Coca-Cola and content strategy's watershed moment

Almost 14 years ago I joined a San Fransisco based Web shop called Ikonic Interactive.  It was 1998, but the agency was ahead of its time. I learned a lot about digital during my time there, but most importantly I learned about Content Strategy.

Content Strategy.  

While I had never heard that phrase before--even though I had a journalism degree and had worked at a number of offline and online publications--I knew instantly what it was. You see, content in the digital space is different.  It's not typical "creative" content because it goes beyond the tagline and the 30-second spot. It also isn't typical editorial content, as there is often a marketing bent to it.  Yet it isn't brochureware either, it is more grounded, more genuine. In addition, content in the digital space behaves differently--it can be dynamically delivered, tagged, searched and reused.  It is separate from form, and it is alive.

There's an active and growing content strategy community, but for the most part, content is still a hard sell.  That's why, when I read what Coca-Cola is doing with its Content 2020 initiative, I couldn't help but get excited.

The direction is the brainchild of Jonathan Mildenhall, Coca-Cola's VP Global Advertising Strategy and Creative Excellence. According to Mildenhall, to engage consumers and own a share of the cultural conversation, one must create content  with true editorial value that provokes conversations. That may seem simple, but after 40 years of advertising culture, and an odd obsession with the likes of Don Draper, it's a major shift. 

Mildenhall goes on. Content must provide value and significance. It must tell stories but also be measurable. It must be liquid and sharable across devices. At a high level this may not sound new, but the details of the approach are what make it special.

It's true that other companies have used content in engaging ways in the digital space, but Mildenhall embraces content in a new way. He isn't trying to desperately recreate the 30-second spot but rather move beyond it.   And that is what is so awesome about his plan.

The following videos explain these concepts eloquently.  I encourage you to watch them.  Viva la content strategy!

Why thinking big is so hard in the digital space and why we can't give up

I've been thinking a lot lately about thinking big.  


It's not easy, at least not for most of us, for it requires an abundance of confidence coupled with the tenacity to work though, or at least sit with, uncertainty.


What's made me think about thinking big is an especially exciting project that I've had the opportunity to work on recently with a great team of digital pro's. But we're at that point where it's just frustrating and tough and we all kinda want to give up or give in to a good, but not great, idea.  


Part of what is so challenging is the digital space, meaning that we are ever so aware of  an actual person, that's not us, who will be involved in the experience. Unlike traditional media, interactive can't be pushed on people.  It's not a 10-second spot that someone sits through because they're too lazy to get off the couch. They choose to interact and to get involved ... or to walk away.  


About five years ago I was working on the redesign of a Fortune 10 site.  We developed what we thought was an excellent design.  But when we went into usability, it confused the users.  We watched every single user get frustrated with the experience.  It was so consistent that we had to rethink our entire design. One only needs to sit through a usability study like that once to truly understand that, in the digital space, you are accountable to your user.


And that's great.  It's how it should be.  But it can also be debilitating. It can make you think maybe a bit too much about every single pixel on a page. 


What the team is up against in the current project is trying to convey a great deal of information in a different type of digital medium (I wish I could say more but I can't). Do we develop a contextual storytelling experience or an experience that is less linear and based more in discovery?  Do we use time as a navigational element to provide context or does that make finding information too cumbersome? These are just a few of the questions we are asking ourselves, or shall I say, spinning out on.


So today we are taking a step back and giving ourselves a little room to think bigger. It's very easy to get into the weeds when designing for interaction but sometimes one can focus too much on one leaf on one branch on one tree ... and lose site of the glorious forest. 


It would be really easy to quit right now as we have a number of solid designs done. But we're missing the big one, the one that will make the user go "aahhhh." If we quit now we would not only fail our client but we would fail ourselves.  


So we're keeping at it.
If you have any ideas on how to think big in the digital space please let us know.  We would be delighted to hear from you.

How to hold the bestest brainstorm ever

As part of my job I hold lots of brainstorms. They're an essential part of the strategic and creative process, as they get a diverse group of people thinking about the same topic in a small space. This inevitably leads to a good cross section of ideas and ultimately sparks new ones.

I believe there's more to holding a brainstorm than simply sending an invite. Here's a seven-step process for holding your "bestest" brainstorm ever.

1. Invite the right people
Your brainstorm is only as good as its attendees.  Make sure you have the right people in the room, and make sure you have a diverse group as well.  Participants should either be subject matter experts in some way (topic, client or technology), or could even be the intended target.

2. Define a purposeWhy are you holding this brainstorm? What are the client's goals? Is it to develop a marketing approach, a social strategy, a creative direction? With limited time it's essential that everyone understands the purpose up front.

3. Provide background
Spending the first 15 to 20 minutes of a brainstorm briefing everyone on the project's background sets the brainstorm up for success. Typically, that includes running the team through a short deck or brief that provides insights into to the the target user, the marketplace (trends, competitors, etc.) and any other key findings. A framework to brainstorm around is also important, as it provides structure for your participants to work within. For example, a "day in the life" in which participants can brainstorm how a user might interact with a brand throughout a typical day.

4. Embrace sticky pads
I'm a big fan of balancing individual contributions with the group's thoughts and I think sticky's are a good way to do this. Typically, I will ask everyone to spend a few minutes writing down their ideas (one per sticky note) and then get them up on the wall so that everyone can look at all of the ideas together. I like having people "cluster" ideas together so it's easy to walk through the ideas at a higher level as a group. In reviewing ideas, be sure to document any new ones that come up.

5. Boil it down
The first round of brainstorming is often a throw away. That's not to say there won't be some good stuff. There may be and I would suggest pulling out a few of the best ideas and prioritizing those. Overall, though, the first round is just your starting point.

6. Pushing for the good stuff
More often than not, the really good ideas come after everyone gets their initial thoughts out. Ironically, this is also the time when people feel like they are all out of good ideas. Push them! That may mean letting the group sit, staring into space, or with pen in hand not sure what else to write. People will most likely get antsy or may even want to leave. Wait it out and be sure to schedule enough time (90-120 minutes) for the session so that you can get past this point.

7. Define next steps
If you have the time I would suggest grouping participants in two's or three's and having them take a few ideas and come back a day or two later with additional thoughts. Following up is key or else you may lose momentum.

That's my approach to a good brainstorm.  Do you have additional ideas? I'd love to hear them!

Mobile is the new cigarette

I’ve long held a theory that the mobile phone is the new cigarette.

I mean, think about it.  Other than the harmful effects to one’s health and the horrible smell, cigarettes could be considered a useful too.  They provide something to do when a person is bored, or needs a break, or fels uncomfortable in a situation and needed something to do. They also provide an excuse to strike up a conversation with a fellow smoker.

That is so often how we use mobile phones. They are a remedy for boredom, stress, awkwardness and loneliness. They are perfect for waiting in line, looking busy at a party where you don’t know anyone or taking a mental break from whatever you are doing.  And they’re even better than smoking because no one knows what you are doing on your phone—you could be checking an important email or you could be playing Angry Birds, who’s to say?

From a brand and marketing standpoint, mobile provides a wonderful opportunity in this way because the goal, when looked at from this standpoint, is to provide someone with a welcome distraction. 

We know that successful apps (and sites) tend to be useful or entertaining.  But they are also often simple.  It’s a different way to think about mobile.  What if you didn’t need to cram every piece of our company’s website into a handheld device, but rather all you needed to do was engage someone on the simplest of terms?  What if you could give them something to help entertain them just for a moment, or feel less alone?

Mobile isn’t easy by any means but when we approach it from this standpoint the challenge may be a bit less daunting.  So how will you provide your users with a welcome distraction?  It’s something to think about.

Why I haven't blogged in 100 days

I'm working on a new post, coming soon. In the meantime, meet Nicholas.

Forrester's Q&Agency Blog, featuring POP!

I am delighted to let you know that Vidya Drego, Senior Analyst at Forrester Research, has featured POP in it's Q&Agency blog.  As you know I am a huge fan of Forrester, so it was truly an honor to represent POP in this interview.  You can read the entire interview here.

Newsflash: Gaming is no longer just for white guys

I’ve been working in technology for 16 years, and I’m often the only female in the room.  I’ve learned a lot from my male colleagues, but I find that every once in a while, they, like the rest of us, are guilty of seeing things only from their point of view.

Take the lastest (October) issue of WIRED magazine. On page 104 there is a short piece called “Zyngaphobia,” which cites a few opinions from game designers, mostly about how Zynga’s games are a threat to gaming.

With all due respect to the accomplished and experienced designers quoted in the article, I would like to point out that, at least in my humble opinion, the piece in sexist.

Here’s why:

Chris Hecker points out that while playing Counter-Strike and Frisbee are fun activities in and of themselves, playing Zynga focuses on the “junkie behavior” of getting “more stuff.”  But who considers Counter-Strike fun?  Not me. What is considered traditional gaming is boring to most women I know.   As for getting more stuff, my favorite sport is shopping--not shooting. 

Chris Randall talks about how Zynga forces game designers to break basic game play to monetize the game. The thing is, these games are free to play.  They also have a different business model.  Micro-purchases as part of game play are how they do that.  But unlike their traditional counterparts, users don’t need to buy a gaming console (something I personally would never do) or purchase a game. 

Daniel James talks about Zynga games from the standpoint of being introduced to gaming from interactions such as clicking and spamming friends.  I’m not a fan of spamming friends, mind you, and you don’t need to do that to play these games. But this is a different game audience. The casual gamer may be fine with clicking.

Which brings me to Jesse Schell who warns against the growth budget of low budget games.  Again, these games are reaching an audience who would never in their lives pick up a first person shooter game.  The fastest growing gaming segment is 48-year-old women, 83 percent of which play on Facebook and cite “fun and excitement” as the reason for playing. This is not competitive growth but new growth.

Technology in this country is most often adopted earliest by white males.  That’s fine—but that doesn’t mean that the established behavior of a technology is the only acceptable behavior.  New audiences may have new relationships with technology, and that’s a good thing. 

And being a user-centric designer means keeping your user in mind and designing for them—not you.