It's Andy. Not Andrew.

BANG BANG!

Tue, 29 May 2012 16:35:26 -0400

BANG BANG!

Absolut Revolution: Advertising Shazammed, Not Stirred

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:55:00 -0400

I used to collect Absolut ads growing up. No, I didn’t have a binge drinking problem at age 10. I simply loved and admired the aesthetics of Absolut’s advertising campaign. You know these ads, the ones found in magazines where the bottle shape would take the form of different objects to convey themes, followed by the tagline “Absolut _________.”

Hundreds of these ads hung from my bedroom wall. It was an amazingly artistic campaign that hit me with despite the fact that I had not had one sip of the vodka itself.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I have not seen one of those Absolut print ads in years. Last night however, I did see this commercial on TV. (The commercial is actually part of a full-length music video entitled “Absolut Greyhound” and dubbed as “a multi-dimensional cocktail experiences from ABSOLUT, featuring new music by Swedish House Mafia”.)

Certainly a far departure from those print ads, huh? While the television ad maintains an abstract style familair to the Absolut brand, among the robotic greyhounds, desert landscape, and futuristic high-fashion audience is something very cool: integration of “Shazam Now” button.

I think the incorporation of Shazam, an app I started using two years ago on a personal level because it was “cool and neat”, is pretty revolutionary. No longer are you only flipping pages in a magazine and stopping on startling imagery. Today, the level of interactivity within an ad and call for action is so much more. Now, an app on my iPhone is part of the consumption experience and changing the way viewers interact with television ads. My television and my iPhone are tied together to in order for me to get the most out of this commercial. I’m not just viewing a new vodka ad, I am discovering new music and being able to track the artist instantly. Pretty damn cool, regardless of whether you are a Swedish House Mafia fan or not.

We’ve come a long way from cutting out ads and hanging them on bedroom walls.

Surf.

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:43:00 -0400

Surf.

Why Bonobos and Warby Parker Get the Online Shopping Experience Right

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:18:00 -0400

It’s no secret that the e-commerce fashion startup scene is heating up in NYC, which has a hint or irony attached to it when you think of all of the physical shopping options the fashion capital of the world has to offer.

But I hate shopping in stores. In NYC, I find shopping for clothes to be a waste of time. I’d rather spend the free time I have in NYC trying out new restaurants, going to Yankees games, playing basketball or enjoying an iced coffee at Saturdays Surf.

Thankfully, companies such as Bonobos and Warby Parker exist to allow me take in all of the sports action and caffeine I want without losing time shopping in small, cramped NYC boutiques.

Bonobos and Warby Parker (in no order!) are at the top of my list of “awesome companies making my fashion life easier”. There are indeed new companies popping up each day which are making my shopping for clothes needs a pretty pain-free experience. Aside from great branding, Bonobos and Warby Parker do four things particularly well throughout the actual shopping experience that any company in this space should emulate:

Keep your online user experience clean and easy to navigate. Let me search and find what I’m looking for without any hassle. Despite the plethora of options I have on both the Bonobos and Warby Parker websites, I never feel overwhelmed or confused and can generally find what I am looking for right away.

Make it a personal shopping experience. - I love that I can upload my photo and try on Warby Parker glasses online before purchasing. Even if I am not shopping in a physical store, it is nice to feel like there is an in-store experience online.

Make the checkout process quick and safe, remember me when I come back. - This seems common these days, but you can never underestimate the value of a good point-of-purchase (and customer returns) system.

Have an attentive, enthusiastic customer support system. - Whether it is the highly active (and stealthy) @BonobosNinjas or the awesome customer service team @WarbyParkerHelp (who create personalized YouTube videos for you upon you tweeting about your new frames), a responsive customer service team that interacts with the customer throughout the good (yay, I love your product!!) and the bad (I need to return your product because….) is key in building brand affinity over time.

#Likeaboss

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:22:39 -0400

#Likeaboss

#MakeItCount Counts: 3 Things Big Brands and Startups Can Learn from @Nike

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:38:00 -0400

Nike didn’t join Twitter or Instagram until December 30, 2011. As of this post, the Nike Twitter account has 392,746 followers, while its Instagram account clocks in at 107,900 followers. While at first these numbers may seem small in comparison to celebrities on Twitter with millions of followers, big brands have yet to find a true home on either social media channel. (In comparison, @adidas has a mere 15,109 followers Twitter followers, with @Reebok doing slightly better at 59,396 followers.)

While Nike sure took its sweet time to embrace social media, with the three word hashtag “#MakeItCount” (and the amended version, “#counts”), it has managed to create a compelling campaign that beautifully promotes what I call the “technological athlete” (anyone who adopts technology and social media as part of his everyday fitness routine). Nike has embraced both brand loyalists and the technologically-savvy to create a new wave of social advertising anchored around new products such as the Nike+ FuelBand, which tracks and measures one’s every movement and converts it into NikeFuel.

Nike has always had powerful advertising campaigns. From Michael Jordan to LeBron James, on the whole, such campaigns have been centered around the world’s greatest athletes, guiding viewers to identify with and emulate such heroes, and in return, buy Nike products to be closer to these “role models”. The Nike #MakeItCount social media campaign is a great departure from such advertising, calling on everyday people such as you and me to make every move count. Through the power of a hashtag, we become the stars in Nike’s giant advertisement - and that is the true genius behind Nike’s marketing efforts.

While many brands continue to struggle with social media, the Nike #MakeItCount campaign provides lessons for not only other big brands, but any startup looking to leverage social media campaigns to increase brand awareness and user adoption:

People on Twitter and Instagram love to talk about themselves - let them do so while promoting your brand. Nike recognized that by embedding the #MakeItCount hashtag into both social media launches and new product launches, they could create deeper individual brand engagement that would by nature of the mediums used, go viral instantly. Each person using the #MakeItCount hashtag becomes a talking billboard for Nike, and because of the cause and community attached to it, probably does not mind it one bit.

Create a personal, emotional connection with your audience that in turn, will allow them to sure community stories with the world. Each person could have a different reason why whatever activity they do #counts. In Nike’s case, some may be using their FuelBand and Twitter to tell the world about new records on their daily runs. Others may be running to support a family member who was recently lost to a terminal disease and posting a picture of themselves at the finish line on Instagram. Whatever the reason is, everyone has a story to tell, and through the hashtag of #MakeItCount, one can connect their atheltic activity to very personal moments in one’s daily life. Whether is is through clothing, physical products, etc., Nike helps the user capture and share these moments.

Embrace current social media with simple tactics that have powerful results. Nike has millions and millions of dollars in advertising budget to help promote the #MakeItCount campaign. However, their budget would mean nothing if they (and the agencies they worked with to create #MakeItCount) had not recognized that a powerful Twitter and Instagram hashtag could create more brand connection/affinity and viral growth than any current LeBron James TV commercial. Celebrity athletes are always going to be admired (particularly by kids), but seeing your peers around you tweet #MakeItCount has a powerful buy-in effect that makes any individual want to #MakeItCount as well. Additionally, the tools are already in place (Twitter and Instagram are thriving social networks) for Nike to to use at its own disposal, and there is little to no technical heavy lifting required on Nike’s part to engage users on these well-established networks.

In the age of social media, the well-established brands and up-and-coming startups who recognize trends in social media the quickest and most efficiently will thrive and witness unparalleled success. Nike may have been late to the social media game, but they entered with a bang to truly #MakeItCount.

“Drive”

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:56:53 -0400

“Drive”

Color Outside of the Lines - Partnerships Early On Matter for Startups

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:48:00 -0400

My jaw nearly dropped this morning as my Twitter stream presented the following news to me:

Color Partners With Verizon To Bring Livestreaming Audio and Video to iPhone, Android

Color?? Color?! Is this the same Color that became the laughing stock of the tech startup community after announcing a whopping 41 million round of funding prior to launch? The Color which failed to amass more than 30,000 daily active users one year later after a relaunch as a video status messaging platform? The Color which.. well, you get it.

The answer is yes, and a strategic partnership deal with Verizon that will bring video and audio livestreaming to all 4G LTE smartphones on its networks may have just saved Bill Nguyen’s 41 million dollar app from being the butt of many jokes within the tech community. And it may have just been a giant wake-up call to all startups looking for ways to inject corporate steroids in their user acquisition strategy.

I’ve always felt that strategic partnerships are a vital part of any startup’s user acquisition strategy. Leveraging existing user bases of partners with value adds to your own network is a great way to not only acquire new users, but extend one’s brand value. As with product placement, growing one’s brand and network through alliances with outside partners will get you to where you want to be faster than doing it on your own.

Time will tell whether this Verizon deal validates Color’s 41 million in funding. But it does send up a flare into the night - every startup should be thinking about these types of “mega-deals” for their startup early on.

Many startups often shy away from hiring non-technical, “business” people to join on prior to any major funding. Perhaps it is time to rethink that strategy, and bring these type of strategic thinkers on board in the very beginning.

I Want to Be a Point Guard, Not a CEO

Thu, 03 May 2012 13:35:00 -0400

I want to be a point guard, not a CEO.

Professional titles can mean a lot to certain individuals. With that label of “co-founder” and “CEO” comes that feeling that you control your world. I thought that was what I wanted. And every time I read something from the tech press talking about the next 19 year old CEO, I panicked a bit. Oh, no. I am 26 and over-the-hill already. I was wrong - everyone makes mistakes. Being a CEO is much harder than I could have ever imagined. I have more respect for founders now than ever before.

I spent the past 3 and half years working in public relations for tech startups and mainstream consumer brands. Within my last organization, my best experiences were the following:

Leading branding initiatives with a heavy emphasis on strategic thinking
Working on business development and strategic partnerships
Feeling part of a team on a mission to rise to the top

I learned so much from that experience, and in particular, what excited me and motivated me the most. Thankfully, early on in my career, I had people who had trained me in the ways of Peter Drucker. When you combine Drucker with the words of Jay-Z and Kanye, you get a pretty mean management philosophy that I think will apply well to my next gig.

After a great run with my last team, ultimately, that profession just didn’t fit my own career goals.

Throughout that experience, I did find out that I loved working with smaller startups, becoming pretty friendly with founders. Their conviction, attitudes and goals to make a product that would impact the world inspired me. Once I caught the startup bug, there was no looking back.

Business development, marketing and strategic partnerships look like the next landing spots for me. And it’s what excites me the most as a creative thinker. But I don’t want any label on my next postion other than point guard. (I’m being dramatic here, I’ll take whatever label, but roll with me on this one for a second.) For a thorough explanation of why point guard, see here.

I want to get what needs to be done accomplished, without a label attached to the position itself. Be that scrappy guy who puts it all on the court. Most importantly, I want to learn from others, and would love the opportunity to work under a great mentor.

When you are a non-technical person who wants to insert himself into an early stage tech startup (actually really any stage startup), in my opinion, you need to accomplish the following:

Understand the technical even if you can’t build the code yourself - a skill I picked up doing PR for tech startups that was invaluable when pitching journalists

Do whatever non-technical job possible to acquire more users, elevate brand growth, and anything else it takes to build on that foundation that already exists

Bring a great attitude to enrich life a product/idea that you can be passionate about even if you didn’t create it yourself

In these past six weeks (on somewhat of an island), I’ve learned a lot about myself. I don’t want to be on an island. I want to win with a team. To get the title, you need to be unselfish about personal titles.

Time to run the point and get off that island.

"Everyday I wake up wanting to make the perfect song. Im obsessed with the idea."

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:57:55 -0400

“Everyday I wake up wanting to make the perfect song. Im obsessed with the idea.”

- (via cudlife)

Venture Capital Must Adapt to Crowdfunding (If PR Can Survive Twitter...)

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:25:00 -0400

When I started practicing PR in 2008, there was thing thing called “Twitter” that people began to talk about. Some even did this weird thing called “tweeting” - tweeting??? The early tech adopter in me began to use the network as a way to.. well, network. It was a great way for me to connect with those I previously had not had access to. Just 1 year later, I looked at Twitter as possibly destroying the value of my (now former) profession.

Twitter completely changed the PR landscape. The role of the traditional PR professional was altered as soon as Twitter went mainstream. Essentially, everyone had the power to do their own PR and spread their message to the world. Journalists could interact with founders without the need for the middleman - the PR rep. For a profession with a somewhat negative stigma already attached to it (at least in the tech startup space), the value of a non-internal PR professional came into question.

PR as a profession stil exists obviously. It hasn’t died out, rather the role has adapted. With the power to communicate one’s message to the world, perhaps the smart PR professional is even more important now. After all, who is going to keep one’s messaging in check when you can tweet about your company and how much you hate cheeseburgers from the same account? Out of chaos, comes organization and strategy - which an intelligent communications professional should help you craft and guide.

With the rise of crowdfunding, I’m seeing a lot of talk lately questioning the value of the VC in light of new disruptions. While being able to raise one’s own capital is fantastic, any good VC brings with him/her a value add that one simply can’t obtain from Kickstarter. However, just as the PR professional had to, today’s VC must adapt to this new world of raising capital to show why funding through venture capital is still just as necessary as it was prior to crowdfunding.

I’m very cautious of the JOBS Act and think that VCs truly have an opportunity to seize right now. It is up to the venture capitalist to clearly demonstrate why he/she is as relevant now as ever. What do I get when I take investment from a VC? Guidance, introductions, mentorship, or just a check? Well, venture capitalists, show the world what you have to offer a startup. I think you are just as important now as ever - convince the skeptics.

Just as Twitter disrupted the PR profession, crowdfunding poses new chalenges to VC firms (and angels, etc.). It’s time for VCs to truly flex their muscles and perhaps become more involved with their clients’ passions and pursuits than ever before.

26.

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:05:59 -0400

26.

Google That: Tech Startups & Product Placement Ain't Nothing to F%$# With

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:55:00 -0400

I was all set this morning to do a big post on the up-and-coming phenomenon know as “startup product placement” - and in a broader sense, product placement with tech products in general. I spent four years at NYU studying product placement. Of course back then (all of 4 years ago), when one associated product placement with any vertical, it was entertainment. Hollywood to be more specific.

Earlier this morning, news broke that Angry Birds producer Rovio was rumored to include content from The Simpsons in the next Angry Birds update. I’m nowhere near a fan of the show as I was growing up, but hey, that’s some pretty cool synergy there and why shouldn’t Fox leverage its relationships with two booming IPs? The Simpsons IP is no stranger to video games, so it’s really only natural see them pop up in one of the hottest selling mobile games on the market right now.

A week or so ago, rising NYC-based startup Birchbox announced a deal with the CW’s hit, Gossip Girl. I can’t admit to watching Gossip Girl (I was a huge O.C. fan back in the day so I can’t hate on it either), but knowing what I know about Birchbox, including Birchbox within the context of Gossip Girl makes perfect sense - and more importantly, is a fantastic new way to acquire new adopters.

Entrepreneur (linked above) does a fantastic job in explaining why product placement is the wave of the future for startups who are looking for non-traditional ways to acquire new users. I was fully onboard to promote this today and highlight some potential examples, and then unfortunately I read the following headline:

Things You Never Thought Would Happen: Wu-Tang’s Raekwon Makes “Google That” Rap Video

Oh where to begin.

Look, I know this isn’t product placement in the traditional sense and there is no way Google had anything to do with this. If we have learned anything from the stiffs at Novartis (R.I.P. “Theraflu” which is now “Way Too Cold”), “Google That” may quickly become “Search That” very soon. Anyone who has followed the careers of NORE, Styles P and Raekwon know that this is an odd and strange move on their part to capitalize on the Google brand name. ODB is spinning in his grave right now.

I still haven’t had the time to properly digest this (if that’s possible), but this does signal one huge warning sign to me - when you try to collaborate with anyone, be it a startup or a rapper, please, please make sure the partnership you engage with makes sense and is an extension of your brand value. Angry Birds and The Simpsons - love it. Birchbox and Gossip Girl - terrific! Google and the Wu? I’m pumping 36 Chambers right now just to try to drown this monstrosity of my head.

There's No Winning Without a Great Startup Team

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:43:33 -0400

I spend a lot of time in the gym. If you don’t believe me, just check out my Level 34 score on Fitocracy. While I work out for many different reasons (health, structure, discipline, etc.), perhaps my favorite result of staying in shape and those efforts in the gym showcases itself on Saturday mornings. Saturday mornings are when I get to play pickup basketball in the greatest environment possible to do so outside of Madison Square Garden - the streets of NYC.

I interned one summer at the NBA. At 5’ 6” tall, that’s as close as I’ll ever get to the NBA hardwood floors. Playing competitively when you are my height can be difficult. Luckily, I am fast and in good enough shape from the gym to compensate for my vertical inefficiencies. Naturally, I run the point. While my shot can be hit or miss, I generally know my role on the court and there is one thing that is always certain - I play better when surrounded by a good team.

I play a lot of sports, but to me, basketball is the greatest example of how winning is reliant on a team effort. You can have your stars who know how to lead, but without team chemistry and selflessness, you more than likely will struggle to beat those other five players on the court. To have a truly great team, each player must utilize personal strengths and abilities and fuse them with those surrounding him to compete at the highest level. This is true for any sport, but again, most applicable to the 5-on-5 game of basketball in my opinion.

This concept of team is hitting especially home with me right now as I attempt to figure out the next stage of my career. I’ve flung myself into entrepreneurship with a few ideas I’d love to see develop. The titles of “founder” and “CEO” sound great, but after a month or so, I’ve come to the realization that without a great team to work with, titles and ideas mean nothing. If you asked me a month ago why I wanted to go into entrepreneurship, I probably would have said something along the lines of wishing to get my own DNA into a company and create my own destiny. That was the wrong approach to all of this.

You can have great personal success (and I am far from it with only a few ideas in my own starting lineup right now). But it means nothing if you can’t celebrate that success with others.

I was captain of my soccer team in high school, both on the freshman squad and later on as a co-captain of my varsity team. Sure varsity soccer had more prestige to it, but I never had more fun in my life playing sports at a competitive level than that year with my freshman squad. We were 11 individuals on a field with one goal - to go undefeated. Without the pressure of advancing to varsity (it was very rare for a player to go varsity freshman year in my program), every single player put their egos aside that year and worked with one another to achieve a perfect season.

My varsity experience never lived up to that year, as I was forced to compete with those same players and friends to earn a starting spot amongst the entire high school crowd of players. We achieved similar success as well as great failure, but none of it meant anywhere as much to me as that undefeated freshman season.

I think as I move forward into entrepreneurship, I really need to remember that freshman year of soccer. My Saturday basketball games serve as a good weekly reminder of what it means to play (and win) as a team. I know my role on the court is not to try to take every shot and try to dunk (I’m short but I have ambitions!), but I can certainly throw a lob pass or two and hustle back on defense to get the job done.

All of the hard time put in throughout the week at the gym enables me to be a better teammate on the court. Personal efforts matter, but the best comes out when working with others who carry similar work ethics, passions and goals.

I must also realize that if any opportunity presents itself to become part of a winning team, I should not dismiss it because of an urge to “create” rather than “contribute”. If this past month has taught me anything, perhaps I got into this whole entrepreneurship thing to work with an awesome group of individuals who can together build the blueprint for a great new company. Additionally, if there is a foundation already in place that I can help improve on and learn a great deal in the process, then that could be just as beneficial right now. I’m not a technical person, I’m an idea person, a strategist, marketer - the label doesn’t matter. I’m a team player at heart who is most satisfied when achievements are made together.

Oh, and I hate losing but that’s a whole other subject…

3 Golden Rules When Starting A Business

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:05:58 -0400

The following are three simple rules I adhere to. Embrace them for yourself or don’t - the choice is up to you!

1. Treat others the way you want to be treated - before and after success.

Everyone was at some place in their own career, usually starting from the bottom with the goal of rising to the top. Always keep that in perspective as you interact with anyone.

2. Startup karma is a boomerang.

Help others out when you can - you never know when that good will will come back and strike for… more good. That being said, treat others poorly and expect the same in return. This is particularly true in startup land, as many rely on each other for support.

3. Family and friends first - business somewhere near there.

I can’t say “business second” because anyone who has even attempted to start their own company knows that their passion consumes them. Never lose sight of those who have been there for you from day one, and when possible, involve them in the excitement of your new journey.

Sunday mornings in the West Village.

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:41:40 -0400

Sunday mornings in the West Village.

Karma.

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:39:00 -0400

Karma.

What Muggsy Bogues Can Teach Everyone About Responding on Twitter

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:25:37 -0400

Remember walking into the high school cafeteria on the first day of school and having to decide where to sit? Yes, almost everyone at some point in their lives experienced that all too familiar cliché. At that moment you have to label yourself and brand yourself - am I a jock, a nerd, a “jerd” (hybrid of jock and nerd, I made that one up the other day)? I could go on, but you get the point. In a dream scenario, you had people saving you a seat at any table you wished to sit at that day. Ah, if only the world was like that every day.

The freedom to sit and interact with anyone because you had access to them. If there is any medium that offers this today, it is Twitter. That is what has always excited me about the medium and made it distinct. Big or small, jock or nerd, on Twitter, as long as one’s profile is open to others, you have access to anyone at any time.

I’m a small fish in the ocean that is Twitter. At 740-something followers and a guppy at best, I use Twitter to communicate with peers that I know, and more importantly, the whales I’d love to get a chance to engage in dialogue with. I try to respond to every relevant @me I get, as no one likes to be ignored.

In the startup community, I’ve admired co-founders who take the time out to respond to fishes (and mammals, a whale is a mammal) of all sizes. From VCs to day 1 users of their products and even the haters, when co-founders respond to the entire community on Twitter, it shows that they care about everyone. They open their cafeteria table up for anyone to sit with them.

If anything bothers me about Twitter, it’s when we use it too much to promote ourselves. I can be guilty of this myself, and am doing my best to tweet less about me and my own thoughts and instead use Twitter to engage in dialogue with others. This is a major goal of mine in 2012. I’d also love to use the medium to engage with anyone who thinks I could help them in any shape or form.

I still believe Twitter hasn’t peaked and offers so much potential for collaboration and idea exploration. And hey, if Muggsy Bogues can get back to me on Twitter….

“Therajew”

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:31:00 -0400

“Therajew”

New day, new ball game. Mo blows, Andy learns.

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 13:33:54 -0400

“Patience.” Easy to say, harder to practice. Yesterday, I had two moments which reminded me that in the long haul, you must not let minor letdowns get in the way of the grand picture.

1. I missed the E train at West 4th Street on my way to Penn Station. Ohh, how I hate that feeling when you see the train doors close right before you. A few wasted expletives later, the next E train arrived in a mere three minutes and I was on my way to 34th Street as planned.

2. Mo blows it as the Yankees drop their season opener in the 9th inning to the Rays. Ah, the risk every baseball fan takes when tuning it to follow their favorite team - your team may lose that day. It may hurt and sting for a few seconds, but guess what? Today is a new day and we get a chance to cheer on the Yankees at 7 pm tonight.

Sure, these are two things that seem rather mundane, but when thinking big, it’s important to learn lessons from the small things around you. Today is a new day - time to forget the setbacks of yesterday and play ball once again.