If the Tech Bubble Bursts Will Anyone Notice?

December 3, 2008 By joezuc Leave a Comment

Bubble

The Mortgage Industry. The Finance Industry. The Automotive Industry. What’s next?  Before the world focused on these stumbling leviathans, there was talk about another tech “bubble” and how it would pop.

Any collateral damage from a tech meltdown pales in comparison to the catastrophe in the “industrial age” sector.  Yes, the VCs have tightened up again and many entrepreneurs are stamping their feet because their companies are drifting to a full stop.  Already the rosters of deceased 2.0 companies are filling.

With just a few business days left in the year, network-centric marketers need to be ready for 2009. It will be full of uncertainties and more pain. For individuals, the Marketing Consigliere recommends you read a previous blog he wrote on avoiding or  preparing yourself for getting whacked.

The cultural momentum of accountable marketing derived from technology based tools will not fizzle but continues to accelerate.  Even in future good times, benefits of an network-centric marketing system will pay for itself.

It is the people in the companies creating these wonderful new marketing tools that will help establish the leadership for the way out of economic downturn.  There will be no shortage of ambitious people trying to improve or create something.  Yes, there will be a pile up of “dot.com” carcasses once again, but we are not going to mortgage, leverage, or drive ourselves out of this mess.

We need to move ahead no matter what.  Cooperation and mutual support will be key – not just in the United States, but between organizations on an international scale.  Communicating via social networking tools will help.

Or as an “business associate” of the Marketing Consigliere always likes to say, “Keep stepping up to the plate and swing!“

Filed Under: International, Leadership, Net-Centric Marketing, Social Networking Tagged With: , , ,

Securing Data from Across the Pond

December 1, 2008 By joezuc Leave a Comment

How do you keep CRM data secure once you’ve gathered it?  Do you have to treat some data different than other data due to its country of origin?  These are important questions for B2C marketers in an increasingly international economy.  Datawarehousing and security issues are not going to go away as political boundaries get fuzzier.

Thanks to Greg Miller, the Marketing Consigliere found out about an interesting webinar presented by TRUSTe on Wednesday, December 17th that will address this matter, with luminaries from the field of data mining and policy.

You can even engage in pre-event discussions on the Facebook page and “meet” other professionals who share your concerns.  If you have a stake in business intelligence, be there.

Filed Under: B2C Marketing, Business Intelligence, CRM, Data Mining, Datawarehousing & Security, International Tagged With: , , , , ,

Network-Centric Tools Don’t Kill – People Do

November 29, 2008 By joezuc Leave a Comment

Almost a year and a half ago The Marketing Consigliere blogged the praises of Google Earth and how businesses were using it in innovative ways.  This week, when many of us were being thankful and looking forward to a better future, reality blasted back in.  The tragedy in Mumbai has not fallen just on India, but on the international community.

It is with a heavy heart that The Marketing Consigliere hears that the perpetrators used Google Earth to plan their senseless attack.  While he abhors the use of a great tool for unadulterated evil, he knows that fortunately in the long run much good is created with it.

The positive news is how the innocent people at the scene coped and used network centric tools like cellphones, blogs and Twitter to communicate to the rest of the world and to help others navigate through the chaos.  Their brave leadership showed how simple things can shed light in the midst of darkness.  In each of the thousands of communications that were sent was an unwritten message for the entire world to see:

Microsoft Mumbai Student Vigil

We, the human race, condemn your cowardly acts.  Your action will not get you the victory you so obsessively want to thrust on us. Our “weapons” are tools that spread the truth and shall cast light on you and will drown your corrupted ideas.

It is through spreading communication that positive thoughts shall defeat negative thoughts. Maybe some, but not all hearts will change for the better as these tools allow the “Wisdom of Crowds” to show the world that through the open flow of ideas we shall better ourselves, and not spiral down into darkness with those that want to drag us there.

The Marketing Consigliere does not like to preach morals and wants to return to advising on business; but this had to be said.

Filed Under: International, Leadership, Marketing, Net-Centric Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

Thanksgiving ’08: Freedom from Want and Needs

November 27, 2008 By joezuc Leave a Comment
Freedom From Want

Norman Rockwell, Freedom From Want

Just a short note today – the Marketing Consigliere does not need to remind you to be thankful for the usual blessings in your life, but wants to make some out-of-the-ordinary thank yous:

Thank you to all the Marketers out there who are leveraging the power of Network Centric Marketing and doing their best to bring us the products and services we need;

Thank you to the men and women leaders in small business who are keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive in the United States and throughout the world despite these uncertain times.

Thank you to the engineers and coders who are working hard to make technology benefit all of us;

Thank you to the businesses and consumers out there who are keeping an even keel and not panicking; and

Thank you to Norman Rockwell for creating such a powerful image that has become an American icon for all generations.

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, International, Leadership, Net-Centric Marketing, SMB Marketing Tagged With: ,

Social Networking: For the Doubting Thomas

November 23, 2008 By joezuc Leave a Comment

There are many businesspeople and Marketers out there who don’t “get” social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter.  For the Doubting Thomas(es) out there that think these tools are “toy”s for the college and underemployed crowd, the Marketing Consigliere has news for you.

He’s always been an admirer of David Troy‘s Twittervision, which shows one Twitter “Tweet” at a time all over the globe using Google Earth.  And recently he heard about an app that Facebook is using can show realtime usage of its social networking platform.

Twittervision shows the constant chatter that’s out there – some tweets are interesting, and yes, some are incomprehensible if not frivolous.  But if you think about it, it’s an international phenomenon.  And building on that is the Facebook video linked above that really emphasizes the continual global exchange of communication between people.

Facebook Global Interactions

This illustration of interaction is not a passing fad.  There may be an evolving form of these interactions, but they will continue to increase in quantity and quality as either Facebook gets adopted more and also gets more sophisticated – or a more sophisticated social networking platform comes along that fills an addtional need.

Facebook Global Activity

Whether you are a B2B or B2C Marketer, this growing occurrence has implications for you and your organization.  There is information out there that data mining can provide that could be incredible.    Don’t ignore it any longer.

Feel free to associate with the Marketing Consigliere – here are his profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Filed Under: B2B Marketing, B2C Marketing, Data Mining, International, Marketing, Social Networking Tagged With: , , , ,

Keep The Juice Flowing When You’re Offline

November 3, 2008 By joezuc Leave a Comment

What helps make network centric marketing possible?  Energy.  So what about your remote sales force, your “road warriors?”  Even if they don’t need to be directly online for their task at hand, they still need energy for “old fashioned” offline computing.  So effectively we’re all electricity junkies, desperately looking to get a constant fix.Will Process for Energy

The Marketing Consigliere hates running out of juice on his smartphone, iPod Touch, and laptop, especially when he travels by air coast to coast or on an international basis.  Without power outlets on planes, sometimes he can only work for part of the trip.  And with less magazines or newspapers floating around the cabin, there’s less chance he can find the comforting diversion reading or doing a crossword puzzle or sudoku.  And with two carryons, he doesn’t want to bother with those extra battery packs – more clutter is not needed.

However, with Solio, he doesn’t consider this extra techtoy as “clutter” – at least his small gadgets (not laptops at this time) can be recharged enroute – all he has to do is unfold the charger and stick it to his window facing outward.  Very cool.  So don’t wait until Earth Day to take advantage of Ol’ Sol.

Solio

If you don’t have a car adapter, aren’t near an outlet, and just have to be productive, go Solio.  The top of the line Magnesium edition is under $200 and the “classic” version is under $100.  It’s nifty design will tell the world that you are not just “green,” you’re leading the way.

Filed Under: CRM, Data Mining, International, Leadership, Net-Centric Marketing, Sales Tagged With: , , , , ,
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