As a follow up to my post last week, YouTube, with roughly 75 billion video streams and over 375 million unique visitors last year, has completed its upgrade to IPv6.
 
Clearly, YouTube has the most to gain by some of the advantages of IPv6's router optimization and resource allocation support, but it is likely that many will soon follow their lead.
 
For the rest of us, we can sit back and enjoy our new IPv6 streaming videos from YouTube such as the one below:




Enjoy!

We've been meeting with a variety B2B companies lately.   All of these companies are very successful and market movers within their industries.   As we've been planning out ways to build their digital channel, extend their brand equity online and help grow their business - part of our conversations have lead to storytelling.

At its very core, good marketing is storytelling.  The best marketing programs - service engagements, product experiences take us on an emotional journey appealing to our wants, needs and passions for something larger, deeper, more personal and connected.   

All the while, connecting with their customers - with the best traits of good storytelling.   Grabbing your attention from the start, pulling us in and taking us on an adventure along with characters and situations you can believe in and associate with elements of humor, drama, spectacle, action or mystery as catalysts to spark attention and interest.  All the while cutting through any marketing hyperbole and inwardly focused messaging because good storytelling is about engaging with an audience - tapping into their needs, passions, fears  - not talking about yourself.   

Storytelling Can Become Your Differentiator


Facts and figures, function, specifications and price all still matter, for certain.  But it takes stories to connect with customers on an emotional level.  The motivation to choose one brand, solution provider over another - when the choices are vast.

Now Comes The Creative Content Strategy - Theme Focus: Humor

IBM used Humor to humanize their Mainframe business.  A mainstay and very profitable business line for IBM but perhaps not the coolest or easiest to excite people about.

IBM turned to Tim Washer , a bona fide, professional comedian and storyteller to humanize their complex product line.   I met Tim last month at a Harvard Business School event where he spoke about his role as head of social media productions for IBM.  What first attracted my attention to Tim works was an article in TEXAS magazine, followed by a blog post about this viral video he helped produce for IBM.    And to Tim and IBM's credit, they've measured the impact of these humorous Office like produced videos.  
 

View more presentations from Tim Washer.

More recently, software giant, Infor, launched an interesting marketing campaign against their competitors, SAP and Oracle.   The campaign revolves around an Infor sponsored website called DownWithBigERP.com.

The campaign includes a "Declaration of Software Independence" and describes their competitors as "Big ERP".   And they've  moved their storytelling beyond its main website - establishing its main messaging persona on Twitter and cross multiple social and digital channels.  

To be a successful brand storyteller, you must first understand how your brand's products and services meet a customer's emotional needs.  Even business-to-business products and services fulfill emotional needs:  I will get promoted. I won't get fired.  I will be a hero if this works.
Next, understand not only where your customer will be exposed to your message, but what their emotional state will be when engaged with that media.

Lastly, tell a consistent story about your company, your product or your service regardless of where the message is delivered.  Inconsistencies degrade the power of the story and cause mistrust.  

Every brand has a story.  Tell it well, and you'll give your customers a reason to believe.

Photo Credit: Sean Drellinger

In a recent article from IPv6 Now, they reveal that less than 10% of all IPv4 addresses remain unallocated, and predict it will be less than 3 years before we run out for good. With the expiration date approaching, companies running their own network need to be prepared.

Exponential Growth

When the internet began, a system was created for identifying machines on a network, called the Internet Protocol. Similar to telephone numbers, this system provides a unique address for every computer connected to the internet.

The addresses are structured as a set of four numbers, each number can range from 0-255, e.g. 192.168.1.100. This 32-bit address creates approx 4 billion (4.3 x 109) unique combinations.

With the exponential growth of the internet, we are rapidly approaching the 4 billion user capacity.

Technology is Short Lived

With technology (and most concepts in general), it is often difficult for people to look past the immediate future to anticipate the long term need. My favorite example of this is a quote from Bill Gates:

"... I felt like I was providing enough freedom for 10 years. That is, a move from 64k to 640k felt like something that would last a great deal of time. Well, it didn't - it took about only 6 years before people started to see that as a real problem."

A similar example of this can be found in a 2003 ZDNet article in which Paul Wilson, director general of APNIC (Asia Pacific Network Information Centre), stated that the shortage of IP Addresses is "misinformation", and that the current system would be enough for 20 years.

In both of these cases, they knew exactly what to anticipate, they just expected the changes to take longer to happen.

New Technology Already Exists

In 1998, a new protocol was developed called IPv6. This new protocol can handle up to 340 undecillion (3.4 x 1038) addresses. While it seems like this is the answer we have been looking for, there is still one problem: Internet Protocol is implemented in hardware, not software.

This means that is isn't as simple as running the latest patch or upgrade to get everything fixed. In some cases, companies will have to replace their entire infrastructure to support these new standards.

Even consumers will likely need to replace their own networks, as many modern-day routers and modems do not support the new protocol.

Recent Developments

Comcast, one of the United States' largest internet providers, is taking the lead in this space, stating "in order for 2011 to represent the start of widespread adoption, critical work such as our trials must be conducted in 2010".

Google is attacking the switch from the other end, providing an IPv6 version of the Google website for users to test out their connection.

Once major players such as these get involved, it is only a matter of time before the industry as a whole takes a big step forward.

Are you ready for the switch?

Photo Credit: Bruno Girin

Marcel LeBrun, CEO of Radian6, has a philosophy for businesses, organizations, causes and even individuals - "Listen and Engage At the Point of Need."  And the immediate need facing the people of Haiti is being heard.   Since the earthquake tragedy that has devastated the country - people across the globe have rallied and coordinated efforts to engage and support where they can.
 
From international relief efforts led by the Red Cross to last Friday's "Hope for Haiti Now" live telethon - coordinated and shown simultaneously by leading broadcast and cable stations along with CNN's Anderson Cooper live from Haiti - support for the People of Haiti and families across the world is emerging.

Also, as part of the Haiti relief efforts, a host of initiatives in digital fundraising have emerged. This 60-second podcast showcases examples of mobile giving, social network philanthropy, online gaming for charity, and canvassing through text messaging.


These new trends are solidifying their role onto the world stage to aid those in need.  Microgiving through mobile devices and harnessing the talent and passion of technologists to help address fundamental communications needs for supporters to reach and help family members affected by the earthquake tragedy.
    
In response to the tragedy in Haiti, microgiving via texting has resulted in more than $30 million in donations for Haiti relief efforts.  Microgiving has emerged as the most immediate form of personal giving during this tragedy because it is easy for many people to donate a small amount, such as $5 or $10 at a time.  Last week, American Red Cross spokeswoman Abi Weaver noted that Americans have tapped out rapid-fire donation messages to the relief agency at the rate of about $100,000 an hour.

However, its important to remember, monetary transactions via mobile were originally developed as a way of paying for content and downloads.  Short code payments were never designed as a means for immediate donations.  Typically operators bill their customers for the transaction at the end of the month, and once bills are paid, the funds are then paid out to the recipient, whether charity or developer.  There is an encouraging movement to help address this delay issue.

Due to the immediate need for the relief dollars though, Verizon Wireless and other operators have begun advancing the funds directly to the Red Cross.  There is also a movement among Wireless carriers Verizon, ATT, Sprint and T-Mobile to waive any fees for earthquake relief donations.

I believe Jim Manis, CEO with Mobile Giving Foundation, summed the mobile movement up best: "Consumers know they have a new channel available to them to help immediately after a disaster occurs, one that allows to them to act on their immediate emotion."  

Mobile-based Haiti relief efforts may have become a tipping point where the repercussions and applications will be felt long afterwards.  The same heart felt draw that led the millions to immediately pledge their support to Haiti support could be tapped in non-disaster situations.  Other pubic service announcements and even advertisements may start to point people directly to short codes rather than have them call hotlines or enter a URL in a web browser for the simplicity, immediacy and ease of the transaction could promote a huge spike in charitable giving.

Photo Credit: International Federation of Red Cross

When it came to sports, I grew up with Jim McKay and ABC's Wide World of Sports.   The stories, the action, different cultures and the world it brought into my living room through our small color Zenith TV.   

When not picking up a game of street hockey, neighborhood football down at the old park or summer little league, sports came into my life through the television.   I was never drawn into listening to classic announcer Johnny Most calling a Celtics game on the radio - or reading the Sports section of the Boston Globe or even read one article in Sports Illustrated.  To me, sports was hands on and a visual media to be experienced - not via print or radio.

Traditional print content producers are starting to realize this as well.  Some are a little too late to the game, not evolving quickly enough, but others are embracing development of different digital channels and content formats to reach a wider audience.   Providing different choices for choice audiences to experience and immerse themselves in great content through different media options.

This is why I love the recent Time Inc. vision of the future magazine using a tablet device.  If you can't view the video below, you can also check it out on YouTube. 



It seems that every major magazine publisher has an idea of how their magazines should look on the upcoming tablet of newspaper salvation.  The demo showcases interactivity, video, and several different ways of browsing through the content.   

Outside of the disturbingly inhuman looking, slow moving hand that flips through the pages - I find myself for the first time wanting to immerse myself within Sports Illustrated content.  In time, I may find myself loving the style of writing that they've been recognized for and get to know some of the sub-brands within SI which would encourage me to spend more time with their journalists and reporters and pick up an issue (read: more money for Sports Illustrated).  

When the content is great, it lives to be freed.   And with the variety of creative ways content can be developed, engaged and distributed through digital and social channels, the future of great publishing could be and should bright.    The new generation of eBook readers showcased at CES earlier this month is another step in the right direction - creating a virtual newsstand in your hand.  

The Future of Publishing Should Localize, Specialize and Socialize

Consumer and B2B magazines may have been on the ropes this year, but custom content had a record-setting 2009.

According to a Custom Publishing Council study, more than $1.8 million was spent on branded content this year per company surveyed. Of that budget, print still ruled, garnering 51% of the spend, with Internet content accounting for 27%.  Another 22% went to developing audio and video assets on a company's behalf.  The share of marketing budgets going to custom media was at 32% in 2009, the highest share ever, beating the previous bar set at 27% in 2007.

Customize your voice, promote your niche, and engage more personally with great content while adding local relevancy.   And of course - provide multiple choice, creative, rich content and multiple media formats for a growing customer base to rejuvenate brands and grow an audience, revenues and business.

What are your thoughts?

For the past few years, members of the New Marketing Labs team have been attending CES in Las Vegas, even before our inception, to network with visionaries, bloggers and help some of the largest brands understand the influence of social media to build and expand their community and digital presence.   

This year is no different as Colin Bower, Chris Brogan, Justin Levy, and Nick Saber head to the annual winter festival in the desert.  There is some buzz within the blogger and online community about the big announcements and happenings this year - but it was only recently that bloggers first came en masse to CES. 

Before 2006, there were a few editorial bloggers, consisting mostly as parts of larger traditional media outlets.  Then came the Blogger Lounge & Blog Haus and suddenly being a blogger was cooler than working with Walt Mossberg & the New York Times.


In 2007, the game changed with social networks becoming more mainstream and with Twitter recently launched.  Bloggers were given front row seats to major keynotes and full show access with backstage passes.   Consumers and marketers didn't have to wait for breaking news updates from CNN, Ziff-Davis publications or broadcast news.   Access was immediate and so was the live transmission of what and who was of interest from the CES convention halls and streets of Sin City.   The people became the story and it has evolved today to where the storytellers are as much of the news as the latest tech gadgets & gizmos being promoted.   

There was concern, as with many major conferences, that live streaming and virtual coverage would diminish the value of such mega events.   Nothing could be further from the truth.  As with TED, SXSW, E3 and so many other major shows - the greater the visibility, the show evolved with greater cross awareness, more stories and impact.  The shows, the content and the connections grew along with the news.

This year, if you want to keep up with news, trends and stories coming out of CES check out the following outlets to see how the social media community is discovering and sharing the experience.

• For real time conversations follow #CES on Twitter
• Recent CES photos posted to Flickr
  


There will inevitably be A LOT of buzz in the technology world over the next several days.  Keep up with the blog posts as they fly in around these key expected themes for CES 2010:

• The expected announcement of the Google Phone - though this is not taking place at CES there will be incredible buzz about it there.
  
• Home Theater goes 3D at CES 
• Notebooks and Tablet News at CES
• Car technology gets smarter at CES
• Consumer tech going green at CES
  
  

 And if you are making the trek to CES this year be sure to check out Jeff Pulver's Social Media Jungle - a full event devoted to social media.  Justin will be speaking at this event so if you're there, make sure you stop by and say hi to him.

If looking for any of the official CES parties during the week in Vegas, check out the constantly updated CES Party List. 

Whatever your interests surrounding CES this year, whether in Vegas or experiencing it virtually, be sure to join share your thoughts, create content (#CES) and keep the conversation going.  No doubt, you'll be helping direct the focus and influence of not only this week's CES but future years to come as well.

Photo Credit: Justin Levy

The spark for innovation comes in many different ways and in many different delivery mechanisms.  I did a major upgrade to my home automation system last night with the guys over at Audio Video Intelligence and it occurred to me that home automation is the next GPS.  I remember when I first bought my Jeep 7 years ago and had the radio changed.  The sales person told me, "you've got to add GPS/NAV, soon everyone will have it and it will be a must."  I thought they were crazy but being the early adopter that I am I bought it anyways.  Here we are 7 years later and GPS is everywhere and in everything from the iPhone, Android and Blackberry platforms, to built into cars from luxury to economy models.  Most people will say, as I once did, "Why do I need home automation?"  It seems like with all innovation, this is the fundamental question. 

At New Marketing Labs, we get that question when we work with companies to implement new media strategies.  "Why do I need that innovation?"  "Why new media versus traditional media?"  I submit that these questions about innovation all share a common thread.  Look at how GPS changed the world using maps.  It is my belief that home automation will change your home life in the same way GPS changed how we get to where we need to go.  New forms of marketing such as social media tools are having the same impact on how we market and communicate with our prospects and customers.  Below I share how I'm using automation to enhance my home life experience as well as provide you with some examples on how this technology can be used.

My home automation system is powered by the Control4 HC-500, which has brought plug and play to home automation.  Part of the magic is that it works with the devices over a wireless network known as ZigBee.  The nice thing about this protocol is that the devices all act as repeaters within the network allowing you to expand the size of the network with virtually no limits, and especially no running wires. 

So how do I use it?  Since I had my first remote controlled dimmer, I knew one day this type of product would be a must.  From any web browser or from the slick iPhone app, I can:

• Place my outdoor lights on a timing sequence.
• Randomize my indoor lights to make it appear that someone is home when I am away.
  
• Adjust or program my thermostats.
• Control my TV's.
• If you travel as much as I do, it's always happens at the worst time.  You are in an important meeting with a client, and your mother-in-law is with your kids and can't put on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Now you can play a movie for my kids, change the channel, change the volume and see what they are watching.
• Arm or disarm my alarm system.
• View my IP cameras. 
  
  

The interesting about the upgrade is they have upgraded to the ZigBee Pro standard which allows you to use third party devices in you network.  The third party devices give you incredible flexibility.  Examples are:
 

• Ever have one of your kids wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.  You hear that loud smash.
• Now imagine, a small battery operated motion detector under their bed.  If it senses movement from 9 pm to 4 am, it will automatically put the lights on it their room, the hall and the bathroom at 50%.  Then after 5 minutes shut them all off.
  
• Place a water sensor in your basement by your water tank.  If it leaks, you can have the Control4 system send you an SMS text, and call the fire department. 
• Your trip gets extended: Adjust your thermostats to keep the heat down until you get home. 
  
• Create a lighting pattern, so when your family members come home it turns the lights on in the driveway, the garage, the mud room and turns on their favorite music. 
  
  

Innovation seems to creep out of the strangest places.  Then one day everyone is changing the way they work or live and they wonder "where did that come from?" 

Over the next year, I believe we will see a spike in the delivery of what was once third circle technology (that for early adopters only), to the consumer.  A great example is Comcast's Fancast site (client) which has taken the idea SlingBox made popular of watching your TV anywhere, and expanded it to now allow you access to all of your paid content anywhere via a browser.  You don't even need any new hardware! 

Stay tuned. Greater bandwidth, video over the net, automation, and constant connectivity will be big influencers in 2010. 

What innovations are surprising to you and do you think will influence us in 2010?

According to StatCounter, Firefox 3.5 is now the world's most popular web browser, with a global market share of 22%.

Source: StatCounter Global Stats - Browser Version Market Share

Internet Explorer 7 started out 2009 with 41%, but has since dropped to 21%, getting edged out by its open source competitor.

So what does this change for designers and developers?

Well...nothing

IE6 Just Won't Die

To the dismay of just about every CSS developer, IE6 (a browser that launched in 2001), is still hanging on with a market share of 14%. This wouldn't be such a bad thing, were it not for the fact that IE6 doesn't abide by some of the most common web standards, such as transparent PNG Images and other CSS rules (see the box model bug).

Despite continuing campaigns to end the browser once and for all (including ie6nomore.com, ie6update.com, and others), it still remains an active part of the internet population, and a thorn in the side of CSS developers.

Some would argue that most of this IE6 retention comes from the corporate world, where users aren't allowed to install new applications or upgrade existing ones. I have seen lots of web architects defending the continued use of IE6 because they are running applications that rely on integration with SharePoint or some other Microsoft system.

Like these developers, I come from the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school of thought, but isn't there a happy medium here?

Can't large corporations continue use of IE6, but also install a more standards compliant browser like Safari?

Can YOU Pass The Acid Test?

Over the last few years, web standards have become an important player in the battle for browser dominance. A set of web-based compliance tests known as the Acid Tests have been developed to assist software developers in creating standards compliant browsers.

Acid3, the latest version of the test, expands on the mainly CSS-based Acid2 to include tests for HTML5 and other JavaScript functionality that will play a big role in the next generation of web applications.

Interestingly enough, the only browser that completely passes the test is Safari, which only holds a 3% market share. Firefox 3.5 scores a commendable (but still "failing") 93/100, while Internet Explorer 9.0 scored a 32/100. This is to be expected, given the fact the tests were purposefully written so that every browser failed initially, and they are based on draft W3C standards that are not yet "official".

The Future Is Now

As we head into 2010, we will see the next generation of browsers work towards standards compliance, which will help designers and developers focus on the user experience instead of messing around with CSS hacks for a certain browser version.

I understand that most users could care less about standards-compliance, but whether they know it or not, their choice of browser is helping to nudge other companies (read Microsoft) towards standards compliance and a consistent web experience for everyone.

Now, if only we could get rid of IE6....

Photo credit: Preston Kemp.