Giddy up Texas!

On my way to work with the FunPack Team.

Intriguing concept based on the "4 Hour Work Week" strategy.

I'll keep you posted!

Giddy up Texas!

Top 5 Web Sites in Number of Site Visits

1. Google 

2. Yahoo!

3. YouTube

4. Facebook

5. Windows Live

Facebook: Signs of Addiction

-Preoccupation with Facebook

-Increased use

-Repeated, unsuccessful efforts to control Facebook use

-Restlessness, moodiness, depression or irritability when attempting to cut down

-Online longer than originally intended

-Jeopardized or risked loss of significant relationships, job, educational, or career opportunities

-Lies to family members, therapist, or others to conceal use

-Uses Facebook to escape and relieve problems or dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of hopelessness, guilt, anxiety, depression). 

Facebook User Information

-More than 200 million active Facebook users

-Majority of facebook users log on at least once a day

-More than 20 millions users update their statuses at least once a day

-The fastest growing demographic is those 35 years old and older

-Average Facebook user has 120 friends on the site

-More than 3.5 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day

Twitter

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Thinkrogue

FastCompany: 100 Most Creative People In Business

Everyone loves Top 100 lists!

We can disagree, argue and question the intelligence of the creator, but we all love the suspense.

Fast Company created a list of their 100 Most Creative People in Business and I'm going to feature a handful that I consider to be true "Change Agents" and "Playmakers".

Here's how they qualified their rankings:

"There are no rules about creativity. This made the construction of FastCompany’s list of the 100 most creative people in business a tricky task. They looked for dazzling new thinkers, rising stars, and boldface names who couldn’t be ignored. They avoided people they have profiled in the recent past, whether Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook or designer Philippe Starck. They emphasized those who's creativity addresses a larger issue – from the future of our energy infrastructure to the evolution of philanthropy to next-generation media and entertainment. And while they could not see how lauding Steve Jobs would show how much creativity, we also could not ignore the outsized impact Apple has had on our business culture.

That’s why Apple’s chief designer heads the list at No. 1...."

Don't be a Mo...

In today's installment of "Don't be a Mo"... Owning a Top 10 car!

So, why's the 2009 Lexus IS-F the ninth most expensive new vehicle in the U.S. to insure? Probably because it's capable of doing what you see in the photo above. If that's how you plan to drive, though, you'll spend way more replacing rear tires than the $1,881 on average it costs to insure the IS-F.

Autoblog 08/06/09

Wait a second, wrong Top 10 List.

FAIL.

Rebranding FAIL:

Branding!

The strength of a company's brand is integral to marketing success. Obviously. 

Here are some notable companies who were honored in the Top 100 Brands of 2008:

1. Coca-Cola

Olympic sponsorship boosted its profile in Asia, where sales are surging. 

4. GE

A GE that doesn’t make lightbulbs or dishwashers? GE has announced intentions to spin off the brand’s iconic units as it focuses on global infrastructure.

9. Disney

Disney’s marketing machine turned High School Musical into a tween girl blockbuster. It’s hoping the new Disney XD cable channel will bring in the boys.

15. American Express

Despite rising U.S. delinquencies, AmEx continues to woo elite customers. It ranked first in total purchase volume and cash advances to U.S. cardholders. 

24. Apple

Its products are hotter than ever, in part because of price cuts and clever advertising.

36. Canon

The copier and camera brand continues to sell well despite recession worries. It’s spending heavily to advertise its range of video and digital cameras.

39. Kellogg's

Thanks to a double-digit hike in ad spending, the cereal maker has done the remarkable: raised prices despite a consumer slowdown, widening its margins.

71. Rolex

Business is booming in Asia and the Mideast as the luxury watchmaker enjoys strong demand.

 

85. Starbucks

Still strong abroad, Starbucks hopes new coffee machines, nutritious smoothies, and the shuttering of 600 unprofitable stores will help in the U.S.

89. Smirnoff

Worldwide sales have stayed strong. In the U.S., Smirnoff is tying its brand to all things hip hop.

Fact or Fiction?

Test your trivial trivia knowledge! Answers are at the bottom. Good luck!

1. Stress will turn your hair gray

2. Running on a treadmill puts the same amount of stress on your knees than running on asphalt or pavement

3. Like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue print is different

4. According to U.S. laws, a beer commercial can never show a person actually drinking beer

5. When it comes to working out, you've got to feel some pain if you're going to gain any benefits

6. Organized crime is estimated to account for 10% of the United States’ national income

7. Cravings are your body's way of telling you it needs something

8. To sell your home faster, and for more money, paint it yellow

9. Acne is caused by not washing properly

10. Caffeine improves memory and the ability to perform complex tasks

Answers (Don't Cheat!): 1. Fiction 2. Fact 3. Fact 4. Fact 5. Fiction 6. Fact 7. Fiction 8. Fact 9. Fiction 10. Fact

facebook. Friend or foe?

Ok, I'm finally in with the rest of the herd.

Got my facebook set up and LOVE IT!

I've resisted for a long time. Didn't think it was for me. I'm too busy. I'm too old. I'm not a "follower".

Put this one next to a couple of my finest predictions:

• "Yeah dude, Ryan Leaf is going to be way better than Peyton Manning."
• "Vista is gonna be amazing!"
• "I'm not an Apple guy. Don't see me buying a Mac."

Is it fair to ask for billing reports?

The answer is "yes" with one caveat... be ready to learn how many hours were spent due to your internal process (read: inefficient).

It's the responsibility of anyone who bills hourly to be diligent in tracking their time. The reality is that 95% of companies bill properly. The other 5% gives our industry a black eye. Over billing has a tendency to work itself out in one of two ways:

1. You get fired
2. You end up "washing" the hours out in the next billing

Either way it makes it uncomfortable for both sides and will lead to a negative result.

Here's the caveat I mentioned... be careful what you ask for.

Clients are always shocked how long things take to get done. In many cases, they play a major role in the issue. Having inefficient systems, poorly trained staff and a lack of resources (money, staff, focus, etc...) leads to "hour burn", scope creep and missed deadlines. Outsourced resources and consultants are at the mercy of the team/ resources granted to them to execute the projects/programs.

Here's the "be careful what you ask for..."

90% of the time I'm asked to produce an hours report, I find that I have not billed all of the hours associated with the program and end up sending an overage bill. So the effort to "keep me honest", backfires.

Remember that the folks you trust to help you are not there to cheat you. If you feel uncomfortable with how your hours are being spent, have a conversation with your consultant before you ask for an hours report. The request before the conversation could be interpreted as you calling them a liar or a cheat.

Rendering your computer useless

How do you make thousands of dollars of technology useless?

Take away the Web!

Don't believe me? Disconnect your cable modem, DSL or whatever you use to connect to the Web. Sounds like no big deal right?

Wait a second...

No email
No facebook
No sports updates
No blogging
No stock updates
No weather updates
No online shopping
No news updates
No Web surfing

Get the point?

What did we do in the "good old days"?


-- Post From My iPhone

In my bag

Got a bunch of questions about my technology arsenal.

Here's what's in my bag:
- 20" iMac (desktop)
- MacBook Air
- Lenovo Netbook
- iPhone

All of my data is stored on MobileMe (Apple cloud) with Google Docs as collaborative calendars and Production Queue.

-- Post From My iPhone

The best bag ever!!!

Total Creeper move but I had chase this lady down at the LA airport!




-- Post From My iPhone

The Mark of Excellence

No way I could do something as easy as a gold seal for the Mark of Excellence.

Look out for more info on this month's winner... salesforce.com!


-- Post From My iPhone

Luxury in a down market

Things are tough all over.

Exhibit #1 - David Yurman's Valentine's Day mailer.

I wonder how many "takers" they'll have for Valentine's Day trinkets that cost upwards of a grand.

On a serious note, it's really tough to market anything right now so you have to feel for the true luxury brands. True "luxury" brands (brands that are based on disposable income) are dying on the vine right now.

It will be interesting to see if they can adapt and stay relevant through the economic downturn.

Slant Playmakers

Meet Slant Playmaker #1 - Blane Bachelor

Her background in newspapers has paved the way for a successful freelance career, during which she’s written for Marie Claire, FOXNews.com, USA Today, Modern Bride, Islands and many others. 

She also writes a weekly advice column entitled Ask a Bachelor, which appears in Atlanta’s The Sunday Paper. In addition, she writes for trade publications, news agencies and corporate clients, including American Express and Turner.

Don't let the smile fool you, she's all you can handle!

Strategy - Offensive Mindset

Before we can execute any plays from the “Offense” side of our Playbook we need to get in the right mindset. It’s tough to summarize all of the physical and mental attributes of the most successful entrepreneurs so let’s use a sports analogy and find a QB!

Easy Raider fans, I’m not going to use our QB. (even though Rich Gannon is still my favorite)

For this discussion, we’re going north... Indy.

Our subject... Peyton Manning. (Thanks Dot & Ed, I’m officially converted!)

Put aside all of his physical skills for a moment. I can argue that he is at best, “ upper mid-pack” for arm strength, agility and speed (dude is slow). Brother Eli probably wins the Manning family cookout throwing contests. Tom Brady does the best job of pocket agility since Joe Montanna. Mike Vick’s speed was measured with a stop watch, Peyton’s with a calendar.

That being said, give me one game with everything on the line and my choice is simple... Peyton Manning.

He embodies all of the attributes needed to win in business and football.

Student of the game

• Peyton puts in the time to study and watch film.
  
• He analyzes the competition’s strengths and weaknesses.
  
• He searches for patterns and flaws in their execution.
  
• He understands their tendencies and habits.

Strategist

• He serves as a coach on the field, understanding not only the play but how each player must execute it.
  
• He evaluates his strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to craft a game plan with the highest probability of success.
  
• He stays with the plan despite short term challenges and set backs.
  
• He is mechanically sound, practicing all of the components that are within his control. The result is a consistent level of performance.

Tactician

• He is mentally agile and can adapt the game plan in real-time.
  
• He has the ability to “read” (observe) defenses and “recognize” (interpret) situations.
  
• He has the confidence to call audibles or change the play. (watch him at the line of scrimmage, he reads the defense and changes anything from the formation to play itself)
  
• He goes though his “progression” of receivers quickly to select the best option. (the Sprint commercial with him in the hotel hallway, looking behind the doors of multiple rooms, while the defender bears down on him is brilliant!)

Execution

• He sticks with the plan, finding ways to learn as he executes scripted plays.
  
• He consistently uses his strengths to minimize his weaknesses, leaving little to ‘chance’ or competitive exploitation.
  
• He takes calculated risks.
  
• He quickly gets past interceptions and errors, seldom making the same mistake twice.
  
• He leads.
  

See how this mindset aligns with playing offense in your industry?

• Do your homework
  
• Have a game plan
  
• Have a Playbook
  
• Be mentally agile
  
• Be consistent
  
• Be a LEADER
  

Origin of Slant

Slant started out as the answer to the question...”Now what?”

A client who had just spent an enormous amount of money on a new Web site, asked a valid question. “How is this going to make me money?” (*Crickets*...I didn’t have an answer.)

Got one now.

The name comes from the football route. Regardless of the secondary coverages, some combination of the slant route will enable you to attack the defense. It’s not easy to execute. It’s based on precise timing and execution thus, the slant requires more practice time than any other individual route. The result is a play that is practically impossible to defend.

The goal of Slant Marketing?

Create strategy that is impossible to defend. Exploit your markets/competition, to attract and retain new clients. Develop your brand. Build brand equity. Dominate your market.

Evaluate: options, risk and gain.

Then...“make a play”.

When "less" is more...

First things first, I have a bias toward these guys. In the spirit of full disclosure, I know them pretty well. A couple of them are the kids of one of my good friends so, they’re pretty much family.

That being said, they are great guys and make fantastic music. They’re in full rotation in my car along side MB 20, Gin Blossoms, Collective Soul and Harry Connick. (Yeah, Harry Connick)

Here’s the “more” part.

Simple question, “What’s the deal with the name?”

About 15 seconds into Zac’s answer, he stopped being “Todd’s kid who plays music” and became my link to something way bigger than I thought. I know the values he’s been raised on so, his understanding of where he fits in the grand scheme of things didn’t surprise me.

What got my attention was his humility and resolve to make a difference. These guys “get it”. No ego. No bravado. Believe me folks, if anyone could have a big head it’s these guys. Good looking, talented and just old enough to be dangerous. Usually a toxic blend but not this time.

Kids and dogs. I’ve always thought that kids and dogs were the true test of character. They don’t have the filters and the biases that adults build into “character judging”. So far they have passed my two toughest tests; my son Jordan and my dog Bailey. Jordan and his friends love them! (Try being cool or relevant to a group of 14 year olds). Bailey likes them too. (I think someone was feeding her BBQ at the cookout.)

I say all that, to say this...charismatic leaders are hard to find. Charismatic people, a dime a dozen. These guys have the potential to lead young and old in a truly positive direction. Just in time if you ask me. A new weapon in the fight against an increasingly toxic society.

The less is not a band, it’s a movement. Keep an eye on these guys, they’ll be big.

http://www.myspace.com/theless

The Unthinkable...

Here's a thought that hit me this morning.

You may need to consider the "unthinkable" and create alliances with your competitors to make it through the current economic downturn. 

Let this one soak for a minute.

I'm the last person to lecture anyone about competitive "cease-fires" or "working relationships".  Slant is in the competitive disruption business so the concept of playing nice does not sit well with me. Competitors are to be analyzed, benchmarked, targeted and defeated. Simple plan. No hidden agendas. Put them on notice, rattle their cage and take their clients.

Here is the reality, every industry will see some sort of contraction.  Some of it will be internal and will include; restructuring, lay-offs and budget cuts.  Some will be external, driven by contraction in their client's world.  Most businesses are not set up to cash flow extended periods of declining revenue.  Dare I say, no company is set up to run with a declining revenue model. (See: GM, Chrysler and Ford)

So here's the thought.  Think about creating alliances of convenience and survival.  The higher priority is to protect the integrity of your industry or vertical.  This means you have to band together to serve the needs of your clients so that they don't shift their paradigm and cut you out totally.  Today's temporary cost cutting initiative can easily become tomorrow's best practice.  The service industry is extremely susceptible to these seismic changes in buying and usage patterns.

Some of you have already fostered some sort of competitive alliance.  Congrats on being ahead of the curve. 

For the rest, think through this one.  Your survival may depend on it.