somersault

You haven’t heard Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring like this before! The music is the centerpiece of an innovative viral video (2 million views) for NTT Docomo’s Touch Wood Phone. Adweek (@adweek) gets behind-the-scenes in this article. 

An article by bhatnaturally (@bhatnaturally) explains what makes a successful viral video:

When it comes to TV commercials, placing it on YouTube either before or after airing it has become a default option. Some videos are placed on YouTube with an express intent of making them viral. Unfortunately you cannot ‘make’ a viral video; you can only hope the video will ‘go’ viral. Going beyond mere hope, certain aspects about the ads can help it to go viral. Like in the Touch Wood ad.

·         At first pass, it’s riveting. You are intrigued to find out what’s going to happen next.

·         There are certain moments in the film which have repeat value -- for me it was when the balls go off the bridge and fall in to the ‘net’ on the sides.

·         There is a reward for the viewer’s attention and engagement in terms of a message.

·         It evokes a ‘wow, that’s cool’ reaction.

What viral video can Somersault help you produce?

Remember when? Reminisce about a time (the 1980s) when cell phones, weighing “only” 30 ounces, ushered in the era when “seeing people using cellular phones may seem as commonplace as someone checking time on an electronic watch, figuring on an electronic calculator, or programming on an electronic computer.” Also watch this brief BBC interview with Martin Cooper, the inventor of the first cell phone Apr. 3, 1973.

How will people in 2041 look back at our technology today? What technology will you embrace today to advance your brand? Let Somersault help you. And be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard.

Watch this video while thinking how publishing must adapt itself to a variety of changes coming our way. As Somersault says, these changes are a playground of possibilities!

Thomas Nelson Chairman & CEO Michael Hyatt (@MichaelHyatt) has included on his blog video interviews conducted at Digital Book World (@DigiBookWorld). Michael was interviewed on his perspective on social media, bundling, sharing, and the success of Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze.com program. Other publishing executives interviewed were

• Jane Friedman, Founder and CEO of Open Road Integrated Media (former CEO of HarperCollins)
• Sarah Weinman, News Editor of Publishers Marketplace
• Deborah Forte, president of Scholastic Media
• Dominique Raccah, CEO of Sourcebooks
• James McQuivey, VP and Principal Analyst of Forrester Research

See these interviews in full.

We at Somersault believe in the power of strategic market research and strongly recommend it to our clients. But these funny videos demonstrate how focus groups and other research techniques shouldn’t be superficially taken on face value; they need to be carefully prepared and analyzed so as to never kill your innovative, necessary, and game-changing ideas.

Novelist Alton Gansky (@altongansky) is the author of more than 30 books and provides writing services to publishers, agents, businesses, and other authors. On his YouTube channel, he interviewed in 2 sessions Dave Lambert, editorial director for Somersault (@smrsault). Dave explains how Somersault came to be and how it helps content providers take full advantage of the rapidly changing publishing world. Watch the videos.

Meet Nelson, Coupland, and Alice — the faces of tomorrow’s book. Watch global design and innovation consultancy IDEO’s (@ideo) vision for the future of the book. It explores the new experiences that might be created by linking diverse discussions; the additional value that could be created by connecting readers to one another; and the innovative ways that might be used to tell favorite stories and build community around books. Watch the video.

Flipboard is a new free iPad App “inspired by the beauty and ease of print media.” Flipboardʼs mission is to fundamentally improve how people discover, view, and share content across their social networks. This looks like a game-changer. Watch the video and see for yourself:

 This New York Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/fashion/11AuthorVideos.html?ref=media) explores what it means for reclusive authors to have to go before the unblinking eye of the camera in search of readers. Here's an excerpt:

In the streaming video era, with the publishing industry under relentless threat, the trailer is fast becoming an essential component of online marketing. Asked to draw on often nonexistent acting skills, authors are holding forth for anything from 30 seconds to 6 minutes, frequently to the tune of stock guitar strumming, soulful violin or klezmer music. And now, those who once worried about no one reading their books can worry about no one watching their trailers.

Yet...authors recognize the necessity — even the opportunity — of technologically upgrading their marketing efforts. “Any way we can reach out to readers is worth trying,” [says one author].

The Mobys are awards for book videos. This year, Dennis Cass won best performance by an author for his satirical look of "the groveling expected of modern writers." Very funny!

For an inspiring video presentation on the advances in social networking, watch this