The 543 Group

Wunderbar for Guys

You have to hand it to the folks at VolksWagen for leveraging high-bandwidth Web access to deliver a compelling online experience to motivate males to purchase a GT Mk 5. 

After exploring the many features of the high-powered car, visitors to this feature on the VW site are allowed to actually take a first person point of view ride in their completed vehicle, complete with a rather motivating passenger/guide.

GTI Mk V

What makes this ride more than a passive movie is that the interactive video is actually tailored to decisions made when the visitor spec'd out their vehicle, down to the color and options indicated.  The ride 'hostess' also offers a couple of upsell and sales closure techniques along the way.

Lesson is to understand how interactive video can be leveraged to tell your own brand story online, veiled somewhat in the form of entertainment.

We Are The Very Model Of A Micro Multinational

We are often asked what it is about our business model that works better, that offers our clients more than other marketing agencies they may consider. 

We know it is our strategic methodologies, our attention to detail, our ability to deliver on time and on budget, with measurable ROI for our clients.  We invite you to explore this site to learn a bit more about how we accomplish that.

It is also our extensive experience, and the experience of others with whom we work, that make a difference from which our clients benefit.  The lessons learned from hundreds of successful interactive media projects, Websites, and digital marketing campaigns all get applied to each new challenge.  We also leverage a strong international team of experts that allows us to successfully tackle any level of initiative:

• Strategic planning resources with a combined experience base of over 150 years and experience with over 300 clients
• Award-winning creative design resources both internally, as well as in the Midwest and on the coast
• Application development resources capable of tackling any size challenge, with a methodology that can encompasses both open source and offshore to deliver technological solutions to business applications at the lowest cost possible
• Reach and engage experts that have successfully delivered on multi-million dollar campaigns with as much as 250% return
• Team building, coaching, and skills improvement experts to help ensure marketing and related programs are successfully delivered within your organization

The benefit is you are not tied to using an employed team that may not be the best resources for the job.  We have partners in several states, Canada, and overseas, and can locate and work with any other resources we might need.  This is the model for new businesses that wish to compete locally and globally - a micro multinational.

We are also learning from the experience of others, every day.  The pace of new developments and methodologies offers both opportunity and a never ending challenge.  We are your experts in the field, so you may concentrate on running your business. 

If you are looking for truly unique differentiation, as well as approaches that deliver measurable ROI every time, chances are our team has already been through something similar and can leverage that experience for your competitive benefit.

Karaoke Without the Bar Scene

It was only a matter of time before karaoke singing hit the Web.  The developers of SingShot have created a virtual karaoke 'bar' where you can croon your favorite tunes and find out what others think of your talent without having to hear it face to face!

Sing Your Heart Out

This is social networking at its 'finest' - no more smoke and alcohol to get in the way of enjoying your friends, and your own, singing talent.  To be fair, this site actually offers an interesting virtual studio and 'nightclub' for aspiring talent to see what they are really worth.  The experience and feedback gained is well worth the low monthly fee for those waiting to be discovered. 

Who knows where the next singing sensation will come from?  At least this venue comes without Paula Abdul.

2.0 is the new 1.0

The first major wave of the World Wide Web is over.  No better evidence exists to understand this than it is no longer called 'world wide' anymore.  That's a given. The Web is anywhere and everywhere you want to access it and leverage its power - on a PC, laptop, PDA, phone, or watch  It's wireless, and it is a world of everything one might want as well as not ever want to even see.

The days of the 'me, too' Web site where everyone had to have some online presence have been replaced with (mostly) serious endeavors to understand how the Web and all facets of an online brand can affect your businesses.  This is a good thing as it may actually cut down on the millions of worthless pages of Web junk out there. 

Companies that 'get it' understand that the power of the Web is in the end user's hands, not theirs, and getting to the heart of what makes them tick - their beliefs, opinions, needs, attitudes, behaviors, and other thoughts they may have about what you offer.  It is an important key to online success. 

As evidence of the changing face of the Web, the volume of actual Web content now being generated by end users is growing at such a rate that over 50% of ALL Web content is predicted to be generated by end users within four years.  And everyone else who isn't creating that content is going to be looking and listening to those who did.  This phenomenon of consumer generated media is one of the definitions for Web 2.0.  Another is social media networks. 

Whatever it is called is not the point.  What matters is that the Web, as futurist Paul Saffo wrote, is "moving from a place where people access information to a place where people access other people in an information-rich environment."  Some of the user-generated content has already resulted in the establishment of online media 'stars' that have thousands and, in some cases, millions of viewers.

The lesson is that everything your company does online, and off, can now easily be extended, enhanced, debated and disputed by others online.  These types of influencers can show up on blogs, in an Amazon review, or a comment to a Yahoo! news story, and even videos on YouTube.  Any company with a serious online presence should pay attention to what others are saying and doing as a result of their relationship or even a recent brand touchpoint with that company. 

It is worth saying again.  The end user is in control of the messages they receive, how they receive them and now, from whom they receive them.

It's More Than A Cycle

When it comes to a good example of online content and functionality, the Harley Davidson site demonstrates how well-branded site with a strong information design and highly developed features invites visitors to interact with the site as an active spectator.  Its features include a scrollable slide show on the home page and single-click access to Harley models through a drop-down menu structure. 

Harley Heaven

Once on the product pages, visitors may obtain different product views, including 360 degree 'walk-arounds.'  Persuasive content includes 'What's holding you back?' and non-threatening sections for planning a purchase and customizing a chosen bike.  There is a superb short film entitled, 'Live by it' that makes the Harley open road experience compelling for even those least interested in ownership.

Content on numerous events and planning your own trip convey the company's brand essence that a Harley is not just a vehicle, it's a lifestyle.

Drawing Upon Experience

My entire career has been largely focused on creating compelling online brand experiences, from my earliest days in public media development where I co-authored the first book published on interactive design.  That was followed by several years with the Disney organization where I was responsible for all interactive experiences at EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World.  We pioneered a number of interactive guest experience systems and also conducted the first research on related human factors engineering.

My twenty-seven year career includes consulting for over 150 different organizations in a wide variety of B2C and B2B vertical markets including health care, education, government, and numerous consumer products and services.   I have created more than 250 interactive and online marketing applications, published over 40 articles on interactive media, and presented at over 35 conferences on related subjects.  My interactive experiences at Walt Disney World have been seen by more than 500 million visitors.  What I am constantly and pleasantly surprised by is how much each new client experience adds to the base of knowledge for the next client, and the one after that. 

Among the key lessons I have learned working with so many different clients in so many different industries is the need to always be true to the brand, no matter what the customer experience touch point, no matter how big or small, no matter what medium or environment.  They all leave an impression, generally one that can be measured, and almost always one that eventually affects the top and/or bottom line of the organization.  This is why 'doing it right the first time' is so important. 

Ken

Lessons from 'Walt'

In my early days with Walt Disney, I learned a key mantra important to all products and services companies:  "Know your audience.  Know your audience.  Know your audience."  It may be location in retail, but it's audience understanding no matter what your business.

The Web was built to learn as much as to tell, and your customers and prospects will supply feedback with a passion when properly motivated.  Their online activity throughout their Website visit can also tell a great deal about their interests and their passions.  Since almost every action online is measurable, it becomes intuitive over time how best to solicit, track, and understand behavior as well as interest in specific products and services, in ways that can offer meaningful insight.  Driving to underlying needs and attitudes is also part of the equation.

Disney would change an entire entertainment experience if there were ten letters of complaint about it.  This is because that usually meant there were two orders of magnitude more guests that felt either exactly the same way or were similarly bothered by some aspect of the experience.  They just did not feel compelled to provide that feedback. 

When you listen, consumers will tell you exactly what they think about your brand.  And that feedback can can be instantaneous online, allowing brands to react to the market in real time.

Ken

Marrying Information Design & Rich Media

The Theban Mapping Project is a newer example of what is now possible online.  It begins with a rich information architecture that seamlessly blends scholarly articles, 3-D mapping with extensive zoom and pan features, and rich media vignettes, amongst many other elements, to deliver a rich interactive atlas for the Valley of the Kings and the Theban Necropolis.

Theban Mapping Project

The team at the American University in Cairo is to be commended for their efforts to place this extensive academic resource online.  It also provides a solid lesson for any information architect on how to blend unique media types into a seamless presentation.

Don't Let This Happen To You

If you've ever had the feeling that you are simply pushing a boulder up a hill all day long and getting nowhere, you are not alone.  Many organizations get so bogged down in process and who sits where on an organizational chart that they forget they are trying to move the ball forward, not just move it around and around.  Yes, the ball may actually get somewhere, but is it somewhere useful?

   Little Blue Balls

Earthbounder's 'Something Awful' image on YTMND.com (that's for 'you're the man now dog!') beautifully captures what I am talking about.  The music from "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" adds the right level of chaos.  If you feel this is happening to you... run!  Far, far, away!  If your company is this far gone, it's unlikely you wil be able to save it. 

Or, simply bookmark this page - it comes in handy when you might be having a bad, blue ball kind of day!

Microsoft's Realizing Potential Mini-Site Sets a New Standard

One of the most fully immersive online brand experiences available today is the Realizing Potential section on the Microsoft Website.  This site within the site leverages extensive Flash animation, unique page builds, and videos that appear to 'float' in their environments to showcase the company's next generation technologies and how they are impacting our lives.

Microsoft's Realizing Potential

The overall experience, created from their dynamic approach to navigation, page builds, use of rich animation, uplifting music, and storytelling, is quite compelling and elicits a strong emotional response to the brand.  The information architecture also enables rapid access to deep information.  Even the use of color and the overall design reinforces confidence in the messages being presented.

This site is an example for others to emulate when they want to make certain their brand position is extended online.