Red Bull: Sin in a Tin

If you're interested in how Red Bull has been marketing it's product you can read the case study. After watching CBC Marketplace it is clear how they are clearly targeting youth who will of course be mixing it with alcohol and drugs.

You are in charge of your future

Walt Disney was fired from his newspaper job for a lack of ideas. From Mickey Mouse to Donald Duck, his ideas laid the groundwork for one of America's most creative corporations, the Walt Disney Co.

Three Apple Engineers and Three Microsoft Engineers

Read the joke here

Emeril's iPod Bam!

BAM!

"Now can you have Emeril's restaurant information in the palm of your hand. You'll find addresses, phone numbers, hours, management, attire and parking for all of the restaurants in five different cities!"

If you have a sales team you sell crap or a commodity

When was the last time someone really sold you anything? That new home, car, computer, pair of shoes, dress or a box of cereal. How many of these choices were influenced by a salesperson. I would say zippo, nadda, zilch, none. I went out and bought myself an ipod because I think they are great and wanted one. The salesperson in the store was just an obstacle in my way to the cashier.

How do you spot a company with terrible products, they tell you they are sales focused. Seth Godin makes the point:

"Sometimes it seems like the very best stuff sells itself. That explains why some car dealerships have waiting lists and sell stuff for a premium, while others look like ghost towns.Sometimes, salesmanship is overrated. What matters more is real marketing, marketing that involves making the right product, not hyping it."

Do beautiful women have a sales force working for them convincing you to go out with them?

Return of the Bow Tie

How does this happen? At what point in a persons life do they decide, "I need to wear a bow tie". Does it occur at night with a sudden feeling to grab a bow tie and wrap it around your neck? Are bow ties flying through the air looking for their next victim? Are we all susceptible to this curse? Do these people really think it's a personal style or highly thought out attempt to build a unique persona? Do we believe this uniqueness or insulted by its obvious attempt.

Just don't be surprised the next morning if you wake up and in the mirror you see a bow tie. It could happen to you. Be very very afraid.

Story of Two Cows

Twin brothers Chip and Flip both received two cows each for their 20th birthdays. Chip looked at the two cows and cursed wondering why would anyone want two cows. Angered and confused about his gift he stormed off to the local bar to celebrate.

On the other hand his brother Flip who receivd the same gift opened up a cheese factory, ice cream factory and sold fresh milk to stores across town. He then bought the bars in town where his brother Chip spent the day.

Design and Management books for your library

If your are looking for books to read about design and management visit the Design Managment Institute. They have a good list. I'm posting this after viewing a posting on a business blog about 20 essential design books which was taken from How Magazine. The list in How is for designers and a business person would not gain any benefit from them unless you are interested in learning photoshop and setting type.

They removed my comment from the blog after I mentioned that the list from How was useless to a business person.

Are you Scared?

Tom Peters:

"Current McKinsey Quarterly cover story: "Asia's Next Export: Innovation."
Scary story!
You didn't really think China was going to be satisfied with baseball caps & socks?"

What if HP had hired a college dropout instead of Carly Fiorina

Having never studied business I find it an interesting subject. What is a business or a large corporation but a giant design project in progress. You have all these different elements to combine and exploit effectively. For instance all graphic designers have access to the same elements, fonts, colours, photographs and software and access to the same marketplace. Others are more successful in being able to use these same elements properly.

I look at HP as a design project undertaken by Carly Fiorina who has impressive credentials on paper but wasn't able to deliver. This makes me wonder what if HP had hired a college dropout, someone who loved technology. Do you they the would have done a better job? Someone who realized that technology was changing at such a rapid pace it made no sense to build computers and store them in a warehouse like Compaq had done. Someone who realized that the Wal-Mart generation has been spoiled by cheap prices. Wait a minute if they did that then they would have another Michael Dell.

Some of Carly Fiorina's Seven Deadly Sins by Rich Karlgaard

Too Sexy for French Wine

Read this story and you will be convinced that the French drink too much wine, they're all drunk or nuts.

The Gates, Central Park, New York City

Found some great photos of Christo's gates project in New York City. More photos at Flickr.
Note: this project was first proposed 25 years ago, presistence!

Death of traditional public relations?

Economist

"But Mr Scoble is at his best when he opines ruthlessly on Microsoft's technology. When Google or Apple or anybody else makes a better product, he blogs it. “I've been pretty harsh on Microsoft over the years,” he says. This gives him credibility, and thus power. If somebody somewhere takes a swipe at Microsoft that is unfair, Mr Scoble can cry foul and actually have his readers concede the point."

Listerine is no substitute for dental floss

ABC News
I must have missed this story in January. I use Listerine and when I watched the commercials I was sold on the idea that you didn't need to floss. It's like rinsing your mouth with gasoline. You think it would break down or dissolve plaque in hard to reach places. My own ideas sold me or I wanted to believe so because we know what a chore it is to floss. I thought they were all playing the game fairly, ya right.

How to Read a Book

So you thought you knew how to read a book properly eh? Well you need to read it from the last to first page upside down to really appreciate it's meaning, no that's not right either. But Brendon Connelly has some good advice such as stop being a passive reader. Don't be afraid to mark-up books and add comments, this isn't easy for most people. I remember great ideas from some books and then unable to find it only wishing I had marked it. He goes a little over the top with suggestions about pens specifically for marking up books. This guy is serious for a slacker.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

It's the year 4703! Is the hockey lockout over yet?

Revenge of the Right Brain

As jobs continue to be outsourced a pattern has emerged according to Daniel H. Pink. Skills which have long been coveted such as linear, logical, analytical talents still matter but move over for the right brain skills.

Wired Magazine

"If the Industrial Age was built on people's backs, and the Information Age on people's left hemispheres, the Conceptual Age is being built on people's right hemispheres. We've progressed from a society of farmers to a society of factory workers to a society of knowledge workers. And now we're progressing yet again - to a society of creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers."

About Artichokes

Artichokes contain a unique organic ester, cynarin, which stimulates the sweetness receptors in the taste buds. Cynarin makes everything, even water, taste sweeter for a short time.

Godaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons blogs and offers 16 rules to live by

There have been mixed reviews about the godaddy.com advertising campaign where a well-endowed woman in a tight t-shirt has her strap break. I liked it…we need more boobs on TV.

Seriously, Bob Parsons a 54yr old CEO who has launched many successful businesses has some great advice on his blog. Not only does he comment about the ad campaign and what happened plus he gives us 16 rules to live by which he has learned over the years.

Here are the 16 rules for survival:

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.

3. When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think. There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."

5. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."

6. Take things a day at a time. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide. Remember what the Union Civil War general, Tecumseh Sherman said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

9. Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around. In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair. Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems. You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."

15. Don't take yourself too seriously. Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There's always a reason to smile. Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time; we're here for a good time."

The above rules for survival is included with the permission of Bob Parsons and is Copyright 2005 by Bob Parsons. All rights reserved

This day in 1976 Darryl Sittler sets an NHL record with 10 points in a game: six goals and four assists

In elementary school we had been taught a nifty trick to remember some of our multiplication tables. Some of the answers were associated with the Toronto Maple Leaf hockey players. For instance 7x3 was 21(Borje Salming), 2X11 was 22(Rick Vaive) and 9x3 was 27(Darryl Sittler).

Many years later I end up working for a catering company that looked after the private boxes at Maple Leaf Gardens. One of my duties was to check the President/GM's office and ensure he had all the required beverages. Who would I see daily next to the photocopier but 9x3 himself, Darryl Sittler. Hey 9x3 how's it going? Well I missed the opportunity to ask..I've had many missed opportunities.

Frank Gehry designs the new Art Gallery of Ontario and Wyborowa Vodka Bottle

Many people don't know that Frank Gehry was raised here in Toronto and moved to the US. He has now returned to his home town with a new design for The Art Gallery of Ontario which has been given the go ahead this week. One of his latest pieces of work can be purchased on the shelf at any liquor store selling Wyborowa Vodka. I have not seen it here yet since by chance I just happened to purchase a bottle of Wyborowa this week.

Spray-On Solar-Power Cells Are True Breakthrough

National Geographic News:

"Scientists have invented a plastic solar cell that can turn the sun's power into electrical energy, even on a cloudy day."

Soon your roof will collect energy and your winter coat will warm you, this is too cool. Link courtesy of IDFuel

Proving the Practical Power of Design

DMI Publications:

"Using anecdotal evidence, designers have long believed their expertise makes a positive contribution to corporate performance. Now research commissioned by the London-based Design Council provides more compelling proof of the link between design and shareholder return. Harry Rich summarizes how, over the past 10 years, share prices of UK companies that use design effectively have dramatically outperformed the rest of the market."

Chef'n pepper grinders take an innovative squeeze

It's not very often you get excited about a kitchen gadget or find them to be innovative. Chef'n has managed to do this with an innovative line of kitchen gadgets from pepper grinders, can openers, garlic presses etc. My favorite has to be the Chef'n dual grinder. It's requires just one hand to operate. I have other traditional pepper grinders; one is stainless steel and looks like a Turkish spice mill with a little crank. But for convenience and speed I always grab the dual grinder. I prefer the squeezing compared to the twisting required to use other grinders. Neat thing about it is if turn the handle 180 degrees it switches from grinding pepper to salt. I don't think you necessarily have to put salt in the other chamber, possibly another spice if you liked, haven't experimented yet.

CEOs: It's Time to Blog

MarketingProfs has a good article regarding the benefits of a corporate blog. If you don't think a blog would be good or net yet convinced...read it twice.