Writings from Force 5 Basecamp

02/22/11

I’ve worked for a lot of years, enjoyed a lot of roles in my career, and had a lot of supervisors who imparted their wisdom to me.   I thought I would share some of their best stuff with you in this series of posts called, “The Boss Rules.” Rule #2:  “Ask them, ‘What are you trying to accomplish?’ ” I

02/14/11

I’ve been here at Force 5 for just 6 months now, but I’ve been in the workforce since I was legally of age.   Throughout the years I’ve been fortunate to have had some great bosses who took the time to pour their wisdom into me.  Because their “rules” have been so helpful to me, I thought I would share some of the best ones

02/08/11

I was listening to NPR last week, and they were discussing “fractured culture”. The premise is that today we live in a world of infinite choices. Most homes have the choice of hundreds of channels, and within those channels are documentaries, cartoons, drama, reality, and talent shows. On the computer you can surf millions of websites, video games, listen to

01/21/11

A few weeks ago I was reading the usual list of technology sites and came across an interesting debate on how Microsoft is planning to embed ad blocking technology into its browser, while Google and Mozilla will not. The items that were discussed got be thinking about what I use and how that relates to the Web as a whole.

01/11/11

My blog post last week on discoverforce5.com left you with this question:  “How much should a marketer promise about an experience?”  Probably better stated as : “How do I promise people enough to move them to action without setting them up for disappointment once they make the move?” I had several conversations about this last week.  It was clear this question hit home

01/07/11

2010 was a big year for the tech industry. New markets became relevant, Facebook reminded us no one is anonymous, web technologies were given a second look, and TV was rethought. 5. Old Spice “I’m On A Horse” campaign finds a new way to promote. The campaign had legs from the beginning. Remember this? And this .. Old Spice later

11/22/10

When I was a kid, I loved watching the The Road Runner Show cartoon on TV after school.  Yes, it was a little violent. Yes, it was a lot predictable. And no, it really wasn’t very funny.  But what I liked about the show was the Coyote’s creativity.  What imagination! I mean really, this dude had some creative chutzpah!  He came

10/26/10

Early this past September I read a post from one of my favorite marketing dudes, Chris Brogan. This message has stayed with me and continues to resonate. The post was written on a Sunday and talked about taking 20 minutes (on Sundays) to connect with friends and family. I remember my first thought being “20 minutes, really? Is that all

10/18/10

With the recent release of Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 beta you are now able to see the work that has gone into a browser that has not seen much forward development in meeting web standards or rendering speeds compared to its rivals (Opera, Firefox, & Google Chrome). Microsoft has even launched BeautyOfTheWeb.com website showcasing the new features and abilities. One

10/13/10

You’ve probably seen them. Tucked in the lower corner of a magazine ad, on the back of a business card, on a bus sign or even on the entire side of a building. It’s an increasing trend in advertising that some say is a fad, and some say the next great new way to promote. What are QR Codes? QR

10/11/10

The first movie I can recall seeing in a theatre was the 1971 James Bond 007 film, Diamonds Are Forever.  Yes, at the tender age of six, I became a fan of James Bond movies.   I was too young at the time to appreciate James for his prowess, his daring, his panache.  What I loved about Bond films were the

09/13/10

As a Certified Brand Strategist here at Force 5, I am always on the look out for brand done well and brand that needs help. Both are easy to spot. I have found two examples of wonderful brand ambassadors locally and want to share them with you. The first example of a great brand ambassador is one of my favorite