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Today over lunch, a few of us were eating Chinese food and talking about PCs, Apple computers, and a host of technological innovations that have emerged over the past few years. It dawned on me that just a few years ago, we couldn’t have even had this conversation since none of this stuff had been invented – iPads, downloadable apps, Facebook updates, and a ton of other useful gadgets! We were all gushing with enthusiasm for how cool our world has become, and how the way we interact with technology – and with each other – is really changing.
Our conversation moved on to brands we like and products we use, and without realizing it, we were influencing each other about the products we like most, and wanted others to try – truly, authentic ...
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in March 2007, I attended a conference called Community 2.0, and I thought I was ahead of the curve. There were a few hundred people there to discuss the best ideas around the use of online communities, and I thought there was no better place to be. Turns out, during that same week, there were thousands of people who were far more informed than me who were hanging out in Austin, Texas at the South by Southwest festival. Who knew?!
Turns out, SXSW has evolved over the past twenty-five years to be the festival for innovations in music, film and technology. And in March 2011, for the first time ever, there will be a one-day track on health, focusing on how the various innovations in social media and digital technologies have created a ...
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The childhood game of telephone shows how over time, when messages gets passed along, the story is often not the same as when it was first told. That’s kind of fun when you’re a little kid, but can be problematic in a business environment.
Last week, I gathered my entire staff for an all-team meeting. The theme was about ‘defining our future’, but it really centered on one key idea: telling the right story. I pointed my staff to All Marketers Are Liars, a great book by Seth Godin about the power of telling authentic stories in a low-trust world. If you have yet to read it, I highly encourage you to grab yourself a copy.
Before we went too deep into our meeting, I paused and asked each person to write down three statements about ...
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Working in a small, start-up company has it’s pros and cons, for sure, but one of the biggest benefits is the sense of camaraderie… family even... that can develop when the company is small and the people are all working closely together, such as here at HealthTalker. I mean, if you think about it, we are together 8+ hours for five days each week. That’s more time than I’m around my family, practically speaking.
The interpersonal dynamic, much like a family, has it’s ups and downs. And much like a family, when people get along, it’s really a lot of fun to be with them. Working with people you respect is important… and if you like them as well, it makes your day enjoyable. The work becomes less “work”.
In most companies with TONS to do (like ...
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Over the holiday weekend, I took my cousin’s two children for a walk. I created a little game, offering a prize for the child who could guess the length of time we would be walking. Both were thrilled by their sudden good fortune to win something. But what would they win?
I posed the question to them, giving them the opportunity to decide on their prize. After I crushed their dreams of trips to California or five million dollars (sorry, kids), one of them said, “OK Andy, how about total attention?” I curiously asked what that meant. He told me that it would just be me and the winner, out for a bike ride, with no other distractions that could get in the way. He told me that meant no cell phones, no Blackberries, no other adult ...
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I had the unique privilege to go hear Seth Godin speak in downtown Boston a couple weeks ago. As a recent convert to the Seth-Fandom tribe, it was quite a treat to hear him live and see what he’s really like. I was not disappointed.
Seth took the audience on a brief catch-up of his books and how the story weaves through them. He ended up by talking a lot about the concepts from his latest book: Linchpin. If you haven’t yet read it, I highly recommend it. It’s a refreshing look at what it means to work passionately.
After speaking for a bit, Seth opened it up for question and answer time. I took the plunge and asked one: “You speak about the need to ship as well as the goal of treating work as art. How do you deal with them when they are in ...
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This weekend, my wife and I stopped in to see our friend Brad at his family’s cheese shop. From the minute we walked in to the store, we could tell that we were in for a treat. There were dozens of unique cheeses, countless jams and oils, olives, chocolates, nuts and crackers – what an amazing place! They even had bread that was flown in from Paris – all here in a sleepy little Boston suburb shop.
While the store was remarkable in many ways, what really stood out for me was the way Brad treated us – and it wasn’t just because we knew him – this is how he runs and grows his business. He treats all customers this way.
Within minutes, we had samples of Gouda in hand, insights into what made certain cheeses great, and some background into ...
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While I am extremely disappointed by the Boston Celtics game 7 loss in the NBA Finals against the LA Lakers, this is not a bitter sports blog post. Instead, it is about good (and bad) email marketing techniques.
Following that disappointing loss, it appears that Massachusetts residents were treated to a glorious email from our friends at NBCSports.com. “Shop Lakers Championship Gear Now!” states NBCSports.com. I was angered. I was confused. And I wasn’t alone. I took to this blog, others took to Twitter.
@Jmeserve: NBCSports.com doesn’t know what email list segmentation is as evidenced by the “buy Laker championship gear” email I just received. #fail
@AbigailHS: NBC email marketing fail. Born and raised right outside of Boston, currently live ...
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Wouldn’t it be nice to get rich quick? Infomercials and print ads and dubious websites give us plenty of choices to consider, and they all make it seem so easy. We know better, don’t we? Maybe not.
Lately, I’ve been hearing from more and more potential clients who are looking for immediate success from our programs, hoping we can provide a silver bullet to their marketing plan, and magically create something for them that helps them achieve their brand objectives. We’re always up for a challenge, but unfortunately, as we all know, success takes time. Overnight superstars actually spent countless hours perfecting their skills before they were noticed and discovered. You can’t just have 9 women work really hard for one month each and ...
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As an Irishman and a European, there are certain stereotypes that I encounter on a daily basis that do not ring true with me. For example, I hate corn beef, cabbage and green milkshakes.
However, there is one generalization that I very much do play into – I love soccer; a sporting staple in any European household.
As the 2010 World Cup kicks off in South Africa, the nostalgic childhood memories are coming back with a vengeance. To many, the World Cup is a celebration of nations, bringing all types of people together, in what can perhaps be best explained as a resurgence of patriotism. While the Olympic games hold strong emotions for most people, to me, the World Cup represents a truly global experience.
While Ireland is not participating in ...
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Observations, commentary and perspectives on word of mouth, life in a start-up, and the challenges of the pharma industry.
