Second Life, where anything is possible

Why build a virtual world? Philip Rosedale talks about the virtual society he founded, Second Life, and its underpinnings in human creativity. It's a place so different that anything could happen.

Philip Rosedale (avatar "Philip Linden") is founder of Second Life, an online 3D virtual world inhabited by millions. He's chair of Linden Labs, the company behind the digital society

Measuring emotion--Lovemarks, the future beyond brands

Lovemarks is a marketing technique that is intended to replace the idea of brands. Lovemarks were invented by Kevin Roberts, Chief Executive Officer Worldwide of the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, and are promoted by him and his company. Roberts claims, "Brands are running out of juice." He considers that love is what is needed to rescue brands. Roberts asks, "What builds Loyalty that goes Beyond Reason? What makes a truly great love stand out?" Roberts suggests the following are the key ingredients to create lovemarks:

Mystery
Great stories: past, present and future; taps into dreams, myths and icons; and inspiration
Sensuality
Sound, sight, smell, touch, and taste
Intimacy
Commitment, empathy, and passion

Roberts explains the relationship between lovemarks and other selling concepts through a simple schema based on respect and love. The full schema is as follows: mere products (commodities) command neither love nor respect. Fads attract love, but without respect this love is just a passing infatuation. Brands attract respect, even lasting respect, but without love. Lovemarks, explains Roberts, command both respect and love. This is achieved through the trinity of mystery, sensuality, and intimacy.

In September 2006, Saatchi & Saatchi won a US$430 million JC Penney contract because of the idea of lovemarks



Anne Geddes - a lovemark





Levi's - another lovemark





Apple - where the hard disk is (read heart instead hard)

Looks Determine Everything, Even on YouTube =/

"this is a short rant about how society is too focused on looks and being pretty. most my rants are meant to be funny and not to offend, so please dont take me seriously."
kevjumba

http://www.youtube.com/user/kevjumba

An Anthropological Introduction To YouTube

http://www.filmmaker.com/node/18421
June 23rd, 2008- an anthropologist from Kansas presented a talk to the Library of Congress about the sociological effects of YouTube. It's worth a look. You may also be interested in his other widely popular video about Web 2.0.

http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8747
Michael Wesch, creator of the strikingly insightful videos “A Vision of Students Today” and “The Machine is Us/ing Us”, gave a presentation at the Library of Congress back in May on the anthropology of YouTube. The presentation was the third in a series called “Digital Natives,” natives being basically my and probably your generation if you’re reading this. It’s about the net and the people who grew up with a computer humming by their bed stands. Wesch delves into this phenomenon that is us—how we think and how we perceive and connect with the world differently due to the internet and new media like YouTube.

“An anthropological introduction to YouTube” is where “traditional” academic research and the new media landscape intersect. It is the anthropological perspective and study of our generation’s fascination with YouTube,





Comment
Wed, 08/20/2008 - 12:26 — Jennifer Hightower (not verified)

Wow
The video was really long, but eye opening. Anyone who is a filmmaker should watch this, because this youtube phenomenon effects us all. So now, has the the notion of a filmmaker completely changed? Youtube is proof that high budget movies, and A-list actors do not necessarily a great film make. As film makers we are faced with the very real question of wether we will ignore this new phenomenon, or embrace it. To ignore it would be a great error, I think, because to ignore the power youtube on our society, is to ignore the needs of our audience. There is a huge gap between high budget films (and even Indie films) and films that are circulating on youtube. If someone could figure out a way to bridge that gap, I think that person would revolutionize media as we know it. It's an idea that deserves consideration sooner rather than later, because it seems to me that there is going to be an inevitable change in the way we make movies all together, and anyone who is stubborn about the change is going to be left behind. Not since the introduction of talking motion pictures has something so profound hit the publics interest, and it's very exciting!

http://www.filmmaker.com/node/18421