Has MySpace become “MySpaced”?
On reading Techcrunch’s advance review of a WSJ reporter’s new tell-all book on MySpace, I updated my Facebook status with bewilderment that MySpace passed on buying Facebook for $75M in 2004. And I made a Freudian typo… Read more >>
Innovation in Recession: Attack, Be Narrow and Backlog Ideas
From BusinessWeek’s “The Innovation Engine: The Upside of Recession” – which innocently enough came out in March 2008 with early advice about attacking advertising market share and catapulting past slower/tighter brands during recession. In that article’s predictive wake, New Medici will pull various items that correspond with taking advantage during hard times. Interestingly, BW made note that Trader Joe’s (1958), MTV (1981) and Apple’s iPod (2001) all were born during recessions. We’ll pour into how the media and lifestyle or brand space can increase value in 2009. Read more >>
Obama’s Inaugural Call for Innovation
Earlier this week Obama swore the oath on Lincoln’s bible, pictured left. New Medici will be hitting the inaugural archives of Obama, past Presidents, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and philanthropists to pull important highlights that defined them in terms of innovation. What did they say that inspired their followers, employees and even their detractors to make change and innovate markets? See the bold highlights below and indented comments from President Barack Obama’s inaugural address on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, as delivered… Read more >>
The Presidents’ Club’s Newest Member
Today was historic: for Obama’s approval ratings as Pres-Elect, the swell of public interest, the reflections on Lincoln and MLK, and the “hope” that he will lead our nation out of its depression. After such a long electoral slumber, New Medici looks forward to tracking Obama’s innovations in media and lifestyle choices. One area of particular interest is his involvement with past Presidents. How much will he learn, take counsel and treat them as a “sitting Cabinet”? Read more >>
Innovating Commercials, Mock Your Own PSA
In this union commercial from AFSCME, yes – this is a real union – which shot a PSA back in the 70s by the look of the clothes and hairstyles. The voiceover talent decided to do a second take (can you imagine this happening today, given the legal clearances and potential for lawsuits?).
It’s been up on Youtube for over a year, so either the union is unaware or not into this whole ‘innernets’ phenomenon, thus it’s perfect ‘wrongtail.’
Unreplicable for current brands – who would sue – for any spoofing of their intellectual property, but a perfect idea for more niche, risk-taking brands – create a PSA that mocks your own brand, giving it street cred. Think Woody Allen’s “What’s Up Tiger Lily?” or a “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” Read more >>
AOL Anti-Portal: Hub and Flow
At New Medici we’re intrigued by niche content networks and how they grow, survive and generally roll-up niche audiences. With AOL’s announcement of MediaGlow via NYT, we dug around to see how it was really working. From the articles, PR and even comment threads at Techcrunch, it seems that AOL, former traffic portal hub, now new anti-portal, is turning a corner. Read more >>
Social Networks as Tech Challenge
CES 2009 Panel: Social Networks & User Generated Media as a Technology Challenge: The Platform, the Content & the Network. Amid 150″ HD television announcements, this past Saturday I paneled a CES/Digital Hollywood discussion on the start-up requirements of social networks – what the technology challenges were, new ways to acquire users and monetize during recession. Read more >>
Who Mentored Obama and Colin Powell?
For National Mentoring Month, President-Elect Obama, Colin Powell and George W. Bush are promoting “mentoring” PSAs featuring the likes of Clint Eastwood, Oprah, Sting, Ray Charles and many other celebrities and politicians.
While we’ve never really noticed it before – maybe it’s the sense of “volunteerism,” a la JFK, that Obama is bringing to the Presidency – but we’ll run and support it either way. January is National Mentoring Month, and Thursday, January 22, 2009 will be the sixth annual Thank Your Mentor Day. Read more >>
Wii Shall Overcome
A great panel at CES today – “Wii Shall Overcome: The Triumph of Simplicity and the Lessons We Can Learn from Nintendo.” The panel were Wii believers in the clean, simple design which changed the physical gaming home environment; rough meaning, it was inclusive of all family generations. Wii was bigger than just Mii.
Billionaire Benefactors Give More Than You Think…
In 2008, many of our national billionaires gave much of their fortunes away, involuntarily. From Sheldon Adelson, the Vegas and Macau casino billionaire who lost $24 billion ($24B) to Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and the Google guys, last year was a very difficult year to amass. Now who’s to say that losing “a few personal billion” when you still have “a few” is an innovation problem – it matters when these entrepreneurs pull back on progress and humanitarian giving to stem private losses.
Per Forbes, Warren Buffet lost $16.5B, Gates was down $12.3B and Google’s Larry Page lost more than half of his g-trove: $11.9B. Read more >>
Rethinking Branding in the Age of “O”
Following Obama’s historic election win, it makes sense to review the philanthropic brands that are currently doing well in the market and are poised to develop in 09. With Obama’s “O” trademark, there was a sense of style, simplicity and freshness almost overnight.
Via Bnet.com, in terms of brand narrative, Obama’s chief strategist wanted his candidate’s logo/brand to convey “hope.” More of an umbrella term than a focused issue or cause, this principle should resonate with wealth-inspired philanthropies.