Rokkan

Rokkan is pleased to announce that we made Ad Age's A-List as one of the Top Ten Agencies to Watch in 2012. We're honored to be in such distinguished company. Thanks to everyone who has been with us in the long and short who helped us get here.

We couldn't be more excited about where 2012 is heading. Rokkan's client roster continues to expand, and we've had the opportunity to work with brands we never thought possible even just a few years ago. With our explosive growth, and the exciting new stuff we'll be launching soon, this recognition will hopefully be just the beginning of where Rokkan is headed.

Read more over at Ad Age.

Ford is teaming up once more with Emmy-award-winning reality producers to create the ultimate interactive reality Web series: Escape Routes.

TDI, Rokkan, and Profiles embark on the second season of last year's Ford Focus Rally, where viewers at home were able to follow and affect the outcome of six teams as they traveled across the country competing in extreme, real-life challenges. Escape Routes, due to launch later this year, will feature the 2013 Ford Escape and a completely re-imagined level of social interaction, gaming, live streaming video, and more.

We’re currently looking for an elite crop of drivers—teams of two with a strong presence on the Web and a hunger for adventure—to take the wheel of the all-new Ford Escape. Besides an epic experience and a spot in the limelight, you’ll be competing for cash and prizes for the friends, fans and followers that help you on your way to the finish line.

Think you’re up for the challenge? Apply for your spot and learn more at www.escaperoutes.com.

John Noe, Rokkan's CEO, discusses the relationship between brands' websites and Facebook pages.

As seen in DMNews.com

Q: Given capabilities such as site retargeting and landing page optimization, brands' sites seem to be now as much direct marketing vehicles as they are brand advertising vehicles. Would 
you agree?

A: I think that's 100% right. I think a lot of it goes down to segmentation and all the different use cases. If you're thinking about travel sites, [it's] being very thoughtful of how a traveler who lives in Florida might be looking for a very different kind of travel than a person who lives in New York. We find a lot of interesting things. For example, for people who are customers of a particular brand, the audience on 
Facebook is sometimes different than the audience on Twitter versus the audience on the dot-com.

Q: Many TV ad calls-to-action drive consumers to a brand's Facebook page instead of its own site. Is there a danger there? 

A: It depends on the company. There are companies that are pure-play e-commerce, so they're going to want to drive people to their e-commerce site. I'd be surprised if eBay started pitching its Facebook page more than eBay.com. But there are also the brands that don't sell directly. We work with a lot of liquor brands and they can't sell on their sites. Then it becomes more about how are we building awareness of this particular brand or its products and how do we start bringing them into a channel where it can have some of those looser, more informal conversations about the brand? 

Q: Does driving consumers to 
a Facebook page impact the 
value of a non-e-commerce 
marketer's own site?

A: I think it does change the dynamics quite a bit. I think some of the trick is taking in what the different purposes are between how we're using social channels versus our branded dot-com channels. A lot of what we found is that especially with brands that are lifestyle brands, it's very important to be able to deliver on what the lifestyle of that particular brand is — and sometimes what's more effective than a really nice piece of copy or visual is 
the conversations that 
are happening.

Q: There's a push toward brands integrating social into their dot-com presence. How much of a challenge is that?

A: It is new, and I honestly can't think of anyone who's doing it perfectly. I think the brands that are most hungry to figure this out are the ones that are the e-commerce players. How do we make shopping more social online? Shopping offline is a very social experience, but on the sites it tends to be very singular. So we've been looking at how to weave social into the shopping experience, so that it can either aid an individual's shopping or it becomes a group effort.

Since Steve Jobs posted his "Thoughts on Flash" in April 2010, there's been a lot of talk about the future of Flash.

After Adobe’s announcement of no more Flash player dev on mobile browsers, The FWA reached out to Rokkan and other industry powerhouses to get their thoughts.

Errol Schwartz, Senior Interactive Developer, Rokkan:

“Adobe’s announcement was not a shock to us at Rokkan and won’t affect our development strategies in any way. We were never targeting mobile devices as Flash platforms beyond the occasional AIR app. Websites are becoming more about usable presentation of content, and less about the entertainment value that Flash sites were previously providing. People are looking to mobile for everything these days, including fun interactive experiences. Native mobile development was always the clear winner when thinking about performance and using a device to its full potential.”

Read more at The FWA.

(New York, NY) November 10, 2011 — Rokkan, a full-service digital agency recognized for successfully building integrated digital solutions, today announces the launch of the redesigned THQ website. THQ, a leader in the gaming industry, offers a variety of video games for every genre and consumer. The site launch follows THQ’s recent re-branding and showcases the brand’s continued dedication to develop triple-A titles and its own intellectual properties.

“With popular new game titles priced upwards of $60 and new titles constantly fighting for shelf space, it was an important step for THQ to push their position as a leading publisher through a complete re-branding company. The new THQ design earmarks the publisher’s intent to forge a new path.” stated a representative from THQ.

“To reflect THQ’s rebranding, the new THQ.com was designed to reinvent the way consumers digested information,” says CEO of Rokkan, John Noe concerning the redesign. Noe continues, “Showcasing the latest and hottest titles under ‘Fresh’ and the popular past titles under, ‘Classic’ among other category redefinitions is one of many simple ways Rokkan and THQ chose to display products. By creating an editorial look and feel to the site, product information is now delivered in an explorative way, stripping away the traditional catalogue grid-view of games and instead inviting the user to click around and discover THQ’s suite of products from game to game.”

Rokkan has developed online experiences and marketing strategies for gaming brands like EA Games, 2K Games, Rockstar, Nintendo and Square Enix. And coupled with Rokkan’s deep e-commerce and customer experience strategy with Virgin America, Atlantis and Chipotle, the blend of gaming expertise and deep digital experience made Rokkan an ideal fit to spearhead the re-launch of THQ.

View the new THQ.com.

CEO and Partner, John Noe talks to Adweek about how to do big things without being too big. 

Gaming industry blog Saving Content sat down with ECD/Partner Charles Bae to talk about the influx of advertising in video games:

“For the gamers who don’t want to see an advertisement on a billboard during a Madden Game, use a Sony cell phone in Splinter Cell or Drive a Dodge Charger in Grand Theft Auto you are out of luck. The age of advertising has finally taken over the gaming world.

• Do you think advertising in games has a positive or negative effect on people playing the games (or no effect at all)?

I don’t think in-game advertising has a real effect on a gamer. For the most part, brands and game publishers have been doing a respectful job with ad placement. Since we’re dealing with an immersive experience, advertisers and publishers seem to be following the basic rule of placing ads within the context of a respective game’s world. It makes absolute sense for an ad to appear on a billboard in a game set in New York City. It also makes sense to fill a sports game with advertisements because it actually helps bring the game closer to reality. Ads and sponsors on sports networks have conditioned us to expect ad overload while watching sports on TV, so a sports game without is would feel wrong.

An instance such as PlayBoy magazine appearing in a game like Mafia 2, is a win-win for everyone. Gamers enjoy the centerfolds, Playboy shows off their brand heritage and relevance in Mafia’s period setting, and the game itself adds another touch of realism.

• With the money that is pulled in from advertising, do gamers receive a better product?

Money never makes a game better, in fact, not one single factor makes a game better. More time, more money, more developers, might indeed help create a better product, but the game may still fail to deliver. There are tons of games that have had big budgets but launched with mediocrity and underwhelming sales figures. I think it all comes down to the talent behind the game, and advertising money may certainly help developers and studios hire best-in-breed talent. Same goes for the film industry. You can spend a ton of money on a hollywood blockbuster, but the chances of the movie actually being good is 50/50.”

Read more over at Saving Content.

The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation is a non-profit organization estabilshed by Chipotle Mexican Grill, committed to creating a more sustainable and healthful food supply and to raising awareness concerning food issues. The team here at Rokkan has had an amazing time learning more about "Food With Integrity" and the many ways Chipotle has been supporting the development of sustainable practices. A big congratulations to Johnny Kelly, CAA and the team for the launch. 

"Coldplay's haunting classic "The Scientist" is performed by country music legend Willie Nelson for the soundtrack of the short film entitled "Back to the Start." The film, by film-maker Johnny Kelly, depicts the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future. Both the flim and the soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle to emphasize the importance of developing a sustainable food system."

Download the song now available on iTunes. Label and proceeds benefit The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.

Innovative Digital Agency Tapped to Spearhead the Airline’s E-Commerce and Mobile Design

(New York, NY) August 31, 2011 – Rokkan, a full-service digital agency recognized for successfully building businesses through integrated digital solutions, announced today their selection as the lead digital agency for JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU), an innovative leader in the travel space recognized for its dedicated and forward-thinking approach to customer service and the in-flight experience as well as their digital and social media presence. Rokkan will lead a wide array of digital initiatives across e-commerce, mobile and social integration channels. Rokkan will also work closely with Mullen, the creative and media agency-of-record for JetBlue which handles both offline and online advertising for the brand.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of JetBlue’s story as they continue to grow and evolve as a leader in the space,” stated John Noe, CEO of Rokkan. “JetBlue is one of the most approachable and innovative brands in the world. We look forward to helping them showcase everything they do while bringing a fresh perspective on how travelers can interact with the brand through digital.”

“Rokkan brings the same level of passion and dedication for innovation to digital solutions that JetBlue embodies for reinventing the travel experience,” said Michael Stromer, director of e-commerce and interactive marketing for JetBlue.  “The agency’s success with a strong portfolio of consumer brands like Atlantis, Chipotle and Google speaks to their ability to create unique and meaningful campaigns that truly engage the customer.  As New York’s Hometown Airline, the Rokkan team – also based in New York – is a perfect extension of our digital brand “                                               

About Rokkan
Rokkan is a full service digital agency re-inventing the way brands engage with their consumers and fans. Committed to offering brands unique and fresh perspective, Rokkan has delivered countless award winning online business solutions, marketing campaigns and social engagements for some of the largest and most beloved brands in the world. Award-winning examples include launching and revamping e-commerce sites for Virgin America, Atlantis and Nintendo to significantly grow online revenue; delivering large scale national and global campaigns for Stoli Vodka, Google, Chipotle and 2K Games; and launching the largest fully social media integrated cross country race for Ford with the producers of the Amazing Race. Founded in 2000, Rokkan's expertise, repeated success and pace of growth, continues to distinguish it as one of the leading digital agencies to watch out for. Please visit: www.Rokkan.com for more information.

About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline(TM) with other focus cities in Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and Orlando. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as their low fares, JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline as well as super-spaciousEven More Space seats. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise  for details. JetBlue serves 66 cities with 700 daily flights and later this year plans to introduce service to St. Croix and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands as well as La Romana, Dominican Republic and Liberia, Costa Rica, subject to government approval. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JET-BLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530, or visit www.jetblue.com.