Something I’ve come to realize, but have a hard time wrapping my actions around, is the hardest part about doing a thing of significance is the mental pendulum leading up to that decision. The back and forth, second guessing, and “what-ifs.”
Making the decision - doing it - is easy. You make the call and you operate.
I wouldn’t mind carrying a midget around that constantly reminded: “It’s simpler than you think.”
Fast Company, a business magazine with a heavy lean towards design and innovation (and a personal favorite of mine), has relaunched their website as a social network. Edward Sussman, President of Mansueto Digital, says this about the new FastCompany.com:
Starting today, we become the first major media website to tackle the following problem: Can a business publication blend journalism and online community to create something better than either by itself?
We think so. If done right.
For a publication who’s brand is ideas, I love this. Users who join the network can blog and comment, “befriend” other users, post videos, or even suggest questions to Fast Company. In opting to play equal parts mouth and mouthpiece, the new site is a big, fat, fascinating conversation. I’m looking forward to seeing how the user-generated commentary is used in the the printed magazine.
Conversations in motion include:
Join the conversation by creating a profile here. And if you want, add me as a friend.
I wish I could go to this year’s FinovateStartup, but I’m too poor. Finovate and FinovateStartup are conferences put on by technology + finance guru Jim Bruene of Netbanker.
Startups demoing their products include: Andera, Boulevard R., Buxfer, Motley Fool CAPS, ClairMail, Credit Karma, First ROI, Jwaala, Lending Club, Mint, Prosper, SmartHippo, Unified Money, and the rockstars from Wesabe (see how big a fan I am of Wesabe here).
It’s a stockpile of some of the coolest things to happen to money since the invention of “buying stuff.”
Check out videos from last year’s Finovate here.
Update ( 2/2/08): Thanks to Jim Bruene’s good heart, it looks like I may be heading up there after all to cover the conference on Open Source CU. You rock, Jim.
In a 2007 session at ad:tech NY, Coca-Cola’s Director of Global Interactive Marketing John Stichweh said any company not devoting 10% of its marketing budget to experimentation will fall behind.There was an SNL skit where Will Ferrell, as Harry Caray, interviewed Jeff Goldbloom, who was playing an astrophysicist. There was a snippet of dialogue that went something like this:
Harry Caray: Hey! What about this?! If you had a choice between being the top scientist in your field or getting Mad Cow Disease, what would it be?
Jeff Goldbloom, Astrophysicist: Well of course I would choose to be the top scientist in my field.
Harry Caray: Oh good! I was worried you’d choose Mad Cow!
Anybody presented the choice between “being innovative” and “being stagnant” would choose innovative. Right? I hope?
So how does your business manage experimentation? Do you?
Do any of you have a formalized chunk of your budget allotted for it? Do you play it by ear, perhaps experimenting if a new idea falls under your radar? Do you limit your resources to the “Old Faithfuls” – traditional tactics you know have worked historically, and do not give your board heartburn?
This week, Trabian client The Filene Research Institute is hosting a colloquium on credit union collaboration. Have a discussion point? Click the link and leave a comment in their blog post with your topic. They’re recording and publishing the discussions from the event later this year (or in early 08), for your consumption and pleasure.
Although the creative brief hasn’t been released yet, and it is irresponsible to pitch any creative concept without understanding the research, I’ve decided to unofficially put out a few ideas I’ve been tossing around.
The following are only “what ifs,” but I would love to see some credit unions run with the broad-strokes concepts behind these, with or without us.
The main idea I’d like you to take away from this is – engage your market, be relevant, and use interaction to talk with them instead of relying solely on mass media to talk at them.
So you want to make yourself more visible and relevant to Washington’s Gen Y, value-conscious maternal figures? What if…
And I’m not talking about “Financial Tips for Young Mothers Like You!” What if you created a show dedicated to parenting tips, stories, interviews with young working mothers, single mothers, book reviews, and so on.
This way you produce something your members will actually enjoy checking out, position yourself as a care-giving resource, and ideally grow a community around your ideas. Need inspiration? Check out the Mommy Bloggers.
Set up a blog around the podcast too, invite appropriate members to write guest posts. Encourage comments.
The transition into parenting, just like other large life events, is one of the most financially stressful times in woman’s life.
Offer a free financial planning session explaining how to invest for their kids’ education. Offer a HELOC at a special rate for expectant mothers to build or furnish a nursery. Offer a free seminar on protecting your child physically (proper car seat installation, safety issues around the home, etc) and financially (avoiding identity theft).
Picture this – you set up a website where your members call in, upload video, or even post a text-based narrative of an experience they’ve had with your credit unions? You could even use the submitted media as the foundation for the TV or radio spots.
Blend the video clips together into a tightly-woven and eclectic narrative created by your own members. If someone calls in a story, animate it in with a storybook aesthetic.
Using Google Blog Search, you can subscribe to specific keywords and be notified as they show up in website content. No matter what, you marketers on the Washington League should be subscribing to “Washington Credit Union League,” and your specific credit unions’ name.
During the campaign you can subscribe to a campaign’s tagline (for example, McDonald’s I’m Lovin It) to keep your finger on the pulse of consumer opinion. This allows you to react immediately, instead of waiting for the polls and focus groups to hear how it’s been received.
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I could go on and on, but this is getting long. The long-short is this:
No matter what agency or creative concept you go with, demand interaction and experience … because that’s the only way to cut through the noise and build lasting relationships.
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Hi there. This is the personal + professional site of user-experience designer Brent Dixon (that's me).
Look to the left to read my bits on design, art, music, marketing, media, and whatnot. Or peruse the right to check out a few of my designs.
(Read more)Here's some stuff I've made. I hope you love it. If you're interested in working together, drop me a line and we'll chat.
This design is an adaptation of the very snappy Grid Focus by Derek Punsalan 5thirtyone.com.
