Reed All About It…

Reading List:

reedsmith — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:53:00 +0000

Here are a couple of books I have read or are reading that I would recommend:

The 4-Hour Work Week, by Timothy Ferriss
Small is the new big, by Seth Godin
Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert T Kiyosaki
Hardwiring Excellence, by Quint Studer
The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
Quiet Strength, by Tony Dungy
Join the Conversation, by Joseph Jaffe
Love is the Killer App, by Tim Sanders
Driven from Within, by Michael Jordan
Marketing your dreams, by Pat Williams

My Post on… www.jointheconversation.us

reedsmith — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:59:03 +0000

Below is a link to my recent post on http://www.jointheconversation.us. This is a great site and experiement that compliments the book “Join the Conversation” by Joseph Jaffe. Everyone should check out the site and become a contributor to the message. You can read my post here: http://www.jointheconversation.us/?p=63

Focus Groups… who listens?

reedsmith — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:21:40 +0000

Why do organizations have focus groups? Most would say so they can cultivate ideas and get feed back on possible decisions the company is thinking of making. The only problem with this is that most companies have already made up their mind on what they are going to do prior to the focus group. One example I have is a company who has decided a name change is needed. So they hire a firm to come up with a couple of names and then have focus groups to tell them what they think. This to me seems wrong… Why would you not have a focus group to find out what is important and where your brand equity level is… after gathering information then comes the development of new names. Just a thought. Let me know what you think.

5 Questions… The Info Podcast

reedsmith — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:30:16 +0000

Well I have all the toys now and there is no reason not to podcast. The biggest hurdle was finding a topic that I would enjoy covering and others would like to listen to. I posed the question to myself and came up with “5 Questions.” I will be interviewing experts of different fields and asking them five questions about their speciality and then bringing that nugget of info to you the listener. Most will have to do with Marketing, Brand Management, Design, New Media, and the like, but other topics might slip in like music, art, sports, etc… I look forward to this making a debut on the airwaves of iPods over the next couple of week. Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions or request let me know!

Brand Identity. To Change or Not to Change?

reedsmith — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:05:12 +0000

How often should companies change their brand identity? Every year? Every 10 years? Never? Over the past months we have seen AT&T, UPS, and Xerox all update their “look.” I think this does help you make a connection to a new generation or buying group, but does it distance you from others? I think these companies have done a good job of updating instead of changing. However I do feel some one line AT&T is keeping themselves in the news by changing from AT&T to SBC to Cingular back to AT&T…. or something like that. If you change a brand I think there are a couple of things to remember:

Do not forget your current audience. Conduct any focus groups and fact finding upfront, not to see if they like the change.
Change for a good reason… i.e. to make your brand fit better with your mission, or to update your look like UPS has done.
Be able to explain why to a stakeholder. You want to be able to create PR and not lose any brand equity you have established.

There are many more reason but those are a couple that came to mind. Feel free to comment and add yours.

What do you mean you need my email address?

reedsmith — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:58:27 +0000

Why do retail stores now think they have a right to your contact info? I know they are building a list to market to and to know who purchases their items, but I have a problem with a couple of retailers that want my phone number and email each time a purchase something from them. They have an item I want I have cash, should be an easy exchange but no they want all my info as well. I ran in to the mall yesterday to purchase some hand soap from my grandmother from a store I don’t ever enter. So they want my email…. when in reality all that will happen is they will send me a e-newsletter and I will unsubscribe…. let’s just shorten the process and tell me why you want my email and I can decide if I want to give it to you… I don’t have a problem that they want my info but at least tell me why and let me decide.

Some of my work

reedsmith — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:27:59 +0000

Here is a file with some of my work included…portfolio.pdf

What is a Career?

reedsmith — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:28:49 +0000

What is a career? Is it the string of jobs you have till you retire?I think it is important to remember what is important in your life. Sometimes that is your job but as I look at what I do it is so I can provide for my family. Sometimes I get caught thinking more money will help me with providing for my family. This is true to a point, but maybe time is the better investment. Maybe instead of working at an office building with a long commute maybe I take less money and work close to home with a better quality of life?Maybe I ask my wife if there is something she would like for me to spend more time on, or see if there is a way for me to give more and make less…Maybe I should sell all our “stuff” and start over? Imagine the decisions you can make if you don’t have to worry about what to do with all your “stuff”

iPhone Stand? Why did I not think of this?

reedsmith — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:15:51 +0000

How cool is this. I can keep my iPhone on it’s side and view it while at my desk! Check it out at: http://thoughtout.biz/Very cool and handy! If you have one let me know your thoughts.

Do you ever leave the house?

reedsmith — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 20:29:14 +0000

With technology today unless you are in retail do you ever have to leave the house? VOIP, email, social networks, virtual meetings, conference calls, blogs, podcast, instant messaging, etc…Why do you need an office?The internet has done an excellent job of allowing me to purchase less and less “work” clothes each year. The problem I see is are you still just as motivated?Sometimes going to work is just what it needs to be….going