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June 30, 2004

Outsourcing: What's Next? II

There has been some interesting discussion on my previous blog entry about outsourcing to India. FC Now reader "M" comments:

what are we gonna outsource next? the president..well that might not be such a bad idea. no offense, but the kind folks over there in india (or wherever) do not know what is important to me as a frequent flyer or a visa cardholder. so my next step is to find some company, ANY COMPANY that has a staff that recognizes my needs and i am willing to pay a little more for that (and clear English)…

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Journal Constitution ran an editorial cartoon (registration required) by Mike Luckovich that shows a White House official announcing, "For a defense of administration policy that outsourcing U.S. jobs is good, we go to Bangalore, India…." Beside the official is an Indian guy with a nametag that reads, "White House Spokesman, Ravi Singh Jai."

Continue reading "Outsourcing: What's Next? II"

Posted by at 11:42 AM | 8 Comments

Did You Ever Go Off-Road?

I was five minutes late to work this morning -- due to a last-minute decision to go off-road.

I usually take the S train to get to Grand Central and walk a couple of minutes to the office. This morning, running a little late, I decided to take a shortcut and followed a colleague's tip to take the 7 train. She told me the escalator would take me right to the side entrance of the building. So I stepped onto the 7, and when the train pulled into Grand Central, it was almost 9 a.m. Reassured that it would take no time to get to the ground, I found myself on a long platform that led to an escalator on either end. Which way to go?

Continue reading "Did You Ever Go Off-Road?"

Posted by at 9:40 AM | Add Comment

June 29, 2004

Feedback Where You Find It

Over the weekend, following my coverage of the Supernova conference, Cory Doctorow, a contributor to Boing Boing, picked up on Fast Company's Web linking policy. Egged on by a reader, he criticized our out-of-date linking policy, which once requested that people fax in a notification form before they linked to our Web site. That entry catalyzed about 20 similar posts elsewhere on the Web in which writers poked fun at Fast Company's "spectacular cluelessness." And the feedback emails began to trickle in.

Correspondents waxed between constructive criticism and profane inanity in their email reactions. One writer claimed the entire Internet is public domain. Another indicated that our linking policy made his head explode. (Gosh, I hope not!) And one said that they would never link to our Web site again. Those were the less florid ones.

Thankfully, Anil Dash considered the situation -- and the resulting exchange -- with a slightly more level head. In a blog entry posted Sunday, Anil largely agreed with Cory's entry criticizing Fast Company -- but not the way the wider Web community took up the call for discussion and action. Praising Fast Company for many of our "clueful" practices -- online and offline -- Anil recommended that people take their criticisms to the source before opening up a flame war in a vacuum.

Regardless of whether that happened -- it hasn't -- the Fast Company team has discussed the online dialogue and additional reader feedback, reconsidered our out-of-date linking policy, and amended it. It might not be good enough for Cory yet, but I think it's an improvement. We'll continue to refine our Web services and practices.

This is an instructive example of some of the challenges and opportunities that can arise as more organizations -- not just individuals -- begin blogging. With increased visibility and transparency comes interactivity and responsibility. And if you ever have a question, want to share an idea, or need to clarify something, don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Posted by Heath Row at 4:02 PM | 3 Comments

What Comes First: Ads or PR?

Advertising is a hammer, and public relations is the nail, according to marketing guru Al Ries, author of The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR. What does that mean?

More than 50 advertising insiders and public relations executives found it important enough to scribble down these words during Ries' speech at Business Wire's Integrated Marketing Conference held at Reuters headquarters in New York's Times Square.

The translation: PR gives a product or brand credibility or engrains the brand's worth into the brains of consumers, while advertising further reinforces that credibility, Ries said. A company should put in the nail (PR), then take the hammer (advertising) to drive in the message.

Continue reading "What Comes First: Ads or PR?"

Posted by Maxine Clayton at 2:04 PM | 4 Comments

Discordant Music

John Moore, formerly of Starbucks, offers another inside perspective on the company's move into the music business. Taking a look at Starbucks' music, margins, motives, and mocha, Moore suggests that the company, in fact, does not need reinventing -- and that if it does, music might not be its best bet. Is he on target? Off the mark?

Posted by Heath Row at 11:37 AM | 1 Comment

Fast Company... on the Air!

Fast Company senior writer Alison Overholt will appear on WJR-AM's (Detroit) "Mitch Albom Show" tonight at 4:30 p.m. ET. She will discuss her July cover story "Thinking Outside the Cup" -- and Starbucks move into the music business -- with guest host Warren Pierce. FC Now readers can tune in online for a live Webcast.

Posted by Heath Row at 11:12 AM | Add Comment

The Price of Bright Ideas

Shades of our recent conversation with Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder, authors of Ideas Are Free, a white paper released by Imaginatik last summer goes far to address the ROI of idea management.

In the 17-page PDF, Mark Turrell, the research firm's director, outlines the costs of idea management, as well as its benefits. Among the costs:

• Advisory services
• Manpower
• Process
• Training
• Technology
• Reward and recognition

The white paper also covers the main types of return on investing in ideas:

Continue reading "The Price of Bright Ideas"

Posted by Heath Row at 10:17 AM | 2 Comments

Historical Holidays V

The last week and a half has marked a handful of notable business-, leadership-, and innovation-related anniversaries:

• The Ford Motor Co. incorporated June 16, 1903.
• Amelia Earhart began her first trans-Atlantic flight June 17, 1928.
• The FCC was created June 19, 1934.
• The first typewriter was patented June 23, 1868.
• The National Minimum Wage Law was enacted June 24, 1938.
• The bicycle was patented June 26, 1819.
• The first atomic power station opened June 27, 1954.
• Shuttle Atlantis docked with the Mir space station June 29, 1995.

Posted by Heath Row at 9:50 AM | Add Comment

June 28, 2004

Outsourcing: What's Next?

We've heard a lot about American companies farming out programming, call center or back-office work to India. But we may be less aware of the offshoring of other jobs -- such as clergymen and soldiers.

With Roman Catholic clergy in short supply in the United States, Indian priests are picking up some of their work. American, as well as Canadian and European churches are sending Mass intentions, or requests for services like those to remember deceased relatives and thanksgiving prayers, to clergy in India. Offshoring, amen.

Also being outsourced is soldiering. The United States is contracting with India, as well as other countries, to pick up arms and defend American interests in Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan and elsewhere. These hired soldiers used to be called mercenaries, but now they are called contractors.

Continue reading "Outsourcing: What's Next?"

Posted by at 4:22 PM | 5 Comments

Gravely Serious Business

Some businesses stage mock funerals to mark the passing of projects -- and organizational transitions. Others base their entire business operations on what happens after death, even going so far as to improve on the traditional coffin.

Then there are those entrepreneurs who try to cash in on those who have passed on in ways that are as intriguing -- and borderline disturbing -- as they are innovative. Fast 50 entrant LifeGem will create a synthetic diamond out of the cremated remains of your dearly departed. And according to a news release I received this weekend, there is now a company that will send one, last, final email on your behalf once you've shuffled off this mortal coil.

What do you think? Good idea? Bad idea? How would it feel to receive an email from deceased friends and family?

Posted by Heath Row at 3:35 PM | 2 Comments

June 25, 2004

Do IT Yourself

Doc Searls is senior editor of Linux Journal. What follows is a partial transcript of his Supernova remarks:

Continue reading "Do IT Yourself"

Posted by Heath Row at 5:52 PM | 2 Comments

Disruptive Wireless

Vanu Bose is CEO of Vanu Inc. Michael Gallagher serves as acting assistant secretary of commerce for communications in the U.S. Department of Commerce. Tren Griffin works as a technology evangelist for Microsoft. And Rob Toor is CTO of Ember. What follows is a partial transcript of their panel discussion at Supernova:

Continue reading "Disruptive Wireless"

Posted by Heath Row at 3:32 PM | 1 Comment

Telecom Transformation

Jeff Blumenfeld is a partner in Crowell and Moring. Jeff Ganek works as CEO for Neustar. Mike McCue co-founded Tellme Networks. James Seng serves as assistant director for the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. And Niklas Zennstrom is CEO and co-founder of Skype. What follows is a partial transcript of their Supernova panel discussion:

Continue reading "Telecom Transformation"

Posted by Heath Row at 2:40 PM | Add Comment

Niklas Zennstrom: Perspective

Niklas Zennstrom is CEO and co-founder of Skype. Kelly Larabee sat in on the conference, and Zennstrom called in via phone. While it was a challenge to hear much of his presentation given crowd noise in the hall, what follows is a partial (partial!) transcript of his Supernova remarks:

Continue reading "Niklas Zennstrom: Perspective"

Posted by Heath Row at 2:34 PM | 6 Comments

Exploding the Enterprise

Moderator Phil Windley is an associate professor at Brigham Young University. Gordon Eubanks works as CEO of Oblix. John Hagel III is an author and management consultant. Darren Lee serves as CEO for NextPage. And Halsey Minor is chairman, CEO, and founder of Grand Central Communications. What follows is a partial transcript of their panel discussion at Supernova:

Continue reading "Exploding the Enterprise"

Posted by Heath Row at 12:57 PM | 1 Comment

Jonathan Schwartz: Perspective

Jonathan Schwartz is president and COO of Sun Microsystems. What follows is a partial transcript of his Supernova remarks:

Continue reading "Jonathan Schwartz: Perspective"

Posted by Heath Row at 12:12 PM | Add Comment

Tyranny of the Commodity?

Kevin Werbach is an independent technology analyst, consultant, and writer, as well as CEO of the Supernova Group . Werbach is a contributing editor of Release 1.0: Esther Dyson's Monthly Report, and co-organizer of PC Forum. Previously, he served as Counsel for New Technology Policy at the Federal Communications Commission, where he helped develop the United States Government's e-commerce policy. What follows is a partial transcript of his second-day morning presentation at Supernova:

Continue reading "Tyranny of the Commodity?"

Posted by Heath Row at 11:43 AM | 1 Comment

Reviving Old Brands II

In response to a previous FC Now entry about some recent attempts to revitalize long-standing brands, Danielle brings up an interesting conspiracy theory about the names of Coke and McDonald's new CMO's.

Can we please note the irony of these names: "Fruit" for Coca-Cola and "Light" for McDonalds? These sound more like subliminal messages, than marketers' names, to me.

That hadn't occurred to me! Conspiracy theorizing aside, it's an interesting notion: select visible executives based on their names -- and how their names resonate with possible positioning efforts. Coke is "fruit" juice, and McDonald's is cooking "light." What think FC Now readers? Improbable?

Posted by Heath Row at 11:03 AM | Add Comment

June 24, 2004

Mapping Insights

Valdis Krebs is CEO of Orgnet. John Quarterman serves as CEO of Internet Perils. What follows is a partial transcript of their session at Supernova:

Continue reading "Mapping Insights"

Posted by Heath Row at 7:51 PM | 3 Comments

Digital Identities

Moderator Rafe Needleman works as editor for CNet's Business Buying Advice. Marc Canter is CEO of Broadband Mechanics. Andre Durand serves as CEO for Ping ID. Dirk Hardt founded and works as CEO for Sxip Networks. And Philip Rosedale is CEO of Linden Lab. What follows is a partial transcript of their Supernova panel discussion:

Continue reading "Digital Identities"

Posted by Heath Row at 6:16 PM | Add Comment

Connected Work

Moderator Amy Wohl is president of Wohl Associates. Ross Mayfield serves as CEO of Socialtext. John Patrick is president of Attitude LLC. JP Rangaswami works as global CIO for Dresdner, Kleinwort, and Wasserstein. And Peter Quintas is CTO of SilkRoad. What follows is a partial transcript of their panel discussion at Supernova:

Continue reading "Connected Work"

Posted by Heath Row at 6:06 PM | Add Comment

Alan Ganek: Perspective

Alan Ganek is VP of Autonomic Computing for IBM. What follows is a partial transcript of his Supernova talk:

Continue reading "Alan Ganek: Perspective"

Posted by Heath Row at 4:35 PM | Add Comment

Syndication Nation

Moderator Paul Boutin is a contributing editor for Wired magazine. Scott Rosenberg works as managing editor of Salon.com. Tim Bray serves as the director of Web technology for Sun Microsystems. And Kevin Marks sat in for David Sifry, CEO of Technorati. What follows is a partial transcript of their panel discussion at Supernova:

Continue reading "Syndication Nation"

Posted by Heath Row at 4:34 PM | Add Comment

Recharging the Entrepreneurial Spirit

There's nothing quite as refreshing as seeing someone put a good idea to work. I was flipping through Time Out NY this morning and stumbled upon an article on Mobile Mobile, a new service started by a pair of lovers who were sick of stunted conversations that resulted from their cell phones running out of juice. Between sleepovers at each other's apartments and working late nights, they never had time to recharge. In New York, a city where one's apartment functions more like a rest stop than a home, they figured there were countless other suffering the same cell phone paralysis.

The obvious conclusion: create a "cell-phone-charging-cart" in Union Square, a hub for New York's busiest social butterflies. Will scenesters be willing to pay 50 cents a minute to breathe life back into a useless hunk of metal? If they want to meet up with their friends at that exclusive loft party in Tribeca, they just might. Either way, cheers to Krista Winters and Matt Chick for taking the risk.

Have you recently been impressed by other examples of common sense entrepreneurialism?

Posted by Danielle Sacks at 2:29 PM | Add Comment

Time on Their Hands

A friend of mine who lives in San Francisco went to the annual Power Tool Drag Races last week, where competitors modify everything from belt sanders to chain saws to vacuum cleaners, then race them down a wooden track. You can see closeups of the entrants, plus descriptions of how they work courtesy of Team K.I.S.S.

This inspired innovation (with a slight disregard for personal safety), brought to mind another event, the Punkin' Chunkin Championship, an annual Delaware contest to see how far you can fire a pumpkin using catapaults, air compressors, or what have you.

Has anyone in the FC community ever attended these events, or ones like them? Have you ever entered one of these contests?

Posted by Michael Prospero at 2:09 PM | 1 Comment

Barking up the Right Tree

Last night I found myself surrounded by dogs, interior designers, fabric distributors, reporters, and one very famous artist. There were representatives from at least a dozen industries, most of which had nothing to do with dog photography. Yet there we all were at the apartment of the famed William Wegman, whose photographic portraits of his weimaraners are recognized around the world.

Wegman teamed up with Crypton Fabrics and Japan-based home accessory company Lazy Susan to create a new collection for the wonder-fabric company. With the power to resist stains, odors, bacteria and moisture, Crypton fabrics are used to upholster the whole hospitality industry, from restaurants to spas and even hotels and hospitals.

Up to 29% of travelers bring along animal companions and Crypton has been right there to help accommodate them, generating about $125 million in sales since it was founded 11 years ago. As they considered moving into the residential market, the Rubins decided to go canine. A dog, said Randy Rubin, fits neatly in both places. She called it "the common denominator" between hospitality and residential markets.

Why Wegman's help?

Continue reading "Barking up the Right Tree"

Posted by Melissa Korn at 2:05 PM | 1 Comment

The Network Is People

Christopher Allen is the founder of Alacrity Ventures. Ray Ozzie works as CEO of Groove Networks Inc. Esther Dyson is chairman of EDventure Holdings, as well as an editor at large for CNet Networks. And Mena Trott serves as CEO for Six Apart. What follows is a partial transcript of their Supernova panel discussion:

Continue reading "The Network Is People"

Posted by Heath Row at 1:27 PM | Add Comment

Ray Ozzie: Perspective

Ray Ozzie founded Groove Networks in October 1997. Previously, Ozzie was a founder and president of Iris Associates, where he created and led the development of Lotus Notes. Prior to Iris, he was instrumental in the development of Lotus Symphony and Software Arts' TK!Solver and VisiCalc. What follows is a partial transcript of his talk at Supernova:

Continue reading "Ray Ozzie: Perspective"

Posted by Heath Row at 12:53 PM | 1 Comment

Thomas Malone: Perspective

Thomas Malone is a management professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is also the founder and director of the MIT Center for Coordination Science and was one of the two founding co-directors of the MIT Initiative on "Inventing the Organizations of the 21st Century." What follows is a partial transcript of his Supernova presentation:

Continue reading "Thomas Malone: Perspective"

Posted by Heath Row at 12:27 PM | Add Comment

Welcome to the Connected World

Kevin Werbach is an independent technology analyst, consultant, and writer, as well as CEO of the Supernova Group . Werbach is a contributing editor of Release 1.0: Esther Dyson's Monthly Report, and co-organizer of PC Forum. Previously, he served as Counsel for New Technology Policy at the Federal Communications Commission, where he helped develop the United States Government's e-commerce policy. What follows is a partial transcript of his opening remarks at Supernova:

Continue reading "Welcome to the Connected World"

Posted by Heath Row at 11:55 AM | 1 Comments

Scan 'Em, Danno

In the our July issue (on sale now!) Michael Prospero reports on the Biopod, a fingerprint scanner that hooks up to your computer and remembers all your email passwords. [Subscribers click here.] Now, an innovative young woman in London has taken fingerprinting even further. The Anti-Theft Handbag, one of this year's winners of the AOL Broadband Innovator Award, is designed to bring high-tech security to the high-fashion world by locking out pickpockets. While the bag isn't commercially available yet, the hardware has been designed to adapt to any purse. Only one problem: what do you do when your $5000 Louis Vuitton costs more than anything you put in it?

Posted by Lucas Conley at 11:43 AM | Add Comment

Special Offers? Wait a Minute.

I was moving into an apartment on Broadway about a month ago and was going to hook up my place with cable, phone line and the Internet. Verizon was touting a package of DSL service that costs $29.99 a month and a wireless router worth $99 with a full mailing rebate. The router would allow me to use both laptops I have at home to surf the Web at the same time. Tantalized, I called Verizon but was told the DSL service was not available in my area. I tossed the Verizon pamphlet into the recycle bin and called Time Warner Cable. The sales representative tried to pitch a special offer that includes digital cable TV and high-speed Internet access for $92.89 a month. He said I'd be able to watch 800 TV channels with the deal. I'm not a TV person and basically only watch CNN and a couple of others, so 800 channels make little sense to me. I ended up subscribing to the standard cable deal -- which includes about 200 channels, still a lot to me -- and Earthlink, which cost a little more than $80 in total.

The story didn't end there, however.

Continue reading "Special Offers? Wait a Minute."

Posted by at 11:25 AM | 1 Comment

June 23, 2004

Poor, Poor Press Release

As a former publicist, I carry an equal appreciation and disdain for the PR professionals who keep my phone ringing and inbox full every day. Since venturing to the other side (editorial, that is) I've discovered a solid handful of really smart publicists who have a deep understanding of the companies they represent as well as the magazine they’re pitching (they realize that no, we're not a tech magazine and we won't run executive announcements about their new VP of Marketing).

Then there are those other poor souls who still haven't figured it out. They write the informationless press releases, the superfluous ones, the jargon saturated ones, and the self-important ones. Then there's an entirely different genre: the press release that makes absolutely no sense.

Take Seagate Technology. "Sometimes it pays to simplify things," they state in the press release they sent me today. That's why they've rebranded their disk drive architecture as Seagate NL35 Series 7200.1 500GB FC (the further you read, the more absurd it gets). Of course - that makes perfect sense!

Was there anyone at Seagate who possibly thought this was a nonsensical announcement? Did they all buy into a bad idea, or was it that no one had the courage to go against the grain and put the kibosh on it? I'm still trying to figure it out:

Continue reading "Poor, Poor Press Release"

Posted by Danielle Sacks at 5:36 PM | 5 Comments

Re:Conference VIII

I'm leaving the office now to head to Santa Clara, California, where I'll be covering the Supernova conference for the rest of the week. The roster of speakers is impressive, and the conversations are sure to be fascinating.

I'll be posting partial transcripts of the sessions I sit in on here over the course of the next two days, so be sure to check in frequently. What's new, now? FC Now.

Posted by Heath Row at 11:58 AM | Add Comment

Reviving Old Brands

There seems to be a renaissance of seasoned names working to reinvent their brands afoot.

Coca-Cola recently named its new marketing chief: Charles Fruit. Fruit, 57, was picked by Chief Executive E. Neville Isdell, who hopes he'll help find new ways to reach consumers. Fruit said he planned to tighten coordination among Coke marketers worldwide. He was a key figure in shaping Coke's current media strategy, including sponsoring "American Idol" and aligning with the Olympics.

Meanwhile, McDonald's indicates that it is abandoning the universal message concept. Larry Light, the fast-food chain's chief marketing officer, said mass marketing no longer works, and that he plans to create ad communications that, over time, can tell the whole story about the brand. The company also planned to deliver its "I'm Lovin' It" message in four cultural languages: sports, fashion, music and entertainment. Will the company also reinvent its clown mascot Ronald McDonald?

And Unilever unveiled a new corporate logo in May -- and plans to start using it on packaging next year.

Continue reading "Reviving Old Brands"

Posted by at 11:30 AM | 2 Comments

Bully for You III

FC Now reader Steve Portigal emailed me last night to point out a commentary Clive Thompson wrote in response to yesterday's New York Times article on the various types of bullying bosses.

While Thompson concentrates on the underlying belief that such behavior, much less low morale in general, doesn't necessarily undermine productivity, I'm reminded of Margaret Heffernan's recent Online Insights columns on bullies and the compartmentalization of our work and home lives.

What do you think? Does low morale decrease performance? Do you agree the New York Times article's contention that the reactions we think protect us from bullying actually exacerbate the situation? Previously in FC Now, I offered some ways to respond to bullies at work. Do they hold up?

Posted by Heath Row at 11:30 AM | Add Comment

June 22, 2004

Tales from the Underground

It started like any other morning on the Number 6 train, New York's notoriously crowded subway line. Still bleary-eyed and on my way to the gym at 7:15 this morning, I heard the door between the subway cars slam shut and a familiar refrain begin: "Excuse me ladies and gentlemen. I'm not going to ask you for money, or for food, or try to tell you about Jesus." The panhandlers are starting early, I thought.

But what I heard next came as a complete surprise. "No, I'm looking for a job. I work in corporate finance down on Wall Street, and I'm trying to find a job in marketing or PR." This mid-20s self-promoter was no vagabond. Dressed in a crisp striped oxford and slacks, his fist clenching a stack of envelopes stuffed with resumes at the ready, he looked every part the eager young professional. Before my pre-caffeine brain woke up enough to realize it would be great to give the kid a call - for a story, not a job - the train pulled into my station and he had disappeared from sight.

Continue reading "Tales from the Underground"

Posted by Jena McGregor at 3:06 PM | 2 Comments

We've Got to Start Meeting Like This II

Angie McKaig turned us on to Swedish design company Offecct's inflatable meeting room.

Made of rip-stop white nylon, "Cloud" seems easily portable and may be an interesting meeting room option to help catalyze creativity and innovation when a change of locale is welcome.

What do you think? Design folly? Fun and functional?

Posted by Heath Row at