When I first heard about Every Single One of Us, I wasn’t exactly sure what it was. I had read from other bloggers that it was a movement –but still didn’t understand what the aim was. So, I had an interview with ex-Blyk man and founder of Every Single One of Us Mr. Jonathan MacDonald.
We got straight down to it when I explained that I didn’t understand the point of the new concept.
Jonathan responded, “Think of this not as a movement but a catalyst for the whole mobile advertising industry”.
Bena: OK. I will. But you better start from the very beginning.
Jonathan: Every Single One of Us is born out of a need for transparency and understanding in the mobile marketing and advertising industry.
Bena: What does that mean?
Jonathan: Think of it as a series of stages. A manifestation or a movement that will take down the barriers of mobile advertising and make it open and simple for the world.
Bena: But I still don’t get it – what are your goals.
Jonathan: OK. So. Starting from the very beginning the core of Every Single One of Us is to fill a set of seven stages. These stages are the cornerstone of the mobile advertising industry and determine the openness and future of insight. When I walk you through these – I don’t expect everyone to get involved – some will some won’t… but the aim of this is clear. We are a catalyst. We love mobile advertising and marketing and want the industry to be huge. We have determined how it can be huge and are making this knowledge available to anyone that wants to get involved.
Bena: OK. So what are the seven stages?
Jonathan: Stage 1. Lay of the land. This is a sponsorship research level . It is the research level where we will work with people to lay the foundations of the landscape for mobile advertising. We want to have a collaborative voice that says what we need to achieve and a set of ideals stating how to get there.
Stage 2: Protocol of Adventure – Agreeing a business and revenue concept that is achievable and implementing it.
Stage 3: Modelling of scenarios: Assigning people to make a change and implement the early stages and findings.
Stage 4: Trial activities: This is where the thought leadership of the early stages comes to play and is shared and the fruits are trialled and tweaked.
Stage 5: API Layer: We take what we have done and automate it so that it can be implemented by everyone else.
Stage 6: Sense and Respond: applying the code or reasoning or findings and sharing them.
Stage 7: Scale – getting traction and brands on board to succeed.
What we think?
I spent over an hour on the phone with Jonathan. I think that after his frustration – and mine – that I wasn’t clear what the movement was – we had an excellent and driven conversation. I do get it now.
Jonathan is a remarkable individual. He is a consultant and a business man. He has a lot of projects in consultancy already –but Every Single One of US is intended to be a catalyst for the future. Indeed, it is a business– but the aim is bigger. The aim is to create a credible ecosystem of answers for the mobile advertising space.
When I asked Jonathan if this was against existing organisations such as the MMA he said, “not at all”. This was a “ecosystem, rather than a revolution”. The steps have been laid out and its up to everyone that wants to be part of it to be part of it.
I worried out loud that this might turn in to a niche club of “people involved”. He said, he didn’t want it to but some people would watch from afar, others would join in and some would just look. It didn’t matter – the important thing is that what was going to be achieved would be open. Sponsors would pay for research and work or consultancy but the end result would be an open set of guidelines that would only serve to benefit the ad space and industry.
I told him he was being very ambitious. Because it was a phone interview, I couldn’t see him –but I could hear him smile as he responded “yes”. I said, this would need scale. He again agreed.
I said, how do people get involved and he said to go to the website and join in. I told him I thought that I didn’t think his new website was not clear enough and he laughed – he would work on it.
I didn’t offer to help with Every Single One of US (only because visibility mobileand 2 kids and gomo mean I have zero time) – but I will blog on this on GoMo. I love ambition and will support anything ambitious and am glad that I took the time to find out more. I am intrigued and respectful of the guts that Jonathan MacDonald has. This project is ambitious –but I do feel that he has the presence to pull it off. I am very ambitious and I think Jonathan is too – yikes I bet we are the same star sign!
On the end note I asked him how long it would take for the seven stages to be complete. Realistically he said that the project would take – off in 2010. Momentum now –but 2010 was the take up year.
Find out more: www.everysingleoneofus.com (I just looked at it and I think Jonathan listened to me after our interview as its a lot clearer!)
Bena – it was indeed a pleasure speaking with you on the phone although it was a slight contrast to our last chat in a Mercedes Benz showroom in San Diego(!)
You are right, I took your advice on board very seriously and even though you may not be so actively involved – I assure you that your guidance and insight is vital to me and the project.
Thanks again and I look forward to speaking with you next year