I had a chance to spend some time with the MashCast team at the 140 Conference this past week in LA. They refer to their video mashup as collaborative expression, a new category of communicating that allows for advanced levels of creative and collaborative interaction using video.
They can essentially drop photos into existing video templates or create new ones, updating statements or images daily depending on the situation.
Within a MashCast network, individual artists and businesses can own and manage exclusive online communities, giving them the power to connect their network to all social media outlets (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc) for one-button-push, net-wide distribution of select content; grant varying levels of rights, roles and permissions to members; distribute content securely to their subscribers real-time or “on demand”; customize and segment content for targeted communications to different kinds of users. The result? The ability to “own the audience” while opening up new revenue streams for their brand.
A proprietary rich internet application allows subscribers and network operators to pass creative content—video, audio, animation—back and forth to each other over the MashCast network in real time.
Take a look at two personalized videos they did inserting my photo into a video – and this is just one small piece of what they’re capable of. You can also click play below.
Connections: Influencers & Strategic Partners
[column width=”13%” padding=”0%”] [/column] [column width=”57%” padding=”0%”] We can make strategic introductions and organize, manage and lead trips or events with major brands looking to get their name in front of key influencers.
A strategic marketing and branding partner doesn’t just think about the right press connections or creating a blog or website – the real asset is in the combination of your core story, your so-called Magic Sauce which includes your internal team. We help you leverage those resources – from the talent and history, to the magic behind your story, to the product UI and unique benefits your product or service provides to customers.
Whether it’s emerging technologies, Web 2.0, travel, services for seniors, teens or boomers, fashion, food and wine, retail or green tech, we can make compelling connections and help you create a program that is magical, creative and innovative in the U.S. or abroad.
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Design & Video
[column width=”13%” padding=”0%”] [/column] [column width=”57%” padding=”0%”] If you and your team need a site or blog design or lift, we can help. We collaborate with designers, developers and advisors, whether you need to build from scratch or simply need a facelift and rebrand design. We team up with reliable resources who can handle everything from the technical implementation to the creative layout.
Remember that blogs create a platform for community discussions to happen across the board: with your customers, partners, employees, investors, and your competitors. Really great design attracts rather than hinders, clarifies rather than confuses and engages rather than dictates. It’s an important part of your message.
We also utilize online video when and where it makes sense. There are products and services that cry out for a visual story and doing it on a website or blog sometimes isn’t enough.
We work with you to determine the best medium – whether it’s your blog, Facebook, another popular social networking site, YouTube or countless other video platforms on the web. Timing is also key – when to release what and to who? What story do we tell using video versus Twitter and every other medium at our fingertips? Video is a great way to share your Magic Sauce with the world.
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Social Influencer Messaging
[column width=”13%” padding=”0%”] [/column] [column width=”57%” padding=”0%”] Even if you have talked to plenty of high profile executives and media influencers in your lifetime, everyone can benefit from media coaching and training. As more and more traditional media outlets decline, new influencers and communities will take their place. They already have. Looking and sounding compelling to your audience will never be obsolete.
It’s hard to react on the fly when tough questions are thrown your way, often ones you least expect. We’ll work with you so you can present yourself in a way that gets noticed: authentic, articulate, factual, strategic, edgy, forward thinking and consistent.
You need to own what you project and project what you own. Remember that people’s first impressions may be all they have, so learn how to powerfully deliver your magic sauce and do it again and again.
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Launches
[column width=”13%” padding=”0%”] [/column] [column width=”57%” padding=”0%”] Product rollouts are an important and integral part of every communications program. When you see a successful launch, know that more often than not, there’s magic behind it and a lot of hard work.
In a world that may have more online influencers than stores, it’s hard to stand out from the clutter and more importantly, stay there. While getting a one-hit wonder can work with a smart “purple cow” approach, we help you develop a launch strategy that helps pave the way for sustainable success in the market.
We handle the strategy and execution before, during and after the launch including an event or launch party if that’s the right fit for your launch. When relevant, we also develop and manage the reviews and awards.
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Events
[column width=”13%” padding=”0%”] [/column] [column width=”57%” padding=”0%”] Whether it’s thought leadership, a launch, brand awareness, gathering strategic partners and investors together or VIP networking, we can create an event or help you leverage an existing one.
“On-the-ground” is where the best connections are made, so we work closely to ensure you have the best executives armed with the right messages, tools and protocols at these events. We work the room, make the introductions and help you develop relationships that last a lifetime.
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Thought Leadership
[column width=”13%” padding=”0%”] [/column] [column width=”57%” padding=”0%”] People have always thought of marketing and advertising as a one-way push of a controlled corporate message to the masses.
Branding done through push alone, whether it’s a product or an executive, is not thought leadership – it’s a way to invoke emotion and connection using strategically crafted words, phrases, images and video.
Thought leadership grows as a result of strategic activities over time – from speaking panels, roundtables and keynotes to educational seminars and contests. It involves how and where you put yourself ‘out there,’ whether it’s a contributed article on a site millions read, in a more formal environment, such as on stage with Al Gore or Bill Gates, or informally through blog comments, Digg, flickr and Facebook.
If you combine community engagement with a campaign that positions you as a thought leader in your space, you will do more than garner respect. Customers and influencers will come back to hear what you have to say and want to know what you’re doing again and again.
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Social Media: Community Matters
[column width=”13%” padding=”0%”] [/column] [column width=”57%” padding=”0%”] The phrase social media is overused and has evolved into encompassing nearly every online conversation. While the term may be overused and overhyped, its impact is explosive.
We are forced into a myriad of widgets, tools, blogs, podcasts and social networks. What you craft, where you start and whether you go broad and big or narrow and refined depends on your objectives.
Some companies have targeted customers who come to them for one core interest or need, i.e., tennis, air conditioning, whereas others target all of us, i.e., HP, Home Depot, Kraft.
The openness of the Internet has changed everything – who we talk to and where, who influences who and on what platform, where we view our news, and what influences our buying decisions.
We combine the power of communities, social networks, blogs, Twitter and more with smart communications strategies to create buzz, gain credibility and drive sales. Community matters more than ever. Be innovative, be present, be engaging and be real.
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Story Development
[column width=”13%” padding=”0%”] [/column] [column width=”57%” padding=”0%”] One product or division is doing extremely well, while another is flailing. This may mean a need for reorganization, re-focusing and narrowing down your offerings or it may be that one pitch is right and the other misses the mark.
What problem are you trying to solve? What are your customers and partners saying? What would you like your customers to say? Do you solve a problem that no one knows about or worse, understands? Or, do you already know what your Magic Sauce is, yet are having a hard time telling the story?
On top of it all, with the wide array of media at our fingertips, you now need to tell that story a hundred different ways…….visually through video, in a conversation on an airplane or golf course, on your website and blog, in 140 characters or less, through a summarized news feed, on a Facebook fan page, in a comment thread, at a trade show, on a speaking panel, through a contest or a developer forum. Enuf already….where to start?
Remember, perception is reality. We work with you to craft the right story for the right audience, using the right medium and we do it in a way that will resonate with your customers and influencers again and again.
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Market Positioning
[column width=”13%” padding=”0%”] [/column] [column width=”57%” padding=”0%”] An intimate understanding of your business objectives is critical to a successful and effective marketing and communications plan. Before we can help you get to where you want to be, we need to determine where the world thinks you already are.
First, we dive into your business goals, then we take a look at where you sit alongside your competitors. Maybe your influencers are putting you in a category that doesn’t make sense for you strategically or perhaps they simply don’t understand what you do best.
Perhaps your product is simply too complicated and trying to convey too many features or perhaps you’re targeting too many audiences. Taking a deep look often unveils new and untapped market opportunities you may not have even considered.
We work with you to develop strategies that integrate with and meet your business objectives. It’s a building block approach – once we have defined who you are today and where you want to be, we can effectively position you to get you to the next level.
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