New Year, New You

2010 has not been kind to a lot of people.

We all need to be reminded that we can "not only survive life’s unexpected changes and transitions but also thrive. Powerful change is possible. You are fully capable of creating a life that you choose."

The people that matter in life will not define you by the mistakes that you have made or the size of your bank account - and those who do define you by those criteria are not worth your time or energy.

Create the future you want. Pursue happiness. Start today.

Quote Of The Week

‎"You were born original. Don't die a copy." ~ John Mason

No Predictions For 2011

"If you allow your thoughts to be infinite so too will be the possibilities you experience." -Bay Ghorishi

It's that time of year again when all the "visionaries" make their predictions for the new year ahead. It's easy to get sucked in this ego-fest and make not so bold statements like "this will be the year of mobile marketing." But making predictions and pontificating doesn't pay the bills for most of us. Ultimately, the best advice for the year ahead is "try harder and think bigger - you are better than you think you are and you can accomplish more than you think you can." That's it.

When you predict what will matter in the year ahead you have already set limitations to what is possible. Stop doing that. As the quote above says, try allowing your thoughts to be infinite and new possibilities will arise.

So let us never speak of 2010 again. It's time to rip off the rear view mirrors and forge ahead.

Spotting Opportunity

Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. -Napoleon Hill

How many times have we chased new business that appeared to be the best/surest opportunity for us only to have wasted time, effort, and money in a futile pursuit. Sometimes spotting opportunity means looking in less obvious places. Sometimes opportunity is where you think you'd find it least - disguised by other factors. I always hated the "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" poster. But, the fact is that there are countless examples in business of people spotting opportunities where others only found defeat.

When Leo Burnett created his advertising agency during the Great Depression, he had a bowl of apples in his lobby for employees and visitors. These apples served as a constant reminder to his critics who said that opening an advertising agency in the middle of the depression was a bad idea. They said he'd soon be selling those apples on the street. However, he saw opportunity where others did not. Today Leo Burnett is an iconic agency employing many thousands of people all over the world.

Remember this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed." - Chinese Proverb

So start looking for opportunities where others are not. Like the proverb says you may be closer than you think.

New York City Quote

“You come to New York to find the ambiance that will evoke your best. You do not necessarily know precisely what that might be, but you come to New York to discover it.” - Anna Wintour

Speaking of No Fear (watch this)

Jeb Corliss wing-suit demo from Jeb Corliss on Vimeo.

Dare To Fail - Again

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly" - Robert F. Kennedy

I have met a great number of "successful" people in my life. And, by "successful" I don't necessarily mean "wealthy" (Unfortunately, the word success is too often tied only to financial success). However, I sincerely believe that every successful person I have met has one thing in common - they do not fear risk.

The fear of risk is perhaps the single greatest factor that separates the "doers" from the "followers." Followers fear risk. They get very uncomfortable with change - they do not like the unknown (Not that there is anything wrong with that, as Seinfeld would say). On the other hand, most successful people that I have met can not bear to follow - they must go first. They are not afraid to fail because they have the confidence that if they fail - even if they fail to great embarrassment and humiliation - they know they have it within themselves to try again and ultimately win. This trait is not one of arrogance at all, but rather it is based on a kind of inner-strength that may have been there since birth. Often, the battles that these kinds of people fight is with themselves - not external forces (Take it from me, there have been many times that I wanted to punch myself in the face).

I have always been curious if people can overcome their fear of risk. And what happens if they push past this fear and then fail. Will they have the ability to pick themselves up off the ground and try again or will they be so disappointed that they will return to their former self - never to take chances again?

More than anything, I hate to see people give up. As Lance Armstrong said, "pain is temporary but quitting lasts forever."

Quote To Consider

"Try and fail, but don't fail to try."

NEVER FORGET THIS

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

The Art of Design: Hidden Value

Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO has said; “There are only two potential futures for any organization: either you innovate and grow, or you get commoditized and ultimately die." He (correctly) goes on to talk about how design should be thought of as a discipline that solves problems, not merely a creative exercise to make cool looking stuff.

In my 20+ years of experience in marketing/communications/technology I have come to believe that the best innovation more often results from great design thinking than it does great business thinking or technological developments. In fact, much of today's technological advances were sparked by design thinking. Designers help change the conversations taking place among a company's marketers, inventors and strategists.

Today's best designers have trained their minds to focus on designing experiences, not just products. Therefore, they are starting to think more like engineers and architects than "art school" grads. And, we're all the beneficiaries of this approach.

So next time you see a "cool design" think deeper and assess what you might really be looking at. Perhaps you are witness to real innovation.

Quote To Consider

"Life is not about accumulation. It's about making a contribution; something of high purpose and meaning." - S. Covey

These Phones Today...

It is truly amazing how quickly the technology is improving on cell phones. We are all witness to an amazing time in history, let alone tech/marketing/advertising, etc.

Human behavior has changed as a result of changing consumer attitudes and the ability for humans to adapt faster to technological advances than any other time in history. That little cell phone in your hand says it all - it empowers you to communicate better, more often, and more freely than at any other time in your life. Of course, this can be used for good or for bad (depending on your perspective, it either provides more freedom or takes your freedom) - but the option is there.

I actually took the photo above using my BlackBerry. And, I was able to immediately email it to a number of people, even from the top of a mountain. Naturally, I took this all for granted.

The times they are a changing...

Quote Of The Day

"Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out." -Ben Franklin

Hollywood Wants To Be In Ad Business (again)

The big Hollywood talent agencies just can't keep away from Madison Avenue. A few months back WME (the merger of William Morris Agency (WMA) and Endeavor) announced the formation of Lverage (yes, that's how they spell it). It's billed as a new global marketing services company. As I have come to expect from Hollywood, the foundation for Lverage is being built upon some acquisitions and shifting of desks. Their goal is to actually displace - not enhance - a brand's AOR relationship.

I have worked with WMA on a number of initiatives and there are lots of very smart people there. However, until they are able to attract and retain the right leadership for these kinds of "start-ups", it will remain yet another shiny object they dangle in front of brands.

Hollywood is great at dumping money on the desks of execs who already have already achieved financial success (they just don't seem to get the fact that there is no incentive or passion in these kinds of people to work hard any more - they all leave after a few short years). To be successful, Lverage needs leaders that will attract teams of people that will do the real work. And, they need better business development people - people with credibility, not Hollywood types that move on from project to project burning bridges as they go. One thing will never change in the advertising industry - people buy from people first. It will take people with solid relationships and CHARACTER to convince brands that this isn't yet another slick new Hollywood power move.

Many have predicted that Lverage will slowly fade away and dissolve into the big WME machine. That's likely true, but I think the "big agencies" should welcome this kind of competition. Negotiating talent deals is night and day from creating brand strategies and developing creative that drives consumer actions. Oh, and working with demanding brand clients is a lot different than pacifying a temperamental movie star. Right?

Quote Of The Week

"If your agency doesn't produce much actual work, you might be a consultancy. Up your rates accordingly." - Lee Clow

The Endless Goodbye (India) - Great Spot

Endless Goodbye from JWT Delhi on Vimeo.

Production Agencies Evolve

I found it timely that Match.com decided that they didn't need a "traditional" agency to implement the vision the Match team had for their campaign. Instead, they relied solely on their production company and internal resources to create and launch the campaign. Here's a quote from their EVP about the decision:

"We were in an RFP process and we had this idea. We had this vision about the campaign, and when we started talking directly with the production company, we decided to try this out with one date. When you work with an agency, you work with many different vendors. With Picture Shack, it was a one-stop shop. We used directors [our contact has] worked with and then everything was done in the production shop form pre-production all the way through to editing. We have the same team touch every piece of the entire campaign; I think it's pretty unheard of in the industry."

Advertising agencies will continue to see competition from places they did not expect. They are no longer the "safe choice" they once were and therefore need to start re-positioning their service offerings and messaging to address this fact with brands. When the agency starts acknowledging that the have their eyes wide open and understand that the brand/client has more choices, brands will come to respect and rely on the agencies more.

It's an open-source world in more ways than technologically. So, be open in your thinking and your discussions with potential clients.

Branson likes me!

Got this email:

Richard Branson is now following you on Twitter!

Very cool if he himself actually clicked to follow me. Doubtful he has time for that though.

Anyway, he's a guy I really respect so it's fun to think he might have read something I posted.

The Future of Advertising

We are often too obsessed about what the future will hold and "what's next?" in our industry. But you gotta love this quote from the always clever Saneel Radia:

"When a brand only says the same thing and only talks about itself, there are drawbacks. If you're the guy at the party doing that, I'd want to punch you in the face. I don't care to hear all the time about the new exciting things you have going. I'd like you to behave a bit more humanly. That's why I think we'll probably see things that look a lot less integrated. We may start to embrace the one-off a little more. I say that realizing that 'one-off' is regarded as a dirty word—'that's a great idea but it's a one-off.' But it shouldn't have a negative meaning. We'll see ideas that are created specifically for a particular medium. The same brand can act differently in different environments yet have its message based on the same core values throughout. Over the next 10 years, I think we'll see less uniform integration."

Read the full article at http://bit.ly/dT8vG1

What is Leadership Really About?

True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not the enrichment of the leaders.-R.Townsend.

When you are around great leadership, you just know it. Whether it be in business, government, or the military, it's easy to spot the great leaders from the average ones. They have energy and passion for sure, but more importantly they have a way of bringing people together with a common purpose - a purpose that is crystal clear and inspiring. In other words, great leaders unify people - not divide them. And the extraordinary ones understand that their leadership is meant to benefit others, not themselves.

In the business world, leaders do not always come in the form of CEO's, sometimes they are account managers, strategists, or creative types. Their role is unimportant to them, it is the qualities they have as people that matter, not what it says on their business card.

Leaders are not always winners, in fact some of the best are those that have failed at one point or another. These failures make them even more valuable as leaders, because they understand that the outcome of their actions won't always be defined as a success.

Leaders must always be willing to roll up their sleeves with co-workers and involve others in the pursuit of common goals. But most of all, the really great leaders have humility and compassion. Being a truly great leader isn't always about vision and courage - a real leader will not be able to motivate people if those people feel that he or she does not understand what makes them tick.

Think about the great leaders you've know in your life. Jot down those attributes that you feel made them great. I bet that things like "hard worker" and "persuasive" are low on the list of what you thought made them effective.

Quote Of The Week

"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." - Bill Gates

Stop, Think, and Just Be

Turn of your ever present cell phone. Walk away from your computer. Unplug the earphones. Put down the magazine. Go to a quiet place away from people and just be. Don't worry, the world wont end if you miss a call or don't reply to a Tweet or email within 10 seconds. Now think. That brain of yours is still way more powerful than all your little digital devices combined. Fire up the grey matter - old school style without the use of a computer. Let me know what happens next.

Quote Of The Week

"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want." ~ Margaret Young

Fighting Off Commoditization

I always ask new clients "what makes you different." And, after they answer, I ask "no, really?"

When it comes to marketing strategies, if yours is not different than it is not strategic. It has been my experience that most large consumer brand marketers get so close to their brands and business that they lose perspective. They fail to see themselves as others do. It reminds me of the movie "Dead Poets Society" when Robin Williams asks his students to stand on their desks - he says "I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way."

I believe the primary method for companies to fight off commoditization is to take a deeper look at consumer behavior and innovate around that - as opposed to putting on the blinders and trying to innovate around constantly developing new products and services. After all, brands cannot change consumer behavior until they truly understand it.

Part of the problem is that all too often we marketers focus on busy work and media plans and deadlines - we take zero time to step away from the laptop, the phone, the Facebook and Twitter pagers to just THINK. Remember thinking?

In summary, the first step to fighting off commoditization is to take the time to think and look at your brand from a new perspective - in other words, stand on your desk.

Quote Of The Week

"I don't judge a man by how low he falls but how high he bounces when he hits bottom." - General George Patton

Why Surfing Matters

Face it, most people that wear clothes from brands like Quiksilver, Billabong, Reef, etc. have never been on a surfboard - and most never will.

However, like most apparel brands, these too are worn to make a statement by the consumer. In this case the statement is "I respect and enjoy the lifestyle of surfing." And, if these consumers are not surfers themselves perhaps they aspire to be. "Aspiration" is a key element in any action sports marketing efforts - let alone those that involve surfing. The lifestyle of surfing asks "you wanna be like me?, wanna look like me?, wanna live on a beach like me?, wanna a girlfriend that looks like mine (nod to Kelly Slater)?..." Then buy that Quiksilver shirt hanging right there. And, just like that, you're in the club. You don't need to live anywhere near a beach to participate in the culture of surfing - as long as you wear the right clothes. Right? Well, as far as the business of surfing is concerned, that statement might be true, but so many people are missing out on the sport of surfing. And this need not be the case - you can surf at any age and you need very little equipment to get started. It's all about you and a board. That's it. (yes, you need access to the ocean or a wave machine)

Think about it: there are no sports where one singular athlete must be more in tune with mother nature than in surfing (my opinion). Yes, that sounds a bit "hippie-ish" but surfing is only possible with the cooperation of the waves - the act of surfing itself is a result of a profound connection between man (or woman) and nature. No waves = no sport. Period.

I predict that surfing will start to matter more as young people continue to embrace individualism and prefer sports such as snowboarding over skiing. Anyway, I hope that will be the case. Who knows, maybe selling "surf brands" at Target and Kohls will actually positively impact this trend?

Don't You Forget It, Son.

The Art of Movie Trailers

Movie trailers represent one of the most important (if not THE most) elements of the marketing of any film. The trailer has to reveal the primary story-points without giving too much away. Often, you will see trailers that seem to reveal the entire plot. Usually this is a sign that the film is weak. The trailer below has a few flaws - the primary one being very uninspiring music. It makes no impact - and adds nothing to the experience the trailer is trying to impart on the viewer. But the film has J. Depp in it. So, it can't be that bad - right?

PS: Little known fact to movie goers: Most studios "outsource" the creation of their trailers to agencies.

PSS: Embed code didn't work. So, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iXHDFqI7qk

Quote of The Week

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy

Why Better Business Models Matter

Anyone that has ever worked with me can tell you that I'm a stickler about "business models." In fact, I often bring the room down with my insistence that every marketing concept or advertising campaign we create must seamlessly align with our clients' business model - not just their "brand position."

Most importantly, we must keep in mind that the strategies that we develop for our clients must deliver a real and measurable competitive advantage - and thereby positively impact business models. I truly believe that "if it's not different than it's not strategic." About 10 years ago, Gary Hamel wrote about this in his excellent book "Leading The Revolution." A specific example he refers to involved Jon Ives, then current head industrial designer at Apple. When Jon made a commitment to introducing aesthetics into his process to launch the iMac, PC's were among the ugliest products in use. Mac's simply looked different and more elegant than PC's. Soon, this seemingly basic factor became a huge level of differentiation for Apple and became both a key component of their brand and their business model. This different approach has continued to this day - through the launch of the iPod, iPhone and most recently the iPad.

The point: A Business Model isn't just about how your company makes money - it must take into account what makes your products and/or services different, valuable, useful and in-demand. I've spent many years helping to make consumers aware of and ultimately purchase products and services. Along the way, I have challenged some of my clients revenue models, efficiency, uniqueness, and perceptions of their business in general. I do this because all these things make for better business models.

It seems to me that in the rush to launch so many new mobile companies of late, a mentality of "we'll figure out the business model later" persists. Of course, that is lunacy - but we live in impatient times filled with short attention span consumers. My advice is to put every major component of your business model under a magnifying glass - not just those that make you money. Assume the leadership and courage to ask yourself "what makes my business and my brand different?" Then after you are satisfied with that answer ask yourself, "no really?"

Kelly Slater on Winning #10

A Good Night

Quote Of Week

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts -Winston Churchill

Race Across The Sky - Countdown Widget

Quote Of Week

"Others can stop you temporarily - you are the only one who can do it permanently." -Zig Ziglar

If you are in business, a "bad guy" will appear one day. He may even defeat you whether it is fair or not. When this happens, keep in mind what Ziglar said. In the end, only you can stop what you are capable of. Get past the anger, the injustice, and forge ahead. You have learned the most painful of lessons - there are bad people in this world and they can fool you. But don't fool yourself into thinking you are weak or wrong - in other words, "don't stop yourself."

Lyrics of Week

We lose our way,
We get back up again
Never too late to get back up again,
One day, you gonna shine again,
You may be knocked down but not out forever,
Lose our way, we get back up again,
So get up, get up
You gonna shine again
It's never too late, to get back up again
You may be knocked down, but not out forever,
May be knocked down, but not out forever!

Quote Of Week

"When you take things for granted the things you are granted gets taken." - Rev Run.

Race Across The Sky Film

Race Across The Sky 2010 from Citizen Pictures on Vimeo.

Three Kinds

There are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.

Anthony Bourdain "Gets It"

I have followed his career from sometime - of course, his successful TV show on the Travel Channel has exposed him to millions of people. It's refreshing that with Tony what you see is what you get. Heart on his sleeve - not afraid to tell it like it is. In part, because he worked his way out of difficult times - including drugs and debt. Here's a paragraph from a recent blog post by him:

Look Back With Embarrassment
August 2, 2010, 9:31 AM | Comments (77) | Permalink
I’m frankly delighted to be out of the country when tonight’s WHERE IT ALL BEGAN special airs. While it’s a very good piece of film making by a very distinguished gentleman named Dmitri Kasterine (who put over a year of his life into it), I dearly wish I were not the subject. I just can’t bear looking back at that black-haired, post-crack-skinny, arrogant twerp. I’ve said elsewhere that I “had” to be arrogant to get through the day but looking at this guy (me) eleven years ago, not fifty dollars to my name, unpaid rent hanging over my head, years of back taxes and credit card debt, no real accomplishments (and plenty of wasted advantages) to my credit….and I thought, already, that I knew everything. Standing there in my restaurant, my first real book newly situated on the best seller list–and I was clueless. I had no idea–no IDEA what kind of tractor trailer was headed down the pike and straight up my ass. I see a guy standing on the precipice…and my instinct is (after slapping him a few times) to yell back at him. Warn him. But what would I tell him? And would I have listened?

Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.

"Where there is no struggle, there is no strength." - Oprah

NEVER EVER THOUGHT I WOULD QUOTE OPRAH. BUT THERE IT IS.

She should of gone on to explain that struggle breeds strength in the few - but for most, struggle creates doubt and despair. Of course, her point is also that there are people that never have had to struggle, thanks to wealthy parents, trusts funds, etc. Or, there are those that would rather wait out their days in a cubicle at a 9 to 5 type job than to take the kinds of risks that might lead to struggle. Either way, they likely won't know if they can overcome struggles via internal strength.

Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.

Nuff said.

"Your Failures Interest Me Far More Than Your Success"

I think David Kelly from Ideo said that. It takes lots of real world experience to really understand what he meant. Failures are responsible for far more innovation than successes have been. Failures also cause people and businesses to adapt or fail.

In these regards failures are much more interesting than success stories. We've heard stories of people "failing upward" - especially in science and other businesses where trail and error counts more than revenue targets.

An example of a failure that is far more interesting as a failure than a success could be the Leaning Tower of Pisa - it was obviously intended to stand vertically (to serve as a bell tower,) but began leaning soon after construction started in August of 1173. Who would really care about it if it didn't lean?

The lesson: We all fail. It's up to us to use those events to grow or wither. It often seems we live in a society that actually enjoys seeing people fail. When this happens to you, keep in mind that what is happening to you is only a state of "where you are" in life and not "who you are" as a person. I know.

Has Your Ship Passed?

"It's never too late to be who you might have been." -George Elliot

Sometimes in life, and especially in business, it seems that we missed our boat. It feels like we might be living someone else's life all of a sudden - that we got off track somewhere but not really sure where it went wrong. Did we follow the wrong shiny objects? Was it the get rich quick ideas? Did you take the wrong job? Did you hire the wrong people? Or, maybe it was all of the above.

Well, fuck it! (yes, I just wrote that dirty word). Seriously. Do not look back now. It really won't matter anyway. Imagine instead that you were born today - this morning. Now what are you going to do with your life? No joke. Walk away from what you hate and get back to LIVING. Time won't be kind to you if you are not kind to it. Go - live - a - new - life.

Be not afraid.

Gotta Love China

I have spent a lot of time in China recently and am continually impressed by their ingenuity and passion for the future. Having said that, they often come up with some bizarre concepts.

(Drum roll here) This idea is off the charts:

"Instead of spending millions to widen roads, the Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment company is developing a "3D Express Coach" (also called a "three-dimensional fast bus") that will allow cars less than 2 meters high to travel underneath the upper level carrying passengers."

That's right, a bust that actually drives OVER cars, called the "Straddling Bus."

Ah, the world is right again.

Artist Steve Powers - West Philly Proud

Buyers Meeting Sellers - While Mobile

There will continue to be a great deal of activity in the "mobile commerce" space. But, social marketing plays will ultimately have to transform into platforms that actually drive revenue or give way to other apps and mobile services that do. I have written before about a very new company called the MeNetwork (disclaimer: I have worked with the founders).

The MeNetwork (“MeNet”) is revolutionizing mobile commerce through the creation of a new kind of on-demand mobile marketplace, one where buyers meet sellers in real-time.

For Consumers: MeNet is like having your favorite retailers and brands in your pocket – you just tell it where you are and what you want and MeNet delivers discounted and timely offers right to your cell phone and only on those things that you care about.

For Retailers: They can now reach pre-qualified local prospects with customized marketing messages that they themselves create - all delivered in real-time to buyers requesting information about the retailer's business category/vertical. MeNet forges a direct and measurable connection between product/service offerings and targeted buyers.

Perhaps what is most interesting about MeNet is their sales strategy. Rather than raise gobs of VC dollars and go "direct" - they instead have signed up US cities and Travel bureaus. The city of Denver being the first client. These CVB (convention and visitor bureaus) will market the service to people attending major trade shows in the city. Etc.

Anyway, keep your eyes on this space. It is sure to heat up quickly, as the business model actually drives revenue into the pockets of small business owners - still the backbone of our country.

Why Can't Marketing Execs See Through The Smoke?

This quote sums up the problem: "We're building a global community around our consumers love [for the] World Cup and their favorite teams," said a Coke marketing exec.

I'm so sick of this kind of pompous self-important brand positioning. Statements that include the words "building a global community" in them should be banned. So, Coke is building a GLOBAL COMMUNITY for soccer fans? Well isn't that special. Let's be honest for a second. Coke is (at best) creating websites, shooting videos, and blasting out Twitter and Facebook messaging to make it appear that they "get it" when it comes to soccer. They aren't building anything except the bank accounts of their vendors (p.s. call me).

Seriously, this is the problem with marketing these days. Wouldn't it have been great if the Coke exec had said: "We're using our marketing muscle to remind consumers to buy as much Coke as they possible can this summer. Soccer is OK, I guess. I mean, Coke is not anti-soccer, it's just kind of an international thing and I live in Atlanta and spend most of my time in my cubicle."

The point: Hey Coke, get back to being the "real thing." Don't try and sound smart. It doesn't suit you. After all, you sell water with sugar in it.

Good Monkey Work From Leo Burnett

Space Monkey from Leo Burnett on Vimeo.

It is missing a strong call to action at the end, and it is more of a music video than an ad, but it is well done.

The Power of Tenacity

Mark Shuster, a partner at GRP once wrote: Tenacity is probably the most important attribute in an entrepreneur. It’s the person who never gives up — who never accepts “no” for an answer. The world is filled with doubters who say that things can’t be done and then pronounce after the fact that they “knew it all along.” Look at Google. You think that anybody really believed 1999 that two young kids out of Stanford had a shot at unseating Yahoo!, Excite, Ask Jeeves and Lycos? Yeah, right. Trust me, whatever you want to build you’ll be told by most VC’s something like, “Social networking has already been done,” “You’ll never get a telecom carrier deal done,” or “Google already has a product in this area.”

I love this. I have always believed that the greatest of difference makers in any business pursuit is tenacity. When I have been most successful in my career it has because I was out hustling the competition with tenacity. When I have been least successful it has been a result of complacency - even though I thought I was working hard, I had lost that tenacity that I once had.

I recently helped launch an SMS mobile search company called The MeNetwork (www.themenetwork.net). Here's what I heard: "Mobile search? Google will crush you, they already have mobile search figured out. SMS mobile search? You should be building iPhone apps, not messing with text based search..., etc."

Guess what?, The Menetwork has created functionality that no-one, not even Goggle has figured out yet. How? Because we looked at this space, not as opportunistic exit strategy people, but as a group of tenacious guys that saw business problems in the space. Business problems mostly being experienced by small businesses who are not served well by Google. Business problems related to the rush to launch more GPS based apps, as opposed to creating a service that works on every phone, not just the 15% of smart phones out there today.

It is tenacity that fueled us to press on and smile when we heard "Google will crush you." Wonder how many times the founders of Google heard that Yahoo! or even AOL would crush them? Sounds ridiculous now doesn't it? About as ridiculous as underestimating the tenacity of 3 guys that recently signed their first client for their text-based search engine (BTW: The client is a major US city).

Be tenacious.

Getting To Yes Can Suck

Many people have read the book called "Getting To Yes." It's a good enough book, but it makes way too much out of the process of negotiation - as with many negotiations themselves, the book tends to over-think the whole process.

In my life-long experience of trying to get to yes, there are really only two kinds of negotiations (1) The person you are negotiating with is trying to WIN or (2) The person you are negotiating with has a shared goal with you - they want to arrive at AGREEMENT.

If you find yourself up against someone who simply wants to "win" then you are in store for a pretty miserable time. In fact, this is when you should start thinking about if you want to do business with this person at all. If your initial negotiations start like this, what is it going to be like to work with them on a daily basis? Of course, you must be careful not to get sucked into their game or letting your ego drive decisions or to start taking things personally. This is easier said than done of course - but most business really is personal, no matter what.

Being on the other side of the table from a person that wants to win at all costs is frustrating and exhausting. When this occurs you must set deadlines and try to identify their real motivation. Are they trying to impress their boss? Do they get a bonus or any kind of special compensation if they "win?" Are they inexperienced at what they are negotiating and therefore just using it all as a defense mechanism.

My advice: Negotiators that are in it to win it are poison. Walk away. It may blow the deal - but that deal would of likely caused much heartache later. Sometimes it's hard to do the right thing, especially when getting to yes involves financial gain. But, the stress and sour taste of forging a bad deal is even more costly.

Marketing Saves Lives?

It's easy to get jaded about marketing and advertising, especially around the time that those damn Super Bowl TV spots run. But, I've spent the past few years using marketing efforts to actually save lives. The client I've been working with is called "The Love Hope Strength Foundation" (LHS). It's been billed as "the world's first rock n roll cancer foundation."

Here's how it works: We use unique rock concert-based marketing efforts to register people to the bone marrow registry. All names are tracked and attributed to their place and time of origin. We find matches. Our matches lead to transplants. We save lives and we know of the lives we save. There are measurable and tangible results to our efforts. No hazy investments into cancer "research" or payments to mysterious third parties. It's all direct to consumers with no middlemen and it all adds up to measurable results - just like any good marketing program. But, we're not selling sugar water to kids, we're saving lives.

Now, I'd very much appreciate your help - I want you to understand what it feels like to help an organization like Love Hope Strength. But mostly I want anyone that is reading this to understand that if you have marketing skills, channel them to client work like this. It will no doubt add a degree of much needed balance to your work, especially if you sometimes get down about helping clients simply sell more cars, beer or cleaning products.

Contact me to get involved and/or be sure to sign up at www.lovehopestrength.org Just Do It! (not the shoes).

It Aint Easy Being You

"The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed." - Chinese Proverb

If you are an entrepreneur, you understand how difficult things can get. And you probably are too damn proud or stubborn or irrational to quit when success seems impossible. Good. For that very factor is a huge part of what I would call your "defensible competitive advantage." Of course, they cant teach this in business school. Good. For this is why the best entrepreneurs tend not to be the kid that sat in the front row and got the 4.0 GPA. But, you already know this. Those guys were soft - they played tennis and drank wine. You bet on sports and drank beer. Nicely played.

You are working 24/7 but you just can't pay the bills? Good. Keep working. They can take your credit rating but not your will to win. They can take your copy machine back but not your tenacity. They can charge you overdraft fees til the end of time, but they can't make you stop your pursuit of what drives you. Just - keep - pushing - ahead.

You think you are alone and nobody understands why it so important for you to succeed. They tell you to give up and get a "real job." They tell you that you gave it your best but it's time to move on. After all, you have a family now - you're not a newbie college grad anymore. Blah.

Listen to me, you have a lot more left in the tank than you think and you have come too far and put up with too much bullshit to turn back now.

Need some inspiration? Skip the latest book from that motivational speaker and instead watch the movie "The Pianist" - you'll realize that you don't have it so bad after all. Just don't quit yet - like the proverb says you may be closer than you think.

And You Think You Are A Failure? Congrats!

Seeing Through The Eyes Of Others

"We don’t see things as they are; we see things as we are. " - Anais Nin

In business, I often find that my clients are so close to what they do every day that they fail to see what they could be doing differently - or be doing better. They rarely see things as they really are or recognize the looming threats to their company. Don't get me wrong, I'm guilty of the same problem (people in glass houses syndrome). Cough.

So what causes this very real phenomenon? It's human nature to want to protect things - your life, your family, your decisions, your business model, your sales and marketing efforts...etc. So, when faced with reality or the threat of change, it's also human nature to push back - to minimize the threat. Often, this results in rejecting good advice. Or worse, the advice you did not want to hear makes you now retreat and build walls around your business position. You dig in and stick to what you know - "how dare a consultant tell me anything about the business I have been in for 25 years!"

I know first-hand that it's hard to hear things about your company or your work product that threaten you. But when you hear those things, next time think before you react. See what you do through the eyes of the other person - and come to at least understand the perspective that they have shared with you. It's OK to disagree with it - but it's not OK to not learn from it.


Says me.

Caution: Slippery Content Ahead

I hate the sound of my own voice these days. Mostly because I seem to be repeating things which I believe are true (after many years of trial and error) and because I have a terrible Philly accent.

So, rather than repeat myself verbally, I'll write what I have said many times before: My philosophy on content is to first understand where it is most valuable and then allow it to freely go to that place, be it mobile devices, the web, TV, etc. Of course, if it isn’t created with that kind of flexibility in mind, then it becomes difficult to syndicate it anywhere.

In this regard, content must now be “slippery” as opposed to “sticky.” The goal should always be “hyper-syndication” with numerous end-points in mind. When it comes to content, it’s my job to create content that can be easily digested by consumers on any platform they select.

Of course, if the content isn’t unique and compelling, then no one will value it. Therefore, I try to deliver compelling “snack sized” content with very high production value.

That's it. Just wanted to say that (or write it) one more time.

Where Are The Real Men?

Are there any real men left in advertising?*

*Note: I know I should be referring to both men and women, but unfortunately women in advertising/marketing still have yet to be given anything close to equality. I'll be blogging on that problem at some point as well. So for this post, humor me and let me use the word men.

There's plenty of 'men' in advertising and in marketing. Agency presidents, chief marketing officers, and the such. Probably too many men (as noted above). But, where's the real ones? The ones with guts. The ones that still have creativity, imagination, and the nerve to take a stand - the ones that have the balls to try something new (yes, I said 'balls').

Have they been beat down so badly by their corporations and peers that they have just given up? Are they simply out of ideas, passion, and energy? Or, is it just too damn easy to keep cashing that pay check for mediocrity? But wait - I read recently that the average tenure for CMO's at the top 100 branded companies is only 22.9 months (not a lot of pay checks there). The average tenure for ad agencies is about the same. Get the picture guys? Hint: You're not helping each other.

"Hey Tom, why the rant about agencies and CMO's?" - I'm glad you asked that question. Because I want things to be better. I want to see people work harder. I want people to be rewarded for taking chances. I want agencies to remember why they fell in love with the business in the first place - and get back to communicating with consumers in new ways that actually make people feel good about brands and drive purchase. I want to stop hearing agency employees bitch and moan about what is wrong with their agencies, but instead do something about it. I want to see agencies and CMO's be change agents again and rise above. I want to stop seeing good people getting pulled down in the minutia that doesn't matter. But misery loves company - and there is plenty of misery at agencies these days. Most of it though is self-inflicted.

It's no wonder that the TV show "Mad Men" is so popular among agency types - it represents a fantasy that they wish they could live out. It makes you feel like there is energy, risk, creativity, fun, and even sexiness in the industry. Well, I got news for you, there still can be! But, it takes hard work (not three Martini lunches). It takes the willingness to call bullshit when you see it (sometimes at the risk of your job). It takes nerve.

This business is not just about big ideas. But if you don't have the ability to see a big idea when it is presented to you then you should not be in this business. If you don't understand how the right ideas executed in the right way can provide your brand with a new competitive advantage, then you do not belong in this business. If you take yourself and your work too seriously, then you should not be in this business. If you think you really should be making feature films in Hollywood instead of TV spots for financial institutions, then you should not be in this business...etc.

But, if you have no fear of taking chances, no fear of speaking your mind, no fear of trying new things, no fear of being different, and lots of nerve then maybe you can be among the real men of advertising.

PS: if this post pissed you off then you should not be in this business :)

How long before there are no more Yellowpages, Yellowbooks, Superpages, etc.?

Ironically these directories were actually innovative at one time - they represented the first iteration of Google. But like many companies, they failed to innovate at the most critical periods of time. Rather than quickly embrace the Internet (and then mobile) as an innovator and inventor, they simply reacted. And they reacted too late. These guys were the local search experts but they didn't understand what business they were really in.

There is an odd kind of arrogance that exists in the hallways of companies like these. A complacency that comes about as a result of wearing blinders - protected from the real world by management teams that are not incentivized to have real vision or to be innovators. When you assess any kind of company, always look at how the people get paid. That will tell you a great deal about why innovation is or is not happening. Usually, if you hit the sales numbers the future will take care of itself, right? Wrong.

Think about the Yellowbooks of the world - they feel like their customer base is strong, because every person in America receives their product (whether they want it or not). And there's the rub - they actually think that consumers are their customers! They forget that the real customer is the advertiser. And, the advertising space in those yellow books is becoming less valuable by the second. Further, states like Colorado are considering passing laws that will permit consumers from "opting-out" of receiving the antiquated and wasteful books. So, the Yellows better be very afraid. Consumers don't want their product and advertisers understand that there are better places to spend their money (and it is not with the "Internet version" of the Yellows).

Of course all this sucks. I, for one, would love to see a resurgence of the dinosaurs - that is the re-birth of companies that actually were once pioneers in their field, like the Yellows. But it won't happen until they change the people that run those companies. Unfortunately these firms have not demonstrated that they can embrace disruptive ideas from people with vision. So, they will slowly burn away, perhaps making a few desperate acquisitions on the way out.

The message to those businesses that still advertise with the Yellows: Let your ads do the walking right off the page and on to another company's expanding digital platforms. The message to the Yellows: Start fighting like hell - look outside your company hallways for answers and take a stand.

So many lessons to be learned here...

Talent Is Hiding In Plain Sight

Rishad Tobaccowala's excellent speech about "talent in the advertising industry" (which can be viewed a few blog posts below this one) got me thinking: What does the advertising industry really do to attract and develop talent?

Most agencies are really good at keeping the same people in the building for decades, but this doesn't mean that they are the right people. These are the ones that basically grew up in the agency - right out of college. Because they were raised by mostly the same parents (management team) year-in and year-out, they never really knew what existed outside - what is was like to work at a place with a different culture and a different approach to creating marketing.

Therefore these folks become the cogs in the machine that run their agency. They are so much a part of that machine that a very predictable, almost robotic like atmosphere exists. It results in pretty much the same kind of work being churned out for long time spans. Therefore the agency attracts a certain kind of client, because the client feels that they are a "safe bet." And, I must say that this oddly pays off for some agencies. They win business and retain clients. But, this type of agency never is able to hold on to the most talented employees that pass through their doors. In my 20 years+ in the business I have seen this time and again. It certainly comes as no surprise to anyone that has worked for a big agency group.

In other industries the talent does not just help build the company's brand - the talent is the brand. Think of people like Jack Welch, Steve Jobs, and even Donald Trump. This kind of talent acts like a magnet to attract others like them. They also know how to create organizations that are designed to attract talent pools. Yes, attracting talent does mean structuring compensation packages that will get them in the building and ensure that they are rewarded to achieve great things and then stay put. This is an obvious area of weakness in the advertising industry where only a select few get the rewards created by many. This leads to frustration among the talented - who recognize inequity faster than the mediocre employees. Frustration results in apathy and ultimately leads to the exit door.

The advertising industry also does not seem to realize that the kind of talent that can be a game changer may not necessarily be working at an "agency." More on that later...

Too Afraid To Fail?

"Warning: Past success does not guarantee future success. People tend to praise you for present results that have come about because of good decisions in the past. Unfortunately, at the very moment you are enjoying your best results you may be making the decisions that will lead your company to extinction." - Max McKeown

An interesting area of corporate culture has to do with the fear of failure. I have known senior executives whose careers have been ruined by even perceived failures. Yet, others were permitted by their companies to fail and therefore learned valuable - and later profitable - lessons from failed product launches. The same is true is professional sports - the merciless firing of a coach for a losing season that he probably could not have changed anyway (as a result of the resources or skill levels of players he had to work with). On the other hand, other coaches last for many seasons with losing records. There certainly is no consistency in how failure is treated from company to company or team to team. Just as there is no consistency on how people deal with failure.

The uncertainty that comes with failure makes it that much more fearful. In some ways, the fear of failure is also tied to the fear of the unknown. We're never really sure what failure will bring - for some it spells the end of a job. But does not that end sometimes lead to a new beginning and better future? Henry Ford's first two automobile companies failed. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team for lack of skill. John Grisham's first novel was rejected by sixteen agents and twelve publishing houses. You get the picture.

There are plenty of pithy sayings like "tough times do not last but tough people do" that might help you deal with "failure." But the most important thing you can do when you fail might sound odd - embrace the failure. It very well might be the most emotionally draining and challenging thing you can do, but by putting your failures under a magnifying glass you'll see that you can learn from them. Most importantly though, you'll probably learn more about yourself. And that you are not a failure - even though you may have made some bad decisions that caused one.

Your failings do not make you the person that they make you feel like. Now look inside yourself and understand that you may never be able to fully predict the outcome of your decisions but that factor should not prevent you from moving forward after failure. You still have time to change the road you're on. Be not afraid to fail.

Cloud Computing (for Dummies)

From Dummies.com: "Cloud computing is the next stage in the Internet's evolution, providing the means through which everything — from computing power to computing infrastructure, applications, business processes to personal collaboration — can be delivered to you as a service wherever and whenever you need."

As I continue to work on the evolution of the MeNetwork (www.theMeNetwork.net), I get to see first-hand how cloud computing represents the "next stage" of growth for the Internet/real-time web sector. More importantly, it clearly demonstrates how the best and brightest minds will always innovate around changing consumer lifestyles (yea, I say that phrase everyday - get used to it). As lifestyles change - and get even more mobile - industries will adapt. Some, like those involving providers like Yellowbook and Yellowpages will move too slow and then from their death bed make a flurry of misguided acquisitions in a futile attempt to remain relevant. You heard that prediction here first folks (not that you need a crystal ball to figure that out).

Anyway, I'm proud of the quiet progress that The MeNetwork is making as the most innovative cloud-based mobile search tool. Soon, travelers across the USA, as well as the citizens of some our biggest cities will start using the MeNetwork to connect them to businesses big and small (more on that later). Please stay tuned.

Great Speech About Ad Industry

Rocky Balboa Said It Best (Philly Style)

"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward."

The End of Facebook (for me)

Facebook just got too damn exhausting. Not that anyone will miss my my clever little snotty posts there, but I prefer to only share business information these days - mostly at this blog and Twitter (@irishboy9). So, with apologies to my cousins, far flung friends and sometimes creepy sort-of acquaintances, au revoir. Time to live more of my life in the real world, with real live humans. Radical thought, I know.

Ad Agencies Still Suck (says Forrester)

In case you missed the news from research firm Forrester, they have determined how much today's ad agencies suck. Not sure if that is "newsworthy" or "new" but here's a snippet:

Forrester quotes a marketing exec saying that agencies are "a necessary evil," rather than a strategic partner to grow his business. Another says, "Most senior ad execs appear more comfortable with conventional channels, which they claim are 'integrated' because they have tacked on a Web site."


If agencies have become a "necessary evil" for this executive, them I bet he and/or his marketing staff are:

A. A damn lazy bunch
B. Incompetent of having original thoughts
C. Both lazy and incompetent

Look, few people are more critical than myself when it comes to how inept some of the bigger agencies and holding companies can be, however, no-one is forced to hire them. Until brands stop relying on search agencies that ONLY send RFP's to multi-billion dollar agency factories or until CMO's start thinking for themselves, the smaller/better/smarter/hungrier agencies will continue to miss out. Yes, the system sucks. Yes, some big agencies are dinosaurs that amazingly still win huge business for which they fall short on. Yes, life is not fair.

Albert Einstein once famously said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results." If we assume this applies to continued hiring (and firing) of today's "leading" ad agencies, then why do they keep getting hired? I'd like to know what you think. Chime in.

Marketing With "Purpose"

Lets face it, most marketers are opportunistic. When "green" became all the rage, it was laughable to watch how marketers would bend their messaging and brands to appeal to some tiny segment of their intended or core audience that actually cared to know how green the marketer was. Of course, for most of the big brands it was (and is) a load of crap. However, there obviously are some brands that truly are mindful about being more green. Too bad their message usually gets beat down by the big marketing machines fueled by their "less than honest" competitors.

Whether your brand is green or not. Start thinking about creating some marketing platforms that actually have a "purpose" - something that your brand can stand for. It doesn't matter how big or small, just as long as you're sincere about it.

"Purpose marketing" can best be seen at brands like Ocean Minded (http://www.oceanminded.com/). Last year alone Ocean Minded hosted 47 beach clean-ups around the world. This resulted in approximately 1,700 volunteers collecting and properly disposing over 20,000 pounds of trash. This is marketing that matters. It says a great deal about the brand and even more about the people that work there. This small shoe brand is making a difference while speaking volumes about the brand attributes and the kind of customers they want for their products. It is sincere, relevant, timely, authentic and as us jackass ad agency people like to say "on-brand."

I'll be writing more about this important subject in the future. But do not forget - you don't have to be Pepsi or any other billion dollar brand to launch meaningful and important purpose marketing initiatives. Start by asking your employees what matters to them - besides their paychecks.

Ogilvy Was Right - Then and Now

In the classic advertising book "Ogilvy On Advertising", David Ogilvy writes:
There have always been noisy lunatics on the fringes of the advertising business...They are seldom found out, because they gravitate towards the kind of clients who, bamboozled by their rhetoric, do not hold them responsible for sales results."

He goes on to say that people working in the advertising industry should strive to "improve their batting average at the cash register." I wonder what he would think of the latest gold-rush in the business, that of "social media?" It certainly has its share of noisy lunatics void of sales results. Are all those Facebook Fan pages and Tweets moving the sales needle? Of course not. On the other hand, Ogilvy was a big believer in the value of research. The data that results from social media consumption would be akin to the kind of consumer insights that Ogilvy craved.

What do you think Ogilvy would of thought of Facebook, Twitter et al? Let me know by posting a comment or sending me an email.

The Only Way To Change The World

Someone once said that the only way to change the world is to imagine it different than the way it is today.

Simple, right? Wrong. The problem is that most people that start out with big ideas and promises of change usually end up compromising and applying too much of the thinking that got us where we are - in the end, we end up right back where we started. My political friends seem to be saying this is part of the problem with the President - this and leadership failings. Leadership requires the GUTS to imagine a different way and then DO SOMETHING about it. Of course, the "do something" part is the key.

It's hard. Good leaders know what good writers do - great writing sometimes comes from inner pain (Barton Fink!). Leadership too is usually born of turning pain into results. It's painful and lonely to walk the walk and talk the talk. But it must be done day-in, day-out. It's not easy doing the right thing. But, it all starts and ends with you. Take control of the ride and be extraordinary.

The only way to change the world is:

(1) have the guts to first imagine the world different than it is today
(2) do something about it (e.g. lead the way)
(3) focus the pain - do not let it win

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

Shane Powers Wrote This

My pop just got back from a trip throughout Vietnam and Cambodia.
And he watched families live off the river.
Caught their fish.
Used the sand to build bricks, so they could build homes.
Ate apples from the nearby trees.
Frolicked....

Not one of them knew about Heidi and Spencer.

Not one of them cared if they could get into Playhouse.

Not one of them cared if they could get a reservation at the Ivy.

Not one of them gave a shit about what the other was wearin.

Not one of them thought about a car.

Not one of them had a fuckin NICKEL.

They just had an apple, and a smile.

WHO's really livin?

---
ShanePowers.com

Is The Right Team On The Field?

“When you hit the beach, who do you want to be by your side?” – US Marine Corps expression.

Ideas don't run businesses, people do. I'll say it again; Ideas don't run businesses, people do. Sounds simple enough, right? But, relying on the person that came up with the idea to actually make it work is a big reason why many great ideas never reach the intended consumer.

We've all worked with or for companies that had that "idea guy." The one that throw out all kinds of big ideas at meetings - some of which were even really good - yet was nowhere to be found when there was real work to be done to make the idea reality. Or, he would quickly get bored of the last idea and favor a new one. He started the race fast but would always pull a hamstring in the first 10 yards.

To put the right team on the field, companies must find a balance of those employees that can develop great ideas and those that can execute them. When you find those people that can both generate the idea and activate it - never let them leave. But, that is a rarity. In the advertising industry, most (not all) of these types left the "big" agencies to start their own shops - some great ones include Jeff Martin at Mighty Karma http://www.mightykarma.com/ and Carl White at Think Brownstone http://www.thinkbrownstone.com/.

The point? When you're building your teams to win new business or to deliver on client promises, make sure that you make it clear who is to do what and by when. Don't expect the "creative type" to deliver a strategy that breathes the most life out of her big idea. Don't expect the account person to drive idea generation (in fact, make it clear that you don't want them to do that). Sounds like common sense, but only the best companies REALLY stand by this approach. Most of us, including me, try and do too much with too little. We build our little walls and fear the delegation process. We often end up with PowerPoint decks filled with clever ideas and no clients to fund them.

Communicate, hit the beach, divide and then concur.

Survival of The Lamest

After 20 years in business, I'm still often perplexed on how most start-ups get the crazy funding and valuations that they do. It will drive you crazy if you let it.

This is an email I sent to my mobile search team:

OK. You want to be sick?, read this: http://paidcontent.org/article/419-lead-gen-provider-yodel-raises-10-million-fourth-round-/

Now go here http://yodel.com/ and search 'pizza'.

Now puke.

Now get mad.

Now get motivated.

Now get funded.

Now build a company.

Now sell it.

Now build another one.

Now.

These Days My Head Is In The "Cloud"

Cloud computing is picking up steam. And, it will change the world. Says me. But, many people don't really understand what the "cloud" really is.

As an example of cloud computing done right, lets look at an application or process that was created primarily for use on mobile phones - like the MeNetwork (www.themenetwork.net / twitter: @menetwork).

The MeNetwork's infrastructure permits data storage and the processing of that data to occur away from the mobile device (Today, the majority of applications handle most of the storage and processing on the mobile device itself). And, the user does not need a smart phone to take advantage of pulling data from the cloud. Any phone capable of sending a text message can interact with the cloud. It is important to remember that worldwide well over 80% of cell phone users do not have a smart phone. That's right - statistically very few people own smart phones (of course Steve Jobs wants to change this). Therefore, cloud computing and associated technologies can benefit many people - not just that elitist jerk with an iPhone and the lime green Prius(you know the one).

It is also important to note that the cloud is app independent - it doesn't matter if you have a BlackBerry or an iPhone. As long as you have access to the web or can text - the cloud makes things work. Period.

Within 5 years, mobile cloud computing will be the preferred development platform for mobile devices. The time is now to embrace it and get your head (and your brands) in the cloud.

Try This: Take Your Time

There's an old Italian proverb (my mom is Italian) "Qui va piano va sano, va lentano" (or something like that). It means "the person who goes quietly goes with health and goes far."

So often in life - both personal and business - we look for the easy answers, the fastest path to the finish line. We put in "just enough" effort to get things done. Then, we waste hours surfing the Net, instinctively replying to emails seconds after they arrive, obsessing over things we have no control of and even taking interest in the lives of celebrities and reality TV shows. Sure, we all need a little escapism in our lives but what would happen of we started talking more time. More time to make decisions. More time planning that new business pitch. More time with the kids in the backyard. Etc.

Most of what we think is a priority in our lives is not. The world is not going to stop turning if you don't reply to that email right now. Try taking some more time next week. Get up and walk away from the computer. No phone. No pad of paper. Just you. Walk around the block. Then sit back down at your desk. What happens next?

The iPad: Innovation By Design?

Apple is being both praised and criticized for the "iPad."

Depending on your perspective it's either genius or it is just an over-sized iPod Touch. A certain segment of Apple brand advocates will dutifully buy the iPad, no matter the price. But, to truly be successful the iPad needs to make the connection with "non-Apple consumers" like the iPhone did. I'm not so sure that is going to happen - perhaps a future version of the iPad will, but not this one.

Of course, Apple is clearly a leader when it comes to innovative design. Today's most successful brands understand that they must innovate around their target consumers lifestyles - not just around new products and services. The iPod did exactly that - consumers were leading more mobile lifestyles and required portable digital music. But, the iPad feels more like an opportunistic product release than real innovation. Sure, sooner or later most of us will likely be reading books and magazines on a digital device (as Optometrists everywhere rejoice) but this "lifestyle trait" is still very small.

The iPad release may not be as "successful" as previous Apple efforts but it will continue to pull consumers toward the future that Apple wants them to take part in. And that my friends is an innovative strategy.

Syndicate Your Brand

Today's brands need to be distributed to numerous consumer end-points, not unlike content. They need to be "slippery" as opposed to "sticky." Funny how this is really the opposite of the thinking that occurred even a few years ago.

I remember launching clients' websites at the very beginning - when the Internet was just an infant (Keep in mind though that the Internet is still a young child). In the beginning, the strategy was to use marketing resources to make sites sticky and do everything possible to get audiences to come to your one website and only that site. There was no such thing as "microsites" or "widgets." The thinking was that getting the brand "downstream" away from your online property (or portal) was a very bad thing. After all, once your audience went away from your site they might find your competitors' brands. And although some brands still try and maintain a foothold in this kind of strategy, the ground is crumbling beneath them.

Today, we should be striving to have less control over our brands - we need to take this approach to let our consumers make our brands feel more like their own. Think of 2010 as the year of the personalized brand. In order to do this effectively, consider how you can syndicate your brand. Yes, social media strategies will help, but also consider partnerships with other brands that already successfully reach your intended audience. What added-value might your brand deliver to these? Are Porsche consumers a right fit for you, or does your brand speak more to Jeep owners? How could your brand deliver a better experience if bundled with the sale of a Porsche? Etc.

If the Internet is like that tempestuous teenage child, think of your brand as that same child leaving home for the first time to go to college. You might shutter to think of the things that might happen to it, but you know that the time has come for your child to learn some lessons on their own.

So, don't be afraid to syndicate your brand downstream to those unexpected places. Hand your brand off to your target customers and let them shape it for themselves. They will reward you with a new level of purchase and retention that your tight gripped competitors cannot match.

SMS Search: MeNetwork has launched!

This week, visitors to Denver for the big SIA Snow Show (the snow and ski industry trade show) will be using the MeNetwork's unique text based search engine to find out about things to do and great places to eat in Denver.

Users will simply text commands such as "denver beer" or "denver seafood" to the short code (32075) and get results. Part of the beauty of the tool is that it works on any phone - there are no apps to download. Another great feature is that the messages that are sent back to the user can be updated and customized by the sender in real-time.

MeNetwork will soon expand to other cities as a service for tourists and business travelers alike.

Follow the MeNetwork on Twitter @menetwork or http://www.themenetwork.net

Better Business Models - So What?

Anyone that has ever worked with me can tell you that I'm a stickler about "business models." In fact, I often bring the room down with my insistence that every marketing concept or advertising campaign we create must seamlessly align with our clients' business model - not just their "brand position."

Most importantly, we must keep in mind that the strategies that we develop for our clients must deliver a real and measurable competitive advantage - and thereby positively impact business models. I truly believe that "if it's not different than it's not strategic." About 10 years ago, Gary Hamel wrote about this in his excellent book "Leading The Revolution." A specific example he refers to notes that until Jon Ives, then current head industrial designer at Apple, made a commitment to introducing aesthetics into his process to launch the iMac, PC's were among the ugliest products in use. Mac's simply looked different and more elegant than PC's. Soon, this seemingly basic factor became a huge level of differentiation for Apple and became both a key component of their brand and their business model. This different approach has continued to this day - through the launch of the iPod, iPhone and most recently the iTablet.

The point: A Business Model isn't just about how your company makes money - it must take into account what makes your products and/or services different, valuable, useful and in-demand. I've spent many years helping to make consumers aware of and ultimately purchase products and services. Along the way, I have challenged some of my clients revenue models, efficiency, uniqueness, and perceptions of their business in general. I do this because all these things make for better business models.

It seems to me that in the rush to launch so many new mobile companies of late, a mentality of "we'll figure out the business model later" persists. Of course, that is lunacy - but we live in impatient times filled with short attention span consumers. My advice is to put every major component of your business model under a magnifying glass not just those that make you money. Assume the leadership and courage to ask yourself "what makes my business and my brand different?" Then after your satisfied with that answer ask yourself, "no really?"

Take A Break

Turn of your ever present cell phone. Walk away from your computer. Unplug the earphones. Put down the magazine. Go to a quiet place away from people and just be. Don't worry, the world wont end if you miss a call or don't reply to a Tweet or email within 10 seconds. Now think. That brain of yours is still way more powerful than all your little digital devices combined. Fire up the grey matter - old school style without the use of a computer. Let me know what happens next.

Is The Right Team On The Field? Really?

Every employee has their strengths and weaknesses. It has become a real art for an advertising agency to understand which human resources should be assigned to each new client. Unfortunately, the process usually relies heavily on the employees' history with product or service providers that compete with the new client. For example, "John used to work on the AOL account, he'd be perfect to work on the Yahoo! business." Horse shit.

I don't want John or anybody else that worked on AOL to come near my Yahoo! client. Innovation almost always comes from having a different perspective. I want people on my team that look at problems differently than even the client will expect them to. It is our job to move our clients further - faster. Big ad agency John understands how AOL does business - maybe. He more likely understands how the agency he worked for wanted him to understand how AOL does business. This is a very important distinction. John was rewarded more for getting AOL to eat the dog food the agency was feeding it then he was for challenging ideas and pushing the client (If you work for an agency, you know what I'm talking about).

This is not to pick on AOL (again). That's too easy. This is about the agency system, not the client's shortcomings or marketing challenges. Too often clients think that the agency has some magical tool-box that they can reach into and fix the engine with. "Look sir, it's just a loose spark-plug - I'll have you back on the road in a minute." Whew, that was an easy fix. Good thing he worked on Chevy's before I brought my Ford in here.

Bottom line: It is hard as hell to fix real marketing problems. I want to field a team full of tenacious hustlers who personalize our clients' businesses. I want a bunch of wild troublemakers who aren't afraid to flip over tables and piss people off. Hurt their feelings if that's what it takes - as long as you mean what you say and are passionate about what you do.

So, don't be afraid to put that outgoing "wanna-be ad guy" from the mailroom on the Yahoo! account. You might just surprise yourself and your client.