FRANKthoughts

We are moving on the 25th and 26th of September to our great new office just around the corner.

Our new address will be:
28 St Edmonds Rd
Prahran VIC 3181

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All our contact details will remain the same.

We’ve lost our balcony but picked up four!

Ok so this is it….the thing about the digital gold rush is that you don’t have to be ensconced in the West Coast of the USA to prospect for golden nuggets. As aficionados of Deadwood will understand we’re all fucking, fighting and swearing in the mud at the moment.

We are in a formative era where the barrier to succeeding is nothing about economies of scale rather all about smart thinking coupled with the ‘appetite’ for digital-exploration. 

Admittedly there is more collective digital-energy in places, like San Francisco, in the guise of talent, $$$$$’s and companies who are willing to get stuck in on a large scale compared to Australia, but there is also this larger ‘appetite for risk.’

How often do we bemoan the chance to think beyond 6-12 months? This is an irrelevant digital time frame, in the scheme of things, as the rate of change and return accelerates. Here’s a segment…”An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological change is exponential, contrary to the common-sense “intuitive linear” view. So we won’t experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century — it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today’s rate).”

Tamir Levin captures the potential so beautifully on his site digital seed …an important read.

Let’s deal with the mud whilst we have to, but i say seize the day.

The Bill & Jerry thing is a bit weird. It is certainly not what we thought it will be - which is a good thing. We are so used to “shove it up your throat” ads that we don’t know what to think when someone, instead of shouting “buy my keyboard”, is giving us free entertainment.

When Seinfeld started most of us didn’t get it. People asked “Why would you watch a show about nothing?” and thought that “this guy Seinfeld isn’t funny”. A few episodes later, when you get used to the humor, the characters and the nothingness, you realised you actually enjoy it.It became funny.

Here is the thing. I enjoyed watching the last episode. oops, is it an episode? I thought this should be an ad. There’s lies the beauty. This is not a regular ad. It isn’t what we used to get. Microsoft is breaking new ground. (I don’t get why Adrants actually want this to sell them stuff? do we actually like ads???) With a 300,000 million budget Microsoft dont need to try and sell me stuff. They just need to warm me up to the brand. What do you think?

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APN are just about to complete construction on a new digital screen in Melbourne’s CBD. It is the largest of its kind in Australia and will be located on top of the historic Young & Jackson building on the Cnr Swanston & Flinders Street. A site previously occupied by Channel Seven’s LED sign.

Due to restrictions enforced by government bodies, they were required to create something that was aesthetically pleasing to it’s surroundings. This amused me, when you consider the eyesore located opposite known as Federation square. Having said this, I think APN have come up with a design that works really well and will enhance the site rather than detract from it.

There will be up to 8 advertiser’s sharing the space at any one time over a 4 week period, with a long term option available. Advertisers will be clearly visible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The first indication of rate is extremely competitive, considering it’s landmark location. I have no doubt that advertisers looking for a presence within Melbourne’s CBD area will quickly jump on board.

Next week I’ve been invited to run my user centric workshop (2001 views) at the Marketing2.0 and beyond conference in Sydney. It’s the second time I’m running this workshop so I have a few new things to talk about. Should be interesting. If you’re in the area twitt to say hello and maybe we can catch up for a drink. (Thanks to woordenaar for the great photo under creative commons)

Apparently web start ups are sooo hot right now, Hollywood actors are making a career move and taking over (thanks Dave). One of these actors is Ashton Kutcher with his “interactive video site” Blahgirls.com. I couldn’t really see how this site is an “interactive video site” and not a celebrity gossip blog with a social community element for 12 year old girls. Isn’t the entire web “interactive”? and the fact you have 2 videos on a page doesn’t make the entire site a “video site”. Moving on, the content is exactly what every LA girl needs, celebrating shallowness with sex references and pimp language . Learning from Ashton, the coolest thing you can call a tween girl is “whore”. I presume that “slut” and “bitch” will follow soon, maybe with some head job instructions. Ok, I’m trying not to be old and prudish but blahgirls smells like the “Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset” Paris Hilton SouthPark episode. Thanks Kutcher for making this episode a reality.

 Being in Melbourne, the Capital of Coffee, we pay homage to the Vietnamese Weasel. Weasel coffee has been eaten and regurgitated by the rare Vietnamese weasel. The weasels’ gastric goings-on radically alter the taste of the coffee and the result is a stronger, smoother, heady flavoured coffee that will appeal to serious connoisseurs of the mighty bean. Once ‘evacuated’ by the bean-loving fur balls, the coffee is collected by eagle-eyed villagers, who then market the stuff directly to the manufacturers. Wiki does its job and provides that shot you’re after… freshly regurgitated beansYou’d think that with this incredible collective endeavour that it deserves much better treatment than this. A bag of weasel coffee to the first person who can correctly identify the logos we’ve used to spell brandwars.

OK, now it’s a match. With a budget of 300 million dollars it looks like Microsoft is ready to fight back, putting 10mill on comic heavy weight Jerry Seinfeld. Here’s the first ad from Crispin Porder + Bogusky who won the account a few months back.

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

That’s right. Nobody is selling nothing yet. It’s only the first round. Microsoft is flexing it’s muscles, making some noise and getting the body language right. Let’s wait for second round and see if Bill & Jerry got some punch.

Gary Vaynerchuk has a long history with webtv. His winelibrary.tv got him into shows like Conan O’brien and Nightline. He was mentioned in USA today but still thinks there is a massive gap between what can be done online and the mainstream take up. Watch his reaction here. If you’re a brand manager please take notice. Brands will have their own channels online. Some will have their own content team.  Some will find other solutions. But every single brand will have to go there sooner or later. Here’s how TubeMogul is thinking about the future linking brands and content creators: TubeMogul marketplace.

According to Joan Warner, CEO of Commercial Radio Australia the answer is yes, and it will be here sooner than you might think.

Digital Radio  (DR) is due to roll out in all 5 metro markets in Jan/Feb 2009. Yesterday morning I was amongst 30 industry professionals who got to hear it first hand. In just over the course of an hour, we were taken through how it will work and what it means for both the consumer and the advertiser.  As a consumer, I am very excited! No longer will I be subjected to the static interference that corrupts my ears every morning, as I try and listen to my favourite FM breakfast show while on the train into work.  One of the main advantages to DR will be the strong interference-free signal, especially within built up areas. AM listeners in particular, will be jumping for joy with news of this.  Not only will the sound quality surpass current standards, but it will open up more choices for listeners with extra channels and new digital features. New technology means we will have screens to display dynamic text, images, data & multimedia channels.

For Advertisers, radio will no longer be just an audio touch point. DR introduces a visual element to complement the offering. From product shots to animated logos, contact details and even down-loadable electronic coupons for redeemable promotions. Phones will have the fastest capability to embrace digital radio and for many features will be the most practical hardware (electronic coupons for example) Despite these features you will not be able to display moving pictures; don’t get digital radio confused with Mobile TV.

Although a free service to consumers, an initial investment in a digital receiver will be required. Despite the onslaught of negative press out there I believe that DR will win the consumer over in the end, even if it takes 10 years. Remember Digital TV didn’t happen over night.