Bruno, We Hardly Knew Ya.

The good news for Bruno is that it won the box office derby this weekend.

The bad news is that the 72-hour old film is, in Hollywood's mind, officially dead...stillborn amid scathing review and a relentless tide of word of mouth.

Anyone who has seen one of our Wizard Of Ads partners do our marquee presentation about society's shifting pendulum will recall a portion of the presentation where we discuss the muscular beast of technology.  In what has to be a case of Keynote imitating life, even our examples (GIgli, The Hulk) seem relatively tame by 2009 standards.  Bruno saw an estimated $20 million of its $30 million dollar weekend box office on Friday.

It led film commentator Sharon Waxman to write that "Social networking (is) making Friday the only day that counts," her point being that all the marketing in the world can take a film only so far.  Come showtime, the audience will let each other know what the real score of the game (film) is.

OMG.  i <3 Bruno!

Check out the story here.
 

Read About Ray Seggern

This is an article from the Digital Media conference I attended June 8&9 in Stratford Ontario used by permission of author Greg O'Brien.

By Greg O’Brien

STRATFORD, Ont. – Um, in case anyone out there thought working in media was going to get less bewildering, to paraphrase Dr. David Jacobson: “You ain’t seen nuthin' yet.”


You think you’re pretty cool sipping your latte and watching the latest YouTube clip on your laptop or iPhone using the best Wi-Fi connection you can find, or trying to mess around with a spreadsheet on your Blackberry using some expensive mobile minutes? Nice. But that’s like, so 2008.

“We are at the end of the beginning of mobile ubiquity... the end of an era and the beginning of a new one – the digital media era – and we’re being able to use it with handheld devices,” Jacobson told delegates at the first Canada 3.0 forum, held this week in Stratford, Ont.

Hosted by the University of Waterloo’s Stratford Institute (a new think tank/campus dedicated to training the next generation of kids for careers in digital media – and backed by $10 million from Open Text), Canada 3.0 offered various sessions, from human resources challenges to infrastructure building, regulation to emerging technology.

We picked the mobile media stream on Monday to listen to Jacobson, a futurist and director - emerging technologies in advisory services, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Toronto. He’s also a Harvard prof and focuses on digital media and wireless mobility.

He’s convinced a sea change in human behaviour is under way and while engineers may talk about ubiquitous IP (meaning everything that draws electricity will have an IP address), that will enable ubiquitous participation, or UP.

“The future in business and society is UP,” he said.

Social networking and collaboration will become the norm, everything will be open source, “search” will be replaced with “discovery”, geographical and time boundaries will fall away, management structures will get flatter and new business opportunities will emerge.

And the kids coming out of a place like Waterloo’s Stratford Institute will emerge like no other young workers have before. “They will be expecting more than just an ordinary business,” he said. They will demand UP. “There will be greater demands on (executives) for innovative leadership,” added the good doctor.

And driving much of this change will be wireless broadband, led by the 4G LTE technical standard - which will begin to be deployed as early as the beginning of 2010, said Jacobson.

The hand-held mobile device is no longer a curiosity, or just for business. “It’s an intimate device. People cradle it in their hands,” he noted. “It’s become a part of contemporary life.”

Jacobson noted, for example, a potential game-changer as the Texas Instrument-powered Samsung W700, a smart phone with a built-in projector.

Traditional media companies are trying to take better advantage of existing technology and the upcoming LTE-driven bandwidth expansion, experimenting with bar codes in magazine ads, for example. The companies would urge readers to take a photo of the code with their cell phone, which would trigger the phone to deliver a branded portal to the user, encouraging the viewer to buy, perhaps with a special discount.

Jacobson also showed an MIT experiment, too, dubbed the Sixth Sense. The subject in the experiment had a camera phone and a micro-projector around their neck and a newspaper in their hands. The camera shot the newspaper and the smart phone searched the web for an update of the story the camera “read”, projecting it onto the paper for the user to watch, in either video or text.

And search is about to change, too, said Jacobson. As it currently works, search on Google or Yahoo! or Microsoft’s new Bing works fantastically – as long as you know what you’re looking for. But the best companies will pull their potential customers’ intentions out on the web, allowing those users to discover that which they want or need, but weren’t necessarily looking for.

Using social networking or other collaborative systems, said Jacobson, users get to trust and then their intentions can be divined. Companies need to seek a return on intention. That is, to capture the intention of a person’s desire to purchase something,” he explained.

“And if you can link a product to human emotions, you can capture their intention.”
 

Read About Steve Rae

Latinos, African Americans, Asians and other minorities account for about a third of the U.S. population.

The nation is becoming even more diverse: More than one third of its population belongs to a minority group, and Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday that the minority population reached an estimated 104.6 million - or 34% of the nation's total population - on July 1, 2008, compared to 31% when the Census was taken in 2000. Nearly one in six residents, or 46.9 million people, are Hispanic, the agency reported.

Read more by clicking here.

Despite of Hispanics being tagged as one demographic group, noticed that most of them, come from different countries, and Latin American countries are much diverse. You can say “hueco” and in Central America could mean a homosexual man, or in South America is a hole on the floor or the wall; or have different uses country to country.

This article will give you a detail point of view and facts on how Hispanics are quickly tracing the future for the U.S.

Consider this information useful for your present-future, and after you read it,

download two new Wizard Academy Press products, and share it with your friends.

Las Formulas Secretas del Mago de la Publicidad
Roy H. Williams wrote this about ten years ago, it is a Wall-Street Journal and New York Times Best-Seller, and now, it’s available in Spanish para usted.

Libera al Beagle
Join the first adventure of the Intellect, the lawyer, and Intuition, his beagle. Find out why this book could change the way to see and do things, the way you think and feel about life. “Un viaje a Destinoe.”


P.S.
The awesome Luisa Fernanda Toledo translated Libera al Beagle. If you live in Central-America, and need help with your company or organization, visit her company website. (They will help you transform, just like the Beagle did.)

 

Read About Luis Lopez

Read About Tom Walters

Back in 2003 Roy H. Williams proclaimed that it was 1963 all over again.  Basically he predicted a radical shift in cultural values and perspectives that would take place between 2003 and 2008 - that we would be moving from the Baby Boomer's rejection of "conformity" to the Millennial rejection of "pretense." That we would come to embrace keeping your feet on the ground, doing your part, and pulling together over dreaming big and living large. 

As you might have noticed, Roy was right.  But if you missed all that and want a quick and dirty "feel" for the cultural outlook of this rising generation, just watch these two videos back-to-back:

http://www.gen-we.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

And if you're wondering if that'll ever sink in at the corporate level, then watch this Sun Trust Bank commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZthOnwO6sc

Got it?  Good

Now, if you want to do more than understand this new generation - if you want to start communicating and selling to them in ways they'll respond to - consider taking a trip to Denver to catch the Wizards on the Road.

Read About Jeff Sexton

I've found a way to make Tony Robbins useful to the world.
I know his plastic smile and oversized orifice has charmed and inspired millions to follow their positive thinking dreams,
But his seminar attendance is sagging, and he hasn't been a true boon to the world that wakes up with smelly breath and foul body odor until now.

Dentists should be clamoring to get Tony Robbins and all 150 of his teeth to sell their services. 
They should be fighting in lines at telephone booths for the right to sign him up first. 
He would burst every bubblegum blowing record,
Chew through millions of dollar bills piled high by denture manufacturers toothach cream,
Make beautiful bicuspids gleam. 
Do you know what kind of heavy manufacturing it takes to get those white walls clean? 
Make a toothy grinned scene with the brand that Tony Robbins knows works best.

I can't imagine why he hasn't figured it out yet,
Vetted his fortunes into the joys of canine commercialism.
Maybe his brain hasn't found the level of oxygen it needs at that 7' altitude.
Perhaps he's suffering from too many platitudes about his well-coiffed conference mullet,
Or oversized hands.
He stands as an example of what can be missed when one's having apparent success,
Munching on what's left of manipulative multilevel marketing's small time potatoes and pyramid scheme tornadoes.

He could unleash a whirlwind of breath mint magic.
Reverse the personal prestidigitation that's made his effect on society truly tragic
And I'm convinced that his God given choppers could make so many mouths smile more than just a hypnotized grin.
If either dental industry representatives or Tony Robbins want in,
They should drop me a line.
I've got an artist desperate to bronze his memorial plaque standing by...

Read About Peter Nevland

Before you launch a campaing to the Latinos in your market, read this wonderful article, and learn that translating your current campaing or writing "Se habla Español" is not enough. Adios!

Read About Luis Lopez

An LA Times story says Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed King of All Media, has lost his crown. The shock jock's syndicated morning radio show once drew a national audience of 12 million, but since jumping to satellite radio three years ago, his listeners have dwindled to a fraction of that. “Where once Stern routinely commanded a parade of Hollywood's hottest stars -- George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Julia Roberts -- today publicists are left to tout studio appearances by the likes of Chevy Chase, Joan Rivers or Hulk Hogan.”

Stern, who rarely gives interviews, and his representatives declined to comment for the article that noted the estimated actual size of Stern's daily satellite audience to be between 1 million and 2 million.

“With a reduced audience, Stern's show is no longer a prime stop on the major film promotion circuit,” said the story. “And the A-list guests who used to submit to Stern's biting personal questions in order to hype their projects have become scarce. Lately, his guests have been mostly fading stars, cable TV personalities and loyal friends. His summer guest list included Brad Garrett of the struggling Fox comedy " 'Til Death," Joan Rivers, Hulk Hogan, Piers Morgan ("America's Got Talent") and Ernest Borgnine. And only two stars of summer movies -- Seth Rogen of "Pineapple Express" and Verne Troyer of "The Love Guru" -- dropped by his New York City studios.”
"He's not in the news anymore, and controversies that made the news definitely helped his visibility," Michael Harrison, editor of Talkers, told The Times. "Sometimes people equate news buzz with success."

Since Stern's departure from terrestrial radio, rumors have periodically circulated that the shock jock will return to his terrestrial radio roots. Stern has dismissed the talk, but his current contract expires in 2010. What then? What if he returned to FM?

"Stations would be lining up to get him," said Harrison. "He grabbed the brass ring and is now on sabbatical from a lot of stuff that had nothing to do with his life. But if he ever wanted to return, there'd be nothing but open arms."

RBR/TVBR observation: Could it just be that he's become stale? Could it just be that his free-reign of expletives and vulgar language has just left people bored? Sometimes the appeal in radio is saying things that adults know the meaning of that both passes FCC muster and kids don't understand. Stern's "sicko radio" just isn't entertaining anymore. He was more fun and entertaining when he had to watch what he said!
 

Read About Jane Fraser

I found this article at Ypulse Daily Update and thought that you might find it intersting.   It was written by Vanessa Van Petten, entrepreneur and teen author of the parenting book You're Grounded!. This is her report on from the recent What Teens Want conference in Los Angeles.

11 Take-Home Points From What Teens Want

What teens want seems to constantly be changing, but there are a few things that never change that the speakers at Nielsen’s conference recognized:

- There is always a widening gap
- Teens are always fickle

There were a few overarching themes of the past two days that I want to summarize for Ypulse readers:

1. Purity Rings vs. Vibrating Rings
Becky Ebenkamp of Brandweek started her presentation with a slide from the MTV Music Video Awards. Take home point number one is the idea that this generation is feeling a split of ranks. Yes, there are teens joining pregnancy pacts, going to rainbow parties, and wearing belly tops at the local hookah bar. Yet, there is also a rise of anti-cursing clubs, purity rings, virginity pacts and a move back to conservatism (Sarah Palin anyone?). Marketers need to be aware that not every teen wants salaciousness.

2. Maybe teens like being teens
Jane Buckingham of the Intelligence Group [a Ypulse advertiser] asked the audience: “Who here had miserable teen years?†Most everyone in the audience shook their heads and grumbled to their seatmate about their awful prom experience. [Note: I had my prom in the same room as the conference]. Even though most previous generations have hated their teen experience, Buckingham mentioned that teens today are actually quite proud of their pubescent-ness. This would explain the many names of this generation of teens--"entitlement," "spoiled," "tyrants" to name a few.

3. Teens might be happy, but they are mega stressed
65% of teens say they are really stressed out (Intelligence Group). This generation has been over-tutored, over-scheduled, over-medicated and over-exposed. Buckingham attributed this to the product of nervous boomer parents, but also said that teens are all blaming themselves! What Teens Want stressed for us: teens are stressed and no one is helping them.

4. Reward Me! Reward Me Now! Reward Me Hard!
Parents have been rewarding their kids for just showing up. These teens have grown thinking everything they touch is perfect. Even marketers have rewarded teens with free stuff for just coming to the site, walking in the store or walking by a rep on the street. Marketers need to learn to give rewards for free, but also teach teens not to expect it every time. Sharon Lee of Look-Look talked about the need for brands to stay engaged (beyond just freebies).

5. Your Keds Might Have Bombs
Teens today grew up taking their Keds off at the airport in case of shoe bombs. They had leashes, Baby on Board signs and eat all organic. I call this Teacup Parenting. Marketers need to be aware of how delicate and fragile these teens are. They feel like everything is a big deal and they worry a lot. This is why trust, brand building and authenticity are crucial.

6. I am Going to be Famous
Many members of this generation truly believe they are going to be famous and use it as an excuse to not work as hard in school or for future jobs. The YouTube 15 minutes of fame has grown, while the gap between celebrities and real people has shrunk with the rise of reality shows, Funny of Die spoofs and celebrity blogs. This has contributed to teen’s need for attention. Celebrities still work in advertising.

7. Perma-Rose Colored Lenses
It was brought up a few times at the What Teens Want conference that many teens seem to never take off their rose colored glasses. This is an extremely optimistic generation; they believe in the Secret and have parents that tell them they can do anything they can put their mind to.

8. Escapism
Greg Foster of Imax and Aria Finger of Do Something both talked about the need for teens to escape. Fantasy books, movies and shows are even more popular because teens today love to be taken away and swept up into a secret or different world. Chris George of Advertising Solutions also talked about how entertainment needs to be an exciting place for teens to go to.

9. Help the World
Patrick Pedraja, an amazingly young social action motivator with Leukemia, talked about the need for teens to feel like they are making a difference. Luckily, their desire for fame can actually help push their desire to make a difference to be bigger. Teens align with brands that are more earth and social conscious.

10. Diversity Rules
As expressed by Tru Pettigrew and Shadyra Santiana in the Bicultural Hispanic Teen panel, diversity is also valued highly by all teens. Many teens are making it a statement to be more integrated and diverse.

11. Brand Aware
Sharon Lee of Look-Look talked about real brand awareness for kids and teens. What they value in a brand:

- Community
- Collaboration
- Co-Creation
- Empathy
- Real Story
- Meaning

Sharon Lee stressed this is the conscious brand. Niranjan Nagar of Sims Internet Group also discussed that consumers and companies are talking about lifestyle, values and goals. Matt Palmer of Stardoll Entertainment talked about constant engagement of users with the brand in different ways (content, social networking and products).

Overall, What Teens Want really reiterated what many marketers are already learning about Millennials and Gen Y. Brands and companies need to work to be consumer’s friends and make an experience for them where the brand can be authentic, trusted and engaging.

Read About Jane Fraser