I went to the Portland’s Demolicious last week. There was a room full of digerati (do we still use that term), five tech companies that were each given 5 minutes to pitch their business ideas and four more that were given a fast-paced 1-minute to pitch their ideas. It worked great: beer + smart people + a nice room-buzz.
Go to the website to see the winner GlobeSherpa, a public transportation mobile app that’s now in action here in Portland.
Personally, I was most dazzled by the app Show Of Hands, one of the 1-minute presenters. From their Website…
We collect (anonymously) and share (transparently) public opinion. Every single day.
Show of Hands was launched in 2009 as a free iPhone app with the goal of asking simple questions that can lead to mind-blowing insights. We allow users to sign-up anonymously using their mobile phones, and vote on a few poll questions each day. Poll topics are kept diverse – variety is the spice of life! Along with their opinions on these poll topics, we collect optional demographic information from our users – and this info is what really powers the fun. After voting on each poll question, every user can see the full real-time poll results, displayed geographically or by a variety of demographic filters including gender, age, income, and political party. Users can also comment on each question, which can lead to some of the more intelligent (sometimes) and humorous (often) discussion forums on the internet. 20 million votes later, we are just getting started.
I spoke with Tony Bacos, Show Of Hands’ leader today and asked if the advertising world had discovered his app. I hate to say this, but, P&G has found him but it dosen’t look like the advertising agency world has. Why not? And, why weren’t there any agency folks at the event? As I have written (ranted) before…. Why aren’t more agency people curious?
I have a few more opinions and advice for the advertising world.