Tweet

Andy Marken Articles

Written by: Andy Marken

Macworld/iWorld -- It's The Event, Not the Tradeshow - Click To Read Article
This year's Macworld made us feel like we were visiting an old and ailing relative in the hospital. You felt obliged to go but didn't really like it because you remember when they were younger, more vital. Macworld/iWorld may not be close to drawing its final breath but a lot of rethinking, repositioning, investment will have to take place to make it a new, exciting, vital event. There's a place for it in the business world but someone will have to rethink what the iPhone, iPad, Mac system(s) are beyond neat devices to carry around and show off your latest game download.

Facebook Fans ... From Like to Really Like - Click To Read Article
You like people -- OK some people -- and you want them to like you...no really like you. In fact what you want is a whole bunch of real fans. Just remember that that whole bunch can turn into a mob. Mobs can get ugly in a heartbeat. So be careful what you wish for...

CES … It’s a Show, It’s Biz, Live with It - Click To Read Article
Sure we hate missing the holiday season to get ready for the really big show. Sure we hate the hours of standing on thinly carpeted concrete for hours on end to see what's hot, what's new, who's new, who's gone but has CES begun to lose its shine? No the market changes, the industry changes, the association changes, the show changes. The 3,000 + small/medium CES stands get overwhelmed by the big boys' big budgets but these hidden jewels are what keep the industry moving forward and being part of folks daily lives.

All Social Isn't Business, All Business Isn't Social - Click To Read Article
Despite what "social media specialists" tell you not all social media is about business and all business certainly isn't about social media. Get real and use it when it works and when it doesn't stay out of folks way. Of course those people can also turn on you when you're not paying 100% attention so walk with ease, talk gently, do the right thing first. Then things are so much better. There are a lot of challenges, opportunities out there for everyone.

Big Fortune Hidden in Big Data Files - Click To Read Article
The clean, fresh start of a new year filled with optimism, opportunity. Still you didn't clean your storage over the holidays because there's a lot of stuff there. Really good, useful stuff. And with almost everything beginning it's "life" digitally and staying that way there is an excellent opportunity for you to dig into that content, that information and make giant strides forward. We've got a new name for the opportunity -- big data -- and most of it will spend its life in the cloud being stored, shared, used. The key to your success in the new environment is to determine how to quickly, easily, profitably mine the clouds.

Moving Forward by Looking Over Our Shoulder - Click To Read Article
Everyone is busy telling you what's gonna be hot, what's not, what's going to be the killer, what's not. We know too but we're going to wait to tell you what we know until the end of 2012 (assuming the Mayans aren't right). Then you'll be amazed that we're 100 percent right...amazing. But to know, understand what tomorrow holds for us we really need to see what the past year delivered.

Holidays + Shows + The Internet + Publicists = Lethal Mixture - Click To Read Article
Every trade show, conference, convention we get the feeling that we're still about as low as ambulance chasing lawyers -- about. Don't believe us? Hey we've been doing CES (consumer electronics show) for 20 years and the quality of the pitches, hustles has deteriorated because kids don't know enough to be creative!!!!!

Facebook ...Where Friends, Enemies Gather - Click To Read Article
Facebook is out to change its ways for you because well it might have been just a tad over aggressive in following you follow your friends...just a tad. But they're going to make it all up to you by giving you more ads to make more money so they can do their IPO (initial public offering) to make even more money. Whether it's your company, you, your friends or Zuck's friends it's going to be fun to figure out who likes who and why.

Staying Real, Credible With Mom Bloggers - Click To Read Article
They're half the world's population, control/influence 2/3 of the purchases, spend over half the U.S. GDP. They're women, females in business and online. Usually their sites, blogs, outreach is filled with information, assistance, guidance that even guys can understand. But muck up your communications, work with them and they can be mean, vicious -- a force to be reckoned with!!!! Unfortunately lots of marketing/communications folks miss golden opportunities because they either dismiss their knowledge, expertise, influence or they talk to them in a condescending manner...mistake dude. Big mistake !!!!

Use Digital Signage to Do More with Less - Click To Read Article
You probably haven't noticed it but companies and organizations across the board are trying to do more with less. That also means working smarter not harder/longer. In retain the solutions are producing benefits.

Content … Big, Beautiful, Ready to Sail - Click To Read Article
You know the environmentalist tale about a butterfly in the rain forest affecting.. Same is true of overwatering in Thailand affecting PC manufacturers, users around the globe. The Big 3 HD folks are slowly bouncing back (give em 3 quarters) but it made lots of folks think even harder about systems with solid state memory (SSDs). We all knew they were faster, lighter, cooler running, easier on batteries. Now the new Win ultrabooks and Mac Air are looking even better because what the heck you don't need all that big storage to take with you and the prices are looking pretty darn good. For the rest of your stuff...use the cloud. Us? We "need" the storage so you go right ahead and leave us behind.

Social Media Isn’t About Winning … It’s More Important Than That - Click To Read Article
Now that all the social media companies are either public or getting ready to go public we can tell you the truth...social media was formed to help folks sell stuff, make money! Yes we've heard some social media experts say it isn't about money but gee it's sorta, kinda important. Sure there's more like better, faster customer service, customer support. But that's just to: a) keep the product/service sold and b) make the customer happy so he/she will suggest friends, neighbors, others also buy the product/service. Companies know social media is important to them tomorrow they just can't quite figure out what their real ROI (return on investment) is.

Consumer Devices, Social Media Open Security Doors - Click To Read Article
With folks bringing their own devices to work, more than 3 billion mobile connections around the globe and nearly all of your devices open to the world in one way or another, it's little wonder that malware producers, hackers, cybercriminals and "others" make it feel like everyone is out to hack/borrow your personal/private data. No wonder you have anxiety attacks.

Capturing Eyeballs, Mindshare in a Distracted World - Click To Read Article
With so many distractions today it is difficult for outlets to capture just the right customers. Combining viewing quality of digital signage and smartphone apps can dramatically increase your sales opportunities.

Online, In the Store…Let the Holiday Battles Begin - Click To Read Article
Hard to believe you're about to venture out to grap all the holiday gear, cheer, stuff you can...again. This year though you're smarter, you're better prepared, your tools are all charged up and you're ready to get down, get serious. While retail stores jostle with employees to see when they are going to open you think it's a lot of to-do over nothing. Heck your favorite online stores are already open 24x7x365 and everyone has unleashed their Black Friday, Cyber Monday secrets. About the only thing they're all waiting for is you. Now that "full retail price" is a thing of the past now's the time to get prepared early so you know what you're going to buy where, when, for how much. Sheess...giving meaningful gifts is a lot of work.

Nature Could Make SSD the Storage Solution Everyone Will Enjoy Soon - Click To Read Article
We've got a long wish list for the holidays -- superfast, superlight, supercool new computer and a whole slew of other items. Problem is the budget is "short." With the flooding in Thailand, realistically priced SSD and sound logic on our part there may be a way to move up and stay within the holiday budget.

We’re Just Trying to Find Our Place in the World - Click To Read Article
In the golden era parents would bring their kids to work so they'd get an idea of how hard working really was. Today the kids are "working" but they brought their toys to work...you know iPhones, iPads, iPods. Boss saw the devices he thought they were cool so he (or she) sent out the assistant to buy a couple for him/her (so much neater than the old Blackberry). He told IT they had to support his devices and they said "yes sir." Everyone copies the boss so it went from BYOK (kid) to BYOD (device). Great company doesn't have to buy them just keep them from sucking the lifeblood out of the company's databases...great, just great! Life isn't easy but hey you're having fun with your devices aren't you ???

Just Remember…“Guys” Buy Stuff Too - Click To Read Article
You may not have noticed it but the other half of the population likes guys ...they just don't "like" them. Even the best of us are OK to have around sometime but women are always trying to remodel us. Big difference is women have better role models and even when their role models are bad they're good! Just remember guys make decisions too - when the woman says he can, And hey we buy stuff...lots of stuff!

Facebook … The Next Best Thing to Buy, Like - Click To Read Article
Telly's old TV line was "Who Luvs Ya Baby!" but today what the heck life is flying by so fast we'll settle for a Like! Sure it started out just for people but companies, products have feelings to so they need to be liked (truthfully they'll settle for your buying them). What's a like worth? Well if you're a "social media expert" probably a lot. If you're just a guy/gal? Maybe a like you back. If you're a company, product, service? Just don't unlike us cause we can't stand rejection. The big winner is Zuck because he's just added another page to the stuff he keeps on you to sell to "interested" parties...life is grand!!!!

Social Media Marketing is Like Dating … Real Serious Dating - Click To Read Article
Companies and social media "experts" can't wait to run out and tell everyone how good they are, their products/services, their very souls. They make it very difficult for the person who's being pitched to get a word in. But it's a relationship with him/her you want to develop/build. How does that start? By listening...real long, real hard. Works in your house doesn't it? Bet it will work in your fantastic social media program. But it's a lot more fun -- and more intelligent -- to hear yourself talk than listen to someone else. Especially when YOU have so much to offer...RIGHT!!!

Social Media Pro … Maybe It’s Time to Get a Productive Job! - Click To Read Article
Even though news spreads of PR people, publicists who send scathing emails, tweet callous responses, post graffiti; they really want you to believe social media is where their expertise shines. Problem is the majority of requests for assistance, a response from someone, anyone the quieries go unanswered according CandyTech. At Gartner Research's huge technology conference one analyst said there's a solution...there's an app for that. So much for PR's "sure thing."

It’s Not About the Personal Device, It’s About the Personal Content - Click To Read Article
People are climbing all over each other to get a "new" smartphone. Folks can't get enough of using their iPad/tablet. Wife loves her Kindle ereader. We can't wait for the new Ultrabooks. Big screen TV sales are...flat. What's wrong with this picture? Some folks say the phones/tablets are killing the PC...wrong. Computers are changing. So are our many screens. In a few years - let's say 20 years - you won't be carrying around a computer or a tablet or a phone...no need. The computer will just be wherever you are. The screen? Same. Your content/stuff? Ditto. Privacy? Oh yeah, how's that workin for you??

When People Talk, People Listen, Marketing Gets Better - Click To Read Article
We'd like to but we can't blame everything on the up-and-coming kids. We can't blame all of the changes on computers, connectivity and social media. Marketing, communications are different today than they were in the 70s, 80s, 90s. It will be different in 2020. But then it never was the same. It has always been in a constant state of change, flux. It really is business as usual because the usual, the norm, is change. Every day it just seems to change a little faster. People now learn about brands, products from multiple sources and they're able to make a better buying decision. Meet all of the consumers wants, needs and expectations they commit to your brands, products. They encourage others to join up. Fail to meet your commitments to quality, value, service, support...you'll hear about it fast!

For Kids, It’s Just Seamless Communications - Click To Read Article
Keeping pace in the industry is tough. Especially when you have to constantly go to your kids to ask for assistance. Of course now that they're teenagers they're old and often have to go next door and ask the new up-n-comers. It was bad enough when we used the DVR - which is so yesterday now that anything worthwhile is available online 24x7. But now it's assistance with our smartphone (like help me find the app we just downloaded), our tablet (ok iPad) WiFi syncing - forgive us but gawd we love the battery life, WiFi searching on the net-ready LCD screen(s), constant patches/updates for our notebook(s) and home server. Can't wait for tomorrow to see what new thing we don't know, don't really want to know but will have to learn just to stay in the game.

Social Divide…When a Tree Falls in the Forest - Click To Read Article
Businesses are investing heavily in social media. It's where all of the action is. But is it where all the money is at? Research continually shows that boomers are "not quite" as social media active as millenials. The solution is that we'll just ignore them. Who cares if there are over 1.5 billion of them around the globe? Who cares if they have a greater proportion of the population's disposable income? After all social media isn't about producing sales, profits. It's about being social. Right? If their numbers are growing we may need to determine how we're going to reach, inform, educate, influence them or not. But if they have the money....

Storage is All About Performance ... Plus - Click To Read Article
Semiconductor media (commonly called flash or SSD) delivers all the speed, performance consumers want and demand...at a price. The alternative to keep pace with people's thirst for more and more content is hard drive storage...lots and lots of hard drive storage. Content continues to be produced, distributed, mashed up, viewed, enjoyed, stored. The cloud isn't the answer because ultimately content comes to rest in someone's huge storage facility (endless rows of drives) and bad guys come in and borrow the informaiton they want/need for their "business." Keeping a good balance between flash speed and hard drive capacity requires practice...lots and lots of practice.

Make Your Blog a Destination, Not a Bump in the Road - Click To Read Article
Social media has been billed as the greatest thing that ever happened for business. Where else can you set up your show table and hawk your goods -- products/services -- to everyone in town. But you\'re not really interested in reaching everyone and frankly they\'re not all that interested in you. Nope you\'ve probably got a few thousand or if you\'re really lucky 10s of thousands of people you want to/need to communicate with on a regular basis to share information about your organization, its plans/programs/products and keep them informed about activities, ideas, goals. Those are some of the fundamental reasons - and being an industry thought leader is one -- you want to produce a blog.

Providers Work to Profitably Meet Data/Video Bandwidth Demand - Click To Read Article
Friends in the Pacific Basin laugh at us when we talk about our 4G mobile service. When we say the infrastructure is being enhanced with LTE and soon we'll have 12MB bandwidth they look at us with pity. But when they look at our "all you can eat" service there is envy in their eyes. We don't bother telling them that the everything data plans are either capped or throttled and going away...why disillusion them? Some really smart people have an idea of how to build a new bridge and get us more bandwidth. It will come to pass even if the broadcasters don't like it because...there's money involved.

Cyberworld …Guess We’ll Have to Get Secure with Insecurity - Click To Read Article
Every time you turn around there's a new report about someone losing a bunch of folks personal data or hackers defacing your stuff or a new, better online bait-and-switch. Cybercriminals are making impressive gains. At least when you hear folks talk at the two leading security conferences in Las Vegas - DefCon and Black Hat. - you wonder if CyberInnocence will ever exist...again It used to be pale folks with bad hair and bad skin attending to learn the latest "tricks" of the trade. This year it looked like a corporate/governmental recruiting activity with the security folks saying what they were doing -- needed to do to protect organizational/individual information and the hackers/hacktivists "voicing" their concern over privacy invasion and freedom of the Internet. All we have to d

The Challenge is Staying Afloat in a Rising Sea of Data - Click To Read Article
Getting the feeling you just can't keep up with the information, ideas, data, images that are coming at you on your screen every day? It's true...suddenly we're way past petabytes of data. It's so yesterday! If only our minds could grab it, file it in appropriate areas and bring it back just as we need it. Maybe someday when singularity becomes an everyday thing - look it up in Wikipedia and then think about tomorrow. Don't sit back and think too long thought because there's more information piling up ready for you to assimilate, dissect and use. We're becoming a world of knowledge workers so work.

Using Professional Digital Content Developers Just Makes Sense - Click To Read Article
Content presentation is shown, seen everywhere. While people flock to YouTube to see amateur videos on small screens, they do not pay attention to amateur efforts when they are shown on the large screen. Today's digital signage is the imagery professional organizations/companies use to reach their their audiences. The best, arresting content is prepared by professional content creators using standard off-the-shelf professional video production software/tools they use every day for a wide range of content projects that have influence, impact. In today's interactive, over communicated age retailers, manufacturers, institutions can't afford anything less than the highest quality content produced quickly, easily, effectively by professionals...it is not a task left to amateurs when an organization's image, reputation, sales are on the lin

An Inside Look at The Steve Jobs Way - Click To Read Article
We know we don't often talk to you about book reviews but then it is seldom we read a book that is of widespread interest to our mutual audiences. As we note we're not Apple/Jobs fanboys but OMG we respect what they've done and in fact we're "a little" envious that they: - seem to do it so well so consistently - get more coverage by "accident" than the rest of us get by working hard for it Several years ago we were in a meeting at HP and asked the product manager who they tracked most closely and listed off the usual PC suspects. They surprised us by saying no they watched Apple very closely. They do it right 90++% of the time and when they missed they really missed and recovered so quickly they didn't seem to miss a step. So even then they were the ones to watch...today its even more mandatory.

BYOD Is Neat But Tough On Your Company IT Folks - Click To Read Article
Business people are starting to sound like their kids..."I wanna bring my device in because everyone else is." It's true...it's a trend...it isn't going to change Only problem is the notebook/phone/tablet you use at home needs more protection/security when it carries vital company data. And you have to be careful what you click on because in addition to corrupting your device you can open the door for some really bad folks. We know...nothing you can't handle but just in case you might want to read on...

People Make Security Exploitation Too Easy - Click To Read Article
The good/bad black hatters are all in Las Vegas right now comparing tricks of the trade and hacktivities. The Defcon boys/girls are picking each other's pockets. Even though there are some seriously bad folks out there the BlackHat/Defcon events are the best place to get a really high paying job if you're any good at being sneaky. All of the major companies and governmental group is there looking for the best of the best (of the bad). Hard to believe but out of this event your computer, your tablet, your smartphone may just be a little safer...for awhile.

Mobile Devices - A Matter of Balance, Style - Click To Read Article
First it was a rather large (manly) computer we carried with us when we left the office, went on the road. The computer got lighter, easier to carry, more powerful. Then came the "portable" phone...it got better to. Next was the switch from real books to an ereader. Then Apple had to "reinvent" the tired old tablet and ...

Update on Mobile File Transfers -- Make Security Your Top Priority - Click To Read Article
Everyone talks about the savings and how green you'll be using the cloud -- public or private. But stuff disappears, gets lost, gets "borrowed" from the cloud all the time -- scan the media. What happens then? Sorry dude/dudette. What if you could access your stuff (entertainment, educational, work) safely, securely no matter where you were located -- cross town, cross country, halfway around the globe? A personal/secure data tunnel you use on the open Internet. No added costs, no added worries...just work being done with complete peace of mind.

There’s No Reason for Weak PR – Missing the Real Issues in the News Corp Crisis - Click To Read Article
Weak PR efforts are weak PR efforts even when done in the name of the industry

Virtual world calls for virtual money - Click To Read Article
Money - or lack of it - causes the most stress for individuals and family problems. But since we're now dealing in a near virtual world let's simply go to mobile device money and do away with the billfold that's either half full or half empty. Ironically, people in third-world countries have been faster to convert to mobile money than those in industrial countries. The challenges? Infrastructure and security. Someone always wants to spoil the party but the transition is underway.

RIM...What's In It for Microsoft? - Click To Read Article
RIM continues a downward spiral. The company (and country) needs a savior that can act in the best interest of the employees, the technology, the shareholders. Microsoft is the most logical choice...here's why.

Boosting Retail Sales with Digital Signage, Emerging Technologies - Click To Read Article
Retailers of all sizes look for the better edge to lower costs, reach customers and establish relationships with consumers. Digital signage not only enables all of this but it enhances the strength of the messages with eye-catching video content. Here's a guide for content developers, system integrators and retail merchandising/marketing management.

Women Are More Savvy than "The Rest" Want to Admit - Click To Read Article
Think about it. Women dominate the web (almost) everywhere except at LinkedIn. According to "them" it's because women don't get it. You tell our wife...we won't. Look around the web though and women lead, control, manage. They're also the people the LinkedIn folks want to connect with and yet the site's management looks down their nose at the stronger half of the species. We're betting females probably have more or better things to do. Here's why...

The Real World Value of the Virtual World - Click To Read Article
If it looks like a duck...walks like a duck...quacks like a duck do you think that maybe... Lots of folks are saying the valuations of today's virtual businesses are real, not like the last bunch that went up in glory and down in flames. Others aren't so sure. Most of us find it interesting but don't have any skin in the game. Take a look at the analysis, the comparisons and judge for yourself. Whatever your conclusion we know one thing we're in for a helluva ride. just don't wake up with a tattoo and a monkey.

People, Work, Play and Content Are On the Move - Click To Read Article
Of course you hang on every announcement that comes out for the serious Apple tablet contender. A few with "some" promise but most ???? Hey tablet is killing every other technology out there. Well not for people who are buying and using the products today...but tomorrow??? Living in a technology bubble we forget what the real world -- yes the whole world -- has, understands, can afford. Don't feel bad if some in your family only have a featurephone and laptop or worse, desktop. We're not being pessimistic in fact read the Insider and you'll find the hot product you want to get early for the rug rats in your life for Christmas. Now that's planning ahead!!!! Time to live for today but get prepared for tomorrow and beyond.

iWhatever is the Answer…What Was the Question? - Click To Read Article
No one cheers because Jobs is Disney's biggest stockholder. Few knew he helped found Pixar. Fewer yet remember Next. But whisper Apple and folks are glued to their seats to hear what Steve says the next revolutionary product will be. It's managed perception as a fine science...come on a comic book bio? Apple's announcements usually shake up/reshape the thinking of a number of industries and lots of companies. But wipe the glaze from your eyes and let's look realistically/skeptically at their recent announcements. What do they really mean for us tomorrow and beyond. Life in the parallel universe sounds fun, exciting, different from the real world.

iWhatever is the Answer… - Click To Read Article
No one cheers because Jobs is Disney's biggest stockholder. Few knew he helped found Pixar. Fewer yet remember Next. But whisper Apple and folks are glued to their seats to hear what Steve says the next revolutionary product will be. It's managed perception as a fine science...come on a comic book bio? Apple's announcements usually shake up/reshape the thinking of a number of industries and lots of companies. But wipe the glaze from your eyes and let's look realistically/skeptically at their recent announcements. What do they really mean for us tomorrow and beyond. Life in the parallel universe sounds fun, exciting, different from the real world.

The Open Internet … Expression, Access, Risk - Click To Read Article
Except for you and me there are just too many mean, nasty, evil people on the Net/web. Sometimes we're not to sure about you. Online hacking, whacking, stealing is way past epidemic proportions. The UN has said Internet access is a right and the bad guys/gals are taking them seriously. We're not advocating your taking matters in your own hands but we do say it's time to be skeptical and to err on the side of caution. We all walk a fine line of being on line for information, entertainment, business and getting off the grid when your personal/professional security is in question. We'll never eliminate bad folks from the web but there are things you can do to make their work a whole lot harder.

A Bad Idea Isn’t a Strategy, Just a Bad Idea - Click To Read Article
Everyone said netbooks were going to kill notebooks – cheaper, lighter, longer lasting battery, cloud connected. Then the tablet was going to kill the netbook and the notebook was OK. Now the netbook – renamed – is going to be the cheap, anywhere solution because everything will be in the cloud…and everyone. Yep hackers, phishers, whackers, malwarers and that’s where you want us to put our everything.? Malware hit an all-time high last quarter and it's doesn't look like anyone has a quick fix for keeping the mean, greedy away.

“New” Social Media Options Aren’t New, They’re Sequels - Click To Read Article
The excitement is almost unbearable. A new web-based social media service is unveiled. Will it be the next (fill in your own current fave)? Will it die? Nope social media can't be killed. For every mind-numbing IPO a sequel emerges from the lake. The only thing the sequel will give you is another chance to place your mark on the Internet forever...another way for you to waste your time telling the boss -- or yourself -- you're "working hard to protect the company, the product from the beasts." Life in the virtual world is fun, exciting, different from real work.

Taking a Business Page from Hollywood - Click To Read Article
There's a lot of creative work around the world involved in the movies we see on the screen. But the difficult part is getting content from place to place quickly, easily accurately. We looked at the backend of the movie industry before we departed NAB

Doing Multiple Tasks Isn't Multitasking - Click To Read Article
Multitasking...people say they do it with pride. They say their kids multitask because they're wired differently. Problem is psychologists, sociologists, people who study people say it simply isn't true. We have tons of things on our plate now -- more things than time - but it turns out we're doing multiple tasks but we can only focus on one at a time. So what we're really doing is moving from task to task in nanoseconds so it feels like all the jobs are getting done in parallel. Maybe that's why our wife says we can mess up more things in less time than anyone she knows.

Good Conversations Build Relationships - Click To Read Article
Companies are trying to get over the idea of marketing at you (passe) to building a relationship with you. Problem is you don't know if they want you for your mind...your body...your bank account. Give companies a little slack the smart ones are learning a whole new way of marketing but at least most are trying. The rest...ferget it!!!!! If you agree pass this piece along to those who don't quite understand the world we live in...

Hot Selling Devices Spell Great Insecurity Opportunities - Click To Read Article
OMG your iPhone tracks your movements. Well yes your Android does to and the wireless companies and Homeland Security and Facebook and Google and Mom, Dad and ..... How do you think you get those neat coupons when you walk by the store? How do you think your phone service knows how to deliver a call or your email server to deliver your spam. You probably can't remember the last time you were alone...really alone. Sure you thought so but you silly boy/girl ! Getting off the grid is getting even more difficult. Sometimes it's a bad thing but overall well just don't get paranoid...you're really boring to follow.

Tellywood Works to Reach You Any, Every Way They Can - Click To Read Article
NAB is still sorta about TV and movies...but with a difference. The difference is huge. They're trying to figure out how to hook you up with their content, stuff, rather than letting the other guy suck you in. So they're trying all the angles smartphone, tablet, notebook. Heck even the TV and theater. Seems as though you've given up work, exercise, just about everything to watch content anytime, anywhere, anyhow. They haven't figured out exactly how to make money on it all yet but they do like what Netflix has done over the past year. Maybe they'll try their own channels of distribution shortly...maybe.

Keeping Web Sites Busy, Safe, Profitable - Click To Read Article
You can't turn a virtual page today without reading, watching something about social media. It sets your heart to twittering (excuse the pun). But from a business' perspective what is its goal? Right! We want you to visit the website, check the products/services, buy something, recommend us to others...lots of others. The problem often is that the website is in total disarray, less than helpful to the visitor because people are having too much fun with their Facebook page, their Twits. People come but they escape as quickly as possible! Here are some hints (easy, honest hints) that can improve, enhance the value of the website for the visitor.

Creative Production is in the Cloud - Click To Read Article
NAB the center for video content production/distribution showed off two things this year. Content delivery is ready and content production isn't confined to specific centers but to specialty locations where people choose to live and in the cloud.

NAB 2011 Day 1/2 -- The Usual Suspects, A Few Surprises, The New Frontier - Click To Read Article
The broadcast industry is infiltrating every aspect of our business and personal lives. This is a summary of the first two days of this year's events, activities, opportunities.

Artists, Music, Audiences Change Labels Find it Tough - Click To Read Article
eems like half the shows on TV are about rising musicians/singers. But ask the MPAA (music folks) and their industry is breathing its last chest rattling breath. Quit humming around the house. Stop listeing to music on your iPhone, iPod, car/home radio because you're only prolonging the inevitable. How dumb can folks think you are because player sales -- all types -- are up like gangbusters. Pandora and other services are rolling in money. Our problem Ensure the musicians get their fair share. The MPA? Labels? Sorry folks those days are gone...you're right!!!!

Hiring the Right People for the Tangible, Intangible Jobs - Click To Read Article
With the marketplace and economy improving and one of the first areas they beef up (and cut) are marketing and sales. Hiring technical people is fairly easy you look at their education, advanced studies, design/development track record. Hiring sales people is more difficult - a lot more difficult. You're buying tangible and intangible features because he/she may be good but not right. Good at what they do but wrong for your organization, your corporate personality, your market/customers. The article won't deliver guaranteed results but it might help you make the right decision for your organization, your goals.

WOM…It’s An Art, It’s Science, It’s Theirs - Click To Read Article
If you went to/read about SXSW (check Wikipedia) you saw that folks were doing everything for word of mouth (WOM) buzz. They'll do it all the time, every time. Big secret though? Those folks don't have one iota of control over WOM! Nope that belongs to the people we're feeding the messages to. You know "them." Problem is they can turn on you in a heartbeat and gawd it ain't pretty. When that happens it's damage control and you try to save the vital parts...that's when you call the PR folks to blame...not us, them! It can be "managed if you know how to prepare, what to do, when to do it...and you have blind faith!!!!

We’re Starting to Take Virtual Sales to the Real Bank - Click To Read Article
We may have worked with Atari for over six years back in the real gaming system days but we never really had a long attention span -- long enough to play the games. We knew people who slept under their desks and lived on Coke/Twinkies when it was crash n burn to get games out. Folks still do but now they're talking serious money. So serious we people buy virtual goods/stuff with real money. Times have changed but the attraction of games hasn't. The games are more realistic, more immersive and more valuable. Serious men, women, boys, girls play them...serious men, women develop them...seriously there's a new breed of casual games !!!!

You Can Never Be Too Good Looking, Too Slim, Have Too Much Storage - Click To Read Article
If you were one of the fortunate few who got his/her iPad 2 lord it over the other folks who are waiting for ...something else. Of course they and you also carry around your smartphone, notebook, other mobile devices. They're too important not to be without...and the information they hold. Good thing is all that data, content you're creating doesn't make the things weigh any more except when you have to get a few external hard drives to carry it all. Who knew you just had to have 8-10 four drawer filing cabinets of stuff with you but...you do. Could put all the content at home but that's getting pretty full. Could put it in the cloud but that's a little scarey. All storage people can say is thank you for creating, storing, sharing.

The Generation Born Online is Changing Business Models - Click To Read Article
We've read the dynamics of netbooks sweeping away notebooks...tablets sweeping away netbooks and notebooks...smartphones being in everyone's hands...the need for a device for every application. That's us. But for the work/entertainment tools you'll be using in 10/20 years from now...don't bother looking over the screen in the office. Don't check what cool folks are carrying. See what the little urchin rolling, crawling around at home gravitates to...look at the kids! They're just entering the communications arena. They use phone devices for anything/everything/everywhere.

Game Developer's Conference - Day 1 - Click To Read Article
A blow-by-blow of the changing ways the gaming industry is changing and where you might -- just might fit in!

Game Developer's Conference - Day 2 - Click To Read Article
Catching what is new, what is hot and what the trends are in social and mobile gaming. All spell opportunities.

Game Developer's Conference - Day 3 - Click To Read Article
Lots of punch, lots of sizzle including Apple's iPad 2 intro.

Game DEveloper's Conference - Day 4 - Click To Read Article
The wrap-up of the event including highlights of the awards.

Education + Infrastructure + Innovation - Click To Read Article
We're not certain if President Obama borrowed the ideas -- education, infrastructure, innovation - -from others or came up with his own hook for his state of the union speech but he did lay down the gauntlet. We do know government officials around the globe has laid down the challenge of innovation for their citizens. Every Csuite executive has told his/her stakeholders that the company will innovate and be competitive leaders. We'll talk about a lot of innovations before we get one that works. And innovation is going to take a long time to have a positive impact so let's not abandon it too soon.

Sharing the Cost of Mobile Speed, Content - Click To Read Article
Ok every device manufacturer, every service provider (around the globe) is hot to trot to ensure they get their unfair share of your mobile device, content, service dollar (or respective currency). Heck in a year or two we'll even have all the bandwidth to provide the level of service you expect and they're promising. Sure folks are talking about a ton of professional video but it will be a lot of personal/family photos/video across the bandwidth. As they say the service will be good and sure it's a little expensive. That's where mobile advertising comes into play and man agencies/companies are all over a targeted way of reaching/influencing you like a bear on honey. They're moving fast to beat each other to the finish line. Some will never finish the race...so which ones will you bet (invest) your money on?

Digital Bytes – The Challenge of Balancing Real, Virtual Worlds - Click To Read Article
People jog off cliffs, they walk into manholes, they walk into the middle of the street without looking, they go through meals never looking away from their screen -- regardless of which one it is -- updating their social media, viewing/responding to emails...moving around the virtual world missing some of the really neat stuff going on in the real world. Hey we're guilty too!!

Product/Service Acceptance, Success Beyond Statistics - Click To Read Article
The minute something new, exciting is introduced a few folks say it's going to take over the world in less than five years. After the second year of talking about, writing about the same thing the sucka only has 10% (or less) of the market. Obviously it's a dog, a miserable failure, a stupid idea the guys/gals never should have bothered to think about. What a dumb waste of your time, their money. So we scan the horizons for the next great thing and BAM!!! here it comes over the hill. Whooppee!!! Thank GAWD!!!! In less than five years.... Just doesn't work that way because: 1) mere mortals are slow and it takes them time to understand what it is, why they need/want it and 2) haven't even made good use of the last great thing. Wine, beer, heck good cheese need to age...so do good ideas.

3D TV is Coming, There's No Stopping It Now - Click To Read Article
We swore 3D TV would be here after last year's CES ...BIG!!! Even after 30 years of working in the PC/CE/communications space we were blinded by the light. We knew better but it just felt so right. Why isn't it here yet? The infrastructure isn't in place. Education, comprehension, appreciation, love takes time. But we're getting closer. 2011 will deliver significant improvements, gains for home, mobile viewing. . When will the 3D stars be in alignment so it will be an accepted fact? Soon...very soon. Take a look at the Content Insider report and see if you agree...

The 3rd Screen Enters the Personal, Business World - Click To Read Article
With all the tablets and apps being shown at CES it was tough to believe that Apple wasn't at the show. Oh they were at the show they just weren't at the show! Hard to believe that a year plus ago there wasn't a tablet product category and at CES there were 80+ devices being shown. So will they take over the world as some forecast? If so who will be the winners, survivors, hangers on? With our cold, steely logic and raw guts/perception we'll give you our outlook right here... It's an exciting technology, marketplace that is becoming readily available to you and those around you...take a look

THE SALES PRESENTATION THE BOTTOM LINE IS SELLING - Click To Read Article
Selling is hard work, even in the virtual world of the Internet. It requires strong motivation, personal pride, perseverance, flexibility, energy, discipline, and focus. Above all, it requires communicating and being able to read/understand the prospects' attitudes and needs, whether they are real or perceived.

2011...New Consumers, New Markets, New Economy Take Hold - Click To Read Article
Finally it appears as though we're looking out of the tunnel. We can see light -- a lot of optimistic light -- rather than extended gloom. The economy won't be completely behind us but things are looking like they are going to slowly improve. There are still potholes on the road to recovery and prosperity. Fortunately they aren't in the market areas we focus on. Where do we see things improving and how quickly? Take a look for yourself.

CES ... Plan, Prepare, Be Patient, Good Luck! - Click To Read Article
Every day around the globe there are hundreds of conferences, conventions, events being held -- some small, some big, some too big -- CES is a lot like the latter but after 20+ years of attending it's hard to break a bad habit of hitting Vegas right after the new year begins. Our holidays have been "interrupted" so long by getting client materials together we almost believe everyone celebrates Christmas the end of January. CES isn't just a consumer electronics show. It's evolved into probably six-seven different shows and only Vegas is big enough to handle it. While we love to watch newbies hit the strip seasoned veterans know it takes planning, focus, good shows to get the most out of the event. You can't see them all -- don't try, don't get sidetracked. Or ...knock yourself out!!!!

Your Phone Could Be the Key to Making AR Real - Click To Read Article
Augmented Reality is simply the real world we live in only more. It's there naturally when you watch a sporting event. You call it up when you use your smartphone to get a recommendation or learn more about the place you're going to visit. True it's not real real but it is a lot more helpful, more useful than existing in a virtual world. Every day more AR work is being done to help you make the right decisions. It's reality but with a little...augmentation.

Choosing the Next Great Tech Product Boom…or Bust - Click To Read Article
Holidays are nerve wracking for you, us, everyone. You want to buy just the right...thing. You don't want to spend too much or too little. You want it to be something the recipient will want, will use, will keep, won't go out of style tomorrow. With the speed of change in the industry that's a tough order. Even worse when you're buying something for your business or yourself. Admit it...look in your store room. Peek in the garage. Yesterday's great solutions, great answers are lying around and you wonder how you could have missed the signs. Our recommendations aren't bulletproof but maybe some of the information will help you think twice and avoid investing in another deadend revolutionary product/solution. But 20+ years in the industry working with industry leaders will give us a huge edge.

New Consumer, New Tools Equals New Normal - Click To Read Article
The 2010 holiday season is proving that the new consumer is in the house. He/she is more empowered than ever. They have a new set of tools, know how to use them and ...they are! The same old way of talking to, pushing product to the consumer is just that -- OLD! Consumers know you can track their activities. They don't mind as long as they get something in return. More importantly they know how to track you. They know almost immediately when they get the product, the service, the support they want/expect. Don't deliver, there is **** to pay! But that's OK because you're also a consumer. Now's the time to change the way we think about, work with consumers...

Surviving Your First, Your Worst Media Interview - Click To Read Article
The beloved/dreaded interview...recently annointed and veteran executives are well prepared to give an outstanding interview. Just ask them. Then they wonder why their brilliance wasn't properly captured. Trust us just because you can talk and write doesn't mean you're ready for an interview in today's changing business/consumer environment. Some interviews will be face to face but increasingly they will be conducted over the iNet. Be honest. Be open. Be clear. Be concise. It can be a rewarding experience if you're prepared.

On The Road, Staying in Touch for Business, Pleasure - Click To Read Article
Sure the next couple of months are going to be hectic what with the holidays, Storage Visions, CES, the holidays. It's no wonder that the gift everyone expects to get in their stocking is portable. We just don't seem to have enough of being in touch with all of the bad news and folks we don't want to see. Already we see folks with a couple of smartphones, notebook, tablet, more tucked in their backpacks. The demand for devices and content just keeps growing. As long as it's portable though we'll just ride on!

Business Must Constantly Look to, Plan for Tomorrow - Click To Read Article
Life would be simple well for everyone if all 6.8 billion plus people on the planet were part of one homogeneous market. Jeezz life would be so easy. Cripes anyone could create, produce, market, ship, sell their products, services, whatever. Well that ain't gonna happen. People in every country operate on a different need/buy clock. Within the country folks in the North, South, East, West are different. Then we have the sex, religious, age differences and man it is a wonder anyone can sell something to a decent size group of folks. Just when you think you've got it all figured out there's a market shift and you start all over again. There are huge shifts taking place today and tomorrow it will change again. It's what makes business, life interesting, challenging and fun.

Add a New Line On Your Business Card…Hack Me!!! - Click To Read Article
New mobile devices - smartphones, notebooks, netbooks, tablets -- are outstanding business tools. They are also superb entrances into your company's (and your) vital information. Common sense, care can protect you from losses.

In Holiday Shopping, There’s No Substitute for Victory - Click To Read Article
Coming off a less than booming sales year, Black Friday probably scares today's online, mass merchants, electronics retailers, warehouse clubs more than ghosts and goblins. They're determined to have a good 4th quarter sellng period. So are the manufacturers. Bundles, specials, deals for consumers not just in the U.S. but around the globe. Black Friday is the most widely searched term this time of year...everywhere. Start your search/research online. Check for the online flyers, specials, coupons. Take your smartphone and barcode app with you to double check you're getting the best deal. Show the sales team if there's a better price elsewhere. They'll "work with you!" Plan your personal, friends, family buying plan well. Use your GPS so you get the products you want without a lot of running around. Start checking now.

Storage -- Worry About It the Day After Tomorrow - Click To Read Article
We finished this analysis on storage types/applications over the weekend and Apple decided to finally talk about all their new devices and everyone (we mean everyone) jumped on the tablet bandwagon. We'll look at the area shortly but right now we can only say every bit of storage folks can make/ship is being used...then some! Right now let's look at the leading storage offerings -- flash, hard drive, clould (don't let em kid you the cloud is still hard drive). But only you can determine which storage option is best for you in each of your applications -- work in progress, valuable, super valuable, irreplaceable. Weigh the costs/risks and store accordingly. Don't wait till the Day After Tomorrow.

Online Videos … The Move to Entertain, Educate, Sell - Click To Read Article
If you're like us you're watching more of your TV over the Internet. Why not? No need to let some psycho at the network dictate what you watch and when. Funny thing is the ads even look better on the iNet. They're faster, crisper, more entertaining. Ok not all...some are long, boring, sloppy, crappy! All by ourselves we're going to change all that (yeah right) with some advice to those folks on how they can produce better videos that folks want to watch. If only a few listen maybe you'll want to begin a steady diet of marketing videos. Wouldn't that be great you watch the stuff then you go buy the stuff, the economy gets better, you miss more TV shows, watch more stuff on the Web and the cycle continues till we finally take most governments off life support and they act like responsible citizens...cool !!!!

Your Reputation...One Day at a Time - Click To Read Article
It used to be that a small team of people were responsible for the organization's reputation management efforts/activities. OMG those days are gone and they're never coming back. Today reputation management is a 24x7 job that is the responsibility of everyone on the team. Sure management sets the tone/direction but someone (even outside the organization who doesn't know squat) can bruise/tarnish the organization's reputation with inuendos, half-truths or lies. If you think the current wave of cyberbullies is a passing fad, think again. Those types of people are here to stay. All you can do is focus on doing your best.

Content - Entertainment Everywhere - Click To Read Article
How can ereaders be selling so well and everyone gets excited about where your TV and other video content is going to be viewed? Run around the globe to the major conferences/conventions and the big excitement is all about giving people their content, their way when/where they want and how they want to watch it. In your living room, notebook/netbook/tablet and on your smartphone. It is definitely going to be your content, your way. Everyone is prepared to deliver it is just going to be tough to figure out who will make money off the deal. Thousands of channels will soon give way to one channel -- yours! Bummer...now you'll have no one to blame for the dumb shows to watch.

Housewide Storage -- Better Safe than Sorry But… - Click To Read Article
Imagine being able to access any file in the house -- wired or wireless. Yes a safe haven where you can store, protect, enjoy, share the family content and other stuff. All it takes is Plug and Play NAS. PnP sounds so friendly, so nice, so easy, so fun. NAS sounds like...gawd we don't know. But home networking, good home networking has been promised for years. All you need is a techie who just loves to help you, a few evenings and a long weekend and hey there's nothing to it. Face it...your sanity and keeping your blood pressure under control is worth something right?

Creativity, Innovation -- Making the Mind Struggle - Click To Read Article
Bet you're looking forward to next weekend like there's no tomorrow! Labor Day weekend is a great time to unwind, shed the stress, strain, anxiety of your workday world. Of course you won't shed it all...you'll check email, you'll carry your phone with you. Well we'll add a little more to the load you're carrying. There are signs that the U.S. (it is our holiday after all) is losing its creative lead. There are problems, there are issues, there are opportunities on a global basis. Creativity isn't exclusive of any country, any company, any individual. Think about it -- as you relax with a cold one next weekend. Creativity isn't lost because it starts with ... YOU!!!!

The Up-Comers - The 3rd Billion Will Influence All the Rest - Click To Read Article
The financial community and the industry love to talk about big numbers like a billion. Especially when they're talking about people who are standing in line to spend money. For years we've classified BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) as the growing billion everyone had to begin targeting their products/services to so they could grow profitably. But suddenly that billion look like they are buying the PC/CE/communications products/services as rapidly as they can afford (ok so that doesn't say much right now). So we need to seek out our next prospective market. In a number of countries they have literally been right under our nose...yes women who have previously been viewed as "second class" citizens are asserting themselves and taking their lives, their future in their own hands.

Enhancing Leadership Skills - Click To Read Article
Some people look over the screen at their boss and think there but the grace go I. After all being the boss, the leader has to be about the easiest job in the world. What's to do? Sit around ...give orders...check the work...take the credit for succcesses, blame others for failures. Problem is it just doesn't work that way and even the best leader needs to brush up on, improve, hone his/her skills. Here are some ideas and thoughts that may help you become an even better leader than you already are.

Insider #149 - Game Demographics - Click To Read Article
The blood, gore, adrenalin challenges that were unveiled at E3 and enjoyed at ComicCon are fun to look at, easy to hold but are they really the games people want to plunk down their credit cards to own or rent time with? Seems as though the investors, the players who control the controllers have a different idea of a "good" game than the kids who develop them. While mobs of people play educational, informational, stimulating games our kid huddles in his room and mumbles "The Few, The Proud, The Gamers." If we align the games with the real volume players, consumers we might stimulate more hardware, more bandwidth, more mobile, yes more software sales come the holidays.

Publicity...Everything Changes But the Tool - Click To Read Article
As the world turns so does the hot and not communications tools. We jump from print, online news; websites, blogs, microblogs. Proponents of each will swear that "this is the source, the tool that will rise to the top and become the news source of choice." But when you want to be informed (or better yet when YOU want to inform) you think of the lowly, maligned press release. It's not dead. It's just that so few can do the darn thing right. Let's look at the facts and do it right...

The iGen - Click To Read Article
NO...Doesn't have a thing to do with "that" smartphone...or "that" store...or "that" tablet. It's the next generation. Kids and we mean little kids. That's what today's products are being designed for/targeted at. You happen to buy one...fine. Watch a little, little kid pick up a smartphone. He/she just uses it. They've come pre-wired and we're still trying to figure out how to IM. It's the IGen. They want it instantly. They want to use it instantly. They expect their photos, their video, their music, their stuff immediately when/where/how they want it. 35-year-olds are over the hill. 20 year olds just at the peak of the hill. 15 year olds, half way up the hill. 50 year olds...ferget it!!!! So we've looked at the people who will replace you as the prime market. Curious....take a look !!!

Social Media Is Only Customer Relations - Click To Read Article
Part 7 in a social media overview

Social Media #1 - A Company's Friend, Foe - Click To Read Article
First in a series on social media

Social Media #2 - Knowing What They're Saying - Click To Read Article
Part 2 in a social media tutorial

Social Media #3 - Marketing Changes in Attitude, Changes in Latitude - Click To Read Article
Part 3 in a social media tutorial

Social Media #4 - Consumers Get Their Voices - Click To Read Article
Part 4 in social media tutorial

Social Media #5 - Show Me Your Story - Click To Read Article
Part 5 in social media tutorial

Social Media #6 - Friends Help Friends, Keep Friends - Click To Read Article
Part 6 in social media tutorials

Staying in Touch - Click To Read Article
We are "entranced" by all of the social media noise and how it's going to be the marketing tool of today and tomorrow. Funny we just thought it was about people talking to people. We like the headlines, 20 percent this, 30 percent that. Reminds us of a note from an Aussie friend -- 20% of the auto accidents there are caused by drunk drivers. That means 80% are caused by sober folks. So he wanted them to get off the roads so drinkers could get home safely. Rather like our business communications. Not real concerned about people following our Twits (growing up we called it stalking). Wanna tag our social site wall? Have at it! We want to communicate with you and would like you to respond...not the ROW! But that's us

Social Media Marketing…The Challenge of Herding Cats - Click To Read Article
Social media marketing, communications. Gawd it sounds like soooo much fun...so interesting...so challenging...so mano y mano! Too bad everyone thinks of it as just another marketing/advertising tool to push ideas, products at folks. That isn't what social media communications is all about. It's about the customer. So start with the one you've got. Work with him/her. Make them happy...very happy. Help them be your advocates, your promoters. They'll tell a few folks how good your company, products, services are and in "almost" no time word will spread round the globe. Get out there. Get your hands dirty. You can't herd cats. You can't herd consumers. Get in the saddle with the attitude you can and they'll turn on you. Show they why your product/service is so good. Show them how to install, troubleshoot, use it. Then ..

Video Games…So Many Options, So Little Time - Click To Read Article
The fun and fantasy of the recent E3 conference was breathtaking. It's great to see gaming bouncing back and the console folks doing their darndest to breath new life into their systems -- especially since they haven't done a refresh design for way so many years, you begin to wonder... It was so cool because we were all ready to see the rebound. But wait a minute isn't it just like WarGames -- a lot of make believe along with some real world reality? Our house has the "standard" console(s). Our house has the "standard" HD TV set(s). Our house doesn't have any 3D content but then the game folks won't have theirs for "a few months." So what else is there? Right! The online gaming world is huge and getting even larger.

We Need A Storage Jedi - Click To Read Article
Your smartphone, your notebook/netbook/tablet, your camera. We can't grab enough short/long version video and social media stuff to enjoy every waking moment. Some of it has to carry over and rather than search for it again we store it...somewhere. Then we store it again...and again...and again. In a few years documents, data, content volumes will increase by a whopping factor of 44. Think about it...the world, your world revolves around storage. Sure you can put it in someone's cloud but do you really stuff your stuff to "them?" Nope! So we'll produce more -- more HD, more flash, more optical, more tape, more.... See what the future holds for you and everyone else.

The Tie That Binds…Mobile Ads to In-Store Signage Messages - Click To Read Article
Now that we're running around with our smartphones and have the ability to identify where there's a store with just the products we want and watch TV on our handset, it's only natural that on-line ads will start hitting hard and fast. The challenge will be making them palletable for the consumer. But that only gets them in the door. Next we'll see solutions that deliver controlled messages in the last two feet...just before you buy. The technology and the solutions are out there. All the industry has to do is ensure they make it a pleasant experience for the consumer. It will be a "little" tough and a "little" crude during the early stages but closure with the consumer will arrive...sooner than you think.

Your Hardware Selection Depends on - Click To Read Article
You would think as our technology becomes more advanced it would also become more simplified but that just isn't happening. We keep introducing new products (sometimes boldly called category killers) and then somehow people figure out how to add more features, more capabilities, more everything all to show you don't need the other guy's thing. Doesn't happen instead we have more -- of everything! We have more notebooks, more netbooks, more tablets, more smartphones, more plain old phones, just more!! So we get a bigger backpack and add the new category killer with the earlier category killers. All we have to do is figure out who's environment we're working in from time to time

Public Relations CRM - Click To Read Article
…Take a Hint from the Internet, Redefine Customers

Clash of the Titans II - Click To Read Article
We thought we had put the Clash of the Titans behind us but Hollywood made a sequel. It gave the PC/CE industry an opportunity for the industry titans to stretch their control over the landscape even more. Titans are taking the opportunity to payback those who bruised their egos, encroached on their "territories" and just did things they didn't like. The Titan Titans -- Apple, Google, Adobe -- are hollering at each other with regularity. The other Titans are mumbling and filing law suits. Everyone -- including governmental agencies around the globe -- is watching closely to see who is doing what and to whom.

Content … Keeping the Old Gals Around for a Few More Years - Click To Read Article
It was great to see all the new capture, production toys at NAB. The camera, production board, software had the content people -- Katzenberger, Moonves (CBS), Carey (News Corp), other major/minor players -- huddling around all their new high def and 3D stuff every minute the show floor was open. When the lights went out and all that content was sent back to the lowly under appreciated storage systems. The same was true of the consumer/prosumer capture/production products that were displayed. The only difference is the storage devices were smaller. In addition to 1-5GB solutions lots of people use the more compact 500GB-1TB storage units that incorporated advanced security technology. Cameras, software, people get their names in lights but when was the last time you saw a 5TB storage unit listed on the film's credits.

Let Paper Join HistoryPress Kits Join History - Click To Read Article
The CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) started the world of change a few years ago "encouraging" PR people to only use online press services or online kits. Most of the shows followed suit (MWC - Mobile World Congress, CTIA and well most other shows) going green and making press materials available to media folks even if they didn't attend. But the hue and cry from publicists at NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show was difficult to understand. The benefits of the web and online services aren't new. After all these years we're rather glad to see the blood, sweat, tears of paper kits disappear

Technology is So Passé … It’s All About Fashion - Click To Read Article
We looked at the stuff at CES...at CTIA...at NAB...at all the shows and media coverage. There was an epiphany (gotta love that word). The PC/CE/communications/content industry isn't about technology...it's fashion! It's what's hot...what's not. Notebooks...no netbooks...no smartphones...no ebooks...no tablets. Local storage...centralized storage...personal storage...cloud storage. Your next product, service can be hot, cold, dead in a month. We flip faster than skirts rise and fall. There are no bold , ah ha predictions here but at least you'll know why you change phones, computers (whatever) more often than you change cars. What's it gonna be tomorrow? Don't ask the buying public(s)..invent it!!!! -- borrowed from John Doerr (come on what do you think fashion is? Right creative borrowing!).

Why Doesn’t the Press Call, email, Text, Tweet? - Click To Read Article
PR/publicity folks are just like every trend follower..always ready to jump to the next "new/hot" thing. In their case to prove they are like way in front of the communications curve. Blogging? Fading. Facebook Like page (Fan page is out), Tweety? Oh yeah! Writing clean/concise/meaty releases, checking the Press Web Site? That is so yesterday!!! So what if the site is where media folks go to find/get news/data and where they go to get contact info? Just because the lowly company press room is pivotal for everyone, everywhere why should the person leading the charge stoop to make certain the company's press site had just the right information and that the information is easily available, fresh. We wrapped our many years of experience and feedback from media people into this article. Don't waste your best opportunities

Boomers … the Numbers, the Markets Keep Growing - Click To Read Article
You can fight it all you want but you're getting close to, passed through or can't even see it in the rearview mirror. It is your becoming part of the boomer plus generation. You may find it tough to find a pair of jeans that fit just right on you but don't forget boomers have most of the world's net worth, their numbers are growing faster than the GenX, GenY folks. They'll probably live longer than past generations, they're going to work longer, they'll stay involved/stay active, they're online more and they buy more PC/CE/content toys than the other groups. Maybe it's because we're just pushed past the early phases of Booming and our kids have been giving us a hard time. We just repeat in our mind what Mark Twain said, "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. " BAM !! Things are OK again.

The #1 Guide to Performance Appraisals - Click To Read Article
Book Review Appraisals … Doing it Right! – By James E. Neal Jr., 145 pages, Neal Publications (NP) Inc., February

To Blog or Not to Blog. - Click To Read Article
That Is the Question? The newest computer can merely compound, at speed, the oldest problem in the relations between human beings, and in the end the communicator will be confronted with the old problem, of what to say and how to say it -- Edward R. Murrow

The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR - Click To Read Article
Book by Al and Laura Ries

The Million Dollar Baby - Click To Read Article
It’s the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you. That is what is driving independent audio/video producers. The difference is that today they have multiple opportunities for visibility and exposure. It is all possible. It is all available. (charts available upon request)

Making the Most of your Business, Trade Media Opportunities - Click To Read Article
The ultimate check list of items, activities and opportunities for PC, CE focused firms.

Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got - Click To Read Article
Book Review

THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO THE INTERNET - Click To Read Article
The internet is explained in easy-to-understand lay terms for any small business user.

Post Production Studios Like the Pros Without the Big Budget - Click To Read Article
Start your video production business without a big budget.

WHERE COOP ADVERTISING IS GOING - Click To Read Article
Co-op Advertising is Expected to Reflect a New Professionalism in the Years Ahead

Does Success Breed Success - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Effects of news and advertising on corporate reputation

Successful Company Communications Is All About Delivering Value - Click To Read Article
Your best PR programs produce a solid ROI that is real and can be measured.

STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT PUBLIC RELATIONS FEES, SERVICES - Click To Read Article
A frequently published author on management, marketing and communications, Andy Marken, president of Marken Communications Inc., strips away the rhetoric and mystery that often surrounds the public relations field and discuss the art and science of PR efforts and activities in terms corporate management understands... price/performance and return-on-investment.

THE HOW-TO GUIDE FOR SALES INCENTIVE PROGRAMS - Click To Read Article
Everything you need to know about sales incentive programs. A complete checklist and series of recommendations to produce success.

Briefs for Building Better Brands - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Tips, Parables and Insights for Market Leaders

EDI, E-COMMERCE AND THE INTERNET ... WHERE BUSINESSES DO BUSINESS - Click To Read Article
Don't simply jump into Internet business without knowing the strengths and pitfalls. Learn the ins and outs...then attack!

TV Isn’t a Contact Sport - Click To Read Article
You've probably spent a lot of time in front of the TV recently...Super Bowl, Olympics, American Idol. Next up Futbol's World Cup...now there's going to be a series everyone watches. You've seen your share of pretty good to decent to OMG ads as well. Ah there's the rub. You only looked. You didn't interact with them. You know watch the ad and jump online to visit their web site, tweet your friends, go to their Facebook friends page, visit their YouTube ads. No you sat there. You watched, had some liquid refreshments, popcorn/chips/whatever and waited for the next play/event to take place. If you watched in a pub you high-fived six/seven folks and ordered another round. Again not the interactivity advertisers were hoping for. Maybe they're expecting too much of us...ya think???

Tips for an Effective Online Newsroom - Click To Read Article
One of the key reasons you establish a website is to attract members of the media to become interested in you and give you coverage -- print, radio/TV, online -- the key is to get visibility, get sales, get profits! This article will give you a solid check list to ensure you optimize your site for the media...all of the media

SALES PRESENTATION ... THE BOTTOM LINE IS SELLING - Click To Read Article
Talk about two sides of the coin just think of the sales call. If you're in sales then it is all about the person in front of the other person/group. If you're in marketing it is all about the polished, super slick presentation. If you're the CEO and CFO it's all about the order. Surprise!!!! It takes them all. And a presentation should be tailored by the sales people so that it fits their style and the audience. And it should go where few marketing people have gone before...it should ask for the order. The best sales call is a gentle balance of the sales people and their sales tools. We just want to make it better for them.

IN A HURRICANE, EVEN TURKEYS FLY - Click To Read Article
When times are good anyone can do the job. It's when times are tough the creative people shine.

IPTV – Who Will Make Money Off The Matrix - Click To Read Article
The IPTV market potential seems to be emerging everywhere. Tellywood wants to lay claim to it. Indie producers see a fantastic opportunity to establish themselves. Consumers are looking for good...free content. Who will win? The folks who develop the delivery platform... (charts available upon request)

Multicultural Public Relations – A Social-Interpretive Approach - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Multicultural Public Relations – A Social-Interpretive Approach By Stephen P. Banks, Ph.D. Iowa State University Press ISBN # 0813829402

MOST PR EFFORTS ARE A WASTE OF TIME ... MONEY ... ENERGY - Click To Read Article
Public relations can be one of the most powerful tools available to organizations to position themselves and their products/services. It is also the most effective and efficient means of launching and sustaining products. Doing it wrong isn't worth the time...money...energy.

Managing a Consulting Firm for Growth and Profit - Click To Read Article
Review -- While this review covers public relations agencies, they are no different from any other management/marketing consulting firms. Managing a Public Relations Firm for Growth and Profit – A.C. Croft; Best Business Books, 10 Alice Street, Binghampton, NY 13904; 607-722-5857; www.haworthpress.com; ISBN 978-0-7890-2865-5; 290 pages.

RECESSION SPENDING - Click To Read Article
…AD CUTBACKS DON'T ALWAYS MAKE SENSE

Public Relations Kit for Dummies - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Public Relations Kit for Dummies by Eric Yaverbaum, IDG Books Worldwide, Foster City, CA, February 2001, 326 pages

Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients and Contracts - Click To Read Article
Book review -- Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients and Contracts – Tom Sant, AMACOM (American Management Association), www.amacom.com, January 2004, ISBN-10 – 0814471536, 224 pages, $17.95

Short Game, Long Game, No Game…Gone in 60 Sec. - Click To Read Article
The game system roll-outs this year are classical good, bad marketing efforts. Who scored big? Who will win? Does the consumer really matter?

Sales Proposals Kit for Dummies - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Sales Proposals Kit for Dummies – By Bob Kantin, Hungry Minds, Inc, 909 Third Avenue, NY, NY 10022, September 2001, 360 pages, ISBN 0-7645-5375-5, $20.99

The Sixth Sense - Click To Read Article
Mobile video, audio and content is all about storage and storage opportunities. Where do we see dead content? Everywhere. How do you protect it? How do you take advantage of the opportunities? Check! If you want graphs, let us know.

Corporate Communications It’s All About Delivering Value - Click To Read Article
Target what you want and focus on results...

COOP ADVERTISING - Click To Read Article
THE STEPCHILD OF CORPORATE ADVERTISING

CONSUMERISM - Click To Read Article
LET THE DEALER BEWARE

Collaboration - Click To Read Article
Personal Power, not Position Power

BUSINESS NOT GOVERNMENT MUST IMPROVE THE ECONOMY - Click To Read Article
In tough times we can't expect the government to bail out the marketplace and then go away. It is up to business to remove the lethargy.

Branded Entertainment - Click To Read Article
A clear, concise, effective step-by-step guide on how you can efficiently, effectively embed your products in today's entertainment resources to enhance your firm's image and produce sales.

Global Business Requires Healthy Dose of Local Alliances, Thinking - Click To Read Article
It's wonderful to see how indignant innocent little Google can become when someone out-hacks, out-snoops them. For crying out loud don't the folks who did that understand that providing information is the way Google makes its money??? If that weren't bad enough, Eric can not only not sit in on Steve's board meetings where some hot new ideas must have been discussed but now Steve doesn't even like Eric's company motto -- man is nothing sacred? On the Internet the answer is no! Your every keyclick is followed by someone -- yes even ours !!!

CES 2010 – Look Good, Act Assured, Play Loud - Click To Read Article
It is so easy to get swept up in the excitement, the presentations of CES. This year was no exception because there was an event-wide feeling that things are improving and that the PC, CE, communications industry has not only rebounded but is set for a number of years of solid growth. Watch the presentations and it is almost easy to believe that the world really does evolve around us. There are still challenges mixed in with the opportunities. There are sound ideas and products amidst the noise and sometimes it is difficult to see which products and product categories will be immediate hits and which will take months (or longer) to gain traction. We looked at them all and give you a different look at which will rise to the top...and when. It's still Shapiro's Greatest Show on Earth.

Innovation, Mainstream on Different Time Schedules - Click To Read Article
CES is always great to see and immerse yourself in all of the new toys, the new potential...the fresh start! It takes us awhile to look closely (behind the curtain) as to what the year and next five years have to hold. But this past year everyone was bemoaning the fact that the U.S. was behind the curve, lost the recipe for success and the future. Look at the CES stuff and where did it come from? Everywhere! We (and we mean all we) multitask, work virtually without borders pulling the best ideas, the best talent from EVERYWHERE to create solutions, solve problems. Only governments want "bragging rights." Companies and all of the wes want products, services, capabilities to sell.

Live at 5 – Handling The TV Interview - Click To Read Article
Business or personal, everyone seems to love a great scandal, solid news (as long as it's not their own). As flat as organizations are today any executive, manager can be reached for an interview. The most stressful is when you're sitting/standing with a TV camera facing you and the news person wants information, answers. Few professional newspeople (print, radio, TV, web, blog) are out to dig up dirt just to get the information...honest information. We're fortunate. We've had several years of being the interviewer (early in our career) and four confrontational interview courses. Done right the entire news interview experience can be good for the organization and you. The problem is you always have your best responses right after the interview. There's no retake in an interview...any interview.

It’s Time for Content, Communication Course Correction - Click To Read Article
The financial shell game finally caught up with Wall Street. The US auto industry suddenly realized their bloated infrastructure and their views of what people should buy didn't match up with what customers were asking for. The two industries knew how to solve the problems they created...go where they print money. The content creation/sharing/showing/enjoying players pulled back as they have in every downturn and turned their attention to tightening up their organizations, reducing profit margins and focusing on products, technology, services that satisfy consumers. Suddenly we're doing more with less and placing renewed emphasis on listening and talking with folks about exactly what they want and need from us.

2010...Cautious Optimism, More Stuff, Fewer Players - Click To Read Article
To say that 2009 was not the best year for business would be putting it mildly. Profit squeeze was the name of the game and while 2010 doesn't promise significant relief there are areas that will experience exceptional growth for those ready to focus their time, efforts and talents to their long-term goals. We have taken the time to examine the markets and players in our areas of expertise -- PC/CE/communications to help you plan how you will prepare in coming out of the bad times.

After 150+ Years, 3D Is About Ready to Come Home - Click To Read Article
Go to a content conference, convention -- heck any conference, any convention. What's the leading subject of conversation? OMG 3D movies are fantastic. 3D video games are so real. Did you hear what Sir Howard said the other day? Yep we're all going to have 3D TV by the end of next year...all of us!!! Gee and we're still paying for our big screen HD TV sets (all of them!). DreamWorks Katzenberg, Sony, Panasonic and "them" are hellbent to make certain you get the economy moving in the right direction. Don't get us wrong. This round of 3D movies are much better than the stuff of the 50s. Notice most of them are animated films? Easier to turn 2D into 2.5 or 3D movies. Games? Kids love em.

There Are Things More Important Than Size…Just Ask Flash - Click To Read Article
Thank goodness you're a pack rat! You know, have to grab, keep everything that flies by...ok everything except that report or news item or YouTube yuck you saw last week and now desperately need. Can't find it it save your behind. And still you don't have enough storage...there are new worlds to conquer, new worlds to destroy or take home with you. Ready to take on the entire universe...add on a few ultra-high capacity hard drives. Want to hang onto your corner of the world...flash capacity is increasing and prices are still coming down. Don't worry Flash will always be there for you Dale!!!!

ZERO-IN ON THE ONE WHO SAYS YES (AND NO) - Click To Read Article
Focus on the person who can help you in the sales situation as well as the ultimate decisionmaker.

Your CEO - Click To Read Article
…The Best Way to Project A Company’s Brand Franchise

YOUR AGENCY...IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE? - Click To Read Article
Try to keep your communications agency as long as possible and work with them through the tough spots. But when it's time to change...it's time to change.

You've Got to Be Believed to Be Heard - Click To Read Article
Bert Decker has written one of the best and most easily understood we've read in a long time. It's a complete book on speaking that will help you in business but also in your personal life.

WINNING WAYS TO MAKE ENEMIES IN THE PRESS - Click To Read Article
What a world of difference there is in the way “organizations” handle problems when they are caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Will Industry Learn from the Media’s Troubles? - Click To Read Article
"They [reporters] don't climb the stairs anymore, they don't understand the shoe-leather, they don't teach that in their high-class schools. "They are highly trained people who sit in their offices and write term papers. They won't sully themselves going to a greasy housing project or stand out in the rain for a few hours." – Jimmy Breslin, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist

Will Your Content Change the Internet Weather? - Click To Read Article
Content delivery firms have forecast that the Internet and Web 2.0 will crumble under the weight of personal video content. But the Olympics didn't dent it and millions watched the games around the globe. It is resilient...and self-healing.

Why Doesnt the Press Call - Click To Read Article
We started enjoying the benefits of the Internet before it was the Internet. More than 15 years ago – when the National Science Foundation awarded the first four contracts to connect engineers and scientists around the country into an on-line community – we started to work with the fledgling CERFnet that was awarded the contract to establish the Western leg of the NSFnet.

Why Some Companies Emerge Stronger and Better From a Crisis - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- : 7 Essential Lessons for Surviving Disaster

WHY DOESN'T THE EDITOR LIKE YOUR NEWS RELEASES? - Click To Read Article
Basics aren't difficult in developing a solid, news worthy news release. It is a shame most people waste their opportunities. This article gives you step-by-step guidelines to doing it right...including distribution.

Why Media People Don't Sign Up for Trade Show Press Credentials Early - Click To Read Article
Follow these guidelines to develop sound editorial relationships and profitable efforts.

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE - Click To Read Article
MANAGEMENT NEEDS NEW STRATEGY TO PROTECT COMPANY'S ASSETS

What Would Machiavelli Do - Click To Read Article
Book by Fortune's Stan Bing

WHERE IS YOUR OPERATION GOING NEXT? - Click To Read Article
DEVELOP A PLAN BEFORE YOU ACT

Where Will You Store The Rushing Waves of Content? - Click To Read Article
The growth of graphic content -- photo, video, presentations -- means storage will continue to be a thriving market for years to come. Understanding the needs may assist you in handling your content and providing services to others.

We the Media - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People – Dan Gillmor; O’Reilly Press, 1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472, 707.827.7000, www.oreilly.com; August 2004; 304 pages, hardcover; $24.95

Web-Based Support… - Click To Read Article
Focus on What You Have, Not What You Want Good News: This year more than 95% of the businesses in the U.S. – large and small – will have Internet access. Globally more than 65% of businesses in industrial countries will have Internet access. This year an estimated 60% of homes in the U.S. will have Internet access. Bad News: This year more than 95% of the businesses in the U.S. – large and small – will have Internet access. Globally more than 65% of businesses in industrial countries will have Internet access. This year an estimated 60% of homes in the U.S. will have Internet access.

VIRTUAL CONFERENCES, VIRTUAL MEETINGS - Click To Read Article
...BETTER THAN BEING THERE

VPNs Bring Interactivity to E-Commerce - Click To Read Article
Understand the pros and cons...and the benefits...of VPNs (virtual private networks).

Want An Effective PR Web Site? Do What Your Users Do! - Click To Read Article
Sit down this evening at your computer…do a competitive round-up article with news, comparisons, illustrations. And you’re on a short deadline!!

WEB ENHANCES SHARING OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE - Click To Read Article
The best and fastest way to exchange data...the Internet.

Web 2.0 – Thunder…Lightning…Rain - Click To Read Article
The next great thing is here -- Web 2.0. Audio, video, content, blogs and everything on the web. All of it is promising new opportunities, new successes. But is there a rainbow? A silver lining? An opportunity for you to make your big score? We explore in-depth the areas, their opportunities, their pros/cons. Then? You decide !

Want Data Privacy…Get Off the Computer - Click To Read Article
People increasingly worry about identity and content/data privacy. Your information is already out there. Learn how to limit giving "them" more information about yourself.

Vista… If We Didn’t Have Darth Vader We’d Invent Him - Click To Read Article
Bill Gates departed Microsoft leaving Steve Ballmer in charge of a rapidly changing world. Some feel Microsoft will die under the weight of itself. Others are certain that Vista is just a symptom of the worst yet to come. But is it really that bad or is it a case of the fact that we really don't like change? After all the Mac OS has its issues as well.

Unnatural Leadership - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Going Against Intuiting and Experience to Develop Ten New Leadership Instincts – By David L. Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo; Feb 2002, 280 pages, John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Street, New York, NY 10158

Value-Added Public Relations - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The Secret Weapon of Integrated Marketing – By Thomas L. Harris, Phillip Kolter; McGraw-Hill, NY, NY, June 1997, 336 Pages

Throwing the Elephant - Click To Read Article
Book review -- Zen and the Art of Managing Up -- By Stanley Bing; HarperCollins Publishers, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019; February 2002, 160 pp

Tough Calls - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- AT&T and The Hard Lessons Learned from the Telecom Wars – By Dick Martin; AMACOM, 1601 Broadway, NY, NY 10019, www.amacombooks.org; November, 2004; 304 pages, $24.95

Toxic Sludge Is Good For You!: - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry and Trust Us, We’re Experts: How Industry Manipulates Science and Gables With Your Future – By John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton, Common Courage Printers, October, 1995, 236 pages and December 2000, 246 pages respectively

Trust or Consequences - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Build Trust Today or Lose Your Market Tomorrow – Al Golin, AMACOM, 1601 Broadway, NY 10019, www.amacombooks.org, 240 p, $24

Tradeshow Advertising - Click To Read Article
– Why It Matters Now More than Ever

TRADE SHOW EDITORIAL LIAISON - Click To Read Article
Take a Walk in Their Shoes

Trade Shows + Email + PR People = Journalists’ Wrath - Click To Read Article
Trade shows make everyone anxious. Especially people who want to leverage the opportunity with the press. Be careful where you step.

TO MAKE ADS COMMUNICATE, TAILOR CREATIVITY TO MEET GOALS - Click To Read Article
The basic techniques underlying good consumer ads can be applied to good business advertising,

Trade Show PRIts Time To Focus on Goals Substance Results - Click To Read Article
The trade show business is big business and business is good. The key for you should be to maximize your investment and work with the best the press have to offer. A little care and you can do it right!

Understanding Dual Layer DVD Recording - Click To Read Article
Understand the technology and its applications in your business.

Understanding the X, Compatibility Issues of CD-RW Drives, Media - Click To Read Article
Optical storage can be a powerful business tool once you understand its strengths, weaknesses.

Thunder…Lightning…Rain - Click To Read Article
The Internet, Web 2.0 offer the greatest opportunities -- and the greatest challenge -- to today's new businesses. Learning how to use it to your advantage -- and your customers -- can put you in the driver's seat. Doing it improperly and you'll be left by the side of the road...road kill!

Turning “Outsiders” Into Insiders - Click To Read Article
Increasingly businesses function and grow best with a combination of inside and outside staff members. The author spells out how you can bring outsiders inside for increased loyalty and support.

TV, Entertainment Options, Convenience Expand Horizons - Click To Read Article
Television viewing seems ubiquitous for young/old; men/women. Does it hold opportunities for people to reach consumers in newer, fresher ways?

TV Viewing Without The TV Set - Click To Read Article
Content is everywhere not just on your TV set. In fact most of the television content is also available on the Web. The convergence of the two are strengthening our use of information and entertainment. It also offers a great new set of opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Twitter World -- Trust Us…You Ain’t That Interesting - Click To Read Article
Ah the power of 140 characters. It is proving dynamite for well just everyone. Even us. We've got Twitter sending us notes saying people are following our Tweets and we have yet to send one out. But we aren't really that interested in someone following our every mumble on the Internet. Some people think it's a great solution. We think its stalking. Lots of people sign up but their fall off rate is worse than the churn on some of the mobile service people. Oh it will last. Everything lasts on the Internet. But take a look at the piece and use it as you want/as you will.

The Snapshot Survey Quick Affordable Marketing Research for Every Organization - Click To Read Article
Book Review The Snapshot Survey Quick, Affordable Marketing Research for Every Organization Lloyd Corder, PhD; Kaplan Publishing, 30 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606, 800.621.9621, www.kaplanpublishing.com; February 2006, ISBN 141950696X, 288 pages, $22.95

The Skinny About Best Boys, Dollies, Green Rooms, Leads and Other Media Lingo…The Language of the Media - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The Skinny About Best Boys, Dollies, Green Rooms, Leads and Other Media Lingo…The Language of the Media – Richard Weiner, Random House Reference, Random House of Canada Ltd., Toronto CA, ww.randomwords.com, ISBN 0375721419, 304 pages, April 2006, $14.95

THERE'S MORE TO BEING PUBLIC THAN BEING LISTED - Click To Read Article
Taking a company public is just the beginning step on a long road. Know what lies ahead before you begin the journey.

The Weakest Link in Corporate Backup - Click To Read Article
Start with the weakest point in your network content protection and then work outward.

The Undersea Internet World - Click To Read Article
The Internet spans the globe delivering communications -- personal and professional -- almost instantly to every corner of the spinning sphere. The problem is there are interruptions and sometimes they are difficult to repair when they are under the ocean.

The Swiss Army Phone…Is Good Enough for Everything Good Enough? - Click To Read Article
Smartphones are rapidly replacing standard cellphones. How far can they go? How far should they go? How far will they go? We explore the opportunities for entrepreneurs.

There’s a World Between eMail, Games - Click To Read Article
It's a little strange out there. There's a huge demand for minimalist portable computers. There's a giant demand for heavy honkers that serious gamers carry, open and use to test their eye/hand coordination and ability to concentrate. And the rest of us? We don't know a lot about GPUs (Graphic Processor Units) but we do know if you want a notebook with a really good one you usually look at Dell's Alienware or Acer's Ferarri or colorful HP notebook that looks like it would take a bullet for you. That's just great we're back looking at $2,500 + systems. Why can't we get a good all purpose system that won't melt our polyester pants with a battery that will continue to breathe for the length of our flight. All of the components are optomized in their own isolated environment.

THE SALES PRESENTATION CHECKLIST - Click To Read Article
THE SALES PRESENTATION CHECKLIST

The PR Crisis Bible - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- : How to take charge of the media when all hell breaks loose

The Power of the Pitch - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- – Gary Hankins; Dearborn Trade Publishing, ISBN: 0-7931-9439-3; 30 South Wacker Drive, Ste 2500, Chicago, Il 50505, 312-836-4400, www.dearborntrade.com; January 2005, 352 pages, $22.95

The Power of We - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Succeeding Through Partnerships: By Jonathan Tisch, Karl Weber; John Wiley & Sons, 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, www.wiley.com; ISBN: 0471652822; Aug 2004; 260 pages, $24.95

The Press - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Geneva Overholser, Kathleen Hall Jamieson; Oxford University Press, 198 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016, www.oup.com/us; ISBN 0195172833; May 2005, 473 pages, $65.

The Publicity Handbook, New Edition - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- by David R. Yale, Andrew J. Carothers; McGraw-Hill Trade, Two Penn Plaza, NY, NY 10121; ISBN 084432424, May 2001, 464 pages, $22.95

The Public Relations Handbook, Second Edition - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Alison Theaker; Routledge , Taylor & Francis Group, 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4RN; 29 West 35th Street, NY, NY 10001; www.routledge.com; ISBN # 0415213347; 289 pages, $14

THE POWER OF THE INTERNET - Click To Read Article
It ISN'T FOR EVERY ORGANIZATION

The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Publicity - Click To Read Article
The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Publicity – Lissa Warren; Carroll & Graf Publishing, 245 West 17th Street, NY, NY 10011, 212.981.9919; paperback, 336 p, January 2004; ISBN 0786712759; $14

THE SELECTION, CARE AND FEEDING OF PUBLIC RELATIONS COUNSEL - Click To Read Article
Everything you need to know to get the most from your PR relationship.

The Search for The Perfect TV Set - Click To Read Article
Home and personal entertainment is getting richer and more widespread. Integrating solutions and systems for homeowners is rapidly becoming big income for people who know how to launch and promote their businesses. Want the illustrations (contact us)?

The Qualcomm Equation: How a Fledgling Company Forged a New Path to Big Profits and Market - Click To Read Article
Book review -- The Qualcomm Equation: How a Fledgling Company Forged a New Path to Big Profits and Market – Dave Mock, AMACOM (American Management Association), www.amacom.com, March, 2005, 266 pages, $25.00

The Search for the Best Storage Solution - Click To Read Article
The search is on for the one great, the one indispensible storage solution...the Holy Grail for content users everywhere! Flash folks say they've got the solution. Drive people know they've got it. Tape/optical? They're in the middle of the frey too.

The Pros, Cons of Working, Playing in the Clouds - Click To Read Article
Don't you just love all the fun, the advantages, the freedom, the freakin mystery of the cloud? Look up -- they're light, they're fluffy, they're everywhere. Heck they're even green, ecofriendly...right? But ever so often something is dark on the horizon and the sucka comes roaring in and does some serious damage. Or it can sneak up quietly and SPLAT! slap you where it hurts...really hurts. Cloud computing is like the last wild frontier (sure we'll have more but cloud computing/storage is one biggie) where anything, anyone can go...and it does/they do. It isn't for the faint of heart and it isn't for the dumb ones but it sure attracts them like flies.

The Next Common Sense - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- : Mastering Corporate Complexity Through Coherence

The New Investor Relations - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Expert Perspectives on the State of the Art – by Benjamin Mark Cole; Bloomberg Press, 100 Business Park Drive, Box 888, Princeton, NJ 08542, www.bloomberg.com/books, 609-750-5070, October 2003, hardcover -- $55, 320pps

The Origin of Brands - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Discover the Natural Laws of Product Innovation and Business Survival – Al Ries and Laura Ries; Harper Business, 10 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022, 212-207-7708; May 2004; ISBN 0060570148; 295 p, $24.95

The Passionate Organization - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Igniting the Fire of Employee Commitment by James R. Lucas; AMACOM, American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019; May 1999; 240 pages

The New PR Toolkit - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Strategies for Successful Media Relations – Diedre Breakenridge, Thomas J. DoLoughry; Financial Times Prentice Hall, Pearson Education, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458; (201) 236-7000, www.pearsoned.com, ISBN –0130090255, January 2003, 272 pages, $24.95

The Mind of the C.E.O. - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The Mind of the C.E.O. – by Jeffrey E. Garten – Basic Books/Perseus Publishing, NY – 2001, 310 pages

The Long Tail Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More - Click To Read Article
Book review -- The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More – Chris Anderson, Hyperion, www.hyperionbooks.com, July 2006, ISBN-10 – 1401302378, 256 pages, $24.95

The New Matrix - Click To Read Article
Gaming, social networking are not only gaining strong followings, they are also becoming vital marketing opportunities for firms large and small.

The New Matrix - Click To Read Article
Second Life and the virtual world offer new marketing and communications opportunities for new and early stage firms that know how to take advantage of tomorrow.

The New Communications Tools…Listening, Helping - Click To Read Article
If you ever have a chance to read some of the PR for PR sake pieces on Web 2.0 you'd swear we now have a new frontier that is tailor made for PR people. A whole new virgin territory that is our to own. A whole new brave frontier where PR will lead and the world will willingly follow. Feels like a great chance for a lot of people -- mobs even -- to take us to the cleaners. There are better options any/every entrepreneur can use to succeed...lurk, learn, listen, help.

THE MARKET SHIFT -- IN A HURRICANE, EVEN TURKEYS FLY - Click To Read Article
As the world moves into a difficult financial environment it may not be the best time to start a business or to branch into new markets. Or is it? It takes talent, conviction, determination and strong self assurance.

The Influentials - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Ed Keller, Jon Berry, The Free Press Division of Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY 10020, 2003, 350 pps, $26

THE BUSINESS PLAN - Click To Read Article
Why do so many businesses start and then fail so quickly? Most of them don't have a plan. Without a clear, concise, detailed plan it is impossible to for any buiness to succeed. Your business plan is your blueprint for success.

Ten Commandments for Managing People - Click To Read Article
Ten Commandments for Managing People

The Effective Employee Incentive Program - Click To Read Article
It's not all about money...but it helps!

The 18 Immutable Laws of Corporate Reputation - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Creating, Protecting and Repairing Your Most Valuable Asset

The Anatomy of Buzz - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- : How to Create Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Talespin - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Public Relations Disasters – Inside Stories & Lessons Learnt – Gerry McCusker; Kogan Page, 22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166; 227 pages, October 2004, $29.95

The Dos and Don’ts of Media Interviews - Click To Read Article
Easy steps to follow to get the results you want, need in your press interviews.

Takeover Activities Grow - Click To Read Article
MANAGEMENT HAS TO LEARN NEW LANGUAGE, NEW STRATEGIES IN FIGHTS FOR FIRM'S SURVIVAL

The Crisis Counselor - Click To Read Article
Book review -- The Crisis Counselor; Jeffrey R. Caponigro; Contemporary Books

The Challenges of International Relations in an Internet World - Click To Read Article
The internet obliterates country borders. News announced anywhere is available everywhere. Understanding the global impact and reach of your announcement can aid you in developing a strategic plan that works.

THE CHANGING FACE OF CORPORATE, PRODUCT/SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS ... HITTING A MOVING TARGET - Click To Read Article
We the press...instant messaging...global communications have all changed how you should carry out and manage your PR and communications efforts. Do it right. Do it effectively. Do it profitably.

The Hollow Man Cometh - Click To Read Article
Digital Rights Management (DRM) and Conditional Access (CA) are throttling back audio and video content on the web. Where are the challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs? Where are the pitfalls? Can the battle be won? Charts available upon request.

The Digital Home – Something’s Gotta Give - Click To Read Article
“Can I email it to ya when I figure it out?” Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson), Something’s Gotta Give (2003) The digital home is a wonderful concept. But today with all of the varying "solutions" and standards, it remains just that ... a concept. Work needs to be done to deliver a complete and interchangeable answer. The organization that is successful will be a major winner!

Teachings of the Wii Generation - Click To Read Article
Over and uder estimating the consumer's wants and needs can lead to marketing disaster. Take a look at the approach Nintendo took to win marketshare away from Microsoft and Sony.

The Elements of Great Public Speaking - Click To Read Article
This is an excellent guide on how to get your fear of speaking before a public forum under control so that you are interesting, informative, credible

The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited - Book review - Click To Read Article
The author did an excellent job of covering buzz marketing back in 2000. But that is light years from today. The updated copy is fresh with outstanding excamples.

The Home Network/Entertainment Connection Is…Easy - Click To Read Article
We are nothing if not optimists. We love the idea of home entertainment networks and their collective benefits. Since the aggregators (telcos, cable folks) are now offering two, three, four option plays it is obvious that the kinks have been worked out and they can deliver what you want to your wall. in the house it can be more easily done. Challenge comes when you want service. Who you gonna call? The answers are out there...just keep working.

SUCCESS IS NO ACCIDENT - Click To Read Article
IT HAS TO BE STRATEGICALLY, METHODICALLY PLANNED.

Streetwise Complete Publicity Plans - Click To Read Article
Book Review

SPECIALTY ADVERTISING - Click To Read Article
...CARRYING THE MESSAGE

Startups…Being There at the Beginning - Click To Read Article
Being in on the ground floor of an organization is exciting and "interesting." Even if the company doesn't survive you walk away with valuable experience making you more marketable.

SMART MANAGEMENT THRU THE DOWNTURN - Click To Read Article
“In a hurricane even a turkey can fly.” Author Unknown

Small Business for Dummies - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Small Business for Dummies – Eric Tyson, Jim Schell; Wiley Publishing, Inc; www.dummies.com; ISBN 0764554816, January 2003; 432 pages; $21.99

SLAs BECOME STANDARD FARE AS COMMUNICATIONS CONVERGES - Click To Read Article
Understanding your total communications service level agreements and how to construct agreements that ensure quality and consistent performance is vital in today's always on business. This is a two - part article on what is covered in agreements and how to construct them.

SMS Advertising On-The-Go…If, When, How? - Click To Read Article
"All that I desire to point out is the general principle that Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life." --Oscar Wilde

Shrinking Storage…Keeping Data Safe, Close At Hand - Click To Read Article
“Distrust and caution are the parents of security,” – Benjamin Franklin New storage solutions make it easy to carry huge volumes of mission critical business data with you at all times. It also exposes this content to loss/theft. Content needs rock solid security and encryption protection.

Social Media…The Hunted Can Become the Hunter - Click To Read Article
Social media looks like a gold mine for marketing managers. Clean, clearly identified prospective customers. Low cost method of reaching these prospects directly...immediately. Only problem is they can come back on you just as easily.

Shameless Marketing for Brazen Hussies - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- 307 Awesome MoneyMaking Strategies for Savvy Entrepreneurs

SEMINARS...TELLING MORE TO SELL MORE - Click To Read Article
Use seminars and how-to events to lower your selling costs, improve your hit ratio.

Service Check Points and Guidelines - Click To Read Article
What to consider and evaluate when developing SLAs with your communications provider.

Saving, Sharing Videos on CD - Click To Read Article
``I think a lot of people really want to do this (capture and show personal videos),'' said Andy Parsons, senior vice president of product development for Pioneer New Media Technologies, at a recent Consumer Electronics Show. ``I wanted to do this two years ago and I was frustrated. I said I'm not going to pay $5,000 for a recorder.''

Shining CDs Spin Their Way to Global Data Transfer - Click To Read Article
The universal storage and data transfer media.

SECURITY, ACCESS ON THE INTERNET - Click To Read Article
The complete discussion of how to use the internet while protecting your people and your content.

Saving Our Past for the Future - Click To Read Article
Content is growing faster and in a greater variety than people can organize, use and store. Does the emerging area -- digital asset management -- offer unique opportunities for firms? It is becoming a wide open arena for emerging firms.

Search for the Best Storage Solution - Click To Read Article
The world never seems to run out of things to say, things to show. Storage could be one of the next best continual opportunities for entrepreneurs..

Rules of Thumb for Business Writers - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Rules of Thumb for Business Writers By Diana Roberts Wienbroer, Elaine Hughes, Jay Silverman; McGraw-Hill, Two Penn Plaza, 212.904.5951, NY 10121; www.books.mcgraw-hill.com; ISBN 0-07-145575-7; May 2005; 223 pages

Reputation Management Starts at Home - Click To Read Article
…One Day at a Time “It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory!” “There is a penalty for ignorance. We are paying through the nose.” – W. Edwards Deming

RIGHT PRODUCT, RIGHT MARKET AREA, RIGHT PRICE - Click To Read Article
Targeting your success is difficult even in the best market conditions. This article helps you understand the interplay of product, market segment and price...

Reputation Management – The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communications - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Reputation Management – The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communications – John Doorley, Helio Fred Garcia; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 270 Madison Ave, NY, NY 10016; wwww.routledge-ny.com; 456 p, May 2006; $45.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN UNSETTLED TIME - Click To Read Article
Management is increasingly concerned about their ability to have a lean, mean focused core team that is supported by long-term external partners that are open to flexible and ever changing needs.

Promote Like a Pro - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Small Budget, Big Show – By Linda F. Radke (and contributors), Five Star Publications Inc, March 2000, 185 pages

PyroMarketing - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The four-step strategy to ignite customer evangelists and keep them for life – Greg Stielstra; Collins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022; www.harpercollins.com; ISBN 0060776706; 256 pages, October 1, 2005; $21.95

Relationship Marketing - Click To Read Article
…When the Dust Settles, Will You Be Standing?

Reearning the Trust of the Consumer - Click To Read Article
Commentary, Book Review -- What Do You Stand For? Stories About Principles That Matter – Jim Lichtman; Scribbler’s Inc, 287 pages; ISBN 0964859114, Oct, 2004; Hardcover, Soft cover; $24.00

Protecting The Family Jewels - Click To Read Article
Warning Will Robinson !!! Data, photo, content loss is about to occur.

Public Relations…Execute the Basics, Positioning Will Follow - Click To Read Article
Focus on results not extra niceties...Succeed first. Then hone your program.

Public Relations Possibilities – Selected Seminar and Conference Papers - Click To Read Article
Public Relations Possibilities – Selected Seminar and Conference Papers By Wole Adamolekun, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Spectrum Books Limited, Spectrum House, Ring Road, PMB 5612, Ibadan, Nigeria, admin1@spectrumbooksonline.com, ISBN 9780295763, 192 pages, November 2005

Public Relations on the Net - Click To Read Article
If you're in the mood to expand your business reach and influence on the Internet this is the must read book for you. The second edition has fresh chapters, fresh case studies, fresh ideas you can put to use...now!

Rebuilding Brand America: What We Must Do to Restore Our Reputation and Safeguard the Future of American Business Abroad - Click To Read Article
The former head of public relations for AT&T writes an "interesting" how to book on rebuilding Brand America. The challenge comes to entrepreneurs who want to develop not just a country-centric firm but a global organization that is local everywhere it does business.

Ready, Set, Talk! - Click To Read Article
If you have a cause, a company or a product you want to "sell," you'll probably find Ready, Set, Talk of interest and possible assistance. The challenge is to listen as well as talk.

RealNetworks Offers Consumers Another Layer of DVD DRM - Click To Read Article
Guess you just can't have too much DRM. At least not if you believe RealNetwork's CEO Rob Glaser. He's going to help you rip your DVDs to your HD so you can play them on the go. Of course he doesn't touch Hollywood's DRM and in fact goes them one better...he adds his own unique, really cool DRM on top of it. Then when Hollywood says that's not part of our agreement he does the only logical thing...he sues them!!! Life up in Seattle must be a little dull right now.

REFOCUSED MANAGEMENT THRU THE DOWNTURN - Click To Read Article
With the economy in a slump this could be the best time for entrepreneurs to launch their businesses since we are entering a period where working smarter and better is more effective than throwing money at the problem.

Present Like a Pro Book Review - Click To Read Article
Present Like a Pro Cyndi Maxey, Kevin E. O’Connor; St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Ave, NY 10010, 212.674.5151, www.stmartins.com, July 2006, ISBN 0312347731, 256 pages, $12.95

PR Has to Be More Involved in Company Branding - Click To Read Article
“It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”…Claude M. Bristol, author of The Magic of Believing “I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.” -- Muhammad Ali

Peanut Butter and Jelly Management - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- – Chris and Reina Komisarjevsky, AMACOM, www.amanet.org, 173p, $16.95

Present Like a Pro - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- – Cyndi Maxey, Kevin E. O’Connor; St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Ave, NY 10010, 212.674.5151, www.stmartins.com, July 2006, ISBN 0312347731, 256 pages, $12.95

Press Releases Are Not a PR Strategy! - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- An Executives Guide to Public Relations – Linda B. VandeVrede, VandeVrede Public Relations LLC; ISBN: 0976252708, Amazon.com or www.vandevrede-pr.com/books.html; 133 pages, January 2005, $16.95

Primal Branding - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Create Zealots for Your Brand, Your Company, and Your Future By Patrick Hanlon, Simon & Schuster, Inc, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY 10020, www.simonsays.com; ISBN 0.7432-7796-X; 272 pages, January 2006; $25

Principled Profit - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Marketing That Puts People First – Shel Horowitz; Accurate Writing & More, PO Box 1164, Northampton MA 01061, http://www.frugalfun.com/secureorder.html, June 2003, 160 pages, $17.50

Peak Performance - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Inspirational Business Lessons from the World’s Top Sports Organizations – By Clive Gilson, Mike Pratt, Kevin Roberts, Ed Weymes – Texere Publishing, NYC – September, 2000 – 359 pp --$27.95 – ISBN: 1-58799-006-7

Power Networking - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- 59 Secrets for Personal & Professional Success – By Donna Fisher, Sandy Vilas – Brad Press, September 2000, 209 pages, ISBN: 1-885167-47-4, $14.95

Press Events, Presentations...Who Are We Impressing? - Click To Read Article
… Making Your Management, Your Message Stand Out

Power Up Your Small-Medium Business: A Guide to Enabling Network Technologies - Click To Read Article
Power Up Your Small-Medium Business: A Guide to Enabling Network Technologies – Robyn Aber; Cisco Press, 800 East 98th Street, Indianapolis, Ind 46240; ISBN 1-58705-135-4; March 2004; 295 p; $39.95

Professionalism and Press Events???? - Click To Read Article
If you're going to do an event...do it right!

Plain Talk About Recordable DVD - Click To Read Article
A Quick History While the capacity of hard disks increased a hundred fold, CD-ROM has remained at 650/700MB capacity for more than 10 years. When the removable storage industry began to address the growing requirements of business, industry and entertainment in 1996, their objectives were to establish a family of single best DVD formats and promote broad acceptance of DVD products across entertainment, consumer electronics and IT industries.

Plug Your Book - Click To Read Article
Maybe you're not ready to write the next great global novel but if you want to learn how to leverage the Internet and Web 2.0, we'd suggest you check the book out. And it's one of the first we have seen that you can try before you buy!

Product/Service Recommendations, Support…More Than You Want to Know - Click To Read Article
You have to love today's social media. Ok you don't have to love it because there is so darned much of it and it has empowered people. Problem is some people just shouldn't be empowered. Heck some should have their computers unplugged and their smartphones confiscated. But sites and blogs have done an excellent source of how-to (how-to install, how-to use, how-to fix, how-to replace, how-to get action) information. So if a company's support group is a little slow in responding, only following what their support check list tells them or speak in tongue there are people out there who can help. Use Bing (Google is so yesterday!) and find the answers. Just don't Tweet because someone might send you classified documents.

Outtask Your Infrastructure, Not Your Information - Click To Read Article
Your network and internet infrastructure is the very backbone of an organization's growth and prosperity. But your information is your heart and sole.

PACKAGING AND SELLING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEA - Click To Read Article
Developing a business plan to get funding...survive

On Deadline - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Managing Media Relations – By Carole Howard, Wilma Mathews; Waveland Press, 4180 IL Route 83, Suite 101, Long Grove IL 60047; 847.634.0081, www.waveland.com , ISBN 1-57766-440-X, January 2006, 256 pages, $24.95

On The Job - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- How to Make It in the Real World of Work -- By Stephen Viscusi, Three Rivers Press, 112 W. Prutzman St., Three Rivers, MI 49093; ISBN: 0609 806866; April, 2001; 288 pp

Online Public Relations - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- A Handbook for Practitioners – By James L. Horton; 296 pages, ISBN 1-56720-406-6, Quorum Books, Westport, CT, May 2001

One-Minute Corporate Reputation Management - Click To Read Article
Handling and protecting your corporate management doesn't take much time...neither does losing it!

Op-Ed Articles Express Your Firm's Point of View - Click To Read Article
Op-Ed opportunities are available in virtually every media -- newspapers, magazines, web sites -- a little thought and planning can position your company, your message, you.

Outdoor Advertising - Click To Read Article
...THE SEEN, BUT OVERLOOKED, MEDIUM IN THE MARKETING MIX

New Approach Takes the Drudgery, Mystery Out of Content, Data Backup, Protection - Click To Read Article
Step-by-step guide to protecting your organizations data.

Organically Growing Champions, Sales, Market Share - Click To Read Article
Word of mouth (WOM) and technical/passionate users can help you faster and more economically than all the advertising dollars. Use them wisely...

Online Video…But Different - Click To Read Article
Online video of all types has gained a strong following by people of all ages who have become more accustomed to getting their news, information and entertainment online from a wide range of sources. It presents an ideal opportunity to independent film producers obviously. But more importantly the online video content space provides a ready marketing opportunity -- decidedly inexpensive -- for virtually any organization selling products and services.

Moving Forward -- It’s Time for a Content, Communication Course Correction - Click To Read Article
The downturn we are experiencing today provides an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs to move forward as aggressively as they can to gain ground over the competition. While many firms are run by managers who only have minimum "skin in the game," the firms are more cautious and pull back more aggressively. Entrepreneurs can make the physical and fiscal moves that gain sales and marketshare.

Notebook Systems Should Be for Real Work, Real Play - Click To Read Article
There are subnotebooks with limited power, capability but long battery life. Their are heavy-lifting notebooks with lots of power, capabilities. Business people want a system in between with power, capability, light weight and battery life. When will it be delivered?

Netbooks, Cloud Computing – Work, Play Without Boundaries - Click To Read Article
While netbooks hold a world of promise for people with longer battery life and lower price they also represent a downside that must be considered when they are not connected to the cloud.

Netbooks…The Easy Way to Sell More Service - Click To Read Article
It sounds almost too good to be true -- a cheap computer you can use/carry everywhere, never have to upgrade the operating system or your apps, with a battery that lasts for ... well a long, long time. Sounds great except we end up leaving all of our work in the beautiful white clouds. The clouds move. We forget which cloud has our stuff and how we get in. Worse, there's a **** storm in the cloud just as we want to get in. Yeah...who knew what grandpa taught our little Miss Sunshine while we were out of the room?? Guess we may end up with yet another device to take along... convenience sure is getting heavy!!!

Our Next Great Tech CEO...Hero or Cheerleader? - Click To Read Article
Gary Shapiro, the head of the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) has been saying almost every chance he gets that the technology industry will lead the economy back. He's probably right because so it drives almost everything we do today -- business, education, healthcare, entertainment, education. Take the PC, CE, communications products and technology out of the picture and what do we have? The changes -- especially in recent years -- were pushed forward by bosses who had visions of changing life for everyone for the better. Today, some have passed the baton of leadership, some have taken extended time off, some are doing time. The new breed of business

MM MANAGERS STIFLE - Click To Read Article
M&M MANAGERS STIFLE RISK TAKING...TRUST...RESPECT...SUCCESS

Media Training 101 - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- A Guide to Meeting the Press

Million Dollar Mailing - Click To Read Article
Book review -- the art and science of creating money-making direct mail to make money on the Internet – Denison Hatch, August 2001, 500 pages, Bonus Books Inc, 160 East Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60611

MERGERS WAYS TO REBUFF THE UNWANTED SUITORS - Click To Read Article
Mergers can be good given the right circumstances. But management needs to have programs in place to keep the wrong people away and attract the right ones.

Mobile Entertainment – Bring It On - Click To Read Article
Entertainment and communications has suddenly gone mobile with everything phones, MP3 players and a wide range of devices. They all have one thing in common...storage. Choosing for yourself or examining the opportunities in mobile storage...this article will give you an inside track (charts available on request)

Mobile TVJerry Maguires Next Big Player - Click To Read Article
Can you see it? Millions of people running round with their everything cell phones -- taking calls, IMing, listening to music, watching movies. Where are the opportunities in the new business model? The pitfalls? See for yourself -- graphics available upon requests.

Mobile Technology -- Everything You Want But a Reliable 3-Min Call - Click To Read Article
Mobile technology is rapidly replacing land lines. It is becoming tomorrow's communications/entertainment solution today. It opens doors for the best marketing/selling...direct to the specific consumer.

Marketing Professionals - Click To Read Article
A KEY INDUSTRY COMMODITY IN CRITICALLY SHORT SUPPLY

MARKET RESEARCH - Click To Read Article
RIGHT PRODUCT, RIGHT MARKET AREA, RIGHT PRICE

Marketing Fusion - Click To Read Article
7 Elements to Ignite Your Growth

Marketing Strategies, Tactics, and Techniques - Click To Read Article
Book Review of A Handbook for Practitioners

MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVE NOT DOLLARS - Click To Read Article
Budgeting your communications to achieve your goals, your objectives.

MARKETING VS TECHNOLOGY IN TODAYS MARKETPLACE - Click To Read Article
Technology doesn't draw the most sales, it is the way we market it with the customer in mind.

MARKETING BUDGETS - Click To Read Article
... OR ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Marketing Warfare - Click To Read Article
"FACTS" GET IN WAY OF WINNING CUSTOMERS, MARKETSHARE

MARKETING IN UNSETTLED TIMES… - Click To Read Article
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, NOT EMPIRES

Managing Crises Before They Happen - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Managing Crises Before They Happen: What Every Executive Needs to Know About Crisis Management – by Ian I. Mitroff, AMACOM, January 2000, 172 pages

Marketing vs Tech…Consumers Need Voice in Driving Products - Click To Read Article
Entrepreneurs and companies can no longer develop a product, throw it into the marketplace and expect huge sales. Today the consumer has to be part of the complete process.

Making The Transition to a Social Business - Click To Read Article
Tim Bernes-Lee thought the Web was a nice little friendly place when he first unleashed it on the iNet. You know something to futz around with in your leisure time. Then you decided that it was great to play with at the office. Then you started throwing up anything/everything about yourself, your friends, your enemies, your ex up on the Web. Then the marketing folks thought what a fantastic place to advertise. Cheap, directed ads ... how cool. Of course the boss doesn't mess with it but what the heck you're so with it...until it bites you then BAM!!! Hey, who knew that stuff would live...FOREVER!!!!

Living on the Fault Line - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Managing for Shareholder Value in the Age of the Internet

Lies We Live By - Click To Read Article
Defeating Double-talk and Deception in Advertising, Politics and the Media

Live at 5 - Click To Read Article
– Handling The TV Interview

LOCAL ADVERTISING - Click To Read Article
Local Ads = TIME + EFFORT + PLANNING + OBJECTIVES

Letters to the Editor - Click To Read Article
Speak Directly to Your Audience

LINEAR VERSUS SPATIAL COMMUNICATIONS PLANS - Click To Read Article
Plan your promotional and product roll-outs for maximum exposure, maximum impact.

Losing Our Most Precious Asset - Click To Read Article
“Danger, Will Robinson, danger.” -- The Robot in the 1990’s movie, Lost in Space

Low-Cost Steps to Keep Employees from Job Hunting - Click To Read Article
Keeping employees doesn't have to cost a lot. Replacing them is expensive.

LET'S DO AWAY WITH PRESS RELEASES - Click To Read Article
News releases are valuable tools for the media but if you don't do them right get rid of them.

KEYS TO YOUR SUCCESS AT SHOWS - Click To Read Article
PLANNING, PREPARATION, PATIENCE

It Takes Work to Have a Life in a 24x7 World - Click To Read Article
The world is always on and always available to you. Sometimes you just have to turn your back ... or be eaten alive.

Journalists vs PR People - Click To Read Article
…We’re Making the Bullets They Shoot

Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy at Risk - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy at Risk – Davis Merritt; AMACOM, 1601 Broadway, NY, NY 10019; www.amacombooks.org; ISBN: 0-8144-0854-0 240 pages, $24.95

ITV…Does Art Imitate Life or Life Imitate Art? - Click To Read Article
Tellywood and manufacturers have picked the team they want to be on and have started the game to determine who will be the league winners in the next generation DVD series. Problem is there is no one in the stands. Consumers seem happy to watch the game they know. After all, current DVD recorders, players, media is very economic. Millions of viewing options are available. No one has done a good job of showing them why the new game is better -- unless you call the news releases and press conferences proof. Boy looks like it is going to be a long season.

Integrity The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality; By Dr. Henry Cloud, HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, NY, ISBN 0060849681, 304 pages, list - $24.95; February 2006.

Integrity - Click To Read Article
The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality

Interactive Public Relations - Click To Read Article
Living Life on the Internet

IPOs…Getting There Isn’t Half the Fun - Click To Read Article
The process, the procedure for doing an IPO is grueling...there are no easy steps. We've tried!

INFORMATION MARKET IS BOTH GLOBAL AND INDIVIDUAL - Click To Read Article
The information technology market is huge and getting bigger by the day. But it is also extremely micro. Learn how to handle the global/local markets effectively.

Internet Communications…Let’s Get It Right!!! - Click To Read Article
“The products associated with the Internet are where I spend a lot of my time right now. It is a revolution that is bigger than the invention of printing. It is a revolution that's bigger than the invention of the telephone, radio, or any of the major revolutions that we've had in the past.” -- John Warnock, president Adobe Systems

INTERNET EDI--A READY-MADE PLATFORM FOR FLEXIBLE COMMUNICATIONS, ALLIANCES - Click To Read Article
Enabling one-to-one marketing takes a clear understanding of the fundamentals to leverage the options for your business.

Into the Pirates Lair - Click To Read Article
What is holding up the success of Hollywood, besides Hollywood. DRM (Digital Rights Management) provides security for them but insecurity for consumers. Where do we see the opportunities for entrepreneurs? Check it out (graphics available upon request).

Is Your Communications Policy Mired In The Past? - Click To Read Article
In today's instant on, instant access environment; corporate managers have to look well beyond the normal and overused press release to reach, influence its target media and markets. This article gives you a whack in the side of the head to look at new, creative, economic ideas.

Intel Plays In All the Fields But…Size Matters! - Click To Read Article
Carrying a computer around with you used to be a sign of manhood. Then they became tolerable. Finally a fantastic work and fashion statement. Now we're at the point that you can put yours down and misplace it. They're almost as bad as your keys or USB flash drive.

IMPROVING YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS - Click To Read Article


Image Makers - Click To Read Article
Advertising, Public Relations, and the Ethos of Advocacy

In the Line of Fire - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- How to Handle Tough Questions When It Counts – Book, DVD – Jerry Weissman, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0131855174, June 21, 2005, 216 pages, $24.95 and $29.99 respectively

Independent Workers Are Changing the Employer/Employee Relationship - Click To Read Article
Guidelines to understanding and dealing with employees in the new era.

In the DRM, CA Equation, Someone Has to Protect the Consumer - Click To Read Article
DRM (Digital Rights Management) and CA (Conditional Access) are reshaping the way people think about their audio and video entertainment. In many instances the restrictive nature of the two have turned ordinary people into pirates unless the abide by the restrictions. In some carefully thought out instances, the technologies may present new opportunities for entrepreneurs.

In Prosperous Periods Promote Tactically, In Down Times Promote Strategically - Click To Read Article
The chaos of the financial community has proven that the fallacy of their house of cards and smoke/mirrors has finally caught up with them. But that shouldn't depress the entrepreneur who has an idea, drive and ... at least some money!

Increasing Street Cred - Click To Read Article
Get the most and the most credibility for your products or services with product/capability reviews. Instead of the usual suspects -- print/online media -- consider real people reviews

How to Succeed in Business Without Working So Damn Hard - Click To Read Article
Rethinking the Rules, Reinventing the Game

IF TIMES ARE GOOD, PROMOTE. - Click To Read Article
IF TIMES ARE BAD, PROMOTE HARDER.

How to Get Noticed by the National Media - Click To Read Article
Book Review of book By Jeff Lewis and Dick Jones – Trellis Publishing, Duluth, MN – ISBN 1930650426, 200 pages, May 2001

HOW TO CHOOSE AND WORK WITH A PR AGENCY - Click To Read Article
Guidelines for a successful relationship

HOW TO CONDUCT, GET THE MOST FROM SHOWS AND EXHIBITS - Click To Read Article
A step-by-step program how to maximize your return on investment with trade shows and exhibits

How Does Our Storage Volume Grow? - Click To Read Article
Wonder why your hard drive is always full? Wonder how you can find files in the 200GB HD? It's called a data explosion for a good reason.

How Much More Connected Can You Afford to Be? - Click To Read Article
Whether you're still at the office or working in the home office or den it seems impossible to turn work off and have a life. Face it...we're addicted to the 24x7 round-the-globe "opportunities" we have on the Internet today. Everyone's on, no one's on. You don't even know who's on but you've gotta be there.

HITTING A MOVING TARGET - Click To Read Article
THE CHANGING FACE OF CORPORATE, PRODUCT/SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS

Have CEO Super Hero PR Efforts Lost Their Sizzle - Click To Read Article
“In the world of the celebrity, the hierarchy of publicity has replaced the hierarchy of decency.” -- Sociologist C. Wright Mills in Studs Terkel, Talking to Myself.

HIRING THE RIGHT SALES PEOPLE - Click To Read Article
Checklist and guidelines to hiring sales people only once!!

Holding Prospects at Trade Shows - Click To Read Article
You spend a lot of money and time to attend trade shows. Make the most of your time in front of the prospects.

HD DVD...And The World Keeps Spinning on its Axis - Click To Read Article
Finally we have a single high definition DVD format. Now is the time for content developers to make their advances as well as home integrators.

High Def TV Is In the Eye of the Beholder - Click To Read Article
HDTV is a big entertainment train coming at the consumer 100 MPH. In the Americas it took a bunch of years to transition viewing from B&W to color. Now the government has said everything/everyone will go from SD to HD in less than three years and that finish line is next February. Networks and stations are moving to beat the deadline and they're well on their way. Set manufacturers can't wait for every household to make the transition even if the sets aren't as big (expensive as they would like). Content pipelines? Well sure, kinda. Ok so the squeeze the shows a little hard so it fuzzes up the quality of HD...sssooo?? The consumer? Sure! Right!! How much??? Well here's the scorecard of where we stand and how we'll end up.

Getting Your 15 Minutes of Fame and More - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- a Guide to Guaranteeing Your Business Success

Getting Things Done - Click To Read Article
The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

Getting to Yes - Click To Read Article
Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

Good to Great - Click To Read Article
Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t

Green Weenies and Due Diligence - Click To Read Article
Insider Business Jargon

Good Year For a Merger - Click To Read Article
If Being Acquired Isn’t Part of Your Firm’s Long-Range Business Plan…Prepare Your Survival Strategy

GROWTH - Click To Read Article
...HOW BIG IS BIG? HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

HANDLE THE PRESS LIKE MAJOR PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS - Click To Read Article
Work with the press like your very best prospective customer. He or she is. Members of the media -- all media -- can sell your company and your products-- if you sell them.

GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR PRESENCE IN CYBERSPACE - Click To Read Article
Getting a web site up is easy. Making it work for you takes effort. Making it work right takes lots of work.

Hard Core Gamers Taking a Back Seat - Click To Read Article
It seems so innocent, the way the video game developers suck you in. First it is an increasingly aggressive game system pricing (cheaper!). Then comes the rave reviews from "experts" and fun, exciting packaging...packages almost look wholesome and heroesque don't they? Then you begin the play. Casually for a few minutes at first. Then what they heck just an hour. Suddenly the sun is coming up. So you get another game or different version for your portable system or smartphone (just to stay sharp of course). Before we knew it our wife and daughter were beating us...regular! It is so humiliating. There goes all of the fun for another male bastion...sheess !!!

Free Culture - Click To Read Article
How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity

Full Frontal PR - Click To Read Article
: Getting People Talking About You, Your Business, or Your Product

Forget Your Title - Click To Read Article
…Focus on the Job “If you aren’t selling, you’re buying” – F.G. “Buck” Rogers, former head of IBM Marketing, Sales activities

FOLLOWING FUNDAMENTALS - Click To Read Article
BUILD JOURNALIST RELATIONSHIPS

Game Power - Welcome to My World Sucka !!! - Click To Read Article
Take Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV. Blood, guts, sex, drugs, rock 'n roll. Take-Two's Rockstar dropped a cool $100 million to develop this horrific game. The game may have racked up more than $500 Mil sales in a week. The computer, game console, software and MMOG companies are major product categories in the CE industry. Success here drives the need for faster, more powerful processors; higher quality graphic chips/cards; better viewing screens; surround speakers and more. Here's our views on how the industry will

Game Entrapment Hard Core Gamers Taking a Back Seat - Click To Read Article
It seems so innocent, the way the video game developers suck you in. First it is an increasingly aggressive game system pricing (cheaper!). Then comes the rave reviews from "experts" and fun, exciting packaging...packages almost look wholesome and heroesque don't they? Then you begin the play. Casually for a few minutes at first. Then what they heck just an hour. Suddenly the sun is coming up. So you get another game or different version for your portable system or smartphone (just to stay sharp of course). Before we knew it our wife and daughter were beating us...regular! It is so humiliating. There goes all of the fun for another male bastion...sheess !!!

Following the Leader Who Follows the Leaders - Click To Read Article
It started out -- as most things do in the PC/CE/communications industry -- as a "little" idea...an application store on a corner of the virtual cloud world. Suddenly you can't make your way around the web without bumping into another one. No one at Apple will say but people speculate the company has racked up $45 million with their virtual store front. Now new smartphones are coming out, every app store offers something.

Free Stuff -- Someone Pays Even for the Free Lunch - Click To Read Article
There is a whole group of people who grew up on the Internet that believes everything that is out there should be free. Stewart Brand set the stage back in 1984 at the first Hacker's Conference when he said -- Information Wants To Be Free. Information also wants to be expensive. ... That tension will not go away. The person who stole the pre-release of Wolverine thought it was neat that he (or she) could give it away free. Millions viewed it -- free. Millions more refused knowing that if they really wanted to see it they should pay someone for it. At the end of the day an organization has to put money in the cash register so bills will be paid and people will have food/shelter. There is no such thing as a free lunch

FINDING GLOBAL SALES PARTNER REQUIRES GLOBAL THINKING - Click To Read Article
FINDING GLOBAL SALES PARTNER REQUIRES GLOBAL THINKING, STRONG STRATEGIC ALLIANCES

Financing Your Startup: Some Essential Tips - Click To Read Article
Step-by-step hints from experts to assist you....

Flash Memory…Nothing Less Than World Domination - Click To Read Article
Flash Gordon was so cool. Of course so is today's flash. It's a mortal battle between "mean old" HD and brash young Flash over the heart and whatever of consumer Dale...Sounds like a sequel is in the works...

FEATURE ARTICLESEXTRA PLANNING AND EFFORT - Click To Read Article


EXAMINE YOUR ALTERNATIVES BEFORE YOU ADVERTISE - Click To Read Article
EXAMINE YOUR ALTERNATIVES BEFORE YOU ADVERTISE

Extending the Life of Your Exhibit - Click To Read Article
Make your money go further with a few easy steps.

EVEolution - Click To Read Article
The eight Truths of Marketing to Women

Examine Strategy, Options STORAGE TAKES CENTER STAGE AT PC, ENTERPRISE LEVELS - Click To Read Article
Understanding your short, long range storage options.

Everything, Everywhere Home Network…As Close As Your Lab - Click To Read Article
Home networking and home entertainment networks are being increasingly sought after by families who increasingly spend more time at home. The idea of being able to stream your entertainment content anywhere so you can enjoy it anytime is an overwhelming value proposition. Yet the challenges of achieving success are significant. The emerging market will be promising with people who have the right talents and the right focus.

ENGINEER TO CEO - Click To Read Article
THE DEVELOPMENT OF BALANCE

Evaluating Your Trade Show Options - Click To Read Article
Getting the most for your dollars.

Enhancing Your Leadership Skills, Leadership Image - Click To Read Article
Guidelines to improving your ability to get others to perform at their best

Entertainment Usage Keep Changing, Growing - Click To Read Article
The world of content and entertainment is changing right before our eyes. People want their entertianment on their big screen, on their PC, on their mobile whatever. The "pro" content providers (the dudes/dudettes) who earn the big $$$$ are really trying to figure out what YOU are doing wrong! Their weekly schedule is good. It's logica. It's what consumers want. Should be they change it enough. But then there's that pesky Internet stuff and suddenly people can get their content when they want...day/night, home/office/round-the-globe. That sorta, kinda sucks. How do you charge big $$$ for advertising when people don't all watch at the same time? Why are folks screaming out their windows? What are they saying? We think we know but find out more on this link.

Entertainment -- New Bandwidth On Demand Priorities - Click To Read Article
The Olympics showed that the Internet can stand up under the most brutal attack of information hungry people around the globe. What can it mean for your business?

Entertainment Flexibility…Big Iron Doesn’t Matter - Click To Read Article
NAB -- National Association of Broadcasters -- how the industry has changed over the years (even with attendance that was down dramatically). We've gone from huge camras that took two men and a boy to move around the floor. A room full of sliding levers and people everywhere. Slowly, almost without seeing it the shift began and schools, health care facilities, houses of worship and even businesses could afford the lighter, more automated capabilities. Then we moved to really light stuff -- an HD camcorder, notebook and some kid doing his/her show on the fly. This year the show had obviously made the shift. Mobile and personal video took center stage...all in highdef. Get a life folks because o

Emotional Branding - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- : How Successful Brands Gain the Irrational Edge

Effective Trade Show Selling - Click To Read Article
Making the most of your time, money, staff and opportunities.

E-MAIL...OVERUSED, ABUSED & INVALUABLE - Click To Read Article
"I predict that by 2010, 100 percent of network traffic will be packetized. None of it will be voice because we will be too mad at each other from sending flame e-mails." Vint Cerf, former executive vice president of MCI and one of the founders of the Internet.

Effective Writing Skills for Public Relations - Click To Read Article
Effective Writing Skills for Public Relations – By John Foster, 156 pages, Kagen Page Ltd., London – January 2001

Don’t Blame Us… - Click To Read Article
Some Areas Can’t Be Controlled by PR Pros

Don’t Take The High Ground in All of Your PR Efforts - Click To Read Article
Plan when going on the offensive is right for your organization. Then act decisively.

E-COMMERCE SETS THE STAGE FOR BIG CHANGES IN BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS LANDSCAPE - Click To Read Article
Striking out to succeed in the online world.

E3 & The DaVinci Code - Click To Read Article
Video games represent a billion dollar plus industry. Dominated by a few large players, the market also has tremendous opportunities for young, small firms with a good idea and dedicated people. Find out here...(graphics available upon request).

DRM Keeping the Treasure Hidden or Opening the Mountain - Click To Read Article
DRM -- digital rights management -- is an important concern to everyone in the content industry, whether you develop it, distribute it or simply use it. Good DRM properly developed and executed can enhance the value of your content. Done poorly it can diminish the value.

DRM…Pirates Helped in Ways They Didn’t Plan - Click To Read Article
Digital Rights Management (DRM) has been the rallying cry for the motion picture industry for years. Contending they are losing billions of revenue each year they have struck out against individual consumers. The latest blast of hackers may have done the marketplace and consumers a big favor.

Don’t Suggest Another Web Service … Give us a Reason to Change! - Click To Read Article
You have to love today's social media. Ok you don't have to love it because there is so darned much of it and it has empowered people. Problem is some people just shouldn't be empowered. Heck some should have their computers unplugged and their smartphones confiscated. But sites and blogs have done an excellent source of how-to (how-to install, how-to use, how-to fix, how-to replace, how-to get action) information. You have to love today's social media. Ok you don't have to love it because there is so darned much of it and it has empowered people. Problem is some people just shouldn't be empowered. Heck some should have their computers unplugged and their smartphones confiscated.

DIRECT MAIL - Click To Read Article
COSTLY BUT PERSONALIZED PROMOTION

Determining Your Real Exhibit Costs - Click To Read Article
Don't go into a trade show or event blind...be prepared.

CYBERSUPPORT - Click To Read Article
...THE KEY REASON FOR WEB PRESENCE

Delivering Documents, Images That Can Be Used - Click To Read Article
Knowing the ins and outs of content management and distribution to the media can enhance your image with them and your scoring record.

Customer Complaints and Your Web Press Room…Should You Care? - Click To Read Article
Your Web Press Room may not be the best place to find out where customer issues arise but they often pop up there...

Deep Blue, Sea of Change - Click To Read Article
High definition video -- content, recorders, players -- are coming but when? What do you do now? How do you prepare for tomorrow? Where are your market opportunities? (Charts available upon request)

Death By Phone - Click To Read Article
Choosing a mobile phone for all of its added features and capabilities is the wrong move. It's also wrong for firms in the industry to focus on added stuff rather than good, dependable service.

Death of the Handler in a Strategic, Viral Environment - Click To Read Article
Public relations can no longer be conducted in the "standard way." There are too many opportunities out there, too many ways to reach management. Organizations need to use public relations capabilities in new, refreshing ways.

Do We Ignore Half the PC/CE Market? - Click To Read Article
PC, CE products have typically been designed, manufactured for the male geek. But this stereotype customer is becoming history as women increasingly buy and use the products. To be successful though it requires more than simply making them pink. Female users want more...lot more than we might think.

Devices Aren't Enough - Changing the Face of Personal Communications - Click To Read Article
almost impossible to go out and buy a plain old mobile phone anymore. We threw tons of features/capabilities on them. We changed them from utilitarian to dress accessories...statements of who we are and our importance. But it took the guy on Infinity Circle to really change the keypad and screen. Oh sure the iPhone is sleek and incorporates so many service capabilities (wonder why your cellphone bill got HUGE?). But to us it's just a phone...can I make a call on it...can I reach the person...can I hear the person on the other end?

Data Security…A Balance Between Convenience, Privacy, Stupidity - Click To Read Article
Software and hardware manufacturers have introduced and continue to develop some of the best computing and online security solutions to protect you and your content from being not just compromised but stolen and used. Lose your hardware and yes it is a pain but it can be replaced. Lose your data and your identity can be used in the blink of an eye. The best and most expensive security solutions in the industry seem to be useless against relentless thieves and your own stupidity or careless action. You can't protect folks from themselves but this Insider piece may scare a few people straight

Defining the Definition of HighDef - Click To Read Article
Like the CERN collider everyone is rushing to define high definition video and to take ownership. Content owners, content distributors, content pipelines, hardware/software producers all want to sell folks who have had a tough day an escape with fantastic HD content. They all have the best HD answer. Lots of these folks offer you their interpretation of HD video and say the rest is "a world of hurt." In a lot of ways, their statements are partially true. BD is in the hurts the way they are trying to force their solution on the rest of the world. The option providers aren't much better with their HD flavor and walled gardens.

Do We Ignore Half the Market? - Click To Read Article
We all know half (or about half) of the world's population is female. Most married or involved males know that they can do anything they want to do as long as "SHE" thinks it's OK. Testosterone works in the boardroom but in the living room, bedroom...forget it!!! If they are "kinda" important in our business lives, why can't we get it right when it comes to offering products? Maybe we just aren't listening...NAW!!!!

CONDUCT YOUR OWN MARKET RESEARCH - Click To Read Article


CORPORATE IMAGE - Click To Read Article
WE ALL HAVE ONE, BUT FEW WORK TO PROTECT, PROJECT IT

Controlling Your Trade Show Costs - Click To Read Article
Saving your Budget in tough times...

Collaborate - Click To Read Article
Managers Who Share Power, Have More Power “It’s Good to be King !” – Mel Brooks, History of the World: Part I

Corporate Conversations - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- A Guide to Crafting Effective and Appropriate Internal Communications

CORPORATE MARRIAGE FEVER IS IN THE AIR - Click To Read Article
Your corporate image counts anytime, all the time. But when you are about to be acquired -- in friendly or hostile terms -- you'll know how valuable your corporate image really is!!!

Communications People Have No Business Running Web Sites - Click To Read Article
"The Internet is about competition. It's about growth. It's about reaching out to your people, your suppliers, your business partners, your customers in new and more comprehensive ways. In this new environment real-time access to information is power." Lou Gerstner, former president of IBM

COMPANY, PRODUCT PUBLICITY ISN'T HARD...ALL IT TAKES IS FOCUS - Click To Read Article
Step-by-step guide to covering it all...

Content Battles…Galadriel Holds Middle Earth - Click To Read Article
Content is becoming available at all levels. But all levels aren't created equal. Today we have Upper Earth...Middle Earth...Lower Earth -- (pro, home, teen/tween. Or put another way... “So I imagine this is just a …ceremonial possession? I mean they don’t actually expect me to do any fighting…Do they?” – Pippin, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Console Games...Gone in 60 Sec. - Click To Read Article
Short game. Long game. No game. Gone in 60 seconds. Expecting too much from consumers can prove to be foolish even in video games. The outcome of the Xbox, PS3, Wii challenge could lead consumers to a less than "obvious" decision. It isn't the power that wows, it's the fun that satisfies.

Content & the Screen(s) - Click To Read Article
Creative content is becoming increasingly important in reaching and communicating with customers and potential customers. The challenge also is...storage.

Content Your Way! - Click To Read Article
Entertainment Usage Keep Changing, Growing. Internet-based video content development/ delivery provides a significant opportunity for individuals and organizations -- even those with very limited budgets -- to connect directly with consumers. Mini-ads, mini video segments are economical to produce and with a minimized sell approach can produce outstanding returns.

Cloud Computing -- Computing Without the Hardware…Software…Support…Fun - Click To Read Article
The concept is great everything is handled for you in the cloud...you can focus on work and not updating, rebooting your system (yeah like Macs don't have that problem too). You can grab/store anything/everything and never have to worry about buying a new HD or losing your storage. It's all done in the cloud. Problems are though: - governments have just relaxed the laws on tapping into your (or someone else's system because...well they can - sounds like Startrek..."To bravely go where no man has gone before..." Nope think we'll be #2 - don't clouds often hang around mountains and if your work is flying through one of them...WHAP! - of course you know who's in charge of the cloud and maintaining "your" computing, "your" data/content

Content Protection, Fair Use Have to be Fair for Everyone - Click To Read Article
Contrary to what they tell governments, the world doesn't revolve around their stuff. In fact once we buy it isn't it our stuff? Some day they'll get a clue like the music industry and audio books industry that once content goes digital there's no turning back. We didn't copy audio tapes and pass them around...we didn't copy VHS movies and pass them around...we didn't copy DVD movies and pass them around...

Content Everywhere…In What Form, What Format? - Click To Read Article
Photo and video content is everywhere. It is rapidly becoming the leading form of communications, information and entertainment. Where is the technology going? What lies ahead? We spent two days at the 6Sight Conference in Monterey listening and learning about what consumers want (or think they want) and issues hardware/software producers are wrestling with. Cameras, camcorders, camphones and more...see what is behind the curtain.

Coming Out of the Trough -- It’s Time for a Content, Communication Course Correction - Click To Read Article
The financial shell game finally caught up with Wall Street. The US auto industry suddenly realized their bloated infrastructure and their views of what people should buy didn't match up with what customers were asking for. The two industries knew how to solve the problems they created...go where they print money. The content creation/sharing/showing/enjoying players pulled back as they have in every downturn and turned their attention to tightening up their organizations, reducing profit margins and focusing on products, technology, services that satisfy consumers. Suddenly we're doing more with less and placing renewed emphasis on listening and talking with folks about exactly what they want and need from us.

Company, Product Communications…Open Up, Loosen Up - Click To Read Article
Hints on how entrepreneurs can efficiently and economically do their own publicity activities and avoid mistakes that even "professionals" make.

Computing Without the Hardware…Software…Support…Fun - Click To Read Article
Today's Web 2.0 social media environment offers a tremendous opportunities for companies to closely engage with customers, prospects and market segments in a positive, mutually beneficial manner. The problem arises when marketing and communications people view these new 1:1 outlets as a great marketing/sales and PR pitching opportunities. They forget that the individuals if not treated properly and with professional respect can turn and instead of being the ones who are being hunted can become the hunters. People -- regular folks -- can be mean and brutal if they are abused. Marketeers need to know the pros/cons, challenges/opportunities. Consumers need to know that they have a powerful platform to strike back and cause real damage.

CEO Speak Out - Click To Read Article
These are quotes taken from an article by Bill George former chairman and CEO of Medtronic.

CEO SpeakOut - Click To Read Article
The Best Way to Project A Company’s Brand

CEO Capital - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- A Guide to Building CEO Reputation and Company Success

CHALLENGING THE BIG BANG THEORY - Click To Read Article
CHALLENGING THE BIG BANG THEORY OF TRADE SHOW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENTS Win the battle of convention noise by avoiding the noise. Think of your next trade show as the middle of your product rollout, not the beginning.

Business, Skills Training Is Becoming a Never Ending Process - Click To Read Article
An organization’s ability to learn and translate that learning into action rapidly is the ultimate competitive business advantage…Jack Welch, former chairman, GE

CHANNEL MUST KNOW WHEN TO SAY 'NO' - Click To Read Article
Knowing when to walk away from a deal may be difficult but it can also be more profitable.

CEO Still Sets The Tone, Agenda of Public Relations - Click To Read Article
PR people can execute the plan but it is the CEO's task to shape the message and the direction.

CHANNEL CO-OP - Click To Read Article
... CREATIVITY WITH CONTROL

CLIENTS HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES IN PR PROGRAM'S SUCCESS - Click To Read Article
The agency can't do it all and management has to be involved in the molding of the program and its success.

CHANNEL MANAGEMENT - Click To Read Article
...ACHIEVING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

CAN VARS AND VENDORS EVER REALLY GET ALONG? - Click To Read Article
Suppliers and resellers have always been at odds. Take the proper steps and follow the good practice guidelines and it can be a mutually rewarding effort.

CHOOSE STORAGE SOLUTIONS YOU CAN LIVE WITH - Click To Read Article
Protect your organizations -- and your -- documents, data for the long term.

CHANGING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS CAN'T AFFORD NETWORK STRUCTURES - Click To Read Article
To build your organization quickly, effectively and profitably...do it without a net.

Chicken Little at NAB - Click To Read Article
When you attend the National Association of Broadcasting (NAB) conference all you see is streaming video, video services, mobile video opportunities. It is a world gone mobile. It is a world gone mad for technical toys. Graphics available upon request.

Clash of the Titans - Click To Read Article
Public speaking for a few comes naturally. For the majority of us it is work...a lot of work. To enhance the power and impact of your presentations study the best.

Camphones are for Impulses, Cameras are for Memories - Click To Read Article
Camphones didn't replace/kill cameras or camcorders. In fact, they got a lot of people -- young and old -- interested and involved in shooting more, saving more, showing more. Their nice impulse devices but let's get serious are you really going to capture your wedding, your birthday, your graduation, your son's/daughter's birth, your partner cheating on a camphone? Ok the last is an impulse moment so you may use the camphone for that. But the rest of the family and personal moments/memories? Heck no...you want to make sure you get the best quality possible. And that you store them on the best media available...

Changing the Face of Personal Communications - Click To Read Article
It's almost impossible to go out and buy a plain old mobile phone anymore. We threw tons of features/capabilities on them. We changed them from utilitarian to dress accessories...statements of who we are and our importance. But it took the guy on Infinity Circle to really change the keypad and screen. Oh sure the iPhone is sleek and incorporates so many service capabilities (wonder why your cellphone bill got HUGE?). At Apple's WWDC (developer's conference)Steve will once again strolled onto the stage with a clean black mock turtle on and show us his next insanely great offerings. Including the 3G iPhone (probably). Neat thing is that all of his offerings -- even those that stumble -- will all

Book Review - Click To Read Article
Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality; By Dr. Henry Cloud, HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, NY, ISBN 0060849681, 304 pages, list - $24.95; February 2006.

Blogging - Click To Read Article
These are quotes taken from an article by Bill George former chairman and CEO of Medtronic.

Building Better Booth Traffic - Click To Read Article
Enhancing your trade show return on investment

Beyond Spin - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The Power of Strategic Corporate Journalism

Brand Manners - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- How to Create the Self Confident Organization to Live the Brand

BRAND sense - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Building Powerful Brands Through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sign and Sound

Branding Unbound - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The future of advertising, sales and the brand experience in the wireless age

Brandscendence - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Three Essential Elements of Enduring Brands

Business Blogs - Click To Read Article
…Are We Flogging a Dying Horse?

Business Blogs...The Deep End of the Pool - Click To Read Article
The blogosphere is a tremendous opportunity for executives at every level to deal 1:1 and 1:many with customers, prospects and other interested parties. It is not just another PR tool. It is a management tool for communicating with people. But you need to know the pros, cons of the blogosphere before you jump into the deep end....

Blogs…Can the Social Community Be Commercialized? - Click To Read Article
The blogosphere is a relatively new phenomenon that has arrived on the scene and a growing number of people are advancing the idea that it is a great opportunity for companies to sell ideas, products and services economically. The problem is that people forget that the blog also allows people to "push back" in a very public manner. The blogosphere remains a community activity of personal and like-minded people communicating together. Other opportunities have emerged in the Web 2.0 world and perhaps...just perhaps a business blog may not be the best solution.

Book Review -- Persuasive Business Proposals - Click To Read Article
Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients and Contracts – Tom Sant, AMACOM (American Management Association), www.amacom.com, January 2004, ISBN-10 – 0814471536, 224 pages, $17.95

Book Review -- Reputation Management - Click To Read Article
Reputation Management – The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communications – John Doorley, Helio Fred Garcia; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 270 Madison Ave, NY, NY 10016; wwww.routledge-ny.com; 456 p, May 2006; $45.

Book Review -- Brain Tattoos - Click To Read Article
Brain Tattoos: Creating Unique Brands That Stick in Your Customers’ Minds – Karen Post, AMACOM (American Management Association) www.amacom.com, November 2004, ISBN-10 – 0814472346, 187 pages, $17.95

Book Review The Long Tail - Click To Read Article
The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More – Chris Anderson, Hyperion, www.hyperionbooks.com, July 2006, ISBN-10 – 1401302378, 256 pages, $24.95

Book Review -- The Qualcomm Equation - Click To Read Article
The Qualcomm Equation: How a Fledgling Company Forged a New Path to Big Profits and Market – Dave Mock, AMACOM (American Management Association), www.amacom.com, March, 2005, 266 pages, $25.00

Brain Tattoos: Creating Unique Brands That Stick in Your Customers’ Minds - Click To Read Article
Book review -- Brain Tattoos: Creating Unique Brands That Stick in Your Customers’ Minds – Karen Post, AMACOM (American Management Association) www.amacom.com, November 2004, ISBN-10 – 0814472346, 187 pages, $17.95

Blogosphere or Blog with Fear - Click To Read Article
The idea of blogging is hard to resist for a company just starting out. Think of it. A means of communicating with customers, prospects and partners that costs almost nothing but reaches more than 180 million people around the globe. But blogs also permit two-way communications which means others can respond to that same 180 million plus individuals. Enter the Web 2.0 world lightly and always prepare for the unexpected.

Beyond the 3-Minute Call…Business, Entertainment or Cool - Click To Read Article
It is difficult to believe that Apple has reshaped the mobile communications industry with the iPhone but more than 5,000 applications are available for the unit. Every operating system and service provider is now offering their own apps store for their smartphones. It's an outstanding opportunity for small firms to look big.

Brand Immortality How Brands Can Live Long and Prosper Book Review - Click To Read Article
The British advertising community studied more than 100 brands to see which lived, which died and why.

AMATEURISM HURTS PR FIELD - Click To Read Article
AMATEURISM HURTS PR FIELD

Attracting Holding Good Trade Show Traffic - Click To Read Article
These are quotes taken from an article by Bill George former chairman and CEO of Medtronic.

Anywhere Computing Opens Endless Possibilities … - Click To Read Article
Possibilities to Data Loss. "Never trust a computer you can't throw out a window." -Steve Wozniak

At Show Time Editorial Abuse Gets Easier With Email - Click To Read Article
Editorial contact is easier, faster, more reliable with email. So are the abuses.

Applied Communication Research - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Applied Communication Research by Judith M. Buddenbaum, Katherine B. Novak -- Iowa State University Press, 2121 South State Avenue, Ames, IA 50014; 2001 -- 261 p, 40 p of appendices

A NEW APPROACH TO MOVING UP THE CORPORATE LADDER - Click To Read Article
Recently, I received an announcement regarding a symposium for mid-career professionals on "Moving Up the Ladder." Priced at $2,500, the three-day course was sponsored by a nationally respected business school.

Abusing Editors - Click To Read Article
The Hand Is Still Quicker Than the Eye

A New Brand World - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- 8 Principles for Achieving Brand Leadership in the 21st Century by Scott Bedbury, 288 pages, February 2002, Viking Press, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

A NEWS RELEASE IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE - Click To Read Article
If you are going to do news releases...do them right!

Advertising On-The-Go…If, When, How? - Click To Read Article
on-line gaming, on-line video and cellular communications have progressed rapidly. Now comes mobile advertising.

A HAPPY CUSTOMER CAN SELL IT FOR YOU - Click To Read Article
Use case histories to spread your story

A Gazillion Tweets, but What Makes the Cash Register Ring? - Click To Read Article
Tweeting gets consumers all fired up. YouTubing is what a pries the credit cards out of the billfold/purse. Facebooking is where it is at to bring seller/buyer together. Blogs have the real street cred where serious people go to find out the scoop. Robust web sites are an absolute have to if you're going to be serious about separating a consumer from his/her dollars. If you think consumers are confused you should be on the other side of the desk! Marketing people are having a helluva time efficiently and effectively reaching the buying public -- corporate and individual -- to sell hardware, software, solutions. It's horrible in the store because everyone is hollering price. Sales people seldom know enough about the individual product to be of real help. Your mom doesn

24 Days - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America

24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- 24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America – Rebecca Smith, John R. Emshwiller; Harper Business Division of Harper Collins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, NY 10022, www.harpercollins.com/imprints/harper_business; Aug 2003; 390 pps, $25.95

2009 - A Year of Realignment, Reassessment, Repositioning - Click To Read Article
But people in the business/consumer computer/entertainment/communications industry have never been short on optomism or ideas. Looking up from what is near the bottom of the valley it is fairly obvious that it will be a long, hard trek back up to the top of the hill. Some firms won't survive by this time next year. Those that focus on developing a strong consumer centric strategy and lead/listen to the marketplace will be light years ahead of the competition when we enter 2010. What's it going to take? What will the the leaders do? We've got a pretty good idea...hope you agree. We know most have what it takes to survive and prosper!





Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

RULE YOUR BUSINESS LIKE A SHINE STAR

SEO – Link Building Secrets

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.