I was concerned to hear Kodak filed for Chapter 11. Of course they aren't dead, just struggling to find a place in the digital world. According to a Bloomberg article, "Bankruptcy allows sales of the photography divisions and patents Chief Executive Officer Antonio Perez wants to jettison to pay off legacy employee benefits and creditors, as he focuses Kodak on faster, flexible commercial and consumer digital printers and the company’s superior ink."
I'm an amateur photographer. I own a couple of small digital cameras, but old faithful is my 20+ year old Canon Rebel. I love B&W photography, even developing my own pictures. The excitement of film photography is not knowing what you may get, until you develop the film. I use different lenses and filters and experiment to capture various results. Even today, I refuse to manipulate my Canon pictures in Photoshop. If it's a failed experiment, I learn from the experience – and it was fun. (I was going to include some of my work with this post, but I didn't get the chance to scan them. Yes, I can be that old school about film photography.)

So with the further demise of film photography, I fear there's a level of creativity that will be forever lost.

Various organizations have been trying to get some momentum behind a Social Media Week. There was one in June and September I recall. Maybe we're not yet consistent on the timing, but it doesn't mean another one is not worth checking out. This one is taking place globally. See what may be happening in your city.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is now part of the ranks of those great long weekend holidays - Memorial Day, Labor day – but does it make a great sale day?

A Veterans' Day Parade can fill me with awe and admiration, but it won't inspire me to catch a sale at the local mall.

If you are in a position to promote a holiday sale, look into the cultural significance of the day. Or you may risk hurting a brand by subjecting it to public criticism. Would you be more inclined to support a Veterans' Day Sale that gave proceeds to programs that support our troops or a sale where the company pockets the profits? Would not the same apply for MLK Day? Why don't we see something that also promotes social change?

And what client (in their right mind) would complain about a promotion that puts them in a positive light? You're doing your job.

Don't get me wrong, you can sell on a holiday. People are off work, why not encourage some shopping during their vacation? Be smart about our hook. Don't create a spectacle.
 

Contact those vendors!

Vendors and sponsors are there to create buzz and interest about their products.

They are trying to sell something.

They want to work with you.

If you see something that could add some "wow factor" to your work, pick up a phone, send an email or meet with them if possible. Start with Eureka Park, which is full of start up companies.


If you weren't paying any attention to CES (shame on you), you can still catch recap videos on various sites including YouTube.

Have you been trying to use your marketing savvy to launch or grow an e-tail business? (E-tailers sell goods over the Internet.) Then you may want to check out the Social Commerce Summit in NYC, February 7, 2012.

According to the site "...social commerce comes with its own unique challenges. The market is crowded, noisy, and always changing. Social Commerce Summit presents today's and tomorrow's best practices. You'll hear about emerging cutting-edge trends and established, mega-successful Fortune 500 strategies."

Speakers include:

Neil Blumenthal
Co-Founder, Warby Parker

Alexis Maybank
Founder and CMO, Gilt Groupe (one of my favorite etailers)

Tim O'Shaughnessy
CEO, LivingSocial (where I look for deals of the day)

For more information, click here.

All eyes on Vegas. 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) takes over the city January 10-13. This is your opportunity to see the tech that may change the world in the upcoming year – or what brands "want" us to get excited about.

For example, consumers never embraced 3D TV no matter how hard it was pushed. And for the couple of years, expert have claimed each one as "the year of mobile." Back then, the predictions may have been premature, but 2012 might be it as Tuesday morning's keynote speaker, Qualcomm CEO Dr. Paul Jacobs, will discuss.

For the next few days, follow International CES on Twitter and check out the tech coverage on your favorite sites from SpikeTV to  CNET to G4TV.

Look for the promising trends you may have to learn more about incorporate into your work – and also the ones to avoid.

I read a recent CNET article by Don Reisinger, "98 Billion Apps to be Downloaded in 2015, Study Says." It made me question, how many companies are creating apps just because their client wants one or just because they can?

Wanting one and needing one are two different things. Wanting one because everyone has one, especially their competitors, isn't a sound enough reason to make one, because:

1. You'll lose money on it.
2. You won't get the downloads you hoped for.
3. You're not creating something your audience wants or needs.
4. If your web site isn't getting big hits, an app won't find the audience for you.

Some apps are no-brainers. I use my bank app all the time. Some apps I download just to see what it's like and then I move on. I don't need it taking up space on my phone.
If you're developing an app for a client or class project, here are things to keep in mind:

1. Make it sure it functions.  Really? Yes. Think about all of the buggy apps you've downloaded. Test and test again. Does it work with or without WIFI? Does it eat up a lot of data? What happens if phone service is interrupted? API? There's lots to consider.
2. Is it useful? Your app should add ease to the service the brand provides. Don't link me to your website. That's what bookmarks are for. Don't recreate the web site. This should be a simplified version of your service. Also, it should offer some service that can only be provided by the app.
3. Has your app been done before? If you're creating an app because your competitor has one, explore and push for ways yours can be better. Find the advantage.
   
4. Ads. If you must promote or sell space on the app, don't clutter or hurt the function. It sounds like another no-brainer, but then why do we see it all the time?

An app for app sake is not an ideal assignment, but you can rise above it by digging deep and creating valuable function and content.

This is how Professor Ad Man looks on a smart phone.


You can hold it vertically or horizontally, but the one thing I hope you quickly realize is that this is not a mobile site. Just because your phone can read it it, doesn't make it a mobile site.

You're going to have to expand pages and scroll to check out the content. That's not a bad thing. The phone's ability to surf makes it a valuable marketing tool. It's a bad thing if you and your client believe this is an acceptable mobile experience for your audience.

A mobile site is designed to the specs of a phone's screen and usability. Meaning, the navigation and experience is contained to the screen with minimal scrolling and basically no need for expansion (unless you have poor eyesight).

For example, take a look at Lacoste. This is their web site:

Not only would this entire screen not fit on the phone, it would also be too small to navigate with the small icons above. Here's their mobile site:

Very simple. Fits on the screen. Large clickable buttons. An easy shopping and sharing experience. But this is a different site. Also, your mobile site shouldn't have all the bells and whistles of the regular site. It can't. Even with 4G, it's still a slower device than computers and tablets. No one will wait forever to download content on a phone.

Still the mobile site is valuable, because we are quickly approaching a time when the majority of us will do most of our surfing by phone. With younger audiences, African Americans and Latinos, many studies show we are already there.

So when you propose a digital experience, it's important to include mobile. I once read an article about a Coca-Cola executive wouldn't even look at a campaign if it didn't include mobile content.

It would be dumb to rely on a smartphone to create the content for you.

For 2012, see why you need to get your head in a mobile marketing space.

When people say there is no truth in advertising, I wonder if they ever had to face a legal review. It's when lawyers and legal savvy people go through your work with a fine-tooth comb adding disclaimers, fine print and asterisks to your work to protect you, the agency and the client.

Sometimes it can suck all creativity out of the work.

But you don't have to take their first response as law. You negotiate. Sometimes legal doesn't understand what you are trying to accomplish, but it's up to you to find middle ground that satisfies everyone involved.

Remember legal has a purpose. Brands come under attack, sometimes for the most frivolous reasons. I remember a recent lawsuit where a woman sued the makers of the movie Drive staring Ryan Gosling. She felt the promotions were misleading, expecting another Fast & Furious-type movie, filled with car chases. (Spoiler alert: It's not). Or it could have been a promo stunt. (It caught my attention.)



So when lawyers constantly face such issues, you'll never completely change their minds when they flag your work.

Just work together. You'll find a solution.