I mentioned my triathlon blog venture a couple posts ago, and my efforts to create something a little bigger around it. As part of that I've commissioned a design contest over on 99designs.com to help me come up with a set of images for use on the site. The sets consist of three images, one for each sport in a triathlon (swim, bike, run). These images will be used as buttons, badges and icons on the site, and I'd also like to use them as a set for the main logo of the site. So far 60 entries have been submitted by 18 designers, which is just incredible. I've been really impressed by the images that have been submitted and by the overall time and efforts put in by the designers.
The contest is nearing an end and now I need help deciding on a winner. I've created a poll over on 99designs and want your input on the 8 'finalists' I've selected. Which ones do you like best and why? You can give 0-5 stars to each entry and provide comments as well. Remember, I'd like to use the trio of images as a logo and also each image independently as an icon.
Here's the link to vote in the contest. Thanks a lot for your help!
What I'm Reading: Bike edition Pt. 2
More bike service & app news! The first one is called Capital Bikeshare and is based around the Washington DC area. The service uses a technology called BIXI that allows riders to access the bikes via a special key card. It seems to be pretty low hassle and affordable. Definitely one to check out this weekend for everyone headed to DC for the Rally to Restore Sanity (like our friend Chuck over at Chicago Bike!)Another bike-sharing system making use of new technology is SoBi, the Social Bicyle System.
SoBi is the first public bike share system to rely entirely on wireless technology for tracking, locating and unlocking bikes. The system is compromised of three elements: the social cyclist, the central server and the social bicycle.Here's a video of SoBi in action.
Here’s how it will work: after creating a SoBi account — via web, mobile phone or street kiosk — a cyclist will have unlimited access to bicycles in the bike share system, which will be equipped with GPS, a secure lock and wireless communications. Once the cyclist locates an available bike, he can use a pin code to unlock it. The central server will approve and track the transaction.
And last up we have an iPhone app that lets you use your iPhone as a bike computer. This is pretty cool for casual techy bike riders, but as a more advanced bike rider I don't think this little app holds a candle to a standard power meter (although it is a lot cheaper, just a $100 kit).
Chief Marketing Technologist
Oh hello, I think I just found my next job title: Chief Marketing Technologist. I don't think I've ever seen a title description align so closely with what I want to do next, but the CMT description does just that. Scott Brinker, president and CTO of ion interactive, explains the CMT as an executive who is:
1. Translating Strategy into Technology
Working with the CMO and the marketing department and translating their needs into technology implementations. Being able to understand the needs of both marketing and technology and bringing everything together into a cohesive plan.
Taking all the data that is available to an organization (web analytics, marketing automation, advertising behavioral segmentation) and bringing it together to make sense of it all. Having different systems talk to each other and work together to optimize the larger organizational strategy.
Bringing technology to the forefront of the organization and teaching others to leverage it to achieve their needs. Taking technology into consideration during the larger decision making process.
“… a hybrid between business and technology, a strong background in engineering and IT, is an early adopter of technology, but someone who also understands the pragmatic realities of scaling technology. But most importantly, someone who brings those skills and combines them with a deep love and passion for the marketing mix. This is a technologist that reports to the CMO, not the CIO.”The role is for an individual who understands both technology and marketing, who understands how one side impacts the other, and who can seamlessly move between both worlds.
Your company may have seasoned marketers and top-of-the-line technologists, but it takes those who are dually knowledgeable in both marketing and technology to really make the right moves in Internet() marketing, as they are the ones who really understand the way the web works and what’s possible for marketing from a technological point of view.What are the main goals of the Chief Marketing Technologist? Brinker goes on to list the three key goals for the role:
1. Translating Strategy into Technology
Working with the CMO and the marketing department and translating their needs into technology implementations. Being able to understand the needs of both marketing and technology and bringing everything together into a cohesive plan.
“The idea of a marketing technologist is someone who’s natively versed in both2. Choreographing Technology Across Marketing
languages and understands the concepts of what’s in technology and what’s in
marketing, and they can serve as the translator,”
Taking all the data that is available to an organization (web analytics, marketing automation, advertising behavioral segmentation) and bringing it together to make sense of it all. Having different systems talk to each other and work together to optimize the larger organizational strategy.
“Choreograph the entire collection of marketing, technology and data that we see3. Infusing Tech into the Company’s Marketing DNA
throughout the organization. Find ways to tap the synergy between all of these
different components,”
Bringing technology to the forefront of the organization and teaching others to leverage it to achieve their needs. Taking technology into consideration during the larger decision making process.
“Perhaps most importantly, is to infuse technology into the DNA of marketingYou can learn more about the Chief Marketing Technologist over on Scott Brinker's website (via Mashable)
itself — our practices, our people, our culture,”
Active blog work
Although it looks like I haven't been posting too much on this blog, I have in fact been blogging quite a bit lately on another blog venture of mine. This other blog revolves around my other passion, triathlon, and it's something I've been quietly working on over the past year or so. Just recently I've decided to step it up a bit and create something bigger around it. I don't expect it to blow up or be the next big thing, but I do hope it's a fun way for me to combine my favorite activities together. I'll post more details as they develop.
New Evernote features and apps
A bunch of new Evernote features and add-ons have popped up recently that have caught my eye. The first couple items are built into the web browser and the last one is a standalone app from the Evernote Trunk that I'm trying out.
First up is Site Memory, a new feature from the Evernote team that allows website owners to add an Evernote button on their website. The button works just like ReTweet or Share button, except the user shares it right to their Evernote account. I don't see how this is much better than the existing Evernote button I have on my browser's toolbar, but it does give the site owner more control over how their web content is saved. The site owner can customize the data that is saved to add additional content or frame it in a different way. This is a new feature that was just added last month so I haven't seen it in use yet. It should be interesting to see what types of sites take advantage of this new feature, since there's not that much benefit to adding this button just for Evernote users. It's not like a Share button where you're offering your user a chance to share your content with his/her friends, which then brings in more traffic to your site.
Next is a cool Chrome extension called Simultaneous Search that allows you to search Evernote notes as you search on the web. This looks really useful and should allow you to really leverage your saved notes in your everyday routines. Right now to get any value out of my notes I have to actively pull up an Evernote client and search within it, but this new extension allows me to passively incorporate my saved notes into all my searches. Plus it should be a nice little shortcut for quickly searching saved notes. I use Firefox right now as my primary browser but this new Chrome extension might just be the push I need to switch to Chrome full time.
Next up is a note-taking/organizer app called Awesome Note that offers full syncing with your Evernote account. I just started playing around with the app this week (the free Lite version) and so far I like the To-Do list features and the calendar view for tasks. It has a much richer interface than the Evernote mobile app but it syncs with Evernote on the backend so that helps bring all my notes and whatnot together in a single location. I'm always on the lookout for new ways to improve my To-Do list process so I'm giving this app a shot for a couple of weeks to see how it delivers. There's a paid version of this app but for now I'll stick to the Lite version.
First up is Site Memory, a new feature from the Evernote team that allows website owners to add an Evernote button on their website. The button works just like ReTweet or Share button, except the user shares it right to their Evernote account. I don't see how this is much better than the existing Evernote button I have on my browser's toolbar, but it does give the site owner more control over how their web content is saved. The site owner can customize the data that is saved to add additional content or frame it in a different way. This is a new feature that was just added last month so I haven't seen it in use yet. It should be interesting to see what types of sites take advantage of this new feature, since there's not that much benefit to adding this button just for Evernote users. It's not like a Share button where you're offering your user a chance to share your content with his/her friends, which then brings in more traffic to your site.
Next is a cool Chrome extension called Simultaneous Search that allows you to search Evernote notes as you search on the web. This looks really useful and should allow you to really leverage your saved notes in your everyday routines. Right now to get any value out of my notes I have to actively pull up an Evernote client and search within it, but this new extension allows me to passively incorporate my saved notes into all my searches. Plus it should be a nice little shortcut for quickly searching saved notes. I use Firefox right now as my primary browser but this new Chrome extension might just be the push I need to switch to Chrome full time.
Next up is a note-taking/organizer app called Awesome Note that offers full syncing with your Evernote account. I just started playing around with the app this week (the free Lite version) and so far I like the To-Do list features and the calendar view for tasks. It has a much richer interface than the Evernote mobile app but it syncs with Evernote on the backend so that helps bring all my notes and whatnot together in a single location. I'm always on the lookout for new ways to improve my To-Do list process so I'm giving this app a shot for a couple of weeks to see how it delivers. There's a paid version of this app but for now I'll stick to the Lite version.
