I just returned from the West Coast.  While I was there I had a great opportunity to meet up with a former colleague from my ZDNet days, Jim Louderback.  For those of you who don’t know Jim, Jim was one of Ziff Davis’ biggest personalities.  He held many roles while at Ziff Davis, most notably editor-in-chief of PC Magazine and helped lead Ziff’s foray into TV with ZDTV/TechTV.  While at Tech TV, Jim hosted the popular program Fresh Gear, which showcased the latest in personal technology.  Long story short, Jim is a forward thinker and maverick.  His latest venture is as CEO of Revision3, an online TV network for the web that creates and produces its own original, broadcast quality programming.  Yes folks, Intenet Television for Generation Y is here and Revision3 is attracting a passionate following that is participating big time.

Jim gave me the tour of their studios and office in San Francisco. Wow.  As I said to Jim, Paul Allen, yes – the Paul Allen of Microsoft fame and an investor in ZDTV would be beside himself.  So much has changed in so short a time.  What was a multi-million dollar investment with lavish studios and big sets during ZDTV is now done in a small studio packed with the latest state of the art equipment.  While the physical difference is striking, so is the approach and results.  First off, Revision3’s audience views its programming when it wants (remember that consumer control thing), where it wants (all devices).  The audience is actively participating with the brand and fueling its rapid growth through forums and chats and that’s just the beginning.  What’s also very cool about Revision3 is they continue to look at pushing the envelop.  New innovative, participatory focused programming is hitting the internet and it could not be a more exciting atmosphere there. 

The latest venture is the first ever “live” online shopping program or should I say experience.  An email alert (there is that email communication encouraging participation again) gave me a heads-up to watch for “Deals, For The Win” (link goes live at 7PM) set to kick off on Monday, December 8, 2008 at 8PM EST.  The show’s experts will review products live and viewers are invited to ask questions and chat with the hosts.  Prizes, including video games and other cool stuff, will be given away by the hosts.  This is a start, and I’m sure given the continued build-out of the company’s forums and e-communications strategy, just a piece of more great things to come.  What we are seeing here is the formation of a future powerhouse in social shopping for technology products.  We are also seeing how participatory marketing, combined with a passionate audience, is reinventing traditional media and thinking. Congrats to the Revision3 team for once again pushing boundaries.  My hope is that I’ll be able to share some of the stats with you in a future post.

‘Til next time

Michael