Starbucks "
Brazil Ipanema Bourbon" - sounds yummy doesn't it? What a name
for a coffee. I'm sure it's not that much different than other
Brazilian coffees, but it sounds interesting enough to make me want
to try it. And I might like it better just because my brain was
given the chance to like it better before I even tried it. Black
Apron Exlusives - another great name (this for a line of coffees).
They sound special. I can only get them at Starbucks so they sound
intriguing (Why can't I get them anywhere else? What do they know
that no one else does?). On the page for it - they have a link to
"Art Revealed." Apparantly they changed the look of the bags? Like
it? You can download it as a wallpaper. What a great way to let
people extent their experience. Which brings me to the thought
trigger of this rambling post. Stampede last night - yahoo!
(For non-Calgarians: apparently "yahoo" or "yehaw!" is the thing to
say. For the record, I didn't say it once last night.) We haven't
been the last few years, so we want this year. Maryruth, Heather,
Rob (Heather's new husband or vice versa), and I. It was enjoyable.
Food, walking, it was really hot. No pics! I don't know what
happened. We didn't take the camera and I didn't use my camera on
my mobile. Again, I don't know how that happened. Anyways, one of
the things we did was go into the Bell "Rodeo X" monstrosity of a
tent. "Rodeo X" is "X" for "cool, unamed, l33t thingy" (like the "X
games") and "Rodeo" is because we're at the stampede. Still can't
figure it out? Of course not - it's a marketing buzz name. It's
just guys on BMXes (bikes) doing jumps and tricks. It's in a HUGE
tent. And, of course, they have all the Bell products (TV, mobiles,
etc.). It was cool and way too loud (or I'm getting too old - don't
know which) but the bike tricks were really cool: flips, huge
jumps, 540s (as in rotating 540 degrees) and the control of the
guys on the bikes was crazy. Some of it would put acrobats to shame
(seeing a guy do a 10' jump spinning 360+ degrees and then stopping
- yes, full stop - on his landing balancing on his rear wheel only?
say what?). Bell Convergence Anyways, all this to
get to my point: they had several camers and were projecting the
real-time video feeds on a big screen (especially useful since some
of the construction for the jumps was 20' tall and too big to see
around). They would sometimes cut in an instant replay but VERY
rarely. And they had "downtime" after 1 guy's ride (1 guy at a time
would go through the course and do different tricks) and they would
be a pause before the next guy started. Hit me with the replay
again! Don't show him huffing and puffing (I mean good for him, but
his pants are too big and his underwear is showing - I'd rather
watch the trick again than watch him). The did 1 thing that got me
thinking: they played a video on the screen a few times of a guy
doing a trick. It was a "new trick" without a name. Text message
(only on your Bell mobile) your suggested name in. Great idea
(other than being only Bell mobiles - but I'm not bitter that I
couldn't do it, no sirree, I'm above that)! Crux
So: here's my crux: this is Bell. Bell has TV (so they have some
expertise around video feeds, instant replay, etc.) including PVR
(fancy pause live-TV stuff and play video-on-demand [like renting
without leaving the couch]). Bell has wireless (so they know how to
deliver music to your phone [Rob has Bell for his mobile and he
apparently bought 1 song for a ringtone and paid $100 for it
without realizing it. Ouch!]). Mobile So, where is
the mobile page where I can see each of the coolest replays on my
mobile phone and "take it home" with me? Where is the option to
watch the live feed on my phone (cuz my phone can do that) instead
of craning my neck to the jumbo-tron - or, more likely, after I've
left the booth and am waiting in some really long line (or crammed
on the C-Train on the way home), I can watch what is going on over
in the tent from my phone (I'm at the Bell tent without being at
the Bell tent - you've just "virtually multiplied" your tent size
by 4,8, 20 whatever!). Where is the option to email the coolest
clips to a friend (or a blog like this so I don't have to butcher
it with my poor description)?? (I just checked Google and they
don't even have a website! But some pictures posted by a
fan/watcher on Flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chealion/759178909/
- they SO missed out on an opportunity - obviously someone was
interested enough to post pictures.) Where is the option to vote
from my phone for the best clips and have them change order? Or, in
real-time have the riders put together a "fan-favorite" ride from
the votes to close out a session? Why can't I text the riders (give
'em all free mobile phones) and suggest tricks? Snap out parts of
the text conversation and put it on screen. Let the riders snap
photos of each other on the cameras and text them to the screen (or
website or blogs or audience members...) *stops for a breath*
Video? Video? Don't even get me started. More
replays. Some extra titles (they said the peoples' names but it was
WAY to loud too hear - so put their names up and their websites
[all Bell branded of course]). Give me video clips on my phone with
a little application to edit them together that I can submit to
YouTube, my blog, a bell website, or real-time back to the
jumbo-tron (many mobile phones already have basic video editing
software built-in). Or put a video-editing booth right there and
let people give direction to the guy running it. Or let
participants run it for a bit (many of the kids have already played
with Adobe Premiere or something like it school anyways). Or hand
out DVDs of the best stuff (or, in true Stampede fashion, try to
sell them for a stupid amount of money [oh wait, that wouldn't
work]). You think it's Hard? This stuff isn't
hard. You take 1 geek and 1 Mac and you've got the video part done.
You take another geek and you've got the web stuff done. A third
geek (or maybe a couple) do the server and wiring and stuff to make
it work. So, this ginormous tent probably cost Bell $100,$200k to
do. Maybe more. These geeks would cost you maybe $10k for the
weeked (plus the hardware and some pre-work) - OK, let's get crazy
and spend $20k on them AND, that's assuming that you don't just
send around some emails at Bell and find the geeks who are sitting
in front of customer service phones and doing this kind of thing at
home on the weekend and just itching for the chance to do it right
and in front of a real audience on someone else's dime ("You want
me to do that and get paid for it? Really? Put me in coach!"). For
$20k you've bought way more "hook" and "eyeballs" and interest that
you would get for a portion of your marketing budget - say $250k -
that you spend on the rest of the year trying to connect to people.
I bet you that $20k would give your about as much impact as those
animated beavers (which, including voice talent and TV time and
production cost WAY more than 1/4 million). They have the budget
and the expertise and the opportunity. So it's easy to take the
last step. Oh yeah, you need the guy with ideas who talks to the
manager who says "yes." That's the hard part, isn't it?