YouTube and Prosumption

Now that Zeitgeist is over, I've been looped in to help at Google's largest event of the year - the Creative Sandbox and YouTube Zones at Cannes Lions Festival in France. It sounds like an amazing event and I'm still learning about each aspect. I'm currently working on some of the creative content for the YouTube Booth. Pictured to the left, the idea is for visitors to recreate a famous ad which will be uploaded to YouTube.

Working with the YouTube team has been really interesting and has got me thinking about the idea of prosumption and the produser. Theorists including Alvin Toeffler (1990), Mark Deuze (2002), Jan Van Dijk (2006) and Henry Jenkins (2006) have spoken extensively about convergence culture and the blurring lines between those who produce and those who consume. Deuze argues that the relationship between the media producer and consumer has changed along with the structure of firms and the content of communication. We can see this structural change in the very fact that Google has acquired YouTube. This represents the trend towards media convergence - the merging of two media giants has had a major impact in the industry.

Nowhere is this argument more evident than in the case of YouTube - the entire idea behind YouTube is to allow the consumer to become the producer. There is no hierarchy on YouTube. Anyone with the ability to hold a camera or use a laptop can post a video which can be seen by millions of people. However, I would argue that YouTube takes this a step further by allowing for video interaction and discussions - fostering creativity and open communication amongst consumers and creators. Although social networking sites allow this as well, YouTube is home to the videos that are discussed on places like Facebook and Twitter. No one is posting Facebook status updates onto YouTube - it is the other way around. I believe this is due to the great creativity that goes into these videos and the strength of visual aspects over written words.

Either way, we can see that the interactivity and freedom allowed for by YouTube is creating what Toeffler calls 'Prosumption' - production and consumption blurring into one entity - and I would argue that YouTube is one of the best platforms for producers to consume and consumers to produce.

Zeitgeist 2011 - Branding in the Digital Era

Last week I was at Zeitgeist 2011 which was truly an amazing gathering of great minds. It was so impressive to see 400 world leaders gathered in one room, and to be a part of it was phenomenal. Speakers included Stephen Hawking, Martha Lane Fox, Maurice Levy, Rory Sutherland, and many, many more.

You can check out the event including videos of keynotes and panels here: http://www.youtube.com/user/zeitgeistminds.

I found the panel discussion called 'Building and Managing Brands' extremely relevant to the CCI courses and the work that most of us want to do. Maurice Levy, CEO of Publicis Groupe and Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry, discussed their branding strategies with special attention to the digital movement in advertising and promoting a brand.

Below is the moderator briefing that I created for the panel, which gives a good overall background to the careers of these two industry giants, and I think gives us some insight into how to brand in the current digital climate.

Maurice Lévy, Chairman & CEO, Publicis Groupe

Maurice has said ‘I think that sharing is probably one of the most important words in the world of business’ (CNN Interview 2005) Given the last 6 years in the digital world, with issues of copyright infringement and file sharing, how does he think that word has taken on new meaning in terms of branding?

He invested in Digital early on, earlier than any of the other big agencies by purchasing Digitas in 2006 and Razorfish in 2009. Then gained Microsoft as a client last month. Many people said the effects of the digital revolution and recession would kill paid-for advertising but instead, it has driven growth. Competitors at Omnicom have lagged but still made close profits. Why is this? What about the digital revolution makes branding more or less successful in his eyes? What drove him to invest so much in digital so early on?

In interviews, he has touched upon the issue of advertising and branding via social media, saying he doesn’t think it will be as successful as expected, but has not explained in detail. Does he still feel this way? If not social media, what does he think will be the next big step in branding via digital platforms?

Angela Ahrendts, CEO, Burberry

Comes from rural Indiana in the US and has spoken a lot about her roots, coming from a small town, etc. Now, as the CEO of a major fashion company, how does she think the digital revolution has helped to strengthen brands in more rural areas that may be considered ‘off the map’? Has digital infrastructure allowed Burberry and other fashion brands to reach a broader geographical audience?

She has led Burberry to be at the forefront of technological innovation, ahead of all of the competitors, in one instance simulcasting fashion shows in 3D (a fashion first) in NY, LA, Tokyo, Dubai and Paris with the ability for viewers at home to stream over the internet and post comments in real time. What impact do these cutting edge technologies have on the ability for branding in the fashion world?

She has taken great steps to modernize the brand through social networking and mediated outreach to a younger audience (facebook campaigns, twitter and other social sites). In forming youthful online communities around the brand, is there a fear of ostracizing the older, more traditional clientele that may not be as digitally savvy?

Zeitgeist 2011 is Upon Us!!

This week I'd like to give a brief overview of exactly what I've been working on for the past month, since I've mentioned Zeitgeist in previous posts but not had the chance to explain in detail.

Zeitgeist is one of Google's biggest events, held each year in the US and in Europe with keynote speakers and panels over a two-day time period. The term Zeitgiest is outlined as "the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time". As such, 'Google invites you to hear perspectives on global issues from the leading thinkers of our time - from business leaders to statespeople, renowned writers and bloggers, professors and publishers, inventors and humanitarians, activists and musicians. Explore the ideas and phenomena that affect our social, economic, political and cultural surroundings. Learn from leading innovators and discuss topics that influence the global economy, creativity, digital technology, leadership and human rights. Join the debate, contemplate the views which shape our world, and most importantly, be part of the Zeitgeist.'

The sheer scale of this event is enormous, with everything from production to speaker management taking nearly an entire year's worth of planning and execution. I have been working on speaker research for each panel discussion for briefing calls with the moderators. For example, finding that the two people on the Branding Panel are known for their digitally savvy marketing campaigns and suggesting some questions on that topic. I have also organized the on-site briefing documents for each speaker and the on-site speaker management schedule, which I will help to implement with my team making sure each speaker is prepped, mic'd and que'd promptly.

Although I've only come on to the project in the final stages, the team has been very inclusive and have given me real, tangible projects to contribute to the overall event which takes place next week.

You're Only as Good as Your Last Job

This week I've had the chance to actually speak with people on the events team - have lunch with them in small groups and get some background on their experience and expertise. Its come to my attention that several of the team members are contractors and are not official employees of Google. They are freelance event producers who have a short-term, project-based contract with Google. They use our office space and facilites and have Google email accounts, but cannot attend special meetings that discuss sensitive, private information.

In having a conversation with one team member, I couldn't help but think back to Helen Blair's paper "You're Only As Good As Your Last Job", which focuses on the film industry and the flexible specialization framework to explain recent changes in corporate and market structures in the CCIs. This particular freelancer had been brought onto the events team in May of 2010 to work on our Zeitgeist event for 4 weeks. She was then asked to stay another 4 weeks to work on a different marketing project. This cycle continued for 4 months until they no longer needed her on projects. She took some time off to travel and then was called back for work on Zeitgeist 2011 for 4 weeks. She has currently been at the company for 8 weeks and has no clear distinction of her next project or if/when employment will be terminated (Blair, 2001).

This is a constant theme in the CCIs today where an employee is only as good as the last job they did, the portfolio they've created over time and the network they've made for themselves. It is very individualized and responsibility lies mainly with the employee and not the employer to guarantee work. To quote Blair's article, "People need to continually resecure work and maintain positions within groups and contacts" (2001).

Organization and Management at Google

After my last post I've taken some time to reflect on the structure of Google as a creative company. Its interesting to look back to our discussion of the organization and management of the CCI's in lecture and seminar in the first term and apply those theories to what I've observed here at Google.

Much of the team organization at Google supports Chris Bilton's work on the CCI's and his concept of 'Release and Control'. He has argued that managers are rejecting control and hierarchy for simpler individualized projects and ways of working - what he refers to as 'soft control'. The idea is that employees are more productive in a laissez-fare workplace. Although some control is still inevitable, managers are encouraged to motivate their employees by giving them the freedom of flexibility and fostering creativity. This change in management styles is evident in every aspect of Google. The entire company is project-driven: teams are put in place on one project - for instance our Zeitgeist event coming up in May has 3 people from events, 3 from marketing, 2 from sales, etc. They will work on this project through its completion, and then be assigned to a new project by their manager. This form of working encourages teams to work together and focus on one unified goal.

In addition to the project-based aspect of Google, the working environment also encourages a laid-back atmosphere. The offices are fun and interactive - a boat sits in the middle of a huge atrium on the 4th floor with trees, deck chairs, and massage chairs. A full sized double-decker London bus sits on the 3rd floor. Employees are encouraged to take their laptops along to relax and work in these spaces in between meetings. And even the fact that every employee has a laptop is a testament to Google's commitment to mobility, flexibility and creativity. We can work from home, from another country, or from an event just as easily as we can from our assigned desks (Bilton, 2007).

The First Day

The first day of Google was, as expected, overwhelming and full of new faces, new systems and an onslaught of information. I think, however, the most useful thing to discuss would be the glaring differences between my former companies - record labels - and Google.

Most of the differences were related to monetary issues, as would be expected. The record industry is in turmoil due to the digital revolution, whereas Google has been a key player in causing that very revolution. I received a new mac laptop, an android phone and a desktop within my first hour of being on-site at Google. At Universal Records, it took me two years of begging to get a company blackberry. Each of the floors at Google is equipped with 5 photocopy machines which print, scan and copy documents in the blink of an eye, whereas I had to lobby Virgin Records' finance department for 6 months to get a $110 scanner for the publicity department.

The importance and significance of these is not in the material aspect, but rather the concepts behind the companies. Google believes that if employees are enabled with the most current products, they will be free to innovate and create. They manage the company in teams and there is very little hierarchy involved. Record labels, on the other hand, have been slower to adapt to this concept of freedom for their employees. Beauracracy still reigns supreme in the music industry, and while inventive start-ups such as Google have risen to the top, music giants Sony, EMI, Universal and Warner Brothers, who have failed to reform their structure, are very rapidly sinking.

Official Start Date

Just a quick update this week as I have my official start date of April 18th all confirmed. Unfortunately this comes at a bad time with term papers and final exams around the corner, but Google's largest event of the year, Zeitgeist Europe, will be taking place on May 15th, 16th and 17th and I'll need to meet the team and prep before the big event!

Just a quick thought to comment on the importance of flexibility in this industry. Even though this start date is incredibly inconvenient for me, I know that being flexible and meeting the company's needs is of the utmost importance. Because of the competitive nature of the industry, you must remain flexible and adjust your schedule to the wants and needs of your employer. There is no doubt of the reality that there are 100's of people in line to take my place who would offer to start on April 18th had I not been able to!