Johnee99

Tru-Align Video

2011-04-19T21:59:00.001-07:00

Recut Black Ops Trailer (Battle for Los Angeles)

2010-11-22T14:31:00.001-08:00

Continuing my Call of Duty: Black Ops obsession, came across this recut trailer for the game produced by Mahalo Video Games team. Blowing my mind.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombie Mode Video

2010-11-14T23:01:00.001-08:00

So, it's that time of year again when the new Call of Duty game comes out and I disappear in the evening with all my 13-44 year old male friends. The latest COD "Black Ops" is a masterpiece. I am still getting pwned in the multiplayer mode, but I have hope that with all my practice I will improve. Here's a great video on the Zombie mode from the Mahalo Video Team:

Intelligentsia Black Cat in the House

2010-09-29T08:16:00.001-07:00

Returned from business trip to Florida to find my lovely wife picked me up a little surprise...
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Starbucks Self Serve Coffee Machine

2010-09-27T09:34:00.001-07:00

Found this at a tradeshow in Orlando. You can choose your roast and beans which are then ground and turned in to a very fresh cup of Starbucks coffee. You can swipe a credit card for true self service. I wonder what the Barista union 405 thinks about this?
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http://www.juxs.cpillsx.com

Untitled

2010-09-23T08:54:00.001-07:00

Fall is Here

2010-09-20T14:10:00.001-07:00

Just like that, waking up this morning to thick fog. It seems that fall has been threatening all summer and has finally conquered our sunny thoughts, asserted its serious authority. All this to say that it's time to drain a nice big double shot of Illy while my kids climb all over me and I scheme a way to watch football today...somehow. Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

What we Rockin' in the Espresso Lair Right Now

2010-09-20T12:35:00.001-07:00

Got that Farmer's Market Cafecito Organico hookup this weekend. Sitting way on top of the Illy. Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Classy with a Twist

2010-09-10T13:19:00.001-07:00

There was a time when it seemed that every espresso you ordered came with a twist of citrus. At a client lunch at Il Fornaio in Burlingame this week I had the pleasure of this tradition again. Not sure where this originated (my first memory is the scene in Beverly Hills Cop when Serge offers Axel Foley a twist...but I digress). So I decided to do a little sleuthing on the tradition (ok, I Googled it) and came to this explanation:

In America, serving Espresso with a twist of lemon zest on the saucer is often seen as a "classy flourish." It is done in North America and sometimes in France, but not in Italy. Outside of Italy, this is called an "Espresso Romano." Italians are mystified at this. In Italy, it is only done when you're ill because the belief is that doing this will make you throw up (and therefore feel better.) To Italians, the appearance of a piece of lemon zest beside an Espresso appears to be an invitation to throw up in the restaurant.

Very interesting. Hopefully I have not lost valuable street cred with my Italian friends for posting this. This clearly brings new meaning to the term digestif. In any case, the shot above is of a double espresso that I desperately needed before lunch even came just to keep my eyes open.

Well, here's the Serge clip (Bronson Pinchot):

Always Classy with a Twist

2010-09-08T13:15:00.001-07:00

I'll Fornaio.

Merger Mania: Corp Dev Execs Talk For An Hour About Who They’d Buy And Why (from @TechCrunch)

2010-09-07T12:26:00.001-07:00

Chinatown Coffee Company (DC)

2010-07-13T14:51:00.001-07:00

After spending the day at a convention hall in Washington DC, I figured that instead of visiting all the culturally relevant sites that most Americans would seek out, I would be better served seeking out a perfect espresso. The near 100% humidity was also a small factor.

Trader Joe's D'aquino Espresso: The Sanka of Espresso

2010-07-08T09:33:00.001-07:00

Bought like an 8 pound stash of this stuff for emergencies...like this morning...when the last of the Illy and Lavazza is gone and the Cafecito Organico is a distant sense memory on my palette. I thought, how bad could it be? Trader Joe's caters to mainstream snobs like myself. It's not the best espresso, folks. No crema. In fact, it's like the Sanka of espresso. I need to get serious and get some real beans.

I took a look at the site Trader Joe's Fan for a review, and one person actually saw merit in the fact that it did not "taste like tea". You can't make this stuff up.

World Cup Marketing: Make Your Customer the Hero

2010-06-27T22:43:00.001-07:00

Watching as many World Cup matches as possible over the last 2 weeks, I have seen my share of the 2 tentpole commercials from Nike and Adidas. I actually saw the Nike "Write the Future" commercial well before the WC started and my wife had to force me to turn it off after the 10th time. I saw the Adidas "Zidane" piece on TV and was thoroughly bored. Why? Nike put the fan (me) at the center of the message. For the commercial to work, I had to identify with it, embrace it and care about it. The Adidas commercial completely forgets this--it's a dystopic sci-fi explosion of ego and false drama that separates its athletes from their fans, creating some kind of otherworld where only gods play. I don't care what happens because I don't feel at all connected to these people. Adidas has given the consumer ersatz fantasy; a "future" not written by the people, but by a crap art director. Nike, on the other hand, implies each of us in the writing of history--it is the fans at every turn that are writing the future (kid ripping Rooney poster off wall/Youtube and Facebook Ronaldhino tributes/everyman Homer Simpson Ronaldo spoof). As of today, Ronaldo is the only star from the commercial that is still in the World Cup--everyone else making early and unremarkable exits (Ronaldhino not even chosen for the WC squad)--yet, this commercial still has wheels.

More than the athletes it sponsors, Nike has written a love letter to their fans. These fans also happen to be the audience for the commercial and most importantly they are the people buying Nike products around the world. Nike keeps the consumer at the center in a deeply aspirational way.

This is the key to any marketing campaign: make your customer the hero. Once they feel a part of your message, as opposed to a spectator, they will engage.

Here are the videos:

Nike "Write The Future"

Adidas "Fast v Fast"

Hello World

2010-06-06T10:06:00.001-07:00

First shot. Delicious Cafecito Organico that I have been enjoying lately. Greeted by a gorgeous LA morning with sun in the backyard and the sound of birds. Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

What Really Motivates Us? Not What We Think...

2010-05-30T23:31:00.001-07:00

New KaVo Viral Video: Hippie Dentist Drives Handpiece Sales!

2010-04-01T20:33:00.001-07:00

We just completed a new viral video to promote KaVo's "Try KaVo" campaign. The goal will be to drive traffic to a new site they have developed where dentists can literally "check out" any of their handpieces to trial--very innovative product move. Our internal production group, CNPG worked with KaVo to develop the script, shoot and upcoming original ringtones that will be available on the site. Enjoy!

itero Video

2010-02-01T17:06:00.001-08:00

BRICS, Meet the New Growth Countries: MAVINS

2010-01-21T11:14:00.001-08:00

BRICS, Meet the New Growth Countries: MAVINS

2010-01-21T11:13:00.001-08:00

Jay Rosen on NYT Metered Plan: Risky

2010-01-20T16:19:00.001-08:00

Lead Generation and Sales via Twitter: Quick Example

2009-12-13T11:29:00.001-08:00

Our sales team at Dentalcompare (@dentalcompare) has been using Twitter to stay on top of what is happening in the dental industry--from manufacturers (our clients) to our competition and the key thought leaders in the industry (KOLs). The good KOLs are passionate about doing great dentistry and want to share their discoveries with other dentists through social media. Many of these folks have relationships with manufacturers and take the time to tweet or blog about the latest and greatest products--often times before that product is widely available--egging on all of the early adopters.

Recently, one of our reps noticed a KOL talking about a product from a company that was one of our biggest "missing advertisers". We had been working hard to find a way to bring this company aboard. Our rep also knew that this particular KOL was excellent on camera and very professional about his product endorsements, so he called up the manufacturer and pitched having our video crew do a case demo in that KOL's office. The client loved the idea and several weeks later we had a day long shoot with the KOL and now that prospect is a client doing regular business with us. This same rep also noticed the KOL tweeting about another product by a current client of ours and we piggybacked a shoot for that product--essentially driving 2 sales at once through Twitter.

For us, we had an opportunity to cultivate a relationship with a new client, enhance our relationship with an existing client, formally work with a fantastic KOL and drive some extra Q4 revenue. The next step for us will be to establish some best practices around this process and accelerate it to establish a new stream of leads and revenue for our business.

To begin the discussion on best practices, I took away several key learnings from this small example:

Twitter is a simple and powerful way to keep in touch with multiple points of information within a single industry.
With careful selection, you can curate a constellation of market intelligence that points in the direction of an opportunity.
Your clients (whether they say it or not) are very curious about Twitter and social media, and any time you can provide them with feedback on their products that has appeared in a social media context (example above: one dentist talking to hundreds about your product), they will be interested--a nice opportunity to start a conversation.
The market is using social media as a way to extend conversations about products and brands, but these conversations are not clearly organized--happening discreetly and all at the same time--like a noisy cocktail party (this is the reason some companies and people dismiss social media as a business tool). By using tools like Tweetdeck, you can organize some of the conversations in to useful streams on specific topics and then focus in on the opportunities for lead generation and sales.

What are your thoughts on potential best practices?

An Agency That Gets It...finally

2009-12-07T22:36:00.001-08:00

The Greatest Comedy Video of All Time--Hosted by Air Supply

2009-12-03T23:20:00.001-08:00

Cacciuco!

2009-12-01T11:49:00.001-08:00

At del Posto

Untitled

2009-11-29T14:03:00.001-08:00

Pavement "Loretta's Scars" 1992 Belgium...countdown to Coachella begins

2009-11-18T16:00:00.001-08:00

B2B Budgets to Rise in 2010--focus on measurable results

2009-11-17T08:23:00.001-08:00

According to research by BtoB Magazine, it sounds as if ad spend is going to increase in 2010 with 40% of respondents indicating budgets would go up. The lion's share will go to online and video. The most interesting point made was that over the last year B2B marketers have been forced to figure out what actually delivers ROI among their media options. The recession has presented them with one choice rather than the luxury of dabbling until they get a desirable result. According to Mark Wilson, VP- Corporate Marketing at Sybase:

We have developed very measurable and productive expense management [processes]. In 2009, we made it a science; and we will continue it next year.

Imagine that--marketers have been working harder at developing the optimal mix of assets for results--a science, even. This will now force their media partners to innovate and come prepared. The smartest thing for media companies to do right now is to reflect that science back to their clients, and through consultation and discussion find a way to help their clients get better and more efficient. Simply put: be partners, not salespeople.

This also reveals what I have thought to be the most transformational aspect of the downturn: there is a lot of media out there that marketers just don't need anymore. They have learned that cutting a substantial amount of print does not mean a collapse in sales, and that a focus on measurable results pleases all stakeholders in the company (with the exception of the old-school CEOs who see their ads in trade magazines as proof of life--but these behaviors are succumbing to generational change). The focus on measurable results has also forced the smart media companies to innovate and discover new revenue streams from lead generation to video and online events.

Also realize that agencies are fast getting in the game and filling the spaces left open by B2B media companies that have not evolved online competency and measurement. We are going to witness a fundamental change in the role of an agency over the next 3-5 years from a consultant that buys media and develops creative to a full-service media shop capable of developing and selling their own channels.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

H1N1 Vaccination Odyssey in LA

2009-11-14T15:24:00.001-08:00

Got to Aguora at 8:30 this morning for an H1N1 vaccination that started at 10:00. First thing we found out was that it was literally a "drive through" vaccination and we snaked through the suburban backstreets and planned communities until we tucked in to the back of the line on a long cul de sac. Sat in the car and meandered about for 2 hours until things started moving. While we were waiting they ticketed some asswizard for trying to cut in line. Listening to the other people around us you could tell they were trying to sniff out the fakers--maybe people had borrowed friends' kids under 6 mos old or were lying about their pregnant wives, but folks had their guard up. Perhaps its all the disaster porn that emanates from California, but when you get a couple thousand cars in a long line with a ton of cops, it feels like a movie, as if we are all being quarantined in this majestic little bedroom community off the 101, at the far end of the Valley. Shots were easy--even Immi handled it pretty well--especially after being couped up in the car for 4 hours. Now, if I get the flu...

Drawing Dead: What Your Advertisers Already Know

2009-11-10T20:50:00.001-08:00

Spent a few minutes today reading FOLIO's interview with Drew Schutte to better understand how McKinsey has shaken things up at the most glamorous place on earth. Back in the day, I remember pitching the newly formed digital group on a couple of projects that ended up in the dead letter office. Arguably, as the thinking goes, back in 1995, Conde Nast had the biggest advantage in staking out their web fortunes: massive brand equity. Unfortunately they have spent the better part of the last 14 or so years squandering that advantage. However, this is well-trodden ground. What actually struck me as interesting in the interview was this statement from Schutte:

As a company, we continue to stay focused on both print and online. We believe there is a tremendous future in both print and digital, and especially in the two together, as more advertisers want integrated programs. We’ve seen an increase from 8 percent of advertisers buying integrated programs last year to 15 percent this year. Approximately 30 percent of the top advertisers buy both print and digital.

I say interesting because he is flacking the same message heard over and over from publishers right now: print is massively valuable. Really? This is a message that is pushed down the throats of advertisers continually--especially in the B2B space. Also, with most publishers, digital opportunities are not offered unless an advertiser chokes down a few print pages as well. I am not sure if it is meant to console advertisers that have already committed to print or if this is code for: we need print revenues, and we have no real value proposition for our web offerings.

Dear Publisher that continues to push this message: you are drawing dead. Your advertisers already know the value of effective online advertising and they are really curious about how social networking can help them get for free what they are paying you for (and still not getting). Seriously, if you care to listen, this is the conversation they are aching to have with you. However this would mean admitting that print is not entirely efficient, so we go the "integrated" route, kind of a 2 card monty, wherein the advertiser can't justify where the value is coming from because publishers bake costs in package deals. Just try and find the ROI.

Now, before we all get hot and bothered, there are truly some great print products that deliver value--not throwing the baby out with the bathwater here. In fact, the brand power and circ story at most Conde titles is still very relevant. But these titles need to articulate a metric that can surface this value and tie it in to the conversation.

Most publishers will need to get much smaller and more interested in what's on their clients' minds to really unlock the power of this transition to online media. It all starts with the clients--they tell us everything we need to know. Back in the day when traditional media was a limited proposition, the producers had all the power. Now the consumer is the producer, and for every Conde Nast, there are thousands of new producers in garages plotting their downfall. Just ask Rupert Murdoch.

cool video

2009-11-06T15:59:00.001-08:00

Three Ways to Thrive in the Age of Streams - The Steve Rubel Lifestream

2009-11-04T11:59:00.001-08:00

via steverubel.com

This is worth understanding--especially as the noise in markets grows through a multiplicity of streams.

Business travel remains glamorous in Salt Lake City

2009-10-27T11:43:00.001-07:00

Mary Meeker's Internet Presentation 2009

Mary Meeker's Internet Presentation 2009 (must read)

2009-10-21T08:14:00.001-07:00

Frankfurt Hauptbanhof

2009-10-20T01:14:00.001-07:00

Huge! Took the local tram in this morning from hotel. Beautiful and cold day here.

Curryworst on a Train

2009-10-19T05:29:00.001-07:00

Sounds like a Smiths song...but tastes better

Travel Long Enough

2009-10-18T23:26:00.001-07:00

And you find yourself in a small German town you visited 12 years ago, completely unexpectedly staying in the same hotel and eating at the same marginal Italian restaurant. Hello Biberach. Although we visit the same cities all the time, and it should be no surprise I am in this one again (KaVo HQ), I realize how much has changed in 12 years and how small the world has become. The train ride from Frankfurt to this small town (3 hrs) actually seems longer than the flight to Frankfurt from LA. I realize that now I have kids and a family, whereas 12 years ago these were just vague future concepts, tbd in the vast stretch of my thirties that would arrive...some day. That day is today as I sit here contemplating my double espresso and muesli, imaging my beautiful wife and kids sleeping peacefully in a warm California night just around the world from here.

5 Ways to Save Magazines | The Wrap

2009-10-07T10:12:00.001-07:00

via thewrap.com

Putting McKinsey on a retainer is only going to get McKinsey rich. Bottom line is that magazines are going away...newspapers are the canary in the coal mine. The only way to save these media companies is for them to accept getting smaller before they get bigger again and to transition their value to smaller and smaller screens to keep pace with the average consumer of media. Stop seeing everything through the print lens and get agnostic in delivery channel, then educate brands and advertisers on this value. Hint, hint, they already get it, which is why they too are transitioning more of their ad dollars to online. If the print brands won't service them effectively, then the HuffPo's and Googles of the world will.

Conde Nast Getting Smaller

2009-10-05T11:32:00.001-07:00

While there are plenty of story lines in the shuttering of 4 Conde Nast titles, I have a thought: in order for traditional media companies to thrive again, they need to get smaller, but what might ultimately be the biggest factor is their financial reporting. Unlike the nyt, conde Nast is privately held, which means they have alot less scrutiny over their quarterly numbers. They have the opportunity to execute this transition in relative privacy and the executive latitude to take bigger risks on smaller screens. It won't happen over night, but it might be just what they need. Will be interesting to see the divergence between public and private consumer media companies in how they make the transition.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Dinner at Sidestreet Inn

2009-10-04T00:07:00.001-07:00

Poke, chicken katsu, teriyaki beef, smoked pork, fried rice! Great company, including our friend, Boris, from Paris. Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Michael Jordan - 1983 - Michael Jordan: The College Years - Photos

2009-09-27T21:24:00.001-07:00

via sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Content Worth Paying For?

2009-09-24T08:37:00.001-07:00

My friend Suman (@steadyblogging) just shot me a link about how some news organizations are moving towards a paid content model for research--leveraging journalistic skills for companies and doing deep research. Clearly this is more of a b2b research business than the consumer model of paying for a daily newspaper, however it leads to the fundamental question: what is "content"? It also hints at the constant slide in b2b from objective journalism to advertorial and thinly veiled PR initiatives. With massive downward pressure on ad rates, magazines are having to sell their editorial by writing pieces that mention specific products or cover whole categories that are advertiser-friendly, but not particularly valuable to their readers. I see it daily in 90% of the dental publications in our market--everything is for sale. The result of this is that readers are tuning out and looking towards the web for their information, cherry picking credible and entertaining sources. B2B journalists and the traditional media establishment like to opine on how they are the true arbiters of Journalism (capital "J" journalism), but it is these same establishments that are whoring out their content for ad dollars. Their tirades against bloggers look even sillier when you realize that most bloggers aren't making any money and for the most part do not work for multinational companies with strict debt covenants.

In the same article on research content, there was a great piece of reader-submitted feedback at the bottom (where you can usually find all the best points) that sums up the current climate:

"Now that I'm a laid-off *former* IT reporter and editor, I'm doing almost nothing but marketing and analysis work, with journalism relegated to hobby status in my life. Times change. I try to change with them, maybe even stay a little ahead of things... "

Why Newspaper "pay gates" Will Fail

2009-09-21T10:33:00.001-07:00

Looks like the new goldrush is about newspapers charging online for their content. Really? Publishers are looking for a renaissance of journalism that will seemingly spring from ink-stained newsrooms across the country and morph in to online products that savvy consumers will pay for (micropayments is their new, new buzzword!!). Let's consider, however, just for a moment, that the content they reference is becoming less and less important to a new generation of readers. Their brands, as well, have suffered mortal wounds from the most important brand on the web...Google. There has been a shift in web habits away from branded content and towards a search mentality.

In the B2B space we have seen large publishers launch lavish sites with thousands of pages of content and product information that have failed. Why? These publishers are putting out the latest, most targeted industry information, but their site traffic can't support a decent CPM. Not to mention that they have a printed product where they can promote these sites to thousands of industry folks. The truth is that we start with search and brands are secondary. This will only accelerate in the coming years. The big brands are the ones that get us to the content we want quickly--think Google, iPhone. There are thousands of iPhone apps from publishers that have no brand equity, but loads of utility. The iPhone is a conduit to on-demand convenience.

The best newspapers have always been seen as "public trusts", or to borrow a current term "too big to fail". But in the current search-dominated media environment, these public trusts are less relevant than the immediacy of search. The worst thing newspapers could do is further alienate their dwindling readership by putting up "pay gates". This gives the end user even less reason to engage with their content. At the end of the day, newspapers and traditional publishers need to get smaller before they get bigger, and on their own accord. They need to re-tool, re-focus and lose the hubris and inflated estimation of their own brands. Unfortunately, Rupert Murdoch and Tom Curley (AP) are stridently moving in the opposite direction, seeking short term revenue at the sake of their long term brand relevance. They forget that there are always some kids in a garage somewhere plotting their downfall.

Liveblogging from Rosh Hashana!

2009-09-20T17:15:00.001-07:00

Getting off the hook in Calabasas!
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