Barbara Mallinson founded OBAMI, a social network and eLearning platform specifically designed for schools.  Barbara is on a mission to bring the best eTools and social networking to teachers and learners.  OBAMI enables the teachers to distribute resources, to allow the learners and teachers to comment and discuss the resources, as well as to provide assessments (to measure performance). Moreover, the platform allows for parents to join the “social network” so that teacher-learner-parent may communicate together. In a world where Facebook presents many challenges for schools, OBAMI is a very robust alternative.  Based out of South Africa, OBAMI is rolling out in England (namely in Bolton, read press coverage) and is looking further afield.

To find Barbara Mallinson and OBAMI:

• Follow Barbara via Twitter @BarbsMall or @OBAMI
• The full site: OBAMI
• To contact Obami

————–

Further resources for the Minter Dialogue Radio Show:

Meanwhile, you can find my other English-speaking interviews on the Minter Dialogue Radio Show on Buzzsprout or via itunes.  And for the francophones reading this, if you want to get more podcasts, you can also find my radio show en français over at : MinterDial.fr, on Buzzsprout or in iTunes.

The internet of things useful… arrives

Having heard Cedric Hutchings, co-founder and CEO of Withings, speak at LeWeb 2010 last year, I had the chance to meet him at the Université d’Ete 2011 for the MEDEF (an organization for French business executives and entrepreneurs).  If I had to summarize, Withings is the real beginning of the “internet of things.”  And, in the case of Withings, it is things that have to do with your health (at least thus far).  The company designs and sells connected objects, “as well as the associated network platform and software applications associated with these objects.”

A connected body scale

I took this sentence which speaks volumes about the exciting potential of this field, from Withings vision statement: ”After modifying our daily relationship with the computer with the web, then with telephony and television services with telephony and television on IP, permanent broadband access to internet networks opens the way to a profound revolution of everyday objects.”

Presently, the company has three commercialized products, of which the first, the WiFi Body Scale (available in black or white) with which you can tweet out your weight. The other two include a Tensiometer which measures and tracks your blood pressure, as well as Baby Monitor (scoop: it’s due out in October).

An innovative affiliated marketing progam & Google Health

Cedric also talks about his affiliated marketing program which involves 3rd party players, who can integrate services in and around the instruments that Withings produce.

He also speaks to the future of health data on line and the folding of the Google Health initiative (which I thought was a neat concept, albeit poorly executed).

Cedric Hutchings’ profile

Cedric Hutchings (35) holds an engineering degree from the Ecole Centrale of Paris and a Masters from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).   Prior to starting Withings, Cedric worked at Inventel where he managed the launch of residential wireless gateways, then at Thomson as marketing director of domestic products in charge of developing residential offers.

To find Cedric Hutchings and Withings:

• via Twitter @CedHutch
• Withings

————–

Further resources for the Minter Dialogue Radio Show:

Meanwhile, you can find my other English-speaking interviews on the Minter Dialogue Radio Show on Buzzsprout or via itunes.  And for the francophones reading this, if you want to get more podcasts, you can also find my radio show en français over at : MinterDial.fr, on Buzzsprout or in iTunes.

A podcast is content… yessir!

Mitch Joel - President of Twist Image

Mitch Joel remains a man on the ball and one of the most revered voices in digital marketing across North America.  In this early morning interview recorded on August 1st, 2011, with Mitch in Montreal, we discussed where we are in digital marketing, how can companies improve their digital strategy as well as his viewpoint on the Google+ / Facebook face-off.

True to form, Mitch made several tweet-sized comments regarding the adoption of digital marketing in organizations (and the importance of people):

“No country for old men….”
“If you can’t change people, change the people.”

Or, about the difference between using traditional and digital media:

“The traditional sphere is driven by audience size; the digital sphere is driven by interest.  And those are very different mindsets that you have to go into…”

Digital resources mentioned by Mitch:

• Blog post on Twist Image: In the age of co-dependency and Facebook
• Fred Wilson’s (VC principal of Union Square Ventures) great blog post: Marketing
• GetaLoadofMilk from Dairy Farmers of Canada (do put your desktop/laptop volume ON as it loads!)
• TD Canada Trust Bank (Rewards programme)

To find Mitch on the web:

• via Twitter @MitchJoel
• Twist Image Digital Agency

————–

Further resources for the Minter Dialogue Radio Show:

Meanwhile, you can find my other English-speaking interviews on the Minter Dialogue Radio Show on Buzzsprout or via itunes.  And for the francophones reading this, if you want to get more podcasts, you can also find my radio show en français over at : MinterDial.fr, on Buzzsprout or in iTunes.

A Social Search Optimizer

CEO & Co-founder Martin-Luc Archambault

Martin-Luc Archambault, 30, is a “serial entrepreneur” in the tech/web world. Based out of Montreal, Quebec, he is CEO and co-founder of Wajam, a social search optimizer or add-on that is still in a private beta phase (launched in February 2011).  In addition, Martin-Luc is CEO and co-founder of Bolidea, a start-up incubator (“business accelerator”) that is designed to allow the team “to build many businesses at the same time.”  You might say that, with Bolidea, Martin-Luc is your archetypal Gen Y entrepreneur (although don’t try to find his personal profile on Twitter or Facebook!).

In this interview, we discuss how Wajam works and how the playing field looks with the arrival of Google’s +1 and Bing’s alliance with Facebook.  Personally, I find Wajam is an enticing proposition to layer on top of my browser.  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Digital resources mentioned by Martin-Luc:

• Google Alerts and Radian6 on “social search”
• Martin-Luc’s favorite sources: Mashable, TechCrunch

To find Martin-Luc on the web:

• via Twitter @Bolidea or Wajam’s Community Manager, Emilie Dupre @emdupre
• Martin-Luc on Linkedin (professional profile)

————–

Further resources for the Minter Dialogue Radio Show:

Meanwhile, you can find my other English-speaking interviews on the Minter Dialogue Radio Show here on Buzzsprout or via itunes.  And for the francophones reading this, if you want to get more podcasts, you can also find my radio show en français over at : MinterDial.fr, on Buzzsprout or in iTunes.

Get smart (-phone) marketing

Connected Smart Aleck

As smart as the internet can make you, it is not called the smartnet nor the intellinet.  Meanwhile, mobile phones that connect to the internet are called “smart phones.”  Not sure I subscribe to the title.  This label may soon be considered as silly as putting “new” or “modern” in front into a new brand name.  While I can allow that New York is a city that has a rather unique energy and ability to keep up with the times, most of the times when “new” or “modern” is embedded, it becomes old tomorrow.  It’s like saying “modern marketing” for digital marketing.  At some point, digital marketing will become the de facto norm.

In the case of the smartphone, tomorrow all mobile phones will be connected to the internet; at least this will probably be true for all mobiles phones sold by 2015, by which time some 2.5 billion smartphones* will have been sold — enough to equip one third of the world’s population.

As the connected and highly portable iPad (and other tablets) bridge the gap between the laptop computer and smartphone, if the latter is to earn its keep, I hope that it truly helps us work smarter, not just better.

Meanwhile, considering the predictability of the smartphone invasion, it remains hard to explain why so many brands still have not created mobile-friendly sites, apps and programs.  There are a whole lot of eMarketers and Brands out there that need to smarten up, I say.

*Per Coda Research

The importance of dialogue

Move and listen... learn on the go

I have been podcasting in English and French now for nearly a year now. For those of you who don’t know it, I call my podcast the Minter Dialogue radio show.  I use the term “radio show” thanks to the advice of Alan Stevens because the word podcast is just too geeky a terminology.  On my French “Minter Dialogue” podcast, I am up to my 30th recording and on the English one (click here), I have done nearly a dozen shows.  It has been a fabulous journey, meeting many wonderfully interesting personalities along the way.  These podcasts, which are focused on the internet, digital marketing and new technologies, range in length from 5 minutes up to 45 minutes, with the bulk coming in at around 30 minutes.

The reason why my interviews last up to 30 minutes is based on the fact that I want to allow for a conversation to develop with enough leaway for tangents and serendipity, all the while providing sufficiently interesting content and, where possible, a site or two to visit (i.e. something actionable).  At thirty minutes, however, I fear that I do not really fit into a ‘proven’ model.  I’d love to have your perspective?

What’s the right length for a podcast?

It strikes me that there are three types of succesful podcasts out there:

• the byte size 2-5 minutes
• the commuter special (15-20 minutes)
• the long tale (45 minutes and over)

My observation has less to do with the content per se and more with the way that we consume the podcast.

The byte size podcast

The byte size podcast you can fit in on small walks (walking the dog!), waiting in line to buy your coffee or on the can.  It is hardly a commitment in time to click on a 2 minute podcast, so you are open to more risk taking, maybe listening to more off-track subjects.  Worst case, you lost 2 minutes.  Best for me: Geek Beat (Cali Lewis- no longer up), Best of YouTube and CNN In Case You Missed It News.

The commuter special podcast

The commuter special needs to fit within that average travel time, reportedly around 20 minutes.  TED, with its 18 minute videos, of course is the perfect ‘commuter’ length.  What counts when listening to a 20-minute recording is having enough time without interruption.  In this category, you have to add TED talks, but I also like to listen to Marketing over Coffee (John Wall and Christopher Penn) and NPR Technology (more like 30 minutes).

The long tale podcast

The long tale — wink to Chris Anderson — or the jogger’s cast is a podcast that goes on for up to 2 hours and that provides for a very different hear & feel.  The longer podcast is clearly for a different kind of audience and consumption.  I like to think of the jogger doing his or her 10km (6 miles) run.  Unlike watching YouTube for example, when you listen to podcasts on the ipod/iphone (etc), iTunes automatically bookmarks where you are so that you can come back to it and start up where you left off.  The long tale is typically a rather longer journey, with multiple participants and/or subjects.  My favorites would be Susan Bratton’s Dishy Mix and Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Separation.

So here’s the question for you: What do you think is the right length?  Should I shorten my interviews down to 20 minutes?  Lengthen them out to 45+?  I welcome your suggestions!

Further resources for the Minter Dialogue Radio Show:

You can find my other English-speaking interviews on the Minter Dialogue Radio Show here on:

• Buzzsprout (to listen on your desktop)
• or via iTunes (to listen on your mp3 or iPhone etc.)

And for the francophones reading this, if you want to get more podcasts, you can also find my radio show en français over at : MinterDial.fr, on Buzzsprout en français (desktop) or in iTunes.

I had the chance to meet François Pétavy, a fellow INSEAD alum, who is CEO of Eyeka, a successful French start-up providing a co-creation and crowdsourcing platform for brands around the world.  Eyeka manages a community of over 140,000 creative consumers who participate and co-create with  brands on a wide array of briefs that focus on consumer insights and innovation.  In this interview with François, we look at the service that Eyeka provides and the particularity of Eyeka (versus existing competition), whose roots are decidedly French.   Eyeka provides a very intresting semiological viewpoint that makes it stand out from the crowd (so to speak).  Eyeka provides another example of why being open and collaborative in spirit can be an invaluable asset in the fast-moving world of marketing.

To follow or contact Eyeka and/or François Pétavy:

• Eyeka – the blog (in English)
• Eyeka on Twitter
• François Pétavy on Twitter
• Eyeka Facebook (7800 fans and counting)

————–

Further resources for the Minter Dialogue Radio Show:

Interactive Marketing at its best

I got to know Rachel Weiss while working at L’Oreal. Specifically, Rachel began at L’Oréal in 2007 working on the digital strategy for PureOlogy and Redken USA (‘professional’ brands that sell through the hairdresser channel and is, thus B2B2C). At the beginning of this year, Rachel was promoted to run the Digital Strategy and Interactive Marketing for L’Oreal USA’s entire Professional Products Division. Previously, Rachel worked in the financial services sector (Digital Strategist for Citigroup), an area that was paradoxically one of the first to take up the digital mantle. In this interview, we discuss the activities of Redken to see how they have actively sought to bring the offline community online and how their online strategy has contributed to propel Redken to be the number 1 in the US.  Rachel is a real dynamo.  Her insights and energy should inspire you!  As she says in her final words: “Digital Marketing is not an academic exercise… you have to learn to play with it.”

Digital links and resources mentioned by Rachel Weiss:

• Buddy Media – A platform for companies /brands to manage their Facebook pages and engage fans.
• Vitrue – Social Media Management – Facebook for Business.
• Radian6 – A platform to listen, measure and engage with your customers across the social web.
• Rachel’s favourite sources: Mashable, TechCrunch, AdAge

To connect with or follow Rachel:

• via Twitter @NYCBabylon
• on Linkedin

————–

Further resources for the Minter Dialogue Radio Show:

Subscribe via iTunes

Meanwhile, you can find my other English-speaking interviews on the Minter Dialogue Radio Show here on Buzzsprout or via itunes.  And for the francophones reading this, if you want to get more podcasts, you can also find my radio show en français over at : MinterDial.fr, on Buzzsprout or in iTunes.

Drew Ellis, co-founder of Like Minds

Andrew ‘Drew’ Ellis is the co-founder of We Are Like Minds, which was founded in October 2009 and has quickly taken up a pole position as thought leaders for business using social media at their global events, and with an eponymous co-working private members club in London WC2.  Drew also founded EyetoEye Digital, in 1994, an agency providing creative and marketing strategy,  including brand creation and mobile app development.

In his spare time, Drew is also one half of the band ORBIT, alongside renowned composer and producer, Craig Leon.   Their first project Orbit- The Journey to the Moon was shown on The Discovery Network in 56 countries on the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Apollo moon landing.

He is a man with his pulse on the world of digital media, advising global businesses and countries on how to adapt to the fast paced world of social media and more.

Links and resources mentioned by Drew Ellis:

• Huddle collaborative platform
• Craig Leon
• Chris Brogan, author of Trust Agents and renowned speaker extraordinaire…
• Olivier Blanchard – The Brand Builder Blog
• Trey Pennington – Trey Pennington is a marketing pro, speaking, author, and social media integrationists (leverages your TOTAL marketing program)
• Ken Rutkowski Radio show – World Technology Roundup – a daily technology new podcast with unique insight and perspective on the high tech industry.

To connect or follow Drew:

• via Twitter @Drewellis
• on Linkedin

————–

Further resources for the Minter Dialogue Radio Show:

Subscribe via iTunes

Meanwhile, you can find my other English-speaking interviews on the Minter Dialogue Radio Show here on Buzzsprout or via itunes.  And for the francophones reading this, if you want to get more podcasts, you can also find my radio show en français over at : MinterDial.fr, on Buzzsprout or in iTunes.

Crocker, Cerf and Postel - The founding fathers of the Internet

I had the distinct pleasure to meet and interview Dr Stephen Crocker, one of the three founding fathers of the Internet.  In the photo on the left, Steve is the one with the intention of only listening to what goes on.  The other two are Jon Postel (1943-1998) and Vinton Cerf (b 1943).  As a graduate student at UCLA in the 1960s, Dr Steve Crocker helped to set up the original ARPANET, and was the author of the code for the seminal RFC Request for Comment, which is still in use today.  In December 2010, Steve was elected Vice-Chair of the ICANN Board and has been Chair of ICANN’s Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) since its inception in 2002.

Once arpan a time with Steve Crocker

Once arpan a time there was a network

I caught up with Steve at the Netexplorateur Forum 2011 (at UNESCO, Paris) where he gave a memorable keynote speech.  In this interview, I got a chance to hear about the founding of the Internet, the activities of the ICANN, his spin on the Netexplorateur event as well as his venture, Shinkuro (synchronicity in Japanese), a light file-sharing system that does not rely on the cloud.  Steve continues to espouse the very values that accompanied the founding of the Internet: transparency, social intelligence and a passion to share.  It was a unique moment for me.  I hope you enjoy the interview.

To read more about Steve Crocker:

• History of the ARPANET – and here is a longer text from Michael Hauben at Columbia.
• History of the creation of the Request for Comment (RFC)
• ICANN Board Member

————–

Meanwhile, you can find my other English-speaking interviews on the Minter Dialogue Radio Show here on Buzzsprout or via itunes.  And for the francophones reading this, if you want to get more podcasts, you can also find my radio show en français over at : MinterDial.fr, on Buzzsprout or in iTunes.