mesh conference, Author at mesh

Nov 15

The Rise of “Transmedia” Storytelling

By mesh conference mesh news

This is an overview of a panel we’re having as part of meshmarketing on November 17th:

Even as Web-based social networks and services like Twitter and Facebook have exploded over the past few years, the reality is that content is still king, and a well-told story continues to play a key role in how companies get their message across to key stakeholders, including customers, regardless of what medium they are using.

The challenge facing many companies is how to effectively tell these stories in different places — and using new and different tools such as mobile devices, augmented reality, etc. — in ways that resonate with target audiences. How do companies develop marketing and advertising campaigns that have broad appeal, and cut through the mass of other information that is competing for their customers’ attention online and offline?

These are some of the questions we are going to try and find the answers to on our panel, which features James Milward, president of Secret Location — an agency that specializes in interactive, online and mobile storytelling — and Ivan Askwith, director of strategy for Big Spaceship, an award-winning creative agency based in Brooklyn.

Nov 15

Love0

The Rise of “Social TV” — What Does It Mean For You?

By mesh conference meshmarketing

This is an overview of a panel we’re having as part of meshmarketing on November 17th:

Watching television used to be a simple exercise: grab the remote, sit on the couch, select a channel, and then watch whatever was on (in the bad old days, you had to actually get up the change the channel). For content-makers, it was simply a matter of creating shows and then convincing the networks to broadcast them. Today, however, television is a completely new experience — not only are there thousands of channels, but we have seen the arrival of time-shifting and the arrival of “social viewing,” thanks to Twitter and other tools like the iPad and Internet-connected set-top boxes.

Watching TV is now an experience that can take place at any time, and can be shared with family, friends and communities regardless of their physical location. While the couch potato hasn’t gone extinct yet, more consumers clearly want to participate and engage with the shows they watch. What impact will this have on the television market and on marketers that have been using the same advertising model for the past 60 years? What are the key trends in social TV, and what are the opportunities and challenges that it offers as a delivery and consumption medium? How should companies be adapting to take advantage of it?

Those are some of the topics we’re planning to address with our panel at meshmarketing, which includes Dave Bullock, CEO and co-founder of Live Hive Systems — which designs and creates TV-related games and events; Francois Bedard of Plan B Development, a consulting firm focused on the future of TV; and Jonathan Savage, the vice-president of digital media at Score Media Inc. Come and join us!

Nov 15

Love0

The Digitization of Retail

By mesh conference meshmarketing

While e-commerce has been around for more than a decade, the marketplace continues to evolve and become more interesting as new technologies continue to emerge. This has provided new opportunities for retailers to do business, and new ways for consumers to purchase products and services. Among the most exciting technologies are location-based services that match a consumers’ needs to their location, and group-buying services that leverage social media.

To provide some insight into what’s happening on the retail landscape and, as important, where the marketplace is heading, we have put together a panel that will address the needs of retailers looking to move into new markets, consumers that want to make purchases in different ways, and marketers looking to reach consumers.

Our panels’ speakers include:

– Chris Nguyen, co-founder of TeamSave.com, a Toronto-based startup looking to take advantage of the growing interesting among consumers in group-buying services.
– Marla Erwin, interactive art director with Whole Foods Market, which has leveraged the Web and social media in a significant and successful way.

Among the topics to be covered by the panel are the potential of location-based marketing, and the impact that high-speed networks and smartphones will have on mobile commerce. What’s the potential of location-based services, and what are the downsides? Is mobile commerce going to become a major trend and, if so, what are retailers doing to make sure it resonates with consumers.