Thursday, April 30, 2009

Music - how does it feel

Sorry for not being active today!

Sometimes you get surprised and convinced. I had an above average experience with Peter Sommer. A Danish musician that performed.
Tomorrow I will be leaving for Sweden. I´m really happy that my mission received its recognition and got chosen for tomorrows misson. Fellow peers, pls. participate.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Just like playing TETRIS


When I go to work in the morning I go by bike. Fast and very convincing. It´s much easier to bike through the main shopping street in Copenhagen although the walking people hate bikers. I have documented the short journey. Normally, when it´s later than 8.00 there are more people in the street, which actually makes it more exciting. It made me think of Tetris - you need to ride your bike like it was a puzzle.
Goodnight people. This should have been a morning post but technology was acting funny. And help me sort this out: Is it Bono that is featured as the artist icon on the Iphone?

BBQ & BEER

How could I forget

My fellow and main act in this sitcom! Been with her for 2,5 years and seems to work out just fine. The only thing I don´t like about her is the white tail. Why couldn´t it be black? I will go out and prepare the BBQ. Just got another great idea. Fellow strategist I will keep you updated.

Blurry - but people want it!


Sorry for the resolution and quality. I didn´t give you a morning snap into my wardrobe, but here comes my uniform for today. I stick to brands I like. Therefore I´m wearing a pair of Vans (suede and Orange). A pair of shoes I spotted in the streets of Copenhagen and bought them on flatspot afterwards. My pants are from NN07, just like the ones I was wearing monday. These are just blue. The T-shirt is from American Apparel. Cheap and great quality. Bought in Berlin. The size is XL...
The sunglasses = an old timer. I will keep you posted. The weather is awesome today and I will be opening the balcony tonight. It´s time for some barbecue and beers... I had some help to create the logo for the up-coming event/thing I can´t reveal yet. But damn it looks cool. Thanks to the animal for helping me out on this one.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

What Google Analytics can do

I just checked stats for today. Again I´m proud to announce an amazing thing happening: Someone from Uganda visited my blog. It made me think of Coming to America. It rocks - Prinz aus Zamunda.
I`m exhausted, filled with plenty of interesting thoughts of how to approach the digital world. Just do it!

Tennis...


Just been playing tennis for the first time in almost 8 months. It felt good. I´m still on with my old rackets and my old shoes. But I got talent!

Now I´m off for Dyrehaven to discuss business opportunities with my fellow digital strategists. That´s all for now. See you sooner than you think!

This is my Boss


Next to my boss is Sponge Bob, that broke his leg, but he´s still standing. A true survivor.

A bit blurry


But this is where I work. My spot. Looks very millenium like. The coffee is from the machine. I prefer that, very comfy and easy to access.

Today I´m wearing

I will be conservative dressed today. It didn´t take me plenty of time to put together the clothing recipe for this tuesday.

Again, I`m wearing a pair of Vans. I´ve switched from Chinos to some old, and very used jeans from Tiger. The shirt is from COS (bought in Berlin) and the shirt underneath is from H&M. I want to show you the watch I´m wearing today (and everyday). It´s from Casio, bought in Tokyo for around 10$. Very classic and I like it.

Better get of to work - I will keep you posted! Have an awesome day...

Goodmorning people!

When I woke up this morning I felt like this.

Now I feel like this.

Maybe it´s time for my morning coffee fix.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Me, Myself & Thomas Edison

Just saw on linkedin somebody quoting Thomas Edison: "Hell, there are no rules here, we are trying to accomplish something." It reminded me of my blog post and a blog post from ana andjelic summarizing: "The only rule in digital is that there are no rules." Again, it made me think of a quote I read in groundswell. "There is no one right way to engage with the groundswell". That´s what makes it so damn mind-blowing and frustrating all at once, but shouldn´t be an excuse not to have a social media strategy. Actually, I wasn´t suppose to discuss this now, but hey there are no rules.
I think I will grab a goodnight beer. To celebrate a successful monday. Before I will be closing my black bible, I want to share the only practical thing I have been up to today. I have an outdoor balcony (sounds royal); the best invention for someone living in the city. I´ve been giving it some oil, and finally today I got the furnitures and plants out. Not the most complicated task, I know. It´s ready for the season yr. 2009. Look.

Todays bedtime story - now I will go to sleep. Or maybe I should read the book that lies next to my bed.

Today is the greatest day

I just checked stats for today. Google Analytics if anyone would like to know. This is huge. Somebody searching for Russian Rock Blog got directed to my blog - and on a monday. Certainly the most important victory in my blogging career. Halleluja...

Here I am again

I´ve been busy all day. Client meeting far, far away from Copenhagen. A colleague showed me this. Check it out. I think it´s cool. We did a small experiment at the office today. It´s called augmented reality apparently.

Meet me

I forgot to introduce myself. Meet me. Christian - lives in Copenhagen; I´m passionate about work, cyberspace, music, some work out and some other stuff. Wow, what a unique and extraordinaire person! Maybe I am. This week will show. I think the coming week will be very busy, and I will try to be as updated as possible via all reasonable connections. I`m striving to be superconnected. Today I´m wearing a Ralph Lauren shirt, a pair of NN07 chinos, my blue (relative new) vans shoes, a Cheap Monday jacket and a pair of fake Rayban sunglasses. I will hit my Raleigh bike now. Hooray...

My morning run

Just been for a morning run. Normally, I run three times a week. It makes me feel good and my performance (I believe) during the day is much better. I get more energy. I´m actually training for Copenhagen Marathon that takes place end of may. It is really ambitious, since I haven´t been following a tight training programme. The morning trip is usually around Soendermarken. Today I´m wearing my hoodie from H&M, my pants I bought when trained for Vasaloppet, and my Adidas trainers. I`m always listening to music during my run. At the moment I´m really into Doves. Kingdom of Rust is a great album.



Sunday, April 26, 2009

Just another thought

I`ve started to read Groundswell - until now a very interesting and useful book. For those of you that don´t know what the groundswell is (I didn´t know it) it´s defined as:

"A social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations."

But, what I wanted to share with you is a quote from the back of the book. I think it´s very precisely said on the coming challenges (or obstacles) larger corporations will meet concerning social technology.

"The first phase of the Internet was about getting everyone connected. In this next phase, which changes the way we work, live, play, and learn, we´re starting to realize the value of those connections as well as the new communications and experiences those interactions lead to - the human network." - John T. Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco

Most people are on Facebook and Myspace, more and more people are joining Twitter, we experience a growth in number of people blogging. We´re on our way to be connected, and now it´s time for corporations to figure out how to navigate within the field of technology and people. Most CEOs, CMOs etc. know they need to be present, but they don´t quite know why and how to. I think cookipedia is a brilliant example of this. A corporation using the term beta to cover up the missing social strategy. It got me thinking of how forrester classifies the segments they are dealing with in order to approach the groundswell in the right way. Corporations simply need to have a social technology strategy. I think there is an important task waiting for agencies, consulants, corporations to at first getting an understanding of the value of those connections, and the only way to succeed is through co-operation.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Cookipedia - open dialogue Volume 1

I just wanted to post the answer from the one being responsible for cookipedia, instead of having it hidden as a comment. Below you can also read my answer to them. Let me know. What do you think?

Hi Christian.


Of course we will answer you, so here I am ... I'm Tove, responsible for Karolines Køkken and Cookipedia. You are so right in what you write .... we did a controlled cookiepedia (named it Cookipedia Beta in hope you didn't expect a full wiki on cooking), and we did it because we wanted to know the content. On our website everybody can comment on the recipes, and we have tried having very negative and damaging comments published. We were frightened, honestly! So we thought ... let's start creating some content and the soon after open the source for everybody to participate.
I see now that we were wrong. In more ways: Distrust is what we may gain, not what we hoped for. And I now doubt that we can take the right (and planned!) step towards Cookipedia as an open source as our economic situation is right now - http://www.arla.com/press/arla-must-save-dkk-1-billion-in-2009/
It's not that we in general are afraid of open dialog - more of us blog - mine is here: http://www.weblogs.arla.dk/k%c3%b8kkenbloggen - and we facilitate another open source media where people with an interest in "healthy meals og the future" publish and share their thoughts and ideas - http://www.fremtidensmaaltider.dk/

Tove Færch

Hi Tove,


Thanks for sharing with me, and hopefully some of the readers. A true pleasure that you can see and admit some of the failures.

I think my frustration most obviously is grounded in companies not knowing how to deal with an Internet culture, simply put: to understand behavior and do initiatives based on these. To create something the users like and go into dialogue and collaboration with them – and do it with a long-term focus. Plus, there exist an enormous potential if you are dedicated and do it in right way. Arla are lucky to have a strong, well-known brand (I think), a wide product range and a target group that are dedicated to your products and cooking. This explains the potential!

I think a key issue is the fear of having users destroying or poisoning something. But, you are dealing with your target group, your fans, people with an interest in you, so be open, trust the one`s that like you and you will see the potential. Commenting on a recipe is not dialogue…

The name is miscommunication to your users - as I see it. And beta is a term that explains development and constant improvement, not a term for going into an initiative with fear and anxiety (a controlled wiki).

My suggestion to you: Get a social media strategy, understand the behavior, and unify the different communities. Just to name a few. There are opportunities.

Pls get a contact button, so people are able to get in contact with you directly. Btw interesting initiative (http://www.fremtidensmaaltider.dk/)

And I should just have a recipe for a piece of bread ☺

Christian

They truly understand the mechanism

It´s old but I´m really impressed by The New York Times integration of the Try Our Extra Home Page button.
They have simply two versions of their website. One solely with The New York Times news and the other with an integration of other news sources being media, links and blogs. The New York Times think and acts in distribution.

Before:


After:


Do you see it?

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Link drops wk. 17

  • The first link I would like to introduce is a new way of publishing. The Swedish magazine Tare Lugn have released their third issue as a tattoo. Check out the video. Creative minds!
  • 2009 = the year of experiements. Another really cool thing I stumbled upon is the Tweenbots : human-dependent robots that navigate the city (from one corner of a park to another) with the help of pedestrians they encounter. The person behind the experiment is Kacie Kinzer, a student at ITP. You could do it with a mobile as well - place instructions on the back of the cover and make people document it instantely, while passing it to another person.
  • A Danish concept, so links are in Danish, sorry. But the concept or idea is very simple: create a shop, you can only buy bread. The amazing thing: it´s only one kind of bread and the price is 30 DKK. Don´t make it more complicated!
  • Take direct contact to the CEO if you feel frustration or want an answer to something. Give Steve Ballmer a call. Maybe I should use it for Arla... Another reason to be open, focus on transparency and keep connecting with your customers.
  • It seems like blogging finally is doing its entry to the Danish market. There has been a lot of talk and PR on blogging lately and it´s primarily fashion blogs that attracts attention. I think the reason behind this, is their focus and use of themselves in their blogs. They are not afraid of putting themselves out to their readers. If we look upon Sweden; a country that take the lead in comparison to Denmark, that is for sure the successful recipe.
  • A friend of mine showed me this evolving journal for emerging photographers. Awesome pictures.
  • And finally: Web 2.0. is fucked.
That´s it!

Monday, April 20, 2009

ARLA you make me frustrated – give the people control and we will use it!



I think it’s time for another post - not only in one sentence with an attached picture or video - but one with some thoughts (not really deep, just thoughts). Time is a limited resource unfortunately, so product developers and magicians out there please develop time. I have two upcoming experiments that I’m really enthusiastic about. I look forward to share it all with you. The only thing I can reveal is something as boring as timing - around mid June. And it will take place in Copenhagen.

Once in a while I get really annoyed. Annoyed because somebody apparently do not understand the creation (behaviour and mechanisms) of a successful user-generated platform. When I first got introduced to cookipedia (wiki for food and recipes, surprise!) I was thinking: Finally, they get it. Arla the Danish/Swedish company producing dairy products and the ones being pioneers within corporate blogging in Denmark have handed control completely to their users. It makes sense for their territory and product range. Plus, they were acting very Web 2.0 like having a Beta tagline. Then I started to explore the site to see how they are dealing with this totally wiki and user-generated platform and got surprised.

As I see it they make two huge mistakes! Content cannot be edited by the users, Arla will control it. Don´t take the wiki like name then! Another thing that struck me was their rules regarding the tone. The tone should be serious and sober (alcoholics are not welcome apparently;-). What characterizes the internet is the no rules thing. I discussed this in an
earlier post. People are not kids. It´s your target group and most people know how to behave and communicate.

The community should develop in an organic way. And that would definitely add value (links, clicks, and mentions) to your community and brand. Some refers to it as
Googlejuice - the magic elixir you drink when Google values you more because the world values you more. The more links, clicks, and mentions you get, the higher you rise in Google´s search results, offering an obvious advantage for yet more clicks. I just Googled cookipedia and somebody must have been drinking the glass of Googlejuice, 37 Danish search results and very few (I only discovered one useful) linking to cookipedia, besides Arlas own site. An almost empty, a bit old and not very tasty glass of Googlejuice. Damn, missing opportunities...

This clearly emphasize their lack of trust for their users (or target group) - and their missing understanding for acting in a user-driven world. The strength about the internet is that its social. And so is life. Arla should understand that open-source is not equal chaos or quality being destroyed or mistrusted. We live in a new, open and distributed world, where your best customer is your partner. You should be open to your customers and make your target group be taking part in the product development or creation. There are plenty of opportunities. Open dialogue is the direct way to success.

And to quote Jeff Jarvis: The more you control, the less you will be trusted; the more you hand over control, the more trust you will earn.

I´m actually curious to hear what Arla has to say. What are the reasoning behind it. Lack of understanding, or?

I will contact them - and the full answer will be posted directly on my blog. I wouldn´t be surprised if they don´t answer me.

If you don´t mean it, don´t go there!

Editor`s note: Just discovered that cookipedia don´t have a contact formular on their site, beautiful!

Editor`s note part 2: Arla`s Danish site is temporarily out of work, they are in the process of improving it. What if Google was taking a short break?

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Propel yourself into the Twittersphere

For those of you that don´t understand Twitter.

Photos of the recession



New York Times hands the control to their users and let them give their view on the crisis. An interesting project and finally time for ordinary people to give their input, instead of just reading about downsizing, bankruptcy and unemployment rates....

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Tweetybird


Twitter is characterized by being personal, user generated, instant, short and super connected. There are several ways to approach and interact with your followers, and I have tried to list those I have experience with, plus those I don´t use, but have seen others using. The super connectivity is - as I see it - a long-term success criteria in relation to the two giants Facebook and Myspace, since it makes the use more flexible. On the other hand complete control places demands on the users, they are always capable of reaching it´s followers. Another point I want to emphasize is the seriousness that characterizes Twitter. At the time I follow several news media and bloggers. So, I have actually created my own personal channel, while at the same time following friends and colleagues. 

  • Web - the mother platform, no need for further explanation.
  • Txt - gives you the opportunity to update via your mobile.
  • Twitterfeed - feeds your blog posts directly to Twitter. 
  • Twitterific - an application build for IPhone, that lets you both publish and read posts on Twitter.
  • Twitpic - gives you the opportunity to upload and share photos directly on Twitter. Very useful.
  • Tweetdeckan Adobe Air desktop application. A more neat and simple way of seeing all friends, replies and direct messages.
  • Twittergadget - an application for IGoogle. 
  • Tweetie an IPhone application. 
I believe there are plenty of others entries. Pls. let me know. The entries I use the most are: Web, Twitterfeed, Twitpic, and Twittergadget. 

Grassfitti