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Minnov8 Gang 135 – Take a Tablet

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The Gang became aware of the introduction of the brand new WCCO iPad app and we just had to talk with the CEO of one of this State’s premiere mobile development organizations, DoApp, who built that app for WCCO. DoApp is much more than just an app developer (e.g., Mobile Local News strategy with: iPhone & Android apps; integrations to media company news systems; and now a mobile ad platform) and Wade Beavers talks about this as well as revealing his thoughts on building for Android tablets and what that’s like (which is worth listening to for its own sake!).

Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott and Graeme Thickins (Phil Wilson is off).
Music: “Leave This Town” by Jake Lear via Music Alley.

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The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:00:47 — 35.5MB)

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Discussed during the show:

Upcoming Events:

The Minnov8 Gang will off the next two Friday’s and back on Friday, September 2nd with an all new show!

Minnov8 Gang 121 – Starting the Startup

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Without question startups need world-class legal counsel. From choosing what kind of legal entity to use (e.g., S-corp; LLC; LLP) to funding with private equity or debt while also protecting the intellectual property value of the business, it’s always a challenge to find legal representation with a combination of tech-savvy, cutting-edge awareness and trust.

New Counsel, PLC are business attorneys serving the needs of entrepreneurs and companies that market technology or rely on it for strategic advantage. They cater to the needs of the technology industry through broad and deep experience, their diligence, and what they term their “competitive fees”. Many of you know them as a firm likely to be a sponsor of Minnesota technology events like Minnedemo, Mobile March and many others.

We’re pleased to have one of the principals of New Counsel on this week’s show, John Roberts, who brings with him an incredible background in high technology counsel. We discuss the startup scene in Minnesota, what they offer and more.

Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott, Graeme Thickins and Phil Wilson.
Music: Katie Webster is the artist & the song is “C.Q. Boogie” via the podsafe Music Alley.

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The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 48:42 — 28.2MB)

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Discussed during the show:

Upcoming Events:

W3i Lights Up the ‘Net with Its Latest App News

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Okay, so there’s this company named Apple that I hear makes phones.  And people tell me there’s been, uh, a bit of news lately about some new phone of theirs?  Well, that media firestorm didn’t stop Minnesota’s W3i LLC from deciding to jump in with some news of its own, which is actually related to the exploding ecosystem around Apple mobile devices.  That would be apps.

St. Cloud-based W3i is in the app distribution business — in a big, profitable way (33 successive quarters thereof).  But till now that business has been all about desktop apps, and Windows only. Well, mark down yesterday as the day they entered the world of mobile, with this bombshell: W3i Launches New Incented Mobile App Distribution Service for iOS App Developers.  A separate version of the release, for consumers, gets more to the benefit: Consumers Can Now Earn Rewards for Installing Apps.  Those rewards, my friends, would be cash — for consumers who register at a W3i site called Apperang.com.

Naturally, app fanboys and girls everywhere loved the news — after reading about it on some of the sites they frequent the most.  TechCrunch (MobileCrunch) ran this story: Apperang Pays You Cash to Download iPhone Apps… Ka-Ching! And VentureBeat (MobileBeat) ran concurrently — amazing how that happens — with their take: Get paid to install apps with W3i Mobile Solutions and Apperang.  Numerous other sites and blogs picked up on it immediately, and Twitter was going crazy on it (just search on hashtags #apperang and #w3i).  [Oh, sure, there was a story in the StarTrib last week, too, but that didn’t light up much of anything… <rimshot>]

I asked the CEO of a local app development company for his reaction to this W3i news, from a business perspective:  “The model and integration W3i has developed for desktop distribution has been a huge success in the past, so I wouldn’t bet against them on making their mobile version a success,” said Wade Beavers, CEO of DoApp Inc. “For developers wanting to get a core base of users fast, it makes sense to use this service. The key will be how long those users keep your app, because that’s where the return on investment is.”

I also asked one of Minnesota’s most experienced iPhone app developers for his reaction: “Will app publishers readily jump to use this type of service? Small developers, maybe,” said Bill Heyman of CodeMorphic. “But small developers may not have budget to support this type of promotion… Will it be enough to hit the tipping point for more organic sales because of a higher App Store ranking? Well, ultimately, it would depend on how much a company wants to spend to buy a ranking.”

But, actually, W3i signed on some pretty successful big developers for its private beta before the announcement yesterday (the service is now in public beta).  That list of launch advertisers — just those that let W3i use their names for PR purposes — includes these firms, with the name of their app in parentheses: Big Stack Studios (Sigma), Inert Soap (FingerZilla), Booyah (MyTown), Gist (Gist), Thinking Ape (Kingdoms at War), Flixster (Movies), Slacker Inc (Slacker Radio), xCube Labs (My Health Records – Health n Family), and infinidycorp (Zombies vs. Aliens).

I’m sure we’ll be hearing about a lot more, as W3i tells me they are crazy-busy now following up with other app companies who are inquiring.

(Disclosure: the author has had a consulting relationship with W3i for providing PR services.)

MN Mobile Developers Clocking Millions of Downloads

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Local developers of apps for mobile devices, especially those designed for Apple’s platform, are quietly amassing large numbers of users for their creations, I’ve been learning.

This past week, I thought it would be an interesting little project for me to do a survey of sorts as the basis for this blog post. What I did (totally unscientific, I admit) was ask all the Twin Cities-area mobile developers I happened to know just how many apps they have on the two major platforms, Apple and Android, and how many users have downloaded their apps to date.  It turned into a bigger project than I thought!  It required a lot of back-and-forth emails to clarify all their current offerings.  But I’ve sorted it all out as best I can, and you’ll see the results of that survey in the second half of this post.

The two most-experienced mobile app development firms in Minnesota I have known quite well for some time, having been a consultant to both in the past: DoApp and CodeMorphic.  These two firms began developing for the iPhone platform as soon as Apple released the SDK in March 2008, and had their first creations in the App Store from the get-go, in the case of DoApp (July 2008), and CodeMorphic soon after. So, it was no surprise to me, then, that these two have the largest numbers of downloads locally. But many more Minnesota developers jumped in after them, and still are jumping in. In fact, I learn about a new one almost weekly. Some publish apps in their own name, some only for clients, and some do both. (For apps developed for-hire for client companies, developers cannot track ongoing download numbers in real time — only their clients know, unless they tell them or otherwise publicize the numbers. But the developers can certainly make educated guesses, which some of them did for me for my survey.) What triggered this idea for a post was a news announcement one of the two big local development firms just put out …

DoApp Inc. Announces One Million Downloads of Its “Mobile Local News” App

Actually, it’s not one app; there are more than 100 of these DoApp “MLN” apps out there, because that’s how many customers (media outlets) have signed up with DoApp to date to use what is really an “app platform.”  It allows DoApp’s customers — TV news stations, newspapers, online publications, and radio stations — to easily brand the app for themselves and deliver their content via smart phones and other mobile devices, including the Apple iPad.  (DoApp has not yet submitted to Apple an app designed specifically for the iPad, though its many iPhone apps do work on that new device.) In its recent announcement, DoApp counted downloads for all its locally-branded Mobile Local News apps, including both Apple and Android downloads, in saying they have surpassed the one million number. The company first made the Mobile Local News app available in April 2009. For more about all of DoApp’s products, see the company’s web site.   (In the photo: Joe Sriver, center, Founder; Wade Beavers, left, CEO; and Dave Borrillo, VP-Software Development.) I conducted an email interview with DoApp founder Joe Sriver to learn more about the current status of his company’s Mobile Local News app business, which follows…. …  [Read More…]

Minnesota iPhone App Developers Talk iPad and OS 4

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I’m having so much freaking fun with my iPad, I almost forgot to post this week.  I started asking my developer friends about it almost as soon as I got mine last Saturday, so I’ve had this post brewing for days now.  Then, I’m finally about ready to post it, and Apple goes and holds its “sneak-peek” media event yesterday.  So, natch, I had to ask some of them for their reaction to that, too.

Here we go, then — five experienced Minnesota mobile app developers tell me, straight up, what’s up with iPad as relates to them.  And, after that,  I include some great insights from a couple of them about iPhone OS 4 — coming this summer for the iPhone, and soon after for the iPad. (Bring it on, Uncle Stevie!)

Joe Sriver, Founder, DoApp Inc. Joe, will your company be developing iPad apps?

“Yes, we do have plans for the iPad, first for our real estate product, then our other products. No ‘made for iPad’ apps are in the store from DoApp on day one, though.  But I did preorder an iPad for the team.”  In a story our friend Julio Ojeda-Zapata wrote in the PioneerPress on April 2, we learned that DoApp was frantically at work on the iPad version of it’s “Home Kenex” app, which is for home buyers and real estate agents.  Maps can be positioned alongside lists or photos of homes to make navigation easier and more intuitive than the cramped iPhone screen allows, said the story, facilitating better house comparisons.  iPad becomes “a coffee table-type of thing, with people in their agents’ offices cruising for properties on the device,” said the story, quoting DoApp’s Wade Beavers.  GPS capability will be added in an upcoming version of the iPad, so home buyers or agents will be able to pull up listings in their vicinity and “drive effortlessly towards them using satellite navigation.”

Bill Heyman, Founder and Lead Developer, CodeMorphic. Bill, what apps are you doing for iPad?  Redoing any of your existing ones?

“No existing apps.  What we’re doing are new ones for various clients.  Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to say what they are.  I’m also working on a new game app I’m publishing myself, but I’m not ready to submit it yet. I’ll let you know when it’s getting close.”

I assume you now have an iPad in your possession? “Yes, I had one delivered to me while on vacation in Arizona this week.”

What are you finding in regard to how well your iPhone apps work on iPad? “They seem to work fine.
”

What about landscape mode?  Are you concerned that apps should work either way on iPad? “Apple has basically told developers that they MUST support rotation in their iPad apps.  Unfortunately, it can be a major PITA to support it well, but developers are going to have to bite the bullet now.
”

Any other comment? “I think iBooks is the killer feature of the iPad.  There’s been talk about the iPad developer gold rush, but no discussion about the author and independent content provider gold rush.  It’s going to happen — and I think it could be every bit as exciting as some of the apps.” …  [Read More…]

Minnov8 Gang 58: Defragging Defrag & Other ‘Net Stuff

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DeFrag-n-stuff After our week hiatus, the Minnov8 Gang is back at it with a podcast covering Graeme Thickins’ trip to the DeFrag conference and his liveblogging of it. After that we discuss local events (e.g., Minnebar), WCCO, WordPress and much more.

This Week’s Show Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott, Graeme Thickins and Phil Wilson.
Music by blues singer Candy Kayne and the tune is, “I’m a bad, bad girl.”

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The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 57:09 — 33.2MB)

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Discussed during the show notes:

+ WCCO‘s “The Wire” & their iPhone app by DoApp and Inergize Digital (iTunes link; search in Android store for “WCCO”; or use mobile website at m.wcco.com)

+ WordPress Users Group meeting on December 3rd at 6:30pm

+ Minnebar at Best Buy HQ (sold out) and the sessions

+ Google buys Gizmo5; Toktumi; Google page speed article; Newsy

+ Android and GoogleChromeOS which, by the way, rumor has it will launch within a week.

An iPhone Fanboy Reviews the Droid

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Or should I say “tears it apart”?  No, seriously, my objective is to be fair here.  As an independent blogger, I take the opportunity from time to time to do a review.  And I was offered a Droid loaner a few days ago by local PR guru Al Maruggi, while we were at our Twin Cities Social Media Breakfast meeting.  I told him, sure, I’d take a look at the new phone, which he handed me in the box, then return it to him today.  What does all this have to do with Minnesota, other than the fact that both Al and I are located here?  Well, let’s see — lots of people use smart phones in Minnesota? Yeah, that’s it!  But, in my review process, I even downloaded Minnesota-produced Android apps to this brand-new Verizon/Motorola phone.  And, hopefully, more than a few Minnesotans are interested in hearing about how the Droid stacks up. Droid_VS_iPhone

Note to the FTC: I’m not keeping the phone, guys — it’s a loaner! Of course, I don’t need it, anyway, since I’m now into my third year of unmitigated iPhone bliss, having upgraded to a new 3GS a couple months ago. Well, I should say bliss with Apple, not necessarily with AT&T.  The latter is, of course, the only carrier choice in the U.S. for the iPhone — unless you want to jail-break your phone and void the warranty.  People tell me they do that on T-Mobile and the phone works fine.  But for those locked into a Verizon contract, or those convinced they can’t live without the better 3G network that Verizon claims it has — you know, the superior coverage they keep beating us over the head with in their ads? — then the Droid would seem to be the closest you’re going to get to the iPhone experience on Verizon.

The Experience

So, okay, let’s start with that — at least the initial experience.  (And no company, hands down, does that better than Apple.)  Which of the above phones would you rather have? It all starts with the home screen, I guess. Now, granted — on the Droid, if you touch the arrow on the tab at the bottom and slide up, you get a much better looking screen on with all your little app icons — and without the mottled gray background (what’s with that?) — but, overall, I have to say that the visual experience with the Droid doesn’t compare well with the iPhone.  And I say that even knowing that the screen is supposed to be higher resolution than the iPhone (personally, I didn’t notice that much).  I guess it’s really the “brand experience” I’m talking about here.  And that applies to the box, the packaging, too.  Motorola (or is it Verizon?) tried to come up with something here as good as the iPhone, but to me they missed the mark. Something about the darkness of the whole thing — the black, the gray, and then that goofy little glowing red ball on the screen (on both the package and all over Verizon’s promotional materials). Inside the package, though, the little “Getting Started” booklet is very nicely done — love the fanfold, and it tells you everything you need to know, quickly.

(NOTE: See the “Update” at the bottom of this post.)…  [Read More…]

Minnov8 Liveblogging: MIMA Summit “MIGRATE ’09”

Live from the Minneapolis Hilton hotel, this is the archive of the Minnov8 liveblogging of the MIMA Summit, MIGRATE ’09.

  • 8:39 PM: Minnov8 Getting ready to liveblog MIMA Summit ’09…
  • 7:20 AM: timelliott We are setting up our table and enjoying some tasty baked goods & coffee… live blogging to begin soon
  • 7:26 AM: GraemeThickins talking to @KimGarretson at the @Minnov8 booth….
  • 8:03 AM: GraemeThickins chatting with Matt Wilson, president of MIMA…
  • 8:07 AM: timelliott Going into the ballroom to setup for the 1st keynote… wifi a bit flaky but we can live blog from our phones, if needed #MIMA
  • 8:08 AM: sborsch Surprise….the wifi is getting slammed so our liveblogging *might* be Twitter based (since we can use our phones) so bear with us as we bring you the best liveblog possible
  • 8:20 AM: GraemeThickins getting ready for opening keynote…Jackie Huba, author of “Citizen Marketers”
  • 8:22 AM: GraemeThickins I’m connected via my AT&T broadband card, so will continue to live blog here… the other guys may be tweeting from their phones, but those tweets should feed into this
  • 8:23 AM: Philson Can”t make MIMA Summit? Never fear! @minnov8 will be covering it with live blogging and more…http://bit.ly/cRsiD #mimasummit
  • 8:24 AM: timelliott The wifi doesn’t seem to work for me from the ballroom so I’ll be tweeting this keynote from the schematic table #mima
  • 8:26 AM: Philson It’s alwasy a bit frustrating when a conference is labeled “interactive” and they haven’t mastered wifi. Oh well.
  • 8:29 AM: timelliott Looks like they boosted the wifi power in the ballroom so I might be able to post photos as the keynote is going on; first up is Jackie Huba #mima
  • 8:39 AM: Philson
  • 8:41 AM: Philson “We’re all hopeful for more power.” J. Kirk
  • 8:43 AM: GraemeThickins pandemonium in the ballroom … Bang a Gong playing #mimasummit
  • 8:45 AM: Philson Looks like MIMA is streaming all of the sessions today. That might explain no wifi strength.
  • 8:45 AM: sborsch Matt Wilson introducing the event…
  • 8:46 AM: GraemeThickins Matt Wilson, MIMA prez, kicking off… says to let him know if probs with wi-fi… uh, yeah (maybe fixed now?)… says MIMA is now largest interactive org in the country… 1200+ members – yowza!
  • 8:48 AM: GraemeThickins
  • 8:48 AM: sborsch Matt Wilson talking about this market’s history and the starting of a faux character, Betty Crocker, and now talking about Gold Bond stamps. Drawing analogues between yesterday and today with engaging customers.
  • 8:50 AM: sborsch Matt Wilson talking about this market’s history and the starting of a faux character, Betty Crocker, and now talking about Gold Bond stamps. Drawing analogues between yesterday and today with engaging customers.
  • 8:50 AM: sborsch Now Jackie Huba keynote starting…
  • 8:51 AM: timelliott
  • 8:51 AM: GraemeThickins Jackie Huba had a special lounge set up for her last night bythe event organizers to watch the Steelers… booo, wanted the Bolts in that one
  • 8:55 AM: timelliott
  • 8:55 AM: Philson Jackie Huba talking about the 1% rule that…small percentage wh are actually creating content.
  • 8:56 AM: GraemeThickins talking motorcycles and booze.. anti-establishment riders… was a term term coined way back: “1-percenters”… legend remains.. Jackie Huba compares that to people who create content on the web: “Citizen Marketers”… is that cuz we like to drink, too?
  • 8:56 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: The 1% who create benefit 100% of the community
  • 8:57 AM: sborsch Jackie Huba: The 1 percenter’s is always the rule: that’s why it’s fairly easy to discover true thought leaders & influencers
  • 8:58 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Facebook’s fastest growing group 55+ moms…not a surprise.
  • 8:59 AM: sborsch Jackie Huba: Most trusted advertising: Recommendations from friends; other peoples’ opinions online; company websites; editorial content; brand sponsorships…in that order
  • 8:59 AM: sborsch Jackie Huba: Word of mouth marketing has *never* been more important.
  • 9:00 AM: GraemeThickins Jackie Huba Keynote: 45-54 yr olds 36% more likley to be on Twitter than 25-34 yr olds…
  • 9:01 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Satisfaction does not indicate loyalty.
  • 9:01 AM: GraemeThickins
  • 9:02 AM: sborsch Jackie Huba: Funny….had everyone raise their hand if we were part of an airline loyalty program. “Keep your hands up if you’d recommend that airline to others” and 90% of the hands dropped!
  • 9:02 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Retention is stronger than satisfaction as an indicator of Loyalty
  • 9:02 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Referrals is better.
  • 9:02 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Evangelism is second highest form of loyalty.
  • 9:03 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Ownership is the highest form of Loyalty.
  • 9:03 AM: GraemeThickins Jackie Huba: “citizen evangelists are crazy people” … as in crazed for the brands they post about online
  • 9:03 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Domino’s story…again!
  • 9:04 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Are there no new stories to tell. Is Motrin Mom’s next?
  • 9:05 AM: GraemeThickins I’m live-blogging the #mimasummit with @minnov8 buds
  • 9:05 AM: GraemeThickins Phil, I’m with ya…Jackie Huba needs some newer stories
  • 9:07 AM: sborsch Garrick Van Buren at #mimasummit getting ready for his Kernest.com presentation twitpic.com
  • 9:07 AM: sborsch
  • 9:07 AM: GraemeThickins Interested in the #MIMASummit? Minnov8 is liveblogging it now: bit.ly (via @Minnov8) yfrog.com
  • 9:07 AM: GraemeThickins
  • 9:10 AM: GraemeThickins @JenKane is smiling … this is good, MIMA Summit queen!
  • 9:10 AM: Philson See Dominos video (if you haven’t already) video www.goodasyou.org
  • 9:10 AM: sborsch Jackie Huba: Ahh….new info. before the Domino’s video was released, 46
  • 9:11 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Domino response video (look at the camera dude.) www.youtube.com
  • 9:12 AM: GraemeThickins Sorry #mima! #mimasummit is far too long for a hashtag when I only get 140 characters. So #mima it is for my tweets! (via @bbroveleit)
  • 9:13 AM: sborsch Sorry…wifi dropped. Jackie Huba had said before the Domino’s story hit, 46% said they’d buy their food, after the video only 15% would
  • 9:13 AM: GraemeThickins #mimasummit live stream – bit.ly – watching from the warm comfort of Caribou (via @PXLated)
  • 9:15 AM: Philson
  • 9:16 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Interactive media is global and local+glocal
  • 9:16 AM: GraemeThickins Jackie Huba Keynote: another story… oh, no – Motrin!
  • 9:17 AM: Philson AHHHHHHHH! Motrin Moms
  • 9:18 AM: GraemeThickins Crisis 101 – Your brand’s problem now measured in minutes. #mimasummit (via @JasonBakker)
  • 9:19 AM: GraemeThickins PS – #mimasummit wifi just booted me. Grr. We’re on it. (via @matt_wilson)
  • 9:20 AM: Philson Jackie Hubac: “Brand problems measured in minutes.” Ummm…so are online examples.
  • 9:21 AM: Philson OK, just in case you haven’t seen the Motrin Moms video. www.youtube.com
  • 9:23 AM: Philson 92% of people research brands on line…
  • 9:24 AM: sborsch One of the best posts about how “companies got punk’d by social media” is this one from Jeremiah Owyang: www.web-strategist.com
  • 9:25 AM: GraemeThickins Jackie Huba: “listen”
  • 9:26 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Another story…Bacon Salt
  • 9:27 AM: GraemeThickins Jackie Huba: now talking about Bacon Salt… a niche brand just started in ’07, using social media… hey, Minnov8 guys – this is what Andy Sernovitz sent us packets of! (no, Steve, the other kind of packets)
  • 9:28 AM: sborsch Listening to Ms. Huba’s stories, I’m wondering now about the composition of the audience. Are most people at MIMA Summit newbies? I see about 100 people I’ve seen at #SMBMSP (Social Media Breakfast smbmsp.ning.com) and I know all of them know these stories well…but I’m uncertain about the other 900-ish people (but will find out from the organizers). NOTE: Based on chuckling about Badonnaise and so forth, perhaps this is all new information for most attendees.
  • 9:29 AM: sborsch Oops…I meant “Baconnaise”: www.baconnaise.com
  • 9:29 AM: GraemeThickins Jackie Huba: Bacon Salt’s second product, Baconaisse, they got on Oprah! the ultimate social media, I guess…
  • 9:30 AM: sborsch Jackie Huba: “People are the message”. Hallelujiah.
  • 9:30 AM: Philson Agree with Steve…MIMA gathering might be composed of “newbies”, are those following this stream (you)?
  • 9:30 AM: GraemeThickins Jackie Huba: people spread the message… and the Baconaisse
  • 9:31 AM: Philson Another story…Fiskars and their “scrap booking division”
  • 9:32 AM: GraemeThickins Phil, I don’t think lot of people following this stream are newbies, they’re just not into spending their own money on such expensive events…
  • 9:33 AM: Philson Graeme. Agreed!
  • 9:34 AM: timelliott For those looking for the bacon products Jackie has been talking about, there are available here: www.jdfoods.net
  • 9:34 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: Fiskars launched “Fiskateers” program to create scrap booking community.
  • 9:34 AM: GraemeThickins is it FisKARS or “Fiskers”? … the eternal pronunciation question
  • 9:37 AM: Philson Jackie Huba: ROI for Fiskars and Fiskateers…6200+ members, 1000 certified demonstrators for product.
  • 9:38 AM: GraemeThickins Jackie Huba (“Citizen Marketers”) is a lively opening keynoter.. much better than last year’s #mimasummit
  • 9:40 AM: sborsch Jackie Huba: “Listen”, “Attract”, “Participate”. Love this since it’s about putting out value that is the key to leverage social media
  • 9:40 AM: Minnov8 End of Jackie Huba keynote.
  • 9:40 AM: Philson Jakcie Huba: Don’t ignore the “offline” in your marketing. Add 5th “p” to Marketing 4 P’s. Participate.
  • 9:48 AM: Philson
  • 9:49 AM: timelliott Setup in the Nerd Out room for “Job Strategies for a Sucky Economy” session with Amy Lindgren #mimasummit
  • 9:52 AM: timelliott For those watching our live blog you can interact with us by clicking on the ‘Make a Comment’ link at the top of the box… What session are you most interested in today? The schedule is here: www.mimasummit.org
  • 9:56 AM: timelliott Amy Lindgren: Attitude and expectation setting are important in launching a job search in this economy… if you think it will be difficult, it will, etc. #mimasummit
  • 9:57 AM: Philson Gearing up for “What’s new and next in display advertising.”
  • 9:58 AM: sborsch Lee Odden: Intersection of SEO & Social Media session
  • 9:59 AM: GraemeThickins Content Gone Wild session unfortunately is over-subscribed … can’t get in #mimasummit yfrog.com
  • 9:59 AM: GraemeThickins
  • 10:01 AM: timelliott Amy Lindgren: Companies are interviewing candidates at different levels but are hiring less “up and comers” in favor of more experienced people given the pool of talent #mimasummit
  • 10:04 AM: Philson Caught up with a few attendees who had not heard of Motrin Moms or Bacon Salt. Apologies if I misjudged the audience…my bad.
  • 10:04 AM: GraemeThickins listening to demo of DoApp’s Adagogo mobile ad platform/network… geotargeting down to 4 ft #mimasummit
  • 10:07 AM: GraemeThickins Wade Beavers, DoApp, says mobile ads can be about more than branding.. Adagogo ads have call to action #mimasummit
  • 10:11 AM: sborsch Lee Odden: providing the basics of SEO and is now getting in to social media twitpic.com #mimasummit
  • 10:11 AM: sborsch
  • 10:11 AM: Philson Using my twitter account for #MIMA Display ad session: Fed will look closer at cookies but currently data is ananimous. tactic is white hat.
  • 10:14 AM: timelliott Amy Lindgren: An employer in the room is expressing the issue of finding qualified candidates for open positions… if you are a search marketer, check out Thomson Reuters thomsonreuters.com #mimasummit
  • 10:18 AM: sborsch Lee Odden: What social media tools can you use to optimize social media? Tips… #mimasummit
  • 10:18 AM: timelliott Amy Lindgren: Interview prep: research & identify top 5-10 employer needs for the position and map your skills to them… prepare talking points of top 3 best matches to these needs #mimasummit
  • 10:19 AM: Philson #MIMA Display ad session: larger ad units may not be answer to more clicks…if it’s still a bad ad.
  • 10:20 AM: sborsch Lee Odden: Blogging is what he’s talking about as a foundational tool. Write posts that tap in to hot trends & set categories as keywords
  • 10:22 AM: sborsch Lee Odden: Embed trending topics and phrases directly within your posts. #mimasummit
  • 10:22 AM: Philson #mimasummit Apologies for spotty coverage on @minnov8. wifi is spotty at it’s very best. Bummer.
  • 10:24 AM: timelliott Amy Lindgren: One of the best preparations for interviews is being a waiter; listening, fast response, handling objections… improv is also great… the interview is 1% about you, 99% about employer #mimasummit
  • 10:25 AM: sborsch Lee Odden: Subscribe and share. Strikes me that Lee is striving to tell ppl to get highly engaged with your blog, connect/comment & share
  • 10:28 AM: timelliott Amy Lindgren: Keys to successful job search – Build your skills, Build your network, Raise your profile and Set short and long-term goals…
  • 10:37 AM: timelliott Amy Lindgren: Start your search with your goals, identify the top 3-5 companies that fit your goals, narrow down the departments within those companies and the managers of each… Network your way to have conversations with those managers before they post jobs… 80 to 95% of jobs today are never posted.
  • 10:38 AM: sborsch Lee Odden: How to be effective with SEO & SM? Start with a content plan and then your own channels of distribution. #mimasummit
  • 10:42 AM: sborsch Lee Odden: end of session….Wifi network so bad it was a challenge to get good stuff submitted…much will be posted though
  • 10:50 AM: timelliott We are at break switching sessions… my next one is “Making the Most of Mobile: Real World Insights on How to Mobilize Brands”
  • 10:57 AM: Philson MN, Represent: Back on line and ready for Minnesota, Represent: Get Yourself on the Speaker Circuit
  • 10:59 AM: Philson MN, Represent: Kristina Halvorson
  • 11:02 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: “Creating a Social Media Roadmap”
  • 11:02 AM: timelliott Glad Steve is covering the session in Salon A as it’s more than standing room only… the session here is packed but I found a spot with a table and power… “Making the Most of Mobile” session to start shortly
  • 11:04 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: an SVP of Strategy for Imagination, a Chicago agency (and she has publishing background and was with Razorfish too)
  • 11:05 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: “Most customers don’t know the difference between a blog, a forum, or a wiki”. They don’t have a relationship with your media.”
  • 11:05 AM: Philson MN, Represent: Kristina introducing herself. We’ll get some really great tips…soon.
  • 11:07 AM: timelliott Making the Most of Mobile: 272 mobile phones are sold in the U.S. every minute (vs. 8 births)… 91% of Americans have a mobile phone (281MM)… only 17% have smartphones today.
  • 11:08 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: She’s talking about markets as human beings…very “Cluetrain Manifesto”-ish (see cluetrain.com)
  • 11:08 AM: Philson MN, Represent: Stepc one to secure speaking gigs….Put your ass on the line. Step two: Network with someone in the know. Step three: Get some luck.
  • 11:09 AM: Philson MN Represen: Women have the advantage to secure speaking gigs because most presenters are men.
  • 11:09 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen pic twitpic.com
  • 11:09 AM: sborsch
  • 11:11 AM: Philson MN, Represent:Kristina is looking for conferences that participants n the room have attended or want to go to…I shouted Blogher but room didn’t get the irony.
  • 11:12 AM: Philson MN, Represent: Thec point was to set your sights on a conference where you wish to speak…”have an angle!”Have a story, have a kick-ass title.
  • 11:12 AM: timelliott Making the Most of Mobile: Lisa Foote is now introducing herself and MixMobi… “Volk-smartphones” will revolutionize mobile marketing (sub-$100 smartphones)… “think your content first, platform second”
  • 11:12 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Challenge is to create breakthrough multichannel relationships. (SB: All marketers care about being “at the customer touch point” where we are paying attention and are most receptive to their message, right?)
  • 11:14 AM: Philson
  • 11:14 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: First Objective, then Audience, next is Strategy
  • 11:15 AM: Philson MN Represent: First room assignment….write down what subject that you can speak about confidently and at length without feeling like you’re lying.
  • 11:15 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Tactics is next. She’s talking about companies who are paying attention to what people are saying about their brand and even placing tweets, for example, in to advertisements
  • 11:17 AM: Philson Kristina Halvorson: Determine what conferences are relevant to the topic of your choice. The choose two local conferences where you could address the topic.
  • 11:17 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Talkingabout five key areas covered by Forrester’s Groundswell practice (and the book by the same name). It’s worth it for you to poke around the Groundswell site and yes, read the book: groundswell.forrester.com
  • 11:20 AM: timelliott Making the Most of Mobile: “Mobile has the power to make all media interactive” – talking about Clear Channel case study integrating SMS with radio.
  • 11:21 AM: Philson Kristina Halvorson: After you’ve developed your presentation, find a way into the confernece of your choice. (Isn’t that kind of obvious?) Suggestions, talk to former speaker, search slideshare for previous presentations.
  • 11:22 AM: timelliott Making the Most of Mobile: “The killer app in mobile today is ease of use”
  • 11:22 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Talking about one brand, Little Debbie Snacks, and how they measured the impact of blog, Twitter and other mentions from the free snack giveaway campaign they did with their 100 calorie snack packs (SB Note: the 100 calorie packs are a big deal with many brands)
  • 11:25 AM: Philson Kristina Halvorson: Write a great description…define the problem and the solution your presentation offers.
  • 11:26 AM: timelliott Making the Most of Mobile: 35% of mobile users are using data network services… an additional 29% use SMS text messaging… only 35% of the marketing is now “voice-only”
  • 11:27 AM: Philson Kristina Halvorson: Group seems to be well engaged. @myklroventine is particularly enraptured , even while he is discovering alot of open sharing laptops…soem from keynotes.
  • 11:30 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen:

    Objectives
    – Vision, Mission
    – S.M.A.R.T

    Audience
    – Metrics, Surveys
    – Demo, Psycho & Technographics

    Strategy
    – Integration
    – Success Measures
    – Support

    Listen: Talk, Energize, Support, Embrace

    Tactics
    – Voice
    – Media, Channel, Tools
    – Reporting, Analysis, Refinements

    “Social media is an art…not a science”

  • 11:30 AM: Philson Kristina Halvorson: Get a headshot that shows that you are interesting and smart.
  • 11:30 AM: timelliott Reminder that we are live blogging #mimasummit at @Minnov8… Seth Godin keynote within the hour: minnov8.com
  • 11:31 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: When talking to bosses or clients, there are many things to consider: “FEAR…The public will eat us alive” talking about not having a choice anymore
  • 11:32 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Your critics aren’t waiting for you to use social media….your customers are!
  • 11:33 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Fear: We can’t trust our employees. “Your employees ALREADY represent your brand to their family, friends, the people at the gym, the grocery store, etc. The reality? If you trust them to work for you, trust them to use social media.
  • 11:34 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: The key to overcoming the “trust of employees” issue? Provide guidelines.
  • 11:34 AM: Philson Kristina Halvorson: Attend conferences!
  • 11:34 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen session on Creating a Social Media Roadmap is packed. #mimasummit twitpic.com
  • 11:34 AM: sborsch
  • 11:35 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Fear: We’ll lose control of our brand. Reality? By playing in social media, you’re going to learn what your brand means to customers.
  • 11:36 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: As of August 1st, Starbucks is the #1 Facebook brand with over 3M fans
  • 11:37 AM: timelliott Making the Most of Mobile: How to answer client requests for iPhone apps: Answer question about what are you trying to achieve, who is the demographic, do they use iPhones? SMS might be better than iPhone for teenagers, for example.
  • 11:38 AM: timelliott Making the Most of Mobile: “Social and mobile are becoming fused”
  • 11:38 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Fear: Our audience doesn’t use social media. Reality? 79% of the US population is online.
  • 11:40 AM: Philson
  • 11:40 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: The entire web is becoming a social network (SB Note: mentioning Google Sidewicki: toolbar.google.com but the technorati I follow believe the jury is still out BUT no question that the web *is* becoming shareable, embeddable and fully social)
  • 11:43 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Fear: If we make a mistake, it will haunt us forever. Reality? It’s accountability and organizations have to own-up to everything they do online (and, of course, deal with it as instantly as possible)
  • 11:45 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Fear: How do we measure ROI? (ROI stands for Ramifications of Ignoring). If you’re not playing in the social media space, you’ll experience ROI for sure
  • 11:47 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Measurement has changed. Now it’s measuring *engagement* with customers. Are they saying things that are positive? Negative? How influencing are your influencers?
  • 11:50 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Here’s how some companies have quantified results. H&RBlock, they’ve placed advisors in Second Life, on Twitter, etc. They’ve extended the cycle with which customers engage with the company (normally it was just during ‘tax season’).
  • 11:51 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: Dell achieved $1M in revenue from their Twitter stream. Carnival Cruise Lines connected with cruise communities and gave them first dibs on a new ship and the results were that the ship got the greatest reviews of any launch ever.
  • 11:52 AM: timelliott From watching the #mimasummit hash tag, it would seem everyone here is tweeting the conference…
  • 11:52 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: (SB Note: I think this is the ‘money quote’ from Laura’s session): “If you learn what’s important to your customers, you’ll learn what’s important to your business”
  • 11:54 AM: GraemeThickins went to the press room for the private session with Seth Godin… too late, he was in and out
  • 11:55 AM: sborsch Laura Chavoen: End of session. Few minutes for questions. Question was how do B2B companies use social media? She mentioned Symantec and their small to midsize business segment. Listen first and that will give you insight on what to do next. They used Radian6.com to discover what these customer segments required (her company did a “listening study”) since much of Symantec’s messaging didn’t resonate with this audience and it gave them an opportunity to change their approach and engage in a new way.
  • 12:04 PM: GraemeThickins getting ready to move into the ballroom for Meatball Sundaes and Tribes …. at the @Minnov8 booth now with @sborsch and @philson
  • 12:20 PM: GraemeThickins Matt Wilson on stage now, saying Packers are staying here at the Hilton… actually, it’s the Vikings!
  • 12:21 PM: GraemeThickins I’m at #mimasummit
  • 12:22 PM: timelliott Seth Godin has just taken the stage at #mimasummit
  • 12:27 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Reviewing types of media and why ads worked. Highlights the problems of the music and print business.
  • 12:29 PM: GraemeThickins Seth Godin on the big stage, talking about old media and the old music business … #mimasummmit
  • 12:32 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Ideas that spread win…
  • 12:34 PM: Philson Seth Godin: What this new marketing is about…”The Century of Idea Diffusion”
  • 12:34 PM: Philson Seth Godin: TV is over…not the medium, the advertising technique.
  • 12:37 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Advertising suffers from clutter…everywhere.
  • 12:38 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Coke Japan launches a new product every 21 days. They address the problem of clutter by creating clutter.
  • 12:39 PM: GraemeThickins “we’re in the business of spreading ideas”: Seth Godin..but “too important for just the marketing dept” yfrog.com
  • 12:39 PM: sborsch Seth Godin speaking at #MIMASummit. Talking about the shift to social but the question is? What do we do? twitpic.com
  • 12:39 PM: GraemeThickins
  • 12:39 PM: sborsch
  • 12:40 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Attention Brands! As consumers, through new media, we have taken away your voice. We have the power to ignore you.
  • 12:44 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Downshifting into the Purple Cow references. Remarkable means making somone remark about it.
  • 12:46 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Tiffany is not selling jewelry…they’re selling the blue box.
  • 12:49 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Trying to use old media products with new media practice. (Watch out…Meatball Sundae reference.)
  • 12:51 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Take advantage of this new “industrial revolution” to design new media products.
  • 12:52 PM: timelliott The keynote so far is a best of Godin but mixed with enough new connections & delivered with enough passion to be compelling #mimasummit
  • 12:53 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Why aren’t you “dating” the customers of your product?
  • 12:53 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Permission Marketing reference…Anticipated and relevant.
  • 12:56 PM: GraemeThickins connectivity really sucks here… thank god for iPhone or no tweets #mimasummit
  • 1:07 PM: GraemeThickins Seth Godin says we should stop using the term “branding” and instead use “story telling”… #mimasummit
  • 1:09 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Just picked up both The Dip and Tribes references…you have got to be impressed with the way Seth has interwoven his books with his “best of” presentation.
  • 1:11 PM: GraemeThickins tribe leaders is what marketers now must be: Seth Godin #mimasummit
  • 1:11 PM: sborsch The amazing & stupendous @MyklRoventine napping at Seth Godin’s #mimasummit keynote twitpic.com
  • 1:11 PM: sborsch
  • 1:11 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Do not be a sheep…The copy cats are boring.
  • 1:12 PM: GraemeThickins can’t believe that Seth Godin just cited Hugo Chavez as an example leader… WTF?
  • 1:13 PM: Philson Seth Godin: Tell a story….Connect a tribe….you lead a movement…make change.
  • 1:14 PM: Philson Steve Borsch: If we’re all leading…who are we leading?
  • 1:15 PM: GraemeThickins now we’re on Zappos… another case everyone cites – we’re hearing all the old standbys today! #mimasummit
  • 1:18 PM: Philson Seth Godin: “The people you are trying to talk to are asking only one thing…’Lead us.’ I hope you are leading them.”
  • 1:18 PM: sborsch Seth Godin mentions Hugo Chavez as leader, @graemethickins says WTF, and I discover this in Graeme’s briefcase! twitpic.com
  • 1:19 PM: sborsch
  • 1:19 PM: GraemeThickins Seth Godin just closed… “we need you to lead us” #mimasummit yfrog.com
  • 1:19 PM: GraemeThickins
  • 1:22 PM: Philson Seth Godin: “The people you are trying to talk to are asking only one thing…’Lead us.’ I hope you are leading them.”
  • 2:14 PM: timelliott Next up for me is Personal Branding Bootcamp with Mykl Roventine
  • 2:18 PM: timelliott Mykl Roventine: “Personal branding is a way to tell your story, your way.”
  • 2:27 PM: sborsch “The Science Behind the “Social” in Social Mediac” session and the panel is reaching out to the audience to ask what WE want out of MIMA and to understand
  • 2:27 PM: GraemeThickins my Flickr set from #mimasummit so far: bit.ly
  • 2:31 PM: sborsch The Science Behind the “Social” in Social Media session: Phil Wilson asks, “Where are the metrics? Is SM quantifiable or qualitative?” Answer by Tim Brunelle: talking about blogging and he looks less at pageviews or unique visits but rather where they’re coming in from.
  • 2:32 PM: timelliott Mykl Roventine: Steps to establish your Personal Brand: Identify Your Brand (what makes you remarkable?), Gather Assets (picture, bio, personal interests), Establish Command Post (blog, website), Deploy Your Brand Upon The World, Maintain Online Profiles (add/remove as necessary to reflect your brand)
  • 2:36 PM: GraemeThickins please vote for this cool product in CTIA Hot for the Holidays competition MN co! ..click link then “Mark as Favorite”: bit.ly
  • 2:41 PM: sborsch The Science Behind the “Social” in Social Media session: very interesting discussion about outcomes with social media. (SB Note: One thing that needs to be figured out is what social media engagement means, how to make investments in the people who will manage it (and be host/hostesses, for lack of a better term) but it still feels pretty amorphous as a category)
  • 2:45 PM: Philson #mimasummit wifi is too unreliable. look for photos an video post event at www.minnov8.com
  • 3:25 PM: Philson Hey, I have wifi…Setting up for Social Media at a Forune 10 Company with Scott Monty of Ford.
  • 3:30 PM: GraemeThickins lack of bandwidth is killing our continued live blogging at #mimasummit ..but these girls don’t care yfrog.com
  • 3:30 PM: GraemeThickins
  • 3:33 PM: Philson Scott Monty: “If you saw the presentation at Blogwell, you mihgt want to leave. This is somewhat the same session.” Ouch. My counterparts covered that session at Blogwell, so it’s all new to me.
  • 3:33 PM: Philson Scott Monty: How many have heard of Ford Motor Company?
  • 3:35 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Ford needed to “rehumanize” itself. Henry Ford had done it early on…but it hasn’t been done in a long time.
  • 3:37 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Bill Ford’s vision for the company? We are a green global high-tech company that is improving people’s lives.
  • 3:39 PM: GraemeThickins talking to Matt Wilson and @tbrunelle at the Minnov8 booth… talking about *next year’s* wi-fi (better promised!)
  • 3:40 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Alan Mullaly (Ford CEO) put together the One Ford Plan: One Team, One Plan, One Goal.
  • 3:43 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Ford is committed to technology. CEO will be the opening speaker at the Consumer Electronics Show. Indicates a desire to be an innovation company.
  • 3:45 PM: Philson Scott Monty:90% of Social Media is showing up. It’s the other half that’s hard. Response time is critical in this world.
  • 3:46 PM: Philson Scott Monty: People need to reach you in a variety of ways. Blogs, Twitter, Phone, Email, FaceBook. It’s all about accessibility.
  • 3:47 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Let people see what you’re up to. Transparency.
  • 3:48 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Authenticity. People like to be spoken to by and like real people. Avoid the “legalese
    “
  • 3:50 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Social media strategy. Humanize the company, connect constituents with employees and with each other, provide value in the process.
  • 3:52 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Ford making it happen…built social media press release site built on WordPress with Flickr and YouTube connection (This was 2 years ago.)
  • 3:52 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Why| put constraints on your content?
  • 3:53 PM: GraemeThickins Marty Wetherall of FanChatter is doing a Minnedemo session … showing new “chatterbox” feature, for GhostHunters show on Sci-Fi Network as an example … automatically recognizes your Twitter and Facebook friends… “here’s the big idea: it’s a way for brands to amplify Twitter… or, if you wish, they can engage people outside of Twitter”
  • 3:54 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Ford is a part of multiple Social Media sites, flickr, YouTube, Scribbed, Delicio.us, Twitter (multiple accounts)
  • 3:55 PM: Philson Scott Monty: “We have the attention of our management.”
  • 3:56 PM: Philson Scott Monty: ” …even the lawyers on board.” Incredibly refreshing and liberating.
  • 3:57 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Ford Social Media hub is “The Ford Story” site. www.thefordstory.com
  • 3:58 PM: GraemeThickins next up in this session of three “Minnedemos” at #mimasummit is Wonderfile…
  • 4:00 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Sneak peak…Ford to introduce “My Ford Story” feature this week.
  • 4:03 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Ford Facebook app www.facebook.com On mustang site they built ability to configure your mustang http//www.the2010mustang.com
  • 4:07 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Talking about Fiesta Movement fiestamovement.com
  • 4:07 PM: GraemeThickins Wonderfile is a collaborative file management system… a web-based tagging system for sharing and storing files of any type – simply upload and tag your files for easy organizing and archiving
  • 4:10 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Is the Fiesta Movement working? 4.3 milion views on YouTube, 540,000 photos on Flickr, 3 milion tweets on Twitter, 50,000 are not currently Ford owners. 38% awareness of a vehicle that isn’t event in the US yet.
  • 4:12 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Ford is known as the 12th most social media brand. #1 automotive social brand. 87 %of conversation about Fordonline is positive according to Ad Age.
  • 4:15 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Can you tie what we’ve done to someone buying a car? With social media, we can.
  • 4:18 PM: GraemeThickins Wonderfile showing examples of customer sites they’ve built that use their technology essentially like a content/asset mgmt system (like local law firm Meshbesher & Spence)… also said it can allow sharing of files up to, like, 700 megs… you can try out a free acct at Wonderfile.com, or subscribe for as little as $8/mo
  • 4:20 PM: Philson Scot Monty: What’s next? Cross-training the communication staff, rolling into other functions, going for 1% of employees to be active on social media, connecting with enthusiasts, Update fordproposals.com, listen to community for suggestions.
  • 4:20 PM: GraemeThickins coming up on happy hour, Wonderfile guy is breaking out his favorite cocktail and sharing it with the audience!
  • 4:24 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Scott tells the story of the time CEO Mulally personally called a potential customer because of tweet. That former Audi, VW only owner ended up buying a Ford product. That owner ultimately blogged about the positive experience. Full disclosure: There was a discount on the price involved in closing the deal.
  • 4:27 PM: Philson Scott Monty: At the end of the day, we would be nowhere without our customers.
  • 4:29 PM: GraemeThickins and Phil, we would be nowhere without happy hour!
  • 4:29 PM: Philson Scott Monty: Ford is offering social media training for all dealers. Those dealers are not obligated to participate, but many will (if they’re smart.)
  • 4:37 PM: GraemeThickins long day at #mimasummit …but always time for happy hour 🙂 (thank you, Gage Marketing!) and we still have the big game tonight, too!
  • 4:42 PM: timelliott And now for something completely different; the #mimasummit nightclub after party has begun…
  • 6:28 PM: GraemeThickins leaving downtown Mpls… awesome #mimasummit happy hour … did a few more audio interviews.. now, go, Vikings!
  • 7:38 PM: GraemeThickins I just want to say – before the big game – mega thanks to @mima, @JenKane, and @KaryD for an awesome job today on #mimasummit !!

Minnov8 Gang Podcast – Episode 3

By

Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott, Graeme Thickins, Garrick Van Buren, Phil Wilson

After vacations and business travel this summer, we carve out time on a Saturday morning for another Minnov8 Gang podcast with Episode 3.

In it we talk about several Minnesota startups and companies (including our own, with some admittedly self-serving comments!):

– PartnerUp Being Acquired by Deluxe Check

– Former HighJump CTO, Steve Kickert’s new company Riverock and his first product launch OnePlace

– Watching for new companies in stealth mode like BeWiki

– DoApp, Cullect, ComicTwit, Localtone Radio

– Social Media Breakfast, Twin Cities group

– Julio Ojeda-Zapata of the Pioneer Press (personal blog; TwinCities.com) is writing a book being released shortly, “twitter means business: how microblogging can help or hurt your business” (book jacket here)

– Minnesota Ultra-High_Speed Broadband Task Force (Minnov8 posts about this initiative here and here).

Thanks for listening!

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The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 58:23 — 34.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

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Minnesota Keeps Feeding the iPhone Habit

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DoApp has had a busy week. Their MyLite and MyTo-Do applications are currently available and moving up the rankings via the iPhone Apps Store and Magic 8 Ball and Whoopee Cushion are waiting in the wings. Current stats include MyLite ranking #8 overall on Top Free Apps, and #1 in Top Free Apps in the Utilities category along with MyTo-Dos showing at #81 overall on Top Free Apps, and #8 in Top Free Apps in the same category

Launched as PagePow, DoApp was founded in 2007 by former early Google employee Joe Sriver. The company positions itself as “a new kind of internet applications company.” They aspire to the rather lofty sounding mission of enabling “a glorious new world of distributed content and commerce.” Okay, so flashing lights and whoopee cushions don’t exactly sound “glorious”. However, in our interview Sriver assures me that there is more afoot at DoApp than finding your keys in the dark, telling the future, or goofing on your friends. The current applications for the iPhone are about establishing the firm and “gaining experience in the process.”

He goes on to say, “The iPhone applications are just one aspect of DoApp, making up part of a growing portfolio of work.” More serious applications in the commerce, utility (including MyTo-dos), and entertainment segments are planned.” We have a staff of eight and we are working furiously to keep pace with the ideas we are generating.” Those ideas include mobile and web based applications. In fact PagePow was originally launched as a widget builder. There is still a presence in that market with plenty of interest, much of it on an international level, but “the attention around iPhone applications has really replaced the buzz on widgets.” according to Sriver. Clearly, though it may be hard to believe, not everyone has an iPhone and there are still plenty of opportunities to supply applications for other platforms. This reality does not appear to be lost on DoApp.

As for iPhone applications, “Nobody really knows the criteria by which Apple decides which applications to release to the App Store, so we can’t really provide a timeline for what’s next there.” says Sriver. As the company expands beyond its current staff it will be less reliant on Apple because it will be delivering applications for other platforms. For now though, being ranked #1 in a category on the hottest application distributor site is not a bad way to bring recognition to a growing firm. Perhaps its own Magic 8 Ball app would say that it “appears likely” that this Minneapolis based firm will parlay that attention into serious application success.

(In the interest of full disclosure it should be norted that Minnov8 contributor Graeme Thickins is also the DoApp Marketing VP.)