Integrated Marketing

Mary Meeker, named “one of the ten smartest people in tech” by Fortune Magazine, recently published a report with Matt Murphy on mobile trends for thier Silicon Valley venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers.  While there aren’t many surprises, the report is laid out well. 

One interesting forecast is that in 2011 smartphones and tablets will overtake desktops and PCs in sales.  Again, not earth shattering, but as noted in the report, it is an inflection point.

There is great information in the report for those of you who are interested in what is coming next.  I’ve already cited certain elements in a business pitch I am presenting in two weeks.

Here is the report:

KPCB Top 10 Mobile Trends

Just before graduate school I worked with a college buddy to develop copy for his new construction consulting business, Quadra.  Since graduating from University of Florida, he successfully managed incredibly complex projects in Miami Beach such as the Ritz Plaza Hotel and the Fontainebleau Resort Hotel.  Over the years, he developed an expertise in the South Florida market.  He recognized it was time to take advantage of this position.

Through an interview and several discussions we mapped out who his competitors were and where we could position Quadra to maximize differentiation.  We discovered that his regional expertise, agility, and deep experience with substantial high value projects set him apart.

The final copy for his web site and brochure highlighted the fact that Quadra is a highly specialized boutique firm with “regional fluency,” and where “value meets flexibility.”  His vast experience with high value projects was outlined on a separate page.  The entire presentation was tied together the concept of “Four Dimensional Thinking” laid out on a clean, well designed web site and brochure.  I’m impressed with his final execution (Although, I think our next conversation needs to be about SEO).

I’m thrilled to report that his business is thriving.  Check out his site at Quadra.pro

RT @RWW: Green Goose Wows the Crowd & Raises $100K On Launch Conference Stage http://rww.to/eW4wNl

madgazine:

Business card is the first thing people see when they met you. A business card creates a physical connection between your business and your prospective customer. Especially if you are in the creative industry, a spectacular business card works better for you.

Read More

RT @TheEconomist: Why are entrepreneurs different from regular corporate types? http://econ.st/eAACbO

I’ve always been described as someone with an “entrepreneurial spirit.”  Porch sales, rented toys, lemonade stands, door-to-door sales and even a haunted attic were common in my early childhood.  In junior high I sold candy in school.  In high school I threw my first profitable party (it was epic).  In college I founded my first company, an event promotions company called Deep Funkshunz.  After that I co-founded a very successful nightclub promotions company called 3 Degrees Global.  In 2003, I founded the electronic music record label, Revolutionary Music.

Now, I’m a marketing grad student at Northwestern University, and have found my way into an amazing program called NUvention web.  Interdisciplinary teams consisting of Kellogg MBA students, Medill grad students and McCormick Engineering students were formed to create web-based products.  We are employing contextual design methods, AGILE development, customer centric marketing and entrepreneurial drive to conceptualize, build and launch a product in the course of two quarters.  

Why do you care?  Good question.

I guess I want to build a little credibility for what I really want to discuss: entrepreneurial thinking.  It has been on my mind quite a bit lately.  

I recently read a paper by Saras D. Sarasvathy (in the video below) entitled, “ What makes entrepreneurs entrepreneurial?” (thanks to my faculty adviser Michelle Weinberger).  In the paper Sarasvathy draws a distinction between how MBAs are taught to think and how entrepreneurs think.  She says that entrepreneurs favor effectual reasoning while MBAs are taught causal reasoning.  In other words, entrepreneurs look at the resources they have and think up different achievable outcomes.  Causal thinkers on the other hand, look at the goal and analyze the different means to that goal in order to come up with the optimal solution.   

Which way is better?  I’m all for learning the causal methods of analysis, but I think that the engine of innovation is effectual thinking.  But don’t get me wrong, I want to have a deep understanding of strategic frameworks and analytical tools.

Check out this recent Inc. Magazine article about Saravathy’s research.

In a May 2009 blog post for the Harvard Business Review the question was posed,  “MBAs vs. Entrepreneurs: Who Has the Right Stuff for Tough Times?”  Sarasvathy was interviewed and weighed in on the side of entrepreneurs.  In a Harvard Business Review blog post from yesterday, Jennifer Prosek makes the case to “Build an Army of Entrepreneurs.”  She cites the fact that entrepreneurs will stoke innovation; treat your business like they own it, and that they will bring passion to their work.

What does it all mean?  Graduate schools should think hard about how to incorporate more effectual reasoning into their curriculum.

What do you think?

Music Think Tank - 6 Case Studies on Successful Online Music Marketing http://t.co/1i5dZci

HOW TO: Deal With Negative Online Sentiment About Your Brand http://t.co/eaRRkrp via @mashbusiness @mashable

Near Field Communication is going to be huge! http://t.co/B88FfHu

I attended a great digital marketing event at the University of Chicago today entitled “Cut Through the Clutter: Digital Marketing Strategies.”  It was hosted by Booth’s Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Group.  The event featured talks by customer acquisition consultant, Julie Springer, Excelerate Labs’ Troy Henikoff, and Joe Dwyer of OCA Ventures.

Julie Springer advocated a data driven approach to customer acquisition, a central tenant in Integrated Marketing.  She really made me appreciate Medill IMC’s analytics heavy curriculum. 

Troy Henikoff, an adjunct professor at Northwestern was introduced as coming from “that school to the north.”  Booth MBAs are obviously intimidated by NU’s marketing prowess;)  Henikoff’s talk was essentially SEO for beginners.  He did a great job of explaining it, but it was basic stuff.

Joe Dwyer, a Northwestern alum, gave a great lecture on user experience design.  He echoed what we’ve been learning all quarter in NUvention Web.  It is all about the minimum viable product and a simple intuitive design.

Check out this TED Talk from user design guru Don Norman:

It seems like a very simple question, but how you answer speaks volumes on the orientation of your business.  Are you selling products or are you delivering value?  Are you advertising or are you communicating?

Interested?

Follow this blog and visit the some of the thought leaders who inspire it:

Northwestern University’s Integrated Marketing Communications Program

Vitamin IMC blog

DDB Strategy

Seth Godin