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John Winsor kindly send me a copy of his latest book, Baked-In, co-authored with Alex Bogusky to review.

It's a smart kind of "Back to the Future" guide to the next phase of communication development. It leans heavily on the product/utility focus that's been the topic of much debate in the past 3 years.

The authors demonstrate their thinking early on with a nice dramatic example.

"GM's Hummer product design shouts power and over-indulgence. Yet the advertising tries to tell a story of a Zen-like experience and exploration. What's the end goal in all of this? The marketing is actually being put to use to correct issues the product creates."

While many have talked about and theorized the topic of product as hero, CPB has has an industrial design team and the interactive skills to build web utilities, like a pizza-ordering system for Domino's.

Unlike many other marketing/branding books, "Baked-In" is a very easy read.
Maybe it's been written and informed an insight-rich persona of the typical non-marketing executive, someone like the character George Clooney plays in his latest movie, "Up in the Air".

It's small, weighs in at 150 tiny pages, has short chapters so people won't be putting it down to read the in-flight magazine and is the perfect brain fodder for a 2/4 hour flight.

"Baked-In" is full of great examples of success (Apple, Threadless, MINI, Nike, Google, Uglydolls and more) and provides a nice set of 28 rules that can help you play the new game.

Rules such as:

How to humanize your company...
Understand both sides of the truth
Knock down walls
Mine your history
Feel it in your bones
Steal to innovate
etc..

Many of these rules seem to follow a good common-sense strategic approach that any good agency planner or creative would follow in pursuit of an idea, but they are all presented in a highly digestible and accessible manner, so the non-marketing executive will get them.

Of course, in true 2.0 fashion, the book is the beginning of the story and readers are actively encouraged to participate in the "next chapter".

The book seems to be missing a couple of elements, so it would be nice if the "next chapter" discussion includes the following three topics...

1. The impact of the recession on consumer behavior
2. What sustainability means for product design
3. How to get cultures to change so they think about what they make


Posted by Ed Cotton This is a blatant commercial plug, but in a good way.

Two guys; Drew from the US and Gavin from Australia have done an amazing job. Posting the idea of a new book on marketing a couple of months back, they attracted 100+ authors to write about the new world of the marketing conversation.

The book, The Age of Conversation is available today.

Available in all three formats.

e-book: $9.99  ($7.99 going to charity)
paperback book: $16.95 ($8.10 to charity)
hardback book: $29.99 ($8.55 to charity)

If you want to hear what I have to say about starting a conversation with advertising, the thoughts of Gareth Kay at Modernista, Faris Yakob at Naked and 100 others, you can order your copy at Lulu.

Check out Ad Age's review of the book.


Posted by Ed Cotton A few months back, I found myself included on an author list for the Age of Conversation. It's a brilliant concept hatched by Gavin Heaton and Drew McLelllan; 100 blogger authors each writing a chapter about conversation. At the time,  I wasn't sure what to think and what would become of it. Now it's alive and kicking and launches on July 16th. Most important, all the proceeds will be donated to Variety, the Children’s Charity.

Project info can be found here.

Formats/Prices:

Hardbacks $29.99
Paperbacks $16.95

Here's the list of authors- with a bunch of strategists/planners in the mix including- Emily Reed, David Armano, Mark Earls, Gareth Kay and Faris Yakob.

Gavin Heaton
Drew McLellan
CK
Valeria Maltoni
Emily Reed
Katie Chatfield
Greg Verdino
Mack Collier
Lewis Green
Sacrum
Ann Handley
Mike Sansone
Paul McEnany
Roger von Oech
Anna Farmery
David Armano
Bob Glaza
Mark Goren
Matt Dickman
Scott Monty
Richard Huntington
Cam Beck
David Reich
Mindblob (Luc)
Sean Howard
Tim Jackson
Patrick Schaber
Roberta Rosenberg
Uwe Hook
Tony D. Clark
Todd Andrlik
Toby Bloomberg
Steve Woodruff
Steve Bannister
Steve Roesler
Stanley Johnson
Spike Jones
Nathan Snell
Simon Payn
Ryan Rasmussen
Ron Shevlin
Roger Anderson
Bob Hruzek
Rishi Desai
Phil Gerbyshak
Peter Corbett
Pete Deutschman
Nick Rice
Nick Wright
Michael Morton
Mark Earls
Mark Blair
Mario Vellandi
Lori Magno
Kristin Gorski
Kris Hoet
Kofl Annan
Kimberly Dawn Wells
Karl Long
Julie Fleischer
Jordan Behan
John La Grou
Joe Raasch
Jim Kukral
Jessica Hagy
Janet Green
Jamey Shiels
Dr. Graham Hill
Gia Facchini
Geert Desager
Gaurav Mishra
Gary Schoeniger
Gareth Kay
Faris Yakob
Emily Clasper
Ed Cotton
Dustin Jacobsen
Tom Clifford
David Polinchock
David Koopmans
David Brazeal
David Berkowitz
Carolyn Manning
Craig Wilson
Cord Silverstein
Connie Reece
Colin McKay
Chris Newlan
Chris Corrigan
Cedric Giorgi
Brian Reich
Becky Carroll
Arun Rajagopal
Andy Nulman
Amy Jussel
AJ James
Kim Klaver
Sandy Renshaw
Susan Bird
Ryan Barrett
Troy Worman
S. Neil Vineberg
C.B. Whittemore 

Posted by Ed Cotton National Geographic photographer Franz Lanting gave a superb talk at a Long Now event in San Francisco last night. Lanting showed shots from his Life project; a 4 year journey to explore and photograph the origins of life.

It was interesting to see how Lanting stretched himself creatively to go beyond regular wildlife photography to seek out and create metaphors for earth's earliest days.

The project itself is being turned into a brand in it's own right; with a book, exhibition, website and a live orchestra performance with the images scored by Philip Glass

There is clearly lots of potential for this project and it's a fantastic opportunity for a brand with a generous heart to support in some way.

Lanting spoke about his wish for the Life project to have also included the impact of climate change on the planet, but after four years, Taschen, his publisher, was a eager for a book.

Lanting gave a similar talk at TED, a few years back, that can be seen here. We are delighted to have been included on the list of 100 bloggers selected to write a "chapter" for the new ebook, The Conversation Age.

This is an idea developed by Gavin Heaton and Drew McLellan.

The other contributors are listed below and includes a number of planners.

Gavin Heaton
Drew McLellan
CK
Valeria Maltoni
Emily Reed
Katie Chatfield
Greg Verdino
Mack Collier
Lewis Green
Sacrum
Ann Handley
Mike Sansone
Paul McEnany
Roger von Oech
Anna Farmery
David Armano
Bob Glaza
Mark Goren
Matt Dickman
Scott Monty
Richard Huntington
Cam Beck
David Reich
Mindblob (Luc)
Sean Howard
Tim Jackson
Patrick Schaber
Roberta Rosenberg
Uwe Hook
Tony D. Clark
Todd Andrlik
Toby Bloomberg
Steve Woodruff
Steve Bannister
Steve Roesler
Stanley Johnson
Spike Jones
Nathan Snell
Simon Payn
Ryan Rasmussen
Ron Shevlin
Roger Anderson
Bob Hruzek
Rishi Desai
Phil Gerbyshak
Peter Corbett
Pete Deutschman
Nick Rice
Nick Wright
Mitch Joel
Michael Morton
Mark Earls
Mark Blair
Mario Vellandi
Lori Magno
Kristin Gorski
Krishna De
Kris Hoet
Kofl Annan
Kimberly Dawn Wells
Karl Long
Julie Fleischer
Jordan Behan
John La Grou
Joe Raasch
Jim Kukral
Jessica Hagy
Janet Green
Jamey Shiels
Dr. Graham Hill
Gia Facchini
Geert Desager
Gaurav Mishra
Gary Schoeniger
Gareth Kay
Faris Yakob
Emily Clasper
Dustin Jacobsen
Tom Clifford
David Pollinchock
David Koopmans
David Brazeal
David Berkowitz
Carolyn Manning
Craig Wilson
Cord Silverstein
Connie Reece
Colin McKay
Chris Newlan
Chris Corrigan
Cedric Giorgi
Brian Reich
Becky Carroll
Arun Rajagopal
Andy Nulman
Amy Jussel
AJ James
Kim Klaver
Sandy Renshaw
Susan Bird
Ryan Barrett
Troy Worman