Creative visualizing of data

October 23, 2008October 23, 2008 / Angelo Fernando / 1 Comment

We just had a group at the Decision Theater inquiring how our visualizations, which are being linked to data sets, could be used in a Creative way. Creative with the capital C, that is.

So I am thrilled to promote a cool new interface launched today yesterday at Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability.

It’s called the Campus Metabolism project. Specifically, a web-based tool (a richer experience than Dashboard) for displaying real-time energy use in several buildings across the Tempe campus.

For anyone managing gobs of data and has a hard time getting it to mean something, this is cutting edge. What’s most interesting is that the Campus Metabolism concept was created as a student project – A bottom-up process, if you will. Also, this is the kind of data that makes people feel a real connection to how we relate to the network, the grid, the eco-system. It was initiated with the purpose of looking at “the hidden connection between the impact of the actions in our daily lives and the natural world.”

Sidebar: The folks behind it:
Campus Metabolism brings out the collaborative force behind the work going at at the Global Institute of Sustainability. This one nvolved: ASU Facilities Management, The National Center of Excellence on SMART Innovations, University Student Initiatives, Barrett Honors College, University Architects Office, College of Design, Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, Psychology, the student chapter of Engineers Without Borders, and APS Energy Services.

McCain-Palin campaign needs more mavericks on the bus

October 23, 2008October 23, 2008 / Angelo Fernando / Leave a comment

Now that the attack ads, Governor Palin’s SNL appearance, and the unconvincing “socialist” line using surrogate Joe-the-Plumber have not moved the needle, the campaign is calling for McCain Marshalls and McCain Mavericks to be deployed. The “campaign deployment program” is a last minute attempt to stop the downward slide in the polls.

From a messaging point of view, the Palin-McCain campaign (oops!) is completely off kilter, and I bet there’s a huge tussle between the campaign staff as to whether to be consistent or scatter shot. I bet Rick Davis wants to unleash the real McCain, but having let Palin walk in and change the tone of the campaign (+ the search results if you check YouTube etc), John McCain is less and less what his brand stood for.

There is a considerable amount if chatter about “letting McCain be McCain” but either Davis’ media monitoring widget isn’t working, or they they have too many cooks in the kitchen. As one disgruntled Republican put it, “The “Straight Talk Express” was derailed in September.” Meaning the maverick was muzzled.

No wonder they’re scouting for some new voices.

Are your “Message-force multipliers” working for you?

October 21, 2008 / Angelo Fernando / Leave a comment

A ‘message-force multiplier’ is a fancy way of describing a person who is highly influential, especially within the media. They have been employed by the Department of Defense, which has practically embedded these influentials to get a certain narrative across.

It is shocking to think that this happens in the normal course of the news media, but it isn’t. Like product placement, the branding tactic to get favorable impressions through a medium, this happens all the time.

Let’s sidestep the political and ethical implications of this for a moment and see what we could learn from this. Who are your message-force multipliers? Could they be already ’embedded’ and ready that all we need to do is empower them, without having to resort to cloak-and-dagger tactics?

Networked audience. At the university where I work, students, not Communicators, are the real voices. They are highly networked in both analog and digital realms. Their channels (dorm room discussions, text messaging, study groups etc) carry our brand personality further and faster than any advertisement or press release; they ‘multiply’ the impact of the message.

Motivated audience. Not everyone who’s connected and networked is highly motivated. Walmart has a group of Mommy Bloggers who are passionate about the brand. These ElevenMoms, have their own ‘beats’ as it were –frugal living, product reviews etc. One is “a suburban subversive, plotting to reinvent the way we stay-at-home-moms think about keeping up with the Joneses.” Customers who ‘plot’ on your behalf? That’s worth a lot.

Peer-to-Peer. Dell’s Digital Nomads group (see my comments earlier) is an amazing place where the brand is very low profile, and the members basically help each other. It’s not just a web site. Members reach out to each other via a Facebook group, LinkedIn, Twitter, and a YouTube channel.

Slogan about drilling gets a grilling

October 20, 2008October 21, 2008 / Angelo Fernando / Leave a comment

It is time someone started analyzing the lame slogans that get passed around as a stand-in for policy. As a declared independent voter, I can afford to look at both sides, and see why people are so misinformed.

Slogans, like taglines, have overstayed their time. Bumper stickers may tell you something about the driver of the vehicle, but it hardly gets you to download the policy and read between the lines.

Drill, baby drill: And, so it irritates me when I hear slogans like ‘drill baby drill” as if it was our answer to the mother-of-all crisis facing this country, of which energy is but one component. For those supporters of governor Palin, and her ‘energy expertise’ claim, Thomas Friedman put it this way:

“At least the king of Saudi Arabia, in advocating “drill baby drill,” is serving his country’s interests — by prolonging America’s dependence on oil. My problem with Palin is that she is also serving his country’s interests — by prolonging America’s dependence on oil.”

Change we can believe In. Obama may be the new Great Communicator, but I can’t relate to this. It does not say exactly what he plans to do as Mr. change agent. It also states the obvious. Change is something you do because you believe in it, not because you want to have a fling with. You don’t change your job because you doubt it could make you better off.

My point: these slogans shortchange the electorate. People start thinking small, and start repeating this small-mindedness all the way to the polling booth. OK, so that’s a political strategy, to get your candidate voted, but after that, what? Will we need slogans to energize the electorate for every piece of legislature that needs to be passed?

In one way I am glad there is someone like governor Palin pushing slogans. It shows how hollow they really are.

Sidebar: There is no shortage of slogans.
An early one for Palin: “Hottest governor. Coldest state.”
More recently: “Lipstick Republican”

You’d never think we are in such an economic crisis!

Quotes for the week ending 18 October, 2008

October 18, 2008October 19, 2008 / Angelo Fernando / Leave a comment

“But let me tell you one thing straight away — I’m envious of plumbers.”

John Brown, of Georgetown University, in his Public Diplomacy and PR blog.

“social capitalists”

What NBC calls the target audience for its local ‘TV web destinations’ as reported by Mike Walsh, at Online Media Daily

“a mortadella sandwich”

Fabio Betti Salgado, an IABC member and blogger from Sao Paolo, quoting Brazil’s presidentLuis Inácio Lula da Silva on his definition of the financial crisis.

“If you look at it holistically, marketing is social media. It’s a two way exchange – value exchange.”

Mike Kujawski on the TwistImage podcast.

“Our little brains were never in a position to handle that much infomation.”

Fabrice Florin, or News Trust, quoted in a New York Times article on rumor in the digital age.

“This is a Google cache link, because the picture of the disgusting T-shirt…”

Article on misogyny aimed at Sarah Palin frm an Obama-Biden campaign web site.

“Oh wait. This is advertising. Reality is irrelevant. All that matters is cool art direction and great photography.”

AdRants, commenting on a inane Pepsi ad that involves a lifeguard and a woman on the beach.

“Copyright law is a mess …Complain to Dub-ya who signed another bill this week on copyright law.”

Steve Jones, commenting on Larry Lessig’s blog post about McCain-Palin campaign complaining to YouTube about meritless copyright claims that have a chilling effect on free speech.

“You don’t ask a cosmetic surgeon how many hours it will take. You don’t really care about the cost. It’s an abstraction, but your face is not …As a writer, you’re a sort of surgeon yourself-a word surgeon.”

Art Spikol, at Writers Digest, on Flat Fees vs Hourly Rates.

“The idea of online cannibalizing print is not just wrong, it’s the opposite”

John Ridding, CEO of Financial Times, whose newsstand sales rose 30 percent in the US, and 20 percent in Europe.

“True enough, it is a special rule. But isn’t it appropriate?”

Lawrence Lessig, on the McCain-Palin campaign asking YouTube to give special consideration to video take-down complaints. Critics believe the politicians should stick by the free-market model!

“Bacteria, caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium.”

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Angelo Fernando's blog since 2004

Author: Angelo Fernando