Josh Dilworth

Photo

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:21:18 -0500

Disclosure: Viralheat is a client.

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:20:39 -0500

Disclosure: Viralheat is a client.

Disclosure: Aptimize is a client.

Tue, 18 May 2010 03:01:00 -0500

Disclosure: Aptimize is a client.

Totem

Sun, 09 May 2010 23:29:00 -0500

At Jones-Dilworth we talk a lot about what our (admittedly evolving) concept of the “agency of the future” really means.

From some as-yet-unpublished draft copy for our website, which I promise will go live someday:

We think that the agency of the future is laser-focused on a specific business opportunity and market segment, one in which it can be truly expert. We think that the agency of the future chooses clients very carefully, based on ethical factors as much as financial ones. We think that the agency of the future is data-driven, and analytical to the core.

We think that the agency of the future possesses wholly new skill sets, marked by an interdisciplinary approach and an unusually intellectual working environment. We think that the agency of the future is fundamentally part of the communities with which its clients wish to communicate.

We think that the agency of the future is noticeably absent the jargon and posturing you’ve come to expect from marketing-kind.

We think that the agency of the future is far more show than tell. We think that the agency of the future is relationship-based and people-driven. The agency of the future is definitely not scalable.

Over time, we’ll see about the rest, and we’ll continue to report back on how the adventure is proceeding. Learn the rules in order to forget them. Rinse and repeat.

One tangible example of how these cool-sounding but completely untethered concepts actually implement operationally is the development of Totem, our very first software product, which we hope that you all will, in due time, use (at least, the marketers and PR folk among you).

I’m not going to say any more just yet about the project itself — we’re still a few weeks away from getting the alpha out the door. But I’m very proud of the fact that we’ve even gotten this far, and I think it’s a testament to the model we’re pursuing. I think that the agency of the future must actively participate in the creation of new technologies, for three reasons:

It keeps us sharp, and makes us practice what we preach (we are treating Totem like any other client)
It gives us a fundamentally more real understanding of our clients’ shoes, and their challenges (big and small, near and long term)
It holds the promise of repeatable, technology-driven revenue (a diverse stream, we think, is key to both longevity and fidelity of service)

I would love it if you would take the time to check out our very rough splash page here — it doesn’t even have a header/title, and at least a few things will change before we start taking invites.

Feedback is very, very appreciated.

More to come!

UPDATE: To be clear, I’m just looking for visual/vibe feedback — all the copy is placeholder.

Photo

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:52:08 -0500

Quote of the Day

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:41:00 -0500

“I realize that some of you may have come in hopes of hearing tips on how to become a professional writer. I say to you, If you really want to hurt your parents, and you don’t have the nerve to be a homosexual, the least you can do is go into the arts. But do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites, standing for absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.”

— Kurt Vonnegut

Very Thankful

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:56:00 -0500

And…exhale. SXSW 2010 has officially come to an end so I wanted to take a moment and reflect on this year’s show. It’s easier to have a little perspective out here in Yountville, CA where I write this –- good food and wine always seem to do the trick.

First and foremost, I am humbled by our clients’ achievements. WolframAlpha won the SXSW Web Awards for Technical Achievement and Best of Show, while Siri won the Microsoft Bizspark Accelerator for Innovative Web Technology.

Twine was acquired at the very start of SXSW by Evri, escalating excitement for Nova and Sanjay’s new project, LiveMatrix. The SXSW debuts of LugIron, Bandwidth.com’s Free Phonebooth, Lasso, Superglued, Challengepost and knowmore left our team especially proud of the JDI client roster and the agency we are building together.

And lest I forget one of the absolute highlights, the first annual Data Cluster meetup that we helped organize — sponsored by Rackspace, Infochimps, knowmore, Wolfram Alpha, and Factual — was a great opportunity to get together and geek out over beers, open data, and the Semantic Web. It’s an event we in fact hope to replicate in top tech cities around the globe, with the help of local organizers.

More importantly, though, this year represented an imporant shift to me personally. Over the years, SXSW has become more and more a gathering of true friends — much moreso than colleagues, or close collaborators. As I looked around our dinner table on Tuesday evening, feelings of gratitude pervaded. I realized what an honor it is to be a part of a real family of talented, ambitious, and exceedingly intelligent individuals who together no doubt will leave the world a better place than we found it.

Cote, Lauren Sell and I failed to record our annual swag video – that’s one regret that will have to be rectified sooner rather than later.

How PR Pros Are Using Social Media for Real Results [Mashable]

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:24:00 -0500

How PR Pros Are Using Social Media for Real Results [Mashable]:

I really do feel strongly about what I told Christina in this interview:

“Right now we are doing a lot of work to mash up social data with business data to get cause and effect. Some products are starting to support this action — but only a few. I think this is the next big wave. You’ve got to be able to tie causes to effects, and that is the big challenge right now, what all our clients want, and what is frankly the hardest to accomplish.”

Perceptions of Google Buzz Over Time Disclosure: Viralheat is a...

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:40:00 -0600

Perceptions of Google Buzz Over Time

Disclosure: Viralheat is a client.

Stealthy Knowmore Loads Up On Talent To Silence The Social Noise Problem

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:36:23 -0600

Stealthy Knowmore Loads Up On Talent To Silence The Social Noise Problem:

Really excited to start showing knowmore to the world. Human-centric design works — it’s not about a tech breakthrough in search of a problem — it’s using tech to solve real needs and pain points.

I love Julian’s take on this — “Do you think that Dean Kamen set out to make a transportation for mall cops?”

The Segway is the great example of a breakthrough that is still looking for a problem to solve…

Disclosure: Knowmore is a client.

The Birth of the Virtual Assistant

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:55:11 -0600

The Birth of the Virtual Assistant:

Siri’s launch is close at hand…

In the near future, anyone who lives a connected lifestyle will be able to delegate their everyday tasks to intelligent virtual assistants that will coordinate, execute and simplify users’ lives.

We will look back on these days and ask ourselves how we ever got by without our trusted assistants, the same way my kids ask in amazement about how we ever got things done before laptops and the Internet.

Disclosure: Siri is a client.

How Conceptual Metaphors are Stunting Web Innovation

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:52:00 -0600

From a guest post last week by Venkatesh Rao:

Consider these terms: page, scroll, file, folder, trash can, bookmark, inbox, email, desktop, library, archive and index. They are all part of the document metaphor, a superset of the “desktop” metaphor. Some elements, such as scroll, desktop and library pre-date the printing press, but all are based on some sort of “marks on paper-like material” reference.

It’s an important point — the tyranny of conceptual metaphors (and in particular, Gutenberg’s shadow) can be quite limiting.

Disclosure: Xerox is a client.

Via Mashable. Disclosure: Viralheat is a client. Disclosure #2:...

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:44:00 -0600

Via Mashable.

Disclosure: Viralheat is a client.

Disclosure #2: Bj Heinley is a badass.

Data and Business -- Mash post, Part Deux

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:31:00 -0600

Data and Business -- Mash post, Part Deux:

Here is the second in the series, which ran today. Feedback is very much appreciated if you have the time to give it.

The gist:

“Our collective data is the byproduct and the artifact of digital life and web living. It is increasingly rich and it is precisely the inner logic according to which we make decisions to buy and sell, act and react. We have, consciously or unconsciously, made data the bonfire, the totem, and the town square.”

I also made a trail of articles that should be useful if you’re interested in exploring these concepts further.

Marketing in 2010: It's All About the Data

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:39:47 -0600

Marketing in 2010: It's All About the Data:

“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” – Mark Twain

That about says it all, hehe.

From my guest post in Mashable today:

In 2010 the very best marketers, PR professionals, and social media consultants will put data at the center of everything they do. For anyone unfamiliar with these concepts, just as with social media, data marketing may seem opaque or intimidating at the beginning. The only way you ever learn is by jumping in headfirst — become a data nerd, because data nerds are changing the world.

Congrats to ChallengePost

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:58:25 -0600

Anyone who knows me also know that I love stuff like this.

Major congrats to our client ChallangePost, which has helped the city of New York bring to fruition an immensely successful open government data program and app-building challenge.

Both the City and the people of New York benefit greatly, and similar programs around the country have been likewise successful. I hope that this is a trend that continues — I can’t think of a better way to foster civic engagement.

And Austin, where the heck are you on all this?

I love this pic of my father.

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:38:00 -0600

I love this pic of my father.

My boilerplate SXSWi hotel recommendations

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:13:00 -0600

‘Tis the season, and it seems that everyone wakes up on 12/1 and realizes that they’re about to get screwed on SXSWi hotels. Which they are, hehe.

First —SXSW isn’t lying to you about the housing desk — it really is great and it really does work. I’d mostly recommend calling them first.

That said, everyone wants “inside intel” of which, in truth, there is very little, but alas! Nearest to the convention center are the downtown versions of:

Hilton ($$$)
- http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/AUSCVHH-Hilton-Austin-Texas/index.do
Hampton Inn ($$)
- http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotel/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=AUSDTHX
Mariott ($$)
- http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/auscd-courtyard-austin-downtown-convention-center/

All three are roughly equivalent.

Also in the neighborhood but within walking distance are: LaQuinta ($$), Radisson ($$), Omni ($$$), Four Seasons ($$$$), Intercontinental ($$$$) and the Driskill ($$$$). I’m probably missing a few too.

For some hip + authentic Austin fare (each a $5-7 cab ride away), I’d recommend….

Our good friend BJ’s VerdeCamp ($$):
http://www.verdecamp.com

And the Hotel San Jose ($$):
http://www.sanjosehotel.com/

And the Austin Motel ($$):
http://austinmotel.com/

And the Kimber Modern ($$$):
http://www.kimbermodern.com/

And if you’re looking for something a little more tucked away and neighborhood-y ($10-12 cab ride):

Adams House ($$):
http://www.theadamshouse.com/

Mansion at Judge’s Hill ($$):
http://www.mansionatjudgeshill.com/

And if you have too much money on your hands and want to feel like a rockstar:
http://www.hotelstcecilia.com/

One last recommendation would be UT’s Executive Education Center — it’s on campus, close to downtown, and of excellent quality. Only downside is that it is a little corporate.

Finally, the new W is under construction and they originally claimed that they’d be operational by this week, but they’re not even close and will be lucky if they’re ready by SXSWi. But, it’s conceivably an option…

No matter what, rates are inflated during SXSWi — so be prepared and book as soon as possible — it will get very hard to find a room in 2010.

Hope this helps!

PS — $$ estimates are graded on a curve — ALL hotels during SXSWi are more than any human can afford.

PPS — At least half of the aforementioned venues are likely sold out by the time you read this. Hence why the housing desk is a good first call.

Austinites — what am I missing?

Video

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:19:20 -0600

Photo

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:24:12 -0600