Monthly Archives: November 2007

Writers’ strike.

By
Steve Poppe
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0

The Writers Guild of America went on strike last night at midnight and unless resolved quickly we begin to impact the quality of electronic media soon.  

 
DVD and online usage revenue are the key care-abouts. Figuring out compensation for online usage of written content is going to be difficult. Hollywood and other entertainment writers don’t want their art to be distributed freely, but knowing how to charge for it will not come easily.  I suspect similar usage tariffs normally associated with TV and Cable will be extended toward DVD and online, but the formula will be the sticking point.  DVD usage can be quantified, but online tracking still has a way to go.  Tracking of online objects and their usage is in our future and it is fundamental to resolving this strike, but I don’t think it will impact the new contract. Bet on the new contract being a short one. Maybe 2 years.  
 

Le-grow-vo

By
Steve Poppe
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0
 

Lenovo, the Chinese computer company that purchased IBM’s PC business in 2005, has decided now is the time to drop the IBM name which they are allowed you use until 2010.  With quarterly PC sales nearly twice the industry average, Lenovo feels it is time to spend its money banking equity in the Lenovo brand, not borrowing it from IBM.
 
They will continue to use the ThinkPad name, but that, too, will probably recede in a year or so. Lenovo is doing some serious old-school blocking and tackling while the newer breed of PC manufacturers are trying to find their footing in PC 2.0.
 
With a huge population base in China and a pool of engineers graduating in record numbers, I’m betting Levovo will be eating up marketshare and be the PC leader in 2010.
 

Rolling Down Rodeo

By
Steve Poppe
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0
 
There is a wonderful story in today’s Wall Street Journal about shopping on Rodeo Drive. The writer was accompanied by a test shopper who specializes in monitoring the body language of store employees. The degree to which shoppers are welcomed, smiled upon, engaged, and treated well, are all gauged by the guest shopper. The end game on Rodeo is to make customers feel comfortable, happy with their purchase, and pleased with the value received. 
 
Reading about this exercise made me think of Internet usability. Usability is huge today on the net, supported by legions of digital ad agency professionals whose sole responsibility is to map user navigation and deliver a successful, positive experience.  If you go to sneakers.com and can’t find your favorite brand, color, and style within thirty seconds, you are likely to leave for another site. Not successful. 
 
Usability on the net is not easy to achieve, but it should be driven by the same characteristics the best stores on Rodeo Drive use: be welcoming, attentive to the habits of all visitors, be thoughtful and caring about the users’ time, and lastly, don’t be snooty.  
 
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