From Dell to EdX, Columbia Sportswear to Red Bull -- advertising is increasingly less about claiming value, and more about delivering it through memorable experiences. That's the secret behind Zeno's Paradox of Marketing.
Zeno’s Marketing Paradox: Native Advertising as a Ramp To Customer Experience
Is a World Without Ads Possible? We’re already halfway there.
“What if there were no ads?” That was the question content marketers Robert Rose and Joe Pulizzi asked in an episode of their podcast, This Old Marketing. It sounds like the start of John Lennon’s Imagine, but for marketers. What if there were just no ads?
Why No One is an Agency Anymore, and Why No One Cares
I've been seeing quite a few agencies claiming to be "anti-agencies". There are lots of reasons why the agency business model should evolve, but new ways of creating value rarely start with positioning.
Customer Experience Makes Five Guys the Top Ranked Burger in the US
The burger business is a big deal in the United States. A small chain, Five Guys Burgers and Fries has jumped to the head of burger pack - and the did it without advertising, one meal at a time.
Best job ever? Usability Testing Bartender
I've seen the future of usability; it has a buzz on. Watch this funny video and grasp the genius of testing users under the influence. See why I want to be your bartender of usability testing.
Companies with Top Customer Experiences Out-Score Super Bowl Advertisers
A quick look at revenue growth over three years shows that companies loved by their clients grew more than twice as fast as Super Bowl advertisers.
What I Found at Caine’s Arcade, a Few Minutes of Fun
This Spring, Caine Monroy became famous in some parts because of his cardboard arcade. Patricia Yuse visited the arcade, and shares some thoughts about what causes viral movements to grow.
Amanda Palmer Won’t Settle for Less. Monitizing engagement is just the start.
Amanda Palmer's Kickstarter triumph is awesome-ball cool, but it's just the start. The real magic is what you can do with a business model based on fan love.
Why Some Digital Platforms Dominate: the Drivers of Network Effect
January 25th 2018
Uber and AirBnB are widely celebrated innovators. By thinking about how each gains advantage for network effect, I hope that we can get beyond simply recognizing the strength of their business growth or reputation, to appreciate how their circumstances create varying levels of advantage from network effect.
Bitcoin Bros and Anxiety at the Top of the Business Cycle
December 31st 2017
Its been a remarkable year in investment, politics and culture. This is my personal take on where we’re at – and a first swing at what we can improve together in the new year. I’d love to here your thoughts and plans, and to encourage them however I can. Happy New Year.
You’re invited to Life After Launch, the webinar
November 4th 2017
Surviving even a highly successful hospital website can be a bit harrowing. Often resources have been diverted from other projects, so the combinatin of latent needs and post-launch fixes can result in more activity after the launch than before it. But there are ways to manage expectations and demonstrate progress, so that your vision for digital transformation continues to advance rather than being sidetracked by its own success.
Connective DX’s HDX-15 Report wins healthcare marketing Gold Award
October 25th 2017
Congratulations to my colleagues and everyone who helped create the Hospital Digital Experience (HDX-15) report, which has won recognition from the eHealthcare Leadership Awards as a best annual or special report. Its rare when an industry gives an award to an agency for marketing within it, but that’s what Useful Arts is about – the challenge for brands to stand for something more.
Mount Sinai Hospital emerges as a new digital experience leader in updated HDX-15 report
June 14th 2017
The second edition of the HDX-15 report shows a new entrant, New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, as a new leader among an elite class of healthcare marketers.
Introducing Wieneke’s Customer Value Buckets
March 15th 2017
Everyone’s Uber moment lies somewhere ahead. Ultimately, our customers determine when and how that shift will happen. Meanwhile, leaders seek to make disruptive moves their audiences will value over their alternatives. This week my agency’s newsletter highlighted Wieneke’s Value Buckets, which is a technique I’ve developed to help align cross disciplinary teams around how customer create value for companies. Take a look.
Delighting Kids in Childrens Hospitals: A Valentine for Creative Caregivers
February 14th 2017
Kids have to be kids, even in the hospital. Doctors, parents, friends and even other patients who act on this impulse, create amazing moments – and telling their story to bring out our better angels for Valentines Day seems like a good way to keep the holiday. Check it out, this could start a new Valentine’s day tradition.
Making the NY Times and Nordstrom Great Again: When Trump Attacks Do His Targets Profit?
February 10th 2017
On Wednesday, President Trump berated Nordstrom for dropping Presidential daughter, Ivanka Trump’s clothing line from their shelves. As the Seattle Times reported, there was a brief dip followed by a 4% rally. And while you can chalk this up to Nordstrom stores being located in Democratic strong holds, or liberal investors allocating with their politics, […]
Guest teaching digital media management at Northeastern University
February 2nd 2017
Tonight, I kick off two weeks guest lecturing at Northeastern University’s graduate course in media industry management. James Gardner has pulled an amazing line-up of guest teachers together – which you can lean more about here.
Strategic Change is a Value Judgement: Insights for Digital Transformation Leaders
January 21st 2017
Not all change is wise, but nearly all change is resisted. To overcome organizational inertia and lead the way to transformation, you may need the strategic clarity that only the delete key can deliver. Here are some tips from from the front lines of digital consulting on creating alignment for change.
About Dave Wieneke, Digital Strategist
The future of digital experiences will be built by strategists who grasp the full array of emerging business, social, and technical models. Specialties in user experience, branding, application design, and data science are laying the foundation for richer user experiences and business models breakthrough products and revenue based marketing.
UsefulArts is a soapbox to discuss the front line of digital experience, and the agencies and platforms that enable it. Digital business needs a cadre of leaders who can connect c-level enterprise thinking with the ways these new interaction models can help organizations to matter more to their most important stakeholders.