July 31, 2012

GoAnimate at Web Wednesday

For our next social mixer on 29th August, we have lined up Alvin Hung, Founder & CEO of GoAnimate, the world's No. 1 do-it-yourself animated video website.


A serial techpreneur, Alvin started his digital cartoon company in Hong Kong in 2007, which how has several million users and has worked with content owners such as Cartoon Networks (Turner). In the interview, I'll be asking Alvin how he funded, launched and resourced a new web business from Hong Kong, how he makes money from a freemium business model and how he managed to win over global content owners as his partners.

[Updated 28th August, 2012] More background on GoAnimate from Alvin:

2008: Launched at ComicCon. Featured on Mashable and CNN.

2009: First Enterprise Customer - Time Warner Asia.

2010: Character Creator application launched, allowing you to create your own cast of actors. Premium membership launched.

2011: GoAnimate For Schools launched. Partnership with YouTube. Opened office in Bay Area.

2012: GoAnimate For Business launched. HKICT Best Collaboration Grand Award winner.

- Over 4 million users and more than 8 million videos created. Most users from English speaking countries but people also come to us from all over the world.

- Offices in Bay Area and Hong Kong

- 18 people

- Backed by Angels.

- Alvin founded GoAnimate because I was trying to create a video myself and I couldn't do it. All the tools required me to learn complex software, draw, use a camera, or have actors.

Our 61st social mixer will be on Wednesday 29th August at Bisous, 9/F, LKF Tower, Central, Hong Kong. The event kicks off at 6:30pm and finishes at 9:30pm with the interview starting at around 7:15pm.

You can see who else is coming by signing up on Facebook or Google Plus.

Go ahead and create your own animations - we will show a selection of the most creative on the night.


If you truly love animations and want to keep abreast of new developments in online cartoons, follow GoAnimate on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google Plus and/or Pinterest.

July 27, 2012

IMG - Digital Sports Podcast

For those of you who missed our 60th social mixer, here is the raw, unedited interview of Tom Broom, Vice President Business Development and Digital Media, Asia Pacific for IMG Sports.


July 20, 2012

IMG Sports at Web Wednesday

Calling all budding athletes and virtual sports stars,

The London Olympics (London2012.com), proudly called "The First Digital Games", is fast upon us. So, for our 60th social mixer, I thought it would be fitting to invite an expert in the sports marketing industry to discuss how the internet and digital media are changing the way that people consume and engage with sports content, as well as how it is distributed and sold online.

Please join us to hear from Tom Broom, Asia Pacific Head of Digital Media at global sports marketing firm IMG Worldwide, as he takes the hot seat at our 60th Web Wednesday Social Mixer on 25th July at Bisous, 9/F, LKF Tower, Central, Hong Kong. The event kicks off at 6:30pm and finishes at 9:30pm with the interview starting at around 7:15pm.

Sign up for the event on Facebook, LinkedIn or Google Plus.

Tom is fresh from London where he advised the All England Lawn Tennis Club on the long-overdue digitisation of The Wimbledon Tennis Champonship who have an official website, presences on Twitter (@wimbledon), Facebook, YouTube, Instragram and mobile applications on App Store and Google Play.


And helped make the Rugby World Cup (official website, @rugbyworldcup) become a game of zeros and ones! 

As per usual, there's a HK$100 entrance fee, which includes one complimentary drink, an enlightening talk, high-quality networking and the chance to win lucky draw prizes.

Our lovely assistant, Vivian, will issue a receipt if you need one. (For students, you can get in for HK$50 without free booze). Thereafter, all standard drinks will be charged at special happy hour prices.

In my research for this interview, I came across several other interesting materials that illustrate where this is all going, not just from a consumer perspective but also from a content owner and broadcaster's point of view too.

The official website of the London Olympic Games can be found at London2012.com, with links to Facebook, Twitter (@london2012) and YouTube as well as a nicely designed mobile apps and a fun mobile game.

As the host broadcaster, the BBC has set up a special page under it's sports section and will be broadcasting video live over the internet as described by Gary Lineker, the famous British footballer and sports commentator.



According to Digital Lifescapes, the BBC will give audiences more choice, with access to:
  • Every Olympic event, sport and venue live, on-demand and interactive on bbc.co.uk/sport, with up to 24 live HD streams and 2,500 hours of coverage.
  • Pages for every athlete, sport, venue and country, enabling detailed access to real-time updated Olympics data, statistics and news.
  • High quality coverage that’s personal and social, enabling audiences to follow and favorite every athlete, sport, event and country and get tailored updates, as well as access live updates, Twitter visualizations and social media commentary.
Interestingly, Facebook doesn't see itself as a portal so has left it to the Olympic Committee to set up their own Page (facebook.com/olympics):


 which they then tie into their official athletes hub:


As a major sponsor, P&G have developed a whole campaign around athletes (and the general public) thanking their mums, centred on Facebook (facebook.com/thankyoumom). When I visited the page, it had 680, 361 Likes and 35,577 Talking Abouts:



Finally, a smart site by Sociagility (olympics.sociagility.com) that looks at how all the sponsors of the  London 2012 Olympics are performing on social media:


Lots of great developments to discuss so spread the word and invite your friends and business connections to come along by signing up on Facebook, LinkedIn or Google Plus.