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Attack of the Pinterest Clones!

Nothing says manly like playing with dolls

Attack of the Pinterest Clones!
Beware of the Pinterestpocalypse
originally published in MediaPost's Social Media Insider

It happens while you sleep. One night, you’re visiting your favorite website. Then, you wake up, visit it again, and you can’t recognize it anymore. Did you enter the URL correctly? It’s not your imagination: your favorite site has been turned into yet another Pinterest clone!

Shut down your laptop, run for the hills, and stock up on Smirnoff as you wait out this Pinterestpocalypse. The success of Pinterest, amazing and deserved as it is, has inspired many sites old and new to mimic its design. That’s making all internet users victims of Pinterest’s success.

This is a new era for mimicry. During Web 1.0, there was little attention to design at all, and sites tended to borrow each other’s features. Then with Web 2.0, many major sites and startups all conformed to a number of the same design elements. With Pinterest, the degree of mimicry is usually what you expect when a site like Facebook gets big in the U.S., and then nearly identical sites pop up in China and Russia. American companies are now so brazen that dozens seem to have collectively decided to copy Pinterest’s design and functionality with absolutely no concern of diluting their own properties in the process.

There are many forms of Pinterest cloning. Here are six ways this is happening now:

Existing properties relaunching as Pinterest clones: Sadly, this has happened to a couple of my favorite sites. While I’ve never been the target audience for StyleCaster, I have always loved their work, but their redesign is so reminiscent of Pinterest that I can’t get past the new homepage. Then there’s bo.lt, a company I’ve always found innovative and often found controversial. I tried out their new beta site, which looks even more like Pinterest than the background of the new bo.lt homepage implies. I asked the fun-loving crew there if it was a practical joke mocking Pinterest clones. It isn’t. Given my deep admiration for the teams at both companies, I can only hope that the Pinterest emulation pays off.

Pinterest clones that encourage sharing inspiring images: We Heart It says that you should “create your own inspiration gallery today,” and then encourages you to “start hearting and sharing your favorite images.” Heart should never be a verb, unless you’re an Oberlin alumnus living in Brooklyn who is trying too hard to be ironic. We Heart It also says to sign in with Facebook or Twitter, or “join manually.” I think it’d be fun to join manually, like writing out a membership application on a typewriter, or with a pencil and paper, and then submitting it through the mail. How much more selective would you be with registering for sites if you had to join manually?

Pinterest clones even more directly focused on shopping: Have to Have says “save time and money.” The Fancy says “unlock crazy good deals.” Both scream, “We’re too tired to be original.” Pinterest already makes it easy to buy many of the products shared through its site, so as Pinterest forges ahead with a commercial model, these sites will be even less relevant.

Pinterest clones so overtly derivative that a freshman college student interning for an ambulance chaser could draft the cease-and-desist letter to shut them down: For Exhibit A, I present Pinspire. This is where you “discover, collect and share your inspirations.” They’ve cloned Pinterest’s functionality, design, and even its name. And there’s absolutely no sign of shame in doing so. I have to give them credit for coming up with even more “pin” words, though. For instance, you can earn “Pinpoints” when you “pin, and repin, like, and comment on pins and more.” Are these people insane? The only thing that offends me more is that the spelling and grammar are so good that it’s clear someone literate is behind this site.

Pinterest clones that are just for men: Since Pinterest’s audience is disproportionately female, a number of people independently arrived at the same idea: men would love the site if only it was filled with condescending, testosterone-heavy stereotypes from the 1980s. At MANteresting, you “share manly things with the community.” When I visited, the homepage featured a photo of “Mad Men” dolls. Guys who think playing with dolls is too masculine to share on Pinterest are probably the same ones reading “The Help” because “The Hunger Games” is too feministic for them. Another clone is Dartitup, which men are supposed to use “to collect ideas for everything from bachelor parties to bachelor pads, sports, glutinous food and all of life's glorious wonders.” Dante probably envisioned a region of hell for copy this bad. It’s also unintentionally hilarious on multiple levels. I’m familiar with the stereotype of men being gluttonous, but I had no clue that guys enjoyed sticky, viscous food, as this copy suggests.

Pornographic Pinterest clones: Pinterest is a dangerous site. During a talk last fall to 200 of my agency’s most important clients and all of our senior management, I inadvertently showed a Pinterest screen capture that included a very artistic and very nude female. I’ll never forget the dinner afterward, when a client asked, “So what was up with the naked chick?” Despite my firsthand education with the steamy side of Pinterest, the site is way too tame for some people, so there are pornographic Pinterest clones like Snatchly (the landing page at snatchly.com is mostly safe for work, if you’re curious). This is the one genre of cloning that should be condoned, if not encouraged. After all, the mass market has spent years stealing digital innovations popularized by the porn industry, including live chat, streaming video, and freemium online content models. It’s about time the broader digital media industry can return the favor to pornographers.

The future for Pinterest clones is questionable. Pinterest is just getting started, but the hype around it will settle. By the time that happens, Pinterest will need to focus even more on growing its mobile audience, and its mobile app presents a far more straightforward user interface, given screen size limitations and other factors. The clones won’t disappear, though. Some will adapt and clone whatever Pinterest becomes, some will morph into whatever internet users glom on to next, and -- one hopes -- some will quietly fade away, as the horrors of the Pinterestpocalypse recede.

The Curse of Meh

The Curse of Meh
originally published in MediaPost's Social Media Insider

The app Oink just joined the great pigsty in the sky, or wherever apps go to die. While many apps deserve to be put out of their misery, oftentimes I don’t have the heart to delete an app. The app may have something appealing about it, or it may be an early version that’s likely to improve. Such apps have something in common: they’re all “Meh.”

Urban Dictionary defines “meh” as “indifference; to be used when one simply does not care.” That’s an apt definition, and it’s the first definition I’ve found on the site that is completely G-rated. I have enough Meh apps on my iPhone that I created a second folder called “Meh 2,” and I now have more apps in Meh folders than I do in any other category.

Almost all of the apps in the Meh folders are social in a significant way. Oink was a classic example. It was a beautifully designed app for sharing recommendations, and it was fun to use. Yet I could never figure out when or why to use it instead of some other app.

I showed a friend my Meh system at South by Southwest (SXSW) last week, and he kept saying how much he loved so many of these apps, and then noted how seldom he used any of them. When Oink died, I wrote him, “There has been big news this week. One of my beloved Meh apps, Oink, just joined the deadpool! Let the Curse of Meh begin.” He responded, “Bummer about Oink… I loved the app, though truth be told, I never USED the app much, and I guess that’s the first big step towards the deadpool, as it were.” Bingo.

This massive generation of Meh apps is an inevitability. There are more than 500,000 applications available in the iTunes store, and another 400,000 for Android (with massive overlap). How many have you used, ever? We’re far past the point of anyone beyond a few full-time app reviewers having ever tried more than 1% of all apps.

Social apps, or apps that are largely social, face an added challenge. Not only do they need to be great, but they need to tap into the network effect where the app becomes more useful as other people join. That means that it’s disproportionately likely that a social app will fail.

A colleague came by to talk about SXSW, and then asked, “With all the apps out there, how can they survive if they keep catering to smaller and smaller audiences?” He was referring to location-based services such as Highlight that seem to cater to a relatively finite base of people who are open to constantly sharing their locations and meeting new people. It’s a fair question, as apps today tend to be unfathomably ambitious (“We’re the next Facebook, but with Google’s business model”) or targeted to very specific user bases (“Rural Americans with gay cats will love sharing this with their prematurely balding children”).

And then, there are surprises. There were blogging platforms before Tumblr came around and made blogging mainstream. It was easy to share photos before Instagram made it even easier and more fun. I don’t know what there was before Pinterest, but I don’t think people were sitting around clamoring for something like it, either. These are all far cries from Meh, they’ve earned their success, and they are inspiring many more to keep trying. That’s the upside of Meh: The reason so many apps wind up there is because enough others have set our expectations so high.

Partner Plug: BDI's The Social Consumer 2012: Case Studies and Roundtables March 22

MarketersStudio.com is a media sponsor of BDI. You can read my media sponsorship policy here. These BDI events are among my favorites, and I get no monetary reward of any kind for plugging them. They combine of elements that make for a valuable day: strong speakers, a concise agenda, networking opportunities, and a crowd of interesting people.

For additional information, including registration, please click here to visit the event website. Use promo code MS for a discounted rate of $175.

Date: March 22, 2012
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Place: The Graduate Center of The City University of New York; 365 Fifth Avenue; New York, NY 10016
Registration Fee: $195.00
Website: www.bdionline.com/socialconsumer2012.html 

Social Consumer News:
The Rapid Ascension of Pinterest and Social Shopping Sites, 2/09/2012 PC Magazine
10 Hot Web Startups Changing the Face of Retail , 2/03/2012 Mashable Social Media
Startup Launches to Save Men From Giving Bad Gifts on Valentine's Day, 2/01/2012 Mashable Social Media

About the Event:
We all know that consumer behavior is rapidly changing. This half-day conference will showcase very specific case studies that demonstrate how leading brands engage, influence and service consumers through innovative social programs. 

This conference will answer the following questions:

• How are brands using content strategy and content marketing as valuable currency to attract and retain customers and prospects?
• What are specific examples of how brands provide better customer service through social CRM?
• How do you embrace mobile social strategies including location-based programs to increase sales and strengthen your brand?
• How are leading brands engaging customers through social games?
• What are the best examples of how leading e-commerce brands embrace social commerce to increase sales and provide better service?
• How does Facebook's open graph and the explosion of the "like button" impact consumer marketing?
• How do leading organizations use and integrate social data from measurement and monitoring programs to shape and refine their marketing and communications strategy?
• How do leading brands integrate social with their overall marketing, communications, and customer service platforms?

Speakers and Roundtable Moderators:
Stephanie Agresta, EVP, Managing Director of Social Media, Weber Shandwick & Board of Directors, Social Media Advertising Consortium 
David Berkowitz, VP Emerging Media, 360i & Blogger, MarketersStudio.com
Marcy Cohen, Sony
Jenny Dervin, Vice President of Corporate Communications, JetBlue Airways
BJ Emerson, VP Technology, Tasti D-Lite LLC 
Ed Garsten, Head, Electronic Communication, Chrysler Group LLC
Matt Gentile, Director - PR and Social Media, Century 21 Real Estate LLC
Jason Metz, SVP Client Strategy, AWESTRUCK Marketing Group
Tom Miale, Director, Multimedia Engagement, MultiVu
Beverly Thorne, Chief Marketing Officer, Century 21 Real Estate Inc.
Jessica Valenzuela, The Empress and Curator, Mavin Digital, Inc.

Hotel Sponsor: Hotel 373 is the official hotel of BDI's events. Click here to receive a discounted rate

Sponsors:
PR Newswire; The Wall Street Journal Digital Network; Anderson Direct Marketing; Awestruck Marketing Group; The JAR Group; MotiveQuest ; Adrants; Cinchcast; Interactive Advertising Bureau; Marketers Studio; Mavin Digital; National Association of Women MBAs; New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies; Public Relations Society of America - New York Chapter; Social Media Advertising Consortium

For event related questions and registration, please contact Maria Feola-Magro at [email protected] or 212.765.8043.
For sponsorship/speaking opportunities, including pricing, please click here or contact Jennifer Brous at [email protected] or 212-765-8358.

For additional information, including registration, please click here to visit the event website. Use promo code MS for a discounted rate of $175.

What SXSW Attendees Need Most

As I'm starting to write this column at South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi), I'm wrapping up lunch with two marketers from a global brand. One is on her iPhone, and the other is on his BlackBerry. While we've sat here, I received a group text update on GroupMe from someone at this table.

Something is very, very wrong in Austin. How did this become an acceptable approach to social interaction? To understand it, here is how social engagements work at SXSWi:

1) Before the festival, you receive party invites, whether directly from the party's hosts, via your connected SXSW alumni friends, or through one of several digital groups you have joined.

2) You prioritize responding to events based on the class system of whether you're invited as a VIP or hoi polloi. VIPs usually get some mix of line-cutting, free drinks, and access to roped-off areas. I went to one event where the greeter at the door asked, "Are you VIP or regular?" I jokingly responded, "You let regulars in here? That's it. I'm going elsewhere." He didn't think it was funny.

3) Then it’s time to create a schedule. For some people like me, the meetings and social functions usually run from about 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. – a full 16 hours with little downtime. Others may attend sessions during the first eight hours. Either way, it requires a Ph.D. in time management.

4) During the show, constantly ask people what events they're going to. This serves two purposes: showing you've heard about popular social functions, and instilling a sense of jealousy in the person who has the weaker hand. It’s like a deck of cards. The Jay-Z party (ace of spades) beats the Mashable party (four of diamonds), but the Jay-Z ticket could be countered by a combination of VIP access to Foursquare's event and dinner at the Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas.

5) As each day progresses, people link up through Foursquare, GroupMe, and SMS to change some of their plans on short notice and find their friends. When you're at a party, you constantly check your phone to receive vital messages from group chats like, "No, not the taco bar, the bloody Mary bar" and "That was the 5th best ‘Rolling in the Deep’ cover I heard tonight."

It's the last part that's the killer. SXSW is in many ways the most-social event many folks will go to in their professional lives, due to the sheer number of opportunities to have meaningful conversations with other interesting people. Without much difficulty, I can go through the notes and business cards collected from the trip and find a dozen people who I am confident will add some kind of value to my clients and/or my agency this year. A handful of these new acquaintances will probably become friends. This is all the more surprising given how most real-world interactions that I had with people at SXSW involved simultaneous interactions with mobile devices.

While this might be a problem at other times of year, SXSW exacerbates it in ways that defy comprehension. Attendees are trained to make the most of the festival by living in the past, present, and future simultaneously. There’s the present social interaction with real people, the need to constantly plan the rest of the day while adjusting to other plans that have changed, and the urge to continually publicly share one’s activities as a way to document what happened.

Next year, I expect some quiet acts of rebellion. Imagine a party with a roped-off area that’s not for VIPs but for people who aren’t using any consumer electronics. Imagine moments of digital silence where no one is allowed to do anything but interact with others in the room. Imagine people setting personal rules that when their devices’ batteries run out, they won’t recharge them until the end of the night.

SXSW Interactive remains my favorite conference; there’s nothing remotely like it. I just hope that next year, attendees like me have the strength to stop constantly communicating and sharing digitally. Yes, Austin could use a few more hotel rooms and outlets, but what SXSWi attendees need the most is presence. That’s the goal for SXSW 2013. Attending is easy. Being present will take more work.

Why There Won't Be Another Twitter at SXSW

While I'm in Austin for South by Southwest Interactive, a frequent topic of discussion of what the hot app is this year. This is due largely to Twitter, which was founded in 2006 and then gained a rampant following of early adopters at SXSW in 2007.

That inspired this post in Ad Age on why 2007 was so unique for SXSW and Twitter:

Thanks to Twitter, digital media pundits spend all year making predictions about what technology will break through at the following SXSW. In this echo chamber, it's a bigger deal than picking the winner of the Super Bowl, the Oscars, and the presidential election. It helped that Dennis Crowley debuted Foursquare at 2009's festival, giving SXSW even more clout for launching tech brands. In 2011, GroupMe popularized group messaging, while rival app Beluga, garnering somewhat less buzz, was subsequently acquired by Facebook. The parlor game remains as vibrant as ever in 2012.

This year, there won't be another Twitter. There will be technologies that attract some degree of fame, but Twitter was an anomaly. In 2007, it was fine for a technology as broad and undefined as Twitter to capture the imaginations of attendees. Now, there are four specific criteria that will determine what wins:

Read the full post at Ad Age for the criteria and the prediction for SXSWi 2012.