As someone who studies the impact of innovative technologies on markets and societies, I found it ironic to write books on the subject that were strongly rooted in traditional channel formats. I struggled with the paradox of urging people to challenge conventions when I clearly couldn’t follow suit. So, going back to the my first solo book,Ā ENGAGE!, in 2010, and with every book following, I borrowed from iconic Hollywood trailers to promote each title. But the books themselves, were still…
The New Kodak Moment and the Rise of Experience Innovation
I live several lives. As a digital analyst and futurist, I study disruptive technology and its impact on businesses and markets. As a digital anthropologist, I study the effects of disruptive technology on societies and us as individuals. In both cases, I am frequently asked to share the “state of” industries and also play out defined scenarios over the next several years. Recently, I took a break from my industry work to focus on the personal side of digital disruption…
X Marks the Spot Where the Medium is the Message
Several years ago, I embarked on a crazy journey to reinvent the book to make it a physical metaphor for the purpose of the book. I had no other choice. It was a book about designing meaningful and personal experiences in a digital economy. It would have been to ironic to tell you do do so in a traditional print format. It also would have been unimaginative to simply release an ebook or app. The point is that you can’t…
Designing the Experience: My Ongoing Experiments with Book Trailers and Storytelling
I’ve always been fascinated by Hollywood trailers. So much so, that 10 years ago, I was determined to develop a trailer for my next book at the time, Engage!. Since then, I launched every subsequent book with a trailer. You can see a compilation here. With my latest book X, I broke that tradition. It wasn’t intentional however. I simply got so caught up with the launch and the following book tour that I couldn’t get to it. That didn’t…
Can you answer the question everyone is asking? WTF – What is the future of business?
Todayās leading companies are already becoming obsolete. Fortunately or unfortunately, they wonāt know until itās too late. In 10 years, 40% of the Fortune 500 was replaced. Irrelevance is only accelerating. Itās Digital Darwinism out here. #AdaptorDie! Ignorance is bliss, until itās not. Technologyā¦social, mobile, real-time, itās changing the world. Customers are evolving into something new. Theyāre more connected, empowered, and demanding. Can you answer the question everyone is asking? WTF!? What’s the future of business is not a question…
A Visual History of Book Trailers by Brian Solis
If you follow my work, you’ve probably learned that I’m becoming increasingly fond of web video. As an author, I am fascinated by the different channels and new media opportunities that have been thrust upon the world of book marketing. Over the years, I often considered how to create book-related videos that provided viewers with something beyond a traditional promo or standard author introduction. While important, they weren’t necessarily conducive for social sharing. A few years ago, I was introduced…
This is Your Time to Make a Difference: Engage or Die
We live in amazing times. Perhaps what makes it so special is that the present is rewriting the future for so many things held sacred over the years. So many industries, processes, politics, beliefs and myths clouded or seized our responsibility and capacity to force innovation and ultimately the change that is needed and long overdue. At the root of this however, is what fuels evolution and revolution… #you You helped define social media. You helped democratize the ability to…
