A few days back, Nick Denton of Gawker fame issued a new proclamation to the world which identified 7 key drivers that will define the future of their media brand.1. The power of the scoop- getting a big story first can change your brand2. Aggregate or die- you've got to be out there on Twitter and...
It was interesting hearing Tony Hsieh of Zappos talk the other day about how consulting is a new revenue opportunity for Zappos. Other companies simply want to know their secrets and Zappos is prepared to share them and charge handsomely for access. Years back, your company's secrets were just...
Russell Brand ( "Get him to the Greek", etc..) might not have hit the US with as much force as his has in the UK, but he's certainly been the talk of the tabloids for the last 3 years. His wild lifestyle and BBC " voicemail" controversy have forced him into the limelight.However, while he somewhat...
Innovation is often presented as a radical and demanding discipline that requires men in designer glasses to bring the required creativity.Everyone knows that change on a large scale is often incredibly complex and that the systems through which change happens, are often highly innovative. In the...
There's a great film going around the web right now, that's basically a recruitment ad for Twitter. It's probably the first piece of communication the brand has done and it gives a real flavor of the place, it's people and its culture. It's also pretty cool, ripping off a scene from the movie...
Recent rumors circulating in the news media suggest that HP could be ready to kill the Palm brand, or move it into the background. Obviously, Palm had some cool technology and an operating system that could be of use to HP, but isn't the fact Palm isn't HP, interesting?HP has spent millions on...
In the past, corporations might have called ad and PR agencies to solve their image problems. While these efforts may have papered over the cracks, they might have made companies feel good and feel like real change was happening. However, as well know, change happens from within and without...
Exciting and euphoric are not two words I would use to describe for Microsoft. The fact that this clearly staged euphoria was manufactured for public consumption, note the presence of TV cameras, is a sign that Microsoft means business. I guess If you can't beat them you have no choice, but to join...
Portland-based band, YACHT, appear be applying stringent brand guidelines.This post appeared on the band's blog a few months back."ATTENTION! When referring to the band, business, and belief system, YACHT
is written with full capitalization. This is a very small, but
important detail. The word...
Interesting to see The Atlantic write such a flattering article about The Economist and the current state of the newsweekly business. The discussion revolves around the recent changes and re-designs at Time and Newsweek, who are both hoping to drag their publications to new found success in an...
Over a month has passed since the Domino's incident, but it's worth a second look. The company was criticized for its tardy response, but at least it did something to reassure potential customers who were clearly concerned. The rogue video caused such a fuss because it focused on the hidden fear...
Shared Egg is an interesting project that attempts to visualize the connection points between friends. It maps the common areas that bring people together using a combination of interests and brands. It illustrates that brands can be the connective tissue between people; people share a love of...
There's a recent article in Ad Age that talks about the ANA meeting where CMOs vented their frustration with ad agencies over their responsiveness and the increasing opportunity they believe exists with media companies. "Agencies and ad networks came in for some rough treatment at a CMO
roundtable...
Discovered on the Prolitec website...reads like a passage from a piece of science fiction."Seeking a way to improve the experience of its customers in checkout
lines, a major European discount grocery and general merchandise chain,
comparable to Wal* Mart in the U.S., turned to Prolitec for a...
A nice (old!!!) CNN profile on Australian bag brand Crumpler (nice new site!) and the importance of staying true to your brand self. The CNN story mentions the brand's beer for bags promotions and the tagging of their logo, even as stickers on fruit, as some of the more unconventional approaches...