News today about the gloomy financial plight of one of the world’s great brands, Sony, begs the question, what happened? Several pundits cite rival Apple’s iPod and their dominance of the online music marketplace as examples of where Sony once tread and now, are missing in action. Others will say it is Sony’s slumping electronics division and even others, expansion into films and too many other diversions. I suggest it all boils down to one thing….
You’ve just gotta love some of things Seth comes up with. See his post on the Chevron station and their lovely display of flowers. I am wondering if Chevron were to place a couple of comfy sofa chairs around the flower table and serve hot coffee, might we just take a break from our self-service world and enjoy the ambience. Good for Chevron though. Anything that breaks the monotony of a commodity is definitely a good thing.
The recent purchase of a small company, Konfabulator, has many Widget users shaking their heads. Charlene Li presents a very interesting perspective on her blog that suggests there is more than meets the eye here. I have one question and one thought on this move by Yahoo. The question is, why buy a company whose product was basically wrapped into the latest MAC OS? I believe the Konfab folks launched a lawsuit as a result of this move by Apple. Secondly, contrary to Charlene’s hopes, I cannot see any reason why Yahoo! would ever consider setting the Widget free. It is not in their nature to share. Time will tell.
Link: Charlene Li’s Blog: Why Yahoo! buying Konfabulator is more than just about widgets
Since our blog got its name from a quote attributed to Mr. Ogilvy many yeasr ago, it is our pleasure to make this resource available to all of you who are considering a weblog for your business, company or personal use. Looks like a relatively indepth and useful guide for those who want to get up to speed on the blogoshere, where it has come from and where it might be going. You can download the PDF directly by clicking here, or check out the Ogilvy PR website….
Link: Ogilvy PR Expert Views.
Talk about heading in a direction that is completely opposite to their customers, the Real Estate Information Network (REIN) or the www.HRMLS.com, Hampton Roads Multiple Listing Service, has decided to start charging potential home buyers to search the local listings. They call this new service MLS E-Pass and expect that folks searching for homes in the areas surrounding Virginia Beach, WV, will want to pay $5.95 per month for what was previously free. Here’s the details on this one….
Every summer in these parts, the proverbial ‘Farmer’s Market’ is one of the best sources for great marketing, especially the 2% variety. This past weekend was spent with the family at one of North America’s premier ski resorts, Whistler, BC, an hour and a half drive north of Vancouver. This trip was a testament to the fact that Whistler is more than just a winter wonderland. Summer at Whistler is absolutely spectacular. From the finest mountain biking and hiking trails, to world class golf and fine dining, Whistler is the place to enjoy the best of summer. Every Sunday throughout the summer you can stroll through Whistler’s Upper Village Farmer’s Market. Don’t be fooled however, there is much more than organic veggies to discover at this market. Several examples of 2% creativity were on display this weekend and we have a few highlights for you to consider…
Andrew, with Traffic, a weblog that preaches ’search engine elightenment’, is one of the first from the search engine/SEO community that I have seen actually come out and question Yahoo’s paid inclusion scheme. Although he makes and discloses several very good points, I would disagree with his final conclusion that maybe this is a way to pay for the cleansing of organic search. The oxymoron here is clear—paid inclusion with PPC and organic search? There is absolutely no excuse for this Yahoo tactic to mislead the consumer about organic, natural and free search. The consumer will find out, one way or the other and the real judging will begin.
Link: Traffick - Internet Search Enlightenment: Yahoo Paid Inclusion: Is this Story Authentic?.
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