SI is taking this Strip thing to a whole new level - with a little help from Lexus.

On the heels of the duo's QR code-enabled interactive print ad, the brands used Caesars Las Vegas as the canvas for a rip-roaring 3D projection mapping experience last night, featuring models from this year's big Swimsuit Edition.

The event was managed by Pearl Media, and the 3D projection experience was developed by Go2 Productions - the same team we worked with to develop our big LA Traffic Jam with Train, presented by LoopNet last month.

There are lots of things for fans of the annual issue to like - including building-size views of Kate Upton and her fellow SI models - with 3D elements, no less.

My view: As SI's first 3D experience, this is a sure sign the venerable SI "Swimsuit Edition" brand means business - and that Lexus is more than happy to help it hit the accelerator.

But what's your view? Is this whole spectacle a sign of overexposure?

Or a major splash for what is becoming a powerhouse media event?

Click here to view the embedded video.

There was that 3D projection mapping experience on an LA Hotel a while back. And in October, the brand brought a print ad to life with the help of a handy iPad.

This time out, Lexus is going a bit simpler, keying into QR codes - the scanning of which reveals models kinda-sorta hidden in SI print ads for the new IS.

Still, the pursuit of perfection could have added a little more punch to the reveals than just having the models strut toward us. Integrating with the car in some fashion - or really just doing anything a little more interesting - would have been a better pay off for going to all the trouble.

Okay, it's still pretty cool. And it's apparently just the opening act. According to ADWEEK, the Lexus IS is also included in Sport Illustrated's first-ever 3D projection mapping experience on the facade at Caesar's Las Vegas.

Get the full scoop here.

Super Bowl XLVI...is once again more than a football game, and the social aspect of the game is more than simply breaking Twitter records. This year Super Bowl XLVI will create connections. Viewers are expected to use mobile devices at unmatched levels and the demand for mobile interaction is tremendous.

What is certain? Immediate and direct access to “more” is expected, and brands are challenged to create spectacular interactive experiences

Extraordinary relevance

Promises of brilliant content are certain, but tremendous value is most often created when fans discover, conquer, own, and share stories about who they are and what they know. Creative brands will be prepared to listen, will adapt quickly and respond with authentic messages. So, what is the outcome? Emotional connections, possible when brands nurture dialogues and support the role of people in the process.

How will we connect? Apple shipped over 15 million iPads in Q4 2011

Position a very different kind of strategy

Honda has had great success with the early release of the Ferris Bueller's Day Off big game commercial. The video already has more than 8 million views, great news for Honda as they launch the all-new 2012 CR-V. Still,with almost 60 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, imagine the possibility for unique opportunities. Enable people to capture original video and celebrate the imagination of people in real-time, as they are watching the game.

…Raison d'être

#GameDayPolarBears

Living, breathing, and ever-changing content. Coca-Cola® has given their Polar Bears permission to throw a Super Bowl Party. While watching the game, the polar bears will be chatting with, so far, more than 18,000 friends. As of now, the popular hosts have only invited a little more than 64,000 friends via Facebook.

Become a resource

Chevy is sponsoring “Road To The #SuperBowl”

Chevy has become a resource for those wanting to track tweets per minute and see who is sharing content in real-time. Chevy has also reached out to Detroit Labs to develop a great mobile app. The Chevy Game Time App offers viewers a chance to interact with exclusive content, get real-time stats, and be a part of the game with live trivia. At this point are we fans or players? Players can win 1 of 20 Chevys and other prizes.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Service…extended brand experience

Xbox LIVE Gold access will be free February 2-5. Xbox wants to make sure that fans experience ESPN via Xbox LIVE. The Super Bowl is ideally targeted and Xbox will extend the brand’s experience with Madden Bowl XVIII! Last night, NFL players and celebrities teamed up in a 3-on-3, playing for the coveted title of Madden NFL 12 champions!

I like this idea, but would love to see real-people also involved. Celebrity overload I guess. During Super Bowl week, the last thing some of us care to see are more celebrities.

Consider the value of social media...Loyalty and Learning. Then add the perception of “people” defining their personal value by what they share. Now consider the passion and true emotion within sporting events. This is only the beginning, the 2012 Olympics are only a few months away. The games will further test brands to create strong resources and enable “my” Olympics.

Super Bowl Goes Mobile viaInteractive Advertising Bureau

You may love the weather today and hate the weather tomorrow. Either way we are always compelled to share our perceptions.  Weather has always been one of the most social of topics. Everyone has their own way for predicting the weather, and of course, an opinion about what lies ahead. However, our ideal source of information is no longer limited to traditional news channels. People are curious, and want to know what the rest of the world is thinking…and especially during weather-related events. Everyone is equally keen to learn from local accounts and individual experiences.

Enter Metwit…

Metwit is a real-time collective weather source. A great place to explore and discover real-time weather conditions, from real people. People tag, tweet or post weather conditions and the information is immediately displayed on Google maps via text and amusing icons.

Metwit is being developed during a three-month start-up acceleration program by SeedStartup, a member of the Techstars network. The iPhone application and the beta website are live. The smart platform also offers features that are as ever-changing as the weather. The passionate developers are committed to innovation, continuously enhancing Metwit. Users are able to personalize their expression of the weather through new icon sets. Icons are created by professional artists and amateur illustrators so that everyone can personalize their weather experience. The result, a collection of jovial and witty icons that will definitely reflect your weather personality.

Today, even traditional weather forecasters are looking for original sources. A local perspective of weather is critical during severe weather occasions and Metwit is becoming the go-to place for “original” accounts of all things weather related. Through local content, forecasters are able to create a better narrative and more precise recommendations.

When weather stories are co-created, they also become considerably more effective within social media. For instance, when breaking weather news occurs, people immediately turn to traditional channels, but alongside is another trusted source…each other.

Social weather can fill a need for real-time, no-nonsense information...

Example: During a crisis, people want to help, not feel helpless. During the Tōhoku earthquake and Tsunami in March 2011, Twitter became one of the most important real-time destinations for those needing to stay in touch with people in Japan. Worldwide, Twitter personally connected people wanting to understand the events with those experiencing the catastrophic weather in real-time.

The collective process of Metwit naturally creates opportunities for making weather more reliable, more relevant and more exciting. Metwit was designed for helping those active in outdoor sports and activities. The idea was to create a place where climbers can understand current conditions, prepare for a day of climbing and also to connect with other climbers. The ability to understand specific and important weather conditions as it relates to climbing is essential to this sport, and only other climbers can define these conditions. For instance, climbers can pinpoint the best location according to those already on site.

Metwit will also act as a connector of like-minded enthusiasts. Users will be able to select activities that interest them. Metwit will then enable users to view others with similar interests, sharing vantage points and interesting information about specific locations. The developers continue the idea of co-creation through crowd-sourced design challenges as they look for creative new icons. The team will consistently use social media tools to help Metwit become a fun and useful resource.

Misery loves company...

Metwit is perfect for those who are feeling blue about the weather. Metwit users share your misery and often, with the help of others, can cheer-you-up with funny thoughts. Weather updates and photos have always been attention-grabbing. So, your spring-break vacation images are even more fun to share with those back home.

“Love complaining about the weather? Try Metwit” Michele Ruini Co-Founder, Metwit

Brand’s new role...Enable a Cycle-Of-Courtesy

Metwit weather updates are also becoming a resource for brands. Rather than inactive messages that have little value, brands will be able to offer social weather as a service, connecting with people through the advantages of one of the most social topics…weather. Metwit extends brand experiences by creating mobile occasions. Brands are able to actively involve people through weather related content and current conditions.

Don’t forget your umbrella…

How often do you wish that you knew a storm was on the way? Hyper-local weather is ideal for travelers. Metwit helps you prepare for the weather conditions where you’re headed. Now Airlines can use Metwit to create weather alerts that are informative, visual and fun!

Note| I have been fortunate to spend some time helping these clever developers with strategy and positioning in recent weeks. Honestly, I believe that Metwit is now, and will continue to be, one of the most imaginative and useful social platforms available.

Article first published as Weather Gets Social! on Technorati

comScore: Facebook Keeps Gobbling People’s Time

Where are people getting the time? From the looks of it, from their MySpace account. YouTube also continues a very strong upward arc (as much as Compete.com data is to be believed).

Social Media: The Final Piece of the Super Bowl Advertising Puzzle

This was way overdue. If you look at the value the Super Bowl brings, it’s mass audience. One of the few times a year when that happens on a national and even international scale. Communities often run into a common problem — they don’t have value until they have people — and the first one in is like the first person to buy a fax machine. Thus an event like the Super Bowl gives brands an opportunity to reach and connect a large group of people at once. Giving fledgling social community efforts the jump start they just might need to get over the hump.

The Future of Mobile Tagging in Marketing, Branding & Communications

If you’re working on a mobile project or looking for interesting mobile ideas, this is an exhaustive list of mobile tactics that have been used. Well worth flipping through.

Got marketing technologists? 1,000-fold growth – Chief Marketing Technologist

Interesting, and not really surprising, tracking of the growing interest in the job title “chief marketing technologist”.

Facebook Ads Can Now Specify Any Page Landing Tab as a Destination

This should drive up both conversion rates for Facebook ads, as well as increase ad sales and testing, as advertisers can now advertise numerous destinations on their Facebook Page. In addition, the article speaks to the ever-opening Facebook Ads API. While this company isn’t shy about thier dislike for Google, this gives you the sense it’s more love-hate.

Sponsored Stories Now Available in the Facebook Self-Serve Ad Tool

Facebook is really moving into interesting territory in terms of bridging paid media advertising with content development. When you consider how well Facebook has integrated itself with the outside content world, they’re in an area with a lot of headroom.

ComScore: Hulu Is Watched Twice As Much As The 5 Major TV Networks Online Combined

This speaks to the importance of good user interface and convenient access. Compared to the TV remote, surfing to different websites for content feels almost archaic.

The Rise of LinkedIn as Login of Choice [Infographic]

One of the big questions in social networks is, How many is enough. For some that meant one: Facebook. But new data is indicating that people using third-party login for business-related sites are increasingly using Facebook. An early indication that people could be looking for different ways to present themselves across the Web. No surprise there.

A Sneak Peek at 2015′s Smartphone: Sophisticated Reviews on the Go, Courtesy MIT | Fast Company

Most looks into the future aren’t as tangible as this. And if there’s one industry in who’s future I’m highly interested in, it’s mobile. At the core of this process is text analysis — mining text and mapping their meanings to give them new value and insight.

Smells Like Team Spirit | Slideshows

Another good content example that’s not expensive to pull off — I’m sure they have no problem getting various CEOs to give 30 seconds of advice — and hits their target audience right between the eyes. The addiction of short-form video snacking is in full grip here. Numerous brands trying to reach the business market could do this.

Why is all this the case? Because sports speak to something inside of most of us - a desire to be part of something successful that is bigger than ourselves.

Sports even seem to unify social media, which is (arguably) mostly a set of experiences that occur on an individual versus a group level. Other sorts of activities also can deliver mass audiences, but can they deliver engaged, united ones?

Sports do. We celebrate victories together. We stick our tongues out with the Phanatic at another team. We drive hours on a Saturday to see Penn State versus Pitt. OR whatever against whatever in your corner of the world.

Too often we use reach as a proxy for the idea of a common viewpoint and experience. We look at, for example, Facebook as this massive thing or place that everyone is a part of. But that view of Facebook or any other digital media experience is like saying we are united because we all use language or breathe oxygen.

We've spent so many of the last few years discussing fragmentation and shrinking audiences for media. I think we're entering an era of the opposite. Where we as disconnected individuals will seek more common experiences so as to have more social capital to share and bring us together. The massive audiences for games like Farmville are, I think, a reflection of that. Proof of a persistent need. That we all want some individualized experience, but we all need to feel part of something bigger than ourselves.

Some brands are particularly adept at making us feel part of something bigger. Red Bull. Apple. Coke and Pepsi on occasion - more Pepsi than Coke lately.

To me, there is a difference between the idea of "consumer control," which most marketers generally accept as a given, and "team membership", which is what I think the future of branding needs to be built on.

In my view, consumer control says that marketers are just passive facilitators of the wills of millions of individuals.

Team membership speaks to that side of people that wants to be recognized as important, but also as part of something larger than our own personal whims and preferences. We as marketers need to welcome, listen, and involve individual team members, not just be virtual waiters and waitresses.

Twitter and the Future of TV

Some good examples cited on how Twitter is impacting TV viewing, forging trends in the social viewing space. There have been a lot of social viewing apps roll out, but they all seem to lack the big missing ingredient in social media: Audience size. Twitter has that, although it’s a scattered and primarily one-directional communication. What I like about the show examples is they’re creating a sense of personalization despite Twitter’s mass media platform, not unlike the way celebrities have been using it.

Wearable Cameras Move Beyond Sports to the Mainstream – NYTimes.com

A couple of remarkable features from the new Looxcie ‘wearable’ camera. It clips on your ear and records video, sending it to an Android phone. And it has a 30 second buffer, so you can keep it on, and if you see something happen, you can push a button and grab the past 30 seconds of footage. A lot of opportunities here for marketers looking for new angles on content development.

YouTube to Launch New Discovery Tool Tonight; Here Comes Extreme Ironing

If you think YouTube has saturated the public taste for bizarre video, it’s more like they’re just ramping up. You have to read about these various types of video content to believe it. Not only is there a series of ‘extreme ironing”, there are subgenres, like “underwater extreme ironing” and “skydiving extreme ironing”. And YouTube is going to help us sift through all this with a new feature, YouTube Topics. If you’re a brand and thinking all the good content opportunities are taken — even in video — you might want to rethink that. Or at least hire some good creative thinkers.

SkyFire Pulls In Nearly $1 Million In Its First Weekend On The App Store

Generally I don’t recommend large brands get into the app game to create a new direct revenue stream. But this example certainly points to a lot of opportunity. The big differentiator here is, in addition to a product with an obvious appeal to many iPhone users (it plays Flash files on the iPhone in a rather clever manner), they’ve been generating good buzz, and for quite a while. So while it may seem like an overnight success, the company has been producing products, and generating buzz, that paved the path for this type of explosive sales growth.

The Dangers of Content Marketing on Facebook | Geoff Livingston’s Blog

This is a great point to be aware of, but it’s also one of those areas that brands simply have to look at practically. Facebook wants rights to posted content to protect themselves from an image showing up in an ad, presentation, or whatever, and then them getting sued for not ‘owning’ it. But the author’s point is correct for additional purposes. Most brands should not rely on a social media property they don’t own for their ongoing content development programs. For one, if their content is worthwhile (and not completely tied to the social network experience), then they should be featuring it on their own site as well. And secondly, even the most powerful social networks have no guarantee of longevity. Think MySpace.

Facebook Serves Nearly a Fourth of U.S. Display Ads | ClickZ

Facebook’s volume puts them at number one, more than twice as much volume as Yahoo, the runner up. This from a company that several years ago didn’t have much of an ad program. What I’m both hearing and seeing is that Facebook doesn’t necessarily drive the highest response rates, but their cost-per-click number are very strong. And of course, the farther down the conversion path you take the metrics, the more important the numbers are to advertisers.

1.0 Is the Loneliest Number — Matt Mullenweg

The idea of agile development has been slow to take off in marketing, and it’s understandable, given that marketing itself is a rather agile process. But I think as content development starts to play a larger role in company’s marketing efforts, it’s going to be a feasible approach for a range of content efforts. This is a great take on what that process can be like.

Even Merton Hasn’t Been On Chatroulette In Months

Great story on Merton, who’s probably the best thing to ever happen on Chatroulette. The video of his Chatroulette performances is a must see.

Attention Hockey Fans! Watch the NHL on Roku, Boxee & More

Having long ago cut the cable, and tiring of TV hacks like Ustream for watching Monday Night Football, I applaud the NHLs efforts in taking their content to the audience.

Adverblog: Nike “Who follows who?” challenge

An interesting idea. Use Twitter to gauge how well you do among your Followers in a 10k race. The explanation in this video could have been a little clearer, perhaps, but it’s a nice way to use Twitter to generate exposure for the race. Of course, by the time these efforts appear on Twitter, the race will already be underway. But Nike will benefit from this through longer-term branding.

Will Location-Based Services Ever Go Mainstream?: Tech News

Having tried about every location-based services, and then made the transition to Facebook Places, I relate to the article’s headline. I find location-based services more like a quirky game or functional way of tracking the places I visit in a different city, than a practical solution to a real problem in life. For me, if they could just connect Yelp with my friends on Facebook, that would be the most practical location-based service I’d use on a somewhat regular basis.

The Complete Business Guide To Facebook Deals

Probably the most interesting news on social media for retailers that I’ve heard in a while. One of the big challenges in social media is getting brand loyalists to share their brand purchases and interactions. This gives companies an easy way to make that happen, and also ties incentives directly to the process. Without having explored this in depth, my guess is that that will also help with any ROI calculations around the project.

Is Canvas the new Flash?

An interesting perspective on the Flash issue. The issue being more about the consumption of CPU and battery power, than simply Flash crashing browsers. As more and more computing becomes mobile, thus relying on battery life, this could be a far bigger issue than stability problems.

10 Facebook Pages Every New England Patriots Fan Should Follow

The story here is how diversified Facebook content is becoming, exemplified by the numerous Pages dedicated to the Patriots, each from a slightly different angle. Brands marketing to a given target audience need to take into account all the various communities, often employing segmented strategies and tactics for connecting with each group.

Verify: Get Feedback On Your Site When It’s Still Just A Mockup

I really like this solution for testing Website designs before the page goes live.

If You’re Not in Pain, You’re Not in an Emerging Market

Reading this report from the trenches of business multi-culturalism, I see a lot of parallels to what it takes to be on the leading edge of new media marketing. It’s not always a pretty, paved path, but if you want the real big opportunities, both for your career and your company’s marketing efficiencies, it’s a place you have to be and figure out.

How Apple Cracked the Top 5 in Global Handsets: Tech News

I talk a lot about the importance of good user experience design. And the foundation of Apple’s meteoric rise in the mobile space has been all about creating a better user experience. Even in a crowded marketplace, offering customers a better experience is an enormous competitive advantage.

Advertising Lab: Filter Out Content Farms from Search Results

This is a small but potentially big story in terms of the benefits of content development for brands. More than anything, this seeks to place emphasis on content development with real value, versus the web filler garbage that many companies are currently putting out.

Nice Move, Google — What Took You So Long?: Tech News

Great perspective on the data wars, particularly between Google and Facebook. I agree with Google’s vision of openness, because it’s both the best situation for consumers, and for interactive marketers.

Gang war? The death of premium publishers? The evolution of ad networks? Or, just dinner discussion on DSPs. – IABlog

The issue around DSPs (Demand Side Platforms), is shaping up as a conversation around branding vs. direct response. But it’s not really that black and white. When you bring content development into the picture, suddenly you have an enormous branding component that’s in need of visitors. And how you get those visitors, and what the response rates are around those efforts, is a conversation that starts to look a lot more direct response than branding. Paid media has long been thinking as if the brand and DR conversation was all about the paid media process, but really, paid media is just a part of a bigger picture. And anyone planning for branding efforts needs to understand the experiential part of the process.

FUNNY STATUS: No, Amish People Don’t Use Facebook

As the article says, this is funny.

YouTube – John Lennon Google Doodle

Google’s first video Doodle for their logo commemorating John Lennon’s 70th birthday.

Marketing Data Update: Consumers are not interested in creating onling content – only consuming it – MarketingVOX

Some direct response thinking in the area of content development. Hubspot reports that content offers pull greater response than offers of demo’s, suggesting that customers are far more compelled by content than by a more sales-oriented process. The types of content that worked best, in order of popularity, are: downloadable kits, free trials, eBooks, live webinars, recorded video, white paper and, last, demo/consultation.

Twitter Unveils Promoted Accounts

Another sign that marketing is moving towards more of a content development mindset. Twitter will be promoting certain accounts (not just Tweets) they feel are relevant to you. Brands have just as much opportunity to be the recommended account as anyone. This reflects one of the major differences between push messaging and content development: That content dev is more about a sustained effort than periodic splashes. And that’s the behavior that Google is ultimately looking for, as well. Because it’s in line with what’s most likely to produce a good experience for their customers.

MTV Unleashes an iPhone App to Combat Bullying

This is a smart UGC content app that’s part of a large campaign from MTV. Another good example of how brands are producing experiences that extend well outside their so-called areas of expertise, but which can really resonate with their target audience. The strategy behind these apps is far more lateral from more traditional marketing or product development methods, and demonstrates how important owning the relationship with your customer is becoming.

iPad Poised to Become Most Quickly-Adopted Electronics Device Ever

Most remarkable here is that iPad is a single product showing the fastest growth ever for a product category. Unreal. Imagine where this trend will go when all the other slates hit the market this holiday season, pushing prices straight to the floor.

Google Tests Friend Recommended News with Twitter Integration

The interesting thing here is the merger of more traditional news with what your friends are talking about. That really makes a lot of sense, and could be a good way for Google to get a stronger foothold in ‘social’ media. Two recent events highlight some social media realities. First, Forrester’s latest report that indicates the percentage of people ‘creating’ social content has plateaued, and secondly, Twitter’s strong emphasis that they’re not a social network, but rather a news publishing platform. The net net of all this is that social media isn’t quite as social as we thought, and it’s really about identifying and ranking your news resources, whether they’re more traditional news publishers, or your network influentials. Viewing social in that context could help Google find a way into social media, and that seems to be something they’re exploring based on this story.

Thuuz Tells Sports Fans If A Game Is Worth Watching

This is really smart. They start with the components that constitute an exciting sports contest — things like point differentials, upsets and comebacks — and calculate which of all games currently going on best matches the criteria for an exciting game. I think it’s brilliant, because even more than the star system, fans like exciting games. Which means leagues like exciting games, too. Proof of that is the way sports leagues employ things like drafts and media revenue sharing to try to ensure as much team parity as possible. This data gives fans what they want, and could also help a league determine the emotional impact of it’s own offering, based on current facts instead of longer-term sales data.

Can You Recognize Your Facebook Friends?

This is a clever Facebook game app. It shows you random profile pics of your friends, and you try to guess who’s pic it is. And while the writer isn’t wild about how it uses Profile pics because so many of them aren’t actually of the subject, that’s an interesting commentary on how people will take a certain way of doing things and flip it around to suit their own needs. A big reason why brands need to listen to how people use their products instead of focusing on how they’d like people to use their products.

The New Facebook Groups: All You Need To Know

If you’re familiar with Yahoo Groups, Google Groups, or Ning, you’re possibly wondering why Facebook didn’t have this type of Group functionality previously. At any rate, Facebook’s connection to the social side of the Web gives this obvious potential to go in directions the previously mentioned tools never really could. Like Pages, apps can enable users to post to Groups, as well. One of the bigger questions is how will Groups related to Pages, and will marketers be able to integrate the two, perhaps using Groups as a subset of Pages members. Like everything Facebook, Groups will likely evolved considerably over time, so even if features are included at launch, Facebook could be adding them quickly.

Fans can upload a photo to Slapstick at www.washingtoncaps.com/slapstick and select from three scenarios, a ranting player, coaching the team and answering questions from the media. Users can personalize their photo by choosing from various facial hair options, hats and head gear as well as their choice of home or away jersey.

Once the video has been personalized, fans can email it to their friends or post it to their favorite social media platform, including Facebook and Twitter. Creation of the personalized videos is free using the application's text to speech function. For only 99 cents Slapstick users have the unique option of adding their own voice to their creation via a toll free number. 

 "We are excited to offer this new way for our fans to interact with the team and with each other," said Capitals senior director of marketing Joe Dupriest. "With our dedicated and passionate fanbase, we think Slapstick has the potential to become an instant viral sensation."

The Capitals have partnered with Slapstick Sports LLC, a division of Virginia-based advertising agency Williams Whittle, on the launch of the new application. Williams Whittle partnered with Wayne, PA-based Advanced Telecom Services for the premium SMS billing mechanism for the site. The Washington Capitals are the first team in any sport to license the Slapstick application.

"Slapstick has been in development for nine months," said Rob Whittle, CEO of Williams Whittle. "We are thrilled to take this out to the fan base during the playoffs."

About Williams Whittle

Williams Whittle (www.williamswhittle.com) is a 43-year-old ad agency headquartered in Alexandria, Va. As one of the largest and oldest agencies in the mid-Atlantic region, Williams Whittle has a wide range of clients in sports, nonprofits, retail, real estate and healthcare.

About Advanced Telecom Services

Advanced Telecom Services (www.advancedtele.com) is a 21-year-old interactive telephone company headquartered in suburban Philadelphia. Advanced Telecom Services provides interactive voice response (IVR) and mobile marketing solutions to major media and advertising agencies.

Follow Bob Bentz on Google+ or on Twitter @BobBentz.

1)      Now that everyone’s in March Madness mode – first things first, we’ve already seen W. Kentucky upset Illinois – tell us your next two upsets!
There aren’t many upsets left to be had out there but I think Gonzaga could beat UNC. They have almost as much talent as the Heels and with Lawson less than 100% who knows. I actually think Arizona could give Louisville some trouble. They have NBA talent at three positions and Louisville has been prone to some lapses.

2)      I’m all about mobile, you’re all about sports – what do you see as the big opportunity for sports brands in the mobile universe?
Brands need to go where people are spending their time and clearly sports fans are all over mobile. Reaching the consumer when you know they are on the go is a big opportunity for brands.

3)      Why do you think sports fans are such avid consumers of mobile content?
Mobile was built for sports fans. My life changed the first time I got a phone that could access the Internet from my mobile phone. Sports fans like myself are OCD and want to know the latest scores and stats at all times. Mobile allows you to do that.

4)      What lessons does this teach us that we as marketers can translate to other audiences?
I think it is important for marketers to embrace new technologies and platforms. Our business was moving slowly until we embraced Facebook and other new platforms like MySpace and the iPhone. The growth we saw on these platforms completely changed our business.

5)      At 4INFO we jokingly call sports services the gateway drug to SMS content – what behaviors do you see around your other channels – like do football fans use the web more or are they as apt to use mobile as the next type of sports fan?
We actually partition our users even further and see the fantasy sports participants as the most likely to use any new platforms or channels. They want the latest news about their players and teams quicker and more in depth than any other fans. When we brought fantasy football to Facebook last year, we immediately had requests to create a mobile component. We are adding that this year.

6)      We recently launched AdHAven at 4INFO – which is, for mobile, kind of like what Double Click was for the web as far as creating some standardization. So you’re a numbers guy- what kind of measurement or standards are you looking at or are you asked about when it comes to brands who want to take part in your services?
Demographic information is always important to brands. For us, things like time spent or ways to measure engagement are important as they really show the value of some of our applications. We had users spending an average of over 70 minutes on one of the pages in our fantasy football on Sundays last season.

7)      When should people decide to take a risk on new types of advertising or technologies to get their messages across?
I think this is a great time for brands to take a chance on new types of advertising and technologies. The media consumption habits are changing especially in the younger demographics. If brands ignore things like SMS or social media they will wake up one day and realize that no one under 30 knows their brand anymore.

8)      In business – whether it be sports, marketing or mobile, what kinds of correlations do you see that you observed at the tables?
The most interesting parallel has to do with people’s fear or reluctance to believe in numbers or data. Blackjack is a profitable game for casinos because people don’t want to do what the numbers tell them to do. In business, people that ignore data and are scared of technology remind me of the people that stand on 12 against a dealer’s 10.

9)      Are there any big lessons you learned that you apply to your business now and any that you’d share with other marketers?
A valuable lesson from my blackjack days was to be agile and ready to change. We encountered a lot of obstacles in the casinos and had to always be ready to adapt. At Citizen Sports, we were very agile when Facebook launched their platform quickly devoting resources to development of Facebook applications. Our success working with brands in these applications has been proven that we made the right decision.

We have had a tremendous amount of success working with brands allowing them to own features within our applications. They are not buying banner ads but instead are being contextually integrated into the experience. We built an eperience called "The Game" that allows fans to follow sporting events online while cheering, chanting and brawling with their friends (virtually of course)  Courtyard by Marriot owns the naming rights to this virtual arena and their brand is integrated throughout the experience. This is the type of integration we will continue to work with brands on.

10)   Beyond being a numbers guy you’ve obviously also studied a lot and observed a lot about human behavior and the cues that people use –  so how do you translate that ability to understand consumer behavior to what they’re doing on the web?
One of the most important qualities for us in the casinos was to be acutely aware of your surroundings. You needed to know where all of your teammates were, where the different casino personnel were and what was going on at the table. Similarly in our business you need to be acutely aware of everything that is going on in the consumer world. Where are they spending their time? What are they reading? What are they doing online? Staying on top of all of the latest habits and really trying to understand the latest trends is important to understanding consumer behavior. 

11)   For instance – what kinds of teams or marketing really resonate for people and why?
I think the most important marketing will be what’s done around the news feed on Facebook. If you think about the way that Google search revolutionized the way we find things on the web, the news feed has the opportunity to do that again. Many times I find out information or read articles based on what my friends post in their Facebook feed. I also think that it is necessary for brands to be integrated into experiences. Banner ads can go unread and unnoticed but allowing a sponsor to be part of a highly engaging part of the site is paramount. One of our latest products is a live game experience on Facebook where we have created a virtual stadium. We have allowed Courtyard by Marriot to own the “naming rights” to that virtual stadium much in the same way that AT&T owns the naming rights to the home of the SF Giants.

12)   We’ve seen a lot happening in mobile content development and new ways of leveraging mobile technology to engage consumers – where do you think we can expect to see expansion?
I think mobile is definitely an area that will continue to expand. The ability to consume rich media on your phone has changed the concept of mobile. If someone told me that I could no longer talk to people on my phone I wouldn’t really care. But if they told me I couldn’t text or surf the web I would be lost.

13)   Do you think any of these areas will shrink in the next year or two?
Not really. Technology continues to grow these platforms and I can only imagine hardware will get better, faster and cheaper making it more and more accessible and ubiquitous.

OK – so now a more gratuitous question...

14)   If you had to pick a team to get a stimulus package who would it be?
Living in the Bay Area, I’d like to see all of our local teams get a stimulus package. With the exception of the Sharks, they could really all use one.

All those zeros and terms like "equity grant" make my head spin, and that's not even what impresses me most about the newest member to Silicon Valley's elite. I'm always intrigued by what drives executives like Bartz to be so tenacious and undeterred in their veracity to work like pack mules and get chopped to shreds by bloggers, financial pundits and ruthless stockholders. I believe it's a unique mix of characteristics. Sure, money rules all, especially on the clogged arteries of the 101 and 280 freeways, but I think it's a cop-out to suggest that's all there is to it.

Power feeds a hunger for even more power, but what's the end game? I know very little about Bartz, but I like her already, and I don't think her humble Midwestern beginnings could be so easily eschewed for senseless things like power and greed. I'm guessing she feeds off a healthy dose of those forces, but more importantly I see in her a desire to champion change and turn around a company as large as Yahoo. That's what keeps her wanting more. After all, what better a legacy could there be right now in the world of technology than being the woman responsible for Yahoo's return to fame? I'd be honored to put my stamp on something like that.

Despite the senseless things that surround me and often consume too much of my time and energy, I like to think of myself as a simple man. And so it's the simple things that really astound me. For example, in the case of Carol Bartz, I'm just fascinated by her determined and self-driven approach to kicking a** and taking names right from the get-go.

At her first all-hands meeting on her second day on the job, Bartz told staff that she'd "dropkick to fu**ing Mars" anyone whose company gossip ended up on the blogs, according to Valleywag. There really is something fascinating about powerful women who cuss like bartenders (they're powerful too, don't you forget it). Not only did that make me laugh out loud in the offices of iMedia, it impressed the hell out of me. Maybe it's a function of what I call "first-born syndrome," but I don't like to let people down, especially my parents. And I sure wouldn't want to test a boss like Bartz after hearing something like that on a conference call. Of course, those very comments were leaked by a Yahoo employee seeking anonymous fame (what's the point of that?) soon after the meeting. Though, I'm willing to bet that leak did not come from a first-born child.

At this point, I don't even care what strategic plans Bartz has in store, like her "gut" telling her not to sell Yahoo's search business to Microsoft, according to The Wall Street Journal. I happen to think that's the right move (to not sell anything to Microsoft at this point), but I've got nothing to back that up. I'm just a simple man with a degree from a state college surrounded by Redwoods and more commerce of the illegal persuasion than the legal kind.

Most importantly, I think Yahoo needs a leader who's not afraid to piss off tens of thousands of employees right away. Not just for kicks (or do I mean dropkicks?), but because fantasy sports is one of the only bright spots in Yahoo's portal -- at least from where I'm sitting thanks to back-to-back championships in fantasy football. But seriously, am I the only one who can't stand the insane amount of spam that makes its way into my rarely checked Yahoo mail account? What else is there on that cluttered, stuck-in-1999 homepage? I'm counting on Carol Bartz to point me there.