Creativity in the Digital Age
Technologists are by their nature inventive individuals — they build things, often from scratch and seldom without a specific design challenge to get them going. They do things because they can be done. They are used to solving problems and finding shortcuts. So, for example, when a software developer named Paul Rademacher found out about Google’s new worldwide mapping service, Google Maps, he immediately started tinkering with its underlying technologies. Combining location data from this service with real estate listings from the community site Craigslist.org, Rademacher built a detailed virtual map showing all the real estate currently available in the Bay Area. Location is a key determinant of the consumption of products and services, but no-one had been able to harness it in a useful way. Rademacher showed how to tap such information and combine it with other services. In the process he created a completely new way to find a place to live. From finding fast-food restaurants across the U.S., to seeing the location of 911 calls in Seattle, from seeing the weather on your ski-run to finding an open liquor store in Toronto, a whole legion of such services have been created by inspired developers. Such innovations are very much within the reach of Brands and can strengthen their promise through the delivery of new types of product and service.
For instance, to help runners get more from their annual RunLondon event, Nike has created “RouteFinder” using Google Maps plus their own bespoke technology. Users can plot their favorite path through the city, then save it and share it with others. Now, rather than just sponsoring a one-off event, Nike is providing a detailed directory of London’s jogging routes, sustaining athletic achievement throughout the year.
Creativity is defined as “productive originality”. It is not the sole province of writers, painters, film-makers or visual designers. Technology is the most creative field there is. There are few people as productive or original as those strange, awkward and geeky techies. If you think you are “creative”, and aren’t fully harnessing the technology talent pool, you are about to go out of business.
Reader Comments.
No comments yet
Leave a Comment
Pages: « previous page 1 2
No TagsArticle Sponsor
More Features
-
Loading ...
Latest News
- BlueKai Report Explains DMPs to Publishers February 10th 2012 ADOTAS - BlueKai released a report this week on the [...] more »
- Funding in Brief: $10M for Spongecell, $8M for Prolexic February 9th 2012 ADOTAS – Rich media ad company Spongecell has raised $10 million [...] more »
- Google AdMob Axes Minimum Bids, Targeting Fees February 9th 2012 ADOTAS - As of Feb. 15, Google will change its [...] more »
- Infographic: HootSuite Analyses Social Media Impact of Super Bowl Ads February 7th 2012 ADOTAS - So, it’s the Tuesday after the Super Bowl, [...] more »
- Facebook to Serve Mobile Ads in Coming Weeks February 6th 2012 ADOTAS – According to a Financial Times report, Facebook will [...] more »
- Survey: 39 Percent of Mobile Users Responded to Super Bowl Ads Via Mobile February 6th 2012 ADOTAS - During the Super Bowl yesterday, mobile ad network [...] more »
- Sponsormob Leads the Way Into RTB for Mobile February 3rd 2012 ADOTAS – For more than half a decade, Berlin-based tech [...] more »
Features
- BlueKai Report Explains DMPs to Publishers February 10th 2012
- Attribution Online: Introducers and Influencers and Closers… Oh My! February 9th 2012
- With gTLDs, Global Branding Starts with a Name February 9th 2012
- Rethinking the Online Advertising Ecosystem, Part One: Independent Publishers February 8th 2012
- Case Study: Social Ad Effectiveness February 8th 2012
Spotlight
Sponsormob Leads the Way Into RTB for MobileADOTAS – For more than half a decade, Berlin-based tech firm Sponsormob has remained relevant in an industry characterized by [...] more...
Reader Favorites
Classifieds
- PS Technical Writer - SEO Data Analyst
- Interactive Project Manager
- Media Buyer
- PHP Software Engineer (Facebook Platform/Social AP
- SEO/Marketing Internship at Green Education Startu
Recent Comments
- HootSuite Social Media Management » More Apps, Open API, and the Solution Partner Program ~ News Roundup: [...] mentioned in our HootSuite’s Super Bowl XLVI Social Media Recap, adotas and MediaPost analyzed our
- News about Google Adwords issue #412: [...] ads for AdWords to adCenter and align with industry standards, adCenter has chang
- VB: What exactly makes an ad "high quality"?
- Survey: 39 Percent of Mobile Users Responded to Super Bowl Ads Via Mobile - ADOTAS | Mobile2 | Scoop.it: [...] background-position: 50% 0px; background-color:#222222; background-repeat : no-repeat; }
