Consumers

Monday, February 23 marks a new stage in my career.  It'll be my first day on the job at a small but promising company called Ovation Interactive.  The company is among others on the precipice of content marketing, realizing a focal shift from advertising channel into branded content distribution. Ovation began eight years ago using its software to enable theatre owners to recognize incremental revenue by selling preshow digital advertising. Ready-made, attentive audiences of somewhat predictable...

Communication is a powerful word, and as a concept implies an exchange of ideas and intentions between active, engaged parties.  Adding another layer of complexity is the reality that as an advanced people, we can communicate in written, oral, and sometimes more importantly nonverbal methods in the forms of body language, facial expression and reactive measures like word of mouth passalong.  I'm sure there are other subtleties I'm forgetting (comment your own additions below). The facet of communication...

Where Do The Ideas Come From? This makes the 2nd time in a week that a song--an "old" song, no less--serves as inspiration for my writing. I guess it doesn't really surprise me, I already knew that lyrics interest me more in music than any instrumental ever could.  Oh, I'm still a big fan of the groove. It's just that the delivery falls flat without meaningful lyrical messaging. Music As A Growth Opportunity Tracy Chapman spoke to me in my often misspent youth, and she continues to be relevant...

Do you speak my language? I had the great fortune of having a live & in-person meeting this week with someone whom I'd previously known only virtually.  That is to say, we had connected via Twitter, LinkedIn, and even email.  It took awhile for our "first date," (she’s a busy gal) but as with some budding acquaintances, I had an inkling that we’d hit it off.  Score!. Lynn and I are both passionate about communication and helping create meaningful relationships between consumers and brands. ...

I've read some posts lately that have given me pause.  Those posts, and the ensuing thoughts niggling around in my head, prompted some site trolling I might not otherwise have done.  I visited a few--as a first-timer-- and was struck surprised by what I encountered. I'm Yours To Lose (30 Seconds or Less) Wearing my Consumer hat (it fits the best), I'll unequivocally state that my online expectation is that any site I visit will enable me to do what it is I need to do.  Whatever that need may be. ...

Many of you insightsandingenuity readers are aware that I also blog for Geonetric at GeoVoices.  As a contributor to our corporate blog, I post articles on topics ranging from brand, social media, lateral thinking, and many others. In case you haven't checked out GeoVoices, I thought I'd bring over a little of the material I've posted there and save you a trip. My GeoVoices blog post: Your Consumers Are Driving The Bus - Are You Strapped In? BusinessWeek book review that the above post...

Subtitled:  Are You Buckled In? Have you read the book “Buying In:  The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are?” The book extends the notion about how closely intertwined brands have come with our personal identities.  Author Rob Walker suggests that “. . .consumers interact with brands, defining and controlling them as companies struggle to keep up.” By contrast, a recent ClickZ article by Pete Blackshaw, “We Marketers Still Have Control!” asserts that today marketers...

Last night I read an interesting BusinessWeek article titled “Are We consumers – or Consumed?”  The article discussed opposed positions from two books, one which purports consumers and brands complicity interact, and the other which argues marketing (or “murketing,” suggests the author) and the consumer have a more ambiguous relationship. I found this article particularly compelling because I’m a long-time marketer; it’s been my job to exploit consumer needs (real or perceived) and perpetuate...

Blogger's Annon. Hi, my name is Heather Rast.  I'm a blogging neophyte.  I've been blogging now for 12 days.  I'm already an addict. Anyone that knows me is aware that I enjoy creative writing.  Snappy messages in greeting cards, funny anecdotes in emails, and then there's my hobby.  Yes, I'm also writing abook (who isn't?). I'd been dying to actively participate in a blog where the conversations could be real and candid, reflect some personal element without being a recount of the day's...