Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Viral Marketing Tips Via the Military = Learn to play telephone well. Thanks AdLab. http://tinyurl.com/yhsnyk8
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Isn't the real problem that the gap between 1st and last is 3 points!? AT&T Comes in Last http://ping.fm/Cz3WU
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
I know, I know, I've reposted social media simplification screeds before, but I like them. http://ping.fm/ouzDq
Monday, November 30, 2009
Paleo-Future - Paleo-Future Blog - Newton the Household Robot (1989)
Thanks to my friends over at mpls.tv for turning me on to Paleo-Future which turned me on to Newton. So interesting that we really haven't made any progress on this in the past 25 years. Even more intruiging to me is that your phone likely has more processing power than 12 Newtons combined. A freaking 20MB hard drive!?!?!
From: http://ping.fm/BzvGa
From: http://ping.fm/BzvGa
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Reading the Wall Street Journal Report and annoyed that CEO's said they wanted gvt help and now complain about too much gvt. http://ping.fm/LVO4F
Friday, November 20, 2009
Clearly we should go with The Oughts. As in we ought to have done things differently at times. http://ping.fm/Q8d1a
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Nothing is the same as being in the dressing room, but this Aug Reality comes close. http://ping.fm/AHR8y
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Great article on social media and it not being the answer for weak brands by Al Ries http://ping.fm/wybfI
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Text messages can lead to action. Maybe now is the time for companies to pay attention. http://ping.fm/VxSyo
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Give and You May Receive: Sears tries to out-lowball the competition in hopes of raising trial and sales
Driving home the other night I happened to listen to an MPR report on the state of big-box retailers and book prices. The basic gist is that everyone is trying to horn in on pre-orders in an attempt to make up for margin in volume. It all started with Wal-Mart dropping prices to $10, which Amazon matched. Wal-Mart then went lower and Amazon followed until Target got in on the action and threw out $8.99 for a hot, best-seller.
This was all blasted to smithereens by Sears.
Yes, that Sears. The one you know for boilers, washing machines and a recent history of having trouble making ends meet. They went ahead and dropped the prices on new releases as low as they could: $0. With the launch of their “Keep America Reading” promotion Sears has made a noticeable entrance into the battle for books. Or has it?
The way the whole promotion works is that consumers can buy certain books at Wal-Mart, Amazon or Target and submit the receipt online for up to a $9 credit on their next purchase of $45 or more. So just what is Sears’ game and how do they expect this to work? Clearly Sears isn’t known for being a bastion of literary influence, so how does this whole book credit thing work to their advantage?
My opinion is that they have a three-fold goal in mind: 1) Awareness, 2) Trial and 3) Purchase. Simple, right? But there’s more to it so let’s explore each step piece by piece.
First, Sears is attempting to rebuild its brand as evidenced by their current campaign. Once a cornerstone of the American department store scene, Sears fell into decline and still hovers around going off the deep end. Their new brand, “Life. Well spent.” aims to reintroduce the company as a source of dependability and value in today’s economic trials. This book play directly acknowledges both the economic reality of our times AND makes potential customers aware that Sears has more to offer than they might think. The media coverage that came out of the move undoubtedly raised a few eyebrows but chances are good that people might just pay attention and become aware of Sears as a viable alternative to the usual suspects. To that end I believe that Sears has achieved their goal.
Second, the goal of any promotion is to drive trial of product. The interesting aspect of the “Keep America Reading” campaign is that Sears isn’t aiming to become the defacto source for cheap, popular books. Instead, they are becoming a SOURCE FOR VALUE by asking consumers to simply proclaim their interest in purchasing certain items (sounds like free consumer research to me) and tell Sears about it. In return Sears is giving those consumers some free money as long as they take a second or two to explore what Sears has to offer. In a smart move, Sears isn’t asking consumers to actually travel to a brick-and-mortar location. Instead, they are simply asking consumers to take a trip on the world wide web. Easy, direct and abound with opportunities to demonstrate product offering and other ways that Sears can help potential consumers life a life well spent. The question is whether these potential converts see anything worth staying around for, which brings us to our next point.
Finally, purchase of product is the end goal of Sears’ promotion. As I mentioned above, Sears is giving people money for buying product elsewhere. While some might view this as simply a discount move, the real thing to take away from the plan is that by giving customers a credit THEY ARE NOT DISCOUNTING PRICES. Instead they give potential customers a perceived value for even considering Sears as a viable alternative. This allows Sears to avoid being the lowest bidder and instead the largest giver of value. Smart.
My assumption is that we will see Sears online traffic explode in the next few days (maybe even weeks). By taking stock of how that traffic maintains itself I think you will get a good glimpse into general consumer opinion of Sears and their offering in the marketplace. Should consumers like what they see, a few of them will stay around and continue to look to Sears for value. Should they look around and see that they can still get merchandise of similar or better quality for similar or lower price, you just might see this as the end of Sears relevance (with the possible exception of their appliance and electronics sections).
Either way, it’s a hell of a move at a hell of a time and it will be interesting to see how it ends for Sears. Stay tuned.
Pax vobiscum,
Andrew
PS I wonder if Sears has considered running book-specific promotions? “Zen and the Art of Motorcylce Maintenance” and $20 off a 42” LCD TV, “A Brief History of Time” gets you $10 of an alarm clock. It might give them a chance to speak to specific markets (via some well placed online advertising) and showcase specific, value-laden product. Just a thought.
This was all blasted to smithereens by Sears.
Yes, that Sears. The one you know for boilers, washing machines and a recent history of having trouble making ends meet. They went ahead and dropped the prices on new releases as low as they could: $0. With the launch of their “Keep America Reading” promotion Sears has made a noticeable entrance into the battle for books. Or has it?
The way the whole promotion works is that consumers can buy certain books at Wal-Mart, Amazon or Target and submit the receipt online for up to a $9 credit on their next purchase of $45 or more. So just what is Sears’ game and how do they expect this to work? Clearly Sears isn’t known for being a bastion of literary influence, so how does this whole book credit thing work to their advantage?
My opinion is that they have a three-fold goal in mind: 1) Awareness, 2) Trial and 3) Purchase. Simple, right? But there’s more to it so let’s explore each step piece by piece.
First, Sears is attempting to rebuild its brand as evidenced by their current campaign. Once a cornerstone of the American department store scene, Sears fell into decline and still hovers around going off the deep end. Their new brand, “Life. Well spent.” aims to reintroduce the company as a source of dependability and value in today’s economic trials. This book play directly acknowledges both the economic reality of our times AND makes potential customers aware that Sears has more to offer than they might think. The media coverage that came out of the move undoubtedly raised a few eyebrows but chances are good that people might just pay attention and become aware of Sears as a viable alternative to the usual suspects. To that end I believe that Sears has achieved their goal.
Second, the goal of any promotion is to drive trial of product. The interesting aspect of the “Keep America Reading” campaign is that Sears isn’t aiming to become the defacto source for cheap, popular books. Instead, they are becoming a SOURCE FOR VALUE by asking consumers to simply proclaim their interest in purchasing certain items (sounds like free consumer research to me) and tell Sears about it. In return Sears is giving those consumers some free money as long as they take a second or two to explore what Sears has to offer. In a smart move, Sears isn’t asking consumers to actually travel to a brick-and-mortar location. Instead, they are simply asking consumers to take a trip on the world wide web. Easy, direct and abound with opportunities to demonstrate product offering and other ways that Sears can help potential consumers life a life well spent. The question is whether these potential converts see anything worth staying around for, which brings us to our next point.
Finally, purchase of product is the end goal of Sears’ promotion. As I mentioned above, Sears is giving people money for buying product elsewhere. While some might view this as simply a discount move, the real thing to take away from the plan is that by giving customers a credit THEY ARE NOT DISCOUNTING PRICES. Instead they give potential customers a perceived value for even considering Sears as a viable alternative. This allows Sears to avoid being the lowest bidder and instead the largest giver of value. Smart.
My assumption is that we will see Sears online traffic explode in the next few days (maybe even weeks). By taking stock of how that traffic maintains itself I think you will get a good glimpse into general consumer opinion of Sears and their offering in the marketplace. Should consumers like what they see, a few of them will stay around and continue to look to Sears for value. Should they look around and see that they can still get merchandise of similar or better quality for similar or lower price, you just might see this as the end of Sears relevance (with the possible exception of their appliance and electronics sections).
Either way, it’s a hell of a move at a hell of a time and it will be interesting to see how it ends for Sears. Stay tuned.
Pax vobiscum,
Andrew
PS I wonder if Sears has considered running book-specific promotions? “Zen and the Art of Motorcylce Maintenance” and $20 off a 42” LCD TV, “A Brief History of Time” gets you $10 of an alarm clock. It might give them a chance to speak to specific markets (via some well placed online advertising) and showcase specific, value-laden product. Just a thought.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Rum gets the drop on research
In my experience as an advertising person, the one thing we always wished we had was information on how actual people feel about things. How nice it would be to zip out a question like, "How do you feel about X?" and actually get a response.
Well, it looks like Don Q rum has actually figured out how to do that. And while I'm not sure how it benefits their brand, it could definitely have implications for other brands.
They (and what I assume is their agency) have put together a little thang called LadyData. The basic premise seems simple: Ask a panel of Ladies questions and then allow them to provide a response. It seems to me that their goal is kind of Mystery Method in nature and that they not only boost your male aura as a fancy rum drinker but boost your means of seducing the feminine sacred by being a Don Q drinker.
Whatever their goals, what they have succeeded in putting together is a fairly interesting little program that allows you to view those responses, the specific ladies that voted and filter said information by age, location, education, etc.
A smart agency would try to sell this to other clients as a real-time research tool.
Well, it looks like Don Q rum has actually figured out how to do that. And while I'm not sure how it benefits their brand, it could definitely have implications for other brands.
They (and what I assume is their agency) have put together a little thang called LadyData. The basic premise seems simple: Ask a panel of Ladies questions and then allow them to provide a response. It seems to me that their goal is kind of Mystery Method in nature and that they not only boost your male aura as a fancy rum drinker but boost your means of seducing the feminine sacred by being a Don Q drinker.
Whatever their goals, what they have succeeded in putting together is a fairly interesting little program that allows you to view those responses, the specific ladies that voted and filter said information by age, location, education, etc.
A smart agency would try to sell this to other clients as a real-time research tool.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Reality Gaming
Saw this post on Guitar Hero at Engadget.
They pan the whole thing a little bit, honestly admitting that the sound of the real guitar verges on that of the 14 year old son everyone hopes to avoid who does nothing but practice Metallica in his room.
I acknowledge this criticism. But for me the really interesting aspect of the Open Chord system is that it takes us one step closer to making gaming a viable form of teaching. Some tweaks to the gaming software, maybe a new game even, and we'd have kids (and adults) learning how to actually play guitar.
Think of the other things this could be used for. No, seriously think of them and let me know.
They pan the whole thing a little bit, honestly admitting that the sound of the real guitar verges on that of the 14 year old son everyone hopes to avoid who does nothing but practice Metallica in his room.
I acknowledge this criticism. But for me the really interesting aspect of the Open Chord system is that it takes us one step closer to making gaming a viable form of teaching. Some tweaks to the gaming software, maybe a new game even, and we'd have kids (and adults) learning how to actually play guitar.
Think of the other things this could be used for. No, seriously think of them and let me know.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Easy Peasy Development
A former colleague of mine loved to use the phrase "privileged discourse." While the utterance of such a thing would usually end in me ribbing him about going to a fancy, Ivy League school, his point was always that certain people have a skill which often amounts to nothing more than knowledge about a subject that someone else does not have.
For me personally, it's the web. I know enough about programming to take someone else's basic HTML and adapt to my own needs, but that's about it. So besides taking a few months and learning to code (something I am in the position to do and likely will attempt) how could I ever hope to create web applications that work as I am outside the realm of privileged discourse needed to understand that process.
Thanks to SubmleUpon, I just might be able to work around my deficiency by using the programs listed in this article: http://tinyurl.com/m6hj8p . Point and drag and drop and execute is what these programs are all about. Breaking down the walls of code nerdery and arduous learning curves to allow the average joe to build some pretty cool stuff. Right up my alley. While I haven't tried any of them out yet, the idea is what I am more concerned with. This ability to remove the blinders from people and give them the chance to execute their thoughts has the potential to lead to some really interesting and useful things that hadn't existed and likely would never appear on the radar of the hip advertising and web dev people in the world. So take some of these for a spin and let me know what you think.
Pax vobiscum.
For me personally, it's the web. I know enough about programming to take someone else's basic HTML and adapt to my own needs, but that's about it. So besides taking a few months and learning to code (something I am in the position to do and likely will attempt) how could I ever hope to create web applications that work as I am outside the realm of privileged discourse needed to understand that process.
Thanks to SubmleUpon, I just might be able to work around my deficiency by using the programs listed in this article: http://tinyurl.com/m6hj8p . Point and drag and drop and execute is what these programs are all about. Breaking down the walls of code nerdery and arduous learning curves to allow the average joe to build some pretty cool stuff. Right up my alley. While I haven't tried any of them out yet, the idea is what I am more concerned with. This ability to remove the blinders from people and give them the chance to execute their thoughts has the potential to lead to some really interesting and useful things that hadn't existed and likely would never appear on the radar of the hip advertising and web dev people in the world. So take some of these for a spin and let me know what you think.
Pax vobiscum.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
BingTweets
Twitter meets search. Microsoft pairs up with Twitter to create BingTweets, a site designed to bring clarity to the confusion of the Twitter world. Does it help that much? Probably not but I do like the fact that Tweets are juxtaposed with information, thereby allowing you to actually understand what you are reading 140 characters about. Will it change the world? No. Will it be kind of cool for a month? Yes. Mostly I think it's nice brand movement for Bing (which in my opinion is running great spots).
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Kodak Does Something New...Kind Of
Recently everyone at work has been all atwitter about Twitter. This has forced me to start using it as well. Whether that's a bad thing or a good thing only time will tell. But in the meantime it's at least interesting to follow some of the top dogs of the marketing industry who are using it. One is Gary Hayzlett of Kodak. And today, I saw that he posted this little link:
http://www.feistemail.com/
It's a new Kodak initiative that meshes photography (something they do) with communication (something they aim to do). Clearly, some designer or idea guy over there saw SomeECards.com and decided it would be a great idea if Kodak did something similar since they have (what I would imagine is) a buttload of old photography and nothing to do with it. I think it's timely and I'm glad to see Kodak doing something different. If they can open it up to user pictures the possibilities could be hilarious (not to mention more personal, something 4x6 pictures are all about).
My question is: Is this a good idea for their brand? I don't know the answer. What I do know is that Kodak is not associated with quality like it used to be. Maybe a brand extension powered by Kodak technology is in order...very similar to how they are positioning FesitEmail actually.
http://www.feistemail.com/
It's a new Kodak initiative that meshes photography (something they do) with communication (something they aim to do). Clearly, some designer or idea guy over there saw SomeECards.com and decided it would be a great idea if Kodak did something similar since they have (what I would imagine is) a buttload of old photography and nothing to do with it. I think it's timely and I'm glad to see Kodak doing something different. If they can open it up to user pictures the possibilities could be hilarious (not to mention more personal, something 4x6 pictures are all about).
My question is: Is this a good idea for their brand? I don't know the answer. What I do know is that Kodak is not associated with quality like it used to be. Maybe a brand extension powered by Kodak technology is in order...very similar to how they are positioning FesitEmail actually.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Above and Beyond Customer Service
We always hear of stores that allow their customers to go above and beyond when it comes to customer service (Nordstrom's springs to mind). Clearly there is inherent value in treating your customer like a friend and helping them achieve their goals, even if they're not sure what those goals are.
I stumbled upon this website that is full of back and forth interactions between one man and customers that frequent the stores he works at. Whether they are true or not, this one stuck out as an example of dealing with a bad customer through empathy and thoughtfulness that not only changed his day, but his life:
http://notalwaysright.com/a-heady-proposition/1226
I stumbled upon this website that is full of back and forth interactions between one man and customers that frequent the stores he works at. Whether they are true or not, this one stuck out as an example of dealing with a bad customer through empathy and thoughtfulness that not only changed his day, but his life:
http://notalwaysright.com/a-heady-proposition/1226
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Candy + Soft Serve = Amazing!
As my friend Josh was paying for his morning caffeine fix, I noticed some bright blue, yellow and red tinfoil wrappers that came out of his pocket. "Cadbury Creme Eggs," I thought to myself (fully forgetting that we are now in full Easter swing in the US). We got to talking some more and, knowing his interests, I suggested that it might be interesting to make some Cadbury Creme Egg ice cream. I believe his exact words were, "I find it hard to get excited about something I'm not excited about eating." Boo, I said. For pretty much my whole life I have always looked forward to my one Cadbury Creme Egg a year. The gritty feel of the sugar dough in globular yellow and white that oozes from the cracked shell, what a treat! While I can never bring myself to eat more than one without feeling like total crap, I do cherish that single, chocolate covered magic that the wizards at Cadbury dreamed up in their Wonka lab so many years ago.
Turns out, I'm not the only one who thinks it'd be good with ice cream. Thanks to our friends over at Buzzfeed, I stumbled across this post on McFlurrys of the world. And oh, what a wild and varied world it is. From Bluberry/Oreo in Japan to the Chips Ahoy version found in Mexico, the McFlurry has a universal appeal boosted further by McDonald's ability to tap into native desires and whip them into a delicious treat.
So what's the branding/marketing twist on this story: Know your customer. Could McD's push M&Ms and Butterfinger everywhere? They sure could. But it wouldn't be nearly as successful as tapping into the Brits' desire for Cadbury confections. Or the Japanese yearning for green tea. That's what makes this today's cool thing.
As an added bonus, I bring you the genius (IMHO) ads Cadbury ran to promote Creme Eggs in the days of your. A rabbit laying eggs and clucking like a chicken. Beautiful.
Turns out, I'm not the only one who thinks it'd be good with ice cream. Thanks to our friends over at Buzzfeed, I stumbled across this post on McFlurrys of the world. And oh, what a wild and varied world it is. From Bluberry/Oreo in Japan to the Chips Ahoy version found in Mexico, the McFlurry has a universal appeal boosted further by McDonald's ability to tap into native desires and whip them into a delicious treat.
So what's the branding/marketing twist on this story: Know your customer. Could McD's push M&Ms and Butterfinger everywhere? They sure could. But it wouldn't be nearly as successful as tapping into the Brits' desire for Cadbury confections. Or the Japanese yearning for green tea. That's what makes this today's cool thing.
As an added bonus, I bring you the genius (IMHO) ads Cadbury ran to promote Creme Eggs in the days of your. A rabbit laying eggs and clucking like a chicken. Beautiful.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Responsiveness is key
By now I assume we've 
all been made aware of the Facebook Terms of Service debacle. The long and short of it is Facebook released a TOS update that stated all content posted to their site belonged to them. This in and of itself was problematic. Facebook then went further to say that even if you DELETED your account, they retained rights overall information you posted to their site. Yowsa! At the very least you'd think they would honor copyright law or something!
But, all of this was to no end because Facebook, facing an digital pitchfork and torch uprising of the villagers, has reverted back to the previous Terms of Service. So, what's the cool thing about this? In my opinion it's the responsiveness of Facebook to their users wishes. A while back they instituted their version of targeted advertising. People cried out, it came down. The same thing happened here. They tried something new, people said no, Facebook reneged and life went back to being beautiful. All in all, the company seems to look for ways to push the envelope but is very aware of the perils of doing so. Hey, they gotta figure out some way to make a profit, right?
all been made aware of the Facebook Terms of Service debacle. The long and short of it is Facebook released a TOS update that stated all content posted to their site belonged to them. This in and of itself was problematic. Facebook then went further to say that even if you DELETED your account, they retained rights overall information you posted to their site. Yowsa! At the very least you'd think they would honor copyright law or something!But, all of this was to no end because Facebook, facing an digital pitchfork and torch uprising of the villagers, has reverted back to the previous Terms of Service. So, what's the cool thing about this? In my opinion it's the responsiveness of Facebook to their users wishes. A while back they instituted their version of targeted advertising. People cried out, it came down. The same thing happened here. They tried something new, people said no, Facebook reneged and life went back to being beautiful. All in all, the company seems to look for ways to push the envelope but is very aware of the perils of doing so. Hey, they gotta figure out some way to make a profit, right?
In other news, it looks as though PepsiCo has lost the brand battle on Tropicana and is now pulling the new package design from store shelves.
You gotta wonder why this failed, especially when their new brand design for the Pepsi line seems to be doing well. Maybe it comes down to focusing too much on the Next Generation instead of the people who are buying the bulk of orange juice: moms. They moved from a wholesome, drinking the juice right out of the orange look to a streamlined, modern take. My gut feeling is that this shift just didn't jibe with their core consumer (based on the article, it seems my thought is not far off). However, it does bring us full circle to listening. Instead of forging ahead and shoving the new Tropicana down everyone's throats, they are reverting back to the old via mea culpa. Will it be the right move in the long run? I don't know. But I bet right now, it will be the right move for the bottom line.
You gotta wonder why this failed, especially when their new brand design for the Pepsi line seems to be doing well. Maybe it comes down to focusing too much on the Next Generation instead of the people who are buying the bulk of orange juice: moms. They moved from a wholesome, drinking the juice right out of the orange look to a streamlined, modern take. My gut feeling is that this shift just didn't jibe with their core consumer (based on the article, it seems my thought is not far off). However, it does bring us full circle to listening. Instead of forging ahead and shoving the new Tropicana down everyone's throats, they are reverting back to the old via mea culpa. Will it be the right move in the long run? I don't know. But I bet right now, it will be the right move for the bottom line.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Guvment Gets It: PB Free
Couldn't resist a double post today. Stumbled across this post on an FDA app that allows you to track recalled products involved in the peanut butter scare. Is it pretty? No. Does it provide a service? Yes. Could it be better used as a mobile app? Probably but not everyone has those abilities. All in all I'd say the FDA gets a kudos on this for a quick turnaround and a stellar idea. What could your company be doing to get in touch with consumers and help them? Hey Macy's, why not an app that shows me 5 new articles of clothing a day based on brand and fit preferences? Wal Mart, help me save money with a tip of the day that doesn't require me buying anything! Give people information and they'll love you.
Forget Me Not
Scientists announce that it may be possible to "forget" bad things that happen to us. Turns out a beta-blocker, used to treat heart conditions, may also have an unforeseen effect of diminishing the negative emotional reactions felt when confronted with a bad past memory.
Check out the article here.
Implications? Of course there are. The first is what does this mean for us emotionally? Does everyone have things they'd rather forget? Sure. But don't those experiences and memories make us who we are and teach us things about life? Clearly more research will be done in using these drugs for secondary purposes, but maybe the first question to ask is should we be doing this at all...
In marketing news, the big thing today is Facebook and their Terms of Service. Ay, ay, ay! What are you doing Facebook?! Check out this brief synopsis from the Consumerist.
Here it is folks: The reason everyone is shitting their pants over the future. It used to be all one had to do was protect their SSN#. Now, as our lives increasingly move online, people can find out anything about us they want. The counterintuitive aspect of Facebook's new TOS is that it is designed to be a place to share about yourself with friends. Who the hell wants to do that when anything you put up there (original content created by you I might add, which brings up a whole other interesting legal twist) no longer belongs to you? It seems simpler to me to have the TOS read: When your account shuts down of your own volition, we erase any record of you having been a member of Facebook. What will that information help them do anyways? It can't help them advertise to you because you're not there. In fact it would screw up their stats. Would Facebook really have any interest in posting my response to a comment and pork and blogs? Probably not, but they shouldn't have the ability to do it.
The basic issue is this: Facebook is now treating its customers like content creators rather than partners. Turns out, we will do what we want when we want to (remember MySpace?). I come to Facebook to connect with friends, not serve as a breeding ground for banner ads. Keep sending me the bald guy ads, but leave my status alone for perpetuity.
Check out the article here.
Implications? Of course there are. The first is what does this mean for us emotionally? Does everyone have things they'd rather forget? Sure. But don't those experiences and memories make us who we are and teach us things about life? Clearly more research will be done in using these drugs for secondary purposes, but maybe the first question to ask is should we be doing this at all...
In marketing news, the big thing today is Facebook and their Terms of Service. Ay, ay, ay! What are you doing Facebook?! Check out this brief synopsis from the Consumerist.
Here it is folks: The reason everyone is shitting their pants over the future. It used to be all one had to do was protect their SSN#. Now, as our lives increasingly move online, people can find out anything about us they want. The counterintuitive aspect of Facebook's new TOS is that it is designed to be a place to share about yourself with friends. Who the hell wants to do that when anything you put up there (original content created by you I might add, which brings up a whole other interesting legal twist) no longer belongs to you? It seems simpler to me to have the TOS read: When your account shuts down of your own volition, we erase any record of you having been a member of Facebook. What will that information help them do anyways? It can't help them advertise to you because you're not there. In fact it would screw up their stats. Would Facebook really have any interest in posting my response to a comment and pork and blogs? Probably not, but they shouldn't have the ability to do it.
The basic issue is this: Facebook is now treating its customers like content creators rather than partners. Turns out, we will do what we want when we want to (remember MySpace?). I come to Facebook to connect with friends, not serve as a breeding ground for banner ads. Keep sending me the bald guy ads, but leave my status alone for perpetuity.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Future of RadioShack
The other day I heard RadioShack was hosting an agency review...only to find out that I was a day late and a dollar short as they'd already chosen the agencies to participate. Honestly, I think the size of my shop would have kept us out anyways (people being how they are good ideas can only come from international agencies) but I was pissed at myself for not even having the chance to be told no.
Today, as our planning director and I were grabbing lunch it occurred to me that I really shouldn't give a crap whether we got in or not if my real goal is to share the idea that RadioShack could be something more than it currently is. Money or no money in my pocket, what really excited me about the chance to work for them is the fact that they are in need of some directional realignment. I personally remember RadioShack as an 80s wunderhaven of tinkering and RC cars. Somewhere along the way, that was lost as Terri and Howie began slinging TVs at me. It might have been successful for a bit (same-store-sales wise) but it NEVER MADE SENSE. RadioShack should be known again for what it is: a tinkerers paradise. The store is about the opportunity to take things to the next level. Set up that 40 speaker surround sound system with 8 miles of cable. Mount your TV to the ceiling for in-bed viewing pleasure. Teach your kids to fix stuff AND become a little smarter by buying them a home electronics kit and let them make a robot.
When you mix this tinker/hacker mentality with the value-driven trend we are in as a society, RS has a huge opportunity to be the fix-it place. Don't toss that remote/TV/monitor/keyboard/etc. Make it work again...and make it better!
And with the US lagging far behind in engineering, why not take the opportunity to rebrand RS as the place to get excited about science. RS has the opportunity to not only be the purveyor of product but the source of instruction. Which in turn will lead to more purveying and more instructing and so on and so forth. Websites for TV tinkerers. Links to Lifehacker and Hack-a-day. Promo videos of cicuit bending bands that show how to use basic EE skills to your advantage musically and get people thinking about what else can be done with a soldering iron and a potentiometer.
Honestly, I think RS has made a step in this direction with their latest campaign "Do stuff." But, they have a chance to differentiate themselves further and they should take it. DON'T try to be a smaller Best Buy. DO be the store next to the Best Buy that's going to have a cadre of geeky employees to show you how to really make stuff cool. DON'T focus on selling commodities. DO focus on selling the potential to make commodities unique to the consumer. DON'T let yourself be known as the place that sells audio wire. DO be known as the place that sells gold-tipped, Swiss engineered hi-fi audio wire that only 1% of people know about. DON'T be everything to everyone. DO be the best resource to a group of willing evangelists.
RadioShack. Wire your world.
(Or some other great tagline ;)
Keeping an eye out
Sorry for the format of the last posts. As I begin to acquire more and more points of dissemination for ideas, thoughts and random things nobody cares to read, it's hard to keep up. In an effort to become more efficient I signed up for ping.fm. The premise is pretty simple: It allows you to craft one message and push it to all of your social pages (Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, LinkedIn, etc.). I have a similar app for my iPhone called TwitterFon and another called Twinkle. Of the two, Twinkle is pretty cool as it allows you to share Tweets with people who are by you geographically. the idea is intriguing but leaves a gap in terms of what you can say (not that this is all bad) as you have to account for Twitter limiations on your blog should you choose to push messaging to both. In my mind it also raises the question, "Is this how it should be?" By that I mean should your Tweets and Status be the same? Can one person be multiple people online or do we have to reflect real life? Of course I can't answer these questions, but the threat exists. What will happen when it gets too real and that potential client or boss finds your Tweet on 20-something co-eds cranking hard in Cabo right after your blogger link on identifying business growth areas through souble regressive analysis? Hmmm...
In other news, the gal pal and I adopted a dog last Sunday. He is an adorable cocker spaniel who was abandoned. With a little time and love I think we'll be able to make him a friendly little guy but right now it's a difficult road - though he seems to progress a little more each day. In my attempts to see what the hell a dog does all day (and to make sure he isn't barking his head off) I set up a web stream with the help of my uber-tech friend Adam. If you care to take a look check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/d5sfep. It works best in IE 7 or via Windows Media Player. The process of setting it up was definitely informative and it makes me wonder what else people could be doing with web cams in the communications/business industry. Nurseries and dog day cares have started to install them to allow doting parents to watch every second of their kids' lives. Why doesn't every local restaurant or coffee shop have a stream set up so you can monitor the line? Why can't my local oil change shop set one up so i can see when my car is being worked on and when it's done? Maybe nobody would care, but in this age of information I bet plenty of people would watch.
In other news, the gal pal and I adopted a dog last Sunday. He is an adorable cocker spaniel who was abandoned. With a little time and love I think we'll be able to make him a friendly little guy but right now it's a difficult road - though he seems to progress a little more each day. In my attempts to see what the hell a dog does all day (and to make sure he isn't barking his head off) I set up a web stream with the help of my uber-tech friend Adam. If you care to take a look check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/d5sfep. It works best in IE 7 or via Windows Media Player. The process of setting it up was definitely informative and it makes me wonder what else people could be doing with web cams in the communications/business industry. Nurseries and dog day cares have started to install them to allow doting parents to watch every second of their kids' lives. Why doesn't every local restaurant or coffee shop have a stream set up so you can monitor the line? Why can't my local oil change shop set one up so i can see when my car is being worked on and when it's done? Maybe nobody would care, but in this age of information I bet plenty of people would watch.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
It's been awhile
So, with the holidays mixing things up, I've been away. Not that anyone cared. But I'm back with a vengeance. Whilst doing a little research for a potential project with a client that involves Google TV Ads, I spotted this little logo in the corner:
And so, like any curious cat I clicked and was taken to the YouTube Symphony site. The idea is pretty simple: have musicians from all over the world perform music in front of a camera and then submit it to YouTube. The best performers will then be selected and their videos will be combined to play the symphony that each musician was playing an individual part of. Genius! And to make it even better, the selected musicians will then play the symphony live in Carneige Hall.
I think this is a great example of the collaborative power of the internet working to accomplish something that NEVER could have been done before. We hear stories of musicians working separate from each other and laying down tracks like a game of chess-by-mail, but I don't recall this many people ever doing something like this.
Anyways, check out the YouTube Symphony. It's today's cool thing.
And so, like any curious cat I clicked and was taken to the YouTube Symphony site. The idea is pretty simple: have musicians from all over the world perform music in front of a camera and then submit it to YouTube. The best performers will then be selected and their videos will be combined to play the symphony that each musician was playing an individual part of. Genius! And to make it even better, the selected musicians will then play the symphony live in Carneige Hall.
I think this is a great example of the collaborative power of the internet working to accomplish something that NEVER could have been done before. We hear stories of musicians working separate from each other and laying down tracks like a game of chess-by-mail, but I don't recall this many people ever doing something like this.
Anyways, check out the YouTube Symphony. It's today's cool thing.
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