Category Strategy

Entries 47 Total

Here’s To The Crazy One

Oct 7, ’11 10:42 PM

Here’s to the Crazy Ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world – are the ones who do.

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Making Music Mobile

Sep 15, ’11 12:02 AM

One of the smartest things about web services are the APIs, which let you take data or content from one service and wrap it up in experience from another service. Mashing services together often results in the whole being significantly greater than the sum of the parts. Take for instance, Instagr.am, which combines cool photo filtering along with an instant network to share your photos. Then, make all of these photos accessible by exporting them to them available through popular social networks that everyone uses like Facebook and Twitter and you have the ability to expose your photos to a much wider audience. You can embed your Instagr.am photos nearly anywhere making it effortless to amplify the reach of your photos.

I believe the next big API target is music. With services like Pandora, Last.fm, Rdio and Spotify, there are no shortages of companies who see the potential in social music. The beauty is that sharing music is something people have been doing for decades, through mix tapes, going to concerts and loaning CDs to each other. The behavior doesn’t need to change in order for it to work; rather, the technology needs to catch up with how consumers expect to discover new tracks.

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The Real Cost of Social Media

May 23, ’11 6:44 PM

I am so glad the folks at Focus.com have aggregated some data and shed some light on the reality of social media marketing. While the benefits of social amplification can help catalyze your brand’s intentions, it’s hardly a build-it-and-they-will-come approach. The best social efforts include, well, effort — in often overlooked roles of strategy and community management.

The figures will vary from campaigns to platforms and clients but the principles presented here are key. Remember, ROI is return on investment and investing properly requires investing in the right things over the appropriate time period.

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The Reality of Price Perception

May 23, ’11 12:49 AM

In a retail age where consumer access to pricing is available through the web and mobile, retailers have reason to fear an exodus of customers to e-commerce competitors or channels. A recent study by McKinsey (registration required)  suggests the opposite; consumers often believe the reverse is true, thinking that the retail counterparts of e-commerce stores offer better values. Moreover, price is just one of many factors going into purchasing decisions; things like return policy and shipping costs complicate online purchases. Convenience and peace of mind have consumer value. The bottom line for retailers? Perceived value can be applied in many different ways, and being creative about it can change how consumers value your offering.

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Ad Agency Bloodline

May 19, ’11 1:07 AM

Ever wonder how agencies are related to each other and who owns who? This sharp graphic deconstructs it all for you, courtesy of The Barbarian Group and Vitamin Talent. Click to see the full size image.

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