Those are the words said by Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President World Wide Product Marketing over at Apple when speaking about the new Apple iPad. It pretty much sums up what I thing after having followed the keynote given by Steve Jobs today.

The new iPad is a game-changer and I need one now! (you too!)

This last year, 2009 has been a blast in many ways. Almost every day I’ve received interesting news from friends, other bloggers and my RSS feeds. Even thought we’ve seen one of the most severe economical downturns this year it seems advertising, communication and technology has been the business to be in.

Brands seem to have learned from the history and brand spend has rather gone up than down for a lot of brands. We’ve also seen Twitter and Facebook continue to grown faster than anything else on the planet and social media and open technologies has prospered due to that fact. The iPhone has continued to grow and Android is picking up it’s pace. Google has released lots of new cool products even though the Wave didn’t really become the clean double over head a lot of us expected.

Most brands have been looking for one-offs and as I look back at the 2009 Cannes Lions winners it strikes me that I can’t really remember one single campaign that stood out and changed the world of advertising. We’re slowly moving away from bought space to earned space, this is most certainly the reason why my brain plays these tricks with me.

I’m not gonna spend more of this post summing up 2009. Other people, papers, bloggers and personalities has done a great job doing this already. Instead let’s move on to 2010.

Click for a larger image

Here are the Brand and communication predictions for 2010 by Johan Ronnestam

REAL

This is more of a change in how we live, consume, work, advertise and communicate. We will of course use all technology available to become more real but we will strive to make things more realistic, true and touchable. As technology, much thanks to notepads, the iPhone and other portable technologies, becomes a part of our everyday life we will in 2010 look for inspiration in the nature and in life.

Brands will think twice about making up false stories about their brands. Product developers cannot trust advertising to sell their products cause transparency will bring you down. When you launch products or services in 2010 you better provide a true and real value – only then will you prosper.

The more we learn to search and compare products online the less room for multiple copies. We will search for the true branch leader and we will find it. Globalization and ease of localization means we’ll choose the best service or product not the locally produced one.

Open Source Win More Ground

Swapping content management systems from proprietary to open source is becoming socially acceptable among IT professionals. And why wouldn’t it. It’s usually better, more cost effective and more up to date.

Creative Commons have extended their program with Science Commons and CC Learn. We’ve already seen sites like Facebook and New York Times being built upon open source code and databases. Still companies seem reluctant to switch to code being written by a community rather than a company. But when the White House switched to Drupal I think we saw the start of a tsunami.

In 2010 Open Source will prosper and hopefully ever after! Sharing is the way forward!

Cloud Computing Will Spread Like Thunder

Most of you probably already got a large part of your digital life in the cloud. Think about it. All those images you’ve put on Facebook or better yet Flickr. That’s the cloud.

Earlier this year we saw the city of Los Angeles switch to Google Apps. There’s probably tons of more examples that I don’t know of but this is definitely one of the first and largest government adoptions of Googles cloud based Microsoft Office competitor.

Evernote, my personal favorite cloud based notebook, reached 2 million users the other day. Another cloud based service that reached 2 million users earlier this year is Dropbox. I’ve been syncing my files with this little sweetie since 2008. Wired, Mashable, MacWorld and PC Mag have all shouted out loud for this wonderful tool. When they launched their iPhone app this summer they completed my home office.

Practically everyone I know working with digital communication uses cloud based tools like Google Apps, Evernote and Dropbox. Once the mainstream users understand that these tools solve every problem a home user and small company has with backup, sync and office we’ll see people moving into the cloud like skydivers free falling from 15000 feet.

Management Consultants Moving Forward Into The Digital Space

If you’re working within digital advertising or communication you might have heard the rumors. Management Consultants like McKinsey and Accenture have put together digital swat teams who’s primary task is to conquer the business from digital agencies like RGA, AKQA, LBI etc.

Clients all over the world have grown tired listening to traditional digital agencies (yep, they’ve become traditional now) who’s employees aren’t senior enough to consider what good the digital world can do for their business. On top of that I’d say that not even 1% of the worlds traditional advertising agencies knows what they’re talking about when the talk future communication but they still got the Marketing Directors by the balls.

This is where the grey suits sees an opportunity. These guys got the CEO’s and Board Members by the ball and that’s worth more than marketing directors and advertising men & women. Will they do a good job? Some might but lots of them still look at the digital world as a single business area. Internet transforms business not distribute them!

Left somewhere in the middle you’ll have the digital agencies of today. They’re not good enough on communication, they don’t understand business processes and the web is about to shift from front-end to back-end.

Web TV Strikes With Full Force

We’ve only seen the beginning of Internet TV. In 2009 most established networks truly made themselves available online and HULU impressed us all by growing faster than you can say disruption. Personally I was privileged to given the assignment to draw up the strategy and design one of Swedens major TV channels, Kanal 5, web TV presence.

As the year passed we slowly saw iPhone apps being approved that let us consume TV however we want whenever we want. In 2010 however we’ll see the next stage. That’s when the TV manufacturers, just like Samsung already has done, start placing network connections into their screens. Suddenly Internet TV will move into our living room again. In the wake of that we’ll see fantastic mashups and recommendation sites that allows us to actually consume internet TV together. Today it’s to much of an ego product. After all, if we have access to everything from everywhere, who get’s to decide what we should look at tonight?

The downside is obvious. People will spend more time again in the sofa. That leads to stupidity. Stupidity leads to lack of innovation. Lack of innovation leads nowhere.

The happy ones are of course the traditional advertisers since the will start filling those internet TV episodes with advertising. The only problem is they cannot get paid what they want yet so we’ll have to live with tons of more ad breaks.

Twitter Spreads Beyond Early Adopters

This wonderful social networking ‘tool’ is loved by more than 18 million people today. And yet we’re all early adopters. One of the main problem is if course who the hell do you explain such a stupid tool as Twitter to someone? They have to try for themselves. It strikes me that none of my childhood friends that I regularly meet still today have used Twitter. Heck, most of them haven’t even started using Facebook. (did I mention their in the finance business).

But just like Facebook this microblog network will spread beyond early adopters and it’s all about invitations. So far Twitter hasn’t bothered to much about making you invite people. Once the make it simple for us users to invite more people as our followers/friends we’ll see Twitter spread like wildfire. Dare I say 100 million people on Twitter once 2010 is over?

Back End Computing Is The New Front End

Business moving their business online calls for enterprise resource planning software integration. And since those guys from the management side of the internet will start telling brands what to do we can definitely expect more complex websites in terms of how they’re built and integrated into the heart of businesses.

In 2010 we’ll see more companies like SnapLogic solving this by providing middleware. We’ll see less digital agencies earning the trust to build these kind of sites. Building a brand presence in 2010 will be about connecting data not creating cool interfaces.

An Augmented World

Layar, Wikitude, Sekai Camera, Twittaround, Avatars augmented promotion toys, Google Goggles, Mini Print Ads and much more.

Many were the augmented initiatives that started to spread via mobile apps and online campaign sites. So far however we’ve only seen the start of it all. As more people start using these technologies we’ll see widespread uses of augmented technology in 2010. It’s actually so obvious so I thought of not including it. Some of you might say it happened in 2009 but to me we’ve only seen the start of it all.

Apple Launch Their Tablet (iSlate?)

I’ve written about this before. But the amount of rumors circulating the web right now is quite enough to say that something must come soon. Not much more to say than if the rumors turn out to be true then I’ll change my media consumption pattern forever in 2010.

3D Printing Get Noticed By The Masses

During this last year I’ve done more than 50 speaking appearances. I often speak about democratization of technology, content and distribution. One part of that section usually is about 3D printing. You heard it right – 3D printing.

Stuff printed at Shapeways by gifted students The Royal High School of Edinburgh

3D printing is a technology that still is a little bit to expensive to be used at home but the awareness of it will surely spread in 2010. As more people become aware about this we’ll see more innovation. Say 2012. That’s when you’ll download Lego from Pirate Bay.

Mobile Handset Explosion Based On Interests

Android is being spread into more handsets every week. Inside that Open Source platform sits the app store that allows you to basically build whatever apps you like. Cost of technology is falling fast. Platforms like Bugbase and Arduino shows technology is no longer exclusive to large multinational corporations.

In 2010 I think, and hope, that we’ll see the first mobile phone brands that focus on segments. Surf brands, sailing brands, wildlife and so on. The opportunities are fantastic for any strong brand with a tribal-like fan base that would die to get their hands on a mobile hand set that positions themselves alongside their ‘star’.

In 2010 a brand, maybe Nike, will build a phone filled with sweet free apps based on the Android platform.

We’ll Form Social Clusters

Some say Facebook might reach 1 billion users in 2010. What that means for digital branding and communication is hard to say. But one effect of us all moving online is overflow of social information. I love my friends online but when you get swarmed with too much content you start to think about clustering. I’ll keep my snowboarding friends in my snowboarding community. I’ll keep my close friends on Facebook. I’ll keep my social media/communication friends on Twitter. Like that we’ll suddenly see people creating social clusters and brands will have a VERY hard time penetrating those clusters.

Personal recommendations will be higher valued than ever and sadly we’ll also see protectionism much like the one already happening when the early social networkers seem pissed about the fact that other people find these tools.

In 2010 we’ll build walls around our social networks. The days of sharing outside our true followers/friends might be over. I sure hope not! But I’m not optimistic.

A New Global Car Brand Focused On Alternative Fuel

I know. This one might sound pretty stupid. But think again. It’s perfect timing for someone with money, ideas and a great industrial network to launch a brand focused solely on cars driven by alternative fuels. The traditional car brands have spent the last 70 years on perfecting fossil fuel driven cars. Their engines are state of the art and it would be practically impossible for you to compete with that industry…unless…all that competence suddenly isn’t worth jack shit.

Today if you’ve got the right connections you can shop all the technology you want on the market. That engine can be replaced with a huge battery. Wind tunnels are digital. You find 10 industrial designers worth the money on every car mechanic. And the world is craving for innovation. This could of course be done by Tata or any of the Chinese car manufacturers. But I think there’s tons of advantages to start ‘clean’. Please let us drive something new in 2010!

Swedens First Digital Election

And to put this post to an end. In Sweden we have our election coming up in 2010. Damn – the net will be swarmed with Barack Obama wannabees. And I’m not sure they will benefit from it. One tip to all you political parties – read my first prediction – STAY REAL!

Well. Then there’s really nothing left for me but to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR! See you in 2010!

The Mobile Revolution. Have you heard that one before. Well, just when it’s about to happen thanks to the iPhone and the Android OS I’d like to launch a thought about the next revolution – ‘The Revolution of the Screens’.

A couple of month back I got my Amazon Kindle. I blogged about the Microsoft Courier interface earlier this year. Others and me keep buzzing about what the Apple Tablet will be like, if there will ever be one (of course it will). Google launched their Chrome OS just over a week ago. Last week I read that the new Barnes & Noble Nook has sold out for the Holidays this year. And a couple of days ago I blogged about the New York Times Skimmer interface.

The Nook – Barnes & Nobles answer to Amazon Kindle

People and companies keep talking about how we all will move our behavior and communication onto the mobile when in fact my firm belief is that in 2010 we’ll see the start of ‘The Revolution of the Screens’ more screens coming out and people will definitely not use one device but instead multiple devices.

Here are 10 reasons why we will see a screen revolution in 2010:

1. The Cloud is expanding

Personally I’ve moved my entire computer into the cloud. The worlds best service, Dropbox, has totally reinvented my way to work. I’m accessing my files via 4 different computers and my iPhone. My notes are best read via Evernote. Millions of people have switched to Google Apps. Companies are looking into cloud computing.

There’s simply no reason to not connect ourselves to the net. Storing data on our own discs with the risk of loosing it is not a solution in the long run.

As more people are moving their work to cloud based services we simply do not need one computer or one mobile. Instead we’ll gladly access our favorite content using screens that are optimized for that type of content.

2. The Google Chrome OS is the first OS that cannot be installed

The new Google Chrome OS

This week we saw the first official glimpses of the new Google Chrome OS. It’s a neat little thing more or less erases what the conventional OS are doing. Your computer is working with no interference directly against your hardware. This makes things faster, more stable and secure. The downside is you’ll have to order a computer with the OS installed on delivery and you cannot change afterward.

Googles ambition is to work against the cloud and thereby being able to access your files from anywhere anyhow. In the long run Google Chrome OS will change peoples perception on how, why and where we access certain information.

3. The cost of producing your own technology is dropping fast

Bugbase – Lego for Geeks

If we go back a couple of years you basically had to be a Fortune 500 in order to produce any kind of hardware that potentially could spread among the masses. Screens were pretty shitty. Processors were to expensive and building an OS demanded hard and long work. But as we’ll see screens produced for a single reason, say reading a book, the devices doesn’t have to have a complex OS and the interface only have to serve a single purpose.

Now prices are falling and the technology is being accessible for anyone with geeky fingers. Bugbase and Arduino are the best examples of this right now. Suddenly any company with brains can product mobile technology.

4. User interfaces has started to move from OS centric to User Centric

The Microsoft Courier Interface

If you’re in a meeting chatting away about new business, a screen in front of you might be the one thing that won’t get that signature on the final line. I’d the first one in line when someone launches something that is digital, communicates with the cloud and is perfectly suitable for taking notes – with a pen! This is exactly what the Microsoft Courier interface looks like.

Together with services like Dropbox that syncs between Microsoft, Linux and Apple environments the actuall gadget is no longer the problem. I can sit in that meeting, take my notes on a Notepad then once I’m in the office I’ll bring them up on my stationary computer and finalize the edit of them on my Macbook. The screens and the interface should of course be optimized for each and every purpose!

5. I’d rather read a book on my Amazon Kindle

Only days after establishing a reader behavior on my Kindle I’ve realized I’d never go back to reading books or longer texts on a computer. We all know that the paper industry are pretty darn happy about the fact that people print digital documents. Screens changes all this. Once I get a document today I just mail it to my Kindle. I grab a cup of coffee and there I am, back to reading old style only this time the fonts are composed out of zeros and one’s.

6. The media industry slowly get it but when they do they’ll create screens

Glossy magazine screens. Morning paper screens. Cooking book screens. Learning screens. Notebook screens. In 2010 we’ll see them flying out of companies business development departments like birds out of a birds nest. It’s obvious that the media industry needs to grab us by the balls and try to lock us in again – and the screens will be their weapon!

7. The subscription model will spread outside telecoms

If you buy a mobile phone in most parts of the world you pay next to nothing for the phone since it’s the usage of the phone that brings the cash to the cow. This will be the way with screens. It would be so simple for the newspaper industry to create a big format screen suitable for reading newspapers. Then offer it for free with a 24 or 36 month subscription that automatically renews every year after.

The only question is – will we see an Apple Tablet that lets us buy newspapers, glossy mags and more from iTunes before the media industry get it? I hope so!

8. The ‘App Store’ business model works fine in any business

Apple has sold more than 2 billion applications through their app store. 33% of all the book sales on Amazon.com passes through the Amazon Kindle. I wrote a piece a while back about how the car industry can innovate their business using screens and apps.

Another interesting beacon leading us in this direction is the new App Studio from HP. Basically HP has already installed one of these ‘screens’ on their latest printer. Then you, me or any other company can build an app that the HP users can install. And bam, you’ve got a set of killer apps. For example USA Today let’s you print articles and Google Maps guides you in the right direction. Get your but over there and have a look – it really makes you get it.

The HP App store. Apps for your printer

9. Screens create structural bindings

Buy your books in one place – and one place only!

Remember that old 4 P. Product, Place, Positioning and Promotion. Well, once you’ve but a screen in the hands of a consumer you can stop worrying about 3 of these. Your store is in the hands your the consumer. You back up their products, you help them to find new ones, you develop a behavior that makes switching screen harder and harder as every day passes.

If we look at companies like Amazon or HP. Meaning the brands that does not turn to the screens in order to save a business model but instead create a new one. For these brands screens create strong structural bindings. I mean, why would I go anywhere else than Amazon to buy a book as long as I got my Kindle. Once I’ve create a nice set up of applications on my HP printer then I will have a hard time switching brands once I’m looking to upgrade that tree eater of mine.

10. Cause it makes sense

In the end it’s all about usability. It’s obvious we need different screens for different purposes. And as the price of technology falls, cloud computing spreads while connectivity is everywhere there’s simply no reason to have one screen.

A couple of hours ago the New York Times launched an update of the skimmer interface I wrote about earlier this year. It’s an alternative way to browser their online magazine. They call it The Times Skimmer. The new interface let’s you navigate between different sections of their paper by only using the arrows on your keyboard. The GUI also lets you switch fast between articles and once you’re done reading one you can easily move on to the next.

Times Skimmer features the following seven display options:

• Stories displayed in a grid
• Content displayed based on editorial ranked feeds
• Headlines displayed in a list
• Content presented in the classic typeface Helvetica
• Content displayed against a black background
• Headlines and brief summaries displayed in a wrap-around format
• Headlines, bylines and brief summaries displayed in a design similar to word magnets for refrigerators

After I’ve been spending a couple of minutes with this updated interface I’m struck by what now seems obvious. Isn’t this interface perfectly adapted to be read of a 16:9 touch screen. Of course it resizes as you scale your browser, but that only means it will support a rotation.

Is The New York Times preparing for an Apple Tablet or maybe a reading device of their own?

Every time Apple has launched a new gadget they’ve made sure they gained some support by a selection of leading brands already tuned into their new shit. Well, in that case – could the Skimmer interface from The Times be exactly such a partner. If so…will we finally see an Apple Tablet in the near future?

Well. I’m sure about one thing. I’ll get my hands on one asap!

Update!

It seems more mags than The Times are preparing. I spotted this one this morning yesterday on YouTube. It’s Sports Illustrated’s version of a tablet prepared digital mag.

Last week I got hold of this presentation held by Mary Meeker, Managing Director Morgan Stanley at the Web 2.0 Summit San Francisco. It’s one of the more important time stamps I’ve seen the last couple of years. This one was created two days before Apple reported on their second quarter – beating the rest of the competitors with a 28 % better revenue.

It’s clear things are moving faster than ever. According to this presentation iPhone and iTouch is the “Fastest Hardware Usage Growth in History” (slide 38)

On slide 2 Mary outline important Internet trends. Ouf ot eight bullets three leave me (and they should leave you too) with somewhat of a nervous laughter.

1. Mobile usage is and will be bigger than most think.
3. Next generation platforms (social networking + mobile) driving unprecendeted change in communications and commerce
8. Mobile-related share shifts will create / destroy material shareholder wealth.

Conclusion: If you’re working at Nokia, SonyEricsson or another big as dinosaur – you’ve better start doing something creative to get away from that Meteor!
MS Economy Internet Trends 102009 FINAL

When so many others has done the job already. Go visit them in english or swedish.

This morning I’m reading an article in Svenska Dagbladet about the mobile applications of tomorrow. It talks about the Swedish Mobile Life project supported by Sony Ericsson, Microsoft, Telia among others.

About the same time I’m watching this video below where The Mentalists play a cover on the song Kids by MGMT on their iPhones and iPod Touches, using only apps downloaded from the Apple App Store. Apps used Ocarina, Retro Synth, miniSynth, DigiDrummer Lite.

Isn’t there something familiar with the techno set up? Here’s the for ever cult band Kraftwerk performing The Model in German TV

So, the question is, should Mobile Life focus on building their own applications of the future or provide an open applications platform of the future? To me the answer is quite obvious.

ps. Isn’t this quite a good marketing gig for The Mentalists by the way. 474,271 viewings on this YouTube video in 3 weeks.

The new Apple iMedia? (isn’t it strange that Apples iTunes interface is made for exactly a 10″ screen)

All over the net people are buzzing about what will come from Apple the next WWDC event in June. Reports says Apple has ordered a bunch of 10” displays that might be used to build a Tablet Mac, HD iTouch or a business iPhone. From these alternatives I think the HD iTouch is the most probable rumor (at least I hope so). However I think we should take it a couple of steps further than people have done so far.

Today I had a little discussion about this subject with Alexander Drewniak and Björn Alberts and I decided to publish my thoughts here as well.

Here is what I would do If I were Steve Jobs.

I would launch a 10” version of the iTouch that has a combination of the iTouch and Apple TV interface inside and call it iMedia.

The new Apple iMedia to be launched at the 2009 WWDC event would include a wireless HDMI plug that made it possible for me to sit at home, using the it to browse Apple TV, my iTunes application, the internet and remotely control my TV.

This way I’d have full access to Apple TV, everything that sits in my iTunes, YouTube, Vimeo, Blip, etc and my regular old TV. Sony, Samsung, Philips and the other old dragons would of course be invited to build remote control widgets for their respective TV screens, DVD, Bluerays etc.

The iMedia has all the features from the iPhone except the actual phone functionality. I’d include the same kind of SDK that the iPhone got and since the iMedia had wireless internet, people could build social networking apps, games I could play on the TV and everything else you can (and can not) think of.

The GPS would of course let you browse popular channels and content within your geographical area. The gyro would let you control car games on your TV with the remote control as a steering wheel. Quiz games would be the ‘shit’ on this one!

Another feature would be the camera. This beauty would include not one, but two cameras – one on each side. This way you could use it for iChat, Skype, MSN camera or record things to put online live on sites like Bambuser or Ustream.

Of course once I left home I could bring my iMedia with me and use it anywhere however I wanted.

Result?

The Apple iMedia would disrupt the use of a TV the same way the Ipod once helped disrupt the music industry. On top of that you would challenge the home entertainment system market and the gaming consoles. It would change our TV behavior forever and truly bring Internet to our living rooms. Consuming entertainment & media at home would never be the same again.

June – stay tune!

Who is heading your brand? Does he or she have an understanding for all, and I mean all, steps in the consumer interaction with your brand.

The new generation of consumers crave 4 things from their favorite brands. These 4 things was something we found in a global focus group study we did for one of the global brands I’ve worked with. Teens and youngsters between 15 and 25 years old were interviewed in leading style cities like New York, London, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Stockholm, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing, Amsterdam, Berlin and even more cities that I cannot remember.

The 4 things were:

• Innovation
• Creative excellence
• Entertainment
• Interaction.

They crave it everywhere in every step of their contact with you brand.
Total integration equals success.

Hyper jump the process back and fourth
Most brands tend to start a brand platform project that ultimately leads to developing your brand first, then collateral’s, brand guidelines and finally they look at the products and services. New brands and super brands – they look at the brand heritage, what’s your story, where do you come from etc, but more important, where are they heading. Based on this knowledge they move over to the products and services and design these. The it’s time to move back to the rest.

You shouldn’t let a brand or brand guidebook lead your product development cause it’s usually stiff books filled with rules what NOT to do. When the first rule you have to learn about communication is WHAT rules can we brake!

Total integration demands total creativity
In order for your brand to achieve this level of integration that your target are asking for, you have to get a partner on board that can act as your creative style police through your entire process. The challenge for all modern brands is to stay in control or at least have someone from A to Z that make sure you do.

Let’s look at Apple.

Steve Jobs and his way of totally controlling Apple is probably the best example there is. What’s stunning with Apple is exactly the way they tend to value ever single step of consumer contacts as the most important part in the company. Nothing, and I mean nothing is left behind. Of course I don’t know their entire chain of customer contacts. But let’s look at one possible chain and how they’ve designed it.

My name is Bill. I’m looking for a new computer and I’ve heard about Apple. This might be my road from a non believer to a brand fanatic.

1. Traditional advertising

TV commercials

Apple vs PC has become an icon in the US when it comes to harass your competitors in open public. Apart from that it’s totally on brand in terms of tone of voice and simplicity.

Print

With the strong products Apple has, there’s usually no need to create a story beyond your own brand values and product. This is the ultimate example why communication and creativity should be a very integrated part of engineering. Most technology companies develop technology first and then comes the packaging and design. Apple integrates the two and on top of that, would never develop anything without having communication experts involved in the process.

With iTunes it’s different. This product is available on both Mac and PC.

You can also use iTunes to shop for new music even if you end up playing it on a another Mp3 player. This requires a different strategy.

2. PR & Events

No one can have missed the fact that the Apple company is quiet as a mouse. A couple times a year, Steve Jobs launches Apples latest products during the Mac World. The keynote he delivers on those days are followed by millions. Every day between is filled with rumors and ideas on what the next Mac World will bring. A great PR strategy that doesn’t only keep interest up but also keeps prices from falling. Due to the illness of Steve Jobs the future of the Macworld seems uncertain though.

3. Photography

Where ever I see an Apple product I’m stunned with the quality and ingenuity of the photography. Look at this image above – the balance and the creativity with a yet simple set up. That mirror effect that points towards the next lying down iTouch is just fabulous.

You seldom see a photo from Apple that doesn’t both show the product and communicate a functionality or a USP.

4. Online banners

Yet another area where Apple innovates.

These banners is not about teasing you to click instead Apple brings the humor from the TVC into banners in a very clever way.

5. Online campaign site

Why would you do a campaign site when you can turn your entire website into an emotional experience. I’d say Apples section where they talk about partners and other people who use their products serves as a great campaign area.

6. Partnerships

What do we love more than a great brand? Answer = Two great brands! Nike+ is the perfect example of this. It drives sales for both Apple and Nike but above all contributes to positioning them both as cool innovators.

Leading car brands all over the worlds has implemented support for the iPod in their latest car models. In this case I’m sure it benefits them more than Apple.

7. Website
The Apple website is definitely one of the best corporate websites in the world. It’s user friendly, well designed, great functionality, no loading times, non CMS templated design and on brand.

I just love how they’ve first and foremost have developed their site based on what consumers want and need.

Many of the pages looks more like a very nice printed magazine than a website.

This proves that someone at Apple understood that websites are not supposed to be built based on the specs of a content management system but instead the specs of your customer needs.

8. On- and offline store

Apple knows how to create a brand drama. Their latest store on Manhattan shows Apple never rests. And if you continue to look at more of their stores they’re continuously updating themselves. I wrote last year about the London experience.

The actual shopping experience is something else. I wrote about that a long time ago so I won’t repeat myself. But it’s like nothing else, I’ll promise you that.

When it comes to the online shopping experience. The Apple.com site is nicely integrated with their online store.

Once in the store, it’s all about usability and effectivness – just as it should be.

9. Packaging

I’ve bought quite many Apple products and every time I open the package it’s an experience. No brand, and I mean NO brand has the consistency Apple has had in innovating how they package their product.

What’s stunning is also the fact that lots of stuff inside that box you’re opening is directly integrated with software interfaces and computer materials. The experience to use a mac starts with carrying home the package.

10. Product

Do I need to say anything?

11. Inside the actual product

If you get your hands on a Mac that needs to be opened for any reason. Take the opportunity and do so. Cause these guys know that reputation starts from everywhere in the consumer chain – including the 0.1% who ever open a computer. Inside it’s incredible well designed and the G5 is even backlit inside!

12. Operative system
Awarded design. Usability is better than everything else on the market. It’s faster and yet more stabile and works both for Mac or PC.

The number of innovative solutions in the way you interact with software and the operative system are amazing.

13. Product & software interface

The total integration between softwares and the interface is great. But what’s even cooler is that some of the latest products like iWork even stretches outside the actual software.

iWork for example has a full screen editing mode where it actually seems like the latest Macbook Pro has been redesign to be integrated with that functionality.

14. Support
Crowd sourcing, find whatever you need, integration into every computer and software. Awarded – yes.

To sum up. The reason behind Apple success is of course innovation first and foremost. Without brains like Steve Jobs on board the company would be jack shit. But without Steve’s way of leading the brand – bringing on people like Lee Clow and more of the best creative brains in the industry, having them helping him controlling every bit of the brand from first contact to final kill – is the key to success.

Mike Loop with Apple says it best:

The core dilemma for talented designers in any field is this: If you strive for greatness in your design, you will meet resistance; if you strive to avoid resistance, you can’t do great design. Different is scary. Great design has to fight with the idea that many see “better” as meaning “more of the same”. The better your work and the higher your standards, the more you’ll have to fight against the urge to stay within the warm, safe confines of mediocrity.

Are you ready? Be prepared, cause you’ll step on a lot of toes. But the reward might be worth it cause you’ll end up with consumer like these.

A final word

Making a vision like this come alive means that a very small group has to control many steps. But on the other hand, being the best in the world has never been about doing as other people say, it’s always been about going your own way, towards your vision no matter what!

In 1996 I was very proud of my first Palm Pilot. You might recall them – grey little bastards with a pen so you could write the alphabet instead of typing it with your fingers. I was happy to transfer all my contacts and calendars to my Palm since that would hopefully lead to me not loosing them ever again. Today we’re all talking about iPhone and Android and how they have a bunch of applications that you can use in your phone. But back then in 1996 Palm was ahead of the game and multiple sites offered thousands of applications that you could easily download to your Palm

Well, today Palm, in front of their fans introduced the Palm Pre. Their latest phone with the new Palm Web OS that made their stock jump 35%. According to the company, anyone who knows CSS, HTML and XML will be able to develop for the new Web OS. The phone is of course packed with everything you expect including GPS and according to Engadget it will be available in the first half of 2009.

Where does this leave us?

Apple, Google and now Palm. Three companies that doesn’t have the mobile phone history Nokia, SonyEricsson, Motorola and Samsung has, have proven that they all understand the future business of mobile communication better than any of the old dragons.

The future of mobile communications is open source, usability, social communication and the players are new.

Oh, forgot. Not a word about Adobe Flash in this phone either. It’s all CSS, HTML, XML.  All you digital advertising people out there – get on the boat, we’re changing direction!

In november 2007 I spoke at the Daytona Sessions. I was asked to predict 10 things that would have an impact on digital communication in 2012.

Nr 3 was “Advertising will move into the TV sofa again”. The trend forecast was based on the idea that both Microsoft and Apple will in one way or another integrate their operative systems into the TV before 2012. 

The Consumer Electronics Show kicked off yesterday. Opening speaker was Steve Ballmer who took the opportunity to announce that Microsoft will make the beta test version of its new Windows 7 operating system available to the public for download on Friday. Apart from that, Steve kept on coming back to where the future lies for Windows – three focus areas: TV, Computer and Mobile. Mr Ballmer then talked about how Windows would be shaped in the future to fit usage in the TV room.

So, nr 3 is in the bag!

I got word of the news through Swedish IDG.

Last year, inspired by ReadWriteWeb I stuck my nose out and tried to predict what 2008 would bring us in terms of trends, technology, communication and ideas. About 70% of my thoughts were confirmed but I of course missed out on some too.

2008 is coming to an end and it’s time for me to let that poor nose of mine feel the heat again. 2009 is harder to predict than ever since we have a free falling economy in the world at the moment. How will smaller budgets effect advertising, investments in technology, self confidence and personal evolvement? Hell if I knew, but here are some ideas.

Here are 9 things/trends I believe you should look out for and possibly follow in 2009

1. Technology becomes a commodity and ideas prosper from it
Open Source in combination with broadband access in low cost producing countries will make companies move their technology projects outside their local markets. Companies that earn money from building content management, blogs, communities and other common systems have to move their competence from production towards ideas. Cause after all, who will pay €100 000 for a content management system when you can get Typo3, Magento, WordPress, Pligg, Joomla, Drupal and other excellent systems for free. On top of that, have people in India bidding for it and you’ll end up paying $600 instead of $60 000 for the implementation of it.

Making it do the right thing and look right, that’s something we wont oursource just yet. So, bet on ideas and brains.

2. In 2009 print and outdoor advertising grow stronger while TV continues to die.
Analysts, brands and media agencies all say people move money from traditional advertising to digital. Personally I believe glossy magazines and outdoor locations close to standing still environments (bus-stops, squares, subways etc) will grow. These are locations where people cannot leave.

Solutions however will be far more customized than today and we’ll focus on fewer but better placements.

3. Communication Capitalism is born in 2009
We’ll see more and more brands moving from the strategy of putting it all on one card to campaign experimentation.
More brands than ever will in 2009 dare to loose control of their communication and try multiple campaigns beside each other. The ones that deliver on target will be feeded more money, the ones that doesn’t deliver are killed and new ones are born. Exactly like you would treat your stock portfolio – don’t put everything on one card.

In 2008 I started to call this strategy Communication Capitalism and it’s time for you to do that too cause in 2009 it’ll kick off.

4. Online advertising suffers from lack of competence and will slow down in 2009 for the first time in years
Lots of brands have now tried different strategies for online advertising. While doing so they’ve gotten better at measuring their campaigns and the results doesn’t meet expectations. Flash campaigns with full screen video doesn’t give shit. Banners keep on loosing click rate. RSS feeds are great but how do you place advertising that people see inside it? Facebook advertising didn’t deliver. Adwords is kinda of nice but where’s the branding?

On top of this the media companies doesn’t know jack shit about what’s going on. The digital agencies produce fantastic campaigns but there’s not enough senior employees to choose communication over cool technologies. Over at the brand side the competence on digital media is in generally low and the marketing directors has to choose a communication partner. Today that partner is the traditional advertising agency mostly because of their senior employees. The problem here is that they don’t understand the digital medium – and that’s a disaster for the brands and their communication efforts.

To sum of the problem.

• There’s just not enough senior people in the world that really understand how to combine traditional and digital communication.
• This means agencies, brands and media advisors continue to suggest the wrong things.

Result: Brands will pull out of online activities due to it.

5. SEO / SEM freelancers organize themselves
If you’re looking for people that truly understands SEO/SEM marketing you choice shouldn’t be a media agency or any other company for that sake. Most people out there that truly understands SEO/SEM are individuals or very small companies. The problem however for big brands is that these individuals or companies cannot cater for their needs, their basically too small.

In order for SEO/SEM to kick off we really need to see some sort of network that can bring all these great brains together but still let them run their own companies. Media companies are all about taking over everything. These SEO/SEM newcomers are all about networking and sharing so sooner or later something like this should come.

6. Apple launches the iPhone Pro and starts selling iPhone and rate plans in iTunes.
After winning the hearts of millions around the world it’s time for Apple to launch the second generation iPhones and I believe it’ll be a Pro version of the iPhone.

We’ll see better memory capacity, more space, better keyboard, maybe even a bigger flip out screen of some kind. On top of this they’ll use the magic bullet gained by cooperating with different operators in every country world wide. They’ve more or less gotten them all to pay for the iTunes implementation and now the exclusive deals are starting to run out. Haha says Apple as they will start selling iPhones in computer shops and sell the rate plans online.

(Rumors say that Apple will launch the iPhone Nano but I just thought it was boring to go with that one)

(Update: While I was writing this part, rumors started to spread about an iPhone Pro as well)

7. Facebook Connect and Google Friend Connect continue to grow but Friendfeed Friends might be the winner in 2009
During the later part of 2008 we’ve seen how Facebook and Google has moved their positions forward to grab a larger part of the social networking cake. In the background however lurks Friendfeed. It’s quickly growing and the people that use Facebook Connect of Google Friend Connect would probably welcome a social connector from someone else than the big ones and use that one more. Friendfeed could and will be that third party.

Why not call it Friendfeed Friends?

8. Branding is being reevaluated in 2009
Digital communication is totally revamping the landscape of telling people about your brand. The base of brand strategies will remain the same but the tactical part of it – treatment of logotypes, typefaces, colors, graphical guidelines and who officially represent a brand will change.

In 2009 we’ll se more brand than ever that let their corporate guidelines loose and start experimenting. As more and more brand activities get digitized brands will learn that it’s not about the graphical guidelines but instead about keeping the conversation alive. 

In 2009 branding becomes being a personality and personalities change constantly but their heart and spine stay the same. You might say that this is not something new but until now most brands believe their brand manual is the guide to heaven when it’s actually the guide to hell. In 2009 this old fashioned way of communicating your brand will change.

9. Mashups grow up and conquer the corporate world.
This year we’ve seen how a lot of sites turned into mashups.

A mashup is about creating one place where visitors can view content from sources like YouTube, Flickr, Del.icio.us, Twitter, Facebook and much more.

Until now most of the good mashup sites has been personal websites or web 2.0 companies. In 2009 we’ll see how large brands like Nike, Diesel, adidas, Apple, Coca Cola, Disney, GM, Puma, Ikea, Samsung, Absolut and more will turn their websites into mashups.

All kind of brands will see the benefit of not hosting your videos inhouse but instead creating channels on multimple social video platforms. Your images will be better spread if placed on Flickr. That corporate blog of yours works better if it’s running on WordPress and mashed into your and your partners websites. Sites like Yahoo Pipes and Tarpipe will do wonders for the social spread and suddenly you find your brand site being turned into a true web 2.0 entity.

So, there we are. Nothing else to do this year now but wishing you all a happy new year. May 2009 be as interesting as this year has been.

See you next year – Johan Ronnestam