My Passion for Markrting: Social Media Blitz in Sports

Rubbernecking…

All I have to say is WOW! T.O. tweeting about the Buffalo Bills draft pick signing before Adam Schefter from ESPN reported it. OchoCinco tweeting about his FG kick and kick off against New England, literally right after the game probably within seconds (Who knows, he may have had a waterproof IPhone in the shower). I had a bad case of insomnia last night, so I tuned into Ocho video streaming from the Bengals team plane! Great content, especially Ocho’s commentary about the Panini he was eating (HBO’s Hard Knocks must love this guy). It’s rubbernecking at its finest, sometimes you just gotta look!

We are in the rubber age of social media! You just turn your head one way and see Larry Fitzgerald talking about practice in preparation for his game against the Bolts. You turn another and there is Maurice Jones Drew tweeting about his son being faster than Usain Bolt. Sensory Overload! My Twitbin is scrolling faster than the marquee in Times Square. Twitbin is a great application for Firefox that allows you to monitor your tweeting friends in a window on your browser. It could be the best or worst thing ever created. It all depends how you use it! You thought Guitar Hero or Rock Band messed your eyes up!

Since I have been laid off from my job, I have immersed myself in social mediums such as the aforementioned Twitter, FaceBook, Digg, Ball Hype, and blogging on such sites as Boston Sports Then and Now (I recommend checking out the Cup of Joe blogs) and Trufan.com. The power of social media is immeasurable. I can literally post my blog on dozens of sites with the click of a mouse. I can Digg or Ballhype these posts so my rankings on Google will be higher. I tweet my site’s newest stories at bossprtsthennow in seconds and have formed a Facebook fan site. This all can be done in about 1-2 hours a day (considering I have free time between job hunting excursions).

Being a marketer by trade, these technologies intrigue me, puzzle me, scare me, and excite me all at the same time. I am excited to use these tactics to build awareness and fanfare for the sites I market or the blogs I passionately write. I am scared and sometimes disturbed about all of the information that is divulged and shared by people. A NY Knicks player is tweeting about his arrest? Are you kidding me? Commissioner Goodell banning NFL players from tweeting on the sidelines during the games. This makes Spygate look pretty harmless now doesn’t it? Do we have to confiscate all of the players Blackberries and IPhones before a game?

Technology has changed our lives and the sports we love. Social Media back in the days of Ted Williams, Larry Bird, and Bobby Orr was an off color comment in an interview or a picture of them smoking or drinking. Everything else was pretty much behind closed doors unless it got leaked out. There is no shield anymore including athletes who did something politically incorrect because their face and name will be up on YouTube or Tweeter before the 11 o’clock news. Play hard. Play Smart. Tweet Smart.

Guerrilla Marketing: What Are People Buying?

Your customers do not buy because they’re being marketing to or sold to. Instead, they buy because you help them realize the merits of owning what you offer.

• They buy promises you make. So make them with care.
• They buy your credibility or don’t buy if you lack it.
• They buy solutions to their problems.
• They buy wealth, safety, success, security, love and acceptance.
• They buy the consistency they’ve seen you exhibit.
• They buy value, which is not the same as price.
• They buy certainty. They buy your identity as conveyed by your marketing.
• They buy good taste and know it from bad taste.
• They buy the confidence you display in your own business.

-Jay Conrad Levinson

Dale Richardson
Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach

DRCOP MARKETING
www.drcop.com

Basic Affiliate Internet Marketing

All of us would love to make a little more money. Sometimes just a little to supplement an income can be a huge help. Today it is easier that you think to get a little extra cash in your bank accounts. Most of us today have our own personal websites. We can get them for free and use them as a method to keep others informed of what we are doing. You can actually turn your website into a way of making some extra cash for you. By placing some ads on your site, you have the potential to earn some cash.

When people go onto your site, if they see an ad that is interesting and click it on you receive what is known as a referral payment. The more clicks the better. Gradually your earnings will increase as your website gets viewed.

You’re not likely going to get rich with just your own personal website. However, it is a way to get started. There may come a time when you create another site and you can start turning this into a money making venture as well. You could sign up for an affiliate program and make money through their ads. To do this well you need to think of an appropriate affiliate program that readers of your site would appreciate. For example, if you site is about pets, you may want to look for affiliates that work with pet supplies, pet food or veterinary services. You’ll want to have affiliates that will enhance your site. Having ads for rare books or sporting goods on a pet’s website isn’t going to attract too much attention.

Once you have a site up and running, you need to get a list of affiliate companies that will give you their advertising banners. There are loads of companies on the net that will help you. You can also get performance statistics on them as well. You will be able to track how much you will earn and how you will be paid. Once you get a few banners onto your site you’ll be able to check the progress for yourself.

Two companies that are incredibly popular are commission junction and link share. These will both help you find affiliates for your website. They have loads of good, accurate information available on what companies would be best and how well they perform.

Signing up for one of these affiliate programs is easy. You will be asked for personal information so don’t be put off. This is necessary because they will be paying you commission money. You’ll be expected to give your social security number as well as take information. Once you sign up you will need to think about which programs to choose.

Commission junction has all of the information available on which companies pay which rates of commission. They also have information on how well and timely they make their payments. If a company is a shaky reputation, commission junction will know about it.

If you’re looking to make a little more money then it is easy. Why not take the first step and turn you personal website into a way to make cash. Fill up those blank spaces with advertisements and let the money roll in. you can always expand and create different websites. They more ads you can get the better. Affiliate programs are great ways to help you earn money. You can start off small with your own site and then expand into other areas. Eventually, you could build your own affiliate business. Look into affiliate marketing. It could be quite lucrative.

PPPPP

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Etsy Photograph Basics... In Praise of the Neutral Background

Why should you care about your photograph backgrounds? Because each photograph you place on Etsy, especially the first photo for your listing is an advertisement, an invitation, a reason to “open” your shop door. And you have a LOT of competition. Your listing needs to stand out against 20 other products on a page, not including the promoted items. Let me reiterate that…. TWENTY. And you have about 5 seconds or less to catch a buyers/searchers attention.

Unfortunately too many sellers make the mistake of trying to catch attention with BRIGHT, BOLD COLOR IN THE BACKGROUND. Notice the caps… yes I’m yelling. That’s because if you are using bright colors in the background, that is what you are doing. You are yelling at YOUR CUSTOMER and more then likely turning them away. Also, bright colors can often clash with your product, and most importantly totally over shadow it.

It is important to remember that color has a psychological effect on people. The reason most fast foods decorate with bright yellows, reds and oranges is that those colors make people uncomfortable… and it moves people out of the restaurant in a hurry. In higher end restaurants, they make their money by you staying and ordering more, so they decorate in soothing greens, blues and tans.

Color meaning also changes from culture to culture. Take the color red… if a bride wore a red bridal dress in the United States it would be considered odd and that she was perhaps a woman of ill-repute. But in India it is the color of purity and used frequently in wedding attire. The traditional white wedding dress means innocence and purity in European cultures, but death in Japan.

Here is a short article on colors and moods that you might find helpful.

Using a neutral background with help “display” your product. By neutral I mean gray, white, black and sometimes tan. Neutral can also be considered some greens and blues. Two things to keep in mind about your background: 1. don’t let your background over-power your product; 2. make sure your product doesn’t disappear into your background.

Below is an example of bad backgrounds:

In the first photo, the color of the background is blending with the product. The product doesn’t “pop”. In a sea of twenty other photos, your eye will pass right over it. The second photo, while doesn’t scream at you, the description of the earrings are Pink Flower Power. The yellow background has totally changed the color of the earrings. In the last photo you can hardly see the product. The background should have some color to enhance the earrings.

Below is an example of good background choices:

In the first photo the seller used white, the earrings stand out and you can clearly see the color. The dark grey was a great choice for the silver birds, the color is not reflected in the earrings and you can easily see them. The same with great use of the green background against the pears. The product stands out and the background is not getting all the attention.

Take some time to look at photos on Etsy and critique them. Are they good? Are they appealing? Does it give me a headache to look at? Do you like the look and feel? If so then save the photos as an example of what you want to strive for.

Virtual Dating Game_spin - 18

Youth all over the world are said to be searching the Internet dating websites for their future dates. But all of them are not that lucky to secure a date for themselves as easily as they would like it to be. Besides, dating websites cost money most of the time. {But cheer up! All is not lost. Dating someone virtually is better than nothing when it is not possible to do so in real life due to whatever reasons. Virtual dating game is all about such meeting

Virtual dating game, in fact, is an alternative to the real dating game which some people find to be very tedious . It is true that there is nothing comparable to meeting somebody in person. In contrast, virtual dating is quite entertaining and safe. You do not have to go out to play the virtual dating game. Comfortably ensconced in your chair at home, you can engage in this. It saves a lot of trouble to you vis-a-vis the traditional method.

Lots of youth testify to the fact that playing the virtual dating game on their PC’s for great lengths of time has not affected them a wee bit because of the super entertainment quality of it. You have chances to see, converse, get a telephone number, initiate a call and fix a date in this game . To put it another way, the game provides you with opportunity to indulge in anything you would care to just as you’d do in real life as first timer. All this is done virtually but it seems very realistic. {That is the difference|That is the dissimilarity)

Speaking of pros and cons of virtual dating game, I feel it is more advisable to dwell on the positive side of it rather than the negative side because the pros outweigh the cons. Playing the virtual game gives you valuable experience to avoid making mistakes over and over again when going about dating in real life. It polishes up your knowledge about dating, giving you ideas about how to do everything right .

Finally, though I do not wish to end this short article on a negative note, won’t it be fair to look at it in a correct perspective? As regards dating, what will be your decision when it comes to a choice between the age old method of meeting face-to-face or resorting to the online dating websites? No matter what your reply is, but when it comes to playing the virtual dating game, enjoy yourself fully.

Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark INnovation During Times of Change by Jeremy Gutsche

Book: Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark INnovation During Times of Change by Jeremy Gutsche

Rating: Cool

Lesson Learned: Trend Spotting

Jeremy Gutsche runs the website TrendHunterand wrote this book as a way to describe what he has learned about spotting trends. The book is fun because it is written like a 200 page exciting PowerPoint. It provides an excellent explanation of how to spot and create trends. The lessons he teaches are substantive and the way the book was published is as unique as Bell’s Velvet Elvis. (I’m talking about the Velvet Elvis- pre-weird guy falling on the cover.)

What Is The Difference Between An Affiliate Program And A Franchise?

Some online affiliate programs charge a fee for people to join. Is this still called an affiliate program, or is it instead an online form of franchising? If so, what should you expect to get for your initial down payment?Franchises rarely operate exclusively on the Internet, although many franchises have a strong presence online. Affiliate programs are mainly used online, with a few exceptions working with off-line promotions as well. If you see a program operating solely online, yet charging you to take part of their affiliate program, you need to make sure you actually gain something by joining – and paying – them. If you gain nothing, you might as well join a traditional affiliate program.Far too many websites claim to have an affiliate program, offering high commissions to recruit new members. This is nothing but a poorly disguised pyramid scheme; Recruit others below you, who will recruit others below them (and you), who will.You get the picture. Calling this an affiliate program is just wrong.Paying to take part of an affiliate program should be the exception; rarely will this give you any advantage over a regular affiliate program. Affiliate programs and franchises have much in common, but yet so different. Where a franchise offers much support with establishing and marketing your new business, joining an affiliate program leaves you all alone. This is not all bad, as you are free to market, program, your own business as you please.Choosing to join a franchise is an important decision as most – if not all – franchises require an initial investment. The size of this investment varies greatly, but it should cover everything you need to get started. Depending on the niche of the franchise, this can include marketing material, office rent and can be an expensive start. If you are thinking about paying to join an affiliate program, this is what your investment should cover. If you can’t find any increased costs for the company, and you still are paying, odds are you are getting screwed over. With traditional affiliate s, your only initial investment is a domain and some web hosting. If you are cheap, or on a very tight budget, you can use any free blogging platform to get started. The companies offering these s are often very good at presenting the positive aspects of their affiliate , at times making it hard to spot the strange logic of it all. If you always ask yourself why they are charging, and what costs the investment should cover, you will be less likely to fall for a fraudulent affiliate .If you are looking for a serious franchise, there are plenty of websites covering all aspects of franchising, explaining more in depth about the initial investments and what they are all about. You will notice most franchises to be far more serious than the franchise-like affiliate s discussed here, but it’s far more of a life decision than joining an affiliate or two.

Choosing a freelancer

A good freelancer will stand out from the crowd

Small businesses (and even some large ones) are going mad for freelancers it seems, if my workload is anything to go by.

It makes sense, of course. Many business owners, particularly at the moment, although needing to use the services of an experienced professional, aren’t able to hire someone as a full-time or even part-time employee. Resources should be streamlined and investments made wisely, which doesn’t mean hiring someone to sit around for several hours each week until you have another flyer to be written or website page to be created.

Using a freelancer rather than an agency usually means you’re able to take your pick of a large pool of individuals who have experience in your particular industry, a fantastic reputation in their own industry and outstanding credentials.

The downside however, is choosing a freelancer for the wrong reasons and your project ending in a very expensive disaster; and the input and constant communication needed to ensure there is no ambiguity.

Since February, I have undertaken around 70 freelance projects, with an outstanding majority resulting in very happy clients. However, there have been a small few which I have had to turn down or cancel, as a result of miscommunication or unrealistic objectives.

To ensure you choose the right freelancer from the outset and receive a quality piece of work, I’ve noted a few tips below, based on my experience and discussions with business owners. I hope you find these helpful and if you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line:

1. Make sure they have a relevant portfolio – remember, it’s very easy to fib! If they say they have achieved editorial in a certain journal, ask to see a clipping. If they say they have produced copy for websites such as yours, ask for the URL. Don’t just take their word for it.

2. Client references. Make sure they have them. Lots of them. And make sure they’re relevant and recent. A dozen quotes from clients delighted with their website design is useless if you want to hire the freelancer to produce some copy.

3. Know what it is you want. Vague references to “help us to get our name out there” is not likely to bring in the results that you want and a freelancer is unable to analyse the firm, its product or service portfolio and its profitability, the culture and target market to any great extent (well, they could but it would attract considerable cost) in order to produce a detailed communications plan before actually carrying out any of the tactics.

4. Be wary of choosing a freelancer who is not running a business but is hoping to earn pocket money in addition to their daytime job. You won’t be able to contact them during sensible hours and do you really want them to focus on your business when they’re tired after a hard day at the office?

5. Have a sensible budget at the ready. You’ll make considerable savings in not using an agency, but remember the old adage, “you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”. I have come across many businesses who want real results but have discovered that a student in a far off country will accept 25p for a 500 word article and will therefore not agree to pay the normal professional rate. You can’t have it both ways.

6. Know what your objectives are. If you’re hoping to secure editorial in heat magazine, say so. Similarly, if you don’t want to appear somewhere, tell the freelancer that too.

7. Give them all the information that they can. Don’t assume freelancers have outstanding psychic abilities. They can only work on the information they’re given and don’t have time to try and guess what’s in your head. If you want them to come in with you on a project, feeding them titbits of information is not appropriate and you’re likely to be misunderstood and dissatisfied. Instead, why not set up a meeting with everyone involved, over Skype?

8. Don’t try and take advantage. Late or non-payers, manipulation of goal posts and a bad attitude will be noted and your freelancer is likely to decline any future invitation of work. Believe it or not, the freelancers’ network is an extensive one and any shenanigans may result in difficulty in hiring anyone appropriate in the future.

9. Don’t charge a freelance PR to achieve coverage for your business without giving any clue for a story. Yes, through talking to you we can often pick up on something which may be newsworthy, but we don’t know your company very well and we’re not miracle workers! Similarly, the angles of:

- we’re the best decorators in Essex
- we’re the cheapest and/or offer value for money
- there are other similar companies but we’re better

………………………..are not actually news!! Look at the industry you’re in – are you helping solve a particular problem? Do you offer a unique product or service? Do you have any household names as clients? Do you have a particularly interesting background? Are you expanding and thriving in the recession?

An effective freelancer will give the impression that you are their only client. They will, as best they can, tap into your business and buy into your objectives and passion. They care about your enterprise and will put their all into delivering the results you’re after. Your job is to choose the right freelancer from the outset, tell them exactly what it is you require and give them the tools they need to do their job.

If you would like to discuss these points or any other aspect of freelance work, simply drop me a line.

De waarde van afwijzing

Uw eerste reactie?

Elke ondernemer wordt er vroeger of later mee geconfronteerd; de afwijzing. U heeft er alles aan gedaan, de scherpste prijs neergelegd en natuurlijk heel veel toegevoegde waarde gecreëerd. En toch gaat uw klant voor de concurrent. Menselijk als we zijn nemen we de afwijzing bijna altijd zeer persoonlijk en ons initiële enthousiasme slaat om in ergernis en nijd.

Als u het bovenstaande herkent gaat het volgende advies u op termijn veel opleveren, al zal het u waarschijnlijk de eerste paar keer heel veel moeite kosten:

Wordt niet boos maar feliciteer uw klant met zijn beslissing.

Prijs uw concurrent de hemel in. Druk uw prospect vooral op het hart dat het zijn beslissing is en dat u deze zeer respecteert. Hij (ik ben erg geëmancipeerd maar hou voor de leesbaarheid toch nog even de mannelijke vorm aan) heeft alle voor- en nadelen ongetwijfeld goed tegen elkaar afgewogen en dus heeft hij in zijn beleving per definitie de juiste keuze gemaakt.

Okee, deze keer heeft u dus niets verdiend. Maar u heeft wel een positieve indruk achter gelaten bij de klant. Beslissingen nemen is moeilijk en als iemand deze genomen heeft, zal hij daar niet meer vanaf stappen, hoe scherp uw argumenten ook zijn. Maar wat denkt u wat er gebeurt als uw concurrent de bal laat vallen en uw klant teleurgesteld achterlaat. Drie keer raden welke andere leverancier hij als eerste zal bellen…

Innovation et résistance au changement

(Pourquoi j’ai mangé mon père – Roy Lewis)

Ernest, le narrateur, fait partie d’une petite horde vivant en Afrique et dont la première évolution sera de passer de l’état de végétarien à celui d’omnivore, l’obligeant ainsi à descendre des arbres pour rejoindre la savane où vit le gibier. Mais le combat pour la survie est rude, un combat sans pitié entre les espèces. Fort heureusement, Edouard, chef de la horde et père d’Ernest, se trouve être un génial inventeur et un visionnaire dont l’unique ambition est ni plus ni moins de favoriser l’évolution de l’espèce humaine.  Il expérimente, invente, innove et découvre le feu, l’arc, les grottes, l’art pictural, apprivoise des animaux, échange avec d’autres clans… etc…

Dans un premier temps, seul l’oncle Vania se montre réfractaire à ces progrès qu’il juge trop rapides et qui selon lui menacent de détruire un jour la race humaine, la maîtrise du feu étant comparée, de façon détournée, à la fusion de l’atome qui sera à la base de la création de la bombe atomique. Puis Ernest s’inquiétera lui aussi peu à peu des inventions de son père et surtout du désir de ce dernier de transmettre ses connaissances au premier venu, au risque pour la horde de perdre sa suprématie sur les autres pithécanthropes. Ayant rallié le reste de la tribu à son point de vue, décision fut prise d’envoyer dans un autre monde ce père qui de toute façon se fait trop vieux. Il sera tué par sa dernière invention, un arc, et sera mangé au cours d’un banquet, de la façon la plus civilisée qui fut, comme il l’aurait aimé. Comment ne pas faire un parallèle avec l’innovation et la résistance au changement dans l’entreprise ? “Pourquoi j’ai mangé mon père”, un petit livre que je vous conseille de lire avant de prendre le risque d’innover ou de remettre en cause quoi que ce soit. Ton consultant, tu le manges avec quelle sauce ? Ketchup ? Echalotte ? Poivre ? Philippe ROUSSELLE – Directeur associé Double XL – Conseil en Marketing

The Buzzer blog » A SkyTrain cake!

The Buzzer blog » A SkyTrain cake!.

The Buzzer Blog recently posted about a SkyTrain cake.  The kid in the story is a big SkyTrain fan and has used up his fair share of cardboard SkyTrain toys.  He even has homemade wooden SkyTrain toys (Now that’s impressive).

I always look at Hong Kong’s transit marketing to see what direction TransLink’s marketing could go. A die cast model of every train, bus, minibus, and taxi can be purchased in Hong Kong.  You can even pick the exact route bus that you would like to purchase.  I personally bought a Kowloon Motor Bus model for a route that I often take when in Hong Kong.  I also have my favourite die-cast train model of the Kowloon-Canton Rail (KCR) East Rail train.

In Japan, I have miniature toy models of different trains including Tokyo’s JR Yamanote Line train.

These train and bus models bring back memories of great travels and experiences.  I’m sure tourists would love this kind of stuff.

I don’t think we should have a transit merchandise store necessarily.  We could always sell them in regular souvenir shops or specialty model collector shops.

Flash mob de verdade

A maneira com que as empresas se comunicam com os consumidores nunca é a mesma. Muda ao longo do tempo, se adaptando ao modelo de consumo das pessoas. Já tivemos foco no produto, foco na marca e hoje, com um mundo individualizado, com destaque para o eu, mas não deixando de lado os grupos (falarei sobre isso no post seguinte), as empresas se focam no consumidor para depois desenvolver um produto. Ou seja, nós somos o centro de tudo. E como elas se focam em nós? O que mais vale é uma experiência. Se você tem uma boa experiência com algum serviço/produto/marca você se apega a ele e divulga isso para seus amigos. E hoje, com todas as ferramentas da Internet (principalmente Twitter) é fácil para uma empresa se relacionar com seus consumidores.

Se você quer saber mais sobre isso, veja o vídeo abaixo.

Se surgiu interesse maior ainda, leia alguns livros. É um assunto que eu gosto. Leia A estratégia do oceano azul, Wikinomics, Long Tail, Free. Procure tírulos relacionados a esses, que explicam como vem mudando a interação empresa-consumidor.

Mas continuando o texto, em busca de oferecer aos seus consumidores a experiência, empresas se fazem oisas como flash mobs. E o que é isso? É quando uma galera se junta em um lugar pra fazer algo combinado e, assim que terminam, vão embora. Esses dias, acho que semana passada, surgiu aí na Internet um vídoe em que o Black Eyed Peas canta I gotta feeling na abertura da 24ª temporada de Oprah, com uma galera dançando uma coreografia já combinada, em algum lugar em Chicago. Isso aí é um flash mob. A música é bem divertida, se você ainda não viu o clipe, veja. A Fergie já faz valer a pena.

No vídeo acima, se você viu até o fim, viu uma propaganda da T-Mobile. Pra quem não sabe, T-Mobile é uma empresa alemã de (como o nome diz) telefonia móvel. Ela é mestre nesse tipo de ação e agora você se pergunta: Tio, como foi que fizeram aquilo? Eu mostro:

O que aconteceu foi o seguinte: alguns dançarinos foram colocados no meio do pessoal e assim todos aprenderam a (fácil) coreografia. Fala sério, essa aí qualquer um consegue dançar. Mas é essa a ideia. Todo mundo dançar.

E então você pensa que não foi tão espontâneo assim. Realmente, não foi. Não houve tanta interação nem experiência memorável com a marca. Não houve. Tenho certeza que quem esteve ali se lembrará muito mais da Oprah ou do Black Eyed Peas. A patrocinadora não foi marcante em momento algum do vídeo. Então qual o motivo? Eu realmente não sei. Tem gente dizendo até que é uma promoção da cidade de Chicago que compete com Rio de Janeiro e Tóquio para receber as Olimpíadas em 2016. Não faz muito sentido pra mim, mas já que o Obama até empunhou um sabre de luz semana passada, não duvido de nada.

Mas para a T-Mobile, isso já virou meio que tradição. Começou com isso:

Em Londres, acho que na estação Liverpool Street. Aí sim houve interação. Mas como assim? Parece que todos são dançarinos. Mas teve gente que participou, que interagiu com os dançarinos. Veja as old ladies. Veja o maluco de cabelo muito louco. Veja o negro que entra meio desajeitado no meio da galera. Veja a moça que dá uma requebradinha no maior estilo gringo com o celular na orelha.

E você não acredita?

Mas tudo bem, aceito que não houve tanta interação assim. Aí a T-Mobile evoluiu. Esse vídeo ficou famoso na Internet, então passado algum tempo, eles convocaram o pessoal.

Lançaram um teaser (se é que isso foi um teaser) convidando o pessoal para ir até a Trafalgar Square e participar de uma nova ação. Se você tivesse visto o vídeo e morasse em Londres, iria, não? Eu teria ido, afinal, estaria esperando algo grandioso. E foi exatamente isso que aconteceu.

Uma multidão compareceu, faltaram microfones e sobrou interação. Todo mundo cantando, até a Pink (P!nk, se preferir), parecia mesmo um show do Paul, com menos gente é claro. Um show um pouco mais reservado. Pessoas até pararam na rua e aposto que foi uma experiência inesquecível pra quem participou. Eu, que não estava lá, que só vi o vídeo, penso que caso precise de um celular na Europa um dia, comprarei um T-Mobile. É a única empresa estrangeira de telefonia móvel que tenho na minha cabeça e graças aos vídeos acima. E como eles fizeram isso tudo?

E funcionou? Tenho certeza que sim. Não só pelo que eu achei, mas sim pela reação do pessoal.

Aí, você, que é chato, muito chato mesmo, diz que pode ter sido depoimento pago. Então eu te mostro o seguinte:

Aposto que esse cara não vai se esquecer desse dia jamais. Ou você acha que ele vai se curar tão cedo da vergonha que passou, cantando pra uma multidão Britney Spears empolgadamente?

Empresas como a T-Mobile já perceberam como são as relações dos seus consumidores com seus produtos/serviços/marcas e notaram que hoje, para uma empresa grande, é difícil se restringir a um mercado local. Por isso, músicas conhecidas mundialmente (todo mundo conhece um sucesso como Hey Jude), vídeos postados no YouTube e uma experiência incrível com pessoas, clientes ou não da marca.

É o começo de um tempo em que nós seremos o ponto de partida. O nosso comportamento. Seremos o que move uma organização, e não mais movidos por elas.

MRV Engenharia lança revista

A MRV Engenharia e a Medialuna Comunicação e Editora apresentam no próximo dia 22 de setembro o projeto Revista MRV. O evento, para convidados, será no Hard Rock Café, no Alta Vila, às 19 horas. Na ocasião será distribuída uma edição de degustação, com 32 páginas.

A edição número 1 da Revista MRV, com 80 páginas e tiragem de 20 mil exemplares, circulará em novembro. A publicação será entregue, em casa, para novos clientes da MRV nos 14 estados de atuação da construtora. Produzida e comercializada pela Medialuna Editora, a revista será bimestral.

“A Revista MRV será uma publicação leve e gostosa de ler, com matérias sobre diferentes assuntos que interessam a esses leitores que estão investindo na construção de um novo lar”, conta a diretora executiva da Medialuna, Maria Carmen Lopes. “A revista trará informações que ajudarão os clientes da construtora a tomar decisões, além de muito entretenimento”, completa.

O estilo de vida e as demandas específicas da classe média – público prioritário da MRV – serão abordados em editorias como Entrevista (com celebridades), Aconchego (matérias sobre decoração), Bem Bacana (dicas de utilidades), Vitrine (dicas para reformas) e Comportamento. “Além de realizarmos o sonho da casa própria, queremos levar informação, diversão e novos sonhos para nossos clientes”, diz Eduardo Paes Barretto, vice-presidente comercial da MRV.

MRV Engenharia

Com sede em Belo Horizonte, a MRV é a maior plataforma de imóveis econômicos do país, está presente em mais de 70 cidades de 13 estados, além do Distrito Federal. Em 2009, a previsão é comercializar cerca de 30 mil unidades. A empresa está entre as dez maiores construtoras das Américas em valor de mercado, segundo levantamento divulgado em agosto pela consultoria Economática.

Medialuna Comunicação e Editora

A Medialuna é uma agência de comunicação integrada fundada em 2007. Com foco no mercado corporativo, a empresa presta serviços que vão desde assessoria de imprensa a produção editorial. Entre seus clientes estão empresas e entidades como Banco Bonsucesso, Grupo Seculus, Sebrae e Federação das Indústrias de Minas Gerais (Fiemg).

Fonte: Medialuna

Be a great story teller

In this industry, it is vital to know how to tell your story and how to tell it well.  When someone asks you what you do for a living, you want to have an answer that makes them want to know more about what you do.  Your story should create interest and curiosity.

For example, if you are a distributor for  a wellness company.  Instead of saying that you promote the number one vitamin, respond that you help people to feel more energy to get through their day.

Tailor your message to the person you are speaking with.  You would not want to tell a person without kids how your vitamin helps you to keep up with your toddler.  However, if you are speaking with someone who you know may feel like they need a cup of coffee to start their day, you can respond that by taking your vitamin before your breakfast you don’t need your coffee anymore.

The Box Design en Facebook

Estamos felices de inaugurar nuestro nuevo espacio hecho para ustedes. Desde ahora pueden agregarnos a su círculo de amigos en facebook, donde publicaremos temas referentes a la construcción de una buena imagen de marca, noticias, videos, recomendaciones, eventos y más. Sin más los invitamos a agregarnos a su lista de amigos AQUÍ. 

Esperamos que esta publicación hayan sido de su agrado e interés. Agradeceremos y responderemos todos sus comentarios, sugerencias y dudas. A la vez, ponemos a sus órdenes nuestros servicios en publicidad y diseño gráfico integral, donde con gusto lo asesoraremos en la mejor toma de decisiones para la imagen de su empresa

Puede visitarnos en: theboxdesign.com.mx

Muchas gracias por leernos.

MAIS QUE UM CASTELO DE CARTAS, UM HOTEL

Quando você pensa que já viu tudo em matéria de esquisitice na construção de hotéis, o IHG se supera, e lançou no último dia 18 de setembro, em Nova York, um hotel feito inteiramente de cartões magnéticos (key cards), da recepção ao banheiro tudo foi construído com cartões plásticos, a bem da verdade com 37 m² de área construída o Holiday Inn Key Card Hotel, isto mesmo Holliday Inn, resume-se à recepção e a um quarto, e não é propriamente um hotel, mas sim uma maneira que a rede encontrou de relançar a marca em grande estilo.

O Hotel foi construído por Bryan Berg, recordista mundial em construção de Castelo de Cartas (se não fosse pelo IHG morreríamos sem saber que existia esta categoria), que usou 200.000 cartões magnéticos.

Até o dia 21 de setembro o “hotel” estará aberto ao público e durante este período Bryan Berg estará trabalhando no lobby para erguer uma réplica do Empire State Building, com 3m de altura.

A Strategy for Getting New Customers

Did you know that there is a simple, easy-to-follow and apply marketing strategy for attracting new customers to your business. It is perfect for growing any type of small business and it doesn’t cost a fortune. This marketing strategy is called promotional products. Promotional products are one of the easiest methods of marketing that insures top-of-mind awareness.

The simple act of choosing a promotional product and imprinting your company name or message on it creates on going advertising for your company. You see people wearing promotional products just about everywhere. The best time to give a promotional item is after the customer has purchased your product or service as a thank you. You can also give a promotional item to a potential customer. While they are thinking about making a purchase they are giving you free advertising by constantly using the item you gave them.

The items to give that generate free advertising are called wearables: T-Shirts, Caps, Bandanas, Polo Shirts, Jackets, Sweatshirts, Windbreakers, Raincoats, even Underwear. Anything that can be worn and seen by another person. Just think how many folks will see your company name if you gave a customer or potential customer a T-Shirt with your company name and message imprinted on it. The average person loves wearing T-Shirts with logos on them. This person is walking around doing their daily routine and advertising your company free of charge.

Or what about a cap? Guys and girls love to wear caps. A cap is worn on the head, so if a person is wearing a cap with your company name or message imprinted on it this is most likely the first thing other people see when they look at the person wearing the cap.

Lapel Pins can attract tons of new customers to your business. Not only can customers and potential customers give you free advertising your employees can too. Having employees wear lapel pins imprinted with your company logo on them gives the impression that you are a professional business. Be generous and give your employees several new shirts so they are always wearing nice clean shirts while representing and advertising your company.

When imprinting a wearable with a message make sure you don’t offend anyone. The entire point of choosing a wearable promotional product is to generate new customers and advertise your business. You don’t want to drive anyone away. You want them to contact your company. Don’t forget to imprint your company web site so other people viewing your company name can contact you.

What do your customers think of your store?

I recently went shopping for pots for my garden at some local nurseries. What struck me was some of the major differences between three nurseries all within a short driving distance of each other.

All three were quite large, established for many years, widely known and advertise regularly on radio and in local newspapers.

In terms of price all three were fairly similar.  The difference for me was the way the products were presented.

At one, the large range of pots had moss growing on them, were dirty and many were chipped.  It was not hard to see why the price had been reduced. Sure the price was low but I would need to spend a lot of time cleaning them up before I could use them.

Another had such a small range that I could not find what I wanted.

The final nursery had a large range, was well laid out and all of the stock and display furniture was clean and well looked after.

It wasn’t a hard decision to make.  I chose to buy from the nursery that:

• Had a good range
• Was well laid out
• Product was clean and well maintained
• Product was not damaged.

Businesses spend a lot of time and money on advertising and marketing.  It takes a lot of work to establish a brand image and reputation.

All of that time and money will be wasted if what you deliver is not consistent with the image you are trying to establish through your marketing activities.

If the product or service you deliver does not meet your customer’s expectations, you have reduced the chances of making future sales to that customer.

Action point:

Take a quick walk around your shop, office or workplace and try to view it as if you were one of your customers. Ask yourself these questions:

1. If this was someone else’s store would the presentation and cleanliness assist or prevent me from making a purchase?
2. Does it look like I take pride in my business and look after my customers?
3. What are 3 small things I could do to present better to my customers (e.g. dust and remove cobwebs; remove damaged stock from display; clean up and organize my office etc.)

Paul Sweeney is a Chartered Accountant who specialises in providing business development and consulting advice to small and medium enterprises focusing on creating business value and unlocking a business profit improvement potential.

Six E-mail Pointers to Lift Results

Right now is THE best time to step up your e-mail testing. Why? Because many of your competitors are pulling back – both on their marketing budgets in aggregate and on testing specifically. You can gain the advantage and determine what’s working and what is not post haste today because your competition has likely buried their test plans and are afraid to spend.

Yes, testing takes an investment in time and resources, often including additional funds. However, the outcome is often worth the risk, especially now.

Proper testing will increase your ROI, but also enable you to learn. The more you know about what works the best, the better you can market to segments that emerge as your marketing programs evolve.

1. Simple IS Better

It’s imperative to go back to the basics. Think about your business and marketing objectives and what you need to learn to improve. What variables will make the most difference in your results? Create a plan for your testing that will lead to methodical improvements.

Test only one element at a time, and use appropriate quantities to provide statistical significance. Or, if you are testing multiple elements, add separate test cells to your testing matrix. While this seems obvious to e-mail veterans, time and again we have clients who are confused about this. For example, if you test the subject line and sender/from line at the same time within the same test cells, you will never know which element provided a lift.

Recognize the importance of your lists, offers/positioning, creative and the timing of your touches, in that order. No matter what the current economic conditions are like, lists still make up the majority of your marketing success—40% to 50%. This is especially true in e-mail, where rented lists seldom work and house files often go without updates far too long. Understanding this, along with the power of relevant offers (30% to 35% of your success) is critical to jump-start your response rates and lift your results.

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What the heck is Twitter?

What the heck is Twitter?

- The water cooler of the 21st Century in 140 characters or less

- building relationships to shortcut degrees of separation (aka Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon)

- build a brand

- monetize your following

How to fail at twitter:

- don’t tell anyone you are using it

- always talk about yourself / always be selling

- don’t follow anyone

Complementary Tools:

LinkedIn: The power of groups

Facebook: migration from MySpace

YouTube: if a picture is worth a thousand words… what about a 30-90 second video?

Skype: free calls across the globe show how flat the world really is

Blog: Use WordPress or TypePad to share messages that need longer than 140 characters to explain… I use Twitter to direct viewers to my blog

Power Twitter User Mantra: Like me, know me, trust me, pay me (don’t get them out of order and immediately ask your followers to pay before you have built the foundation of like, know and trust)

The art of the tweet:

- ask questions – ask them what they know

- provide answers

- pithy sayings

- share news

- provide links

- give compliments

- retweet generously

- re-comment others to follow

- recommend media

- twitpic – tweetie

- conduct contest and giveaways

- market: blatant or subtle

- share video – YouTube

- customer support desk – conflict resolution – promote goodwill – 24-hour assistance – public display of quality service – social proof

- Study: Comcast & Home Depot as they are really good

Tools:

- SocialOomph (was TweetLater) (auto follow all those that follow you – schedule Tweets for delivery sometime in the future)

- TwitPwr (has analytics)

- TweetDeck (run multiple Twitter accounts & also updates Facebook)

- TweetBeep (keep track of conversations that mention you, your products & your company)

- TwitPic (share a picture by providing a shortened url)

- Twellow.com (real estate, mortgage, bank)

- ExecTweets (Microsoft product: Find and Follow Top Business Execs on Twitter)

- BubbleTweet (video on your twitter feed)

- Book: TwitterPower includes a boot camp

Compiled by David Repka. If you thought this was worthwhile… please send me a link request on [davidrepka@gmail.com] and LinkedIn follow me on Twitter @davidrepka

How ESPN is winning the Fantasy Football War

Fantasy Football is estimated to be an 800-million dollar industry. And it’s skyrocketing in growth. (ESPN says its users are up more than 20% this year).

We’re quickly approaching a time when the top fantasy site will be a billion dollar brand. And unless something changes, that site will be ESPN.com’s.

First, I’ve been in a league since I got to college. And after five years of faithfully rejoining my Yahoo league (and 2 years of paying for live scoring updates), my league finally transferred to ESPN.

We couldn’t have made a better decision.

The interface looks like someone actually spent time on it! The Draft has sportscenter sound effects. The league offers free live scoring (which forced Yahoo to finally do the same). It’s just a much better product.

But it’s not just graphics that will win ESPN the Fantasy War. It’s the tactics the monolith is employing, tactics which should have already become standard operating procedure for media companies today! Here are the main reasons ESPN has begun to dominate the fantasy category.

1) Own every piece of whatever you do best. ESPN IS sports, at least to the average person: Where do you go when you’re looking for sports? ESPN. They have the most well-known fantasy personality (Matthew Berry), and a number of writers who play Fantasy. All of who are walking, writing, catchphrase using advertisements for ESPN fantasy usage. Why would you play in a Yahoo league when the  guy you set your lineups by has his own league?

ESPN probably learned this lesson by watching Sports Illustrated. SI could have bought ESPN. They didn’t. ESPN won’t make the same mistake with any competitive pieces.

This goes back to last week’s post about line extensions. ESPN is a sports brand. Fantasy is now one of the main drivers of the popularity of the NFL. So ESPN must have the best fantasy site. And they do.

2) Capitalize on Free: ESPN doesn’t charge for Live Scoring. That is a game-changer. And they needed it. Quite honestly, ESPN missed the boat on fantasy sports. Yahoo has been the brand leader for a long time. But ESPN took advantage of the shifting costs, and beat Yahoo the one place that it could really make an impact, Free Live Scoring.

That’s exactly what the book “Free” was telling companies to do. Use the shifting costs of digital distribution to, you know, disrupt your competition’s advantages. And just as Gmail forced email companies to offer more free storage, Yahoo has been forced to offer Free Live scoring as well.

3) Be cool. Really, when it comes down to it, ESPN Fantasy is cool. It’s slick, it has graphics, it has sound effects and celebrity sports people like Bill Simmon’s are playing it. And ESPN spent money for on-site talent/personalities, something Yahoo has never done. So ESPN will win any battle where there are hearts and minds. It’s the power of celebrity.

That’s the power of ESPN. Will Yahoo ever have an answer?

Fairfax Fails The Arts Again

A quick tour of the ‘new’ Fairfax site The National Times and it appears no great changes have been made from their regular sites. With a promising pitch by David Marr over the weekend declaring a nostalgia for a paper which was ’short on columns, long on research’. This reader had their interest piqued.

Alas. Nothing of any revolutionary nature. Just an amalgam of articles we can already access, only badly organised. A column on the left allows us to sort through by topic. A quick scan of the heading ‘Arts’ gives us 133 results, including the following at the top of the list:

1) an article by Malcolm Turnbull about Rupert Murdoch’s comments on the digital revolution.

2) a rant about one man’s struggle against the ATO.

3) a piece about the influence of public vs private education.

4) something by Ross Gittins about the economy.

5) a column about the Rudd Government’s Health policy.

6) something about the cost of prams and motherhood.

7) finally something closely resembling the arts: an unintelligible thesis titled “Making Peace With Fashion”. I never made it past the Sex & the City allusions and references to ’spray-tan’.

You get the idea? Not much in the way of actual arts conversation. There is one interesting piece by filmmaker Rachel Ward buried, as she discusses the fractious nature of our local distribution industry. A hot topic for the thousands of struggling independent film producers left stranded by a lack of local TV content (subject for another day perhaps). But you can’t comment on that one. No engagement, no conversation, no reason to come back. New Media? Missed the point again.

Fairfax, a tip, if you’re going to rebrand yourself with a new site offering hard-hitting investigative articles in the brave new digital world – get with the program, and offer the readership a chance to participate. Put a proper arts ed in place so you can build the conversation beyond token gestures. We have a thriving, intelligent arts community in this country and we are crying out for a place to publicly debate.

Don’t say you’re going to do something new, and then just give us more of the same. It only makes you look shabby.

Law Schools Can Save the Planet?

Gerald Magliocca has an excellent idea on how law schools can save the planet (Special thanks to Jonathon Adler at the Volokh Conspiracy for the information).

I not only concur with Professor Magliocca, but I have another suggestion for the law schools in question.  If you are going to send me a bunch of stuff, do me a favor and send me a fee waiver instead of all that crap.  Lowering the marginal cost of applying to your school from $70+ to $12 makes me much more likely to apply to your school.  In fact, thus far I have requested a fee waiver from every law school that has sent me something by email, and I have subsequently applied to every law school that has chosen to offer me one.

So, what is my suggestion?  Let paper about how good your law school is.  I already know how good your law school because I read the scholarship.  Just send me a fee waiver and, subsequently, an offer for admission, preferably one with a large financial aid package attached.  Your faculty’s work speaks for itself.  Now all you need is one of the best students for them to teach and inspire, and I will do the rest.

Oh, and just so you know, I do not have any control over the U.S. News rankings either.  In fact, I do not even care about where your school is ranked.  If you have a good faculty of strong researchers and a committment to teaching, I will give your school serious consideration.  Everyone already knows the U.S. News rankings are nonsense anyway.

[Via http://timnuccio.wordpress.com]

Por que a todos les gusta? o.O

Y no hablo de otra cosa mas que de la serie de Twilight (Crepúsculo). Me refiero a la serie de libros y películas en proceso de esta cosa tan molesta que a la mayoría de las mujeres entre 10 y 30 años les gusta e incluso hasta ciertos hombres! (no puedo creerlo) haha! La saga consta de 4 libros hasta ahorita si no es que a la inteligente autora se le ocurre escribir mas porque déjenme decirles que no seria mal negocio! (y todo parece indicar que harán una película por cada libro) En fin, mi reproche es: ¿Como puede semejante bobería volver locas a centenares de chicas al rededor del mundo? >._>) Pero hey! Un pequeño secreto: Los vampiros no son vegetarianos, tienen colmillos y ademas no pueden salir al sol porque se mueren! …. Y no brillan! …Las  hadas sí! Y adivinen que? Ni los vampiros ni las hadas existen en la vida real! hahaha! XDD Ok, mucha bilis, pero me encanta hablar de Twilight….. ok, en realidad no, porque me hace recordarlo mas y lo que quiero es ignorarlo (como lo muestra todo lo anterior que escribí -_-)

[Via http://misscarmila.wordpress.com]

Fiction or Not to Fiction - That is the Question

So, I love to write. I love to write fiction. I started writing thrillers, but have found that I discovered my heart in more character driven stories, primarily stories that tie into my youth in the South. However, I’m working on an online marketing book (non-fiction). Ain’t it great? Anybody else out there have any thoughts on ADD authors? With all of the changes in the publishing industry, the use of online marketing and identifying target markets, why can’t we have the same name for different genres? So there! Pen Names Be Gone! Whatcha think?

[Via http://cccasey.wordpress.com]

A picture is worth 1000 words. Make sure one of them isn't yuck (part 2)

Who hasn’t seen a poster or ad that was made up of one large graphic with text over top of it.  They’re everywhere.  But I’ve gotta say, they can really be horrible.  Using your picture this way not only diminishes the effect of the picture, it usually makes the text harder to read.  It also means your piece has virtually no white space and the effect is usually a cluttered, unprofessional looking marketing piece.

But, you say, I need that picture in the background in order for it not to be “boring”.  Wrong.  Find a way to creatively use the picture as something other than just a background.  Can it be cropped?  Can you use a gradient?  If it needs to be smaller, so be it.  It’s better for it to actually be readable than to take up the whole page just for the sake of filling space.  Another advantage of not using your image for the background… you don’t have to screen it out.  Your customers can see it in all of its rich brilliant color and sharpness.

Or, if you still want to make the picture as large as possible, find a way to screen out part of it (and I mean really screen it out until it’s almost not there) and make your words take up less space to fill that new smaller screened out area.  Or maybe there’s a part of your picture that can almost work as a blank canvas rather than competing with your text.  For example, maybe it’s a landscape photo and part of the sky can hold your text, or a photo of a person who is wearing a monochromatic jacket, or a building with an expansive roof or window, or… well you get the idea.

Turn in tomorrow for part three…

[Via http://blog.greenottergraphics.com]

Make money online

Make money online is a way for people to reach financial freedom especially when they hate the constriction of their corporate or regular day jobs. It has been a hit among lots of people because the internet has opened up a big opportunity for people.

Most work-at-home concepts that are successful rely on starting with relatively little cost. Only with low-costs, can profits easily be realized. For example, if one were to start a brick-and-mortar business, the expenses of offices, inventory, and paying suppliers would be massive.

If we look at internet money making concepts however, you’ll see that it is not this difficult to begin. Without the need for inventory, your business reduces down to a mere internet connection and need of nothing more.

With this in mind, one can also attain not just financial freedom, but also geographic freedom by making money through concepts like Make money online. There is also the advantage of speed to reaching markets online. On the internet, you can reach millions of people without hours. It truly is this powerful.

This is among the many reasons that people love working online. As an added benefit, you get to spend time with your kids, family, friends or whatever you wish. One can even be on an exotic island and continue to work hassle free of bosses or corporate hierarchy.

If we look at some of the biggest companies out there today, they include internet companies such as eBay, Google, Amazon, Yahoo and others. The thing to remember is that just 15 years ago, many of these companies did not even exist. It is amazing what the internet has done for the founders of these companies.

The same benefit applies to you if you start working online and see how easy it potentially can be to generate a lot of money. Even extra income can be gotten through things like Make money online.

[Via http://4dreem.wordpress.com]

2 Special SCORE Chicago Workshops in September that can help your business

In September, SCORE Chicago is offering two special programs that can help your business.

On September 14th, Sharon Aby will be presenting STEPPING UP TO 21ST CENTURY SELLING:  Creating a Virtual Cycle of Innovation, Markets and Customers for Life.” Revenues are down and profits are sinking,” is becoming a familiar lament coming from many businesses today. Faced with greater competition and a tighter economy, companies are spending more money on sales and marketing with no return on their investment. Chances are they are doing the same things that they’ve always done expecting to have different results. If this sounds familiar, this workshop is for you. The workshop explains the dynamics of the 21st century marketplace and will teach you how to sell and market your company differently in order to be successful today.  To register for the workshop, http://bit.ly/21CenturySelling

Sharon was a guest on our CANTV 21 Hotline Show.  This week her video  “What Behaviors make a Good Sales Person” is most popular video on our channel.  You can see this video below.

On  September 30th, Becky Davis and Patrick  Elward will be presenting DESIGNING YOUR WEBSITE:  Things Every Business Owner Needs to Know. This website design workshop is geared toward business owners who are either getting started with their first website or have an existing website that they would like to improve.  During this workshop, we will walk participants through the standard graphic design process for a website and show them how to make design decisions themselves or find and work with a graphic design professional to take their website to the next level of quality and customer satisfaction.   To Register for this program,  http://bit.ly/DesignWebsite

[Via http://learnedatscore.wordpress.com]

O fenômeno da Cauda Longa

Já imaginou ganhar muito dinheiro vendendo pijamas de bolinha preta? Pensando em Brasil, podemos supor que 2.000 pessoas gostem deste traje. Mas amplie o horizonte para uma escala mundial. 50 mil, 100 mil potenciais clientes que podem comprar na sua loja on-line. Chris Anderson aborda este assunto de forma fantástica em seu livro A Cauda Longa.

Estamos mudando de uma economia de Hits para uma economia de nichos. As lojas físicas nos oferecem produtos que possuem um alto potencial de venda (Hits), pois possuem o custo com a prateleira e precisam ter retorno rápido. Não podem ocupar espaço com algo que possa demorar 30 dias para vender. Veja o gráfico abaixo:

Gráfico da Cauda Longa

Tomemos como exemplo uma loja de livros para exemplificar. A região vermelha representa os livros que existem na loja física A e na loja on-line B. A região amarela representa os livros que existem apenas na loja on-line B.

Na internet é diferente. Não há prateleira. Você pode exibir em seu site milhares de produtos. Com a redução dos custos de distribuição, seus clientes aparecerão naturalmente. Os sistemas de pesquisa melhoram cada vez mais a experiência do usuário. De acordo com Chris Anderson (2006) tais “filtros” são capazes de impulsionar a demanda ao longo da Cauda.

Na constante mudança da nossa cultura e economia, pode haver um futuro onde a grande quantidade de produtos de nicho existente no mercado possa rivalizar ou até mesmo superar os Hits.

[Via http://wagnernascimento.wordpress.com]

The deception of history

Reading about Craigs list the other day I started thinking about business history and strategy. As entrepreneurs we often get fooled by the deception of history. And it’s easy to see why. All the business books and articles we read on success are based on what someone or some company we respect did. The problem with this is that the world lives in a state of flux, and what worked then, most certainly wont work now. This is where the Craig’s list example comes to the fore.

Would a 3 color page of hyperlinks which looks like the internet did in 1994 work today? Highly unlikely. Craigslist works now, because it worked well then. It had things working in it’s favour like the ‘in crowd’ in the Bay area spreading the word. That it was first to market with an on-line classified. Now these legacy issues become a strategic proposition which is worth maintaining. What it doesn’t mean is that it’s a strategic template worth copying for Startup X. It’s also less likely we’ll get the support needed from the web community or the investors needed.

The same can be said for pretty much any startup with an interesting history.

A social networking site which is set up for alumni of an Ivy League University probably wouldn’t work.

A trading website where auctions are used to develop the perfect market place probably wouldn’t work.

An on-line retailer which aims to sell every book available in the world probably wouldn’t work.

As entrepreneurs, what we are better off understanding is the insights into why things worked, and try and leverage human behavior in developing a strategic direction to launch our business.

[Via http://startupblog.wordpress.com]

links for 2009-09-04

• M-Commerce Is Still in Its Infancy – eMarketer Savvy retailers should not neglect this channel, because mobile shoppers are valuable customers. People who download mobile applications, including shopping apps, are a highly coveted consumer segment. Mobile buyers tend to be repeat purchasers with a higher order value than average consumer, and it can be important for them to complete transactions with ease even if it means spending more.
  
  Download the “Mobile Commerce: Ahead of Its Time” report today (tags: M-commerce mobile payment)
• Mobile Payments Are Taking Off. But Which One to Use? | TechWatch | Fast Company Impossible? No. But if you still haven't figured out that ALT + F4 closes windows on your PC, then you might want to stick with PayPal's user friendly iPhone app. (tags: Paypal Mobile Banking payment)

[Via http://brandopia.wordpress.com]

Hone Your' Interests, but be Mindful of Your' Skills

As an amateur wildlife photographer I have always struggled to find opportunities to shoot the most interesting subjects,  thinking surely that would be what everyone noticed about my pictures.  However,  most everywhere I went I would find deer and I would shoot them as well.  The summer of ‘96 I did an internship at Wolf Park,  working with… yep, wolves,  I had a fairly constant flow of wolf pictures.  In the year 2000,  I moved to NY and got a job as a zoo keeper at the Utica Zoo,  lots of fascinating animals.  Everywhere I went though,  I would see those white tailed deer and take their pictures.  I have long been frustrated by the ability of random people to pick up a pile of my wolf photos and thumb half heartedly though them and stop suddenly,  transfixed on a photo of a deer.

Recently,  I set up an account on Red Bubble to start to showcase the Great Blue Heron photos I was working on getting this summer.  Well, as usual I bumped into my deer friends and as usual I photographed them.  When I put them up on my site an interesting thing happened,  my first deer picture got featured in a group!  I was frustrated at first,  why don’t people just notice what I’m working on instead of the deer?  I have now come to the conclusion that I take those pictures because I see the beauty right off the bat,  and somehow I am lucky enough to catch that sometimes  (I actually do have a lot of bad deer photos to) and that is what people see.  I am now working on using the deer photos to garner interest in myself as an artist and hope that they will look at my other stuff as well.  The point is,  if you have a skill other than what you want to be known for,  leverage it and don’t despise it.

[Via http://ktatgenhorst.wordpress.com]

Communicating Your Value to Your Organization

Babette Burdick Sales Aerobics for Engineers Internet Business Development Strategies for Manufacturers, Distributors and Service Companies www.salesaerobicsforengineers.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/babetteburdick http://blog.salesaerobicsforengineers.com

Featured Guest Blogger:  Babette Burdick

Sales Aerobics for Engineers

Internet Business Development Strategies for Manufacturers, Distributors and Service Companies

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Read The Sales Aerobics For Engineers Blog

Are you comfortable providing solutions that impact your company both upstream and downstream from where you have a functional position?

Let’s face it. We are moving towards a new business and economic paradigm. Civil engineers providing the greatest value to their organizations may no longer be those engineers having  expertise in only one area.  Rather, the new business paradigm may place more value on engineers who understand how to translate their engineering expertise into the business language and perspective of audiences residing upstream and downstream in their organization.

How do you gain this ability? How effectively do you translate your body of knowledge to others in your organization? And no, this is not a glorified version of “sucking up” to your top brass or engaging in any form of Machiavellian politics. Who has time to play games and engage in office melodramas fueled by inauthentic, self-serving actions?

This guest post for CivilEngineeringCentral.com blog  provides a list of areas you may want to develop and incorporate into your skill set  so folks in your organization better understand “how you do what you do.”  As you grow your personal style, knowledge base and ability to communicate, you just may find some new doors opening up for you.

• Understand the national and global economic environment into which your engineering solution is being placed. Read newspapers online. Use RSS feeds to do industry- related searches.  Read blogs on engineering topics.What are the local, state, regional and national conditions impacting your project, your expertise and that of your company?  What are the competitive conditions impacting your company’s ability to win the work? Where’s the money coming from to fund these projects? What trends are being reported?

  Look at Sam Richter’s website, which is based on his great book Take The Cold Out of Cold Calling.   Sam provides recommendations for online resources for business and industry reporting.  Work towards building a more well-rounded perspective about business development, economic trends and your area of expertise.  Operating inside a vacuum is not an option.

• Understand the mindset of the folks up and down the corporate food chain. Depending on where we sit around the table, we see the same things differently.  Work towards developing an understanding of everyone’s mindset – not only  in your own organization but also in your clients’ organizations. Rule of thumb: the higher up the food chain, the more focus on the bottom line. The lower down the food chain, the more silo-ed the thinking, the more loyal and risk-averse the individual.

  Don’t get hung up trying to change mindsets or make folks “see things your way.” Rather, work towards communicating your messages using their perspectives, not yours. They will “get” what you are saying a lot more easily than you think.  Develop a communication style that correlates your project outcome to the bottom line – from everyone’s perspective. Let those silo-ed individuals understand how your solutions may help them do their jobs better. You may start to become more of an asset to your organization than you already are.
  
  Selling to VITO, a sales book by Anthony Parinello, focuses on the importance of understanding the mindset of everyone at every level in an organization.  He succinctly breaks down each functional position’s mindset in terms of being a risk taker or risk averse, as well as being a decision maker or a gatekeeper.  Incorporate some of these principles into your next project team meeting to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of decision making.

• Develop the skills to confidently communicate your information during meetings with internal customers (your colleagues) as well as current and potential customers. This is the hard part, because so many engineers feel like they are “acting” or speaking a foreign language at this point.Understand that the best way of communicating information is by LISTENING and asking good questions. Round out your perspective and understand how the language of business varies from the language and mindset of engineering.  In this global economy, treat each conversation you have with your colleagues as though you were speaking a foreign language – even if you both speak American!

  I recommend reading Jill Konrath’s book, blog and website, all called Selling To Big Companies. Jill takes a no-nonsense approach to asking provocative and insightful questions that have upstream and downstream potential.

• Take advantage of educational opportunities to bulk up your cross-functional skill set. HR at your organization can tell you about educational opportunities available if you are a displaced civil engineering professional. If you are an engineering student, take business courses on marketing and finance.  You may end up starting your own business!  There are continuing education courses and plenty of free webinars and seminars being offered online and via local networking communities.  Many of these opportunities are free of charge or are offered at minimal cost. Online webinars and online courses often can be downloaded and accessed when it’s convenient for your schedule.

Whether you are a student, current employee, business owner or displaced civil engineering professional, review the value of what you bring to the table: past, present and future.  Take an honest look at where gaps exist.  Work towards developing the tools and techniques that can assist you in more effectively communicating what you bring to the table to upstream and downstream audiences. Your ability to build a more cross-functional, well-rounded perspective can assist you in career development and business development.

What are you waiting for?

civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion board

[Via http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com]

Usability defined

If you want to know what a true consumer insight looks like. What it is to have the ‘user in mind’, then take a look at this picture below. It’s one of the simplest and best innovations I’ve seen in a while. The key question is this:

‘Why did it take the industry more than 100 years to think of it?’

Startups: What simple user centric innovations are waiting to happen in your industry?

[Via http://startupblog.wordpress.com]