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Practical Social and Digital Integration: Chicago Shovels

Jan 26

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It snowed last week in Seattle. Having grown up in the area, I will attest that it was a significant storm for the area but far less concerning than the reports that were put out across the wires.

As many of my friends in these parts are also Chicago transplants, we shared a collective chuckle around the mesmerizing general reaction to what is typically referred to as “slight snowfall” on an average winter day in Chicago. One of the main issues is that it simply does not snow but a few times each year in Seattle (good thing) but when it does, the city shuts down completely due to a lack of resources and preparation. It had me recalling some messy mornings from my old life in Chicago where I was simply unable to dig my car out.

Snow-filled Seattle last week.

Fittingly, a friend pointed me towards Chicago Shovels last weekend -  a new initiative by the City of Chicago that provides an interactive resource to help residents deal with the city’s typically treacherous winter.

My expectations were low knowing that I was about to visit a city run site – notorious for poor user experience and slow technology adoption. I was wrong. What makes the site strong in my book is the degree of practical social and digital integration. There is a “Plow Tracker” to help residents keep tabs on real-time street clearing activity as well as a number of integrated apps (including a Tow Tracker to help you find where your car has been “relocated” – imperative in a city that loves to tow) and even SMS alerts to stay updated.

While my bet would be that an agency helped the city with some of the marketing content, full kudos to the team for developing useful video content to help users navigate the site.

Though Seattle does not have the frequency of snow to warrant a full on platform like this, Chicago Shovels is a great model for other snow-laden cities to follow in implementing a smart communications platform that fits the baseline communication needs for residents.

Posted in Social Media

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It’s 2011 – Viral Videos Still Don’t Grow on Trees

Oct 25

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Want to make a digital strategist bang his or her head against a wall for an hour (or two…or three) straight?

Ask them to make you a “viral video”…

We all know that starting with an end goal of creating a viral video is a lofty, typically unrealistic goal. I’ve tried hard to keep the word “viral” out of the vocabulary of any agency where I’ve worked. Is it to say that making a viral video isn’t possible? Absolutely not. Should it be something you sell in to clients? For your sake and sanity, I hope not.

Want to know what does work when you’re trying to gain groundswell video traction?

A solid plan of attack that focuses on the right creative content/call to action, targeted to the right audience and delivered at the right time. Put that combination together, activate the power of smart distribution and social syndication and you’ve taken solid steps towards building views and engagement.

Jennifer Anniston’s Smart water video is a great example – the brand turned the notion of a “viral video” on it’s head earlier this year by purposely creating a video that incorporates elements of other videos that have lit up millions of views on YouTube. Creative use of a celebrity that matches the brand’s target demographic positioned around a recent flood of bizarre YouTube sensations. Perfect.

Though there are certainly plenty of tips and learnings floating around about the best way to create a viral video, step one is to focus on what exactly you’re trying to achieve in the first place and to clearly identify the audience you’re hoping to engage. Get back to basics, remove the pressure of delivering “viral” results and allow the creative floodgates to churn up an idea that will resonate and have a solid shot at driving word of mouth.

Posted in Video

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The Art of Evolved Creativity and Video PSAs

Oct 18

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Yesterday, a friend sent me a link to this Brandflakes for Breakfast post about a PSA that reminds us all to treat handicapped people fairly in society. Having helped produce a number of PSAs in my career, I was very impressed with the simple, authentic, moving nature of the spot (not to mention the fantastic music selection).

Upon sharing the video with a few coworkers, one person saw the post comments and noted that the spot was actually modeled 100% off off this video around H.I.V. prevention:

I won’t lie, watching the second video left me a bit disappointed that the first video was not in fact an original idea. But, I quickly caught myself. The reality is that I source creative ideas off the work of others on a daily basis. Many times over. We all do. Granted, it’s rare that a content piece so closely replicates an original as in the example above, but it does happen.

In a given week, I may be a part of two or three different client or project brainstorms. As a digital strategist, my creative toolbox is of course based on my own catalog of work but is mostly compiled of an assortment of ideas and tidbits I’ve stored away or bookmarked over the years from other people’s projects or campaigns, unique videos, compelling designs, smart blog posts and other sources.

When it comes down to it, some of my best ideas are formulated when I find a unique way to piece together a big idea based on two or three independent projects or ideas I’ve studied in the past. Taking a fundamental idea and innovating further is simply part of the creative process.

Should we knock the first ad’s creators for building off an unoriginal idea?

In my book, absolutely not. Call it Evolved Creativity.

They took a solid idea and like all good creatives, they made it better (not going to lie, the ending to the H.I.V. video actually caused me to jump on first view – frightening), much better. Both videos work in their own right but the first video’s ad team knew what it took to nail it on the pathos front.

Feel free to agree or disagree below. Just don’t send me a video of your nonprofit using a bear costume…in the street…hugging people…or do…but it better be good.

Posted in Nonprofits, Social Media, Video

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