But somehow, entering Canoe Studios, isn’t like entering any photography studio.

We gave our cappuccino and espresso orders, and met David’s daughter, who was slicing vegetables in the light-filled, pretty-enough-for-a-catalog kitchen. People were gathered around the counter and by the windows, conversing in a way you would over morning coffee in your own kitchen, or lounging on couches watching the morning news. We were there for business, but we felt instantly at home.

And that’s not an accident, according to David.

Canoe Studios, which has been part of the Starrett Lehigh Building in West Chelsea since 2008, makes its mark as one of the coolest and impressive offices we’ve ever seen. Not only are the bones of the space incredible, but the way David has instilled a culture of hospitality and comfort to bolster his brand, is nothing short of inspiring. “There’s a feeling in the space that we created here,” David says, “but like in any space, you have to create the vitality.”

We got that “feeling” right away. There was an undeniable ambience that made Canoe more than just a place of business. “The ambiance is what picks everyone up,” David says. “And you get excited. You get a kick in your step that makes you want to come to work [in a place like this]. And if you have people that want to come to work, they’re going to be more productive. And if they’re more productive, it’s going to show in the bottom line.”

When discussing brand, David agrees that trying to compete or differentiate by rate alone is a death wish for your company. It’s not about nickel-and-diming. It’s not about billing people for every minute detail. “You get friends by being friendly,” he says. “For instance, at Canoe, we don’t have customers or clients. We have guests.”

And for his guests (who in the past have ranged from Beyonce to Kanye West to Lady Gaga), David provides more than just coffee and food; he gives every guest a take away, like a candle or flowers. “You have to show people that they will be happier with you, that they’re with you because they’re getting something different. At Canoe, you’ll be happy because you’ll feel comfortable. There’s food in the kitchen. You can go sit on the deck and relax. You can go watch TV. We’re basically like a boutique hotel. That’s really what this is.”

However, to some, instilling a rule of hospitality means added cost and investment. And you begin to ask yourself, does giving someone a candle or making someone a sandwich really impact your bottom line?

David says it’s important not to pinpoint each detail and estimate its impact, but to focus on what the combination of these details means for your overall brand. “All of the little details contribute to the life force of a company. And once you start losing that life force, your company becomes the same place as anywhere else.”

And if there’s one thing we know, it’s that a key to a brand’s success being able to differentiate itself in an untapped way, or as we at CO-OP say, “finding your white space.” For David, it was taking the road less traveled and creating a comfortable, homey atmosphere in a sometimes too pretentious industry. He succeeded, but does not deny the risks he faced.

“When I first told my family the vision I had for this space, they said I was crazy; they said it wouldn’t work,“ David explained. “But you only get certain opportunities in life to excel and do something special. And you can either take advantage of those opportunities or you can pull back because you’re fearful of making mistakes.”

Thankfully, David didn’t pull back, and has instead established Canoe Studios as an upscale studio with employees that treat you like family, and a space that feels like home.

Vist Canoe Studios’ Website Here

This past month at CO-OP, we’ve been all about happying; that is, picking out the small or big moments in life that make us smile and laugh, and documenting them to share with each other. For some, it’s coming home to our families after a long day of work; for others it’s the first bite into a delicious and huge waffle.

We began to question the things that made us happy, and what exactly it was about those moments that brought us such joy. Of course, it wasn’t the things themselves that brought us happiness, but rather what they made us feel. Interestingly enough, this correlates significantly with the biology of our brain. Author Simon Sinek discusses the triune brain, and how one specific part of it, the limbic brain, is responsible for our emotive feelings that trigger things like happiness and loyalty. That same part of the brain is the visceral side, where that “gut” feeling comes from, where our decisions are made, and where sentimentality has its roots. So, the limbic part of the brain doesn’t process what something is, but rather why something is.

It’s what Sinek calls “The Golden Circle,” selling from the inside out. A natural biological mechanism that most successful brands today follow and truly believe in.

It is why a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is not just dessert, but is the cure to a heartbreak, why red cups at Starbucks aren’t just a seasonal color, but make everyone a little more giddy, and why Disney world is not just a park of roller coasters, but a world of magic.

To put it simply, smart brands that lead the why before the what, their purpose versus proof, are brands that stand out and make a real difference.. They are the brands that have the loyal “I swear by” customers who will wait in line at ungodly hours to have the next and newest iPhone first..

At the end of the day, people want to engage, feel happiness, pleasure, and positivity from products they buy and the brands they love.

See CO-OP Happying Here

This has become one of my most adored books, especially since moving into New York City. It really GETS New York, and is just an inspiring read about how interconnected our lives in this great city can all become. The characters are truly unforgettable and the writing is some of the richest I’ve come across in a while. I’d consider this  must read for any New Yorker, any city dweller, and anyone who *thinks* they have all the answers about what humans are really capable of.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“She was tired of everyone wanting to go to heaven, nobody wanting to die. The only thing worth grieving over, she said, was that sometimes there was more beauty in this life than the world could bear.”

____

“One of those out-of-the-ordinary days that made sense of the slew of ordinary days. New York had a way of doing that. Every now and then the city shook its soul out. It assailed you with an image, or a day, or a crime, or a terror, or a beauty so difficult to wrap your mind around that you had to shake your head in disbelief.

He had a theory about it. It happened, and re-happened, because it was a city uninterested in history. Strange things occurred precisely because there was no necessary regard for the past. The city lived in a sort of everyday present. It had no need to believe in itself as a London, or an Athens, or even a signifier of the New World, like a Sydney, or a Los Angeles. No, the city couldn’t care less about where it stood. He had seen a T-shirt once that said: NEW YORK FUCKIN’ CITY. As if it were the only place that ever existed and the only one that ever would.

New York kept going forward precisely because it didn’t give a good goddamn about what it had left behind. It was like the city that Lot left, and it would dissolve if it ever began looking backward over its own shoulder. Two pillars of salt. Long Island and New Jersey. ”

_____

“He didn’t like it all that much when he first came – all the rubbish and the rush – but it was growing on him, it wasn’t half bad. Coming to the city was like entering a tunnel, he said, and finding to your surprise that the light at the end didn’t matter; sometimes in fact the tunnel made the light tolerable.”

INVEST IN YOUR BRAND

As we witness market volatility on both sides of the Atlantic with more European bail- outs and the U.S. coming to grips with a historic downgraded credit rating, it’s unsettling to think what the future may hold. As a CEO, entrepreneur, or business leader, how can you prepare and protect your company so that it will withstand this kind of unpredictable turbulence? That’s the billion dollar question.

One of the key things we’ve observed is that successful companies think long-term and see the big picture. This means being smart about aligning business strategies with an overarching brand vision. This takes foresight, confidence, and belief in your product and people.

With this fundamental understanding in place, you have a solid foundation for creating enduring company value. Here are a few brands that have subscribed to this way of thinking and have outperformed the market over the past five years:

Brands that got funny

Volkswagen (VOW) +96.45%*
In a time of uber-sharable media, the web is filled with people trying to find or make the next viral, hilarious clip. Volkswagen’s laugh-out-loud campaigns and approachable identity make it a brand that not only consumers want to buy, but a part of culture that we’ve all become a part of.

Brands that got epic

Nike NKE +108.44%*
Certain brands can inspire you to a point where you feel bigger than what you are. Nike’s heroic attitude has garnered it loyal consumers who truly feel like the Nike brand can propel them to greatness, no matter what obstacles they may be facing.

Brands that got real

Apple AAPL +485.08%
To put it simply, Apple has created its own world, and we all want some real estate. From its cult-like product following to its experiential, destination stores, its brand is alive in all its forms. This is the brand to catch.

Brands that got different

McDonald’s MCD +140.97%*
It’s important for a brand to be true to itself at all times, but the ability to adapt to your consumer is just as integral to success. McDonald’s embodies a staple of our culture that still consistently evolves, to keep its consumer base smiling and hungry for what’s next.

So treat brand as an investment. Here are a few things to consider:

Create a true brand story: Think of Brand as your DNA — it’s at the core of everything your company stands for. A distinctive positioning in the marketplace (what it stands for), a unique identity that stands out (what it looks like) and a clear voice that delivers the right message (what it has to say).

Make a brand connection: Think of yourself as the consumer — to get news updates, you log on to an online newspaper more than a few times a day, you get alerts on your smart phone, and you’ve probably signed up for RSS feeds. To connect with your friends, you can go onto Facebook rather than wait for a weekend get-together. And for a job search, you’re probably on LinkedIn. If a brand has to compete for your attention in this world, it needs to engage you through multiple channels.

Give your brand value — internally and externally: Think of your brand from an internal and external perspective. Your employees can be your biggest brand ambassadors if given the opportunity. Take Pret A Manger, a UK chain offering fresh (made daily!) fast food that’s exploding globally. The company motivates its staff to live the Pret brand everyday with its customers and gives performance incentives via £50vouchers — a payment that Pret calls a “shooting star.”

Use Brand to Align Business & Marketing: Marketing is too often treated as a simple cost center. Make use of non-traditional business thinking to drive solutions that achieve business goals. Use brand to align business, communications, and marketing teams in a more integrated, seamless way that can have a big impact your bottom line.

Brand is an investment on many levels. We feel that it’s not only the true heart of a company—it’s also a living breathing force that should continually be evaluated for maximum performance. Whether you’re looking at it short or long-term, a strong brand will succeed in even the most tumultuous of markets.

*Changes in stock value were all acquired from Google Finance and represent change between the periods of August 2006-2011.

CO-OP. Why is branding important?

MJ. We live in a world of multiple choices – so lot’s of products and services competing for the same dollar. Therefore it’s key to be different and stand out for the right reasons. Smart branding does that and can have a tremendous impact on a company’s bottom line.

CO-OP. What does it mean to be a good brand?

MJ. Once the brand has been defined it’s imperative that you execute and support extremely well. The hallmark of a good brand is about long term consistency. That means managing and always investing in a brand – never letting quality slip.

CO-OP. What’s value branding from a financial perspective, performance or stock value?

MJ. It’s enormous! because at the end of the day if you have something truly different to offer you have pricing power. So good brands set the pace making the barriers of entry higher. This typically also means good brands have higher margins which in turn means a  higher multiple on your earnings. Higher margins in turn generate a higher return on invested capital and generally reduces the volatility of profits compared to lower margin peers.

CO-OP. Name some brands whose stock values have benefitted from a great brand strategy?

MJ. Branding is a balance of the functionality of the product and the emotive engagement or connection it makes. This is why brands like Apple and Coke have consistently performed well overtime in financial marketplace.

Apple has always been ahead of the technology curve with functional solutions, but it’s the creativity and design that really set’s them apart. They have consistently invested in the brand and that’s why you have people sleeping out, cueing up (cult like) for their products. They have a formidable advantage.

On the flip side the Toyota brand known for quality doomed itself by cutting corners and not staying true to the values of the company. It takes years to build a brand but you can destroy it in a second.

Another really important area is brand architecture when it comes to acquisition. Make sure the brands you want to make part of the family are the right fit and don’t contaminate what you have and jeopardize all previous investment. Point in case being Mercedes and Chrysler.

CO-OP. What brands do you personally like Martin?

MJ. I really like IKEA because of their dedication and focus on design from a business and aesthetic level. While they’re not a listed stock the value of the brand has been built on the concept of taking Swedish minimalistic design, sourcing products from all over the world to create a stylish very affordable product that’s been rolled out on the global level very successfully. It’s a remarkable brand to me.

Of course I like Apple as mentioned before and I like the VW group. From a master-brand perspective, they have done a great job of managing their sub brands individually  -  Audi, VW, Skoda and Seat – but managed to keep the individual brand values intact throughout.

Another consumer facing brand that I admire is Zara which is owned by the Spanish Inditex group which actually owns their own village. I know because I have three females in the house that their method of understanding fashion needs from local standpoint sets them apart. They are smart in that inventory control is strategically designed to accommodate trend demand which enables product availability in the right place at the right time.

CO-OP. What does it take for a brand to perform in a recession?

MJ. It’ boils down to commitment, dedication and loyalty. Management and staff who truly believe in the brand. They will take the short term financial loss without trying to compensate by cutting costs/quality. I call this a “philosophical investment.”

CO-OP. Any parting thoughts or insights you’d like to pass along?

MJ. Yes, to all those rational minded businessman out there. Make sure your business strategies are aligned with a strong brand vision. Because at the end of day, the long term  trumps  the short term by far.

The information contained herein reflects the personal views and opinions of the interviewee and not ING Investment Management or its affiliates. The individual companies mentioned are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice.

John Jay, Wieden + Kennedy

We are so inspired by John Jay’s advertising feats (if you can even call them that), which are redefining how people access current culture through the brands he works on. He is all about connecting with the world in ways that reek nothing of traditional advertising, and in fact, seamlessly mesh into the culture of his audience. His latest project, “The Grove,” is set to be an “art hostel,” targeted at a younger generation of creative minds. We can’t wait to see what else he’s got up his sleeve.

Sebastian Thrun, Google

Though the “innovative guy from Google” may seem like a cliche choice, there’s no other way to say it: Thrun is onto something. Having had two close friends die tragically in automobile accidents, Thrun sought a way to eliminate human error as a risk of driving. How? Well, make cars drive themselves. His robotic automobiles have already driven 140 km up and down the California coast, and are constantly collecting data to self-improve. This isn’t just awesome, this is the future.

Chief Almir of the Surui

If there is one thing Chief Almir won’t stand for, it’s being ignored. As Chief of the Surui in the Brazilian Amazon, he knew that reaching out to the rest of the world was the only way to stop the abuse being done to his homeland. In 2007, Chief Almir created a partnership with Google, so that he would be able to document both the damage being done to his home by loggers, as well as share aspects of his people’s culture with the rest of the world. Chief Almir used technology to battle ignorance, and to give his people the voice they’ve been waiting for.

Chris Cox, Facebook

Once upon a time, Chris Cox left a big place called Stanford for a little place called Facebook. A self-professed math nerd and sci-fi geek, he is the orb around which Facebook’s innovation revolves. Once part of the Symbolic Systems program at Stanford, he is now manager of all the Facebook engineers and designers, as well as Mark Zuckerberg’s chief of staff for product. As Cox tells Fast Company, he believes that we are in a culture where people need to lead with their imaginations, bring forth unpopular ideas, and learn through experimentation.

Visit the full list of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business 2011

Photos via Fast Company

For those not actively engaged in reading and/or following Mashable.com (you should start!), it is a leading source of all news pertaining to social and digital media, web culture, and technology. In honor of  Mashable’s Social Media Day, a day where cities around the world celebrated their enthusiasm for social media, Mashable recently held a contest with one question: Which city is the most social city in the world?

And ever so deservingly, Blair Ward, a Cincinnati dweller, fellow Bucknellian, and friend of yours truly, submitted a fantastic video showcasing Cinci’s social media savvy and, in doing so, snagged himself (and his city) the winning title! Luckily for me, he agreed to sit down with me to chat about the contest and his thoughts on where social media is, and where it’s definitely going.

S: So this obviously isn’t your first rodeo. When did social media become a part of your life, and how has it evolved since then?

B: I started using social media somewhere around 2004.  I remember I joined Facebook back when there was still a separate site for high school students (hs.facebook.com). So that was in 2004 and now it’s 2011. I mean, I guess 7 years of experience will make you pretty good at anything.  Since I started, I have always really enjoyed social media and everything it had to offer.  Through lots of playing, exploring, and self-teaching I’ve learned so much. It’s also kind of the nature of the beast; social media’s dynamism kind of promotes a lasting and evolving interest, and that’s what’s kept me current and up to date on every new service as it comes about.

S: What made you enter the Mashable competition?

B: I read Mashable on a daily basis – it’s a fantastic resource on the subject of technology and social media.  When I first saw the article calling for submissions, it didn’t immediately strike me to enter.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much Cincinnati had to offer in the area of social media.  I’ve had some experience in the past creating some interesting projects using Apple’s iMovie, and thought it’d be a fun idea to make a short clip for Mashable and the rest of the country to represent Cincinnati. It was more for fun. I never thought my video would end up as publicized as it was, which was a big surprise but obviously very exciting.

S: Obviously Cinci and social media have become very intertwined. Has social media, in a way, helped to give Cincinnati a brand/identity, even prior to the contest? Where do you see some evidence of this?

B: Cincinnati is definitely not known for being a front runner in this area – it’s a pretty common joke that Cincinnati is “behind the times.”  That’s why it’s so nice to see the city receive some well-deserved recognition for the effort that its people are putting into the area of social media.  One of the biggest areas by which Cincinnati is represented in this way is with its public figures, the most well-known example being Chad Ochocinco, wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.  Chad has done an amazing job at marketing himself as a personal brand.  Between his loud, in your face attitude, creation of, and appearance in, multiple reality television shows and obvious skill on the football field, Ochocinco has become a relatively household name.  One of the biggest ways Chad has influenced his branding is through his use of Twitter.  With over 2.2 million people reading his almost 29,000 tweets, he has become one of the biggest names in social media and has definitely helped put Cincinnati on the map.

S: On a larger scope, how do you think cities and social media are connected? Can one exist successfully without the other anymore?

B: I’ve always agreed with the notion that “you’re most alone in the cities with the highest population.”  Nowhere is there more anonymity than in a place like New York City.  However, what I think is amazing about social media is that it’s starting to change that, in two distinct ways.  First, it is connecting the individual with the city itself.  With a smartphone in your hand, you’re no longer just a single dot in the middle of a city with the whole world flying past you – you have access to the inside information of everyone else around you.  Reviews, recommendations, tips & tricks, check-ins, photos, specials and deals all in the palm of your hand and continually updating, give anyone the power to be completely in the know no matter who they are, or how much they know.

Secondly, it is connecting individuals to each other.  From sharing content like photos and videos with friends you’ve had forever all the way to meeting completely new people through common interests and ideas, social media is bringing people together and starting to really break through that wall of close proximity anonymity.  Nightlife and entertainment, public opinion, and sub communities of all kinds flourish using social media.  It’s bringing new people together and making friends even closer.

So, can a city exist without social media? I mean, sure. But it won’t thrive to its full potential. And with so many cities embracing technology and using it in every way possible to further the goals and aspirations of their community, any city not fully implementing social media will soon be left behind.

S: Can the same be said for businesses? For a social life? In other words, has social media shifted from an opportunistic tool to a necessary tool in these realms?

B: I saw a statistic the other day that over 300,000 businesses have a presence on Facebook.  The same medium described a small business owner that used social media to grow his business over 400% in just a few years.  I don’t believe the use of social media in business promotion has quite reached the point of absolutely necessary.  But the availability, ease and outstandingly high return on investment are impossible to ignore.

As for social life, I certainly wouldn’t say that it is necessary, especially within older generations who didn’t grow up and form their social life using social media.  However I would definitely say, in my experience, that within the demographic of 18-30 year olds, especially those who are in college, not having a Facebook account would be seen as very strange.

More and more often, as well, using social media (or at least having active accounts) makes it easier to participate in other online publications.  For instance, in order to register or sign up for certain sites, they allow (and some even require that) you “Connect through Facebook” or “Connect through Twitter” – essentially using your social media persona and information as the starting point of creating an account with their service.  Others, like Mashable for instance, require individuals to connect their Facebook accounts in order to leave comments on articles or posts – thereby eliminating the usually-anonymous comments and cutting down on people “trolling” by putting a name and face to their words.

S: We talked before about Cincinnati and even Chad Ochocinco as their own “brands,” and how social media has helped to define their identities. Have you seen any other evidence of social media bolstering brand identity?

B: Brands entering the arena of social media is one of the biggest new sectors of the market.  In fact, Facebook fairly recently did a complete overhaul of their “Pages” function (the service for companies, brands and celebrities that are formatted differently than normal user profiles) to give those users more complete control and feedback on their brand.  Companies are embracing these changes full force, using the available functions to make their brand more interactive and engaging to their audience.  Social media is also a great way to make people feel more in tune with a brand by showing that there is a human behind the name.  Messages on Facebook and Twitter from brands and companies that seem like they were written by a person rather than an automated computer are more welcoming and engaging to the user.  Facebook also provides detailed analytics to the brands using these pages to allow them to evaluate exactly who their message is being seen by and how those people are seeing it.  The relationship between brand and consumer has developed into a completely two-way street.  Instead of mere advertisements being thrown in the face of the consumer at every possible time, brands are engaging the consumer, interacting with them, and using the consumer to promote themselves. Social media has allowed brands to get through the “clutter” in strong and most unique ways. This area of social media is only beginning to expand and I’m very curious to see what kinds of ideas both the social media services and the companies come up with in the future.

S: Well, obviously  one way social media has expanded in a big way is into mobile devices. What are the implications of this on future social media platforms?

B: The mobile platform is absolutely one of the biggest influences in the sudden rise of social media.  The idea behind social media is to get faster and faster – people want to know what is happening right this second.  And the large majority of the time, if there’s something interesting that needs to be shared, you’re not at your computer and vice versa.  People want to be able to update their Facebook status, share photos and tweet from right where they are, and the rapid development of smartphones allows them to do that.

Nothing shows how important mobile social media is than the recent trend of implementation of social media directly into the mobile operating system.  Apple’s recent announcement of iOS 5 revealed that Twitter would be directly integrated into the operating system of the iPhone.  HTC Sense (HTC’s custom version of Google’s Android OS) integrates both Facebook and Twitter directly into the OS and your phones’ contacts (HTC Sense is just one example – social media is highly integrated into Android software across the board).

Instagram, an extremely popular photo sharing application for iPhone, is gaining on 2 million registered users and was seeing a photo upload rate of 2 -3 per second over six months ago.  More and more websites have created “mobile versions” of their site, formatted specifically for viewing and handling on mobile devices.  Facebook even has two different mobile versions of their site, depending on whether or not you are using a touch-screen phone.

As ironic as it is, the function of my phone that I use the least is the actual telephone function, by far.  I make and/or receive 1 – 2 phone calls a day, but I check, use and receive notifications from Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Foursquare, Gowalla, Get Glue, and LinkedIn throughout the day.

S: So basically no one calls you? Just kidding. But let’s get personal about your social media habits, why don’t we? What have you, personally, found to be most useful about social media?

B: The thing I’ve found most useful about social media is the ease of expression.  If you really think about it, my generation expresses themselves not as much through original creation, but through the sharing of likes and dislikes of other content.  We choose specific movie posters that express what we like and who we are, we are constantly interested in what music others listen to and careful in what we claim we listen to (being into that new hipster band first is something people want their friends to know), we post song lyrics and movie quotes with no citation and wait for those who recognize them to “like” and retweet them as an indication that they know what it is and that they like it too. Social media gives the perfect platform for us to do all of these things – to express ourselves and then find people with the same interests as us.  Social media provides a lot of different services to the user, but the ability to create a social “resume” is my favorite part of all social media has to offer.

S: Now, given these many different avenues to express ourselves, some people still only know about Facebook and maybe Twitter. Can you give us some insight on some awesome social media platforms you use that are currently flying under the radar?

B: Well, where do I start? Personally, I really enjoy the new “check-in” applications used in social media.  The location-based applications like Foursquare and Gowalla are a lot of fun and, if used properly, can help a great deal socially and financially.  For instance, a lot of times my friends and I will be walking into an area of town that has several available bar choices, but with no real plan as to which one we’re going to go to.  I’ll open Foursquare, see who’s checked in to the bars that are around and use that information to help us decide where to go.

Businesses are also starting to really embrace the use of location-based services to influence people.  Certain companies and businesses will offer promotions and deals if you “check in” to their location.  For instance, I’ve seen several bars that either waive a door cover fee, or give extended happy hour prices if you check in ahead of time.  Starbucks as another example ran a promotion where the “Mayor” of any location (a title earned by being the person who checks in to that location most frequently on Foursquare) received a discount on their drink.  These kinds of deals give people incentive to use the services, which in turn uses the consumer to promote the business and bring in new customers.

It’s hard to claim that any up and coming social media service is one that a lot of people don’t use, only because a service that’s very small still has hundreds of thousands of users.  However one of my new favorites that definitely hasn’t come close to peaking its user base is Tumblr.  In my opinion, Tumblr is a service that has found a comfortable middle ground directly between the services of Facebook and Twitter.  Tumblr is formatted in a flowing, stream-like fashion, and users choose to “follow” one another, all much like Twitter.  Unlike Twitter and more like Facebook, though, there is no size limit to the content being shared.  The included text has no character limit – and the site has built-in, specific functionality for embedding different kinds of content including photos, quotes, links, chats, audio, video and basic text.  Tumblr is definitely more about the sharing of media and content and is quickly becoming the go-to blogging service, recently surpassing WordPress in number of registered users.  It’s definitely something to keep an eye on.

[My Tumblr: http://teddyblair.tumblr.com]

As an additional side note, Google just recently released their new social media platform, Google+.  While it is still in its testing phase, and public access has not been granted, I have been reading some very good reviews from those who have had a chance to experience it.  While I haven’t had a chance to explore it myself, and the real test will be once access to the service is opened to the public at large, it’s definitely something to look out for as an up and coming, Facebook-competing service.

S: A lot of people would find all of the technology you just mentioned to be a little scary (see: my parents), so how would you encourage someone who isn’t adept at social media or even computers to begin using it? What would they gain from it?

B: One of the biggest difficulties that new social media services face is the obvious vicious circle: these services are only interesting and worth something if other people are using them, and people only want to use them if they are interesting and worth something.  It’s the classic chicken and egg concept for gaining new members.  When I signed up for Twitter, I had no idea what it was.  A friend of mine was trying to explain it to me, “You just kind of give updates on stuff – I mostly just use it to update my Facebook status.” That last comment addressing the sentiment that updating your status via mobile was something that wasn’t immediately easy available.  I used the service for over a year before I really started to see a tipping point in my friends joining.  And now more recently, I think most of my social circle updates and communicates via Twitter more frequently than Facebook.

It’s hard to get someone to try social media if they just don’t want to.  I try to encourage people by showing them how easy it is to keep in touch, communicate, share content, and learn.  It takes them actually experiencing the service and, most importantly, having someone interact with them via the service to really get them to stick.  Even today, I have friends who have signed up for Twitter, sent a tweet or two and then never checked it again, claiming they “don’t get it.”

S: Along those lines, what do you think is a big misconception that people have about social media?

B: One of the biggest misconceptions people have about social media is that the only people using it are anti-social “nerds” who don’t know how to communicate in the “real world.”  Quite frankly, this notion is completely false.  In fact, recently there have been several studies that have specifically shown that people who are more connected and more social online are also very much more social offline.  To put it simply, people who utilize social media have more friends, colleagues, etc.  Despite the running public joke to the contrary, it seems like pretty obvious logic.  Social media allows people to stay in touch more easily, communicate with more people more quickly – it’s the perfect medium for making new friends and keeping old ones closer.

S: Do you see a specific area of social media that is screaming for further development? Is something missing somewhere?

B: A lot of social media is what the user makes of it.  It’s hard to say what could be improved in the services, because there’s no way to keep the variable of the user as a constant.  There is already unlimited potential for people, places and businesses to use social media for promotion, exploration, discovery and communication. If I could pinpoint something missing, implementing that missing element would create a new platform of use.  There’s a give and a take with a lot of the features of social media platforms as well – it’d be hard to find something that has it all.  People wanted something like Myspace to be for formal, formatted and user friendly, and Facebook took over, but lost some of the “openness”.  Then people wanted speed and up-to-date, quick information and Twitter became heavily popular, but there was a lost in some of the ability to host content and the idea of a formal user “profile.”  Now Tumblr, as I mentioned, is attempting to fall within the gap in the middle of those two, but still has limitations on both sides.  These qualities aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, but there is definitely an obvious need to lose some of the functionality of element A in order to gain in functionality of element B.  It’s then up to the user to decide where they want to fall, or how to use them all together, to represent themselves through social media.

S: Along the lines of what’s missing, do you have any ideas of your own that you’d like to implement as a social media platform?

B: I wish! But I really don’t.  A lot of times as I am using a particular service, I come up with small ideas on how I think they might improve.  Even more often I have critiques of how different clients handle the services (i.e. apps created specifically for using Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, etc.) could improve.  However, I don’t really have an idea for a new service.  If I did, I would already be working on getting it started.  It’s the people with the original idea that reap the real benefits.  There’s no telling when the new hot service will hit the market.

S: Well I’m sure if you did, you wouldn’t be sharing it in an interview anyway. But looking at the future, is this something you want to continue being engaged in recreationally and/or professionally?

B: Social media is absolutely something I will be involved in for the rest of my life, especially recreationally.  I think it’s only starting to expand and as we grow older, it’s going to become better and better, with new uses and ways for us to communicate and improve our lives.  Not to mention, I just think it’s all pretty cool and would be involved for pure entertainment and enjoyment if nothing else.

Right now I am in law school, with an expected graduation of 2013.  While I don’t have a specific area of law determined yet, it’s quite obvious to me that social media is doing nothing but expanding.  And as more and more companies enter the arena with new and different mediums of communication, things are only going to move faster.  One of the biggest flaws of our legal system, which I have no ideas on how to correct, is its difficulty in keeping up with new technologies.  The law is always behind when it comes to technology and social media.  And it’s for this reason, because there’s really no precedent to base anything on, that lawyers sometimes get scared when dealing with new social media related endeavors.  For a company to be able to hire an attorney that not only understands the law as it is written, but also understands the social media product that they are working with well enough to apply those laws to it properly, will be an invaluable asset and give that company an outstanding advantage moving forward.  If my career took me in a direction where I could combine my experience and interest in social media with practicing law, and be that coveted asset, I would be all for it!

Watch Blair’s winning video on Social Savvy Cinci HERE and follow Blair on Twitter @TeddyJuris for even more gems of social media knowledge.

Unless you were hiding under a rock, you’ve probably seen the commercial entitled “The Force,” for Volkswagen’s 2012 Passat, featuring a little boy who thinks he has the powers of Darth Vader. If you haven’t seen it, it’s adorable and worth a watch below:

Click here to view this video.

But how quickly can one of the most memorable, award-winning commercials of the year be turned on its head? Just ask the folks at Greenpeace. Apparently, there has been some dissent among VW and Greenpeace, who has implored the car company to cut back on its CO2 emissions. Upon their refusal, Greenpeace teamed up with an anonymous advertising agency to create this clever response:

Click here to view this video.

The advertising industry sometimes leaves a bad taste in peoples’ mouths, often influencing people to buy products that are neither good for them nor the environment. But every once in a while, an ad like this is used to expose something bad and to promote something better-for us, and for our planet. Could this commercial be a launch pad for other equally effective “spoofs”? If so, the landscape and strategies of the top-gun advertising agencies with controversial clients could be altered significantly, could they not? What do you think?

Visit The New York Times to read an interview with Karl Gerth

We were lucky enough this past Thursday to have Scott Greenberg from thisMoment, present to us on what thisMoment does, and what it means for the future of social media integration.

thisMoment introduces something called a Distributed Engagement Channel (DEC), which unites disparate social media environments  under one “cutting edge” content presentation, with real time inputs and updates. Sounds pretty complicated, right? Well, look at this way: imagine if you could interact with Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, and a company’s content website all without navigating through different URL’s. Ah, all of the sudden this is starting to sound pretty simple. And awesome.

thisMoment capitalized on the limited nature of Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube’s platforms (no offense, guys). On such platforms, you have the freedom to share a variety of thoughts, pictures, videos, etc. but you are restricted to the confines of that specific website. By using a DEC, which can be inputted into any site that allows it (certain sites don’t allow it yet, but should soon), you can create a custom way to unite all aspects of a brand’s social media efforts.

In a nutshell, Scott had me at Harry Potter. If you’re like me, you’ve visited Harry Potter’s Youtube Channel to watch The Deathly Hallows Part 2 Trailer upwards of 100 times…this week. And most of you have probably never realized that the reason why it is so interactive is because of the work that thisMoment specializes in. You can watch the real time updates of Facebook and Twitter comments, input your own, and watch the trailer simultaneously. There’s also areas where you can purchase part 1 of The Deathly Hallows and enter a contest to win a trip to London for the premiere (please don’t enter; it will help my odds). The same goes for the Pirates of the Caribbean Channel, and several others.

thisMoment also worked with Disney to create the “Let The Memories Begin” website, where users can upload their own videos and photos of their disney experiences, which Disney then projects to the masses. It’s just another way thisMoment allows the users of the sites and the consumers of the product to interact with the brand in ways that the majority of web platforms don’t.

Visit thisMoment and check out the other Cool Shit they’ve done!

Images via Youtube.com & Disney.com