YouTube comments never let me down, I think I'm denisrenelara's biggest new fan...
Money & the Cult of the Amateur
Fortune magazine ran a round-up of all the analysts who predicted seven key figures prior to Apple posting their Q1 2011 results. In one corner you had the analysts from Goldman Sachs, Piper Jaffray and Citigroup. In the other, amateur blogger analysts.
The amateurs blew the pros out of the water.
'The bottom 20 spots were all held by professionals working for the banks and brokerage houses. Taken as a whole, the numbers they sent their paying clients were off by a margin (9.04%) more than twice as big as those generated by the guys who do it for free (3.94%).'
Of course, one swallow does not make a summer. It's too early to tell whether they'll consistently outperform Wall Street but given the freedom of information online, the lines between amateurs (who do stuff for the love of it) and pros (paid) are definitely blurring.
Passion + Data + Insight = Win
"Sometimes, I wish we were all amateurs again. I'd play for nothing. Ab-so-lute-ly free. But that's not the system." Dan Marino.
I'm still trying to work out how significant this is but I get the feeling it's a pretty big deal.
11 tech & media trends for brands in 2011
From the excellent Dan Calladine, some ideas for brands in the coming months...
The world is changing rapidly and media is at the heart of these changes. Changes predicted a few years ago have happened, including mobile ‘arriving’, the ubiquity of social media and online video; in the light of this 2011 will be a year of consolidating on these gains and refining techniques in the new landscape.
1 – Monetisation
Facebook will start to make lots and lots of money. Facebook say they’ve only really made enough ‘to keep the lights on’ so far, but once they really start the money will come flooding in. Through deals with partners like Paypal they can take a percentage of transactions, and with more and more things sold on the site, this will soon amount to billions. Other media owners will do longer term and deeper deals with brands on more of a revenue share model – for example a permanent position on the site paid for by a share of sales, rather than by impressions or clicks.
Entertainment companies will continue to prosper, but the big winners will be companies that take micropayments – for example a small amount to download an extra level of a game, or sell a virtual item that makes the game easier, like the tractors in Farmville. Mobile game companies like Rovio have made millions from downloads of games like Angry Birds for less than €1. However at the same time a few big, expensive blockbusters like Call of Duty will also break records.
Implications for brands – Think about what you have that can be sold, and the ways in which you sell. Can you sell directly, or through channels like Facebook and the app stores? Do deals to make sure that you sell in the best environments.
2 - More Advertising
Don Draper's guide to women
From 2009 but still ace.
A Pale Blue Dot
"For all our failings, despite our limitations and fallibilities, we humans are capable of greatness."
From Carl Sagan's, A Pale Blue Dot.
The Girl with the Dragon Dictation App
You can download from here.
The Sartorialist
Video following street fashion blogger, the Sartorialist out on the hunt for photos. The intensity with which he observes the city around him is pretty crazy.
We often think of looking as quite a passive process that just happens but it takes a surprising amount of energy to really study something and see what others miss (reminds me how tiring life-drawing was when I tried it).
One of my favourite posts on The Sartorialist, Millionaire or Homeless? The bizarre world of fashion.
Life-cycle of a T-Shirt
T-shirts are the closest most of us get to collecting art & design. This is how Nick Foster categorised his when trying to streamline his collection.
How to be popular on Facebook
iSPEC
It's 4 years old but still worth a look. Video made by TRON Legacy director, Joseph Kosinski, which reportedly got him the TRON job. An immersive look at what it could feel like to be navigate your way around your favourite films.
So what film does he choose? Kubrick's The Shining of course.
10 Facebook Myths Busted
Great presentation from Soap Creative covering brands on Facebook. Key thoughts:
Facebook only works as part of a broader digital mix. SEO and CRM may be less sexy, however don’t overlook old, hardworking mediums. Also:
Why would someone want to become a Fan? What do you wish to get out of the page? Is the level of investment justified? Are you willing to cop criticism, backlashes or setbacks on the chin? Do you have a media budget to attract fans (or a cross-promotion strategy)? Facebook offers many brands great opportunities - but it’s not one-size-fits-all solution.
Amazon's best-selling product of all time?
In just five months, the new Kindle has replaced 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' as best-selling item in Amazon's history and it doesn't even seem to be affecting tablet sales. "We're seeing that many of the people who are buying Kindles also own an LCD tablet. Customers report using their LCD tablets for games, movies, and web browsing and their Kindles for reading sessions."
Great price, strong product. I love the buy once, read anywhere concept too. Brilliant stuff.
It's not just technology, they sold so many pairs of jeans that if you folded each pair and stacked them on top of each other, the height would be the equivalent of Mt. Everest. On their peak day, they sold 158 items per second.
The Geo-Social Universe
Who's big in mobile and location? Great infographic from JESS3.
The Tate, Planes and Playboy
"At the time harrier jump jets were at the cutting edge of technology but to me they were like dinosaurs, prehistoric, from a time before words." – Fiona Banner
... what is this?
i dont get it.. when was Steve Jobs in England?
This is a spoof you idiot lol