How do you make a digital purchase experience that feels as close to a physical experience as possible? For Teroforma, a new tableware company that brings together designers and craftsmen from around the world, the answer was simple: the table. If you’re buying dishes, isn’t that where you want to see them? You want to be able to mix and match, see this plate next to that mug and decide whether the blue or the green linens work better with that pattern. And at Teroforma.com, that’s exactly how you shop.
As part of an interview process, I was given the following homework assignment:
Please take a look at the Bourbon category and imagine that one of the brands (pick any you like) is your client and that they are looking to create a major new product.
*Where do you think the opportunity is? (Describe how you uncovered this opportunity and why you think it’s a big opportunity for your client.)
*Write a short one-page product concept that brings the idea to life (be sure to include the consumer insight, the key benefits, and the reasons-to-believe in the concept).
My recommendation was the creation of Angel’s Share, a new bourbon from Maker’s Mark targeting women. Feel free to view my response below or download a copy here.
Launched in June of 2006, the Nike+ system has been called one of the most successful social experience sites on the internet. Chad Stoller, director of emerging platforms at Organic, recently told AdWeek, “[Nike solves] a problem, and because they solve a problem, a community forms.” The Nike+ website offers users a method to track their personal running progress, but more important, it creates an outlet for people to connect around their passion.
In July 2007, I participated in the Nike+ Summit at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. I and eleven other runners from across the US were selected because we were early adopters of the Nike+ system. We met with product developers and designers from Nike, Apple, and R/GA to share our insights about the positive elements and the flaws in the system. Based on my background, and my familiarity with the Nike+ system, I was uniquely positioned within the group to speak for Nike+ users in general, and the under 30 market in particular.
During the summit, the Nike+ team expressed an interest in becoming more relevant in the digital space, especially among the youth market. With those interests in mind, I put together the following presentation outlining nine strategies based on my experience with Nike+. You can also download a (1.2MB) copy of the presentation in .pdf format here.
Strategic stronghold Undercurrent tasked me with a concise challenge for their client, Start Mobile: increase sales. Start Mobile is a small, web based company that specializes in wallpapers for mobile devices. They have cultivated a remarkable group of popular artists such as Shepard Fairey, Tara McPherson, and David Cho, and have created a library of these artists’ works available to mobile users at the manageable price of $1.99 each.
After analyzing their strengths and shortcomings, I outlined a series of strategic opportunities for Start Mobile that combines both online and offline executions and partnerships. Tactics that allow them to capitalize on their associations with today’s brightest artists and help Start Mobile reach audiences who are both technically inclined and design-savvy.
JoshSpear.com is one of the most highly regarded trend-spotting and cool hunting blogs on the internet. It is “a daily source of inspiration for marketers, brand managers, advertising executives, and a wide range of everyday people from around the world who love to stay ahead of the curve.” Started by Josh in 2004, the blog now includes a group of treasure hunters from around the world.
Beyond Madison Avenue was created in September 2005 as an outlet for a few select gurus to share their insights on branding and strategy, marketing and advertising, and traditional and innovative media opportunities. While at BMA, readership was expanded to over fourteen hundred subscribers, and the blog garnered more than four hundred visits per day. During my time with BMA, it was regularly ranked among the top 70 of Ad Age’s media and marketing blogs.
I started writing for Beyond Madison Avenue at its inception and served as Editor from September 2006 to November 2007. Under my guidance, BMA grew to include its own podcast, and was voted the Most Valuable Blog in a competition sponsored by eminent blogger, Joseph Jaffe, ahead of prominent challengers such as Seth Godin and Wired Magazine.
In the spirit of connecting people, Beyond Madison Avenue teamed up with event production company KMP to create PAUSE, a summer happy hour event designed to bridge the gap between virtual and personal relationships. PAUSE gave BMA’s readers, along with others in New York’s creative community, the opportunity to take a deep breath and put their hectic work schedules on hold for an evening.
