Campaign Brief Western Australia's Advertising and Media Magazine November
1991:
Comment by Campaign Brief editor (page 30)
"CB does not usually make a habit of reporting on an
advertisement within CB- but we've made an exception this time because of
the unique approach of the promotion.
Ten percent of CB issues carry on the page a demonstration floppy disk from
Interactive Presentations. The other ninety percent a letter outlining this
new innovation".
The disk was attached under the heading "The future of advertising, marketing
and promotion is on this page".
How does business define acceptable standards? presentation
by Scott Balson -
Extract
from the "Proceedings of the 1992 International Interactive Multimedia
Symposium." Perth, Western Australia January 27-31, 1992.
"My interest in multimedia developed through an insatiable
desire to wrap the philosophical verse that I wrote in my teens into a medium
that would touch all the senses.... Yes it was a dream. One that will one
day come to fruition.... one that I still pursue." This was the only
commercial paper presented during the entire symposium.
McCann to put story on floppy disk - The Australian Friday May 15th 1992
(Page 19)
"A sign of the times, high tech and whiz-bang as they
are: McCann-Erickson will become the first ad agency in this country to present
its credentials on computer disc.
An interactive computer presentation prepared by Perth based Interactive
Presentations..."
Costello's Perth, Linda Celsi, Marketing Manager - November 1993
"I just received word from Sydney that the President
of the Asian Gemmological Institute of Studies in Bangkok, Mr Ho, is very
impressed with our opal disk and asked for the donation of a copy to the
institute."
Business Review Weekly - March 7th 1994 - (Page 56) Tim Treadgold
Computers as sales tools? Simple, really.
"In just two years, Interactive Presentations has grown
from a one-man operation in a backyard toolshed to three offices employing
fifteen people and winning patent protection for some of its
inventions."
Computerworld, May 20th 1994 (page 8)
Interactive wins challenge:
"Delegates at Microsoft's Tech Ed conference last week
voted Interactive Databases the winner of the Solutions Challenge.
Interactive's solution, the Qantas Worldwide Electronic Timetable, is a marketing
solution that will soon be mailed to Qantas' top 10,000 corporate clients."
The West Australian, Tuesday June 28th 1994 (page 42)
"There is a strong WA flavour to a Au$13 million electronic
library project recently given the go-ahead in the south-east Queensland
city of Ipswich.
"WA Technology Park based company Interactive Presentations Pty Ltd has won
the contract to build an interface for the ambitious Ipswich Global Info-Links
project, which has yet to be officially launched.
Interactive director Scott Balson said his brief was to develop an easy-to-use
interface to handle both free public services and commercial services that
would be used for cost recovery."
The Sunday Mail, September 17th 1995 (page 101)
"Since the island (Norfolk) went online about a month
ago, outside response has been "overwhelming", said Monica Anderson, deputy
speaker of the island's legislative assembly."
The Australian, Tuesday February 6th, 1996 (page 28)
- Heading "The world's youngest web builder".
"Since the site (Koala trouble) was published in January,
5 year old Alex has received more than 26,500 hits and 500 e-mails.
"The site was listed as a 'Must See' by the Yahoo search engine and also
under Netscape's revered 'What's New' listing."
Queeensland Times, 11th November 1995
"An Ipswich business yesterday launched a world-beating
product designed to simplify access to the information highway.
Interactive Presentations yesterday announced it would franchise its system,
which has been available in Ipswich for about 12 months, on the international
market."
Sunday Mail, 26th November 1995
"One of the world's largest makers of lingerie is exposing
itself on the Internet, courtesy of the expertise of a Queensland
company.
"Japanese clothing manufacturer Triumph has turned to the Ipswich company
Global Web Builders to set up its presence on the World Wide web.
"Besides reversing the normal scenario and selling Australian high tech expertise
to Japan, the deal extends a recent run of success for Global Web Builders."
"Koala trouble is quickly becoming a cult classic on
the Internet for young children."
- Dr Leu, Prof of Literacy and Language Arts, Syracuse University, 1996.
|
Company background:
The birth of computer based marketing in Australia:
In 1989 Scott Balson, without even realising it
at the time, pioneered a new industry in Australia -
computer based marketing.
When reminiscing on the birth of his company Scott recalls, with great affection,
working 18 hours a day, seven days a week, developing a software program
which he called the IP (Interactive Presentation). He worked in one corner
of a large steel garage in his backyard using an extension cord from the
house to supply electricity to an XT computer and a bare light globe hanging
over his head.
 Scott was sure that the office
computer could become a powerful marketing tool.
"Those first days were hard, very hard, I recall quite vividly trying to
work at 2am in the morning while rain hammered loudly on the steel roof just
a few inches above my head".
Perseverance won through and during 1992 he was invited by the Department
of Commerce and Trade to establish his fledgling business in the prestigious
Technology Park based in Bentley, Western Australia.
1992 was a big year with many bouquets being received for the company's
work:
Valerie Pretzel, Marketing and Promotions Manager, Sunday
Times (News Limited) - April 1992:
"The interactive disk has been received very positively by our
advertising clients..."
Brian A Watson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
McCann-Erickson Australia (part of the world's largest advertising agency
group) - May 1992:
"Your interactive presentation format has proven the perfect means
of taking our publication into the computer age."
 Robert
Stocco, Marketing Manager, Challenge Bank Limited (now part of Westpac) -
June 1992:
"Many (accountants) have expressed enthusiasm at its innovation (I
believe that we are the first financial institution to communicate to our
public in this manner)."
Tony Noonan, Acting Senior Curriculum Officer, Ministry
of Education - October 1992.
"The professional manner in which you developed the material was
greatly appreciated.
 "The fact that you have been
approachable at all times and provided back-up support of a high standard
has made the production of this program efficient and effective from our
end."
Douglas Flynn, General Manager, News Limited Suburban
Newspapers - November 1992:
"We are delighted with the "Facts on Disk" interactive
presentation your company has produced for News Suburban Network.
Example of a floppy disk based presentation created by Scott Balson in 1993.
The West Australian Rottnest
Island disk can be downloaded in zip form (1.2 megabytes)
at this link.
Return to beginning
 In 1993 the company expanded
into four separate companies making up the Interactive Group. Scott Balson
had a 50% holding in two of the companies; Interactive Databases Pty Ltd
and Interactive Productions, while maintaining a 100% equity in Interactive
Presentations Pty Ltd and Interactive Studies.
"These were exciting times, with our second multimedia exhibition held in
January 1994 at Technology Park, Bentley. The exhibition being the result
of recognition by the Western Australian market of our impact across the
multimedia platform - from floppy disk based presentations under DOS and
Windows to touch screen kiosks with video, sound and animation", says Scott
Balson.
A team of fifteen staff with many and varied skills worked for the company.
This provided the Western Australian market with the finest depth of multimedia
expertise in the country. Clients at this time included National Australia
Bank, Telstra, QANTAS and News Limited.
 In May 1994 Interactive Databases
took out the award for the best Microsoft application in Australia at the
Tech-ed awards. The award was through selection by delegates who viewed the
best Windows applications developed in the country that year. The Qantas
Worldwide Electronic Timetable swamped all opposition.
Interactive Databases wins the Tech Ed award -
Group photo,
Balson recognised by his associates
Return to beginning
In May 1994 Scott Balson was invited to demonstrate his concept of the
"electronic village" to the Ipswich City Council in Queensland on the east
coast of Australia. This came about after he had the opportunity of demonstrating
the concept to the city's Business Development Manager, Mr Mal Bryce,
during the Interactive Group's second multimedia exhibition in January that
year.
 A four week contract was extended
to fifteen months. Scott had to make a very difficult decision to sell out
of three of his companies in Perth, and concentrate on on-line business services,
as he saw these as the future of computer based marketing.
He retained 100% ownership of Interactive Presentations Pty Ltd, establishing
the new office at Ipswich.
These were early days for commerce on the Internet.
"I recall a one-sided debate at a project team meeting in September 1994
in which I defended the move by the proposed Global Info-Links service to
using Mosaic as the information interface. This was before Netscape and Microsoft
Explorer had been conceived, and when the unfriendly text-based gopher was
still popular," says Scott Balson.
"Luckily sense prevailed and Global Info-Links was launched with a web site
and the Mosaic web browser interface as its window to the world."
 On
December the 8th 1994 the first subscribers to
Global Info-Links hooked
up to the new Global Info-Links service. It was a defining moment in the
history of the city of Ipswich - with the success of the service playing
a deciding role in the University of Queensland's decision to set up an arm
of the University based around on-line services in Ipswich some two years
later.
Image right: The Global Info-Links project
team
In March 1995 political heavyweight Barry Jones launched Global Info-Links
officially unveiling a large wooden pyramid bearing the names of the project
team and the Ipswich City councillors at the time of the launch.
Balson presented a paper about the Global Info-Links project at the first
Ausweb conference (held in Ballina) in 1995 -
outline at this
link
 By May 1995 several thousand
subscribers were enjoying the unique, community based service that Global
Info-Links offered the Ipswich community and the commercial Global Electronic
Markets (GEMs) had been launched.
A brief history of Global Info-Links can be seen
at this link.
Scott Balson's talk to the first Ausweb conference in March 1995
can be seen at this link.
Return to beginning
(Email: Scott Balson here)
In June 1995, after completing his contract with the Ipswich City Council,
Scott Balson established a fully owned subsidiary business of Interactive
Presentations Pty Ltd, called Global Web Builders. He decided to maintain
a small, personal business free of the stresses that he had encountered in
the burgeoning business in Western Australia. The new business soon gained
recognition and pioneered several innovations on the Internet, including
many of his own personal web sites:
-
First live coverage of a major sporting event on the Internet:
-
First Australian web directory:
-
Oldest daily on-line newspaper in Australia:
-
Youngest businessman in the
world:
-
First relationship marketing based commercial site (archive only):
-
Major SQL database developments:
-
Queensland Trading Post (1998) and e-Brothers (2000).
-
First Internet based research book (by Balson) exposing the media:
*Koala Trouble is a "cult site" on the web
today having attracted over 4 million visitors. The site belongs to Balson's
son, Alex... who was just 5 years old when it was
developed.
Dear Mr. Balson:
Your Web site
(www.scribbles.com.au/max/bookmain.html) has been selected to appear in a
CD-ROM publication called the World Online Digest
(WOLD).
The WOLD is published by Software 2010, a
company based in Carlsbad, California.
Every four weeks, the CD-ROM is distributed
to approximately 12,000 subscribers in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Most of our subscribers do not have access to the Internet; with the CD-ROM,
they can browse family-friendly Web sites without paying for an Internet
connection.
We do not pay nor do we charge anyone for
putting Web sites on the WOLD. The tradeoff for letting us feature your Web
site is that your Web site will be seen by a wide audience of people who
are not connected to the Internet. We do charge our clientele for the CD-ROM;
however, the charge is for the service of assembling the CD and not for the
actual content provided.
If you do grant us permission to display
your Web site, we will download it from the Internet. Your Web site will
be mirrored on the CD-ROM. The content of your site will not be
altered.
Please let us know within seven days if we
may feature your Web site in the WOLD. We will not use your Web site without
your permission.
Sincerely,
Georgia Rush , March
2004
Internet Coordinator
Software 2010
georgia.rush@software2010.com
Global Web Builders continued to succeed and grow. The highlight in 1996
was winning the Australian Financial Review and Telstra award for the best
web site in Australia. The award was presented at a special black tie dinner
in Sydney in September 1996.
Even in these first days of the web GWB
received many cyber
awards which it stopped registering in 1997.
By March 1997 the number of visitors to the Definitive Lifestyle Guide approached
six million, entrenching the web site as the gateway to Australia. Today
the DLG still reflects the historic links to Australia's earliest web sites.
At the same time Scott Balson's son, Alex's, website
Koala Trouble, was achieving enormous international
acclaim, becoming the popular reference in books to children on the Internet.
Visitors to Koala trouble have now topped
4,300,000.
Internet clients today cover all areas of service and industry.
Global Web Builders clients include:
-
Alex's Scribbles
-
Australian Super Touring Car Championship
-
Computer Gym
-
Fire Safe Foam
-
Greg Chappel Cricket Centre
-
Global Info-Links
-
Pillowtalk
-
Queensland Transport
-
Queensland Ambulance Service
-
Triumph International (Japan)
-
Singapore Technology Park
amongst many, many others.
Global Web Builders operates out of the most beautiful location in the world,
with the global office being situated next to the Toohey Forest just
minutes from the Brisbane City centre - a location where wild parrots play
and share the environment with the peope who make up the business.
The dream has become reality.... |
