Insight. Inspiration. Perspiration.

fastcompany: Almost all of the Pentagon’s 600,000 smartphone...

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:46:56 -0400

Almost all of the Pentagon’s 600,000 smartphone users currently tote BlackBerry devices in their holsters, but that’s about to change.

The Pentagon has given the green light to both Apple and Samsung to bid for the smartphone and tablet business contracts for its defense staff.

Keep reading

If user preferences are incorporated into the decision, we’ll see more iPhone users with govt contracts…at the expense of Blackberry’s market share.

I imagine the conversations within BB’s boardroom are unpleasant at this point.

Wireless Service at 30 Additional Underground Subway Stations

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:05:03 -0400

nycgov:

Thirty additional subway stations now have wireless service allowing New Yorkers to make calls, send text messages and access Wi-Fi underground. In addition, wireless service brings a new level security with the ability to dial 911 in an emergency.

In addition to the current 36 stations, it is expected that the remaining 241 underground stations will have wireless service within 4 years.

Stations that are now currently connected include:

For more visit http://bit.ly/15RmqrK.

Fantastic…as a devout subway rider, I’m loving this improvement!

Social Media Flowchart: Where Should You Post That Thought?

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:46:42 -0400

Social Media Flowchart: Where Should You Post That Thought?:

Have some fun with this…buy also learn from it!

Listening is good. Profitability is better.

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:00:58 -0400

Abraham Lincoln uttered the awesome statement: “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” I couldn’t agree more.

These days most companies have embraced social media, at least to some extent. Typical businesses, regardless of size, likely have a Facebook page, make the occasional tweet, and maybe even have a dedicated person checking on social media mentions. Companies understand that a social media investment can (and should) create tangible business benefits—producing awareness, revenue and delivering ROI—but they’re not always sure how to make that happen.

A good place to start is keying into the right objectives, and then identifying (or creating) the right metrics to check the health of your initiatives. After all, if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. While it may provide a short-term ego boost to amass ‘likes’, it’s more important to correlate that activity to a measurable outcome that matters – for instance, to quantify awareness. Who knows about your brand and how much do they know? Are you communicating the right message? Have you explained WHY you do what you do more than WHAT you do? That’s step one.

Similarly, legions of followers may give your brand bragging rights, but identifying and connecting with the right influencers within the crowd will yield far more important long-term results. One positive mention by someone who is truly influential can create a chain reaction of interest in your brand that drives relationships and ultimately sales.

Ultimately, the most creative and successful companies use social media to give customers a seat at the decision-making table. They harness the deep knowledge derived from the collective social media dialog to understand what customers need and want, and use that wisdom to inform every aspect of their business—from the development of new products and services to the creation of more efficient internal processes.

It’s the smart, connected, nimble company that flourishes in a rapidly changing marketplace. Social media can help you improve how you do business across your entire enterprise—from sales and marketing to HR to IT—letting you evolve right along with the changing market. Or even define the way the market changes.

That’s a powerful formula for profitability. Not just now but into the future.

Fast Company: How To Develop Your Idea Muscle by James Altucher

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 10:14:59 -0500

Fast Company: How To Develop Your Idea Muscle by James Altucher:

This is a great primer on innovative thinking…and how to train yourself to broaden your range of thinking.

Give it a try.

John

fastcompany:

Here are some ways to get your idea muscle stronger from blogger James Altucher’s post How To Become An Idea Machine.

You do this by developing the idea muscle:

A) Every day, read/skim, chapters from books on at least four different topics.

B) Write down ten ideas. About anything. It…

8 Ingredients of Effective Inbound Marketing for Generating and Qualifying Leads

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:00:46 -0500

8 Ingredients of Effective Inbound Marketing for Generating and Qualifying Leads:

MarketingProfs’ Mike Nikolich penned one of the best, most comprehensive discussions of inbound marketing strategy I’ve read in quite some time. His article details eight crucial elements necessary to achieve what Nikolich terms “planned serendipity” in an inbound marketing campaign, each of which I agree with at a fundamental level.

“Exactly when people will buy your products and services is impossible to predict, but often there is a time when they are very receptive—what psychologists term ‘selective attraction,’ the point at which you are open and responsive to a message because you are interested in its content.”

The right approach to digital marketing, and what we do at Wasabi Rabbit, is to capitalize on this concept using a variety of social and digital tools/channels, each distinct in their specific functions but deeply interconnected in how they allow us, as marketers, to deliver content to the right place at the right time. Each contributing tactic achieves a certain goal outright, but the power comes from the synergy the simultaneous coverage provides. Some call it ‘surround sound.’ I refer to the resultant campaign as a ‘marketing tapestry’ we weave on behalf of our clients.

Each channel must support other channels – or your campaigns are nothing more than one-off executions that happen to me in market at the same time. For example, we believe your search engine marketing efforts are wasted if your website’s SEO infrastructure is an inscrutable mess. And if you aren’t demonstrating impressive levels of thought leadership via your blog content and your website, those vehicles simply won’t be compelling enough to contribute viewership, consideration or positive brand association. Result: sub-optimal campaign performance and lukewarm brand association.

This philosophy applies equally to B2B and B2C marketing. Regardless of the specific targets you seek, you will be most effective in generating and qualifying leads if your prospects can consider you a provider of the right content at the right time.

Even if they don’t know they’re looking for it.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Ad Agencies

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 09:00:26 -0500

What We Talk About When We Talk About Ad Agencies :

What is a digital agency? It’s a serious question: what REALLY is a digital agency?

Published in MediaPost’s OMMA Magazine Fall 2012 issue, John Capone’s article highlights a very real phenomenon in the evolution of the digital marketing discipline. What we see today is fierce competition between PR companies, marketers, digital agencies, ad tech enterprises and even consultants clamoring for the pole position in the rapidly evolving digital space.

The holy grail? To own both client messaging AND content delivery. Each seeks to claim the title as the ultimate creator and curator of the connection between brands and consumers, regardless of channel, device or medium. We’ve moved away from a bygone era of broadcast TV and print advertising, and have embraced the wild west of digital formats that create engagement, interactivity and social influence. But the question remains – what IS a digital agency?

“Many say that the industry has become less about delivering promotional elements and more about providing solutions.”

I agree.

The challenge for digital agencies is that ‘providing solutions’ conjures up a broad, amorphous expectation that blurs the traditional lines of ownership. With an impetus on crafting an immersive, community-focused experience for the audience, it’s often an open question as to who is in the best position to deliver such a solution. And today it may default to whichever enterprise within the PR, marketing and agency world has access to the most innovative coders rather than strategists, planners and creative talent. And if it’s not solely the job of the digital agency to come up with digital marketing solutions, what does ‘digital agency’ really mean?

“Just because you can pound a nail into wood does not make you a carpenter.”

I also agree that simply calling a business a ‘digital agency’ does not provide a descriptor, at least with any degree of confidence, of that agency’s understanding of client needs – however promotional, brand or campaign-related it may be - and the technical depth of the services they should offer. At the same time, claiming to provide digital services usually means more about coding skills than the agency’s ability to predictably and reliably grow businesses or move markets in the name of its clients. Today the landscape is blanketed with agencies with a wide range of differentiators…but each falling squarely within the realm of the ‘digital agency’.

Now, as a category we each are tasked with the same challenge - to provide effective marketing solutions in the digital space. In our world, the emphasis remains on the “big idea” that ultimately drives the client’s advertising success, but we elect also to deliver deeply insightful solutions from concept to campaign - driving traffic, holding the attention of the audience, and providing a rich user experience. We see the marriage of consumer strategy, brand planning, media planning, social media, creative and analytics resulting in the wonderful entity known as a digital agency. At least that’s how we see ourselves.

Questions or comments? Love to hear ‘em.

Courtesy of our friends at fastcompany: James Bond might be...

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:00:37 -0500

Courtesy of our friends at fastcompany:

James Bond might be British, but his brand strategies are universal. Here are 007 tips to ensure your brand is shaken, not stirred:

fastcompany: “General Stanley McChrystal experienced a...

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 19:00:54 -0500

fastcompany:

“General Stanley McChrystal experienced a reinvention challenge of his own when the threat of Al Qaeda emerged and the U.S. military had to rethink its assumptions. ‘We thought we knew the rules, that we knew what it took to be successful,’ he says. ‘But the sport we had been playing wasn’t good enough for the sport we were required to be effective at.’ McChrystal, 58, speaks with the stentorian assurance of an old-school leader. But what he has to say doesn’t fit that profile. ‘We grew up in the military with this [classic hierarchy]: one person at the top, with two to seven subordinates below that, and two to seven below that, and so on. That’s what organizational theory says works,’ he explains. Against Al Qaeda, however, ‘we had to change our structure, to become a network. We were required to react quickly. Instead of decisions being made by people who were more senior—the assumption that senior meant wiser—we found that the wisest decisions were usually made by those closest to the problem.’”

It's Veteran's Day - Do You Know What That Means?

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 09:01:19 -0500

I’m rehashing a post I wrote last year…still extremely relevant, still important…and updated to reflect this year.

Today is Veteran’s Day. November 11th, 2012.

I’m always amazed that many of my colleagues and friends, particularly those without some link to a military friend or family member, don’t truly understand what Veteran’s Day is. Or more importantly, why we celebrate it.

Many don’t appreciate, for instance, that it’s not coincidental that the holiday is celebrated on November 11^th (11/11) each year. Quick history lesson: towards the end of World War I, billed as “The War to End All Wars”, the Allied nations and Germany agreed to a temporary cessation of hostilities that became effective on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Hence, 11/11 at 11:00am is the time of observation.

More contextual history: In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m. Armistice Day, a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace, became a legal holiday in 1938. But it was considered a day to honor veterans of WWI.

In 1954, following WWII — the largest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in US history — and the US involvement in Korea, Congress rightly amended the original act by changing the words “Armistice Day” to “Veterans Day”. And thus Veterans Day became a day to honor American veterans of all services in all wars.

So today, at 11:00am, pause for a moment to consider the sacrifices made by your military friends, and their families, as they patrol the world’s trouble spots on your behalf, far from home, wishing they were here to enjoy this recognition with their families in person. Today they are not participating in parades, knocking off early or having a three martini lunch…they’re doing hard missions that make average citizens stand in awe of their contribution, their dedication, their perseverance. Only because of their sacrifices are we able to enjoy, and take for granted, the very freedoms that make our great country unique on the world’s stage.

Happy Veteran’s Day.

Probably the Toughest Agency on the Planet…Wasabi Mudders...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:37:46 -0500

Probably the Toughest Agency on the Planet…Wasabi Mudders Conquer Tough Mudder…again!

Wasabi Mudders Conquer Tri-State Tough Mudder

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:56:12 -0400

Wasabi Mudders Conquer Tri-State Tough Mudder:

On a glorious Saturday morning, seven of us participated in the 2012 Tri-State Tough Mudder challenge to raise awareness and money for the Wounded Warrior Project. The link above connects to the Facebook page showing a few hundred photos of the fun.

Similar to our observations last year, we survived the experience through teamwork, camaraderie and a positive attitude.

Even as we test ourselves, and the limits of our endurance and mental toughness, we remember the real reason for participating is to support those who have sacrificed so much for our great country.

Take a moment to learn more at woundedwarriorproject.org and toughmudder.com.

We love awards season. But while we’re appreciative of the...

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:10:33 -0400

We love awards season.

But while we’re appreciative of the recognition of our work by our industry peers, we’re also careful to remember that the true measure of our work is the impact on our clients’ businesses that we deliver. We use that mission as our pole star in everything we do.

I also appreciate that awards are a nice way to acknowledge the hard work of our awesome employees, without whom none of this would be possible. Keep up the great thinking, awesome insights and groundbreaking work, folks.

7 Basic Types of Stories: Which One Is Your Brand Telling?

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:52:57 -0400

7 Basic Types of Stories: Which One Is Your Brand Telling?:

We know brands are stories – at their core they need to support the raison d’etre, or more simply the mission, of the company. The marketer’s challenge is to frame the story such that a consumer/client can absorb the narrative as a concise representation of the brand in a format such as a 30-second TV spot, an online 15-second loop, a radio spot or a print ad. What I enjoyed about Tim Nudd’s article was the distillation of all story archetypes into seven – yes, only seven - basic frameworks.

The discussion reminded me of Junot Diaz’s 2010 New Yorker article about President Obama’s role as “Storyteller-in-Chief”. Political lessons aside, Diaz rightly shared an important cultural observation. Namely that people crave - and even psychologically require - stories to connect fully with a message. And if communicators, whether marketers or politicians, fail to incorporate such a story-telling approach in their messaging delivery, they’re going to fail to deliver any long-term behavioral change to their base.

When marketers craft a story, they should create, as Diaz says, “one that is narrow enough to be held in our minds and hearts and that nevertheless is roomy enough for us, the audience, to weave our own predilections, dreams, fears, experiences into its fabric.” If a brand’s story is gripping, the public will root for it, even riding it expectantly to a thrilling and satisfyingly predictable conclusion. If not, they’ll forget it quickly, or worse, ignore it altogether.

While we could debate whether seven is the appropriate number of story archetypes – and as one counterpoint, my film industry friends use a different, far smaller number to communicate the totality of archetypes – the overarching message is a fair one. But my perspective is a little different, in that the number or type of framework is less relevant to me than the desired outcome. I believe we must provide messaging that moves the viewer through stages of awareness, consideration, preference and ultimately loyalty (perhaps not all stages in all executions) but does so in a manner that promotes long-term brand engagement. Our approach has always been to create a framework to guide viewers, but also enables those viewers to provide the details that matter most to them via their own imagination and actions. In short, let them see what they want to see…something different for each viewer…but framed by the brand wrapper.

The most compelling experiences will spring from the real-world stories the public lives through a brand. And whether those stories fit neatly within one of the seven frameworks remains to be seen, but providing the opportunity for consumers to contribute to the narrative rather than simply telling them what, and how, to think, act and be…is a sure-fire approach to successful marketing.

wasabirabbit: jaymug: 5 Types of Social Media Strategies by...

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:07:24 -0400

wasabirabbit:

jaymug:

5 Types of Social Media Strategies by Tom Fishburne

Nothing beats a visualization of social media strategies.

Sadly, too many brands fall into the wrong four boxes…hasn’t the world learned that it’s not about *you*, but rather about *them*?

wasabirabbit: cdixon: samspratt: The 5 Stages of iPhone 5...

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:10:27 -0400

wasabirabbit:

cdixon:

samspratt:

The 5 Stages of iPhone 5 Grief

heh

Agreed?

No sense fighting it - just stand in line.

Behind Every Good Brand There's a Great CMO - Why Marketing Minds are More Valuable Than Ever

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:08:30 -0400

Behind Every Good Brand There's a Great CMO - Why Marketing Minds are More Valuable Than Ever:

An excellent article by our friends at B2C.

I like the premise, not because I’m a marketer at heart, but rather because today the growth and nurturing of a brand - and all associated attributes - is so fundamental to the success of a business. And no one lives, breathes and embodies the brand like the CMO. No one understands the client/customer like the CMO. No one is more responsible for shaping the internal and external messaging than the CMO. Today, especially given the growth of social media, CMOs are groomed for the corner office more than any other of their C-suite colleagues.

My most rewarding professional experiences involve business growth success stories - both of my own company and those of my clients - but the most memorable and successful are those that include a foundation of brand development before the tactical campaign executions.

Got Leadership Challenges…Add Starvation, Dismal Odds of Success, & The Possibility of Death!

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:09:39 -0400

Got Leadership Challenges…Add Starvation, Dismal Odds of Success, & The Possibility of Death!:

I’ve been a fan of Ernest Shackleton since first studying his legendary, epic journey as a college student in search of physical and mental inspiration. I’ve read nearly all I can get my hands on about his journey, visited every museum exhibit on the subject, and continue to be fascinated by how and what he did what he did. There’s an amazing IMAX video of the tale, and it’s not to be missed if you’re interested in the topic. His story, in particular, shaped my interests in adventure travel, leadership by example, and most of all, perseverance…even if the stakes of my subsequent experiences were never nearly as high as those of his groundbreaking odyssey.

I’m also increasingly admiring the writing of a ‘friend’ I’ve gotten to know via Twitter named Todd Nielsen (@toddnielsen), from whose blog this article originates. I encourage you to check out his other leadership posts at www.asliceofleadership.com, and to follow him on Twitter. Thanks for introducing another excellent thought-provoking topic, Todd.

Interesting aside: I also recently read that three cases of Scotch were recently discovered in Shackleton’s camp, preserved all these years…and the distiller recreated the same blend so any of us with curious pallets and deep pockets can sample the drams Shackleton and his crew enjoyed over 100 years ago. Check out the 2011 NYTimes article here.

Do You Live in a City?

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:08:20 -0400

Do You Live in a City?:

Wonder if you qualify as an urbanite or a sub-urbanite? Follow the flowchart to see where you land in the pecking order.

jaymug: What your brand colors say about your business.

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:04:49 -0400

jaymug:

What your brand colors say about your business.