05.03.2014
GOOGLE SQUARED
LONDON
51.5207° N, 0.1345° W

FRACKING THE
SOCIAL WEB
MARKETING VS
INTERNET CULTURE

JOHN V WILLSHIRE
@WILLSH
@WILLSH

HTTP://SMITHERY.CO
SMITHERY.CO
OHAI
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WHAT’S
CHANGED?

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
THERE ARE 19 BILLION
NEW REASONS WHY
MOBILE’S PRETTY
IMPORTANT
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
JUST AS ADVERTISERS GET SOCIAL,
SOCIAL JUST BECOMES AD PLATFORMS

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
JUST AS ADVERTISERS GET SOCIAL,
SOCIAL JUST BECOMES AD PLATFORMS

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
JUST AS ADVERTISERS GET SOCIAL,
SOCIAL JUST BECOMES AD PLATFORMS

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
OH YEAH, AND
THIS THING
WHICH IS
JUST ABOUT
THE MOST
IMPORTANT...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
...NO, HANG ON,
LOOK LOOK
LOOK - IT’S
KEVIN SPACEY
AS A CAT!!!!!

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
*WE NEED
TO LEARN TO
LOOK BETTER

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“IF WE’RE USED TO
SEEING THE WORLD
THROUGH A
CENTRALIZED LENS,
DECENTRALIZED
ORGANIZATIONS DON’T
MAKE MUCH SENSE”
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
EVERY TIME
WE LOOK,
EVERYTHING’S
TOTALLY
CHANGED

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
EVERY TIME
WE LOOK,
EVERYTHING’S
TOTALLY
THE SAME

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
LET’S TALK ABOUT
FRACKING...

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“FRACKING IS AN
AGGRESSIVE, INVASIVE
TECHNIQUE FOR
EXTRACTING VALUABLE
RAW MATERIALS OUT OF
HARD TO REACH PLACES”
PHIL ADAMS, BLONDE DIGITAL
(AND CHEMICAL ENGINEER GRAD)
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ATTENTION
IS THE
MOST
VALUABLE
RAW
MATERIAL
THERE IS
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ARE BRANDS
FRACKING THE
SOCIAL WEB?
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“I BELIEVE THAT THE FUTURE OF BRAND
COMMUNICATIONS LIES IN FINDING A
WAY TO BECOME PART OF COMMUNITIES,
AND COMMUNICATE WITH THEM IN A
WAY THAT IS SHARED, PARTICIPATORY
AND RECIPROCAL”
ME, FIVE YEARS AGO, BEING A DICK
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
THAT SOUNDS
REALLY ANNOYING
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
YEP, REALLY ANNOYING.

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
SMITHERY.CO
“CREATING ASTOUNDING
PRODUCTS IS THEIR MAIN
OBSESSION. THERE IS ALWAYS
SOMETHING NEW TO SAY”
JIM CARROLL, BBH
ON HOW TECH COMPANIES BUILD BRANDS
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
PERHAPS BRANDS AND THE
SOCIAL WEB ARE JUST VERY
DIFFERENT TYPES OF THING?

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
LET’S THINK
A LITTLE ABOUT
“CONVERSATIONS”
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WORKING WELL

COOPERATION

THE CRAFTSMAN
2008

TOGETHER
2012

WITH “CITIES”
TO FOLLOW...

THREE BOOKS ABOUT THE SKILLS PEOPLE
NEED TO SUSTAIN EVERYDAY LIFE

@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO
COOPERATION

“AN EXCHANGE IN
WHICH THE
PARTICIPANTS
BENEFIT FROM THE
ENCOUNTER”
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IT CONTAINS A
VERY USEFUL
WAY TO THINK
ABOUT
CONVERSATION
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT
COMMUNICATION SKILLS, WE FOCUS
ON HOW TO MAKE A CLEAR
PRESENTATION, TO PRESENT WHAT
WE THINK OR FEEL...”
RICHARD SENNETT, TOGETHER
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
CONVERSATION IS
ABOUT LISTENING
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN
JUST LISTENING IS
LISTENING WELL
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“ LISTENING CAREFULLY

PRODUCES CONVERSATIONS
OF TWO SORTS...

THE DIALECTIC
AND THE DIALOGIC ”
RICHARD SENNETT, TOGETHER

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WHAT THE F***?
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
DIALECTIC
FROM WORK OF
GERMAN PHILOSOPHER
GWF HEGEL
THE INTERACTION AND
RESOLUTION BETWEEN
MULTIPLE IDEAS

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
DIALECTIC:

“THE AIM IS TO COME
EVENTUALLY TO A COMMON
UNDERSTANDING”
RICHARD SENNETT, TOGETHER
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
Cb

C

Gf

AD

AD

bA
A

b AD fAD
g

CD
b

C

Fe
D

E

Ge
F

G

H

DIALECTIC WANTS CONSENSUS

@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO
...NO MATTER
HOW GOOD THAT
CONSENSUS IS
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
DIALOGIC
FROM WORK OF RUSSIAN
PHILOSOPHER MIKHAIL BAHKTIN
“A DISCUSSION THAT DOES NOT
RESOLVE ITSELF BY FINDING
COMMON GROUND...”
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
DIALOGIC:
“[PEOPLE] BECOME
MORE AWARE OF
THEIR OWN VIEWS
AND EXPAND THEIR
UNDERSTANDING
OF ONE ANOTHER”

RICHARD SENNETT, TOGETHER
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
E
A C
H
G b
F D

IN DIALOGIC
CONVERSATION,
IDEOLOGIES COEXIST
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
E
A C
H
G b
F D

THEY
CONSTANTLY
INTERACT AND
INFORM EACH
OTHER
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
E
A C
H
G b
F D

EACH IDEOLOGY
CAN HOLD MORE
SALIENCE IN
CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
E
A C
H
G b
F D

CHANGES CAN BE
MADE IF A
STRATEGY DOES
NOT HAVE THE
DESIRED EFFECT
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
THIS MIGHT NOT JUST APPLY TO

“CONVERSATION”

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
THIS INTERPLAY OF
IDEAS IS VERY
REMINISCENT OF
THE SOCIAL WEB...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WHAT IF THERE
ARE DIALECTIC AND
DIALOGIC
STRUCTURES &
CULTURES TOO?
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ARE TRADITIONAL
MARKETING
STRUCTURES LIKELY
TO BE MORE
DIALECTIC?

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ARE SOCIAL WEB
PLATFORMS AND
COMPANIES MORE
DIALOGIC IN NATURE?

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IT WOULD HELP
EXPLAIN THE
CULTURE CLASH

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ARE BRANDS
INTENTIONALLY
FRACKING THE
SOCIAL WEB?
PERHAPS...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
OR IS IT THE FAULT OF A
MASSIVE CULTURAL DIVIDE?
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
MODERN ECONOMICS:
THE VALUE OF A THING IS
DETERMINED BY WHAT ONE IS
WILLING TO GIVE UP TO OBTAIN
THE THING
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
THE LABOUR THEORY OF VALUE
THE VALUE OF SOMETHING
IS DETERMINED BY THE
LABOUR THAT WENT
INTO ITS PRODUCTION
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
PERHAPS THERE’S A
LABOUR THEORY OF
BRAND VALUE*
*IT MIGHT NEED A BETTER NAME, MIND

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
FIELD NOTES
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
£0.99
PER PAD

£3.33
PER PAD
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“MARKETING IS WORLD
BUILDING. WITH
UNLIMITED BANDWIDTH
WE CAN NOW SHOW YOU
THE WORLD.”
@TOBYBARNES
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
LABOUR
THEORY
OF BRAND VALUE
YOU HAVE TO MAKE EVERYTHING WITH THE
INFINITE CANVAS OF THE INTERNET IN MIND

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WE’D RATHER BUY
THIS WORLD...
@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO
...THAN
THIS WORLD
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
BRANDS OFTEN
FIND THIS HARD
BECAUSE OF THEIR
HOLLOW FACTORY
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
THERE ARE TWO
OPPOSITE FORCES
OF INNOVATION AT
WORK IN MOST BIG
BRANDS TODAY
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
MAKE PRODUCT
VERY EFFICIENTLY
MAKE MARKETING
AS INTERESTING
AS POSSIBLE
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
MARX WAS
HALF RIGHT...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IT’S NOT
ABOUT THE
MEANS OF
PRODUCTION
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IT’S ABOUT THE
MEANING
IN PRODUCTION

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
OVER HERE, IT’S WAY
EASIER TO CREATE
MEANING IN PRODUCTION
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
BUT IT DEMANDS
DRAMATIC CHANGES IN
HOW WE WORK
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IT’S NOT A
FUCKING
PYRAMID

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
A BRAND TODAY IS
LIKE A BITTORRENT FILE
COMPLEX, DISTRIBUTED,
MOVING, UNCONTROLLABLE...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
PERHAPS IT’S BEAUTIFULLY
UNCONTROLLABLE

@WILLSH

SMITHERY.CO
BUT
CERTAINLY
IMPOSSIBLE
TO TRULY
CONCEIVE
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WE DON’T NEED TO COMPRESS A
BRAND ONTO PAPER...
...WE JUST HAVE TO FIND
PRINCIPLES THAT HELP US WORK
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
COMPETITION
SIMPLICITY
COMPRESSION
CERTAINTY

COOPERATION
COMPLEXITY
FRAGMENTATION
EXPERIMENTATION
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
COMPLEXITY
FRAGMENTATION

EXPERIMENTATION
COOPERATION
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
FRAGMENTATION
EMBRACE THE
GRANULARITY OF
EVERYTHING YOU’VE
EVER DONE

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“

I’M REALLY INTERESTED IN THE MAKING
OF ‘IT’ -WHERE THE MAKING IS PART OF
THE STORY OF THE ‘IT’...

”

THOMAS HEATHERWICK

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IT COULD BE
BLENDING
EVERYTHING
YOU DO NOW
WITH A RICH
TAPESTRY OF
YOUR PAST...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
OR IT COULD
BE SHOWING EVERYONE
EVERYTHING
YOU DO TO
MAKE A THING...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
THERE IS NO “ONE
SIZE FITS ALL”
IN YOUTUBE

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
NIKE CRAFT
“LOVE LETTER TO PLYWOOD”
TOM SACHS / VAN NEISTAT
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
COOPERATION
IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE,
AND WHAT THEY DO
TOGETHER TO MAKE
GREAT THINGS HAPPEN
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
YEP.
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
AND INSIDE THE
FACTORY, NOT
JUST OUTSIDE...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
HAVING LOTS OF
PEOPLE IN A
COMPANY MAKES
IT EASY...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
OWNING LOTS OF BRANDS
MAKES IT HARD

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ZOMBIE
BRANDS
“THE MUSIC IS DEAD, BUT IT WON’T GO AWAY.
IT’S CONSTANTLY REPLAYED TO US, AND IT IS
LIKE ZOMBIE CULTURE”
ADAM CURTIS

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
...BECAUSE
PEOPLE
ARE ALIVE
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
COMPLEXITY
DON’T CONSOLIDATE.
FRAGMENT BY SECTOR,
PRODUCT,
COUNTRY,
REGION...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
COMPLEX
THE LEVEL OF COMPONENTS IN A SYSTEM
COMPLICATED
A HIGH LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“IT’S NOT
GDS
COMPLICATED,
IT’S JUST HARD”RUSSELL DAVIES, GDS,

QUOTING MICHAEL SLABY

@WILLSH

PIC: @LEXIE_BROWN
SMITHERY.CO
THINK OF IT THIS WAY

YOU ARE AN OPERATING SYSTEM

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WITH THE RIGHT
MECHANIC,
COMPLEXITY
BECOMES
AMAZINGLY
COMPELLING...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“YAY, IT
WORKS!”
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
OF COURSE IT WORKS.
IT’S A BRILLIANT, COMPLEX IDEA.
AND IT’S NOW BEEN RUN FOUR TIMES.
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
EXPERIMENTATION
SHOW PEOPLE THE
FUTURE YOU WANT TO
LIVE IN WITH THEM

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“IT’S NOT RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT, BUT
PERSISTENCE OF VISION...”
STUART WOOD
HEAD OF INNOVATION
HEATHERWICK STUDIO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WHICH ALL SOUNDS AMAZING
BUT HERE’S THE CATCH
YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP
SOMETHING FOR EACH OF THESE
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
TO EMBRACE

FRAGMENTATION
GIVE UP

PERFECTIONISM
SWAP IT FOR

CONTENT

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
TO EMBRACE

COOPERATION

GIVE UP

CONTROL
SWAP IT FOR

COMMUNITY

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
TO EMBRACE

COMPLEXITY

GIVE UP

CONSOLIDATION
SWAP IT FOR

SPEED

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
TO EMBRACE

EXPERIMENTATION

GIVE UP

KNOWING
SWAP IT FOR

LEARNING

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“LEARN, THINK AND
THRIVE IN THE
CONTEXT OF WORKING
WITH MULTIPLE
PERSPECTIVES AND
ULTIMATE
UNCERTAINTY”
RUPERT WEGERIF

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES...
MAKING SENSE OF BROAD BRANDS
EMILY HARE, EDITOR, CONTAGIOUS

HTTP://RIVETIN.GS/CONTAGIOUS
LINKS TO ESSAYS FROM JOHN V WILLSHIRE, MARTIN WEIGEL,
MARK EARLS, SARAH WATSON, MARCUS WENNER...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
QUESTIONS, PLEASE
JOHN V WILLSHIRE
HTTP://SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
ARTEFACTSHOP.COM
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

Fracking The Social Web - 2014