next09

It is a big step for us: We are moving the next conference to Berlin! SinnerSchrader and STATION Berlin will jointly host next10 on May 11 & 12, 2010. With this move we aim to build the next conference in Berlin into the leading European conference for the digital and creative industry.

The main topic of next10 is Game Changers. Game Changers break rules and redefine business models. They are innovative and take risks, free from the burdens of mass marketing and mainstream. Companies that change the game bet on disruptive innovations to create new products and services, they don't leave it at continuous improvement of the present.

The world is full of Game Changers. At next10 we will show the most interesting Game Changers from a broad variety of industries in two days. We currently focus on Automotive, Banking, Retail, E-Commerce, FMCG, Mobile, Media, Entertainment, Advertising, Travel, Tourism and Health Care.

Register now to secure your early bird ticket. And see you in Berlin in May!

Currently I'm listening to Chris Anderson reading his new book called Free. And as you would expect, the audio book is free (as in beer). Funny enough, there is another, abridged (!) version available at audible.com that sells for $7.49. Why?

Because, as the Audible.com listing explains,"Get the point in half the time! In this abridged edition, the author handpicked the most important and engaging chapters and points, cutting three hours from the length without losing key concepts. Time is money!"

In another attempt to do what he preaches, Chris has also released the complete ebook on Scribd (embedded below) and Google Books (the latter only in the US). Now there are no excuses left for not reading (or listening to) his latest book. If you prefer a shorter introduction to the topic, you may want to start with Chris' Wired essay published last year. Chris Anderson, for those who don't know the man, is editor in chief of Wired and author of The Long Tail.

Crowdsourcing Creativity seems to be an irritating issue, at least for agencies whose traditional value promise is based on their own creative staff that cannot easily be replaced by a crowd of creatives from the outside. So the typical question that always comes to mind is who can be trusted. Katarina Skoberne from OpenAd and Ross Kimbarovsky of crowdSPRING both sat on a panel at next09, presenting their different approaches to the same problem.

And while OpenAd and crowdSPRING didn't chose the same route to solve the problem of trust, they share the conviction to trust the network. Typically, their clients get to chose from a lot of creative work done by many different people, giving them the chance to pick what they like and think works best for their needs. So it's not the question whether they trust the notorious design student or not, but the networks, processes and platforms Katarina and Ross have built.

Crowdsourcing Creativity has the disruptive potential to be a game changer for the agency business. So if you happen to be a creative or agency worker, you better watch this video, check out both sites and prepare for the inevitable future.

Tim Leberecht of frog design just came up with three more rules for the chief meaning officer, bringing their number to a total of ten. As he spoke at next09 some weeks ago, he had just seven rules. Watch the video here.

Seriously, Tim wrote an extensive and thoughtful essay on his topic. Clearly a must-read for everyone in this space of (social media) marketing.

We live in times of major uncertainty. The doom and gloom of the economic crisis, the deterioration of mass markets, the pervasiveness of the digital lifestyle, and the fragmentation of traditional societal institutions are not only inducing anxiety but also inspiring a search for simplicity and noneconomic value systems. Consumption-driven wealth and status are being replaced by identity, belonging, and a strong desire to contribute to -- or to experience -- something "meaningful" rather than to acquire more things. Trust and reputation are no longer enablers for the exchange of goods, services, and information, they are replacements for them. Values are the new value. Meaning is succeeding customer satisfaction. "The job of leadership today is not just to make money. It's to make meaning," writes management consultant John Hagel.

This new cultural climate presents a historic opportunity for brands to transform themselves into arbiters of meaning. When your brand is a vector, your base becomes a movement -- as we learned from Barack Obama's presidential campaign. A "meaning surplus" will become imperative: Only businesses that give more than they take will be able to create sustained brand loyalty. Out: bottom-line pragmatists and financial wizards. In: philosophers, ethicists, and social entrepreneurs.

Although all corporate functions are affected by this path-finding moment, marketing is best positioned to lead the transformation. Effort is required to move beyond simply connecting products and customers with the goal of facilitating transactions. Marketing must now create "meaning" through actions and interactions. What is needed is the marketer as chief meaning officer -- someone who negotiates a "New Deal," a new social contract between brands, their stakeholders, and society at large.

Read more.

Picture: design mind