Sport and the love of it - creates common bonds and conversation.

I particularly love this time of year as the NRL Finals heat up - every game seems to be a ripper and highly entertaining.

Unfortunately my Sharks are at the other end of the table this year - it's a "rebuild" we say.

I'm a typical mad Sharks fan - I think it's a bit of an escape from the daily pressures of modern life and in many ways brings people together.

There's something about not winning a premiership in 42 odd years of competition (who's counting) that builds a certain strength of character!  (LOL)

That "Sharks Forever" will and determination, of overcoming advertisty, of persistance, exists in every Shark.

That deep down sentiment shared with family, friends and fellow Sharks Supporters - a common bond - to win a Grand Final.

Last night we launched a CLIVEvideo as part of the new "Sharks Connect" Community Engagement program.  Below is the press release and check out the Sharks website for more information.

Personally, I'm very happy to have had a small part to play.

31/08/2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SHARKS ATTACK THE NET WITH VIDEO HOSTS

The Cronulla Sharks NRL club is luring a new breed of internet-savvy fan using an innovative web technology to deliver an engaging personalised welcome message from their website.

New CEO Richard Fisk and new Chairman Damian Irvine are leading the charge to turn the embattled Club around and the recent launch of the ‘Sharks Connect’ marketing initiative is a key part of their strategy to re-engage with their local community and supporter base.

"Sharks Connect is a very important initiative for the club,” Mr Fisk said. “We are extremely serious about re-engaging with the fans and in making them a big part of what we are doing here at the Sharks. By becoming involved with the Sharks Connect program fans will receive better communication and we can keep them abreast of everything going on at their club.”

The Sharks website (www.sharks.com.au) boasts a friendly new look, with internet visitors greeted by a videoed Mr Irvine walking across the home page to invite them to join up at Sharks Connect.

Long-term Sharks fan Scott Maxworthy has delivered the message through ‘CLIVE’ (short for Customer’s Live Internet Video Experience), a revolutionary transparent video layer that delivers an instant, interactive web video experience (www.clivevideo.com.au ).

“These days, you’ve got just 12 seconds to grab someone’s attention on the web,” says Mr Maxworthy, who heads local firm Max Media and Entertainment.

“CLIVE is easily installed on existing websites, using just one line of code, and loads instantly as it’s streamed from our high-end servers. The real effectiveness lies in the immediacy of the professionally scripted and shot video message.”

Internet Advertising researchers Dynamic Logic recently released results from surveys covering three years that show strong impact from Rich Media with Video content, with ads using video creating stronger brand influence than those using any other media format.

With most web pundits predicting video is the future of the web, the launch of their CLIVE video initiative puts the new-look Sharks well ahead of the game.

Further information:

Scott Maxworthy, CEO, Max Media and Entertainment

0414 792 072 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it www.maxys.com.au

Tsunamis of Change and the Creative Economy 

This is Part 1 in a new creative project I'm working on looking at Australian Digital Media Strategy.

As every business owner knows the economic landscape has been rapidly altered after the stock market crash of last year - it's a bit like looking out the window after the Pearl Harbor attack - most of the destruction done, the full reverberating impact still too early to tell. 

The old supply demand ratio and attitudes (including the much maligned Y-Gens) of the last twenty years has changed, as a result, new thought-models, approaches, attitudes and opportunities will surface and prosper.

In today's market Buyers are now back in full control - cash is scarce and surviving companies must actively compete.  As a supplier you are either a commodity or added higher value - the middle ground will be flattened.

A contracting marketplace offers smart expanding companies the ability to increase market share as their competitors retreat and defend - head in sand, reactive.

From the laggard industrial manufacturing complex through the Information Economy we will move towards an Innovation/ Creative Economy 

One of the biggest impacts will be on the media, advertising and the entertainment/ Internet video space (think how Ipods changed the music industry and how faster broadband wil impact video, film and television).  

There will be an accelerated shift towards online video advertising and marketing away from conventional television, newspapers and magazines.

A great little video from PRBlogger

How PR works online

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 8.0.22!

This then raises the question of who are Australia's most influential Internet users?

How would you create a list? Some initial thoughts...

• Top 100 Australian Bloggers - how many subscribers?  How many comments? (any list needs to be contextual and relevant)
• Facebook and Linkedin - how many friends/ associates - engagement and influence?
• Google - number of articles and links etc
• Corporations/ Government - The Telstra's, News Ltd's, Seven Sunrise, politicians and celebrities
• Twitter/ Flickr/ Youtube and so on 

Engagement

Once you have your list how do you engage?

In sales, the best customer is through a trusted third party referral.

For example, hey Scott, you're in marketing do you know a good event management company?  Absolutely - Monique at Creative Stars.

Most people begin any new purchase with a search (see How PR works online above).

The question is how do you engage influencers without trying to sell them, ie jamm a message down their throat like historial repeat and interupt advertising?

WIIFM  - What's In It For Me?

1. What is your product or service? (keywords and message)
2. What does it mean to your customers (wants and needs)?

Inspire

In the online world original, quality "content is King".

Find a creative approach, create something new and share. [Goes for swim and walks to coffee shop]

At coffee this morning the idea crystallizes.  I've been looking to incorporate more of my photography interests (particularly portraits) within my work.

Implementation

1. Broad scope campaign -the 6 w's - Who/What, How, When, Where, How much, Why?
2. Research lists and compile
3. Create holding content pages
4. Begin target engagement
5. Market/ Share/ Engage

New Years Resolution

I had to laugh, on New Years Day my brother's resolution was to help break everyone elses.  Wiser then at first account, the knowledge that recent research shows that it takes two years of constant application to develop a new instinctive habit.  I suppose that's a lot better then being set in your ways from early childhood but it certainly dispels the myth of effective sudden change.  More successful, for example, is slowly dropping from three beers or coffees down to one. 

Anyway, don't you think it's funny how we make New Year's resolutions - as if, just this date is enough to signify a changing tide.  I suppose the New Year gives you the opportunity to reflect on the last year - how much has changed?  In reflection what did we have?  

The Year That Was

Without doubt when we look back in years ahead it will be the financial market meltdown that will be etched forever in the time line of mankind.  From what I understand what started out as a good meaning US social/ political plan ten years or so ago to provide subsidised housing loans to the poor (who could never repay) escalated into an ever widening chasm of poor financial accountability and management. 

As usual somewhere in the process good old fashioned greed and the prospect of easy money crept in and spread like an airborne virus in a wind storm, undetectable in it's clever disguise through the productization of financial derivatives and products - at its root "credit" - no rocket science here! 

What is surprising is the reaction to the level of drop (around 40-50%) - as the sideline analysts now say the market was ALWAYS going to correct, a bull run for 15 or so years is unsustainable.  Yep, it's all just basic economics  - don't borrow more then you can afford to pay.  Problem is much of the ability to borrow was based upon highly overvalued leveraged assets all wrapped around retirees superannuation funds - what a cascading mess!

But life moves on and we accept the hard facts - quite casually in many cases

Maybe the Internet and communications technology of today has helped spread the softening cushion.  People are more versed and educated.  You lose some money, "so what" they say or maybe this is a little myopic and the tide is still moving out - the full impact yet to be felt?

You then look at the reverberating effects, like a brick dropped in a small shallow pond  - what markets will be most impacted - where will the jobs be lost; the pain, suffering and hardship, on the other side what are the emerging opportunities caused by this sudden Tsunami of Change?

Waves of defense

We've seen a wave of bail out packages but will they work?  On the street consumers have already pulled in their spending.  Who could imagine borrowing 90% for a new house or buying an expensive new car or boat at the moment or that expensive overseas holiday right now?

Whatever industry will will inevitably see market consolidation as those that have borrowed too heavily either collapse or are sold at a discount.

Many luxury items and those downstream will be effected - think drop in property prices impacting real estate, building industry production and at the bottom of the chain bricklayers. In the same breath, an aging population creating demand for nursing homes; health services and low cost housing.

Think cars and downstream to tyre manufacturers as people hold off changing tyres.

Purses will be tightened, money will go from luxuries to essentials.  Escapism will take other forms. 

From a media perspective - changes in behavior - the movement away from conventional advertising spending towards accountable online advertising.

For me personally, it has been cherishing the lessons passed on my beloved dad, the final closing the doors on the BANGitUP chapter (and some strong lessons), a renewed love and focus on my photography development  and the launch of the very cool and innovative CLIVE video project.

To my friends and readers, all interesting times ahead and all the best for 2009.

From a marketing point of view  businesses are increasing looking at the Internet to increase brand awareness, communicate and get closer to their customers and increase service performance whilst lowering overheads.

The Internet marketing mix covers everything from website design, search engine optiminisation (SEO), to blogging, banner advertising, Internet video to online social technologies such as Facebook.

For many businesses at the moment many online social communities feel a bit like small islands or countries seemingly not connected or if they are, the migration (visa rules), are not seamless/ user friendly/ aware.

In the future we will see a move from this individual island perspective ("I'm on Facebook" and "I'm on Twitter" statement) towards a greater seamless integration (interoperability) of adaptive open social technologies - ie single user login and unified messaging portal - many devices > one login > multiple feeds (in and out).

With that will come greater contextual advertising, derivative information and aggregated services, the linking of similar communities and interests and consequently a market rationalisation of base platforms.

Innovation will move up towards higher value services, more effective communication for the time poor and greater creative quality expression.

In the technographics ladder we will see the user type distribution curve move up as users become more technology conversant and literate ie "technacy"

For businesses now it means allocating resources and experimenting with these new communication channels.