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All posts by Robert Payne
Sunday Discovery
Despite all of my comings and goings, one particular pastime I am quite fond of are the slow Sunday mornings where I sit about the house and catch up on magazines and my favorite bloggers. It is inevitably and ironically fueled by an excessive amount of coffee, and an equally heart-wrenching amount of high-cholesterol food – yummm yummm bacon.
It was just this past Sunday that I happened to be flipping through the Asheville School Alumni Magazine, “Achievement” when what should appear before my eyes? My own self…sort of.
It is a common misconception that I paint the web with my own form rather than those of others. I have an ego, but maybe not quite as large as one might expect. The picture is one that I took of a friend of mine, not me. But it is no matter; I was pleased to see it. I hold a special place in my heart for the Asheville School. Incidentally, here is a picture of me. Okay, ego resolved.
The blog post the caption below the picture refers to is here.
And a special thanks to what I do. Twelve Horses, your reach is far and wide! :~)
eCommerce Solution for the Las Vegas Monorail
I was recently working with one of our designers from the Creative Services team to produce this ad for the Nevada Business Journal when it occurred to me that I have never blogged about the work we do for the Las Vegas Monorail; therefore, I am taking the opportunity to do so now.
Before starting a relationship with Twelve Horses, the Las Vegas Monorail did not sell tickets online. This was in part because they did not have the technology to take online ticket purchases, as well as the fact that they needed an enhanced web presence. What we helped them uncover was that a lot of opportunity existed to create new relationships, increase awareness, and generate a greater demand for tickets.
If the Las Vegas Monorail was going to sell tickets online they would need an ecommerce solution that was flexible and customizable. For example, Las Vegas receives a plethora of different groups to the city. If the Monorail was going to service these customers they would need to be able to handle large group purchases, as well as offer special incentives to encourage them to do so. Furthermore, non-technical staff would have to be able to manage it whether it was adding groups, defining the ticket price, specifying date ranges, managing the payment options, setting shipping preferences, and much more.
Needless to say we built it for them. Here is a look at some of the features of the Las Vegas Monorail Ticketing Platform.
Managing Channel Partners
The Las Vegas Monorail works with a number of channel partners and groups. The ticketing platform allows them to set-up a revenue share with these partners, as well as implement their own branding and images online, in emails, and print. It is extremely flexible. For example, they can run multiple promotions at once. This was the case for the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) where there were two different promotions – discounts for attendees and discounts for exhibitors.
Ticketing
The ticketing features are very diverse and capable of handling a multitude of different scenarios. Additionally, integration of ticket tracking and reporting is providing the Monorail with deeper customer insight, which enables to provide a higher level of customer service. Here are just some examples:
- Automated postings of ticket blocks and and auto removal of postings by set parameters such as date of expiration.
- Discount Codes defined and assigned either randomly or branded such as “CES2008.”
- Overrides conducted either temporarily or permanently to groups, types, or partners.
- Tiered ticket pricing based on quantity, time purchased, or aggregates.
- Logic in the ticketing prevents, for example, trying to use standard postal delivery when it is international.
Fulfillment
The ticketing platform is flexible enough to allow the fulfillment of tickets via email, direct shipping, and soon – mobile.
- Electronic delivery allows the customer to print the voucher at home and redeem onsite.
- Email confirmations sent automatically with purchase confirmation, canceled order and refund, and tickets shipped. Email templates also include branding based on channel partner and/or promotion.
- When the Monorail handles the print fulfillment they can download all the contacts and do a mail merge on all their envelopes, mailing labels, and tickets.
Customer Service
- The customer service module gives the Monorail the ability to look up the customer based on any information they give.
- Those with set privileges can void and change tickets, which reconciles on the financial side and funnels down to the various communication channels.
Reporting
- The Dashboard shows financial report summaries and projections, so they know how they are doing.
- Integration with Salesforce matches opportunity numbers to promotions so they can track real-time ticket sales and the success of a campaign. It also allows them to see important items such as what a particular vendor or channel partners agreement was from the previous year.
- Redemption tracking not only makes sure the ticket cannot be used again, it also lets the Monorail know where and when the customer scanned the ticket, so they can better understand traffic and know where there major stops are.
All of this may seem like a lot, but this is just a brief overview of everything the Las Vegas Monorail Ticketing Platform can do. Suffice to say, the integration of this ecommerce solution has unlocked another channel of additional revenue for the Monorail, and because it is business automation at its best, it is completely scalable and requires very little additional internal resources to get it done.
tags: online, ticketing, ecommerce, solution, business, automation, las vegas, nevada
Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
Also known as Epcot, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow is no small operation. The combination of Future World and the World Showcase make for a full day of rides and walking, and without question, world-class people watching.
But my motivation for driving to Orlando from Tampa and slapping down the $60 for a ticket was not driven by a strong desire to immerse myself in a sea of humanity. No. My motivation stemmed from something greater than any theme park can deliver. It was a bet.
You see, I am not one to readily seek out close interaction with large populations of random people. It is not that I don’t respect my fellow man and woman, it is just that I typically prefer them in smaller doses; or at carefully chosen venues where I can typically predict the types of attendees. Theme parks have historically made me cringe simply because I know I will have to contend with some rabid child or entertainment-starved adult that never seemed to develop any manners or consideration for the world around them.
In combination, patronizing theme parks was not something my family pursued when I was a child. My father much preferred to immerse us in the outdoors far from the manicured landscapes and constructed courses of so-called, “civilized” surroundings.
I had in fact tried to visit Epcot once before when I was in my early twenties. However, I became physically ill the moment I set foot in Orlando. Surprisingly, I felt tremendous the moment we crossed the city limits 4 days later. It was as if I had emerged from some oppressive confinement that had only brought me feelings of claustrophobia and nausea.
But many years have transpired – I now find myself in Florida – and of course, there is this bet.
Have you ever, or do you currently have a friend that could not be more opposite than you? I do.
Somehow fate and work aligned to bring me and one, Josh Kenzer together to plie the virtual waters of the web, and carve out our careers in integrated and online marketing. Despite being very different from me, he is an interesting fellow and one who’s company I enjoy. What makes him absolutely bizarre in my opinion is that, while being for all intensive purposes an intellectual, he has this child-like fascination with all that is Disney. In fact, he runs a rather successful Disney Blog.
Josh could also care less about the outdoors, and he loves to tease me by insinuating that he would be perfectly content if we completely paved over the entire 
world. In direct contrast, I obviously love the outdoors and would much prefer to be out in it than away from it.
So, herein lies the origins of our bet: I go to Disney, and he finds his way into the natural surroundings of his area, which is currently Phoenix, Arizona. I have since fulfilled my side of the bet, and it is now Josh’s turn. I look forward to hearing about his adventure of getting lost in the Sonoran Desert.
But I came away with something that I did not anticipate. I actually enjoyed Epcot this time around. Yes, the park is still frequented by various human mutations, but I went through some kind of permutation that made me realize how narrow-minded I can be. Instead of focusing on the artificialities and miring myself in negativity, I saw the positives of the park. And there were many. For example, you should ride Spaceship Earth and contemplate what our next monumental technological advancement will be. Consider how we will manage our food consumption in Living with the Land. Observe the incredible similarities between Moroccan and Chinese music. Either way, there’s plenty to glean.
No matter what you are doing always keep looking and listening with an open mind. You never know what you may find.
Surfing at Sebastian Inlet
The coastline between Melbourne and Sebastian Inlet is littered with great surf spots, and it is not uncommon to catch the waves all to yourself. Because you are in what is described as central Florida, the water is much more blue and warm than the northern breaks. Even in the winter you can get away without a wet suit, but I would recommend a 3/2 full suit if not for the simple reason that you can stay out in the water for much longer.
Ever since I moved to Florida I keep a regular eye on the surf report, checking Surfline.com and Magic Seawood. It is interesting to see how often Sebastian Inlet catches a slightly larger swell than say Cocoa Beach. Also, it is far more tranquil and less developed. The thin stretch of land that separates the intercoastal waterway from the ocean makes for beautiful views on both the bay and ocean sides.
On my last visit to Sebastian Inlet the O’Neill Pro Surf Contest was just getting underway. As part of the week long series of events there is the “Red Bull Tow-At,” which involves towing competitors into the swells behind a waverunner. It gives the surfers the extra speed they need to pull of some pretty big air. It is certainly fun to watch.
If you want to experience some serious lens envy, just go to a surf contest. I was laughing my ass off pulling my little DV camera out and mounting it to my tripod. It was like having a water pistol in an artillery battle. Nevertheless, I was able to put together a little video of the action. I hope you enjoy it.
Non-Profit Makes Use of New Media Tools and More
Information is only as powerful as it is accessible.
We just recently launched two different websites focused around a life-threatening disease called, hydrocephalus. Why you may ask? One really important reason is because there is no cure…yet. Of equal importance is the fact that symptoms of the disease can manifest in many different ways. Many doctors, family members, and individuals battling the disease are uninformed and ill-prepared to handle the symptoms, let alone recognize them when they first manifest. Part of the remedy is to put information out that is accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
As stated on the website, “Hydrocephalus is a chronic neurological condition characterized by an increased volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within spaces inside the brain.” In layman terms, it is water on the brain, which causes swelling, brain damage, and even death. It is more common than you may know. In fact, more than 1 million people in the U.S. alone have been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, and it is believed to occur in 1.5 of every 1,000 births.
The Hydrocephalus Association website is in its first phase of development. Aside from the access to information you readily see at first glance, the other features of the site facilitate Member Signup and Donations, both of which integrate with Salesforce to manage the data and the relationships with those involved with the organization. Because the organization relies heavily on its active community, there also handy little features like the Flickr Uploader application, which gives people the ability to upload their photos and add search-friendly descriptions. There is more to come.
I briefly mentioned the importance of community as it relates to hydrocephalus. Many of you who participate in social networks and blogs understand the power of online interaction and communities; but for many it is still relatively new ground. The purpose of GabrielsLife.org is to create and foster community participation in order to generate greater awareness around the disease, as well as empower people with helpful information. The site gives people tools to communicate not only with one another, but also the world at large.
Gabriel’sLife.org is a custom build using WordPress. On top of that it allows users to create their own WordPress blogs as part of the network. There is also a forum, and the ability for people to search for others and connect to share information privately if they so choose. Finally, visitors are encouraged to submit their own stories, which are featured on the homepage. These tools are designed to tap into the collective knowledge base of those who have faced the complexities of the disease so that others are better prepared to handle their own. While still in its infancy, the site appears to be serving that purpose.
My main hope for this blog post is that you will see it and read it and tell someone about it. You will meet someone that has or knows someone else with hydrocephalus, and they will go and start to use these sites and tell someone else. And so on, and so on, and so on….
2007: A Year in Review
As we all come sailing in to the New Year, there is little pause except to consider what has transpired over the last 12 months and recognize that the world of the web waits for no one. There has been a staggering amount of new blogs launched, a slew of new social networking sites, and just as many widgets, plugins, and assorted applications to deliver content to the widest audience possible.
With all the noise, fragmentation, and attention to the web, the challenge is to resonate, connect with and keep new customers. Listed below are some of the hottest channels and services on the market in 2007. Keep in mind, however, that for most all businesses it still comes down to having a well-designed, optimized website that offers a seamless experience and delivers on its promise.
Channels:
Love it or hate it, Email Marketing still holds the lead.
- 96% of Internet users access Email almost daily.
- 90% use email to engage in and determine the value of a relationship with a company.
- 83.0% of marketers surveyed chose email as THE most important advertising medium
- The ROI for email is twice that of any other online marketing channel.
- E-mail marketing is growing annually at 8-10%
- This past year alone, U.S. businesses spent $500 million on email marketing to generate $21.9 billion in sales.
Search Engine Marketing & Search Engine Optimization
- Deliver a targeted, relevant result to a customer at the point at which they are actively searching for what you sell and track the entire path from keyword to conversion. The only problem of course is that the greater the competition the higher the Cost-per-Click (CPC).
Really Simple Syndication (RSS)
Almost every website uses RSS syndication to deliver content in a format that best suits the user’s needs. What is amazing is how few consumers know what it is, understand it, or know how it can help them consume information. Does it matter? Probably not. Using it is getting easier all the time. When you find a website you want to follow just look for the orange icon and click it.
Mobile
- Mobile Marketing really took off for a while there, and then it seemed to plateau. Carriers and handset manufacturers made it difficult and expensive for most businesses to adopt it. However, the prices have started to come down. Additionally, this year something new came along – the iPhone. Since that time several popular web sites have created their own mobile versions for the iPhone- Google, Digg, and Facebook just to name a few. Mobile is only going to get better as it delivers richer, more useful and more user-controlled (see Twitter below) experiences. (Update: Director of Strategic Services, TJ Crawford talks about another hot mobile service in the works.)
Web Services:
WordPress, a blogging and website software
- WordPress has seen incredible growth this past year and rightfully so. Not only do they offer a fairly quick and easy way for you to have a blog or website, but they also have some of the hottest web designers and developers in the world continuously donating their time to building new free and very functional tools for you to use to communicate and extend your reach more effectively.
- Salesforce, a customer relationship management suite
- For medium to large to enterprise level companies, managing enormous amounts of varying customer data requires automation. Salesforce offers a variety of different applications for organizing data and managing customers and projects. Understanding that each business has unique needs, many of their applications are customizable. In the past year, they have become even more successful by soliciting input through their Developer Network.
Facebook, a social web service
- Facebook is king! Unlike MySpace, Facebook has inspired a lot of new and different applications to enrich the experience and keep users involved. The creators are still trying to make it pay out–and have even failed in some regard–but it certainly reaffirms how passionate people are about connecting through online communities.
- Twitter, a mobile social web service
- Twitter is unique since it is a web service integrated with an application that everyone with a mobile phone already has. People are using it to exchange information in the mobile environment, post updates to their blog or website, and meet new people. There are a lot of potential uses for Twitter across many different types of industries. Just remember you have to say it in 140 characters or less.
Of course, there are many more web services out there that have caught on and are gaining in popularity. As 2008 gains steam, you will undoubtedly see a clear leader – maybe Flock – that is capable of efficiently mashing up and managing multiple sites and accounts such as these. For any other predictions, you can check out fellow Twelve Horses’ bloggers, Josh Kenzer, TJ Crawford , Colin Loretz, and Mike Henderson. No matter what the future holds, you can be sure that the Web will continue to evolve and provide you with the tools needed to get the job done.
A Weekend in Charleston, South Carolina
Last weekend I made my way to Charleston, South Carolina to spend quality time boating, fishing, and camping with some good ole childhood friends. I have been somewhat deprived of the Lowcountry over the course of the last decade, and while there have been many changes, much is still the same.
Despite being December, the weather was absolutely gorgeous, and some of us even took a dip in one of the creeks. The highlight of the trip for me was doing an 8-mile loop around Bulls Island, which is a part of the Cape Romaine National Wildlife Refuge. It is filled with wildlife and incredible scenery.
There is a section of the hike called, “The Boneyard” where dead trees stand and fall at the water’s edge. Beaten by hurricanes and bleached by sun and salt, they appear like fossils being pulled into the sea.
The remnants of an old fort made out of oyster shells lies at the north end of the island. Built some time in the late 1600s or early 1700s, it served as a lookout for marauding pirates who would often ambush incoming ships carrying their cargo to Charleston and beyond.
I am growing tired of the mediocre camera I am using to shoot video. The lack of image stabilization and high resolution are disappointing. Time for a new one. Any recommendations?
Now, if that does not get you excited to watch this video I don’t know what will! Either way, you can look away or choose not to hit play. ;~)
Isle of Palms, South Carolina
Thanksgiving Day 2007
A Word to Jemima
Jemima, your words are often like warm syrup over a fat stack of flapjacks, but I have to disagree with this post. I hear what you are saying in so far as there are so many people in a money frenzy clamoring for the all mighty consumer dollar that it can get ridiculous. But the fact is, no one is telling you or anyone else what they can or cannot post. Furthermore, if your ego wasn’t slightly involved in this equation then why don’t you simply write in your diary and tuck it under your bed?
The blogosphere and the myriad of channels out there that churn out content offer choices. Don’t like what you are reading or seeing? Click to the next web site or TV channel, cancel your subscription, turn the page, or don’t buy the book after reading the summary.
What you and your blogging buddy attended was a conference. Conferences are often about business. If you want to talk about blogging with your literary friends or others then meet up somewhere for coffee and conversation. Talk about how you can raise the bar for your profession using blogs and blogging tools. Clearly, you don’t need BlogHer to get the most out of blogging. Furthermore, your lack of satisfaction with the conference could have an impact on next year’s attendance. That’s how these things work.
The reality is that business continually pushes the ball forward. Business may be insatiable, aggressive, competitive, and even imperfect, but it also inspires innovation. Right now there are thousands of developers creating new applications for blogging because their egos are involved in the game. Yes, they do it because they love it and the challenge, but they also want to be noticed. They want to show off their skills. They want to work on the best projects, and guess what, get paid for it. Why? Because we all have to eat. And guess who in the end reaps the benefits? You. You get to use a free publishing software that allows you to communicate openly and freely with the world.
But of course you should blog for yourself. And I hope you will continue to do so. You have that freedom and no one is expecting you to do otherwise, not even the Internet. Now, can we please get extra syrup on that next post of your’s?