What’s killing newspapers is the same thing that killed the slide rule.
Category: general
Good grief! If newspapers stop printing, what will I use to wrap all the Christmas gifts?
We work, we play, we marry, we grow old, we dust ourselves off and keep going, all in a quiet hopelessness, neither loving much nor expecting to be loved much. We hang drapes in our pit and hunker down. All is weariness; what has been will be. And then Christmas comes.
Andrée Seu
Big ideas often demand a marketing strategy that is a lot more difficult than marketing gravity…. When in doubt, market gravity.
“not all data is equal”
From Seth Godin:
If you looked at web activity, you could rightfully assume that the web consists largely of porn, gossip, Britney Spears searches, trolls, trivia, anger, complaints, flirting and self-absorption.
If you look at the logs of who is calling your toll free number, you could rightfully come to the conclusion that 92% of your customers are mad at you and the other 8% are merely stupid.
If you look at the ads in the magazines you get, you could understandably come to the conclusion that all people buy is cars, pills and shoes….
Figure out the difference between early warnings and selfish noise. Figure out what’s loud merely because it’s angry and personal, and what’s loud because it’s important.
// i know, i know. my inbox is filling up. i left a book at a clients office. press proofs were delivered. and, yes, i will call you.
Brands could learn a lot from rock fans’ loyalty
Rock fans are some of the most loyal people in the world: they wear the t-shirt of their favourite band with true pride, like a badge of honour.
It’s a market that is relatively unknown to the world of fashion, but what’s interesting is that many bands make most their money through merchandise sales, so it’s worth understanding rock fans. The merchandise has to fit the image of the band – there are the standard t-shirts and songbooks but often there is something special which really represents an artist.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
I’d add that brand is more about the experience (in the case of rock fans, the attitude), than about the product or service.
// kidlinger calls and says, ‘when you coming home… i’m making chocolate chip pancakes.’ AWRsome! who needs to work when thar’s pancakes?
“You organise your CD collection according to the Pantone chart.”
// isn’t there something larger than a venti?
// i think i saw every hour of the night. oh, insomnia, thy name is kidlings.
// crazy, i can’t sleep, though it’s been a busy day. i’ll try reading a philosophy book on the topic of tradition which i just acquired.
// you know you’re from wisconsin when you walk outside, it’s 29 degrees, and you tell those inside; “yeah, it’s a bit chilly this morning.”
I feel like such a lemming, but here’s my GPOYW (courtesy Adobe Illustrator Live Trace feature).
Clay Shirky: to see how tech can lead to social change, ask people who’ve done it what works and what doesn’t (via socialreporter). Long version.
“The way we hang on to important patterns of behaviour is through storytelling…” (from the video). That is so important. It reminds me of something I heard on this week’s episode of SOF:
Because that is the only way we can make sense out of life, is through the stories.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
// nothing better than a 2 mile hike in 20 degree weather to make me feel at home.
http://blip.tv/play/gf432J1PhuYl
(via Rule 29) Link
“process, culture, and brand”
Now, consider Zappos #1 core value:
- Deliver WOW Through Service
(Source: http://blip.tv/)
So let’s forget the “V” word [viral] for a moment and talk about the “C” word: community.
Excellent piece on brands/social networks/marketing/customer service from AdAge.com:
But brands need to know a few things before they head down the community path. The web is saturated with communities…. Brands do potentially have opportunities to act as what I’ll call “facilitators,” but they have to be willing to start with a bit if research and then ask themselves if they are really willing to do what it takes to start and maintain a community.
And now the four C’s:
Content
Quality content is a great way to attract the people who are needed to form the elusive community that your brand is hoping to help build…. [keep] the content itself fresh and relevant.Context
Context means understanding how to meet people where they are and serving them the right experience at the right time….Connectivity
Designing experiences that support thousands of micro-interactions means you are making a commitment vs. trying to produce a one-hit wonder. Communities can in theory be the new CRM (Customer Relationship Management), but require people to mind them….Continuity
Communities that thrive often evolve to meet the needs of users…. need to be flexible to evolve while still providing a valuable and consistent user experience which can be sustained.
And the take away:
…building a community looks less like marketing and more like customer relationship management….
// so many rss feeds. so little time to read them all. how many rss feeds is too much?
Coffeehouse Junkie 