A must-view from the Monaco Media Forum: Arianna Huffington from Huffington Post debating with Axel Spring AG CEO Mathias Dopfner, who runs one of the largest newspaper publishing companies in Europe. A very sophisticated debate on traditional publishing versus internet/aggregated or citizen journalism; plus, Arianna’s key quote on “traditional media versus digital media: ADD versus OCD.”

While the luxury industry has not been as hard hit as most enterprises, the crisis has had it’s impact. Some luxury goods manufactures have spotted the opportunity to slug it out by not reducing their skilled labor force but freezing hiring in most other areas. Luxury buyers in Russia and Eastern Europe have been the hardest to drive to the stores, yet declines in most segments have only been in the order of 10-15% in the region. According to CPP Management Consultants, the period February-May showed the decreases in key areas being as low as 5%. Asia has held steady. In fact, analysts believe most of the growth ahead will come from the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). According to Bain and Co. Brazil and China will be the two fastest growing markets through 2010.  

Reflecting on how mobile media has come to encompass “social media” - especially with Twitter leading the charge - below, please find a few helpful tools and tricks to support your Twitter addiction:

Twitter Tools:

• Seesmic Desktop (Adobe Air client for fast multi-account tweet management and search)
• TweetDeck (alternative to the above)
• Tweetie (the best iPhone client)
• MrTweet (search submission tool to help get followers)
• @geofollow (keyword submission tool)
• Twitpic (for better photo tweeting)
• Twitterholic (follower rankings and stats)
• Last, click here for an exhaustive list of 3rd party twitter apps…  
  

Associated Press recently listed its highest-paid CEOs for 2008 list with only one media appointment: Bob Iger of The Walt Disney Company in 3rd place with $51.1 million.  With the majority of the top 10 being finance and industrial-based, it’s interesting to see that media/content still has a hold on the environment. With ESPN’s continued growth, Pixar integration, Disney’s recent partnership with NBC/Fox’s Hulu, teen-star “Hannah Montana” and “High School Musical” talent factories, the start of DisneyNature and relatively strong film and tv revenues, not to mention the ongoing international expansion, Disney is running a very diversified content business in a market favoring global tech-based scalability. Alongside a News Corp/20th Century Fox model that slants toward print, news and politics, Disney has maintained a clean global brand while expanding in tech. And, although it’s a big compensation foothold in Iger’s case, it speaks to the power of entertainment and its role in innovating the US. If one of our bigger exports is entertainment, shouldn’t those who drive branded expansion be rewarded? After the jump, a breakdown of the other CEO list-makers and the New Medici “3Ways” to continue innovation…  

With one late-night manifesto, fictional sports agent - Jerry Maguire, played spot-on by Tom Cruise - removed himself from corporate contention and revolutionized his life and career. How many of us today can say the same without nervously eyeing our 401K’s or reviewing our latest Chase credit statements? It’s not easy to “Show. Me. The. Money.” as Rod Tidwell (Maguire’s lone client, aka Cuba Gooding Jr.) demanded Jerry repeat, when the money is the check - as paychecks so often arrive “paycheck to paycheck.” This post is the preamble to the “Anti-Studio: Future of the Mega-Agency” article that we’re all writing at New Medici. You have to ask yourself, given the recession: are you doing what you love? And is your business - whether executive or entrepreneurial - a long-time affair? Is this recession a crisis point or a moment to celebrate that we can innovate our way back to greatness? An overly long excerpt from Jerry Maguire’s “The Things We Think And Do Not Say” manifesto after the jump…  

One of the better jobs in the Google economy (and yes, that ‘Googleconomy’ has been halved, but is still backed by some of the most innovative minds in tech and beyond) - running Google.org’s active philanthropic arm - just got a little more active for Larry Brilliant, who’s transitioning to “Chief Philanthropic Evangelist.” Per Google’s blog earlier this week, Brilliant (luckily an appropriate, not ironic name) set out that he is more the ‘ideas and partnership’ maker than the operational executive. His long-time colleague Megan Smith takes over day-to-day running of Google.org. I’ve met Larry a few times at Google Zeitgeist conferences and via my past role at Participant Media; and, as a “rainmaker of change,” it’s good to see Larry move into a more idea-centric role. What made this announcement interesting to New Medici was: when should a thought leader move away from day-to-day operations and concentrate on advancing/innovating the company’s cause directly?  

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…  

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.  

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.