Friday, November 25, 2005

Three Mini-Reviews: Mind Mapping Software, Imperial Ambitions, and Buzzmarketing. Here are three short reviews of books that I have recently read: [except that the first two are excised here; follow the link above to read 'em] Buzzmarketing, by Mark Hughes If you believe, as I do, that customer-driven, peer-to-peer, viral marketing will soon replace coercive, broadcast, top-down advertising as the means of persuading people what to buy, then you're probably going to be interested in a book that promises to tell you how to create buzz, how to get customers' attention so they'll talk to each other about your product or service. This book does exactly that. Hughes provides many stories of companies that have employed six 'secrets' to get and sustain buzz: Provoke conversations by providing something taboo, unusual, outrageous, hilarious, remarkable, or secret. Provide a story to the mainstream media that is David-and-Goliath, unusual, outrageous, controversial, celebrity-related or related to something that's already hot. These are the stories these media like. Use a mix of media, unusual media your competition isn't using, quirky, unglitzy approaches, and unusual, attention-getting media approaches (like product placement in movies). Be prepared to take big risks in approach and goals, and face ridicule from detractors who will say it can't be done. Out-think competitors: Cause a stir, focus on a clear definition of the problem to gain clarity on direction, spend lots of face time with customers, try lots of experiments, encourage friendly rivalries, understand the importance of names, and provide useful content in your messages. Monitor marketing effectiveness: Be alert to early-warning signals, get management to hear what customers are saying, ask customers where they heard of you and whether they'd go out of their way to recommend you, and get your employees talking. Some of the examples in the book left me flat (Britney Spears and American Idol -- ugh!) but the techniques do make sense. You don't have to compromise your principles and pander to your audience to create buzz. Viral marketing will often happen even without your encouragement, or not happen despite your encouragement. But most of the ideas in this book don't cost a lot, and they do recognize facts about human nature we may tend to forget. Your customers may get your product to catch fire by simply rubbing two sticks together, but there's no harm in helping out by blowing gently on the spark. [How to Save the World] 8:59:15 AM    comment []

Green-Friday. The Friday after Thanksgiving is the busiest retail shopping day of the year, driven by early-bird openings, price plummets, and a media hype reserved for blizzards and hurricanes.  Known historically as Black Friday (when retailers traditionally go from red ink to black ink on their accounting books), the day is now called Green Friday by several large retailers to describe their customers' anticipated 8 billion dollar spending spree. Remarkably, in a show of cultural diversity and political creativity, two other holidays mark Green Friday.  Buy Nothing Day protests the excesses of our consumption culture.  "Use Cash day" is a protest against the high fees credit card companies exact from their card holders. If you shop with your fingers instead of your feet, there are online deals for you this weekend through Monday.  "Cyber Monday" is the culmination of a weekend of online shopping that is expected to boost online holiday spending to a new high of $18 billion for the season.  You will see online deals compete for your dollars beginning on Green Friday, as well. If you plan to shop today, with or without plastic, these Top 10 Sources will guide you through the thicket of sales, coupons, and other incentives.  Now that Green Friday is underway, what is happening out there in the Malls?  Want a play by play? Black Friday Watch has embedded blogging reporters in New York, LA, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, and Nashville who are posting stories and photos faster than the games coming off the shelves.  While you are following the Black Friday Watch posts online, turn on CNN and watch the Budget Fashionista who will be the featured shopper on CNN all day today.  Then, to get further into the spirit of the season, listen to thepodcast from Santa [TopTenSources] 8:52:16 AM    comment []

A Private School Tackles the Racial Gap. GERMANTOWN, Tenn. - After serving the children of affluent parents for 40 years, St. George's Independent, a private elementary school here in a suburb of Memphis, decided to expand into higher grades. By MICHAEL JANOFSKY. [NYT > Education] 8:52:13 AM    comment []