstate / IQ by John Woodbridge,

Business Development Associate, IQ

Help consumers create and store an inventory of personal belongings in a cloud system that’s easily accessible

in the event of a catastrophe.

The app currently has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating in the Android market.

PROJECT: http://www.iqagency.com/work/digital-locker

AGENCY: http://www.iqagency.com

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Ignite a social frenzy in a young European audience with innovative branded entertainment and an immersive,

multi-platform consumer experience, increasing earned media and product awareness.

In order to engage an audience of young people and gain their respect, you not only have to speak their language, but you also need to experience

their reality first-hand. Social networking, mobile internet and online gaming can serve as strong vehicles for connecting with a young audience—but in the end it comes down to what you have to say, how you say it and how you invite users into the experience.

MTS, a global heavyweight in wireless telephony,

wanted to raise awareness and sales of its mobile plan Red Energy, offering unlimited options for both voice and data services. To do so, the company needed to engage its 14- to 25-year-old target audience with a unique and compelling experience.

Embracing the challenge, GRAPE created Red Quest, an innovative form of indirect marketing. The initiative hinged on the creation of a credible and compelling story that would captivate a large section of MTS’ young target audience. The Red Quest experience itself demonstrated how the mobile plan could enable connections with friends and family, and facilitate access to information in a more efficient and budget-friendly manner.

>>>

Red Quest / MTS / GRAPE by Vladilen A. Sitnikov,

Creative Director, GRAPE

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At the time, Moscow was on the brink of an environmental catastrophe. Temperatures were hitting record highs. The city was filled with thick smog from a seemingly endless string of brush fires, and an atmosphere of doom prevailed. To combat the sense of doom, Red Quest sought to give users the feeling that they could change things.

The Red Quest story was based on the legend of the Guardians, mystical beings who hold the secret to saving the Earth from ecological collapse. GRAPE invited the audience to find the Guardians and the Source of Unlimited Energy in order to bring peace back to the planet. Those taking the challenge became Seekers and made it their duty to convince the Guardians that this world was worth saving.

To aid in their quest, the MTS Red Energy mobile plan provided Seekers with unlimited calls, unlimited SMS and MMS, and unlimited mobile Internet, offering additional tips and hints available to those who switched to the plan.

While online/offline integration is an increasingly common and sometimes overused term, Red Quest pushed the boundaries of what a holistic and immersive consumer experience can achieve. Player actions in one dimension caused consequences in the other, with the mobile phone becoming an indispensable medium for each player and every team.

>>>

continued | Red Quest / MTS / GRAPE

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P 42Additional viral mechanics with customized videos led to a wave of user-generated content and helped popularize the game. Pictures, videos and discussions following the completion of Red Quest tasks flooded the Internet and spread the “Unlimited Energy” message. Members of one of the most active teams, “Ozery,” even became local celebrities and were featured in the media.

Red Quest was also integrated into a number of Russian TV programs and sitcoms, making the whole experience feel more real. GRAPE also organized a series of the “city quest games” in which thousands of young people searched their cities for signs left by the Guardians and their agents.

For just one-tenth of the cost of a regular TV campaign, Red Quest engaged enormous audiences through a complex and unique mix of online and offline media and communication channels.

• More than 3.5MM unique users visited the sites

• More than 1MM young Russians registered to participate in Red Quest

• More than 20,000 user-generated videos were created

• Red Quest became the #1 branded application on Russia’s leading social network

• 83% of MTS’ target audience was reached via the initiative

• Sales of the Red Energy mobile plan increased 20% during the campaign and the wireless carrier’s churn rate fell 15%

.

AGENCY: http:/www.grape.ru

continued | Red Quest / MTS / GRAPE

CASESTUDIES

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Increase revenue by reaching new consumers while building loyalty with an existing base of brand enthusiasts.

DC Shoes has long been synonymous with action sports. The brand approached the U.S.-based agency Terralever to help transfer the brand’s

passion and heritage in this domain to reach new cross-sections of consumers. The goal was to generate incremental revenue while continuing to build loyalty with existing fans.

DC Shoes had amassed a tremendous collection of content, but it needed to be crafted into a digital experience that would attract new consumers and encourage them to buy. Terralever worked with the

brand to create a seamless “commerce” integration strategy. First, any and all product shots or descriptions were connected. “Hotspots” were added onto key image areas, such as photos of pro skateboarder Rob Dyrdek. Fans could see Rob’s latest tricks, learn the location of the photo shoot, and how to buy the products shown.

DC Shoes’ larger-than-life brand was then translated to the online environment through daring background images, bold photography and a specialized sport navigation design. Building on DC Shoes’ already strong social ranking on Facebook and Twitter, Terralever then developed additional content channels that could flow to and from Facebook.

>>>

An Integrated Brand Experience /DC Shoes / Terralever

by Jon Lewis, Director of Marketing,

Terralever

CASESTUDIES

The SoDA Report Vol. 2-2012

P 44All of DC Shoes’ content was managed through a new Content Management System (CMS) platform that was simple to manage internally, allowing the global marketing teams to regularly communicate and share the latest in consumer insights and business performance with key company stakeholders.

The CMS was integrated with Adobe’s Omniture tool, ensuring robust and reliable analytics that aligned with the company’s key performance indicators.

Following the build of the CMS, a centralized link-shortening and tracing strategy was established using a bit.ly Pro account, enabling the creation of consistent, branded and traceable links for social sharing of DC Shoes’ content.

The strategy extended the branded content experience into new channels and provided easy, simple content management across all channels. Thus far the results have been impressive.

Standout results in the month after launch include:

• 48% increase in referrals to DCShoes.com from Facebook• 46% increase in Facebook content impressions• 43% increase in content engagement • 40-fold increase in social engagement on DCShoes.com

PROJECT: http://www.facebook.com/#!/DC.Shoes

AGENCY: http://www.terralever.com

continued | DC Shoes / Terralever

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Promote Panasonic’s Lumix camera as a tool for the creative arts, and showcase the new Lumix TZ20

camera’s unique functionality.

People feel apprehensive about choosing a camera online because it’s hard to understand the difference between various cameras without touching them.

However, demystifying the form and features of a camera in an online environment is easier than it seems. In fact, it’s quite possible to select a high-performance camera and to learn the craft of photography without leaving the comfort of your own home.

Moscow-based Red Keds decided to create an innovative online studio to do just that. Over a two-month period, visitors to the websitetouchz.ru/ could test the Lumix in a unique online environment while also honing their photography and artistic skills.

The successful campaign reached more than 130,000 unique visitors, who took over half a million photos, using 2 TB of space and generating 3,300,000 social media mentions...all without any ($0) paid media support.

PROJECT: http://case.redkeds.com/touchz/index-eng.html

AGENCY: http://www.redkeds.com

First Online Photo Studio /Panasonic / Red Keds

by Vasiliy Lebedev, Co-Founder, Creative Director,

Red Keds

SoDA serves as a voice for digital marketing professionals worldwide with a mission to advance the industry through Best Practices, Education, and Advocacy.

A Society is FoundedMiami, March 2007: 13 leading digital agency CEOs decided to meet up and have a talk about where our industry was headed. New friends were made, business problems and solutions were shared, and a society was formed. We were on a mission to advance this industry we all felt so passionate about. We made it official at SXSW in March 2008 and welcomed our founding partner, Adobe.

What SoDA isSoDA is an international association of respected digital marketing leaders and entrepreneurs with a history and a vision for the future of marketing. SoDA remains an extremely selective association of the world’s most preeminent companies with digital DNA. Membership includes 60 leading digital agencies and elite production companies with offices in 25 countries on five continents.

SoDA provides leadership, platforms, infrastructure, processes, and products to enable collaboration between members around education, best practices and advocacy. SoDA’s Peer Collaboration Group Program, launched in 2011, now includes over 400 thought leaders from member companies sharing knowledge and best practices across 13 different disciplines. Click here to see the SoDA reel.

SoDA Board of DirectorsTony Quin, IQ, Board ChairmanDaniel Conner, StruckDJ Edgerton, ZemogaRebecca Flavin, EffectiveUI Steve Glauberman, Enlighten Andrew Howlett, Rain Joe Olsen (alternate), Phenomblue

SoDA StaffChris Buettner, Director of OperationsKendyll Picard, Operations ManagerNatalie Smith, Operations Associate ManagerUfuoma Ogaga, Finance

SoDA Contact Information: communications@sodaspeaks.com http://www.sodaspeaks.com

P 46

Organizational Sponsor

Vol. 2, 2012