I recently interviewed a few of the maritime leaders for Krill Systems asking their thoughts and predictions for the upcoming year (2014). We were able to interview David Moseley, Director of the Washington State Ferries, Ralph Duncan, VP Business Development for BMT Designers & Planners, Matt Nichols, CEO Nichols Bros. Boat Builders, Art Parker, Sales Manager for Kvichak Marine Industries, Trevor Machen of Radar Marine, and Grant Fosheim for Vigor Industries.
This is a short video I created for my class, Leadership in the Digital Age: Establishing Authenticity through Story (Crofts). “Leadership skills are not just traits you are born with, but competencies you learn and refine throughout your life. Today, with office structures flattening and transparency at a premium, authentic leadership is critical for success in the digital age.”
In this video I interviewed two leaders in the maritime industry and ask how they’ve overcome fear of risk taking, self-doubt & how to avoid burnout.
I believe all companies are media companies, but more specifically, companies will invest more on internal digital media marketing since broadcast and distribution of content is quicker and more affordable to publish and distribute to their customers. We can no longer ignore the fact that the consumer appetite and the rapid growth of digital technology has changed the landscape of pop & corporate culture. The idea of only disseminating information to the masses uni-directionally has become obsolete; amateur videos posted on YouTube and Vimeo are vying for attention as general networks struggle to retain their numbers. There is a paradigm shift, unsettling as it may be, our culture is responding to technology; it’s cultural adaptation, tech evolves so we evolve along with it. During my two years of studying for my Master of Communication Digital Media (MCDM) degree at the University of Washington I’ve seen the shift of attitude. MCDM, whose curriculum slogan proudly states: “Always in Beta” has prepared me for the highly participatory media culture which we’re seeing today. Look all around you and you’ll see the consumerization of technology, in fact I’m sure many of you are happily reading this blog post on your new iPad or mobile device from this holiday season!
New technology is driving the behavior of users. The same users who were once passive media consumers desire to express and share their ideas via social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, videos and even old school forums; we are influencing each other, in fact according to a Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey they found recommendations from friends and online opinions to be most trusted than newspapers, magazines and TV. Even our news is being consumed differently than 5 years ago. Mobile technologies and the increase distribution of news content by social networks encourage participation by allowing customization of user experiences, in fact there’s even talk about the future gamification of investigative journalism (Gamification is the term which applies game mechanics such as rewards for achieving tasks to non-game experiences). Sharing links to like-minded friends on posts, commenting on favorite YouTube videos, “thumbing up” Digg posts and giving “1+” to Google search items all give rise to a new participatory culture. There’s an evolution in the way content is being distributed and still some industries and companies find it unsettling. Corporate engagement, with trepidation of becoming transparent, is adjusting and adapting. What we’re evolving towards is a more open, fluid, dynamic, multi-directional means of communication. Digital and social media isn’t a fad. We live in a stimulating and exciting times and its a great opportunity to be involved. I feel quite prepared to embrace what’s coming ahead in 2012, do you?
I created this video to help promote my son’s high school band. Yes, I realize that the focus on the band in the beginning of this video is a bit too long, but I strongly support public music education so despite the near freezing temps on the Eagle Harbor I did my best to capture the moment with my camera. I create and maintain the high school band website and by providing content for distribution I hope to provide awareness to the community as well as kudos and support for the kids. The Bainbridge High School Band Boosters have an active group of parents who provide fundraising opportunities and if interested you can support them by becoming a sponsor!
This video is featured in the Kitsap Sun and Inside Bainbridge and other social networks which is greatly appreciated! Thank you to my Twitter followers and G+ friends who re-posted, that was nice.
So, why did I choose to focus on video content? Obviously it’s for the shareability factor but there’s more to it. I’ll elaborate on the next post about topic sharing and the importance of topic relevance and timeliness (I stayed up past 2 AM to edit and post for the following day’s distribution). For this event my focus was the music and the relevance of the event was the holiday Argosy cruise boat parade. In the near freezing temperatures I knew many families who might normally have attended the event wouldn’t come out but they would seek images the following day. Timing matters greatly; additionally, since audiences have short attention spans, videos not only should be kept short, but they also need to be published near the time of the event. Audiences will forget or lose interest to search and they won’t find your content if you wait too long to distribute. It’s a fine balance between taking your time editing towards perfection vs. good enough and being the first one out.
Wow, everyone stand back and hold on! Is your heading spinning because mine is reeling with all the recent changes. Today Facebook has made changes on their UI without warning, this week Netflix split into two companies dropping shares nearly 160 points in the last two months but now “et tu Pandora?”. Mon dieu, not my beloved Pandora!
If you’re not familiar with Pandora, you should. It’s another widely used Cloud-based ‘radio’ where you select artists and it magically creates stations based on artist music style. I really like the surreptitious discovery of new artists using Pandora and I prefer to use it at work. In June it went IPO but soon after has been chased by other Cloud based stations arising such as Amazon and Google (not forgetting to mention competitors Spotify & Turntable.fm).
OK, so I get it. Pandora’s Tim Westergren addresses competition but is the new Pandora better for us users? Let’s take a quick look and use my profile as an example.
Above is a snapshot of my new Pandora Profile. It lists my music stations in the center (with little icon images of the CD/ “album” covers) but the bad thing about it? You have to scroll down to take a gander at all the stations (kind of a drag). Notice all the added advertising on the right, it’s probably to compensate for the removal of their 40-hour per month cap on their free service. The left column is reminiscent of the relatively older version of Facebook.
The ads are A LOT bigger! This is certain to satisfy advertisers.
After having to constantly be mindful of Facebook’s ever-changing settings I appreciate Pandora’s upfront new privacy settings as I logged in today. It asks users whether you wish your listening activity to be public & whether you prefer listeners to leave comments on your profile. It’s all part of the new Pandora’s social interaction push. The old Pandora also gave the option to import friends from Facebook, but today (9/21/11) my Facebook friends are not here! Maybe the big social reveal will be tomorrow.
One big difference I noticed on the account settings was whether you should allow Pandora to display explicit content on your stations. Hmm, explicit content, what could that mean? Now I am no prude, but if you’re like me and you enjoy listening to music at work its embarrassing to have ads of eligible men to date in your geographic area. (I can’t image what explicit images Pandora would show if I allowed explicit content but I assume they are also referring to parental control and blocking explicit lyrics, not only ads). Perhaps maybe, if I’m feeling frisky, I’ll check the other box and I’ll report back, but for now this setting is just fine.
I don’t see the big social element of Pandora yet. Could it be the ‘Thumbs Up/Down’ button next to the radio station? I think the Thumbs Up/Down allowed users to virtually ‘teach’ stations to play songs that are similar to the artist station, it’s what distinguishes Pandora from other online music radio. To me, Pandora allows me to discover new artists and I think its effective. I’m looking forward to sharing my favorite music with friends. I’ve always felt that music should be shared on social networks since so often a song can describe an emotion so much better than words.
This year I proudly represented Krill Systems and participated with NPowerNW & the United Way of King County to offer Social Media Coaching; It was just one of the projects available during the combined September 16 “Day of Caring” event. I was one of 25 recruited social media “mavens” (cough, cough) to volunteer as coach for 25 non-profit organizations that need help taking their social media practices to the next level. It was great to team up with Maureen Oscadal, Program Director of Hepatitis Education Project of Seattle. Here’s a little video which we created while we shared the day!
The party music was thumping at the United Way’s After Party in Seattle.
Microsoft gave generous matching gifts and there were over 120 companies volunteering at different non-profits across Seattle. Volunteer activities ranged from setting up computer networks, painting, weeding, and assembling furniture. One guy I spoke with told me his job was to pour kitty litter in buckets of old used paint! He said it wasn’t so bad. The after party attendees entered drawings for terrific prizes such as free smartphones and a cruise from Holland America!
Everyone I spoke to at the after party was very happy to share the day with the greater community. There was synergy between all the ‘happy shiny people’ around the room as everyone recounted their stories of the day (and drinking a brew or two while noshing on some treats). It feels good to exchange and share new experiences. The simple act of caring for one another is so powerful. Let’s do this again next year!
Here’s the United Way of King County’s photostream
The Downtown Seattle Waterfront is the place to be for the annual Seattle Maritime Festival, sponsored by Seattle Propeller Club with support from the Port of Seattle. This year’s 2011 festival celebrated the Centennial of the Port of Seattle. Demonstrations of Seattle’s workboats is important for public relations in understanding what the maritime community does for Seattle commerce. Without capturing the event (via video production and images) the celebration would cease after the show. Social media strategies were set in place to disperse content as quickly as possible and archiving content is essential.
Here are a few Seattle Maritime Fest video vignettes during the week events which I produced and edited for the Seattle Propeller Club. A few of the videos were redistributed for circulation by the media and were well received by the maritime community.
The USCG Aircrew 6574 performed their sea & air helicopter rescue on “Sponge Bob” at the Seattle Maritime Festival!
The 14th Annual Celebrity Chowder Cook-Off took place on May 10th at the World Trade Center Holland American Dining Room. Jim Dever (KING TV’s Evening Magazine), Rachel Belle (97.3 KIRO FM), Ann Peavey (@SeattleMaven/Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau), Mark Knudsen (SSA Marine/Seattle Maritime Festival Chairman) and Marc Warner (Legros Buchanan & Paul/President of Seattle Propeller Club) were the judges of the participating waterfront restaurants.
A narrative recap of the tugboats on parade at the Seattle Maritime Festival, May 14, along the downtown Seattle Waterfront. Tugboats included in this video: Andrew Foss, Triton and Crowley.
Watch more Seattle Maritime Fest videos on the Seattle Propeller Club YouTube Channel
Seattle Seafarers’ Center is a non-profit that provides social services to meet the practical and spiritual needs of seafarers and maritime workers living and visiting Seattle. With lack of staff and zero funds to create awareness and publicity in the Seattle maritime community, the decision was to create a narrative story from the Chaplin’s point of view as he represents the center and the mission.
The deliverable for this project involved story development, research and reporting as well as video and sound production, distribution and online digital marketing. The goal was to achieve more visibility and greater understanding to seafarers around the world. Deserving respect and recognition for making great sacrifices and take risks in the high seas, dealing with issues such as piracy, the video was timely and redistributed around the world in honor of commemorating the International Maritime Organization (IMO) “Day of the Seafarer”.
Learn more about the Seattle Seafarers’ Center here.
As the digital media revolution turns communication upside down, it also poses new challenges with how to strategically plan, propose, and assess the deployment of these new platforms. Our group client was the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We designed a solution to engage the general public about the effects of climate change. The goal was to reach specific population segments to help understand and engage them in conversation about the effects of climate change in their neighborhood. We created a social media plan surrounding an app which was developed for this project.
Here is the video which features the “Cirrus” app; a working prototype was developed for this project for the iPhone. By confronting a real-world communication challenge we used storytelling, social media and business methodologies to define and frame the “problem” presented by the client and used appropriate research tools for an effective strategy. This was our multimedia presentation for our client.
My family and I are still beaming from our first PAX (Penny Arcade Expo), Seattle’s gaming convention featuring games for console, computer and table top games. For three action packed days reaching 70,000 attendees, it was the largest PAX ever and one of the biggest gaming cons in the world!
With attendees literally spent hours lining up trying to get into the Seattle Convention Center, then lining up again to play the newest beta launches of the biggest blockbuster games (while receiving plenty of terrific swag so you’ll remember to buy the game later!) it seems fairly obvious that the gaming industry is growing.
StarCraft 2 Lan Fest
As you could imagine, as in any entertainment convention, there were plenty of cosplayers (fans dressed in amazing detailed costumes as their favorite game character); hardware vendors, so you can decide what components to put in your next gaming computer; multiple gaming tournaments and indie game developers to talk about their latest releases. It was an all out two-way geek-fest where fans get to share their giddy appreciation for the games as well as the game producers chatting up the end-users and learning what they think of their product. The passion from both attendees and exhibitors was electric.
I wondered after speaking with the Christopher Erhardt, director of AIE (Academy of Interactive Entertainment) could this huge gaming community be an anomaly since, after all, we do live in Seattle where there are at least 150 game companies? Perhaps, but lets look at the facts. The gaming industry is growing leaps and bounds, in fact, three quarters of all U.S. families play games and 72% of those play computer or video games according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). Here are some surprising stats: Consumers spent $25.1 billion on video games and peripheries in 2010 and the average age of the most frequent game purchaser is 41 years old (Surprised?). 76% of all games sold in 2010 were rated “E” for Everyone, “T” for Teen, or “E10+” for Everyone 10+ (It’s family affair, just like ours, we’re the prime demographic!)
“Entertainment software is now one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. economy. And video games are driving technological and societal advancements that serve gamers and non-gamers alike. From education, to health, to business, the computer and video game industry is helping Americans lead healthier, happier and more productive lives.”
In my opinion, Firefall had the most impressive exhibit with plenty of big screens for visual stimuli and dry ice extending the experience of demo play. Firefall also has a pretty clever social media campaignfeaturing ‘Daily Missions’ involving pictures and videos to be taken in front of specific locations then uploading to your social networks (Twitter/Facebook). Don’t have a smartphone…meh, you’re out of luck! (I guess they figured their demographic as a heavy smartphone user and judging by the laggy to non-existent ATT 3G service at the convention center on the first day, they’re right!)
Ubisoft launched Assassin’s Creed Revelations, their fourth installment of the epic historical third-person action video game; The plot and the artwork of the game is striking as it takes place in Ottoman Constantinople in 1511 AD. The story integrates real historical figures and geographic locations with a Sci-fi twist.
Assassins Creed 2 Facebook fan photos
The PAX Prime ’11 fans were lining up to take photos on their ‘green screen’ booth so that you could see yourself with the Assassin’s Creed background. They gave me a card to visit their Facebook fan page. Several PAX Prime exhibitors required folks to register either on Facebook or Twitter before entering a drawing or participating in a game. I’ve never been to a conference like that before, but its smart, guaranteeing fans new updates while increasing their fan base and monitoring their engagement.
Despite all the “smoke and mirror” of these bigger funded top brand games, I’m drawn to the innovators, the developers of indie games. PAX Prime seems committed to exposing gamers to fresh ideas and in an effort to attract exposure for certain indie games, PAX allocated 10 free booth spaces (that’s really cool). These indie game developers often don’t have the funds to promote their hard work but are fueled with passion and interest. They want to change the world with their storytelling and drive interest by creating a perfect game.
Matt Gilgenbach’s exhibitor persona, with his yellow miner hat, sticks out from the hungry indie game crowd. As co-founder of 24 Caret Games, he has developed an interesting story where the game must be played, in reverse, in order to save the space time continuum. His team has created a stunning and engaging visual game called “Retro/Grade” (soon to come out on Playstation 3). We are excited that there’s a game that involves musicality (to the extent that we can use our guitar controller!). Now with Activision’s Guitar Hero no longer being manufactured at least there’s something new I can do with our guitars besides gather dust!
PAX Prime 11 interview with multi-talented creator of Universe Sandbox, Dan Dixon, tells us how he started this project and what makes his video game so unique.
Universe Sandbox is an interactive space simulator for Windows based PCs. It’s a powerful gravity simulator and an open ended game where the user can manipulate stars, entire galaxies and change variables for to see vivid graphic animation. As a parent & former home-schooler, I think this is an great way for families to satisfy their curiosity about astronomy combining different “what if” scenarios. You can buy it here for $10.
Ryan Maclean, founder of DrinkBox Studios talks about their new followup game to About a Blob, entitled Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack during PAX Prime 2011. (Platform: PlayStation Vita) Check out their site: www.mutantblobsattack.com
The blob grows as he devours through each level! Younger kids will love it, and it just reminds me how a big bolus of food will track down an esophagus during digestion! (ok, so it’s not a biology game, but it can easily be conceived as one!). Nice job guys, great to meet you at PAX Prime! Here’s the trailer, its a lot of fun!
The G155 is what Gaems is calling a “Personal Gaming Environment”. It caught my eye because it’s a lot like a Pelican Case but specifically designed for portability for gaming consoles. As earlier mentioned, three quarters of U.S. households play some type of computer game and this demographic includes not only the mobile young adults ready to go off to college, but adults well into their careers who travel for business. Disposable income or a necessity for the gamer, who’s to say the value of the ‘Personal Gaming Environment’, all I know is that when we travel for any length of time, my teenage kid packs his Playstation in a floppy gym bag where equipment can get damaged.
Lynne Watanabe 