A quick post and a thought

Check out this little tidbit in Guy Kawasaki's Blog about word of mouth advertising.

I was having this conversation in regards to Zappos' return policy with my fiance and she mentioned she would not shop at Nordstrom because she had an experience that was bad. When I asked what it was she mentioned that many years ago she purchased some clothes that simply fell apart and that colored her experience. This is interesting because how many of your customers may be out there with that one experience. Nordstrom has very good customer service, but the one experience they could not control was the life of the clothes and have lost a customer.

This sort of measurement and feedback is essential to continued growth and development of a company. When is the last time you talked to a long term client or customer about their satisfaction level?

Your authentic voice

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.”
-Helen Keller

Daring, scary, hard, but can be rewarding in many ways. Today now more than ever we owe it to ourselves to have that authentic voice and as companies we need to be able to handle those voices. The success of YouTube, Google Video, MySpace, Flickr, and many other social networking sites are built on having an outlet for that authentic voice. Some would say that this is a niche market and yes it is, but the case can be made that as that niche grows being authentic and real leads to an even wider succeess. That is one of the conclussions made in the book "The Long Tail". We are increasingly a culture of choice and we enjoy showing how we execute that choice.

The real challenge as a company is how do you stay true.
1st Find it! Take some time and get inside yourself. Really spend some time in that uncomfortable or comfortable place. This is crucial as not only does this really allow you to explore your thoughts and feeling, but it can help chart the course to that voice.
2nd Make a statement. Now this does not and should not be a long winded blah blah blah speech, but how does it relate and empower me to do what I/We want. Make it a few words.
3rd Follow it. Try living in that statement for a week. Does it hold true? Can you live with it?

We owe it to our employees to listen to their voices as well. Some of the advantages of Google is that they try things. I am sure they are trying things behind the scenes that never make it to prime time, but they try them. Yes they have lots of money, but if the risk is low try it. Maybe even if the risk is high maybe you will help change the world. Be bold!

Probably my longest post to date, but I hope it gets you thinking. Don't believe that it can work?

Guy Kawasaki: Video about entrepeneurship
Chris Anderson: "The Long Tail"
Seth Godin: What you should be learning about marketing with your voice.

New media alert..

So over at TechCrunch they have a post in regards to Amazon's upcoming launch of their store. This is an interesting find and I applaud the guy who found it. I just hope they don't go mess it up with DRM issues.

Also this little tidbit about iTunes and a Lions Gate tie in. Now this really isn't news, but it does show that all of the larger players are moving to make downloads of video content a reality. I put the Digg link in because if you haven't seen digg go check it out.

Is this truly revolutionary?

Okay normally I post links to the stories I quote, but today I am going to copy and paste this from Mediaweek.


Mediaweek-
Couric's Show to Be Simulcast on Web

Marc Berman

AUGUST 17, 2006 -

The CBS Evening News With Katie Couric, which launches with the former Today Show co-host on Tuesday, Sept. 5, will become the first network evening newscast to be simulcast live on the Internet.

Viewers can now see the CBS Evening News live, as never before, said Sean McManus president, CBS News and Sports. This is a groundbreaking development in making the program available to the largest possible audience. For people who can'’t be in front of their televisions when the Evening News is on, they can now watch the program live on their computers. It's another giant step towards providing CBS News content to people wherever they are in their homes, in their offices, in their cars, on their computers or on their cell phones.

In addition, CBS Evening News With Katie Couric will also be available as an on-demand program any time after the live simulcast, via daily blog Couric & Company, via Web-exclusive Eye to Eye, and daily Web exclusive on-camera rundown CBS News First Look with Katie Couric.


Groundbreaking? It is more of a what took them so long. They should have been streaming the show to the world a long time ago. Now for the more subtle it is time for everyone to wake up moment. Big media companies are realizing they are losing eyes and hence ad revenue. The model is shifting to the when you want it and CBS may be moving in the right direction with this one. So who is next?

Oh yeah kudos go out to KTVZ for already thinking that the VOD idea makes sense. I think this has been on there since they relaunched the website.

Web 2.0 Experience

With these sites popping up all around I thought I would dabble with one. I have made a lens about Bend. Let me know your thoughts. The process is easy, but time consuming. I think these tools will empower us all to be experts in our fields and allow others to interact with us much like blogs have already done.

Media Consolidation In Bend

So this was posted on Mediaweek as of around 12:00.

AUGUST 16, 2006 -

Meredith Broadcasting announced Wednesday it is exiting the Bend, Ore. market with an agreement to sell KFXO-CA, its low-power Fox affiliate to NPG of Oregon, Inc., for undisclosed terms.

The deal gives NPG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of News-Press & Gazette Co. a duopoly in the market, where it owns KTVZ-TV, the NBC affiliate.

Jerry Upham, vp and general manager of KFXO has resigned his position with Meredith and will be replaced by John Edwards, sales manager of the station, until the transaction is finalized.

So media in this market is changing. Any thoughts?

Streaming VS Downloading

In this Mediaweek report there is discussion about CBS and their streaming of shows for free the next day. While I applaud CBS for doing this why not take the next step and allow purchase of these shows? Broadcasters need to develop another model for their content. I realize their is other negotiations with rights holders, but they are not helping their future by not allowing purchase.

My belief is that even YouTube should develop a model like Google Video that allows videos to be sold and to share in that profit. Google Video at least allows you to download the video in iPod or PSP format. That is forward thinking for sure.

We want content when we want it and how we want it.

Another video

Here is another video that we put over at YouTube. Nice to know they are back up after being down for a few hours today. This was for a local organization called On Track Ministries.

Today's Link List

So a few things have stuck me as interesting in todays blast of emails:

Google coupons: Google maps to add coupons in this deal. Could be an interesting way of tracking direct customer to interaction.

Cable upfront flat: Television is not the king it used to be.

Seth Godin: Some interesting thoughts on the current state of travel and customers. This even has implication for marketing.

Prosumer video production: Read this and then email me.

FOX/IN: Proof that it is what and when we want it. Not thrilled about their pricing, but it is a step in the right direction.

That is it for now.

Tech Geek Alert!

I think this has potential. Leave it to Sony and forward thinking. This is definetly let's try and make it work product. It would appear that it is a high risk, but may offer a high rate of return.Tech geeks of the world unite.

The battle of the titans

So it would appear that MTV Networks is making a play to out fox Mr. Murdoch and Google will be in the middle of it all. In today's news MTVN as they are known has aquired Atom. Now while this doesn't seem very interesting they put up $200 million to aquire them. MTVN has quietly been aquiring properties and repositioning themselves to aquire more eyes and hence make their properties much more attractive to the potential on-line ad dollar. MTVN will be basically running into the 20 ton gorilla that is MySpace/Fox online. This will be an interesting thing to watch. Anyone want to take bets who will come out on top?

Oh yeah and also MTVN has made some of their content available on Google Video on a pay to own basis. The model is changing for distribution and the big networks are beginning to shift as well.

Seth Godin at Gel

How can we do it better?

Here is the Google Video version

Which do you think looks better?

First of many!

Embrace the change!

The swan song...

Okay so first read this.

Now my 2 cents. I find it interesting that they find these finding shocking. Watch my 12 year old son and you will see he would much rather use the computer than watch TV. We are a fractured world and my feelings are that the only kind of television we are going to watch is the kind that we have delivered when we want it. A shift has been started and we will need to figure out a way to shift our dollars to the new model. The article also talks about there is still a future. Oh yes be sure to hang on to that future. Television is changing and in order to truly compete we have to provide better programming or deliver it to our customers when and how they want it.

EBay Changes Advertising

In the changing face of advertising this may allow all of us to buy ads across the country.

read more | digg story This may be an interesting future. This levels the playing field and just maybe will bring prices down. Well we can hope.

UPDATE:
I just found this much better post on the WSJ.It is interesting how AdWeek says that this will not replace the upfront and yet WSJ suggests that this is the future. Read them both and let me know what you think.

The end of the AOL Coaster

I will miss it...


Sometimes you have to adjust your model. It really is amazing at what AOL helped do for the early adopters of this so called internet. "A series of tubes"... Just a dig there.

Speaking of that dig if you support net neutrality go here.

Ch Ch Ch Changes....

Okay you have to sing the song when you read the title. A couple of interesting things in the news.

First has to do with Apple. With building anticipation to Steve Jobs' keynote on Monday regarding the new Apple products, this little tidbit has been released in regards to the Apple and iTunes legality in foreign countries. Now in my opinion Apple is going to need to adapt and figure out a way to make this work out. Apple has been sitting a top a virtual monopoly because they designed a great player and made their software as easy to use. They will need to be careful to not alienate consumers while navigating these new legal waters. Maybe a licensing program? I know they fear this because of their last dealings, but maybe a strategy.

And also this one. Time to go start shooting some video. I use iStockPhoto all of the time for stills as they have some great contributed stills, but with this change projects may get even easier.