OK … so this is not my photo … but I have an unexpected trip to Chicago this week. Heading off tomorrow and it looks like I will be around most of the week by the look of things.
I am expecting a stream of client meetings, late nights and busy days but hope to catch a few people while I am there. Now, I have got to sleep … I am tired from travelling already and have not even left my own country yet.
Some time ago Roger von Oeck sent me one of his Ball of Whacks to take a look at. It did take some time to arrive (shipping to Australia seems to happen via the moon), but since it arrived it has been sitting here on my desk, slowly becoming a source of attraction.
I have been fascinated to see the way that people are drawn to the Ball of Whacks. Often someone will be sitting talking to me and absent-mindedly reach over to the ball and start rolling it in their palms. They will toss it from hand to hand and then … as they feel its weight, they begin to squeeze, gently, savouring the way that the ball moves and adjusts to the pressure.
Suddenly, bang! The ball explodes in a burst of colour and energy. No matter how often someone does this, it is always the same reaction — wow! Sorry …
I always laugh and watch as they scurry around the floor collecting the remnants of the ball from under desks and filing cabinets. Then, as they place that last satisfying piece back into the whole, I suggest that this is an important part of the creative process … to play and wander creatively and be open to ideas when they come. And hopefully, when they do, they will come with a bang, or as Roger would say, a whack!
Today, I read Roger’s 100th post! It seems like only yesterday that he launched enthusiastically into the blogging world … and now he is a mainstay for creative thinkers around the globe. And to celebrate, Roger posts an interview with the too-clever-by-half David Armano. Some great questions and some great answers! Now, I just need to see DA in a photo Nacho Libre style!
I don’t know if anyone is interested since the Coffee Morning Queen is away, but I will be trying my best to be there for coffee in the morning? Especially because Kirsty is around — even though she may not make it. Can you believe it, she is here for one and a half days? How is that for a rushed trip?
So, where is it at? For those early risers and inner-city types, come on down to:
Single Origin
Cnr of Reservoir & Mary
Surry Hills
at 8am!
Oh, and I just had to use this picture because I am sooo jealous!
It has been a long time between drinks, but I have finally written another post for MarketingProfs.
There seems to be a bit of conversation around at the moment on friendships and authenticity (and hey, DA, when we DO finally meet, I am giving you a hug — one of those manly slap on the back kinds, but a hug nonetheless), and this post was one that I had wanted to write for a month or so.
Hope you enjoy it!
I have just discovered Rory Sutherland’s most excellent blog and have been devouring post after post like a ravenous escapee from Lost Island.
In one post, Rory talks about the difference between brands from the US and brands from France (particularly from the way that the brand promise is perceived. I love this quote:
I am much taken with an Andy Warhol quotation along the lines of “what I like about Coke is that the President of the United States can’t get a better Coke than the bum on the street.” Really great brands should be universal. (When you think about it, the huge explosion in the value of luxury goods brands is evidence of a social malaise).
The way that I found Rory is through a comment he left here. Rory is talking about the need to address your audience based on their need state not demographics. This is exactly the reason that a raft of consulting companies like McKinseys and Forrester are making rapid headway in the advertising/metrics space. As Alain Thys says over at MarketingProfs, by using technology and business logic, these consultants are going to revolutionise the way that creative and advertising agencies operate. And may, in fact, redetermine the role and prestige of agencies in the brand building stakes. Now that is a universal brand revolution!
Who is it for?
Don’t be so shy.
Don’t take a step back.
This one is for you.
You know who you are.
I am supposed to have lunch with an old friend of mine today. I postponed last week … but with all my email problems I seem to have lost her contact details — and of course my webmail only displays mail that has not been downloaded to my PC at home.
So … Sharon, if you are out there … please email me again.
Looks like I am buying!
When our favourite bloggers suddenly close up shop it can come as a bit of a shock. Where are they? What’s going on? And as the time elapses, the questions become deeper — is there something serious? Was it something I said (or because I didn’t).
My good friend Mindblob has been out of action for a while … attending to the other things in life … like life. So to help him out, I have put together a little list of things that I have loved over the last few weeks. Feel free to chime in with others!
Finally it is here! Ben and Jackie’s Citizen Marketers book has just arrived complete with an official 1% badge.
I am looking forward to tucking in to what I expect will be a tasty meal!
When coffee was first brought to Europe it caused a sensation. And as coffee houses sprung up across Europe, they became viewed variously as dens of iniquity and places of underhand dealings. Gradually though, coffee became respectable, and now I can hardly string two words together without a cup. Underlying this is, of course, a powerhouse global business that revolutionised the economies of the great trading nations of the 1700s.
Mario Sundar has a great post today over at MarketingProfs, talking about the ROI on blogging for businesses.
He draws on some very interesting analysis from Charlene Li at Forrester. Of course, when it comes down to quantifying the potential or real returns of blogging it is very difficult. Sure we can track user traffic, we can monitor the flow of users from a blog to other parts of a site and we can count comments, subscribers or feeds. But how do we measure engagement?
Mario’s view is that you start with an understanding of “ownership” … which is a great concept. But it presupposes that your corporate content is worthy or, or in a state ready, for sharing/co-ownership. However, it is a very interesting topic of conversation, and one that is many corporate and non-corporate bloggers are interested in — my friend Lewis Green recently started a conversation on exactly this topic.
And while Blog ROI is a great topic, it is just like a great cup of coffee — we know what we like and have a taste for particular brands. And while we may not know why some of the metrics make sense (we may even prefer to go with gut feel) … there is no doubt that the team that cracks this code will be worthy of the millions that will be bestowed upon them.
