I applaud the blog entry by Mary Louise Schumacher of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel concerning the disagreement between Alderman Robert G. Donovan and community organization TRUE Skool.
I completely support self expression, and the genres of street and graffiti art. Just because you can not appreciate or understand a piece of art does not mean that it still is not art.
While I support the mission of TRUE Skool, I can also understand how a community could misunderstand the intentions of the mural in question. Are we encouraging more illegal graffiti? It seems like a logical question.
Personally, I believe the larger issue at hand is how Alderman Robert G. Donovan handled the situation. His coarse statements and childlike behavior does not fit the definition of a community leader. This man had the opportunity to use this controversy to promote the activities of TRUE Skool, bring a community together and help resolve differences in opinion. And if that was too lofty of a goal, he could at least informed everyone that self expression and art takes on many forms, whether we can all agree on its beauty or not.
The problem with street and graffiti art is that it has grown out of criminal and illegal activity. Namely, placing a mural or tag on property you do not own. And it is understandable that a neighborhood could come to the conclusion that the activities of TRUE Skool appear to be supporting illegal art and vandalism without taking time to understand the organization and their mission.
When you look at a neighborhood that is full of tagging you frown upon the people who did it, as well as the eye sore it becomes. But TRUE Skool actually works with kids that have committed vandalism by forcing them to clean it up and apologize to the community.
I can see how some people would see a legal mural contributing to the problem. I can understand how someone who can not appreciate the genre could call it crap. But in my years, I have seen many pieces of art in public and private museums that I do not understand and in my opinion, visually displeasing.
Art is not without controversy. What about The Holy Virgin Mary, a 1996 collage by Chris Ofili, an award-winning British artist, which incorporates elephant feces? That was an extreme form of art and it ended up in a public museum.
How about the famed street artist Banksy? He contributions to the art world are almost always illegal. But the visual message is pleasing, thought-provoking and often a surprise. All part of the equation of self expression and art.
Alderman Robert G. Donovan owes the organization and children an apology. It is never OK to diminish the hopes, dreams or talent of a child. If we do not agree with the way they are expressing themselves we should find a constructive way to achieving their goals and growth.
The fact is he had the opportunity to work with the organization to support legal graffiti art and condone illegal activity. He chose to throw that opportunity away. If he, and others in the community, believe art only exists on canvas – then work with TRUE Skool to support that formal education. Or at least support a forum for them to learn from more traditional artists.
And in return, I hope TRUE Skool can use the opportunity to educate their kids and the community on the prejudice they are faced with. Continue to encourage their skills and dreams – while doing so legally.
As the Los Angeles Lakers face elimination today in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, this may be your last chance to collect one of these limited time Foursquare badges.
You can unlock the 2010 NBA Finals Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics Foursquare badge by shouting “Go Lakers!” or “Go Celtics!” when checking in to any venue. Upon doing so you will be rewarded with one of the following messages:
Stand up! You’ve unlocked the Celtics badge for showing your Boston pride. Watch the Celtics take on the Lakers in The Finals 2010 on ABC! “Go Celtics!”
Stand up! You’ve unlocked the Lakers badge for showing your L.A. pride. Watch the Lakers take on the Celtics in The Finals 2010 on ABC! “Go Lakers!”
Unsure who you are cheering for? You can indeed earn both badges by shouting “Go Lakers!” and “Go Celtics!” at the same time.
This is where I would have really liked Foursquare to limit your choice to only one badge. Foursquare could have checked if you previously unlocked a Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics badge so you would not be awarded the other.
I received my Apple iPad (Unboxing Photoset on Flickr) from a friendly UPS deliveryman just after noon today. Excited to open it up, I took a step back and pulled out my camera so I could record the unboxing. That video and some app demonstrations are below.
I immediately noticed the weight of the device after opening. I appreciate the quality and build of the device as I feel it could handle a day in a backpack without breaking. However, I do wonder if it will be too heavy at times when I am curled up in bed.
After the weight, the next thing I noticed was the screen. Let me say this, it compares to the best screens I have ever used. The color is vibrant and the content just pops of the page. Hmm, page…I should say screen. See, I am already treating the Apple iPad like a book.
And that is where worry set in. I purchased the 32 GB version of the iPad, wi-fi only. I’ve told myself and others that I doubt I would need 3G. And I had a little buyer’s remorse as I thought about the times I won’t be able to access my information in the cloud. But wi-fi can be found almost anywhere, and I hope that it doesn’t become a roadblock when using the device.
I immediately hopped online and grabbed a few applications and books. Starting with the iBookstore, the device automatically downloads Winnie the Pooh as a free book. It has very nice illustrations and I loved that I could bookmark my progress anywhere. The controls are very easy to adjust font and size. However I think I’d like to see them within reach of my thumb or at the bottom of the application. But that was strictly my first impressions.
There are also more than 20 free eBooks in the iBookstore. I recommend snatching them up immediately.
After I tested the eReader functionality I went back to download some other apps. The USA Today application was a pleasant surprise. The iPad version mimics the newspaper layout, but it was very simple and best of all – free. I took InstaPaper Pro on a test drive as well. This may become my go to app for collecting newsworthy items throughout the day and reading later at my leisure.
I like the app a lot, but I hope I made a clever choice and the company does not disappear overnight. It would be quite sad to lose all of my content and bookmarks.
The MLB 2010 application is stunning. It feature a fullscreen view of the game, live audio, and some live video as well. There is so many hidden features and data here that it’s almost overwhelming. But all very easy to access and hide as needed. I would love a scorecard included in the application so I could take it out to the ballgame with me.
Netflix was the very next application I tried. Can you believe Netflix is in your hands? Any available movie that you have in your instant queue can be played on the device. Just amazing. Hulu, where are you? You better develop an app before the HTML5 spec picks up and you no longer have a business model.
And speaking of having Netflix in my hand, how about the power of the Web in your hands. Steve Jobs said it during his keynote, but until you hold the iPad in your hand you don’t get it. All of a sudden you are completely disconnected from you laptop or desktop and can access anything. Yes, you have that with the iPhone or smartphones of the world, but this is different. With one screen, and such a vibrant experience you feel pulled into the content you are accessing. It was quite a feeling for me, and has me excited about the possibilities of the iPad and what comes next.
Of course, there are a few things that stick out and bother me. I am still not a fan of the iPhone OS app management. I do not want 20 screens of apps to scroll through.
I also wish the device had a USB port or at least an SD Card reader for my photos. The Camera Connection Kit is coming, but it seems like a waste of money.
The screen has the same coating / finish that the iPhone has. While I appreciate that my fingerprints will not stay long it does make long swipes across the screen a bit weird.
I do like the onscreen keyboard. I can type very quickly with one hand and it works quite well. Trying to hold the device and type with two hands is a bit awkward. Although I imagine I will figure that out in time. But the one thing that worried me was lag. Inside Safari, the keyboard lagged a word or more behind. It could have been the Web site. Everywhere else it was just fine.
Overall, the device meets my expectations and I can see this becoming a game changer for media. But that is a separate blog post. I highly recommend thinking about the iPad as an eReader and do-it-all device while on the go. It’ll never be a full featured laptop, but that isn’t it’s job.
Another fine device by Apple, and it sets a new standard for eReaders and Netbooks.
Social Media Strategy and Implementation Stickybits
I will be speaking to the Emerging and Social Media class at Marquette University this morning on the topic of Social Media Strategy. I am very excited to share my experience with the students as well as answer some of their questions.
I must thank Professor Gee Ekachai of the Department of Advertising & Public Relations for the invitation and I look forward to future opportunities.
I have created a Stickybit for the presentation. I was inspired by Edward Boches, we’ll see if my use of Stickybits is as successful as his was last week. You can scan the bar code now and attach comments, questions, thoughts and observations – photos and videos would be awesome too. Log onto stickybits.com for an account or download the iPhone / Android app so you can scan it.
If i didn’t get to your question today in class, please leave a comment here, use the Stickybits code, or you may also contact me on Twitter (@djenders).
In the past twelve months I have seen quite a shift in the strategies I have developed. I find myself integrating more closely with all departments as well as unifying content and messaging across all channels and platforms.
Developing a Content Strategy for your clients isn’t anything new. However, in my experience it hasn’t always been easy to accomplish. There are many barriers, both internal and external. But as agencies have begun to integrate departments, this task has become easier.
Here are five tips for developing effective content strategies.
Develop a Unique Tone and Voice. The voice you develop should be unqiue. In some cases it may be very professional and in some cases it may take on your own personality. Just avoid being dull or mimicking your competition.
Break Down the Walls. If you or your client operate in silos, you must break those walls down. Communication is essential, and if you can not do it internally how do you expect to speak intelligently to a consumer?
Integrate Multiple Team Members and Departments. By bringing key people together you should be able to develop a consistent message while keeping everyone abreast of client strategies and communication plans. The best part of doing this? You may be able to leverage content created in other departments. An example; using Public Relations content for your Social Media Calendar.
Recruit Talented Writers. As content creators we will need to provide a reason for people to consume our content. This is especially true in Social Media where differentiation is needed to stand out from the rest. These writers should not only understand how to write creatively, but they should be cross-trained in Search Engine Optimization and writing for the Web (and Twitter).
Measure Everything. In the digital world you have the ability to immediately gather data for analysis. How many people retweeted your post? Did you see a spike in Web traffic? Were there many comments on your blog entry? How many impressions and interactions did you see on Facebook? Measuring engagement by time of day, content topic and channel should provide you with enough information to refine and optimize your strategy.
Another great tip is to use Social Media to reach out to your fans, followers and key influencers in your community to test ideas and content. These people may help you refine your strategy before you implement and in some cases uncover key content topics that you may have missed.
It’s clear that a new age is dawning with more agile and adaptable marketing agencies. As our clients continue to ask more of us, finding efficiencies across service lines and developing a comprehensive content and communication strategy is essential.
The Apple iPad will be on the market in exactly one month. To celebrate the device and it’s capabilities I have collected a list of the Top 5 iPad / Tablet demos that I have seen, with a little bonus video at the end. I guess that makes six!
For a little over a week I’ve been debating my position on the state of integrity with online journalism. For the most part I believe traditional newspapers continue to publish a very professional product. But in recent years I’ve even seen the research methods of some journalists be called into question.
However, this post is squarely focusing on the professional blog community, Weblogs, Inc. to be exact. I am an avid reader of blogs like Engadget, Joystiq, Autoblog, TUAW and DownloadSquad.
Last week Erez Zukerman posted the article,Yahoo! signs Twitter real-time search deal, but why?, in which I found myself disappointed in the story. It’s not an uncommon feeling for me when I read some of these professional blogs.
In my opinion these blogs feel that the format dictates news needs to be published immediately. At times I find information is misreported and their isn’t an update or correction. In some cases the article is lifted from other sources, or not news at all. If the blog community wants to continue to grow, a level of professionalism needs to be established.
In this specific case, Zukerman asks why Yahoo would ever sign a deal with Twitter to deliver real-time search results when Microsoft already has a similar agreement in place. I’ve followed the search agreement, just finalized February 19, 2010, between Yahoo and Microsoft ever since it has been announced. Does Zukerman believe Bing was going to be plugged into Yahoo the next day?
My contacts at Yahoo have indicated it could take as much as six months before integration plans are finalized. And it could take another 12 months before Bing is integrated into Yahoo search. That being the case, it isn’t hard to understand why Yahoo has decided to enter into their own agreement with Twitter. They can not afford to lose any more market share because of the lack of features or content.
Obviously I have called out one site, one journalist and one blog post. That is not very fair without documenting similar issues of integrity. However, I stand by my opinion. According to Compete.com, DownloadSquad received over 400,000 unique visitors in the month of January. Potentially 400,000 people received poor, incorrect or incomplete information. In the age of social media and sharing, that number skyrockets even further. Blogs need to take more care in developing content for that reason alone.
PlayStation or XBox? I admit, I love my PlayStation 3. But since Microsoft announced Project Natal and Sony announced PlayStation Move I’ve watched with much curiosity and anticipation.
There is a hidden genius in Sony mimicking the Wii experience and controllers. While Sony and Nintendo are different platforms to develop for, it seems porting games from one system to the other should be much easier with a similar controller.
With Project Natal, Microsoft could break incredible new ground. If they can deliver on the immersive experience they promise I may be tempted to take an XBox for a ride. But the new interface creates a learning curve for game developers as well as the consumer. This could mean less game titles, less adoption and eventually a failure for the company.
Additionally, while EA Sports can take advantage of a similar experience on Wii and PS3 with their Tiger Woods PGA golf title, the XBox equivalent may be regulated to a standard controller interface. As a consumer, which version of the game would you choose?
The debate won’t be settled anytime soon. But Sony may have created more opportunity for it’s platform by taking an established step instead of being on the cutting edge. Bravo for what I consider a very intelligent move.
If you missed it in the news yesterday, the New York Post reported that Lindsay Lohan is suing the financial company E-Trade for $100 million.
You may be immediately asking yourself why Lohan filed the lawsuit against E-Trade. Would you believe that she is insisting that the baby in the “Milkaholic” Super Bowl spot was modeled after her?
According to the New York Post, “Lohan’s lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, said the actress has the same single-name recognition as Oprah or Madonna.”
Really? Ovadia goes on to say “E-Trade has violated Lohan’s rights under New York state civil-rights law and used her ‘name and characterization’ in business without paying her or getting her approval.”
Using that logic I assume Ovadia means that Lohan is some sort of “aholic”, alcoholic or otherwise. I am going to further assume she also means that Lohan acts like a “baby”. That characterization actually fits her quite well. Maybe Lohan should be thanking E-Trade, the “Milkaholic” commercial made no mention of sleeping pills, cocaine and her overall drug abuse.
At the end of the day it’s a win-win for E-Trade. More exposure for their TV spot. Unfortunately for Lohan it just confirms she lives in a self-centered world and all those drugs quite possibly affected her grasp on reality.
“Into the Wild” chronicles the adventures of Christopher McCandless, a young man looking to disconnect from a conventional and materialistic life.
After watching the movie I realize I will likely need to read the book to experience, and understand, his complete adventures. While I admire his search for something true, I found it quite sad that he found death in his journey of self-discovery.
While McCandless may have found some happiness in his isolation and the vast Alaskan wilderness, his tragic story should also be a cautionary tale. The life and people he was so desperate to abandon was replaced by an equally powerful need of companionship.
In the movie McCandless writes the following words in the margin of one of his books, “happiness only real when shared.” Like many human emotions, I really believe they only become really when demonstrated.
You can say you love someone, but that is only true if you actually show him or her every day. And happiness only becomes real when shared. Sadly, McCandless came to that conclusion to late.
Discovering the world, and your own self, is an attractive journey. But I’ve found any journey is lonely without the ones you love.
Project 365 is my daily photoblog, capturing both inspiration and moments in my life. You can go directly to my Flickr set by clicking on the photos below, or see the full entries by clicking Project 365 is the site navigation.
