We’ve just started work on an exciting and unusual new project, consulting for the famed DAKOV Circus -hailing from the ex-Soviet nation of Georgia – on their first ever trip to the UK.

Alchemy Content will be helping the Circus masters make the most of London’s fast paced social media environment, ahead of their big top events (scheduled for 6th-8th December in Victoria Park).

Here’s the website where you’ll shortly have a chance to WIN TICKETS to the opening night. More info to follow soon…

We just had another highly successful trip to the annual Amsterdam Dance Event. Among the usual feverishly paced meetings by day and cutting edge club events by night, The Alchemy Group ran the press area at DJ Magazine’s 3500 capacity Top 100 DJs Awards Party.

This included working to manage the huge online reaction to David Guetta’s win, the popular success of many local Dutch DJs and handling the video and interview requirements of over 40 media teams.

ADE 2011 was bigger than ever but didn’t seem to be any less important or useful as a result. Much fun was made of my irresistable status update that I was ‘updating client social media profiles sandwiched between Frankie Knuckles and Derrick May‘, but if ADE can expand and still remain that personal (which it obviously can) then it’s future looks as exciting as it’s past 16 years.

Read our review of Amsterdam Dance Event 2011 on the Point Blank blog. We’ve been consulting on social media strategy for the award-winning DJ and music school, including maximising the online dialogue between clients via their own sponsorship of DJmag’s Top 100.

While we’re at it, might we suggest you SUBSCRIBE to Point Blank’s YouTube Channel, where video tutorials on the latest EDM production techniques are posted FREE every week.

It reveals the huge growth in popularity of branded content, be this digital, print or TV. It also shows how organisations at all levels are now embracing the statement that opens up our homepage – that ‘we are all publishers now’.

The key quote comes from Keith Grainger, CEO of Redwood who produce both the print and e-zine versions of the M&S magazines.

Regardless of the medium, Grainger argues the key is to create compelling content and not just promotional puff. “It only works for the brand and the reader if it’s authentic, valuable and relevant.” That means employing journalists who understand how to tell stories, he says, rather than copywriters who are used to creating advertising slogans.

As digital devices rapidly become more tactile and geared towards a true reading/viewing experience, we see digital disruption starting to come full circle.

We like to consider the work we do with clients akin to producing a traditional magazine, no mater what form that takes, and albeit one which takes full advantage of rich media content and distribution via Facebook, Twitter et al.

Exciting times for content creatives everywhere and a great opportunity for clients wondering how best to navigate the new communications landscape being carved out all around us.

We recently completed work on a fantastic project for Malaysian TV network Astro, in association with production company Kyanite.

The Astro Hitz channel has been broadcasting the second series of Spinmaster – essentially an X Factor concept for aspiring DJs – lasting a couple of months and witling down 60 hopefuls to a final winner.

The prize? An all-expenses paid trip to DJ at the world’s most famous nightclub, Ministry of Sound in London and a chance to learn from a range of experts about making it in a highly competitive industry.

Alchemy Content was responsible for arranging all the UK shoot activity, making use of our unique connected networks to create dynamic content for a 1-hour long grand finale show.

We scheduled a program that covered all the areas an aspiring artist needs to know about, from broadcast experience on Ministry of Sound Radio, to advice on running a label from Strictly Rhythm, producing music at Point Blank Music College as well as the high profile DJ set at the club.

The winner was Ramsey Westwood (read an interview with him in Penang-based lifestyle mag Fluxed) who proved to be more than capable of taking everything in his stride. He really impressed with his media savvy approach and lack of nerves in front of the mic, camera and particularly in the DJ booth. He’s got a naturally great DJ name too(!)

The show was swiftly edited and broadcast in Malaysia the following week and we hope to have clips shortly.

With contacts throughout the UK and Europe, particularly Ibiza, and to clubbing hotspots from Miami to Macao, we look forward to facilitating more great TV content in this key area of youth culture.

The recent riots in England inevitably lead to plenty of comment on the ‘role’ of digital media. In fact every key news story of the year has been dominated by the pros and cons of modern communications technology – from mobile phone hacking and celeb super-injunctions to the Arab Spring.

But all the outrage and waffle only highlights that our society is still really not very good at understanding the tools we now have at our disposal.

Ignorance is Criminal

The news that 2 young men received 4-year prison sentences for a few moments of Facebook madness (unsuccessfully attempting to start local riots) generated plenty of such opinion.

Yet there wasn’t enough talk of Media Literacy in the debate for my liking, despite the boys’ ignorance being central to their crime. As we’ve said before, now EVERYONE is a publisher with a global platform at their disposal, an advanced set of media skills need to be learned.

The subject should be taught in schools. There is a misguided idea that kids are somehow media savvy because they are all ‘glued to their smartphones’. In fact the opposite is usually true. If some of the tabloid outrage at Facebook over the latest privacy settings, sexting drama or cyber bullying case was instead channelled into a call for media education then kids and their parents would all be better equipped to deal with these issues.

We Need Perspective

In an advertising/marketing/political agenda saturated world, we all desperately need to be able reflect on the information we receive and put it into correct perspective. This skill should be up there with knowing how to cook or learning to add up.

Tellingly, lack of Media Literacy is not confined to under-educated kids. The fact that David Cameron can even suggest an Iranian-style communications blackout as a solution to the role of social networks in the riots shows we have a very long way to go on this topic at even the highest level.

In fact, if the police we’re fully Media Literate they’d surely be the ones leading the cries for social media platforms to remain open as a vital source of realtime information (and therefore leads) on any public order situation.

Don’t Fear It, Teach It

These tools will seem a lot less frightening when we are all better at understanding them. Their power for good and bad is dominating our cultural agenda – so why are there not more cries for Media Literacy education?

New media is hardly new anymore. It may continue to develop rapidly, and human instinct resiliently fears the new (there are still plenty of stories about the evils of watching TV) but –even in Iran, Mr Cameron – it’s proved an unstoppable social force. We need to create a model to teach our children/parents/governments/police how to use it.

Related #MediaLiteracy & Links

• Sheffield Mind Labs Podcast on the importance of Media Literacy (We have them to thank for the image too.)
• London Riots and the Future of Social Media: Harvard Business Review Blog
• Medialiteracy.com
• The #MediaLiteracy Daily: Paper.Li

Today can announce the launch of a new agency to join Alchemy Content, Alchemy Radio, Alchemy PR and Gloss Communications in the growing Alchemy Group.

Alchemy Lifestyle will focus on bespoke publicity for brands, places & spaces.

The new agency provides PR solutions for hotels, restaurants, bars, spas, music venues as well as festivals, events and launches.

We’re pleased to welcome Alchemy Lifestyle Director James Horrocks to the Group. James brings long-term experience in business management, marketing, sales and business affairs honed as managing director of fast-paced, changing market companies with turnovers in excess of £4 million per annum. (James’ LinkedIn profile).

James has programmed events at venues and festivals including Chinawhite, Glastonbury, Brighton Festival, Pacha Ibiza and many more and is responsible for syncing his React label’s twice chart hit ‘You’ve Got The Love’ for the finale scene of Sex And The City. He was also instrumental in creating the Café Del Mar CD series, the original boutique compilation series and runs Europe’s largest Latin American music party, La Bomba – Latin Explosion.

Alchemy Group MD Matt Learmouth says “The role of a PR consultancy is changing and the multi-platform approach of the Alchemy Group reflects this. James has a wealth of experience across business management, marketing and PR, and one of the best contacts books in the business. Alchemy Lifestyle increases our offering yet further and is an exciting new addition to the existing agencies”.

Other Alchemy Group Websites
AlchemyLifestyle.co.uk
AlchemyPR.com
GlossCommunications.co.uk
AlchemyRadio.com

If digital is about anything it should be about making our complex lives easier. All too often it seems to do the opposite.

Sometimes the simpler technologies turn out to be the most powerful. Just look at the SMS-based simplicity of Twitter. Indeed, look at SMS itself.

We think QR codes are beginning to show the same potential.

Exceptionally Easy

Alchemy Content client Nowtrax – the innovative Hong Kong based music download store – started featuring QR codes on every page with their recent launch of an HTML5 version of the site, making it exceptionally easy for artists/labels to promote direct access to their tracks.

They cleverly showcased just how to use the codes in the real world recently too, placing QR info on giant beachballs, hundreds of balloons and the huge screens behind the DJ at Korea’s World DJ Festival, giving one-touch access to a free download via their store.

With smartphones in more and more pockets, and the need for immediacy greater than ever in a world full of competing messages, pointing and clicking for more information will become as natural as picking up the phone to send a text.

Already There

The codes might look a bit ugly, but can be quite easily integrated and hidden within design elements.

QR codes bridge the divide between the physical and online worlds, so when will come the tipping point where it seems strange not to have a QR code on a press release, poster, shop signage, flyer, billboard, tin of beans..?

In fact, it feels like we’re already there. There should be one on everything that you do.

Here’s a video showing our integration of Facebook Places into the official Eristoff app guide to Volvo Snowbombing. Check out how to check in, so to speak.

Building on Alchemy Content’s content-driven iPhone app from Snowbombing in 2010, this year we’re breaking new ground by being the first festival to unlock the potential of the ‘checkin’ both as a way of locating friends quickly (always one of the most annoying festival problems) and also of entering realtime competitions for prizes and discounts.

Download V2.0 of the Eristoff App (a new update is due this week too).

Volvo Snowbombing takes place April 4-9 in Mayrhofen Austria with an almighty live/DJ line-up. Here’s the deal.

Previous generations may well have kept such things to themselves, but in an era where we are invited to rate, comment on, vote for and generally participate in almost every media item that comes our way, having ‘an opinion’ is now central to all our social experiences.

Polarisation & PR

The negative side of this can be seen in the frankly ridiculously polarised state of American politics, leading – it has fairly be argued – to the ultimate conclusion of events like the recent shootings in Tucson.

It also means that businesses, e.g. airlines, are having to fight a constant PR battle. The smallest event, often completely out of their control, can become a major incident in minutes if a celebrity Tweeter happens to fire off a disgruntled opinion.

On the positive side, this gives us all a voice, and our praise or complaints about customer service can provide hugely useful feedback for businesses and a level of interaction unheard of even a couple of years ago (if there is a strong online strategy in place, of course).

Blind Fury

Having just spent the best part of 4 hours trying to put up a blind, I think John Lewis need to know that their instructions were incomplete and misleading, plus didn’t even mention the helpful demonstration video that’s buried on the company’s website.

I certainly had ‘an opinion’ as I struggled on the stepladder. And it’s great that I can now get this across without having to embark on the thankless task of old fashioned letter writing. All too often online though, opinions end up as just an exaggerated spewing of vitriol. Those, or their opposite – the misleadingly positive, marketing driven spam posts, give this new people power a bad rep.

Strongly Undecided

I’m admittedly enjoying being able to highlight things I like or dislike to my friends, but just because the ability is now there, we could probably all do with keeping the majority of our daily opinions to ourselves.

Unusual as it may be currently, there’s a lot to be said for not voicing a strong opinion at all, or at least reserving judgement. Politics and our lives in general would be a lot nicer if everyone didn’t always feel the tribal need to shout whether they are ‘with us or against us’.

Now after all that, who’s going to ‘like’ this blog post on Facebook?

Today I was on the train to work when I discovered via Facebook that Josh Edmonds, a colleague of mine when we both worked at Ministry of Sound, was killed in a motorbike accident yesterday while travelling in Thailand.

It wasn’t long before my feed was full of shocked comments from friends we shared from that era. Grief aired publicly, immediately, emotively. Before it has even had a chance to sink in. Heartfelt words communicated via a platform so new our society hasn’t worked out what is and isn’t acceptable to post in such a tragic situation.

Having now witnessed this before, in those shocked first few minutes of grief people may leave what can appear to others as inappropriate posts. Using lots of exclamation marks or coming over as overly chatty, almost continuing the lighthearted text-speak banter they usually fire off. It doesn’t capture the gravity of the situation and some may feel it’s the ultimate indignity of our cult of the individual.

It’s fine testament to Josh that the posts today’s sad news generated were universally touching and deeply, thoughfully expressed.

I’m not sure that writing a blog post about the development of social media etiquette is even appropriate at this moment. But as my own tribute to such a talented young colleague, I’ll add this to the stream of online dedications that so many have been compelled to express today.

Many in society will take some convincing about this new way of dealing with death and grief, but this is how we communicate the minutiae of our lives today, so Facebook clearly IS the most appropriate place when it comes to expressing something really important to those that matter.

The number of people who changed their profile pictures to ones of themselves and Josh today was a silent but incredibly powerful statement. For all the scare stories about social networks eroding cultural values, they equally offer a very traditional form of support during difficult times. And if they make speaking about – and therefore coping with – death a little easier for us collectively then that is surely only a benefit to society, however we end up redrawing the lines of etiquette and media behaviour.

The saddest thing is that such an enthusiastic proponent of all today’s communications technologies will not now see them develop. RIP Josh.