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How Denuo does SXSW 2011

Caroline Chen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:06:49 +0000

Conference season continues courtesy SXSW, where a group of female Denuologists and one (1) Dan Buczaczer will partake in all things interactive, film and music. Aside from ordering appletinis and talking menstrual cycles to further aggravate Dan’s insecurities, we’re all excited to attend for our own selfish, nerdy, pseudo-work-related reasons.

Below, you’ll find each of our personal SXSW must-see sessions / prime stalking grounds. (Twitter links included for your onslaught of judgment.) See you in Austin.

The 4-Hour Body: Hacking the Human Body
3/13 @ 11AM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Since Tim Ferriss knows the secrets to 100 mile runs and 15 minute orgasms, he’s my ticket to finally becoming a ninja, double dutch champion or synchronized swimmer.

A Conversation with Paul Reubens
3/13 @ 12:30PM / Site / Sitby.us

Pee Wee has conquered TV, movies, seedy theaters and Broadway. Can’t wait to hear what’s next.

Christopher Poole keynote
3/13 @ 2PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

He created the ultimate Devil’s playground, when he was 15.

Defining the Diaspora: Global Collaboration and Social Change
3/13 @ 5PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Attending this will make me feel like I am doing something productive for mankind, and thus I will feel better about myself. Also, it’s led by the Nomadic Wax founder which is a cool story in itself.

Bite Me: Are Ethics Gone in Food Criticism
3/14 @ 11AM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

I don’t have ethics and I like pretending to be a food critic.

How Game Dynamics Can Change Real World Experiences
3/14 @ 12:30PM / Site / Lanyrd

Pete Cashmore interviewing Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley increases the chances that we’ll get tangible insight into how location-based services will evolve to further transform how we experience the present.

Steven Johnson presentation
3/15 @ 9:30AM / Lanyrd

I like his writing. I like his speaking.

Marc Ecko’s Formula for AWEthentic Connections
3/15 @12:30PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Ecko is a pioneer in everything he touches, from fashion to gaming to music. I’d like to to have a Sazerac with him.

Read Anisha’s posts here. Follow Anisha on Twitter: @chubs999

My schedule is perfect for the easily excitable celebwhore with a meandering attention span and a healthy appetite for free goods and services. It is quite possibly the most confusing/worst way to experience SXSW. Enjoy.

TRON: Legacy Lounge
3/11 @ 12PM / Site

Getting my Garrett Hedlund on.

BattleDecks 2011
3/11 @ 4PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Despise public speaking but delight in watching others suffer.

Why Would We Think Social Media Is Revolutionary?
3/11 @ 5PM / Site / Sitby.us

Reading a Clay Shirky book right now. Will feel self-important sitting in the crowd.

SUPER-Talented: With James Gunn, Ellen Page & Rainn Wilson
3/12 @ 12:30PM / Site / Sitby.us

CELEBS!

Catherine Hardwicke’s Directing Workshop
3/12 @ 2PM / Site

TWILIGHT!

#FAIL: Infamous Social Media PR Disasters
3/13 @ 11AM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Point-and-laugh ego boost for the insecure community manager.

Viral Marketing with The Oatmeal
3/13 @ 12:30PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

This is a given.

The SXSW Street Food Fest presented by Foodspotting & Blackberry
3/13 @ LUNCHTIME! / Site / Sitby.us

MEAT PIES AND SCAVENGER HUNTS! So beautiful…should’ve…sent…poet…

How Blogs With Balls Are Saving Sports Media
3/14 @ 9:30AM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

My favoritest sports bloggers in one room. But if there is no talk of Tebow, I will heave my chair at the stage and leave.

Worst Website Ever II: Too Stupid To Fail
3/14 @ 11AM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Designers, coders and entrepreneurs competing to pitch their worst business ideas for VC funding. So. Very. Excited.

Read Caroline’s posts here. Follow Caroline on Twitter: @chenney

My background is in 3D design, so that’s what I gravitate towards. More related to what we do at Denuo, 3D design follows a lot of the same tenets as the type of work we do – what is the story? What is the user experience like? How do we make sure consumers are attracted to what we create and how to we make sure they keep on using? That basically is what’s informing my choice of sessions.

How Not to Be a Douchebag at SXSW
3/11 @ 2PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

It’s my first time at SXSW, and though I’ve never in my life been labeled a “douchebag,” I have been “that girl.” And this sessions is back by popular demand, which leads me to believe there is still a pervasive level of douchebaggery here.

An Interview with Mythbuster Adam Savage
3/12 @ 5PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Um, I love Mythbusters.

Radical Openness: Growing TED by Giving it Away
3/13 @ 9:30AM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Talk given by June Cohen, Executive Producer of TED. Need I say more?

The Refrigerator Speaks: The Secret Language of Things
3/13 @ 3:30PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

About smart products – which ones have and haven’t taken hold and why? Embedding sensors and all sorts of new technology, if done in the wrong way, doesn’t make products any more useful. People have to identify with them for them to work.

Re-branding Birth Control: Behavior Change through Design
3/13 @ 5PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

I’m trained as an object/product designer, so one are that I’m very interested in is that space between actual behavior and how we strive to change it through design. Regardless of the scale of design (digital, object, or architectural), there’s always a huge disconnect between the problem and the method of problem-solving. In this session, it’s about tackling an issue of arising from desire through logic. Sounds fishy, right? No wonder people still need to be educated about birth control. This session is both for professional and personal interest — and obviously is less about the birth control and sex and more about understanding how to appeal to people in language they can understand, be it verbal, visual, or anything else.

Anatomy of a Design Decision
3/14 @ 5PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Uses research vs. gut instincts. How to separate good from bad design. Jared Spool breaks down the good user experience, which is ultimately what were trying to create with marketing.

Designing Ideas, Not Objects
3/15 @ 11AM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Um, wish I could go!

Read Lynn’s posts here. Follow Lynn on Twitter: @leenleem

Categorization helps me feel less overwhelmed…

Celebs I <3:

A Conversation with Paul Reubens
3/13 @12:30PM / Site / Sitby.us

I grew up with Pee-Wee. I used watched Pee-Wee’s playhouse with my dad and have seen Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure more times than I care to admit. Yay!

Kanye West, Antique Aquariums and Authenticity in Celebrity 2.0
3/15 @ 12:30PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Gasp! What makes Kanye the most compelling & quotable person on Twitter? Um, I’m pretty sure I already know the answer to this question but nothing makes me happier than ‘Ye. If I for some reason miss this I will cry the whole flight home.

Design, bc it’s my job and I love it:

How Print Design is the Future of Interaction
3/12 @ 9:30AM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Ordering Disorder: Grid Design for the New World
3/12 @ 12:30PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Brand Consistency Is Killing Digital Advertising
3/12 @ 5PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

All sound super interesting and useful. I will be taking copious notes.

Tech that I want to someday use in real life:

Building Fences in the Sky
3/13 @ 11AM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Geo-Fencing Has Arrived: I think I pitch geo-fencing in every brainstorm.

Why My Phone Should Turn Off the Stove
3/13 @ 3:30PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Not only to reduce my carbon footprint but to also save money on my electric bill. Please and thank you.

WTF:

Fun With The Lights Off: Interactivity Without Graphics
3/13 @ 5PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Subtle Sexuality: NBC.com Adds Spice to Shows
3/14 @ 9:30AM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

The Sexual Survival Guide for Geeks
3/11 @ 5PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

I just want to be a fly on the wall.

To make Tim jealous:

Felicia Day
3/12 @ 1 PM & Mon 3/14 @ 2PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Of Fanboys & Fidelity – Adapting Comics For Broad Audiences
3/13 @ 3:30PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Read Sarah’s posts here. Follow Sarah on Twitter: @sarahchiappetta

How to Not be a Douchebag at SXSW
3/11 @ 2PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

I think I’ll join Lynn on this one.

The Potential of Augmented Reality for Education
3/11 @ 3:30PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

AR always gets touched on in gaming stuff. I always write about education / charity work. This could be helpful for any future gaming programs.

Clothing Swap, hosted by Swap.com
3/11 @ 7PM / Site

Bring a bag, get a bag. Basically bring a bag of gently used (SMELLY) clothes & you get to fill it up with other people’s gently used (SMELLY) clothes. Also,great way to meet other fashuns bloggers & style the outfits of the clothes you’re donating. All clothes not taken is given to Goodwill.

The Mix at Six presented by SapientNitro
3/11 @ 6PM / Site / Sitby.us

I mean, they had me at open bar & a DJ.

Saturday Yoga
3/12 @ 9PM / Site / Sitby.us

Haha, free yoga, how can I not?

Interactive Marketing Horror Stories
3/12 @ 5PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Sounds funny.

#FAIL: Infamous Social Media PR Diasters
3/13 @ 11AM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Would like to go to this one if the Texas Style Council panel doesn’t run over – talks about how the inattention can lead to disaster for brands.

Blogger Symposium
3/13 @ 12PM / Site

The Texas Style Council blog conference that I registered for. Keynotes & panels about fashuns stuffs.

Fashion Blogging: Capturing & Keeping Readers Who Buy
3/14 @ 5PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Talks about how bloggers are influencers – will be good background for the stuff I’m working on with Sarah.

The Death of the Brand Website
3/15 @ 2:30PM / Site / Sitby.us / Lanyrd

Would have been interesting to go to – talks about how brands structure their sites more like blogs than brand sites.

Read Stephanie’s posts here. Follow Stephanie on Twitter: @hoisinivy

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM TWEET RACING

Eric Bee — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:08:44 +0000

Last week, we had the pleasure of helping run the world’s first Tweet Race for Mercedes-Benz. Along with our colleagues at Razorfish, we took four teams across the country in Mercedes-Benz vehicles that were “fueled by Twitter,” meaning the teams had to generate social media activity to keep their engines running. We designed a game around this that involved the teams competing in challenges, stoking their supporters for extra Tweet Fuel, and various tasks to accomplish both online and offline, all building up to a winner based on the strength of their social network and their skill behind the wheel.

Over a frenzied three days of racing, we learned a lot about games, digital marketing, competitive spirit, blizzards, Dallas ice treatment controversies, live event management, and when to let go and enjoy the ride. Join us, won’t you?

A LOT OF FOLLOWERS DOESN’T AUTOMATICALLY MAKE YOU A LEADER

If you go by the usual social media attitude of “more followers = more win,” we would’ve had a distinct disadvantage between the teams. When casting, we made sure to really look at how these competitors were utilizing their social networks, from general posting and sharing of content, along with measurements such as Klout scoring. Really, what good is 100,000 followers if 90 percent of them are ignoring what you say online? The follower count as a metric is a great place to start, sure, but we needed active, lively people with active, lively communities to make this race interesting.

In the end, the team with the lowest follower count won the race. Again, we designed the game to reward the players who were active with their communities and the communities who contributed to their driver’s success. In looking at the strategy of the winners, they got behind their followers way ahead of the starting line. There were extensions to their Twitter accounts on other social networks that explained what they needed from their supporters, along with early, easy, self-started tests that ensured the team’s supporters were doing the right thing to win the race. After that, the community took hold, organizing their own systems to win challenges and keeping Tweet Fuel generating through retweets and 140-character based messages of support. They even rallied to raise extra funds for the team’s charity, earning $5,000 from supporter donations in the two weeks leading up to the race.

The same thinking that clinched victory for Team S Class in the race is the same thinking that puts a brand at the forefront of the social space. Initially, the size of a brand’s social media machismo was measured by follower count, the simplest of metrics to point at and say, “look, we’re doing it and doing it well.” As the space evolves, though, it isn’t enough to just accrue followers and hope for a win. Indeed, too many followers can sometimes muddy the messaging and cause confusion. By keeping their smaller base active, engaged, and feeling like they were contributing and collaborating toward the greater good, Team S was able to win the Tweet Race. Brands should echo this, keeping your conversation focused, engaging your consumers with smaller tasks or asks, and feeling like they’re part of something special rather than another notch in your follower count.

“THEY AREN’T THIMBLES”

It’s different to design a game with a very human element vs. a completely digital experience. Building a game space that solely accounts for electronic interactions means the control you have over the space can be polished and tuned to deliver the right amounts of challenge over the course of the game. When you add players into the mix, they will surprise you with how they interact with everything, as proven by so many strange hacks, button combos, and “cheats” showing up across competitive video games like Street Fighter and Call of Duty.

Digitally, one can patch these quirks away to level the playing field. In real life, however, patching is rarely an option, especially over the course of three day race with constantly moving scores. Strategies will always surprise. Even if the final outcomes are drastically different than what was expected, as long as you build a solid base of play with fundamentals that guide, rather than rules to be exploited, those outcomes will be the result of player strategy and not rule-breaking or cheating.

For brands, the same holds true in digital. Building a program that is a lock-step march toward an inevitable goal means you will have absolute control, but lose that human element of surprise. Flexibility in your efforts runs the risk of someone breaking what you’ve built, sure, but accounting for the personality and intelligence of your targeted consumers could create something special. Your participants unknowingly become collaborators in your work and contribute to the evolution of both your digital marketing efforts and your brand.

BLIZZARDS, JENGA, AND ADAPTABILITY

I don’t know if you heard, but we had some snow-based concerns over Super Bowl week. Like many, I was awestruck, looking at every single photo from the nationwide weather freakout with a gaping jaw and silent swear word. Guiding four drivers through such weather, though, proved to be not-so-neat.

Granted, what can you do? Adaptability is a necessity of random factors influencing whatever you’ve made. Again, the lock-step is the wrong dance move for anything you put on display, so knowing where you can bend and flex to make things work ahead of time will make for saner evenings and calmer communication all around. It may not be a blizzard, but an API crashing or worldwide internet chaos could throw your plans askew. To put it in game terms, understanding the foundation of your Jenga tower will let you pull pieces where needed and prevent the whole thing from crashing down to the delight of your competitors, leaving you to clean up and reset the whole thing for another go.

SHALL WE PLAY A GAME?

Over the next few months, you’re going to hear an awful lot about gamification, both from us and a host of other play design-based pundits who believe strongly in using the mechanics and fundamentals of gaming to affect all areas of our industry. When we designed the Tweet Race, we definitely approached it from a game-design point of view, but utilizing the best practices of social media and marketing know-how. This allowed our team and Razorfish to craft something both players and brands could get behind. The lessons learned from the Tweet Race not only reinforce our belief in the benefits of gamification, but provide lessons in how brands can not only play alongside their consumers in social media, but win with them as well.

Reflecteur – Issue 63

Eric Bee — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:56:53 +0000

VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUURRRRRRRRRRRRUURRRRRR.

Sorry about that. This week’s issue was taken over by the World Cup’s digital vuvuzela, found inside, along with a whole bunch of other digital extensions to the planet’s favorite sporting event. Also, we watch a digital behavior go analog as “Liking” something creeps into the real world, a classically-trained violinist playing the first level of Super Mario Bros. (not how you think), and the technology of today getting a decidedly-retro graphic design makeover. Finally, New @ Denuo recaps our involvement with The Betacup and how changing our coffee-drinking habits could save the planet from environmental destruction.

Download the issue here!

VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRVVVVRRRRRRVVVRRRgoal!RRRRRRRVVVVRUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Gratias Vobis Ago, Denuo!

jlau — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:00:31 +0000

Thanks to my internship, I have acquired an appreciation for Latin. My lesson on Day #1: Denuo means “anew”, “afresh.” It embodies our approach to exploiting the constantly changing digital, interactive, and mobile space. As the wide-eyed intern, I have gotten to hang out with the coolest nerds in the industry. Inspired by Rishad T.’s advice to “not let these guys beat me to a pulp”, I have taken a deep-dive into the world of Denuo, eager to learn how they work their marketing magic.

The work we do around here begins by examining everything with an inquisitive mind and critical eye. Whether it’s a new app, a tablet, a social trend, or an assortment of donuts, we like to observe and uncover insights on consumer products and experiences. We keep ourselves in stride with (or one step ahead of) evolving trends and never hesitate to voice our opinions. We are nerdy, we are candid, and we know what it takes to activate a successful marketing plan.

So gratias vobis ago, Denuo- “thank you all”- for giving me the opportunity to see how things get done around here. I will miss the 32-second elevator ride to the 32^nd floor, the endless supply of Kellogg’s and Kashi cereal, and the pattering sounds of Denuologists’ flipflops, heels, and loafers around the office. After a couple months of researching consumer trends and social media programs, and participating in brainstorms, meetings and conference calls, I can thankfully say I am no longer a Denuo n00b.

It’s been fun!

What a Girl Wants: Hand Candy

jlau — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:16:49 +0000

You know those people who have a natural sense of direction? Who seem to just know how to navigate new neighborhoods, where to turn right or left? Who can give a map a once-over without furrowing their brow? I am not one of those people.

In fact, about a month ago, I got lost on my 0.1 mile walk to work off the Clark/Lake stop. I somehow managed to head west on Lake Street and walked in squares around Clark, LaSalle, and West Wacker. I even annoyed not one, but two, busy-looking people on the street by asking which way West Wacker was. At this point, it was 8:54am and I was getting dangerously close to being late, so I hailed a cab to work (I’m serious.) Quite possibly the most embarrassing $5 I ever spent.

It got me thinking: I am one of those people who should get a smartphone. I’m constantly looking up train schedules, walking directions, restaurant menus, movie times, concerts and events information. When I’m out with friends, I always have to ask two questions: 1) “Where are we going?” and 2) “Who has a smartphone?”

This brings me to the real question-at-hand: which mobile machine reigns supreme? According to a recently released report from the NPD group, Android phones have finally (and surprisingly) outsold Apple’s iPhones. Android sales were at 28 percent, which trumps the iPhone’s 21 percent and tailgates the Research in Motion’s Blackberry, which leads with 36 percent. But Apple has plans to return with a vengeance: this week’s buzz is all about the iPhone 4G and its projected 24 million shipments starting in June. Even large banks like Standard Chartered and Morgan Stanley have been swapping out their BlackBerries for iPhones, so that employees can “enjoy the features and content available on their iPhone without the hassle of carrying another device in order to access office email.”

I was getting desperate. I decided to consult my buddies at Denuo, knowing that Denuologists are always up to speed on the latest trends in social, mobile and new media. As I expected, all three major devices- iPhone, Blackberry, and Android- were represented. Also, Denuologists were not hesitant to call each other out on being “iPhone-toting fan boys” or “hating on ‘CORPORATE’ Blackberry love.” Here’s more stuff I learned:

“The iPhone is my indispensable mobile multi-tool. I’m using it constantly to get around the city, find places to eat, take pictures, track my runs, remember random thoughts I have. It’s basically my entire connection to the world when I’m on the go.”
“”I’m currently in a love affair with the Droid. Google runs my life. From gmail, gcalendar, gtalk, search, reader, maps, buzz, picasa, etc., all can be accessed directly from my pocket. Not to mention the ability to Facebook/Twitter my face off.”
“An iPhone would probably serve me pretty well, but I like the ‘openness’ of the Android platform and what that means from a choice and possibility standpoint.”
““My Blackberry’s email capabilities rule- you get all of your emails instantaneously and it syncs to your mailbox. You get Blackberry Messenger (a Blackberry-exclusive instant messaging system) and a full keyboard- makes for easy and fast typing.”
“ You know exactly what do with an iPhone when you pull it out of the box. You can run apps right away. From an entertainment perspective, it’s super fun and beats out the Blackberry.”
[On where Android falls short] “No easy way to find up and coming apps. An app needs to be reviewed/downloaded by tons of people before it bubbles to the top.”
“The ATT network is just wonky. It’s not like I’m living in the middle of nowhere – yet my phone wavers wildly from 3G to lower speed (EDGE) to no data to no signal. It’s not that ATTs network is bad overall, just that it’s frustratingly inconsistent.”
“Google’s Nexus One- the phone itself is rock solid. But not as sexy as the iPhone OS.”
“Windows Mobile 7 looks really sexy as well, but does carry that ‘me too’ stigma that MS is fighting with their handheld/mobile platforms, like the Zune.”
[What I will love with Android OS 2.2 update later this month] “WiFi hotspot functionality, USB tethering, full Flash mobile support, and 450% increase in software speed.”
“The decision comes down to wanting either a ‘work week phone’ or a ‘weekend phone’.”
[On what makes Android awesome] “Skyfire browser. Allows me to view flash videos on my phone. Take that iPhone! (Start the fight between Raff and Benny in 3, 2, 1…)”

So Denuologists have proven once again that they are tech-savvy nerds — and can throw out a few punches too. It sounds like every smartphone has its strengths and weaknesses, and no phone has the perfect package. At the end of the day, I think the smartphone that complements my work and lifestyle the best will become my very own hand candy.