Entrepreneur, Creative Explorer, Author, CEO & Founder of Moosylvania
Now Playing: My Playlist #625
I went back to my J-school in the Spring of ’23 and asked the Dean for two new grads to help me research AI’s cause and effect on originality. The more we learned, the more we learned what we didn’t know. A year later, here’s what we do know. Human Intelligence – HI - needs AI and vice versa. Original ideas can come quicker if you know how to prompt them. Also, monkeys using AI are pretty smart.
AI makes everything so easy that even a monkey can do it. In fact, they ARE doing it. So here’s your chance to test your Human Intelligence and go head-to-head against a monkey using AI. Let’s see if your human intelligence can match wits or even beat a bot. May the best brain at least break even.
Who are they and what do they want? I started off producing a rock opera during the pandemic, bringing in songwriters and performers from Nashville, Boston and LA. Everyone had time, so we went deep into it – creating a musical and theatrical homage to the most famous extra-terrestrial sightings, beginning in June 1947 to the present day. Hop aboard and see where the ship is headed next.
At the beginning of the pandemic, no one was smiling. I had this idea that dogs would save us, but we needed songs for them to sing along. So I recruited 17 Nashville songwriters to each write a song about different breeds of dogs – all for the benefit of shelters nationwide... On the first zoom, one of them asked “Whose perspective are we writing from, the dog or the owner?” After winning an Innovation in Philanthropy award, this project still has legs. Four of them…
I partnered with ex-Mooser, Brian Clever to begin producing wearables that talk. The first product was “Talkin’ Tees” – kids t-shirts that come to life with the a tap and play on their parent’s phone. We integrated a patch on the shirt with an NFC tag to drive instant play value and exclusivity. The whole business of connected wearables has applications in music, sports and business events.
Starting around 2006, Moose formed a research division to envision what clients would need in the future. Around 2010, it was brand attraction from millennials – so we launched the top 100 millennial brands report by asking those cohorts to name their three favorite brands and tell us why. That led to two books, a speaking tour and 10 years of national surveys.
Make ‘Em Look Good, Make ‘Em Feel Good, Keep ‘Em Entertained still works…
If you worked at Moose for most of its 21 years, you know about phone-sex wine. I had this sales person who would call me and describe wine. Convincingly. Marketers appreciate the craft – and well, we bought a lot of wine that I would serve on Fridays. Working on a two book fictional series – and of course, the lead character sells wine with an attitude. Let’s just say, she gets herself into a little trouble.
I founded the agency as a place for creative marketers to do their best work and have fun. It’s 21 years in and I’ve had the joy and privilege of collaborating with hundreds of strategists and creative types, all great friends and colleagues. I still get a thrill developing new talent and getting consumers to Join the Brand. Visit our headquarters in our circa 1926 former church, the Embassy of the Republic of Moosylvania.
When in-person research lost its relevance, we turned the focus group facility into a co-working environment. About a dozen startups are camped throughout. We dig their energy and they dig the vibe of Maplewood. If you’re looking for a place to hang your hat, check it out.