Marketing

Not in the usual sense of the word, I am now hearing this as a synonym for “training materials”.  As in,

Our field sales reps need to learn about the new SQL Server 2008 product.  Is there any readiness for it they can download?

more Microspeak here

Network World recently interviewed me for their "Prediction Week" podcast series:

As part of our Prediction Week of podcasts, we talk with Daniel Chait from Lab49 (pictured) about the top trends in Web application, development and outsourcing for 2008. Find out whether this year will be the SOA Hangover, and how offshoring will change during the year (18:37).

Listen to the podcast here.

I recently received this unsolicited email in response to a job ad I posted.  In that ad, as in all ads, I specifically state that I do not want to be contacted by recruiters or agents, principals only.  Nonetheless, I get this gem:

Good Afternoon,

Although it says on your posting not to contact you, I will make this brief.  If you do use Staffing companies to fill your job openings, please consider us.  We are a permanent placement company with extremely competitive rates willing to negotiate to get your business.  If you should need some assistance, please don’t hesitate to call.

Thanks in advance

Talk to you soon

XXX

Well, thanks for not only wasting my time, but doing so when even you acknowledge that I asked you not to.  No, you will not be getting any business from me.  Not a good way to solicit business.

Yesterday I spent the morning over at Microsoft’s offices recording a podcast chat with Joe’s (Rubino and Cleaver).

We covered a wide range of topics within Finance and Technology and as always with those two it was fun and interesting as well.

When it’s available online I’ll post a link here.

I was recently discussing Lab49’s tagline (”Innovation on Demand”), which I quite like. First, it has a nice, balanced look and it rolls easily off the tongue. Second, it effectively encapsulates two very important aspects of our business; “Innovation” refers to our ability to engage with challenging customer problems and create novel solutions, while “on Demand” speaks to our customers’ ability to “tap in” to our power when they need it, get the job done, and move on to other things.

Other firms, unfortunately, don’t quite have the whole tagline thing down cold. The printer company Brother, for instance, has recently begun an ad campaign under the heading “Plan B“. I think they fail to grasp an essential, unfortunate truth about “Plan B”. Plan B is inherently worse than Plan A. Plan B is the fallback option if you can’t do the preferred choice. In this (the intended) sense, Brother is implicitly naming HP as “Plan A”, which frankly sounds like where I would rather go for my printer. Otherwise, Brother would be Plan A.

Also, “Plan B” is the trade name of Levonorgestrel, the so-called “emergency contraceptive” pill used to prevent pregnancy. Ugh.

Here at Lab49 the founders take pride in the fact that as a company we are very easy to work with. Being easy to work with is an important dimension for measuring potential technology vendors that is often overlooked. Recently I have been working with quite a few vendor products and one particular experience has reminded me of the importance of of this critical dimension.

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Modern technology has made it possible for customers to radically change their approach towards marketing. As a result of which, customers are shying away from conventional media to the new cyber space.

How important is blogging?

Blogging is fast becoming a powerful instrument in the creative course. Blogs, be it official blogs (corporate blogs) or unofficial blogs and PR are the essential features of corporate communication. Both these aspects help shape a company’s brand name and reputation. Yet, they seem to be working against each other. Blogs are discussions between the customer and the company. They are casual conversations that are based on developing practices. If done right, blogging can help civilize a company.

Official or corporate blogs act as a direct medium for communication and information sharing within a corporate community. They are considered to be outrageous and provocative. On the other hand, some people visualize blogs as an “open-source marketplace” for ideas. Blogs allow people to reveal issues and concepts to a worldwide audience and talk about them analytically. However, blogs are deceivingly tricky to control. If done wrong, you could not only humiliate yourself, but you could also alienate potential customers as well as end up with a lawsuit.

There are a large number of banks that use blogs internally as a direct means to encourage communication and dispense information, including some that persuade users to share criticisms, ideas and requests of internal information technology systems. Blogs are used to share research and information. They provide a multiple perspective with ideas flowing to and fro. Technology companies were the first to get into business blogging. Microsoft and IBM have many bloggers writing for specific audiences.

Given below is a short list of blogs supported by organizations

The World Bank blogs

Ford Motor Company

GM Smallblock Engine

Innovation Creators

Many Wall Street technology vendors have quickly caught up with this recent trend of blogging. Blogs have gradually become a powerful instrument to publicize new product improvements, display customer appreciation, voice opinions and engage in captivating conversation with partners, customers and even competitors. Some vendors also use blogs to compare job postings with their rivals.

Some links to the current vendor blogs:

Monster blog

Blog Indeed 

Talent Management Solutions-Taleo Blog

In spite of their differences, the harsh truth is that PR and blogging balance each other out. Because of blogging, PR is no longer obliged to the conventional media to legalize a story. Corporate or official blogs can be used to spread news. Posting a blog is a two way process, permitting comments and response. Blogging allows companies to characterize the news. It creates a platform for perception and allows for a causal note that may otherwise be considered as “improper” for a more conventional news story.

Wall Street blogs are a new and emerging trend that is taking Wall Street by storm. The following are just a sample few of what the Internet has in store for you:

Rarely Right – “Rarely Right” is a blog that is the creation of a financial adviser. Off late, this site has delved into animated discussions on issues like ‘weighted indexing versus traditional indexing’. This site has a few glitches and muddled logic but is by and large very fresh. It tends to provide personal advice related to investing and casual thoughts.

Lab49 – Lab49 is a site that gives insights on Wall Street technology and industry. Lab49 was first created in 2002 and is owned by Corpus, which is a source of custom application development and IT services in the financial sector, banking and telecommunications industry.

Under the Counter and Wall Street Folly – Under the Counter and Wall Street Folly, commonly known as UTC and WSF are considered to be the best of the Wall Street financial blogs. Just like Gawker.com castigates famous personalities and popular culture, UTC and WSF direct their know-it-all gibes at people and institutions and alleged hotshot bankers. However, both these sites primarily depend on major business news organizations for content. Both these sites have an affinity for gossip and controversy.

Blogs are more than facts; they are all about giving opinions. We are living in a generation where restrictions are crumbling, meanings are shifting and roles are merging. Blogging and PR go hand in hand, despite the fact that they sometimes seem to oppose each other.

Jim Highsmith makes some interesting statements and recommendations in his book - this is a must-read as it also has many real-life anecdotes and other industry/acedemic references. The top-line summary is that any company in the marketplace has demands to continually innovate while facing pressures to reduce costs, and to deliver in a reliable manner. […]

I found this article while looking at the services Ogilvy (the ad, marketing, PR, etc agency) provides. It discusses how the entire blogsphere (blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc) should (or could) be used for formal corporate marketing, and some of the guiding principles for their use.