They say it's all about timing.....
Well, we know that the timing is right for Slippcat. traditional advertising is struggling and alternatives - especially the concept of empowered engagement is growing steadily.
As a matter of fact, a significant point of pride and frustration over the past few weeks has been the validation of the entire Slippcat system by a number of potential clients through our affiliation with traditional agencies. Here is how it has worked:
1. Traditional agency pitches client on new marketing plan using traditional methodologies - Television, newspaper, magazine, etc, etc.
2. Client umms and errs and eventually says - "well, no! We are looking for something fresh"
3. Traditional agency desperate not to lose client reaches for what they call "the fringe" and mention virtual worlds, long tail online strategies - in other words, Slippcat.
4. Client shakes head - says tell me more and gets interested all over again.
5. Traditional agency gets flustered, pitches the transparent Slippcat with the aplomb of a plumber pitching a hydro engineering project.
6. Somehow client sits through bad presentation and STILL want to try this new form of advertising and marketing.
7. Traditional advertising company is terrified they will lose client to Slippcat, so they bog down project and negotiations until everything is lost in a mire of bureaucratic stupidity.
Hmmm - sounds a little pissy - well that was not the intent. I was supposed to sound clearly ticked off.
All of this while still trying to raise funding in this market - thanks wall street.
Boy - the fun and games of being a market leader.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Second Life is Dead
I hear that echoed all over the blogoshpere - and even in the occasional media report. Second Life is over, Second Life has run it's course, Second Life will not survive the year.........
I am well aware that other virtual worlds are opening or being developed in massive numbers, that there will be multiple virtual worlds as a matter of course - and also aware of that we as a company have to work in all of these worlds to continue to be effective.
But all this success only adds to Second Life. Next to all the death knells of Second Life I also read about all the accomplishments in SL, the new companies, universities, initiatives that have opened in SL - mighty active corpse.
So, instead of joining the procession of mourners - I wanted to take a minute to celebrate the life of Second Life. Growing pains aplenty, identity issues and confused direction are all parts of growing up - which is what Second Life is still doing. Most assuredly I join the clamor for improvement of Second Life, but only in the sense that I nelieve it can improve.
Second Life brought my company into existence and has been our bread and butter since conception. I am thrilled at the expansion of virtual worlds, the growth of other universes but in the end we will always root for Second Life.
To all the new virtual world - thank you for making our lifew as a company so exciting, bringing new experiences and new challenges on almost a daily basis. And to Linden Labs - I will never join the fickle crowd in crowing about your imminent death - and should that day come, I will dress in black and regret your passing. You were my first - and one never forgets your first.
I am well aware that other virtual worlds are opening or being developed in massive numbers, that there will be multiple virtual worlds as a matter of course - and also aware of that we as a company have to work in all of these worlds to continue to be effective.
But all this success only adds to Second Life. Next to all the death knells of Second Life I also read about all the accomplishments in SL, the new companies, universities, initiatives that have opened in SL - mighty active corpse.
So, instead of joining the procession of mourners - I wanted to take a minute to celebrate the life of Second Life. Growing pains aplenty, identity issues and confused direction are all parts of growing up - which is what Second Life is still doing. Most assuredly I join the clamor for improvement of Second Life, but only in the sense that I nelieve it can improve.
Second Life brought my company into existence and has been our bread and butter since conception. I am thrilled at the expansion of virtual worlds, the growth of other universes but in the end we will always root for Second Life.
To all the new virtual world - thank you for making our lifew as a company so exciting, bringing new experiences and new challenges on almost a daily basis. And to Linden Labs - I will never join the fickle crowd in crowing about your imminent death - and should that day come, I will dress in black and regret your passing. You were my first - and one never forgets your first.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Applications Aplenty - Times Awasting
The Virtual Worlds Expo in New York is over and we are still dealing with the fallout from that - good and bad.
I was astounded to find just how well Slippcat was received - and how many contacts we made, well worth the effort. And what an effort! Technical glitches in setting up had half the crew working through the night to be ready and the other half making sure that they would be ready for the show.
The booth looked great and everybody worked like demons. Thanks to all for the great showing and thanks to everyone who took the time to meet with us in the "inner sanctum" of the Slippcat booth.
Now, after the show the real work begins. We have moved through the startup phase and have to begin implementing real world work systems - contracts, agreements, licences and all the fun business end of the business.
BTW - check out the new web site www.slippcat.com Its the first of many new virtual world applications we will be implementing over the next few months.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Time - or rather the lack thereof
Good intentions are the roadway to ...... Well, I have all the good intentions in the world of adding to this blog on a timely basis, but time keeps slipping away.
It has been almost a month since the last update and now time is again running away from me.
Since the last post, I have been running from pillar to post doing sales and investment presentations - both with varying degrees of success.
The latest set of presentations at the Magic Conference (Clothing) in Las Vegas was exhausting - but fun. Fly in late tuesday, do presentations on Tuesday night until 2am. work on legal documents at 8am, attend the expo from 10am - 6pm and then run presentations until 4am the next day and finally be back on a plane at 8am the next morning.
Whew.
On the bright side - Simuality will be presenting its amazing new advertising system at the Virtual Worlds Expo in New York this April - rah rah - another city to be enjoyed from the inside of a convention center.
Perhaps one day soon things will slow down - but really, I hope not.
It has been almost a month since the last update and now time is again running away from me.
Since the last post, I have been running from pillar to post doing sales and investment presentations - both with varying degrees of success.
The latest set of presentations at the Magic Conference (Clothing) in Las Vegas was exhausting - but fun. Fly in late tuesday, do presentations on Tuesday night until 2am. work on legal documents at 8am, attend the expo from 10am - 6pm and then run presentations until 4am the next day and finally be back on a plane at 8am the next morning.
Whew.
On the bright side - Simuality will be presenting its amazing new advertising system at the Virtual Worlds Expo in New York this April - rah rah - another city to be enjoyed from the inside of a convention center.
Perhaps one day soon things will slow down - but really, I hope not.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Yeah - I'm the boss....
Every time I begin to get self absorbed in my own importance, reality jumps in and kicks my arse.
Companies that have grown from 1 to hundreds of employees have the same origin stories - all nighters in austere offices. Caffiene and sugar to keep going. the CEO, President and janitor all being the same person.
Simuality has grown from two guys in an unfinished office to 12 full time employees with private offices and hell, I even have a fancy Tassimo coffee machine in my snazzy private office - I have a title and a company credit card ..... and last night at 11pm I was emptying garbage and working late.
It really brought home a few basic facts - my fancy office, title, credit card, and coffee machine mean very little.
In the beginning there were 2 of us, now there are 12 - each and every one as important as the other - as important as the "Managing Director" of the company.
Without each person sitting at their desk - open office or private - and doing everything they know to the best of there ability - well beyond the commitment required of an "employee" or "owner" we would not have gotten to this point.
I neglected to mention that while I was at work until midnight last night - I was not alone. Without being asked or directed, without coercion or promises - simply being there because the work had to be done were "employees" and "the boss" - each of us needing each other to get the job done.
As I write this blog today I have received word that we are about to close on a couple of pretty big jobs and receive a major chunk of financing - we are on the cusp of hiring a bunch more people, on the cusp of organizational charts and work flow process and management lines. On the cusp of having enough people in the office where communal group lunches will no longer be the norm - where the private office and title "Managing Director" may become intimidating to the new hires who I don't chat to on a daily basis, who I don't sit down to lunch with or share a bag of chips with on a daily basis. On the cusp of being a company with shareholders and directors and boards and corporate travel accounts and all other perks and obligations of a larger company.
On the cusp of ocassionally thinking that I am a big shot, full of self importance and hot air.
I hope, that when we cross that threshold and I get those airs of granduer, that I remember last night, remember that each person in the company brings to it value and promise and mostly remember that a title, a private office and such does not set me apart.
To those who have helped us get to this point and to those who will help us from this point - thank you. Without all of you we would not be who and what we are.
Companies that have grown from 1 to hundreds of employees have the same origin stories - all nighters in austere offices. Caffiene and sugar to keep going. the CEO, President and janitor all being the same person.
Simuality has grown from two guys in an unfinished office to 12 full time employees with private offices and hell, I even have a fancy Tassimo coffee machine in my snazzy private office - I have a title and a company credit card ..... and last night at 11pm I was emptying garbage and working late.
It really brought home a few basic facts - my fancy office, title, credit card, and coffee machine mean very little.
In the beginning there were 2 of us, now there are 12 - each and every one as important as the other - as important as the "Managing Director" of the company.
Without each person sitting at their desk - open office or private - and doing everything they know to the best of there ability - well beyond the commitment required of an "employee" or "owner" we would not have gotten to this point.
I neglected to mention that while I was at work until midnight last night - I was not alone. Without being asked or directed, without coercion or promises - simply being there because the work had to be done were "employees" and "the boss" - each of us needing each other to get the job done.
As I write this blog today I have received word that we are about to close on a couple of pretty big jobs and receive a major chunk of financing - we are on the cusp of hiring a bunch more people, on the cusp of organizational charts and work flow process and management lines. On the cusp of having enough people in the office where communal group lunches will no longer be the norm - where the private office and title "Managing Director" may become intimidating to the new hires who I don't chat to on a daily basis, who I don't sit down to lunch with or share a bag of chips with on a daily basis. On the cusp of being a company with shareholders and directors and boards and corporate travel accounts and all other perks and obligations of a larger company.
On the cusp of ocassionally thinking that I am a big shot, full of self importance and hot air.
I hope, that when we cross that threshold and I get those airs of granduer, that I remember last night, remember that each person in the company brings to it value and promise and mostly remember that a title, a private office and such does not set me apart.
To those who have helped us get to this point and to those who will help us from this point - thank you. Without all of you we would not be who and what we are.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Advertising is DEAD
At least advertising as we know it. One of the things I like most about what we do here is the ability to look at the big picture - perchance to dream really big. Today was one of the days when big thoughts started metamorphizing into big actions.
I have been reading about the closure of Pontiac's Motorati Island in Second Life - closed not because the development was unsuccessful. Rather it was closed because that segment of that advertising campaign ended. This is what kicked of the BIG THOUGHTS.
Advertisers push advertising on consumers - they interrupt their television viewing, add wasted pages to magazines and newspapers and disrupt radio programming. They force product messages onto the consumer hoping that if they throw enough at them something may stick.
This is not how a relationship works. Advertisers want the consumers money. Oh yes, they "sell" products in exchange for our money - but all too often the product is pushed on the consumer.
Advertising as we know it is a combination of showmanship, creative trickery, presentation and simple appeal to our avarice. All of it pushed on the consumer.
This one sided relationship is heading for divorce - we already see the signs. Newspapers are closing down for lack of revenue, TV ads are routinely beeped over or Tivo'd into oblivion and podcasts, Ipods and sattelite radio is decimating radio advertising. A recent Yankleovitch study shows that only 25% of US consumers trust ANY form of conventional advertising.
So what is the BIG THOUGHT?
Like any relationship, advertisers need to learn a bit of give and take. They need to learn to be good corporate citizens, good community builders. We hear the rumblings of this need in terms like "social marketing" an "Long tail marketing".
The time has come to move to the next generation of advertising - in fact beyond advertising. The time has come for corporations to build relationships with consumers - but this time really mean it, not just say that they want to build relationships but start doing it.
Shelve the short term strategists, tell the myopic bottom line bean counters to look up and shake a potential new customers hand and get to know them. Get the fancy MBA business managers to stop crunching numbers and start conversing with consumers. Give back to the community and start creating a mutually advantageous future.
The extrusion of this BIG THOUGHT is the role of Simuality in this new post advertising world. We are no longer second life developers or virtual world consultants - we are community makers, relationship councillors and marriage brokers.
Simuality will go back in time to create a bright new future, blending technology with the old concept of community. Using Second Life and other Virtual Worlds, combined with new Internet methadologies and technologies, we will work with corporations to create electronic based (but not limited) communities that focus on the creation of a mutually beneficial relationship between corporation, product and consumer in a harmonius and gowing community relationship that encapsulates the best elements of give and take.
We have already built two strong communities that have outlined our new philosophy and welcome you to visit them at www.avatrait.com (if you love art) and www.slmannequin.com (if you are into fashion).
I have been reading about the closure of Pontiac's Motorati Island in Second Life - closed not because the development was unsuccessful. Rather it was closed because that segment of that advertising campaign ended. This is what kicked of the BIG THOUGHTS.
Advertisers push advertising on consumers - they interrupt their television viewing, add wasted pages to magazines and newspapers and disrupt radio programming. They force product messages onto the consumer hoping that if they throw enough at them something may stick.
This is not how a relationship works. Advertisers want the consumers money. Oh yes, they "sell" products in exchange for our money - but all too often the product is pushed on the consumer.
Advertising as we know it is a combination of showmanship, creative trickery, presentation and simple appeal to our avarice. All of it pushed on the consumer.
This one sided relationship is heading for divorce - we already see the signs. Newspapers are closing down for lack of revenue, TV ads are routinely beeped over or Tivo'd into oblivion and podcasts, Ipods and sattelite radio is decimating radio advertising. A recent Yankleovitch study shows that only 25% of US consumers trust ANY form of conventional advertising.
So what is the BIG THOUGHT?
Like any relationship, advertisers need to learn a bit of give and take. They need to learn to be good corporate citizens, good community builders. We hear the rumblings of this need in terms like "social marketing" an "Long tail marketing".
The time has come to move to the next generation of advertising - in fact beyond advertising. The time has come for corporations to build relationships with consumers - but this time really mean it, not just say that they want to build relationships but start doing it.
Shelve the short term strategists, tell the myopic bottom line bean counters to look up and shake a potential new customers hand and get to know them. Get the fancy MBA business managers to stop crunching numbers and start conversing with consumers. Give back to the community and start creating a mutually advantageous future.
The extrusion of this BIG THOUGHT is the role of Simuality in this new post advertising world. We are no longer second life developers or virtual world consultants - we are community makers, relationship councillors and marriage brokers.
Simuality will go back in time to create a bright new future, blending technology with the old concept of community. Using Second Life and other Virtual Worlds, combined with new Internet methadologies and technologies, we will work with corporations to create electronic based (but not limited) communities that focus on the creation of a mutually beneficial relationship between corporation, product and consumer in a harmonius and gowing community relationship that encapsulates the best elements of give and take.
We have already built two strong communities that have outlined our new philosophy and welcome you to visit them at www.avatrait.com (if you love art) and www.slmannequin.com (if you are into fashion).
Friday, January 4, 2008
New Year, New Blog
Over the past few years I have wondered why anyone would keep an open journal for the world to see - until I actually started looking at some of the better blogs.
The amazing insights into processes, companies and operations, as well as the fascinating depth of personality and personal insights has in my readings made dead dry compnay web sites spring to life with the vibrant anecdotes of people.
So I decided that each employee of Simuality should blog. We are a company, but a company is only as good as the individuals involved, good bad and in the middle.
I hope that this blog, and the blogs of other Simuality people will provide our clients, competitors and friends an insight into a vibrant, exciting and diverse group of people who seem to enjoy coming together to create something bigger than all of us - a company poised to leap into the new year, the new age with enthusiasm, creativity and a lot of fun.
Welcome to Simuality - and to my blog.
Antony
The amazing insights into processes, companies and operations, as well as the fascinating depth of personality and personal insights has in my readings made dead dry compnay web sites spring to life with the vibrant anecdotes of people.
So I decided that each employee of Simuality should blog. We are a company, but a company is only as good as the individuals involved, good bad and in the middle.
I hope that this blog, and the blogs of other Simuality people will provide our clients, competitors and friends an insight into a vibrant, exciting and diverse group of people who seem to enjoy coming together to create something bigger than all of us - a company poised to leap into the new year, the new age with enthusiasm, creativity and a lot of fun.
Welcome to Simuality - and to my blog.
Antony
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