Showing posts with label dumb ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dumb ideas. Show all posts

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Why Virtual Isn't Always Better

I've had a goal to move my life online. Not my life... so much.... really... as my data. The idea is to not depend on one machine, but to be able to log in and get to everything I need virtually. "Anything, anywhere, anytime." So, all my project docs are kept online, all my mail is webmail, all my photos are in ofoto, etc.

This seems like a very mobile way to live.

Unless...

I just started a new jobby job and I've been applying that same lifestyle to my work life. As part of new product dev research, we're doing a survey project with a major research firm. That's all I can tell you, as the rest is in SSM (super stealth mode). By doing this survey, somehow, our hosting company decided we were running a phishing opp and cut us off.

It's a big political nightmare. We weren't phishing, of course, but trying to navigate the bureaucracy and get our hosting back is going to take some time. And.. in the meantime... I have lost all my work mail.

Note to self: this is a quick way to clean out my in box this is a pain in the....

Thursday, October 04, 2007

I need a vacation... but not at ebay!


Marketing 101. Don't make your logo look like someone else's logo. I'm doing some research for an impending vacation, and I was really confused as to why Guatemala wanted me to shop on ebay. Turns out, this is their logo!

They should tell their designer they want their money back.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

News Flash: Online Community Doesn't Matter to Retailers

Jupiter Research released a new Report in which they take the interesting and somewhat befuddling stance that "social and community network sites have little impact on influencing online retail sales."

I know, I'm staring at my screen in amazement too. To me, thats somewhat akin to saying, "friends and family have no impact on determining what people buy." Because, of course, in our digital world much of our traditional social interaction happens online. Ok, so perhaps if you are selling glucose monitors for seniors, social networking isn't going to make a huge difference to your bottom line - but if you are selling the latest greatest tech gadget or any item aimed at teenagers - you better get online into your marketing plan.

The other thing that is really confusing about this, is that marketers KNOW that these community sites matter - and they are increasingly seeking more devious ways to get their messages embedded around, beside, and within them.

Here is a quote from the Jupiter report:

"Retailers would be better served to take a step back and evaluate how effective tactics really are – and with whom – to make a stronger impact with the right audiences rather than succumbing to trends,” said David Schatsky, President of JupiterResearch.


And here's another:

“From a branding and advertising perspective, social and community sites are garnering a great deal of influence online,” explained Patti Freeman Evans, Senior Analyst with JupiterResearch. “But when researching a product online, shoppers are looking for fundamental information, not entertainment or social interaction. In the end, the consumer is still interested in convenience and efficiency and social and community sites are just not that efficient.”


I think Jupiter totally missed the point. People are going to these sites and interacting with other people. When they considering a purchase, they ask their online friends about their thoughts. When it gets time to research specifics, yes, they may be looking for information. But lots and lots of statistics say that even at that point, online reviews of a product have an enormous impact on online sales.

I haven't read the whole report, because it costs money and information wants to be free. But unless it totally contradicts what the press release says... all I can say is... Hi Jupiter - this is the modern world. Sit down, stay a while, and we'll show you around.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Your Girlfriend Did What to Your PS2?

Ads are truly getting daring... and it's not often that an ad gives me pause... but this pair that PS2 is running in India sure did!

You can see them full size here and here.


Read the MSN post about it here.

It's not so much the copy - which didn't make a ton of sense and looks like a maniac cut it out of the newspaper - but the tag line! Gasp. Check it out in the bottom right corner. Yes, you saw it.

I'm not sure... but I think I'm offended. And I know if I were the Indian girlfriend of a PS2 owner, I'd mad as sh-t. :)

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Where have all the mavens gone? And what is one of them learning in b-school?

Well, I'll tell you. One of us is off on a fabulous vacation... while the others are slacking and/or going through midterms/finals. Ok, I'm sure the others aren't actually slacking, but my excuse is midterms and Ryin is off on a fabulous international laptopless vacation. I can't imagine going laptopless. In this day. But he did it. He's so crazy!

So on to my second off-topic topic.....

I jotted this down in class yesterday, and I think it's important to know if you want to go to biz school.

1. they call it b-school because in every class, you're going to get a B. It doesn't really matter if you work your tushy off or you really have only a very vague notion what's going on - you're getting a B.

2. when you write papers, always quote the professor's own research. Think about the real biz world - kissing up is vital. Biz school is an incubator for the real thing. Pucker up!

3. it is absolutely vital that you speak up in class and use current buzz words in what you say. if you can pick a fight with something a classmate said, and make one them look mistaken or misinformed (or worse - like they haven't done the assigned readings) you get extra points. Making up your own buzzwords is also highly encouraged - just add an "ized" to any noun to get a verb - and use at will. The WSJ recently did an article (yes, a whole article) on the popularity of the term "bucketize." What is the world coming to?

4. group projects are just like the ones you did in college and high school. you're going to do all the work, and everyone else in your group will try to take credit for it. again, this is valuable practice and very applicable to the real world.

5. midterms are not in the middle. they are a month before finals. this means that this point of the semester is very very exciting. this is also a real-world lesson that you might want to apply when you are managing a project and setting milestones.

6. towards the end of the semester, all the professors start talking about how lucky they are to teach such bright students and how much they enjoy their lives. they do this because:

  • a. they are putting us through the wringer with tests and papers and perhaps they feel a little bad for us

  • b. because we're about to do professor evaluations

  • c. I think they also want to convince themselves they are in fact, teaching fine people to go lead fine companies, and not teaching overly ambitious people how to backdate options and create the next wave of accounting scandals. but i tell you, you can look in the eyes of some of my classmates... and you just know.

  • e. all of the above


That's right! E is your answer. You get a B!

It's happened at the end of every semester. the profs suddenly give you the work/life balance talk frequently, and tell you how money doesn't matter as much as quality of life. but come on... we're in business school. i mean, if we really thought that, would we be here?

And that's my post for the day.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

off topic - are dot.com days here again? silly company ideas....

I just got an email about a new service in the Bay Area - called "flylite.com." These guys are calling themselves a "remote wardrobe manager" - basically they send and store your packed suitcase so you can travel luggage free. They also dry clean everything between trips. Wow! Suitcase storage and dry cleaning in one service! What a fabulous idea! And I'm relieved of the burden of having my clothes in my own home! Sadly, their crummy all-flash site (I guess being found on search engines wasn't part of their biz plan) doesn't load in IE or Firefox - so umm, so they might want to look into that part of their "service."

According to the email - each trip will set you back $100/$200 and the company is looking for investors. I find this whole idea ridiculous. I mean, can you really not pack your own suitcase?