Ah, the private party — where only those hand-picked can attend and everyone else… sorry. This approach works well in the real world. Think about exclusive events such as the Oscars or popular nightclubs… people clamor to even get a peek into the venue. The gated community approach also has some success online. Think about Google’s developer previews. The search giant creates the basic framework of an idea and outsources it to the developer community to improve upon before it is then launched to the greater audience.
The gated community approach is not effective, however, for most information. The web has made information ubiquitous and free. This principle of the web has directly led to the downfall of newspapers. Even online news sites have learned they cannot charge for something that is free elsewhere. So why is Rupert Murdoch trying to create a gated community with his sites?
In the interview below, Murdoch suggests hiding his pages from Google so he can monetize them through other search engines, such as Yahoo or Bing. Murdoch believes his information is so sought-after that search engines would pay to index them. In an era where information is ubiquitous, the media mogul thinks he can create a gated community around his information.
Murdoch has failed to see how the times have changed. The web is a completely different media environment that abides by a completely different set of rules. Murdoch cannot wrap his head around these new principles and consequently, could jeopardize his media empire.
We have seen cost-cutting measures go to the extreme in the past year. Either cut or die, essentially. In fact, 52% of HR departments have conducted layoffs in the past year.
Though Netflix is not suffering as much as other companies, it’s exploring its own ways to cut costs. Lifehacker reported that Netflix is considering delaying its new releases to reduce the purchase costs or they are going continue with their current model — new releases when they come out.
Essentially, Netflix is battling whether or not to maintain the model that has made it successful (featuring great, new releases along with its competitors) or giving customers a reason to go to the Blockbuster down the street. Unless Netflix intends to charge less for its lesser product, it gives customers a reason to change services. Why pay the same amount for a lesser product?
The way Netflix could create a win-win situation is to offer a tiered plan based on movie release dates. Pay X to receive new releases and pay a lesser amount for everything else. This way consumers have the ability to choose a lesser service. Unfortunately, if Netflix decides to make users pay for a lesser product by delaying new releases, it could give consumers a reason to shop down the street.
By the end of 2009, book sales are expected to decline around 6.8% for adult hardcovers and 3.0%, according to the PW/IPR Book Sales Index, a new report from Publishers Weekly and the Institute for Publishing Research. With the successful launch of the Kindle and Sony’s e-reader, book publishing could face some tough times ahead. Though many people love curling up to read a paperback (myself included), many of the same people probably said they couldn’t imagine waking up without the morning newspaper. Give it another decade and e-readers will start really encroaching on the book publishing market.
Today I stumbled across a new project from Olympia Le-Tan. She had stitched famous book titles on canvas. Many of the classics are covered… Moby Dick, Catcher in the Rye, Nineteen Eighty Four, For Whom the Bell Tolls. With her book jackets, Olympia illustrates how to add value to a struggling (or soon-to-be) market. Though only a fraction of book readers would even consider the handmade jackets (if they were sold as such), they add a unique element to a library. It 1) appeals to a niche market (particularly underground hipsters) and 2) it’s in limited supply. Le-Tan’s spin on book covers illustrates how a creative touch and niche appeal is a recipe for value.
Recently, I bought a bonsai tree for my work desk. There are shoots sprouting up everywhere and it’s getting to the point where I need to start pruning — an essential element in developing a bonsai tree.
As bonsai trees take a very long time to grow into beautiful pieces of art, planning and vision is essential. It’s not about what looks good now, it’s about what it will look like in the 10, 20, 30 years from now.
The same is true for business. Though you need to overcome many hurdles now, what do you envision your company to be in 5 years? CEOs are often faced with this question. Based on the vision, it’s about finding practical strategy to get there.
Just as clipping the new growth is an action that will make my bonsai tree beautiful 10, 20, 30 years from now, so too are the actions of business leaders. Industry, product, location, clients, team are many of the elements that make-up the vision. It is the culmination of those actions that makes that vision attainable.
Several days ago, Google decided to strip-down it’s already stripped-down homepage. In a word, they’re oversimplifying. Instead of having the few links at the top of the search page, Google delivers the most bare-boned version yet — with only the logo and search bar. What doesn’t make any sense is if you scroll over the page, the Google homepage we’ve grown to love appears. So what’s the point of having such a bare-bones page when it can go away so easily?
Google is known for delivering simple, easy-to-use products — from search to Gmail to Docs — but the latest move to simplify the homepage goes a bit overboard. There is a point where you can oversimplify and unravel the brilliance of fantastic products like Google Search. After you’ve simplified your product, ensure it’s still functional. If it fails the functionality test, well… back up a couple of steps and fix it.
Christopher Walken has a natural, dry sense of humor. The video below of Christopher reading Lady GaGa’s “Poker Face” lyrics captures this perfectly:
What makes this video hilarious is how completely out of context the lyrics are being recited. Taking something, whether it’s lyrics or products out of context can lead to new ideas and creativity. Think about how Arm & Hammer opened another profitable revenue stream by marketing baking soda as a refrigerator deodorizer. Previously, baking soda was reserved for… baking, or at least until a brilliant thinker at A & H took it out of context.
Taking a different approach — whether it’s having a dry character like Christopher Walken recite sexy pop song lyrics or putting baking soda into the fridge — often leads to brilliant work. By taking products and / or services out of context, you eliminate the expected and boring and inject some multi-dimensional thinking.
Everyday it seems as if we’re bombarded with more information than the day previous. To bring clarity to our digital lives, we will increasingly look to web intelligence tools. Google Magic is one of those web intelligence tools that is helping bring relevance, convenience and clarity to the digital world. The new Google Reader feature brings relevant feeds and posts based on browsing history. Therefore, my Google Magic stream is going to be different than yours.
Google Magic was released a while ago, so I’ve had some time to experiment and see if it works. To my surprise, it does. Having browsed popular feeds with the Google Magic feature, I can tell you, I find much more interesting information than browsing without it.
Google is a leader in web intelligence by incorporating a tailored experience to many of their services. For instance, if I search Super Freakonomics, next time I type “Sup,” Google will suggest Super Freakonomics. So I don’t need to type the entire search query over again.
Amid a sea of information, there is an increasing need to find clarity. Web intelligence tools answer this problem with sophisticated, adaptive algorithms — bringing a personalized experience to every user. As Google is a leader in web intelligence tools, it will be interesting to see how they will incorporate this tech into their new OS.
Jim Carry’s new website illustrates how creativity and design can bring the magic back to the web. Most of the time, the web serves as an information conduit. It’s about speed and sorting through the enormous amounts of data and information — whether it’s to find the next hilarious video or get an update on the latest breaking story.
For webmasters, this trend towards information has eliminated much of the mystery and magic that got people interested in the web to begin with. It was all about Flash — how could you incorporate a completely branded experience for your customer? Was it a splash page or really cool graphic navigation?
We are now in the age of SEO — the complete opposite of Flash. SEO is about using text that can be indexed by search engines to boost traffic referrals. However, Carry’s new website demonstrates that Flash is not dead — it’s very much alive. The website immerses the user into the mysterious world of Jim Carry. It’s full-screen experience that raises the bar of what a website can be.
Maybe the tide is turning. While we exited the first era that was marked by creativity and Flash, we entered the age of information, and now, could creativity and brand immersion rise again?
1) Morning coffee
2) Slurpee for hot days
3) Cheap beer for a party
4) Kitchen basics (bread, milk)
5) Wine for a romantic evening?
The convenience store known for their Slurpee is now going to be selling it’s own wine, Yosemite Road label. Fifteen thousand outlets will be offering the private label, “value” wine at $3.99 a bottle. What sparked this new wine venture? Was it misguided focus groups or a complete misread of the market?
First, look at how wine is purchased. If the wine is intended for a last minute pickup for diner, why not go to the liquor store where there is more of a selection? As there are not often many “beer stores,” picking up a six pack at 7 Eleven seems reasonable. There is a designated place for wine (a liquor store) and a designated place for beer (a convenience or grocery store).
Simply put: wine is not a convenience item. Therefore, for 7 Eleven will have to change the cultural image of wine as a whole in order to be successful. Quite a task for a convenience store, but more luck to them.
Making an emotional connection could be as simple as cutting cake — at least for NPR. As a daily listener of NPR, All Things Considered’s Melissa Gray and Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne have become staples of my everyday. The on-air hosts often stay close to the script, but on a rare occasion they slip in a bit of personality. That’s why I was pleased to hear about the “sweet potato pound cake, still warm.” Melissa Gray sent an e-mail to the NPR staff about the sweet potato pound cake in the lobby. This small, minute detail spoke volumes of their personalities. It humanized them in many ways.
That little cake bit made a connection with me. It put a personality behind the reporters I listen to every day. I could relate to them on a personal level and it is this audience / publisher relationship that creates long-term relationships.
My suggestion would be to incorporate more personality into the funding drive. It could be as simple as putting a mic in the middle of a dinner table with NPR’s favorite hosts. And let them talk away. Something as simple as a candid conversation could add emotional value to the non-profit organization.
It’s as simple as: would you rather help out your friend out of a bind or a random person? Most likely, you’d choose your friend. You have an emotional investment that you do not with a complete stranger. If NPR could create this emotional value for their stations, they would most likely receive more funding — as their listeners have more of an emotional investment in them.
