Andrew Armour's Benchstone Blog
On Coaching, Marketing, Partnerships, Innovation & Collaboration – From Andrew Armour
This is a great piece by Kevin Smotler asking a marketing question I have always loved – that is too seldom asked. Smotler discusses the rise (surely not a bubble?) of location based apps and review services – Groupon, Foursquare and hundreds of new startups and variations on existing platforms such as Facebook. What is the point?
Continue reading “‘What’s The Benefit Of Your App?’”
When faced with lightning fast changes to core technology why try to solve everything yourself? In an uncertain marketing landscape why choose to cross it alone? As Kevin Kelly pointed out in a great piece from mid-2010 the smartest businesses form alliances, build collaborations and use the power of networks to get an advantage.
Continue reading “Why You Cannot Go Alone”
Brilliant piece by Seth Godin pointing out that most marketing is so often just about doing the minimum one can ‘get away with’ – before your lose customers. The alternative is of course to over service and offer something truly exceptional. As he would call it: Art. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/sethsmainblog/~3/QLOPM7u9jE8/how-much-can-i-get-away-with.html
The creative industries and Google have not always been a perfect union and the term ‘frienemy’ better describes it. Interesting to see Google therefore creating its own digital magazine -‘Think Quarterly’ – designed by The Church Of London Agency and distributed for their top partners and advertisers. As befits Google, it has no advertising and all the content is free. Just the way Google likes it. Do No Evil and all that. And – it is a decent read. The first issue is based around the theme of data – and has a lot of proper articles on the good, the bad and the ugly side of data, plus Near Field Communications, Mobile marketing and of course – Search. Further issues are set for May, July and October – and you can receive RSS. A nice article explains more about it in Media Guardian. Google launches Think Quarterly magazine.
Adam Crozier, the Chief Executive of ITV reveals in an interview in The Guardian that collaborative partnerships will be vital to the future of the broadcaster – and in a multi-channel and ‘non-linear’ world, content owners and distribution channels will have to look at challening new models, including working with brands and organisations traditionally viewed as their media rivals. This reflects the broader trend for collaboration and partnerships to be increasingly seen as the key driver for innovation (see my earlier post on this trend at http://tinyurl.com/6cyhyzp.
Continue reading “ITV’s Crozier: Collaborative Media Partnerships Are Key”
The Telegraph has announced that usage by regular readers is not maintained from print to their iPad version – with the infrequency of use complictated by the fact many owners of an iPad still do not take it with them – or use it a lot when on the move. The Paidcontent article below shows once again the challenge that traditional print media faces as we enter the post-PC-Era – and reinforces the view that iPads and Tablets will not be the saviour of publishers.
Continue reading “Telegraph Highlights Problems Of iPad Usage”
The great engineer and computer pioneer Andy Grove of Intel, famously stated that ‘you cannot measure if you cannot manage – and what doesn’t get measured doesn’t get done’. The ability to understand performance, from costs to revenues, from click throughs to retention rates is at the heart of effective management. Below is a great piece from Seth Godin that succinctly points out what many marketers, product managers and technicians know to be true in their hearts: that a regular metric or report that is produced with much reverance and seriousness (and time) – is actually less important and insightful than we say it is. But we continue to produce it and see it as ‘work’.
Continue reading “Is Something Important – Just Because You Can Measure It?”
Kevin Kelly has written a great piece summarising his theory of how technology progresses and changes through an almost Darwinesque like process of evolution – as one piece of innovation leads to another, and another. Unlike biology, in technology this adaptation and change process is measured in months and quarters – rather than millions of years. He points out that great ideas and steps forward build on others – not in isolation. Mozart needed the piano, Van Gough needed the invention of oil based paints. Kelly calls this network of technology and ideas – The Technium.
Continue reading “Technology & Innovation – As Adaptation”
See below for an interesting view of the world – showing how different regions have completely different smart phone markets. Overall of course – Apple is still way out in front but rather than just the usual Apple V Android picture (the latter growing at 800% in the USA) – this Infographic shows how strong Nokia and other platforms are too.
Continue reading “Infographic: Mobile Browsers Compared Worldwide Or What Nokia’s Giving Up”
This is a very interesting piece by Henry Chesbrough that explains the dilema that technology marketers have created by being caught up in the endless loop of ‘innovation’ – which for many means continuous product development cycles, rather than thinking about their models – leading them to being increasingly commodified. I have always felt that the most interesting aspect of Apple was not the iPod and iPhone themselves (brilliant though they may be) – but the fact they built a vibrant new model for selling music and then apps. My view of course, as shown by the General Electric Innovation report from January this year – is that genuine innovation comes not from internal product refinement, but from collaborating with partners. In the meantime – enjoy this great piece by Chesbrough. via Nokia’s Real Problem: The Commodity Trap [Blog].
Andrew Armour's Benchstone Blog 