Inspiration Curation

And I probably won't visit any other stores as I will be out of money by the time I exit it.

There’s no denying that Spotify has taken the world of online music to a new (legal) level. Their ever-increasing catalogue of artists and albums, coupled with the acceptance of their app into the iTunes store will, no doubt, alter the way millions of people both pay for and consume music.

The application is a model of elegant simplicity. It easy to find your way around the service, listen to music and create and share playlists.

However, there are times when you open the app and you have no idea where to start. To torture the metaphor – you have a potential fire hose of music content but turning the right tap can sometimes be difficult.

I have the same "problem" with Spotify all the time. But Simon actually suggests some changes to the interface to make Spotify more useful. Check out the complete article.

During the last Jerry Lewis telethon, comedian Jeffrey Ross joked on his Twitter page that a 7-year-old kid got out of his wheelchair and walked for the first time just to turn off the television. He was kidding, but he was onto something. Some of the old methods of brand-building and fundraising are starting to seem a little, well, old.

It’s a concept that hasn’t gone unnoticed by some in the nonprofit realm. We’re seeing, to some degree at least, a change in approach. The sob stories and “for just pennies a day” language are being replaced by modern logos, slick web interfaces, and innovative approaches to storytelling.

Maybe there is a future for me without selling my soul…

PepsiCo sent shockwaves through the carbonated beverage industry Monday when the multibillion dollar corporation announced that it would cease all advertising of its popular soda product, effective immediately.

Mind the source…

We are making the same mistakes again. The same mistakes that were made by the marketing industry for ages by setting up big surveys which anticipate answers we have to give in case we fail. No doubt, only few human beings want to fail. But there is a difference between a survey and the right action afterwards. According to ABC News/Washington Post polls 75% of all Americans approved Bush’s handling of the situation in Iraq when the war started in 2003. According to this sentiment analysis Bush’s decision was completely justified.

Do you understand what I mean? There is a deeper problem.

I don't blog much about social media. And with a coworker like Gerald, I don't need to. We have tons of discussions and later on I discover that Gerald put it all into a blog post with lots of more smart thoughts and all the links you need.

Storytelling and brands was a particularly fascinating discussion. On one hand panelists feel we are entering a time of greater honesty and character. People can tell when a brand story is conjured out of thin air in a focus group. Conversely, some of the brands noted as exemplifying great storytelling, examples shared were Net10 and Axe, likely were as fabricated as they come. Yet they maintain a sense of honesty and full disclosure while providing a tangible sense of entertainment or value in these properties and as brands they always error on the side of new.

While chatting about the role that new media channels played in the recent election, I asked if there was a lot of guff about Twitter in the national newspapers or on Japan’s main television networks. After a few moments of grunting, groaning, chin-stroking, head-wagging, group consultation and more grunts, one of the group blurted: “Tyrer-san, what is ‘Twitt-ah?’”

I can’t recall if I got hot chills or teary eyes first, but in an instant I was covered in goose-bumps and filled with this extraordinary sense of joy. My mouth moved from a weak grin to a beaming smile to a chuckle of disbelief.

“What’s so funny, Tyrer-san?”

“You’re serious?” I asked. “You really don’t know what Twitter is?”

“No, I promise,” replied the young-ish gentleman.

“You really, really, really have no idea?” I inquired one more time.

“No idea, Tyrer-san.”

“Then you should count yourself lucky and consider yourself truly blessed,” I replied.

Isn't it liberating to see someone who has amazing taste and sense for trends and developments in some big areas to completely miss the boat on another issue? So he remains a human after all. Nevertheless I would love to see the Monocle quality content approach to Twitter. But I guess I'll have to wait a few more years before Brûlé realizes that Twitter is not going away. You'd guess that three years are hardly a fad anymore. But if you hate, you hate…and you can't stop talking about. Nevertheless I would love Brûlé doing a campaign to bring back handwritten notes as I do think that they are an awesome personal expression in the time of the real-time web.

Read the comments on vimeo by the guy posting the video for some background information.