From Dell to EdX, Columbia Sportswear to Red Bull -- advertising is increasingly less about claiming value, and more about delivering it through memorable experiences. That's the secret behind Zeno's Paradox of Marketing.
Zeno’s Marketing Paradox: Native Advertising as a Ramp To Customer Experience
Is a World Without Ads Possible? We’re already halfway there.
“What if there were no ads?” That was the question content marketers Robert Rose and Joe Pulizzi asked in an episode of their podcast, This Old Marketing. It sounds like the start of John Lennon’s Imagine, but for marketers. What if there were just no ads?
Why No One is an Agency Anymore, and Why No One Cares
I've been seeing quite a few agencies claiming to be "anti-agencies". There are lots of reasons why the agency business model should evolve, but new ways of creating value rarely start with positioning.
Customer Experience Makes Five Guys the Top Ranked Burger in the US
The burger business is a big deal in the United States. A small chain, Five Guys Burgers and Fries has jumped to the head of burger pack - and the did it without advertising, one meal at a time.
Best job ever? Usability Testing Bartender
I've seen the future of usability; it has a buzz on. Watch this funny video and grasp the genius of testing users under the influence. See why I want to be your bartender of usability testing.
Companies with Top Customer Experiences Out-Score Super Bowl Advertisers
A quick look at revenue growth over three years shows that companies loved by their clients grew more than twice as fast as Super Bowl advertisers.
What I Found at Caine’s Arcade, a Few Minutes of Fun
This Spring, Caine Monroy became famous in some parts because of his cardboard arcade. Patricia Yuse visited the arcade, and shares some thoughts about what causes viral movements to grow.
Amanda Palmer Won’t Settle for Less. Monitizing engagement is just the start.
Amanda Palmer's Kickstarter triumph is awesome-ball cool, but it's just the start. The real magic is what you can do with a business model based on fan love.
Squaring Budweiser’s Bordello with Clydesdales and a Lost Puppy
February 1st 2015
Budweiser sponsors the NFL, a branded suite in a bordello and ads that sell their values but not their beer. This is how a half billion dollar ad budget ends up getting only a reported 4% share of drinkers 21 – 27. What’s up with that?
The Erosive Simplicity of College Rankings: Meet America’s ‘Worst College’
January 19th 2015
What is it about the human mind that makes it so attracted to the simplicity of rankings? Consider the case of Shimer College, and what happened when it was “objectively” named the worst college in America. And how intellectually bankrupt most college rankings turn out to be.
Boston Hosting the Olympics is Like Winning a Beauty Contest in Prison
January 11th 2015
The idea that planning a two week party for nine years will somehow better our focus Boston’s civic efforts that responding to real needs is at once the most optimistic and cynical gambit imaginable.
The Best Digital Strategy Articles, MOOCs and Books for 2015
December 30th 2014
As we sit here hungry for the brief pause between years, here are a dozen or so great starting points for setting your digital course over the next year.
The long winter of Russia’s economic failure
December 21st 2014
When Russian bankers met Monday night and decided to raise their interest rates to 17% in a surprise move, it was the equivalent to a yelled message in which the only word one can understand is “run”. No further interpretation is needed.
Global forces drive digital business and Amazon readies to join the travel biz
November 23rd 2014
Google reconsiders doing business in Chiga, and the EU wonders aloud about breaking Google up. Amazon readies to enter the travel biz, US TV focuses on shows that translate globally, and Netflix pursues the “old people” demographic.
Amazing times for Amazon, Alibaba, Hasbro — plus robot legs as a growth industry
November 15th 2014
It was an unexpectedly sweet week for ecommerce, thanks to an unexpected gift from House Republicans and single people in China. We also saw a bold content play with Hasbro courting DreamWorks, and an even bolder move of an auto parts manufacturer re-inventing its self as an innovative maker of robotic legs.
When is a GOP candidate like a wedding dress?
October 21st 2014
When we talk about “killing good ideas” this ad by the College Republicans should be exhibit A. Its a clever premise, but it does more harm than good even before the scathing counter-parody by Steven Colbert.
Digital Innovation Puts Us All In the Software Business
September 29th 2014
No matter what else you may do, if you rely on digital technology – and who doesn’t – then you are in the software business too. And this carries implications for your business as it grows today — and in how this software gets updated and iterated in the future.
Alibaba IPO Solidifies US / China Tech Duopoly
September 20th 2014
The world’s second most valuable Internet firm made its market debut yesterday. The ten most valuable tech companies are now close to evenly split between the US and China, setting up a possible duopoly between the business ecosystems in the two countries.
About Dave Wieneke, Digital Strategist
The future of digital marketing will be built by strategists who grasp the full array of emerging business, social, and technical models. Specialities in user experience, branding, application design, and data are laying the foundation for richer user experiences and business models breakthrough products and revenue based marketing.
UsefulArts is a soapbox to discuss the frontline of digital marketing, and the agencies and platforms that enable it. Marketing today needs a cadre of leaders who can connect c-level enterprise strategy with these new capabilities.