44. "...someone on every street will
control the airwaves in regards to
happy hour, or clothing sales, or
the fact that there is bad traffic in
front of the Holland Tunnel."
- Christian Sterner (@sterner)
Hello everyone. My name is Phil and I'm a entrepreneur here in NYC. \n
Hello everyone. My name is Phil and I'm a entrepreneur here in NYC. \n
In 2005, I co-founded a video publishing platform for the real estate industry called WellcomeMat. Our service powers video for some of the nation’s largest and smartest real estate brokerages. Completely self-funded and now, in 2011... profitable.\n
in 2010 we rolled out a mobile video & photo sharing application called Pegshot. The app allows you to quickly tag and share media w/ time, location and place.\n
At our core, we focus on helping our customers (individuals, developers & brands) publish media on the web, mobiles devices and TV. \n
Additionally, I’m the Executive Director at the Future of Local. Our group hosts conversations featuring luminaries in the local space.\n
So "local" is a topic is that is important to me and should be to us all. In day to day activities, most decisions are made based on our proximity to the people and places around us. Everything from where we decide to spend our money to how we decide to travel.\n
We’re going in order here so let's start with Mobile. \n\n
\n
In order to answer this question, it helps to first look back at the world as it once was.\n
The photo you see here before you is a picture of street corner in New York. But it could be any street corner in any city or suburb, maybe even your hometown. This is the physical world as we knew it just a few years ago.\n
So what's changed?\n
At first glance, not much. Same street corner. What's new is this layering of digital information over the physical world. As we go about our day, technology has enabled us w/ the ability to read and/or write digital data to physical locations with our mobile devices.\n
We can drop off or pick up Yelp reviews...\n
Find property for sale or rent...\n
Check-in and leave tips...\n
Publish media.... This has broad implications and might explain why your seeing huge investments in mobile. Everything from check-in services to photo sharing apps.\n
We are beginning to see the consequences of mobile publishing. Here's an example... My business partner Christian Sterner was out biking in Boulder, CO.\n\n
The effect on every industry will be revolutionary. We’r already seeing this take place in world events.\n
That same exact week while attending an event at the NY Times building, I ended up stuck in an elevator with Anne Curry and several other social media “freaks”. A relatively insular event ended up grabbing national attention.\n
Why? Because the cameras were there to capture it.\n
Now take that extrapolate into all areas of our lives. Through mobile technology, we are moving into a world where any citizen can be publisher… we are all cameras.\n
Anyone can be a publisher. Any brand can be a publisher. Not just the NY Times or the Wall Street Journal.\n
Publishing = Communication. If you want to be a publisher, you have to get social.\n\n
If you want to be a publisher, you have to get social.\n
\n
When we first introduced WellcomeMat, I thought for sure the service would be used to upload real estate listings.\n
What I didn’t expect was to see 70% of our clients mind share focused on using video as a means to share knowledge about the local communities they represent. \n
Houlihan Lawrence in West Chester, NY. They’ve shot over 35 community tours in West Chester, Putam and Dutchess Counties.\n
These videos are just spectacular and the content is available on iPad, Web and mobile devices.\n
Halstead Properties - The largest luxury real estate firm in NY and #3 in the country. They recognized the value in introducing their agents on video.\n
They’ve also had films crews shoot neighborhoods all across the region. Again, this content can be seen an any device.\n
When brands become publishers they foster conversation. Social media allows these conversations to take place. You just have start conversation and then be willing to listen and respond. No differently than if you and I were in the same room together.\n\n
Nic Adler is the owner of the Roxy on the sunset strip in LA. The Roxy was getting displaced by bigger hotter venues in other parts of Hollywood. So what did Nic do? He embraced social media and new opportunities began presenting themselves.\n
\n
If you want to survive in today’s economy, you have to get social.\n
Local. Who has the most to gain?\n
I say we all do. And, if you were to ask me where the most opportunity is? I would say it’s with the local merchant. They have a story to tell and patrons with a vested interest in seeing them success. So what’s the formula?\n