Kent Speakman's Blog

ENGAGEIA ATTENDS CES 2012 in Las Vegas

Kent Speakman — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:24:44 +0000

ENGAGEIA ATTENDS CES 2012 in Las Vegas

Kent Speakman & Ward Chandler attended CES in Las Vegas this January 2012. The goal of the trip is to ensure ENGAGEIA keeps on top of innovation in the digital space. Speakman & Chandler were part of the live “What’s Trending” Broadcast with Shira Lazar from CES presented by VIZIO. The future of tech, from ultrabooks to OLED TV’s, apps and the future of web TV was discussed as well as special panelists included top digital influencers Veronica Belmont, iJustine and Robert Scoble.

Also, actress and CES Ambassador Eliza Dushku shared her thoughts on the convergence of entertainment and tech, and how she uses social media to connect with fans and raise awareness about social issues. We have included the link to watch the full episode on Livestream.com

Amongst being a part of the live broadcast and events such as the Monster Retailer Awards & Mashable.com‘s Mash Bash, Speakman & Ward met with hundreds of innovators, both in creating new consumer products & innovative technologies.

ENGAGEIA has partnered with Ward Chandler to develop a suite of disruptive technology platforms and SeeMail will be the first product to hit the market. Visit www.SeeMail.com to learn why you should SeeMail instead of Email! Users who sign up prior to launch will receive a premium account upgrade.

You can also follow@SeeMailApp on Twitter or visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/SeeMailApp

ENGAGEIA is Finalist for iMedia Agency Award – Best Social Media Agency of 2011

Kent Speakman — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:20:39 +0000

ENGAGEIA is Finalist for iMedia Agency Award – Best Social Media Media Agency of 2011

* Distributed originally via Reuters.

Fri Dec 2, 2011 1:33pm EST

Calgary, Alberta, December 2, 2011 – Engageia, a privately held interactive and digital engagement agency has received top honors as a finalist in the iMedia Agency Awards in the Best in Social Media Category.

The iMedia Agency Awards is the premier industry awards show dedicated exclusively to recognizing the key role of agencies in advancing digital marketing. The inaugural iMedia Agency Awards will debut at the upcoming iMedia Agency Summit, December 4^th to 7th, and will highlight the most innovative agencies of the year, as well as those agencies leading the pack in strategic areas such as social media, video, mobile, and more.

The awards ceremony is taking place at the prestigious Camelback Inn, a JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, following in conjunction with the iMedia Agency Summit. CMOs and their marketing teams from Fortune 500 brands will be attending among people such as Linda Cronin: Coca-Cola, Beverly Jackson: The Recording Academy/The GRAMMY Awards, Dave Friedman: Sears Holdings and Nick Sheth: The Gap, to name a few.

“iMedia is so excited to launch this yearly iMedia Agency Awards event spotlighting a spectacular list of agency finalists known for their industry-leading accomplishments. Regardless of who wins on Tuesday night at the iMedia AgencySummit, these agencies represent an extraordinary body of work that is driving digital marketing to new heights.” – Josh Messinger, VP Online, iMediaConnection.com

Engageia had a fantastic year for growth, working with clients in the public markets, start-up, hospitality, entertainment, liquor and technology sectors. They also worked with a handful of celebrities and public figures as their social media coaches. Engageia’s product incubation & development division is also developing some disruptive technology platforms and is anticipating taking the first 2 into the market in Q1 of 2012.

“The award nomination comes as a huge honor for us, being named amongst respected peers: 22Squared, imc2, Converseon and BGT Partners in the social media category and at the same awards ceremony with the most established agencies in the world: Rockfish Interactive, Starcom, OMD, BBDO, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Digitas and R&R is a very exciting and rewarding for our team” Says Kent Speakman, President & Managing Partner of Engageia. “We look forward to continuing to grow organically through excellent work, working with new client/partners as well as taking some of the digital products we have been working on such as mobile apps and a contesting platform into the market in 2012.”

Engageia has, in part, been demonstrating their thought leadership in the digital space through the speaking engagements of one of the Founders & President Kent Speakman. In September of 2011 he led a panel at the Toronto International Film Festival on Social Media’s Role in the Entertainment Industry with Entourage Star: Adrian Grenier, MoboVivo President: Trevor Doerksen and Minggy.com President: Frank Sinopoli. Following the Canadian event he participated in mediamind Digital Experience Day in San Francisco the following week. Visionary thought leaders such as Futurist Patrick Dixon, Mark Carlson – SR Creative Director McDonalds Corporation and Dean Donaldson – mediaminds Global Director of Media Innovation spoke on the changes to come in digital media.

Engageia’s Kent Speakman participated in a panel debate on the future of Television and Apps with some of the brightest and well respected leaders in the industry including Catalyst: SF’s CEO John Durham, mediamind DG’s SVP Amit Rahav, Neoganda’s Creative Director Matt Cooper, MediaSmith’s CEO Dave Smith, and Visible World’s EVP Claudio Marcus.

Engageia also believes in giving back. In 2011 they donated time, consulting advice and/or event awareness campaigns for NGO’s and charitable organizations such as Project Peace on Earth, Give Back Entertainment, Rick Hansen Institute, Youville Residence, and GoPrintGo. This December they have teamed up with Edges Salon, Redken 5^th Ave, and Hollow Earth Media to support the same charity Matt Damon and Adrian Grenier support, oneXone. The group is launching an innovative campaign using QR Codes that are shaved into people’s heads in conjunction with SMS, and social media to drive awareness and donations for the cause. More information on the campaign can be found by visiting www.engageia.com/blog or www.facebook.com/ScanYYC

About iMedia
iMedia Communications, Inc. is a trade publisher and event producer serving interactive media and marketing industries. The company was founded in September of 2001 and is a subsidiary of dmg world media. Visitwww.imediaconnection.com or follow @imediatweet on twitter.

About ENGAGEIA
Engageia is an interactive, social media and technology agency who believes in thinking differently, challenging the status quo and delivering results through thought leadership and innovation. Kent Speakman, the President and Managing Partner, was recently honored on the iMedia List of the Top Ten Digital Marketers of 2011.

Visit www.engageia.com - www.facebook.com/Engageia or follow @Engageia on twitter.

CONTACT:
Engageia.com
Kent Speakman
888.838.8247
Kent@engageia.com

ENGAGEIA President Kent Speakman Participates in Digital Experience Day 2011 Panel, San Francisco, CA.

Kent Speakman — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:20:32 +0000

Calgary, Alberta, September 21, 2011 – Kent Speakman, Engageia’s President and Managing Partner, is participating in the panel on the future of smart television at Digital Experience Day 2011, Presented by MediaMind in San Francisco.

The event is taking place at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and will feature speakers from around the globe including leading futurist Dr. Patrick Dixon, Dean Donaldson, MediaMinds Global Director of Media Innovation and McDonalds SR Creative Director Mark Carlson.

The topics of the day at Digital Experience Day will be social, desktop, mobile, multi-channel consumer mindsets, analytical tools creative innovations and technologies that will build bridges in the multi channel world of the future.

“I am very excited about participating in this discussion with thought leaders in the space, from traditional TV to digital marketers and the variety of topics and challenges that the industry must overcome as we move into this new frontier.” said Kent Speakman in regards to panelists John Durham, Matt Cooper, David Smith, Claudio Marcus and moderator Amit Rahav.

“I have always been excited to see the day when traditional TV became digital and offered advertisers the ability to target the viewer in a more relevant way. With Smart TV, a whole new world of brand engagement and community can be built around the programs and products we all love.”

Digital Experience Day is put on by MediaMind and will be holding events globally in San Francisco, London and Singapore. More information about the conference can be found by visiting the website.

About ENGAGEIA

Engageia is an interactive, social media and technology agency who believes in thinking differently, challenging the status quo and delivering results through thought leadership and innovation. Kent Speakman, the President and Managing Partner, was recently honored on the iMedia List of the Top Ten Digital Marketers of 2011.

Visit www.Engageia.com or follow @Engageia @KentSpeakman on Twitter.

ENGAGEIA Leads Social Media & Entertainment Panel at TIFF with Adrian Grenier

Kent Speakman — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:20:43 +0000

Teenage Paparazzo film screening and panel on Social Media and Film Distribution.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 1, 2011 – Calgary – Engageia, an innovative technology incubation, interactive and intelligence agency, is pleased to participate in the Teenage Paparazzo film screening and panel on Social Media and Entertainment, taking place Thursday September 8th, the opening night of Toronto International Film Festival. The film was produced by Adrian Grenier (star of Entourage) and Evan Ferrante (producer at Reckless Productions) and stars Grenier as he documents the true story of his relationship with a 13 year-old paparazzo, Austin Visschedyk.

Following the screening there will be a Q&A session and panel discussion on how social media and Apps are changing the way we watch and interact with our favorite shows and celebrities. Grenier, one of social media and a technology enthusiast along with Kent Speakman, Engageia President and Managing Partner, Trevor Doerksen, Mobovivo’s founder and CEO, and Evan Ferrante, Reckless Production Producer, will discuss with other panel guests and the audience how technology is empowering independent film producers and fans in the App age.

“I am looking forward to this discussion with thought leaders in production and distribution arenas, who both embrace and foster building communities and engage in audience building strategies utilizing Social Media” said Kent Speakman in Regards to Grenier, Ferrante and Doerksen. “I have long been a strong advocate of independent producers having both the responsibility and gift of leveraging social media to build a following in Pre-Production, Production and then throughout the films lifecycle.”

The Teenage Paparazzo Experience is also providing an occasion for students, the next generation of filmmakers, to participate in a film screening and Q&A on the film, Adrian’s experiences as an actor and producer and future of the industry.

“We are very excited to be back in Toronto and able to share the Teenage Paparazzo Experience with film students and industry leaders” said Adrian Grenier. “We are really looking forward to having a great discussion on where the movie business is going with new technology and social media.”

About ENGAGEIA - Engageia is an interactive, social media and technology agency who believes in thinking differently, challenging the status quo and delivering results through thought leadership and innovation. Kent Speakman is the President and Managing Partner and recently was honored on the iMedia List of the Top Ten Digital Marketers of 2011.

Visit Engageia.com or follow @Engageia @KentSpeakman

More information:

Kent Speakman

(888.838.8247) or

Kent@engageia.com

ENGAGEIA GOES MOBILE!

Kent Speakman — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 01:36:47 +0000

I am very happy to share that ENGAGEIA has now built out a mobile offering to compliment our services.

ENGAGEIA GOES MOBILE!

We not only mobilize brands; we create branded location-based experiences that engage customers through the use of innovative and disruptive technologies. We believe in
integrating mobile technologies with traditional, digital and social media strategies to create fully integrated campaigns.

Our mobile application teams have built numerous mobile applications across various industries. We are actively building new applications for existing clients, as well as developing our own products to take to market. It doesn’t matter the platform you chose; From the iPhone to Android we have secured relationships with top developers around the globe to build you the mobile solution that fits your business. We work with our clients to determine who the best fit will be and act as the liaison to ensure the mobile solutions are developed to the highest standards.

Hollow Earth Media and FireText are the location-based service, mobile and SMS partners who we work with closely in the strategic planning and development stages of our mobile projects. They are leaders in the mobile space with their technologies and applications running around the world.

Solutions Include: iPhone Apps, QR Codes, Android Apps, WEP, Mobile Coupons, Mobile Surveys, Mobile Contesting, Mobile Content Delivery Systems, Emergency Notification, HTML & Flash Widgets, SMS, Web API’s and More!

SCAN THE QR CODE ABOVE TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!

TRY OUT OUR SMS PLATFORM: In the USA text “ENGAGEIA” to 55678 or in CANADA text “ENGAGEIA” to 70734

How to transform yourself into a brand: Video 1 Introduction

Kent Speakman — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 15:45:58 +0000

There are many components involved in marketing yourself into a brand. They contain a variety of elements that will determine the success of how the market will adopt “you” You don’t need to change yourself into a different person, but you can position or reposition yourself to influence the way you are perceived.

Engageia on the Red Carpet for Teenage Paparazzo Experience

Kent Speakman — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:49:28 +0000

: Photo by Zev Vitaly Abosh

Engageia was proud to be a sponsor of the Teenage Paparazzo Experience in Calgary this past weekend. Special guests Adrian Grenier, Juliette Lewis, Evan Ferrante, Lindsay Blackett, and Luke Azevedo mixed it up at West Calgary with a variety of fantastic performances by artist such as Destineak, Dr. Drew, Mandie C, Chris La Pietra, DJ Michelle C. and one of my new favorite performers (one that I feel will rival Kanye West ) Najjah Calibur!

YouVille residence was benefiting from proceeds.

I also had the chance to speak with Camilla Di Giuseppe on the red carpet about some of the future film projects, technology projects and things we have cooking… All in it was a fantastic weekend and had the chance to make some great new friends & business partnerships – more to come on that soon!

Thanks to everyone who made it out to support the event!

Adrian Grenier & Evan Ferrante are not only great film makers – we had the chance to discuss a variety of topics over the weekend and I hold them both in the highest regard as gentlemen & intellectuals. Keep an eye out for future developments with these guys, going to be some exciting stuff to watch for!

I don’t blog about music – until now…

Kent Speakman — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 04:27:16 +0000

Ok, here is my first post about music. I had the pleasure to meet Najjah Calibur last Friday. I was blown away by his energy, positive attitude and uplifting presence. I had never heard his music. The next night he performed…. Instantly I could not be a bigger fan & supporter. Listen to this music. Like him on Facebook. Buy it on iTunes. Tell your friends.

*I am no way compensated for this endorsement – he is that F’N good. (Fricken good)

Klout – creating a standard for social Influence

Kent Speakman — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:05:39 +0000

If you haven’t checked out Klout.com yet – do it now. Still in beta, this new platform will measure your influence across the social web (ok, just with Twitter and Facebook right now but more coming) and provide you with a score between 1-100. (Lady Gaga was the only one I saw with a 100 score at the time of writing this.) The platform also provides information on the number of people and brands you influence, as well as provides information on your “style” – the way you interact with content.

It’s still quite new but I think this could be a very interesting platform – if you are using HootSuite they have already integrated Klout Scores into the platform when viewing your twitter followers. Anyhow, I invite you all to check it out – pretty cool!

Kent

*O and I almost forgot – take a peek at the Klout Perks section on the site… this looks like it will be interesting!

iMedia Agency Summit, Bonita Springs, Florida May 2011

Kent Speakman — Fri, 27 May 2011 18:55:57 +0000

I had the pleasure of being a guest at the iMedia Agency Summit this month, representing Engageia, the interactive agency that I co-founded. The opening keynote was led by John Durham an old friend who is the CEO of Catalyst:SF and panel of speakers such as Shane Ankeney of Initiative US, Eric J. Grilly of Comcast, Jack Meyers of Media Advisory group and new friend and fellow cigar aficionado Adam Lavelle of iCrossing. The panel set the stage for the rest of the week outlining and discussing the role of the agency today and how it’s changed in the past 7 years. In 2010 4 of AdAges top 10 agencies were publishers. Many of todays publishers are now becoming exchanges, creating media buying desks and acting like agencies – agencies taking on the role of publishers. Brands are becoming content syndicators and curators.

I spent the next few days sitting in panels learning about the latest in DSP’s (Demand Side Platforms) and one on one meeting with some great people such as Robert Gatto, CEO – PointRoll, Neil Perry, President – Poptent, Arthur Muldoon CEO – Accordantmedia as well as meetings with executives from Omnicom Media Group, Integrous Marketing, Mail Online, Media Math, Rachel Zoe Digital Media, JiWire, Targusinfo, Grab Networks, Tube Mogul, nFusion, Knowledge Networks, iBehavior, Akamai, Audience Science, Media Mind, FreeMedia, Move Media, Dynamic Logic, PriceGrabber, and Weatherbug to name a few.

All in all it was a great few days in the sun and am happy to be bringing back a handful of new partners and potential partners for our clients and companies we have holdings in. It’s all quite timely as we are rolling out a demand generation and media buying offer at Engageia – and will be bringing the latest and best in class partnerships to the table for our projects.

I highly recommend signing up for the iMedia Connection Newsletter to keep up to date with the latest news in the digital marketing world.