iWunder | Wunderman New York Blog

Screw Cupid. Call out your V-Day D-Day Crew!

You’ve got friends and then you’ve got the friends who’ve lived through the dirty details of your love life. Show them you really care this Valentine’s Day with this quick V-Day D-Day Crew  app on Facebook. Answer six revealing questions and you can send a special shout out to your love-life lifesavers.

The V-Day D-Day Crew will only be up and runnin g for 24-hours! So do it now, before your chocolate coma gets the best of you.  And spread the word --  the V-DayD-Day Crew was made to be shared.

Beyond Cookies - An Introduction to Fingerprinting

The increasing awareness of, and concerns with, online tracking technologies such as cookies have led several new firms to introduce cookie alternative for tracking and identification purposes. Once such approach, know as device fingerprinting, takes advantage of all of the information a computer typically broadcasts unknowingly when going online to form a uniquely identifiable device profile.

Collecting web browser configuration information to unique identify users isn't new; it's long been used to uniquely identify users in an effort to accurately measure traffic, filter out attempts at click fraud, and customize the experience presented. Device fingerprinting startups targeting online advertising utilize a variety of techniques, including data collection scripts that execute within the browser, that help build a unique fingerprint based on a variety of factors. Because they don't rely on cookies, but rather a combination of passive (data the browser provides normally) and active (client-side code embedded in a web page that pulls additional data), they are much more difficult to bypass or defeat than cookies (see How to Fingerprint A Computer for details).

While this would seem to provide a much greater level of accuracy in tracking user activity, it's the promise of combining this fingerprinting technology with data exchanges that aggregates information about these users to further "score" these individual identities for considerations such as reputation, behavior, intention, and affinity holds great promise, as does the potential to associate these profiles with other data sources to provide more focused targeting, with greater levels of accuracy vs. cookies.

As for addressing privacy concerns, fingerprinting's increased accuracy in identifying individuals also benefits those wishing to "opt out", although the inability to effectively block fingerprinting is sure to raise concerns as its use grows. One immediately accessible technique is the "private" browsing mode already available in most browsers. As for assessing how unique your particular setup is, The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a tool, Panopticlick, that determines how unique a particular browser configurations is.

More on Device Fingerprinting Companies:

BlueCava, Inc.

41st Parameter

Recent Articles of Relevance:

Race Is On to Fingerprint Phones, PCs

Shunned Profiling Technology on the Verge of Comeback

EFF:

Panopticlick

Defending Against Browser Fingerprinting

And the winner is...

This is a long overdue post / shout out to our creative teams in New York @Wunderman.  While we were creating new and exciting ideas we received some much deserved industry recognition. 

Nationwide Insurance - NASCAR Campaign wins 4 Telly Awards!

• 2010 Bronze TellyAward - Nationwide Insurance "Generations"
• 2010 Bronze TellyAward - Nationwide Insurance "I'm a Nationwide Customer"
• 2010 People's Choice Telly Award - Nationwide Insurance "Generations"
• 2010 People's Choice Telly Award - Nationwide Insurance "I'm a Nationwide Customer"

Team Credits:

• Creative Director: Joanna Peña-Bickley
• Assoc. Creative Director Writer: Jennifer Leuzzi
• Art Director: David Cole
• Art Director: Chris Loccisano
• Producer: Fred Slobodin
• Account Director: Marc Rappin
• Account: Jim Hall

Nokia's Ovi Store Launch Campaign Share The Love wins 2 IAC Awards!

• 2010 Internet Advertising Competition - Best Application Service Provider Interactive Application
• 2010 Internet Advertising Competition - Best Application Service Provider Rich Media Online Campaign

Team Credits:

• Creative Director: Joanna Peña-Bickley
• Assoc. Creative Director Writer: Jennifer Leuzzi
• Art Director: Chris Loccisano
• Writer: Efrem Oshinsky
• Art Director: Jason Cohen
• Producer: Susan "Leki" Lekanides
• Account Director: Pia Blickle
• Tech Director: Luis Hernandez

[Fist bump] and Congrats to all!

Join Me On The Road @ The Cannes Lions International Ad Fest

Over the next week I will be attending the Global Creative Directors Meeting at this years Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival! If you will be there tweet with me #wmanGCDM! 

Here are a few hastags to follow: #CannesLions, #wmanGCDM! #wman, #jpbCannes, #wmanGCDM

I will be v-logging (video blogging) from the meetings, workshops and networking events.  catch it all here.

Why It's Finally the Year of Mobile

One need only look at the explosive coverage of wave upon wave of feature- and smart-phone related news and product announcements to reach the conclusion that the year of mobile has finally arrived. But it's once recent editorial comment I've read in The Hindu, India's National Newspaper, that sealed it for me:

There is a plethora of smartphones from international companies like LG, Samsung and Sony Ericsson flooding the Indian market. In addition, local companies like Videocon, Fly, Zen and many others are entering the growing segment. The resulting competition could bring down smartphone prices.

Pretty obvious closing statement no? We all know that competition validates a market.  But what I think what we're seeing that the growing smartphone market, and the rise of the affordable smartphone will hasten the rise of mobile computing globally. The US is leading in mind share, sure, with efforts from Apple and Google gaining the majority of attention. But you now have a global market of devices across the cost spectrum that at their core go well beyond communications to actually enabling the equivalent of a desktop computing experience to anyone, anywhere, within the range of cellular tower. Coupled with the rise of app marketplaces, the burgeoning micro economies Apple and Google are nurturing, and moves by players like Facebook to attempt to drive online usage of their platforms by subsidizing not handset or service but actual airtime for access, you have what can be called a truly global mobile marketplace evolving faster than previous technologies, with sales rates of mobile devices and platforms, including iPads, growing faster than anyone could imagine.

So, in my opinion, and in closing, the Year of Mobile isn't the point at which mobile computing reaches near global ubiquity - it's the year when we finally realized that it wasn't just possible for that to happen, but when it became clear that it was inevitable, on a global basis. In my opinion,  that clearly makes this that year. 

We're surely in for as much change as we are growth, but I know that from our perspective, as digital marketers and technologist, we will all certainly enjoy what should be a meteoric rise.

The Rise of Productivity Apps Validates the Slate Form Factor, Creating New Opportunities for Established Players

Surprisingly despite all of the promise of the iPad and the excitement around all of the apps I’ve seen and gotten to play with, there really hasn’t been anything that’s become my preferred way of working vs. my traditional laptop from a professional perspective. The iPad always seems like a contextual compromise from a professional application perspective, something I’d use in a pinch or out of pure convenience, as a point of origination for an idea perhaps, or as a more convenient option vs. my laptop on during my daily commute. But my experience with one particular app, , represents the first time that I truly see the slate becoming the preferred form factor not just for idea origination, but as a preferred tool for execution.

 While you’ll immediately say that the nature of my work has something to do with it, as I sat on a recent late night flight where I actually had the aisle space to unpack my incredibly powerful and beautiful new Dell Latitude E6500, and fire up my trusty copy of Microsoft Visio 2010 (which actually introduces some incredibly useful experience improvements for placement vs. previous versions).  I instead reached for my iPad, and fired up a recently download app, OmniGraffle. OmniGraffle represents of the many existing OS X “professional” applications not simply being ported but actually “re-envisioned” for the platform.

This would really be the first time I would use OmniGraffle on the iPad for any length of time, and within the hour I not only felt comfortable, but was able to complete a process flow diagram due for a 10am meeting the next day. However, I was working in a manner that was absolutely frightening I’m sure for those sitting next to me, as I wildly tapped and gestured and dragged my fingers across the surface. But it felt very natural.

The point here isn’t simply to laud Apple and Omni, but to show how this use case validated for me the slate form factor. Existing desktop applications truly need to be re-through to take advantage of it, and this will take some effort; as sign of this, you’re seeing many early slate projects canceled or rethought. What you are already seeing are efforts from key players such as Dell intelligently leveraging mobile platforms such as Android, leveraging a mobile platform with momentum in the apps space for their new Streak slate. And this is the key; it’s the apps, and an easy way to sell/distribute/buy them, that will drive adoption. Existing platforms / operating systems aren’t relevant as long as application-level compatibility and interoperability exists, and in this area, the potential for Microsoft to be a dominant player in the slate apps space is clear. Just as it develops for OS X, Android and MeeGo versions it’s key applications, rethought from an experience perspective but seamlessly compatible from a data and functionality perspective, represents the future, even more so than the cloud and web-based apps. Why? The end of flat-rate data plans for mobile devices is around the corner, which will actually increase the need to run as much of an app locally as possible.

The most exciting thing about the rise of productivity apps for slate platforms is that it represents the true opportunity for mobile market dominance as people realize the ability for this form factor to complement their phone, but completely replace their desktop environment – which current no phone can truly do. What this also says is that the slates are here to stay.

 

Is Google Doomed to Repeat the Mistake of "New Coke?"

For those of you that haven't seen the recent Forbes article on Google's interface changes -

http://blogs.forbes.com/marketshare/2010/05/11/is-google-doomed-to-repeat-the-mistake-of-new-coke/

It's interesting why people refer to New Coke as a failure; the New Coke campaign had some incredibly beneficial impacts to their business:

1. When New Coke was replaced with Coke classic, it netted Coke twice the effective shelf space

2. Changing the name of Coke to Coke Classic allowed them to change the formula as well, reducing their production costs

The point is - Google won't live or die by changes to it's experience, and the complaints of users - if that was the case, Facebook would be dead by now - unless they're loosing, rather than gaining, additional features and functionality. The changes they're referring to are actually ergonomic, and those are things people will live with, since the actually primary interface for search is the input field. The rest is just supporting functionality such as filtering, and those are ones people grow comfortable with or ignore based on exploration and experimentation.

What's your take on Google's new look? 

I ♥ Ovi

Hello! You may – or may not be aware, we’ve been working long and hard on the worldwide launch of Ovi, Nokia’s app store. (Ovi means “door” in Finnish which makes perfect sense as Nokia’s HQ is Helsinki.) Ovi allows Nokia customers to instantly upgrade their phone IQ to Mensa status. Ovi + Nokia = Smart phone.

Creating a story for your hometown is one challenge, it is an entirely different proposition when it comes to creating something global, for different countries with different languages. The goal of marketing the store on a translatable platform was quite interesting. One has to resist cultural references and linguistic style, the double entendre and witty turn of phrase, all the while making sure that someone in Chicago will understand it as clearly as someone in Bangkok. Love is universal.

While the road was long and passport required, we’re really quite excited to have it out in the world. J’adore Ovi! 

Show Your Nokia Phone Some ♥

New York Wins! NYC Wins!

No - I don't mean the Yankees. (but keeping my fingers crossed!) I mean this years Wunderman Extreme Pumpkin Makeover.

The entry Dusk: Hear, Speak, See No Pumpkin created by Jason Cohen, an Art Director @ Wunderman New York office has taken the top prize with 5047 votes. 

Jason’s entry has secured the global bragging rights of world champion for the NYC Office.

It was a fierce competition this year! The runners up in this years challenge were:

• Wunderman Melbourne - Halloween Down Under! – 2098 Votes
• Wunderman Finland / Jaakko Soudunsaari's – Tweet, Tweet! – 1731Votes
• Wunderman Seattle - Team Donaldson – 937 Votes

Enjoy this slide show which features all of this years entries.

Participants from across the world used Social Media (Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace) to promote their entries and connect our network of mad carving experts in this global competition.

Special thanks to all who participated, helped to organize and promoted the Extreme Pumpkin Makeover Challenge.  Looking forward to next years entries!

The Extreme Pumpkin Makeover Challenge

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with Tom Gibby, @gradplanner, in our Wunderman UK office when he double dog dared me to put together a global pumpkin carving challenge.  Those of you that have worked with me know that I don't take a creative challenge lightly.

Enter the worldwide premier of the Wunderman Extreme Pumpkin Makeover Challenge.

Using HTML, PHP and Flickr's Photo Pool API the NYC office has stitched together a wunder-destination that will allow us to run this competition across the globe.  In order to do this across the world we created http://www.extremepumpkinmakeover.com as the place where people could submit and vote on the most creative pumpkins!

GAME ON NYC!!!! I need you to break out your mad carving skills to show the wunder-network who's boss.   When you enter your best jack-o-lantern creation, you could win a new Wunderman purple iPod Nano and the global bragging rights of world champion.

Here is how to get in the game.

1. Upload a photo or video of your creation to your Flickr account. (You need to have a Flickr account to post a photo, but not to worry, it is FREE and easy to set up.)
2. Make sure you tag your photo with your name and office location (i.e. John Doe, New York City, USA).
3. Then join the Wunderman Extreme Pumpkin Makeover Challenge Flickr photo pool group.
4. Then click "Add photos or video" When you do, you can select your pumpkin photo or video from your photo stream to add to the group pool. When you add it to the pool, your photo magically appears at www.extremepumpkinmakeover.com as an entry so that people can vote for you.

Only Wunderman Network Employees can enter a pumpkin. (You can enter as many as you can carve.) Anyone in the world can vote! Since this is a straight up popularity contest, make sure to tweet, text, ping or IM your friends and encourage them to vote for your entry at http://www.extremepumpkinmakeover.com

You can submit photos or videos to the Wunderman Extreme Pumpkin Makeover Challenge Flickr photo pool group from October 1 through October 28 2009.  

The entrant with the most votes on Oct 28th at 11:59 EST will win.

Game On NYC - Lets Win!