Speaking with a new team member this week, the topic of the “molecularization” of commerce came up. The theory, he said, is that as we continue down this path of peer-to-peer marketplaces, job hopping and entrepreneurialism (for good or bad), the value of a longtime career will erode to the point where even the idea of a single-job-career is anathema. People will grab little pieces of work here and there based on their skills, needs and ambition.
Because of what we do at Evol8tion, helping big brands innovate through startup partnerships, I couldn’t help but connect this idea to the parallel path the conversation between brands and consumers is being taken by technology. TV advertisements were created in an era where channels and shows acted as a funnel feeding huge swaths of the population to a brand’s message. In contrast, today’s consumer is, well, “molecularized,” grabbing micro-moments of content and information across a number of devices and a multitude of sources.
The question then must become: without the torrent of viewers that used to be reachable with a single television ad, (and for a deeper look at this question, read Joseph Jaffe’s “Life After the 30 Second Spot”) how can brands continue the meaningful conversation with their target market in a relevant way? The answer, for many companies, comes in the form of startups and their technology. Here are two of the best we’ve seen that are helping brands hit their targets in new, and meaningful, ways.
1. Chicory: “we make recipes shop-able”
Chicory is a company founded through Colgate University’s Thought Into Action program that bridges the gap between foodies, the recipes they love, and the groceries they need to bring them to life. It’s also the quintessential example of a company that leveraged creative thinking and some impressive NLP to help brands reach consumers where they care, in the moment of purchase. With a blogger network of over 850 publishers that yields more than 26 million (and growing!) unique views per month, Chicory is able to reach hundreds of thousands of users who have identified their intent to purchase something in the micro moment before it happens. The idea flips traditional advertising and publishing on its head, relying not on demographic or geographical data to target, but on highly relevant digital content consumption that can indicate intent at the same scale.
2. Eventable: “we’ve taught calendars some new tricks.”
Where Chicory hits a very specific consumer at a specific time, Eventable helps brands reach consumers where we all already are: on our calendars. By allowing brands to create marketing campaigns based around customizable calendar events, Eventable has opened up a new communication channel where consumers are decidedly more likely (86% by one estimate) to take action. This constant engagement of consumers through a medium that’s checked an average of 10 times daily allows a disparate selection of brands, from clothing to tickets and events, to send timely promotions that drive up marketing efficiency. In this way Eventable really does two things: 1) drive high engagement for brands by advertising where consumers are already engaged and 2) promote these ads in an unobtrusive manner that respects the consumers’ time.
For more information about Chicory, Eventable or Evol8tion, please reach out to [email protected].
In the midst of the Democratic National Convention and days after the Republican National Convention, the democratic and republican nominees have been chosen. Donald Trump will represent the Republicans while Hilary Clinton makes history as the first female presidential nominee of a major party, the Democratic Party. However, there is still a significant portion of the population that feels that they do not know enough about the election to vote when November 8th rolls around (add that date to your calendars). Cue Countable, the app that makes it easy to understand the bills that lawmakers in Congress will be voting on.
Users can view “Upcoming Bills” or search certain issues to read bills related to causes they care about. They can then read a synopsis of the proposed legislation as well as why one side is voting “Yea” while the other is voting “Nay”. After reading the bill the user has the ability to share their opinions by choosing either “Yea” or “Nay” under the heading of the bill, and can even write a more in-depth answer along with their vote. The voter’s Congressman will receive alerts telling them how their constituents want them to vote.
In regards to elections, Countable includes profiles of each candidate. These profiles include a short bio along with the same bills that the users vote on, but with the candidates’ personal opinions.
Users can also send video messages to their Representative, receive notifications regarding updates and decisions being made, and interact with the community in an effort to learn more about the opinions of others.
On iTunes Countable has a 4-star overall rating. All of the reviews are glowing calling the app “a game changer” that helps people “feel connected to the process”. Even going as far as to “hope every American downloads” the app. The most popular bills on the app have between 2,000 and 5,000 people in the Countable community interacting with it, numbers that don’t include the people who simply use the app to become more informed.
As with all things political, reading the opinions of those with opposing views can make you angry or, at minimum, roll your eyes at the rationale that is used to justify them. You should still read them. The best way to create fully formed decision, which your civic duty, is to read what the opposition has to say. Countable is one possible solution, and if enough people get involved with the app we may have a chance at younger generations who are much better informed than ourselves. I, for one, have definitely learned about a lot about bills I didn’t even know existed. Downloading the app has opened my eyes to the sheer number of bills that will inevitably effect my life that I did not even know were in contention. Easy access to information is what we need to solve the longstanding issue of uninformed eligible voters who are making the decision not to vote based on not knowing enough about what is going on in the government. With the help of Countable, politics is moving into the technology based realm that encompasses the daily lives of the young uninformed voters. The easy accessibility makes it as much a part of their daily lives as texting or SnapChat. As a mobile first application Countable is the perfect way to begin a political conversation with the younger generations. If kids begin to use the app at a young age, then there is a strong chance that they will become more involved in politics in their lifetimes. My hope is that politics will no longer be an afterthought or something that is only focused on every four years during major elections. Countable can help make this a reality.
Download the app here through the App Store and Google Play
Follow @Evol8tion for updates on tech news, events, advice, and more!
--Meghan
Meghan is a summer intern at Evol8tion and a rising senior at Babson College. Learn more about her here .
Last night, we attended WeWork Soho to see an incredible line up of fashion companies pitch. We witnessed amazing performances by companies such as Brayola, Look booker, Teddy Stratford, Dear Kate, Ace & Everett, and Pradux.
If you’ve ever thought your exercise clothing wasn’t working for you, check out the winning the pitch of the night! Dear Kate came in first place with a plan to improve the activewear industry using stronger, non-absorbent fabrics.
Another favorite was Pradux. Find outfits from your favorite TV shows and dress like an actor! A cool feature will let you record TV show audio on an app such as Shazam and link you to the Pradux app automatically with all the outfits worn on the specific show you recorded audio.
For more information and updates about the events we attend, be sure to keep checking back here and follow us @evol8tion !
We love Youtube reaction vids as much as the next person. But have you ever wished you could watch your friends' reactions in real time?
Meet Samba -- an awesome video messaging app that automatically records your friends' reactions to your videos. Just download the (free!) app, record a video in it, and send it to anyone on your contact list. As they view your message, their reaction will be recorded and automatically sent back to you.
Recipients, fear not -- reactions can be deleted at any time. But hey, sharing a videos of yourself snorting while laughing is the definition of friendship, areweright?
We think that this kind of app would fit perfectly with Sour Patch Kids' love of prank-ery, sentimental brands like Tiffany's, and "priceless" brands like Mastercard. So brands, give 'em a shout -- and everyone else, give 'em a download (on iTunes or Google Play)!
Since its launch in October 2014, SoLoMo company Dormchat has taken the college market by storm. Referred to as the "fun way to meet the people that make up your local community", Dormchat users can join chats, post local updates (publicly or anonymously), discover relevant news and connect with fellow students -- all they need is a ".edu" email.
Unlocked on 500+ campuses, Dormchat's clearly on to something -- but there's nothing quite like meeting the team behind the magic. So we sat down with Adam Michalski, Dormchat's founder, to discuss his inspiration for the company, dream brand partnerships, the road ahead, and more:
What inspired you to found Dormchat?
I wanted to create the easiest way for you to communicate with the people around you. Tinder does a great job at this for dating. Where they’re focused on one-to-one local communication though, we’re focused on one-to-many - giving you a place where you can share and connect around locally relevant information with everyone in your community - not just one person.
What’s your “secret sauce”? What makes you different from the similar technologies out there?
The two largest players in this vertical are Yik Yak and DormChat. The key difference is Yik Yak is basically the bathroom stall in your college bar, while DormChat is like the bulletin board in the DormHalls.
This distinction is fundamental in how the apps we’re made/the vision of the founders.
Yik Yak is focused on anonymous, one-off posts with no context. Open up the app and you can see how this is playing out – cyberbullying, gossip, and trash talking.
DormChat is an open local conversation. You’re connecting with the students around you based on topics of mutual interest, not simply trying to one-up each other by saying the funniest and/or most irresponsible comment.
Which have been the most exciting parts of building Dormchat? Which have been the most challenging?
The most exciting part has been seeing the benefits this community has for everyone involved. We’ve seen students connect around events, meet others who they otherwise would have never met, and even share intimate thoughts that they otherwise would be hesitant to share in any other forum.
The most challenging aspect is really just thinking about how we can spread the word about DormChat faster. We’re making sharing locally relevant content easier than anything you’ve seen before. This is important in any community, but even more so for colleges. The more colleges we can get to by the end of this Spring semester the better.
What makes you ripe for brand partnership? What kinds of brands have you partnered with in the past (if any)?
We’re in ongoing discussions with some of the largest media companies in the world.
Our users are arguably the most desired demographic so we’re excited to find partners who are trying to break through to these students in an exciting, new geo-local fashion. With the right partners, we’re certain we could create some extremely interesting alternative avenues for brands to reach this age group in ways which haven't been experimented with before.
If you could “shout out” a brand you wish you could partner with, who would it be?
Given our focus on local communication, we really think sporting events, music events, and music festivals would be mutually beneficial partnerships. If we had to “shout out” one brand, I think we could go with Ultra Enterprises, Inc. (the team behind Ultra Music Festival).
The fact of the matter is that local marketing is broke and we're coming up with some cool ways to fix it.
What’s your roadmap for Dormchat? What will you be focusing on most in the next 6 months, as you take your tech to the next level?
Over the next six months we’ll be ramping up our hiring, spreading the word about the app, and working around the clock to make our application the best in the space.
User experience is what drives us. We build alongside what our users want so every week that goes by our application gets better and better. Simply put, 2015 is going to be a fun year.
What’s your advice to founders who want to reach college students?
Find something students have been doing in an inefficient way and build a product to make it easier. This is the one demographic that isn’t afraid to try new things. If you can build something great, you’ll have a big impact.
Wish you could hang with Adam? You can! Join our Madison and Mountain View hangout tomorrow (1/20) at 9AM, and ask him all your burning questions. Click here to join.
On Startup Spotlight, we feature standout stars from our Startup Database. This week, we're excited to feature liateR!
liateR is an interactive sales solution for retailers and brands in the apparel/accessories market whose mission is to create a shopping experience that is both personal for the consumer, and scalable for the retailer.
In liateR's own words, brick-and-mortar retail locations fail to deliver the personalized experiences consumers are looking for, and the conversion rates brands desire. The need for informed, customized experiences remains a large pain point -- and technologies like iBeacons remain restricted in the solutions they can offer. Referring to itself as the "Google for offline retail" liateR uses advanced voice recognition, gesture detection, and augmented reality to create an environment where consumers can digitally "try on" and buy clothing in a variety of contexts and locations. Data automatically acquired from each user is used to deliver custom content by a) recommending specific sets of products, and b) sending tailor-made offers.
liateR is a single player in a large market -- but their secret sauce includes a well-rounded team that combines deep knowledge of the retail industry, strong technical expertise, and passion for disrupting the world of offline retail. We look forward to seeing where they go!
Think you're the next big thing? Submit to our database here for a chance to be featured in our Startup Spotlight.
Sharing your feelings is not always an easy thing to do. Sometimes, it's completely terrifying. Often, we spend more time Facebook stalking our crushes than telling them how we feel -- and even national holidays like Valentine's Day can't always get us to open up.
Enter Outpour! Outpour allows users to anonymously share messages of gratitude and love with friends, family, and acquaintances. Create a profile, view/comment on popular messages in the Outpour network, and send/receive your own. You can send messages to anyone, from your mobile contacts to strangers (if you're the secret admirer type).
A fresh new face on the anono-App scene, Outpour is going up against quite a competitor base -- with Whisper, Secret, and Yik Yak all attracting huge numbers of users. However, as Wired pointed out, anonymous platforms without specific use-cases can become avenues for cyberbullying, stalking, and other negative interactions. We look forward to seeing how Outpour handles this -- but we think its clear purpose will help foster healthier online exchanges, while not limiting itself solely to romantic endeavors.
This app is available for iOS download, and an Android version's on the way. So this Valentine's day, give Outpour a download, and start sharing the love!
I just returned from a vacation to Mauritius -- AKA Paradise -- and South Africa. In Mauritius, I don’t think I opened my laptop and barely accessed my mobile phone. The connection was too slow anyway and the nearest Starbucks was around 4,000 miles away -- too far to walk!
South Africa was a different story completely. For a family of five, we passed through security at the airport with seven phones: three iPhone 6s, one iPhone 5c (which I subsequently left on the flight from Cape Town to London, and, thanks to absolutely incompetent customer service from British Airways – you should be ashamed if you work for this airline – it’s somewhere in Phoenix right now), two iPhone 4s (our unlocked “local phones”) and finally another iPhone 4 (which functions as an iPod Touch for our little one).
In case there’s any doubt, we’re an Android family (NOT!).
Throughout our stay in Cape Town, we would often place all our phones on a pile in the middle of the table when we visited a restaurant. This of course was when free Wi-Fi wasn’t available and we weren’t able to Instagram all our #blessed #sunset shots and #foodporn snaps.
I dubbed this “The Stack.”
I wasn’t proud of this term and often joked that you could spot the Americans a mile away thanks to their abundance of technology.
One dinner we sat with family friends discussing a “social game” where everyone puts their phone in the middle of the table and the first to touch their phone has to pay for the entire meal. Sounds easy to avoid, but not when it becomes an obsession or even an addiction.
There’s an even an app called “Moment” that tracks phone usage via a dashboard to determine the winner (or loser) of this game. The irony of course is that this is an app, so how exactly would you monitor performance without having to use the phone in the first place?
Don’t get me wrong. I love technology. And I love my iPhone. But this trip made me take stock in what is REALLY important and how to better create balance in my and my family’s lives. There’s going to be at least one unhappy teenager around the house when phone time is limited to specific times and occasions.
Are you taking similar steps? At home? On vacation? With yourself versus your family? Are you miles ahead of me or in the same boat? What will your mobile usage resolutions be in 2015?
Incidentally, I appreciate the irony of how I am becoming my parents’ generation in terms of being crotchety, stodgy and old-fashioned. In my day, we used to…
I also appreciate the wisdom of said old-timers and how history keeps repeating itself in terms of the pursuit of balance between the best of the old and best of the new.
With this in mind, I wish you a balanced year ahead of technology usage. Should you be reading this on your mobile phone, you get a free pass from me!
For more wisdom from Joseph Jaffe visit www.jaffejuice.com and follow him @jaffejuice.
In case you were worried we were conferenced-out after Demo 2014 -- fear not! Your Evol8tion team was back on the expo floor this week, this time for The Next Web Conference.
Held in the heart of the Financial District, The Next Web Conference was jam-packed with inspiring thought leaders, innovative companies and disruptive ideas. The Boost competition brought out 16 of the freshest new faces in tech -- all of whom had fought within a pool of 48 for a chance to pitch on TNW's "Unplugged" stage. As always, it would be impossible to capture all the action in one blog post -- but here are our favorite finalists of the bunch:
As a team that frequently creates its own videos, we know how long film-editing can take. Enter FlyLabs -- a family of apps designed to make video creativity fun, fast, and mobile. Their first app, Fly, allows you to edit film with simple gestures -- a touch to cut, a swipe to dissolve, a dual-touch to split-screen, and more. Their second app, Clips, allows you string clips together into one great video, in minutes. Finally, in their own words, their Crop app is the "cure for vertical video syndrome, allowing you to instantly shift your video from portrait to landscape. Essentially, FlyLabs' suite of tools puts an editing studio in the palm of your hand -- and all three apps have already earned a download from us.
We can all agree - calendars are impossible to navigate (especially around this time of year). Luckily, Meekan has a solution! Meekan's technology aims to "connect the world's calendars" -- offering a scheduling engine that matches participants' calendars and selects best times to meet, regardless of time zones and specific calendar programs (i.e., Outlook vs. Gmail). Meekan also learns from daily choices to make increasingly informed suggestions, conforming to your work style. On the Boost stage, Meekan even suggested that its next focus may include automating flight/car/hotel bookings around meetings (and automatically re-booking to accommodate last-minute schedule shifts). Which, to be quite honest, we can't wait to see.
We can all agree -- food and watching the game should never have to be a choice. SeatServe's app brings the VIP stadium experience to everyone -- allowing users to order food straight from their smartphones. Food is promptly delivered to their seats, allowing them to get the complete game experience (without having to brave dreaded kiosk lines). Next steps for SeatServe include concert venues, performance halls, you name it -- but for now, game on!
Ultimately, the crowning glory for the Boost Competition went to FlyLabs -- who took home a hefty $20,000 credit courtesy of the conference's cohost, WeTransfer. We think this win was well-deserved, but we're looking forward to seeing what these other companies have up their sleeves!
For more recaps from the hottest startup events, be sure to keep checking back here, and follow us on Twitter for live updates!
Ever wonder if there's a way to share the music you love -- without having to send links every time? Move over, Youtube, here comes Musx!
Referred to as the Instagram for music, Musx makes tedious copy-and-paste music sharing obsolete -- allowing users to seamlessly share songs with their friends, explore what's popular, discover new tracks, and listen to music nonstop with the "up next" feature. Get song recommendations straight from your friends, like and comment on what they've posted, and add them to your own favorites. You can even build playlists with the people you follow, or create your own -- publicly or privately (take that, Hypem!)
The Musx app just went through a pretty fabulous facelift -- showing off a hot new design, iPhone 6 optimization, streamlined navigation, support for public playlists.
So download Musx 2.0 on iTunes here, and dance your way into the new year!
Mediapost Online Spin: I Give Under Armour's Marketing a Big Fat Z.E.R.O
I Give Under Armour's Marketing a Big Fat Z.E.R.O
Under Armour has received accolades for its marketing, including a term as Marketer of the Year. To be sure, “I Will What I Want" is a great campaign, but at the end of the day, it’s no better or worse than anything Nike, Reebok or Adidas have done with their aspirational advertising.
Personally, I’m overjoyed that Under Armour is being recognized -- selfishly, because it's the official sponsor of my English football club, Tottenham Hotspur. Under this partnership, Spurs have made several trips to the U.S .and given their fan base unprecedented access to their (my) beloved team and players.
In fact, I think the company deserves even more credit than it's been given, due to five key reasons.
1. Sales are up -- way up, led by four consecutive quarters of revenue growth of 30% or more. Too often we shirk or talk our way out of the all-important accountability of our marketing. We either give ourselves false credit for short-term gains or mitigate our ineffective marketing with a bunch of “external” excuses. One year is a pretty good period of time to judge performance; the causality between marketing and sales should be fairly transparent under these conditions
2. The company has done (and I’m not sure how) a magnificent job courting youth. My 11-year-old son and his entire social and sporting base is pretty much dripping in Under Armour from head to toe.
3. Under Armour has also courted women. I don’t think people realize how massive the female vote is when it comes to a healthy living and active lifestyle today. If you take a walk down Main Street in Westport, Conn., you’ll see Nike, Lululemon and at least one to two competitors to Lululemon!
4. Innovation beyond the product. At a time where startups like OmSignal are manufacturing wearable workout wear -- and no doubt all the big boys will be swimming in this space soon enough -- Under Armour did the Evol8tion two-step “What if Kodak acquired Instagram?” and acquired the powerhouse app MapMyFitness/MapMyRun/MapMyRide. I use MapMyRun myself and I was pretty impressed that Under Armour went for what I think is the leader in the space. The company has been pretty thoughtful and calculated in terms of the transition, branding and rollout of this partnership. In addition, following from the earlier point, Under Armour also launched a separate integrated app dedicated to women. I wonder what Reebok and Adidas are thinking right now? All I know is that the remaining apps in the same consideration set just added a “Zero” to their valuation.
5. Ultimately, Under Armour has demonstrated that it's a perfect Z.E.R.O. Paid Media Marketer. Its $18 million in measured media ( Z.E.R.O. isn’t free; nor is paid media going away) is just over a quarter of Nike’s (which in of itself is not that excessive) and might as well be Z.E.RO. in today’s noisy, cluttered, inflated and expensive marketplace. Under Armour truly has done a fantastic job of dialing up advocacy amongst its zealots, innovating with entrepreneurs, and maintaining a customer-centric approach to its retention.
So kudos to the marketing team at Under Armour. I give you a big fat Z.E.R.O. for your marketing efforts -- and believe me, that’s the highest compliment you could get!
For more wisdom from Joseph Jaffe visit www.jaffejuice.com and follow him @jaffejuice.
MediaPost Online Spin: Why Every Single Brand Needs An App
Why Every Single Brand Needs An App
Well, hello, brand marketers out there. It’s time to shut the door in the face of the Grinch who stole your media budget. It’s time to celebrate that you made it to the end of the year (albeit with a few bumps and bruises). Be thankful you survived the umpteenth reorg and restructuring, budget cut, CMO and/or agency firing/hiring.
It’s time to focus those unused dollars (there always are) on all the fringe stuff you cut earlier in the year. You know: the “nice to have” gimmicks like retention, loyalty, utility, mobile -- and innovation in general.
So here’s a novel idea: Why not invest in a branded app? Yes, a branded app. Please get off the floor. I apologize for not warning you in advance so you could brace yourselves for the shock and horror that would force you to fall off your chair.
I was reading a very succinct (and almost too simple) article in Tech Cocktail titled, “Why You Should Make An App For Your Brand.” Said article cited three key points: rise of mobile (consumer adoption), user loyalty and the importance of continual improvement and iteration (“don’t stop at the first version.”).
This got me thinking about all the people in the industry (yes, I’m talking to you agency stewards and brand guardians) who poo-poo the mission critical investment of a branded app with overused exaggerations, clichés and throw away 140-character tweets like, “how many apps do you have on your phone that you’ve never used?” These crowd pleasing quotes are tantamount to the malarkey you hear (or heard) about Twitter like, “I don’t care if you had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch,” which are a clear tell that you have never used Twitter before and/or you’re a moron.
Can you imagine if Starbucks didn’t have an App? Or Bank of America, or Starwood? “But we’re not Starbucks,” you protest, perhaps adding, “No one can pay for our toilet paper or razor blades by shaking their phones.” Who on earth thought that this would even have been possible in version 1.0 of the app (see the earlier point about continual improvement)? Commerce is a red herring in that it is ubiquitous for all brands. As long as a brand has a price for its products, it is fair game in the app world. Purchasing a product directly from the app is just a proxy.
What about managing an account balance? Being part of an Ambassador type program or loyalty in general? Are these endemic to banks, airlines and/or hotels? Of course not! And as in the Starbucks example, we’ve seen innovations like depositing checks via your camera phone or opening up your hotel door with your mobile phone coming out of this exploratory journey.
What is the equivalent for YOUR industry?
If someone doesn’t download your app -- or they do, but don’t use it regularly enough -- it’s your fault for not giving them a compelling reason to do so. I don’t use my Starwood app every day or every week, but I do use it every time I travel and stay at a Starwood resort. The same with American Airlines. As long as you have customers, you have an opportunity to engage them through the power of a “direct to customer” asset (the O of owned assets in Z.E.R.O.) that is wholly owned, uniquely branded and always on (also known as a branded app).
Perhaps the excuse of no one wanting to download or use your branded app would have worked five years ago, but now it is the kind of statement that should deservedly get you fired. If your agency is spouting this kind of drivel, challenge them to find a use case or solution that refutes this notion. Worse still, if the seven-figure proposal in front of you does not give your customers a compelling reason to engage, then send it back to the proposal drawing board.
If however, the pushback is coming from you or your boss, then perhaps you should start updating your LinkedIn profile or resume ahead of the new year. Maybe you need a fresh start. And if you do, please do not put “mobile expertise” on your list of skills or accomplishments.
That would just be sad.
For more wisdom from Joseph Jaffe visit www.jaffejuice.com and follow him @jaffejuice.
What do you get when you cross cutting-edge technology, Steve Wozniak, a dancing gorilla, an inflatable slide, stunt bicycle riders, and a 20 foot free-fall? You guessed it: Demo 2014.
An unforgettable concoction of inspiring keynotes, product launches, and downright fun, Demo had even the most reluctant tweeters hashtagging all day. Something this big isn't meant to fit into one blog post -- but when we went to bed at night, here's what we were still thinking about:
Cambrian Genomics
While there were some impressive launches at Demo 2014, Cambrian Genomics had our jaws on the floor. Cambrian Genomics has created the first system for laser printing DNA - and the possibilities are endless. From making our poop smell like bananas, to creating bodily "alert systems" for critical illnesses, to building our own creatures, Cambrian Genomics makes creating and altering DNA as simple as printing paper - giving us full control over our biological destinies, and those of the next generation.
This power surpasses all that humans have had thus far -- so naturally, the audience was itching with questions. When asked whether it was morally sound to "play God," founder Austen Heinz responded that it is a "fundamental human right to not only know your own code, but to personalize it." A Cambrian Genomics investor added that this is the inevitable science of the future -- and that to invest now is to be on the "side of the angels, rather than the devils."
It goes without saying that the medical advancements Cambrian Genomics would create are astronomical. But, of course, printing your own creature can't come without its controversy. So what do you think, techies? Should we be able to print DNA...organs...humans? Or are there lines technology simply shouldn't cross? Tweet us your thoughts @evol8tion -- we want to hear 'em.
Defy Ventures
You haven't seen true passion until you've seen Catherine Hoke speak.
Hoke, CEO, moved the room with her introduction of Defy Ventures: a character training program designed to transform people with criminal backgrounds into legal, successful entrepreneurs. In their own words, Defy "'transforms the hustle' of...formerly incarcerated Entrepreneurs-in-Training (EITs) by offering intensive leadership development, Shark Tank-style business plan competitions, executive mentoring, financial investment, and startup incubation."
Hoke's inspiring presentation included statements from two Defy Ventures veterans. One of them had transformed his interest in sports into an athletic-minded clothing venture. The other had extended a food business he had founded while in prison -- to create (humorously titled) "Inside Out Bars."
The amazing efforts of Defy Ventures alone deserved a shoutout -- the presentation was just icing on the cake. Tweet us or @DefyVentures with questions. And while you're at it, see if you can't get a free Inside Out bar...we're waiting on ours.
Lions of Africa
Demo 2014 not only showcased emerging tech from the United States, but from all over the world. Thomas Debass, Managing Director of the U.S Department of State, took the stage to discuss startups' expanding presence in emerging markets -- and, following his introduction, the 4 winners of Demo Africa pitched their products to demonstrate the global passion for innovation.
The showcasing startups were proud representatives of Lions of Africa -- a startup-focused partnership seeking to enhance Africa’s innovation ecosystem by supporting 100,000 African entrepreneurs. The companies, whose focuses ranged from payroll management to mobile hardware, included:
Chura - a mobile-focused technology that easily connects mobile subscribers to all services in a single SIM card -- allowing users to share airtime across different mobile networks. (@chura_co_ke)
Nerve - Referred to as Africa's first real smartphone, Nerve designs and delivers convergence mobile devices for people in emerging nations. (@nervemobile)
Paysail - Facing the classically complicated payroll process head-on, Paysail offers an easy salary payment solution for African employers. (@happypayroll)
SpacePointe - a startup focused on helping African small business owners streamline online sales, and manage inventory at brick-and-mortar locations. (@SpacePointe)
Check out Lions of Africa on Twitter @lionsafrica, and watch the winning startups' pitch clip here.
Executive Briefs
If you thought startups held a monopoly on the Demo stage, think again. Brands shared a prominent presence at Demo -- discussing their innovative efforts during the Executive Brief series.
Representatives from tech, automotive, clothing, and consulting companies alike all expressed an interest in startup-spurred reform. Ansgar Chorhummel (Head of Innovation at Dell; @chorhummel) and Phil Gerskovich (Zebra Technologies; @zebratechnology) elaborated on their respective interest in partnering with innovative technologies. Ron Guerrier (VP and CIO of Toyota Financial; @ronguerrier), built on that sentiment, stating that in-house startup technology was the key to discovering what was next for the brand as a whole. Joe Megibow (SVP at American Eagle; @megibow), spearheaded a workshop where emerging companies worked to tackle marketing challenges head-on -- and Peter Weed and Alex Ince Cushman (@alexincecushman) shared how McKinsey's free consulting helps DEMO companies gain traction.
We at Evol8tion are always excited to see brands' increasing interest in startup partnership -- so the executive briefs were a blast for us. @Startups, if you think you have the next big thing for brand partnership, fill out a profile here and tweet at us! Who knows - it could have been your soulmate on that Demo stage.
Demo Gods
Pitch categories at Demo included Wearables, Enterprise, Personal Finance, The Work Cloud, Internet of Things, Messaging, and more. In Demo's "go big or go home" fashion, winning startups from each pitch category weren't simply rewarded, they were deified. So please, take a moment to pay homage to your #DemoGods:
Pathsense - the Mobile category victor, Pathsense provides accurate location data at a fraction of GPS' battery drain.
Celect - the winner of the Smart Data category, Celect is a choice engine that leverages machine learning to optimize allocations and buying plans, personalizing them to choice patterns at the individual store.
Curb - the winner in the Wearables & Hardware category, Curb provides real-time, actionable information that helps users save money through smarter energy usage.
Ghostery - a global technology company that provides solutions for online transparency and control to individuals and businesses.
Student Loan Benefits - the 401k for student loans, so that companies can start helping their employees become debt-free faster.
Covering Demo's other highlights wouldn't just take another blog post -- it would take another decade. So we're going to call it quits. Check out videos of all the startup launches here, and be sure to register for Demo Traction (April 22nd in SF)!
This week, Evol8tion was proud to partner with the Empire Startups Summit!
Through two full days of thought leadership, inspiring conversations, networking activities, and a pitch competition, the Summit celebrated New York City’s innovative spirit -- bringing top early-stage companies and tech industry veterans under Webster Hall's roof. Evol8tion's own co-founder and COO, Gina Waldhorn, moderated the Scaling Your Startup panel -- which featured experts from MasterCard, Microsoft, Foundation Capital, and Sprinklr:
For those of you who weren't able to attend the Summit, here are some of our key takeaways (along with our favorite startup of the evening)!
Advice for Founders:
- In strategic partnership conversations, always be sure to exercise reciprocity. In other words: ask the person you're seeking help from what THEY need. People in powerful positions (VCs, angels, etc.) are frequently asked for favors. Demonstrate professional sensitivity by showing that you care about what they want, too.
- Coachability and confidence: strike the balance. Investors like a confident, willful founder -- but arrogance is a major turn-off. Be conscious of the fact that venture capitalists have bucketloads of knowledge, and no matter how experienced you may be, they will always have something to teach you.
- Don't be a fair-weather entrepreneur. Now that the innovation space is booming, venture capitalists are seeing more and more corporate players move into entrepreneurship. While this move is sometimes spurred by legitimate passion, other times it is merely because entrepreneurship is a today's trendy profession. In order to be a successful entrepreneur, a hunger for innovation needs to run in your bloodstream. Faking it will only lead to failure.
- Your CEO should be your best salesperson. If your CEO can't sell it, no one can. So be sure that your leadership is actively at the helm of your business development team, and willing to get in the trenches to keep the lights on.
- Put skin in the game. All startup founders do (or should) already know this: but in order to get investment, you must first invest in yourself. If you won't shell out money for your own venture, you'll have a hard time convincing VC's to do so. Make sure your startup is worth your own money, before asking for it from others.
Star Startup:
Our star startup of the evening was Audiosnaps! Audiosnaps offers a new way to create user generated content -- capturing photos of important moments, and overlaying them with 5 seconds of sound from those moments.
From a brand perspective, short term video/disposable content trends like Vine and Snapchat are useful for momentary impressions. However, an Audiosnaps creation -- normal photography, paired with sound -- is a timeless, yet innovative option for lifestage-relevant and travel brands.
This technology is also ripe for partnerships with other startups. We could easily see a beautiful collaboration between Audiosnaps and conductive ink company Novalia to create interactive, lasting photo albums to better collect precious memories.
Wherever Audiosnaps goes, its future is looking bright. We'll be keeping an eye on it!
That's all for today's recap. Thanks to Empire Startups for an awesome event! Be sure to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and check back here for the latest and greatest in startup news.
MediaPost Online Spin: The New York Social Media Marathon
I failed.
Well, let me clarify. I finished the marathon. Felt great. Sprinted the final mile and completed it with a very respectable (in my opinion) time of five hours, 11 minutes.
Where I failed was in the social media part of the race. My experiment of writing @jaffejuice on my shirt (my fellow Spin writer and co-author of “Z.E.R.O.,” Maarten Albarda, would have approved) unfortunately produced all of zero tweets, Facebook tags and/or Instagram mentions.
Turns out, when it comes to cheering people on -- encouraging, motivating and interacting with them -- it is more about “social” and less about “media.” As I often say in my keynotes: “The phrase ‘social media’ is an oxymoron. Social is what we humans do well when we interact with one another peer-to-peer, be it in the physical, digital or mobile world; ‘media comes from the word medium, meaning neither rare nor well done.’” (Credit the late comedian Ernie Kovacs with that last part.)
So I failed at the social media part of the equation, but I think I succeeded at the “social” part, thanking all the spectators who called me by name (I also wrote “Joseph” on my shirt in old-school Sharpie), and afterwards, shared some pretty cool images and videos on Instagram (@jaffejuice) and Facebook.
Apple was a winner for me in terms of being able to use my family sharing / iCloud functionality so my family could track me pretty accurately throughout. I also credit Tata Consultancy Services, who put out a new TCS NYC Marathon App that had a terrific tracking feature. Several of my friends and family around the world were using it throughout and posting my progress reports on Facebook.
Elsewhere, Asics did a great activation called “Mini Marathoners” which created 3D-printed statues of 500 runners. This is also probably the biggest disappointment for me (personally and professionally) because obviously I wish I had been one of those runners… had I known about it.
This is in effect the number-one cardinal sin of brands everywhere: the lack of seed and influencer marketing to amplify really great efforts. (Corollary: we do plenty of spray and pray for underwhelming work). Incarnating “Flip the Funnel,” I wonder why Asics limited those statutes to only 500? Why not go for the 50,000 mother lode? Or, bringing in the principles of “Z.E.R.O.,” why not charge for creating the statues? Monetize marketing is the central premise of shifting from a “tenant” (renting media) to a “landlord” (owning assets).
At the end of the day, tentpole events like the New York Marathon are few and far between. While they’re all about active, social presence “in the flesh,” still, organizers and sponsors should pull out all the stops to get maximum bang for their buck. No question that technology innovation will help.
Over time, I do expect innovation to slowly but surely catch up to the pacesetters. Why not have Twitter, Instagram and Facebook integration? With augmented reality, it should be quite easy to identify names of runners as they pass, then capture photos of them and instantly tag them in the process. Yes, this would take away from the official, overpriced photography services, but this is what you call progress.
Incidentally, it also turns out I was using the wrong hashtag the whole time. Instead of #nycmarathon, I should have been using #tcsnycmarathon. Would have helped if someone had communicated that to me.
Of course, I may be nitpicking -- just like the 2.8x surge pricing on Uber afterwards!
P.S.: If anyone knows someone at Asics, I would love a 3D-printed statue if there’s still time. It would complement my Second Life one beautifully -- and I promise I’ll share it via “social” media!
