The trend in our industry that I am most excited about? Corporate transparency. The idea that corporations are taking seriously the effort to be more truthful and direct with their customers is something that gives me a great deal of hope, and something that I think can go a long way towards achieving the ultimate goal of us marketers: strengthen the bond between our client's brands and the audiences they serve.

Last month's Wired cover is a clear signal that this trend is hitting the big time. Another signal is the recent rise in popularity of the CEO Blog. More and more CEOs are attempting to step out of the controlled world of the press release quote and into the wild world of the blog.

Is this a good thing? Well, as Seth Godin points out, the qualities that make up a good blogger are not necessarily the first thing you think of when you think of a successful CEO. It's clear that some get the blogging ethic (personal direct tone, a few PRisms as possible) more than others.

But more important than the writing style or similarity with the traditional press release these CEO posts have, the question I can't wait to see the answer to is whether or not CEO bloggers will take advantage of their platform to further the cause of transparency. How many will take the risk inherit in opening up their companies' struggles and imperfections for all to see (and comment on)? My prediction? There will be a few spectacular failures of openness which will set the cause back, but not halt it completely. As more and more CEOs reap the benefits of the bond created by allowing their customers to gain insight into - and ideally a voice in helping to solve - the problems that we know every company has, I think we'll see more and more take the leap.

Apple just launched a marketing program called "one to one" that gets people to pay $99/year to be individually trained on how to make the most of your Mac. Classes include Mac basics, podcasting, digital photography, movie making, music making, presentations and publishing, and more. Since the classes are taught one to one at the Apple store, the training is tailored to each person's capabilities and interests.

Continue reading "Apple's new "one to one" advocacy program"

One of the most fascinating aspects about marketing in China, to me, is the difference between the way logos are used here and in the US. Living in the US for most of my life, I’m used to seeing logos that stand out from the crowd, ones that are distinctive, leaving no room for trademark infringement lawsuits.

When I walk down the street in Beijing, I find myself doing double-takes for logos that are so similar to the global brands they mimic that it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference. Cheap-trick-for-names NEH-BUR King and STR Coffee have also helped themselves to colors and logo layouts that confuse for the real thing.

But the imitation isn’t limited to global brands. Chinese companies seem to mimic the logo of their local competitors. Two major banks, for instance, have logos that aren’t always easy to distinguish when you’re driving past. And maybe that’s the point.

Continue reading "It all looks the same, sort of."

Jack Morton's core business is still events - and delivering experiences that change how people think and act. That doesn't mean that the folks that work here are immune to the effect an event can have.

Every so often I go to an event that changes the way I think. I remember a few years ago when I went to the first Word of Mouth Basic Training Conference and Fred Reichheld introduced the Net Promoter Score. It was, in two-words, mind blowing. That conference and the simplicity and power of the NPS has impacted almost all of my activities as a marketer since (and now they have their own Net Promoter Score conference!)

A couple of weeks ago I attended another fascinating event, the American Marketing Association's 2007 Strategic Marketing Conference - Innovation: Balancing Theory and Reality.

Continue reading "Where does innovation fit in?"

I'm posting this from Chicago, where I'm attending the 2007 Experiential Marketing Summit put on by Event Marketer. Seems like just yesterday (in point of fact it was four years ago) that I was attending the first EM Summit and glorying in the simple pleasure of not having to define "experiential marketing agency" or deal with any puzzled looks when I mentioned I work for one to any of the roughly 200 people in attendance.

Based on size alone this year's Summit is a lot bigger: with a reported 900 attending, roughly 500% bigger. I've seen some great work (and saw great work recognized at the EX Awards, including 3 EX Award-winners from Jack Morton). I loved Guy Kawasaki's keynote on "the art of innovation," especially a line about "steering clear of the bozos" who try to stifle what's new and challenging. I have to say I expected more debate on measuring results--the essential issue for clients and agencies--and would have loved more on integration, e.g., participation by people who understand the value of getting brands to do, not just tell, without defining themselves as "experiential." Because ultimately it's really not just size that matters.

I promise this won't turn into a "I remember when you could buy a Coke for a nickel" posting, but I do remember when having a single PC in your home was considered forward thinking. I guess it's inevitable that many homes now have multiple PCs, printers, home networks, and now... home servers. Microsoft will soon release Windows Home Server -- HP (among others) will actually sell the hardware as the HP MediaSmart Server. It comes with up to 6 terabytes (6,000 gigabytes) of storage -- that's a lot of space for video, movies, tunes & pix! They say the cost will be about the same as a low-end PC -- around $500 (though I've got to think more for that much memory). According to the marketing info from Microsoft...

Windows Home Server unleashes the power of your existing home network—it allows you to store, share, and protect your photos, movies, music, and more. And it lets you remotely access your information and your home computers anytime from anywhere.

Here's a screengrab of the server app.

So mostly, it's a file-sharing server -- like the way many small businesses use servers now. So how long before the concept of enterprise server applications makes it to the home? Possible applications: inventory control, multiple-user schedule management, networked appliances, HVAC/security, home entertainment systems. How will you use your server?

Being a dogged American follower of the beautiful game (a story on its own) puts me all over New York City hunting for different pubs providing pitch coverage. But on May 19 all pubs will play one game –- the FA Cup Final between the 2007 Premiership champs Manchester United and de-throned 2006 champs Chelsea FC – except this time it’s $20 at the door.

Continue reading "FA Cup Final 2007"

What's the most important thing that you know nothing about? I guess it depends on how you define "important." Of course, there are a lot of important world issues that I probably should know more about: climate change, war, AIDS in Africa, etc. I'm not saying they're not important, just too big in scale to think about in this context. The context I'm talking about is this: what is the thing you keep saying you need to know more about because it has the potential to change your life, your work, the world you live in?

And the other part of the question is the "knowing about". I'm not talking expertise, just understanding. For example, speaking on behalf of millions of people over 40, I just don't get MySpace. But I do get the marketing implications: it's a cultural phenomenon that creates deep and active engagement with millions of demographically attractive young people. Same goes for Second Life. And I understand that MySpace and Second Life aren't really targeting my demographic (45, married), so I don't worry that I don't "get it" at a compelling, emotional level. It's enough to know why it matters to people and how I might use it on behalf of my clients.

The most important thing that I know nothing about? The thing that will change the world around us in the next decade, and yet I don't understand even the basics of how it works? Nanotechnology.

Continue reading "Nanotechnology: the most important thing you probably don't know about"

You know how when you have a couple of friends over for dinner and it inevitably results in an extra bag of trash or two - exponentially more than the amount of waste that would have resulted if you hadn't had them over?

Multiply that by 2,500 attendees at a corporate event and the end result is 62,500 plates, 87,500 napkins, 75,000 cups or glasses and 90,000 cans or bottles (according to Meeting Strategies Worldwide). And that doesn't take into account the materials that were used to produce the event, the miles of air and road travel, the electricity used to power just about everything, the unconsumed food, etc.

I believe that events and experiences are important and shouldn't be eliminated because of environmental concerns, but I've finally connected the dots - I know that we could be doing a WHOLE LOT MORE to reduce the environmental footprint with the work that we do.

I am committing today to do everything in my power to move Jack Morton Worldwide, our clients, and the experiential marketing industry towards developing greener marketing programs that emphasize environmental sustainability. And I need your help...

Continue reading "Impacting our impact"

London is a paradise for graffitologists. From spidery scrawls on subway walls to the fine art extravaganzas of Banksy and Cartrain, London's walls have something for everyone.

Over the past two months, however, a new kind of graffiti has started appearing. Always it says the same thing, always in the same hand. Ancient Babylonians were mystified by graffiti that read Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. Modern Londoners are similarly baffled, but this time the graffiti reads Brooke Shields Alphabet.

Continue reading "Brooke Shields and the writing on the wall..."

While traditional marketing efficiency measures such as Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) can be useful, they often fail to capture the depth or quality of the impression. For example, TV, radio, and print ads generally cost between 2 and 5 cents an impression, but impressions from an experiential marketing event may cost 14 to 20 cents, or more. Taken at face value, traditional promotional vehicles would seem to be the more efficient promotional spend.

Continue reading "Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) Fails to Capture Impression Quality"

Even if you missed NPR's recent series "Media, Technology, and the End of the Mass Market," you should make time for the last installment, which focuses on the growth of word of mouth marketing and other forms of direct, personal engagement. Arguably too much of the story focuses on the more controversial aspects of "undercover" buzz marketing--the kind of activity that's generated a lot of media coverage but that WOMMA, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, has explicitly spoken out against. That said, the value of creating experiences that are more relevant and credible to consumers comes through in the quotes, research and examples cited.

A friend told me about a little pre-schooler he knows who kept talking about "the truck with the arrow on it." Nobody could figure out what he was talking about, then he pointed to the FedEx truck... and still nobody could figure out what he was talking about. But guess what: the kid was right. Can you spot the prominent arrow in the FedEx logo. There's no doubt that this is an intentional design element, and one which is brand aligned.

Great design, even when nobody (consciously) notices.