Looking for Trends?

Common Projects are a new (or maybe not so new) footwear company that is known only by the Superfuture heads around the globe. If you are looking for an alternative to your John Varvatos Converse, Y-3 or Creative Recs then pick up a pair for $275-400. Each shoe is individually numbered and sure to be an exclusive find for any kick connoisseur. This trend of simple sneakers have been getting a lot of hype recently, don't get left in the past.

Check back soon for some exclusive info...

A Public Service Announcement from the good folks at The Marcus Graham Project. Who is Marcus Graham? CLICK HERE and HERE

The world of media, marketing and advertising is an ever-changing environment full of the synergistic, intrinsic and often unfounded connection of brands, ideas and people. The people behind the brands and the ideas are the most important factors between brand success and brand failure. What those individuals communicate about those brands often determines the manner in which the audience or consumer accepts them. Many successful brands were built communicating the right message about the brand, reflecting its core value and hopefully changing the opinion and consideration of the consumer as it relates to the brand.

Imagine yourself as a brand. You have core values and have made promises on your job, in your family and in your community that you must uphold. Along your path you encounter intermediaries and critics that have formed opinions about you. Some of their opinions did not come from interaction with you, but interaction with others that are similar to you. These images are shown in the media, music, film and often in public. By and large any negative interaction that individuals have had was isolated and not representative of the collective. Problems can often be fixed by small groups of experts that have an intrinsic loyalty or concern for the root of the problem itself. These groups of passionate individuals are able to effect change because they partner intelligently to accomplish the same goal.

There is a true cry to effect change in the lives of African American male youth. There are disproportionate numbers of young black men who are incarcerated, unlearned, unemployed and ultimately disenfranchised. Much of the issue relating to their disenfranchisement is due to institutional systems and that cannot be denied, no matter which side of the coin you are on. However, dealing with the issue will take the individuals who are the closest to it, to make a change. The change must exist within first, in order to be empowered to provide solutions for greater problems.

In the world of advertising, media, marketing, and entertainment, we can be that change for the issues that effect us, in how we are viewed and how we view others.

We are the ones closest to it.
We must be that driving force.
We must make an impact.

Our responsibility is to affect change!

Some history about the newsboy cap:

The style was popular in Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among both boys and adult men. As the name suggests, it is now associated with newspaper boys, and it is sometimes associated with wealthy golfers as well. Although traditionally a men's cap, recently the cap has become popular with women.

Remember when baseball (fitted) caps ruled the world? Well there is a new era (no pun intended) approaching. The newsboy/flat cap style has been popular in the "hipster" community for a while but I expect the style to hit the mainstream during the fourth quarter of 2008. Look out for designer product placement in upcoming films, TV shows, and music videos. Check out the photos of some stars enjoying the style.

Taking a page from the stories of Youtube and Facebook, Microsoft is soliciting Xbox 360 users to create video games that traditional game developers have strayed away from.

Microsoft began offering game production tools in 2006 to amateurs and hobbyists under an initiative called "XNA," which allowed developers to create a game that could run on the Xbox, a Windows-based computer or its Zune media player.

Microsoft knows that user engagement is the key to sustaining its competitive advantage in the video game marketplace. With Nintendo’s Wii doing so well, Microsoft needs to produce excitement once again for their widely successful console. This trend of user generated video games will likely become another way for advertisers to disrupt and engage consumers, as well as a great opportunity for aspiring video game developers.

Chief technology officer at Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business group, Chris Satchell points out, "Not only are we democratizing game development with Xbox Live Community Games later this year, but we're creating an opportunity for aspiring developers."



The Microsoft user creation deal requires potential video game developers to buy $99-a-year premium memberships to the XNA Creators Club, but here’s the catch, creators also gain a slice of the revenue. The games will be sold on the Xbox Live Marketplace at price points of $2.50, $5 or $10--using Microsoft points. Lastly, fellow users in the Xbox 360 community will vote on which games become available to all.

With this trend of low cost/free content proliferating the online and gaming worlds, how will companies monetize (“cash in”) on content that they do not create? There currently lies a gap between advertisers and the new influx of user generated games, the question is, who will fill that space? Check back for details on my plan and potential client (s)…

Potential Client: Madonna

Potential Plan:

Always evolving her image, Madonna can sustain and grow her brand without "selling out" to a station such as VH1, MTV, or Bravo. Her fan base is dedicated and willing to watch her online or on TV, but with the Hillcrest company's technology consisting of two parts: a four-button remote shaped like a ring that lets you move a cursor around by pointing, and software that turns reams of TV listings into thumbnail menus you know that the ease of the system will allow content from Madonna to be available on a grand scale.

Imagine a Madonna reality series that is distributed On-Demand with only Madonnas sponsors/endorsers/partners taking part as advertisers. Here is some excerpts from the Hillcrest Labs website:

HōME™ is a powerful environment for merchandising content. Linear programming can be integrated seamlessly with On Demand assets.

For content providers' advertisers, HōME™ offers an environment that combines the best of the web and TV. HōME™ and its client/server based architecture lend itself to delivering targeted and interactive ads with metrics similar to those that have fueled the rapid growth of online advertising. HōME's™ TV-based display enables advertisers to leverage the unsurpassed visual engagement afforded by television, especially HDTV.

The future of TV is in the digital landscape, broadcast cable must move toward the next wave of technology to establish itself in the later years of the 21st century. Since a Madonna reality show does not need a station's production team, the world star can launch her program online an import directly to the HoME environment.

Porting content to HōME™ can begin with existing RSS data feeds so that no incremental work is required of the content provider.

The possibilities are infinite, and replacing Madonna with another successful megastar may be a better move but my instincts are usually right. If you have questions about any of the above please write me a note.