A Tale of Loyalty: Virtual Brand Currency Wars | SXSW 2012

Mcdonald_war

painting: Andrew Wyeth’s, Christina’s World (1948)* has been modified

Event Interactive 2012
Format Solo
Organizer Cameron Friedlander  Designkitchen [WPP]
Speakers
  1. Cameron Friedlander  Designkitchen [WPP]
Description Loyalty used to be simple, drink a soda and get rewarded for it. As brands expand their “social currencies” into a virtual Federal Reserve, based around larger partnerships, what will the future look like? Consumer loyalty is being targeted in exchange for virtual cash. From the utopic to the dystopic, we’ll take a look at alternate futures: The idealist agency perspective that each brand should have its own economy. What could go wrong? We’ll explore visions of consumers making transactions with 50+ currency options. “I’ll pay with ‘widget’ points ma’am, they’re trading well today.” Then let’s shift into brand-based personal economies, with each consumer having their own “virtual exchange.” What happens when brands go to war over your “loyalty economy?” Lastly, an economist asks what happens when everyone cashes out, flooding our gold-based standard with virtual cash? Complete devaluation of our current economy? I’m sure we’ll be fine, I’ll just drink a bitcoin and shut the %@! up.
Questions
Answered
  1. Why mobile is a catalyst for the push to virtual brand currencies?
  2. How will consumers handle all these virtual economies?
  3. What happens if each individual has their own 'exchange' for loyalty?
  4. Can our global economy survive when people are rewarded for 'virtual' tasks?
  5. What happens when you bring together gold, virtual, and digital based currencies? Baysplosions!?
Level Beginner

Intro music confirmed:

Category Branding / Marketing / Advertising
Tags Bitcoin, Economic Concerns, Loyalty

Toddlers’ Favorite Toy: The iPhone | NYTimes

A little piece put out by The New York Times the other day showcasing the accessibility of the iPhone for children, which can be extended to the Natural User Interface. The piece also looks at the guilt parents have with letting their kids play with such devices for extended periods of time. As I have said before in my reviews of iPad applications for kids; they must be accompanied by adult interaction with the child and the application, otherwise it's just useless/meaningless information with no context.

Worth the quick read.

"Apple, the iPhone’s designer and manufacturer, has built its success on machines so simple and intuitive that even technologically befuddled adults can figure out how to work them, so it makes sense that sophisticated children would follow. The most recent model is 4.5 inches tall, 2.31 inches wide and weighs 4.8 ounces: sleek, but not too small for those with developing motor skills. Tap a picture on the screen and something happens. What could be more fun?"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/fashion/17TODDLERS.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Also you can view my reviews, journals, and presentations on the topic of the natural user interface for kids here:

http://posterous.nullintovoid.com/tag/interface

TEDx | Fabian Hemmert : The shape-shifting future of the mobile phone

This short clip tries to answer the question: how do we make digital content, via the mobile phone, more graspable? Essentially to give it more meaning and context. He postulates that humans should not get more technical but that technology should be a bit more human.

Fabian looks at the 3 phone mods to make this happen:

1. Add weight - imagine if your phone tilted in the direction you needed to go on Google Maps.

2. Add dimension - if you are reading a book why not have the device grow.

3. Add a heartbeat - a device that gets excited for you.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/fabian_hemmert_the_shape_shifting_future_of_the_mobile_phone.html

 

WPP #Stream10 | Ignite | Forgivability = Learnability | a tale of discovery

I must say I had a lot of fun giving my first Ignite session (20 slides in 5 minutes) at the WPP Stream 10 conference in Athens, Greece. I first came up with this topic while doing research into learning and gestures, as well as observations of my own son on a NUI interface (Research Review | The Natural User Interface | Gestures, Forgivability, Learnability, http://posterous.nullintovoid.com/research-review-the-natural-user-interface-ge). I was asked afterwards if I had coined 'forgivability' and 'learnability' and at this moment, with some minor research, it looks like I may have.

The overall idea here, arguably, is that interfaces / interactions, both digital and analog, that encourage forgiviness are more accessible for exploration and learning.

While I start with a focus on the iPad as a reference point for those in the audience I do move out and explore products and product design as well as human relationships.

Please keep in mind that this is the beginning of a thought, that over time I hope to flesh out thoroughly as it appears to have a lot of potential and possibility.

Click here to download:
DK_forgivability_friedlander_v1_4.pdf (22.76 MB)

In summary:

interactions that are forgivable make the experience more accessible, easier to learn, and encourage discovery and growth.

This by no means is a call for universal design but rather smarter design (hence my example of training wheels vs. tyke bikes that focus on balance).

WPP Stream 2010 | Discussion | How Content Consumption Has Changed in the Last 5, 10, and 25 Years and What's Next

Time Magazine has called 2010 the year of the 80s remake. Clash of the Titans, Karate Kid, Wall Street, the A-Team and Tron all had their revenge on moviegoers this season. But, while the characters remain the same, a lot has changed in how we consume media since those franchises first appeared. Cameron Friedlander, VP of Creative Technology at Designkitchen, will host a discussion on how consumers, agencies, and technologies are impacting and being impacted by these changes.

http://stream.wpp.com/2010/08/18/1282124721911.html

http://stream.wpp.com/

Dead Technology | The Nixie Tube

I have, for awhile now, been fascinated by old technologies, often times dead, being recycled into new, functional, pieces. While there are a lot of nixie clocks out there they seem to focus solely on the nixie tube as the design (see the Chronotronix V400 as an example). This hand-crafted piece from BDDW showcases how when technology and design work in collaboration they can create something bigger than the sum their parts.

Now how can this apply to digital marketing and advertising?

http://bddw.com/furniture/clocks/nix_b.html

SXSW 2011 Interactive Panel | The Future of Digital Marketing: Content & Data

http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/5946

Organizer Cameron Friedlander, Designkitchen [WPP], Brandon Berger, MDC Partners
Description A look at how user behaviors are being changed by technology. As technology becomes more pervasive brands are able/needing to reach out directly to the end user. But only on the terms the end user allows. How do brands establish themselves as a part of the consumers lives through content? What is the role of data in the direct to brand content conversation? Since content is becoming ever more important, how is the behavioral data being taken into account? What is the role of Hollywood in this ecosystem? Do agencies need to change? Where does all of this data sit and are the creative forces using it to the best of its ability? Who owns that data? We will bring together a variety of experts to explore what the digital future may look like.
Questions
Answered
  1. How has technology changed users behaviors?
  2. What and how are brands doing to build awareness, consideration, and advocacy?
  3. What are progressive brands / agencies doing with content and data?
  4. Who owns the content?
  5. Who owns that data?
Level Intermediate
Category Branding / Marketing / Publicity
Tags branding and marketing, content strategy, data
Type Panel
Event Interactive 2011

We are looking for comments!

http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/5946

 

Talking mobile | Sears brings socially enhanced back-to-school mobile effort

“Sears is running an integrated marketing campaign that includes TV, offline and mobile elements, including viewing contest details, entering the contest and voting for friends via mobile,” said Cameron Friedlander, vice president of creative technology at Designkitchen, Chicago."

Full article below

http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/advertising/6993.html