The truth is traditional media and new media are co-dependent. Like any marriage in its early blossoming stages, its all about compromise. Debate is part of the process and it’s not always smooth sailing and champagne breakfasts but when it does work it’s marital bliss.

With harmonious conversion and digital knowledge on the brain I recently attended the AIMIA & IAB 7th Future of Digital Advertising conference at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.

To a packed auditorium at 8:30am on Jan 28, Paul Fisher CEO of IAB Australia elaborated about what will happen in the market from a commercial perspective. Fisher was primarily concerned with how Australia will stack up against other countries and what the industry will be worth in years to come?

Fisher doesn’t work in 5 year plans but prefers 3 year plans. Fisher notably pointed out that the only industry sectors to grow last year were online and Pay TV. Fisher however warned that it is no time for celebration but rather a time to work harder, stating “although some clients are spending approx 40% of their marketing budget online others are still spending nothing”. Concluding countries leading the world in online advertising spends are Denmark, the UK, Norway and Sweden.

Managing Director of Media Smart and Sensis, Mark Shaw was next to speak. Mark gave a brief overview about the direction of digital media and its acceleration into the world of catch up TV, 3D TV, jumbo-sized computers, Telstra’s T-Touch, mobility and the anywhere anytime proposition of digital media.

Shaw suggested the future of online video will be consumer driven rather than business driven. He also touched on precision targeting and how marketers should be taking advantage of geo-targeting capabilities and therefore making their marketing more relevant. For example, “Westpac is already doing this by geo-targeting banner activity via postcodes and serving up different creative”. Shaw believes the real opportunity lies in the possibility to rewrite the way buyers and sellers interact, “no longer is it large corporations talking to large groups of people”.

Shaw went on to predict that advertising as we know it may be redundant, he advised not to “undersell the web but instead reinvent the role marketing plays… get the basics right and don’t mix metrics to suit your own needs”.

Shaw also warned about the speed of change and touched upon American inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil’s controversial article “Human life the next generation” Kurtwell predicts “Ultimately, we will merge with our technology. This will begin with nanobots in our bodies and brains. The nanobots will keep us healthy, provide full-immersion virtual reality from within the nervous system, provide direct brain-to-brain communication over the internet and greatly expand human intelligence”. View full technological determinism article here

Next up was UK born Digital Director Mac Walker from Hyro. Walker embelished upon how large corporations had to readjust their business practices due to the internet and two-way communication. Walker recognises that enterprise is a tough interface and made up of many facets. The major shift has been “product providers experiencing technical instability”.

Walker explained “today the enterprise is more interested in customer relationships, in the past businesses spent all their money on core systems and CRM with no value to customers, today the customer interface is far more important and today enterprises are competing on customer experiences”.

Walker went on to suggest “Digital reaches right into the heart of the enterprise” and due to this will naturally have huge implications for digital advertising, Walker predicts that the future of digital advertising is – growth in customer interfaces, building of trust and value and the opportunity to engage with enterprises.

Newly arrived Darwin Tomlinson, creative director from the White Agency also commented on how the “notion of shouting at people has now turned into listening to people”. This change in marketing philosophy is paramount to digital media. Tomlinson just two weeks into his new role believes this is an ethos shift and therefore within digital agencies everyone must be accountable, “the technologist needs to understand creative and creatives need to understand technology, accountability is key”. Before turning into an all out agency pitch, Tomlinson touched on the importance of media spend transparency between digital agency creatives and media buyers.

Speaking of transparency Clifford Rosenberg Managing director from linkedin was next to speak. If you haven’t heard about linkedin, well you must be new to online, linkedin is basically facebook for business professionals. Rosenberg gave an overview about the success of linkedin and highlighted that in the 6 years it took linkedin to create 55 million members it took radio the equivalent of 38 years to reach 50 million listeners and television 13 years to reach 50 million viewers. This exceleration in growth is phenomenal. Rosenberg also commented on how previously msn, google, AOL and yahoo dominated online publishing whereas today niche publishers are experiencing exponential growth. Astoundingly 100, 000 members join linkedin every day. It is the ultimate customer acqusition business model and therefore Rosenberg believes “opportunity doesn’t knock anymore, it vibrates”.

Pipa Leary Managing Director of Fairfax Digital touched upon the major trends from a content providers perspective. Leary highlighted the differences between reach v’s engagement, custom integration v’s standard display and niche v’s portal. Although Leary also discussed the autorefresh debate and the overuse of it to inflate page impressions leary explained how at Fairfax they set KPI’s by page impressions x page duration divided by unique browsers. Leary believes online video is “where search was in 1991”. Leary advocates that digital media is a sexy marketing channel offering creative immersion with cloud computing cabilities to send targeted messages. Leary also suggested numerous ecommerce solutions ie trailing commission, clipping the ticket and content syndication. Leary highlighted the importance of linking content to a transactional business model and concluded “advertising when done well can enhance the users experience”

Last to speak was Claudia Sagripanti, Director of Mobile Communications Group M. Sagripanti posed the question “Is 2010 the year of location?” and went on to discuss the difference between earned media i.e. twitter and facebook and owned media i.e. branded assets. Geo-fencing has meant you can now define your marketing campaigns by location and allow people to opt-in. Mobile coupons are the next installment, utilizing your mobile phone to pay for purchases by swiping your mobile coupon. Sagripanti admits there are roadblocks in mobile CRM and data availability although this is changing. It was fitting the last speaker was a mobile content guru and able to shed light on exactly when and where we might receive those good vibrations and new opportunities for success.

Written by Andrew Englisch, CEO & Tony Prysten, Creative Director, igloo for 29 January Adnews

Driving the next generation of brand engagement to getting the most from the new wave of cool touchscreen devices, here’s our hotlist for a great start to 2010 for marketers looking to supercharge their brand’s online activity for the year ahead.

The Top 10

1. Get in touch with a new era of interaction
The iPhone, our new best friend, is moving us away from mouse driven interfaces to touch-based computing. Progression in design frequently follows progression in technology. As we await a potential revolution in tablet computers from Apple and HP, fresh opportunities will be created to exploit with great digital design. Prepare to be amazed by how your digital assets look, move and interact. Multi-touch on screen gesturing and truly interactive interfaces will further evolve and change how your customers engage with your website, perhaps putting the mouse on the endangered species list.

2. Invest in quality content, It’s still King!
2010 will see a continuing increase in the accessibility and affordability of web based technologies like: media players; content management systems, cross platform integration and of course phone apps. But don’t get lost in the wizardry. Remember technology is simply an enabler for relevant content not a replacement. Keep investing in content and ideas to ensure that your digital is compelling, useful and used in your market. A recipe site detailing a 100 great ways to cook with tomato paste will still trump that amazing interactive site containing 360 degree rotations, video, galleries and a smartphone app.

3. Get smart with your online advertising
We are in a golden age for online advertising so make sure yours is smarter, more relevant and better targeted to gain your full share of the cut through.. Grab ad spaces on social media platforms like Facebook or advertising that serve ads based on your click behaviour for truly targeted opportunities. Smarter online advertising that dovetails with live data like current temperature, time, or site content are tangible ways in which ad spaces can be more relevant and appropriate. No need to see an ad for an air conditioner when it’s only 15 degrees outside!

4. Embrace social media
as customers place it centre stage In 2010, social media channels will become as important to your brand as your website is now. It’s no longer just an avenue to push one-way promotions or execute a campaign through fads or gimmicks. True commitment will involve using social media to monitor your brand, engage with and listen to your customers, identify issues and build committed communities. Transparent healthy brands will embrace what people say (good and bad) and not be afraid to show what people say about products or services. A progressive brand will use this vital feedback to change its behaviour and stay fresh, close and engaged. Encourage positive digital word-of-mouth. People tweet about great brand experiences!

5. Nurture your digital eco-system
Like any healthy natural eco-system, a digital eco-system is a series of interdependent systems like mobile, digital advertising and social media that should all work in harmony. Central to this ethos is an integrated content management system that can seamlessly publish content across multiple devices and websites. It will also enable you to measure performance, gauge brand perceptions, develop complex social networks and leverage your marketing in a highly automated and adaptive environment. Are yours working together in concert?

6. Serve up some great video
Recent developments in DIY video publishing products like ‘Brightcove’ and ‘Ooyala’ and faster streaming technologies mean you have no excuse for lacklustre video this year. Hook into one of the many ad-serving networks and you can even monetise your content. Simply upload your video, select where you want it published and sit back and watch your traffic and revenue grow. Sharing your content across multiple platforms and social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook is also a breeze. Video has never been easier.

7. Go mobile
Predictions that mobile will surpass computers as the primary tool for internet connectivity by 2020, make this the year to start planning how your customers can engage better with your brand on their iPhone. A ‘lite’ version of your main site will just not cut it. Customers expect mobile specific content that takes full advantage of the great technology that the latest generation of smartphones offer (see also augmented reality tip). Great features like real time directions to the nearest bank branch or car dealership, with twitter feeds from your customer service rep, combined with pocket sized rich content will ensure that your brand goes wherever your customers take their mobile. Pretty much everywhere!

8. Immerse your brand in augmented reality
Augmented reality is one of the most exciting new technologies to harness a smartphone’s GPS and internal compass to your location and layer ‘Augmented’ data over live images and video. What’s in it for advertisers? The future real streetscape may well be filled with your augmented advertising, promotions and 3D characters. People will interact with your products and services ‘Minority Report’ style as they stroll down the street. Definitely worth investigating if you wish to take your brand to the next level of immersive experience.

9. Get animated
Flash is back. Yep that’s right – better search indexing of flash sites means you can now bring back the sexy animation without sacrificing the all important search. As these technologies further develop and become available on the smartphone, consider adding rich flash interactivity as a way to stand out amongst your static competitors. Attract some true brand love with a deeper more memorable digital brand experience.

10. Differentiate your digital
As some brands struggle to differentiate themselves online it will be critical to offer customers a truly unique digital experience. To break the cycle of ‘me too’ user experience, try taking a different approach to your site by thinking beyond your obvious competitors or market segment. Draw inspiration from completely different areas. If you need to improve search, look at Google. If you want to ignite your e-commerce, check out Amazon. If you want a killer user experience, you can’t go past iTunes. By ‘cherry picking’ the best from the best, you can inject a unique approach to your digital presence and potentially engage a completely new generation of customers in 2010.

No camera- Video calling would be awesome on the ipad. It has a microphone, allowing it to make voip/skype calls over your wifi connection, but then with no camera- skype is out.

No multi-tasking- with the ipad packing some serious processing punch, you would expect to be able to tab between your apps the way you would on a netbook. Mr. Jobs appears to disagree.

No flash- internet browsing on the ipad will feel natural and exciting, but without background processing and flash support will just feel like a super-sized iphone.

Gaming- yes, they look cool and all, but with a world so in love at the community aspect of gaming (xbox live) and interactivity with the Nintendo Wii and Project Natal the ipad will be used in the same way as on the iphone: a gimmicky-time waster.

No USB ports: the inability to upload via USB is a major oversight by Apple. Obviously it is an attempt to limit the piracy of ebooks, music and movies, but it cripples everyone who would want to transfer anything on-the-go. Isn’t that what being portable is all about?

At the end of the day, the ipad will not replace anything like the laptop or smartphone did, it will be complementary to existing technologies that are commonplace in our lives. Hardly revolutionary at the moment, but remember that the initial iphone was slammed when it was first released and we all know how that ended..

So by now, chances are you’ve heard about the iPad….

This history making ‘mobile’ device will have its fair share of critics but no doubt it will make its way into millions of homes around the world. What does this mean for me?

Well I’m not interested in the battery life or the measly 0.7kg weight, but what I am interested in is the fact that it has Wifi and 3G. This means it’s going to end up being a new format of browser, used en masse, and all the web developers better get thinking.

With a screen resolution of 768 x 1024, the preconceived notion of a landscape browser is thrown out the window and new consideration for multiple dimensions comes into play.

Do we design for 1024×768 or 768×1024? Or both? Do we just let the iPad rescale to it’s little 1Ghz heart’s content? Does it even matter??

Article written by Andrew Englisch, CEO igloo

AdNews January 2010 – ‘What’s Next’

You are exploring downtown Sydney, early evening, nicely chilled. Someone takes your eye. You discretely point your smartphone at them. Silent click.

Their cute face instantly fills your camera’s live-feed screen. In a blink you are presented with a full array of their personal data superimposed over their image. Age, profession, fave foods, sexual preferences and Twitter feed. Your data packed screen says that you share a compatibility rating of 95%. Quickly you hit the ‘Drink?’ button. What will they do? How will they respond? Seconds later: ‘Yes!’ they ping you back.

Five swift minutes later you are sharing Grey Goose Martinis, together in Surry Hills as the sun arcs down to set.

While the above example is imaginary, the concept is very real. Welcome to Augmented Reality, an exciting new technology that uses your smartphone’s GPS and internal compass to identify your position and layer ‘Augmented’ data over live images and video.

While some marketers such as Nestle, Kia Motors and Procter & Gamble have been experimenting with AR, the full commercial potential of this technology is just beginning to register with digital marketers. Look beyond the current hype, and some powerful marketing opportunities are emerging. New and astounding brand engagement beckons for a range of industries: real estate agents, car manufacturers, FMCG, and retailers could all benefit. AR has the potential to create some incredible immersive experiences that change not just the game, but the rules too.

What’s in it for advertisers? Your future real street scape may well be filled with augmented advertising, promotions and 3D characters. Products and people will interact with you, Minority Report style, as you stroll down your local streets.

Sound frightening?

You better order another Martini. Make it a double.

For more info check out the following apps:
iphone – Layar, Urban Spoon, Foursquare

Revving up for another year of growth, igloo has recruited eight new team members to its expanding team of digital pioneers. The growth sees the headcount increase to 24 following several new business wins in 2009 and a focus on growth and exceptional client service.

Under the direction of igloo’s Creative Director, Tony Prysten, Peter Costello joins igloo as Senior Art Director. Costello joins from Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide in London, where he was Creative Lead Digital for the Toyota Europe account. Previously, Costello was Design Director at atticmedia, where he was responsible for leading design projects for Disney Playhouse and the BBC.
Michael Barry also joins the creative team in the role of Senior Designer to assist with developing creative design for the agency’s clients. Barry’s resume includes time with Sputnik and Wunderman UK where he worked on global projects for brands such as adidas, Cadbury, Mazda, Orange and Warner Music.

Jay Pettigrew joins igloo in the role of Digital producer with a key focus on Mazda’s igloo account. Joining from Sensis, he brings to igloo experience in project management, mobile development and social media strategy.

Samara Clifford joins as Studio Manager. Clifford brings over 10 years of experience working with photographic agencies and managing digital and advertising personnel. Returning home to Australia, Samara previously worked at Tonic in London as Operations Director.

Craig Kincaid joins as Senior Flash Developer. Kincaid brings 10 years of experience developing flash projects. He recently worked on the AIMIA award-winning website, sportsgirl.com.au, which also won the Tribal DDB Bronze Award for Best Website.

Mark Eduardo joins igloo as Flash Developer. His experience spans Europe and Australia, having previously worked in Paris, France. He joins igloo from Tribal DDB in Sydney.

Ian Harley is igloo’s new Sitecore Developer, who will also be focusing primarily on the Mazda account. Harley joins from the UK where he worked at IMG with Manchester United and British Open Golf as clients.

Sean Holmesby has been appointed to the role of Junior Sitecore Developer. Holmesby has been working in the video game industry since graduating from Monash University in 2007. He joins igloo from Transmission Games, where he worked as a gameplay and metagame programmer.

“It is such an exciting time at igloo — our dynamic team continues to grow with exceptionally talented, smart people who embrace our culture and focus on innovation and collaboration. 2009 was a tremendous year for igloo, and we’re all looking forward to an even bigger, better year,” said igloo CEO Andrew Englisch.

In 2009, igloo added Mazda Australia and Beacon Lighting to its portfolio of clients, including Crown Casino and mcm media. Further growth is expected in 2010, as the management team look to further strengthen operations and focus on new business in both Sydney and Melbourne.

First weeks have been busy to say the least, apart from a relatively pain free desk move (see pics), we’ve been moving at break neck speed on Mazda, Break neck, slippery ice? Think I might have to ditch the whole ice metaphor it’s wearing thin, like thin ice (boom-tish) OK, I’ll stop.

So anyway as the pics illustrate it’s been busy, but busy good! Absolutely loving sinking my teeth into the Mazda work and getting to think about the future of Banking has been pretty sweet too.

The team here are dope!  Dope like Ice-T, Ice-Cube and Vanilla Ice all rolled into one super rappers posse who drop science on the art of digital. Word!  Don’t really know if the ice plus rapper metaphor is working either but I will finish by saying that Vanilla Ice had it almost right when he said “Stop, Collaborate and Listen”.  He left out Innovate and Exceptional Service, but then, he didn’t work at igloo did he.

And I’m out!

My Week

Mon: i like to think im a bit of a cyclist and have been clocking up some big km’s over the break, i did a pretty serious ride on sunday so my legs were totally blown out when riding into work today, so much so that i got overtaking by an old lady riding up a hill. hopefully i see her tomorrow so i can show her who’s boss ;P

Tue: i didn’t see the old lady today, and its probably a good thing, because i would’ve had a bit of competition on my hands. Only 1 near miss, ahhh… the joys of cycling.

Wed: at lunch i went for a walk up and down bridge rd looking for a newsagent, according to truelocal and google maps theres one at 116 bridge rd, i walked past there several times but no dice, its got me bamboozled, one thing i did notice on this adventure were these little plaques outlining what stores used to be there, who would’ve guessed that at 116 bridge rd in 1865 Benjamin Closet conducted a bazaar there, cool.

Thurs: starting work in a new suburb is great, you get to suss out all the new eateries and fine tune your lunch habits, today i went to a new sushi place, i thought id try a cooked salmon hand roll for the first time, well…
when that deep fishy taste hit the back my throat i knew i was in for a rough ride, my eyes glazed over and i couldn’t swallow, nasty, thats one thing i can eliminate from the lunch menu.

Fri: i thought i’d go for a walk to check out all the plaques outlining the previous stores along bridge rd, most of what i saw were pretty much what you’d expect – bookmaker, watchmaker, grocer etc. amongst these were a few gems though – hay and corn store, furrier, straw dresser, and my personal fav – Mrs Beale operated ‘a fancy repository’ in 1863, even though anything ye olde gives me the creeps a bit of history is always good.

good week, great to meet a new bunch of awesome people, now I just have remember everyone’s name : |

A wise fool once said, an eskimo can never fish in the same ocean twice, for it’s not the same ocean and he’s not the same eskimo.

Deep stuff – I know, but no doubt this is evidently true in the digital age where the speed of which change happens continues to rapidly increase, and then some. No truer is this than for the team here at Igloo who, at the very (ice) core encapsulate this wisdom and know the value of versatility. Needless to say it is the reason for the recent growth that has allowed the team to ride the crest, enjoying the gentle splash of sea spray.

As a new inductee, it’s refreshing to be part of a team that encourages creativity, innovation and online engagement. The air is potent you can charge your iPhone with it. It’ll be interesting to see what this year brings.

The same wise fool also said change was the only constant – and sure my new iPhone 3Gs already feels like a Nokia 5110,  but as we close the first week of 2010 and with no signs of flying cars outside my window yet – may I say, change is still not fast enough..?     :^/

Welcome to a new decade! As a creative web designer, I am very excited to see what the new design trends will be for this decade. Whatever trends we predict will definitely shape how we think and how we conceptualize.

What I remember from the:
1990s.
Some of you may remember this and cringe! Black text with blue hyperlinks, animated gifs, splash pages in flash with “WELCOME TO MY SITE” and  “CLICK HERE TO ENTER” buttons, lots of “BACK” buttons,  revolving logos, animated blurs, flickering images, blinking text, orange and grey combination, Copperplate Gothic. My favourite was the 2advanced Studios website with matrix-like technical design! It’s funny how most of the sites made in the 1990s will cease to exist today.

2000s.
No more animated gifs! The Dark Era. Tech font, web 2.0, glossy icons with reflections, “This site is best viewed in 1024 x 768″, streaming video, heaps of flash, widgets, scrolling text, grungy effects, lozenge rounded corners, embossed effect, torn paper, desk environment with the coffee cup on the table, tableless designs, blogs, CSS, takeover backgrounds.

2010s?
You will probably have noticed this…
Implementation of social media everywhere: “Follow me on Twitter, follow me on Facebook, Follow me, Please follow me!” Bigger typography, less is more, white space with fresh colours, bigger images, one page website, gridded layouts.

Some of our eskimos’ thoughts:

Designers will focus more on things that used to be afterthoughts like headers and footers, longer footers, bigger headings, emphasis on typography. Splash pages will die!
- Christina

More focussed on art direction. Less standard blog entries. Perhaps moving away from designing for websites and more developing content for new devices, eg Apple tablet, iPhone. More emphasis on typography @font-face, Type Kit.
- Peter

More HTML. The grids are back! Too many social bookmarking, someone needs to consolidate one device where you can access all social networks in one place.
- Michael B

For 2010, I guess continued simplification and a more muted 80’s  colour scheme.
- Terry