February 2006

Welcome to my latest irregular update.

It's been an exciting few months...

Open Sourcing your Marketing

The internet has radically changed marketing - how can companies respond?

I run these Open Sauce Live workshops with my friend James Cherkoff to help brands and agencies respond to the rise of blogging and the other emergent trends of a networked world. Our last gig was in New York, here's what the client there, Richard Wise of Agent 16, had to say:

This was a memorable day of discovery, creativity, risk- taking and trust-building as James and Johnnie deftly introduced us to a new kind of freedom and inspiration.

We got similar positive feedback last year from Nigel Kennedy at Grayling in London:

Open Sauce Live is both fun and practical. People went away buzzing with ideas they could use with clients. Johnnie and James were able to explain the impact of digital trends - like blogs and much more - in a way that was interesting and motivating.

We're noticing a sharp increase in interest for this work - from agencies and direct from clients. If you'd like to know more, please get in touch.

Co-creation

I'm seeing more and more examples of brands which are getting their customers to co-create with them, instead of just advertising at them. Here are some I've spotted recently...

Showtime, the producers of the L Word, are developing a fan-created episode (more here)

The makers of Star Trek are happy to let fans create their own new episodes - even getting performances from original cast members (more here)

The Beastie Boys handed out video cameras to fans at a concert, and edited the results to make a film (more here)

Sumerset Houseboats are putting each stage of construction online, so customers can see their boat being built - and participate. (More here)

The Guardian reports on how the movie business is getting fans to become investors

Boeing invites its customers to help design its new Dreamliner

Technology is now allowing everyone with a PC to get creative. Two examples: A South Park fan has built a way to create your own South Park character. Or look at this hilarious "mash up" :Brokeback to the Future.

Here's what German media magnate, Hubert Burda says:

We now concentrate on using social software to build closer relations with the communities of readers around our magazines. News has now become a commodity, thanks to the Internet, so we must differentiate ourselves in other ways. Content alone can no longer win. You must build and interact with audiences.

This seems to me a key shift in perspective: when a big media owner acknowledges this, it's time to pay attention.

Podcast Interview

James Cherkoff and I had lunch with Jason Korman of Stormhoek, the wine brand that has been enjoying considerable success using blogging. Jason talks about the practical applications of the ideas we talk about on our workshops - creating conversations with customers, bypassing conventional market research and design processes, and allowing customers to be really engaged in where the brand is going. You can listen to our conversation - details here.

Facilitation

I've also been busy on facilitation projects, including two conferences for Policy Unplugged, and my second Authentic facilitation workshop.

I really enjoy facilitation work. Here are some good insights into facilitation from other practitioners. First, Lisa Haneberg, who says

The focus of your core training should be on creating the space and capability for great thinking and relationships

And here are some good thoughts I received in an email from Kay Scorah:

1) ...a really fine teacher (or facilitator) is not attached to a programme, a structure or even an idea of their own role. A really fine teacher dances with the class. (Both literally and figuratively in the case of Wolfgang. )They change according the abilities of the least and the most talented student. They stop and pause, taking the time to think about what's best to do next. They try things, and if those things don't work, they try something else. In summary, a really fine teacher is learning all the time, and makes that learning visible.

2) ...there is a huge difference between asking for feedback THROUGHOUT a session or a course, and asking for feedback at the end. Asking for feedback on an ongoing basis gives you a chance to act on that feedback to the benefit of the people in the room. It lets the group know that you are serious about helping THEM. Asking at the end is only going to help the next group, or the teacher. If we call ourselves improvisers, we should be able to take the feedback and do something about it right then and there. Also, asking for SPECIFICS in feedback is essential if you are serious about using it.

If you need to improve collaboration - either in your own team or with a client - please talk to me about how facilitation can help.