Monday, December 31, 2012
Guy's free marketing books
From Guy Kawasaki:
To celebrate the New Year, you can get four of his books for free. Please spread this link as far and wide as you can.
http://www.yousendit.com/download/WUJZZUNndWNlaFRMYnRVag
The books are: What the Plus!, The Macintosh Way, Database 101, and The Computer Curmudgeon.
Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
Why doesn't anyone ever blame Bad Management!?
Why does everyone in the media blame the union?
Goodbye Twinkie, Ding-Dongs and other Hostess "treats" (that possibly may still be exhumed millenia from now without any wear or harm ... it's not the unhealthy products I'm sorry to see go, it's the working class jobs)...
CEO, Mr. Gregory F. Rayburn only holds a masters degree from U of Alabama. I say only because you might think he was a divinely educated businessman extraordinaire, having been in leadership, if not the very top, of so many companies! But about the "so many" companies ... although often having multiple "jobs" at any one of these companies, his resume shows no less than 2 companies between 2000 & 2002, 3 companies from 02-04 (including giving away WorldCom/MCI to Verizon), 3 companies from 04-07 … and one company each in '09, '11 & '12. Associated with the "sin" industry of gambling through Diamond Resorts Corporation as well as being the former CEO of the New York City Off Track Betting Corporation, he was also with the discredited Arthur Andersen LLC as a partner. The man can NOT hold down a job OR, apparently, make any meaningful positive difference. He appears to be a profiteer, blithely skipping from one disaster to the next. As a sort of “cherry” on his sundae, he is also a Member of the American Bankruptcy Institute.
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=508078&privcapId=598750&previousCapId=333920&previousTitle=AMERISTAR%20CASINOS%20INC
Monday, September 24, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Can "Job Security" make a comeback?
Job security is an interesting conversation. I'd like to see that come back (it certainly is a corporate social responsibility expression), but I wonder how it can given how our culture has lain bear how disposably companies treat employees (and, therefore, why should employees feel any loyalty ... which we continue to not feel). Beyond a case by case basis, it makes for an interesting business meditation: by what ingredients can job security be re-introduced?
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Happy (2 year) Birthday to BusGlobalMktg&theAppliedArts !
Wednesday marks the twin anniversary that is this blog. On June 20 2010, I began writing literally daily (after about a third of the year I gave myself weekends off) for a full year.
On June 20 2011, I gave myself permission to add to this blog with extreme leisure ... essentially whenever, though usually when it seemed I had something significant to say.
Tomorrow, June 20, 2012, will mark the close of the second year (though I imagine blogging will not change in its current drift). Interestingly, at least to me (and especially from a marketing perspective), after the fifth month this blog has garnered over 500 hits every month without fail … even after going from five days a week to “every once in a while”.
Delighted to be of service!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Michael Porter; a hero disappoints.
or, the danger of the disingenuous subject matter expert (would YOU have caught this lie?)
6/3/2012 2:05:20 PM
I just took pause from my all-day work in front of the computer to have lunch … and as is my habit set myself up in front of the TV and turned on some news. Fareed Zakaria was on (I really like Fareed’s show), and Michael Porter was about to speak. As a student of business, imagine my joy (Porter’s hardly if ever on TV … first time I’d ever see him on TV)!
For the uninitiated, amongst contemporary business literature Porter’s caliber would rank analogously with, say, the Rolling Stones (were business academics rock and roll). He has essentially helped Harvard Business School maintain its vaulted pantheon position, as faculty, as serial author, etc. And I must confess, I cite him regularly (as I variously am either learning or agreeing him.).
When he and Fareed began speaking, it was on the topic of where American business was headed (certainly fascinating). Unfortunately, it appears that Porter may have taken too much grant money from corporate sources (my conjecture)! More than once he cited Americans as not being productive enough!!! Just go to Google images and put in “American productivity chart” (https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=614&q=american+productivity+chart&gbv=2&oq=American+productivity&aq=5S&aqi=g1g-S9&aql=&gs_l=img.1.5.0j0i24l9.1547.7094.0.11250.21.13.0.8.8.0.78.842.13.13.0...0.0.aEFu6vXy1Yo). While I didn’t check each and every chart you can readily see that most if not all say, as they should, the same thing. What that same thing tends to be, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis and others, is SO the contrary as to make one ill! Americans are setting records for productivity!
Now, does Michael mean productivity compared to wages elsewhere? Something like that is all I can think of. But honestly, that was the one silver lining of all the off shoring, I don’t want us to lose our minimum wage (it isn’t high enough as it is!). To make matters worse, he hardly looked Fareed in the eye, looking mostly down and to the right … generally a sign of being disingenuous.
What, it begs the question, would prompt such “marketing” (possibly propaganda)? He spoke of a study ... I'll have to keep an eye out for this study!!! If corporations could suppress wages more, somehow extract even greater ROI, then America becomes that much more attractive. Well, that's the simplistic easy thing, isn't it? Corporations have broken the middle class back - there IS no more low hanging fruit!!! How about corporations fulfilling the promise of America shifting from a manufacturing economy to a knowledge economy? Come on, Michael, you’re an old academic – don’t you want to champion corporations promoting, underwriting, etc. our knowledge economy? Why would you help "them" try to squeeze blood from a stone? Is it not time to reinvest? "Americans not being productive enough"? Have you gone mad? This so very much erodes your leadership credibility.
For those in academia you may recognize the old saw about how public schools do not “abuse” the financial aid system the way private institutions do. I am a Professor of Business of some years and actively teach for both kinds of Universities. There may or may not be an imbalance here, and both advantage monies every way they can (they, after all, each “have a business to run”). One thing is very certain, however, the public “research” schools (some, not all ... but as much their public blemish as the private schools have theirs) … are increasingly showing their stripes as paid for and bought.
I am happy to report, I can assure you, I do not teach for any schools that are bought : )
6/3/2012 2:05:20 PM
I just took pause from my all-day work in front of the computer to have lunch … and as is my habit set myself up in front of the TV and turned on some news. Fareed Zakaria was on (I really like Fareed’s show), and Michael Porter was about to speak. As a student of business, imagine my joy (Porter’s hardly if ever on TV … first time I’d ever see him on TV)!
For the uninitiated, amongst contemporary business literature Porter’s caliber would rank analogously with, say, the Rolling Stones (were business academics rock and roll). He has essentially helped Harvard Business School maintain its vaulted pantheon position, as faculty, as serial author, etc. And I must confess, I cite him regularly (as I variously am either learning or agreeing him.).
When he and Fareed began speaking, it was on the topic of where American business was headed (certainly fascinating). Unfortunately, it appears that Porter may have taken too much grant money from corporate sources (my conjecture)! More than once he cited Americans as not being productive enough!!! Just go to Google images and put in “American productivity chart” (https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=614&q=american+productivity+chart&gbv=2&oq=American+productivity&aq=5S&aqi=g1g-S9&aql=&gs_l=img.1.5.0j0i24l9.1547.7094.0.11250.21.13.0.8.8.0.78.842.13.13.0...0.0.aEFu6vXy1Yo). While I didn’t check each and every chart you can readily see that most if not all say, as they should, the same thing. What that same thing tends to be, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis and others, is SO the contrary as to make one ill! Americans are setting records for productivity!
Now, does Michael mean productivity compared to wages elsewhere? Something like that is all I can think of. But honestly, that was the one silver lining of all the off shoring, I don’t want us to lose our minimum wage (it isn’t high enough as it is!). To make matters worse, he hardly looked Fareed in the eye, looking mostly down and to the right … generally a sign of being disingenuous.
What, it begs the question, would prompt such “marketing” (possibly propaganda)? He spoke of a study ... I'll have to keep an eye out for this study!!! If corporations could suppress wages more, somehow extract even greater ROI, then America becomes that much more attractive. Well, that's the simplistic easy thing, isn't it? Corporations have broken the middle class back - there IS no more low hanging fruit!!! How about corporations fulfilling the promise of America shifting from a manufacturing economy to a knowledge economy? Come on, Michael, you’re an old academic – don’t you want to champion corporations promoting, underwriting, etc. our knowledge economy? Why would you help "them" try to squeeze blood from a stone? Is it not time to reinvest? "Americans not being productive enough"? Have you gone mad? This so very much erodes your leadership credibility.
For those in academia you may recognize the old saw about how public schools do not “abuse” the financial aid system the way private institutions do. I am a Professor of Business of some years and actively teach for both kinds of Universities. There may or may not be an imbalance here, and both advantage monies every way they can (they, after all, each “have a business to run”). One thing is very certain, however, the public “research” schools (some, not all ... but as much their public blemish as the private schools have theirs) … are increasingly showing their stripes as paid for and bought.
I am happy to report, I can assure you, I do not teach for any schools that are bought : )
Friday, May 18, 2012
(a word on) Grant Writing
Grant writing is a career path in its own right. It's tedious and involves a ton of research and throwing lots of ones own time and effort against a wall and seeing what sticks.
There are courses, and if I recall there may even be the odd degree offered in it (if you look hard enough). Being a grant writer, especially a seasoned and successful one (maintain metrics, even if they're your own), pays off huge!
I did this for a time for a charity I did volunteer work for. This is a great approach because once you've put forth a good faith effort, you get to keep the files you had access to ... AND basically received training for free. If you do a couple months like that at 2 or 3 different NFPs for a couple years you've immediately catapulted to inheriting [a] one of the most muscular databases ever (presuming you're synthesizing them all into one of your own), and [2] some awesome training, insofar as it may be basic training (ultimately, it's fairly basic stuff anyway) but it's from a half dozen different perspectives (and the additional perspectives is mighty valuable). Naturally, you do this ethically, do your best for these folks and you don't take what you ought not. BUT, think of the advantage!!! Now THAT'S volunteerism with a payoff!
There are courses, and if I recall there may even be the odd degree offered in it (if you look hard enough). Being a grant writer, especially a seasoned and successful one (maintain metrics, even if they're your own), pays off huge!
I did this for a time for a charity I did volunteer work for. This is a great approach because once you've put forth a good faith effort, you get to keep the files you had access to ... AND basically received training for free. If you do a couple months like that at 2 or 3 different NFPs for a couple years you've immediately catapulted to inheriting [a] one of the most muscular databases ever (presuming you're synthesizing them all into one of your own), and [2] some awesome training, insofar as it may be basic training (ultimately, it's fairly basic stuff anyway) but it's from a half dozen different perspectives (and the additional perspectives is mighty valuable). Naturally, you do this ethically, do your best for these folks and you don't take what you ought not. BUT, think of the advantage!!! Now THAT'S volunteerism with a payoff!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Marketing Occupy (1st draft - complete audio book - free download-able podcasts)
http://soundcloud.com/frankdavis/sets/marketing-occupy-an-audio-book
Marketing Occupy views the global social movement Occupy through the professional conversational lens of marketing. This first draft certainly needs editing, it nonetheless carries the substance. We find a range of insights, from the common sense & still overlooked to the creative. We find in the observations natural frustrations with a fledgling movement not yet evolved to an openness of alternative paths that could make a more positive difference. We see suggestions as to how communication can work wider & more positively, including a commitment to branding (and what that involves and could mean long term).
The author has worked in the applied & communication arts his whole life, as art director & as an educator of 30+ years, professor of business, ABD, about to begin his DBA dissertation.
Marketing Occupy views the global social movement Occupy through the professional conversational lens of marketing. This first draft certainly needs editing, it nonetheless carries the substance. We find a range of insights, from the common sense & still overlooked to the creative. We find in the observations natural frustrations with a fledgling movement not yet evolved to an openness of alternative paths that could make a more positive difference. We see suggestions as to how communication can work wider & more positively, including a commitment to branding (and what that involves and could mean long term).
The author has worked in the applied & communication arts his whole life, as art director & as an educator of 30+ years, professor of business, ABD, about to begin his DBA dissertation.
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