We haven’t done a Follow Friday in a while and I feel it is time to re-introduce the notion to our audience.

My top 3 people to follow from SXSW are as follows.

1. “Dog Bless You!”, Charlie Annenberg

Our first five minutes in the convention center in Austin, John Birdsong and I collided into Charlie Annenberg, who was immediately on point with a plan of action to help in the Japan Earthquake relief.

A message from Charlie Annenberg, founder of explore.org and Dog Bless You:

“The mission of explore.org is to champion the self less acts of others, to create a portal into the soul of humanity and to inspire life long learning. The most important thing for me is to create a portal into the soul. What is the easiest way to do this? Through dogs – they see our soul like no other. That is why as we build dog bless you, I believe that its mission should be to “champion the selfless acts of animals.”

Please feel free to share your stories about how your dog uplifts the human spirit.

Dog Bless You.

Charlie and Lucky

http://facebook.com/exploredogs

2. David Meerman Scott connected us to an network of interesting minds and influences. Of these we engaged with Renee Alexander of Unisef, Tim Washer of Cisco, John Jantsch of Ducktape Marketing and Aliza Sherman from the Social Media capital of the world, Toke Alaska to name a few. Both Tim and David were “In search of the outrageous” in Austin TX.

3. Paula Moore and Massive CIA

The transitional days between the Interactive and the Music is when all the magic happens at SXSW. As people were leaving after a week of the Interactive and Film portion, the music festival was just getting underway. Arriving into the city there is an energy of excitement. Being the last day in Austin, I left John and Adam to get some emails done at the Driskle hotel. I went strait to the second floor back patio where a couple of hip entertainment executives we setting up meetings and interviews. I politely asked if I could share the space and soon sat down next to them and began to tell them about the interactions between Roger Smith and Ben Franklin. #Rogersrewards.

Paula Moore turned to me and asked if I wanted to go out with her and her business partner Ralf Cavallaro… What else could I say. Not knowing at the time that I was hanging out with one of the Top Talent Scouts in the music industry, Paula introduced me to an amazing network. The connections made that night, have helped drive and inspire a new wave of professional and personal relationships. Founder of Massive Creative Intelligence Agency, Paula is a trip. Powerful and important, as she is a professional connector.

SXSW: The spies with Golden Ears

Through Paula I me Rev. David Ciancio of Yeah! Management who runs the the Social Media Rewards programs for Thrilllist. Rev’s energy and drive is going to bring wild excitement to the Pop up Marketing madness that is going around. I look forward to working with him in the future.

The common thread that connects Charlie, David and Paula is the fact that they are natural connectors. Great people of course with amazing sense of people in the room. Always interesting to follow.

Till next week.

If you like my list please RT #FF Dog Bless You and Charlie Annenberg, @DMScott, @Paula_Moore, @MassiveCIA SXSW 2011 @RShotel Follow Friday Pick!

Please leave a comment and connect with us to be part of our @RShotel culture.

Thanks,

John

This blog post is about James Burbank Knowles. I start with the give and take of brotherly advice!

James while caught in the middle, is the center of attention.

It is good to know that Brooks, Jack and Jimbo are the role models for the next generation.  The saga will continue. The new ones coming are in good hands.

And with that, I give my life to the spiritual guidance of another Jimbo. My respect for the name continues to grow in my heart.  I look to Jimbo for guidance, and what do I find?

Ben Franklin and a whole lot of Wooly Buggers. I see a happy man! I believe there is hope and success in his visions! I gladly introduce myself as “The Son of Ben Franklin.”

With spiritual guidance, golf lessons in life, respect for your bother and the responsibility of the next generation, I would say that James Knowles has been the biggest influencer in my life! I am proud to share a same last name!

I celebrate his life in the present, past and future.  With Love and Respect, I dedicate this blog post to my Grandfather who passed earlier this week. He was a sweet, and peaceful man who loved his wife and family.  May he rest in peace.

Thanks for reading.

Much love,

John

NEW YORK, March 28, 2011 PRNewswire

The Roger Smith Hotel is taking its creative and innovative brand to the next level with the launch of The Roger Smith Shorts, a series of six short films shot in the hotel by emerging filmmakers. The short narratives are directed by Aleks Degtyarev, Abianne Prince, John Birdsong, John Knowles, and Melissa Gonzales. The mid-town Manhattan boutique hotel is partnering with high quality video platform The FreeStyle Life in order to connect with consumers through traditional, social and mobile media. John Knowles, Director of Innovation at the Roger Smith Hotel, explains, “The quality of the viewers experience with relevant contextual marketing The FreeStyle Life provides a unique opportunity for us at the Roger Smith Hotel to further our community engagement.” The films’ online release kicks off in conjunction with the hotel’s new rewards program Roger’s Rewards.

The initiative is one that looks to give back to those who participate in the conversation. Each individual who comments on or reviews any of the six short films will receive $100 worth of Roger’s Rewards, which can be applied to a two night minimum stay in a Roger Smith Suite.  Terms and conditions apply.

The FreeStyle life provides a great compliment to the creative culture that is Roger Smith,” Knowles comments. “A platform that combines contextual marketing with groundbreaking documentaries, thought provoking films, and music videos by world-renowned artists, The FreeStyle Life is building a niche in the high end web video market.  ?CEO of The FreeStyle Life, Tommy Swanhaus, comments, “The use of film as a medium of connection through story telling along side the Roger Smith Hotel back drop makes the series a unique fit to The Free Life brand.” The Roger Smith Shorts films can be watched and voted on via The FreeStyle Life’s Tribe page (http://thefreestylelife.com/tribe.html).  The Roger Smith Shorts are Check Mate, The End, Shoe Fits, Hair Ball, Mother Teressa’s Hiatus, and the Counterpane Fairy. Enjoy the Roger Smith Shorts and be sure to share, comment and engage.

A marketing nugget is a trueism about best practice in marketing. It is a bit of information encouraged to be shared and contemplated by the masses. While at South by South West 2011, we @RShotel, asked top marketing minds to share their valuable insight in to the world of digital and offline marketing.

Thanks to all who participated.

Please share, comment and engage…
Enjoy

Marketing Nuggets #SXSW 2011

Carl Smith Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Matt Johnston Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Sarah Prevette Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Jon Schmidt Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

David Meerman Scott Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Renee Alexander Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

John Jantsch Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Aliza Sherman Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Ronald Waters Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Jon Edwards Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Khayyam Wakil Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Jeff Pulver Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Thomas Edwards Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Kosha Dillz Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Richard Propper Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

John Knowles Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Jim Caruso Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Jon Lazar Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Jamie Scheu Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Daniel Delaney Marketing Nugget SXSW 2011

Mark Horvath Marketing Nugget #SXSW 2011

They are all hotels that offer their own fashion events.

Hotels in New York City have long offered after-parties during fashion week. But this season, the trend extends beyond inviting well-paid international DJs to spin for the fashion set when the shows are over. Hotels are increasingly taking their marketing a step further by pairing up with designers and fashion purveyors to host their own shows and events.

Beauty stat a beauty web site, and the Roger Smith Hotel, held four daily contests this month that offered a stay in a suite for the first four days of Fashion Week. BeautyStat.com visitors entered the contest by leaving a comment about why they should win. The suites housing the four winners will be furnished with a survival kit filled with beauty and spa products, produced with fashionistas in mind.

Announcing Winners – Beauty Digs: New York Fashion Week Hotel Rooms Giveaway at The Roger Smith Hotel

Already we have received two comments on the New York Times Article showing customer appreciation for their stay at the Roger Smith Hotel.  It is been great brand exposure for Repêchage, great circulation of beauty stat and great exposure for the Roger Smith Hotel.

It has been a pleasure.
John Knowles
Director of Innovation

Feel free to reach out if you have any question about what we are doing with our branded suites @RShotel. @pancity is my handle!