wake up: a strategic intel report on convergence
DESCRIPTION
Our worlds are colliding at an alarming rate. Work and pleasure. Public and private. Real and imagined. As we track and analyze trends that cross the boundaries of marketing, media, entertainment, and technology, the points where these worlds converge are a valuable source of consumer insights and audience intelligence. In these pages, you'll find examples of mash-ups that are driving cultural and behavioral change, and implications for marketers.TRANSCRIPT
Letter from the editor ............................................................................................... ..3
Work + Play Play: The Adoptive Mother of Invention ......................................................................................... ..5
Past + Present Experiencing History in HD .............................................................................................................. ..9Art Rede!nes Out-With-the-Old, In-With-the-New ..........................................................................11
Light Side of Convergence + Dark Side of Convergence Jedi or Sith: The Light and Dark Sides of Convergence ...............................................................13This + That = Nope ..........................................................................................................................19
CONTENTS
1
Brands + Personality The Freaky Friday Syndrome ..........................................................................................................21
Romance + Innovation Of"ine and Offbeat: The New Breed of Dating Apps ....................................................................25Select Apps and What They Do .....................................................................................................28
Luxury + Mass Access Trumps Ownership .............................................................................................................29
Food + Science The Cultivation of Curious Consumption ......................................................................................31
Gaming + Social Media Brands Will Like Xbox One’s Social Features ..................................................................................35
Sports + Data Performance-Enhancing Data: Democratizing Moneyball .........................................................37The Datasexual ...............................................................................................................................40
ContributorsForecasts ..........................................................................................................................................41
Friends of Omelet Forecasts... .......................................................................................................................................47
The Crew.......................................................................................................................................50
Photo Credits................................................................................................................................ 51
Endnotes....................................................................................................................................... 52
2
The most profound revolutions are not the ones trumpeted by pundits, but those that sneak in when we are not looking. - Mark Weiser, 1993
Astute words to introduce our convergence issue, from the former chief
technologist at Xerox PARC. This is the guy who pioneered ubiquitous
computing – the concept of being connected anywhere, anytime, on
any device – twenty years before “Glassholes” stumbled around public
(or at least the Bay Area) in computerized headgear. This is the guy who
forecasted a post-screen future, driven by smart technology and our
ambient, data-driven economy. What was his crystal ball? Reading the
subtext, not the over-hyped headlines.
As we collectively hit refresh on another year, there’s a natural inclination
to look backwards, through Google-colored glasses, and summarize the
SUHYLRXV�WZHOYH�PRQWKV�LQ�VZHHSLQJ�JHQHUDOL]DWLRQV��7KH�<HDU�RI�WKH�6HOÀH��SRS�FXOWXUH�UHIHUHQFHV��WZHUNLQJ��FURQXWV����DQG�LQDQH�VLPSOLÀFDWLRQV��XVXDOO\�preceded by hashtags (#enoughalready).
:KLOH�UHÁHFWLRQ�LV�KHDOWK\��DQG�,�GRQ·W�PHDQ�WR�WULYLDOL]H�WKH�VRFLDO��FXOWXUDO��and geopolitical milestones of the last year, the past is behind us. And by the
time you read this, the present is too. What we’re left with is what lies
ahead – what’s next.
So now is as good a time as any to take a peek around the corner. And like
Mark Weiser, the brain trust at Omelet looks for tomorrow’s breakthroughs
in today’s undercurrents - what strategy wonks would call microtrends. We
look for patterns that shape the course of where we’re headed; for narrative
threads that tie together ideas, and connect individuals with communities.
What does this have to do with the theme of convergence? Everything. As
an agency that sits at the intersection of marketing, media, entertainment,
and technology, we obsess over convergence points; these hotspots
produce some of the most valuable brand insights and audience
intelligence. And today, our worlds are converging at an unprecedented
pace: work and pleasure, public and private, real and imagined.
Collisions are, by their very nature, messy (see: George Costanza’s “Worlds
&ROOLGHµ�7KHRU\��6HLQIHOG�(SLVRGH�������������7KH\�UHVXOW�LQ�FRQÁLFW��WHQVLRQ��and contradiction. But that’s the richest vein for innovation. Because
breakthroughs don't happen without breaking something.
,Q�WKHVH�SDJHV��\RX·OO�ÀQG�H[DPSOHV�RI�PDVK�XSV�WKDW�DUH�DFWLYDWLQJ�EHKDYLRUDO�DQG�DWWLWXGLQDO�FKDQJH��:KDW�\RX�ZRQ·W�ÀQG�DUH�JUDQG�proclamations or speculation about what the year holds. Will legalized
PDULMXDQD�VWHDO�ZDOOHW�VKDUH�IURP�DOFRKROLF�EHYHUDJHV"�:LOO�$SSOH�ÀQDOO\�crack that TV that Jobs promised, or at the very least break into a new
product category with wearables? We’ll leave the guesswork to the pundits,
and concentrate instead on the canaries in the coalmine.
Converge on.
SEAN MCNAMARAchief strategy of!cer
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
4
A couple of weeks ago I was at my mother’s
home in Florida, sipping coffee at the kitchen
table while waiting for a Thanksgiving pie to
ÀQLVK�EDNLQJ��2K��DQG�,�DOVR�KDSSHQHG�WR�EH�RQ�a conference call with my creative team in L.A.
and clients in New York.
Working in account management means I’m
nearly always on, and yes, that includes the
occasional working vacation. My folks might
argue that I’m doing it wrong; that I should be
creating more of a balance between my work-life
and my life-life. But I see it differently. In a world
where the lines between work and play are blurry
at best, developing a sense of balance between
the two is no longer the goal – integration is.
Maneesh Goyal, founder of Live in the Grey,
argues that “balance is, by its very nature,
SUHFDULRXV���LW·V�YHU\�GLIÀFXOW�WR�DFKLHYH��7KH�YHU\�concept just conjures up images of trying to
balance a see-saw.”1 So is the very idea of
ZRUN�OLIH�EDODQFH�EDVHG�RQ�ÁDZHG�ORJLF"�,V�SXQFKLQJ�WKH�FORFN�RQ�D�À[HG�VFKHGXOH��FKHFNLQJ�in and out of work with clear boundaries, a
vestige of a bygone era that existed before we
learned to apply the ‘knowledge work’ that
drives today’s progress?2
Truth is, many of us aren’t in the business of
producing tangible things anymore. Instead, we
produce ideas. As idea-makers, we’re probably
working more than 40 hours a week, and those
PLAY: THE ADOPTIVE MOTHER OF INVENTIONAnna Nesser
++
5
KRXUV�GRQ·W�ÀW�QHDWO\�LQWR�WKH�WUDGLWLRQDO�QLQH�WR�ÀYH�IUDPHZRUN�3 We’re constantly
connected, not just by our devices, but also by
our incessantly churning, always-buzzing minds.
They don’t exactly have an off switch. And that’s
a good thing - ideation requires lateral thinking,
and unlike task-oriented work, ideas can, and
should, be born anywhere, anytime.
For me and my peers, this always-on approach
to work isn’t a cross to bear, but rather a way
of working smarter and gaming the system in
the emerging knowledge economy. It goes
back to that much-hyped Millennial FOMO, or
Fear of Missing Out, which it turns out isn’t just a
social phobia. In fact, it’s just as relevant to our
professional lives.
“A fun dinner for me is with the friends who I
would gladly co-found a something-or-other with
and brainstorm business ideas. That, to me, is a
wonderful blend of business and personal life.”5
Millennial young gunners want to catapult over
the corporate ladder of yesterday, and they
don’t want to miss out on any opportunity that
could expedite their rise to the top. “There are
those managers who live for their job; they do
not want to miss any aspect of their project
because they were assigned or better yet,
created the assignment. They treat their project
as though it were their child: they want to be the
only one who provides nurturing
and is solely responsible for its
development.”6
The advent of knowledge work
has implications that reach far
beyond Millennials. In the last
few years, there’s been a sea of
change in conference culture,
as events like TED have given rise
to a new-school approach that’s
more liberal arts than it is vocational. Rather than
gathering like-minded professionals to discuss
WKHLU�RZQ�QDUURZ�ÀHOG�LQ�D�YDFXXP��7('�HYHQWV�are designed around convergence, bringing
together people across disciplines to spark new
ways of thinking. It’s a new age of cross-functional
collaboration.
And other groups have taken notice. The
most notable of these neo-networking events
is probably the Summit Series, where the lines
between work and play are barely noticeable.
Staged in a vacation destination, like a ski resort
or yacht, Summit is where “a friend is more
Inspiration can and should come from anywhere.
How an idea is sparked is very much a mystery…
I like to open myself up to lots of different
experiences so that I can be receptive when
lightning strikes.4
- Michael Gross
WORK + PLAYPLAY: THE ADOPTIVE MOTHER OF INVENTION
59% of Americans regularly do some work on vacation.9
>>>
6
valuable than a colleague, both professionally
and personally. The eclectic mix of activities and
talks…encourage participants to discuss ideas,
not interests.”7
Another example of this new model of
frankencation is CAMP, where play inspires
ideas. Think adult summer camp in Big Bear,
where, in addition to mastering the ropes course
DQG�VLQJLQJ�VRQJV�DURXQG�WKH�FDPSÀUH��\RX·UH�partaking in a “curated experience programmed
to inspire, increase innovation, encourage
collaboration and community, and grow
success.”8
Companies of all shapes and sizes are becoming
more attuned to the idea that infusing play into
the workplace can not only improve attrition and
retention of high-potential talent, but also trigger
cultural transformation. However, it’s important to
note that the context of ‘play’ is evolving. It’s no
longer exclusive to the creative class’ playthings:
Ping-Pong, pets, Pac-Man, and PBR. Nor is it
applied to the traditional forced-fun rituals of
group happy hours and team-building outings.
Drawing on my own experience, ‘play’
encompasses everything that I’m passionate
about: people, learning, design, and food. So I
chose to work at a company with aligned values;
one that lets me proactively apply my interests to
my working environment. And I’m not alone.
When searching for a job, my peers are more
OLNHO\�WR�FKRRVH�RQH�WKDW�ÀWV�WKHLU�OLIHVW\OH�RYHU�ÀQDQFLDO�VSRLOV��,Q�IDFW��D�UHFHQW�0LOOHQQLDO�branding report found that 45% of Millennials
FKRRVH�ZRUNSODFH�ÁH[LELOLW\�RYHU�SD\�10 In the age
of knowledge work, the relationship between
WLPH�DQG�PRQH\�LV�EHLQJ�UHGHÀQHG��DV�JUHDWHU�enterprise value is placed on production over
presence, on results over time spent tethered to a
desk.11
So don’t be alarmed if we’re reading the latest
Mashable list or scrolling through Instagram when
you walk by our desks. Chances are we’ll be
responding to emails later that night at the Jay-Z
concert. And who knows, we might meet our next
client at a friend’s dinner party.
WORK + PLAYPLAY: THE ADOPTIVE MOTHER OF INVENTION
Work-life integration does not mean giving up your
OLIH��LW�PHDQV�ÀQGLQJ�ZD\V�WR�EULQJ�SHUVRQDO�SDVVLRQV�into your profession. That’s where the magic happens.
As a generation, we’re emotionally tied to our
work. Whether or not we admit it, our jobs play an
LQFUHDVLQJO\�LPSRUWDQW�UROH�LQ�GHÀQLQJ�ZKR�ZH�UHDOO\�are, and as we collectively leave a greater imprimatur
on the modern workplace, we should embrace the
convergence between these two worlds.
7
WORK + PLAYPLAY: THE ADOPTIVE MOTHER OF INVENTION
Research at California State University Long Beach showed that people
who have fun at work are more creative, more productive, work better
with others, and call in sick less often.12
8
Faulkner once wrote, “The past is not dead.
In fact, it's not even past.”13
More than half a
century later, this statement aptly describes the
current state of network programming.
Entertainment is a reliable barometer for social
attitudes and beliefs, and in recent years we’ve
seen a recurrent trend in historic themes coming
to life on the small screen. This development isn’t
exclusive to the television business – creators and
curators across media are looking to the past to
KHOS�GHÀQH�WKH�SUHVHQW��WKH\·UH�UHYLVLWLQJ�DUFKLYHV�and deconstructing historic stories, searching for
inspiration to produce new content by remixing
or reimagining old ideas in relevant and relatable
formats.
:KDW·V�LQÁXHQFLQJ�WKLV�ORRN�LQ�WKH�UHDU�YLHZ�mirror? In a business that’s evolving towards an
“on-demand” model, in which a greater quantity
RI�ORZHU�FRVW�FRQWHQW�ZLOO�ÁRZ�WKURXJK�WKH�SLSHV��it’s a safe bet that the recent inundation of
historical programming isn’t coming from the
supply side - as the genre is neither cheap nor
easy to produce - but rather from the studios,
networks, writers, directors, and producers, who
are responding to audience demand, and in turn,
ratings.
So what does that say about the audience? The
obvious implication is that we’re nostalgic for
simpler and safer times, but it’s not that simple;
subjects like Vikings, pirates, Rasputin, and the
PAST PRESENT
EXPERIENCING HISTORY IN HDCristina Pedroza
+
9
American Revolution don’t exactly give off the
warm-and-fuzzies. Nor is it as simple as an escape
from our current always-on, tethered-to-tech
lifestyle – although the popularity of stories about
post-apocalyptical survival from robots, aliens, or
zombies could anecdotally point in that direction.
We posit that the growing popularity of this
genre points to the audience’s desire to connect
with a shared history; to feel like a participant
in a journey that past generations experienced
ÀUVWKDQG��8QOLNH�WKH�LPDJLQDU\�QDWXUH�RI�DOLHQV��vampires, dragons, and ghosts, along with
those evil robots and zombies, these stories are
grounded in tangible, historical context. But
they’re not too real, unlike the exploitive nature
of most non-scripted programming, from the
shameless manipulation of children in Toddlers
in Tiaras or Little Miss Perfect to the dystopian
indifference towards the human condition in
Bridalplasty or Married by America.
$W�ÀUVW�EOXVK��WKH�JOXW�RI�KLVWRULFDO�VHULHV�RQ�DLU�DQG�in the development pipeline doesn’t appear to
be newsworthy; premium cable channels like
HBO, Showtime, and Starz have been playing the
period adaptation game for years, and the major
networks were there more than a quarter of a
century ago with pop hits M*A*S*H and Happy
Days. However, since AMC’s runaway critical and
cultural success with Mad Men, there’s clearly
been a renewed interest in the genre. Don Draper
and his band of merry reprobates proved that
basic cable could not only capture and sustain
the attention of a loyal audience, but also get
them compulsively talking about it, spreading the
gospel one week at a time. And other imitators
have followed suit, including Playboy Club,
Pan-Am, and Masters of Sex, although they have
failed to galvanize the voices of the young and
LQÁXHQWLDO�
PAST + PRESENTEXPERIENCING HISTORY IN HD
“Mad Men was sort of the tipping
point that showed that there was
an audience in basic cable for
period drama.”
- Alan Gasmer, Executive Producer of Vikings.14
>>>
10
In 2014, AMC will look to reprise its winning period
formula with two new drama series: Halt, and
Catch Fire and Turn. The former is a dramatization
of the early1980s personal computing boom,
while the latter will tell the story of a group of
childhood friends and spies who had an active
UROH�LQ�$PHULFDV�ÀJKW�IRU�LQGHSHQGHQFH�15
81% of the Starz original programming for
2013-2014 is period content.
Other players are not far behind. On the heels
RI�+DWÀHOGV��0F&R\V��7KH�+LVWRU\�&KDQQHO�LQWURGXFHG�WKH�KLW�VKRZ�9LNLQJV��WKH�FKDQQHO·V�ÀUVW�scripted series,
16 which was recently picked up for
a second season. And at the end of last year, the
channel also premiered the feature-length movie
%RQQLH��&O\GH��VWDUULQJ�(PLOH�+LUVFK��+ROOLGD\�Grainger, William Hurt, and Holly Hunter, and is
currently in pre-production on a mini-series about
Houdini.17
PAST + PRESENT
Vintage Video Games + Modern Canvas22
Tired of wandering around art galleries, staring at tired,
static canvases with the other automatons? Sit down,
grab a controller, and play your art instead.
The Museum Visit + 3D Digital Tour24 Mona Lisa’s smile can be seen in 3D,
thanks to the Louvre and Nintendo’s
idea to reinvent the Museum Tour.
Sculpture’s Classics23 + 3D Printing,W�WRRN�5RGLQ����\HDUV�WR�ÀQLVK�7KH�Thinker; it should take you a little less
with the help of a 3D printer.
Historic shots now enjoy La Vie en Colour25
You no longer have to wonder how your great grand
pappy’s life looked in Technicolor.
ART REDEFINES OUT-WITH-THE-OLD, IN-WITH-THE-NEW
EXPERIENCING HISTORY IN HD
11
The CW, a proving ground for the tastes of young,
largely female audiences, has also jumped on the
period bandwagon with Reign, a loose portrayal
of Mary Queen of Scots’ tenure in
sixteenth-century French court. While critics19
have lambasted the show as more of a Gossip
Girl meets The Tudors mash-up than a true
rendition of the depth and complexity of the
young queen’s plights, it has put on no airs of
being historically accurate and has embraced its
pop sensibilities. And that approach has clearly
paid off, as the series has managed to grab the
attention of Millennial viewers, the holy grail of
network audience segments, by incorporating
contemporary elements20
of music and fashion
design in a period drama.
With so many inspired-by-history stories headed
for the small screen this year, we have to question
whether this trend will hold strong in the long run,
or whether the industry will squeeze every ounce
of creative and commercial juice from it before
discarding the husk and moving on to whatever’s
next.
We’re betting that after this next wave the tide
will turn, but soon it’ll be back. These audience
trends tend to be cyclical, and the enduring
principle behind connecting with others through
shared history will stand the test of time. After all,
“the pursuit for new ideas, sights, taste, sounds,
and experiences”21
is an innate part of human
nature.
In today’s wired world, in which instant innovation
and crowd-sourced solutions are the new norm,
the analog struggles and solitary hardships of past
generations are as alien as extraterrestrials. For
audiences, and in particular younger viewers, the
growing interest in these journeys into the past
indicates that re-discovering the old may be just
what people need to inspire something new.
Implications for MarketersDon’t be afraid to look back and revisit the past.
There’s untapped equity in your brand’s origins,
and your audience’s roots. Even if people have
heard the story before, a fresh narrative around
an old tale can bring together the present and
past in an unexpected light.
Let people discover your untold secrets. Tease
them. Entice them. Give them the opportunity
to claim your brand as their own by discovering
missing links in your chronicle. Audiences are
hungry for the unseen and the unheard, and
this pursuit for hidden treasures may be just what
many brands need to reignite their relationship
with older audiences and connect with new
ones.
PAST + PRESENTEXPERIENCING HISTORY IN HD
'XULQJ�LWV�ÀUVW�VHDVRQ��9LNLQJV�EHFDPH�WKH�#1 new cable series of the year,
averaging 4.3 million total viewers.18
12
$VN�ÀYH�SHRSOH�ZKDW�FRQYHUJHQFH�PHDQV�DQG�FKDQFHV�DUH�\RX·OO�JHW�ÀYH�GLIIHUHQW�DQVZHUV��:KLOH�VRPH�GHÀQH�LW�DV�WKH�RFFXUUHQFH�RI�WZR�or more things coming together, readers of
Henry Jenkins’ seminal book, “Convergence
Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide”
generally connect the term to media.26
One
thing most people can probably agree on is
WKDW�FRQYHUJHQFH�LV�ÀUVW�DQG�IRUHPRVW�D�SURGXFW�of technological advancement. After all,
technology – whether it’s the printing press, the
steam engine, or a 16 GB smartphone – facilitates
the coming together of people and ideas. But
technology can never be separated from culture;
there is an ongoing feedback loop, as one shifts,
the other transforms in kind.
Director Spike Jonze explored this symbiosis in his
ODWHVW�IHDWXUH�ÀOP�+HU��UHOHDVHG�WKHDWULFDOO\�RQ�December 18, 2013. In the not-too-distant future,
a personalized greeting card writer played by
Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with his computer, an
RSHUDWLQJ�V\VWHP�ZLWK�DUWLÀFLDO�LQWHOOLJHQFH���7KH�conceit is high concept and outrageous enough
to have easily become a broad comedy (one
can picture studio execs suggesting Jim Carrey
for the lead), but the movie is actually a sensitive,
fragile, and touching love story – with insightful
commentary on how humans and technology
might someday converge.
As anyone who’s made threats towards Siri can
attest, Jonze is asking a lot of the viewer with
this premise. But in the context of Moore’s Law,
named for Intel co-founder Gordon Moore,
who boldly predicted in 1965 that computing
power would double every two years, it’s not so
outlandish. Most people assumed Moore’s Law
would be a short-lived phenomenon, but nearly
50 years later it’s still proving true.
Technology’s exponential growth rate means we
are now accomplishing in one year what once
took centuries. Scientists recently calculated
WKHUH�DUH�����H[DE\WHV�RI�GDWD�ÁRDWLQJ�DURXQG�the world; that’s 315 times the number of
grains of sand on Earth.27
All this data will soon
be universally available (Google’s Executive
Chairman forecasts the entire world will be
RQOLQH�LQ��������DQG�LW�ZLOO�ÁRZ�DFURVV�D�YDULHW\�RI�platforms, services, and devices.
28
In this increasingly converged world, with “dumb”
objects getting “smart,” and the blurring of
boundaries between work and play, advertising
DQG�HQWHUWDLQPHQW��IDFW�DQG�ÀFWLRQ��HYHU\WKLQJ�is changing: business, culture, marketing, media,
and even human relationships. Some argue
this accelerated change is for the better, while
others believe that it’s ushering in the downfall of
civilization. Let’s explore both sides.
LIGHT SIDE OF CONVERGENCE + THE DARK SIDE OF CONVERGENCEJEDI OR SITH? THE LIGHT AND DARK SIDES OF CONVERGENCE
JEDI OR SITH? THE LIGHT AND DARK SIDES OF CONVERGENCEWhitney Anderson
14
LIGHT
SID
E
Simply put, anyone can learn anything from
just about anywhere. History shows many
examples where exclusive knowledge was used
as a tool of control. From religious organizations
guarding knowledge from “the profane,” to
ODUJH�RUJDQL]DWLRQV�XVLQJ�WKHLU�VL]H�DQG�ÀQDQFLDO�resources to monopolize airtime - information
and its distillation, has historically been limited to
the wealthy and elite classes. But technology is
OHYHOLQJ�WKH�SOD\LQJ�ÀHOG��)URP�&RGHDFDGHP\�to Khan Academy to YouTube to Tutor.com,
there’s no shortage of online sites providing
courses and tutorials on nearly every subject
or trade imaginable without traditional tuition
price tags. And patients, once at the mercy of
their doctors and care providers, are becoming
more informed about their own health and
well-being, and empowered to make decisions
based on more accessible data. One example:
the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE Challenge. It’s a
global competition designed to inspire scientists
to create a handheld health diagnostic tool
people can use in their own homes to better
manage their personal conditions.
Democratization
LIGHT SIDE OF CONVERGENCE + THE DARK SIDE OF CONVERGENCE
15
LIGHT SIDE OF CONVERGENCE + THE DARK SIDE OF CONVERGENCELIGHT SIDE
All of us are smarter than any of us. Sure, we were
crowdsourcing long before Wikipedia in our own
analog ways, but online communities opened
XS�ÁRRGJDWHV�RI�LQIRUPDWLRQ�DQG�LQ�WXUQ�PDGH�our day-to-day lives decidedly better. Amazon
customer reviews, TripAdvisor user comments,
DQG�5HGGLW�DUH�LQÁXHQFLQJ�ZKDW�ZH�EX\��ZKHUH�we travel, and what we read. But there’s more
to collective intelligence than avoiding a bad
restaurant via Yelp; it’s being used to solve some
of the world’s most pressing problems. Take for
example Foldit, a game created by scientists. For
���\HDUV�UHVHDUFKHUV�KDG�EHHQ�WU\LQJ�WR�ÀJXUH�out the particular structure of a virus in monkeys
that caused AIDS.30
What the scientists couldn’t
accomplish on their own, in a decade and a half,
no less, was solved within three weeks by random
participants playing the Foldit game. And what’s
most inspiring about this story is that many
participants had no science background at all.
Where you once needed access to a stage or
media platform to make your voice heard, now
you simply need an internet connection. Artists
FDQ�VHOO�WKHLU�ZRUN�GLUHFWO\�WR�EX\HUV��ÀOPPDNHUV�can get funding outside the studio system, and
HQWUHSUHQHXUV�FDQ�JHW�PLFURÀQDQFH�ORDQV��Beyond individual success stories, technology
is enabling people to unite their voices and
change entire cultures. Sexual assault is a huge
issue for women in Egypt, one that often gets
overlooked, ignored, and accepted as part of
Egypt’s culture. In response, a group developed
HarassMap in 2010, an initiative that works to end
the social acceptability of sexual harassment.29
HarassMap allows women or witnesses to report
sexual harassment via its website,
harassmap.org, as well as email, text, or Twitter,
and to track where assaults are taking place.
Not only has this technology given a voice to
those that would otherwise hesitate to speak up,
LW·V�KHOSLQJ�UHGHÀQH�VRFLDO�DQG�FXOWXUDO�QRUPV�in Egypt so that the harassment of women is
becoming less tolerated.
Empowerment
Collective Intelligence
16
Peak DistractionAre smarter gadgets actually making us
dumber? A recent study found that people
who are interrupted by technology score 20
percent lower on a standard cognition test.31
Another study proved that a large percentage
of students couldn’t concentrate on homework
for more than two minutes without distracting
themselves with social media or writing an email.32
With smartphones reaching near ubiquity, the
consequences of digital multitasking are coming
to a head. Just as 41 states outlawed texting
while driving, there are rumblings of “texting
while walking” bans in reaction to pedestrian
fatalities. In Japan, more than a dozen people
fall off of railway platforms while looking at their
phones each year.33
People are not only putting
themselves at risk, but technology is causing
some people to exhibit symptoms of narcissistic
personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive
disorder, addiction and depression.
DisplacementRobots are taking our jobs. While it’s easy to
UHVSRQG�ZLWK�D�ÁLSSDQW�´:KHQ�RQH�GRRU�FORVHV��another door opens,” the truth is 45 percent of
American jobs are at high risk of being replaced
by computers within the next two decades.34
“The pace and scale of this encroachment into
human skills is relatively recent and has profound
economic implications,” according to two MIT
economists in their recently published book
“Race Against the Machine.”35
And it’s not just
blue-collar factory jobs that will disappear. A
recent McKinsey report suggests we’ll be seeing
the “automation of knowledge work,” software
essentially doing things that used to require a
college degree.36
Paul Krugman of The New York
Times argues that in order to maintain a middle
class society, we may need to create additional
social safety nets for those losing their jobs via
WD[HV�RQ�FRUSRUDWH�SURÀWV�37
Connected Loneliness
“Connected, But Alone?” is the title of Sherry
Turkle’s famous TED talk, and she points out that
we’ve gradually become accustomed to being
“alone together.” We’re sitting next to our family,
our co-workers, our friends, but we’re interacting
with someone else on our devices. In the United
States, two studies showed that 40 percent
RI�SHRSOH�VD\�WKH\·UH�ORQHO\��D�ÀJXUH�WKDW�KDV�doubled in 30 years.
38 It is the great irony of our
age that we have never been better connected
while simultaneously feeling more alone. Turkle
believes our fear of intimacy causes us to rely on
technology when we should have a face-to-face
conversation. Meanwhile, comedian Louis C.K.
blames technology for preventing children from
learning empathy. In an interview with Conan
2·%ULHQ�WKDW�JDUQHUHG�PRUH�WKDQ�ÀYH�PLOOLRQ�YouTube views, C.K explained, “I think these
[cellphones] are toxic, especially for kids…you
need to build an ability to just be yourself and not
be doing anything. That’s what these phones are
taking away.”39
LIGHT SIDE OF CONVERGENCE + THE DARK SIDE OF CONVERGENCE
DARK SIDE
17
THIS + THAT = NOPEAdam Szajgin
LIGHT SIDE OF CONVERGENCE + THE DARK SIDE OF CONVERGENCE DARK SIDE
What can we learn from all this as marketers?For every advancement in technology that
creates opportunity, there is an equal and
opposite dynamic that creates a whole new set
of problems.
From the light side of convergence, we learn that
sometimes the best way to gain power is to give
it away. Let consumers be in control. Use them
to crowdsource ideas, and take advantage
of the mass of intelligence outside your own
organization. Ultimately, the more control you
relinquish the stronger the connection you can
build with your brand’s tribe. It’s a paradox, but
also a real opportunity.
From the dark side of convergence, we recognize
that humans are emotional creatures. At their
core, they want to be heard and to connect in
meaningful ways. By speaking to – or rather with –
them as humans, by providing them opportunities
to slow down (rather than adding to the
cacophony), and by helping them connect with
RWKHUV�LQ�WKH�´RIÁLQHµ�ZRUOG��\RX·OO�KHOS�VDWLVI\�WKH�core of who they are. And that leads to loyalty.
As for the future of convergence, and whether
the dark or light side wins out, countless movies
KDYH�SUHGLFWHG�WKH�ULVH�RI�DUWLÀFLDO�LQWHOOLJHQFH�LQ�machines, and most posit a world of us against
them. Emotional humans versus rational (and
lethal) robots. What Spike Jonze portrays in Her
is much more optimistic. Instead of looking
at technology as something that isolates us,
he imagines a world where it exists as a tool
for teaching us the importance of human
relationships, and how to openly share our lives
with other people. Though to learn this lesson we
PD\�QHHG�WR�IDOO�LQ�ORYH�ZLWK�RXU�FRPSXWHUV�ÀUVW�
It’s a fact of life that bringing two different
elements together is always interesting. One plus
one (1 + 1)? equals “hmmm, let’s see how this
goes...” But like a smoothie made with Nyquil
and a blended up ham sandwich, just because
it’s an interesting combination, doesn’t mean it’s a
good idea.
My point is simple: just because mash-ups are
trendy right now doesn’t mean you can just throw
stuff together all willy nilly and expect it to work
out for your brand. Think of it like a marriage,
or the high-calorie snack that will keep you
company while you sit home alone on a Friday
night – choosing the right partner is everything.
The right partner brings out the best in your
EUDQG��DPSOLÀHV�\RXU�UHDFK��DQG�PDNHV�SHRSOH�think and feel differently about you. The wrong
partner either makes you look like a desperate
jerk trying to capitalize on a trend, or draft off
somebody cooler, funnier, and better than you.
Or, it lowers your value, cheapens your image,
makes your life miserable, and makes everyone
wonder what the hell you were thinking.
19
LIGHT SIDE OF CONVERGENCE + THE DARK SIDE OF CONVERGENCETHIS + THAT = NOPE
1 2
3 4
Execute Flawlessly: Just because
\RX�ÀQG�WKH�ULJKW�SDUWQHU��GRHVQ·W�mean you can’t botch this. Even the
greatest convergence in the history
of mankind, peanut butter and
jelly, takes a nosedive off the shit-
cliff when you use too much of one
ingredient or the other. Or if you put
it on that square piece of cardboard
called 9-grain bread. It tastes like
birdfeed and should be outlawed
immediately.
However, if you pay attention to
the details and draw out the right
elements from each ingredient,
you can make even the craziest
convergence successful.
Don’t Force: This a good rule for life.
Don’t force it. People can tell. They
can feel it and it feels icky. Everyone
will have a bad time, especially you.
Your best bet is to converge with
brands, trends, and ideas that truly
interest and inspire you.
Enjoy It: Run your idea through the
ÀOWHU�RI�´ZLOO�SHRSOH�OLNH�WKLV"µ�QRW�“will this sell more product?” If it feels
like a nightmare, it probably is. That’s
because convergence is the ultimate
brand exercise. The power doesn’t
come from what it sells. The power
comes from what it says. This is an
opportunity to express and enhance
the perception of your identity in
a way you could never do on your
own.
When in doubt remember, this should
be like sex - it should be great. If it
LVQ·W��WKHQ�\RX�QHHG�WR�ÀQG�D�QHZ�partner or just stick to playing with
yourself.
Choose Wisely: As you bring elements
together, you want to make
harmony – not just noise. Your
relationship should bring out the best
in who you are and make you shine.
But just as important, is to converge
with something or someone that will
be enhanced by the addition of your
identity and your values.
:KLOH�\RX·UH�DW�LW��ÀQG�VRPHWKLQJ�that’s far enough away from who
you are to be interesting, but close
enough to make sense. The leap
should be exciting but we want
everyone to make it to the other side.
20
A funny thing happened on the way to the
new-media forum. People started behaving more
like brands, and brands more like people. In this
almost perverse role reversal, we see individuals
carefully managing their “brand” positioning and
personality, while companies think - and act - more
like real people, warts and all.
When you take a step back and look at the
recent evolution of media and marketing, this
transference actually makes sense. Not only are
the channels where people and brands interact
with one another converging, but so too is the style
LQ�ZKLFK�WKH\�GR�VR��$QG��IRU�WKH�ÀUVW�WLPH��DW�OHDVW�in our lives, John Q. Public has access to the same
marketing tools as multinational corporations. Not
so much in traditional or terrestrial media, but
certainly in the social sphere: Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Google+, Vine,
Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and even MySpace
(yes, it’s back). And on these platforms, it’s
GLIÀFXOW�WR�WHOO�ZKDW·V�RUJDQLF�DQG�ZKDW·V�SDLG��what’s editorial opinion and what’s sponsored
messaging.
As marketers, we’re being programmed to think
of engagement as the new impression. But for
real people, the concept of engagement is just
as relevant as it is for brands. Have you ever
caught yourself compulsively hitting refresh
and counting your likes, shares, comments,
and followers after tweeting a carefully crafted
BRANDS PERSONALITY+
BRAND PERSONALITY + THE PERSONAL BRANDJosie Brown
>>>
21
A proud display of a human
showcasing the "Brand Me"
joke or posting a brag-worthy photo? In fact, you could apply just about any of the new-media
EX]]ZRUGV�²�UHODWLRQVKLS�EXLOGLQJ��FRQWHQW�FUHDWLRQ��LQÁXHQFHU�RXWUHDFK��VKDUH�PRQJHULQJ�²�WR�DQ�individual’s efforts to build and maintain a brand image in the digital age.
See, as kids, we grew up with the ability to shed personalities as we crossed borders between our
discrete worlds: school, sports, activities, community groups, and summer camp. As adults, it was
the same thing, with different façades for work and play, for college friends and
baby-group acquaintances. Whereas the opportunities to market your “brand me” used to
be limited to a yearbook quote, bumper sticker, or cubicle wall, and you could segregate
and nurture the idealized version of your persona for different groups, it’s now on display in an
amalgamated portraiture, a single integrated identity that’s visible for all to see.
So it’s no wonder that people are behaving more like brands. Think about how the people in
your life, be they bloggers, writers, doctors, designers, tattooists, attorneys, or teachers no longer
want to separate their product from their name. In fact, none of us do – we are becoming our
RZQ�JUHDWHVW�EUDQG�DEOH�DVVHW��DYDLODEOH�RQOLQH�DQG�RIÁLQH� We fetishize public icons like Kim
Kardashian, Donald Trump, or Martha Stewart, who’ve leveraged their own personalities to build
EUDQG�HPSLUHV��$QG�ZH�UHÁHFW�WKDW�DVSLUDWLRQ�LQ�RXU�GHOLEHUDWHO\�PDQDJHG�LPDJHV��MXVW�OLNH�D�brand would.
A brand adding a human touch to their
product's packaging
BRANDS + PERSONALITY BRAND PERSONALITY + THE PERSONAL BRAND
23
So how do we explain brands acting more like
people? Ten years ago, most brand strategies
IRFXVHG�RQ�FRPPXQLFDWLQJ�D�VSHFLÀF�PHVVDJH�to consumers, telling them something. Today,
most briefs that cross our desks focus on starting
a conversation, allowing consumers to discover
something for themselves, and then talk about
it. So it only stands to reason that people would
want to have a conversation with someone they
can identify with, someone they feel like they
already know, with relatable qualities they can
connect to.
:KDW�GR�\RX�ÀQG�PRUH�LQWHUHVWLQJ�²�VLWWLQJ�WKURXJK�a monologue, in which a guarded automaton
parrots talking points at you, or engaging in a
dialogue with an imperfect person with whom
you have a voice in shaping the course of the
conversation? You probably don’t choose to
spend time with people who talk about nothing
but themselves, or take themselves too seriously,
so why would we expect any different from
marketers?
The idea of engaging with customers was alive
and well long before Friendster was a twinkle
in Al Gore’s eye. There was a time when we
once shook the hand of the farmer we got our
eggs from, we talked sports with the milkman,
and trends with the hairdresser; we formed loyal
relationships with people and their products or
services. We invested in them, and they invested
in us.
BRANDS + PERSONALITY
So it makes sense that smart brands
are learning to be more social, and less
self-centered; to ask questions, and
really listen to the answers; to adopt the
behavioral traits of real humans.
The relationship between a brand and its
customers is just that – a relationship. And a
successful one requires two-way communication,
honesty, and a sense of mutual respect. The
payoff is huge: trust, desire, and emotional
connection, which all translate to loyalty and
advocacy.
As brands behave more like people, and people
think of themselves more like accountable and
investible brands, the lines get blurry, and that’s
when things get interesting. If a critical mass of
people choose to engage with brands in the
same way that we do with other people, it’ll
IRUFH�PDUNHWHUV�WR�LQYHVW�PRUH�WLPH�LQ�ÀJXULQJ�RXW�exactly who their brand is, and who they want to
connect with. In this Freaky Friday scenario, the
journey to self-discovery for brands and people
should make for more interesting, and ultimately
entertaining, marketing.
BRAND PERSONALITY + THE PERSONAL BRAND
24
Katie is a 23-year-old friend who recently broke
up with her long-term boyfriend. She spent the
requisite time in mourning – in this case more than
a week, less than a month. But when we went to
dinner the other night, she was glowing, happier
than I can remember seeing her. I asked her if
she’d met someone. Her reply? “Three guys. On
Tinder.”
It’s a familiar refrain for singles under 35. Online
dating, a $1.3 billion industry40
, has disrupted
the traditional courting rituals and changed
the game for Gen Xers and Boomers, who
H[SHULHQFHG�ÀUVWKDQG�WKH�SLW�RI�GLVSDULW\�LQ�VLQJOHV�bars, or shock and awe of a truly blind date. But
among Millennials, the digital natives who came
of age in this post-dating world, online dating is
simply the norm in modern romance.
Apps like Tinder, Coffee Meets Bagel, and
*URXSHU�DUH�GHÀQLQJ�KRZ�WKH�\RXQJHU�HQG�RI�
the dating pool connects and communicates.
This new breed of apps shares a common thread:
GDWLQJ�EDVHG�RQ�LQVWDQW�JUDWLÀFDWLRQ�DQG�XVLQJ�PXWXDO�IULHQGV�WR�ÀQG�DQG�YDOLGDWH�PDWFKHV�
Looking beyond the obvious advancements in
technology and social connectivity, there are
broader cultural factors driving the shift away
IURP�:HE�����PDWFKPDNHUV��7KH�ÀUVW�LV�D�QHZ�WZLVW�on our old friend, social anxiety. We know that
people are carefully positioning and maintaining
WKHLU�´EUDQG�PH�µ�3URÀOHV�RQ�VLWHV�OLNH�H+DUPRQ\�FDQ�EH�PDQLSXODWHG�WR�DUWLÀFLDOO\�LQÁDWH�\RXU�stock: 54% of online daters have met someone
who “seriously misrepresented” themselves in
WKHLU�SURÀOH�41 Millennials are looking for ways
WR�KDFN�WKH�GXSOLFLW\�RI�RQOLQH�SURÀOHV�ZLWK�UHDO�information; for ways to see through the smoke
and mirrors by relying on friends of friends.
OFFLINE AND OFFBEAT: THE NEW BREED OF DATING APPS Sabena Suri
ROMANCE INNOVATION+
25
Another factor driving adoption of these new
mobile dating services is the sheer volume of
prospects available at the swipe of a thumb. For
a generation who grew up in the shadow of a
distressing divorce rate, relatively few of whom
are ready to settle down when they have endless
RSWLRQV�WR�ÀHOG�LQ�WKH�VHDUFK�IRU�D�SHUIHFW�PDWH��these apps play naturally to their tendency to
browse before buying. Couple that with a tough
economy, and many moving back in with their
parents – or more likely one of their parents – and
the lengthy, romantic idea of courtship they grew
up with in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days simply
isn’t realistic (or affordable).
Knowing what we do about Millennials’ need
to engage right now,42
these apps are brilliantly
architected for alacrity and dispatch. Instead of
ÀOOLQJ�RXW�DQ�H[WHQVLYH�SURÀOH��XVHUV�ORRNLQJ�WR�FXW�right to the chase with people they trust (even by
association) can get started in less time than it
takes to order a drink. Which is likely what they’re
doing from a barstool while they’re dynamite
ÀVKLQJ�IRU�ÁHVK�RQ�7LQGHU��EHFDXVH�ZKR�UHDOO\�wants to do that on the computer at home?
“What makes Tinder truly killer, though, is that it
was designed exclusively for smartphones and
the hyper-social Millennials who wield them.
Although online dating has long since lost its
stigma, OkCupid and eHarmony remain sites you
browse alone at home, with a fortifying glass of
wine and a spreadsheet to track interactions.
Tinder is an app you pull up at a bar with friends,
passing the iPhone around."43
Coffee Meets Bagel takes the opposite
approach: precision. A sniper shot, not buckshot.
The site sends just one match to users a day,
tailoring options based on shared interests. Yet,
the “bagels” are often friends of friends, making
them far less random. Let’s Date uses Facebook
WR�ÀQG�PDWFKHV�EDVHG�RQ�PXWXDO�IULHQGV��DQG�Down does the same, anonymously.
"With Coffee Meets Bagel, I don't have to
waste a bunch of time searching through
WRQV�RI�SURÀOHV�IRU�VRPHRQH�ZKR�PLJKW�be a match. It's just one person each
day and I can really give them some
consideration," says Jimmy, 27.
ROMANCE + INNOVATIONOFFLINE AND OFFBEAT: THE NEW BREED OF DATING APPS
>>>
26
Grouper has found a way to combine friends of
IULHQGV�DQG�LQVWDQW�JUDWLÀFDWLRQ��7KH�VLWH�DFWV�DV�D�virtual concierge, setting up groups of three guys
and three girls, picking a location, and ordering
WKH�ÀUVW�URXQG�RI�GULQNV�WR�DYRLG�DQ\�DZNZDUGQHVV��Other sites like The Dating Ring and Dating in
Groups have followed suit.44
The advantages?
Keeping things casual and getting friends’
opinions (instantly) before heading off with an
otherwise random stranger.
$OWKRXJK�LQVWDQW�JUDWLÀFDWLRQ�DQG�PXWXDO�IULHQGV�might be pushing the next wave in online dating
tools for Millennials, these trends are grounded in
fundamental human truths. People are busy; they
GRQ·W�DOZD\V�KDYH�WKH�WLPH�RU�WKH�HQHUJ\�WR�ÀQG�a partner. They’re also skeptical; someone who
looks too-good-to-be-true on paper (or screen)
usually is.
What makes Grouper great is that
it’s like an automatic gut check,
since we’re all on the date
together. My friends can be like,
yeah…no. Right then and there.
Chelsea , 22.
So, online dating evolved, and will continue to do
so in the future as we build a better mousetrap.
As marketers, we should look for cues in the
importance of Millennials’ ever-expanding social
circles; the newest wave of dating apps reveals
that this generation is willing to trust not only
their friends, but also friends of friends. Positive
experiences spark endorsements that have
exponential legs if people think you’re worth
talking about. What’s more, the old adage that
says a bad experience is much more likely to be
shared – and with more people – than a good
RQH��LV�EHLQJ�ÁLSSHG�RQ�LWV�KHDG��%HFDXVH�ZKHQ�it comes to online dating – or any industry where
a negative experience is actually expected –
the opposite is true. People are willing to share
H[SHULHQFHV�WKDW�VXUSULVH�WKHP��VR�ÀQG�QHZ�DQG�unexpected ways to do just that.
ROMANCE + INNOVATIONOFFLINE AND OFFBEAT: THE NEW BREED OF DATING APPS
27
ROMANCE + INNOVATIONOFFLINE AND OFFBEAT: THE NEW BREED OF DATING APPS
SELECT APPS AND WHAT THEY DO
BASED ON COMMON INTEREST
�� Plenty of Fish: Matches users based on what kind
of relationship they want to have; uses a
psychological quiz to uncover subconscious desires.
���Grouper: Groups of three girls and three guys are
matched based on interest and location, setting the
stage for a group date.
��Let’s Date: Creates a “Dating Card” based on
ORFDWLRQ��)DFHERRN�SUR
ÀOHV��PXWXDO�IULHQGV��DQG�
interests. If users reject someone, they swipe a red
OLQH�WKURXJK�ZKDW�WKH
\�GLVOLNH�RQ�WKHLU�SURÀOH
�45
BASED ON MUTUAL FRIENDS
���Coffee Meets Bagel: Each day, singles receive an
email with a potential date, a.k.a. a “bagel”, who is
often a friend of a friend.47
���Are you Interested?: Lets singles browse and get
to know potential matches based on common
Facebook friends.
���The Hinge:�8VHV�7LQGHU·V�¶KRW�RU�QRW·�V\VWHP�WR�ÀQG�
matches but only shows friends of friends whom you
might have something in common with.48
APPS FOR COUPLES
���Avocado: Allows couples to create to-do-lists,
private message, and “hug” through a tap and a
vibration.
���Couple: Users can play games at the same time,
archive important dates, and “thumbkiss” by placing
thumbs on phone at the same time.
���Kahnoodle: By adding up the sweet things people
do for their partners, users accumulate points towards
“digital love coupons” created by their other half.
BASED ON PHYSICALITY (+LOCATION)
�� Tinder: Allows the user to approve matches based on physical appearance, swiping left for yes
or right for no. The fastest-growing free dating app
in the U.S.46
���Grindr: Connects gay, bi, and “curious” males
based on proximity.
���Down: An anonymous way to see which of your
friends are interested in hooking up (recently made
un-anonymous by Facebook graph search).
28
Imagine a world where we no longer own clothes, jewelry, cars, or even homes. Seems far-fetched, given our
innate propensity for conspicuous consumption, but this reality may not be too far off. A shift towards access,
as opposed to ownership, is changing how companies market, distribute, and sell their products, and how
customers shop for and buy them.
7RGD\·V�FRQVXPHUV�FUDYH�H[SHULHQFHV��DQG�PDQ\�DUH�VDFULÀFLQJ�SHUPDQHQW�RZQHUVKLS�WR�DFTXLUH�WKHP��7KLV�marks a departure from the Malcolm Forbes doctrine of “he who dies with the most toys wins,” portrayed vividly
in The Wolf of Wall Street, for a new “she who dies with the most experiences wins” ethos.
THE DEVIL RENTS PRADA: WHEN ACCESS TRUMPS OWNERSHIPJas Gill
LUXURY MASS
+
29
Similarly, ShopHers capitalizes on the notion of
sharing pre-owned designer fashion. One of its
unique offerings is the option to be matched with
a “Style Soulmate” who shares your exact same
measurements and style – allowing you to swap
clothes hassle-free. You could swap your Versace
blouse for your soulmate’s Chanel dress – having
your designer cupcake and eating it too. In
the short year since the beta version of the site
launched, the company has organically grown
their customer base to nearly 250,000 members.53
7KLV�JURZLQJ�PRYHPHQW�KDV�VWDUWHG�WR�LQÁXHQFH�dining, music, and even travel. With Airbnb, you
FDQ�VWD\�WKH�QLJKW�LQ�D�SHQWKRXVH�LQ�6R+R�RU�D�ÁDW�in Kensington for a week, just to see what it’s like.
Likewise, the 24 million active Spotify users will tell
you that they’d rather listen to millions of songs
than own just a handful of albums.54
Foodies,
listen up - Dinner Lab, a newcomer to the stage,
is an underground social dinner club that brings
together up-and-coming chefs with aspirational
foodies for a night of good food and company.
Just last week, I had a celebrity chef cook me up
a six-course meal in a boxing gym in downtown
LA – an experience I typically would never be
able to afford.
The implication for brands is obvious –
today’s consumers, especially Millennials,
see themselves as part of a collective
that can (and should) work together to
access and share experiences; luxury is
no exception.
You can expect the luxury landscape to change
drastically over the next few years, extending
beyond the reach of the 1 percent. As marketers,
we need to adjust our strategies to cater to this
trend that demands greater accessibility to high-
quality goods by focusing less on ownership and
more on discovery and participation.
LUXURY + MASSTHE DEVIL RENTS PRADA: WHEN ACCESS TRUMPS OWNERSHIP
We’d argue that either way, you’re dead, and
therefore not winning, but that’s beside the point,
which is this:
People aren’t rejecting materialism
as much as they are changing the
GHÀQLWLRQ�RI�LW�
This trend is changing the face of luxury as we
know it by democratizing lust-worthy goods and
making them available to the unwashed masses.
And it’s giving rise to new business models built on
the principle that you don’t need to be rich to live
a little more extravagantly every now and then.
The effects are already being felt throughout
the fashion industry. A slew of fashion platforms
are increasing accessibility to items that were
traditionally reserved for the elite.
Take Le Tote, a fashion company that lives the
LGHD�WKDW�WKH�FXVWRPHU�DOZD\V�FRPHV�ÀUVW�49 Le
Tote allows women to rent unlimited boutique
clothing and accessories for only $49 a month.50
As marketers, we know that great insights are
the ones that you’ve always known, but never
heard articulated. This is exactly what CEO
Rakesh Tondon stumbled upon. He realized that
women, especially his wife, were constantly
complaining that they had nothing to wear – yet
had closets full of clothes. And better yet, women
were always borrowing and sharing clothes at a
very localized level – across all ages and socio-
economic levels.51�/H�7RWH�WRRN�WKLV��QDWXUDO�RIÁLQH�
behavior, and brought it online. Tondon admits
KH�ZDVQ·W�WKH�ÀUVW�WR�VWUXFWXUH�KLV�EXVLQHVV�RQ�D�borrowing model, and considers Rent the Runway
a pioneer of the new luxury fashion.
We talked to Tondon about the access over
ownership trend to get his take. “It’s a very real
trend. I hate to call it a trend, because it’s really
an evolution of how we’re wired. It’s the direction
we’re all going, and there are reasons for it.”52
30
FOOD + SCIENCE
Ramen burgers. Cronuts. Pork belly. Pork
everything. Craft soda. Foodies are infamous for
an obsession with what’s trending right now. And
E\�WKH�WLPH�\RX�ÀQG�RXW�DERXW�LW��WKH\·YH�DOUHDG\�moved on, chasing down the next undiscovered
delicacy.
With attention spans as short as the line at most
food trucks these days, there are few trends that
they stick with once they catch the attention of
the mainstream. But one particularly relevant
movement has recently made its way from fringe
to the forefront without losing its cred within the
tribe: food science.
The convergence of food and science is hardly
new (the term "molecular gastronomy" was
coined back in the dark ages of 1988), and
could easily be relegated to the transient trend
pile. But the latest iteration of this mash-up has
inspired a surprising sense of intellectual curiosity
around food that can tell us a lot about broader
behavioral patterns.
Pop culture is a fairly accurate yardstick for
identifying that point where a trend crosses over
to the masses. Recently, Parks and Recreation
parodied “molecular mixology” with the
character Ron Swanson pointing out that a
VKRW�RI�YRGND�WDNHQ�E\�ÁDVKHV�RI�OLJKW�LV�WKH�“wrong way to consume alcohol.”
55 Is this an
early indicator of another food fad on its way to
cultural obscurity or validation that people are
salivating for more? We’re leaning towards the
latter.
World-renowned chefs and revered scholars alike
have deemed the marriage of food and science
worthy of rigorous study. This recent recognition
and validation has given rise to an almost
academic fascination with the “how” behind
cuisine. We’re experimenting with it in places
and ways that go beyond tweaking Grandma’s
recipe in a traditional kitchen.
We even have some of our biggest brains
dedicated to pushing food science to new
levels. In 2013, Harvard University created a
whole lecture series dedicated to the topic:
Science and Cooking. In it, students delve into
everything from the Physics of Mouthfeel to the
Evolution of Culinary Theory.56
On the other side
of the country, UCLA has followed suit with a class
called Physiological Sciences, which focuses on
science and food, and brings experts from both
THE CULTIVATION OF CURIOUS CONSUMPTIONMorgan Aceino
“By taking inspiration from humanities, sciences and arts, we
undertake work which other research facilities, rooted in one side of
the arbitrary science/craft divide, might not attempt. For example,
often those working directly with complex foods at an artisanal level
understand little of the biochemistry, and those who study them at a
biochemical level have little applied knowledge of gastronomy. We
seek to reconcile these approaches, using modern and traditional
methods to combine craft and science for delicious results.”
- Nordic Food Lab59
We’re mummifying, molding,
breaking down, and rebuilding
edibles in ways that are
unexpected - and in some
cases - downright dangerous.
“I hate people who are not serious
about meals. It is so shallow of
them.”
– Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Ernest
>>>
32
ÀHOGV�LQ�IRU�OHFWXUHV�WKDW�LOOXVWUDWH�KRZ�WKH\�FDQ�push each other to new, exciting places.
57
,W�LVQ·W�MXVW�VFKRODUV�LQÀOWUDWLQJ�WKH�FXOLQDU\�VFHQH��Chefs all over the world are embracing science
to elevate their culinary prowess. Noma, named
“Best Restaurant in the World” for two years
running by the S. Pellegrino Awards, places
the utmost importance on exploration and
experimentation in the name of food and
science. The esteemed head chef René Redzepi
set up a whole houseboat with an experimental
kitchen dedicated to this endeavor - Noma’s
food lab.58
We’re also a little obsessed with experimenting
to manipulate and reimagine familiar food
DQG�DFFHSWHG�VFLHQFH��)URP�DUWLÀFLDO�WXQD��ZKLFK�PLJKW�MXVW�VDYH�WKH�JLDQW�ÀVK�VSHFLHV�from extinction
60) and treating obesity with
neuroscience61
to fermented black garlic
(deliciously bizarre62
) we’re digging deeper,
adventuring more, and collecting experiences
that have implications beyond what happens in
the lab or kitchen.
Brand ImplicationAnthony Bourdain, reformed chef and world
explorer, captures the sentiment of curious
consumption best in a piece of advice about life:
´,I�\RX·UH�����SK\VLFDOO\�ÀW��KXQJU\�WR�OHDUQ�DQG�EH�better, I urge you to travel - as far and as widely
DV�SRVVLEOH��6OHHS�RQ�ÁRRUV�LI�\RX�KDYH�WR��)LQG�RXW�how other people live and eat and cook. Learn
from them - wherever you go.”
For brands, that means embracing the modern
left-and-right-brain approach to creation and
consumption. Be relentlessly surprising. Create
experiences worth exploring. Break conventions.
Make new ones. Surprise to delight.
Connecting with today’s consumer requires
a new recipe. The way to his heart might be
through his stomach, but the way into his
conversation is through his brain– by fostering his
intrinsic sense of curiosity. When done properly,
and with purpose, he’ll keep coming back for
more.
FOOD + SCIENCETHE CULTIVATION OF CURIOUS CONSUMPTION
33
There’s also the new “Follow” feature. Unabashedly
taking cues from Twitter, you can now follow other
players, giving their content priority placement
in your activity feed. So, your Xbox One will notify
you when a followed player posts an awesome
gameplay video, just like your phone gives you a
heads up when Ellen tweets a hilarious joke.
Where marketing is concerned, the “Follow” feature
could be a game changer (pun intended). Just as
Twitter has given Katy Perry a preposterously large
megaphone – her horde now growing to 48 million
strong – someone will soon become the world’s
PRVW�LQÁXHQWLDO�JDPHU��7KDW�LQGLYLGXDO��RU�EUDQG��ZLOO�have a direct line to an almost obsessively engaged
audience of 46 million Xbox Live subscribers:
25-44 year-olds who spend an average of 87 hours
per month on their consoles.
That’s an enormous platform for opinion sharing.
Imagine the potential sales boost an upcoming
game might enjoy if Xbox One’s top gamer gushed
about the title in a live stream viewed by the masses.
A negative review, on the other hand, could be just
as impactful.
Personally, I’ve made past purchase decisions based
entirely on the opinion of one trusted friend. That a
single gamer might wield sweeping authority over
all of Xbox Live is noteworthy and a testament to the
powerful social tools the Xbox One is introducing.
While the potential marketing opportunities created
by gamer-generated content and social sharing are
immense, they’re also marred with uncertainty. Will
brands be permitted to directly sponsor gamers? Or
will there be limitations? Would Microsoft consider
selling ad space on popular channels? It’s all a bit up
in the air right now.
What’s certain, though, is that the internet is about
to witness a serious uptick in gaming content. Until
now, expensive, specialized equipment was required
to share your personal gaming experiences, but the
new consoles are set to democratize the medium.
Production and consumption will be easier than
ever – and that could put more than a little stress on
my analog friendships. But, hey, if you need to get in
touch, you can always “Follow” me.
In 2009, Microsoft tried to bring social media
to gaming consoles. It didn’t work. With
limited functionality, the Facebook and Twitter
applications for the Xbox 360 sputtered and
were eventually removed from the Xbox
Marketplace.
Now, Microsoft has a second chance with the
UHOHDVH�RI�WKH�;ER[�2QH��DQG�LW�KDV�RXWÀWWHG�its next-generation console with an arsenal of
impressive social features.
In 2014, gamers will be able to share screenshots
and videos of their virtual adventures directly to
Facebook using the console’s built-in DVR. So,
when you slay a dragon or demolish an alien
overlord with your bare hands, you’ll be able
to rub it in your friends’ faces with the push of a
button.
You’ll also be able to stream live gameplay
footage to Twitch, a gaming content hub with
44 million monthly visitors – a number that’s
destined to grow as a result of partnerships with
both Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
It doesn’t end with these shiny new sharing
options, either. Facebook and Twitter have their
ÀQJHUSULQWV�DOO�RYHU�WKH�;ER[�2QH��LQVSLULQJ�VRPH�of the console’s essential features. For example,
the familiar Friends app, which provides real-time
information about your online buddies’ activities,
has been redesigned and now closely resembles
Facebook’s newsfeed.
BRANDS WILL “LIKE” XBOX ONE'S SOCIAL FEATURESJimmy Barker
GAMING + SOCIAL MEDIA
SOCIAL MEDIA
When you slay a dragon or
demolish an alien overlord with
your bare hands you’ll be able
to rub it in your friends’ faces
with the push of a button.
36
Today, the rest of the world is coming around to the
realization that using data to track everyday athletic
activities can optimize personal and professional
performance. Matt Levine, a professional sports
consultant, began to appreciate these implications
after his company studied and sold niche baseball
data to teams like the New York Yankees. . “For the
ÀUVW�WLPH��WKH�VSRUWV�LQGXVWU\�KDV�VRPHWKLQJ�WR�WHDFK�regular industry because of how they’re pushing the
use of technology with performance evaluation.”66
While “big data” was surely one of the most hyped
(and misused) corporate buzzwords of 2013, its
JURZLQJ�LPSDFW�²�DQG�HIÀFDF\�²�VKRXOG�QRW�EH�LJQRUHG��2II�WKH�ÀHOG��EXVLQHVVHV�ODUJH�DQG�VPDOO�KDYH�taken a page out of the sports industry’s playbook,
developing winning strategies not on experience or
intuition, but rather on data-driven decision-making.
In fact, companies that do this are proven to be 5%
PRUH�SURGXFWLYH�DQG����PRUH�SURÀWDEOH�WKDQ�WKHLU�competitors.
67
Thanks to the availability of an avalanche of
data streams, athletes and businesses now have
a competitive edge that was impossible even a
decade ago. Just last year, while LeBron was using big
data to improve his courtside skills, Target was using
their own data to accurately identify a customer’s
pregnancy and predict her spending habits before
she’d even alerted loved ones.68
When 40-year-old Jason Kidd returned to the
New York Knicks after an injury, his inner circle
of advisors looked to ones and zeroes to gauge
his ability to play. Strapped to his jersey was
a matchbook-sized GPS device, loaded with
sensors that tracked his acceleration, agility, and
force. Thanks to that little device, and the data
it provided his trainers and doctors, Kidd was
cleared to play ball during the 2013 season.63
Way back in the early aughts, Michael Lewis’
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
introduced us to the true story of Billy Beane, who
used sabermetrics – advanced empirical analysis
of baseball – to disrupt 19th century conventional
baseball wisdom and take an underfunded
Oakland A’s to the playoffs two years in a row.
And long before that, there was Rocky IV and
,YDQ�'UDJR·V�VOLJKWO\�PRUH�ÀFWLRQDOL]HG��EXW�QR�OHVV�entertaining take on the “technology of human
performance.”
In recent years, data and technology have
played an increasingly prominent role in
competitive athletics. We saw it in the 2008
Olympics, when competitors wearing Speedo’s
high-tech LZR racer suit won 94% of swimming
races.64
And then again in 2012 when Nike’s
HyperDunk+ shoes with built-in pressure sensors
gave LeBron James the data he needed to
prepare himself – and his team – to beat France
in the 2012 Olympic opener.65
PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DATA: DEMOCRATIZING MONEYBALL Devin Desjarlais
SPORTS + DATA
Theo Epstein, general manager of
the Boston Red Sox, has embraced
sabermetrics, hiring Bill James as a
consultant.
>>>
38
SPORTS + DATA
The human body is our greatest
source of data and thanks to
smartphones, wearable technology,
and new apps, we now we have
a myriad of ways to measure and
analyze it. We can track mood,
sleep patterns, cognitive function,
blood pressure, diet, and location.
What does this mean for brands? A
big opportunity to know more about
their consumers' behavior.
That data has also led to the emergence of
´TXDQWLÀHG�DWKOHWHV�µ�KXPDQ�HPERGLPHQWV�RI�technology that consistently best their competition
in every race, game, and qualifying round. In a
life-imitates-art charade that recalls the Russians’
space-age training regimen in Rocky IV, these
athletic automatons are trailed by a team of
physicians and performance monitors, who are
armed with an arsenal of tools to accurately track
and measure performance, and charged with
NHHSLQJ�WKHLU�VXEMHFWV·�ÀQHO\�WXQHG�ERGLHV��ZKLFK�are extremely valuable assets, running smoothly.
69
Unfortunately, like most things in life, there are few
shortcuts here; simply having access to data isn’t
HQRXJK�WR�JLYH�DWKOHWHV�RU�EXVLQHVV�D�VLJQLÀFDQW�competitive edge. They must understand the
factors behind each success and failure to
accurately assess competitors’ strengths and
weaknesses and measure the impact of tactical
changes needed to win. In both worlds, even the
smallest of margins – measured in fractions – can
make a huge difference.70
So what does this mean for marketers? Through the
ability to track such incredible data, professional
athletes have become proverbial guinea pigs for
statistics companies to provide the kind of data
that businesses need to win. But beyond that,
we can look to sports as an example of how to
leverage information for competitive gain. It’s
becoming increasingly clear that data must be
used to inform key decisions upstream, not to
simply support an opinion or justify a point of view.
It needs to be used to drive critical thinking and
challenge conventional wisdom.
PERFORMANCE-ENHANGING DATA: DEMOCRATIZING MONEYBALL
39
Cognitive Function:Tracking how optimal your brainfunction performs
Products:Lumosity
Heart Function:Track your heart health from heart rateand blood pressure
Products:Withings, Tinke
Activity Function:Track your movement and activitylevel throughout the day and get reminders to move
Products:Nike Fuelband, Fitbit, Jawbone Up
Dietary Function:Track food intake to fine tune weightloss and find out what foods maymake you irritable
Products:MyFitnessPal, LoseIt, Noom
Eating Function:Track how fast you eat your food toensure if you are achieving optimaldigestion through vibrations
Products:HAPIfork
Speed and Distance Function:Track how fast and far your run, jump,and move throughout the day
Products:Nike+, Armour39
Blood Glucose:Track your blood sugar levels as yougo about your day to understandyour metabolism and energy
Products:vDexecom
DNA/Microbiome:Learn about the good bacteria andpotential genetic ancestry to preventcertain diseases
Products:23andMe, uBiome
Smartphone:Can track any and everything aboutyou. Primarily as a handheld GPS
Products:Yelp, Foursquare, Moves
Mood Function:Track how your mood is throughoutthe day
Products:Moodpanda, Moodscoping
Sleep Function:Track how your quality of sleep andif you are getting enough sleep toimprove health
Products:Jawbone Up, Lark, Fitbit, Zeo
zzz
40
SPORTS + DATAPERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DATA: DEMOCRATIZING MONEYBALL
The human body is our greatest
source of data and thanks to
smartphones, wearable technology,
and new apps, we now we have
a myriad of ways to measure and
analyze it. We can track mood,
sleep patterns, cognitive function,
blood pressure, diet, and location.
What does this mean for brands? A
big opportunity to know more about
their consumers' behavior.
THE DATASEXUAL A Look at the World of Quanti!ed Self
Inforgraphic by Alan Huynh
CONTRIBUTOR PROFILES
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I solve formidable business problems for global
brands with the cunning usage of puns. More
accurately, I generate ideas that humans will
enjoy and then explain them with words that
brands can embrace.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
Often I use my Chicago Bears fanaticism to inspire
empathetic enthusiasm. No matter the client, I try
to imagine that consumers love that product or
service in the same way that I admire the Monsters
of the Midway.
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
Irony and authenticity. If younger generations
continue the mock-adoption of lifestyle choices
their parents genuinely appreciate, soon everyone
will sport a retro wardrobe and ornate facial hair,
but no one’s true intentions will be apparent. 2014
could be the year this phenomenon reaches its
tipping point.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I oversee the strategic planning department
which involves mentoring (and learning from)
some amazingly talented people.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
Earlier in my career I was a working screenwriter
(Disney, After Dark Films) and churned out a
couple scripts that now sit on some development
shelf somewhere. At Omelet I get to use these
storytelling skills in so many different ways. I think
my favorite is thinking of ways stories can be told
visually rather than verbally – useful when you're
developing content for global audiences.
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
More Sharknados! (a.k.a. sharks + things that
make no sense with sharks.) On a totally
separate note, I think 2014 will see a lot of
improved integration between digital teams
and PR teams. Both disciplines need the other's
knowledge. Digital natives and experienced PR
professionals should join forces.
COPYWRITER+NERD
JIMMY BARKER
STRATEGIST+SCREENWRITER
WHITNEY ANDERSON
41
WHAT DO YOU DO?
The brand strategist part of my job is mostly rooted
in being a culture, competition, and consumer
spy. I'm also really involved in the Quality of Life
Committee here (so I know my way around
planning a party.)
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
I'm a little obsessed with urban
exploration – especially when it comes to a city's
food scene. One of the things I've noticed is that
a lot of consumer macro trends can be predicted
by listening really closely to what's going on in the
local food world.
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
Dudes and the kitchen. We've already seen tiny
sparks of this, but I expect it to blow up in 2014.
<RXQJHU�JX\V�DUH�ÀQGLQJ�D�ZKROH�QHZ�ZD\�WR�H[SUHVV�WKHLU�PDQ�SURZHVV�WKURXJK�EHHÀQJ�XS�their culinary chops. From restaurant exploring to
getting down and dirty in the kitchen (so to speak),
2014 seems ripe for ushering in a whole new group
of dude foodies. (Doodies?)
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I try to make the story behind numbers a little
sexier. Trust me, analytics can be hot if you know
how to look at the data. I also use my research
superpowers for the good of our clients.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
I have an engineering and operations
background, but I have been obsessed with
WHOHYLVLRQ�DQG�ÀOP�IRU�DV�ORQJ�DV�,�FDQ�UHPHPEHU��As part of my job, I have been able to geek out
about my TV pleasures: True Blood, Game of
Thrones, and most recently my lifelong favorite:
Star Trek. Yes, I am proud Trekkie.
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
I have to say augmented reality is going to get
another go. A couple of years ago AR seemed
like an abstract Minority Report type of concept
that would take time to develop. However, with
the most recent launch of Google Glass and
more wearable items, the clash of digital and
analog is something users are not only perversely
curious about but want to see how far it can go
in their daily lives.
STRATEGIST+FOODIE
MORGAN ACEINO
BRAND ANALYST+TREKKIE
CRISTINA PEDROZA
CONTRIBUTOR PROFILES
42
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Sometimes I come up with ideas, write them, and
VHOO�WKHP��%XW�ODWHO\�,·YH�EHHQ�ÀOOLQJ�RXW�D�ORW�RI�questionnaires.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
Your entire life should converge with your work,
especially when it comes to creativity. The best
ideas often come from random places, and the
best advertising tells the truth about life. If you
pay attention and take notice of everything you
possibly can, all of it gets absorbed and becomes
a potential ingredient for whatever you make
next. Sifting through all of life, connecting different
pieces and using that to form new thoughts is how
we create.
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
Me and you. February 19th. The Coffee Bean
at the Third Street Promenade. 5:15 pm. I’ll be
wearing a stargazer lily in my lapel. As always, coy
\HW�ÁLUWDWLRXV��<RX�ZLOO�QRWH�ÁHFNV�RI�\HOORZ�LQ�P\�blue eyes. Then, over hot espresso and the sound
of a homeless man arguing with Whitney Houston’s
ghost, we shall converge.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I do a lot of consumer research, creating
presentations, and tracking trends. One of
my favorite things is reading about Millennials,
because I am one—so it’s kind of cool when a
marketer or journalist gets it right.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
I am a huge fashion fan(atic). I think fashion
and culture are inextricably linked, so as a
strategist, that’s interesting to me. If hemlines are
getting shorter and people are putting studs on
everything—what does that say about society
right now?
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
Luxury and subtlety. Whereas luxury used to be
GHÀQHG�E\�KXJH�ORJRV�DQG�VLJQDWXUH�SULQWV��consumers are now looking for quality without
showiness. So, we’re seeing brands like Louis
Vuitton releasing understated collections without
the LV logo and Mansur Gavriel creating a
popular line of simple leather handbags. I’m
excited to see other designers adopt this trend.
COPYWRITER+BANKSY
ADAM SZAJGIN
STRATEGIST+FASHIONISTA
SABENA SURI
CONTRIBUTOR PROFILES
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR+ ANTIPODEAN
JOSIE BROWN
43
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I shape and build business with our key clients
while overseeing the total end-to-end delivery
of campaigns and projects by the wider agency
team.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
I've had the privilege of doing this ad-gig in a
number of countries around the world. It's taken
me from my home country in New Zealand, across
to Australia, over to the United Kingdom, through
Europe and on both coasts of the United States.
Operating as an outsider who thinks like a local has
sharpened my ability to hone in on a legitimate
universal truth, see the wood and the trees, and
understand BS in any language.
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
The offensive and the owned. It's been a long time
coming but offensive labels, terms, words and
icons are being reassigned, re-owned, repurposed
and done away with. The user is now the proprietor
and barriers are coming down. Where once an
antipodean was considered a bit of a 'them' word,
it's now very much an 'us' word.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
As a brand strategist, my strength lies in being
able to empathize with and put myself in the
shoes of people.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
Every member of my immediate family was born
in a different country, on a different continent.
We are a family of multiple nationalities,
ODQJXDJH�SURÀFLHQFLHV�DQG�WUDGLWLRQV��,�ZDV�exposed to a number of different cultures at
a very early age and have been a cultural
omnivore ever since. I've been to over twenty
different countries and in each and every
one –when you strip away the languages,
customs, and skin colors – people are all basically
the same. This basic insight is what got me
LQWHUHVWHG�LQ�VWUDWHJ\�LQ�WKH�ÀUVW�SODFH�
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
Beauty and men. The traditional roles of men
DQG�ZRPHQ�DUH�EHLQJ�UHGHÀQHG��EHQW�DQG�celebrated. It's okay for men to care how they
look, use expensive grooming products, and even
shop. Men are looking for brands that cater to
WKHP��VSHFLÀFDOO\�DQG�H[FOXVLYHO\��7KHUH�DUH�RQO\�a handful of brands that are doing it now, but
look for it to become increasingly popular in the
next year.
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR+ ANTIPODEAN
JOSIE BROWN
STRATEGIST+TRAVEL JUNKIE
JASMEET GILL
CONTRIBUTOR PROFILES
44
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I handle all internal and external communications,
and work with reporters to promote our
professional work. I’ve never talked more in my
entire life (although my parents would probably
disagree.)
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
As a runner, I’ve disciplined my mind and body to
work in tandem to achieve great feats. As a result,
I’ve found myself applying that same discipline to
challenges I face in the workplace. It’s easy to see
a linear solution when faced with a dilemma but
just like with running, there’s always another route.
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
Exercise and the workplace. Los Angeles is a
smorgasbord of forward-thinking companies
that understand that their employees conquer
challenges in different ways. So when they’re
faced with a problem, why not hit the ground
running? Literally.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
The analyst part of my job requires me to look at
tons of numbers and turn them into pretty pictures
and insights.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
,�ORYH�ÀQGLQJ�WKLQJV�WKDW�DUH�KLGGHQ�LQ�SODLQ�VLJKW��and in my past career as a city planner I realized
that everything that makes a city function was
designed or predetermined in some way. So
despite cities being the most entropic and
chaotic institutions, I realized that they can be
more easily enjoyed and explored if you boil
WKHP�GRZQ�DQG�ÀQG�RXW�WKHLU�LQSXWV���
WHAT T WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
7KH�LQWHUQHW�RI�WKLQJV���&LWLHV�DUH�ÀQDOO\�XVLQJ�data to drive tangible decisions in their choices-
so that certain cities socially engineer the
interactions residents and visitors have within
the built environment. With technologies like
iBeacon, locations will provide feedback to users
to enrich the user experience, and all of this smart
and reactive technology is just day one. Items,
appliances, vehicles, and places will continue to
communicate with each other to provide a more
enriching experience for all users, without them
even realizing it.
PR MANAGER+MARATHON
RUNNER
DEVIN DESJARLAIS
ANALYST+URBAN EXPLORER
ALAN HUYNH
CONTRIBUTOR PROFILES
45
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Account services are all about working with
people. I'm constantly switching roles between
OLVWHQHU��PHGLDWRU��ÀOWHU��DQG�PHQWRU��,P�DOVR�heavily involved in all things Omelet, from our QOL
FRPPLWWHH�WR�RXU�QHZ�RIÀFH�GHVLJQ�
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
In my previous career I was an architect and
while that may seem miles away from advertising,
it's closer than you'd expect. We both work
collaboratively to solve conceptual problems – the
only real difference is the medium. One of the
most important things I learned in my architecture
days is how valuable a cross-disciplinary
education is. Real breakthrough comes from the
convergence of different kinds of thinking. So, I try
to keep up to speed on topics outside of my world
by reading publications on science, psychology,
art, etc. and by surrounding myself with people
with varied interests.
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
There's got to be something else we can fry, right?
But on a more serious note, I think there will be a
further convergence of science and art, design,
architecture, advertising, etc. There's so much
DERXW�VFLHQWLÀF�SURFHVVHV�WKDW�FDQ�EH�DSSOLHG�WR�KRZ�ZH�WKLQN�DERXW�FUHDWLYH�ÀHOGV��
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Dr. Jekyll oversees the account management
department, marshalling a company of fearless,
entrepreneurial leaders in advocating for our
clients, controlling the chaos of a thriving agency,
and generally keeping all of the pieces together.
Mr. Hyde heads the strategy group; together
with his crack team of audience experts, brand
strategists, connections planners, researchers,
and analysts, he breaks into the lab at night and
takes those pieces apart in search of a better
method to the marketing madness.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
There’s life outside of work? Go back and read
WKH�ÀUVW�DUWLFOH�LQ�WKLV�LVVXH�
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
Clearly you didn’t read my letter from the editor
either. I said no predictions. But in the interest of
covering my bets, I’ll go with: everything gets
incrementally smarter, fewer words and more
pictures, Vice Media kicks the sleeping dragon, a
gilded new age for advertorials, privacy trumps
peacocking, we bury the label ‘hipster’ (in an
unmarked grave off the Gowanus Canal), and
pay-to-play media rises like a phoenix from the
ashes. And, if the gods are smiling on us, hashtag
fatigue. #havemercy.
ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR+REFORMED ARCHITECT
ANNA NESSER
SUIT+STRATEGIST
SEAN MCNAMARA
CONTRIBUTOR PROFILES
46
FRIENDS OF OMELET
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a chef, restaurateur, entrepreneur, judge
RQ�%UDYRV�7RS�&KHI��DQG�KRVW�RI�ÀVKLQJ�VKRZ��“Hooked Up."
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
My show, "Hooked Up" (NBC sports and YouTube)
allows me to listen to interesting people while
ÀVKLQJ�LQ�JUHDW�ORFDWLRQV��,�DFWXDOO\�JHW�SDLG�WR�ÀVK��
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
I think community is becoming more important
than ever before. People want to feel connected;
even when they're alone tapping on a little
screen, they want to feel like part of something
greater than themselves. I predict further
convergence between the private and public
spheres, all in the interest of belonging.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
,P�ÀUVW�DQG�IRUHPRVW�RQH�RI�WKH�ZULWHUV��,�VSHQG�most of my time split between writing scripts
and breaking stories with our other nine writers
in a writer’s room. As Executive Producer, I'm
responsible for co-running the show with Julie
Plec.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
I'm a storyteller and TV fanatic at heart, so my job
kind of worked out perfectly. I'm also a painter,
which allows me to be more ambiguous with a
feeling or impulse that I'm trying to portray, as
opposed to a constructed and linear
beginning-middle-end. The notion of loss
visualized by a balloon stuck in a tree vs. a story
about someone who loses someone.
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
I anticipate more TV live-fan participation via
online resources. I predict we'll be receiving more
wedding invites through email, which will create
chaos for a while since they won't be on our
fridge to remind us. I think we'll hit our climax of
reality television converging with redneck families
that we're meant to judge and accidentally fall
in love with.
TOM COLICCHIOCraft Worldwide | Owner+Fisherman
CAROLINE DRIESThe Vampire Diaries | Writer/Exec. Producer+Painter
47
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I head up product development, merchandising,
marketing, business development, and some of
our sales team. Of course, someone has to lead
the quality control as well, so I'm at the top of the
'food chain' as far as taste-testing, a very serious
job.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
My architecture background. Nobody tells you this
at school, but I actually think architecture is one of
the best educations for developing a brand and
telling its story.
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
The celebrity entrepreneur. More and more
celebrities are looking to invest their money
adventurously in start-ups and growing businesses.
Entrepreneurs (particularly in tech) have
transcended to a celebrity status, as they take
their companies public and have their entire
business careers and sometimes personal lives
H[SRVHG��6XFFHVVIXO�EXVLQHVVHV�KDYH�RIÀFHV�ZLWK�amenities like that of a movie star's mansion.
Perhaps some of the world's youngest billionaires
ZLOO�WU\�WKHLU�KDQG�DW�DFWLQJ�DQG�GLUHFWLQJ�ÀOPV��Mark Zuckerberg in Hunger Games 3? Hopefully
not.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am the founder and CEO of Le Tote. My role
is focused on operations, marketing, business
development, and partnerships. My business
partner, Brett, overlaps with me in a couple of
these roles as well as in terms of discussion of our
overall short and long-term strategy.
WHAT OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE
CONVERGES WITH WORK?
In my previous life, I was an investment
banker working in mergers and acquisitions of
technology companies. I did that for over 12
years and realized my real calling was in building
something that people would want to pay for.
In investment banking, one is trained to use
data quickly to make conclusions, or gather
knowledge of a particular industry / company. I
think that training has been really useful.
WHAT WILL CONVERGE IN 2014?
I think 2014 is going to be the year that Indian
food is going to become mainstream. You'll see
Chicken Tikka outlets all over the world. In more
VHULRXVQHVV��,�WKLQN������ZLOO�EH�D�GHÀQLQJ�\HDU�IRU�e-commerce. There are a number of subscription
e-commerce companies out there, and we'll see
the wheat from the chaff.
NATASHA CASECoolhaus | CEO/Co-founder+Architect
RAKESH TONDONLe Tote | CEO+ Investment Banker
FRIENDS OF OMELET
48
THE CREW
ACCOUNT
Josie Brown, Account Director
Anna Nesser, Account Supervisor
STRATEGY
Morgan Aceino, Senior Brand Strategist
Whitney Anderson, Director of Strategy
Jas Gill, Junior Brand Strategist
Alan Huynh, Junior Analyst
6HDQ�0F1DPDUD��&KLHI�6WUDWHJ\�2IÀFHUCristina Pedroza, Senior Brand and Business Analyst
Sabena Suri, Junior Brand Strategist
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Devin Desjarlais, PR Manager
CREATIVE
Jimmy Barker, Copywriter
Alex Gonzalez, Senior Designer
Rajat Gupta, Art Director
Michele Pappas, Designer
Adam Szajgin, Senior Copywriter
PRODUCTION
Nicole Cassese, Proofreader
Jakob Frank, Editor
'HQD�*RQ]DOH]��93��3URMHFW�0DQDJHPHQW��3URGXFWLRQRobert Macaisa, Project Management Coordinator
Matt Valdepena, Project Management Coordinator
50
Cover
Mrachina, Jason. "Fist on Black." Flickr. N.p., 5 Feb. 2012.Web.��KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV��Z�QG�UO�VW������������!��
P.2
Photo taken by Jakob Frank.
P.4
Guimaraes, Feliciano. "Typewriter Lost in Landscape." Flickr. N.p., 8 June 2007. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. �KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�MVRPH������������!��
P. 7
Do8y. "What's in My Bag 15.09.2012 - Sans MacBook Pro." Flickr. N.p., 15 Sept. 2012. Web. �KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�EHRUQBRXUV������������!��
P.9
Photo taken by Jakob Frank.
P.10
Misiti, Gianluca Ramahlo. "Zombie Walk 2012 - SP." Flickr. N.p., 2 Nov. 2012. Web.��KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�JUPLVLWL������������!��
P.11
Colvin de Valle, Matthew. "Ancient & Modern." Flickr. N.p., 18 June 2008. Web. ��KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�PDWWKHZGHYDOOH������������!��
P.12
Patterson, Blake. "The Art of Video Games 2012." Flickr. N.p., 18 Mar. 2012. Web. �KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV���������#N00/6994363641/in/photolist-bE4WCz-bra3gm-bE4VUX-bra1Vq-
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bE4Vzk-bra3MS-br9Zjm-bE4VsD-bE4ZzH-bE4UTc-bra4kG-bE4
W1n-bra1Nj-bra1qs-bra22q-bra413-bra5jh-bE4VFc-bra6eU-bra39j-
bra5ww-bE4Ztp-bra4Dy-bE4WWc-bra4f9-bE4ZMT -bE4Z74-bE51F2-
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P.12
Hansen, Soren Storm. "Thinker." Flickr. N.p., 7 July 2011. Web. �KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�GVHQHVWH������������!��
P.12
SpirosK Photography. "Louvre Museum: Denon Wing (1st Floor): Paintings." Flickr. N.p., 3 Mar. 2012. Web.��KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�VSLURVN������������!��
P.12
Mrs. Gemstone. "Mom, Pre-colorization." Flickr. N.p., 15 July 2006. Web.��KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�JHPVWRQH�����������!��
P.12
Mrs. Gemstone. "Mom, Post-colorization." Flickr. N.p., 15 July 2006. Web.��KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�JHPVWRQH�����������!��
P.17
Ibrahim, Gigi. "Anti Sexual Harasment March to Tahrir." Flickr. N.p., 3 Feb. 2013. Web.��KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�JLJLLEUDKLP������������!��
P.19
Photo taken by Morgan Aceino.
P.22
Illustration created by Alex Gonzalez.
P.22
Image courtesy Andi Dowda. Copyright @2014. Whole Foods
Market IP, L.P.
P.24
Krider, Dylan Otto. "Bumper Stickers." Flickr. N.p., 2 May 2009. Web. �KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�PHPHNLOOHU������������!��
P.24
Turner, Lindsey. "Package." Flickr. N.p., 1 June 2009. Web. <http://
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P.26
Bennink, Jeroen. "True Romance." Flickr. N.p., 6 Aug. 2007. Web. �KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�MHURHQEHQQLQN������������!�
P.27
Photos taken by Morgan Aceino
P.28
Photo taken by Morgan Aceino.
P.30
Photo taken by Morgan Aceino.
P.32
Varlan, Horia. "Graduated Cylinders and Beaker Filled with Chemical Compounds." Flickr. N.p., 16 Nov. 2008. Web. <http://
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ChefSteps. "Sous Vide Art." Flickr. N.p., 30 Aug. 2012. Web. �KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV���������#1��������������!��
P.36
Farrell, Mark. "Second Screens." Flickr. N.p., 20 Nov. 2013. Web. �KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV����������#1���������������VL]HV�O�!��
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Amigos, Sin. "Sonyer." Flickr. N.p., 15 Aug. 2013. Web. �KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�VLQDPLJRV������������!��
P.38
Doha Stadium Plus Qatar. "Leslie Chauncey." Flickr. N.p., 5 Feb. 2012. Web. �KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�GRKDVWDGLXPSOXVTDWDU������������!��
P.39
Pete. "Boston Red Sox Baseball." Flickr. N.p., 6 Oct. 2010. Web. �KWWS���ZZZ�ÁLFNU�FRP�SKRWRV�SHWHD\OZDUG������������!�
P.50
THOR. "Smoke Series." Flickr. N.p., 20 Nov. 2009. Web. <http://
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ENDNOTES
52
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ENDNOTES
53
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