Alec

McNayr

Everyone has seen the iconic MacBook Air commercial. It continues to brand Apple as an innovative and exciting company, and leaves all PC-makers in the dust in terms of the coolness factor.

Then comes this video spoof, kicking Dell when it’s down. The video spoof has over 200,000 views on YouTube, too.

Now, if I’m Dell, this is a good opportunity because it gives me an opportunity to define my advantage… it’s not being flashy, it’s being functional and inexpensive. I’d further showcase that Dell sells computers for the “real person” – someone who can’t afford a $2000 laptop that requires some add-ons (optical drive, software, etc.).

Accentuate the fact that Dell computers don’t come in a manila envelope, but they do come in at under $700 for a desktop…

When I travel, I book my flights based on two things: 1) my desired departure and arrival times, and 2) cost. The airplane’s brand name usually has nothing to do with it. The only exceptions are JetBlue (positive: TVs for every seat) or Southwest (negative: cattlecalls), but neither brand persuades me to use them (or not use them).

I’m just indifferent when it comes to flight brands! To my eye, Alaska is Delta is American is Lufthansa.

So, imagine my surprise when I saw that a Delta safety video was featured on YouTube and has 600,000 views!

With interesting shooting angles (creative cinematography), informal confessional-style interviews (increased approachability), and pumpin’ background music (just fun!), Delta took an average, boring experience and made it interesting to the average Internet viewer — people not even forced to watch it on a flight, mind you! It doesn’t help that they had an 11-year employee (nicknamed “Deltalina”) that looks like a Angelina Jolie…

My takeaway is that Delta changed the way it tells its own story: they offer a creative experience with friendly, attractive people there to serve you. It’s certainly not my experience with them (or any airline), but after this video, I’m open to the possibility of it being true.

What boring, internal, or even government-enforced media can you replace with something that fits your brand aspiration?

I’ve spent two weeks thinking through what I want this first post to be.

Rather than writing something true or honest or compelling, I’ve thought through the navigation structure, searched for the perfect WordPress template to tweak, and even started Twittering to see what kind of cool widgets I could include on this blog site.

And in doing so, I’ve missed the point.

I am branching out on my own — focusing on my career as an online video producer and comedy writer — and using that experience, hopefully, to bring real exciting change to the marketing strategy of anyone who will listen to me. I think media has an opportunity to be authentic again. Not commercialized drivel, nor shameless plugs for advertisers.

A friend and I were talking today about how commercials are far less entertaining than they used to be, and how (like Napster-era music execs) TV executives and ad agencies bemoan viewers just Tivo-ing through their commercials. Even if we could go back to 1997 technology, would we want to? Are we satisfied by forcing our messages down viewers’ throats? There were a few creative high points — watercooler jokes — but all in all, TV commercials were distractions.

But the Internet is changing things, and there exists a real opportunity to create relevant content for a contextual audience. It’s hard work, and there is actually not much pay in it (right now), but it is the future of marketing content creation.

Seven weeks from now, I will be setting off on my own. Quitting a great job at a great University, where I have been welcomed and accepted and given great opportunity. I’m doing it because I believe that content creation (writing, shooting, printing, delivering, etc.) can be exciting again. And anyone can do it.

But not everyone can do it well. Or funny. Or have it solve a strategic marketing problem. Or feel really authentic.

These are things that I am good at. And, coincidentally, things that I want to get better at.

So this site, rather than bells and whistles (or the online equivalent: del.icio.us and twitter feeds), will be about interesting, honest content.

So, if you’re a fan of mine, or a random internet viewer who doesn’t care two cents about me or my thoughts, won’t you join my conversation?

I’m talking about online engagement. Have you seen anything online (video, typed, or otherwise) that has inspired you to come back again and again?

Perhaps you can help me add to this list. I’ve constantly come back to a few content creators (onilne or otherwise)

• Seth Godin
• NewTeeVee
• Prairie Home Companion
• Will Ferrell

Anything else?