Pioneers of Digital: Success Stories from Leaders in Advertising, Marketing, Search and Social Media

by Mel Carson, Paul Springer

Overview

Pioneers of Digital showcases the stories behind key people who have fundamentally influenced the way advertising, marketing, search and social media have evolved during the internet era.

Springer and Carson have tracked down and documented behind-the-scenes insight, decisions and opinions that inspired digital phenomena such as Virtual Reality, Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign, Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, celebrity take-up of Twitter and Artists Without a Label, a free digital music distribution service for independent artists.

The 20 digital entrepreneurs profiled span the globe; some performed their ground-breaking work in environments like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Victors & Spoils, OgilvyOne, R/GA, AKQA, Sapient Nitro and Apple, while others performed digital miracles all on their own. Together these stories expose the secrets of success from pioneers that everyone can learn from. Packed full of unique insight, Pioneers of Digital provides advice and inspiration for readers interested in twenty-first century commercial online thinking. More at www.PioneersOfDigital.com

The pioneers:
Thomas Gensemer MyBO and Obama's 2008 Presidential Campaign
June Cohen Hotwired and TED.com
Denzyl Feigelson iTunes Advisor and Artists Without A Label
Vanessa Fox Google and Nine By Blue
Gurbaksh Chahal ClickAgents and BlueLithium
Jaron Lanier Virtual reality and Microsoft Research
Angel Chen OgilvyOne China
John Winsor Victors & Spoils
Danny Sullivan Search Engine Land
Alex Bogusky, Bob Cianfrone Burger King's Subservient Chicken
Avinash Kaushik Digital marketing evangelist, Google
Carolyn Everson MTV Networks and Facebook
Malcolm Poynton Dove Campaign for Real Beauty
Qi Lu Yahoo!, Microsoft and Bing
Ajaz Ahmed AKQA
Martha Lane Fox Lastminute.com and the UK government's digital champion
Kyle MacDonald One Red Paperclip
Jess Greenwood Contagious Magazine and R/GA
Zhang Minhui Sohu.com.cn
Stephen Fry

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780749466046
Publisher:	Kogan Page, Ltd.
Publication date:	10/30/2012
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Paul Springer is Head of Research for Design, Media & Management and a Communications Professor at Buckinghamshire New University (UK). He is an advisor to the China Advertising Association and Chairs the Research committee of the European Foundation of Commercial Communications Education Springer has written for Admap, Brand Strategy and China Advertising. He is the author of Ads to Icons (published by Kogan Page).

Mel Carson is founder of Delightful Communications, a Seattle-based Social Media Strategy, Digital PR & Personal Branding consultancy. An industry veteran, his most notable role has been a seven year stint as Microsoft Advertising's Digital Marketing Evangelist where he built his reputation as an accomplished blogger and conference speaker on search marketing, social media and online advertising. Originally from London, he's also lectured on MBA and MSc courses at Birkbeck College and Cranfield University in the UK.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vii

Introduction 1

01 MyBO and Obama's 2008 Presidential Campaign Thomas Gensemer 5

02 Hotwired and TED.com June Cohen 13

03 iTunes Advisor and Artists Without A Label Denzyl Feigelson 21

04 Google and Nine By Blue Vanessa Fox 29

05 ClickAgents and BlueLithium Gurbaksh Chahal 39

06 Virtual reality and Microsoft Research Jaron Lanier 49

07 OgilvyOne China Angel Chen 57

08 Victors & Spoils John Winsor 67

09 Search Engine Land Danny Sullivan 77

10 Burger King's Subservient Chicken Alex Bogusky Bob Cianfrone 85

11 Digital marketing evangelist, Google Avinash Kaushik 93

12 MTV Networks and Facebook Carolyn Everson 103

13 Dove Campaign for Real Beauty Malcolm Poynton 111

14 Yahoo!, Microsoft and Bing Qi Lu 119

15 AKQA Ajaz Ahmed 129

16 Lastminute.com and the UK government's digital champion Martha Lane Fox 139

17 One Red Paperclip Kyle MacDonald 147

18 Contagious Magazine and R/GA Jess Greenwood 157

19 Sohu.com.cn Zhang Minhui 167

20 Stephen Fry 175

21 Pioneering places 183

China 184

India 188

Middle East 191

22 Lessons from pioneers 195

Not being original 195

Pioneering commercial models 197

Repositioning creativity 199

Skills convergence 200

All platforms and no content 202

Running in real time (not being ahead of the game) 205

Create something useful and never assume 206

Enjoy what you do! 206

Ten steps to becoming a digital pioneer, from the people who got there 207

Jargon buster 209

Bibliography 215

Index 217

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"These very insightful stories are perfect for those fascinated by the history of digital." —Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP

"If you embrace new media and the spell it has cast over advertising and the world in general, this may be your lucky day…These concise profiles makes for quick reading, with useful 'sound bytes' at the end of each chapter…Readers will feel like kids in a digital candy shop." —Publishers Weekly

"The 20 tech stars [Springer and Carson] feature in the book emphasize simplicity — solving everyday problems with easy-to-grasp solutions." —Investor's Business Daily

"Pioneers of Digital makes for compelling reading about fascinating innovators. Their curiosity, passion, drive and enthusiasm for using technology in creative ways to help people connect and interact is both contagious and inspirational." —USA Today

"Springer and Carson have done a commendable job of collecting diverse examples representing a wide array of fascinating applications while drawing general conclusions about digital innovation. 'Our aim with this book is to inspire,' write the authors. Most readers will find Pioneers of Digital does exactly that." —ForeWord Reviews

"[A] treasure trove of concepts that guide the reader into the direction of becoming a future pioneer. The various stories have both a standard framework, and a unique sense of the individuals and their vision. The opportunity to learn from the successes of the pioneers, and how to learn from their experiences, transforms the book into a powerful teaching and learning tool for the aspiring digital innovator...I highly recommend the insightful and success oriented book...to anyone seeking an anthology of informative and idea filled profiles of successful pioneers in the digital world." —Blog Business World

"Great book. Easy read. Each chapter is stand alone so it is an easy book to put down and pick up again." —Jim Estill

"The book provides an interesting series of anecdotes focusing on excellent work and success stories along with the lessons that can be learned to have an impact on the digital industry and the wider world." —Contagious Magazine

"Readers interested in social media or seeking interesting business people for professional inspiration will be more than satisfied. Utlimately read Pioneers of Digital to know what it takes to truly stand out in your field." —SmallBizTrends

Editorial Reviews

If you embrace new media and the spell it has cast over advertising and the world in general, this may be your lucky day. Digital media expert Springer (Ads to Icons) and Carson, a digital marketing executive at Microsoft, present a compilation of 20 brief yet thorough, and sometimes fascinating, sketches of digital pioneers. June Cohen joined the digital revolution in 1991, when she was at Stanford and one could "breathe in technology along with the air," and went on to work with HotWired and the TED Conference, bringing TEDTalks public. Danny Sullivan, a technical journalist, was writing about SEO years before the birth of Google. Malcolm Poynton's Dove Campaign for Real Beauty was the "first full Web-based advertising campaign," reaching 200 million women. Qi Lu, at Microsoft, had the temerity and enthusiasm to take on Google with Bing and earned almost "mythical reputation for leading and inspiring." These concise profiles makes for quick reading, with useful "sound bytes" at the end of each chapter, though the concluding "Lessons for Pioneers" is less compelling. Readers will feel like kids in a digital candy shop. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"Readers interested in social media or seeking interesting business people for professional inspiration will be more that satisfied. Ultimately read Pioneers of Digital to know what it takes to truly stand out in your field."

SmallBizTrends

"The book provides an interesting series of anecdotes focusing on excellent work and success stories along with the lessons that can be learned to have an impact on the digital industry and the wider world."

Contagious Magazine

"An inspiring read, and a good introduction to digital approaches and the broader digital market landscape."

Ninder Takhar

"These very insightful stories are perfect for those fascinated by the history of digital."

Sir Martin Sorrell

"...explains many secrets of the digital sphere that even the newest marketer can understand and apply [...] It incorporates a fantastic breakdown of the digital sphere which is important to understand the marketing success seen in the case studies [...] a book which you should not be without when new campaigns are being coined. The right path to reach your audience is out there and this book will help you get there faster than before. (5* review)"

B2B Marketing Magazine

"Springer and Carson have done a commendable job of collecting diverse examples representing a wide array of fascinating applications while drawing general conclusions about digital innovation. "Our aim with this book is to inspire," write the authors. Most readers will find Pioneers of Digital does exactly that."

ForeWord Reviews

"Pioneers of Digital makes for compelling reading about fascinating innovators. Their curiosity, passion, drive and enthusiasm for using technology in creative ways to help people connect and interact is both contagious and inspirational."

USA Today

"...an excellent book to dip into and pick up lessons and inspiration from some of the greatest digital marketeers the world has to offer. It's also beautifully laid out, features neat summaries and handy hints to take away from each profile [...] an excellent reference tool and an encyclopaedia of tech know-how."

Elite Business Magazine

"The 20 tech stars [Spring and Carson] feature in the book emphasize simplicity - solving everyday problems with easy-to-grasp solutions."

Investor's Business Daily

"These very insightful stories are perfect for those fascinated by the history of digital." —Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP

"If you embrace new media and the spell it has cast over advertising and the world in general, this may be your lucky day…These concise profiles makes for quick reading, with useful 'sound bytes' at the end of each chapter…Readers will feel like kids in a digital candy shop." —Publishers Weekly  

"The 20 tech stars [Springer and Carson] feature in the book emphasize simplicity — solving everyday problems with easy-to-grasp solutions." —Investor's Business Daily

"Pioneers of Digital makes for compelling reading about fascinating innovators. Their curiosity, passion, drive and enthusiasm for using technology in creative ways to help people connect and interact is both contagious and inspirational." —USA Today 

"Springer and Carson have done a commendable job of collecting diverse examples representing a wide array of fascinating applications while drawing general conclusions about digital innovation. 'Our aim with this book is to inspire,' write the authors. Most readers will find Pioneers of Digital does exactly that." —ForeWord Reviews

"[A] treasure trove of concepts that guide the reader into the direction of becoming a future pioneer. The various stories have both a standard framework, and a unique sense of the individuals and their vision. The opportunity to learn from the successes of the pioneers, and how to learn from their experiences, transforms the book into a powerful teaching and learning tool for the aspiring digital innovator...I highly recommend the insightful and success oriented book...to anyone seeking an anthology of informative and idea filled profiles of successful pioneers in the digital world." —Blog Business World 

"Great book.  Easy read.  Each chapter is stand alone so it is an easy book to put down and pick up again." —Jim Estill

"The book provides an interesting series of anecdotes focusing on excellent work and success stories along with the lessons that can be learned to have an impact on the digital industry and the wider world." —Contagious Magazine

"Readers interested in social media or seeking interesting business people for professional inspiration will be more than satisfied. Ultimately read Pioneers of Digital to know what it takes to truly stand out in your field." —SmallBizTrends

"[O]ffers a series of stories behind key people who influenced the way advertising and marketing have evolved during the internet era, and make for a fine account that reveals the strategies and successes of some twenty digital entrepreneurs around the world." —Midwest Book Review, California Bookwatch: The Business Shelf 

"[C]oncise and engaging... Of particular value is the final chapter, which highlights the major lessons that can be gleaned from the pioneers.  ...The authors go out of their way to make the lessons from the pioneers easily digestible and understandable.  Profiling multiple pioneers elucidates the trials and tribulations of innovation while also providing an enjoyable reading experience.  Summing Up: Recommended.  All collections and readership levels." –CHOICE

From the Publisher

"Some highly practical advice you can take into your work."

Andrew Armour's Benchstone Blog - Andrew Armour