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(more…)Philips ClearVue 650 Product Launch Video
We were asked to create a product launch video for the Philips ClearVue 650, a versatile new ultrasound with advanced image quality and innovative features. The chosen concept plays off the device’s new 3D/4D capabilities, and lets the stunning images and functionality take center stage. The final touch? An emotional music score to highlight one of the product’s most important benefits…advanced technology for women’s healthcare.
Philips ClearVue 650 Product Launch Video
Proof that the iPhone is still winning
If you’ve read any technology articles lately, they may be leading you down a path that might suggest that Apple is a thing of the past. Now I’m not going to point out that Apple’s iPhone market share continues to grow while Android’s…well, declines. Or that Apple’s “old” iPhone 4S outsells Samsung’s top of the line Galaxy III (for the record, I’m a huge Samsung fan). Or the fact that Firefox’s new OS, Blackberry, Microsoft, etc., all of these phones are taking market share from the Android market but barely denting the iPhone market. Or even that Samsung makes fun of people for waiting in line for Apple’s product launches despite the fact that it would give anything for people to line up for its products, but repeatedly, no one does.
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Insights to help build your business
As data becomes more and more prevalent, tracking has quickly become a necessary component of any business plan. While focus groups and independent research are the most effective ways to collect data, they can also be costly and time consuming. Fortunately, you can still add value and effectiveness without adding high costs – by using free or inexpensive tools first. You’ll get the information you need and save time and money in the process. Here are a few inexpensive tools you can use to get immediate results:
Qualitative consumer data:
- Hit the streets: While there is a time and a place for focus groups, they can often either tell you what you already knew or worse, steer you in the wrong direction. When learning about an audience, start by immersing yourself into that group. Order magazines that the audience reads, watch shows they like, even spend a day at a construction work site or research lab getting to know people. This type of candid, real world feedback is frequently much more useful than anything you’ll hear in a highly controlled environment deciding whether participants like logo A or B better. It’s our job, as marketers, to make these decisions. But by entering the world of your consumers, you can better understand how they think, giving you insights and information to make smarter decisions with.Hit the web: Doing a web search for something your audience might be researching is a great start (i.e., if you’re developing a new baby learning app, a search for “ipad apps for babies”). Not only does it give you a moment to see the world through the eyes of your audience, but it’s also a great way to get useful ideas and learn about competitors. Can come up with any search ideas? Wordtracker provides a tool that shows you search questions based on keyword inputs. And if you don’t have time to sift through multiple sites, try the Ultimate Research Assistant, which performs a search for you and summarizes the findings into an executive summary.
What We Can Learn From Dennis Rodman

It’s important that I preface this by saying that I, in no way, shape, or form, condone what the leaders of North Korea have done in the last half century and are doing today. Nor am I condoning anything Dennis Rodman has done or is doing with regards to his North Korea trip. I also want to say that while North Korea is a personal fascination of mine, despite the amount of reading and research I’ve done on the country, the reality remains that I know very little. Consider this post more ideas for discussion rather than hard opinion or fact. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk.
Last week, Dennis Rodman went to North Korea and became the first known American to publically meet Kim Jong-un. It is said that Kim Jung-un is a huge fan of the Chicago Bulls franchise of the mid 90’s (can’t blame him for that), a team with which Hall of Fame basketball player Rodman won 3 championships. Kim was attending a private English-language International School in Switzerland at the time.
Rodman’s trip to the reclusive state was met with much criticism, anger, and confusion in the US. Upon his return home, the US State Department quickly said they wouldn’t debrief Rodman on North Korea. It was all written off as some sort of joke and spectacle. Now I don’t know if Rodman was really considering all the facts when he called Kim, “a great guy.” Kim leads a government that is cited with some of the worst human rights violations of all time. Perhaps he should choose his words more wisely. But then again, maybe not. What do I know? (more…)
The Buzz: February 4, 2013

The Buzz: The executive summary of the top things to be aware of this week.
- The Super Bowl of Advertising
1) It’s impossible to avoid all of the talk about the Super Bowl and Super Bowl commercials today. So here’s my quick two-cents:
Wins:
•Samsung
•Budweiser Horse Story
•Dodge Ram God Made A Farmer
•Audi Prom
•Tide Montana Stain
•E*Trade (I just love the E8Trade baby)
•Best Buy Amy Poehler
•Blackberry Z10 (yes, I actually liked this one)Bad:
•I’m hesitant to even spend a moment to acknowledge the GoDaddy ad, but I wonder how much that nerdy kid got paid to do that spot. At least it was on brand…
•Coke – big disappointment
•Bud Light – I loved the superstition ads, but the Stevie Wonder (huge fan) ads didn’t do it for me
•Gangnam style – I wonder how many brands got pitched this idea and turned it down
•Oreo – meh…
•VW Get Happy – I didn’t like the overall concept, but didn’t have an ethical issue like some people did
The Buzz: January 28th, 2013

The Buzz: The executive summary of the top things to be aware of this week.
- Are you ready for some footbaaaaaaall?

• In case you’ve been living under a rock, you may not be aware that the Super Bowl is coming up next weekend. This is both the biggest day for sports in the US and the biggest day for advertising. I’m not sure any of these top my favorite Super Bowl commercial of all time, Miler High Life’s 1 second ad from 2009. What does 1/30th of a Super Bowl ad cost?
The Buzz: January 14th, 2013

The executive summary of the top things to be aware of this week.
- Digital Activist Aaron Swartz Dead At 26
• Digital activist Aaron Swartz is dead after committing suicide at the age of 26. While not everyone may know the name, we’ve all felt the benefits of Aaron’s work. He was a child prodigy, a digital genius, co-founder of RSS, a co-founder of Reddit, and faught for all of us to protect our freedoms on the Internet. We send our condolences to Aaron’s family and friends.
Read more - Gartner and the IDC Release PC Data
• HP, Dell, Apple, Lenovo, and Acer take the top 5 spots for Q4 2012 PC sales. HP, Apple and Lenova saw an increase in sales while Dell and Acer saw significant decreases. This all comes at an interesting time where the lines between PCs and tablets are increasingly blurred.
Read more from Gartner
Read more from the IDC
The Buzz: January 7th, 2013

The executive summary of the top 5 things to be aware of this week. Sorry, this week is quite CES tech heavy, but it’s kind of a big deal.
- The 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (aka CES) is the mother of the annual tech geek parties. It takes place this week from Tuesday to Friday. Here are a few expected highlights:
- TVs are the big buzz this year (that being said, they were last year too and nothing really changed).
• Everyone is expecting Apple to release their Apple TV soon. Everyone’s trying to beat them to the punch.
• Samsung wins the pre-show buzz with their TV teaser featuring what appears to be a transparent TV (Read more).
• Also expected are ultra HD (typically called 4K), OLED, and voice and gesture controls. The problem to date is that all of these TVs have been extremely expensive (as in $20,000+).
• Apps: We also expect to see more app enabled TVs, which brings us to our next two points. - Apps!
• We expect to see a lot of app enabled devices (Read more).
• Expect to see more apps that are cloud-enabled and work across multiple devices (phones, tablets, computers and TV)
• Expect to see app integration in household appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, lights, and coffee makers. More smarter, energy efficient appliances.
- TVs are the big buzz this year (that being said, they were last year too and nothing really changed).
There are no such things as dumb users. There are only dumb products.
At TEDxBoston, Timothy Prestero talked about trying to make products that would change the world. He walks through his challenges, missteps, and learnings on his journey. I found a lot of significance in his talk from a few different perspectives.








