Tag Archive: Apple

3 Thoughts On Facebook

No intro…no warmup, just 3 thoughts on Facebook:

1. Facebook has 900M users worldwide. If they made Facebook a $10.00 a year membership and all they got was 25% of those 900M to signup (I tend to think it would be more like 75%) they’d generate $2,250,000,000 in year 1. Still think Facebook is a stock not worth investing in?

2. Long term Facebook needs to figure out mobile. Hell, we all do. But, I want you think about something; much like Apple choosing to make the iPhone available on AT&T only…initially, what would happen if Facebook made their app available to only Verizon users? Or Droid users? Or made it free on Verizon and Droid, but $1.99 on iPhone and other carriers? Are users more loyal to Facebook, their phone operating system of mobile service provider? Don’t for a second think that this hasn’t been discussed. With mobile service providers getting rid of unlimited data plans, how big of a win would it be for Verizon to be the exclusive provider of the Facebook app…AND…data usage through that app wouldn’t count against your monthly data usage? Huge. Crazy big. That’s the power of Facebook; they are the only company right now that could pull something like that and force the cellular carriers to change their ways.

3. Lots of talk about Facebook creating a Facebook phone. I don’t think it’s crazy. One way to beat Apple’s walled garden is to build your own walled garden. Think about it for a second. Facebook has Instagram the #1 photo sharing platform. They recently launched their own photo taking/creating/sharing app as well. They have Facebook Messenger, which is a iMessage and BBM competitor. They have Facebook Pages as an app, now, to let you manage your business pages. They don’t need something like Google Contacts, gMail, or a Google Calendar because those are inherently built directly into the Facebook platform itself. Facebook even has an app store now! The only thing missing is a browser, although…many could argue that much like AOL in the early/mid 90s when people viewed the internet as AOL…that many people today see the internet as Facebook. Ok, you don’t like that argument? No problem, so Facebook could buy Firefox, Opera, Dolphin, Sky or any of the other browsers out there. Facebook has a lot of the dots on the board. If they chose to line them up, a Facebook phone wouldn’t be crazy…especially if you combine this idea with #2. Yes, imagine, Facebook building their phone, then pulling their apps and restricting access to Facebook from all other phones? Sounds very Apple to me…and I wouldn’t put it past them.

Some of these seem far out there. But, the reason they become something plausible is because Facebook is now a public company. They don’t answer to their community anymore. They don’t answer to their users. They answer to Wall Street. And when you answer to Wall Street you often do things to make your numbers beat estimates…even if it takes away from the DNA of who you are as a company. I always look at to the meteoric rise of Fallon when we/they were a private company and the subsequent rapid fall after they sold to Publicis and became public. When you answer the to the street instead of the users, things change….and when you don’t hit your quarterly numbers in successive quarters you do desperate things like charge for access and create your own walled garden.

Are You Reaching Your Potential?

I openly admit that there was a great sense of irony in learning of Steve Jobs’ passing on an iPhone.  Of all the products Steve brought to the market, the iPhone, may be the most iconic.  Sure, the iPod was revolutionary, AppleTV was redefining and the iPad was transformational.  But, a stroll down the street shows you the profound impact that the iPhone has had on the world.

But, this isn’t a post about Steve’s legacy.  It’s not a post about how much I’ve grown to rely on and love his products.  No, this is a post about three quotes…two from Steve and one from Jay Fanelli on twitter last night.

Courtesy of Steve Jobs

Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.

Courtesy of Jay Fanelli 

Every CEO of every company on the planet should pay attention to this right now and ask themselves, “why won’t this happen when I die?”

As I wrote nearly a year ago, Time Is The Most Valuable Currency we have.  It’s a currency that becomes more valuable over time…or if you will…as we have less time left.  And, despite it’s value, it’s a currency you can’t trade and it’s completely finite.  In any given day, you only get about 2 hours of time for yourself…or perhaps we let life dictate that all we get is 2 hours.

If you trace through the annals of history for Steve Jobs quotes, you’ll find several dedicated to the concept of time and making good use of the time we’re given.  Steve, more than anyone had to realize how finite time was over that past few years.  He exhausted every option, with money being no object, to receive a liver transplant in 2009.  Some viewed his ability to leverage his wealth to garner a transplant faster than those with lesser financial means as a problem with the healthcare system.  For a person, who seemed to understand how fleeting and finite life is, one would have to wonder, why was he fighting the inevitable.

I don’t think it was ego.  Quite the opposite actually.  I tend to think Steve wanted to leave knowing he had maximized his gift…that he had reached his potential…that his work was done.  It’s a maddening thing to know what your potential is, but realize you might now be able to reach it.

Time is fleeting.  You get what you get.  You have little to no control over how much time you get.  But, you do have complete control over what you do with the time you do get.  You can’t point a finger at anyone, other than yourself, for not maximizing your time.

We can all only hope to maximize our full potential like Steve.  iMagine a world in which we all strove to reach our potential and were bothered by falling short…even if it was only falling short by an inch?

For me, that’s what I take away from Steve Jobs.  There’s no sense in living if what you’re doing isn’t making you happy. And happiness has a funny way of helping you reach your potential.

It’s What You Leave Out

In my all time favorite movie, Almost Famous, there’s a key scene where Russel and William are talking about “the buzz” that’s generated from music and why Russel is in love with “music.”  As he describes, as written by Cameron Crowe:

But… it’s not what you put in, is it?
It’s what you leave out.  Listen to… listen to Marvin Gaye…
A song like “What’s Going On.”  That single “woo” at the end of the second verse – you know that woo – that single “woo.”

That’s what you remember.  The silly things, the little things… there’s only one, and it makes the song.
It’s what you leave out.  That’s rock and roll.

Take a walk with me for just a second…isn’t that the same thing you could say about a great campaign? It’s not what you put in, it’s what you leave out. How many times have you seen a campaign so stuffed with touch-points, collateral, key benefits and reasons to believe that the message…the one element so critical to the campaign, gets lost. And why is that message so critical? Because, the message (and I don’t just mean the copy) is what creates the emotional connection. The message needs to be simple. It needs to be palatable. It needs to be focused.

This is the reason Apple’s ads connect so well with consumers.

Apple fan or not, there’s no denying the power of that ad. The new “add-on” these days is social media. The first thing everyone wants to do is plug-in or bolt-on social media to a campaign. And why not? It’s easy to do and “everyone” is doing it. It’s all the rage, as the kids say! But, before you start adding Facebook, twitter, youTube, Posterous and all the other options out there to your campaign, make sure it’s going to add to the campaign, not take away from it. Sometimes, you might just find, if you want to connect, if you want the buzz, you’re better off leaving it out.

Why I’m Switching Back To The iPhone

When my contract on AT&T was up, there was no doubt in my mind I was going to switch to Verizon.  I knew that doing so would mean I’d be giving up my iPhone. I was ok with it.  Mostly, because, well…the iPhone was a horrible phone.  The AT&T network was horrendous; especially in Chicago.  I couldn’t take the dropped calls anymore. In addition to the AT&T infrastructural problems that existed, I had a big philosophical problem with Apple, Steve Jobs and the walled garden approach to the iOS platform. I believe in open.  I think open is good. I think open wins the day.

The first phone I switched to from the iPhone was the Google Nexus One.  It was nearly flawless and honestly opened my eyes about what a smart phone could really be.  I was hooked on Android.  I loved the innovation that was happening.  I loved the options – well I loved options period…something you didn’t get with Apple.  My first phone on Verizon was the HTC Incredible. It wasn’t an iPhone killer. It showed promise.  But, poor battery life and some strange ergonomics stopped it from being a real keeper.

Up next was the Samsung Galaxy S. This was so close…so close…so close. As I wrote a few months back:

Here’s the deal, the Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate had all the makings of being a great and legendary Android phone. But, Samsung let Verizon dictate far too many decisions. Additionally, Samsung made a number of puzzling decisions regarding email. Those decisions have an adverse impact on the end user experience and make it tough to recommend for corporate phone users. If you’re looking for a great Android phone with amazing battery life and are planning on using the phone for non corporate activities, this is a great choice. But, for you power users out there, I recommend looking at the HTC Incredible or the Droid X.

Lastly, let me say, if Samsung works out the Bing issue with Verizon and makes the needed updates to the mail app, this is a clear cut winner and would be the best Android phone on the market for Verizon and in my opinion, even the best across all carriers.

I’m on Galaxy S phone #2. My first one went through the washing machine and didn’t survive. I have a love hate relationship with the phone. I love the screen. I love the size. I love ergonomics. I hate the battery life. I hate the bloated pre-installed and un-installable software.

But, here’s what I hate the most and what has me looking at the iPhone, now that it’s on Verizon: the lack of commitment to software upgrades. Samsung Galaxy S owner are running Android 2.2. Many of the competition are already running Android 2.4 and Google is already demoing Android 3.0. Samsung and many of the other Android manufacturers (HTC, Motorola, etc.) have been rather mum on when updates will happen…if at all. Had the Google Nexus S (also made by Samsung), which in my opinion is the BEST Android phone ever built, been launched for Verizon, I’d be switching to that right now. It’s a perfect phone. Flawless. But, it’s only available for AT&T…and we already covered my feelings on that network :) It’s a shame really, because the Samsung Nexus S shows that Samsung can make a great phone when they aren’t being hamstrung by the carriers.

The lack of software upgrades and commitment to refining the customized flavors of Android created by cell phone manufacturers, leaves users like me feeling left out and working with buggy out of date software. All of that basically means we’re working with inferior phones.

When you talk to Apple iPhone users they often say, “it just works.” That “it just works” comes with a price and a tax. That price is limited customization. That tax is the iTunes store. But…it just works. Well damnit, I want something that just works too.

I won’t be doing the iPhone 4 though. Nope. No need to pony up the dough for out of date technology that is inferior to the Galaxy S. I’ll be waiting for the iPhone 5. I have a feeling it’s going to be a killer phone and on a network (Verizon) that actually works.

Light As Air

Recently switched from a 15″ MacBook Pro to a MacBook Air. I thought I’d have a problem getting used to the 13″ screen size, but I’m not finding it to be a problem at all. As a road warrior we’re all looking to save our backs and every little ounce counts. I’ve only been on two trips since I went “Air” and it’s made a huge difference.

Getting The Apple Juice

I have no envy for cellphone manufacturers like HTC, Samsung and Motorola. Historically they are in a very lopsided relationship, where carriers like Verizon, AT&T and Sprint dictate phone features, if they’ll promote it and of course the amount of “branding” that must be included in the advertising. Honestly, it’s a mess.

Love them or hate them, Apple has been able to avoid this mess. They’re dictating terms to the carriers, not the other way around. The dog, if you will, is wagging the tail, as it should be. Apple is in complete control of the iPhone’s design, name, specs and features. By having that type of control they’ve been able to build the brand while building the product. This isn’t easy to do. The Apple “juice” is what all the competitors want. You can bet Samsung and HTC what customers to recognize their brand and have an emotional connection to it a la Apple, the iPhone and the white earbud nation.

If you listen to agencies working on cellphone accounts you’ll hear a lot of whining about how they face a gigantic uphill battle in helping their clients get that Apple juice. They’ll complain about the rules, restrictions and influence the carriers have. They’ll talk about how their clients fold when the carriers push back and don’t allow the creative team enough latitude to create the Apple juice.

Personally, I think it’s bullshit. You can get Apple juice, if your smart. Motorola has done it 3 times. Once with the Startac, again with the RAZR, and recently again with the Droid product line. Motorola has some seriously real juice…not Apple juice…yet, but they’re headed down the right path. Motorola, like Samsung and others still answer to the carriers, and yet they created the kind of interest, passion and sales their competition believes is impossible.

I could wax on and on about this mess – and in doing so, offer up more than a dozen ideas for how to score Apple juice while still relying on carriers, but then I’d be doing the jobs of lazy folks, who lack innovative thinking, at the agencies who work for these brands/clients. However, to take pot shots without offering solutions is immature and not fair. So, with that, here are 3 things I’d do if tasked by Samsung to generate Apple juice:

1. Simplify the branding. Right now Samsung uses the following hierarchy for their cell phones: Samsung, Galaxy S, Product Name (eg Fascinate), name, Dedicated to Wonder, and of course Samsung Mobile. Oyve. Apple has Apple and iPhone. Ok, but that was an easy solution…and I’m sure the agency would say, but we’ve tried to get the client to simplify…but politics between division X and Y and politics between US and Korea (headquarters) keep getting in the way. To that I say, your job is to guide a client. A big part of building a brand is message hierarchy, you’ve got to figure out how to make that happen. If Motorola can do it with the Droid, you can do it too.

2. Outflank by leveraging a killer partner. For example, Samsung should be talking with Zuckerberg (I’m sure their agency has connections) to bring a Facebook phone to market. No, not a phone with a Facebook App or Facebook integration, I mean a real Facebook phone. As part of bringing that phone to market they should be pushing Facebook to pull Facebook apps for Android, Apple iOS and the like, or at a minimum reduce the functionality. We’re addicted to Facebook as a culture. If you could only stay connected to Facebook from a Samsung phone, you’ll get Apple juice pretty damn quickly.

3. Build a better phone. Yes, I said it. The product matters. It’s that simple. There’s a reason people fell in love with the Nexus One (manufactured by HTC), it was an amazing phone. I own the Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate on Verizon, part of Samsung Mobile, Samsung dedicated to wonder…it’s a great phone that was crippled by Samsung’s software. Ultimately all the Galaxy S phones across the carriers are the same. Sure there’s some nuances, but ultimately they’re the same…and each is crippled by the software. If you’re supposed to be dedicated to wonder, I wonder why you’re not dedicated to real uncompromising product development. Make a killer phone, get it in the hands of the right people and watch the juice happen. For example, why can’t I use my Galaxy S phone to control my Samsung TV? Just saying.

4. I know I said I’d offer 3, but this was such a no brainer I had to include it. Apple has a real retail presence. Samsung doesn’t. Where’s my Samsung store…full of truly knowledgeable associates instead of 18 year old part timers at the Verizon store? If you’re a brand inside of a brand inside of a brand (see Samsung sold in Best Buy by a Sprint representative as an example) you’ll never get the juice.

Getting the Apple juice isn’t easy. You’ve got to fight for it. You’ve got to be dedicated to getting the juice. But, it’s not impossible…if you actually had some innovative thinking. Or, as Rishad Tobaccowala says, the future doesn’t fit into the containers of the past.

T-Mobile Takes On AT&T And iPhone

Personally, if I were the other carriers, I’d band together, pool resources and money and then take on AT&T and the iPhone as a unified team.

It’s The Hardware Silly

I’ve been using computers since from the age of 12. I’ve had a CompuServe, Prodigy, AOL and of course a Gopher and Telnet account. To date, I’ve built no less than 30 computers from the ground up. PocketPC, yeap I owned one. 10 pound laptop, for sure. First set of tablet computers launched in the early 2000s, guilty. Windows 3.11, 95, 98, ME (to this day I have no idea why), 2000, XP and Vista were all familiar friends.

I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to computers, there’s just no denying it. I’ve owned a Compaq, HP, Gateway, Alienware and a Micron. In addition to those brands, for work I’ve lugged around a Sony, Dell and a Toshiba. In roughly 20 years of using computers I’ve never felt an emotional connection to a single PC device. That’s not Microsoft’s fault, yet they get the brunt of the blame. I’m not a PC guy or a Mac guy. In fact, I’m actually pretty rationale about that debate. I’ve been satisfied with products from both companies. While I don’t worship at the Keynote Podium of Steve Jobs, I can look on with admiration at the innovation his company churns out. I can be just as objective with Microsoft; recognizing their innovation with the XBOX, knowing that the Zune could have been a killer device and scratching my head regarding the Kin.

In the Mac vs PC debate, the problem Microsoft has isn’t that OSX is a better operating system. This isn’t a battle of operating systems. No, the problem is that Apple’s hardware is simply sexier, lighter and better. I’ve yet to come across a laptop designed for Windows that’s even remotely in the same galaxy as what Apple brings to the table. I’m focusing on laptops because let’s be honest, the concept of the desktop is basically dead. This is a sad state of affairs and one that perplexes me. After all, it’s not like Sony is a lightweight in the design department, right?

I purchased my first Mac 3 years ago. It was a 15″ MacBook Pro. I installed Windows Vista on it and finally was in love with a “Windows Device.”. It was light weight, had great battery life, offered a killer screen, integrated a responsive track pad and things like a built in camera…all while running Vista. Believe me, I looked for a comparable offering from Sony, HP and the like. But, there wasn’t anything worth considering.

Today I was at the Mall of America at the Apple Store to check out the new MacBook Air. It’s a wonderful device and I cant wait to see the new lineup of 15″ MacBook Pros get slimmer, smaller and smarter just like the Air. Across the aisle from the Apple Store was signage touting the new Microsoft Store opening in November. I’m going to visit the store, no doubt, but my expectations are low. As much as I’m a fan of Windows 7, it’s still being crippled by inferior hardware that fails to establish an emotional connection. Well unless you think a shoulder shrug and indifference are emotional connections.

Maybe the so called Apple Tax is worth paying…not for the software, but for the hardware.

The Key To Blackberry’s Survival

The Blackberry is on a slow painful march toward irrelevancy.  I know, pundits often claim something is “dead” as a means to  generate exposure and attention.  But, really, the Blackberry is dying.  Apple put the first nail in the coffin when it launched the iPhone.  The iPhone is the lightening rod that ended the debate between feature phones and smart phones.  Nobody wants a feature phone anymore.

And why would they want a feature phone when there are so many amazing smartphone options to pick from?  If Apple was the first nail, the Blackberry Bold, Storm and every other Blackberry launched after the iPhone were several others.  None of them lived up the expectations people had for Blackberry as a company and more importantly they didn’t even remotely begin to deliver the experience expectations created by Apple.  As Apple and Google/Android innovated at breakneck speeds, the folks at RIM couldn’t keep up.  Apple and Google chipped away slowly at RIM’s market share.  They filled in the gaps that originally existed (eg enterprise email support) and now provide legitimate reasons to switch.  The numbers don’t lie.

So what was the smoking gun?  Simple, people wanted apps.  They wanted the web to look like the web.  They wanted their phones to do more than just offer email and text messaging. And let’s face it, that’s really all the Blackberry was great at doing.   OK, fine, it also did Blackberry Messenger (which is basically the same as texting).

As the competition evolved, Blackberry remained stagnant.  Even their new Blackberry Torch is underwhelming relative to the competition.  As companies like Apple and Samsung set off to do battle in the tablet arena, Blackberry decided to enter as well…albeit ill-equipped.

Part of the problem is the hardware.  But, the real issue for Blackberry is the software.  In short, their operating system is holding back their progression.  There’s a reason why the Blackberry App world has less than 4,000 apps, while the Android Market has over 25,000 and the Apple App Store has over 100,000.  That reason is quite simple; developing for the Blackberry operating system is challenging at best.  Add in the fact that developing for the Blackberry is also uninspiring and you have a real conundrum on your hands.

So here’s the deal; how can Blackberry remain relevant, interesting and a player?  It won’t be through hardware.  It won’t be through marketing.  It won’t be through corporate IT’s stranglehold on security or rather the perception of security. No, it will happen through humility.

Humility you ask?  Yes, humility.  If I were employed at RIM, I’d be pushing one radical idea: switch to Android.  Huh?  That’s right, stop developing a proprietary operating system that stunts innovation, fails to inspire and clearly demonstrates a lack of commitment to the end user.  Instead, spend time and effort innovating on top of the Android operating system.  Hardware manufacturers like Motorola, HTC and Samsung have done a great job leveraging Android to create truly differentiated products.  Samsung really seems to understand the concept the best.  They started with the Galaxy S line of phones and are now applying their secret sauce to the Android operating system to the Galaxy S tablet.  Smart.

On the other hand, we have RIM developing a Blackberry operating system driven tablet called the Playbook.  Per the folks at Engadget, The Playbook “will utilize an OS created by the recently acquired QNX (just as we’d heard previous to the announcement) called the BlackBerry Tablet OS which will offer full OpenGL and POSIX support alongside web standards such as HTML5 (which is all tied into RIM’s new WebWorks SDK).”  Ok, so, they are getting the message…sorta.  RIM is realizing that they can’t go at this alone…they need help.  But, real help, the kind of help that will sustain RIM in the future isn’t going to come from creating a competing operating system.  The Blackberry OS has taught us that.  No, real help will come from Google.

Simply put, the key to Blackberry’s survival is in embracing Google and the Android platform.  When you combine the insights from RIM, the equity it has with corporate IT and the innovation made available by Android, that’s when you get magic.  RIM, you can’t keep going at this alone.  It’s like bringing Vern Troy to a fight against Mike Tyson…you’re going to get knocked out.  Find some humility and take back your relevancy.

Invest In What You Value

Yesterday the tech world was all a flutter about the agreement reached between Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Pixar and The Department Of Justice.  That’s a lot of headliners, huh?  So what was the agreement?  Well, it was more of an abolishing of an existing agreement.

For years, the afore mentioned companies had a secret handshake agreement, that was more like an iron-clad agreement, that prevented each of the companies from trying to poach talent away from one of the other companies.  Essentially, this was a – you don’t go after our guys and we won’t go after your guys agreement.  The DOJ had a problem with it because it violates anti-trust laws.  Rather than face charges, these companies agreed to eliminate their official and/or unofficial anti-poaching agreements.

My first thought was, wow, I can’t believe that companies this big, desirable and profitable have to put in place agreements like this.  Look, I understand why they thought they needed to.  The tech sector is always on the lookout for high quality talent and generally that high quality talent is limited.  In essence, there are very few super stars out there.  So when you get one, you certainly don’t want your competition trying to lure them away.

This is perplexing though because companies like this should simply be investing in their super star employees to make sure that even if a more than fair offer was presented to them, they still wouldn’t entertain it.  Does that sound idealistic?  It’s a sad fact that it does sound idealistic.  But, in reality that’s how it should work.  How many times have we heard that it’s easier and cheaper to retain clients/customer than it is to attract new ones?  Well, I can tell you it’s been beaten into my head for more than a decade.  Guess what?  The same holds true for employees.  It’s easier and cheaper to retain them, than it is to recruit new ones.

As someone who gets about 2 calls and 5 – 7 emails a week from recruiters and competitors I can tell you that investing in what you value pays off.  My agency has invested in my growth since day 1.  They’ve created an environment where I can learn, be challenged and thrive.  In the 18 months I’ve been here, I’ve yet to voluntarily look for another job, nor have I listend in earnest to anything a recruiter/competitor has had to say.  I simply enjoy what I get to do and who I do it for…why?  Because, I’m valued.  Value of course isn’t just money. It’s so much more than that.

Anti-poaching agreements don’t retain employees.  Investing in them does.  Incidentally, this same loyalty paradigm holds true for relationships.  No prenuptial agreement, marriage license or document keeps someone loyal to another person.  Investing in the other person, because you value them, does keep them loyal.

I’m just blown away that companies that big, with such smart people, believe that paperwork, contracts, handshake agreements and formal constraints would keep someone loyal and stop them from entertaining other options.  Invest in what you value…everything else will take care of itself.

About
Global Head of Digital Marketing & Social Media at Campbell Soup Co. Running a marathon at a sprinter's pace. Love ironing and my

kids, but not necessarily in that order. I'm always up for a spirited conversation. These are my thoughts and ramblings, not those of my employer.
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