1AmongMany

agency: POKE NY

How do you make a digital purchase experience that feels as close to a physical experience as possible? For Teroforma, a new tableware company that brings together designers and craftsmen from around the world, the answer was simple: the table. Teroforma has designed a line of distinctive tableware created through a marriage of new ideas and age-old traditions. They’ve partnered innovative young designers with skilled craftsmen to bring you mouth-blown glass from Bohemia, silverware from Portugal, and bone china from, not surprisingly, China.

And, of course, if you’re buying dishes, isn’t the table exactly where you want to see them? You want to be able to mix and match, see this plate next to that mug and decide whether the blue or the green linens work better with that pattern you love. At Teroforma, that’s exactly how you shop.

Teroforma was a finalist at the One Show.

Launched in June of 2006, the Nike+ system has been called one of the most successful social experience sites on the internet. The Nike+ website offers users a method to track their personal running progress, but more importantly, it creates an outlet for people to connect around their passion.

In July 2007, I participated in the Nike+ Summit at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. I and eleven other runners from across the US were selected because we were knowledgeable, savvy, early adopters of the Nike+ system. We met with product developers and designers from Nike, Apple, and R/GA to share our insights about the positive elements and the flaws in the system. Based on my professional background, and my familiarity with the Nike+ system, I was uniquely positioned within the group to speak for Nike+ users in general, and the under 30 market in particular.

During the summit, the Nike+ team expressed an interest in becoming more relevant in the digital space, especially among the youth market. With those interests in mind, I put together a strategic document outlining a series of ideas and tactics that I believe would strengthen the presence of Nike+ in the youth market. A copy of the presentation is available for download in .pdf format here.

agency: Undercurrent

Strategic stronghold Undercurrent tasked me with a concise challenge for their client, Start Mobile: increase sales. Start Mobile is a small, web based company that specializes in wallpapers for mobile devices. They have cultivated a remarkable group of popular artists such as Shepard Fairey, Tara McPherson, and David Cho, and have created a library of these artists’ works available to mobile users at the manageable price of $1.99 each.

After analyzing their strengths and shortcomings, I outlined a series of strategic opportunities for Start Mobile that combines both online and offline executions and partnerships. Tactics that allow them to capitalize on their associations with today’s brightest artists and help Start Mobile reach audiences who are both technically inclined and design-savvy.

I am an anomaly. I am an outlier. I am a trend hunter and I’m passionate about technology and creativity. For years now, I’ve been the square peg that you can’t quite figure out where to place. I am equal parts “Art Director”, “Copywriter”, “Developer”, “Designer” and “Social Media Strategist”. And I’m part of a growing group of tech savvy, trend conscious, digitally connected and socially aware creative young people who are changing advertising from the inside out.

It was for just those reasons that I was hired by JoshSpear.com to watch, find and share everything in the realm of technology, design, and social interaction that hasn’t yet hit the mainstream. JoshSpear.com is a “source of inspiration for marketers, brand managers, advertising executives, and a wide range of everyday people from around the world who love to stay ahead of the curve.” In 2007, I contributed daily to the wealth of content that’s collected on JoshSpear.com. I have since moved on to collect similar content on my own site, www.AmongMany.com.

Beyond Madison Avenue was created in September 2005 as an outlet for a few select gurus to share their insights on branding and strategy, marketing and advertising, and traditional and innovative media opportunities. While at BMA, readership was expanded to over fourteen hundred subscribers, and the blog garnered more than four hundred visits per day. During my time with BMA, it was regularly ranked among the top 70 of Ad Age’s media and marketing blogs.

I started writing for Beyond Madison Avenue at its inception and served as Editor from September 2006 to November 2007. Under my guidance, BMA grew to include its own podcast, and was voted the Most Valuable Blog in a competition sponsored by eminent blogger, Joseph Jaffe, ahead of prominent challengers such as Seth Godin and Wired Magazine.

In the spirit of connecting people, Beyond Madison Avenue teamed up with event production company KMP to create PAUSE, a summer happy hour event designed to bridge the gap between virtual and personal relationships. PAUSE gave BMA’s readers, along with others in New York’s creative community, the opportunity to take a deep breath and put their hectic work schedules on hold for an evening.