fishTalk

New year, new ideas: What matters now

2010-01-01T10:26:00.000+13:00

You know I like Seth Godin's ideas, here's another free book of ideas curated by Seth.

As we all think about what the future holds for us, about new directions and new challenges for 2010, it would do us all good to spend a moment and read some or all of the contributions to this e-book. Just like the old style department stores, there's something for everyone here.

My current favourite thought: enough. It ties in with my idea for Christmas: I wish you enough.

But download the book and read some of it first...

The heart of any start-up is your customer, not your ‘cool idea’

2009-11-08T17:49:00.000+13:00

The heart of any start-up is your customer, not your ‘cool idea’

Just saw this and 51 other gems for your business [in context they say for startups, but I think we should all be taking this to heart.]

Escape the city has drawn together the thinking from luminaries like Seth Godin, Chris Guillebeau, Chris Brogan, Hugh MacLeod, Innocent, Tom Peters, Jeff Jarvis, Al Humphreys, Ben Keene and Tim Ferris into this 52 point list.

There's a few gems there, and not a dud idea to enrol your company into, get over there now and start drinking the business kool aid

managing a brand is an oxymoron

2009-10-05T22:57:00.003+13:00

A cross posting of a comment on SamNZed's posterous

Managing a brand is an oxymoron as you rightly observe Sam.

And that's the problem that people like the ad agencies have gotten us into, they propound the concept that they can manage a brand, and yet it's entirely invested in the public/user/fans/consumers.

And secondly it's also where the haters get enmeshed. Where the 'brand' values are not contiguous with the experience then the consumer 'knows' and the chinks start to appear and get larger until the brand does match the experience.

Brand managers are cat herders, sometimes it looks like the cats are going where you want them to, but it's not because of the herder, he's just at the back throwing shapes whilst the cats do what they want to.

Please post any commentary on Sam's posterous account

The newspapers are dead meme redux:

2009-03-14T23:32:00.001+13:00

I realise I'm making something of a collection of references to this concept.

It's happening around me, and I can smell it on the wind. Finish up and die already!

Read the rest of the article. There are more gems within it.

Hopefully the newspapers might see it too and kill themselves?

Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable « Clay Shirky

The curious thing about the various plans hatched in the ’90s is that they were, at base, all the same plan: “Here’s how we’re going to preserve the old forms of organization in a world of cheap perfect copies!” The details differed, but the core assumption behind all imagined outcomes (save the unthinkable one) was that the organizational form of the newspaper, as a general-purpose vehicle for publishing a variety of news and opinion, was basically sound, and only needed a digital facelift. As a result, the conversation has degenerated into the enthusiastic grasping at straws, pursued by skeptical responses.

Round and round this goes, with the people committed to saving newspapers demanding to know “If the old model is broken, what will work in its place?” To which the answer is: Nothing. Nothing will work.

Reversing the conduit: using a megaphone won't work

2009-03-10T09:19:00.001+13:00

Why is it that I find things so much more succinct than I can say them?

I’m Into Something Good: A Saturday Stroll about Recommendations

What would the world be like if we spent time encouraging each other rather than the opposite? Think about it.

>SNIP<

In the age of television, in a broadcast paradigm, all this was understandable. But in the age of the internet, in a network paradigm, it is no longer so.

That switch from broadcast to network, why do firms find that concept so hard to grasp?

It's a core difference between the old way and the way of now, and I feel it's a large part of the current economic climate: because we're still largely broadcasting, whilst our correspondents, clients and would be listeners are networked, but unplugged from the broadcast.

How do we plug our firms into the network again?

Honestly, by listening and offering value to the network rather than seeking value from the network, and by being good network citizens.

Time to network and re-connect boys and girls...

Educating the future

2009-03-08T20:56:00.002+13:00

The future is coming soon

5) The education system we currently have was built to train the industrial worker. As we move to an information driven society it is high time to question everything about the process by which we educate our society. That process and the systems that underlie it will look very different by the time our children's children are in school.A VC, Mar 2009

I think this is right, I haven't been so succinct, but he's absolutely right, education is wrong for what we need from it, because we've moved on whilst it hasn't. Let's see what we get, and take what part we can in the future. See the whole thing and follow some of the other links here

I so think JP Rangaswami has externalised a great idea here:

2009-02-24T13:52:00.001+13:00

when virtual and physical worlds meet

We have to keep remembering this. When Generation M, the mobile multitasking multimedia millenials, spend time online, they’re not sacrificing face time with their friends and family.

They’re sacrificing TV time. And advertisement time. And everything else that goes with it. Particularly when you compare them to earlier post-TV generations.

So they’re going to do what we never managed to do enough of. They’re going to choose what they do in their leisure time. Choose whose recommendations they trust. Choose whom they spend time with. Choose who they share their intentions with. Choose.

Things are changing and unfortunately for many established businesses they're run by older people, served by other businesses using older people and older business models and they're all just missing the change that's already happened (but that they think is still to come).

No one is listening any more to our advertising messages, they're doing something else, doing something more worthwhile than being interrupted.

copyright or copywrong?

2009-02-16T13:40:00.001+13:00

I'm for artists to get compensated fairly for their work. I love my music and purchase a fair amount of it.
However, I'm not sure the draconian new proposal of guilt by association is the real solution to a problem that seems more mired in doing things the old way [selling vinyl and videos, and then compensating the artist after taking largish amounts for distribution and manufacture out of the payment] instead of finding new equitable ways to charge for fair use of the creation

I'd love you hear what you think

A wordle of the words in FishTales

2009-02-13T12:35:00.001+13:00

Mr Kumar agrees with me too

2009-02-06T16:08:00.001+13:00

Keeping pricing right and doing the right things right is the future.

Quoting Leo Burnett Toronto [quoting Mr Kumar of Tata again…Globlaization & the New Capitalism - MPlanet 2009

the current economic collapse will and should lead to a new form of ‘capitalism’ built around several key themes:

1. Affordability – as the key engine of innovation not cultural fit. The most fundamental issue facing the developing and - increasingly as of late - developed world economies is one of income level vs. price of goods. This year, the company is launching the Tata Nano a $2,000 car – yes $2000 not a typo - which makes me wonder what plans Detroit has lying in wait to resuscitate itself!

2. Ethics – “we must take that which is wrong and change it.” The avarice and greed that has tipped the worlds economies into their current state of chaos require a “moral compass in imperialist times.” Mr. Kumar made a compelling case for the fundamental need to balance growth with ethics in the creation a new capital order. Two-thirds of Tata group foundation profits are donated to building interests that benefit the people and commerce of India…and I had to think very hard how many North American companies might pursue a fraction of that balance.

Leo Burnett Toronto agrees with me

2009-02-06T16:02:00.001+13:00

This blog is probably most widely populated with things that agree with my thinking, and a way that I can corroborate the things I say as having some worth other than the rants of another kiwi designer: because someone else said it as well.

here's another...

Back to Marketing Basics - MPlanet 2009

Refreshingly however, the conversation focused on getting back to marketing basics instead of buzzword bingo. A relentless focus on the customer, smart strategy and a shared internal understanding of brand culture. If there was one mantra I hope everyone walks away with is customer focus.

At it's core advertising and marketing is very simple: it's about the customer.

Even when the client thinks it's about them.

Low esteem and consumerism linked? Who'd a thunk that?

2009-02-03T13:22:00.002+13:00

Scientists Find that Low Self-Esteem & Materialism Goes Hand in Hand

“Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need.”

~From the movie Fight Club, based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk

Researchers have found that low self-esteem and materialism are not just a correlation, but also a causal relationship where low self esteem increases materialism, and materialism can also create low self-esteem. The also found that as self esteem increases, materialism decreases. The study primarily focused on how this relationship affects children and adolescents. Lan Nguyen Chaplin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and Deborah Roedder John (University of Minnesota) found that even a simple gesture to raise self-esteem dramatically decreased materialism, which provides a way to cope with insecurity.

The research cited is here

what did google do? Use the community

2009-01-29T07:47:00.001+13:00

Jeff Jarvis is so worth reading when he's on fire, and this post resonates with me a lot.

The link changes everything

The more your customers take ownership of your brand, the less you will spend annoying people with your ads. I can hear your agency: You can’t hand messaging over to the people; they’ll be off-message. Well, tell your agency their message may be off. Your customers have always owned your brand.

All we have to do is find ways to do the same thing with non tech products. Or do we already have the tools for this and just forgotten them? Remember when we had things we wanted rather than things the manufacturers told us we wanted?

build it and they will come

2009-01-29T07:42:00.001+13:00

Twitter To Go

How one local coffee shop used Twitter to double their clientele.

Fairly unsurprising story with hard results on how community can coalesce around twitter and a coffee house, but really it's about building communities: twitter was the tool, not the reason. We can't forget that

please tell the truth or you'll get found out

2009-01-28T14:12:00.002+13:00

I like Ernie Mosteller and I trust him, here's why...

erniesblog: The Truth. Take our word.

But honestly, what matters more to me at this very moment is the disdain the blow-hard had for the crackpot, when it was the blow-hard who was completely wrong.

Ok, so where's he going with this? Here: It's not just me and Woody Allen anymore. The web means access to information, true and untrue, about everything. If people are so inclined, they can find out anything about anything. And, for the most part, as I've said, they'e not all that inclined -- when you look at "people" as a group. But it doesn't take the whole group. It just takes one or two influentials, and the truth spreads. And because of the web, it spreads quickly. In short, your customers don't have to take your word for anything. They can, and will, either (A) take someone else's word; or (B) find out for themselves.

If I'm creating advertising (and I am,) that says two things to me. One, the product better be able to live up to the truth. And two, my advertising better contain it. You don't want to do it any other way. Take my word on that.

That's the end of a well told story, but the important bit. Advertising needs to be truthful, unfortunately too much isn't as honest as it could be, just as honest as it can get away with.

It's an uphill battle to get your own team onside with why we should be more truthful rather than lie less, but it's something to keep on doing; otherwise we'll find out just how right our mum was. And we hate being wrong...

It's a bit late, but here goes anyway: twitter from Mars

2009-01-25T09:13:00.001+13:00

Here's a bit of old news about twitter, communication and space travel...

Russel Davies said: twitter home

Millions of miles away, in the far North of Mars, the greatest marketer of this young century is slowly dying in the cold and dark.

Follow the link, it's far more impressive than this post, but it does indicate twitter's worth to mankind, and kind of balance what I had to say yesterday

It's a simple tool that when used simply and authentically just works.

The authentic bit is the real issue I guess, everyone is looking to game the system, get more, build reputation faster, sell more widgets. Here's an example of how honest communication has advanced the goals of a national entity with the voice of one person from as far away as another planet.

I'm a bit late to blogging about this but I'm sure you'll understand.

It really is up to me. It's all my fault

2007-06-21T13:52:00.001+12:00

I think that I need to be responsible for the things I do, and that involves the businesses I work with and within. If I'm helping them sell more widgets, then I better be comfortable with the proliferation of those widgets; because I'm responsible for them just as much as the company actually making them.

Here's an excerpt from something Seth said recently, he explains it better than I do.

Along the way, “just doing my job,” has become a mantra for blind marketers who are making short-term mistakes in order to avoid a conflict with the client or the boss. As marketing becomes every more powerful, this is just untenable. It’s unacceptable.

If you get asked to market something, you’re responsible. You’re responsible for the impacts, the costs, the side effects and the damage. You killed that kid. You poisoned that river. You led to that fight. If you can’t put your name on it, I hope you’ll walk away. If only 10% of us did that, imagine the changes. Imagine how proud you’d be of your work.

The amazing thing is that over and over again, we're discovering that marketers who actually take responsibility for their marketing are actually more successful. Go figure.

There's going to be a market where the customer will have the same values as you do [I do] and they're probably going to be more profitable than the 'everyone' that are being shot gunned with marketing interruptions currently.

Find the better way, be responsible for what you're doing. It's worth it in the long run.

Why you don't need to pay me to design a logo for you...

2007-06-12T13:50:00.001+12:00

Just read this excellent post by Seth.

As ever I think he nails the issue. But, and it's a big but, there are so many people with an interest in these things that there's a huge mountain of advice to get over that is contrary to this. And as a visually centred person I take a little umbrage with the thought that anything will do, but he's right: nobody but you care about your logo. Yet.

If you're given the task of finding a logo for an organization, your first task should be to try to get someone else to do it. If you fail at that, find an abstract image that is clean and simple and carries very little meaning--until your brand adds that meaning. It's not a popularity contest. Or a job for a committee. It's not something where you should run it by a focus group. It's just a placeholder, a label waiting to earn some meaning.

Best read the whole thing here and make up your own mind. And if you don't want your logo designed, call me. Because there's a lot of value I can add to your venture even if it's not an expensive logo.

Here's a reason to do what we do [BLOG]

2007-06-08T13:43:00.001+12:00

Yehuda over on his blog writes a great list on how he got some income from what he did. All too often people want to know why anyone would blog. Yehuda shows that even though there may be no apparent financial incentive to do it, there's often so much more incentive than is apparent.

Read his entry to get the whole thing, but the following quote summed it all up for me:

A. The direct results:

By post number 1000, I had made $75, which I gave back to my readers in the form of games. I'm now up to around $50 a month in Text Link Ads ($35), Google Ad-Sense ($12), and Amazon ($3).

Not very impressive, I admit. However ...

B. The indirect results:

I landed a professional blogging position at a company. I went in for a programming position and offered instead to be their company blogger. And they accepted.

I have had a game published by a publisher who is one my readers.

I've received dozens of free games to review.

My writing is getting better all the time.

I know hundreds of great people around the world.

I've had articles published in professional journals around the world. I've even been interviewed a few times on various subjects.

I know a lot about my field and interest.

I'm enjoying myself.

it's your fault

2007-06-08T10:01:00.001+12:00

Saw this today and it resonated with me. Basically if you're not happy at work [or at home] it's mostly your fault.How we deal with things is important and if we choose happiness or we choose grumpy then that's what we'll experience.So get along and change your thought patterns, start enjoying work now: read the article...a great post from the chief happiness officer

read more | digg story

Sneezers not as influential as we thought?

2007-03-15T11:51:00.001+13:00

Please, understand this is my regurgitation, read the paper, read Mark Earl's insightful post.
For me though this is exciting stuff that is counter to existing
marketing dogma, and many of the ideas I've relied on for my work. Time
for a rethink?

I've been following what Mark Earls has been saying about Herd Thinking here

Today he references a paper by Duncan J. Watts and Peter Sheridan Dodds that researched such behaviour. The premise is this:

A central idea in marketing and diffusion research is that influentials—a minority of individuals who influence an exceptional number of their peers—are important to the formation of public opinion.

In short [and I'm no rocket scientist] the results as I interpret them are that the influencers aren't as influential as we've made them out to be.

Mark has blogged some highlights here: Herd - the hidden truth about who we are: Forest fires and influence

What matters not is who is particularly influential but rather who is particularly susceptible to being influenced. This he captures in the memorable image of forest fires:

"Some forest fires, for example, are many times larger than average; yet no-one would claim that the size of a forest fire can be in any way attributed to the exceptional properties of the spark that ignited it, or the size of the tree that was the first to burn. Major forest fires require a conspiracy of wind, temperature, low humidity, and combustible fuel that extends over large tracts of land. Just as for large cascades in social influence networks, when the right global combination of conditions exists, any spark will do; and when it does not, none will suffice"

Seven steps to remarkable customer service

2007-02-21T21:38:00.000+13:00

I wish I was as passionate about running my company as Joel is, I wish I'd thought of this first...

"Here are seven things we learned about providing remarkable customer service. I’m using the word remarkable literally—the goal is to provide customer service so good that people remark."

Read the whole thing here

There's much for any company to learn about taking an attitude that breaks barriers down and creates passionate users

270 seconds to find all about web 2.0

2007-02-06T16:24:00.000+13:00

Actually, maybe not for dummies at all.

It's a paradox, the ideas communicated in this video are simple and yet obtuse.

But considering it only lasts some 4.5 minutes it does a fabulous job of outlining some of the changes that face us as the internet becomes a huge part of our daily self.
Whether we want it to, or not, the interweb is becoming tightly integrated into everything we do. The video goes a long way to highlight just how [important] and why that is.

No training necessary, just click play. Please.

Write your own elevator pitch

2007-02-04T08:22:00.000+13:00

from Idea Sandbox another stolen snippet we can all re-use

It's important to have an "elevator speech." A 30-second summary of what you're working on to tell the boss... When meeting new people, a quick way to summarize the value of your company and what you do.

It can be challenging to boil down what you do into a short blurb... For inspiration, I suggest paying attention to the 30-second narrations at the beginning of TV shows.

Here's the whole post from Paul Williams it's a must read!

He proposes that just like the synopsis and back story seen at the beginning of TV shows, every business needs a 30 second or so introduction to what it/they do.

I concur, but also suggest that for many of us, figuring out exactly what it is that we do is some of the hardest time we'll spend working on our business rather than in it. There are some tools and thoughts to support you in this task on the homework page.

If we can get a clear idea on what we sell, then it makes it much easier to sell it, both to ourselves, our employees and more importantly to the new customer or strategic partner.

Clarify that thinking into you elevator pitch, practice it, and you'll be prepared to deliver it without having to think what to say when someone asks "what do you do?"

Good luck, get inspired.

read some more background on Paul's blog, or ask google

The next time your company votes to change the brand

2006-08-31T15:02:00.000+12:00

Chris Houchens is right on the nail

The next time your company sits around a table and "votes" to change the brand...

…ask yourself if Pluto is a planet.

No matter what the marketing department think, no matter how insistent the designer is about the logo, the right font or the pantone specification for the corporate colour you won't change the customer's view overnight with a new coat of paint on the brand