Branding in Media and Entertainment

Institute for Media and Entertainment and Kellogg School of Management are holding a special event on Branding in Media and Entertainment on April 30 to May 2. They’re focusing on ways to utilise different platforms to make sure your brand breaks through the clutter on different platforms.

The mandate for powerful media brands and brand systems has never been greater. There has been an explosion of delivery technologies and content platform options. The pace of change has also placed a focus on short-term gains, often to the neglect of brand building. This program gives the skills and strategies to succeed through powerful brands that dominate in times of upheaval.

Who Should Attend & Why
IME’s Branding in Media and Entertainment program is designed for executives responsible for the success of marketing initiatives. The program helps executives enhance their brand savvy, from positioning for online platforms to creating global brand concepts.

Key Benefits
Overcome information clutter with strong brands
Gain clear definition of branding and positioning in M&E
Learn to manage and optimize brand systems
Work with the world’s premier marketing faculty

Check it out: http://www.instme.org/branding.html

World Without Oil: towards a responsible ARG

At GDC recently, Jane McGonigal announced her latest game: World Without Oil. It officially begins on April 30th, but sites and content are up already. It is apparently sponsored by Independent Lens and PBS, and is designed by Jane and written by Ken Eklund. This looks to be Jane’s move towards creating more socially responsible games since leaving 42 Entertainment. The game is described by Jane in Gamasutra: 

It’s a different kind of ARG –- a collaborative alternate reality. There’s a lot of content creation on the part of players that is not traditional to ARGs. What is traditional to ARGs is that there are characters and a full life online, which people who are starting to poke around the website now are finding. There are hints of how you might find these characters. There’s a chat transcript posted amongst a bunch of characters. Maybe you could send them a message. […]

The World without Oil game is really going to let people use any means necessary to drive the story, to test the limits, everything from posting, documenting things with photo, video, to live flash mobs. You get to decide what’s happening, and by documenting it, you force us to build it into the story.

The sort of end game is, does the country recover? The characters might all be dead by the end of the story depending on what the players do. We’re keeping it pretty flexible because the idea is that when you start to play you join as a puppet master. In that way, it’s sort of the first collectively puppet-mastered game ever. We’re giving away more power but holding the reins enough so that it’ll be a satisfying experience. We’re taking you to the next level.

If we want it to be collective, why don’t we let the players run it collectively and see what they come up with? The subject of the game is a very real scenario. If we did suffer an oil shock, it would be the ordinary people, the players, who would be ultimately shaping what the hell happened, whether we descend into chaos or whether we band together. It’s better to see what the people really think and want to do now. Play it before you live it.  [Gamasutra]

I look forward to studying this game and people’s reactions. Personally though, I do not think that getting people to think about figuring out ways to survive a stark future is the way to make people happy. I have always been against fear-based approaches in rhetoric about climate change and in industry presentations. Games are no different. So, at this stage, the call to action does not address me. But I’ll check out the design, as Jane definitely knows what she is doing when it comes to game design. And I think her goal of a game designer winning the Nobel Peace Prize is a fine one. As for this ARG, there is already character content online, see the links from the main site, where you can sign up too.

Slides from Jane McGonigal’s talk at GDC: http://www.slideshare.net/avantgame/creating-alternate-realities-or-hacking-happiness

Unfiction Forum: http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18592 (hardcore players)

Player Wiki: http://www.oilless.info/

Register to play/do good now: http://worldwithoutoil.org/

Burnett, MySpace, Reality TV & Politics: “Independent”

LOS ANGELES — The online social networking site MySpace.com and reality TV producer Mark Burnett are teaming to launch the search for an independent presidential candidate.

The political reality show “Independent” comes with a $1 million cash prize. But there’s a catch: the winner can’t keep the money.

The prize can be used to finance a legitimate run for the White House or can be given to a political action committee or other cause.

Contestants in the show, set to launch in early 2008, will meet the public and interact with supporters, protesters and others. An interactive “town hall” will give MySpace users and TV viewers a chance to rate their performance.

The show does not yet have a commitment from a TV network.

Potential candidates will audition for the show by submitting a video. Once the contestants are chosen, they will set up MySpace profiles to serve as their campaign headquarters.

The hope is that the show, with its Internet component, will engage younger voters in the political process.

“Through this new network television series and the partnership of MySpace, we’re going to discover in a big way, what America really thinks, and bring to light the issues that are closest to those who now finally have a chance to be heard,” Burnett said.

MySpace is a unit of Fox Interactive Media, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

Now this is very interesting too. I’ve been talking about how so many broadcasters ask audiences to jump through so many interactive hoops with meanlingless actions. Meaningful action is the natural next step. We’ll be seeing alot more works that actually try and do good…like what is in my next blog post.

Source: http://www.nbc4.tv/entertainment/13054933/detail.html