wow - what a week! i need some time to backlog some posts, and more music recommendations are on the way, but in the meantime check out this amazing commercial for the new honda insight hybrid. the producers created the world's largest led screen out of about 1,000 cars. there's also a making of clip that is awesome.
Honda Insight - Let It Shine from Honda on Vimeo.
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
ahh, this may be why borders is having trouble
when it comes to a bookstore chain, i like borders, really i do. i prefer great local indie shops like powell's or davis-kidd, but in our new space here in san diego i haven't found a store like that yet, so i like to look at borders. i like their design better than barnes & noble and they used to have a music aesthetic that fit me better than others.
but the reason i was shopping there last week was that i had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket and decided that i needed some fun new reading for an upcoming trip. i went for christopher moore's new book, fool, dan kennedy's rock on: an office power ballad, and one of the 33 1/3 books on radiohead's ok computer.
so i got a voice mail from a local store telling me that my order from borders.com had arrived and i could pick it up anytime. huh? i'd ordered it to come to the office so i could get it fresh in the middle of the day. i called the store, and after being on hold for 5 minutes while they checked, someone came back on the line and informed me that it was a bummer that my order had gone there, but my only option was to drive to their store and pick it up. it's not all that far, but for a one car family, heading another 10 minutes from where we generally traverse is a pain, and the store's nonchalance about it struck me the wrong way. so now i need to figure out when i can get to a place i don't normally go for something that already bugs me.
it got me wondering about how my expectations shape my mood, and how what others may expect from me shape their view of me - as a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor, etc. i'm a pretty flexible person and prone to be able to improvise and find solutions on the go. but that's me, and if i unfairly measure others by that yardstick, or assume that they measure me that way, well, i can see some conflict there.
so i'm still not happy with borders and will revert back to another online store that gets things right or makes me happy making up for it. i'll also have a little voice in my head when i see the borders name somewhere making me ask some questions of myself.
but the reason i was shopping there last week was that i had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket and decided that i needed some fun new reading for an upcoming trip. i went for christopher moore's new book, fool, dan kennedy's rock on: an office power ballad, and one of the 33 1/3 books on radiohead's ok computer.
so i got a voice mail from a local store telling me that my order from borders.com had arrived and i could pick it up anytime. huh? i'd ordered it to come to the office so i could get it fresh in the middle of the day. i called the store, and after being on hold for 5 minutes while they checked, someone came back on the line and informed me that it was a bummer that my order had gone there, but my only option was to drive to their store and pick it up. it's not all that far, but for a one car family, heading another 10 minutes from where we generally traverse is a pain, and the store's nonchalance about it struck me the wrong way. so now i need to figure out when i can get to a place i don't normally go for something that already bugs me.
it got me wondering about how my expectations shape my mood, and how what others may expect from me shape their view of me - as a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor, etc. i'm a pretty flexible person and prone to be able to improvise and find solutions on the go. but that's me, and if i unfairly measure others by that yardstick, or assume that they measure me that way, well, i can see some conflict there.
so i'm still not happy with borders and will revert back to another online store that gets things right or makes me happy making up for it. i'll also have a little voice in my head when i see the borders name somewhere making me ask some questions of myself.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
you mean the pc "laptop hunter" commercial is a fraud?
being a mac fan i was of course skeptical of the new pc commercials, but here's one of my favorite cranks, bob lefsetz, to debunk the commercials. For the uninitiated, bob lefsetz is a music business thinker, gadfly and blogger. while he can be gruff and given to an abundance of hyperbole i find a lot of truth in what he writes, though i still can't figure out his love for modern country music. don't hold that against him. his posts on the music he loves are as passionate and indulgent as they come. here's a short burst on lying to customers:
_______
Stop lying.
The Web has a zillion sleuths just waiting to be activated, like that worm on your computer delineated on "60 Minutes" last night (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/27/60minutes/main4897053.shtml), (PC-only, in fact), in order to verify the veracity of your statements.
Latest example?
Microsoft's new "Laptop Hunters" TV campaign, in which an uber-attractive girl professes she's not cool enough to buy an Apple laptop and goes for a cheaper Windows machine.
Within moments, it was revealed that "Lauren" was not an average person, but a member of SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) recruited from Craigslist (http://www.tuaw.com/2009/03/30/some-thoughts-on-the-new-microsoft-ads/)
Then, it was revealed that the computer she purchased was an old model (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2344017,00.asp) with bad reviews: http://blogs.computerworld.com/microsoft_apple_pc_wars_advertisement_crispen_porter_get_a_mac_ads_ballme
Then a Mac user offered to GIVE HER his own Apple PowerBook so she could see what she was missing: http://i.gizmodo.com/5187031/lauren-we-have-someone-whod-like-to-talk-to-you
In other words, if you think you can pull the wool over the public's eyes, with your lame excuse denying the truth, you're wrong. The twenty first century is about transparency. Reveal the facts, admit the truth and move on. People today know life is complicated, mistakes and failures are part of the game: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/magazine/29wwln-lede-t.html?ref=magazine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIS6G-HvnkU
_______
_______
Stop lying.
The Web has a zillion sleuths just waiting to be activated, like that worm on your computer delineated on "60 Minutes" last night (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/27/60minutes/main4897053.shtml), (PC-only, in fact), in order to verify the veracity of your statements.
Latest example?
Microsoft's new "Laptop Hunters" TV campaign, in which an uber-attractive girl professes she's not cool enough to buy an Apple laptop and goes for a cheaper Windows machine.
Within moments, it was revealed that "Lauren" was not an average person, but a member of SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) recruited from Craigslist (http://www.tuaw.com/2009/03/30/some-thoughts-on-the-new-microsoft-ads/)
Then, it was revealed that the computer she purchased was an old model (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2344017,00.asp) with bad reviews: http://blogs.computerworld.com/microsoft_apple_pc_wars_advertisement_crispen_porter_get_a_mac_ads_ballme
Then a Mac user offered to GIVE HER his own Apple PowerBook so she could see what she was missing: http://i.gizmodo.com/5187031/lauren-we-have-someone-whod-like-to-talk-to-you
In other words, if you think you can pull the wool over the public's eyes, with your lame excuse denying the truth, you're wrong. The twenty first century is about transparency. Reveal the facts, admit the truth and move on. People today know life is complicated, mistakes and failures are part of the game: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/magazine/29wwln-lede-t.html?ref=magazine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIS6G-HvnkU
_______
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