by admin | May 19, 2014 | Brand targeting & positioning
When Chevrolet prominently featured gay and lesbian couples in a family-focused commercial titled “The New Us,” marketing experts saw it as a breakthrough. And they think other automakers will come to see it the same way. Justin Bell, CEO of Arc & Arrow Creative Group, an agency focused on connecting brands with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender market, calls the spot for the Traverse crossover, aired during NBC’s Olympics broadcasts, “monumental,” and says it was “no tiny move for Chevrolet” to include three families headed by gay couples among the 12 who were spotlighted. Read more about the effect of the Chevrolet ad breakthrough on LGBT consumers...
by admin | May 19, 2014 | Brand targeting & positioning
Starting Monday, Univision Mobile will offer customers monthly plans that include 100 minutes of international calling to eight countries in Latin America, including Mexico, and unlimited text messaging to phone numbers in more than 200 countries around the world. With the help of Univision’s well-known brand and marketing muscle, T-Mobile hopes to tap into the Latino market of nearly 56 million Americans. The Latino market represents the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S. and includes some of the most active smartphone users. Nielsen said Thursday that 77% of Latinos own a smartphone, nearly 10 percentage points higher than the national average. They also spend more time watching digital video and use more data, and are adopting smartphones at a much quicker rate, Nielsen said. Mike Sievert, T-Mobile’s chief marketing officer, said Latinos are among the most influential groups in the country and “deserve wireless tailored to their interests and needs.” Read more about the launch of this new wireless brand targeting...
by admin | May 16, 2014 | Innovation
Poor Lou Gerstner. A widely respected executive credited with leading RJR Nabisco and American Express to corporate glory, the 51-year-old had just accepted the job nobody wanted.For nearly a century, IBM had risen practically unfettered from bland holding company to industrial-strength powerhouse. A premier technology provider globally, IBM was credited most recently with ushering in the personal computer revolution. But that was then. By 1993, as Gerstner took over as CEO, “Big Blue” was in free fall. Bloated and teetering on bankruptcy, the company posted an eye-popping $8.1 billion loss the year before. IBM under Gerstner quickly returned to profitability. But stopping the bleeding was one thing, restoring relevance was another. Read more about the ‘innovation mindset’ and the 8 keys you can use to unlock it...
by admin | May 16, 2014 | Innovation
Microsoft officials say they plan to open one of their first training centers in the United States on the city-owned east campus of the former St. Elizabeths hospital, in one of the poorest areas of Southeast D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) has made redeveloping the east campus of St. Elizabeths one of his top economic development priorities and has repeatedly said he would like to see Microsoft play a role in it. Officials for the software giant said last week that they were committed to doing that by way of opening one of its Microsoft Innovation Centers, facilities in emerging economic areas where the company provides software training for students and entrepreneurs. To date, Microsoft has nearly 100 innovation centers worldwide, with concentrations in Eastern Europe, India and Brazil. There are none in the United States, though one isopening shortly in downtown Miami at a tech incubator and accelerator called Venture Hive. A second center may open in Houston. Read more about Microsoft and the plans that they have outlined...
by admin | May 15, 2014 | Communication strategy
Email writing training is one of my favourite topics. I often write about the impact of good (and bad), email writing on our professional success and reputation. The Risk Of Email Most business communication is by email. We try to build and maintain relationships using this one-dimensional, sensory deprived mode of communication that was never designed to do what we are using it for. Email was designed for the United States Defense Department in 1971 by Computer Engineer, Ray Tomlinson as a way to send a simple (note the word ‘simple’), message to another person across a network.email3 Email has gone far beyond sending a simple message. Not only are we using it as a project management and relationship-building business communication tool, in many ways we are using email to replace conversations — displacing many phone and face-to-face conversations. For example, it’s not uncommon for business associates. In another city to never meet or speak with each other, and to only communicate by email. Who sit next to each other to do most of their communication by email. Read more about the 12 tips for writing better emails and communicating through email messages effectively...
