Rochelle Grayson

I just read this interesting MediaPost article about consumer trends for consumer packaged goods and wondered how these food trends translate to the games space?

Trust
Players are looking for game publishers they can trust! Of course, they can always go with the tried-and-true, but they may also be open to trying out new publishers and indie games, especially if the price is right! For existing big players, now is the time to solidify your relationship with your dedicated and hard core fans. Find ways to make them feel like a VIP. And, for indie developers, now is the time to launch those innovative games at the right price…which brings me to the next point…

Control
As the MediaPost article states,”People are continuing — and in some cases, intensifying — their efforts to save money and cut costs.” Players are looking much more closely at getting the biggest bang for their buck. So, it’s up to game developers and publishers to deliver this promise! Find ways for your players to feel like they’re getting a true bargain!

Simplicity
As part of the trend to control costs, people are looking to simplify their lives. This recession may, in fact, provide a great opportunity for online and mobile games. These games can be much simpler (and cheaper to develop) than their console counterparts. They are also much easier to distribute and deliver. There you have it, simplicity in game development, game-play, as well as delivery. Who’da thunk?! Start thinking about what you can do in these markets. If you don’t, you risk the chance of losing traction in players’ minds, especially in some of these emerging (North American ) markets.

Playfulness
Do not focus on simplicity at the cost of game-play! Players still want compelling and fun games! As the MediaPost article states, “People are looking to up the fun factor in their lives”. So, give them more fun! And, be creative in how you increase the fun factor! It can’t simply be more of the same. Playfulness should include finding fun and entertaining things in unexpected ways. Right now, creativity is more than King, it’s God!

Trading down, up and over
To make every dollar go further, players are accepting trade-offs. Whether it’s “tricking” themselves into thinking that spending smaller amounts makes a purchase more attractive or just realizing that they really don’t need to buy only AAA titles, players are now exploring and willing to try out new (and cheaper) titles. Make it worth their while to try your game and surprise them! If you do want them to pay more for your game, make sure there is a premium experience to go along with the premium price tag!

If you can successfully translate the above trends into your game, you just might have a recession winner! No guarantees, but you’ll definitely be closer to aligning yourself with those consumer purchase behaviors we’re seeing at ALL levels.

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Happy Labor Day! Today is the last day of summer and now, it’s time to get back to business as the “New Year” begins. I’m re-reading a few books/posts as I prepare for my next venture (yes, there is something incubating and I’ll report back in a few weeks or so )

I am finding some interesting (and unsettling) discussions about “old” leaders/entrepreneurs. On the interesting side, there was a post in Techncrunch this morning about the benefits of older entrepreneur leaders, and I was also impressed with Jay-Z’s recent interview on Bill Maher, especially in answering why an “old” man (40) like him is still successful in a industry that’s all about youth. On the unsettling side, I do get a sense that a quote in Seth Godin’s, Tribes, best describes what I sometimes hear/sense from younger entrepreneurs:

…some people admire the new and stylish far more than they respect the proven state of affairs…As a result, new ways of doing things, new jobs, new opportunities, and new faces become ever more important.

Well, technically, I now fall into the “old” category! (Although, thanks to my parents, I’m told I look younger ) Am I one of those “old, stodgy, outdated” leaders/entrepreneurs?! I’ve always said:

I’m a Gen Y in a Gen X body! I’ve always been a change agent and have even been too early to a market.

So, what makes me and my “older” colleagues successful in industries that seem to value youth?! I would argue that it is a combination of curiosity, flexibility, AND experience allowing us to have a unique perspective, as well as, partnering with 20-somethings who have the energy, time, and market insight to launch new and sustainable ideas!

Perhaps, I’m only saying this because I’m 40. If I were 28, I might be disagreeing with this argument. There are still a lot of amazing opportunities out there and I plan to bring ALL of my experience (and flashiness ) to every endeavor I’m part of. I’ll be sure to keep you posted…

Happy New Year!

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With the global financial markets in turmoil, valuations are on everyone’s mind these days: financial valuations, market caps, brand valuations, etc. Today, I read a great article about the burst of the “Brand Bubble” and the impact this will have on brand companies’ intangible assets. Brand valuation is a concept with broad corporate acceptance and many of us are quite familiar with it. However, I’d like to throw out a new valuation model called Social Capital Value Add (SCVA).

For the past month, I’ve been conversing with Michael Cayley about his new valuation model that goes beyond Brand Valuation and explores the value of Social Capital. There is a sociology truism that the strength of the network lies in its weakest ties. Corporations with consumer-facing brands need to start looking at, evaluating (hopefully, even financially valuing) and engaging with their Social Capital, especially as consumers become more powerful in the two-way Brand conversation.

We have not figured out all the exact details of the financial model for this new metric. But, I do know that a Social Capital Valuation Model will be important to the future growth of most companies and there are many companies already recognizing this, e.g. MTV, Dell, Procter & Gamble, Monster, Comcast, CNN and several others. I’m excited to be working with companies that recognize this fundamental shift in brand strategy and I’m also thrilled to be part of an emerging team of thought leaders figuring these issues out!

If you have any related thoughts, research or are simply interested in being part of this distributed, virtual think tank, do send me a note!

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Today, I read a great analysis of the Media industry by Paul Sweeting that rang so true! Here’s what Paul said:

On the Web, value is not created primarily by either content or distribution. Users create value out of content through the use of tools that enable them to do something with the content, whether it’s to move it, share it, reformat it, store it, discover it, mash it up or embed it. What the media companies most sorely lack is not sufficient content or adequate distribution but a workable mechanism for capturing a fair share of the value users are creating for themselves. Ultimately, media companies need to become not distributors or content owners but enablers.

At Donat Group, we often have this conversation with media clients — both large and small. It is always interesting to propose a scenario to them in which neither the content nor the distribution have significant value and to see where the conversation meanders. When we present our model of Audience Engagement Value, most clients are initially quite surprised. (I know this sounds like B-School/Corporate-speak, but bear with me ) What this all boils down to is the fact that today’s audiences (however you define “audiences”) want to do something with content — theirs, yours, it doesn’t really matter.

So, the real questions on the table are: What is that “something” you’re going to let them do?! And, is there perceived value to them in doing that?!

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I just read a very interesting analysis by Shelly Palmer about Margins vs. Ratings and the Future of TV. Shelly makes some great points and looks to the past to better understand the future. As a business person, I find such articles really thought-provoking because they provide an important reminder of the fine balance between business goals and creativity, especially as these pertain to entertainment.

Starting tomorrow, I will be holding several off-site strategic planning sessions for my company and I’m really looking forward to hearing the creative ideas from my staff! Clearly, I want to my company to succeed financially, and at the same time, I want to foster an environment of extreme creativity and exploration! It’s been proven time and time again that without a strong creative vision, a sustainable business model is hard to achieve.

So, it’s time for me to put the “how” aside for a few days and start thinking about the “implausible”! I once worked for a president, who asked us all to be BODACIOUS in our goals! I really like that word and I think I just might borrow it

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Last week, I was interviewed by the Vancouver Province for my thoughts on the Vancouver Tech scene. They wrote up a great article (and there’s even a nice picture of me ).

However, beyond what’s mentioned in the article, I firmly believe Vancouver has the huge potential of becoming a major vortex for Digital Media and naturally, technology is an essential component of that! With its unique combination of technology, culture and entertainment (games, film & TV), Vancouver has the talent and expertise to bring all these industries under one magnificent umbrella and really position itself as the Digital Media center of the future!

There are lots of people contributing to this vision and all I can say is that it’s an exciting time to be part of this phenomenal Vancouver team! I’m doing my part to make this happen and I truly look forward to seeing this vision realized!! Stay tuned…

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Today’s my birthday and I’m overwhelmed by the number of well-wishes I have already received! Birthdays are great times to reflect and today, I’d really like to give special thanks to:

1. My amazing husband, Geoffrey Meredith, who is truly my best friend, my soul mate and my muse; every day with him is a day to celebrate! I love you dearly!
2. My wonderful and supportive family; my mom, dad, brother, step-father and extended family have always been there for me, through thick and thin, and they have been my greatest cheerleaders! Thank you for guiding me and for shaping me into the woman I am today!
3. My incredible circle of friends; as I get older, I realize how important and rare true friends really are and I absolutely cherish them! Thank you for being part of my “family of choice”!

That said, I also thought it might be interesting to mention 10 things about myself that some of you may or may not know:

1. As a child, I bit my nails. I can’t remember when I stopped, but I do remember being told by family members that I’d never get a husband if I bit my nails. I don’t buy that argument, but I did find a phenomenal husband and I don’t bite my nails
2. When I was in High School (in Germany), I was the lead singer of the band, Bella Zooth! It was a R&B band and we toured within Germany and even did a recording at a studio in Schwäbisch Gmünd. Unfortunately, I never got a copy. So, if anyone can track that down, I’d be really curious to hear it
3. Speaking of lost copies, I was also interviewed and sang on a Ghanaian Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) program when I lived in Accra in the early 90’s. Once again, if anyone knows how I might track down a copy, I’d sure be thrilled (and cringe) to see it again
4. I still have ALL of my teeth, including all of my wisdom teeth! And, I also have a gap between my front two teeth, which merely supports the fact that I clearly have a big mouth
5. I do not drink coffee and perhaps more interestingly, I don’t like chocolate! I hear the gasping already
6. Speaking of food, I would have to say that my favorite flavor is coconut! I simply can’t say “no” to anything with coconut in it; just don’t contaminate it with chocolate
7. I love loud colored clothes; anyone who meets me know this! But, what you probably don’t know is that ~99% of my wardrobe is second-hand! I love a great deal and can’t remember the last time I bought a brand new piece of clothing
8. Speaking of clothing, I love to knit and sew! Yes, many pieces of my wardrobe I made myself and all through high school and college, I knit most of my sweaters, skirts and dresses
9. I lost 135 lbs and have kept it off for 3 years! This is probably one of my proudest achievements
10. My husband and I met 13 years ago when Match.com was in Beta! I have to say the odds were truly in my favor since there weren’t many women in the system My husband was the first “match” on my list and we’ve been together ever since! (BTW, they gave us lifetime memberships, which we both still have; not that we have any need for it )

So, there are 10 things about me! What 10 things would be on your list?

Thanks again, for all the birthday wishes! I will definitely have a great birthday; how could I not I really look forward to the upcoming year because each and every year has consistently been better than the last!

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I do love conferences, but they do exhaust me! This week, I attended another great conference put on by the Canadian Society for Training and Development (with the unfortunate acronym of “CSTD” ). In a session earlier today about Learning in 3D environments, the concept of “Machinima” came up. Here’s a simple definition I found online:

Machinima (muh-sheen-eh-mah) is filmmaking within a real-time, 3D virtual environment, often using 3D video-game technologies.

What’s most interesting about Machinima is that it allows participants in 3D worlds to capture their activities, either as proof of bragging rights or to allow for post-mortems or reviews to occur after an event has been completed.

It suddenly hit me today that much of what we enjoy about digital social media is the ability to capture important social interactions or thoughts that previously were intangible and could only be recalled by our memories and only from our perspective!

How amazing is it that we can now go back and review that exact exchange, really see what others said or did! Talk about empowering tools for personal growth and professional development! Now that’s powerful!

This may seem quite obvious to many of you ! But, for me, it provided a new perspective on these latest social media tools; I realize that the ones that bring me the greatest value are the ones that allow me to capture my “intangible experiences”. That’s the power of capturing!

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I’m exhausted! This past week, Vancouver hosted two of its largest digital media conferences, the Vancouver International Games Summit (VIGS) and the Vancouver International Digital Festival (VIDFEST), simultaneously!

I was very fortunate to connect with several bright, sharp and visionary people and am still digesting all the nuggets of wisdom that were doled out. It’s going to take a while before completely internalizing all that I heard.

I must admit that I am always most interested in the question of “What’s happening with ‘Business’?” All I can say is the only consistent answer I heard was: Change! Awesome!! Changing business models mean lots of new opportunities and challenges, and, of course, lots of uncertainty! I thrive in uncertainty!

As a teaser, here are a few of the “nuggets” that have me stewing:

• Social Capital and its role in the Social Media Economy
• The Importance of Micro-transactions in Social Media Monetization
• The Importance of Social Experiences to ALL media businesses
• Synergizing the Mob
• New Leadership and Organizational Models
• Agile Business Planning

Unfortunately, I don’t have any concrete answers right now; lots more thinking to be done! If you’re interested in batting around some of these ideas with me, do send me a note!

In the meantime, I’ll try to catch up on my email backlog and recharge my battery before my week begins…and, for all my US colleagues and friends, have a great Memorial Day weekend!

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Over the past week, I’ve noticed some great new ways people are using twitter and twemes. Building on my earlier post about flash online communities, people are now organizing groups, not just for quick events, but for causes and things they firmly believe in. One that caught my eye yesterday was #freetibet. This is a great example of people determined and passionate about a cause using the power of twitter and twemes to get their message out.

This week, I also received an email from Mike Sansone highlighting the tweme #quotable. Here’s what Mike said in his email:

Have a favorite quote? Use the tag #quotable and share it. Or place the quotable widget on your site.

What a great way to inspire others and recognize those nuggets of wisdom or moments of genius! On those days when things just don’t seem to be going well, it’s a nice to review the tweme and pick out some inspiring quotes!

And, finally, we are only one week away from Mother’s Day! I received another email from Anne Gentle, who is launching the tweme #mom to recognize the funny and precious tales of mothers. Here’s her description;

A mom friend and I are starting a tweme called “I’m the Mom Who” or “I’m the Mom Whose” which we’ll shorten to #mom – to tell funny tales of parenting in time for Mother’s Day. While there may be a few guilty confessions in there, the goal is to gather funny sayings from your kids throughout the day, or recount funny scenarios, not to pour your guts out or tattle on anyone (including yourself!) in 140 characters or less. Here is an example:

I’m the #mom who has the 4-year-old son who wants to buy his preschool teacher a gift certificate “For Zales, for diamonds!”, for the holidays.

I’m thrilled by all of these new uses and encourage you to think about ways you can organize, recognize and inspire others! Social media tools are quite powerful and small ideas can blaze through the networks and have incredible impact! Try it on for size; the results may really surprise you!

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