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On this blog we assemble the world's sharpest minds in marketing and strategy innovation. People who spark exceptional insights in their field of expertise and inspire their readers to action.

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January 31, 2007

fan sites are like dungeons and dragons 30 years ago

by: Lynette Webb 

Hindsight is an amazing thing. :-)
I like this quote a lot, it’s a nice companion to the classic William Gibson quote “The future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed” (which is still on my ToDo list to turn into a slide).

Continue reading "fan sites are like dungeons and dragons 30 years ago" »

The Top Ten Stupid Ways to Hinder Market Adoption

by: Guy KawasakiiStock_000000265146XSmall.jpg

Here’s a compilation of silly and stupid ways companies are hindering adoption of their products and services. I must admit, some of the companies that I’ve invested in have made these mistakes—in fact, that’s why I know these mistakes are (a) silly; (b) stupid; and (c) hinder adoption.

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Second Life Shorts, Set 2

By: Ilya Vedrashko

A number of interesting Second Life developments happening all at once:

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The Phoenix Checklist

by: Iqbal Mohammed

Was looking through my notes recently and came across the Phoenix Checklist - a set of questions developed by the CIA to enable their agents and operatives to think about a problem thoroughly. It should come in handy for us planners and strategists.

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January 30, 2007

Tipping the Media Scales

By: David Armano

A funny thing happened on the way to the World Economic Forum.  OK, actually it didn’t happen until the end.

Continue reading "Tipping the Media Scales" »

Blogs Are Not Important Individually but in Aggregate Are Powerful

by: Lynette Webb 

I'd imagine this is obvious to anyone who is actively engaged in blogs, but there are still an awful lot of people who aren't.

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Gary Carter's Speech, Part 2

By: Ilya Vedrashko

This is part 2 of 3 of the keynote address on the future of television delivered by Gary Carter of FreemantleMedia at the National Association of Television Program Executives in Las Vegas in January 2007. (See part 1 and background.) All emphasis mine.

Continue reading "Gary Carter's Speech, Part 2" »

Consumer Generated Media as Driver of Green Marketing

by: David Wigder

An interview with Pete Blackshaw, CMO, Nielsen BuzzMetrics   

The creation and distribution of consumer-generated media (CGM) online is rapidly changing the marketing landscape. Consumers are actively participating online, providing opinions, perspective and feedback on the products and brands they like and dislike through a variety of channels including message boards, social networking sites, corporate sites, online communities and blogs.

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January 29, 2007

Gary Carter on Death of TV

By: Ilya Vedrashko

Gary Carter, president of creative networks at FremantleMedia that brought us American Idol and other blockbuster shows, delivered a very inspiring keynote at NATPE (more notes: part 1, part 2).

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Wiibot - Controlling a Robot Arm With A Wiimote

by: Karl Long

The decision Nintendo made to innovate around the control of video games and bow out of the 3d arms race continues to pay dividend, generating interest, and encouraging creativity.

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The Secret Life of Expired Objects

by: Sebastian Campion

wedding gown

Why do we hold on to things long after they have 'expired'?

This question is the central theme in an art project called Best Before, which explores the relationship that people have with objects they no longer use.

Continue reading "The Secret Life of Expired Objects" »

Special Feature: The New Futurelab 100

 NOW UPDATED FOR2007 - Click here

A few months ago the guys at Interbrand compiled their list of the 100 most valuable brands, and now 2007 has come we're turning it upside down again, by looking at the online relevance of the brands listed.   As last year, the methodology is - in our own opinion - still open for improvement, yet while we wait for decent and reliable metrics, the results remain interesting to say the least.

Continue reading "Special Feature: The New Futurelab 100" »

January 28, 2007

Want answers to a tough problem? Offer a prize

by: John Caddell

In the Wall Street Journal, columnist David Wessel highlights the role prizes have played, and continue to play, in fostering innovation.

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Real Mystery Shoppers

By: Ilya Vedrashko

Retailers, beware. The Big Customer is watching you! And takes pictures. And blogs.

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Does Social Media Participation Affect What You Do?

By: David Armano

I keep thinking about the "blogging killing planning" discussion. 

Continue reading "Does Social Media Participation Affect What You Do?" »

January 27, 2007

Race Relations and Internet Fandom

by: Nancy Baym

The New York Times has an interesting article today about being a black fan of indie rock (they do have the cultural memory to point out that the whole darn genre of rock was invented by black people), that includes this interesting paragraph:

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Green Consumer Behavior - Part II: Evolving Social Norms toward the Environment

by: David Wigder

Joel Makower’s recent blog entitled “Is ‘Carbon Neutral’ Good Enough?” speaks to the growing trend to offset carbon emissions generated from personal or business activities.

Continue reading "Green Consumer Behavior - Part II: Evolving Social Norms toward the Environment" »

January 26, 2007

What to Use to Visualise Your Work and Data?

by: Design Translator

 

Ever wondered what are the best techniques or visualization tools you can use to help solve your design and business problems?

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One for the weekend: Apple ... You're Beautiful

by: Alain Thys

Today I had a lunch meeting in which the topics of conversation included Net Promoter Score, delighting customers and making sure consumers care enough to carry your brand's message into the world.  Yet when you put all the buzzwords aside, I think this video of an Apple fan and her dream says it all.  

Continue reading "One for the weekend: Apple ... You're Beautiful" »

Crowdsourcing Your Wishes

by: Karl Long

The simplest way to describe the Robin Hood Fund is it’s kind of like Digg for wishes. You post a wish, and estimate how much it would cost to fulfill your wish, post it, and let the community vote on it and even contribute money toward the wish fund.

Continue reading "Crowdsourcing Your Wishes" »

Rumor: Google Planning Virtual World

By: Ilya Vedrashko

For the record: Blogs today are widely broadcasting a rumor "from an academic who heard through the PhD grapevine" and passed on by a VC that Google is putting together pieces to create a SL-like virtual world based on Google Earth.

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Ten Questions With Donald Trump

by: Guy Kawasaki

Donald J. Trump is a graduate of the Wharton School of Finance and started his business career in an office he shared with his father. In August of 2006, Mr. Trump was voted by BusinessWeek magazine as “the world’s most competitive businessperson.”

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January 25, 2007

Lighting companies have a negative incentive to sell compact fluorescents

by: John Caddell

Wal-Mart recently announced a marketing push to encourage consumers to install energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs ("CFs") to replace old-fashioned incandescents. Wal-Mart's sales target for 2007 is 100 million bulbs, compared to 40 million sold in the twelve months through August 2006. And we're gonna need the help, because the profit incentive for the lighting companies is to keep CFs a niche product and continue to sell large volumes of incandescents.

Continue reading "Lighting companies have a negative incentive to sell compact fluorescents" »

January 24, 2007

Social Perceptions and Altruism Research

by: Roger Dooley

Duke neuroscientist Scott Huettel, whose neuroeconomics work we described in Decision Making, Risk, and Ambiguity, is back in the news with some interesting work on the neuroscience of altruism.

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Second Lifecycle

By: David Armano

LifecycleClick to enlarge.

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January 23, 2007

Green Marketing through Behavioral Targeting

by: David Wigder

An Interview with Dave Morgan, Founder and Chairman of Tacoda  

With diverse demographics and evolving attitudes toward eco-friendly products, green consumers are an elusive segment to characterize, let alone target.

Continue reading "Green Marketing through Behavioral Targeting" »

one third of IPTV global subs are in France

by: Lynette Webb 

I recently had to do some research into the status of IPTV in Western Europe. One of the more credible estimates for IPTV penetration I came across was provided by Dittberner, a specialist telecoms research house.

Continue reading "one third of IPTV global subs are in France" »

Is 'Carbon Neutral' Good Enough?

by: Joel Makower

The bar on climate change keeps rising, at least among a handful of companies seeking to be leaders in this arena. The announcements have been steady of late, with more and more companies claiming some kind of carbon neutrality.

Continue reading "Is 'Carbon Neutral' Good Enough?" »

The sneaky price increase - should you use it for business purposes?

By: John Caddell

Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge site has just republished a fascinating piece from 2004 in which HBS marketing professor John Gourville tells us something we should already know, but don't:

Continue reading "The sneaky price increase - should you use it for business purposes?" »

January 21, 2007

Libido-Enhancing Scent Patch

By: Ilya Vedrashko

Someone who figures out how to spray stores with this thing will move a lot of merchandise:

Continue reading "Libido-Enhancing Scent Patch" »

More about social networking

by: Dick Stroud

Newsweek has an article about the way the 50-plus have miraculously discovered the joys of social networking.

Continue reading "More about social networking" »

Why do people love fashion but hate to admit it?

By: John Caddell

The Wall Street Journal yesterday published an article by Alessandra Galloni featuring a fascinating interview with Miuccia Prada, head of the fashion company bearing her name.

Continue reading "Why do people love fashion but hate to admit it?" »

Concept: Social Retailing

By: Ilya Vedrashko

Welcome Social Retailing (TM) - a technology developed and trademarked by IconNicholson and demoed at the National Retail Federation conference's Store of the Future exhibition.

Continue reading "Concept: Social Retailing" »

Some Random Thoughts on the Biz

by: David Polinchock

Had some quick thoughts this morning while in the shower and I thought that I would share them with you.

Continue reading "Some Random Thoughts on the Biz" »

How To Sell Your Marketing Budget To Your CFO

by: Jon Miller

I recently received this email from a colleague who runs marketing for a security software company:

I’m getting some pushback from my CFO on the size of my proposed total marketing budget as % of forecasted revenue… Do you have any sources with basic credibility with this info that I can cite?

Continue reading "How To Sell Your Marketing Budget To Your CFO" »

January 19, 2007

Green Consumer Behavior– Part I: Information Paradox

by: David Wigder

Understanding consumer behavior is critical for any marketer, and is especially important in regard to environmental products and services. 

Continue reading "Green Consumer Behavior– Part I: Information Paradox" »

Phase Two - TV & Design Brands and Virtual Worlds

by: Gary Hayes

OK yet another post on Virtual Worlds, I know, but I will get round to Joost and YouTube TV channels and so on soon. Being involved as designer/developer in several Australian launches into Second Life in the next couple of months I am sensitized to entertainment or service brands entering virtual spaces and in the last couple of days MTV and NBC have shown more faith in MUVE and their inherent social network by launching some phase two type initiatives. Then there is Sears and Phillips design who are going a completely different route. First though:

Continue reading "Phase Two - TV & Design Brands and Virtual Worlds " »

January 18, 2007

Are You Making Decisions Easier for Your Customers?

by: George Silverman

Either you’re supporting the customer’s decision making, or you’re creating clutter and obstructing it.

Prospects make dozens of little decisions as they move through the decision process:

Continue reading "Are You Making Decisions Easier for Your Customers?" »

Upwardly Mobile

by: Joseph Mann 

Does your business have a mobile version of its client-facing web site? If not, are you ready to go mobile in 2007? You'd better be, if a survey and article by Information Week late last year is any measure:

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Top Ten Marketing Podcasts

by: Guy Kawasaki

Marketingvoices.jpg

Here’s a collection of podcasts about marketing from Marketing Voices, a weekly podcast that discusses how social media is affecting marketing strategy and practices, by my buddy Jennifer Jones. There’s lots of great information for entrepreneurs and small-business owners in these podcasts.

Continue reading "Top Ten Marketing Podcasts" »

January 17, 2007

Forget the Apple Phone, Give Me a Newton Anytime!

by: Design Translator

I was amazed to find out, how extensive the Cult of Mac’s influences over the many products they cover. Even though the Apple Newton PDA was killed by Steve Jobs shortly after he re-joined Apple in 1998, the Newton community continues to defy all odds by keeping this product alive and current by updating it with technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, memory cards and even an MP3 Player!

Continue reading "Forget the Apple Phone, Give Me a Newton Anytime!" »