[ swarm theory ]

The Ford Modeling agency is featured in the new Inc. magazine - with a great article about how they have leveraged YouTube video for company exposure. After creating a number of high quality videos, the agency found that they had created a new media category “organic product integration” - as they call it. Ford partners with (sells placement) fashion brands for “organic” use of products - and discussion, by the models. The videos are getting tons of hits which means big dollars to the media owners; Ford. What a sweet twist on traditional channel strategy. They already have the hot models - so they create, sell, market, and own the distributed content.

The video topic got me searching for some other unique new media uses, and examples of higher quality uploads (not that the normal bike face plant on YouTube isn’t sweet) - and I came across a killer flick on Vimeo.

Very cool.

Advertising Age has announced some trends to watch in 2008. The one that jumps out is strategic alignment, which will be crucial to new media success.

THE POWER OF STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT: Marketers succeed when brand messages are fully integrated and synchronized across all media channels. That requires strategic alignment — leadership that ties everything together — particularly when the forces of change can potentially pull them apart. Strategic alignment is one of the most important roles of the chief marketing officer, and In 2008 more CMOs will ensure organizations are strategically aligned. Lead agencies will be appointed to make sure all supporting agencies carry out the same brand message.

There has been a lot of media focus on our state over the last few days, as the Presidential campaign trail made its way through Michigan.  Now this may be the first and last time I ever post about politics - but it hard to ignore the subject when your right in the middle of it.  The major point point of interest here, is the platform that Republican John McCain was preaching in our state.  Call it realistic or what, but it is suicide to promote that “Michigan is hurting” and that “manufacturing jobs are not coming back”.  Misery does not always love company.

All the T.V. analysts thought it was a great approach - that somehow we would all relate to the message and jump on board.  The only person that thought it was suicide was Joe Scarborough, and on his “Morning Joe” show stated that he thought the approach was crazy.  Mitt Romney took the side of optimism and told the state that good change is on the way.  A no-brainer strategy to me.

Michigan is a little depressed - but maybe its because the sun comes out once every 10 days.  Or because we are the laziest State in the Country, and people just need to get outside and play once in a while. Or, perhaps, it is because our manufacturing industry is drying up, which has people moving out of  faster than any other state.  What do we do? I say “Innovate or Die”.  It is time to re-tool the manufacturing base and focus on technology integration across multiple industries and media channels.  There are amazing engineers, designers, tool and die, fabricators, etc. - in this state - and we just need to figure out a new way of utilizing their skills.  Web 2.0/New Media - merging with Manufacturing/Engineering to create a hybrid industry?

Sounds like a pretty go mashup to me.

For those of you who are into the Harley Davidson scene, you will probably recognize the name Fat Katz. They make trick after market gas tanks and fenders. These folks are amazing fabricators, and all of their products are 100% handmade in Grass Valley, California. We are currently working with them on new media strategy, and building them a new corporate website that should be live within the next two weeks.

Surprisingly, this market has been less impacted by on-line viral networking than most, and seem to still rely on traditional media exposure such as T.V. and magazines. This will be a nice experiment as we try to increase Fat Katz web value for better overall brand engagement.

sneak peek

I’ve made a big jump from my site over to this new blog format. The syndication strength along with the ease of posting news was too much to resist. We will do a new corporate site for the re-launch of AMG [active marketing group] - so I figured I would make the move over to the blogesphere.

AMG has been idle for most of the past 5 years while we focused our efforts on running a bike manufacturing company. Since selling the bike biz last year - I have have been working as an indy consultant - working with a number of really innovative, cool companies. The next goal is to focus on building AMG into leader in “New Media” marketing.