It’s sort of like your TV news as you always wished to receive it… with a poppin’ beat and a happenin’ bass line .”
That’s how The Gregory Brothers describe their series of videos, Auto-Tune the News. I’ve been following the series for months now, and tweeting and forwarding them to anyone looking for funny entertainment at the intersection of pop culture, music, and technology.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
For those unfamiliar, there are 3 main points you need to know:
# 1) There’s a digital process in music called Auto-Tune. Think of it as photoshop for your voice. Almost every artist makes small touches to enhance the product, while others use it liberally to radically alter the original recording. You might originally know the effect from Cher’s 1998 Grammy-award winning, multi-platinum dance song “Believe.”
# 2) Modern artists like T-Pain have brought it back big time, not only with award-winning songs, but also collaborating with Saturday Night Live for their popular digital short “I’m on a boat,” with Jimmy Kimmel for skits on his show, and he has an iPhone app called “I am T-Pain.” More on that in a second.
# 3) A Brooklyn-based band called The Gregory Brothers have made a hilarious string of viral videos called “Auto-Tune the News,” which mix political and pop culture news footage with a poppin beat and a happenin’ bass line, all set to Auto-Tune. I interviewed Andrew, Michael, and Evan on the podcast.
Auto-Tune the News #2 is one of my favorites, and the original where Katie Couric utters the now-famous line “Very Thin Ice.” As you’ll see, the brothers superimpose themselves into the newscasts, wearing outfits ranging from hip hop garb to an angry gorilla.
As a service (torture) to my readers, I show how Auto-Tune can take a hopelessly horrible singer like myself, and at least give you a laugh. Play the podcast to see how my opening intro sounds after running it through T-Pain’s Auto-Tune iPhone app.
If there are two other words that best describe internet marketing in the last few years, I don’t know what they are. As a marketing guy at Wired.com, I must come across that term 100 times a week. Maybe 1,000.
It’s not shocking that I’m immersed in social media because I’m directly dealing with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and reddit.
It’s not surprising when I read about strategies that 5 person tech startups, apartment-based entrepreneurs, digital ad agencies, and veteran web-based companies are rolling out.
But what I really find fascinating is when non-traditional companies embrace — and dominate — social media.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
I think about some of the random companies that really ‘get’ social media, and when you think about it objectively, it can actually be amusing. What if you did this quiz just 2 years ago, before the Twitter explosion, asking people who they thought would have millions of followers.
Hi, this is Jim Hopkinson, Wired’s Marketing Guy, bringing you the marketing trends that matter.
Today I interview the CEO of spreadshirt.com. We talk about:
- T-shirts as a marketing tool
- Why bacon is the key to long life
- Three keys to the Iron Man Triathlon
- Two T-shirt slogans that will guarantee a conversation
Jim Hopkinson: Hi everyone, my guest today is Jana Eggers, who is the CEO of Spreadshirt, a creative apparel platform that inspires people to create, buy or sell individual fashion. Jana was named Global CEO in August of 2007, and splits her time between Boston, Germany, and other cities around the world.
Welcome, Jana. Where are you calling us from today?
Jana Eggers: I’m actually in Boston today.
JH: Excellent. So, tell us about your background – before you got to Spreadshirt; you seem like a perfect guest for geeks at Wired. I saw you have some background in math and computer science, and did some work at Lycos, which used to own Wired.com at one point. So, tell us about your career path.
JE: Yeah, I usually say I’m a big geek; I don’t have a small propeller, I have a big propeller [laughs]. So, yeah, my background is math and computer science, that was my schooling. I actually spent a few years out at Los Alamos at the National Laboratory doing computational chemistry work. I was looking for some theoretical maximum conductivity for polymers, doing work on supercomputers.
So, it was a lot of fun, I could talk about that for hours; it’s terrific work and wonderful people out there. But, what I really missed was business. I was raised by bankers and accountants, and I had a checkbook when I was about seven years old that they made me balance every week [laughs]. While I love the research science, I kind of miss that direct access to a bottom line that you had to have. So I ended up after wandering around grad school for a little while, saying, “Now I really needed to be in business.”
Has there ever been a better quote on the topic of longevity?
This means one of my favorite weekend activities in New York City, going to long brunches with friends… savoring a hot cup of coffee… debating the eggs vs. pancakes vs. french toast conundrum… and without fail, ordering a side of delicious, crispy bacon, is actually helping me live a long and fulfilling life.
- This is a quote of legends
– This is a quote that was tailor-made for bacon fans (and oh, there are many)
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
In an interview with the The Hopkinson Report (read the full transcript of the Spreadshirt interview here), Jana tells how a deal they’ve done with CNN allows users to instantly take any headline that CNN runs and make it into a t-shirt. (Buy the bacon shirt here). They’ve also done a similar deal with reddit.com.
It’s just another way that users are getting customized, real-time products online. No longer do users need to watch network TV when they can make their own movies with a Flip Camera, iMovie, and YouTube. No longer do users need newspapers when they can write their own blog. And of course, your everyday marketing guy can create his own podcast for thousands to listen to.
With Spreadshirt, users no longer have to order huge quantities and guess on sizing to get a custom t-shirt created. In fact, I’ve been using Spreadshirt long before I was introduced to Jana, having created a Hopkinson Report T-shirt back in March.
I did it to do a little promotion while I was at SXSW and have kept it low-key, but if any fans out there want a unique t-shirt, you can check it out at TheHopkinsonReport.com/Store.
More than just a t-shirt
More than just the shirt itself, the great thing about it is that you can choose from several styles, from basic heavyweight T’s to American Apparel… from your standard cotton guy’s shirt, to the girly ones that have the little microsleeves… from long sleeve shirts to hoodies… in just about any color you want… and you can price it any way you want to.
Hi, this is Jim Hopkinson, Wired’s Marketing Guy, bringing you the marketing trends that matter. Welcome.
My guest today is Elizabeth King, author of, “Outsmarting the SAT.” We cover some fascinating stuff, whether you took the SAT back in the 90s, or you’re taking it next week.
Jim Hopkinson: Hi everyone, my guest today is Elizabeth King, an expert on the SAT and ACT Test, which means in Boston terms, “She is wicked, wicked, smaht.” Elizabeth tutors high school students preparing to take these tests; she helps them with their college applications materials, and, most importantly, she has written a groundbreaking book called, “Outsmarting the SAT.”
Welcome, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth King: Hi, Jim thanks for having me.
JH: OK. So, the SATs, this is a really stressful subject. So, say that you’re a 17 year old high school student, there’s all this pressure on this one test to get into the school you want to, in order to graduate, and get the job you wanted. It’s kind of a really stressful couple of hours, right?
When you’re known as an SAT guru, that’s the way some people introduce themselves at a party. Everyone remembers what they got on their SAT test (whether it’s out of 1600 or 2400).
That’s one of the lessons I learned from Elizabeth King, the author of one of the top-selling books in the college prep arena, Outsmarting the SAT.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
I think you’ll enjoy the interview, whether you’re a student, a parent, a grammar nerd or a math geek, because we tackle the topic in a fun way, much like Elizabeth does in her book.
First we explore some of the questions that challenge conventional thinking about this test, and around the halfway point I dust off my high school brain and tries a few questions, so make sure you hear that part.
Elizabeth actually got her start as an actress before forming her own unique test-taking strategy and parlaying that into a tutoring service, then to a workbook, and finally into a top-selling book.
You’ve heard some of the big names… Is it really worth it to use services such as Kaplan and Princeton Review and can you really increase your score? It’s a hot topic right now, and you might be surprised what a study by the National Association of College Admission Counselors found.
As a successful tutor, some might question her strategy that she ‘gave away the farm’ and included nearly every last detail that she uses while tutoring and put it in the book. But it appears to be paying off, as her Amazon.com ranking has gone from 250,000 to the top 2,000 of all books listed. Check out her current Amazon rank.
WE DISCUSS 10 THINGS ABOUT THE SAT TEST YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW
1. The Culture of Fear. How the entire SAT test-taking environment has evolved into a culture of fear, and how to overcome it.
2. The truth about guessing. Is it ever a good strategy to guess at an answer? How have things changed in the last 25 years?
3. Tutoring horror stories …Are today’s kids spoiled and just looking for the easy way out?
4. Why was the new grammar section was added in 2005, making the top score 2400? Hear Elizabeth’s theory.
5. What part of the test (math, grammar, verbal) is easiest to improve?
6. How can someone improve their vocabulary, and what parents can do to help their kids.
7. What seemingly painful process does a teacher from Mississippi do to encourage higher scores for his students?
8. “2 trains are speeding toward each other from opposite directions…” Does anyone ever come across this age-old question?
9. The one thing thatcompletely psyches out students before they even take the test, and who she is partnering with to overcome it.
10. When Jim tries his hand at a few questions, does he have fun, or flashbacks?
So what’s the bottom line? Elizabeth gives the hard facts about what it really takes to succeed, and I agree and back it up with a real-life case study from a previous job illustrating true learning and understanding vs. memorizing.
Besides, when’s the last time you used the word didactic in sentence?
Hi, this is Jim Hopkinson, Wired’s Marketing Guy, bringing you the marketing trends that matter. Welcome.
Today my guest is Andy McLoughlin of Huddle.net, a UK-based start-up in the online collaboration space. Let’s take a listen.
Jim Hopkinson: OK, today we’re talking with Andy McLoughlin who is from Huddle.net. Huddle.net is an online collaboration provider based in the UK, and its product, ‘The Huddle’, is an online workspace where users can share files, collaborate on ideas, manage projects, and organize virtual meetings. Welcome, Andy.
Andy McLoughlin: Hey, Jim, how are you doing?
JH: I’m doing great! So, why don’t you start out, tell me a little bit about yourself, how you got involved with The Huddle, and how you got to this point.
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
“E-mail is a fine tool for communication, but an awful tool for collaboration.” — Andy McLoughlin
That statement — said with a British accent — is the basis for online collaboration tool Huddle.net. I sat down with Andy McLoughlin, the co-founder of the company, and we covered the following topics:
- How Andy got his start at a Telco in the UK… until he got tired wearing a suit.
- Why is online collaboration still so hard?
- What’s the problem that The Huddle is trying to solve?
- Who is using Huddle.net, including agencies, governments, and charities. - Did Business Week really call them “The Next Google?”
- How does the UK entrepreneur community compare to that in Silicon Valley?
- How does Andy’s company respond to Google Wave? Will Internet Explorer, a $10 billion market, and Sudoku prevent Google from being a true competitor?
- What’s the revenue model? How Huddle.net charges for their popular features.
- What post-recession collaboration trends does Andy see, including a fractured, distributed workplace around the world.
Think you’ve got a good business idea? Can you back it up?
Companies give their pitch as follows:
The egg timer starts and companies have 7 minutes to give their best pitch to an audience of more than 100, including a five-person expert panel comprised of attorneys, financiers, accountants, technologists, and investors. This allows entrepreneurs to reach a diverse group of influential leaders who can play a role in helping their companies succeed. The panel asks probing, deep-dive questions, then the audience gets their turn, followed by a final critique by the experts. Not for the feint of heart.
Try it for free at www.Huddle.net Bonus: Andy gives out a promo code for a free month of paid services near the end of the podcast. New: The Huddle has just released an iPhone application!
Recorded via conference call in New York City and Vancouver
September 11, 2009
Jim Hopkinson, Wired’s Marketing Guy
Ryan Holmes, CEO, Invoke Media (Creator of Hootsuite Twitter Client)
Hi, this is Jim Hopkinson, Wired’s Marketing Guy, bringing you the marketing trends that matter. Welcome.
The popularity of Twitter continues to grow, both on a personal and business level, and in this episode I interview Ryan Holmes, the CEO of Invoke Media, the creator of a Twitter dashboard client called, “HootSuite.”
Jim Hopkinson: Well, welcome everyone. I’m here today with Ryan Holmes who is the CEO of Invoke Media. Welcome, Ryan.
Ryan Holmes: Thanks a lot, Jim.
JH: So, Ryan comes to us from Vancouver. Now, Ryan, I don’t know if you know about this, but, I’m getting huge in Canada with the Hopkinson Report. I’ve got you coming in from Vancouver, I interviewed Saul Colt and Sarah Prevette from Toronto, Mitch Joel from Montreal, and maybe I’ll expand into, like, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, or something next.
RH: That’s great to hear, I’m in good company there.
JH: So, tell me about what your major company, ‘Invoke Media’, is all about. How you founded that, and then we can get into the Twitter dashboard, ‘HootSuite’, after that.
I’m huge in Canada!
After fantastic interviews with Saul Colt and Sarah Prevette (Toronto) and Mitch Joel (Montreal), I’m shifting to the West Coast to speak with Ryan Holmes, the CEO of Vancouver-based Invoke Media. Up next… Manitoba and Saskatchewan!
Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:
Ryan’s company is the creator of a Twitter client called Hootsuite.
What exactly is a Twitter client (also known as a dashboard)? It’s a way for individuals and companies to better manage their Twitter experience.
The adoption of Twitter definitely moves through various stages, from the initial hatred (why do I want to know what you’re having for lunch!!!) through a tiny toe in the ocean of status updates, and finally through the a-ha moment when it starts to add real value.
Some people will move through these stages faster than others, and it’s easy for power users to forget that millions of new people are signing up every day, and they’ve never used a URL shortener and don’t know what a ReTweet is.
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“World’s Oldest Person Credits Bacon”
