Perception Analyzer Dial.Log

More Space

I want to share with you an interesting project by fellow blogger, Todd Sattersten, called More Space.  It's a book that came together by Todd offering nine business bloggers more space in which to write.  He wanted to see what they would come up with when they had more than a short blog post to work with.

Well, the outcome is quite good.  What I like most about the book is that he's given these bloggers more space, but not too much.  So many business books are 10% good stuff and 90% crap, repetition and repackaged ideas just to fill a book.  This book is just the 10%.  It has many good ideas and is written in a fresh tone that makes for a very good read.

If you enjoy good business books, want to try something different and want to support a very creative effort, I suggest you pick up a copy (or a few and spread them around).

Learn more and buy the book here.

Party Like It's (insert year here)

I don't know quite what to make of this except it makes my head hurt a bit to think about it and I'm pretty sure it's a really cool idea.  A student at MIT is hosting a time traveler party on a specific date at a specific location.  The location (on the MIT campus) is listed as geographic coordinates on the invitation "in case MIT is long gone by the time a time machine is invented."  So, in essence, people of the future are asked to hop in their time machines, come back to this date/time/place and bring proof that they are from the future.  Invitations are being left in books and interviews are being given in hopes they will be posted and found online someday.  I sure wish I could go!

Double Huh?

Just made my post-lunch pilgrimage to Starbucks for some refueling and encountered two oddities.  First, they were prominently displaying a new plastic beverage bottle with an attached screw-on cap.  Printed on the accompanying tag was, "Not intended for hot liquid."  Do they mean like...I don't know...coffee?  Huh?  Second, my horoscope (displayed on the counter) told me, among other things, to "keep my hands clean."  Double huh?  I mean, what the hell kind of horoscope is that? 

V is for Veggies???

As much as I've been advocating that junk food stop being pushed on our kids (more here and here), I'm not sure how I feel about Sesame Street's Cookie Monster eating less cookies and instead opting for fruits and veggies, even going as far as saying "A Cookie Is a Sometimes Food."  I mean, his name is Cookie Monster - they kind of made that bed a long time ago and for good reason...who would love a character named Eggplant Monster?

Seriously though, I'm sure this kind of messaging will help with the lessons I want to teach my son.  I'm just not sure they need to mess with Cookie Monster.

Hangin' in PDX

Had a great time last night in Portland getting to know Bren (the Slacker Manager) and Jon (the Business Evolutionist) in person.  We had really interesting discussions about balancing life, work, blogging, etc.  We are all at different places with those challenges, but each knew what the other was talking about.  We are three really different guys with really different backgrounds and interests, but also had a lot in common.  If you are not familiar with them, check 'em out and learn a thing or two.

Here's to new friends...

London

I'm planning my first trip to London in late-April and will have a couple of free days.  Can anyone recommend a good mid-priced hotel that's near all the action?  Also, any interesting things to do other than the obvious stuff and favorite pubs/restaurants would be great.  Thanks.

Door WILL NOT Open - Door WILL NOT Close

Why do "Door Open" and "Door Close" buttons in elevators almost never work?  Every elevator has them (it's probably required), but they rarely do anything.  In fact, there is only one elevator I use regularly that has functional buttons.  And, everyone who rides that elevator knows it and uses the buttons all the time.  People want the buttons and they are there anyway, so why not have them actually do what they say they do?  This is one of those great mysteries that will likely keep me up all night.  Maybe I'll just shoot an email to Otis and see if I can get to the bottom of it.  You go to sleep...I'll let you know if I learn anything.

2/18/05 - UPDATE: I did email Otis Elevator Company with my question, to which they kindly and promptly replied.  If you are even remotely curious, click here for their response.

Harmonic Horses

Nothin' to do with nothin', but I love these guys.  Click their heads and make sweet horse harmonies.

Google Maps

New beta service from Google called Google Maps. You can not only zoom and pan (as with other map sites), but also drag the map with your mouse or double-click to center any area on your map.  I also like the way, when you search for and click on a business, you get a pop-up with the contact info, URL link and an quick link to get driving directions. Very cool and useful with seemingly small enhancements that use the power of Google to make this a better map site.  Check it out.

Two Great Lists: Smartest and Dumbest

Here are two great lists from Business 2.0 magazine that are informative, entertaining and, in the case of the second list, just plain scary:

The Smart List - 25 companies that are outfoxing the competition.
"Bold thinkers. Brilliant ideas. Clever strategies. Savvy execution."

The 101 Dumbest Moments in Business (requires paid subscription to read past 1-10)
"Our fifth annual review of the most shameful, dishonest, and just plain stupid moments of the past year."

UPDATE: You can also see the full lists in the January/February print issue on pages 45 and 103 respectively.

Top 1000 Things You Need To Know

Seth Godin has started a list of the 1000 things everyone should start learning as of third grade.  An interesting exercise to which I'll add my two-cents:

• How to make an effective argument.
• How to negotiate.
• How to physically defend oneself.
• The value and power of kindness.
• How to write basic HTML.
• How to play at least one musical instrument.
• The importance of social and cultural sensitivity.
• How to make conversation.
• How to be chivalrous.
• How to wrap a gift.
• How to iron (and fold) a shirt. 
• The art of a handwritten letter.
   

One Million Dollars (plus shipping)

I hesitate to post this because I really don't want to give this stunt any more publicity, but I just have to say something...this guy is auctioning off a pair of his used sneakers for $1,000,000 and will only cover shipping if the buyer is in the United States?!?  An international buyer will have to pay $28-$38 for shipping.  So, if I'm in France and willing to pay $1,000,000 to buy the shoes of this guy's stinkin' feet, he won't even spring for the $38 to get them to me?  Dude, what's up with that?

via [Adrants]

15,073,280 16,777,216

With clearly too much time on my hands this morning, I found myself wondering how many cells one could have in an Excel spreadsheet. Turns out (unless I'm mistaken, which is totally possible, but I doubt it) the answer is 15,073,280.  I was able to scroll down to row 65,536 and over to column IV (first you have A-Z, then AA, AB, AC, etc. until you get to column IV, then it just stops).  A to IV = 230 x 65,536 = 15,073,280.  Not exactly rocket science nor nearly as exciting as discovering, say, that the earth is round, but it's something.  Maybe it will come up in Trivial Pursuit sometime.  Then again, probably not.

UPDATE: As Mark at AutomaticExcel correctly points out, the correct number is actually 16,777,216.  When calculating A to IV, I forgot about the A to Z before starting at AA (even though I reference it above, I mistakenly didn't use it in the calculation).  So, A to IV is actually 256 columns x 65,536 rows = 16,777,216 cells.  Thanks, Mark!

Shhh!

First we were given hard data on why public cell phone conversations are so annoying and now we can finally do something about it.  Coudal Partners, a design, advertising and interactive firm, brings us SHHH! - Society for Handheld Hushing and these handy-dandy cards to give out when people just won't stop yapping.  Some examples...

click images to enlarge                        Download PDF of all cards

via [Engadget]

Top U.S. Concert Tours of 2004

Am I the only one who finds this year's list of the top 20 U.S. concert tours so fascinating?  Number one is Phil Collins...PHIL COLLINS! Followed by Sting, Bette Midler, Metallica, Barry Manilow and the list goes on. Metallica is sandwiched between Bette Midler and Barry Manilow. That's very humorous to me.  Bette Midler's average ticket price was $99.62.  The Beastie Boys' (#11) average ticket price was $38.22 while Yanni's (#12) was $67.92.  No way people are spending nearly double to see Yanni over the Beastie Boys!  Did Yanni ever have a hit album entitled "Hello Nasty"?  I think not.

Otis Research Tower

Ever wonder how elevators get tested?  Me neither. Then I learned of the Otis Research Center in Bristol, CT, where Otis Elevator Company uses a 29-story tower to test every aspect of an elevator's performance as well as simulate all kinds of snarky problems like lightening strikes, blackouts/brownouts, bumpy transportation to an installation site and salty-air coastal environments that could cause corrosion.

From what I'm told by a co-worker in Bristol doing a project for ESPN, you can see this tower from everywhere because the town has a building height limit and this thing towers (pun intended) over everything.  While I'm sure the ESPN tour was cool, I sure would like to check out the inside of this place.

Now, click here for a cheesy elevator joke and my apologies in advance if you are Amish (which is unlikely since you wouldn't be using a computer unless you were on some craze new reality show...wait...oh yeah...never mind)...

Top 25 of 2004?

Just realized that I linked to 25 posts in my Top 24 of 2004 list.  To be honest, I compiled that list at midnight at could swear I only counted 24.  Maybe the blog fairy (there is one, right?) added one after I was finished or maybe it's like when you buy a dozen doughnuts and get one free (in which case, for 24 posts there should be two free, but never mind that).  Or maybe, just maybe, I miscounted, but I'm sticking with the blog fairy idea as that seems most likely.

Top 24 of 2004

In honor of the year that was, I am participating in the Top 24 of 2004 being compiled by Todd at a penny for...  While the following posts are in no particular order, reading them will give you a pretty good idea of what Perception Analyzer Dial.Log has been about this past year.  Thanks to all my weblog readers, clients and new friends I've made in 2004.

Media Multitasking

Boomer Women Have the Money and Power

Reviving Old Brands

Advertising Agency and Consumer Disconnect?

Free Market Research

Blockbuster Doesn't Get It

Word of the Day: Advergaming

McWow!

Advertising Via Text Messaging

Big Business and the Customer Experience

Inspired

Change is Good

Advertising: Reinvented

The Color of Branding

Fastest-growing Ad Medium: Cinema

Media Multitasking (III)

Micromarketing

If This Is How They Treat Their Best Customers...

Impact of DVR's on TV Advertising

Out of Pocket

Attention Hotel Towel Thieves

More on Customization

New Ad Recall Stats for DVR Fast Forwarding

Blog Jam

I Want My TV

To Cook or Not to Cook: That is the Question

In preparing for Thankgoodnessforelasticpants Day (otherwise known as Thanksgiving), I'm struck by how much more prevalent takeout has become. Back in the day, everything was made at home, from scratch.  My grandmother would wake up at 4:00 AM to get the turkey ready for its full day of baking and basting (at least I was told she got up at 4:00 AM - I was also told that as a boy my grandfather would go to the movies with a friend and both could get in for a nickel, so who knows that's true).  We'd smell the turkey and stuffing baking all day and come mid-afternoon my grandpa would break out the electric carving knife and go to town.  Today however, not so much.

As baby boomers age and younger families have two working parents and 2.1 kids, people don't have the time, energy or inclination to cook like they used to.  It starts out innocently enough - one year we just take the edge off cooking by getting the cranberry sauce from a local gourmet market.  No big deal as no one really eats it anyway, right?  Then, since that went so well, the next year we maybe try it with the mashed potatoes or worse yet, the stuffing!  Turns out, it's not bad - not great, but considering we didn't have to make it ourselves - not bad.  So, now is when we get cocky and go for the turkey.  Rather than an hour of prep and many hours of baking and basting, we buy a pre-cooked bird and reheat for an hour or so.  A little dry?  Maybe, but it was fast and easy. So, we've traded tradition and the joy of cooking for convenience and more free time to spend with family.  Is the trade worth it? I guess it depends on how much you enjoy time with your family.

I think there is something to be said for not depriving our future generations of the joy of smelling a turkey baking all day. Opening a plastic container and transferring pre-made food to a serving platter just ain't the same.  I admit to heeding the call of the Turkey Day takeout temptress myself once or twice, but now that I have a son, I want him to know what it's like to sit and wait all day, hunger pangs and all, while we prep and cook and wait and wait and wait and carve and serve and finally eat and eat and eat and eat. Then, just when we can't possibly take another bite, it's time for pie (homemade, of course).

Happy Thanksgiving.

Out of Pocket

According to this article, teachers spend an annual average of $458 dollars out-of-pocket on school supplies for their students. We're talking basics like paper, printer cartridges and pencils. Some receive partial reimbursements and/or tax breaks, but those are getting harder to come by and many teachers say they will still do it because the kids need it. Contrast this to expense reports we are all surely used to submitting and approving that include every nickel and dime, from big ticket items to a box of paper clips purchased while on the road. I'm not saying that everyone shouldn't be reimbursed for every penny, because they could be, but the dedication shown by these teachers is amazing.

The article also plugs and web site that matches teachers in need of supplies with those in a position to donate. I'll do my part and plug it here as well. iLoveSchools.com

Trump World

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump is launching a new bimonthly magazine this fall called Trump World with the focus to be on "his personal interests." According to the editor and publisher, the magazine will "feature Mr. Trump's business and real-estate advice, as well as helpful hints on spending the riches that result."

I'm not sure I'd need hints on spending riches (were I to have them) but I must say, Donald Trump is the master of a consistent branding. Like him or not, he is nothing if not always on message. For that I say bravo and whether or not I do so in public, I will definitely be checking-out the magazine, if for no other reason than to stock-up on tips for when the trucks full of cash start motoring to my house.

Corporate Blogging Survey

There is a survey on TheNewPR/Wiki (an extension of Global PR Blog Week 1.0) on corporate blogging. Here are their questions and my answers:

1) Why do you blog for your company?

I blog as a means of providing existing and potential clients information that will be of value to them in hopes they will then want to learn more about what my company offers and either explore working with us or refer us to others when appropriate.

2) What goals did you set for the blog?

No specific goals other than to enjoy the process of blogging (which I do), provide valuable information and insights to existing clients and attract the attention of potential new ones.

3) How do you think your blog fits into your company's communications strategy?

Quite well. We are a relatively small company and without a large marketing budget, most of our corporate communications are rather grassroots. Blogging allows for a greater reach and more flexible tone than most other mediums because I am able to reach anyone on the Internet and change my message, tone and focus at any time.

4) Tell me about the publishing mechanics of your blog. How often do you publish? How do you decide what to publish? Any special publishing techniques?

I try not to set any artificial goals so as not to post just for the sake of posting. Ideally I like to update the blog daily, but that is not always realistic. Some days there is just nothing that I would consider blog-worthy and other days I just don't have the time. I usually decide what to publish based on what I see, read, hear, think and discuss with others on a daily basis. Based on how those things parallel with the focus and categories of my blog, I'll decide what I think my readers and potential readers will want to see. It's a gut-feel really and I jot down ideas all the time. Some make it into the blog and others never develop. I also try to have a balance of what I see as the three main types of posts - straight links to posts by others (where I have little or nothing of substance to add, but feel the content will be of interest to my readers), links to posts by others with the addition of my input and unique content based on items I find or topics that I think will be of interest to my readers.

5) Who writes the blog? Who contributes to the blog on a regular basis?

I am the primary writer, though others in my company do occasionally post when we are writing about something specific to their areas of expertise.

6) Have you achieved your original communications goals?

While I don't yet have the reach I'd like, the blog is only four months old and we're getting there. Readership is increasing daily as a result of other bloggers linking to me, me linking to them and new readers finding my blog through search engine searches of keywords and phrases that match my posts.

7) Were there any any unexpected communications or learning consequences as a result of publishing your blog?

Only that I am now able to touch people worldwide with the click of a mouse. While our website has always offered one-way contact, blogging offers two-way communication that is tremendously valuable. I am always amazed when I receive comments and emails from readers around the world who discovered my blog and have a similar point of view or, even better, a unique contrasting view. I have also personally (and professionally) benefited from the new circle of friends and acquaintances I have made through blogging.

OneLook

Just discovered a great website called OneLook which is described as "a search engine for words and phrases." Search for definitions, translations, patterns and even download a utility that allows searching from any web page using the right-click menu in Internet Explorer. Very cool and useful site.

Inspired

In reading the July/August 2004 issue of Men's Health magazine (page 74) this weekend, I came across a brief interview with Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Company and its famous Samuel Adams beer. The topic of the interview was business risk-taking and one of Mr. Koch's six tips was to "remember what's real." He said:

"A company doesn't exist. A corporation is a legal fiction that lawyers have created. What does exist is a collection of great beers (most of us would substitute 'products and services') and a group of people who come together for a part of their lives - people who have common goals and objectives. The company can never be better than the people."

I've had this quote in my head all weekend and I wonder how it will make me look differently at my team and workplace when I return tomorrow from the long holiday weekend.

What Could They Have Been Looking For?

This has nothing to do with anything important, but one of the referring links in this blog's visitor stats this morning came from a search engine query on the words wife analyzer. I guess I'm proud to say that this post of mine holds the #1 spot, but what I'm really curious about it what that person was really looking for?

Just Looking

I like the early looks of this new blog by Mark Askey. He bills it as a retail sales blog, but I think his points certainly translate to other aspects of sales, team management and the customer experience. Check it out.

Just Looking

What Do You Mean, No PowerPoint?

I had an interesting conversation with a coworker this morning about ways to differentiate oneself during presentations by not giving the same old text-heavy PowerPoint presentation that most people fall back on. What we started wondering was, what would one do if they were told no PowerPoint was allowed in a presentation? How would one combine the presentation styles of days of old (before PPT) with innovative approaches that would set them apart.

I'm a big fan of Cliff Atkinson's Beyond Bullets blog and firmly believe that PowerPoint should be a supporting tool for presentations, not simply a means to project every word one plans to say. But, I wonder how much more attentive prospects and customers would be if we dropped the PowerPoint presentation altogether and did something completely different?

Does anyone have any creative ideas for how they would drive a presentation in the absence of PowerPoint? Anything you have done, witnessed or thought of? Leave your ideas as a comment on this post and I'll summarize in a future post.

Gen Y Blog

If you or your clients market to Generation Y, a blog called Ypulse will no doubt be a valuable source of information. Check it out.

via Micro Persuasion

GMail Accounts Up for Grabs

While these are certainly becoming more and more prevalent, I have five GMail invitations up for grabs on a first come, first served basis. If you would like one before they open things up to the public and all the good addresses are gone, just leave a comment on this post with your email address and your favorite all time song and I'll send you an invitation. You may email instead if you prefer.

Shake It Up

I like the notions behind the so-called credo of Kevin Roberts (CEO Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi) from a recent Tom Peters presentation.

1. Ready. Fire! Aim.
2. If it ain't broke...Break it!
3. Hire crazies.
4. Ask dumb questions.
5. Pursue failure.
6. Lead, follow...or get out of the way!
7. Spread confusion.
8. Ditch your office.
9. Read odd stuff.
10. Avoid moderation!

The common theme seems to be to shake things up. Resist the status quo and open your mind to what's possible, not just what's easy or in front of you. Not for everyone I suppose, but I like it.

For further insight into Kevin Robert's philosophies, I also found interesting these 40 thoughts.

Rubik's Robot

This has absolutely nothing to do with market research, but someone invented a LEGO® robot that solves the Rubik's Cube®. Why? I suppose because they could, and sometimes that's a good enough reason (but not all the time). I, myself, have only solved it once and that was years ago when I had a lot more time and A LOT more patience. One nice thing about robots is that they are not burdened by the lack of such things. If I had more time and patience, I'd think of other nice things about robots.

Success by design

FC Now links to an interesting study that highlights a correlation between design (actually, companies known and awarded for design) and business performance. It uses the UK FTSE 100 index (British equivalent of the Dow Jones) and found that design-intelligent companies beat the index by 200%.

Passwords for candy bars?

In London, a survey conducted in advance of the Infosecurity Europe trade show later this month found that 70% of people would reveal their computer login and password in exchange for a candy bar and 34% did it without any incentive.

So, why are public cell phone conversations so annoying?

Jakob Nielsen provides the results of a study by Andrew Monk and colleagues from the University of York that tries to determine why public cell phone conversations seem so much more annoying to bystanders than those of two people engaged in a face-to-face conversation.

Turns out, ring tones are less annoying that one might think, increased volume of those talking on a cell phone has some bearing, but the main hypothosis (and it's juts a hypothsis, as the research does not seem to be there yet to support it) is that only being able to hear one side of a cell phone conversation may be the most annoying of all.