Forrester predicts that Google’s Android will overtake Apple’s iPhone as the 2nd largest smartphone platform by 2012. That’s a bold prediction for Google to topple the hottest, most buzzworthy phone in the world. The first step in the Android attack, an advertising campaign Droid Does, has launched and we like what we see. While Android is off to a good start with a buzzworthy campaign, this is just the first attack. Let’s stay tuned for Apple’s counterpunch. Steve Jobs and team: Google just put points on the board. It’s your move. Continue reading
There is a guiding philosophy that human capital can be an organization’s most important asset. In sports, managers are counted on to provide leadership in managing the team. From Joe Torre to Vince Lombardi, several standout managers have been able to deliver consistently great performance. Similarly, star performers are game changers on the field. In the business world, we all know about Steve Jobs and his track record with Apple. We recently worked with a client with a client to transform a 60 person department. Change started from the top through the selection of a new executive lead. From there, we had a mandate to redefine the group’s purpose, reprioritize their efforts, and inject new skills and talents. We share some tips on how to transform an organization through the hiring of top talent. Continue reading
Facebook and Twitter have both recently passed significant milestones in new user growth over the past few months, Facebook reached 300 million users, while Twitter saw growth rates over 1000 percent. It came as no surprise that LinkedIn would follow suit, announcing on Wednesday that the popular professional networking site had surpassed 50 million users. The news was even more interesting in that much of the growth came from unique visitors, signaling to those in charge that people were going there with a purpose, proving… Continue reading
“Helping Dolphins Fly” is the title of blogpost from CEO of Microsystems, Jonathan Schwartz. Sun Microsystems is not helping dolphins fly of course, it’s a metaphor for their acquisition of My SQL (their logo is a dolphin). Johnathan is one of the leaders in the CEO blogging community and has set an example of the what a CEO blog can be. We will weigh the benefits and downsides of CEO blogging to help determine whether or not you, as a CEO, or your boss should take… Continue reading
Recently, I tossed an accordion binder and vowed never to use them again. Now, I use file folders in a cabinet to store my papers. Though I paid around $8.99 for the large accordion binder, I got gypped. It’s not because the tab holding it together broke, it’s because had the manufacturer added… Continue reading
Southwest Airlines is not just an airline, it is “THE low-fare airline.” For Southwest, its motto gives internal direction and guidance. It serves as a practical tool for employees and executives to make decisions that are in-line with the brand.
Rallying your team around a single mission builds a cohesive brand identity that will differentiate you from your peers. It’s not just reciting “we are the low-fare airline,” that will make you “THE low-fare airline,” however. It has to be the… Continue reading
There is a small tribe of people, like me, that restrict their Harry Potter interest to the movie theaters. In the past, I’ve been somewhat reserved in feeling that the films are OK. I never got into the print series and a typical film rendition isn’t going to change my mind. That’s what I thought until I saw the last Potter film, The Half Blood Prince. There were five to ten seconds in the film where I had an awe moment. It was when Dumbledore (the wizard / headmaster) waved his wand and fire encircled Potter and the headmaster… Continue reading
Just as an onlooker can find new gems in Bosch’s masterpiece, so too can marketers and brand managers find new ideas within personal and professional networks.
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How are you going to get from (a) where you are now to (b) your goals? A marketing plan is the vehicle that gets from here to there. It is an outline of how your efforts are working together to reach business goals. Ultimately, you are finding the most effective strategies to sell your product or service to the most receptive audiences. There are several key stages in developing a marketing plan that help you organize and prioritize your… Continue reading
Apple’s App Store downloads surpassed 2 billion in just over a year, at an astonishing rate of 6.6 million downloads per day. With more than 85,000 apps available, iPhone and iPod users are at no loss for options. The iPhone can be as useful as you need it to be, and the potential that it has is amplified even more with the right apps. The App Genius has made it easier to find some undiscovered apps, and undoubtedly added to the rapid increase in downloads. From personal use to strictly business, the iPhone or iPod can deliver results quicker than you can say, “There’s an app for that.” For many, business is done solely on the iPhone, from entering credit card information… Continue reading
Have you ever driven through a thick fog? Though your brights are on, it’s difficult to see the person passing you, let alone five feet in font of your hood. This experience is very much like running a business without clearly defined goals. Setting business and marketing goals gives your company direction and focus. Ultimately, you have to motivate your team. It is through your combined efforts that you can reach your ambitious goals. As you’re setting your business goals, you should… Continue reading
The blogging community was shocked this week when the Federal Trade Commission announced on Tuesday an update of its guidelines for advertisers, which now extends into the realm of social media. In an effort to maintain full disclosure, honesty and transparency among brands and consumers, bloggers and other social network users must disclose their affiliation with a company for any product review, advertisement, or endorsement, whether it be a paid review… Continue reading
How loud can you yell? How outrageous can you be? These are questions marketers have been asking for nearly a century. This paradigm shifted when Doyle Dane Bernbach injected intelligence into advertising in the 1960s with their revolutionary “Lemon” print ad for Volkswagen. For them, it wasn’t about how loud you can yell, it was about how interesting you are. Since the 1960s, there has been a blend of intelligent campaigs, but far outweighed by… Continue reading
Most quality programming gets pushed aside for subpar, “WipeOut” type shows. Arrested Development is one of those quality shows that was canceled to make room for “the next big thing.” Spending hours watching a show I never enjoyed while it was on air, in the early episodes, I noticed the narrator addresses… Continue reading
NPR recently reported on the crow paradox. Studies have shown, crows can recognize and remember individual humans for years, while humans have a tough time differentiating one black bird from the next. Interestingly, if you upset one crow, they will caw–cuing another nearby bird to caw and soon the entire flock is mad at you. It’s viral. Not only will they be mad at you then, but when they see you across town, they’ll caw and soon it’s turned into the G version of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds… Continue reading
“Although we have seen the computer and mobile phone screens taking on a significant role, their emergence has not been at the cost of TV viewership,” said Jim O’Hara, President, Media Product Leadership, The Nielsen Company. As of 2Q09 the 290 million people in the U.S. with TVs watch on average 141 hours of programming a month. Although there is a lot of buzz about social media and online programming, TV far outpaces online and mobile video. In fact, there… Continue reading
Lately, I’ve been enjoying a lot of 8-minute microwave potatoes. I’ve always enjoyed baked, but the microwave is so much more convenient. In fact, I’ve been using the microwave for many more foods since my love for microwaved spuds started. Broccoli, carrots, mixed veggies are among many of the microwave side dishes I enjoy. Enjoy as in I enjoy all the free time it gives me to focus on other things. Not the taste, of course. I’ve always enjoyed boiled veggies for their flavor. My microwave veggies are about convenience without quality of taste, and boiled veggies are about more effort and yumminess. In the communications world, e-mails are about convenience, right? You can blast an e-mail to… Continue reading
Remember when the iPod first hit store shelves? If you were to take the NYC subway, about 25 percent of the passengers would have chalk-white ear-buds–listening to their iPods. Apple differentiated itself by simply changing the color of its ear-buds to white and it quickly became a fashion statement. Once you exited the subway, you’d see the white ear-buds on hundreds posters lining the streets. It was everywhere. Apple was the only MP3 player that was… Continue reading
We are at an interesting and paradoxical juncture in marketing. The web has clarified, yet befuddled many marketers. Traditional media has tremendous reach, yet is increasingly marked as mental spam. Brand managers can easily measure their success, yet no longer have complete control. It’s difficult for marketers and business leaders to navigate through the challenging times many businesses face. There are so many variables to consider, finding the optimal path is difficult and sometimes mind-numbing. In the coming weeks we will unveil a series of posts that clarify some of these key… Continue reading
Along with sustainability and green living, social entrepreneurship is quite a hot topic. One way people can recognize their own potential for social entrepreneurship is by reading and following the works of those who are at the forefront of the movement. Social entrepreneurship is a grassroots effort that has picked up steam with the help of blogs and bloggers all over the world. By using their resources – the Internet and various social media platforms – they’re spreading the word in a way that stays true to their convictions, and still getting the message across to millions. These leaders are smart, successful, and have a great deal of insight into the constantly changing world around them. In this week’s top five, we’re exploring… Continue reading
