The Long and Short of It
Posted by goodmind on July 16th, 2008
So there’s been some scandal upon the paperback release of Chris Anderson’s The Long Tail. Slate recently ran an article summarizing the major holes in the theory, as identified by Anita Elberse in Harvard Business Review. Elberse certainly backs her case with ample evidence, mostly culled from Australia’s version of Netflix. However, she also makes a shrewd observation about the supply and demand economy of niche markets that’s so self-evident it’s easy to overlook.
Venturing into the Long Tail is not a matter of taste, but rather an issue of capacity. The good news is that niche markets are probably inexhaustive. The bad news is that these most of these markets are too exhausted (lazy) to seek out niche products, in favor of more conspicuous choices.
Elberse uses the example of Australian film buffs on Quickflix, who consistently rented “unpopular” films. It turns out, these sophisticated connoisseurs also rented their fair share of blockbusters too, they just had more “capacity” for watching movies, and therefore had to move on to more obscure films out of sheer necessity.
We wonder what Elberse would say about our capacity for reading blogs, which, like Quickflix/Netflix, are technically subscription based services. Taking a look at our diverse RSS feed begs the question; are we discerning readers, or simply voracious readers?
Wall•E Is Garbage
Posted by goodmind on July 2nd, 2008
Like most Pixar films, Wall•E contains some “adult humor” moments; social commentary that is perhaps beyond the scope of the target audience. And, like most Disney films, Wall•E is also supposed to sell toys.
Spoiler Alert: Wall•E is basically a post-apocalyptic vision of a consumer society.
Well here’s some clever marketing, why not hand out cheap disposable watches to the kids on opening night, so they can help fill those landfills faster, and bring Wall•E to life! Talk about engagement…or a self-fulfilling prophecy.
At any rate, shelling out $10 for a ticket to Wall•E isn’t a, wait for it, waste.
Bloggers Move Up the Fast Food Chain
Posted by goodmind on June 18th, 2008
Stranger things have probably happened, but McDonald’s, of all corporate entities, has actually elevated the status of the blogger in the professional hierarchy. (In stark contrast to the AP’s best efforts to prevent bloggers from re-publishing excerpts from their articles).
While internal employee social network sites to promote “ownership” are nothing new, Station M made good on the promise, and held a contest where first prize was the prestigious position of official Station M blogger. The eventual winner, Rick, has been taken off fryer-duty to focus exclusively on his new role. And of course, his promotion is a great promotional angle for the world’s largest fast food chain.
He hasn’t posted anything yet, but when he does, we hope he doesn’t try to incorporate any AP sourced insight. Maybe it’s OK to blur the line between producer and consumer when you’re working the deep-fryer, but it’s apparently legitimate cause for legal action, when intellectual property is at stake.
Social Networking is for Babies
Posted by goodmind on June 5th, 2008
As if parents needed a platform to brag about their brat, along comes TotSpot. The gist;
TotSpot is a place for parents to publish a page about their kids and share with family and friends. It’s part online babybook, parent journal, and social network.
Now your toddler can experience life as a Jolie-Pitt child! Come to think of it, TotSpot is also sort of like a Facebook for baby Einsteins, already enrolled in elite pre-schools for gifted children. Which is why we think this concept could do very, very well. Parental pride knows no bounds.
(via TechCrunch)
Back in the USSR
Posted by goodmind on June 4th, 2008
We like to think that ten years from now, the incessant stream of mergers, acquisitions, hostile takeovers, new technologies, revolutionary web platforms, and all the other RSS feed effluvia, will be ironed out into the *new* internet. Web 7.113 will be a seamless interface, enhancing productivity, communication, and due diligence, at least in our Utopian prophecy.
Chris Messina has a more political vision of how this future will pan out, described in his post on Facebook, the USSR, communism and train racks. It’s basically about how the borders of social networks will drastically evolve as the landscape of the web continues to change until the Microsoft of web standards emerges.
The key point is that Facebook is perhaps forcing the issue, by trying to make its platform the standard for developers. However, Facebook is not trying to harness the creative benefits of an open source API, they’re trying to keep users, and their valuable data, within the network…much like the Soviets did with their proprietary train track specifications back in the day.
We recommend reading the entire post, as it is quite insightful in addition to being well written. The money quote;
“Look, if Martin Luther had nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door but had ensconced them in DRM, he would not have been as effective at bringing about the Reformation.”
(via Scobleizer)
Life is Simplex
Posted by goodmind on June 3rd, 2008
Prepare to add the term “simplexity” to your business buzz-word lexicon, along with freakonomics, crowdsourcing, and (we hope) co-rendering.
For $25.95, Jeffrey Kluger will explain why simple things become complex, and how complex things can be made simple. While advance reviews for Simplexity are positive, we’re wondering if a 300 page hardcover book is the correct format for critiquing lengthy and incomprehensible cell phone manuals.
It’s actually kind of an interesting paradox in itself that Simplexity adheres to the standard, New York Times Bestselling book package, yet “challenges our models for modern living” and “will have you rethinking the rules of business, family, art–your world.” Apparently eschewing convention does not apply to design principles when book sales are on the line, though you can’t really fix what isn’t broken. (Heck, we bought it).
The New Anti-Smoking Lobby
Posted by goodmind on May 14th, 2008
The mobileYouth Survey, a global study “covering youth lifestyle trends and mobile consumption” revealed some interesting insights into kids these days. While wireless providers will likely focus on findings such as “Youths spend 8 times more on mobile than on music,” it’s also important to note that youth smoking is on the decline as mobile phone ownership rises.
Although it’s probably pretty likely that cell phones and cigs pose the same cancer risk, don’t be surprised to hear this statistic recycled at cocktail parties and corporate events –or for that matter, during a pre-teen lobby for a mobile device. Next we’ll be hearing accusations of the Verizon spokesman targeting tweens. Oh wait…
What Personality Type Are You?
Posted by goodmind on April 22nd, 2008
Can’t decide whether the glass is half full, or half empty? Then try a more conclusive test to see if you’re really an optimist, or a pessimist, particularly as it relates to your business pursuits, and brand identity. Determine whether the following statement is a pleasant, or an unpleasant truth;
“no matter what kind of company you are, your customers are having a conversation about your products and practices.” (Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com)
No matter which camp you fall in, it’s definitely an absolute truth, one that Salesforce.com has harnessed via their “Ideas” platform. (Making them realists, we suppose). Dell and Starbucks have already begun co-rendering the insights of customers, as brand notoriety is no longer a guaranteed glass half full scenario. In Dell’s case, it’s a box mostly empty.
Next Gen “Fuzz Busters”
Posted by goodmind on April 3rd, 2008
For anyone seeking an excuse to splurge on a GPS enabled cellphone, let Trapster Mobile Service be your rationalization. It takes a “networked approach” to reporting speed traps, feeding information to maps, and alerting motorists to nearby police presence before it’s too late. Trapster is free of charge, and easy enough to use whether reporting or receiving reports; a critical factor in the success of most user-backed programs.
While the upfront investment in a GPS phone (and wireless data plan) may be offset by avoiding speeding tickets, be wary of accruing other types of traffic citations when using the Trapster service. In states where it is illegal to use a cellphone sans wireless headset, Trapster’s functional reliance on the “pound-1″ keystroke is unlikely to impress state troopers, no matter how slow you’re going. (via Gizmodo)
Play Ball! (Among Other Things)
Posted by goodmind on March 31st, 2008
In honor of Baseball’s Opening Day, we thought we’d share our thoughts on Nationals Park, the latest D.C. debutante and the new home of the Washington Nationals. Alleged to be more of a hitter’s park than the former stadium, RFK, it seems more like a gamer’s paradise to us. From the Official website;
“Children also will love the selection of video games available to them. There’s a 15,000 square foot area behind right-center field — which will open three hours before the game — where kids can spend hours playing on Playstation 3, Guitar Hero 3, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and other things.”
Thought it would be nice to assume some of those other “things” include watching a ballgame, don’t count on it. In addition to being hitter-friendly, Nationals Park was designed to be fan friendly as well. When the starting rotation can’t locate the strike zone, fans at least will have no trouble finding the prominently featured PS3 Zone, or many of the stadium’s other diversions features.
