They say toddlers have little tummies and big appetites. Well for Yahoo7 – celebrating 2 years will be a big deal. The company has been at the forefront of Seven’s push into new media and under the stewardship of Rohan Lund has made a competitive stand in the Australia marketplace – still dominated by adolescent players.

In fact it’s hard to think that the joint-venture is only two years old tomorrow. Proof of digital’s speed? That was just part of what Rohan said to this year’s AFA Graduate Trainees – our Grad among them - who have just started their one week intensive course.

We welcome your thoughts too.

While this blog is usually dedicated to the goings on here at Lowe and Rivet’s HQ, we couldn’t help but notice the innovative launch of a new airline.

British Airways (BA) has launched a new airline – called OpenSkies with daily flights from New York to Europe, taking advantage of last year’s EU-US “open skies” deal to free up the key transatlantic market. (Source). Now the product itself is quite innovative. Flying medium sized jets they are going to have roughly the same number of passengers in Business (24), Premium Economy (28) and Economy Class (30) giving it a comparative executive jet feel and smaller more intimate cabins throughout.

But what caught our attention was the launch website which is … a blog. With a name like OpenSkies, BA has established a brand name that promises a new levels of brand and consumer interaction. Well the blog seems to be taking that promise forward. A read of the behind the blog section spells out the plans for the site and that two-way conversation that we think is so important.

If you want to see an example closer to home (apart from the site your on right now) check out the blog – The Full Picture - on the FOXTEL HD site we recently launched. Hosted by Patrick Delany - FOXTEL’s Executive Director of Content, Product & Delivery Innovation – it’s another great example of brands opening up dialogue with their most passionate consumers.

How do you like your coffee? What will agencies look like in 10 years time? Then have a look at the new site we just launched JoinIn.com.au

In his follow up book to ‘Life After the 30 Second Spot’, Jaffe gives us a ‘how to’ manual on ‘conversational marketing’ or the successful shift from marketing-funded ‘communications’ to ‘conversations’.

We recently sent out 50 pre-release copies of the Joseph Jaffe book ‘Join the Conversation’ to influential contacts and associates. Our motivation? Marketing success no longer has a static rulebook – it’s dynamic – much like a Wikipedia entry. And we were very keen to be a part of this sort of conversation within the industry.

Part manifesto, part opinion piece, Jaffe’s book is a comprehensive explanation of the steps to (and reasons for) a landscape where the consumer has an active role to play. If you want to know about corporate blogging, consumer-generated content, or the role of Second Life in your brand campaigns – this is your book. It’s not a new story but Jaffe is dogged in his do-or-die belief that consumer participation in brand dialogue is the key differentiator between brand success and branded failure.

Jaffe is raw and honest in his writing but on a few occasions I think he misses the point or perhaps too enthusiastically criticises past brand failures. But the industry is often critical of flag bearers and I think that while I don’t agree with everything Jaffe says, it really stimulated my own opinions. For example, I am still sceptical as to whether Dell really has overcome the impact of Jeff Jarvis and Dell Hell. And I believe that too often conversational marketing examples are born of desperation rather than optimistic belief. (Credit to Dell nevertheless for contributing to an excellent case study on corporate blogging - a refreshingly honest account from a multinational free to speak about its own marketing efforts).

The strongest point made in the book (and in my opinion it’s most important one) is that a commitment to experimentation is the only real way to ensure to future marketing success. And there is no better way to experiment than through dialogue direct with consumers.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have their thinking challenged or keen to sharpen their interest in this emerging media. It’s not always an easy read but there are some excellent case studies and plenty of practical tips that should ensure that you’re across the emerging frontier.

I’d be very keen to know what you think if you have read the book. So leave a comment here, email me or go to joinin.com.au and have your say.

Jeremy Brook is Senior Account Director at Rivet