Davis Thinking } analysis and interpretation
The Consumer as Product Tester
We've all wondered: do those shock collars hurt dogs, or just give a little electrical reminder? One concerned -- and concerning -- family decided to answer the questions the company would not. Call it Fido's revenge.
There’s No Sexism in the Champagne Room
Last week, I did my best to ignore all the media hype around the Imus stuff. Media usually hypes the wrong issues and Don Imus had become irrelevant to me (and many others I believe). However, after watching this YouTube clip and reading this, Imus became relevant again, and I could see why so many were so upset. I went back and read, watched and listened to everything I could get my hands on. Here’s what the Reverend Al Sharpton had to say when Imus was fired: “We cannot afford a precedent established that the airways can be used to commercialize and mainstream sexism and racism. But they'll be no champagne bottle popping by those of us involved in this. This is not about gloating." Hearing that, I couldn't continue to listen to Reverend Al without a little judgment of my own.
Organic Growth
Does it matter where you buy your organics as long as you are buying organic? Many organic food lovers (some may say snobs) are pondering this question and coming up with the answer that yes, it does matter.
Another Use for YouTube
Maybe you don’t know this, but YouTube has A LOT of music within its archives. And it gives you the ability to set up a playlist. So, if you don’t feel like watching the videos but you want to hear the music, it’s very simple to set up a playlist and let music play in the background. Think about the possibilities in this for emerging artists. This is as good, if not better, than MySpace. This must be the place.
Built for the Road Ahead?
Recently Car and Driver posted an April Fools Day blog entry claiming Ford was bringing back the Escort – and I bought it hook line and sinker. Why did I fall for the gag? Because an increasingly out-of-touch and all-too desperate Detroit has been so enamored with its familiar formula of nostalgic branding that the absurdity of an Escort reintroduction didn’t seem outside the realm of possibility.
So It Goes
Roses are red and ready for plucking You're sixteen and ready for high school. ~Kurt Vonnegut (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007)
Imus Needs More than a Mouthwash
If you’re betting that Don Imus will get fired for his racist remarks about the Rutgers women’s basketball team, don’t invest a lot, because the odds are probably against it. Why? Isn’t Al Sharpton right when he says this was a public, racist act, deserving Imus’ firing?
The video that sums up WLTV.
Want to meet someone who gets it? Meet Gary Vaynerchuk. How do you take a simple site that sells wine and turn it into a sales machine that people not only go to to buy wine, but also to meet others, converse, learn and most importantly, visit every day? You utilize the power of Web 2.0 and tranparency.
Niche Baby, Niche -- Say It with Me
It’s all going niche. Niche search engines, niche social sites, niche entertainment sites. Mass is out. Niche is in. If you’re going to be successful within the digital media landscape, you best find your niche. Create a niche community around a specific topic like NurseLinkup.com. Create a niche entertainment site like Turner Broadcasting's SuperDeluxe.com. Or, if you’re a programmer, create a search engine geared to a specific topic like Indeed.com did.
Protecting IP in the Age of UGC
Recently, my sisters and I were invited to a so-called “purse party.” Not unlike Tupperware Parties, PartyLite Shows and the more risqué Passion Parties, purse parties involve a host, a catalogue and a plethora of purses on display for guests to purchase. The purses are quite a steal too – literally. At these parties, guests can find handbags and totes by brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Kate Spade for merely $20!
