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Andy aims for a Web of Generosity

Andy Bell from David Wilcox on Vimeo.

Some of the most interesting conversations at 2gether08 will, I suspect, be when activists and social media types get together with TV broadcasters and digital marketing specialist. That’s because they’ll have to talk about what’s engaging and makes a difference, rather than the latest tools and industry trends.
Andy Bell has been working in that cross-over space for the past few years, moving from RDF Interactive to set up Mint Digital in 2004 with the aim of fusing the participation of the web with the buzz of TV. I like the way he responded to The Guardian’s Elevator Pitch challenge to explain your business to your Mum (very briefly):
“You know Big Brother? You know Facebook? No? Oh well, um, anyway, imagine mixing the two. That’s what Mint does.”
Andy is developing two sessions for 2gether08. The first is on a Web of Generosity, which Andy has trailed over on our Backstage blog:

The best websites are hugely generous. Google gives you incredible power to find information. Facebook gives you better ways to connect with your friends.

TV is generous too. Every day, each channel gives away millions of pounds worth of content.

But when TV people come to the web, all they see is cash.

Instead of asking ‘how can we monetise these eyeballs?’, it would be better to ask ‘what can we give away?’. TV people have rare skills that put them in a great place to answer this question.

The value of intellectual property is changing. What can we learn from the following examples:

• Free software: open code has gone from being the lunatic fringe to Venture Capital orthodoxy in 15 years.

• Event-based advertising: Innocent Village Fete and Red Bull Flugtag and Nike Run London show new ways to reach audiences in the age of ad skipping.

• Music: you can’t sell IP on CDs anymore, but the new music economy is thriving.

What is the best stuff to give away? And as Channel 4 launched 4IP - what skills can the broadcast community leverage?

He adds: “any examples or thoughts would be much appreciated. This proposed talk is v sketchy at the moment. Be Good is an interesting start point if you want to read more.”

The second session, as I found when I interviewed Andy, is going to be “a musical extravagancy of common characters you might meet in the web 2.0 world”.

I ‘m sure Andy is is going to be generous there too … and if you want to pitch for a role you might like to pop over to our networking site and make friends with Andy. Once you have created you own engaging profile, of course.

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