Let’s begin with a basic question – why do we want to be big? Here are a few plausible responses to that:

1) I want to make a lot of money.
2) I want to employ many people.
3) I want to serve as many people as possible with my product.

Number one is the most popular because this society is hinged on the premise that the more you have the better you are (and the happier you’ll be). Your stockbroker-turned-baker friend will tell you – money doesn’t make you better or happier. More importantly in business, it certainly doesn’t make for happier customers. When money starts to matter more to a company than the quality and caliber of its product or service, its customers are exponentially more susceptible to competitors. Good products breed loyalty and loyalty means repeat business.

Let’s take answer number two. I want to be big so I can employ a lot of people. Why? If its a matter of power you have other problems. But if its a matter of responsibility or wanting to help people, then remember that happy employees are better societal contributions than people with jobs. A company being big and hiring many people means nothing if the employees are unhappy. Large companies are the poster child for this atypical largely depressed American workforce. It’s not that all large companies are bad companies, it’s simply that large companies are generally less able to scale an environment where everyone is doing what they love and feels valued and rewarded for it. Don’t focus on hiring more people, focus on growing a passionate team. That will take a lot more time than Groupon and Wal-mart may lead you to believe.

And finally, the most noble – to serve as many people as possible with your product. Why is that important? For a non-profit that’s easy – to help as many people as possible! (Mental note: There should be a lot more very large non-profits.) But if you’re a business what is the value of serving as many people as possible? A good answer is that you believe that your product makes people’s lives better in which case you really want as many customers as possible. (Apple and Steve Jobs are a reliable example.) But if that isn’t your response, which in most cases it isn’t, then consider that the more people you try to make happy the less people you will. Democratizing your product for the sake of quantity, makes you less able to serve your real customers. Take Jean Paul Gaultier. His fashion is weird and controversial, but its this exactly that his loyal customers love and what’s gained him global brand notoriety. Conversely, trying to please everyone is the reason (I believe) most American cuisine stinks. Pleasing the palettes of immigrants from dozens of countries across the world is no easy to task. Lesson? Create a brand based on who you really are as a company; customers that share your values will buy.

A good product, a good team and finally a strong brand are what make a good business – not size. Happy customers and profitability (not revenue!) are the result. I am not saying that growth is bad, growth is good (I wrote a lot about it last year.) But what is bad is growth for growth’s sake. Its the root problem behind America’s financial collapse and the fact that this country rates 150 out of 178 on the World Happiness Index (two slots above Rwanda). Focus on being the best possible business, not the largest, and chances are growth will come naturally.

Conversely, a business’s weakness is that of its leader. If you run an organization, ask yourself what you’re bad at. Are you a bad marketer? Perhaps you don’t know finance very well? Chances are your company lacks brand awareness and is in dire need of a good CFO. This is why when you are trying to improve your organization, begin by improving yourself.

I always say that you can’t be a good woman, a good father, a good boss, or a good son without being first good with yourself. Your ability to give to others is hinged on whether you have something to give. That is why you must cultivate and develop your strengths, passions and interests in order to be able to truly give to others.

For a company, the answer is easy. Surround yourself with partners who have the qualities and experience that you lack. A great wealth advisor or a trusted strategist, can help your business best capitalize on its strengths. Worst case scenario you’re a better company for the experience. Best case scenario you grow your business in a way you never knew possible.

The decrease in commenting can be accredited to none other then social media. More and more people are opting to share posts they find interesting rather then comment. And guess what? It’s good for business! Think of it this way… having a client tell you they are happy with the work you provided them is great, but what’s even better is having that client tell 5 friends they are happy with the work YOU provided them.

Adding a sharing tool (a widget that allows your blog visitors to easily send your link out to their social networks) is a great way to get visibility and drive your brand values.  It’s also a great way to get a group of people talking about your brand who otherwise wouldn’t.  Be sure to look for sharing plugins that make it easy for you to track who is sharing your link. (AddThis is the industry standard, it’s easy to install and best of all free).

As nice as it is to hear all the positive feedback you also want to be able to track down any negative issues as well (remember social networking is a great opportunity for customer service . Add sharing tools to your blog today to open the conversation… to everyone.

3D Printing on YouTube

My good friend Dan recently shared this incredible video about 3D Printing. I am familiar with 3D printing—in fact my engagement ring was made possible through the use of a 3D printer—but I had never stopped to think about the possibilities. What really amazed me was that this printer can create moving parts. Genius!

They mention space in the video and I can only imagine that astronauts must need to pack every tool imaginable in case of potential problems while in space. With a printer like this all they would need is a computer file and if need be they could print the tool on demand. Not only is that a space saver but such a sense of security as well.

Now all I want to do is own a 3D printer. I am told that this sounds something like the Makers from the futuristic comic Transmetropolitan:

Makers are great. No argument. You turn to your maker and say, “Give me a roast dog leg, tossed salad, a black linen shirt, and a taser,” and bang, out it all comes. Makers aren’t particularly bulky, nor power-thirsty, and an average middle-class family can afford a good one.

But.

Makers are designed to operate with base blocks—superdense chunks of neutral matter which the maker breaks down and recombines into whatever you’ve requested. And base blocks are horrendously expensive. Out of a middle class family’s price range. So the stores sell a converter that allows the maker to use ordinary garbage as the base. Not as efficient, and the mileage stinks, but there you go.

Which leads me to the city’s new pest. Middle class families raiding the backyards of the lower classes for garbage—because if you’ve got a maker, you don’t make garbage. Only those without makers buy prepackaged food and clothing… Transmetropolitan #2, “I Hate It Here”

The predicted future from a comic book could become our reality? Given a 3D printer can not produce a tossed salad, it still has a vast array of objects it can create.

So say that these printers become affordable and a part of our everyday life, like computers and cell phones; what will this mean for the brand names that manufacture the products we are now able to print at home? Will this push brands to create higher quality products? Will it force them to reduce their prices drastically? Perhaps their business will completely change and instead of selling us the finished product we will purchase Craftsman 3D printer files from their website, from the comfort of our own homes.

Also, imagine the reduction of waste if this printer material is recyclable. Or the impact this may have on the global economy and products imported from foreign countries. Could this be the next technology to change our everyday lives?

What is AR anyway? Wikipedia defines it as: a term for a live direct or an indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics. An example could be  sports game on TV that while we see the live game happening – we have scores, timers or a dancing robot layered on the screen. Turns out that I am familiar with AR.  Upon digging a little deeper, specifically in Europe, I discovered a world of promise, opportunity and excitement.

This led me to an augmented reality mobile browser called Layar app. In it I opened a Groupon app in Layar and peered into my mobile screen. It looked like the street I was standing on and then Groupon offers, in my area, began popping up all around me, overlaid on my screen. I was able to see my surroundings, on my phone, through the eyes of Groupon. Among other apps I found was the movie Battle Los Angeles app, where you can find scenes from the movie overlaid on various landmarks.  Also an ad for the Netherlands demonstrating how to find real estate, bars and even healthcare providers with the Layar app. This video sums it up perfectly:

View on You Tube

Amazing. The ideas and opportunities for AR feel endless. Now when dining with friends instead of going to the same place we always do, I can open Yelp on my phone and it will suggest a variety of options with reviews within my area. Soon I see a world where we can sell real estate, advertise current sales, bar specials and offers our city’s best tourist attractions all through the use of an AR application.

But will it go even further than that? Could we potentially start bringing more than just locations to life? Will we one day be able to correlate this technology with printed materials, similar to the way we can post a QR code and immediately direct users to our website? Perhaps we’ll spend our commutes scanning ads with our phones and watching the commercials on the bus or train ride to work. Maybe we could reinvent direct mail to become an interactive experience. Will I be able to one day send out a resume that when viewed through an AR app reveals my design portfolio right then and there?

I don’t know the answer to that.  But at the rate our mobile technology is evolving today I believe it’s possible. I can’t wait to see what our incredibly smart phones have in store for us now.

This Thursday night I went to see Matisyahu at the Congress Theatre.  It was the best concert I’ve been to.  He was brilliant.  He had a profound way of flowing musically and physically that made everyone in the room flow with him. This was particularly beautiful to experience because the crowd was the absolute most diverse group of people I have ever seen.

Matisyahu

Whether they relate to his background, style, voice or values, people of all walks of life like this young artist. A Hasidic Jew who is not only musically talented, Matisyahu is hot, young, a father, a family man, religious, real,  deep, cross-genre, and to boot, has a positive message.  This unexpected combination allows an enormous spectrum of people to connect to him.  Case in point, any variation or combination of any demographic that you can think of – age, race, ethnicity, style, class and color – was represented in the crowd that night.  It was refreshing.  It was inspiring.  It was real.

Classic ideas about diversity will soon be irrelevant.  As immigration, shared economies and technology tear down physical borders, major cities the world over are becoming increasingly diverse.  This has begun to spawn a new generation of children who are so intermixed that the traditional ideas of diversity (i.e. black, Chinese, Latino) lack meaning. Take my new son, for instance.  He is Serbian-Herzigovian-Cuban-Dominican-American.  What kind of ad do you think he will connect to?

The lesson to businesses and organizations?  If you want to connect to today’s audience in a credible way, you must forego the shortsighted act of nurturing cultural differences in favor of developing a message or value that all people can connect to.  (i.e. We ALL want to be loved, have peace, be better, etc.).

A traditional approach to diversity

A new approach to diversity inspired by Matisyahu

At the concert I had a vision of the future. Our tomorrow will not be defined by our differences but instead by our common ground.  Like Matisyahu the people, companies, organizations and leaders that define our future will not herald diversity as a cultural imperative – they’ll be a living representation of it. You will recognize them in that they will call us to a higher state of existence – one that can only be experienced when we look beyond diversity and accept a grander view of the world.

Sealed with a K.I.S.S. – The look and feel of this site is very simple and clean.  The Keep It Stupid Simple principle is most certainly applied.  With social networking the content is driven by users whose content cannot be anticipated.  Keeping the site design simple allows the website to avoid looking cluttered.

Easy Catch – The usability of the site is also pretty intuitive. The different sections on the site all have catchy names that make it easy for you to associate them with their purpose.  All your updates and friends updates can be found on the Stream, Your friends can be found and grouped together in the Circles section, conversations happen over in the Huddle, and Spark is the section dedicated to showcasing and discovering things that interest you – a strategic repurposing of Google’s all powerful search.  Finally if you need some face time with a friend or two head on over to the Hangout section for video chatting.

Seamlessly Annoying – Since this is a Google product naturally the site seamlessly integrates all your Google accounts into your profile.  No need to upload pictures.  Your Picasa (soon to be Google photos) automatically feeds into your Google+ account.  As much as I enjoy having one less thing to do this ended up being even more of a hassle as I had to go into my Picasa account and change the visibility settings to a ton of my albums.

Out of Business – If you are wondering how and if your company should set up a Google+ account the only answer is no.  Google has yet to open up the new site to businesses and brands and in this early stage most users are just familiarizing themselves with the network and are more focused with building their personal circles.

Even though Google+ isn’t a place for brands just yet I think Google definitely has the clout to make this a top contender in the social networking scene which in the future could lead to a new venue for online advertising. I encourage you to bookmark the site and keep your eye on it for future marketing opportunities.. In the interim take note on Google’s simple, clean, and catchy approach to social networking which is a + in my book.

Do get noticed – While I certainly do not agree with Mr.Sheen’s approach for attention I do encourage a marketing campaign that is a little out the box.  If you already follow this blog, then you know I am a big fan of giveaways, viral campaigns, and clever messaging as ways to add some pizzazz to your existing marketing efforts.

Do use catchy one-liners – It is undeniable that the reason people are obsessed with Charlie sheen is his clever [or crazy] one liners. Consumable sound bytes resonate with your target audience and, if you’re lucky, can become part of their everyday speech (think about Nike’s Just Do It or the Army’s Be All That You Can Be.)  Catchy messaging can go far beyond a campaign to give your brand sustainability.

Do use social media – Much like Kanye West, after Charlie had his public breakdown, the celebrity joined Twitter and continued his media frenzy online.  Using some of his more popular catch phrases as hash tags Sheen managed to extend his 15 min of fame.  Whether it is Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or even just a blog, having a presence on social media is a great way for your company to connect with new audiences, help with search engine optimization and, just like Charlie Sheen, continue your offline momentum on a new channel.

Don’t respond negatively – From TV execs to media personalities, part of Charlie Sheen’s antics have been to publicly insult anyone he feels [or has felt] offended by. With social media it is particularly important to know how to respond to negative feedback.  If someone posts negative feedback on your company’s profile see that as an opportunity for customer service.  Respond to the person and try and resolve their problem.  Your other followers will appreciate your dedication.  If someone is posting nasty comments that can not be resolved simply ignore the posts.  If the post are offensive to others and are happening very often you may want to block the user and delete their comments.

Don’t confuse your audience – Although people are living the Sheen dream and loving all of the one liners, sometimes Charlie Sheen gets to into his own head and starts nonsensically rambling. When marketing your business it is important to stay on target and have clear messaging in all your communications.

Taking these 5 lessons into consideration will keep your companies marketing efforts winning.

Black Swan
There were two very different posters done for this movie. The above is the one released stateside. It is a straight-on shot of a red-eyed Natalie Portman in full black swan regalia with an enigmatic Mona Lisa smile set against a highly contrasting white background. The contrast is interesting, maybe representing being in the spotlight or the innocence of ballet. Or maybe it’s just a juxtaposition of color used to emphasize the heavy make-up and sinister expression. Either way, it’s a good representation of the movie. Rating 4/5

In addition, there was a second set of limited edition, art deco-inspired posters released internationally. (The film wasn’t released outside of the U.S. until after the new year). There were a total of four posters in this series, all of which I think were beautifully done and a testament to the power of good design. They are simple but well executed with a three-color palette of black, red and cream, interesting typography and clever illustrative use of negative space that captures different aspects of the movie. Rating 5/5

The Fighter
This poster was one of my least favorites. With such a powerful title and two big name movie stars, it wasted so much potential. The photography of Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale leaning against the ropes of a ring looking slightly pensive and uninterested is underwhelming. If a picture is worth a thousand words, there is only one that comes to mind, boring. The photography could have been far more interesting and dynamic. The same goes for the typography. With a two word title like this, it could have been more creatively executed with something more bold and unique. The whole look is too safe, uninspiring and lacking a fighting spirit. Rating: 1/5

Inception
The poster for this interesting and mind-bending movie was well-done. It does a good job of capturing the look and feel of the movie with the foreboding use of the grays and blues. The movie title is creatively executed so that it is mimicking the other buildings. This movie had multiple posters, but this one was by far my favorite. It represents the movie well, is smart and well executed. Rating: 5/5

127 Hours
This poster does a great job showcasing the spirit of adventure and creating a visual tension for the  protagonist. Caught precariously between two rock formations, its as if to say he is between “a rock and a hard place.” (Which from my understanding is an underlying theme to of movie.) The photography is well chosen with the gorgeous colors of the sunset as a backdrop. I liked the fact that there was tagline of  “Every Second Counts;” it is a nice addition. Rating: 4/5

The King’s Speech
This poster leaves a lot to be desired. The three main characters are shown, but the fact that they are looking in different directions eliminates any connection between them. The choice of photography is questionable and unflattering. Since the story is based on royalty, they should look far more dignified and refined. I also don’t understand the clouds in the background. Something denoting the war might have been a better choice considering the film is set during war time. I think that this poster lacks any real thoughtfulness or creativity. It looks like a period-piece poster template from the mid-90′s. Rating: 1/5

The Social Network
The “Facebook” movie poster is interesting. The type over the face of the main character makes it look much more like a book cover then a movie poster. The statement is provocative and is a good tease to the movie’s theme. The type over the face may also serve as a visual metaphor for the main character taking up an endeavor that completely overtakes him, for better or worse. The Facebook-branded sidebar on the right of the poster, however, is unnecessary and out of place. If the poster was trying to emulate a Facebook page that would have been a good solution but combining the two different themes certainly doesn’t work. Rating: 2.5/5

The Kids Are All Right
This poster is all right. The type being front and center is nice and the color palette is smart. The blue and yellow go nicely together and provide an overall cheery outlook.  The photo shows the family from the movie gathered around a meal smiling and laughing. This is slightly misleading since the theme of the movie is centered around the “alternative family.” This photo does not really capture that and I can’t help but wonder if that is because they didn’t want to emphasize the sensitive topic of same-sex parents. I think I would have rather seen an illustrated solution for this poster. It could have been a more creative and clever way to explain the premise of two lesbian parents and their children who go looking for their biological dad. Rating: 3/5

Toy Story 3
The Toy Story brand is very well established. For its third installment, the poster is fantastic. It includes all of the toys that are included in the movie with our heroes, Buzz and Woody atop holding the number 3. Visually there is a lot to take in reminding me of one of those arcade games that is a filled with toys and has a mechanical “claw” to pick them up. Overall it is a fun and colorful poster for a beloved movie franchise. Rating: 4/5

True Grit
The poster is a straightforward typographical solution. The Western theme is clear with the bold use of type and yellowed paper. The bleeding bullet hole is an interesting element, foretelling gun play. The movie type could have gone on the top and the actors’ names could have been smaller and possibly depicted through daguerreotype photography that was common at that time. Overall, it’s a good poster, but it could have been better. Rating: 3/5

Winter’s Bone
This independent movie has a very mainstream feel to its poster. The overall mood is dark and serious. The premise of the movie is that the main character is looking for her dad, and I think that is shown well here. She certainly looks like she is in search of something. Overall, I think that the poster is well done. I especially like the silhouette lining of trees as it does a great job of breaking up the space into an interesting v-shape.  Rating: 4/5

2011 Oscar Winner of the Best Movie Poster goes to: Black Swan for their illustrated poster series

Tumblr is a microblogging site that has been gaining popularity thanks to its super simple interface that allows users to post and more importantly share posts of interest easily.   Many media outlets  have started to use Tumblr as a tool to gain visibility and new traffic to their sites and blogs. Newsweek pioneered the way with many others such as NPR, Huffington Post, & the Economist jumping on the Tumblr band wagon. These companies have all been using the site to post condensed content that redirects readers to their main blogs and/or websites. This has helped them attract a newer audience almost daily.

If your blog or website views are coming to a lull you may want to look into signing up. Keep in mind as great as Tumblr is, it isn’t for everyone. Organizations that cater to mass audiences versus B2B may find more benefits to Tumblr. If you do decide to give Tumblr a whirl here are a few tips:

• Your Tumblr posts should be related to the content on your main site but not as intense.
• Try following Tumblr pages with similar content as yours.
• The more people you interact with on Tumblr the more people will interact with you (ensuring higher visibility to your brand and message.)

Following these simple guidelines and maybe Tumblr can have the blog views rolling in.