Black Marketing

Not like the name suggests, this is a strand of marketing that is being borne out of how the Smoking Co’s have been cornered by global health legislation (and soon too the breweries!). Now that they’re no longer able to utlise the ‘tried and tested’ marketing channels, smoking companies are needing to prove themselves as being adept at pitching their product “below the line”.

Hence Black Marketing – the art of selling their product through face-to-face interactions i.e. Direct Marketing. Now direct marketing is not new. It is a marketing strategy that has been growing over the years in popularity as companies realise the intangibility of billboard advertising and realise the rewards of actually connecting with customers (e.g. at the bottom of this post).

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Any bets on me getting a new DVD?

I bought my daughter the DVD of ‘Finding Nemo‘ a few months ago (not sure when?). As all well watched DVD’s are destined to do, this one cracked, and is no longer playable.

So here’s my theory on DVD’s you purchased legally, breaking: I’ve paid for the right to watch ‘Finding Nemo’ through the medium of this DVD. When I went to wherever I ended up buying it, I paid predominately for the license and not the medium (DVD). Let’s face it, the physical cost of the DVD is negligible. Hence the entertainment industry up in arms at the moment. They’re trying to stop us from duplicating the ‘license’ and not the DVD. So in theory then, when my DVD breaks, they should charge me just for a new DVD and not a new license. After all my DVD broke, and not my license. But I’m prepared to bet that they’re going to tell me I have to buy a new license as well as a new DVD and so end up paying the full price. If that’s the case then in theory I have two licenses and can legally make a copy of the DVD. Right? Let’s see. I say let’s see, because I’ve done this before.
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Toilet humour

Hat tip to Brad Feld for this gem. Actually, for both – the iLoo (or toiletMAC, or PowerPOO) on the left and now the RSStroom Reader (shown on the right).

This nifty idea from Engadget (which is obviously a bit of a hoot), might just work, according to the technically advanced mind that posted it. He reckons that “with wireless connectivity, RSS 2.0/Atom compatibility, and a browser based control panel, it should get the job done.”

So to speak.

What an experience

I had lunch with Rich and Dave today. I’m writing about it, because lunch is probably the first thing I’m going to forget. Rich and Dave are from Missing Link (one could even make a case for them being the ‘missing link‘). They’re just 2 parts of the team that buzz around their ’space’, doing what they do, but more importantly and pertinent to this post, creating an environment that ensures that every one of your senses is engaged at one point or another during the time you spend in their domain.

It starts with the bathroom you enter through to get to reception (I kid you not). You’re then accosted (in an extremely friendly manner) by Andre who bombards you with offers for coffee, cappuccino, coke, whatever. It’s the MTV playing on multiple TV’s in the ‘public space’ while you watch a row of creatives doing their thing on their notebooks (all Apple for those who care). It’s the electric shock lie detector and race challenge on the tables, along with the ‘roller ball’ car and the sumo wrestler electronic games. It’s Rich’s office done in a ‘bedroom’ theme with double bed. And Dave’s with an undertaker thing going on with coffin to boot. It’s the graffiti on the walls, the 2 Segways and the motor powered skateboards. It’s the black limo with red flames and tinted windows with the sticker that says, ‘wanna be porn stars in transit’ that transported us to lunch. It’s the energy, the passion and the vibe that’s going on as clients meet and interact with each other in between checking up on how their project is getting on while drinking another coffee expertly created by Andre.
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iPod war heating up

The patent dispute between Creative and Apple over the music navigation system on portable players is old news.

Creative boss Sim Wong Hoo has told the BBC he plans to “pursue aggressively” a US patent it owns on a system used to navigate music on digital players.

But the release of the Zen Vision: M is sure to churn it up even more, especially when it’s clearly got an ‘iPod look’ happening all over it.

I can’t help but wonder how much energy, time and money is being used every minute in the entertainment industry ‘legal wars’? If it’s not the copyright issue, or the illegal copy issue, then it’s the patent issue. Could it be that more money could be saved by hiring fewer lawyers and replacing them with leaner, cleaner and more relevant business models?

For commentry on an interview between Sim Wong Hoo and BBC click here

“Podcast” declared ‘word of the year’

This could be seen as another post giving you amunition for why you need an iPod for Christmas, or it could be an illustration of just how important social software has become.

The New Oxford American Dictionary has declared ‘podcast’ as word of the year, and will add it to it’s online version in it’s next update early next year.

“Podcast was considered for inclusion last year, but we found that not enough people were using it, or were even familiar with the concept,” said Erin McKean, editor-in-chief of the New Oxford American Dictionary.

“This year it’s a completely different story. The word has finally caught up with the rest of the iPod phenomenon.”

Click here for the story on BBC News. Or check out the Oxford University Press blog for words that didn’t make it.

They rule

I came across a very intriguing web site (www.theyrule.net) today – the richness of the information, and the opportunities this could open up are amazing!

In a nutshell the site allows you to select any one of the top 500 US companies, expand it to see who’s on their board of directors, and look for linkages to board members of other top 500 companies – essentially you’re creating a social network with top 500 companies and their board members as the nodes. There is also a search function that allows you to search for a connecting path between two specified companies.

The information on the site is based on 2004 SEC filings and corporate web sites, so the accuracy may be questionable. The creators of the site also seem to have their own political agenda, but the technology and the idea behind it is extremely powerful.

Finishing Well – Boomers want to leave a legacy

I was recently recommended a book that sounds fantastic (its on my Christmas stocking filler list). Its “Finishing Well” by Bob Buford (Integrity Publishers, ISBN: 159145395X). (Purchase it online at Amazon.com or Kalahari.net).

It is written from a Christian perspective, but the focus on a spiritual legacy is but a small part of the overall message of the book. That message is on how to ensure that you leave a legacy as you head towards the later years of life. I believe the book includes a series of splendid interviews with well known people who are “finishing well”.

As the first of the generation of Baby Boomers born after World War II start to retire (and re-tyre) in 2006, this type of information is absolutely critical. I’m looking forward to getting the book.

What the Tourism industry needs to know about generations

“The American travel industry is staring at a generational divide. On one side are the deep-pocketed baby boomers, with more money and free time than ever. On the other are the burgeoning Generation Xers, whose oldest members turned 40 this year and who increasingly are asserting their buying power. The challenge facing hotels, golf courses, airlines, travel agents and tourism marketers around the country is how to appeal to two groups of consumers whose tastes could not be more different. Typical boomers look for a natural environment, luxurious decor and comfortable accommodations when they travel. Average Gen Xers want an urban environment, trendy decor and functional accommodations.”

So begins a great article, “Hotels face challenge of generation gap“, By Stephanie Paterik in The Arizona Republic (4 Dec 2005).

The older Silent generation is SKI’ing (Spending Their Kids Inheritance), and doing more global leisure travel than any retirees ever have before. Boomers are big business travellers. Xers are big leisure travellers, but want different levels of comfort and cultural experience to their older travelling counterparts. And, Xers are spending more on experiences than any other generation has ever done before. All this adds up to great opportunities, to those who understand the desires of these very different markets.

Paterik’s article is a short, but insightful, starting point for thinking about Minding the Generation Gap.

Bicycle charger for your iPod

Here’s a great innovation from a dude in the Netherlands. An iPod charger driven by his bicycle. Who else but the cycle mad Dutch could come up with an innovation like this.

It’s still true…. necessity is the mother of all invention!

Customer service Mike’s way

There’s a young guy named Mike who heads up the Braamfontein Tempest/SIXT car rental office. He used to be based at Johannesburg International. He was moved to Braamfontein as part of a promotion? (Imagine what happens when you mess up?) Anyone who’s used Tempest/SIXT at Johannesburg International, while Mike was there, has probably met him. Big guy. Blond hair. Switched on and organised.

Mike is one of those people in the service industry that you have one interaction with and wonder why he’s not earning a 17 figure salary? His appraoch to the customer has always blown me away. And it’s not because it’s spectaculor razzle and dazzle. Mike just gets on with the job, treats you with dignity, remembers your name, bends the rules a little when you’re desperate, and he also sends you an sms on your birthday.
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Google really has taken over the world… even us!

Thanks to Rich…! over at JoBlog for helping us make the sale.

Check out our new home page

Flat Earth thinking when it comes to leadership

Following a conversation with Nainoa Thompson ( a Wayfinder who navigates the Pacific Islands without the aid of instrumentation) I was left with an uneasy feeling concerning the contemporary norm when it comes to leadership formation.

But let me backtrack to the conversation with Nainoa.

He described in gripping detail the fear he experienced when navigating the Doldrums. It was the fear of getting lost. The Doldrums is a dangerous stretch of ocean and Nainoa described how he had to ‘close his eyes’ in order to navigate. Successful navigation required something beyond the traditional Western means. He went on to describe how he now welcomes ‘getting lost’ for the value of what gets learnt when lost. If fact there are things that can only get taught when one is lost – and that rich learning is what Nainoa has come to prize.
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Why you need an iPod for Christmas?

I just had a birthday. My amazing wife bought me an iPod Video. It replaces my iPod mini that’s given me hours of amazingness. I used my iPod mini for mostly travelling by plane to escape the mind-numbing experience of airline travel. As I discovered PodCasts I spent a lot less time listening to music, and a lot more time getting some great input from the various PodCasts I subscribe to. The iPod video will enhance my experience even more. (that’s the theory)

In our business we’ve started to video some of our presentations. We’re hoping it will not only share the knowledge of a virtual team, but act as a quality enhancement tool as well. We’ll now be able to give eachother contructive feedback on what we saw and heard.
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For the hang of it

It’s a question I get asked often. Sure, the Web is evolving into a platform for ordinary people to share information with just about anyone who’ll look or listen, but why put information out there if you’re not making money off it? Why have a personal blog if people don’t pay to read it? Why put pics on Flickr for people to view and re-use at will, for free? Why podcast your valuable thoughts and insights if you’re not going to charge per download?

Seth Godin believes it has something to do with our new economy (ironic, seeing as economists are clueless as to this odd new “for free” trend). We call it the connection economy, in his recent post he refers to it as a hobby economy. Or at least this aspect of it. People have no qualms wearing their hearts on a digital sleeve, expecting nothing in return except for the satisfaction of knowing that it’s possible, and that someone, somewhere, experiences it.

From his post…

More and more people are spending more and more time (and money) on pursuits that have no pay off other than satisfaction.

It’s conceivable that money and love (in that order) are no longer the only things making the world go round.

How do you remain “cutting-edge”?

Yesterday I attended a presentation by Prof. David Block on the Power of Vision. He gave us a wonderful metaphor when thinking of what it means to remain at the cutting edge as a business.

He asked us how much TNT it would take to move a sand dune in Namibia? The answer: none. All it takes is a beetle walking along the leading edge to disrupt (scratching) the line so that the wind can do its job in moving the dune.

So, remaining at the cutting edge is about knowing where to scratch, and embracing the ability to be wind-swept.

James Blunt releases latest video on mobile phones first

England’s latest singing sensation may just be rescuing the single, by bringing it right up to speed with the latest technologies. James Blunt’s latest video, “Goodbye My Lover” was released for mobile phones exclusively on 21 November. This was done to customers of the 3 Network only, and will then be rolled out to others in time.

3 Network claims to have had more than 15 million videos downloaded (not just Blunt’s, but others they also have on offer). These are offered at about £ 1.50, and many artists are now making more money through this channel than through selling singles through music stores.

Read more from The Guardian, here.