Scott Smigler's BlogFounder of Exclusive Concepts and Conversions On Demand

Herb just posted this on our company blog.

I don’t have time for a long post (well, it is fairly long, but it is stream of consciousness… no editing), but I wanted to comment on something substantial that is happening right now on the Internet.

In my last post, I discussed Joe Trippi’s book, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

As the title implied, and as the book discussed, a revolution in media is taking place, and for once, the television set will have a very small roll to play.

Why? People don’t like TV. It’s a push medium. You get to see what media execs want you to see. You get to see what everyone else will like… what has mass-market appeal, as opposed to what you and a few (or many) people like you in the world want to see.

I know what you’re thinking. Everyone has a TV, and people watch many hours of TV every day. How can Scott suggest that people don’t like TV?

The answer is simple: People are hungry for entertainment, and the TV has been their best option.

The revolution that is taking place now… that is at a turning point now… is that the world is being given another option. A new medium that satisfies their individual need not only for entertainment, but for learning, and a whole lot more.

People are being given an option that allows them to decide what they want to watch, when they want to watch it. An option that allows them to participate rather than simply assume the role of spectator.

The Internet is taking control out of the hands of media execs who make decisions based on the needs of corporate America (the people who buy advertising), and it’s putting control in the hands of all of us. In the end, this benefits customers and corporations alike (those who “get it.”) Media execs have a reason to be nervous.

Case and point: Millions of people have watched videos of a young 20-something on the Internet with the nickname “Brookers.” Brookers films clever, goofy, and quite quirky skits of herself and posts them on YouTube.com for the world to see. Brookers is not backed by big corporate dollars… she is backed by her home computer, a $100 web cam, and imagination.

Here is one of her videos:

Now, I can see a 55 year-old corporate executive watching the video and saying to himself… jeesh, isn’t this dumb? That was my first reaction too. But if that is your only reaction… You don’t get it. At least not yet.

Yes, the skit is a bit goofy… but here is the news flash: So are many of us! Sometimes people want goofy, out of the mainstream entertainment. Not so goofy yourself? Don’t worry. MSN has launched a video service that satisfies another need… the need for news. Why wait for your nightly news, when you get get your news, online, whenever you want it? Your news won’t be provided by Internet hobbiests… it will be funnelled in from the TV networks (NBC has already started). Google and AOL have video sites up as well.

Brookers posted her videos, and the people responded. They love her. NBC is scared of her, and they are scared of this revolution. They are so scared of her… the girl who made the video above… that they hired her. They are using her to recruit people like her into an online network, which is a bit scary (big media companies will try to corportize this movement… but I don’t think they will be able to).

It’s all a question of supply and demand. There is enormous demand out there for entertainment… and because Brookers offers a particular, and fairly unpredictable form of entertainment that people want… en masse, she has become very popular. Cable TV stations wish they had as many loyal subscribers as Brookers had… and they wish they had the viral buzz that Brookers has.

This will be big. Companies, large and small who ignore this… who do not pay attention to it, who do not explore it, will miss opportunities at best, and will jeopardize their long-term survival at worst.

Have thoughts? Please comment!

I just finished reading Joe Trippi’s, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” There are a number of things I should be doing on this fine Sunday morning, but I feel compelled to catalog my thoughts having read the book cover to cover yesterday.

This is not so much of a “review” of the book; it is more like a reflection. Here is a brief overview, but if you want to know more about the book – read it!

Joe Trippi was Howard Dean’s campaign manager in the 2004 Presidential election. Trippi has been involved in elections since his college days, working 110+ hours weeks at times to “get his guy in office.” These long hours were typically for the Presidential elections. And since Trippi tends to go for the underdog, these were quite challenging hours.

In his book, Trippi talks about giving the election back to the people. Actually, it’s more like… recognizing that the election BELONGS to the people. He talks about the detriment caused by television commercials, and its 30-second attack ads that inspire Americans to think in 30-second quips, rather than engaging viewers and asking them to think for themselves. Television, at its core, is a “push” medium. He contrasts that with the Internet, which is, at its core, a “pull” medium. One medium creates demand by telling you what you want (TV), the other satisfies demand (Internet).

Trippi demonstrated the power of the Internet when he linked up to MeetUp.com from Dean’s website early in the campaign, and watched as 600,000 people used the MeetUp website to get together offline… and to organize in order to promote Dean locally, share ideas, and clean rivers. That tool, combined with the overall concept of an “open source” campaign that was transparent, and enhanced by the people on a constant basis (helped by blogs, transparent fundraising goals, and e-mail) propelled Dean further than he should have gone… to the point that he was the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.

The genius of Trippi’s management of Howard Dean’s campaign was that he quickly realized that the campaign was riding on top of a powerful bull whose will would not be denied. If the Dean campaign tried to reign in that bull and steer it for its own tactical objectives… ostensibly censoring, or at the very least, controlling its will and objectives, the bull would have tossed the Dean campaign off its back and would have continued on, taking its funds, and its activism with it .

When I was in high school I saw Howard Dean on TV. I thought to things: 1) This man is special, because, as it seemed to me, he would stare down the barrel of a gun before compromising his principles, and 2) It’s sad that a man like this could NEVER be President.

I was lamenting the current status of our society.

Whether you are a democrat or republican, you should be able to respect another man or woman, even if he or she holds views that differ from yours. I can say that I respected Howard Dean as I watched him on TV in high school, and the fact that this man was so close to winning the Presidency, a man with too much integrity and character to EVER have the chance to be President (at least these days)… is utterly amazing!

What took place in Howard Dean’s bid for his party’s nomination is more than a phenomenon. It’s more than an anomaly in politics that future campaigns will learn from in order to raise more money, and foster more supporters in future elections. What took place was a demonstration of something much bigger than that. It proved that people could be inspired to take action. That they would flood in to the good fight. To fight for what they believed in or felt passionate about… to fight to change the world, whether or not they have a chance to win this battle or not.

It demonstrated that if you build it, they will come. And they will come in exponentially growing numbers.

Trippi argues that these lessons are not merely lessons to be embraced by Presidential campaigners, but by everybody… everybody who serves a constituency composed of individuals who share a common cause. He argued that Ford Motors should use the principles of online, Internet communities to allow its customers to work together and build the car they want to buy. The thinking? Who will help you build the more economically viable car… a focus group that represents your customers, or your actual customers!

Trippi argues that institutions, regardless of whether they are political in nature, or corporate in nature… must recognize that change is inevitable, and if you fail to recognize that the people have the power, thanks to the Internet which helps them organize, you will be swept away in their wrath.

This is demonstrated by Dean’s campaign, which is only one of many examples that show how powerful online communities are, and their power will only increase with time. Again… it is simply amazing that Howard Dean got as far as he did… he had no right being so close to victory, and but for people… the minority of people… who allowed themselves to believe in a candidate who SEEMED to have integrity, simply because he had integrity… who allowed themselves to resist the powerful force of cynicism that crushes idealism in so many, Dean would not have gotten so far. Trippi invited the people to the Dean campaign… they accepted the invitation, and were the first ones to the party, and the last ones to leave. They brought the food and drink, and the cleaned up once the party was over. The Dean campaign provided the location… and they did the rest.

That Dean did as well as he did proves the following:

1) There are millions of people in this country who actually do care, who do have a hunger for knowledge, who are open-minded, who are willing to fight for what’s right, who want to change the world.
2) The right candidate, with the use of the Internet, can harness these people that are used to being ignored, who have a hunger inside them to do something positive. These people are the real minority… the thoughtful few with the ability of inspiring their neighbors, and the desire to do so if only someone would listen.

If we build it, they will come. That is what Joe Trippi proved.

Trippi, like it or not, YOU are the pioneer of this movement. You didn’t create it… it is the people’s. But you are one of the first who not only “got it,” but who “applied it.” Who saw it work in the real world.

Where do we go from here?

Since 1998, 4 million people have died in the Congo (aka Zaire) from hunger and disease. Half have been children. Yes, 2 million children have died because they lack food, nutrients, and basic healthcare. Approximately 1,250 people are still dieing each day.

Despite this disaster of monumental proportions, our attention is elsewhere. We’re focussed on sensationalized news stories and life within our respective bubbles.

I’m no better. I’m caught up in my day to day life, and I could be giving more of myself. But apathy should not be an excuse for ignorance, and so I want to do my part in raising awareness, even if its among the very few people who read my blog.

Quoted in the NY Times today:

“About 30,000 children have been forced into militias, while untold thousands of girls have been raped, according to the Unicef report. Children labor under toxic conditions in gold and diamond mines…

One 2-year-old boy, Amuri, struggled to breathe on a hospital bed while doctors and nurses went through the motions – attaching one of the hospital’s scarce pulse-oximeters to his tiny index finger, placing an oxygen mask over his gasping mouth. But they knew it was too late. A few moments later, Amuri’s eyes rolled back in his head, his chest stilled and he was dead. Bring something for us to wrap the boy, a nurse called out.”

I just had a very nice conversation with a client regarding a pay per click campaign that we run for her company. I really enjoy those kinds of conversations: Thinking strategically about growing businesses. Working with entrepreneurs. Coming up with creative ideas to help them stand apart from the crowd. I wish I could spend all of my time doing those kinds of things.

In reality, my day is spread over many different activities:

- Being part of the client implementation team (sitting in on client marketing meetings, website architecture meetings, offering my feedback internally on client deliverables)
- Devising new product offerings
- Business development
- Relationship development
- Proposals and pitches
- Reading/staying educated
- Executing marketing campaigns
- Employee issues (hiring, procedures, etc)
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Cash flow management
- Payroll

It’s nice because I’m always doing something different, but it can also be difficult to have such a broad focus. Sometimes it would be nice to just have one job that I could do exceptionally well, that I really enjoy. Often, I find I’m pulled in many different directions. I do enjoy being pulled, while I’m being pulled, because I like to be challenged. I like to have to come up with ideas and recall facts and data off the top of my head… I like when I have to think quickly. But when the lulls come, it’s easy to get distracted (into doing things like this blog post), as I look at my to-do list wondering what i’ll start next!

So – that’s my blog post. A little insight into my life at the office.

What is interia? It’s the status quo. Something in motion tends to remain in motion. Something without motion tends to remain motionless.

The concept of intertia is powerful because it pervades every aspect of life and society. It’s the reason you stay at a job you don’t like. It’s the reason routines develop in your daily life. And, it’s even the reason you marry that person you’ve been dating for the past hundred years. Change is difficult. The fear of change gives birth to consistency. Taking the easy route. Moving along in the same way you’ve been moving along. Continuing to move in the direction you’ve been moving in, simply because that’s the direction you’ve been moving in, not because it’s taking you where you want to go.

In the end, intertia is the reason things don’t get done. It’s the reason that many people won’t find happiness. And, it’s the reason that many won’t achieve those lofty goals they set for themselves at important intervals throughout their lives.

You think about breaking the pattern. You convince yourself you will. Then, when it comes time to break the momentum that has been building over the years, you realize how difficult it is to stop that boulder that’s been rolling down the mountain-side, seemingly forever.

The boulder can be stopped, but it takes more than thought and desire to disrupt its path. It takes action, and following that action, it takes will. Will to continue that countervailing action, and to continue taking this action, in whatever form it manifests itself, until that boulder is stopped. Once the boulder is stopped, you can point it in a new direction… the right direction… and let it fly.

“If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn’t ask me, I’d still have to say it.”

Thanks for the tip, Mr. George Burns.

This was a very long week. A very good week, but a very long week. It’s the kind of week that makes you wish the coming weekend had an extra day.

The big highlight of the week was gaining closure on what will be one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever had the opportunity to work on. I can’t go into details now, but what I can say is that it’s exciting to hook-up with companies and professionals who really understand the importance of the Internet, and who are willing to be creative and truly invest in their growth. On this project we’ll have the opportunity to really flex our muscles, and we’ll be working with motivated clients who are willing to do their part as well. We’ve been getting more and more of these kinds of projects recently, and it’s really encouraging to see that corporate America is finally starting to “get it.”

Also, our new company website is only a few days away! Jeesh – it’s so much easier architecting websites for other people than for yourself. We’ve also come up with a great new concept for a new corporate blog, which is a few months away. It will be big!!

Ok, i’m off! Enjoy your weekends.

A quick update, since I’m committed to posting here regularly… despite having almost no time!

Had a great meeting with fellow Bentley alum and entrepreneur, Chris Ronzio yesterday. Chris is the founder of Firewire Films, and is the current President of the Bentley Entrepreneurship Society (which i’m proud to say I co-founded while I was at Bentley).

I can tell already that Chris is one of those people who have what it takes to do whatever he sets his mind to. I also feel very encouraged. If the Bentley Entrepreneurship Society is able to attract talent like Chris, it will continue to grow and thrive. Eric and I were most concerned about that when we did succession planning for the organization in anticipation of our graduation, and the group has really thrived.

I just did a quick search, and Chris already posted a blog entry about our lunch. Check it out.

What else is going on? Not much. We’re just completely redoing our website, revamping our corporate blog, substantially iterating our service offerings, developing print collateral, preparing for several big seminars, working on some top-secret local marketing programs, and working on some very challenging but immensely satisfying projects where clients have given us the mandate to be creative and to innovate. I love these kinds of projects. Included in this list:

Creating vertical portals (online newspapers for specific industries)

Developing a brand new community participation model to create more participation in online communities

Using behavioral targeting to improve email promotions (new orders from past customers)

Finishing work, then off to The Wok for a business dinner (and some Mai Tai’s!).

As I prepare to shuffle off for my weekend adventures, i’ve somehow been reminded of a little business-card sized momento that one of my earliest business partners and mentors shared with me while I was still in school.

It’s called the Optimist’s Creed.

Promise Yourself:
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheeful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have not time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

We had a great surprise here in the Exclusive Concepts office yesterday. Sheila introduced us to Jovon, her beautiful newborn. Even though he’s only 2 weeks old, I can already tell that he’ll drive all the girls crazy. Not only was Jovon incredibly well-behaved, he had a manner of curiosity about him that was very special.

And the biggest news of all, Sheila trusted me to hold him. As you can see in the picture Sheila sent me, I’m not very confident in my baby-holding skills… no less rigid than a 2×4. The good news, however, is that the baby was absolutely memorized by the vertical lines on my shirt.

Here’s wishing all the best the world has to offer for Jovon!