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Economics Post!
2007-12-06 20:04:00
I have economics degree from American University (go Eagles!) so I try to keep up with the latest economic news and I tend to view business and commerce through a more objective economist's viewpoint (well, I try anyway). Sometimes this is helpful and sometimes not so much...Anyway, I read a really good, concise, easy to understand article in the WSJ just now on our current economics situation- credit crisis, slumping growth and all that. A subscription is required to read it (for now anyway). But go buy the dead tree version- you'll thank me.Here is a juicy quote:What's with all the gloom about the U.S. economy? The problem is that we have two problems. One is that the economy is slouching toward recession or, at best, slow growth. It's the consequence of falling house prices, higher energy prices, flagging consumers and shrinking profits. The other is that the market for credit, the lifeblood of a modern economy, isn't functioning well. That problem is amplifying the pain cau...
More About: Economics , Post

PR, Social Media and Business
2007-11-29 19:50:00
I had coffee this morning with Geoff Livingston of Livingston Communications and author of the Buzz Bin, among other blogs. We're friends from way back in the day- we went to college together back during the Taft Administration. We always have excellent conversations about PR and business, and this morning was no exception. I've been "buzzed" all day thinking about our discussion.I've never been a bleeding edge innovator, rather an early adopter watching the innovators and trying to figure out how to make money for myself, my clients or my employer.For example,I discovered Telnet bulletin boards in 1991I hopped on the Internet in 1994I got a cellphone in 1997I learned to code html and create websites in 1998I experimented with PostNuke in 2003 but didn't start this blog until this yearI never really MySpaced, joined LinkedIn in 2004, and set up my Facebook profile in JulyI don't twitterAll pretty early on, but those are dates that would get me laughed out of a slashdot forum......
More About: Business , Social , Media

The Walled Garden Crumbles...a little
2007-11-27 17:51:00
Well, here is some interesting news...Google is having an influence already in the mobile industry. Verizon announced today that it will start allowing third party apps and any phones on its network and will reach out and open its network to developers.Here is the story (WSJ- subscription required): Verizon Wireless to Offer Open Access to NetworkVerizon has been known historically as the toughest carrier with regards to protecting its walled garden, so this is some pretty major news. Think Microsoft is excited? Check out their quote:"Microsoft is very excited to see Verizon Wireless make such a bold move to satisfy the demands of wireless customers," said Peter Knook, head of the company's mobile communications business.I've had a Microsoft Mobile powered phone (a XV6601) on Verizon for years now and have been a generally pleased costumer. Apple's genius at rolling out a average product with great design and great marketing is well-known. It continues to amaze me how slow Micro...
More About: Garden

Happy Thanksgiving (Belated)
2007-11-26 16:02:00
Hey y'all...it's been a busy few weeks for me, so I spent the Thanksgiving weekend relaxing and it felt great.Added to the joy was the satisfaction of seeing my op-ed article appear in the Bulldog Reporter, a great informative PR industry trade journal. As I mentioned in an earlier post, FEMA got in a lot of trouble over a fake press conference a while back. PR ain't rocket science- it seems to me they could head off a lot of problems by increasing their transparency and engaging their constituents and coalitions more often and more effectivelyAnyhoo, here is a link to the article: Who Wants a FEMA Blog? The Time Has Come to Teach an Old Dog New Media Tricks Be sure to check out the good looking dude in the pic!And...also adding to my good mood is the come-from-behind victory my beloved Chicago Bears pulled off yesterday over the Denver Broncos. Go Bears!
More About: Happy

Web 2.0 Bubble? Reason #1
2007-11-13 18:01:00
After reading my last post, I decided it's time to find some reasons the web 2.0 might be an unsustainable bubble.Reason #1: not enough ad dollars to go around...From StrategyEye (a newsletter I recommend subscribing too):Publicis CEO Maurice Levy is warning that too many new media companies are relying on advertising for their business model, reports the FT. "Everyone is seeing advertising as the manna," says Levy. "Far too many people are building plans based on advertising and they may well be disappointed because there is not enough money for everyone." Levy likened the growth of web 2.0 businesses to that of internet companies prior to the dotcom bust. "Now everyone building a Web 2.0 operation believes he will receive the advertising," he says. IAC/InteractiveCorp chairman Barry Diller, meanwhile, says that Microsoft's USD240m investment for a 1.6% stake in Facebook reflected not as much a USD15bn valuation of the site, as a strategy by Microsoft to prevent Google from snatc...
More About: Bubble