09 May 2013
Thriving in a fragmented future
The best way to predict the future is to create it. I’m not sure who said this, but it was the key message at the ThoughtWorks Live seminar, which was held yesterday and explored the fragmented future of digital. The one thing we know for sure is the internet is quickly becoming ubiquitous, which creates
03 May 2013
The state of digital marketing
The SoDA Report provides a comprehensive look at the state of digital marketing across the globe. With content from some of digital marketings most influential thinkers, the first edition for 2013 explores the current state of digital marketing. There is no doubt that the digital marketing industry is maturing. There is now far less focus
03 Feb 2013
Digital marketing: 3 things every marketer must know
Imagine if our marketing and communications departments were split into print, radio and television teams. Dumb right? So why do so many see digital marketing as being so different it needs its own team? The answer is actually simple. With so few senior marketeers understanding how to operate online, we need digital specialists to lead
19 Jan 2013
Content: The right touch
There’s a growing trend towards using content and storytelling more effectively to create engaging supporter experiences. I’m inclined to agree with Andrew Keen, who argues we now build relationships with brands much like we do with other people. And relationships are built through a series of lightweight interactions over time. This approach requires us to
15 Jan 2013
Lance Armstrong: One less hero
Lance Armstrong won some bike races. He was the best of all time. He confessed to doping. As much I admire Lance Armstrong’s accomplishments, what I admire more is the positive impact he has had on millions. Not just through the foundation, but the way he embodies the idea you can overcome life’s challenges and
14 Jan 2013
Publish or perish
Publish or perish. It’s long been the rule for academics looking to scale the ivory tower. At some point this little phrase, publish or perish, snuck out of academic hallways and into the lives of us everyday types. I don’t know who made the rule or when. What I do know is it has almost
18 Nov 2012
Remarkable storytelling
Storytelling is how we once passed knowledge amongst tribes. While we all remember this little fact from the bowels of history, we quickly forget another; only remarkable stories were spread and remembered. As brands begin to think like publishers there is an increased focus on storytelling. “We need to become better storytellers,” they say. But
27 Oct 2012
The secret structure of great talks
Effective communication is the difference between an idea changing the world or vanishing like a fart in the breeze. I’ve always been fascinated by those who can have their idea accepted by millions. Those orators who make you feel something. Who make you believe. In the video above, Nancy Duarte breaks down the secret structure
13 Oct 2012
Problogger event 2012: The takeaway
I almost wet my pants when I walked into Problogger Event 2012 to be met with a smile and outstretched hand from THE Problogger, Darren Rowse. As the room filled with a surreal mass of avatars with legs, I had to shake the thought that I was in the middle of a China Meilville, Twitter
02 Oct 2012
Revenge of the publisher
Think like a publisher. That’s the call of the content marketer. Exactly what product and service providers are being told to do, if they wish to remain relevant in our post-industrial world. With companies such as Nike, Red Bull and Coca-Cola leading the way, brands across the world are taking steps to increase capacity in