by David Weiner
We continue our coverage of our launch of PepsiCo10 Europe with another great interview with one of our 2010 winners. If you missed yesterday’s great post with Tracy Brown from Evil Genius, check it out. Today, we’re speaking with James DeJulio of the creative video networking platform, Tongal.
Why did you enter the PepsiCo10 program?
We saw it as an opportunity to showcase our company and skip the line, so to speak, by getting in front of all the PepsiCo brands in one forum. Quite honestly, we often tried on our own to get the attention of the different brands (with little luck), because we saw our platform as extremely complimentary to PepsiCo and its global brand portfolio. Deep down we believed this, so we knew we had to participate. Also, we saw this as an open call for innovation, something at the core of our business, and something that PepsiCo has always embraced with Crash the Super Bowl, so we thought the opportunity was unique for us.
What did you gain from the entry process?
To be selected from such a diverse group of great young businesses was truly validating. The entry process and the Summit in Purchase also really taught us how to present Tongal with laser focus as we had a limited amount of time to explain our value proposition. The entry process was rigorous and thorough – which not only helps when trying to navigate other global organizations and conglomerates, but also helps validate our platform, having been vetted by a leading business like PepsiCo.
What have the benefits been from running the pilot?
Our pilot with Brisk to source animations was one of the biggest successes we’ve had with any brand. Beyond that, from a visibility perspective the partnership with PepsiCo has helped our business develop and attract other clients. There are a lot of “fast followers” out there.
How do you feel taking part in Pepsico10 has and will impact their company?
Same as above regarding visibility and perception – a major step forward for our business.
What was the best advice received from industry mentors?
Be patient. And that each brand has it’s own identity and personality.
Have the pilots changed the company’s approach to business?
It confirmed our thoughts that when trying to navigate a huge organization and introduce an innovative and disruptive offering, having advocates at the top of the business – the point of entry into the business – makes all the difference. You need a champion so to speak, someone willing to try – and fail if need be – in order to learn and actually innovate and lead.
Brizzle Reel from Tongal on Vimeo.
Would the companies recommend PepsiCo10 to their peers?
Absolutely, especially if they are in the Social Media and Marketing space. From all of our experience and interaction, PepsiCo is committed to being a leader in this space (case in point this program) and it’s a great opportunity to make an impact both for your company, and for PepsiCo.
What innovations of the last two years have impacted your organization the most?
The whole Social Media revolution has forced businesses to begin to look to companies like ours for solutions, and rewarded those who have made the firmest commitments. That value proposition has finally trickled down throughout organizations to the point where brands have assembled social media teams and are allocating more and more resources to plug into and leverage off of creative social platforms like Tongal. At the same time, we’ve taken the approach to position Tongal as a platform, and have hooked into the other leading platforms (Twitter, YouTube and Facebook) to enhance our offering and complement businesses existing Social efforts.
What innovations do you see on the horizon that will impact your organization in the next two years?
Every new generation iPhone increases our value proposition and ability to create “creators,” so to speak. There’s unlimited creative potential in the world and when you combine technology and a platform like Tongal, we are very excited to see what we can unlock. Resistance to this type of change will eventually fade as the best ideas continue to find talented and motivated young filmmakers with tools that we wouldn’t have dreamt about ten years ago—and they’ll be with them everywhere!
What are you most excited about for your organizations in 2011and 2012?
Moving from introducing our process and “piloting” programs to full integration and partnerships with businesses. Since our launch, we have experienced a lot of fact-finding, testing and trials. The Tongal platform and our offering has proven itself as a solution and a powerful tool for business of all sizes and 2011-12 will be about integration into brands/organizations, along with building our own brand and organization now that we have real traction and adoption.
