PIONEERS OF DIGITAL / REVIEW

Mel Carson and Paul Springer, authors of a new book called Pioneers of Digital, have identified and collaborated with people pushing the boundaries of what's possible in digital, asking them to share their lessons, stories and insights.

The book's twenty chapters each focus on a different pioneer, including the so-called father of virtual reality, Jaron Lanier; Stephen Fry, lastminute.com co-founder Martha Lane-Fox and Blue State Digital's Thomas Gensemer on Barack Obama's digital campaign. Part of the book's key focus is across advertising, marketing, search and social media, and as a result agency-land is well represented, from Sapient Nitro's Malcolm Poynton, AQKA's Ajaz Ahmed, to Alex Bogusky, and Jess Greenwood, who moved from Contagious to R/GA earlier this year.

The pioneers seem to agree on some main points. Aim to create an emotional connection that is mutually beneficial to users without getting caught up in the wisdom of the crowd. Look to exisiting behaviours online. Try things out and iterate as you go. Have a long-term plan, but don't doggedly stick to it. Have an idea of how your product or service differentiates itself from competitors and a clear idea of who these competitors are.

Ahmed's advice succinctly sums up the book's sentiment: 'Work with strong people; keep continually inspired; and give something back to the next digital generation when you have the opportunity.'

Ultimately, the clear message is the importance of being passionate about what you do, staying curious and, perhaps most excitingly of all, the idea that the real potential of the internet is still to be harnessed, according to Denzyl Feigelson, advisor to iTunes.

The book provides an interesting series of anecdotes focusing on excellent work and success stories along with the lessons that can be learned to have an impact on the digital industry and the wider world.

www.pioneersofdigital.com

The book is avaliable on Amazon in the UK and US.

COMMENTS /