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November 2005 Archives
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November 29, 2005
Realigning Web Sites
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Technology
A List Apart reconsiders the conventional wisdom of web site redesigns and makes the pitch for web site realignment instead. Rather than tossing out a decent design and start over, tweak the current design to improve what's not working and keep what is. Steadily improve your web site rather than starting over all the time.
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November 28, 2005
Online Surveys
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Marketing
Finding out what people think has never been easier. Online surveys are cheaper, easier and more accurate than ever. Inc magazine talks about different ways businesses utilize surveys and highlights some of the survey companies out there. Thanks to new technology you don't need deep pockets to find out what the people you're serving think.
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November 22, 2005
Future Talent
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Advertising
Ron Berger, co-chairman for the second annual Advertising Week in New York last month recalls his proudest moment from the week of materialistic Madison-Avenue matrimony. According to Ad Week, apparently 13 ad agencies "adopted" some 100 New York City high school students to "familiarize them with the industry as a means to draw future talent." While I am sympathetic toward any student being "familiarized" with the industry, I am certainly encouraged by the statement that this was a proud moment. This shows two things: 1) the industry is in need of talent and wants to make sure its future is secure, and 2) people and companies want to be a part of something that makes a difference and means something.
At Personality™, we work every day on causes we believe in, especially when it means adding value to the lives of others. What's your cause?
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November 21, 2005
Back in the Box
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Business
Instead of trying something new or hopping on the latest bandwagon, what many organizations need to do is get back in the box: return to what they really do best. Forgetting what made a company hum in the first place can lead to trouble.
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November 17, 2005
Remembering a Legend: Peter Drucker
Posted by Brian Zopf | Filed under: Business
This originally appeared in our e-mail newsletter. If you're not getting it, you can sign up today.
A great and widely respected leader, often heralded as "The Father of Modern Management," died last week. We mourn his passing and here, pay tribute. The memory of Peter F. Drucker will undoubtedly be recorded in the pages of global history with indelible ink. He was great, not merely for his almost-prophetic business sense, but for the unique way in which he combined this gift with human warmth. We honor him at Personality™ in particular for his work on behalf of non-profit organizations.
Continue reading "Remembering a Legend: Peter Drucker"
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November 15, 2005
Get the Wisdom of the Wise
Posted by Brian Zopf | Filed under: Business
I have learned the wisdom of having a few, well-trusted advisors to serve as a sounding board.
A couple words of caution:
1. Choose only a few... 2-3 tops. "Too many cooks spoil the broth," so to speak. And in the end you'll be more conflicted/confused than you were in the beginning.
2. Be completely honest in showing your hand. How can others help you if you're holding back? Show 'em warts and all. (Hey, that's why you only have a few!)
Seeing yourself through someone else's eyes is a rare and wonderful gift. Keep in mind that we always make excuses for ourselves. Everything we do makes sense and seems right to us when we're the one who's doing it! But if you're open to criticism, the reflection of yourself in others is one of the keys to innovation and progress. After all, no one does everything well.
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November 11, 2005
Lessons from Netflix
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Business
Fast Company has a web-exclusive interview with Reed Hastings, the founder and CEO of Netflix. Here's a few of the lessons he shares:
- Anticipate problems and solve them before they happen. Today Netflix has 3.2 million customers and a smaller customer support team than they did in 2000 when they had 100,000 customers. It's not that people wait longer, it's that they've learned how to avoid problems.
- Do what you do well. In the dot-com days Netflix spent half a million dollars on a DVD rack giveaway to entice customers to stay. It failed miserably. Customers don't want extras, they wanted you to do what you do right.
- Don't be scared of the competition. Wal-Mart joined the DVD rent-by-mail business in 2002, but Netflix didn't let that rattle them. They realized the potential market of people willing to pay for home entertainment was 90 million homes, meaning another company in the business could help validate the market, plus Netflix already had three years of working out the kinks on Wal-Mart.
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November 10, 2005
Live Advertising
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Advertising
It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a billboard with live people! Joan Voight in her article in the September 26 issue of Ad Week had a great write-up on the increasing popularity of live advertising. From Target's vertical fashion runway to Calvin Klein's three story high bottle of cologne with a built-in dance party, outdoor advertising is more than just boring billboards for Betty's bail bonds. The potential exposure is quite large, especially considering the media coverage that often follows.
What would marketing your cause look like if it came to life?
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November 8, 2005
Spin Sounds a lot Like Manipulation
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Marketing
We had a lively discussion the other day in the office about the state of our culture and how that applies to marketing and advertising. We live in a world that puts "the best foot forward," even if there isn't a good foot available. Marketing, brands and advertising are all focused on a bottom line. There is no problem with keeping an eye on the bottom line, you better! Good business is just that, good business. But—and that's a huge but—at who's expense?
Continue reading "Spin Sounds a lot Like Manipulation"
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November 7, 2005
The Little Things
Posted by Brian Zopf | Filed under: Business
I'm realizing more and more that success is often the result of important yet subtle distinctions. Twists and tweaks can make all the difference. This applies to one's attitude and outlook on life, as well as to business and marketing.
Consider the following:
- Olympic games are won in the fractions of a second.
- The difference between rich and poor is a few decimal points.
- Most sins are only love, mis-directed.
- A single word in a sentence can change the meaning entirely.
- Hope and despair are but a thought apart.
- All of nature is hung in a delicate balance.
- "But for the grace of God, there go I." (i.e., we are all one step away from the pitiful)
Continue reading "The Little Things"
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November 3, 2005
Top 7 Technologies That Can Save You Time
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Technology
This originally appeared in our e-mail newsletter. If you're not getting it, you can sign up today.
Time is always of the essence. If you could save a little time, you could get a little more done. So work smarter, not harder. Technology can save you time, so put it to work for you. Here are some of the best:
Continue reading "Top 7 Technologies That Can Save You Time"
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November 1, 2005
Where's the Talent?
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Personality News
In the September 26 issue of Ad Week Gregory Solman wrote an article about the increasing trend–at least for now–of big agency business moving from the west to the east. Clients like Mitsubishi, Jaguar, Subway and Outback Steakhouse are all taking their ad business from California to places like New York, Chicago, and Boston. Not citing any real reasons, other than perhaps a comment from an agency president that accounts want to be closer to the "motherships," LA-based agencies are certainly feeling it.
One would then assume that the available talent pool in Los Angeles should be growing? Where are these account managers, creative directors, account planners and producers going? Here in Los Angles, the small pool of talent known as Personality™ is thriving. Sure, we could always use more business, but we'd love to add to our team people who are passionate about creative excellence, especially as it relates to rallying around a cause. We're not a big agency with huge clients. If that were the case we'd probably be a statistic in the above article. We are a small firm that works hard and enjoys seeing ideas work. Interested?
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