So what makes something talkable?

Photo by McAzadi/BUSY via Flickr

We share things that make us pause. We share things that stop us in our shoes. We remember things that make our brains jump off the track of mundane, routine and expected. For anyone who recalls what records are, it’s like when the needle skips in the middle of a song we’ve heard a million times.

Photo by NationYell via Flickr

We sit up. We take notice. We talk.

So when was the last time you had a needle skipping moment? What did you talk about?

How does it work?

Simple, really – except the technology behind it, that’s more complicated and best explained by a tech guru. Anyone who has purchased the December issue can go to the Esquire website, download some software and then hold various pages of the magazine – including the cover – up to their webcam. What happens next is better seen than explained…

Obviously, this kind of interaction with one’s magazine won’t work for every periodical or even every issue. But it’s such an exciting way to engage readers and guarantee their undivided attention, that it’s got people talking.

So check it out, and let me know which page is your favorite. Personally, I like controlling the weather – something I wish I could do off the pages of Esquire as well.

Full Disclosure: A Squared Group has no affiliation with Esquire Magazine. We just think it’s cool.

As most Americans prepare to sit down with friends and family for a day of eating, everyone’s focus tends to be more on what goes in the mouth than what comes out of it. Talk, however, is a huge part of what makes holidays great – an unexpected conversation topic, a shared observation between two “orphaned” friends, a serendipitous story recounted by a visiting relative, or crucial advice imparted by one generation to another. Acknowledging this, I am left wondering what folks will be talking about tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day.

How many people will decide to pursue a new endeavor, check out a new store, product, website, or experience, or shift their perception about a brand based on a discussion had around the dinner table or during the commercial break of a football game? When over 80% of us still make our purchase decisions based on recommendations from family and friends, the words that get passed around may just be more filling than the turkey and stuffing.

So take a moment to listen to what’s being said at your holiday gathering. And don’t worry, there will still be plenty of left-overs to go around.

Happy Thanksgiving from A Squared Group!

Recently, I was introduced to Bompas & Parr via KCRW’s Good Food program, and once again reminded of how limitless the possibilities are for creating a memorable experience – whether in service to a brand or not. Bompas & Parr up-ended the idea of what it means to have a drink. They vaporized Hendrick’s Gin and Fever Tree tonic in a building. Guests walked through a cloud of mist, “drinking” their gin and tonic with each inhalation of air.

Anyone who imbibed from this Alcoholic Architecture will never think of gin and tonic the same way again, and will associate this amazing experience with the brands involved.

All of which just goes to show that nurturing the relationship between brand and consumer has never been more fun.

Simply put, hashtags are any word, or linked words – words strung together without spacing, preceded by the “#” sign, eg. #asquaredgroup. Ideally, they relate to the subject of the tweet in which they are found. Traditionally, they are placed at the end of the tweet. Most importantly, they serve as a signpost for anyone wanting to be part of a conversation about the hashtagged subject.

For example, if I want to talk to people who love Nintendo, I’ll search #NintendoEnthused. My search will reveal a real-time discourse between Tweeters across the Twitverse who are excited about that brand and want to share their opinion with a larger audience. The search filters out any tweets from those same individuals that aren’t about Nintendo. I don’t have to be following any of them. I can “listen” to the conversation by just following the tweet stream. I can jump in and out of it whenever I want.

If I want to start a new conversation, all I need to do is send a tweet about my subject of choice and include a hashtag of my own making. My followers can engage in dialogue with me about it. In addition, anyone who is interested in the subject, and searches for it, can join in. The conversation takes on a life of its own. If members of the Twitverse think it is relevant, the conversation may continue for hours, days, or months. It may even start a movement.

The hashtag is a beautiful thing. And it’s just one of the many reasons why those of us who have embraced the incredibly dynamic and exciting world of Twitter advocate it so emphatically.

New Motorola CLIQ

The energy here in San Francisco is electric, and people can’t wait to get their hands on the new phone. That is why, in addition to developing the keynote, A Squared Group has created an interactive experience for key industry experts and leading international media to do just that, later today. These select individuals will be able to check out every aspect of the phone’s bells and whistles, while simultaneously seeing how others respond to the device, in a relaxed and realistic environment rather than in a controlled “testing” space. We expect a lot of texting to happen, and excitement about the new products to grow even further.

Follow feedback about the announcement by using hashtag #Moto or #Blur, and put this little baby on your holiday wish list. I know it’s on mine.

The switch IKEA made was from a customized version of Futura to a standardized version of Microsoft’s open-source Verdana. Now, before you roll your eyes, let me assure you that this was a strategic decision. IKEA wanted to cut costs and be able to use the same font across the globe. As IKEA spokeswoman, Monika Gocic, put it, Verdana is “more efficient and cost-effective.” The ultimate result of IKEA’s decision, however, may turn out to be anything but cost-effective, and ultimately damaging to its brand identity.

IKEA failed to consider the level of passionate attachment IKEA enthusiasts have for the brand, and its visual representation. According to statements made on Twitter and in interviews, many IKEA enthusiasts saw the company’s shift to a more ubiquitous, simplified font as potentially emblematic of a shift in IKEA’s larger brand and design philosophy. And they were vocal in their upset.

This was both a blessing and a curse. The fact that enthusiasts are so invested in the IKEA brand that they felt compelled to articulate their dismay is impressive, on one hand. It indicates how much they identify, and personalize their relationship, with the brand. Companies live for this kind of loyalty. However, these enthusiasts had interpreted the company’s actions as negatively influencing the overall brand image and value.

No company known amongst its loyalists as a design innovator wants to suddenly be associated with dumbed-down, common-place design. But that is exactly the leap that was made. IKEA did not expect this reaction. In addition, it did not formulate a response to, or open up dialogue with, its enthusiasts.

This may have been a critical misstep.

In less than a day, IKEA’s new font was as active a topic in the Twitterverse as Senator Edward Kennedy’s death. And the conversation was global. Days later, the discussion continues. It is fed by the interactive energy of Twitter, and carried forward by mainstream media, blogs and word-of-mouth. It involves both IKEA enthusiasts and those originally only marginally interested in the subject. But a voice from IKEA has yet to join in.

It is too soon to tell whether enthusiasts’ negative sentiments will mushroom into a revolt, as happened for Coke when it made a little change back in 1985, or will disappear from the Twitterstream without affecting IKEA’s bottom line. It would be a shame, however, if nothing is learned from this “surprise” development.

I hope that IKEA eventually does fashion a response to their enthusiasts, addresses the misunderstanding, and adjusts their strategy following this episode. If nothing else, perhaps they now will remember the following:

a) Never underestimate the power of your brand enthusiasts. They will carry you far, maintain inspiring loyalty and spread the message of your brilliance… as long as you hold up your end of the bargain. Simply put:

* Listen to your enthusiasts;

* Respect their opinions; and

* Create dialogue to communicate your intentions.

b) Do not dismiss the force of Twitter. It is now, dare I say it, as powerful as the blog.

In the interest of full disclosure, let me clarify that A SQUARED GROUP has no present or past association with IKEA, though I’d put money down that most of the team, at one point or another, has owned a piece or two of IKEA’s assembly-required furniture.

He wasn’t afraid to show his excitement about what he did for a living.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to express their creativity and passion in their work. How luck are we, at A Squared Group, to be part of that small contingent of folks who are able to do just that?

We are inspired by people who think outside the box, who make what they need when it doesn’t exist, who share their vision with those who are interested… We have much in common with them. We have much in common with Les Paul. Just not the guitar skills. R.I.P.

So, I admit, I do judge books by their covers. Which is why I love the Book Cover Archive, which presents a constantly updated collection of the best book covers ever designed. Check it out.

Peruse its blogroll, which highlights The Pelican Project (another favorite cyber-stop for folks here at A Squared Group) as well as other great websites. And submit a favorite cover of your own choosing.

The cover for Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy, which is currently on the site’s homepage, is calling to me. But don’t worry. I’ll skim the first few pages prior to purchase, just to make sure the product is as good as the packaging.