//Livestreaming 4.0: Why video alone is not enough

multiple screens

The cancellation of major trade shows, conventions and events has prompted companies and brands to switch to a digital presentation of their newest products. Many of those brands have turned to live streaming in order to deliver the “live experience” to their audience’s homes or to editorial offices. However, an online press conference or web-based product launch should offer more than just a simple broadcast of moving images. This is particularly true for special and demanding target groups such as media, investors and also generally for B2B communications. 

The cancellation happened at very short notice. Only two days before the first press day, the organizers of the Geneva International Motor Show announced that one of the most important trade shows of the industry would not take place. As a result, many car manufacturers moved their product presentations and world premieres online. They presented their latest models via livestream.

In general, livestream formats are a good way of providing media and other stakeholders with content and information they cannot obtain in person. However, demands of modern digital PR and communications won’t be satisfied by simply showing videos and presentation slides. The quality of information, the experience of that content, and the framework for its presentation have to perfectly fit together – just like at a physical event.

Rule of thumb: A digital premiere does not necessarily have to be expensive. However, it can only be effective if you give it as much attention to detail as you do with a conventional product launch. This applies to the preparation, the content, the protagonists and the “information logistics”. Only a true multi-faceted digital experience can come close to an in-person experience – a plain broadcast of images will certainly not.

Diversity is king

A modern and powerful tool for live PR offers professional users additional and in-depth information in a wide variety of formats. And it presents this information in context, on a proprietary platform with a proprietary setup, in a multimedia manner and in top quality. In addition, there should be download and magazine areas, high-quality photos of protagonists and products, video clips, prepared quotes (or even entire transcripts) as well as detailed fact sheets. 

The diversity of the content not only provides a wide and ideal working basis, but also takes into account the native integration of the content on the stakeholders’ individual communication channels.

UX is queen

Apart from the content aspect, modern PR platforms convince by providing an intuitive and compelling user interface. The decisive factor here is a visceral experience – regardless of whether users access the platform on a desktop or with their phone or tablet.

Interactive elements are equally important. Is it possible to show individual subtitles in the livestream? Is there an additional level of information that allows users to learn more about the product and the formation process?

Further usability criteria are multiple viewing angles in the livestream, search and filter options as well as the possibility to share content to other platforms by simply clicking a button.

Best practice: Mercedes me media

A modern PR tool for live communications can be compared to a digital content hub. While visitors at a classic trade show have to take notes and photos themselves and look and ask for additional information, the content hub is a place where all these assets are provided as a package.

A prime example is “Mercedes me media” – the digital media platform that has been developed by Mercedes-Benz in close collaboration with OSK. It is currently the most powerful tool for live PR and it offers journalists and other users a comprehensive service package, from speech transcripts to a snapshot function for generating high-res images. The application includes the audience authentically into the digital live event despite spatial separation. While some manufacturers simply posted pre-produced videos online after the Geneva Motor Show was cancelled, Mercedes-Benz used the “Mercedes me media” platform to vitalize a digital live press conference with appealing video sequences, engaging interviews and, last but not least, a real product presentation.

Mercedes-Benz is using the technological possibilities of this innovative communications platform even beyond Coronavirus-impacted situations. Early December 2019, the brand presented their latest compact car model, the new GLA, in a purely digital world premiere for the first time ever. The audience watched the product launch with augmented reality, had the possibility to switch between different camera angles, take snapshots of the livestream and turn on the speech transcript. 

This first digital world premiere of the Mercedes-Benz GLA on “Mercedes me media” accurately underlines the digital transformation the brand is undergoing. It moreover showcases the vast possibilities the platform offers for modern digital PR.

//CES 2020 is over. It’s time to start planning CES 2021.

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. (Photo by CES®)

4,400 exhibitors, almost 2.9 million square feet of exhibition space, 175,000 visitors – the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was again a must-attend for anybody interested in tech. But now is not the time to reminisce about the many highlights presented this year. The next CES from January 6th to January 9th 2021 will once again transform Las Vegas into a gadget wonderland and if you want to participate as an exhibitor, you need to start planning well ahead of time. Here are some key facts you should know in advance and deadlines that are quickly approaching.

Robots that make pizza, glasses with integrated displays, self-driving cars – CES was once again the launch pad for a plethora of new products that could significantly change our lives. Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things were hot topics this year, so were 8k TVs and 5G technologies. The automotive industry also contributed a fair share to the line-up of innovations – from ever-popular autonomous cars and electrified engines to vehicles that present a new way of interaction between humans and machines.

Mid-size businesses next to global corporations

At CES, products will be seen by a wide range of international, tech-obsessed audiences with a high reach in social media. The show is also highly covered nationally and internationally by both general and trade media. It has moreover evolved into an effective B2B platform with an impressive potential for sales. Technology and mobility representatives, who want to present their product innovations to a big audience, will find that Las Vegas is their perfect stage.  An appearance is well worth it for mid-size businesses as much as it is for global corporations.

The ZF Press Conference at the Mandalay Bay hotel on the CES media days (Photo by CES®)

CES offers almost three million square feet of exhibition space between the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) and various hotels. The show is even expanding: The new West Hall will offer as much space as ten football fields upon completion in 2020. Whoever wants to expose their products to as much foot traffic as possible should plan to have a booth at the LVCC. Exhibition spaces at the various hotels are more suitable for exclusive events and meetings with selected and invited guests.

Which size fits best?

As a crowd pleaser, CES is very popular with exhibitors, which is why you have to be quick: The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is assigning a majority of prime spaces at the LVCC already in February.  If you are not a member of the CTA, one square foot will cost you 46 USD. Members will receive a discounted price of 41 USD per square foot. Looking at booth sizes, this means that the smallest booth space (approximately 100 square feet) will be available for a fee of 4,100 USD for the duration of the show. On the upper end of that spectrum, some of the biggest spaces with approximately 10,000 square feet will cost you around 410,000 USD.

The Siemens Mobility booth at CES (Photo by CES®)

Apply for keynotes now!

If you are interested in giving a keynote, get on it now. Keynotes that are happening on the big stage at Las Vegas Strip locations such as the Park Theater or the Venetian Hotel and Resort are in high demand. However, you cannot simply book a slot but have to actually apply for it. The unofficial deadline for keynote applications is March and applicants are being selected based on the variety and appeal of their program.

Speaker diversity plays as big a role as the content and entertainment factor of the presentation. In order to be selected, it is not enough to simply launch a new product. Guests are expecting something visionary that is packed into an appealing narrative and presented in an exciting way.

Mercedes-Benz’s keynote address to present its new concept car included Hollywood director James Cameron whose Avatar movie inspired the vehicle (Photo by CES®)

Keynotes are therefore most suitable for high-profile companies with well-known brands and relevant products or services for consumers all around the globe. If you decide to go for it, you have to bring your A game. It is important that a company’s CEO takes the stage and tells a genuine story. Yet, CES is not just in its name a show, but in quite a literal sense as well. After all, the show is taking place in Las Vegas, meaning visitors are coming to see an impressive performance. Entertainment is key and it needs to support the message both creatively and authentically. Last but not least: Keep your keynote short and to the point!

Press conferences and panels before and during CES

Speaking of keeping it to the point: This rule also applies to other appearances such as smaller press conferences and presentations on the two media days prior to the opening of the actual show. At Mandalay Bay, an array of press conferences follow one another which is very efficient and convenient for journalists as they can get and create a lot of content without much effort and travel between locations. And here is some good news for short-term planners: You don’t have to plan far ahead of time as you can book small press conference slots relatively late in the year.

Over the course of the four CES show days, a multitude of panels take place discussing various topics (Photo by CES®)

During the four show days of CES, you can also hold a press conference at your own booth. I would recommend this option for brands with a less recognizable name – the hidden heroes of the show whose products and services are relevant for niche audiences. Exhibitors can also participate in panel discussions or even host them. These discussions are a good opportunity to position your company as an expert in specific topics. Each press conference and panel is promoted through the CES app and website, which is very helpful and convenient as visitors use these platforms to find and mark interesting and relevant events for their individual CES schedule.

An event outside of CES

Thinking in terms of efficiency, you might wonder: Your target audience is in Vegas already, so why not make use of it and invite them to your own separate event outside of the show? But beware: It is not always recommendable to throw your own party only because you have potential guests present in the same city. Whether or not to have your own outside event should be carefully evaluated. Those extra events are not officially part of CES, meaning they won’t be listed in any type of CES program or communication for visitors to discover. Side programs are therefore only feasible if you have invited and brought your own guests to Las Vegas and want to provide them with a deep-dive into your topics through workshops or additional presentations.

At the end of the day, one can say that CES is the perfect platform for technology providers to position themselves as innovation leaders and present their products and services to a global audience. Las Vegas is worth the trip for every techie. Just don’t wait too long before deciding to attend.

//5 CES Trends From Tech Expert Katie Linendoll That Nobody Has Told You Yet!

Twitter: @KatieLinendoll
Instagram: katielinendoll

By Katie Linendoll – The tech-expert, journalist, and Emmy Award-winning TV personality has given us an exclusive insight into her highlights of this year’s CES. Katie is a CES veteran who knows the hottest topics and developments you need to be aware of. 

For techies, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is one of the most anticipated events of the year. An estimated 175k attendees have touched down in Las Vegas to see some of the latest and greatest technologies unveiled. Every CES has its “themes” and this year, there is a heavy presence of 5G, AI, and 8K TVs. But what are some outsider tech unveils you might not have heard about? Here are some interesting ones to note!

Mercedes and Avatar Release a Concept Car 130 Years Into the Future

The auto industry and auto technology presence continues to grow at CES, and one of the biggest announcements was the partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Avatar. Full disclosure: I had the pleasure of working with Mercedes for a second year at CES, moderating their executive conversations. I might be a bit biased, but the Vision AVTR, a concept vehicle with a unique goal to merge technology, nature and the human experience, created a lot of buzz at CES.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

The vehicle is “woken up” by placing your hand on the center console and then synchronizes with your heartbeat, and touches like the bionic flaps can mimic your mood or harvest solar energy. You can even drive sideways! So not only is this vehicle futuristic, it’s also sustainable, showcasing Mercedes’ continued sustainability efforts in the industry—a bigger focus than ever at CES and rightfully so!

Streaming Services are Growing

Photo by Disney+

From originals like Netflix and Hulu to newcomers like Apple TV+ and Disney+, streaming services is a crowded yet growing space. One newcomer that is making a splash at CES is Quibi, a new platform featuring maximum ten-minute long episodes. Quibi is headed by Meg Whitman (former HP CEO) and Jeffery Katzenberg (co-founder of DreamWorks) and will launch in April with two subscription options starting at $4.99. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, Quibi’s content budget alone is 1 billion dollars.

Customize Your Makeup!

Valued at over 500 billion USD, the beauty industry is constantly growing, and so does its presence in tech by way of bloggers, apps, and gadgets. We are seeing more beauty tech products at CES this year than ever. L’Oréal, who has made buzz over the last few years, announced Perso—an in-home device that outputs customized makeup and skincare.

The device works in tandem with an app that first uses your smartphone’s front-facing camera to analyze your skin. You can then choose from an array of color options or even match from daily trends found on Instagram. Once you make a color choice, and virtually see it on your face via augmented reality, it just takes a few clicks and the unit begins dispensing your personalized skincare, liquid lipstick, or foundation on demand. Testing this out in person easily made it one of the top picks of CES.

Virtual Reality – Will it Become Mainstream?

Photo by Panasonic

Since its infancy, I have been personally amazed by the capabilities of virtual reality, but it seems to have never quite caught on. At CES, there was once again no shortage of virtual reality and augmented reality devices. One standout was Panasonic’s VR Headset—a new take on a headset. The typically-clunky headgear display was reimagined as wearable looking glasses. Panasonic was able to bring a 1.3 OLED screen to each eye, fitting into the sleek form factor.

Out of Toilet Paper?  A Robot Will Fetch You a Fresh Roll! 

Photo by Charmin

It is my twelfth year attending CES and while not much can surprise me at this point, I was completely amused seeing Charmin’s RollBot—a robot that delivers you a fresh roll of toilet paper. Though only a concept, it provides a good laugh and is a nod to the more ‘unique’ technologies that get significant buzz every year at CES.

Even if you aren’t tech savvy, CES once again made a big splash across all headlines this week! With over 4,500 companies and thousands of attendees going at full speed for the past few days, I expect a lot of techies are ready for a nap. And as expected, there’s even a smart pillow for that!

//All my bags are packed, I’m ready for take-off

Always on the road – that applies very much to our team. We are travel enthusiasts, both in our work and private lives.

On our vacations in 2019, we have ventured to places such as Spain, Italy, France, the UK, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Thailand, and all the way down under to Australia. And while privately we traveled abroad quite a bit, our work trips have taken us all over the States again.

On average, each of us spent 40 days on the road with about 9 trips per person. Our most frequent traveler had a total of 111 days out of the office spread over 22 trips.

With the new year around the corner, we look back at the highlights of each month’s travel in 2019. We are excited to see what 2020 has in store for us!

//Wine, perfume, and a good time – our first Creative Talk

On December 4th, 2019, we hosted the first event of our new event series Creative Talks which deep-dives into one topic pertaining to one of our key expertise areas: Design, Communications and Events.

Our inaugural Creative Talk revolved about the transformation of retail spaces from point of sales to storytelling platforms. We invited industry leaders and opinion makers to participate and share their insights and perspectives on the topic of the day.

Our guest speakers were Nick Arauz, CEO of Caswell-Massey – the oldest personal care product brand in America that more or less used George Washington for its first “influencer” campaign – and Tyler Balliet, CEO and Founder of Rosé Mansion – one of New York’s most popular pop-up experiences that combines wine tasting with relevant stories and instagrammable moments.

Check out the highlights here:

//Tribute in Light: In remembrance of the World Trade Center Twin Towers

The Tribute Lights to remember the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center

For the 18th time the Tribute in Light illuminated the skies of Downtown Manhattan on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The two vertical lights symbolize the fallen Twin Towers of the World Trade Center that collapsed in 2001.

Birds “trapped” in the light beams (Photo: nytimes.com/Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

From our South office windows, we have a perfect view of Downtown Manhattan, and on a clear night like it was, we got to clearly see the blueish lights as they reached far into the sky. Located a little bit south of the actual World Trade Center, the installation consists of 88 searchlights – pretty impressive!

Side story: According to the New York Times, the bright lights are endangering approximately 160,000 birds every year. The beams lure the birds off their normal migratory flight paths, which puts them at risk of exhaustion, starvation and injuries due to the amount of glass skyscrapers in the area. Luckily, a group of scientists and volunteers keep an eye out for the birds and make sure the lights are actually shut down for a short period of time if the number of birds trapped gets too high.

//Welcome to the world of OSK New York!

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the world of OSK New York! You might have seen our website where we showcase our best work and talk about our impressive skill set – but this is not the same thing just in a slightly different format.

Our blog will introduce you to our micro cosmos, the world of OSK New York: NYC agency life meets creative/fun ideas meets relevant topics of local and global scale.

Expect to see impressions from the latest and greatest of our travel and adventures, our thoughts on new trends and cultural issues, topics that are of interest to us due to our work or personal backgrounds, and simply fun stuff. We will touch on anything from experiential pop-up spaces, flying cars, and PR stunts to food halls, the curviest roads to drive on, and the environment.

Our team consists of highly organized and wildly creative individuals who have lived and worked on four continents. With our different backgrounds, we complement each other in the work we do. On a personal level, we have grown into a multicultural family.

We hope you enjoy our stories!