February 2010
13 posts
The Web Is Social
Infographically Speaking: Digital Media
Written by admin. Posted on February 10, 2010. Filed under Uncategorized. Bookmark the Permalink. Post a Comment. Leave a Trackback URL.
The revolutionary marketplace…
The customers have changed how they interact in this world…how they communicate, how they seek information, what content is relevant, where they spend their time open to and listening to messages. Help your clients understand that these changes must be embraced; in many cases strategy and communications must evolve to match your consumers.
These are exciting times to be in advertising, marketing and communications. Aren’t you excited? I am.
The 1980s: The Golden Age of Commercials - Commercials - Gawker.TV
The 1980s: The Golden Age of Commercials
Remember the 80’s? Television had really hit a stride in this exuberant decade, and it wasn’t just the sitcoms, Saturday morning cartoons, and prime-time soaps, but the segments that filled the voids between.
From the ones you can’t help but remember to the ones you wish you could forget, here are the commercials that will be with us forever: the immortals.
800x600 | Full Size
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Send an email to Anderson Evans, the author of this post, at AlmostAnderson@gmail.com.
I found this article which had me debating…is it nostalgia for the past or one’s childhood or was the 1980’s the great decade of commercials. I believe great commercials are airing and are yet to be created, but we can always learn from the “it” commercial campaigns of the past.
If you experience difficulty viewing the commercial, please visit http://tv.gawker.com/5422743/the-1980s-the-golden-age-of-commercials/gallery/?skyline=true&s=i
CHART OF THE DAY: Facebook Catching Up To Google And Yahoo As Your Home On The Web
the engagement we are seeing with us. We just can’t keep up with that [Facebook’s] kind of engagement.”
Follow the Chart Of The Day on Twitter: www.twitter.com/chartoftheday
Account Planner's View: Homeowners emerging relationship with their homes and community
A Consumer Strategist/Account Planner’s View:
New Perspectives: Consumers emerging core values for their homes
The “Great Recession” leaves a lingering imprint on American consumers affected and deeply shaken by its impact. Priorities and values which strongly shifted during the recession are now moderating to a sustainable realistic application. Exuberance and grandeur materialism is no longer acceptable, nor frugality maintainable; both are replaced with a disciplined approach to spending. “Good enough” becomes a new term to live by; meaning consumers do not need to achieve or obtain everything right away, they only need what is good enough for now. Individual self-interest is morphing into the good of the community. Growing weary of cocooning in one’s homes, families will reach out to neighbors, friends and families though shared experiences.
The Millennial generation, 92 million strong, is entering their home ownership and family rearing life stages. They embody characteristics centering on cooperation, unity, and an awareness of and commitment to solve major world problems. Facing the deep recession in young adulthood, they will apply realizations to their lifestyle including a penchant to live within their means and be less wasteful.
As these two key factors are changing Americans relationships with their homes, new areas of focus arise as strong focuses are placed on Community, Simplicity, and Conspicuous Environmentalism.
Community
During the recessionary period, American consumers pulled back from many external activities to save money. As people start spending again, though more responsibly, they will look outside their home to become more social, connect with others, and obtain personal fulfillment. Relationships with neighbors, family and friends will provide this fulfillment and status rather than the material things that did so in the past. Yet, homeowners will not look far past their front door as their community (the surrounding neighborhood) becomes one’s desired hub. The place matters more than the product (house) and will drive value.
Home owners will want to live in walkable multiple-use neighborhoods which mean that grocery stores, boutiques, restaurants, entertainment, and physician offices are located in close proximity. Easy access to transportation hubs that supply alternative modes of transportations (such as trains and buses) becomes a priority. In short, consumers will reside in denser population areas close to activities they enjoy and where their all aspects of their lives occur.
Rising in importance are values centering on connection with others, cooperation (to solve issues), and personal development. Look for neighborhoods to possess more bike/walking paths, common areas, and community vegetable gardens. Housing will embrace community by placing more emphasis on its front yards; homeowners will utilize larger front porches and flower gardens.
Simplicity
The must “keep up with the Joneses” and out-of-control extravagances and attitude of the past two decades culminated in stressful and overburdened lives. Consumers are yearning for manageable lives that they can control. For many, this means reducing complexities and simplifying their personal and home lives. Home provides comfort and a haven rather than the burden it once became for so many.
What does this mean?
· Smaller homes—Look for Millennials to lead the way as they purchase smaller homes (approximately 2300 average square footage or less vs. 3900 average square feet that the McMansions offered) that fit more comfortably within their financial means (not ignoring the influences of a continued tightened credit market and rising necessity costs). Smaller homes provide other advantages as less space needs less cleaning/upkeep (more time to spend enjoying one’s community), lower heating/cooling costs, and a more efficient household. Space will become more open and reconfigurable allowing expansive, yet modifiable rooms and areas.
· Simple tech—Not all consumers want complex technology with all the bells and whistles. As value is placed on simplification, more will demand easy-to-use technology. Prized features are easy set-up, ‘at-my-level’ operational guide, and modular designs providing a range of options from basics (only what I need) to technology sophistication.
· Less is more—Consumers will value financial sanity rather than feeling overextended or “house poor”. As a result, they understand that they will not get everything they want placing importance on the prioritizations process (what do they need versus what do they want). This is not to say that wants will go unfulfilled; rather trade-offs will be made. What does this mean to brands and companies? Consumers will expect quality products and services in return for their investment; they will hold higher expectations in the included amenities of the scaled-down home design (including appliances and furniture). For example, they may purchase fewer appliances, but they will expect more customization, and better design features.
Conspicuous Environmentalism
The “Green” movement has taken hold of the housing market. American households believe it is important to reduce household operational (mainly energy) costs and to live responsibly. Most American consumers will become committed; even peer-pressured to stay current with their neighbors “Green” progress. For many, the new “green” homes will be too expensive to purchase. Rather, they will make changes that are affordable, not too disruptive to one’s current lifestyle, and provide incremental positive impact. Rain barrels, composts, and geothermal heating and cooling systems will become prominent. Potential opportunities include additional affordable investments identifiable by neighbors such as built-to-last furniture (unbreakable) that can be customized (through covers, etc) in appearance, prominent use of bamboo throughout homes, cordless rechargeables, and clothes lines. Look for homeowners to not fight the natural environment they live in, but rather seek harmonious balance.
American consumers have been affected by the prolonged “Great Recession” and recovery; these psychological drivers will linger. As American consumers have faced their new financial realities with protective actions (cocooning in the home, saving money, paying down debt, and living more responsibly), their perceptions and values towards homes have changed. Consumers will turn outwardly to their community for self-worth, meaningful relationships and efficient living. Homes will provide consumers an oasis from the overwhelming hectic world by simplifying tasks and removing clutter. Finally, homeowners want to ensure their home is a sanctuary rather than a source of stress by purchasing smaller, more affordable homes that provides them the customizable comfort they need. The home will no longer serve to isolate individuals and families from the outside world, but rather connect them to their neighbors, the larger community, and its natural environment.
Posted via email from Consumerologist’s posterous | Comment »
2010 Trends in Digital Advertising
2010 Trends in Digital Advertising (for Miami Ad School)
View more presentations from Marci Ikeler.
January 2010
11 posts
Postscript: J. D. Salinger: Back Issues : The New Yorker
January 28, 2010 Postscript: J. D. SalingerPosted by Jon Michaud
Hapworth 16, 1924” (June 19, 1965)
Please share your thoughts about Salinger in the comments below.Keywords
via newyorker.com
A great place to read the short stories of J.D. Salinger. A treasured literary icon.
Introducing the White House iPhone App
via youtube.com
The White House made a commercial touting its new iPhone app. It definitely has the Apple style. Will you add this app to your smartphone?
I applaud them for being current and communicative.
To view the ad (if you are unable to on my site), please go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4KP2rPgKXk
Top Digital Marketing Trends for 2010: Flash, Crowdsourcing, Info-Art
Top Digital Marketing Trends for 2010: Flash, Crowdsourcing, Info-Art
As 2010 fast approaches, digital marketers are gearing up for yet another year of changes that will incorporate both the transformational and the incremental. From the economy’s influence on the burgeoning “do-it-yourself” culture to an increasing reliance on collective wisdom, information-based art, and remote computing, digital experts at Last Exit have put together the following list of top digital marketing trends they believe will play out in the year ahead.
1. Facebook Replaces Personal Email: As Facebook becomes increasingly used as a verb (e.g.”I Facebooked you today”) in ways that Hotmail and gmail never were, it will be interesting to see the extent to which it will displace personal email as a communication tool. It’s already completely permission based, there is no spam (yet), and no address book required - your friends are already there.
2. The Cloud Helps Open-Source Software Make Proper Money: Open-source software projects that were typically the purview of programmers and technophiles are now available to the masses. In one example, Beanstalk, a fully hosted, version-controlled code repository that uses the Subversion open-source project has created a subscription based service that - for a small fee - removes the hassle of setting up Subversions and maintaining servers. Services like this can really only be financially viable with cloud computing infrastructure - so companies such as Beanstalk don’t have the huge upfront capital outlay for servers. With the right skills any open-source project can be commercialized this way.
3. Mobile Commerce - The Promise That Has Never Delivered, Yet: Though mobile phones have, for a while now, delivered real benefits to global societies by facilitating the transfer of money, only recently has mobile device use extended to payment for goods and services. The game changer has - and will continue to be - the iPhone/iTunes platform. In-app purchases on the iPhone can tempt users to buy small items, upgrades, updates, etc, while iTunes holds their precious credit card information. All, of course, is done in seamless fashion, enough to promote impulse purchases. It would seem like an easy task for this to be extended to other platforms with PayPal or Google Checkout, but so far it has not been done.
4. Fewer Registrations - One Sign-in Fits All: As consumers grow increasingly frustrated and resentful about registering yet again on another website, juggling different IDs and remembering a dizzying array of passwords, information-managing services such as Facebook Connect and OpenID will becoming even more useful and will continue to be adopted at great speed through 2010.
5. Disruption vs. Continuity - Alternatives to the “Big Idea”: As the significance of social networks continues to grow, businesses are investing more in community building as a marketing driver. According to the recent Tribalization of Business study released by Deloitte, 94% of businesses will continue or increase their investment in online communities and social media and, for the majority of these companies, their marketing function will drive this investment. At the same time, as evidenced by Google’s recent release of “free floating” social tools, such as Google Waves and Sidewiki, there is an increasing shift toward online identity and social activity being an integrated part of the network as a whole, rather than concentrated within discrete platforms such as Facebook.
With the increasing emphasis on marketing and advertising through social networks and the increasing pervasiveness of social tools, marketing objectives come into conflict with advertising techniques. While advertising has often sought to distinguish itself and stop the consumer in their tracks with a disruptive “big idea,” the emphasis is now shifting toward persuasion through fitting organically into the consumer’s social sphere. It will always be the objective of marketing to provide creativity and novelty, but the way in will increasingly be one of persistence and continuity.
6. Self-Sufficiency: The Continuing Evolution of Web-Driven, Open-Source DIY Culture: Much has been said about the power and potential of collective intelligence, and many of the breakthrough solutions of tomorrow appear to lie in more effectively pooling the resources and intelligence of our increasingly networked world. On the other side of the equation, the power of pooled intelligence and networked resources have empowered individuals to take on more and more complex undertakings themselves.
From drawing on the collective intelligence of blogs and university open courseware to educate themselves, to services like ponoko, spoonflower and cafe press that facilitate small-scale production, to offline resource pooling like pop- up retail and collective office spaces, individuals are discovering that it has never been easier to try doing it themselves.
7. Info-Art: Where we once had pop-psychologists and pop-philosophers, we now appear to have pop-statisticians and pop-economists. The growing wealth of data and the access to rich and diverse data sources that are significant by-products of information networks have made the art of data analysis a defining skill of our time.
At the same time, the skill of elegantly visualizing that data has become a defining art of our time. The art of the infographic is becoming increasingly pervasive as people look more and more to the growing amount of data at our disposal for insight, and more refined as the interactions of that data becomes more complex. Expect to see greater innovation spurred by more elegant ways of capturing and visualizing information by a growing number of info-artists.
8. Crowd Sourcing: Across many industries and organizations, crowd sourcing will become a growing tool as part of various outsourcing strategies. Organizations will mobilize the passionate special-interest groups to not only carry a message but also to lead and take part in activities on their behalf. From political canvassing to software development, from people journalism to environmental activism, expect to see huge growth in crowdsourcing models provoked and led, in large part, by digital social media strategies.
9. More Flash, Not Less: Outside of the obvious brand sites, micro-sites and media sites (video, games, etc.) where it appears absolutely necessary, Flash has often been looked down upon if not completely discounted by both techies and search engine optimizers. It seemed to face an uncertain future as a viable tool for serious websites and applications such as eCommerce tools and corporate websites. However, Adobe’s rich media tool has enjoyed the grit and determination of its advocates and external development community. Now, several tricks, authoring tools and server side scripting workarounds have meant that Flash-built websites no longer serve up a single, impenetrable page. They offer deep, searchable, indexable sites that will allow acute, detailed traffic and behavioral analytics and search engine optimization.
As websites continue to increase in their importance as a company’s storefront, the demand for rich, brand-extending experiences will also increase. Further proliferation of fast broadband will reduce download issues while the adoption of Flash on mobile devices will dramatically increase and fuel reach and the desire/need for highly usable, brand transporting, conversion oriented experiences
Source: http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/top-digital-marketing-trends-for-2010-flash-crowdsourcing-info-art-11002/
Updated Social Technographics by Forrester
I have always been a fan of Forrester. As an account planner, I have found it a wonderful place for secondary market research information especially as the social media landscape took hold during the ‘00 decade.
Forrester has updated its Social Technographics ladder. This illustration shows how people use and participate with social media. Please note that every group is not mutually exclusive, which means that an individual can be in more than one group.
“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.”
—
My favorite Martin Luther King, Jr. quote.
It is not good enough to be for human rights or what is right…you must do something. Or you are not part of the solution, but appeasing the bad.
Tom Fishburne's cartoons: Brand Camp, Dadapalooza, Sky Deck
If you have never read Brand Camp cartoons, please visit Tom Fishburne’s site at www.skydeckcartoons.com/brandcamp/index.htm
He does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of advertising, marketing and communications.
Coke-powered Nokia Cellphone Concept By Daizi Zheng - The Design blog
Coke-powered Nokia cellphone concept by Daizi Zheng
Naresh Chauhan Jan 8 2010
We have already seen some of the most unusual mobile phones in the recent past, but the latest cellphone by the Chinese designer Daizi Zheng is a remarkably strange yet sustainable mobile handset that will take you by wonder. Designed for the Finnish brand Nokia, the Eco-Friendly cellphone runs on an innovative battery which makes use of enzymes to generate electricity from carbohydrates. The new mobile phone concept apart from harnessing clean energy from sugary drinks like Coke or Pepsi, which generates water and oxygen, also works about four times longer than contemporary lithium batteries on a single charge. Moreover, the handset is fully biodegradable.
Via: Dezeen/Treehugger/Likecool
The Significance of a Hand-Written, Personalized Letter--Especially During the Holidays
Today, I am writing about an old-school form of communication…the physical letters/cards you write and send in the mail. Many of us send out an annual Christmas/holiday card. It is a tradition; the holidays remind us that another year has past (a good time to reminisce) and create sentimentality (a need to reach out to loved ones and friends).
For me, December is a hectic month (I believe I am not alone.). My workload becomes heavy (which is a good thing) as we close out the calendar, there are countless networking and holiday parties to attend, family events, presents to be purchased and wrapped, food dishes to be made, and countless other things. I thrive during the month. I love the month.
Yet, I made the decision to hold-off on writing my cards. The cards were purchased the previous year. They were unpacked around Thanksgiving. They sat on my desk through the month. As I received cards throughout December, I felt somewhat guilty that mine were not stamped, sealed, and in the mail—not because they were not completed, but that I hoped my family and friends did not believe I had forgotten them.
I am not a fan of the end-of-year form letter. It is a personal preference. I understand that for some, it is practical (a time-saver). For others, it adeptly allows the writer to cover all the comings and goings of their family members. Still yet for others, it serves as a trip down memory lane; a reminder of what has occurred and was accomplished during the year.
I enjoy personalizing each card. I treasure hand-written notes, most likely because we live in a quick-to-the-point text messaging, email, and Twitter world. Thus, I like to take my time.
Why personalize? Well, let’s start with family. Some I am very close to, others that I do not see nearly enough. Some that I share similar experiences/interests with where others (I am a bit ashamed to admit) I do not know enough about. Some who went through a difficult 2009, others that had much success. Then there are friends. Some I have known since I was three years old, others that I am very close to due to our college years. Some that are close city neighbors and friends (who are up-to-date on my day-to-day life), others that live across the country or ocean. Some who share my interests in travel, etc., others who enjoy news about family. Similar to my family members, some had a difficult 2009, others had momentous positive changes. One form letter does not fit all.
For those that I have remained connected to over the years, I believe there is a reason. I like to bring out that connection in the letters, possibly reminisce, and strenghthen the ties. I also don’t want to write a brag letter about my great year, if someone else had a stressful 2009 (one that they would like to see come to an end).
My letter shares my life with the receiver; yet my note is more about them, than about me. I want to reconfirm that I empathize or celebrate the events of their past year. I want to ask about their life. I like to make people laugh or smile from reading my note. I like to extend gratitude to them if they were there during a difficult time for me (or for everyday small help). I want to ensure that the letter is relevant to conversations we recently or last had. In a manner-of-speaking, I am hoping that my letter is a small gift—a token of a dear friendship, an extension of gratitude, a provider of a chuckle or two, and a reminder that no matter how many miles life have placed between us, that I do care about your life.
I am placing my cards in the mailbox today. They are done. I feel great about my decision to hold-off until the New Year. In fact, there may be an added bonus, my letter will not get lost with all the others during that hectic December month.
I have vowed to either send cards around Thanksgiving next year (write them in November) or do the same as I have done this year.
I leave with one more thought. In such a hectic, computerized world, I realize how much more that hand-written note means. An individual takes the time to write it because you are worth it.
The Controversy of a Brand Icon Makeover (the Sun-Maid Raisin Girl)
Sun-Maid Girl’ Makeover Sparks Controversyby Brett Michael Dykes
Friday, December 4, 2009In the annals of advertising imagery, few brand symbols are more iconic and recognizable than the Sun-Maid raisin girl.
Sun-MaidNevertheless, Sun-Maid recently decided to join Betty Crocker, Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth’s in giving the female face of their product a substantial makeover from a young, early 20th-century girl into a buxom, modern young woman, leading some to say that the newly made-over raisin girl looks like a Barbie Doll in Amish attire
Since 1915, the face of Sun-Maid has been Lorraine Collett Petersen, who, according to the company’s website , “was discovered drying her black hair curls in the sunny backyard of her parents’ home in Fresno, California.” Petersen was then asked to pose for a watercolor painting holding a basket of grapes while wearing a sunbonnet. In the years since, the company has tweaked its trademark design occasionally to keep up with the times, but every variation has always been based on the original pose by Petersen. The new computer-animated version of the Sun-Maid girl currently featured in television advertisements is a departure from the classic design that harkened back to a time when “life was much simpler, more rural, a lot less hectic.”
Sun-MaidNaturally, the revamped look hasn’t gone unnoticed, rankling both ends of the political spectrum. The blog for conservative magazine The Weekly Standard noted that the new Sun-Maid girl looks “as if Julia Roberts decided to don a red bonnet and start picking grapes,” while the feminist website Jezebel.com remarked that it looks as if she’s had “some implants.”
Though the new look for the raisin girl has been garnering attention of late, the changes to the 90-year-old icon were actually introduced three years ago. At the time, Sun-Maid president Barry Kriebel said that the decision to make changes was inspired by the desire to educate consumers about healthy living choices.
“This is as good a time as any to get on the wave of health and nutrition,” he said. Kriebel also noted that he felt the new look was a reasonable modernization, saying “You’re not going to see her dancing or kicking up her heels out in the vineyard, but have her do what is appropriate for her to do, based on her history but also being a contemporary person living in the 21st century.”
Additionally, there’s been talk that the new Sun-Maid girl might be given a name and featured in future advertisements doing some of the things modern women typically do, like going to the gym, shopping at the market, and speaking multiple languages, particularly languages native to countries where Sun-Maid, the world’s largest producer and processor of raisins and other dried fruits, sells raisins. However, the image on all Sun-Maid product packaging will remain the same, as the new version will only be featured in product advertisements.
The Sun-Maid raisin girl has been modernized. Some say she has gone “Hollywood” or become too “Barbie”ish.
Thoughts?
December 2009
23 posts
Op-Chart - Picturing the Past 10 Years - Graphic - NYTimes.com
Published: December 27, 2009 Op-Chart Phillip Niemeyer | Picturing the Past 10 Years
Phillip Niemeyer is an art director at Double Triple, an art and design studio. | via nytimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/12/27/opinion/28opchart.html#
I know that this has popped up in other places, but it really does bear re-examining. From a planning standpoint, it shows where pressures, stresses, beliefs, influences, and external factors take our cultural mentality.
Wishing everyone a wonderful new decade. America needs a better decade than the one we are leaving behind. Learn from your past mistakes so that you never repeat them…learn from history so that smarter decisions are made. Refresh, renew, re-energize….
( A Visual History of the Supreme Court of the United States) timeplots.com
via timeplots.com
Very interesting look at the lasting legacy each President has when nominating and placing Supreme Court Justices, as well as the lasting effect of each Supreme Court Justice.
Posted via web from Consumerologist’s posterous | Comment »
A Visual History of the Supreme Court of the United StatesThis large-scale (48″x32″) print displays the full sweep of American federal judicial history from 1789 to 2009. It combines biographical information on every Supreme Court justice with a visualization of the influence of U.S. presidents and their political parties on the Court over time, and includes vote counts and summaries of landmark cases. We hope that those interested in the Court and judicial history—including lawyers, policymakers, and history buffs—will find this a useful and engaging product.
A Visual History of the Supreme Court represents the culmination of many months of careful research, design, and consultation with experts. Because we take pride in our work, we are pleased to offer our customers a premium product: the Timeplot is printed on highest-quality 100-lb archival paper and measures a full 48 x 32 inches, much larger than a standard wall poster.
The printing process is certified “green” by the Forest Stewardship Council and uses elemental chlorine-free paper.
Visit: http://timeplots.com/scotus/?a_aid=coolinfographics&a_bid=c8d82c3e for a closer look or to order the poster/chart.
Very interesting look at the lasting legacy each President has when nominating and placing Supreme Court Justices, as well as the lasting effect of each Supreme Court Justice.
Cool Infographics: Information vs. Confusion chart
Courtesy of http://www.coolinfographics.com/2009/10/information-vs-confusion-chart.html
Your Daily Water Use: GOOD Transparency: Water Conservation
GOOD Transparency: Water Conservation
October 22, 2009
(more info) (less info) GOODMagazine Want to Subscribe?
Sign In or Sign Up now! Thirsty? So is everyone else. We’re headed for a water shortage. Here’s how simple daily choices can reduce your water use. A GOOD Transparency video. Direction and Design by Fogelson-Lubliner … Thirsty? So is everyone else. We’re headed for a water shortage. Here’s how simple daily choices can reduce your water use. A GOOD Transparency video.Category: Nonprofits & Activism
Direction and Design by Fogelson-Lubliner
Music by Dim Dim
Tags: Whole Foods Water Conservation GOOD Magazine Education Animation Environmentalism sustainability cute URL Embed Added to
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Prototype - Seeing Customers as Partners in Innovation - NYTimes.com
via nytimes.comPrototype Seeing Customers as Partners in Invention By MARY TRIPSAS Published: December 26, 2009
IMAGINE a planetarium-style presentation about the future of technology, followed by a tour of dozens of hands-on exhibits — whether of sandlike microparticles that flow like liquid in a beaker, pictures that appear three-dimensional or concrete that floats.
Skip to next paragraph3M
A 3M innovation center is at company headquarters in St. Paul.
Visteon and 3M
Working with Visteon, 3M used its lighting and film technologies in a concept vehicle
Jake Wyman
Leslie Abi-Karam, an executive vice president at Pitney Bowes, said that working with customers “will alter our development trajectory.”
Is it the latest science museum, or a new Disney attraction? No, it’s the “World of Innovation” showroom, a cornerstone of the 3M Company’s customer innovation center at its headquarters in St. Paul.
In a world of online user communities, social media, interactive blogs and other technological means for companies to elicit customer feedback, you might think that face-to-face interaction is a thing of the past. Think again.
As a company, 3M is at the forefront of a movement that appears to be gaining traction: customer innovation centers, typically located near company research facilities, that provide a forum for meeting with corporate customers and engaging them directly in the innovation process.
When many people hear the name 3M, they may think only of canary-colored Post-it notes. But the company is applying wide-ranging technical expertise to a portfolio of products including transportation systems, dental and medical devices and electronics. One of its latest is a pocket-sized LED projector that connects to cellphones, P.D.A.’s and digital cameras.
The company opened its first customer innovation center in Sumitomo, Japan, in 1997, followed by others throughout the world, including sites in Brazil, Germany, India, China and Russia. This month, it announced that it would open its 23rd center next year, in Dubai.
The idea behind the centers is to foster innovation by combining a richer understanding of customer needs with creative links among 3M technologies. “Being customer-driven doesn’t mean asking customers what they want and then giving it to them,” says Ranjay Gulati, a professor at the Harvard Business School. “It’s about building a deep awareness of how the customer uses your product.”
Professor Gulati recently completed a book, “(Re) (Organize) for Resilience,” about how to make customers the center of a business.
A typical customer day at a 3M center begins with a team from a visiting company presenting an overview of their business to a group of 3M marketing and technology experts who pepper them with open-ended questions. The goal is to understand “what our customers are trying to accomplish, not what they say they need,” says John Horn, vice president for research and development at 3M’s industrial and transportation business.
Next is a visit to the “World of Innovation” showroom. The company has more than 40 of what it calls technology platforms — core technologies in areas like optical films, reflective materials, abrasives and adhesives — that can potentially be combined and applied to meet a range of needs in different markets. By exposing customers to these platforms, 3M hopes to prompt the type of novel connections — like using dental technology to improve car parts — that drive innovative solutions. “We never show completed products,” Dr. Horn says. “Doing that would constrain people’s thinking.”
Does it work? Dr. Horn says that “the innovation center experience isn’t just about making everyone feel good.” It has helped 3M to establish productive, long-term customer relationships.
For instance, 3M and the Visteon Corporation, an automotive supplier that is one of its customers, have worked together in the development of a next-generation concept vehicle that incorporates 3M technologies not originally developed with automotive applications in mind. Visteon’s visit to the innovation center, combined with follow-up collaboration, led to the idea of using 3-D technology from 3M for navigation displays, Thinsulate materials to reduce noise and optical films to hide functional elements of the dashboard unless the driver wants them displayed.
The Hershey Company opened a customer innovation center aimed at retailers in 2006. Like 3M, it has a showroom — in this case, a tasting room — where corporate scientists discuss trends and retailers can sample products under development and offer feedback.
Another part of the center is a mock store where Hershey illustrates merchandising ideas. Hershey hopes to make shopping easier by organizing the candy aisle by how the products are used (candy dish, gift-giving or family movie night) instead of by product line.
By walking retailers through the sample merchandising set-up, Hershey can better communicate the concept than it could through a slide presentation, says Michele G. Buck, Hershey’s global chief marketing officer.
Pitney Bowes, which opened its first customer innovation center this month in Shelton, Conn., uses a different model. The centerpiece is its new IntelliJet color printing system, which expands on the company’s strength in mail applications by allowing customers to integrate them with print operations. Customers are encouraged to load their own applications onto the system and to experiment.
“We’re hoping to get at things they wouldn’t have thought about,” says Leslie Abi-Karam, an executive vice president who heads the mailing solutions management division of Pitney Bowes. “In the long run, we expect that working with customers in our innovation center will alter our development trajectory.”
The terms “customer driven” and “solutions” seem to be in every manager’s lexicon. But as Professor Gulati notes, “it’s an execution problem.” Companies, he says, “aren’t generally structured to access, absorb or utilize customer insights since they are organized by product, not by customer.”
By focusing on the customer, innovation centers may be a way to turn good managerial intentions into concrete, valuable products.
Mary Tripsas is an associate professor in the entrepreneurial management unit at the Harvard Business School.
YouTube - GLEE - Il FlashMob
GLEE - Il FlashMob
FoxTV
December 23, 2009
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Glee, il fenomeno televisivo americano, ha fatto ballare la Galleria Alberto Sordi di Roma contagiando tutti in un brillante FlashMob voluto per lanciare la nuova serie che, il 25 dicembre - alle o…
Glee, il fenomeno televisivo americano, ha fatto ballare la Galleria Alberto Sordi di Roma contagiando tutti in un brillante FlashMob voluto per lanciare la nuova serie che, il 25 dicembre - alle ore 15.00 e alle 21.00 - andrà in onda… solo su FOX!
Category: Entertainment
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GLE musical falshmob galleria alberto sordi roma
via youtube.com
Glee has become a worldwide phenomenom. Flash mob in Italy, by those in the Millennial generation, takes on a few of the featured songs.
The LYTA Chair by Ronen Kadushin » CONTEMPORIST
The LYTA Chair by Ronen KadushinPosted by Dave on December 17th, 2009
Ronen Kadushin has designed the LYTA chair for the German manufacturer Movisi.
LYTA is a lightweight armchair that weighs as little as 15kg, which enables people at any age to move it around, something especially important to the growing elderly generation.
Thanks to a specially developed fitting method, the cushions and the covers are easy to remove for washing. The structure can even be steam-cleaned. All components are individually replaceable, which means that you do not have to replace an entire chair again, and because the frame is made of ARPRO EPP (Expanded Polypropylene), it’s 100% recyclable.
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via contemporist.com
Very nice—eco-friendly, stylish, urban, minimalist. What is not to love. I hope this is adapted and I actually see these in use.
Courtesy of Contemporist.com
http://www.contemporist.com/2009/12/17/the-lyta-chair-by-ronen-kadushin/#more-6599
Bumps Building by Sako Architects
Would love to see this building in Chicago. Magnifying. It would fit in well with Chicago’s varying skyline. Could you imagine it right next to a minimalist building?
Courtesy of contemporist.com
High school students producing great digital film/video work
Performed, produced, edited, filmed by high schoolers. Notice that everything in the background is going backwards—hint on how it was probably done which makes it more impressive.
Plus, I enjoy that they may respect some of the music of the 1980’s :)
Boeing 787 Dreamliner's first flight
Please visit: http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/188422.asp
So wonderful to see it fly. The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s first flight.
How our brains build social worlds - opinion - 02 December 2009 - New Scientist
via newscientist.com
Interesting read. Can be found on in New Scientist December 2009 publication.
1024 (JPEG Image, 1024x768 pixels)
Nice organizational chart of the web & social marketing. Can be found at theconversationprism.com for order.
Penelope Cruz--channeling Audrey Hepburn?
This is a still shot from Broken Embraces, the new Pedro Almodovar movie featuring Penelope Cruz. This reminds me so much of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. She strikingly resembles Audrey Hepburn. Almost, eerily.
Hardrock, Coco, and Joe, The Three Little Dwarfs
via youtube.com
The best Christmas video ever. A classic.
Detroit's Unemployment Rate Is Nearly 50%, According to the Detroit News
via huffingtonpost.com
Detroit’s Unemployment Rate Is Nearly 50%, According to the Detroit News
Officially, Detroit’s unemployment rate is just under 30 percent. But the city’s mayor and local leaders are suggesting a far more disturbing figure — the actual jobless rate, they say, is closer to 50 percent.
As many have noted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which culls federal unemployment data, does not account for all of the jobless. Among those omitted: part-time workers who are looking for full-time jobs and frustrated job seekers who abandon their job search altogether.
(For some context, the official national unemployment rate is 10 percent, but the “underemployment rate” is 17.2 percent.)
Detroit city officials argue that, when workers who are underemployed are added to the calculation, the number of city residents who are out of work is close to one in every two.
The Detroit News reports:
“The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that for the year that ended in September, Michigan’s official unemployment rate was 12.6 percent. Using the broadest definition of unemployment, the state unemployment rate was 20.9 percent, or 66 percent higher than the official rate. Since Detroit’s official rate for October was 27 percent, that broader rate pushes the city’s rate to as high as 44.8 percent.”
The alarming numbers coming from Detroit officials are supported by another set of recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which stand in harsh contrast to the more positive national employment picture. The jobless rate in the Detroit MSA (metropolitan statistical area) increased 7.3 percentage points in just one year, the highest increase for any metro area in the nation.
Statewide, Michigan still leads the nation in official unemployment, with a rate of 15.1 percent. Homelessness, especially among those becoming homeless for the first time, is expected to jump at least 10 percent this year.
The employment situation, as The Detroit News suggests, is actually significantly worse for men in Detroit:
For a variety or reasons — access to transportation, job availability and work skills — an estimated 48.5 percent of male Detroiters ages 20 to 64 didn’t have a job in 2008, according to census figures. For Michigan, it’s 26.6 percent; for the United States, 21.7 percent.
The paper’s calculations back up Mayor Dave Bing’s assertion at last week’s White House Jobs Summit that Detroit’s unemployment rate was “probably close to 50 percent.” Bing was in Washington to press the federal government to channel more money directly into city clean-up projects and infrastructure development. “We’ve got projects that are shovel-ready,” he pleaded
Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind (Live on The Colbert Report)
via youtube.com
Hilarious.
I love how the band and back-up singers cannot keep a straight face.
Found on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMYb8sq-jDU
SMAA - Social Media Addicts Association
Are you spending more time with your online friends than your real-world friends? Do you obsessively check Twitter to monitor your retweets? Do you poke strangers just for fun? Maybe Social Media Addicts Association (www.stopwritingonmywall.com) is a needed resource for you.
Chicago Design: Roscoe Jackson's Recycled Plastic Chairs | Apartment Therapy Chicago
Simply beautiful green-friendly furniture. 100% recycled plastic chairs by Chicago local designers Roscoe Jackson.
(Source: www.Apartmenttherapy.com)
Cash is King: The Return of Christmas Clubs for the Average American
Last year, marketers discussed Kmart’s re-introduction of layaway. I am surprised so little digital ink has been given to Christmas Clubs.
If you were born in the 1980s or beyond, chances are you have never heard of “christmas clubs”. For older Americans, it was a prominent community banking service utilized heavily in the 1970s along with layaway. Simply put, one would start the account in January and deposit a small amount from every paycheck into the account. The money was not available until late November/early December. This became one’s Christmas shopping budget. Credit card interest was high. Cash was king. American consumers planned ahead, budgeted their holiday gift-giving list, and rarely pulled out their credit cards to purchase gifts. If they did not have the money, they did not purchase.
In the middle of this decade, the accounts were often derided by banking institutions. Most American banking adults did not participate. Well, guess what? It is back. In 2009, community banks and credit unions began to realize its significance; a needed consumer banking service and one that many national banks either did not promote or abandoned.
My mother uses one; well, she has never walked away from it. Every year she has routinely opened one up at the community bank. I used to wonder why when credit cards seemed much more simpler. Well, who is laughing now? Credit card rates have soared. You defeat the purpose to purchase an item on sale, yet pay 20% APR interest. My mother, ever the planner, has her budget (the money saved away over the course of a year), sticks to her budget, and does not fear the credit card bill in January. Some services never go out of style; maybe this one should never have gotten out of habit.
My mother is not alone. The use of Christmas Clubs/Holiday Savings Plans have increased. First Commonwealth Bank of Western Pennsylvania reported a 44% increase in the use of such accounts in 2009 (compared to 2008).
Even retailers have caught on. Sears and Kmart began a Christmas Club card offering in August. A shopper was able to place money in the account from August to the end of October. In return, they receive a card (much like a gift card) with the total amount applied. Shoppers are able to use the cards on purchases made at Sears, Kmart, Land’s End and The Great Indoors. This is a smart approach as 34% of Americans report they will reduce their holiday shopping budget from 2008; only 8% report they will spend more (Gallup poll). Those who believe they will spend more index highly towards young adults (ages 18-34); an opportunity for Holiday Savings Plans growth?
If anything, this recession has taught us that the return to basics is not all bad, even needed.
Posted via email from Consumerologist’s posterous | Comment »
Mom & Pop Store Values: Isn't the Value of Social Media What Business Is All About?
via huffingtonpost.comToday’s corporate leaders are struggling to figure out how to use social media to further their business strategy. At Dell, we believe this is backwards thinking. Social media isn’t a means to further a corporation’s strategy, it’s a means to help determine it.
The “Mom and Pop” businesses in our neighborhoods have always followed sound and pragmatic business practices, rooted in developing, maintaining and strengthening relationships with customers. The customers and the businesses valued those relationships because “Mom and Pop” offered convenience. They listened to their customers and used their suggestions to improve the business. They provided great service and found ways to thank their clientele. Social media is really nothing more than the simple application of these business practices in a digital form.
So if you are wondering about how to leverage Twitter, Facebook, blogs, forums, and the company Web site to achieve your organization’s goals, perhaps you are starting from the wrong point. As with the corner store, if your business uses social media to engage in conversations on a human level, you strengthen your business and allow your strategy — both corporate and social media — to evolve based on customer feedback.
At Dell, we have a longer perspective on the social media conundrum than most. We’ve been an active leader in the space since 2006, with a depth and breadth to our social media presence that has earned top billing among brands using social media to engage stakeholders.
What we’ve learned is that social media has transformed the large corporation of the millennium into the Mom and Pop shop of the old days. The emergence of social media simply makes it more possible to connect directly with customers every day. Dell’s community goes well beyond our own forums — it now extends to direct contact with more than three million followers worldwide. Even during a historically difficult time for businesses of all stripes, Dell has generated nearly $7 million in global product sales on Twitter.
“Mom and Pop” knew that their business was only as successful as their relationships with customers could make it. That’s the value of the direct connection to your customer, and that’s how every company can achieve success using social media — by facilitating the conversation. No strategy necessary.
Books By Manish Mehta
I have been thinking about this topic for awhile. It had been swirling in my head. I came across this article by Manish Mehta, which I feel nicely states the core of what social media brings to the table.
It brings the perfect analogy to the forefront…customer service lacked under big businesses. How many times have you heard marketers & authors decry “customer service is the new marketing.” or “database marketing allows us to know our customers intimately again”. Customer service has always been a critical, if not prominent factor in gaining customer loyalty. We all want to be treated with respect, have our needs met, and be heard. When we purchase a product or service, our experience does not end with the monetary transaction…it is now fully integrated in our lives. When a product does not work correctly, we expect it to be repaired. If we feel we have been overbilled, we expect (no, we need) to speak to someone in a timely manner to have it addressed. We need assurance that the product design, color or version was the right one (this happens many times with the salesperson in the pre-sale stage of the purchase).
Mom & Pop shops supplied us with recognition, comfort, understanding, personalized solutions, and a “place where everybody knows your name.” This is what social media, when done correctly, can and should achieve.
Facebook | Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys has taken to Facebook where she is previewing her new album, “The Element of Freedom”. The album will be released on December 15th. She is the first major artist to use Facebook in this manner. Her album will be up for an unlimited time.
A click-through ad adjacent to the playlist allows listeners to pre-order the album.
Is Facebook now able to tread in the area that MySpace has been the dominant player? Software technology by Involver has opened the door for Facebook and Twitter to play in rich media experiences. Major companies are also turning to Involver for use in their own consumer engagements with social media.
Personally, this makes Facebook much richer in its supplied content.
As our lives become more intertwined with social media, we look to simplify our online life. Our attention can only truly be devoted to 2-3 sites. Otherwise, overload sets in and engagement (or use) becomes more of a chore.
Simplify my life.
Integrate value in my life.
Give me one less website I need to visit.
I will come. I will even return.
(Now, go visit Alicia Keys Facebook fanpage to experience for yourself.)
(Author note: I am utilizing the term album to mean “a collection of songs/music” as a very small percentage of the population purchases physcal albums.)Stressing the Web, ‘NewsHour’ Begins an Overhaul
ARLINGTON, Va. — Until recently, the employees who worked on the Web site of “The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer” on PBS were based in a building a brisk five-minute walk through city traffic from their on-air colleagues. The Web and television staffs interacted only at Mr. Lehrer’s annual holiday party. “They were all the recognizably young ones,” said Linda Winslow, the show’s executive producer.
Michael Temchine for The New York Times
An editorial meeting at “NewsHour.” From left, Mike Mosettig, Anne Strother, George Griffin, Murrey Jacobson, Michael Melia, Judy Woodruff and Margaret Warner.
But in early November, the staffs were merged into a single 20-person bullpen, with four adjacent digital editing bays carved from what had been the correspondent Gwen Ifill’s office.
Four days after the move, a gunman killed 13 people and wounded 43 others in a rampage at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas. As word spread, the digital employees were silent, to the bafflement of some of the TV producers, who had jumped for the telephones.
It turned out they were exchanging Twitter messages with the Army and a member of Congress. “We learned so much just having them in the room,” Ms. Winslow said.
It has been a tough 19 months for “NewsHour” as it has dealt with a severe budget shortfall as well as the prolonged absence of Mr. Lehrer last year, after an emergency aortic valve replacement. But Mr. Lehrer returned reinvigorated. Instead of stepping down, as some had expected, he pushed for what has been the program’s biggest overhaul since 1995, when Robert MacNeil retired as the co-anchor. And PBS hopes the changes will attract new audiences, whether on air or online.
Beginning Dec. 7, Mr. Lehrer’s name will not be on the program, for the first time since 1976. Instead it is being renamed “PBS NewsHour,” which prompted a new streamlined logo and graphics. Mr. Lehrer will have a regular co-anchor; on the first program it will be Ms. Ifill, but Judy Woodruff and Jeffrey Brown are in the rotation. A new correspondent, Hari Sreenivasan, formerly of CBS News, will begin reading a news summary each night.
A redone Web site will go up Thursday. It will be easier to find Mr. Brown’s popular but often hidden Art Beat blog. Ms. Woodruff and Ms. Ifill, along with much of the rest of the staff, will begin contributing to a news analysis blog, as well. Mr. Sreenivasan, once he settles in, will anchor regular video news updates on the site, which will also feature extended interview material not used on the air.
All the show’s content will be more easily adaptable to various digital outlets, including, eventually, an iPhone app, said Simon Marks, the show’s new associate executive producer.
The challenge, Mr. Lehrer said in an interview in his office, is “to find a way to make it all seamless.”
For years, Mr. Lehrer ran the program, which is owned by MacNeil Lehrer Productions (itself partly owned by the Liberty Media Corporation), with a strong hand, or as he calls it, a “Quaker monarchy system: Try to arrive at a consensus and if you can’t, I decide.” So if the show has been slow to embrace change, the 75-year-old Mr. Lehrer was one reason. But now he has become an adamant proponent of change.
Last January, he asked Ms. Winslow and Mr. Marks to recommend changes. For three weeks they plotted at Ms. Winslow’s kitchen table and on Jan. 23 came back with a list, including making the opening of the program livelier with the addition of more sound bites and images. Mr. Lehrer liked the idea so much that he insisted it be instituted that very night, Mr. Marks said.
Already the show has picked up its pace, although by commercial standards it is hardly noticeable; some of the lengthy segments and in-studio interviews have been shaved by a couple of minutes. And now, if a story breaks late, there’s more effort to pursue it immediately for use on the air or online “rather than wait until tomorrow,” Mr. Lehrer said.
The correspondents Margaret Warner and Ray Suarez are now in the field more often. A new partnership with the online start-up GlobalPost is expected to be announced Monday; the site, which has built a staff of freelance contributors worldwide, will produce one piece a week for “NewsHour,” and possibly contribute to breaking news. The move is a way to extend the international coverage of “NewsHour” at a time of pinched financial resources.
With almost no current overlap between the show’s Web and TV audiences, “NewsHour” executives see significant potential in the reorganization. Whether it is because of the pending changes or an improving economy, the show has recently attracted several million dollars more in corporate financing — including Bank of America underwriting to be announced Monday — helping to offset its budget deficit. “We’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re in pretty good shape,” said Rob Flynn, vice president for communications and marketing for the production company.
The news and public affairs lineup on PBS is undergoing a broader overhaul, as well.
“Nightly Business Report” will have a new anchor in the new year — whose name has yet to be announced — to succeed Paul Kangas, who is retiring. Bill Moyers is ending his weekly Friday show at the end of April, and PBS canceled the companion “Now on PBS,” which was having trouble raising production funds.
Replacement shows are expected to be unveiled in January, and executives have been trying to work out a plan for a digital portal that would bring together a number of PBS programs, “making it easier for the audience to connect the dots,” said John Wilson, PBS’s chief programming executive.
For the moment, Mr. Lehrer, who reluctantly gave up his manual typewriter when the show moved to computers, is drawing the line at one digital update. Asked if he planned to use Twitter, he exclaimed, “Are you crazy?” Then he relented, adding, “I will never say no.”
But for now, “my emphasis is going to remain on the journalism,” he said. “I’m a lot better qualified to make editorial decisions.”
Sign in to Recommend More Articles in Business » A version of this article appeared in print on November 30, 2009, on page B3 of the New York edition.
via nytimes.com
November 2009
9 posts
Annual placing of the wreaths on the Art Institute of Chicago Lions
Simply beautiful.
In honor of the Modern Wing addition to the Art Institute of Chicago in 2009, the museum asked designer Yves Behar to create this year’s wreaths for the lions. The traditional green wreaths will adorn the lions on Dec 16th. The two statuesque lions watch over the grand entrance to the museum. This is my favorite museum. If you can find the time, visit. I can assure you, it will not disappoint.
The holidays have begun. Enjoy the magical spirit of the season. Cheers!
Posted via email from Consumerologist’s posterous | Comment »
Dutch Designers’ Modular “Fragmented Textiles” are Like Legos for Fashion | Ecouterre
Here’s another eco-fashion innovation that is both puzzling and promising: “Fragmented” clothing that features customizable snap-on pieces, requires no sewing, and reduces textile waste. Leading this charge is Refinity, a Dutch design consultancy whose Square Dress and Star Skirt are based on a click/fold assembly system that allows you to wear the same garment in countless ways, alter its design on demand, as well as wash or replace the parts separately.
Designers Fioen van Balgooi and Berber Soepboer created their Fragmented Textiles collection as an experiment in applying cradle-to-cradle principles to clothing production, use, and disposal. Made from Cradle to Cradle-certified wool felt in a range of vibrant colors, the Fragmented Textiles are based on jigsaw-puzzle-like zero-waste patterns that are designed to use every last scrap of cloth.
The click/fold assembly system allows you to wear the same garment in countless ways and replace the parts separately.
To create an interlocking skirt or dress, the square- and star-shaped modules are pieced together via small slices in the wool, which eliminates the need for yarn. (The felt doesn’t fray, either.) The resulting mosaic-like clothing can be worn in a variety of dynamic ways, so you can get by with fewer clothes and yet never get bored.
Fragmented Textiles was recently on display at the Beyond Green, Good Design symposium gallery at the World Fashion Centre in Amsterdam. Curated by Ingrid Horsselenberg and Annouk Post of I&A, the exhibit was further evidence that the Dutch are definitely the ones to watch when it comes to combining fashion-forward design and playful attitudes.
[Via Hiphonest]
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via ecouterre.com
I am intriqued and excited by this clothing collection and its overarching idea. Zero-waste, multiple-use fashion. I applaud new eco-friendly fashion ideas that are available to the masses.
For the full article and accompanying photos, please go to: http://www.ecouterre.com/5857/dutch-designers-modular-refinity-clothing-is-like-legos-for-fashion/
"Here's to the Crazy Ones"
“Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes - the ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo.
You can praise them,
disagree with them,
quote them,
disbelieve them,
glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing that you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things.”
- Jack Kerouac
My favorite poem. I first read this in my sophomore high school English class. It touched some part of me. Not that I was a rebel, but that I did like to see things differently. I always asked the question why not? when someone stated that you mustn’t. I felt like I should have been a child of the 60’s for many reasons; but alas, I was a child of the 80’s and 90’s. I am not a troublemaker, nor quite a rebel; but I loved art, wanted to make a difference in this world, change this world for the better, and had a perspective that we could not be afraid of change (but, that we could impact it).
I do believe that looking back, this is why I wanted to go into the field of marketing & advertising — creating and communicating innovative products and brands. I read and reread this poem for inspiration. It brings about a creative boldness; that idea comes alive.
As a brand strategist and market researcher, I discovered that almost everyone believes they are different; that they do not exactly fit in the world that is their daily life. We all conform a bit to fit in. But everyone wants to leave their mark on this world; however small. We all want to know that we had a life worth living.
(To note: This poem may be known to you due to its use in an Apple advertisement. At that time, Apple was paving it’s way with “Be Different”.)
This poem unifies us as much as it encourages distinctiveness of each person. Now, this resounds with the Millennials; after all, they are all striving to be different, but just like everyone else.
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An old article I wrote and the court of public opinion
I wrote this article in 2002 as the direct-to-consumer advertisement arena began to thrive. It spoke to an integrated marketing platform that these newly minted consumer marketers should take. It is interesting how the field and consumer access has changed. Consumers relied heavily on their physicians and manufacturers for information. Today, WebMD and social networking are prominent; they provide consumers with a sense of empowerment and self-education.
When I reflect on it today, my biggest takeaway is the court of public opinion. This exists today more than it ever has.
A Rising Populist Movement
I believe we are seeing a rise of a populist movement where people will scrutinize companies even more. Brands must be authentic, but they must also have causes (give back) and take responsibility. When consumers start to believe that other avenues have failed to keep this in check, they will demand it.
Generation We
This generation cannot be ignored. It is 95 million strong. They are being raised to be socially responsible. The current economic crisis and social issues are making this a generation that wears its conscious on their sleeves. If they take on a hardship to solve a global or national problem then they will demand companies and brands lend a hand. It is important for them to find a brand that is relevant and in many ways acts how they believe one should. This is a vocal group. They will make their opinions known. After all, with Generation We that mantra “we are all in this together” is critical.
It Is a Connected World
Social Media. The Internet. Blogs. Yelp. If a consumer has an opinion, he/she is able to share it. We are far from the days of Aunt Bea opining over the backyard fence to the neighbor or at family get-togethers. She can now be heard 24/7 in many outlets. Reputations are no longer local, they are international…immediately. Your court of public opinion does not have to rise from a slow-brewing storm; rather, it can take on a tidal wave effect.
As a result, it is time for companies to take responsibility. In fact, consumer respect you more when you do. Proactively, live a brand’s best life — communicate with consumers, be true to your identity, discover the issues and concerns of your consumers and become involved, take on causes bigger than yourself, and act ethically. Some companies get this (Google’s “Do no harm” policy is a good start), but many do not. As Generation We becomes adults, the pent up demand will be stifling. Has your company answered it?
Rent the Runway Offers Designer Dresses in the Netflix Model
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/technology/09runway.html
Brilliant! As a female who spends too much on dresses every year only to find them hanging in my closet wanting to wear them again, but now wanting to wear them too often to events (how many photos can one have in the same dress), I absolutely love this idea. It is also perfect for this economic environment…the guilt-free loan. Why buy a dress for $500, when I get it for $150? I will only wear it once anyways.
The new business: Rent the Runway. (Article courtesy of New York Times) To read the article click on the headline of this post as it is the link.
Enjoy. Thoughts?
