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Today is the first time that we deliver our feature article as an online video. In this 8-minute movie, we will present a summary of 2 workshops I attended recently. For more background information, check the paragraphs below; otherwise, we invite you to enjouy the video and tell us what you think of this new format.

Background to today’s video

Between the 23-26 of June, Annalie Killian coordinated and delivered an absolutely awesome Innovation and Thought Leadership festival in Sydney, and I was one of the lucky few people external to AMP that was allowed to purchase a ticket to this event.

The conference was a resounding success, and was innovative in its own right. Using a combination of international and local thought leaders, the 4 days were spent in discussions about Emergence and COnvergence. The resulting presentations and discussions were shared using online video and twitter updates amongst others; and featured a story-telling competition at a local pub where several researchers and PhD students had to tell us of their research in under two and a half minutes each.

The highlight of the 4-day conference to me where 2 exciting workshops by international luminaries. The first one was delivered by BJ Fogg, a leading researcher at the Persuasive Technology Lab @ Stanford University. In this workshop BJ shared  his main findings in the field of captology, the study of computerised persuasion. From this workshop I walked away with a real understanding of the 3 core elements required for effective persuasion, and an understanding of how to use computrised technology to achieve persuasion in online interactions.

The second workshop was based on story-telling, and was delivered by the other Spike Jones, a Word-of-Mouth marketer that is part of the US-based tribe @ Brains on Fire. In this workshop Spike explained the key ingredients to effective story-telling, and shared the FIRE framework. If you want to find out what FIRE stands for, then you better start watching the video

We hope you enjoy today’s installment of Reflections of a crazy Colombian, and invite you to leave your comments about this new format for our online magazine.