OK, here's the first of the serious videoblogging experiment things. Since I didn't get a question before the weekend I had a ramble about something I've been thinking about recently - the value of sharing a brand's expertise. It's not enormously coherent, but there might be something in it and it's only 5 minutes long.
There's two versions - .m4v which is optimised for ipods etc and a straight .mov version.
expertise.m4v (About 22MB)
expertise.mov (About 6MB)
And here's the Sherry Turkle piece referenced in the video. And here's the book of cool site.
Let me know what you think.
russell
integrity is the new authenticity - expertise is a feature
g
Posted by: gareth ellis | January 09, 2006 at 04:42 PM
I buy that. Except integrity is/should be a hygiene factor. Integrity on its own doesn't get you attention, expertise could do.
Posted by: russell | January 09, 2006 at 04:52 PM
Nice use of video. I think you present well; when I watched you I though 'yeah, this is Russell - he speaks as he writes'.
I think you've used the format well in that you're showing us something and then you're immediately giving us your p.o.v. This would have less impact as a piece of text, even if had links to the video.
I'd have liked to see a little more detail on the site about the content, as you are after all asking me to give you 5 mins of my attention. Curiosity got me to watch this time.
btw - I'm a video producer at an investment bank - we've published over a thousand pieces of video in the last 2 years, most of which are 2-3 minute summaries of our best ideas.
Posted by: garykeene | January 10, 2006 at 10:45 AM
hey Gary, thanks for that feedback, very kind, and very good point about pointers on the content. I'll try to do better on that.
Posted by: russell | January 10, 2006 at 11:35 AM
I liked your video piece very much and your blog is very entertaining and insightful (much going on the expertise angle, probably why I like it so much).
P.S. Back in March you mentioned Joe Shands, if you like I can pass on a hello from you to him. I've only had the pleasure of meeting him once before, but I plan to see him again soon (We have a mutual friend). That egg story was completely Joe.
Posted by: Michelle | January 12, 2006 at 12:59 AM
Hey Russell, nice piece and a cool thought. It really got me thinking about expertise as something we have pretended is "not interesting" in marketing communications. In a sense though, expertise is authentic if you are good at something, yes?
Riley
Posted by: riley | January 12, 2006 at 04:46 AM
hello Riley,
how's things? I think you're right - there isn't really a tension between expertise and authenticity. I guess what seemed interesting to me is that there's been a degree of conventional wisdom that expertise is boring. And I don't think that's true. (look, for instance, at CSI or ER). In a world where fewer sources are harder to trust genuine expertise is more valuable and therefore more interesting.
Posted by: russell | January 12, 2006 at 09:58 AM
hello Michelle
Glad you liked the piece. Sure, say Hi to Joe. He's a good guy.
Posted by: russell | January 12, 2006 at 10:01 AM
hi Russell,
i've got a health care client that is large and has been around a long time, and along with that (at least for them) comes expertise. the hardest thing so far has been battling the "expertise=boring" bias you talked about, and the category makes it even worse than usual.
as a side note, i greatly appreciate what you are doing on this site and with the APSOTW. you have been an amazing resource for me through grad school and these first few months on the job. thanks so much.
j
Posted by: josh | January 12, 2006 at 10:50 PM
hey josh, thanks for the message. really glad i'm being of some use.
Posted by: russell | January 13, 2006 at 09:53 AM
Great video. Very thought provoking.
I question your comment regarding authenticity as a potential bogus brand property. Brands are partially defined by consumer’s perception of a brand or company. If consumers believe a brand is authentic, who is to say it's not? Despite whether or not a brand’s authenticity perception is self-fulfilling. Coke is the Real Thing and Budweiser is True. Aren’t they?
So here is a question for next week, how do marketers fake brand properties? And what are some examples? As marketers, how can we be true to the brands we work on, and not falsify any of our brand’s properties?
Posted by: Scott | January 15, 2006 at 01:32 AM
fine :)
but look at the camera. that isn't a piece of plastic/glass but the "person" who you talk to. this was the only disturbing issue (I didn't feel the personal contact)
waiting the next one :D
Posted by: ago | January 15, 2006 at 02:42 PM
give me a break D, I don't have an interrotron.
Posted by: russell | January 15, 2006 at 04:42 PM