A Zero-Calorie Cola in Disguise

The youth of the world always think they are better than the old folks. After all, they are young, fast, quick, smart, savvy, and well... young. So, what happens when young basketball players take on the old folks in a pick-up game on local courts in New Jersey and Los Angeles? It starts as expected with the old guys getting 'schooled' by the youngsters. But something happened midway in the game when old guys brought their game to an entirely new level of play - totally dominating the younger players who can only stare in open-mouthed disbelief at the old players.

Who are these guys? Well, the old players aren't really old - in fact, they are two of the top professional basketball players in the nation. With a little help from Hollywood makeup artists, star players Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) and  Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves) try to get the old team back together on a road trip. The first Uncle Drew video has more than 17 million views, and the second video quickly amassed more than 5 million views in the first few days.

The videos are a big hit for Pepsi Max and illustrate the product's tag line of "a zero-calorie cola in disguise." As a product in the mature stage of its product life cycle, Pepsi brings an "A-game" to the courts. A lesson to marketers: things are not always what they first appear to be.

The Greatest Sponsorhip EVER! Red Bull Stratos project

Wow - like millions of other people in the world, I was glued to the monitor watching Red Bull's Stratos project as Felix Baumgartner took a record-breaking jump from more than 24 miles above the Earth! Sponsorships and events have been taken to a new high (no pun intended)!

On October 14, Baumgartner, an Austrian skydiver and daredevil, made history's highest and fastest jump. After ascending to more than 128,000 feet in capsule tethered to a helium balloon, Baumgartner jumped and became the first human to break the sound barrier as he fell at a rate of 833 miles per hour and had a free-fall of more than 4 minutes! I've watched the video a dozen times, each time with my mouth falling open in admiration and disbelief at the feat.

The event was sponsored and funded by Red Bull - a company known for pushing the envelope of crazy and risky sports. The company doesn't consider this a stunt though, preferring to characterize the program as a professional flight test program. Red Bull spent more than five years on the project with an expert staff of scientists, engineers, and physicians - many of whom had experience with NASA programs. The cost to Red Bull has not been disclosed, but estimates on the return to the company in regards to visibility, branding, and goodwill tops $8 billion.

If you haven't viewed the video yet, you watch it now. By the way, the view estimates on YouTube and the Red Bull site exceeded 50 million in the first 48-hours, setting another new record for viral videos. Once again, wow. Kudos to Mr. Baumgartner and the Red Bull Stratos team!

Fake It Until You Become It!

I like this video. I think you will like it as well. It has a good message about projecting yourself nonverbally. I shared this with you via email.

http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html

Design Matters in Product Innovation

Businesses often speak about the importance of design and innovation for new product development. Think about the products designed by Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, and more. Beautiful designs coupled with easy-to-use functionality are what we think of when considering innovative design.

But is the design the only thing that matters? Does every product that has won design awards and accolades achieve success in the marketplace? Unfortunately, no - innovative design does not translate into market acceptance, or even a good product.

In this TED Talks video, Timothy Prestero (the founder and CEO of Design that Matters, a nonprofit organization that works with entrepreneurs on products for developing countries) discusses his own experiences with product innovation geared for developing countries. Prestero candidly discusses his experience developing an infant incubator for developing nations - a product that won TIME Magazine's "50 Best Inventions of 2010."

Beautiful design - yes. Practical product implemented in hospitals - no. The lesson for innovators and inventors is that good design needs to focus on who will use the product - as well as all the ways that the product can be used incorrectly. As Preston said in his talk, "There's no such thing as a dumb user; there are only dumb products."

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/timothy_prestero_design_for_people_not_awards.html

Primer on proper use of trademark & copyright notice

Here's a quick way to make sure you use proper designations of ownership for intellectual property rights. The author is the attorney I worked with to protect Concordia University's trademarks a few years ago.
http://www.duetsblog.com/2012/09/articles/trademarks/nuts-bolts-of-trademark-notice-symbols/

Global Innovation Index

Interesting ranking of countries according to an index of innovation. Any guess where the USA ranks?

SBA - Small Business Administration

Hi Folks,

Here is the SBA link Bruce shared via email. It has a good competition finder. Some of your students who are working on business plans might find it interesting.

http://www.sba.gov/sizeup 

 

10048 – Manhattan in Silence!

Few buildings have ever been given their own zip code but the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City (NYC)  had its own ~ 10048! Today the area of land where the building stood has become a sanctuary in the heart of the City.

On a hot August afternoon I stood at the former site of the World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan ~ Wall Street.  As I walked up to the 911 Memorial with my ticket to enter the hallowed ground along with thousands of visitors it seemed as though the City was transformed.

It was noontime on this last Thursday of the month.  The streets were hustling with autos, taxis, people and the noise we associate with the financial capital of the world!  As we stepped closer we saw the beginning of the redeveloped WTC that included the Memorial Pools and the spiral new tower (see photo above) that will be the tallest building in the US erected on the eight- acre ground.  As a visitor you see the other rebuilding all around you and marvel at what has been done. However, what struck me the most was the sound of silence.

The two pools set in the footprints of the original Towers are thirty- foot waterfalls – the largest in North America cascading into the pools. Each of the falls then descends into a center void. On the bronze parapets around of the pools the names of the victims are inscribed. Reflecting on the names and looking at the waterfalls all you hear is the gentle sound of the water – somehow the noise of the City is downed out. Zip code 10048 may be silent but once again we are reminded as Mayor Michael Bloomberg says, “this is a symbol of hope for the future”.

If you have the opportunity to visit New York City – do not miss this remarkable place of reflection and remembrance in the spirit of unity.

Get your Razors Online - Dollar Shave Club for Men

It seems that virtually any type of consumer good product can be improved by using the Internet. We've seen it with movie rental, food delivery, floral arrangements, book stores, music, and now…. Shaving! Yes, the Internet has enabled men to get their beards shaved at a cheaper price and without venturing to the local drug store and scaling the walls of the "razor fortress." For as low as one dollar a month, Dollar Shave Club sends its members new razor blade cartridges each month - they even throw in the handle for free.

Choose from three different plans - each of which includes shipping and handling in the monthly fee. The $1 plan provides a basic shaver for "guys who dig simplicity & precision" and delivers five cartridges per month to his home. Want a better shave? Then check out the $6 per month plan and get four cartridges each month with four stainless-steel blades and a 90-degree pivot head. Still want more? Then go for the executive look ("a personal assistant for your face") using six stainless-steel blades at a $9 per month cost!

The company launched its business using a YouTube video campaign that cost $4,500 to make and has generated more than 5 million hits. The video resonated with males around the country and sales skyrocketed. The key to success for this company was a great offer and an entertaining pitch. Watch the video and judge for yourself.

http://www.dollarshaveclub.com/

Here is one of the first photos of the Google Fiber space my son Josh designed in Kansas City. This video also shows, the product hardware, packaging, and more of the space that he designed. For me, it is hard to keep up with the latest developments in technology. The video also previews some of Google's newest products being rolled out now.Google internet in Kansas City 

Innovation is easy at Quirky.com

Do you have the next great product idea? Have you always wanted to be an inventor but didn’t know how to go about it? If so, then Quirky is the company for you to contact. Not only can you potentially get your product manufactured and marketed, you also have the opportunity to join a community of like-minded people to give your input on other product ideas. Each week Quirky produces at least two new products. It’s rapid innovation and community involvement!

The Quirky process starts when you submit an idea (it costs $10 to start the process). The next steps are community input (from the Quirky network) and product evaluation. If changes are recommended, no problem – in fact, it will make your final product even stronger as the idea gains depth and refinement from the review process. And, even if you are not an inventor, you can become an influencer in the Quirky process and also earn money and experience.

The two main steps to selecting a product idea are the community and staff evaluation. During the community evaluation, Quirky members (anyone can join for free) review, comment, and vote on the ideas. Ideas may be moved to an “under consideration” category and be placed on a list of promising ideas. Ideas are analyzed in design potential, marketing potential, and viability. Not all ideas move through into the development process, but all ideas receive valuable feedback.

Quirky products are sold on the Quirky Web site and in national stores including Target, Office Max, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and more.

http://www.quirky.com/

Thomas Friedman - Video C-Span

Hi Folks,

Remember the Thomas Friedman C-Span video to the governors convention we had on VHS on globalization? Well...he addressed the governors again in July, 2011. The video link is now on the web. I will be posting this in a few of my classes as optional viewing. Check it out if you are interested.

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/300480-1

Leadership AND/OR Management

Many debate the difference between leadership and management. John Kotter the author of the popular book Leading Change provides a defintion that provides clarity for me. He states that leadership is about change and management is about keeping order. In fact, several textbook definitions of management state that management is about budgeting, controling, monitoring, etc. On the other hand, leadership is typically associated with establishing a vision and moving forward. When I think about both of these definitions, it is difficult for me to think about a CEO that doesn’t do both. Moreover, it is difficult to find a frontline manager on the shop floor that doesn’t do both as well.  Both need to organize, monitor, etc. AND they need to paint a picture of the future for others. The concept of leadership is not leadership OR management, it is Leadership AND management. I believe the concept of leadership and management is actually a polarity that needs to be managed. This means that individuals with direct reports need to lead and manage. They need to find a way to provide structure AND create movement. John Collins the author of the best selling book ‘Built to Last’ states that outstanding organizations avoid the Tyranny of OR and tap into the Genius of AND. To that end, the concept of polarity leads me to believe that we may need a new definition of Leadership AND Management.  

"Who is tracking you online? Privacy lost."

Earlier this year, Mozilla Corp. CEO Gary Kovacs gave a Ted Talk where he discussed our loss of privacy when using the Internet. Sure, most of us know that companies keep track of us when we visit. They track what we buy, size, color, price and more. Amazon knows what types of books we like to buy, Zappos knows our shoe shopping habits, Nike tracks our sneaker purchases, and countless other sites “remember us” when we visit their sites; many of them are quite happy to suggest future purchases that might interest us. Most of the time, this is fine. As savvy consumers who frequently use the Internet, we expect companies to gather data to use in their marketing and analysis. And, as business leaders, we know there is gold in the databases.

However, has behavioral tracking gone too far? In this fascinating video, Kovacs introduces a new Firefox add-on program called “Collusion.” Collusion gives the user the visual capability to “track the trackers” – in other words, watch how often our online traffic is monitored by parties to whom we have not given express permission to do so. The scope of the behavioral tracking will likely surprise even the most experienced Web user.

View Gary Kovacs speech on the topic at http://www.ted.com/talks/gary_kovacs_tracking_the_trackers.html 

To learn more about "Collustion" - go to http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/collusion/

Then, consider these questions as part of business operations:

• What are the ethical implications of behavioral tracking? When is it useful to companies? Useful to consumers?
• What are the responsibilities of companies to their users? Should they ask permission? Or do users give implied permission just by visiting the site?
• What are the laws or regulations that affect this type of behavioral tracking? What should the laws cover?

Ted.com Video - How To Buy Happiness

http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_norton_how_to_buy_happiness.html

Here is an interesting Ted.com video on Pro-social spending vs. Anti-social spending.

Purpose: Share information related to our Stewardship Principles.
Process: I posted this in my online Town Hall this week.
Payoff: Generate an interesting online conversation about pro-social behavior.

 “Push the big red button! What makes a video go viral?"

What is it that makes videos go viral and reach millions of viewers on the Web? According to Kevin Allocca from YouTube, there are three key factors required to achieve success:

1.      Reaching the tastemakers

2.      Building a community of participation

3.      Creating unexpectedness in the video

Watch Kevin's talk on TED.com at http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_allocca_why_videos_go_viral.html.

It is a simple formula in principle, but it is extremely complex to produce in reality. Yet, marketers and advertisers try time and again – usually in vain – to hit the right formula. However, a recent video segment produced by agency Duvall Guillame Modern managed to achieve all the right elements in its video to launch TNT network in Belgium.

It started by placing a big red push button with the label “Push to add drama” in a town square in an average Flemish town. And then waited to see what happened next. The results were amazing. As of the beginning of May 2012, there have been nearly 32 million views!

See what happens when YOU push the big red button… Watch the TNT Belgium video at: http://youtu.be/316AzLYfAzw

Any Good Ideas?

Any Good Ideas ~ Captain Sullenberger's

Sitting on the runway at LaGuardia Airport today I know that as the plane taxis for takeoff we will just rise above the water and make our way into the air. It is always a moment that takes my breath away no matter how much I travel. Since January 15, 2009 when Captain Sullenberger (“Sulley”) piloted the ‘Miracle on the Hudson River’ this adventure has been even more meaningful. 

Who can forget the sight of that USA Air flight ditching on the Hudson River after it was disabled by a flock of Canadian Geese just after takeoff. Three minutes into the flight Sulley made the decision to land the plane in the Hudson when his engines failed and there was no way he could make it back to LaGuardia or Teterboro Airport on the New Jersey side of the Hudson.

Once the black box of the six minute flight was released you could hear the entire exchange of what seemed to be a very clam conversation. In an interview later, Sulley said he was not that calm but had the responsibility to appear calm for his passengers. What was most surprising on the tapes was a point just 300 feet above the water. Sulley asks his crew, “any good ideas”?  When asked later why he posed that question he stated that he always knew that regardless of how much experience you have, no matter how much you think you know, those around you may have a really great idea that you need to listen to. He always told himself that he would not have wanted to land the plane badly and then have someone say, ‘gee if we had just tried this’….

So always remember that you may have a great deal of experience but there is always an opportunity to learn from others and use your team for collaborative efforts to broaden solutions. If “Sulley” can ask at a moment 300 feet above the freezing waters of the Hudson, then we surely can ask in our pressured time frames too!  Just remember that photo of the 155 passengers safely standing on the wings on the US Air plane on the Hudson. What a moment in time!

Curious about Twitter Chats? If you aren't teaching next Wednesday evening you might want to try it out.

Just for fun--My son Andrew and his friend Tyler cover a John Mayer song.

I thought this link might be of interest. Some blog ideas for marketers.

Consensus-based Decisions

For planning to be successful, an organization needs to have the right people involved and needs to make the right strategic decisions. To that end, making the right decisions often involves consensus decision-making. But…what does consensus really mean?  Consensus is often confused with “consult and decide” and “unanimous” decision-making approaches. Consult and decide usually means that a leader will first ask the opinions of others, and then make the decision on their own…with or without giving a rationale for the decision.  On the other side of the coin, unanimous decisions are full agreement.

In some organizations, strategic decision making is a “free-for-all,” a jumbled and mysterious process whereby a leader tries to decide the strategic priorities for the organization with the group. Often the decision process involves voting, rock/paper/scissors, heated debates, and a hasty drive to make decisions based on the most vocal participants in the group. Unfortunately, these dynamics can lead to win/lose decisions that create water cooler discussion and resistance. However, the most effective strategic decision-making often comes from meetings in which consensus is seen as a process as well as an outcome. Effective decision-making comes from planning teams that understand that a consensus decision is one that all team members can support. They realize that consensus decisions may not be the decisions most preferred by all members. The assumption is that when true consensus is reached through a process in which everyone has a voice, the output usually leads to collective ownership, commitment, and superior decisions.

When I facilitate decision making sessions, I like to use the “70/100 rule” and “Five Finger” method. The 70/100 rule means that the team members are at least 70% comfortable with the decision, but 100% committed to it. The Five Finger method allows participants to provide a show of support for a decision by displaying one to five fingers…see below.

One finger means that you are opposed to the decision and will likely resist it;
Two fingers mean that you are opposed to the decision, but will not resist;
Three fingers mean that you are opposed, but will work for it;
Four fingers means that it is a good idea and you will work for it;
Five fingers means that it is a great idea and you would like to lead it!

The Five Finger method gives everyone a voice and it makes their preference visible to all. In addition, it can create a broader problem solving discussion to work towards true consensus. If you would like your  meetings to be a success, be sure to have a qualified facilitator who fully understands the complexity of obtaining true consensus on your change initiatives.