Digital Hive

Da Wiki Moves to Paper

     For the first time, a printed collection of Wikipedia articles is being produced in Germany by a major publisher, Bertelsmann.  The book, The One-Volume Wikipedia Encyclopedia, will go on sale in September for 19.95 euros (nearly $32), in an unusual experiment in reverse publishing. Bertelsmann sees this use of Wikipedia as a way of capturing the nation’s zeitgeist: “we think of it as an encyclopedic yearbook,” Dr. Varnhorn, the editor in charge of Bertelsmann’s reference works stated. 

     The German-language Web site has more than 750,000 separate articles, while the printed volume will have only about 25,000 (with 1,000 or so photographs).  Additionally, they will fit this into about 1,000 pages so each entry will consist of a brief summary of about 15 lines.  Of course, the published version will lack many of the advantages of the website (such as the ability to go from topic to topic via hyperlink rather than the old fashioned thumb).  But it may well serve as an artifact of sort since “most of the key words [in Wikipedia] are related to current discussions [such as] a successful TV show or new electronic products — all key words you normally don’t find in a traditional encyclopedia.”

      This publishing experiment will consist of a 20,000-copy initial press run that Bertelsmann believes will do well due to Germany’s strong encyclopedic culture as well as its ability to attract young people.   Also to its credit is the reputation of the German site as the most accurate and carefully examined of the large Wikipedia sites. Bertelsmann agreed to pay one euro per copy sold for use of the Wikipedia name, which will help support the site’s operation.  But they claim: “It is not about the money. It is a very good example of the power of free knowledge, so anyone is free to use the content and do interesting things with it. It’s a nice experiment to see if the Wikipedia content is good enough to sell books.”

Dean Whitney on Social Media - check it out

Check out this Omnisia presentation of Dean Whitney's social media deck (presented at Bentley a few weeks ago). A great primer on what's up today with social media and how brands can be leveraging.....

Let's hear it for happy

Snaps to Three Minds for a posting on a fun new online game from Uniqlo. Three Minds commends its UI and technique (I love this too, plus Uniqlo's products and general sunny attitude toward life) but what I really loved was the music. I left it on in a browser for like a half hour after I concluded my business at the site.

I also just caught Jet Blue's latest campaign (from JWT New York) which basically is all about making flying happy again. The TV spot opens the site experience (I first experienced the campaign on TV) and there's an explanation of the category-redefining campaign logic as well as quiz to see if you're a jetter. I like how the RTBs are woven into the storyline in a fun, experiential way.

But what I most love about both these campaigns is their exuberance and embrace of a sunny point of view. The energy (certainly fueled by the music, but also by visuals in the JetBlue example) is infectious and involving. I could feel my mood lifting as a result of experiencing the work. This is good.

Let's hear it for happy, and remind ourselves that sometimes the best thing a brand can do for a consumer is put a little spring in his step.

Spreading random happiness - what a refreshing idea

Thanks to Cool Hunting for the tip about a groovy new site experience called You Look Great Today.

It's an incredibly simple concept: use one of the "thumbs up" visuals available on the site (see photo) to turn a run of the mill photo opp of someone into an endorsement of their hair, eyes, or overall attitude and appearance. Post the photo to the site to get others' opinions, and vote on their submissions. Digg/Facebook what you like, etc. (there's a full range of the usual content distribution options).

The creator of this concept is The Happy Corp; I can't exactly tell what The Happy Corp is (where is easier, Broome Street in NYC), but here's what they say they do: "Improving gross national happiness through the invention, management, and maintenance of progressive brands and ideas." (note to self: what a great positioning for an agency)

Happy Corp says YLGT is "dedicated to finding and capturing greatness in the wild." But what I found most interesting about this concept is the random positiveness of it:

Observe greatness. We often forget to tell our friends how bright they shine, let alone total strangers. Bedroom eyes, perfect smiles, clean hair, and sweet outfits. Together we decide what looks good. Who looks great today?

The un-self conscious positive energy of this idea really makes me smile. It strikes the right balance between sweetness and simplicity. It's not too too cloying (is the pepto pink too much?), neither is it too involving for either subject or submitter. A simple way to bring some positive energy into your life and others'.

Customer experiences that give people a stimulus (an excuse?) to spread positive energy around are (in my humble opinion) all too rare and particularly relevant in today's times of Wall Street meltdown, subprime mortgage hangover, Iraq debacle, falling dollar, etc. HELLO PEOPLE, time for a little positive energy. Would be a great idea for a brand to co-opt. (Kodak?)

Will be interesting to see how much traffic the concept generates.

Go out there and spread some happy, people!

Two Sites: Tons of Engagement

The fine folks at the California Milk Processor Board (with the help of Goodby Silverstein) are still making me laugh two weeks after a friend sent the link to WhiteGoldisWhiteGold.

The site is gorgeous and deep and funny, and in this super-social, 2.0, fully shareable world - the site has a ton of content ready to share, blog and download. I found it easy to get sucked in by the pseudo-cheesy (okay, cheesy cheesy) band rockumentary vH1 "Where are they now?" feeling. And I'm still exploring the site a video at a time.

You can find White Gold on MySpace, FaceBook and their own YouTube channel. (BTW, what's with the lack of spaces in all those names?) You can "download the album" and after you visit every corner of the site, download the special White Gold remixes. I'm not sure if it is selling any milk, but I notice my cereal in drowning in a sea of white gold instead of its former yogurt. Check out One Gallon Axe, most definitely chill.

TIME WASTING WORTHINESS RANK: 4 out of 4 cats

Putting the Un in Fun

The other thing that wasted a huge amount of time this week provided me with a terrific amount of research into this topic is the Tostitos Nolaf.org site. The site was created by Element 79 with help from Mekanism SF, and it goes to my sweet spot of dark, snarktastic humor. It is a home run for me by virtue of the truly stunning, brilliant and absolutely unhinged improvisation of actor Scott Parkin. Mr. Parkin's performance is so good that I will never be able to attend another orientation or training seminar without falling out of my chair laughing (before a word is spoken.) There should be a new category of awards invented for Mr. Parkin's electrifying performance.

I imagine this is going to move some chips because the link has been emailed or twittered to me a dozen times over the last week. And anyone who shows up to a meeting with a pout on is getting the link from me.

TIME WASTING WORTHINESS RANK: 4 out of 4 cats

Scott Parkin receives the Golden Magno award for genius improvisation.

Interesting LG viral/branded content campaign-WSJ

Check out this great WSJ article about an LG viral/branded content campaign.

LG created a faux "show" called Scarlet starring an action star like character.

Very interesting stuff......

Download wsj_article.pdf

David Kenny at the ARF

Check out these great videos of David Kenny's recent speech at the ARF: http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1519094847  http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1519113334

Brand as souvenir of experience - CNN

I had to share this amazing post from 3 Minds. The idea in a nutshell: you can get a T-shirt of a CNN headline on CNN.com. It's not T-shirts made to order, it's a choice among pre-determined options. But the options are pretty cool. These are just the first 3, and I'd happily sport any of them in Boston's uber-trendy South End:

- Pelosi says 'no' to combined ticket
- Sinkhole gulps entire lane of highway
- Church steeple is cell tower goldmine

I was particularly interested in the potential brand story behind this idea. What I think is happening here is CNN is giving readers a "souvenir" of their CNN news-engagement experience. A free gift with purchase, if you will (actually it's without purchase, since CNN.com is free, also, I think you have to buy the shirts; but you know what I mean).

What other souvenirs of experience can we give an online user, I wonder - you can print out a story, email it to a friend (like a postcard from a tourist destination), digg it, rate or comment on it, download a photo from it. The T-shirt thing is nice because it's different from these other "souvenirs" plus it's very tangible (even though you have to purchase it), maybe even a tad old-fashioned and human. Everyone can use a T-shirt (and smile at a funny one), even if they're not literate with the worldwide interwebs.

The brand is also (perhaps unconsciously?) interjecting a little humor (hello, those lines are funny, right?) into its brand, having fun with itself, being a little relaxed, encouraging readers to have fun with CNN. I think of CNN as being kind of "strong" in personality - so fast-moving, so intense, so sexy, etc.. But I don't think of it as funny - all of its aspects are quite serious. Nice to see a brand not taking itself so seriously for once.

I would like a widget for my Facebook page that constantly updates the "headline T-shirts" that are available and enables 1-click ordering, virtual gifting, etc.. Hello, CNN, are you listening?

Let's all try to use our right hemispheres, OK?

I discovered this incredibly cool YouTube video of Dr Jill Bolte Taylor (actually, she's an neuroanatomist) describing her own experience with a stroke (brain hemmorhage). It's fascinating to hear her describe how her reduced brain function affects her abilities and perception; particularly interesting is her description of how the right and left lobes of the brain differ, and how it's easy to let the left (linear, serial processing) lobe dominate our human experiences.

Interesting stuff........

FaceBook apps are....the new Second Life?

OK so this is a tad scary in light of how frequently we are recommending (and building) FaceBook apps. This post at Three Minds provides some interesting commentary on the reality of what FaceBook apps are accomplishing. In most instances, it ain't much. The posting has provocative and relevant do's and don'ts for doing a FaceBook app - I recommend a thorough reading for all. A good example?

"Possibly the only impressive case study I have run across in the realm of branded apps, Sony decided rebrand the popular Vampires application for the launch of the movie 30 Days of Night. The page trafficked over 11 million visits and the connected sweepstakes received six times the amount of projected entrants."

Don'ts include......
1. Don't start a new version of something that is already popular.
2. Don't overcomplicate the concept or interface.
3. Don't extend a campaign without thinking about the social context.
4. Don't separate your fans, reach them where they already exist.

The posting also reminds us not to forget about FaceBook groups - which can accomplish more for marketers than apps.

Read the whole post here.