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Follow the inventor of GiftTRAP and his exploits in gaming and social media

Games Magazine Best Party Game of the year 2007/2008

GiftTRAP wins GAMES Magazine’s “Best Party Game of the year 2007/2008”

What's the idea?

Click here to find out how we’ve turned gift giving into a hilarious social experience

Discover the fun!

Click to unwrap the fun.

Puts your gifts to the test!

GiftTRAP is the hilarious new game that’s taking the gaming world by storm and putting the social back into board games.

The goal is to really get to know your friends and family.

You win by knowing your friends and choosing the right gifts, but most of all it’s just fun to play and gets you talking about things that matter.

• 3-8 Players, 5+
• Playtime 45-75 mins
• Learn in 10 mins

• 1 full size game board
• 640 Gift Ideas
• Rules
• 8 Organza Gift Bags containing; scoring markers, gift & choice tokens plus advanced strategy cards

Read what the experts have been buzzing about.

Love to play Trivial Pursuit, Cranium or Apples to Apples - You will love this family party game.

GiftTRAP is all the fun of Secret Santa without needing to shop or wrap.

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Gary Vaynerchuk - Twitter Thunder or Twitter Hot Air Balloon (that needs bursting)

I don’t buy it. Nice sensationalism, but not well argued. This is not the real revenue model.

In contrast I totally buy your “short term” topical high priced comment per your Jacko example. Here you are bang on the money, but I’m unconvinced Twitter = Google killer (as a pure Ad play)

A very small % of eyeballs of total Twitter traffic go through Twitter.com. It’s a problem of their own making - their API diverts bulk of traffic via other tools. Now it’s true to say they are working harder to improve the twitter.com. I’m sure they somewhat regret the effect of the api, but you can’t bite the hand that feeds you (traffic not money). Apple just did that with the app store #fail #backfire. Twitter can’t insert ads into the feed. Twitter could charge businesses for Tweeting without fear of ban which is a consumer consenting way of inserting ads into the feed - as all content is equal and consenting to the consumer.

Twitter can also leverage its role in TV and broader media. A small license change could make them the sole provider of Twitter content for TV (for example). They could leave Web and SMS alone.  Twitter now feeds print media, radio and TV. Another small license change could make Twitter content reusable for free by all after n hurs. In simple terms they can monetize the value of their immediacy. They can certainly ensure all media is forced to quote the source - which perpetuates their ubiquity. This is a simple contractual requirement.

The Twitter reality show idea - whilst in early form - is a perfect example of how they can monetize their value. TV + SMS = real revenue model - see #idol. Twitter can exclusively own the rights to twitter via any other medium than the web. Twitter on TV - for example. Twitter for me has always been a ubiquity play. Twitter works for consumers and creators of content via web, phone, tv, radio (tweets from voice). That said Twitter is also a channel in it’s own right - a channel and a medium - it’s ubiquitous.

Twitter is the Swiss army knife of Web 2.0.  Web 2.0 arrived and trended to create an excess of ever more specialized apps. Too many apps. Too much registration. The same argument explains Facebooks’ success. Twitter offered a jack of all trades approach that in effect reversed the trend - Twitter is a single tool that almost does everything. With the API and 1000’s of partners Twitter can offer fixes to all the shortfalls. Want pics - there’s an app for that. Video/Voice - ditto. There’s an app for just about everything - in most cases there’s 20+ apps for each thing and more if it’s actually really useful. Here’s some example that the Twitter manages to deliver.

- Bookmarking/Link Sharing (Digg/Stumbleupon)
- Photo sharing (Flickr/Facebook)
- Chat (Instant Messenger)
- Social Networking/Community (Facebook)
- Special Interest Groups (SIGS)

In contrast to Facebook, Twitter supports voyeurism (Web 2.0 version of Hello Mag). Twitter removes the permission model Facebook used to make such a fuss about. Ironic that Facebook is now back peddling to reverse that feature/default/mindset.

But it’s not just the functional diversity. It’s the ubiquity that counts. this means it can’t be displaced.

No other medium transcends all other channels

- Email = No
- SMS = No
- TV = No
- Radio = No
- IM/Chat = No
- Comments = No
- Social Network = No

A Twitter address like @nickkellet or @giftTRAP or @garyvee is or will be as ubiquitous as a web address like http://gifttrap.com

Nobody owns Http. Nobody owns email. Twitter owns @twitter.

That’s the difference.

Twitter has proven it can neatly insert itself into TV, Radio, Websites etc.

That leads to many money. For now they need to focus on making themselves indispensable and irreplaceable. They need to focus on getting businesses hooked. More business = more content = more value.

GIFTTRAP AWARDED SPIEL DES YAHRE KRITIKERPREIS - A SPECIAL PRIZE FOR PARTY GAME

Here’s a translated quote direct from the Spiel Des Jahre Judges

“The game picks up the basic idea of assessment games, but combines it with a very personal and therefore emotional theme with a positive connotation: Giving gifts!

Instead of simulating conflict and competition (as is often the case in games) players only get points when they succeed in pleasing others. How great!”

This is without question our most prestigious award. Most North Americans won’t realize just how seriously Germans take their games. The SDJ winner will sell 250k+ units in Germany alone. We haven’t won this award, but a special prize for Party Game from the same jury. The regular SDJ award goes to “strategy” type games. In the gaming world this is the equivalent of an Oscar.

We believe this is the first time a special award has ever been awarded to a party game. It truly is a great honor. (In the serious board gaming world we know us “party gamers” are second class citizens - we know our place). I’m hoping to go to Germany to accept the award in person.

Twitter Semantics: Apps, Tools, Revenue Models, Platforms and beyond

I’m funny about terms and their consistent use. I can remember so many debates during my fun times in the Business Intelligence domain working for Business Objects talking about what’s a “Tool” what is an “App” and what’s a “Platform”. I guess in many ways I have Dave Kellogg (now with Marklogic.com) to thank for my marketing schooling. Back then Tool = generalised multi-purpose thing eg a Reporting Tool and an App = function specific. You can make a tool do many things (write reports on any source of data) An Application was domain specific eg a CRM Application or an HR Application - ie preconfigured to do a specific job.

Oracle, Excel, Word, Visual Basic and Java are tools. You can use them for all sorts of things.

Oracle HR is an app built on a Tool (or series of tools). Intuit is an App.

Twitter is of course a tool - you can use it for many things - What am I doing, What am I following/thinking. It’s also possibly/probably a platform for messaging. Tools and Apps get built on platforms

It’s funny but as I read/search for classification of Twitter and others “Tools and Apps” built to leverage Twitter I’m confused. I’ve seen people term all things web based as “Apps” all all things client based as “Tools”.

For me if something is a downloadable client or a Web App is of secondary interest. It doesn’t give me any clue as to what it does.

In my few days of trying to get into Twitter I see two classes of software with respect to Twitter

Management Tools (generic tools used to help you manage your Twitter data)

Application Tools (there are fewer of these but they are beginning to emerge)

It’s funny the Management Tools only exist because Twitter is so overloaded and doesn’t seem to offer these functions themselves. I get the idea that offering the API helps build out an eco system, but these Management Tools actually take traffic away from Twitter.com (but do drive people to the platform if confusing them in the process).

If Twitter does implement an ad-centric model then it’s fraught with problems. Any ads offered up by Twitter.com will not be visible to users who access Twitter via any 3rd party Tool (web-based or downloadable client). I suspect their would be rebellion if Twitter inserted adverts into the “feed”, so I think they are stuck with choosing who to offend in terms of building a revenue model. I watched an interview that talked about them charging businesses that benefit from their use of Twitter.

I read a few amusing posts about Twitter becoming the next paypal, which seemed unlikely.

The Application Tools to me are the interesting piece. These are more akin to the Apps on Facebook. It’s easy to think of Twitter as a platform (with management tools) and with Applications build on the platform. This is where you can expect to see some creativity and some innovation.

I’ve noticed TwtApps but they seem very rushed and incomplete. It seems to be the bigger opportunity is in the “Apps” versus the tools. Of course the odd good “Tool” could get acquired by Twitter. It’s happened once and it could happen again.

Has anyone thought of the different Twitter solutions in this way. Has it reached a point where Twitter is simply a messaging platform on which a whole array of useful stuff can be delivered.

Twitter is still hard to get. To make the shift from “Doing” to “Attention” and from using just Twitter.com to using your own personal choice of Twitter tools to manage your twitter experience.

HARO (aka Shankman's Army) means Journalists need NEVER write ALONE

Networker Keith Ferrazzi constantly reinforces the mantra “Never Eat Alone”

Bill Shankly manager of Liverpool FC was used to hearing “You’ll never walk alone” chanted by a huge loyal fan base that became known as “Shanky’s Red Army”. Shankly’s Army was a formidable force that supported Bill in winning many soccer trophies during his leadership of the world famous club. Here’s the lyrics to the famous song

When you walk through the storm
Hold your head up high,
And don’t be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on walk on, with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone

Play it now

Peter Shankman is as much as a networker as Keith. Keith is armed with his rolodex of of 5,000+ managed contacts, but Peter has an even larger willing army of followers - a crowd I’ve named Shankman’s Army and “crowd” is the right word. With the use of this wise crowd no journalist need ever write alone again.

Today Peter Shankman, marketing extremo and creator of the free service “HARO” or http://www.helpareporter.com has got his own army of 25,000+ PR warriors, each experts in their own fields. It’s an army that’s growing very fast and spreading by word of mouth and reputation. More and more journalists are learning to trust the service too.





Each day Peter sends out three emails including a total of around 100 requests each from folks in the media (journalists and bloggers alike) seeking sources for their forthcoming articles.

Shankman’s Army works “for free” to answer these queries and is allowing Peter to compete with the “for fee” service offered by Profnet

I got to thinking about the power of an army that can fire off hundreds of targeted responses to each media query, I was reminded of two authors/books/concepts;

1/ James Surowiecki’s book The Wisdom of Crowds

James argues that a large crowd is smarter than a small team of experts when the crowd is large, diverse and acts independently. The book does a great job of justifying this. The Wisdom of Crowds explains the power of so many Web 2.0 concepts such a Wikepedia. HARO certainly meets these criteria; 25k is large, they are by definition diverse and they have no idea how others are responding to specific media queries. Just like “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” each journalist can poll from a large independent crowd, sure each member has their own bias, but that is itself the diversity.

Compare this to Profnet which has a smaller crowd who are more elite simply by the fact they choose to pay to use this service. What seems appealing to journalists is being able to reach out to a faster, fresher and more dynamic set of opinions and experts.

2/ Eric S Raymond’s book The Cathedral and the Bazzar (CATB)





CATB is based around the experiences of open source software model (release frequently and often) which is much more free form (it’s compared to a Bazaar) , which is contrasted to The Cathedral (or more the build it and they shall come model of software development where control of a project is in the hands of the few vs the many).

Download the 96K .mp3 file  of Eric Raymond reading The Cathedral and the Bazaar. 

In the first model many people contribute, there is duplication, but this is managed and controlled by an approval process. There is wasted effort, but the end result is impressive, it’s been proven you can build big things fast and keep the development moving. It lives and dies for approval and reputation. Contrast this to Cathedral model where a single design is followed and dictated. The reason I mention this is there is a lot of wasted effort in the Shankman/HARO Model, but participation is optional. People only contribute because they can see the value of the reward. The cost to the contributor is time. With the Cathedral model you get less contributors/waste, but you get a more rigid and predictable response. This means you also get a less well-informed media. A “for fee” model limits the contributors, but divides the media attention pie in a more controlled manor. To me the “Wisdom of Crowds-ness” of HARO and its “Bazaar” like contribution model are part if its intrigue and part of what will keep propelling it forward.

What I really like about HARO is the diversity with sources coming from small and large media sources. It’s more accessible, but the competition is also much more fierce. It’s another example of how the internet can drive cost down to zero.

Keep up the good work

When is your accident waiting to happen?

It’s only been a couple of weeks since I watched The Bucket List and the thing that struck me - Bucket Lists arent just for the nearly dead.

I’m 44 years old and just yesterday I had an accident while at home alone. I fell from 6 feet landing on my back and my elbow. I was winded, my neck was hurt and today my ribs are aching. I was lucky. It could easily have been serious even fatal.

This evening I learned of the death of Dave Freeman, co-author of 100 Things to Do Before You Die aged 47. It makes you think. Get on with your list before you find its too late.

Dave died at home after hitting his head in a fall. A simple innocent accident. Plans can so easily be interrupted.

I’ve become much more conscious of my Bucket List. Last week I went Kite Surfing for the first time, which has been on my list for a long time. Today the wind was blowing, but I was in no state to get on my board and go. How telling is that.

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