Influx InsightsInflux InsightsA blog about the intersections of branding, marketing and culture Articles
"2008 will be a crap year"- bruce sterling
2008-02-14 10:07:00 Now showing at the bottom of this post is Mr. Sterling's extraordinary presentation from the recent LIFT conference in Geneva, on 2008 . He takes on Microsoft; "Gates left because it was so boring!" According to Sterling- Carla Bruni is the phenom that is defining our future. Sterling suggests Carla's relationship with Nicholas Sarkozy is the product of an internet policy decision, the most interesting story there is and something no one could have predicted. Sterling declares Bruni to be a Black Swan; a random, unexpected event that changes everything. He goes onto create a series of 4 futurist scenarios for Bruni/Sarkozy based on the axes of ambition and publicity. Funny stuff.Posted by Ed Cotton More About: Crap , Bruce , Year
planning for good- 1,500 members+
2008-02-14 04:11:00 Planning for Good (join here) is a global social network of planners dedicated to doing good. Founded in August 2007, the group has already completed projects for the Idea Village, UNICEF and Live Earth. A new global brief will be ready for the group in March. This week the group achieved something of a milestone, passing over the 1,500 member mark on Facebook. Thanks to everyone for participating and we are looking forward to doing some serious good in 08.Posted by Ed Cotton More About: Planning , Members
up a creek minus the paddle?
2008-02-14 03:29:00 We might be in real trouble, but our experts are confused and uncertain."Is the global financial system headed for a meltdown? From Nobel Prize-winning economists to captains of industry, the world’s top experts are united by a common answer: We don’t know."From Foreign PolicyPosted by Ed Cotton More About: Paddle , Creek
creativity + assignment + crowds + prizes = published work
2008-02-13 19:33:00 Pixish is a new site from the mind of Derek Powazek that's all about helping creative people get their work published. The role of the site is to help "clients" connect to a creative community and source the precise images they are looking for. It's an alternative to the time consuming and expensive process of working with artists and the challenge of using a micro-stock agency. Pixish also incorporates a voting feature that gets the community to vote on the images that best fit the assignment. The reward for artists is the opportunity to get their work published and there are also some prizes up for grabs. Clearly this idea flies in the face of the established creative process and its unlikely that professionals are going to want any part of this. The idea here is to level the playing field and let amateurs and young artists have a shot at the big time and build their portfolios. There are thousands of people out there willing to do this and its likely that the quality of their w... More About: Work , Prizes , Creativity , Published
creativity + assignment + crowds + prizes = published work
2008-02-13 19:33:00 Pixish is a new site from the mind of Derek Powazek that's all about helping creative people get their work published. The role of the site is to help "clients" connect to a creative community and source the precise images they are looking for. It's an alternative to the time consuming and expensive process of working with artists and the challenge of using a micro-stock agency. Pixish also incorporates a voting feature that gets the community to vote on the images that best fit the assignment. The reward for artists is the opportunity to get their work published and there are also some prizes up for grabs. Clearly this idea flies in the face of the established creative process and its unlikely that professionals are going to want any part of this. The idea here is to level the playing field and let amateurs and young artists have a shot at the big time and build their portfolios. There are thousands of people out there willing to do this and its likely that the quality of their w... More About: Work , Prizes , Creativity , Published
dunkin donuts and focus
2008-02-13 17:07:00 Ad agencies and brand consultants will tell their clients about the value of being single-minded and focused.In a saturated and complex world, being focused is always better. It’s just easier to communicate one idea, rather than several. The problem with focus is it limits business. The finance folks and the people responsible for growth don't want focus; in fact, they despise it because it means narrowing opportunity. They will come back to you saying they don't just want to target women, they believe their target is everyone who owns a television. You see it all the time with cable networks that start off with a very focused mission, like weather and end up three years later showing horror movies and rare European documentaries.This now appears to be the case with Dunkin Donuts . At a time when their major competitor Starbucks appears to be down on their luck, Dunkin is doing the unthinkable, instead of focusing, it's turning itself into a casual restaurant.According... More About: Focus
dunkin donuts and focus
2008-02-13 17:07:00 Ad agencies and brand consultants will tell their clients about the value of being single-minded and focused.In a saturated and complex world, being focused is always better. It’s just easier to communicate one idea, rather than several. The problem with focus is it limits business. The finance folks and the people responsible for growth don't want focus; in fact, they despise it because it means narrowing opportunity. They will come back to you saying they don't just want to target women, they believe their target is everyone who owns a television. You see it all the time with cable networks that start off with a very focused mission, like weather and end up three years later showing horror movies and rare European documentaries.This now appears to be the case with Dunkin Donuts . At a time when their major competitor Starbucks appears to be down on their luck, Dunkin is doing the unthinkable, instead of focusing, it's turning itself into a casual restaurant.According... More About: Focus
nokia thinks about a recycled phone
2008-02-13 05:57:00 It's only in a design concept stage, but at least Nokia is starting to think about the opportunity of re-use. Shown below is the Remade concept. Posted by Ed Cotton More About: Phone
nokia thinks about a recycled phone
2008-02-13 05:57:00 It's only in a design concept stage, but at least Nokia is starting to think about the opportunity of re-use. Shown below is the Remade concept. Posted by Ed Cotton More About: Phone
what's happening to your online plan?
2008-02-13 04:17:00 According to some recent research from Starcom, your online plan might be up in flames, that's because just 6% of users are accounting for 50% of clicks. These "Natural Born Clickers" just seem to love those banners and seem to be clicking way more than any other member of the population. The study illustrates that heavy clickers represent just 6% of the online population yet account for 50% of all display ad clicks. While many online media companies use click-through rate as an ad negotiation currency, the study shows that heavy clickers are not representative of the general public. In fact, heavy clickers skew towards Internet users between the ages of 25-44 and households with an income under $40,000. Heavy clickers behave very differently online than the typical Internet user, and while they spend four times more time online than non-clickers, their spending does not proportionately reflect this very heavy Internet usage. Heavy clickers are also relatively more likely to visit ... More About: Online , Plan
what's happening to your online plan?
2008-02-13 04:17:00 According to some recent research from Starcom, your online plan might be up in flames, that's because just 6% of users are accounting for 50% of clicks. These "Natural Born Clickers" just seem to love those banners and seem to be clicking way more than any other member of the population. The study illustrates that heavy clickers represent just 6% of the online population yet account for 50% of all display ad clicks. While many online media companies use click-through rate as an ad negotiation currency, the study shows that heavy clickers are not representative of the general public. In fact, heavy clickers skew towards Internet users between the ages of 25-44 and households with an income under $40,000. Heavy clickers behave very differently online than the typical Internet user, and while they spend four times more time online than non-clickers, their spending does not proportionately reflect this very heavy Internet usage. Heavy clickers are also relatively more likely to visit ... More About: Online , Plan
new prada store in san francisco
2008-02-12 20:58:00 Posted by Ed Cotton More About: San Francisco , Prada , Store , Francisco
new prada store in san francisco
2008-02-12 20:58:00 Posted by Ed Cotton More About: San Francisco , Prada , Store , Francisco
ralph lauren creates a nostalgic dream for jc penny
2008-02-12 17:05:00 Department stores have been trying for years to turn their private label offerings into real brands. Most attempts have failed because they are just names with no deeper meanings making it impossible for them to compete with the genuine article. JC Penny clearly understood the weakness in this approach and went outside to the brand master, Ralph Lauren to create its latest offering, American Living. What's interesting about this concept, is although it has touches of Lauren's style all over it, he's created another world for the department store. Lauren's past success has been driven by the clever balancing act between present and past, His ideas were classical, but they were always believable in a contemporary context. American Living is different, it's unabashed in highlighting the past as its inspiration. The web site suggests that the concept is anchored around the General Store and is rooted in a time when American's were practical, had a sense of humor and dreamed of a b... More About: Dream , Nostalgic
ralph lauren creates a nostalgic dream for jc penny
2008-02-12 17:05:00 Department stores have been trying for years to turn their private label offerings into real brands. Most attempts have failed because they are just names with no deeper meanings making it impossible for them to compete with the genuine article. JC Penny clearly understood the weakness in this approach and went outside to the brand master, Ralph Lauren to create its latest offering, American Living. What's interesting about this concept, is although it has touches of Lauren's style all over it, he's created another world for the department store. Lauren's past success has been driven by the clever balancing act between present and past, His ideas were classical, but they were always believable in a contemporary context. American Living is different, it's unabashed in highlighting the past as its inspiration. The web site suggests that the concept is anchored around the General Store and is rooted in a time when American's were practical, had a sense of humor and dreamed of a b... More About: Dream , Nostalgic
spike jonze for lakai
2008-02-12 05:30:00 Spike's played with fire and skateboards, now he goes one step beyond. Posted by Ed Cotton More About: Spike Jonze , Spike , Lakai
spike jonze for lakai
2008-02-12 05:30:00 Spike's played with fire and skateboards, now he goes one step beyond. Posted by Ed Cotton More About: Spike Jonze , Spike , Lakai
in a fast world, camper goes slow
2008-02-12 03:44:00 Interesting to see the Camper shoe brand pushing it's own slow movement. Below is a shot from the brand's store in San Francisco. The interior has been turned over to a celebration of the company's efforts to promote organic farming on its home base, the island of Mallorca in Spain. In a footwear and fashion world that's often dominated by the latest, greatest and fastest,Camper stands apart from the rest and celebrates its traditional roots far away from the catwalks of New York, Paris or Milan. Posted by Ed Cotton More About: World , Fast , Slow
in a fast world, camper goes slow
2008-02-12 03:44:00 Interesting to see the Camper shoe brand pushing it's own slow movement. Below is a shot from the brand's store in San Francisco. The interior has been turned over to a celebration of the company's efforts to promote organic farming on its home base, the island of Mallorca in Spain. In a footwear and fashion world that's often dominated by the latest, greatest and fastest,Camper stands apart from the rest and celebrates its traditional roots far away from the catwalks of New York, Paris or Milan. Posted by Ed Cotton More About: World , Fast , Slow
"2008 will a crap year"- bruce sterling
2008-02-11 01:49:00 Now showing at the bottom of this post is Mr. Sterling's extraordinary presentation from the recent LIFT conference in Geneva, on 2008 . He takes on Microsoft; "Gates left because it was so boring!" According to Sterling- Carla Bruni is the phenom that is defining our future. Sterling suggests Carla's relationship with Nicholas Sarkozy is the product of an internet policy decision, the most interesting story there is and something no one could have predicted. Sterling declares Bruni to be a Black Swan; a random, unexpected event that changes everything. He goes onto create a series of 4 futurist scenarios for Bruni/Sarkozy based on the axes of ambition and publicity. Funny stuff.Posted by Ed Cotton More About: Crap , Bruce , Year
"2008 will a crap year"- bruce sterling
2008-02-11 01:49:00 Now showing at the bottom of this post is Mr. Sterling's extraordinary presentation from the recent LIFT conference in Geneva, on 2008 . He takes on Microsoft; "Gates left because it was so boring!" According to Sterling- Carla Bruni is the phenom that is defining our future. Sterling suggests Carla's relationship with Nicholas Sarkozy is the product of an internet policy decision, the most interesting story there is and something no one could have predicted. Sterling declares Bruni to be a Black Swan; a random, unexpected event that changes everything. He goes onto create a series of 4 futurist scenarios for Bruni/Sarkozy based on the axes of ambition and publicity. Funny stuff.Posted by Ed Cotton More About: Crap , Bruce , Year
blyk-a new way to think mobile
2008-02-10 22:10:00 Blyk is a UK mobile phone service targeted at the 16-24 year old market. Instead of users paying for the service, they agree to receive 6 ads a day, this seems to fly in the face of conventional thinking. I have often written about the privacy invasion problems of advertising on cellphones, but this Blyk is looking like a big success in advertising terms and in the build out of an installed base. The advertising appears to be performing amazingly well, the network has achieved an average 29% response rate for the close to 500 campaigns it's run to date. The advertising success is due to the format, Blyk sends text and picture messages to its user base who see it as part of a conversation and don't have the hassle of browsing around mobile websites. The company's installed base in the UK currently numbers 100K. Advertisers seem to find the opportunities of brand conversation and interaction appealing with the likes of Adidas, Ford, L'Oreal, McDonald's all participating. It appea... More About: Mobile
blyk-a new way to think mobile
2008-02-10 22:10:00 Blyk is a UK mobile phone service targeted at the 16-24 year old market. Instead of users paying for the service, they agree to receive 6 ads a day, this seems to fly in the face of conventional thinking. I have often written about the privacy invasion problems of advertising on cellphones, but this Blyk is looking like a big success in advertising terms and in the build out of an installed base. The advertising appears to be performing amazingly well, the network has achieved an average 29% response rate for the close to 500 campaigns it's run to date. The advertising success is due to the format, Blyk sends text and picture messages to its user base who see it as part of a conversation and don't have the hassle of browsing around mobile websites. The company's installed base in the UK currently numbers 100K. Advertisers seem to find the opportunities of brand conversation and interaction appealing with the likes of Adidas, Ford, L'Oreal, McDonald's all participating. It appea... More About: Mobile
creativity+assignment+crowds+prizes = published work
2008-02-10 19:42:00 Pixish is a new site from the mind of Derek Powazek that's all about helping creative people get their work published. The role of the site is to help "clients" connect to a creative community and source the precise images they are looking for. It's an alternative to the time consuming and expensive process of working with artists and the challenge of using a micro-stock agency. Pixish also incorporates a voting feature that gets the community to vote on the images that best fit the assignment. The reward for artists is the opportunity to get their work published and there are also some prizes up for grabs. Clearly this idea flies in the face of the established creative process and its unlikely that professionals are going to want any part of this. The idea here is to level the playing field and let amateurs and young artists have a shot at the big time and build their portfolios. There are thousands of people out there willing to do this and its likely that the quality of their w... More About: Work , Prizes , Creativity , Published
zappos- the secret is customer service
2008-02-10 01:26:00 Zappos is a brand that flies under the radar. It's a brand that's been around for close to 10 years and has been building leadership in the somewhat unlikely area of online shoe sales. The secret of its success appears to be due to the attention the company places on doing the simple things well, through a corporate culture dedicated to customer service excellence. This is explained in a presentation from the company's CEO. | View | Upload your ownPosted by Ed Cotton More About: Customer Service , Service , Customer , The Secret , Secret
zappos- the secret is customer service
2008-02-10 01:26:00 Zappos is a brand that flies under the radar. It's a brand that's been around for close to 10 years and has been building leadership in the somewhat unlikely area of online shoe sales. The secret of its success appears to be due to the attention the company places on doing the simple things well, through a corporate culture dedicated to customer service excellence. This is explained in a presentation from the company's CEO. | View | Upload your ownPosted by Ed Cotton More About: Customer Service , Service , Customer , The Secret , Secret
ad agencies and innovation
2008-02-08 15:52:00 It's somewhat surprising with all the creative and strategic people employed by ad agencies, how poor the industry is at innovating.It's something we seem to demand from our clients, but are terrible at doing ourselves. Most of the energies are focused on short-term brand ideas, not new platforms, formats or business ideas that can be of mutual benefit to client and agency alike. Are we simply too occupied in the present, to build for the future? Is Havas about to change the game?Umair Haque well known for his provocative writing on business strategy and the media business over at Bubble Generation has been picked to lead the Havas Media Lab. Umair writes that the creation of the lab is a response to other things not working. "The Lab happened because I don't think any of the standard models - venture funds, corporates, firms, etc - can really make it happen (or else it would be happening). Hence, the need for a new kind of entity, which is focused on driving new ideas - but also... More About: Innovation , Agencies
ad agencies and innovation
More articles from this author:2008-02-08 15:52:00 It's somewhat surprising with all the creative and strategic people employed by ad agencies, how poor the industry is at innovating.It's something we seem to demand from our clients, but are terrible at doing ourselves. Most of the energies are focused on short-term brand ideas, not new platforms, formats or business ideas that can be of mutual benefit to client and agency alike. Are we simply too occupied in the present, to build for the future? Is Havas about to change the game?Umair Haque well known for his provocative writing on business strategy and the media business over at Bubble Generation has been picked to lead the Havas Media Lab. Umair writes that the creation of the lab is a response to other things not working. "The Lab happened because I don't think any of the standard models - venture funds, corporates, firms, etc - can really make it happen (or else it would be happening). Hence, the need for a new kind of entity, which is focused on driving new ideas - but also... More About: Innovation , Agencies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
|
 |
|
 |
