EQAL, the creators of lonelygirl15, KateModern and Harpers Globe are in the midst of their latest success story – they’ve built an online community that every brand marketer dreams of. They built www.realwomenofphiladelphia.com.

Kraft’s Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Food Network star Paula Deen have teamed up to host the Real Women of Philadelphia online community and casting competition. The campaign, which ran for 8 weeks, included an online casting audition for cooks to show off their best Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipes by submitting their videos to www.PaulaDeen.com/RealWomen.

Sixteen lucky home cooks became finalists and are getting a chance to compete in a live cook-off in Paula Deen’s home town of Savannah, Ga June 30. Four of these cooks will be named the Real Women of Philadelphia – each earning a talent contract for $25,000, the chance to host their own weekly online cooking show on www.PaulaDeen.com/RealWomen and the opportunity to be featured in a cookbook that highlights the community’s favorite cream cheese recipes.

The engagement figures have surpassed expectations and this campaign isn’t over yet!
· Total visitors / avg. page views / avg. time spent: 672,259 / 4.5 / 4:23
· Unique visitors / avg. page views / avg. time spent: 497,530 / 2.3 / 1:44
· Repeat visitors / avg. page views / avg. time spent: 174,729 / 10.8 / 11:56
· 4,208 total registrants to Real Women of Philadelphia site
· 153,948 video plays on Real Women of Philadelphia site
· 1,575,605 video plays on GoodBite.com
· 21,373 comments posted on Real Women of Philadelphia site
· 5,159 videos uploaded by users

Next steps for this program which is already paying off in regards to engagement? In addition to 16 finalists, Paula Deen is on the hunt for one super-fan from the community to also come to Savannah to be a part of this project. This super fan will act as the “Voice” of the community for the cook-off, receiving an all expense paid trip to Savannah to spend time with Paula and the finalists and act as the behind-the-scenes ambassador for the entire four days. The 17th finalist will be determined based on her passion for the contest and her active social network promotions of the event.

I think the EQAL guys have done a great job with this web series for Kraft. I only wish they owned it all.

I had drinks the other night with Miles Beckett at the Pink Taco in Century City. After a few Mexican Beers and some great service from some of the friendliest Models/Actresses/Waitresses in Hollywood I was able to get some valuable information out of one of the few producers who is making a living in online video.

Miles Beckett and his business partner Greg Goodfried are the guys behind the Internet phenomenon lonelygirl15. They also gave up professional careers (Miles was a doctor. Greg was a lawyer.) to pursue the creative rewards of online video. The interesting thing about Miles and Greg is that not only are they pioneers in web video with their own projects, they are also guides for hire when it comes to helping other content creators figure out the online video space. With some smart partnering they managed to take the success of LG15 and raise $5 million to start their digital studio EQAL. Now they are helping known brands like CBS, Paula Deen and event Anthony E. Zuiker the creator of the hit TV Show CSI navigate this new digital space. Miles and Greg understand what it takes to build an audience and an emotionally engaged community. Something that everyone in this space will have to learn soon or they won’t be able to make a living in online video.

Anthony E. Zuiker,CBS,Century City, Greg Goodfried,lonelygirl15,LG15,making a living in online video, Mexican Beers,Miles Beckett,Paula Deen,Pink Taco,Pink Taco in Century City

EQAL, creator of the web sensation lonelygirl15 and social show Harper’s Globe, has partnered with CSI franchise creator Anthony E. Zuiker, to create an interactive destination Web site for his upcoming crime novel Level 26, published by Dutton. This first-of-its-kind ‘digi-novel’ will give readers the opportunity to access exclusive content on www.Level26.com by entering codes from the book, unlocking video cyber bridges as well as audio and photos.

EQAL and Anthony E. Zuiker will be speaking on the panel “Introducing The World’s First Digi-Novel – Level 26: Dark Origins” at Comic Con 2009 on July 25 at 4:30pm in Room 5AB. The panel will give audience members a sneak-peak at the ‘digi-novel’ and will feature an exclusive look at one of the cyber-bridges. Additionally, designer Marc Ecko is creating limited-edition Level 26 t-shirts, and 500 will be given exclusively to Comic Con panel attendees. Audience members will receive a password for a free t-shirt that they can pick up from the Dutton/Penguin booth, which will be signed by Anthony E. Zuiker or Marc Ecko. An additional 500 shirts will be on sale to the public after the conference.

Many people who are new to Social Networking see the opportunities to make connections and sell, sell, SELL! Just like Zac Efron’s Uncle Hank and his girlfriend, Randi in this Funny or Die video.

Sure they might be invited to the party but they show up and make all the wrong comments. They don’t participate or add anything to the conversation that is already going on. They just come in loud and obnoxious and end up ruining the party for everyone.

Please, when you visit social media sites, Tweet on Twitter or leave a comment on a blog don’t tell us how great you are or how wonderful your product is.

And please, please don’t poop in the hot tub.

If you aren’t smart enough to know how to watch a web series the guys who created lonelygirl15 have a new Internet TV show that comes with instructions. I jest but where are in a new world of Interactive TV shows and this is a ground breaking one.

The web video series creators behind LG15 and Kate Modern have been hired by CBS to create the online experience of the new CBS TV show Harper’s Island and the web fun begins today.

Harper’s Globe looks like Blair Witch meets LG15 and it looks like it’s going to be a thrill ride. I just hope I have enough free time to experience it all and I hope they don’t kill off the main character Robin Matthews played by the ever so cleaver Melanie Merkosky because Melanie looks smart, sexy and ready to become web video’s first house hold named star although I had to pronounce Merkosky three times to get it right. I hope I get to meet her at the Streamy Awards on March 28th. (Greg and Miles you better get with the TubeFilter boys and get her in the show not just attending.)

Harper’s Globe is an online show and a social network where you can watch and participate in an exciting story and fully immerse yourself in the mystery event, Harper’s Island. The story of Harper’s Globe unfolds on Harper’s Island and the information you learn here will give you a deeper understanding of the events occurring on the island. Together with the characters and other members of the community, you’ll watch the mystery unfold through videos, photos, and blogs posted by characters on their profile pages. You can simply lean back and watch the weekly episodes, or you can participate in the story by communicating with the characters and solving the mysteries of Harper’s Globe. Sign up and dive into the mystery (don’t worry, it’s easy and free).

Here’s the press release that kind of lays it all out but I have a feeling there’s a whole lot more to this ARG than meets the press release.

CBS AND EQAL PRESENT HARPER’S GLOBE
Multi-Platform Social Show Launches Today at HarpersGlobe.com as an Online Companion to CBS’s Prime Time TV Series HARPER’S ISLAND
HARPER’S ISLAND Mythology To Be Introduced Online Three Weeks Prior to Broadcast Premiere on April 9
HARPER’S GLOBE Also Available on CBS.com, TV.com, CBS Mobile and Across the CBS Audience Network
HARPER’S GLOBE, the multi-platform series from CBS Interactive and EQAL, creators of lonelygirl15, launched today, introducing online audiences to the mythology of HARPER’S ISLAND three weeks prior to the launch of the prime time CBS television series on April 9. HARPER’S GLOBE, an interactive and social entertainment experience, will complement the weekly television series. HARPER’S ISLAND premieres on the CBS Television Network on Thursday, April 9 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) and concludes with the broadcast finale on Thursday, July 2 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).

HARPER’S GLOBE is a social show presented at HarpersGlobe.com where fans can become part of the interactive experience by viewing videos, interacting with the story, participating in the lives of the characters and communicating with the online community. The weekly original episodes featured on the Web site complement the HARPER’S ISLAND storyline with overlapping characters, locations and plots that will continue to evolve throughout the first season of the television show. In addition to being available on HarpersGlobe.com, all content will be available at CBS.com, TV.com, CBS Mobile and across the CBS Audience Network.

HARPER’S GLOBE follows the story of Robin Matthews, played by Melanie Merkosky, a girl with a mysterious past who has recently arrived on Harper’s Island to digitize old news archives for the local newspaper and build a community on HarpersGlobe.com. Robin starts tracking the story of the murders that occurred on the island seven years ago; innocently reading and asking questions about the island’s past, investigating out of pure curiosity. That is, until the murders begin again and Robin becomes part of the story.
In addition to a new episode premiering every week, characters from HARPER’S GLOBE will upload new content to the Web site each day, such as short videos, text blogs and photos. Registered users wanting to further participate in the experience will be able to create a profile page like the characters’ and upload personal content.

HARPER’S ISLAND is about a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island for a destination wedding. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival. In every episode, someone is killed and every person is a suspect, from the wedding party to the island locals. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive.

Jon Turteltaub (“Jericho”) and Jeffrey Bell (“Alias,” “Angel,” “The X-Files”) are executive producers for CBS Paramount Network Television in association with Junction Entertainment. Karim Zreik (“Jericho”), Dan Shotz (“Jericho”) and Tyler Bensinger (“Cold Case”) are co-executive producers and Ari Schlossberg (“Hide and Seek”) is co-executive producer and creator.

The HARPER’S GLOBE episodes are executive produced by Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, co-founders of EQAL, and Matt Seigel, co-executive produced by James Sterling, directed by Tony Valenzuela, written by Jennifer Yale and starring Melanie Merkosky.

About CBS Interactive
CBS Interactive, a division of CBS Corporation, is the best online content network for information and entertainment. With more than 170 million people visiting its properties each month, it is the 8th largest Web property globally. Its portfolio of leading brands, which include CNET, CBS.com, CBSSports.com, GameSpot, TV.com, BNET and Last.fm, span popular categories like technology, entertainment, sports, news and business.

About EQAL
EQAL (pronounced “Equal”) is a social entertainment company dedicated to changing the way content is consumed. Merging technology with creative development and production expertise, EQAL is a leader in the creation of social shows. The company recently concluded the runs of the two most successful social dramas, lonelygirl15 and KateModern, which had more than 150 million combined views, and in September 2008 launched its newest online serial; LG15: The Resistance. Through partnerships with independent producers, traditional media companies, and multi-national brands, EQAL is dedicated to building online communities that engage users like never before. EQAL is headquartered in Los Angeles. For more information: http://www.eqal.com.

I ran into Jessica lonelygirl15 Rose herself at a party the other night and and I almost got her to slip and tell me what her next project is.

Jessica Rose has appeared in LG15, Ask A Ninja, Sorority Forever, Hooking Up, Casanovas, Elevators and Blood Cell.

So what is Jessica Rose’s Next Internet Video Series?