MIMA SUMMIT 2011 SPEAKER HIGHLIGHT: JASON GRIGSBY

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As part of the  2011 MIMA Summit, we are excited to announce the Thought Leadership Blog Series, this series showcases thought leaders in the interactive, database marketing, advertising, creative and marketing space.  In this series, we will pick the brains of experts from around the nation, while sharing snapshots of what’s ahead at the Summit coming this October.

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We begin this series today by featuring, Jason Grigsby (@grigs).  Jason lives and breathes mobile, much to the chagrin of his family and co-workers. He believes mobile may be the most important technology since the printing press.

1)  What is it that got you interested in working in Mobile Web Strategy?

Back in 2000, I purchased my first mobile phone (a low-end feature phone) and first PDA (a Handspring Visor) at nearly same time. It was clear to me that these two devices would eventually become one.

I became consumed with the idea of what could happen if people had information at the finger tips no matter where they were in the world. Could we make capitalism work better if we had informed consumers shopping with the world’s knowledge in their hands?
The walls of my apartment were covered with poster-sized sticky notes with grand schemes for barcode scanners and mobile data. It is still a surprise that the woman who I met at that time didn’t think I was a madman and eventually became my wife.

I soon realized that mobile technology wasn’t anywhere near ready for prime time. I went to work for a company building web applications until 2007 when the iPhone came out and it was clear the technology was finally ready.

2)  What are a few takeaways a MIMA summit attendee can plan to learn from your presentation:Get Me a Mobile Strategy or You’re Fired: Learn the Do’s and Don’ts of a Successful Mobile Strategy?

I’m focused on is what are the attributes that make mobile unique and how companies that understand those attributes make better decisions about mobile.  We’re going to take a look at what works and what doesn’t work in mobile strategy. I guarantee two things: you’ll learn something and you’ll be entertained.

3)      What is next in the digital decade?

I’m going to take some liberties here and answer the question slightly differently than it was posed. There are two factors that I think are a big deal for the coming decade.

The first is the one that many people are already aware of: the upcoming zombie apocalypse of devices. That’s the way Scott Jenson, formerly of Google Mobile and now with Frog Design, described the fact that it is no longer just mobile phones, but tablets, televisions, automobile systems, and many other devices. This transformation is accelerating.

The second is one that many people haven’t considered. Much of our infrastructure is ill-suited for our multiple device, multiple environment future. Many companies have multiple systems built on desktop web assumptions that are duct-taped together. We have massive work ahead of us to update systems to support the new device diversity.

4)     What would you say is the most unexpected developments in the last 10 years?

The success of the iPhone App Store. I always thought it would be successful, but I didn’t expect it to be as big as it has turned out to be.
First, the App Store’s approach is almost entirely the opposite of Web 2.0—the trend immediately preceding it. Web 2.0 featured:

• Web-based apps were challenging native apps (Google Docs usurping MS Office)
• Services and mashups were the hot trend
• The recurring revenue of software as a service was preferable to traditional software sales
• Cloud computing meant more and more data was moved from local clients to servers

The App Store flipped these trends on their head by emphasizing:

• Native apps are presumed to be superior to web apps
• Few if any APIs between apps. In fact, apps are more isolated due to iOS sandbox.
• No recurring revenue nor even traditional models like charging for upgrades.
• Priority on client-side storage, not on cloud systems.

And despite all of that, the App Store accomplished something else no one thought possible which is to make purchasing apps a common, discretionary expense for a significant number of people.

We take it for granted now but the iPhone App Store was truly revolutionary.

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Stay tuned for next week’s thought leader and check out more on Jason’s session at this year’s MIMA Summit.

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A special thanks to Abbey Tosic, a MIMA volunteer, for hosting this interview.  Abbey, is the eHub Design & Usability Lead at 3M. She has worked in design and online marketing for over 7 years. Abbey graduated magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, with a BFA degree in Graphic Design.  You can view Abbey’s recent work at www.abbeytosic.com or read her Interactive marketing blog at www.thedotcomgirls.com.

PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEXT DIGITAL DECADE

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If 2001 – 2011, what we’re calling the “Digital Decade,” has taught us anything, it’s that change is now routine. It has taught us that many long-established rules don’t last long and that we are just now on the cusp of even more dramatic change.

With all that in mind, what might occur after the tenth annual MIMA Summit has passed us by? Here are some random prognostications for the next decade, 2011-2021:

Video Ubiquity

Data storage and transfer costs have been near or at zero for some time now. Camera, screen and encoding technologies get less and less expensive and video capture and editing software gets easier and easier to use. My first prediction is ever-present video, for every computing device and display surface. We will come to prefer our content in motion, often created and always controlled by ourselves. We will walk away from static, inflexible materials and towards moving surfaces and ambient sound. This shift will change the biology of how we interact with each other and with our knowledge. It will often overload us, and stillness will stand out.

Every Surface A Display

Due to innovation in microelectronics, bonding and paint, and fabrication technologies, every wall, tabletop, ceiling, floor, containment material and vehicle exterior will have the capabilities to display digital information. It will be horrible and wonderful all at once. You won’t pick a color for a wall because it can be any color, anytime. Or it can be a video. So, on the one hand, we might not need to carry anything with a screen because everything could be our screen. It also seems possible this technology could capture input as well as display data, meaning you might not need to carry a keyboard or trackpad either.

The New Facebook, By And For The People

I think one of two scenarios might happen with our current most popular network: The first is some form of government presence in the network that is demanded by the people. This might be a reaction to a perceived rise in corporate power, a policy gaffe on Facebook’s part, or a desire to insure rights and protections. Consider this scenario similar to government regulation of broadcast frequencies or air travel. As networks grow more prominent in public life, we will ask where and how they ought to be accessible to all, all the time.

The New Facebook, Isn’t Facebook

Or, if we take the last ten years as any kind of indicator, our society will soon—despite massive, rising adoption—walk away from accounts on facebook.com. We just will, because of what it has become, has not become and because of what isn’t, which is new. This natural evolution is one of any network’s biggest threats. It will spur constant acquisition of perceived threats to leadership. It will someday inspire an actual marketing campaign for Facebook. And yet, another idea might simply take root and do to Facebook as it has done to networks before it.

The New Education

Perhaps the biggest change I see occurring in the next ten years is the beginning of the end of education, as we know it. Too many empowering technologies, the ever-increasing globalization of DIY groups, and the growing sense education should and must change will drive profound effects. Grading will be based on interests, not age. Point systems common to gaming will replace grades. Education will be supplied more and more by a global network of those who are willing to teach versus a mandate of state and local government. Education will not occur in centralized buildings and, perhaps most important, education will not be confined to specific age segments. Graduation day is forever.

I hope you’ll join us this October 11-12 at the tenth annual MIMA Summit when Wired’s Chris Anderson and Google’s Avinash Kaushik keynote along with over 50 session speakers. I’m sure you’ll hear even more (and better) prognostications that inspire useful conversations in the days that follow.

— Tim Brunelle

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Are You Really Collaborating?

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by Christine Benson on August 18th, 2011

Definitions of “content strategist” vary widely, but one thing everyone seems to agree on is the need for us to work with a diverse group of teams and individuals—a content strategist needs to be a great collaborator.

"Look, if we work together we'll get done a lot quicker."
(photo by kennymatic. cc licensed)

I’ve always thought I was good at collaboration, but after reading a recentHarvard Business Review article, “Teams That Only Think They Collaborate,” I began to question my own collaboration practices. In the article, the author divides up the way teams work into three categories, only one of which is actually collaboration.

COMPLIANCE

This happens when each team member works independently and takes action in his or her own area of expertise. For example, a project starts with everyone agreeing that their company website is confusing to visitors. Hopefully, everyone works together to define or identify business goals and objectives. They then go off to develop their individual components. One person creates site messages and provides them to the writers. Another person develops site navigation and overall structure, and then gives it to the designers and developers. But, because no one made sure everything was tied together, the improvements are likely to be inconsistent and marginal.

COOPERATION

When each person still works independently, but also shares what he or she is doing with the group, this is called cooperation. Each individual creates and implements their individual solutions without an overall collective strategy. Then, before things are considered final, there is a gathering and sharing of feedback. That feedback usually falls into one of three categories:

• Minor word changes and clarifications
• Identifying any major gaps
• Things to consider for next time

Even when people take additional time to look at the deliverables, they’re more likely to simply validate that high-level thinking has been done, rather than considering and questioning why it’s been done. Cooperation will improve the work, but it doesn’t really support exploring alternate ideas and directions.

AND FINALLY, COLLABORATION

With true collaboration, individual goals are set aside to create collective achievement. It involves everyone working together to define and address the problem using the combined resources, ideas, and talents of the team. When you collaborate, you get others involved in the decision making process. You all work together to figure out the best way to solve an issue. It’s not just about content strategy issues; it’s about how to make things better overall.

WHAT COLLABORATION REALLY MEANS

Any of this sound familiar? I realized that I had been complying and cooperating as often as I was collaborating. I wasn’t doing it on purpose. But after reading the article, I discovered there were a few habits I could change right away that would help me work more collaboratively.

• Leave room for others to collaborate. Before, I would take my thinking almost to the final solution before I shared it. This makes it difficult for someone to go back and understand every decision—which in turn makes it difficult to give meaningful feedback about other options. Just because it’s a workable solution, doesn’t mean it’s the best solution. It’s just the one that I came up with. By inviting others in at the key decision points, I’ve been able to include additional ideas and directions that I wouldn’t have considered on my own.
• Get things down on paper early. I tend to think through stuff in my head before I start writing. But it’s difficult to share complex ideas that only exist in your head. While you can talk people through things to a point, you still need to provide some documented direction that outlines what you’re thinking, along with where you have questions or holes. Once you have that, you can share it more easily with others. By creating documentation in iterations, I am giving others a framework to understand where I’m coming from and build upon.
• Understand it’s still ok to work alone. Collaboration doesn’t mean you’re joined at the hip. Everyone still needs time alone to do research and analysis, and develop shared ideas. It’s when and where you come back together that makes it collaborative. If you feel you’re at the point of setting or changing the approach or overall direction, that’s a great time for a collaborative working session.

IT’S NOT EASY

Of course, collaboration is not without challenges. Working in a new way is uncomfortable. I’ve had to set my ego and insecurities aside to share work that isn’t perfect. I’ve had to talk about ideas and strategies before I’ve felt ready. But the work is better and “getting there” faster. I feel more confident about the solutions we’re proposing, and I get to bask even more in the brilliance of my coworkers.

In the past, I’ve focused on having the answers to questions and solving problems. Now, I realize that involving others in the development of a solution adds to the true value.

Designers: Swimming in the Content Strategy Pond

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Tosca Fasso   August 18, 2011

No overfeeding allowed! (image via Glassholic)

We admit it. Content strategists do a fair amount of talking about our work—what we do (and what we don’t do), what it means, and why it matters. But we’re not the only ones having these conversations. Copywriters are asking about it. Clients are insisting on it. But, interestingly, some of the most illuminating discussion is coming from visual designers and information architects.

Today is so yesterday

In the short run, content strategy complicates a designer’s job by adding considerations, such as how—and how often—the current content will change, who will change it, and how they will do so. In his post, Why Designers Should Care About Content Strategy.

Stephen Landau, Creative Director at Substance in Portland, OR, says that if these questions aren’t asked from a design standpoint, “…you’re designing for now, you’re not designing for the future.”

Designing for now is exactly what many of us have done for years. The alternative (designing for now AND the future) is not only more difficult, it’s more time-intensive. But the result is the opportunity to build infinitely more thoughtful and enduring solutions. Landau elaborates, “If we, as designers, know the strategy for what will be created next, we can create design solutions that work both today and tomorrow…Successful interactive designs are beautiful because the content is constantly being updated, and the design takes this under consideration.”

Independent design consultant Christine Thompson echoes Landau’s concerns with designing only for the now in her post, What Does Content Marketing Mean for Designers, “As people in the digital asset business know all too well, your future possibilities are constrained by the design choices you make at the point of content creation or capture.”

Killing the content muffin-top

What’s true for low-rise jeans is true for online experiences: the perfect fit for one is an embarrassing disaster for another. Designers know that to avoid a mismatch between the content and the container, you need to consider not just the amount of content but the format, and where the audience will encounter it. In the post mentioned above, Thompson asks, “How many creative teams or marketing departments are ready to execute content strategies that nimbly support multiple devices, with differing viewing or playback capabilities?”

While we may not know the answer, we do know that this question is increasingly being asked by agencies and in-house teams alike. Our work is changing: it’s not just the rise of dynamic content and connected devices that is increasing the need for content strategy. It’s also the fact that the internet has simply been around for a while now, so there’s significant legacy content to consider. Web experiences aren’t necessarily a fresh start anymore. There are “refreshes,” “migrations,” and “updates” to contend with. And designers have recognized that content strategy is a key component in creating the right fit.

In essence, Landau and Thompson have both articulated a significant shift in the way we do our jobs. Designing context-dependent experiences takes more time, and, truth be told, more strategy. Projects that require a fast, furious, bang-it-out-over-the weekend approach are going to shortchange our clients more than ever before, and it’s up to us to make them aware of it.

Common ground

In his thoughtful post, Letter to a Content Strategist, User Experience Designer Dan Brown confesses, “I’m frustrated with the characterization of content strategy as ‘good writing’ or ‘operational issues.’ They are unnecessarily limiting, even if taken in the context of the web. I know there’s a design component here, a newly emergent set of challenges that comes with preparing information to be delivered online. Content strategists are designers, just like I am.”

Excuse us if we blush. On a superficial level, we’re flattered that some of our esteemed design colleagues believe that content strategists are designers as well. But when designers take the time to publicly express their opinions about what we do, they are essentially holding up a mirror. Content strategists need to decide if we are going to live up to our colleagues’ expectations. It’s up to us to look those reflections in the eye, own what we see, and make our design partners proud.

The Brief Content Audit

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By Rahel Bailie

August 11, 2011 · Posted in Content Strategies, Deliverables · No Comments »  

Cleve Gibbon generously contributed this article about the brief content audit, for the series of content strategy deliverables.

Successful websites grow to satisfy their customers’ needs.  At some point, someone needs to really know in detail what content they have.  Maybe as part of a re-design project? New technology? Company merger/acquisition? Changing the solution provider? It’s time for a content audit.

A content audit determines what you don’t know about your content.  Regardless of the site size, an open ended content audit will, according to Parkinson’s Law, expand fill to all available time.  Don’t do this.  A results-driven content audit will yield both valuable and actionable insights.  And by keeping it brief, it can be completed with significant reductions in time and cost.

What to look for, briefly

A brief content audit focuses largely on the quantitative site aspects to answer the following key questions:

• Substance: What content do you have?
• Structure:  How is it organised?
• Workflow: Who creates/consumes it?

A couple years ago, this used to be enough. Today, content audits should go one step further to include the following:

• SEO – How findable is the content? What keywords and backlinks are being used?
• Metadata – What data is being used to support how the content is organised?

How to do it, briefly

What content do you have? Use tools to download the external facing site.  They exist.  For example, httrack.com if a free website copier that allows you to download site(s), filtering by asset type such as PDFs, videos, audio, html.

How is it organised? Write/buy a script that can be used to parse the download logs and extract the page title, URLs, asset type and present it in a content inventory spreadsheet format.

Who creates/consumes it? Use analytics, web logs and other tools to determine how content is consumed and interview internal staff to work out how content is created, managed and measured.

Why do it, briefly

If left unchecked, websites get messy.  And the more you don’t know, the less likely you want to know. A content audit shines a light on your content. For larger content sites, there is just not enough time to do a full audit.  In these circumstances, a brief content audit can be used to capture enough information to provide the required evidence for a more detailed version and/or just to highlight key content trends.

Brief-Content-Audit

Tools

• Website copier (e.g. www.httrack.com)
• Website log analysers (e.g. www.weblogexpert.com)