Any Given Idea

How The Mobile Industry Changes Advertising

Let's start this article with one very simple question: Where's your smartphone - right this moment? Are you holding it in your hand? Is it lying next to you? 
It probably took you just a second to answer this. But it's not the physical location of your phone I'm getting at. It's the place, the level of importance it took in our minds: We know where it is at all times, because it's the one thing we use for pretty much everything [digital].

Scenario: There's a cool song playing in a video you're watching on your computer. But does anyone still hack in the lyrics into google to find out what song it is? No. Because even when consuming other media, your mobile device is at hand to help out. And you're not alone.
A good 70% of people use their smartphone while consuming other media, with a third of them doing so while watching TV. So I cannot help but wonder — why is there not a single commercial out there - not even one at this years Super Bowl - that engages people with their smartphone? Because even if the consumers don't hold their phone in their hands while watching, it's very likely in reach. Did no one think ever think of integrating live action, social deals, location specific offers, Facebook/Twitter into commercials? What about those additional 40% that are up for grabs on different media channels? It's time to engage them.

Also curious is the usage of smartphones in relation to ads in general. Recent studies from Google suggest that more than 70% of smartphone users do a search because of an ad they've seen. It accounts for any type of ad - film, print, online. This calls for some serious SEO action! Oh and since it's all taking place on the smartphone, you might want to rethink this flash based website that's"perfectly suitable for mobile"...

Ads have gone mobile some time ago and they're still incredibly effective: more than 80% of people notice them. That's quite the percentage. And yet most clients invest a mere fraction of their ad spendings in mobile ads. Further, about 75% of smartphone shoppers make a purchase as a result of using their smartphones to help them with shopping.
If I were a retailer, I'd throw in smart phone events every week inviting people to compare prices, to check for availability, to ask their friends about their opinion about a purchase even in when in the store. Go social with what they do — let them carry the word to their friends and followers for you. And why not combine game mechanics with purchases on mobile phones?

There's a whole new world unfolding if we just go a little wild with the technical possibilities provided. This is a fantastic time we're living in right now: We're all witnesses of how the computer is rendered irrelevant and everything moves into the cloud while all we need we carry with us. Location doesn't matter anymore. Neither does language. Communication has evolved. It's time to rethink how we advertise our brands and products. Once again.

How to Identify Leaders

A while back I wrote about how it's impossible to pioneer, to go where no one else has been, without taking the risk of failure. Thus anyone who does want to innovate, needs to lose their fear of failure. Failure isn't necessarily bad, although it's not particularly good either. Failure simply is an indicator of a certain approach not working — and we can learn from it. Partly, a leader is a pioneer. A pioneer willing to fail. One that identifies with your company and makes success their personal goal. 

In general there are three types of people: The ones who do, the ones who watch them do it, and the ones who wonder what happened. The last kind you would rather not have around as a leader; there are other tasks much more appropriate for them. We want to talk about the importance of the doers. They don't watch others do something or try and imitate their actions, they actively think about stuff and solve problems. They think, they inspire, they generate followers.

In a way, leaders are problem solvers who aren't afraid to take a hit every once in a while: they'll know a way around the problem anyway. If you're a person with the qualities describing a leader, then you may just be able to spot leaders in your company, too. At your shop, are the folks in charge the ones who takes responsibility for failure while trying to max out the potential of every of their assignments or are they the ones who sit back and observe others take away the crop just 'cause they feel way to comfortable with their safe route? 

The Millennials' Tool of Choice

The past couple of years have been all about the social space. It's been dominating; Internet start-ups, business structures, marketing strategies, lives. It changed the way we communicate, we do business, how we interact, consume in general. It's taking up a great deal of the time spent on the Internet — no matter which hub we use.

Everything is delivered to us in bite size chunks. We're more connected with the world than ever before: What companies do, who they hire, who they let go, what our friend do, where they are, photographic evidence of what they do, news around the world in real time, everything. And increasingly follow these information using mobile gadgets. Thank to smartphones we are — at an elevated rate — taking the social experience with us. Everywhere we go.

So no wonder we focused on what social media and applications can do for them when they're on the go. But apps and mobile phones are becoming notable at home as well. When we could actually use our much faster machines, enjoy bigger screens, we don't. For instance things that happen on television are increasingly talked about on Twitter. Live events, like sports or from the entertainment industry are preferably tweeted about using the mobile phone: the smartphone has become ultimate tool of communication, anywhere. The people have spoken, they made their choice.

While allowing you to share your thoughts with the world, smart phones give you more mobility and freedom, letting you tweet conveniently from the couch rather than your desk in the other room. We've got an interesting setup here: Consumers with their smartphones in front of the TV. That's multiple media channels waiting to be linked together.

Considering the potential of a consumer equipped with potentially every app/social function possible, this undoubtedly a great opportunity for businesses. With the progress of this trend it'll also help leverage transmedia marketing allowing quick interaction and direct responses. Now that the smartphone has replaced computers at home, it's exciting to see how different industries cope with this recent change in consumer behavior.

How to give Criticism Without Bruising Egos

We've all been in this situation: You're being asked for your opinion and don't quite know how to respond. No matter if you know that person well or not your brain tries to file that person into a pattern. We scrub thru a bunch of replies and reactions according to that. We don't want to be too harsh we don't want to offend yet bring our points across successfully.

Don't get emotionally involved. Try saying only what you have to say and what you want to say. If you don't feel comfortable saying something and it's not essential to mention, don't. Try to stay as objective as possible - don't include additive personal views. Your opinion is automatically subjective, no need to indulge.

And you want to start your criticism with something positive. Even in cases where there's little that's good, put emphasize on it before turning to the things that need revision. You open up a more direct line of communication: your feedback feels more justified and finds greater acceptance.

If you slammed all you don't like onto the person without prior preparation, you'd be putting the dog in the corner, so to speak, and he'd be left to bark or bite. The momentum of emotion would move the desired goal out of focus.

Our goal is to give feedback that finds acceptance and opening with recognizing positive aspects helps us get through. It's not a revolutionary new thought, agreed, but a little reminder can't hurt.

How The Internet Changed The Way We Consume

Granted, the Internet has brought us countless advantages and sped up the way we access information by a massive factor. It's bringing great innovation to the table in rapid cycles. It's allowing us to spread progress everywhere the world. It's bumping access to a new level. We've got cloud computing so we can work from everywhere, cloud music & films so we can consume where ever we are, cloud documents so we can be productive no matter from where — great. The Internet changed the way we collaborate and communicate and consume.

In the past, when we were only able to do these things from a certain computers hence were only able produce when you had access to certain equipment and files. Today you can collaborate to an online document with co-workers from anywhere in the world — in real time; access everything no matter where in the world you are. You can consume what you want — when you want it. It's what we all love and appreciate about the Internet — it's just hiding the chance of overconsumption behind it's back.

The way we should understand the Internet is it's a means to and end — always and only a means. As soon as we stop using it as a tool to a greater cause, we're turning producing into consuming. The Internet has too many interesting things, too many random bits of entertainment to not get sucked in. That doesn't mean it's bad to spend a certain amount of time just sucking in random content. It can even be a vital to finding inspiration or such as long as we know when to stop and don't turn it into a pattern, a habit.

What the Internet changed most is how much we consume: It's fast, it's easy and it's accessible from anywhere. As a result we're consuming from everywhere and every time and all the time. We're happily spending hours and hours in our social networks or on video sites instead of letting boredom come over us. We don't want to read the news after it happend, we want to be informed through information networks as it happens.

We should ask ourselves whether this is as important and as fulfilling as we believe or if it's just vicarious satisfaction — are we just doing it to compensate the feeling we've forgotten some time back? The feeling of not having to care about the most recent events that are happening half way around the world? Not needing to be up to speed with everything your friends do? The feeling of spending your precious time not being constantly entertained? The feeling of being bored to death and starting to create? If we reflect on it, the answer becomes fairly prominent: Let the Internet be a tool of yours — not the other way around.

Disagreeing is Key to Learning

When we make friends we usually chose someone we have something in common with. Someone we share interests with, or an opinion, or just have the same character and hypothesis of things. That is because we choose people we want to be able to get along with; we're securing a long term compatibility. This goes for most of the relationships we find out there.
If, all the time we bring something up, our friends would oppose us or get into knee-deep and intense arguments with what we share, we most certainly will change our social environment to somewhere where we feel more appreciated, accepted.

Friends, when we ask them for an opinion on something we're doing, we already have something in our head what we want to hear. The answer is predetermined by the question — a certain response is expected. If we didn't want a specific answer, we wouldn't ask. Simple human psychology. We're also picky & distinctive about whom we ask concerning which question. We have an expectancy of who will give what answer and precisely choose the one for the answer most fitting.

That's why disagreeing is such a rich ressource of new thinking. Once we engage in an argument, we get to know what our conversation partner thinks. Someone who disagrees and is able to articulate specific reasons, can teach you invaluable lessons. If you're open for it, you might find ways you didn't see before. Hence approaching people with a horizon open for suggestions, for critique, for different viewpoints is constructive and important. We can learn remarkably much from those who do not share our opinion — people who contradict with what we certainly thought of as being correct / right / applicable / fitting. The content doesn't matter herein, it's solely comes down to debating about it.

With all those great different ideas and viewpoints out there, don't walk around deaf. Don't stereotype, don't prejudice against others. You need to be open for them — otherwise they pass by without you even noticing. Anyone, kids, adults, elders, who disagree with you are great ressources of learning something new. Something that might have been in the shades to you. Think of your vision as narrow and other opinions as lights outside of your path. If you're able to manage to take this in, you can learn a great deal from simple conversation. Those you disagree with might not become your best friends, but they might become your best mentor. 

Pioneering Feeds On Risk

Every one loves being first. First among our friends to do something, first to buy something, first in the company to achieve something, first in the world to accomplish something. Whatever it is with firsts, no matter what scope it has, we love owning the privilege of calling it ours. We love the attention, admiration, respect and envy we get from it. 

The decisive and most interesting part about being first is how to get there. How do we get to be the first at something? How do we make sure no one else is? By taking risks and taking them fast. We need to be willing to take them on — sometimes without knowing all potential consequences. No matter what risk of failure that might involve, taking it is crucial. Taking risks tied closely to the fame, attention, happiness of being first — of pioneering.

Ironically, we all love to pioneer, be first ones whilst not wanting to stick our neck out. We prefer for others to take that that risk of failing, and follow if they were successful and the move is save.

A very basic example we find in every day life is at pedestrian lights: Walk over a red light — no cars, no danger in sight. When alone no one will follow you. But in a group of two or more others will dribble in until everyone joins. Now that others took the risk it's safe. When the herd does it, you can do it. Because you're not taking the risk. Danger, if approaching, will affect the first ones, or be detected by them, allowing you more time to react. We know that; it's an instinct. 

Being first describes the state of going somewhere where no one else went in a given situation or scenario. It doesn't necessarily mean no one ever went there before but within a certain range, there's no one who's already there. Otherwise we'd be the follower.

We need to educate others about it. Not that it is a newfound secret — rather it's something everybody knows, but might need to refresh from time to time. Possibly even clients who want to be first yet ask for three examples of others who went there and succeeded. This isn't how it works. This is not how we got to the moon. This is not what will drive us forward. We know pioneering has it's hunger, and we know how to feed it.

The Significance of Boredom

Smartphones, notebooks, iPads. Gadgets, despite their productive side all serve a single purpose: keep us busy and occupied and happy. Whenever there's time to spare, we gladly turn to our little devices for entertainment.

Riding the subway it becomes very prominent. You see iPhones and iPads as far as the eye reaches, the occasionally smartphone from another brand, few books. Nobody just sits and endures the same boring routine of commuting to work or back.
Curiously most of the people are not even doing anything sense. They're browsing their music libraries, browse applications, stare at a news app that hopelessly tries to fetch latest news without coverage in the subway. It's a mere act of killing time, a desperate attempt of escaping boredom.

What we often underestimate is the creative power of being idle. When we've got nothing to do, have absolutely no distraction, our mind starts to wander and finds something interesting in normally boring things. That's when creativity springs. Get inspired by the things that happen around you, or if by yourself put an empty piece of paper in front of you. Without anything else around that might distract you — turn of all electronic devices, eliminate distraction. Try to fill the paper and observe how long it takes you before you grab a pencil and start creating. It doesn't matter what the outcome is, just let your mind rest, and pour content onto the canvas. Or sit still and simply don't do anything.

We may need to practice boredom for a while before we're able to review priorities of our non-digital life. But we'll have greater focus on the things we do and have more time for important things. Sans gadgets designed to rectify our lives.

How to Fail More Efficiently

We live in a time where everything is extremely fast paced. Decisions need to be made in a matter of seconds and the responsible have to stick their necks out at the scope of losing their jobs. The margin for error is nill, failure not tolerated. Encouraging yourself to take the risk of failing seems counterproductive and foolish.

Don't get too attached to your work. I know, once you work eagerly on something and put your heart and soul into it, it becomes your little brainchild — you don't want to let it die. Hence it's important to keep emotional distance. You still want to be ambitious and motivated, just not to an extend where you cannot accept someone else's work being chosen over yours.

Success is great — no one likes to lose. But which emotions does it evoke? We're cheerful for some time, indulge in the moment but does it push us forward? Does it bring out the animal in us? Does it make us work longer hours? No. What drives us is competition, is commitment and envy.

Don't be afraid to lose. Nothing lost means nothing gained. Failing is an essential part of gaining experience. When you're afraid, just take a dive into the cold water, don't overthink. When afraid of failing, you won't do your best work. When you're afraid, you won't move forward, won't make progress. Failure is a vital motivator. Learn to cope with it. Use it in your favor.

The Curse of Choice

We live in a century where we can virtually have everything we can imagine on demand. Still there are voices that say the more numerous our options, the more difficult to choose a single one of them. Partially that statement may be correct but we also have to weigh in individual factors.

Humans are as individual as it gets. We all have, despite our unique appearance, very different habits, preferences, perspectives on things. These factors play a significant role in choice and our patterns of deciding for a certain thing — be that a travel, product or service. 

A study in Journal of Consumer Research says that choice is great when it comes to food consumption, where they can see a clear "more-is-better" effect. We can easily find proof by taking a look at the success of Burger King's customized meal approach "have it your way".

But having plenty of choice does not always reflect positively on industries. When it comes to larger investments or to purchases for non-temporary purposes. This starts with something as insignificant as a jar of marmalade: Individuals who were given more than 20 options were significantly more indecisive than individuals who only had six options. Apply this to cars, consumer electronics, real estate and you get a bigger picture.

Choice also has overwhelming powers. In a recent article by Peter Bregman on his strategies to be more productive when having loads on the table, he highlights some very interesting bits. When having a lot to do, all those tasks are competing for attention and when we don't know where to begin, we don't begin anywhere. Even tough comparing "having lots to do" to "choice" might seem a little far, the reaction of people affected is the same. Where the former don't know where to begin, the latter don't know which to chose. The result: we refrain from making a decision.

Choice is great. Choice may increase sales and make consumers happier. But choice also bears risk. As long as consumers don't have a greater need for a product, and as long as they do not make up their mind on which requirements such a product should meet, more options won't necessarily help. We need to rethink when choice makes sense and when it's better to preselect for the consumer.