Ethic, honesty, transparency

On the Sunday supplement of La Repubblica, I have found this amazing story.
Guillaume Prébois, a 35 years old journalist, will participate to the Grand Boucle, the Tour the France.
He will run the legs of the Tous one day in advance under medical control and making the anti doping control everyday.
The purpose is to show that too many athletes do use addictive drugs to be faster.
Fabio Biasolo, a ultracycler, will support him in this adventure.
We can follow him at www.Lautretour.com

It all started when Tom Boonen, the world champion, at the end of one mountain leg of last Tour de France, said: "today the leg was so tough that a normal person would have gone to hospital"

Why I do post about this story?

1. Because I feel that this could be a great chance for companies to sponsor the clean face of a much discussed sport. Masiguy had some post on the dope issue. (see May 25, 2007)
2. It is a great marketing chance to link your brand to a project where ethic, honesty, transparency are the goals.
3. It is a strong message to all the amateurs of this sport, which has a huge market, about your brand and its positioning as a trusted one.
   

Is your brand in the position to support a project like this?
Is there around other projects like this one that could deliver to your brand?
And last, if Guillaume had asked support to your company, what would have been your answer?

Technorati Tags: marketing, honesty, cycling, dope, guillaume prebois, masiguy, la repubblica, tour de france, la grand boucle, lautretour

A new blogger toolbox

A great new suggestion from Drew's marketing minute: the new blogger toolbox.

Et voilà the suggestion for the new bloggers around:

Conversation Agent by Valeria Maltoni - a great thinker who write in a clear yet articulated way
Bizsolutionplus by Lewis Green - the ethic approach to business and to blogging and god knows how we need it
Servant of Chaos by Gavin Heaton - the down under look to our world making you see things from a different perspective
Webware by Rafe Needleman and others - I like the fresh insight to cool web apps
Note to CMO by Stephen Denny - a cool way to tell to CMO to wake up

Hope you'll enjoy these blogs and find them useful and inspiring.

And do not forget: this is not a "if you're tagged, jump in" sort of thing. If you know of some great resources...jump in. If you got named -- please, by all means jump in too!

Technorati Tags: community, new blogger toolbox, tips for new bloggers, z-list

Tell me why

Few months ago, Digitas was acquired from Publicis Group for some as 1.6 bn dollars. Not bad.
A bold move to reinforce the Publicis position in the digital world.
Then, David Armano left the agency to join Critical Mass.
And three days ago, Greg Verdino left Digitas to join Crayon.
And probably some other moves took place in the meantime.

Now, why buy a company, pay a huge amount of money and then lose talents?
This is not a new story about this form of acquisition from the communication groups.
They are late in detecting new trends, then buy companies and try to turn them to their corporate approach and, most of the time, they kill them.

Technorati Tags: marketing, publicis, david armano, greg verdino, digitas, crayon, critical mass

Marketing is, after all, about value creation

This quote from CK's blog is the title of this post because I've neglected my blog lately.
And it shows from the readership.
Too many stuff to do. And a bit of selfishness.

But marketing, in its being a mix of art and science, has in itself some zen spirit and require a daily practice.

You need to stay on the news, get informed, attract and engage.
This is the main difference between writing a book and keeping a blog.
After a book is published you can have some rest, when a post is done you have to think about the next one: no post, no comments, no conversation.

And as well as marketing, blogging is about value creation.
The creation of a consistent reason to read your blog, to understand your thoughts and to comment them.

Technorati Tags: marketing, blog, blogging, ck, value creation

“What else is there to live for? food and women”

And so I did it: I just became partner in a restaurant.
This is a long story.
I have always loved the idea of a restaurant, probably it's in my dna: my grandfather was a maitre in luxury hotels aroud the world.

Anyway, along with my consulting career, I'm now working on the marketing for the restaurant.
Go there and have a look:

http://www.dunerestaurant.it/main_Eng.html


And if you are in Rome or plan to come to the eternal city, send a mail.....

Technorati Tags: restaurant, food, wine, rome, marketing, gianandrea facchini

It's no longer the new news but the relevance of the news

When I first started to blog, my focus was on the latest news and on writing something with strict connection to marketing (or at least the serious side of marketing) because the blogs I read was consistent in this approach.
But lately this way of blogging has changed and shifted from marketing to relationship.
Wait, I'm not saying we are no longer writing on marketing. The approach has changed: we blog about personal aspects of life, about relationship.
We do not forget that the job of the marketers is to advice on how to sell brands and products to customers, but they are no longer customers only but human being.
And the relationship between our bloggers has followed this path.

I'm more confident that there is a way to sell brands and products which is smart and transparent and honest.
A way where customers are not only grps or clicks or whatever measure you need to use but persons.

And across this path, this group of bloggers, I'm linked to, became a community.
We don't consider ourselves for the number of links but for what we are and what we say.

My approach has changed too:
it's no longer the new news but the relevance of the news.
Being the first to write about is not important to me is I have nothing relevant to say about.

Technorati Tags: marketing, blogger, blog, customer, commmunity

*@###§^^!!!!!!!!

I'm in a battle royal with technology!
Next update coming soon!

Technorati Tags: tachnology, quicktime, plugins

Better work few minutes more

A quick update on The 4-Hour Workweek.
I've got a mail by Tim Ferriss who probably did not get my question (of course, it may be a fault of mine as I write in a foreing language).
Anyway my question was:

tim,
i'm very curious to read your book but, as i live in italy, no chance to get the audible version.
any suggestion?
thanks,g.

The answer is:

Hi Gianandrea,

Thank you for your email. You should be able to download the audiobook at www.audible.com, or you can download the ebook at www.powells.com .

Thanks so much!

Tim

The problem is:

at Audible the book is not available for outside the US
at Powells it is in pre order and I did not spent other time to check is there is the same problem

It is the same problem I detected by myself and which made me send a mail.
After three days, I got a mail with a useless answer.

Technorati Tags: 4-Hours Workweek, Timothy Ferriss, word of mouth, marketing, Tim Ferriss, customer care

Customer care and the 4 hours work week

You have heard about a clever guy who is selling his method to work 4 hours a week and still living healthy.
I heard about him yesterday at Steve Rubel's place.
At first I was amazed by how smart is this guy : the book, five minutes conferences, a blog, some advice on how to measure your life quality, how to save money with a more rational standard of living, etc.
Wow, sounds great. Let me buy the book.
First problem: the book is not yet available for Italian market. Ok, such a smart guy, I send him a mail telling how i wish to understand more and we'll find a solution. So I did and I got an answer in five minutes. The most disappointing answer I, as a customer, can receive:

Hi All,

In an effort to actually get work done, I am checking email once every 2-4 days. If you need a response soon and have my number, please call me. I actually prefer phone for quick decisions.

If this is media, speaking, or interview-related, please find
appropriate phone info under "contact" at www.fourhourworkweek.com.

Cheers, and here's to life outside of the inbox!

Tim

P.S. I read all e-mail personally, but I cannot always reply, especially with involved how-to questions. Please don't be offended if I don't respond, and be sure to check out the blog, forums, and 4HWW communities that are popping up online. Thanks for
understanding, and I appreciate your e-mail!

Wait a minute:

1. to save your time you just do not check email?
2. to save your time, I have to phone to you?
3. you read all email personally but do not answer because you can't?
4. I have not to be offended, if you do not answer?

What about customer satisfaction?
You sell a product, your book, and to sell more you build up a story around it and to live with your story you tell to a customer to not send mail, better a phone call and if you should not answer just take it easy?

Is it me or there is something wrong?

Technorati Tags: 4-Hours Workweek, Timothy Ferriss, word of mouth, marketing, Tim Ferriss, customer care

Any new news?

The world lives with the paranoia of the latest news: we must be updated, we have to know the latest piece of information and the first who get it is the winner. Wait, the winner of what? If by chance I should be the first to know about a new way to cure a disease, this means that I could be able to use this information appropriately? The winner still should be the one who use it better and smarter.
A post from down under Servant of Chaos (ok, it's Gavin) talk about the chaos of influence.
A post create some ripples that seem to disappear and then, all of a sudden, an influencer get into the playground and make the post live and spread, no matter how old it is.

Blogs do not necessarily live on the latest news but on the content relevance.
It's content and analysis that bring in readers and commenters and eventually create your social network.

Technorati Tags: Servant of Chaos, David Armano, Malcom Gladwell, Scott Monty, Social media, Influencers, chaos

Who's setting the pace in the advertising market?

We all know and say that the world of advertising is going to change dramatically, that mass media are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, that viewerships and media fruition are shifting from a passive to an active mode (Marketing Charts) with an overlapping of different media fruition.
Well, this is probably the time when we can check if the above is correct or if we have been foolished by our desire. This the time of the year when next year budget are deployed and bigger media choice discussed: this is strategy time.
It's interesting to see the gap between the development of the strategy for the advertisers and the development of the programming for the editors and publisher of the main media.
In this Ad Age article, the Unilever Media VP, Laura Klauberg, says that's going to be tough to negotiate right now with no clear mind on the need from a programming point of view. And she is lucky enough if the TV sales houses know which programs they are going to broadcast.
It seems to me that advertisers need to be strategic while media tend to be tactical and to unveil their programs at the very last minute. This is true in Italy, where the TV programming can change very often. What about other countries?

Technorati Tags: marketing, advertising, media buying, unilever, laura klauberg, ad age, marketing charts, mass media

the copyright issue for the 100th times

two good news this morning.

the first one is that some smart guys are getting into sort out the copyright issue without making lawyers benefitting of all the revenues.
fast company reports of this model that may help in producing revenue for any stolen video.
i see some clear benefit here:

1. stop useless and expensive legal action
2. stop trying to face the tech evolution with last century approach
3. contribute to spread the creativity
4. make some positive pr to the industry

how it works?

"PodZinger's spiders will in time be able to track down specific video content on command--a clip from last night's Daily Show, for example, or everything that belongs to Comedy Central--and insert an ad into each segment, no matter where it is playing"

does it work?

we should hope yes, because it can be the first step to a newer and smarter approach to the unstoppable evolution of the web.

for the full article:
podzinger

the second news is the this is my post #100.
i wish to thanks all the readers and everyone who just passed by.

Technorati Tags: marketing, bizandbuzz, fast company, podzinger, youtube, viacom, copyright

alphabet city

other two letters just added to the meme.
well done.
here the links:

I am Blog with B

The Diet Pulpit with S

Technorati Tags: Valeria Maltoni, David Armano, Mark Goren, Grigor, IAmBlog, Bizandbuzz, The Diet Pulpit, Alphabet meme, blog meme, alphabet meme

green is the colour of money

Enviroment is becoming a business and, if it will succeed, we have a higher chance to keep our world alive.
Italian newspapers are filled with adv from major utilities company, such as Eni, Sorgenia, and manufacturers of lighting systems, such as Guzzini, Beghelli. All these ads have in common the message: save on electricity through a responsible and efficient lighting system.

Advice such as: do not leave appliances on stand by, adoption of low intensity light bulbs, computer assisted light system, etc.

What I find interesting in the approach is that no one of the company lose time talking about the future of the world, the eco system, etc. They go straight on the saving concept.
The eco concept is in the bodycopy, as an additional benefit.

Is it the same in the US or in other European countries?
Is that a new trend?

Technorati Tags: marketing, environment, eni, sorgenia, guzzini, beghelli

alphabet city

It's time to turn this story into a meme and see what happens.

Valeria Maltoni posted her 4As about blogging.
David Armano did it one year ago with his 4Cs.
Mark Goren set up his 4Ps.
Grigor at Behind the glass describe his 4Ls.

My proposal is to build an alphabet with four words for each letter describing what blog is about.

My letter is I

1. Innovation - to be one step ahead with the latest information
   
2. Information - to get information about the rest of the world and keep my mind open and facilitate the integration
   
3. Integration - to approach others without prejudices, to have conversation with them and share thoughts that generate ideas
   
4. Ideas - to produce ideas that can really have an impact in my business as well in my life

What about you?

Technorati Tags: Valeria Maltoni, David Armano, Mark Goren, Grigor, Alphabet, meme

habitat for humanity

It's almost one month that this community established the badge.
please, go ahead in donating.
click on the badge, make yours a better day.

Technorati Tags: ck, christine kerley, habitat for humanity

a greener apple

i know, and you should know, too: i'm an apple addict.
but you must admit it: this is a bold move.
for the first time ever, steve jobs is addressing the company policy to be a greener company, and a more transparent one.

a greener apple

Technorati Tags: marketing, apple, a greener apple, steve jobs, environment

Age of conversation, the eBook

As you may know, two smart guys (Gavin and Drew) came up with a great idea: to build a book together with 100 bloggers, from all over the world, about conversation.
This has been a favourite topic since a while now, I had my own post about it, too.
But the interesting thing is to gather 100 persons and ask for a contribution.
I sent my two cents about it, titled about conversation.
What I tried to do is to define the structure of a conversation through my own thoughts and some quotes of writers, artists, philosophers.

The proceed goes to Variety, the children's charity

Technorati Tags: eBook, marketing, Age of conversation-the eBook, bizandbuzz

Rome, May 12, 2017

Few years ago, the devil in the internet world had one face. This one:


Scaring, isn't it?

Today, we live in a perfect world where some wise and nice looking guys have made our life easier and better.

This guy has put his hands over the music system, the movie market. Any song you want to download, any movie you want to see, you owe him a royalty. The box office is no longer based on the ticket sold but on the download from his network of web sites. He manages the most important artists and organize their tours around the world and the merchandise. (Rumors say he is keeping Mickey Mouse as a hostage but, as shown in the picture, they are very good friends!!!)

These two guys just bought internet. A stated in this latest news, google just made an offer in cash to buy the whole internet with huge benefit to the end users.

Seriously, don't you feel a little uncomfortable with the power that all these guys are concentrating in their hands?

Technorati Tags: internet, apple, google, doubleclick, youtube, bill gates, page, brin, steve jobs

at home with books

reading is one of the pleasure of life. buying books, too.
then the problem is to make a catalog not to buy two times a title or to get quick reference when you write an article or a document.
this morning i want to spend this space to talk of a software, Delicious library, which make this catalogue in a smart way.
when installed, you turn your webcam in a scanner, pass the book in front of the cam, it reads the barcode and the book in recognized and catalogued with all the details.
it works with the amazon database for us, uk, france, japan, germany and france.
you can catalogue cd and movies, too.
as it is a smart piece of software it work on mac only ;-))

Technorati Tags: books, reading, mac, amazon