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TheVerbz

TheVerbz
Solid marketing and innovative thought. Where we are, have been, and should be going with digital marketing.

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Verbz - the wiki
2008-12-29 22:31:00
I have decided to create a mirror Verbz wiki. Every time I post I will now also put the post on the wiki.If you want to join in, just shoot me an email at verbzwiki@gmail.comWant to do more then comment? Please do! --- http://verbz.wikispaces.com/
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Everyone needs no babysitter
2008-12-29 20:33:00
I am halfway through Clay Shirky?s latest book ?Here Comes Everyone.? The treatise has many great insights into the social front of the ongoing digital revolution.Here are the top three points from the first half of the book, as well as my questions that we as marketers must be asking in regards to each:1. Massive amounts of energy previously spent on passive media consumption are now being redirected into social networks and digital spaces such as Wikipedia. *Question: Does your organization understand the relevant ways and places this is happening?This is not about discussion boards or CEO blogs, rather it?s about where your customers are now in charge and where they will take control next and how you must change and prepare.2. True democratization of expression and communication, nearly unparalleled in history even by tectonic shifts such as movable type, are taking place.Question: Are you playing it too close to the vest?Newspapers did, and look where they are today. How can yo...

Remembering PC Magazine, print
2008-11-27 00:19:00
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} The Wall Street Journal reports that PC Magazine is closing up the print side of their business and going all-digital. The article also mentions other major players that have recently done the same, including U.S. News and World Report. I am guessing that the currently heavy economic pressure will force others to make a similar decision. The measurability, flexibility, extensibility, and efficient reach of digital channels make this an easy decis...
More About: Print , Remembering

Hello customer. How are you?
2008-11-05 21:17:00
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} I was thinking about how I communicate at work, and trying to relate that to brands. In the past I have used more written channels like email or memos, and I used to set more official meetings than I do these days. Communication these days is different. I have much more frequent communication, it is often less formal. With my colleagues here at THINK communication is face-to-face more than ever. Technologies such as AIM, SMS, social networks, an...
More About: Customer

Idea generation recipes?
2008-10-23 18:59:00
Ideas are in the ?air?, right? They are there for the taking. A little research, a little net surfing, a quick brainstorm, some post-it notes, and you should be able to create a couple of dozen great ideas against any particular challenge. Or, does it take a skilled chef(s) and all the right ingredients, blended with care and tended carefully? I think it is more the latter. We are in the process of defining some ?recipes? for ideation based on our successes. In the past managing all the right factors has happened organically, it will be interesting to see if the cookbook approach helps. What I have experienced and witnessed over the years is that great idea generation requires the confluence of several factors, a few of which are chemistry, skill, data, preparation, intensity, humility, and structure. - Personalities need to be at least somewhat compatible. I have seen a group of brilliant people in a room for hours with all the other ingredients there, and noth...
More About: Recipes , Idea , Generation

Pornography as broadcast on Fox News
2007-12-03 18:02:00
Usually agree with Seth's stuff, great stuff. He missed this one though. Seth pointed out this video of "misogyny and pornography as broadcast on Fox News ".Just a simple reminder: news organizations are a reflection of us. They are simply showing us a mirror of some of what is going on in our world. Do they want ratings? Of course they do. But they are not making this stuff up or showing it out of context.J
More About: Broadcast , Fox News , Pornography

Perfect Speed
2007-10-18 20:16:00
I am working on a project these days with a lot of effort around balancing speed of delivery with level of testing, design iterations, and QA. The easy way to say that is: What is the right balance of speed versus perfection of output? There is parity-of-knowledge in our world; if you use available resources you can know what your competition knows. Quality has been a cost of entry for decades. Even innovation it could be argued is now much more of a price to complete. So what is left to leverage? How to edge the competition? Just a few thoughts:1) Radical innovation. Everyone focuses on innovation but not everyone can find a real breakthrough or has the nerve to take the risk. 2) Rapid, incremental, innovation. Google uses this with their constant flow of beta products and versions. I think the second option is more attainable for many enterprises. Here are a few points in that direction: Go to market when you have a core concept. Don?t ...
More About: Agile , Innovation , Speed , Perfect , Waterfall

STOP! - Look at your cell, try to dial this!
2007-10-07 00:45:00
Cell Phones and toll-free numbers are not mixing well. Take this TEST:Look at your cell phone key pad, now try to dial this number 1-800-GetStufHow did you do?! You couldn't dial it, could you?Oh sure, if you find a land line phone and look at that then you could. Or if, like some people I know, you are super smart, then you could figure it out in your head. But for the rest of us this does not work!MARCOM managers please listen: STOP PUTTING OUT PRODUCTS, MATERIAL AND ADVERTISING WITH WORD-ONLY PHONE NUMBERS!My family and I ONLY use cell phones, cell phones have been ubiquitous for a long time. Please add start adding the numbers underneath ALL the catchy toll-frees that include words.Thank You!J
More About: Customer Service , Cell , Stop , Dial

Idea Smelting - Devil or Savior?
2007-10-05 00:45:00
I started reading The 10 Faces of Innovation . Only a little ways into the volume so far, but already have run across a very interesting point. The author?s, from IDEO, take the position that playing the ?Devil ?s Advocate? during creative or innovation sessions is damaging. The language they use is very strong, they are passionate about this. They actually ponder situations where they might tell such a role player to ?Go to Hell.? This is obliviously just a play on the devil theme, but I find it telling nonetheless. Let me take a different slant on this. I hold that when played intelligently, honestly, and with care this role is extremely important and helpful. The key skill needed to play this role is an ability to ?ask the hard? questions. This is about seeing pitfalls, dangers, gaps, or unnecessary risks. Without this skill/role failure can loom. Over the past 15 years I have seen many ideas pushed through to execution without any rigorous challenge. Similar to the way me...
More About: Idea , Savior

Gap Analysis - Continuing Ed
2007-10-04 02:00:00
I have been thinking about continuing education. I am working on getting my real estate license. I invest in real estate and just want the knowledge. Anyway, part of the deal with a real estate license is a continuing educational requirement. I think this is good, although I am not sure it is the exact model we need in marketing.However, I do think that there seems to be a lack of "educational" opportunity in our field. It seems that there are a few options: read, take college classes, OJT, seminars etc. But where could I go if I wanted to get "certified" on the latest CRM techniques? I think that there is a great opportunity for someone to step up with some good on-line courses that sit in-between college classes and webinars. How cool would it be to sign-up for a series of CRM classes on-line, say 4 levels from basics to advanced, and to get a certification afterwards. If this was done by a college or a Forrester or similar firm, I think it would carry some weight.If you know of s...
More About: Analysis

My New Home
2007-10-03 22:10:00
I am happy to report that I have jumped back into the fray. I am now with THINK Interactive here in Atlanta...Drop me a line: THINK Interactive, Inc. | 1350 Spring Street, Suite 300 | Atlanta, Georgia 30309 | 404.962.8976 | www.thinkinc.com
More About: Home

Primal Change
2007-10-02 01:02:00
Went away to the mountains for the weekend and took Primal Branding, good to scan that again. One note towards the end caught me eye, ?All belief systems need to be reenergized lest they grow stale and risk public refusal.? I buy it. I thought about why brands that I have worked with do refreshes. More often than not it has been for reasons that are not about re-energizing because it?s just time and the brand is due. Emergence from bankruptcy, lagging sales, fierce new competition, new chiefs, these are the reasons that have been the impetus for the branding work I have done. Maybe now is a good time to think about more frequent pulse-taking for your brand? Do consumers say you need to refresh? On a personal level here is my list (it is Monday) of things I need to refresh for my ?personal brand?: 1) Endurance · Once on a path, if its good and right, stick to it 2) Extra Mile · Everyday, try to do a little extra, for the family, faith, and the ...
More About: Change

Primal Change
2007-10-02 01:02:00
Went away to the mountains for the weekend and took Prim al Branding, good to scan that again. One note towards the end caught me eye, ?All belief systems need to be reenergized lest they grow stale and risk public refusal.? I buy it. I thought about why brands that I have worked with do refreshes. More often than not it has been for reasons that are not about re-energizing because it?s just time and the brand is due. Emergence from bankruptcy, lagging sales, fierce new competition, new chiefs, these are the reasons that have been the impetus for the branding work I have done. Maybe now is a good time to think about more frequent pulse-taking for your brand? Do consumers say you need to refresh? On a personal level here is my list (it is Monday) of things I need to refresh for my ?personal brand?: 1) Endurance · Once on a path, if its good and right, stick to it 2) Extra Mile · Everyday, try to do a little extra, for the family, faith, and the ...
More About: Change , Chang , Chan

Other Sites - Marketing Profs
2007-09-27 17:08:00
Have been enjoying the posts at their collaborative blog, Daily Fix.J
More About: Marketing , Sites

Democratic vs. Social
2007-09-27 08:02:00
Reading in Google Reader earlier today and ran across a reference to blogs as ?social? media. Interesting. For me they are not so much social as they are democratic. I think that this is an important nuance in our dialog concerning the evolution of digital marketing. Democracy can be defined as: ?the doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group? reference Thus, democratic media or marketing would be concerned with control of media, pricing, marketing, etc, being in the hands of the masses more so than in the hands of executives or corporations. I believe this is indeed part of the impact of the blogosphere (and digital media/access generally). So for me, blogs are more democratized-media than they are social-media. Social can be defined as: ?living together or enjoying life in communities or organized groups...? reference So social media or marketing would relate more to places where community happens, where...
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5 Digital Musts
2007-09-25 23:21:00
Here are Five things that you need to be testing or doing now: 1) Loosen Your Grip Find some area of your business, products, or brand that you can loosen your grip on. The most powerful force in business today is democratization. By ceding some control to your customers you will gain far more insight, buzz, and loyalty more that you will risk. Connect with your customers via dialog and collaboration. Let them create your next commercial. Look to Amazon's user reviews and Apple's iMix for inspiration. 2) Be Social It is no accident or teenage fad, social is a force. LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace and others are for real. Can you allow customers and prospects to share, discuss, explore, and contribute to your brand? Can you leverage what is happening already in those spaces? See the Microsoft Student Group on Facebook. 3) Speed Up While still developing, real time or instant marketing is coming on fast. Email is slow by today's standard. I have to notice and open an email. IM,...
More About: Digital

Distributed Marketing ? Part II
2007-09-21 23:08:00
So, in Part I we were asking ourselves: If we set out to create the first distributed marketing program, what might it look like? (I am aware of course that someone may have done this before. If you know about it, please share.) By looking at the distributed computing model I identified three elements that seem to make it work: a) Its is quick and easy to do b) It is altruistic c) It's cool technology The first example I used, Toyota and a new Hybrid model, was as admittedly a bit of a softball. So, we left off by asking: What about a tougher challenge? What about a pure marketing play? Let's take a product and brand that has no connection to a ?cause?, say Coca Cola and their Mountain Dew product. Now what can we say about Mountain Dew? Its established, its edgy, and it has a youth slant. If we deep dived into the brand-loyalist profile I am guessing there is a desire there for a sense of belonging. If that is the case then I think that would be the insight to levera...
More About: Marketing , Distributed Computing

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