ChaosScenario

The Age of Conversation

Last week I wrapped up my chapter of The Age of Conversation, swallowed hard, and sent it on to the great blogging mavens, Drew and Gavin. Hopefully my clumsy attempt at writing won't bring the quality of the book down too much, as the proceeds from the sale will be donated to the charity for children, Variety.

The name of my chapter is "Getting Past the Conversation Bottleneck." I'll post a link when it's up for sale and invite you to discuss anything within it here. I'll also do my best to keep track of the discussions about the various chapters as they occur and give you links to some of the more interesting ones.

For your enjoyment, here is the entire list of authors. - Cam Beck

Gavin Heaton
Drew McLellan
CK
Valeria Maltoni
Emily Reed
Katie Chatfield
Greg Verdino
Mack Collier
Lewis Green
Sacrum
Ann Handley
Mike Sansone
Paul McEnany
Roger von Oech
Anna Farmery
David Armano
Bob Glaza
Mark Goren
Matt Dickman
Scott Monty
Richard Huntington
Cam Beck
David Reich
Mindblob (Luc)
Sean Howard
Tim Jackson
Patrick Schaber
Roberta Rosenberg
Uwe Hook
Tony D. Clark
Todd Andrlik
Toby Bloomberg
Steve Woodruff
Steve Bannister
Steve Roesler
Stanley Johnson
Spike Jones
Nathan Snell
Simon Payn
Ryan Rasmussen
Ron Shevlin
Roger Anderson
Bob Hruzek
Rishi Desai
Phil Gerbyshak
Peter Corbett
Pete Deutschman
Nick Rice
Nick Wright
Mitch Joel
Michael Morton
Mark Earls
Mark Blair
Mario Vellandi
Lori Magno
Kristin Gorski
Krishna De
Kris Hoet
Kofl Annan
Kimberly Dawn Wells
Karl Long
Julie Fleischer
Jordan Behan
John La Grou
Joe Raasch
Jim Kukral
Jessica Hagy
Janet Green
Jamey Shiels
Dr. Graham Hill
Gia Facchini
Geert Desager
Gaurav Mishra
Gary Schoeniger
Gareth Kay
Faris Yakob
Emily Clasper
Ed Cotton
Dustin Jacobsen
Tom Clifford
David Pollinchock
David Koopmans
David Brazeal
David Berkowitz
Carolyn Manning
Craig Wilson
Cord Silverstein
Connie Reece
Colin McKay
Chris Newlan
Chris Corrigan
Cedric Giorgi
Brian Reich
Becky Carroll
Arun Rajagopal
Andy Nulman
Amy Jussel
AJ James
Kim Klaver
Sandy Renshaw
Susan Bird
Ryan Barrett
Troy Worman

 

It must be true. I read it on the Internet.

Last week I made a point about how marketers use fallacious logic to sell all sorts of products and services. How ironic that I, a marketer, got my facts wrong the illustration I used to lead up to that point. The t-shirt is actually correct. In short, I had my conversion principles reversed -- Thanks to the readers who pointed this out. I should have looked it up before I posted. I did learn binary conversion at one time, but as I haven't needed to use it in about fifteen years, I would have been better served to verify my memory.

So rather than take the embarrassing post down, I thought I'd use the incident as a "teaching opportunity." Or, in my case, a "learning opportunity."

The mainstream media have, in the past, disparaged the blogosphere because, according to them, there are no rules of accountability. Anybody with a computer can say anything they want. There are no fact checkers. No editors. Just unqualified, pretentious blowhards with too much time on their hands.

To those who still believe that, I present to you: Factchecker "MasterQ" and factchecker "cppig1995." Don't worry about the fact that we don't know their real names. We don't know the real names of the fact checkers at the New York Times, either. All we know in this case is that MasterQ and cppig1995 were right, and I was wrong.

Now, obviously at this point I had a choice. I could have taken the post down. I could have revised it. I chose not to in this case.

I know there are some "mainstream" news outlets out there that just revise existing articles (and headlines) rather than post a correction to something that's already up. I've seen horribly biased headlines, made note of them, copied and pasted the headlines and links in a discussion forum to demonstrate the proof of the bias, only to go back a day later and see that they have changed. No explanation. No acknowledgment that the headlines were ever anything else.

But do I hold that against them? I make corrections and changes to headlines many times after I make the post live. I don't mention it when the change is otherwise immaterial. I suppose it depends on your perspective. If you're of the mind that the mainstream news media are biased, then changes to wording that would prove this bias seems like an attempt to cover it up. To those who work hard to eliminate bias from their stories, this is called "editing."

So what is accountability to you? How do you handle it when you make an error? Is the medium enhanced or degraded as a result of the way we handle mistakes?

- Cam Beck

P.S. Joseph Farah of WorldNetDaily recently posted an excerpt from his book Stop the Presses! on his website, where he wrote about how the mainstream media looked down at Matt Drudge and the blogosphere for a long time (not sure they're over that one...yet) for this supposed lack of accountability and accuracy. Drudge has a great answer for that. Check out the article when you get a chance.

The Tortured Logic of Marketing

ThinkGeek sells this funny t-shirt that reads, "There are only 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary and those who don't."

However, the binary number "10" is actually equal to "1" in the base-10 system. The zero in the binary number is unnecessary. From that perspective, the t-shirt really makes no sense, but it's funny to most people, because the joke fits their recognition of how binary is represented, not how it is actually converted to the base-10 system. The correct binary expression would be "There are only 01 types of people in the world..." The idea in this case is more attractive than the truth, because the lie more effectively sets the expectation that will be violated than the truth would.

Advertisers and journalists, of course, are old hands at tortured logic. They try to convince us to buy something, rent something, or vote for someone, because everybody else is doing it. Because it will make people love (or at least lust) us. Because it will make us similar to someone else.

I'm not sure there's a way to fix it except to encourage education and critical thinking. But that probably terrifies advertisers, as it would make their jobs so much more difficult. - Cam Beck

Update: Correction posted here.

Especially for Gavin

For those who haven't heard, Gavin Heaton just made Viral Garden's Top 25 marketing blogs list. I know a few of the fine folks on that list, and they all deserve to be there. However, I'm particularly happy for Gavin, who has had a rough year to begin with, but who has never failed to promote others on his blog. When you get a chance, drop by and wish him congratulations.

This is for you, Gav! You earned it! - Cam Beck

The Certain Failure Caused by Low Expectations

Yesterday I wrote about scientists and researchers thinking of ways to build a new Internet from the ground up. Undoubtedly, making the complete switch from what we have now to an Internet that can download a high-quality feature-length movie in a few seconds will take more than a fair amount of work, and it's not to be underestimated in terms of either time or cost. But is it impossible? Is it even improbable?

Associated Press reporter Anick Jesdanun claims:

"Transitioning to a next-generation Internet could be akin to changing the engines on a moving airplane."

Now why would he say such a thing? To make the professionals who finally accomplish it seem smarter or to make aeronautic engineers seem dumber? Can you see the water cooler talk between IT professionals and engineers at Lockheed Martin once the infrastructure is in place?

"So. Bill. Have you been able to change the engine of a jet in mid flight yet? No? We did the equivalent. Yep. Says so right here. I think I'll coast for the rest of the day while you work on that 'Strategic Defense Initiative' thing. Pick it up a bit, will you?"

During a few presentations over the last several weeks concerning a potentially monumental project, our client kept bringing up the old joke about eating elephants. How do you do it? "One bite at a time."

There always seems to be an excuse for why something can't be done. Insufficient budget. Not enough time. Office politics. Naysayers abound in any industry.

A more productive endeavor would be to focus on what the right solution is, and then build a strategy, budget, and timetable around that. The right solution is one that builds brand value because it meets and exceeds the expectations of the customers. Ego-driven office politics can and should be checked at the door. - Cam Beck

I Love the Internets

We like to give President Bush grief from time to time for using his occasional (frequent?) malapropisms, including "the internets," but sometimes we need to be reminded that there are actually two of them. And now scientists are planning a third.

The idea of "Internet2" was introduced several years ago to increase network speed and capacity for the educational community. Ultimately, the technology mavens of the world hoped that as the backbones, protocols, and addressing systems were proved, Internet2 would enjoy wider adoption to encompass the existing Web, and we could go back to referring to the Web in the singular, without the version number.

With researchers breaking the world speed record over Internet2 (9 Gbps over a 20,000-mile path), I think we can officially call it "proved." According to MSNBC.com, a high-quality version of "The Matrix" could be downloaded at that speed in about thirty seconds.

Take THAT, Mark Cuban!

The problem is that updating all of the routers and servers will take many years and billions of dollars. Let it be suffice to say it is going to take awhile before we see that kind of speed in our homes.

So maybe we'll have to save the victory party for later. But without a doubt Cuban should go ahead and concede now and save his energy for his next Dallas Mavericks playoff game and philanthropic initiatives.

But wait. There's more.

Apparently, thirty seconds is just too much darn time to wait for a complete movie download. Scientists are also exploring a third Internet option. This time, they would build it from the ground up, and they project speeds of up to 100 Gbps. The same movie download for The Matrix would take just a few seconds at that speed.

With all the costs associated with upgrading the infrastructure to achieve such speeds, I have my doubts that 100 Gbps download speeds will be seen in the next twenty-five years. However, I just don't see a problem with 9 Gbps. None at all.

Hopefully networks and marketers will resist the urge to turn the Internets into what TV is now -- intrusive, stationary, and static. It will require we give up on the idea that we can  control what everyone sees at once, and instead embrace the idea that we can actually show our audiences something they want, when and in ways they are most receptive to seeing it.

I have no idea what Web 3.0 is going to look like, but something tells me it will at least as fast as Internet2. - Cam Beck

P.S. Paul McEnany has a nice post about how NBC is using the Internet -- at its current bandwidth -- to keep a series alive. Awhile back, he also extensively compared two competing video delivery mechanisms. Both are great reads. Can you imagine what Internet2-type speeds will do for these services?

Preempting American Idol snarkiness

I'm going to preempt a lot of the snarky posts that you'll see tomorrow about the American Idol - Giving Back extravaganza that will be on TV tonight.

It's a sure bet that tomorrow you'll see all types of posts about how bad the show was and how advertisers and artists alike should have just given money directly to the charity. There will even be some blogs that will calculate out how much money could have been given to Africa relief.

I don't think that's the point, and frankly, although they'll be raising money for relief, it's more about awareness and engagement.

If you haven't already, take a look at the About page ONE campaign site. The point of the campaign is not for people to donate money but for people to get involved, specifically:

"The ONE Campaign derives its name from the belief that allocating an additional one percent of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world's poorest countries. We also call for debt cancellation, trade reform and anti–corruption measures in a comprehensive package to help Africa and the poorest nations beat AIDS and extreme poverty."

I know the conservatives out there (and sometimes I count myself as one) will point out all the aid the United States gives and the problems at home we need to address. However, I'll point out that ONE percent will barely put a dent in the budget and can easily be pulled from other programs. Africa's problems will soon become our problems if we don't do something.

In my opinion the idea of using pop culture to popularize a cause is brilliant. It can't be measured in dollars raised in the short-term. It has to be measure by people's awareness of the cause and their willingness to act. And if we make acting on behalf of a good cause cool, we'll live in a much better world.

If your willing to add your voice to the cause, join by signing the petition. - Paul Herring

The Fastest Texter in the U.S.

Morgan Pozgar, 13, of Claysburg, Pennsylvania recently won $25,000 from LG for being the fastest texter in America. To win, she took her merry time (15 whole seconds) to type a line from a famous Mary Poppins song into her mobile phone. This should come as a great relief to Morgan's parents, who have to foot the bill for her texting habit, which amounts to her sending 8,000 messages per month.

Let's hope that her plan includes unlimited text messages. Not including airtime, at five cents per message, assuming everyone responds when she texts, at that pace she'd burn up that $25k in three years or less. That also doesn't include the medical bills for repetitive stress disorder. - Cam Beck

When is a Tagline Not a Tagline?

Joseph Jaffe recently panned a couple of companies for having similar marketing taglines. Since reading his post, I've been looking for the taglines on products as I pass them in the grocery store. Most of them are pretty unremarkable -- that is to say... safe. They are neither inspiring nor inflammatory, and to be remarkable, they should be one or the other, or perhaps both.

One in particular jumped out at me. Jelly Belly. The tagline on the bags I passed was something along the lines of, "A Tradition of Quality." On their website, Jelly Belly beans are called "The Original Gourmet Jelly Bean."

In either case... So what?

Those taglines are meant to appeal to everyone generally, and their sense of snobbery particularly. Most of us aren't that pretentious, so the taglines themselves are the equivalent to eating paper. They're edible, but going through the process of consuming them depends entirely on one's sense of pride for having committed oneself to doing it.

For Jelly Belly, this is possibly the best route to take. As a market leader, it has much to risk by being polemic. But what of its competition? An effective tagline -- particularly for market challengers -- companies must tap into something else... something people can readily identify with -- even if that risks alienating potential consumers.

For the moment, let's assume that, all else being equal, Jelly Belly is the market challenger, not the category leader, for gourmet jelly beans. The current taglines are unlikely to attract new eyeballs or new consumers.

When I was a kid, I read that Jelly Belly was the favorite jelly bean of Ronald Reagan. I have no idea if that information was true, but what would happen if Jelly Belly became "The Official Jelly Bean of the Republican Party?" Sure, it would tick off a lot of people, but they'd also potentially create quite a few passionate brand ambassadors in the process. It also would limit the areas it could market itself, but it could give the company a foothold in a niche large enough to sustain it until a larger market share can be built.

It doesn't even have to be so divisive, but it should at least credibly appeal to concepts or ideals large enough segments of people feel passionate about. Liberty. Integrity. Tenacity. Wealth. Belonging. Loyalty. Love. Hope.

"Credibly" is the key term. If the product isn't going to help the consumer earn a million dollars, don't claim that it will.

The Usability Exception
It should be noted that Internet taglines serve a utilitarian purpose, so they are not held to the same standard. Internet taglines must clearly and concisely communicate the purpose of the site or organization -- especially if your company hasn't already achieved the distinction of being a household name. If you're trying to attract new customers or prospects, a good tagline can help users identify the site and qualify themselves without needing to waste their time by digging deeper.

Even if your company isn't even in the ballpark of what users are looking for, they will appreciate the fact that your site helped them quickly narrow their searches. - Cam Beck

The housing roller coaster presentation

Housing prices are a topic of a lot of discussion, most of it pretty boring. Good economic analysis dictates that you look at prices over time to see if current prices are at a peak, valley or just normal (prices adjusted for inflation of course). Here's a graph:

   Yikes.

One blogger has come up with an entertaining way to demonstrate the peaks and valleys by making it into a roller coaster.

Is this an effective way of demonstrating the peaks and valleys? Does it do a better job of telling the story or is it just a waste of time?  (Link from speculative bubble) - Paul Herring