June 30th 2010
In the mid-’90s, Quark was the leading tool for print publishing. It was a generation ahead of Adobe’s PageMaker, which in those days I called the “publishing tool of Satan.” But Adobe launched the more economical InDesign, connected to Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Flash. Soon, Quark was in Adobe’s digital rear-view mirror. Last week, Quark announced […]
June 29th 2010
We’ve learned that vampires are apparently obsessed with copyright. Now consider the official Twilight t-shirt contest. Fans are invited to make a shirt to promote the new film. Of course, entries must comply with a few rules. (In case you haven’t noticed, vampires are also rather controlling.) Here are some select rules to keep mortals […]
June 28th 2010
Some days it feels like I work in a 90’s start-up. Its high growth, which is a polite way to say it often feels like a slow motion riot. I like it that way. Really. There’s the free beverage machine, team building, even the occasional massage. But by far the most interesting benefit, has been […]
June 25th 2010
How to Throw and Catch the Knife of Wit “Unicorns, as we all know, frolic all over the world, pooping rainbows and marshmallows wherever they go.” So begins a send-up product pitch for Unicorn – the new white meat. The illustration on the right shows the parts of the unicorn can rendered into rainbows (or […]
June 24th 2010
What do the undead think about inside their coffins (or at Starbucks) during daylight hours? Intellectual property, apparently, as evidenced by an unlikely copyright lawsuit. The bloodsuckers at Summit Entertainment, makers of the Twilight vampire movies, have filed a lawsuit against the makers of a jacket worn by a character in their film. The clothing […]
June 16th 2010
Who Will Update My Facebook Status When I Die? If you follow this blog’s Twitter feed you may have already seen me saying goodbye to people I’ve enjoyed in person and online. MIT’s Bill Mitchell and Chuck Howes, formerly of the Christian Science Publishing Society, both good men, recently passed away. In the case of […]
June 15th 2010
An oil release from BP imperils the seas, careless financial firms put economies and governments at risk, and a mine in West Virgina (run by a company with a despicable safety record) explodes. Cereal companies lie about their products’ ability to bolster immunity during an epidemic, cars accelerate for no apparent reason, and pharma companies […]
June 10th 2010
Last week, buying lead management companies was all the rage. Now Marin Software, a Paid Search (SEM) Marketing Platform, completed another financing round, bringing in $11 million. (That’s $33 million for them to date.) And SEM agency iCrossing has been purchased by Hearst Media for a reported $325 million. The deal could increase to more than […]
June 9th 2010
This is the story of three talented, scrappy agencies who did great client work, and who each tried to transition to selling products instead of services and engagements. It represents one way that agencies are remaking their business models. Magic Hour In the 1990s when I met them, Magic Hour Communications was a group of […]
June 8th 2010
Over the last five years I’ve helped companies hone their online game, and that often involves lead management. Increasingly, lead management systems that provide analytics, automation, customization, and integration with CRM systems are where the online marketing rubber hits the road. Last week I shared links to the 2010 Lead Management Buyers Guide, and I […]
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