Bringing Together Two Worlds - Evernote and IdeaPaint

Today's marketers are constantly looking for ways to bridge the gap between the online world and the "physical" world. Developing cross-product applications between the two worlds can be done successfully when the two compliment each other. I use an online note-taking application called EverNote. It comes in handy when I'm doing market or product research for a particular client. I can capture web sites, notes, scans, images, etc. effortlessly and deposit them into a secure, web-based folder. Along comes IdeaPaint. This physical product allows you to paint any smooth surface to create a white board for interactive collaboration between individuals and/or group brainstorming sessions.

Take a look at this video to get the real meaning of cross-product collaboration between two different worlds.

The Future According to Corning Glass

I found this YouTube video about the future according to Corning Glass. It's really kind of neat, but doesn't take into account alot of the "points of failure". You know, birds flying into glass windows, mud, etc. Still, it shows what a company with VISION can attempt to create. We all need a Vision Statement. Do you have one?

QR Codes - Scanning Study

I recently came across a poster that had three QR codes advertising three different educational events for teenage boys; Martial Arts, Boxing and Cross Training. You don't often see three QR codes on one advertisement. I was curious as to what the interface consequences would be if I took a scan of all three at once and then two at a time. I was using the QR Code Scanner Pro by The Jared Company. I held my BlackBerry Torch 12 inches away from the poster each time I scanned it. I took ten scans each time (three sets of ten) and the mobile web sites that launched were as follows:

Scanning all three at once:

Martial Arts - 1

Boxing - 9

Cross Training - 0

With this test, I placed my image screen so that the three were evenly lined up across my BlackBerry screen. It seems that the scanner picks up the middle of the screen 90% of the time. I'm not sure if the scanner technology scans the complete screen on my BlackBerry Torch or just down the center. The fact that it picked Martial Arts once could be because I accidently held the BlackBerry more to the left.

Scanning the two QR codes on the left:

Martial Arts - 2

Boxing - 8

Scanning the two QR codes on the right:

Boxing - 8

Cross Training - 2

The interesting thing about these last two scan tests is that both QR codes were lined up evenly in the middle of the screen, yet it still scanned the Boxing QR code most of the time. Is there such a thing as a "stronger" QR code? Anyhow, this test definitely tells me that you need to place the scanner image screen over one QR code at a time. Otherwise, you might find yourself taking multiple scans to get the mobile web site you want to view.

Ordering "Networking" Cards - Huh?

Saw this Vistaprint online ad on Pandora. What caught my eye and made me click on it was that it was advertising for 250 free "Networking Cards". Not "Business Cards", but Networking Cards. In today's day and age, business seems to begin with some sort of networking "event", whether it be social networking discussion boards, invitations or live networking events. The fact that Vistaprint is advertising cards, that are traditionally known as Business Cards, as Networking Cards is quite an evolution of this print medium. How can you take your product/service and re-brand it to meet a different target market or "event"?

Quick Poll Regarding Outsourcing of Business Functions

I realize that this poll isn't quite up the alley of my usual topics of discussion, but I was curious as to what business functions are looking to be outsourced in 2011. If you don't mind...

USAA - I Love These Guys!

Every December I look forward to an email from USAA Insurance Company. Being an "ex-military brat", I was fortunate to take advantage of USAA's services when I started to drive through my Dad's Army service during the Vietnam War era. I receive this email from Josue (Joe) Robles Jr., Maj. General, USA (Ret.) and CEO of USAA Casualty Insurance Company every year. In short, it states;

"As a valued policyholder, you are part of the community of military families that USAA is here to serve and we are pleased to put money back in your pocket with this year's auto dividend. This dividend is a benefit as a policyholder, and it's just one of the things that make USAA different from other financial services companies. The following summarizes your dividend and we'll place a receipt in your USAA Documents Online within a few days."

This year, my check was for $115 and change. They credit that amount to my account. How excellent is that?! This form of year-end customer appreciation could be done across many industries. I will never leave USAA. Period.

Everything you know about COLOR might be wrong

I recently saw this SlideShare presentation attached to my LinkedIn account page. The author's name is Will Longaphie. He's a Canadian graphic designer. He takes the time to break down the perceived primary colors and enhance their definition a bit. It's sort of a "everything you learned as a kid is wrong" approach. Interesting look at the world of color, or COLOUR as he spells it. Take a look...

On-Demand Motivational Messaging

I found an interesting application that sends motivational messages directly to your cell phone. All you need to do is tell the company, MyWilson (inspired by the movie, "Castaway") which subject you need help with such as, quitting smoking, saving money, personal training, sales motivation, etc. and they will send a text message to your cell phone. You'll receive daily reminders and motivational messages to help you meet your goals. You can try it for free for 48 hours and then pay them month-to-month by credit card for a nominal fee. A simple way to use on-demand technology to keep you focused!

Aligning Marketing and Sales

A good friend of mine, Joe Zuccaro, is the owner of Allinio. They are a marketing automation services company dedicated to helping firms align marketing & sales, automate lead management processes, and grow revenue. He recently posted a presentation discussing the challenges of aligning marketing and sales from a "birds-eye" view. I found this presentation extremely entertaining and right on the mark. It's critical for the Marketing department to be on the same page as the Sales department. Marketing needs to reach out to the sales folks and visit clients on a constant basis. The Sales folks need to proactively communicate with the Marketing folks on a monthly if not weekly basis. Marketing folks should be on the Sales team conference calls and in their meetings. Alignment is critical in today's business environment. Ignore it at your own peril!

Checkout Allinio's presentation below:

Live the Beautiful Game - Interactive Facial Integration

Found a great interactive link sponsored by Cisco that allows you to upload a picture of your face and then integrate it into a commercial. Pretty clever stuff. Imagine if you had a database of client faces and you could create visually personalized ads distinctly for them. Pretty cool...

Great Conversation About Inbound Marketing

Found this great interview about inbound marketing and social media between John Moran at BlueWave Marketing & Promotions and Brian Halligan, CEO of Hub Spot. Brian is "trying to build a California-style company in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts." Sounds like an exciting place to work. Check it out...

On-Demand and Online File Conversion - Zamzar!

Quite often I come across a PDF document that I've created and need to make changes to that document. The problem is that I sometimes lose the original. It would be nice to "just convert" the PDF to a DOC file so that I can make those changes. Well, I came across an online (SaaS) application called Zamzar. They currently have a slew of ways to convert files of all shapes and sizes (including video) to another file type. No software to download; it's all software as a service. Give it a try at www.zamzar.com or watch the video below to learn more.

Accelerate Your Web Site - Critical On-Demand Tool!

I found this Australian company called Aptimize. They make a web site load faster. It's a critical point in on-demand marketing that we sometimes overlook. All these social media web sites don't mean diddly if they are too slow to load or complete a task. The company's CEO, Ed Robinson, does a great "laymans" explanation of the benefits of Aptimize's services. His use of live action and simple animation is fantastic (from a layman's point of view, of course)! Check it out and when you're finished, download their sample report.

Bach and Integrated Marketing Campaigns

I'm a huge fan of J.S. Bach. Probably because his music is full of ADHD-laced 16th notes which was common for the Baroque period of classical music. 16th notes are fast and allow for integration and scaling of other musical instruments. Bach's style was also notable for the way he built his musical compositions on a common theme. He would start out with one instrument and then add additional instruments building on the common theme. In the end, he would have a beautiful, flowing masterpiece. Just listen to the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, 3rd movement (allegro). It builds and builds...

What does this have to do with integrated, on-demand marketing? Think about it. With a true, integrated marketing campaign, you start with a medium and specific theme (just like Bach); be it a design, message or whatever. You then add additional marketing mediums (instruments) to compliment the original medium without losing the theme. By the end of the multi-touch, marketing campaign, you will have created a beautiful, flowing masterpiece and hopefully a positive ROI for your efforts.

In the words of Corporal Walter O'Reilly of M*A*S*H fame, "Aaahhhhh, Bach"!

YouMail - Integrating your mobile phone, voicemail, email and SMS

I recently signed up for a free service called YouMail.

YouMail provides a robust replacement for your mobile carriers voicemail system. Some of the features include Visual Voicemail, Voice-To-Text, Personal Greetings (they've got a whole library of these), Voicemail Sharing, Unwanted Caller Blocking and Voicemail By Email. It took around 15 minutes to set everything up and provides much more of a visual experience then my mobile carrier's voicemail system. Best of all it's free!

Another great example of integrating conventional and online marketing technology... ON-DEMAND!

YouTube Direct - On-Demand Reporting for the Rest of Us

So YouTube is now offering the rest of us an opportunity to shoot video news footage and upload it to our favorite news channel's web site. The news channel gets to approve it first, of course. What a fantastic way to get grassroots video footage of breaking stories onto the Internet and airwaves. Check out the YouTube Direct video of their service offering:

Digital Marketing Mediums and Brand Marketers - Not quite on the same page

Saw this informative video clip from iMedia. It's not mentioned in the video, but I heard a rumor that Pepsi is using it's $20 million Super Bowl budget on Social Media campaigns instead of the conventional mediums. Interesting stuff...

Why are brand marketers still afraid of digital? - iMediaConnection.com

"Insight from some industry experts as to why digital still hasn't dominated brand marketers. "

iMedia's marketer on the street questions why brands continue to ignore digital and opt to put the bulk of their spend into traditional media instead.

View >>

Social Media Strategy - A Practical Guide for Marketers

Found this great presentation regarding Social Media Strategy courtesy of Spur Interactive. Excellent food for thought!

Integrating Online and Conventional Marketing - Zappos.com Gets It!

Zappos.com Introduces a Printed Catalog

In a sign that the online marketing medium is maturing, Zappos.com, the online shoe retailer, has decided to add a printed catalog as part of their overall marketing mix, specifically to retain existing clients and to acquire new clientele. Aaron Magness, Director for Brand Marketing and Business Development at Zappos.com saw the reality of the buying public that different people respond to different media.

Being in this industry for over 23 years, I'm not surprised at all that Zappos.com has decided to make this move. I'm a big believer of merging conventional and online marketing mediums. In the right environment, both can bring value to the table.

Of course, Zappos.com is also publishing a digital edition of the catalog. Take a look at it by clicking here: Zappos Interactive Magazine!
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Focused - On-Demand Help for Distracted Minds

This application shuts out all desktop distractions making it easier to focus on writing. Pretty cool!

Focused - Demo from funkyboy on Vimeo.