creatorbase

12 tips from 2011

Another year has come to a close but the story continues with more scenes. Thanks to hundreds of industry colleagues, friends and family members. They made it an extraordinary year!

For this post, I looked back at key people, experiences and ideas that were influential in 2011. I can’t mention everyone due to space but know they are appreciated. And I won’t get into global issues or big predictions because many other experts are covering those topics. But I came up with 12 tips that I think will help you or someone you know in 2012.

Customer experience management contributors

The first half of my 2011 was dedicated to Sitecore as a former VP in Mill Valley, California; it was a meaningful time. Since both Ektron and my previous employer have many things in common like .Net, web content management (WCM) software, cloud deployment options with the Windows Azure Platform, implementation partners and support for customer experience management (CXM) strategies and results -- it’s appropriate to mention them in this post.

Tip #1: There are good reasons to consider a number of WCM solution providers with similar value propositions. I believe Ektron provides the best CXM enablement strategy for customers and their partners with legacy and new technologies, needs and relationships. Think integration for CXM results in 2012+ as discussed with Stephen Powers of Forrester Research, Inc.

 

Brian Solis, Gary Vaynerchuk, Josh Bernoff, Rachel Happe and Seth Godin

I read analysts, authors and bloggers in our space daily, especially those who cover community, social media and strategic marketing topics. There are many experts out there but Brian, Gary, Josh, Rachel and Seth were influential in my professional decisions and business strategies in 2011. Gary’s Thank You Economy book is less about how to tweet and more about cultural shifts needed to humanize business. Brian’s new book, The End of Business as Usual, is packed with research, ideas and insights from the field. Josh Bernoff’s Empowered book is a reminder of the power of others and how to support them for your cause. Rachel and the Community Roundtable are a great resource when thinking about community strategy and tactics. And Seth, with his quirky advice and books, is always a good source of nuggets.

Tip #2: Find passionate, talented people who research and cover your professional space and tune into what they say. Support them and your success by deeply understanding and sharing their point of view.

 

Nate Elliott and Rajiv Parikh

Last April I attended Forrester’s Marketing Forum in San Francisco and connected with Nate Elliott, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, regarding his ‘Interactive Brand Ecosystem’ research. Nate’s point of view is relevant for anyone concerned with optimizing website, social media, mobile, email, search and traditional media channels for our real-time, interactive environment. The research also aligns with owned, earned and paid media thinking that is foundational in all of my planning and execution at Ektron. Rajiv Parikh, CEO of Position2 in Palo Alto and the mastermind behind Brand Monitor -- a tool/service I used extensively in 2011 -- was key for monitoring social channels and making business and communication decisions with real-time media analytics.

Tip #3: You have an interactive brand ecosystem that is growing in terms of size, real-time intelligence and importance to your organization. Your website is in the center of this activity and other channels are critical to integrate, staff and support; shift more resources from traditional to interactive channels.

 

Chef Nona, Dan Oliver and Steve Jobs

2011 was an ongoing reminder of how life should be lived -- doing what you love, doing it well and rising to the occasion when an opportunity presents itself. While attending the Gartner Portals, Content and Collaboration Summit in Los Angles last March, I talked with Chef Nona about her success strategy as the winner of Hell’s Kitchen season 8. Two months later, I connected with Dan Oliver -- a former CBS TV colleague earlier in my career -- and we talked about his ‘Beer Guy’ niche that has turned into a thriving business and source of enjoyment. And then there is Mr. Jobs. His life’s work at Apple, along with dedicated staff that supported his vision, should be an inspiration for us all whether you’re an Apple fan or not.

Tip #4: Life is short with many twists and turns. Always be true to yourself and others, and do what you love no matter what!

 

John Phillips and team

I met John in 2010 when our work and play interests came together. Men’s professional tennis was the intersection but ultimately it was John’s attitude, digital vision and work ethic that drew me in to help him and his team. When my work situation changed in May, John was the first person I called to update given some prior commitments and our collaborative relationship. Even in the midst of change, the 125^th Wimbledon Championships -- an experience of a lifetime -- soon became a reality after many years of wanting to attend. And there were many pleasant surprises while in London. John and the ATP’s generosity will never be forgotten.

Tip #5: Look out for the success of others first, based on shared interests, and you’ll be surprised at how others look out for you.

 

Aaron Kahlow, Pookie Martin and Erik Thompson

I’ve been a fan of ABC Shark Tank for the past two years and thought about auditioning for just as long. So when I had some free time on my hands and thinking about what to do next, I chose two simultaneous career tracks: 1) focus on the job search and 2) audition for ABC Shark Tank in Dallas with a web solution and patent. At different stages of my ABC Shark Tank process, I received help from three key people that shared one thing in common. They are entrepreneurs and support other entrepreneurs. I know Aaron from prior Online Marketing Summit work and Pookie has helped me with writing projects over the years. I met Erik in Dallas (he was #1 in the audition line) and we teamed up on the fly. I can’t share where things ended up with Shark Tank just yet but rest assured the experience will resurface in 2012. The new season starts on Friday, January 20^th.

Tip #6: Technology entrepreneurs (also creators) are critical to our economic growth and social prosperity for years to come. Seek them out, collaborate with and invest in them in 2012.

 

Greg Hembrough and team

I drive a Volvo sedan and think it’s a good car and owner experience. Volvo’s safety record and contemporary design got me to the local dealership a few years ago. But I’m impressed with the Volvo experience on the road, in the service department and online. I was asked by Greg Hembrough's team in July to test drive the new S60 R-Design in Napa as part of a national campaign to promote the R-Design. The test drive experience (digital and in-person) was impressive and I blogged about it with no financial gain for doing so. The blog video has already exceeded 3,000 views and generated comments from other drivers and Volvo fans.

Tip #7: Companies with good products and services should invest in ‘experiential marketing’ strategies (digital and in-person) to differentiate themselves, retain happy customers and create influential word of mouth. Orchestration across channels and functions are key. 

 

Ken Fadner, Hope Frank and Steve Latham

July was a back-to-reality-month after Wimbledon and the ABC Shark Tank audition, and what better way than with MediaPost’s OMMA Metrics event in San Francisco. MediaPost events, led by Ken Fadner, always deliver and I walked away knowing more about the value of analytics and how to become a more intelligent marketer; even in our ‘Splinternet’ environment. The good news is analytics and reporting are getting easier with products and services from companies like Webtrends, Encore Media Metrics, PR Newswire and Position2. I connected with Hope Frank of Webtrends and her colleague, Eric Rickson and interviewed Steve Latham of Encore. It was an eye-opening event.

Tip #8: Regardless of a marketer’s role or seniority -- analytics is a muscle to develop in order to influence budgets, strategic decisions and higher paying roles. Dive in with vigor.

 

Tom Wentworth and Bill Rogers

While at the 125^th Wimbledon Championships, Tom (Ektron’s CMO) tweeted about my experience on June 20th. Although we were familiar with each other’s work in the industry, this was the first time Tom and I communicated via social media or any other method. We exchanged direct messages while I was in London and the conversation continued with direct messages and email for two months before interviewing via WebEx with Tom, Bill (Ektron’s CEO) and other members of the team in August. An offer was made and accepted and we all connected in Portland on September 11^th for partner meetings. My role was announced at MediaPost’s OMMA Global NY on September 26^th. Enthusiasm for Ektron and our Global Community Practice (GCP) strategy goes beyond social media and securing a good job. I really like what we’re doing as a company to support customer experience management with WCM and many technology partners. And what we’re doing is touched on in this recent ZDNet article and webinar with Tom on connecting content to revenue.

Tip #9: Don’t underestimate the power and ROI of social media reach, engagement and earned media. Back up all community/social media efforts with response, relevant content and value for your target audience.

 

Salim Hemdani, Carol Rozwell, Anthony Bradley and Mark McDonald

Now into October, a few new encounters got me thinking about how all organizations find themselves needing to continuously innovate – especially with the Internet/web – to remain appealing to digital consumers and competitive in their markets. Salim Hemdani of Razorfish presented at a Developer Meetup in San Francisco and we talked about his point of view. Next, Gartner Symposium/ITXpo in Orlando; I attended two sessions about the ‘Social Organization’ with Carol Rozwell, Anthony Bradley and Mark McDonald. Armed with fresh thoughts and prior experience, I gave a webinar entitled, ‘Your Social Organization: Do You Have a Meaningful Plan for 2012?

Tip #10: Continuous innovation with the Internet/web is the new norm. Organizations that apply a collaborative or social approach with purpose are more likely to succeed. This applies to marketing as well as product management, customer service and financial performance.

 

Many Synergy and Gilbane contributors

Winding down the year with two significant events, Ektron’s Synergy Conference and Gilbane Boston. On one hand, Synergy was the collection of all things Ektron and key partners for a sold-out audience in Las Vegas including customers, partners and special guests. Keynotes, workshops, multiple tracks, networking, entertainment and a lot of useful content for 2012 -- most of it now available online via PPTs and recorded webinars. On the other hand, Gilbane Boston provided the same sort of event benefits as Synergy but with a cross-section of industry experts, vendors and practitioners. Topics like big data, CXM, content marketing, social analytics, multichannel integration, user centered design, collaboration, etc. Too much to summarize here in this post but certainly influential, and I recommend visiting Ektron’s YouTube channel, Synergy and Gilbane sites for useful content. Special thanks to Nicole Denil, Jeffrey Frey, Mustafa Muhsin, Tony White, Julio Zaldivar, Sarah Skerik, Jeff Cram, Stephen Powers, Scott Liewehr, Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose. You can also access related PPTs via Ektron's SlideShare.

Tip #11: If you’re in a content management, digital marketing, web development or strategy role, you’re fortunate with many opportunities and challenges to keep you busy in 2012. Tap expertise in the community, like from people mentioned in this post, to help you achieve your goals.

 

Jeffrey Hayzlett

If you don’t know who Jeffrey is as a former Kodak CMO, his appearances on Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump, his best-selling book ‘The Mirror Test’ or his active Twitter and Facebook presence -- now’s a good time to get acquainted. Jeffrey and I met last May when we talked about his first book and ABC Shark Tank. I’ve been actively staying in touch since and we connected last week in San Francisco to talk about his new book called, ‘Running the Gauntlet.’ I’ve read it and like the content from a change agent perspective (we should all be change agents) and I also admire his use of interactive tools to help make his thought leadership come alive and useful for any business, marketing or technology leader. Disclosure, Kodak is an Ektron customer.

Tip #12: Watch our ‘Web Innovation Now’ conversation on video, share with others and help your team successfully run the gauntlet in 2012. Watch for more posts focused on RTG.

 

It’s a wrap!

That was a long post but there’s much to summarize from a busy year. For real-time updates and actionable details, follow us on Twitter (Ektron and creatorbase). Connect with me via LinkedIn if you are an Ektron customer, partner, developer, or industry leader and you’re interested in learning more about Ektron’s Global Community Practice initiatives.

Last but not least, the Ektron team and I are determined to help you be more successful in 2012. We’ve made recent investments and we’re excited about a number of programs that will be released soon. Cheers to you and your team’s success in the next scene!

 

Dan Oliver and his 'Beer Guy' labor of love

There's no better time than Labor Day to share a story about how and why an obsession for beer became a thriving career and pastime. Dan Oliver, aka the 'Beer Guy' for the Palm Beach Post in South Florida, is a beer expert and creator focused on helping brewers, consumers and restaurant owners with his Watering Holes column and video production.

Tune into this brief video to learn how Dan's career changed course from sportscaster at WPEC TV12 to one of the most knowledgeable people in the world of beer. And find out why he shares his labor of love with consumers everywhere on the web.  

What is your passion and can you make it a profitable, useful business or career? Want to connect on Facebook? Join us by liking this page.

What does the future hold for tennis fans, players and sponsors?

The professional tennis season is in full swing with the French Open and AEGON Championships completed in June and the 125^th Wimbledon Championships coming to a close on Sunday, July 3rd. Other ATP tournaments and the U.S. Open are ramping up now. Can you tell I’m a tennis fan? 

Whether you’re into tennis or not, there is much to learn from the ATP’s evolution and insights as an entertainment and sports management organization on the Web and in cities worldwide. Conceptually, every business has it’s own stars, matches, tournaments, venues and seasons. Common success themes to consider for any industry are:

• Content strategy and editorial to create storylines and value for key stakeholders

• Realtime content creation and distribution to drive authority, immediacy, sharing and multichannel engagement

• Web, email, social, mobile, search, television onsite and print channels and solutions to enable, grow and interact with communities and individuals

• Affinity and passion that inspires action and participation 

I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate for a few days early in this year’s 125^th Wimbledon Championships. An extraordinary experience that was 30 years in the making; a guest of the ATP focused on blogging about and enjoying this grand event as a loyal fan. You can read more about some of my Wimbledon adventures and see related photos. Fun aside, let’s talk about and tune into the business and future of tennis.

Tennis is big business and has been for decades. Everything from equipment, clothing, courts/clubs, tournaments, professionals, sponsorships, etc. generates billions in revenue each year worldwide. So you may ask yourself, “what’s the future of tennis” -- in terms of digital and onsite experiences -- for fans, players, sponsors and friends from the ATP working behind the scenes? John Phillips and I discuss this in our creatorbase thoughts video above and get into some futuristic examples that are in play now, and touch on what's to come.

With more than 4 million people participating onsite at 62 ATP tournaments in 32 countries and more than 4 million people actively engaging online each month via ATPWorldTour.com, mobile and social channels -- there are many opportunities to create and monetize compelling tennis experiences that entertain and WOW the tennis community. Businesses in any industry can learn from the ATP's playbook and successes to date.

If you're doing similar things as the ATP/tennis community in your industry, I'd like to learn more and share your insights. Stay tuned for another creatorbase thoughts video from Wimbledon.

Want to connect on Facebook? Join us by liking this page.

Wimbledon Championships 2011. Unmatched tennis traditions for 125 years.

July 10th Update: What does the future hold for tennis fans, players and sponsors? Take a look at this blog and ~4 minute video interview between John Phillips from the ATP and I while at Wimbledon 2011. For related info, check out this Position2 blog post about Wimbledon and their fan community on social media during this year's championships. Even traditional organizations like the Wimbledon Club are getting creative with new media and the realtime web. 

----

June 22nd Update: What an adventure! Just arrived in San Francisco from a 3:30 PM departure yesterday from London with a connection at Chicago O'Hare. But the connection was delayed when tornado warnings and high winds shut down the O'Hare Airport. It doesn't appear there were any significant issues on the ground but many flights were either cancelled or delayed.

I have a lot photos, video clips and insights from Wimbledon to run through before editing a creatorbase thoughts video and related blog post. In the mean time, I have two full days to make final preparations for my ABC Shark Tank audition in Dallas on Saturday, June 25th. Funny, last Saturday I was mingling with some of the most extraordinary athletes in the world at Wimbledon and this coming Saturday I'll be in front of producers for the first and biggest TV audition of my professional life. More to come on these developments and the focus this week is on Shark Tank.

----

June 19th Update: Managed to arrange some incredible, unexpected time at Wimbledon on Saturday and I was given the opportunity to photograph and meet Roger Federer in recognition of some charity work he did with the ATP. 

When asked by Philippe of the ATP if I could help for a few minutes by taking photos of a brief exchange, my answer was a resounding 'YES!' Mr. Federer is a true gentleman and it's refreshing to see top athletes like him taking time for causes that help other people and communities. 

I also took about three hours to tour the grounds, talk with staff onsite and huddle with John and Philippe to avoid what felt like a brief hurricane coming through. The grounds are even more spectacular in person than what we see during TV coverage. Attention to details, few commercial messages and a flow that is creative and stimulating in terms of access and visibility. 

Tomorrow is opening day and the weather is still causing some concerns but I anticipate there will be plenty of play on Center Court (may be covered) to help keep the schedule moving along. Stay tuned for more #Wimbledon tweets and updates via creatorbase and other tennis fans on the Web. Follow the Wimbledon Twitter feed and reporters like Christopher Clarey from The New York Times for complete and timely coverage. 

Happy Father's Day!

----

Original Post: In less than 24 hours, I'll be on a plane heading to London to meet up with friends and digital marketing/community practice colleagues, John Phillips and Philippe Dore from the ATP World Tour, to participate in the 125th Wimbledon Championships. Excited and honored is an understatement!  

This Wimbledon trip has been a dream in the making for more than 30 years since I first started playing tennis as a young kid in South Florida. Visions of Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Agassi, Sampras, Federer, Nadal, Roddick and countless other men and women professionals on TV in this grand setting has been an annual tradition in our home for many years. 'Breakfast at Wimbledon' is a can't miss experience.

I'm going to blog, tweet and shoot photos/video about the experience starting June 16th. I'll also talk with John Phillips and other ATP executives about the future of tennis from a digital and in-stadium perspective; stay tuned for those creatorbase thoughts and related insights.

And if the weather cooperates, we're going to play on the grass at the Queen's Club where the AEGON Championships (a warm-up for Wimbledon) just completed. Pinch me, is this a dream or reality?! Oh, thanks to Anthony and team at the Tennis Station for stringing my racquet and providing useful feedback to share with the ATP in London.

Want to connect on Facebook? Join us by liking this page.

 

Time for a Topaz Run

It's that time of year again to do an annual motorcycle ride with the Oakland Motorcycle Club. I've been going on the "Topaz Run" since 2001 and it's the perfect ~400 mile ride to clear your head, enjoy two days of beautiful Northern California scenery and hang out with friends and family; there will be about 40 of us riding from San Francisco to Topaz Lake and back.

This particular run also seems to be the one weekend ride I manage to do each year to celebrate a number of personal things (can't tell you or it wouldn't be personal :). And we tend to get all the seasons from heat to snow with a ride over Sonora Pass, as seen in the photo above. I will tweet about the experience this weekend so come along for the ride! Are you a motorcyclist or enjoy backroad adventures? Let's connect for the next time.

June 11th Update: Well, had some mechanical issues this morning at the start of the Topaz Run and only made it to breakfast and the gas station. Thought about driving the route in my car but with so much to do to prepare for Wimbledon/London and my ABC Shark Tank audition in June -- decided to come back home to work and hang out with the family.

Normally I would have been really disappointed about my Topaz Run start-n-stop but just happened to meet someone at Starbucks on the way home, and he may be able to help out with my Shark Tank pitch. The journey continues ...

Want to connect on Facebook? Join us by liking this page.

Linchpin looks back to move forward

Sometimes, extraordinary things simply come together. But not without creativity, insight from others and the past (i.e. industrial revolution), commitment and much work along the way. 

Looking back and reflecting on a flight from Captiva to San Francisco in April 2010, those ~6 hours of reading Seth Godin's Linchpin -- and some invaluable time to really think -- had a significant impact on me and what's to come moving forward. It's a timely book for entrepreneurs, business teams, senior executives, families, college students, community groups, etc. This book is for anyone focused on creating value with the web.

Instead of posting a long point of view here, I included links below to some other readers' reviews. And if you're feeling tired or are short on time right now, The Linchpin Manifesto will provide some inspiration. Click, print and post on your wall if you want a reminder of Linchpin beliefs and actions:

Intrigued? These posts provide a glimpse of what the book covers and how others perceive the value:

• Drea Knufken - Boulder, CO: Are you indispensable?
• Squidoo community: Linchpin - Your reviews
• Joe Woolworth - Morrisville, NC: Linchpin by Seth Godin Seeks a New Revolution

If you read Linchpin and have a life-changing experience, please share your thoughts here or on one of the friendly sites above. Yes, now is the time.

Jamie Oliver's food for thought and action

We first met Jamie Oliver as the "Naked Chef" from England. He's been creating in the kitchen since childhood and developed a passion early on for fresh, honest food and family experiences. A tireless author, entrepreneur, practitioner and TV personality for a number of years -- he is now on a mission to help Americans make needed changes in lifestyles and diet. In particular, he is focused on educating children on how to change course with this rally call: 

"I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again, and empower people everywhere to fight obesity."  

Tune into his passionate talk (~20 minutes) recorded at TED on February 10, 2010. I believe Jamie genuinely cares and has great ideas to make a huge impact with food-related issues:

To learn more about Jamie Oliver's wish (and plan) to help educate children, click here for more details and ways to contribute to this important cause. 

What do you think about this post? How do you feel about Jamie's wish?

Saturday Fun: Cartoons, Kids and Neil Young

by Erick Mott 

Saturdays are fun and memorable when you apply this formula: up early with sun shining; Curious George and Caillou cartoons for the kids; breakfast at home for all; costumes for the kids; a pre-Halloween party at the Club with other kids and parents; a brush with a rock legend and storyteller for mom and dad; a digital camera or iPhone to capture the scenes; a blog, Twitter and a little time to share with others. 

To be clear, I'm not saying you need all of these things to have fun. Truth is, any one of these moments are things to be thankful for and enjoy. We had a blast yesterday and got to experience an unexpected moment of driving with a camera crew on El Camino while they filmed Neil Young in one of his Chrome Dreams II tour cars. Neil played a benefit concert this weekend in Mountain View; check out details for other cities.

Labor Day Week 2008 Motorcycle Adventure

by Erick Mott

It's that time of year again. Summer coming to an end soon and one of the busiest American holiday seasons of the year. Except, I'm not going to sit at home in front of the tube like many past Labor Day weekends. Quite the opposite experience with an anticipated 2,000+ mile ride (and motorcycle seat) as my primary vantage point.

First up, starting Friday August 29th is the annual Range of Light Gypsy Tour with friends, family members and a lot of motorcycle enthusiasts that thrive on street riding and camping (see photo from last year) off the beaten path. The tour is about 1,200 miles and usually heads up into Northern California and Southern Oregon, with three nights of camping and four days of riding. The fun part is you don't know where you're headed the next day until your route sheet is provided the evening before. Event coordinators make it a nice experience too with good camping / facilities including meals, showers, electricity and usually more than 200 riders -- enough for great conversations, storytelling and a few parties along the way. Riders range in all ages, skill levels and motorcycle types; it's a NorCal BMW Club ride but guest like me with a Triumph 955 Sprint are always welcome.

Then on to the second leg of the ride. My father-n-law (Mark Norris), brother-n-law (Brent Synder) and some OMC friends will split off from the Range of Light Gypsy Tour (probably Sunday, 8/31) to ride to UT for the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at Bonneville Salt Flats. Long ride, yes, and well worth it for the adventure and to support my sister-n-law (Tracy Snyder), a very good street rider who is attempting to break a national land speed record [update, she did: story on CityBike] on her high performance Suzuki. Godspeed and good luck Tracy! Growing up around dirt bikes, I remember hearing about Bonneville and being completely amazed at how fast cars and motorcycles of all sorts were running at top speeds on the salt flats. The recent film, "The World's Fastest Indian" (Burt Monro story) staring Anthony Hopkins, helped to spread the word and understanding about the history, thrills and spills at Bonneville.

This will probably be the most incredible motorcycle week of my life, so far, with all things considered -- family, friends and plenty of adventure along the way. I'm bringing my new iPhone and plan to make posts on Twitter and this blog; connection and battery permitting. I won't be riding on the official Bonneville track that Tracy will compete on (I'll be there as a gate volunteer, pit crew member and spectator) but do hope to roll on the salt flats for a photo or two.

Yes, safety first and foremost and a nice break from the Silicon Valley race. It's amazing what two wheels, two side bags, a few close friends and family members, the outdoors, bad cell reception and time on the back roads can do for the soul.

Happy New Year

From our family to yours, we hope you have a healthy and happy 2008!