The insights of cultural/media theorist Douglas Rushkoff are always contemporary and often prescient. He was deciphering the social codes of the virtual psyche, lifestyle, and marketplace before such concepts were formally identified by the so-called “machine.”
In this video snippet from Rushkoff’s presentation on “word of mouth” marketing at the CMA’s Word of Mouth Conference, he summarizes why the death of traditional advertising may not be such a bad thing for businesses willing to listen to the voices.
Thanks to Kit Kowan for permission to use this Photo.
Seth Godin’s ability to reinvent conventional perspectives in an original framework has earned him celebrity status in the marketing world. Praised for his seemingly prophetic insights into developing digital trends, Seth is the kind of entrepreneur who doesn’t find it necessary to break the rules in order to generate consumer attention; he simply interprets the rules in ways that the “experts” had said were too undefined, open, and ironically enough: consumer-centric. The communications channels that Seth proposes to reach customers (get their attention) should be understood by any entrepreneur trying to make it in online marketplace, which is already yesterday’s— a reality that has informed Godin’s strategic principles throughout his career. The following video is a nice introduction to the sometimes bizarre, but always inspiring perspectives of a truly creative business mind. Click on the image above to watch this video. We encourage you to share your thoughts with the community afterwards. Take care.
Thanks to freeparking for permission to use this Photo.
One of the strongest characteristics associated with successful entrepreneurs is the ability to lead. As a small business owner, it’s impossible to be everywhere at once, directly involved in every aspect of the decision making process, therefore you must be able to trust your employees to make sound decisions on your behalf. This is one area where leadership plays such a vital role. Your ability to communicate your business vision and get your employees to buy into that vision is deeply connected to building a productive workplace environment. Here is an interesting podcast interview with Marshall Goldsmith, a leadership training expert who specializes in training small business owners how to be leaders and in turn cultivate leadership qualities in their employees. Goldsmith makes some good points about common issues limiting the growth of small businesses, then prescribes concrete methods to resolve these issues. Click on the image above to listen to this podcast. I think you’ll learn some lessons that will stay with you throughout your career. Take care.
Thanks to Andrea Z for permission to use this Photo.
We all want to be successful in our careers, but we often don’t reach our potential because we lose confidence in our abilities. This is why it’s so important to stay inspired, focused, and motivated. The marketing field is high energy, so you literally can’t afford to get down on yourself. One way to stay on track is to listen to the success stories of others in the marketing field. When I observe the hard work others have put in, I realize that I have to put in just as much or even more work to attain new heights of success. Ok, that was my quick speech. I just want to make sure you continue believing in your dreams. Here is an insightful podcast about Consumer-Centric Marketing. I think we’ve reached the point where this brand of marketing can no longer be simply labeled as a trend. The consumer-centric perspective largely defines the cultural landscape and drives the marketplace. Enjoy the podcast.
Thanks to Mattia for permission to use this Photo.
We’ve been fortunate enough to share the insightful perspectives of economist and entrepreneur Bill Conerly with our student community since this blog first launched in 2007. Mr. Conerly is not only a contributing blogger, but someone we consider a friend of the greater Ashworth University community as well. He was recently interviewed on the Small Business Advocate Radio Show on the topic of business planning after the recession. The issues covered are of vital importance to anyone one with small business aspirations, so I highly recommend listening to this very informative podcast interview. You can also visit Bill’s Businomics Blog to show your appreciation for his efforts on behalf of our Ashworth Blogspot readers. Thanks everyone.
The “blogosphere” represents an interactive social media environment that continues to grow in scale and influence every day. With thousands of new blogs flooding the internet every month, all competing for attention and exposure, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the entrepreneurial-minded blogger to get noticed. Well, there’s no secret formula to attain blogging fame, but there are effective methods you can apply to reach your intended audience at a higher rate of success. The following video features Guy Kawasaki. Mr. Kawasaki is a world renowned marketer and venture capitalist, who has also somewhat suprisingly become known as one of the most prolific and read bloggers on the Internet. He offers a fascinating glimpse into his use of RSS feeds and discusses his blogging “philosophy” in this very informative video. Whether you’re an active blogger or not, I think you’ll be motivated by Guy Kawasaki’s perspective on this medium. I’ll be dropping in again soon with some additional insights for you to consider. Until then, stay focused on your studies. You’re doing a great job.
As an entrepreneur, I always find myself wondering about the stories behind small business success. In other words, who are the people who founded these businesses and how did they reach such levels of success? All entrepreneurs tend to think to themselves: “could I do that?…” and I’m no different. For someone with an entrepreneur’s spirit and ambition, the answer is more often than not an emphatic “yes!” When I came across the following podcast interview with Tom Gegax, founder of TiresPlus, I was instantly very excited.
You see, TiresPlus has been one of those businesses I’ve wondered about. It seems like I’ve seen them everywhere I go over the past five years, not to mention that their lots are typically packed with customers. In this interview, Gegax shares several insightful perspectives on the path he followed to success, but what makes this interview so inspiring is that he outlines practical methods we can all utilize to maximize our opportunities. After listening to this podcast, consider how you can apply some of the concepts discussed by Gegax in your own venture. Please share your reflections and insights. I look forward to hearing from you.
Whether you are an entrepreneur with small business aspirations or a sales professional chasing a management promotion, it’s imperative for you to understand how “web 2.0″ technologies are radically transforming the business landscape. In contrast to many of the highly specialized web tools of the past, which required the average user to possess advanced IT skills/knowledge, the user-friendly tools gaining mainstream appeal today are empowering both the individual and the organization. The following podcast directly addresses the sales organization and its’ management of what’s described as a “sales 2.0 funnel.” You may not be familiar with the interviewee, Stu Schmidt, but you may have heard of WebEx, an innovative communications company that provides various remote meeting/video conferencing applications to businesses. I think you’ll find this interview quite insightful. After listening to this podcast, share what you identify as some implications of the funnel for tomorrow’s sales forces.
Thanks to Amayzun for permission to use this Photo.
I’m not a regular viewer of The Apprentice TV show, but I happened to catch a recent episode where the competitive project was to develop a marketing strategy around a new line of Kodak printers. During the briefing process, where the contestants were given a product description to base their pitch on, I was really struck by the Kodak marketing executives’ emphasis on Ink as the factor distinguishing this product in the print marketplace. Kodak’s central message was: “Our ink is revolutionary, the best in the world, on top of that, this new printer, is half the price of our competitors, who are offering an inferior product and customer experience.” Unless you work in the print industry or have investments in this area, it’s easy to overlook that the comparative quality and cost of ink/paper are what drives this market, not necessarily the machine itself, which is in many respects a generic shell duplicated by the leading players—give or take a couple unique features.
With this topic top of mind, I remembered a podcast that I’d recently listened to about Hayden Hamilton, entrepreneur and founder of a printing company known as GreenPrint. One of Hamilton’s innovative contributions to this market is software that dramatically reduces the amount of unwanted pages from the printing process; the type of waste that collectively costs corporations millions of dollars each year. Like any great entrepreneur, Hamilton saw an opening in this waste and created his company to fill this empty space in the market. In this podcast interview, Hamilton explains the story behind GreenPrint, one that I believe you will find very informative and motivational. Click on the image above to listen to this great podcast. Your comments are welcome and appreciated, so let’s hear from everyone!
I’ve met two types of entrepreneurs. There are those who have always known that they wanted to start a company, but they just needed to find the right idea, and then there are the people who stumble upon an idea compelling enough to convince them to start a business. I happen to fall in the latter group.
Based on my experience, one type of entrepreneur is not preferable or superior to the other. Chances for success are much more dependent upon the quality of the idea, a little bit of luck, and a lot of spot-on execution.
A good business idea (or a bad one) can come from anywhere: the classifieds sections of magazines like Entrepreneur, trends in industry-related or mainstream news, or the recognition of some “pain” in your day-to-day life, whether it’s at your job, at play, or at home. Many pains have a remedy (that you can monetize) if you’re resourceful and creative enough. In mid-2006, a couple of months after graduating with my MBA, I needed to buy a gift for my then-roommate for his birthday. He was (and is) a DJ, and I wanted to get him something really cool that he’d appreciate and enjoy… but I didn’t know the first thing about DJs or the stuff that they use.
Web sites like Amazon and Epinions weren’t much of a help. They’re very useful when you know what you’re buying, but all I knew was for whom (an amateur DJ) I was looking to buy. Since I do everything online, I wanted a Web site that would help me find a great gift for someone with a particular interest or hobby.
And that’s how a pain in my everyday life sprouted an idea. Through my frustrations as an average online consumer, I had identified a genuine market need which I thought I could address.
Things Change
I’d argue that there’s no bad source of ideas, just bad ideas. For instance, if the market you’re considering is saturated with competitors, and your idea isn’t significantly differentiated, then you probably have a not-great idea on your hands. But that’s not necessarily a sign to give up; it’s a cue to ask yourself whether another, better idea can address the pain you’re trying to solve. (more…)
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