#Fresh5 – April 2, 2009

I can no longer keep up. My Google Reader is overflowing in unread articles, Twitter hits me over the head a hundred times a day with links to articles, sites and presentations that daily change the way I think, and then there is Delicious where I “save” all this stuff in hopes of viewing, reviewing and passing along later. In the spirit of the name of my blog I am going to change way I organize and pass along all the cool stuff I am exposed to day after day. Instead of collecting in Delicious I’ll collect theme here, with some commentary. I invite you to check them all out and would love to hear your thoughts on them.

Welcome to the first, of what I intend to become the daily, “#Fresh5” –

1. Here’s a great example of two brands who clearly get what the new marketing world is all about – find your fans and make them part of you’re doing. Make it real, make it accessible. Chictopia is a social site where users can source fashion trends from one another searching by style, body type, etc. Everyone knows American Apparel. In teaming up the brands have opened the doors for real people to be real models. No agent required. All based on the legitamcy of an individuals personality and personal style. Smart move by American Apparel, they have been using their own staffers as models for years, so the idea is dead on for the brand. You can check out a Chictopia member blog on the subject here or take a look at the Mashable post.
2. I hate business cards. I never remember to bring them with me and really they feel about as relevant as carving your contact info into a rock slab with a sharpened Brontosaurus bone. Contxts takes you business card to SMS. Including links to all your relevant social networks. Thanks guys you have saved my life. (note: This site is in Alpha and is not functioning today)
3. This is cool, and someone clearly has too much time on their hands. Check out these hip-hop tracks reproduced as 8-bit Nintendo. Now someone needs to hack my old system to overdub these into the boss battles!
4. I recently met with a veteran marketer who said to me “I just don’t get Twitter. It makes me feel like I’m in an elevator listening in on people’s conversations”. He didn’t see how it was a marketing tool. I spoke to him about this Vancouver hot dog stand that drove business on only their fourth tweet. My mind races with the possibilities for local businesses and time sensitive promotions.
5. A wiki of social media campaigns organized by brand and type of activity. This is going to come in very handy.