After the resent Webjam’s news (I repeat, all of them extremely good), I began to think of the "Branded Webjam Services."

Let me give a few steps back and then come back and try to argue my thoughts…

Somehow, Webjam is generating a brand experience that is unique. It is not for everyone, but for a specific tribe.

The Webjamers have different aspirations, promote different contents, create specific formats, however, share an agenda of values and behaviours that emotionally support our decision to join and stay in the system.

Webjam has been explicit in its business model. Surely, they have a call to action idea that makes Webjam a firm and not merely a business, however it is still implicit.

Today, as external “user” audience, there are four ways of being part of Webjam:

• The ones who visit an area in particular, even register to a Webjam, though without creating their own Webjam
• The ones who have a Webjam
• The ones who have a Webjam and are premium members
• The ones who are partners with Webjam  (corporate)

Each of these possibilities creates a different relationship with Webjam and therefore a different experience.

• In the first case, Webjam is something that is there, without further. people are more interested in the contents of the visited site
• In the second case Webjam is the brand of reference
• In the third case, those with a premium account, Webjam is, but they have the potential to give more weight to their own brands
• In the fourth case, Webjam is the messenger; the presence of brand would be low and/or almost invisible. And this is the case of the "Webjam Branded Services"

What I mean by this is that the Webjam brand has different roles. In some cases, corporate brand (for shareholders, employees, investors, media, Webjamers), in others it's a product brand, and in general, Webjam could be an ingredient brand.

And here comes my thought… As ingredient brand, Webjam visibility is low. Take for example a B & Q (UK’s Leroy Merlin). Since his paintings have duPont as an ingredient brand, not only sell more, but also sell better (20% more expensive).

Possibly, if each Webjam, such as Hey!, uses "Powered by Webjam", it could create a win-win situation: Hey! earns more value because the ingredient brand gives greater and deeper meaning, and Webjam too, because its brand would have greater presence. What if, for instance, the templates of Webjam carry this inscription? What if all of us (Webjamers) agree to use the "Powered by Webjam"?

And here lies the paradox… The branded services appear to be "Webjam unbranded"… Premium pages can lose the word "Webjam" in its URL.

The value of a brand on Internet is usually calculated using models such as the "End-Game". This model considers the presence of the brand and investment … It considers topics such as:

• Presence in the URL
• Presence as an ingredient brand
• Presence in each site

I'm talking about Euros!

I buy a computer without a recognised brand, but pay more if it carries "Intel inside". I get out trecking and pay more for a Patagonia’s jacket that was produced with "Goretex"… Pay more for a leather sofa by Natuzzi…

Brand experience are becoming more semantic, are a dialogue. And that is where everyone wins… Surely, the Webjam team is thinking about this… And we, the Webjamers?

I am thinking aloud… just that.

• The main investor renewing trust... which means, more money, more speed, new developments
• The good news talking about the "Webjam Branded Services" (a combination of Webjam's award-winning social publishing abilities with the unique replication features in a branded environment)

From my side, in my mind, I merged the branded servicies with the design efforts that the Webjam Design Channel and Hey! are doing, plus the blog page of The Other Side Magazine... The results:

• A new Webjam... The semantic template: The idea is to invite friends and Brand 3.0 members to develop their own Webjams using this template

• An icon to add to each profile: To the ones that want to be and show that they are part of the Brand 3.0 tribe

(the actual one is smaller!)

• The redesign of the WikiSemantic page to additionaly shows the new Webjams that are using the template and RSS of those Webjam's blogs. Also, in this page you will find the permanente link to "The Semantic Template", as well as the "Brand 3.0 icon" to add to your profile (if you want... I wish!)

Being semantic is to share... to build together... A new kind of brand experience... And I hope, a deep and intesive one!... You know, you are invited... and if you want to invite others... they will be welcome!

Thanks Webjam... you're great!... BTW, Kylie, I added your clock to the pages... it's fantastic!

To me, instead that I'm considering that the women menstruation it's something normal, this looks a little unpleasant... Isn't there any other way to tell this story and create an attractive brand experience?

If you love surf... visit Copenhagen (after the event, it's only a couple of months in jail).

For the Quicksilver's tribe... a huge and unique brand experience...

Regional brands (Country, province, region...) can be used to develop tourism, develop the region (investments, attract people...), and also for political purposes (ideological) or only because is so cool (fashion)...

• Probably, one of the best created and managed regional brand is the Australian one... both, from the strategic point of view as well as from the design one
• Brands to empower regions should be more complex, however, this kind of event must be leading by statesmen, not politicians (do you know any statesman?)
• Tourism regional brands are offering experiences... However, those experiences are based on what people are saying and are not related to people behaviours. The end of this story is that most of these brands show unclear differences
• Regarding regional brands for fashion... No comments!... Those are only logos without any understandable content

The issue is that, whatever the situation is, people is beginning to behave as individuals in a fluid non-geographical network, as Alberto wrote in the post Futbol in Oeste (06/28/08... and by the way, a beautiful piece).

In the first picture, one of the brands (the one with the orange arrow) is the Germany brand created by Wolff Olins. He tried to transmit flexibility, evolution, creativity… He also changed the black of the German flag with blue (“it looks better”)… Any experience?

Actually, Wolff is a kind of genius/guru in branding and the German brand was the result of a kind of beauty contest.

I’m taking this example because in 1985 (so long ago) I was living in Germany, to be more precise in Schwäbisch Hall, then I was working with Mercedes-Benz, Siemens… At different time, but same experience.

 

I would like to thank all Brand 3.0 members... In three months we are 100!

• 9 co-editors (still thinking, but finally co-editors) 
• 100 members
• 1,700 visits
• 8,000 pages views

Perhaps, now it's time to begin to diseminate this Webjam...

So, I'd like to invite you to invite new members and/or to become co-editors...

A new step to become more semantic!...

Cheers,

Cris

The most prominent is the taste for avant-garde aesthetic that can be seen in day-to-day things both in Barcelona and Buenos Aires ... Geographical distance of 12,000 km ... Many tribes peers, who share values and have not yet been properly introduced!

Again I repeat that brand experiences are a people issue... In this case, so personal. 

By the way, this afternoon meeting with Julio ... We'll keep you on the loop!

Last Friday (16.05.08) it was the "Open-day" for the Masters in Corporate Communications at the School of Communication.

Nearly 50 people attended the event, among teachers, students, faculty, students from the master (2007/2008 edition), some doctors and others.

The experience was wonderful (I do not know the class itself... that is something that the others should say). Particularly the best thing happened during the last hour, the time for synthesis.

It was fantastic! These guys not only correctly decode what they heard, but also knew how to give meaning and utility ragarding their potential professional future.

• Communicators with a better understanding of business, especially considering trends associated with participation
• Journalists who were able to establish an idea of context regarding our world, giving more weight to the forces that create this future today, that the trends themselves
• Advertisers who understood the importance of creating honest experiences and that the issue is between people... and not towards people
  

Possibly some decide to finally make their master, because they have seen the light!... They have discovered the spread of knowledge that can obtain, instead that this had been only a small dose (for testing)... (directors of the program will be more than happy)

For those who already are completing their master, I wish that they could get something extra ...

For the rest, at least, I wish that they have enjoyed that Friday morning... The Kinder chocolate, surely!

This is also building an experience ... And that is trendy! ...

Bartenders in Japan consistently take home top honors at global competitions because there is an intense devotion to making simply the best drink, of which perfect ice looks like an obvious component.

Axe creates a brand experience to its tribe ... If you do not use Axe is because, even belonging to its target segment, you have other behaviors ... another agenda values... you belong to another tribe...

And... if you don't use deodorant... The story is quite different, specifically for the people around you :)

In a World of similar, imitations could be, at the most, the “Mini-Me” of the leaders.

I certainly prefer the original ones…

• "REAL"
• "BETTER"
• "FANTASY"
• "PARTICIPATION"
• "TRANSCEND"
• "IT'S MINE" 

As an example, we were talking about the need of "FANTASY" and how Ferran Adriá applies this trend in his creations... and the impact and needs to create and mantain a relevant brand experience.

Then, during a workshop, and in an atmosphere of "meeting of friends", company managers discussed and shared trends that they may consider to develop new products, services ... experiences. They took clues and ideas to implement them the next day in their company.

Continuing with their celebrations, On May 23th, Allegro 234 will repeat the event in Barcelona. We will see how things go there, given that they look more "trndy", at least for the number of registrations we already have ... If you are interested and want more info, you'll find it in Allegro 234 (even when our new website is still under construction).

[C] Generally, for what it's important to us, we opted for products and services with brands that tell us something. A story that, I insist (sorry), is relavant for us.

[J] Every story needs a starting point, let's say an excuse to open up the dialogue. Every brand needs a footprint to deliver tiny but strong clues and flexible enough to let the story grow during its life (and yours). Do you remember crests and flags history?. They were created to represent not a thing, but beliefs.

[C] What it's being observed as a trend is that, rather than finding the best brand, we begin to see two or more brands together (those that are best for us), bringing a unique competence to the table, re-inventing a product and/or service. A new and unique experience that is blending the best of several worlds.

[J] You mean alliances. This is what we can see (visually) in co-branding: two brands that we already know (what they represent) with relevant experiencies gathered to deliver a bigger an differential one. 1+1=11 as Marty Neumeier uses to say.

[C] Let's see some examples as the ones I saw in Trendwatching

[C] Good point! Under the branding point of view, I do agree with you. However (Mmmmm, the God dammit "however" again is here!), as a social trend, those kind of "short time" messages are talking to a specific tribes... Back with H&M...

• Karl Lagerfeld -2004
• Stella McCartney -2005
• Madonna -2007
• Kylie Minogue -2007
• Roberto Cavalli -2007

[C] Almost the same, however to a different tribe is MissX from Agent Provocateur with Kate Moss.

[J] OK, now I understand. The power of a signature or an ambassador who embodies not the brand but the tribe. 

[C] Is this too much?... Or would you like to hear also the story of Japan Airlines and Toto's washlets?... Again, it's not money, is status, self-expression... sense & sensibility... Isn't it?

You'll also find this post at Hey! It's about design