My Starbucks Idea
|
Posted By Matt Certo on 04/14 at 09:37 AM |
Starbucks makes a great case for using the Web for customer interaction and engagement. Coming off of the heels of their recent 3-hour shutdown, Starbucks is using a new Web site to help get new ideas from its customer base. Registered users can submit ideas to the company and/or vote on the ideas of others.
Easy breezy recipes
|
Posted By Rochelle Knight on 03/28 at 09:19 AM |
A big issue I have with trying new recipes is that I find a lot of delicious looking recipes online. Because I have to print these out, I usually end up with a stack of a zillion pages which I rarely, if ever, use... and this is shoved somewhere just to collect dust.
Pandigital's making cooking fun again with an HDTV, cookbook, photo frame that's perfect for use in the kitchen.
It's a little pricey ($399.99) but I think it might be good enough for the birthday/christmas list. :)
Screencasting gains momentum...
|
|
Posted By Matt Certo on 02/29 at 01:45 PM |
Screencasting isn't a new phenomenon. It's been in use for several years, actually. Jon Udell of O'Reilly Media has a good rundown on the concept from a couple of years ago. But I seem to be seeing more and more of the application in use on Web sites as a quick way to show a user/audience how a software tool or a Web site works.
Basically, the idea is to show a mirror image of a software concept or tool while the demonstrator narrates his/her actions. Check out this screencast demo from 37 Signals showing how one of their software tools works. It's a great alternative to simply creating a laundry list of bullet points and calling it a 'feature list.' Both tools have their use, but I love the simplicity of the screencast application. I got a kick out of Josh Hallett's screencast showing his frustration with finding information on a Web site. This example shows that screencasting isn't just for software demonstrations. The concept can be used to communicate in a way that words and pictures alone can't do.
There are lots of tools available to produce screencasts. It's worth considering when you have a communication objective that fits.
Into the New... er, Blu
|
|
Posted By Rochelle Knight on 02/21 at 01:47 PM |
I've been waiting for the Blu-ray v. High-Definition DVD war to settle down so I can finally use some holiday gift cards. Why am I waiting? Mainly because I wanted to avoid having any more DVDs that would sooner (rather than later) become obsolete... I'm also just not the type to run out to get the latest and greatest and would have been especially ticked if Blu-ray had ended up losing the battle!
But things are slowing down on who will prevail as Toshiba becomes the latest supporter of Blu-ray (joining Wal-Mart, Netflix, Warner Brothers, and a number of others) to abandon HD technology.
While technology is always changing, it's still a little, well, frustrating, to me as a consumer. Not only does it mean that my husband will be "forced" to buy yet another DVD player, but it also means new DVDs, a number of gadgets, probably a PS3, and so on as HD begins its path towards extinction.
And if you're a Blu-ray supporter, don't think you're better off than those who may have been more hesitant as even current Blu-ray users will need to upgrade their players or have an obsolete product next year... You'd think I might be accustomed to constant changes in technology working in the web industry but I'm still wondering if our gift cards can wait for the dust to settle just a bit more! I guess I should keep in mind what I'm always explaining to clients when they ask why their new web site is not compatible with older browsers and vice versa! C'est technologie...
Newspapers & Online Business Models
|
|
Posted By Matt Certo on 02/19 at 02:17 PM |
Scott Maxwell, a columnist at the Orlando Sentinel, has a very interesting post today about the change in business models for newspapers. Among other points, he boils the situation down to the following:
Personally, I think those in charge of business models at newspapers across the country screwed up years ago. They decided to give away everything we provide for free. So customers are left with two choices: 1) They can pay for a product that gets delivered to their door at a certain hour. 2) Or they can not pay for anything -- and go online to get most every single thing that was in the live paper, plus many more features, like this blog, at any moment they choose. And then we wonder why people choose the latter.
You can't really argue with Scott's logic about the way people consume their news. Jack Lail has a post along similar lines which leads us to believe that most people aren't getting their news from a newspaper anymore (according to Zogby's it's barely 12%. I was recently in a meeting with a prominent community leader who put this figure at 20% and told the audience to stop chasing 'the paper' for a story because no one's reading it anyway.
It reminds me of something I heard Michael Eisner, former Chairman of Disney, say at a time when Web distribution of entertainment was hitting a fever pitch. Basically, and I'm paraphrasing here, he indicated that his role was simply that of a talent aggregator. Consumers pay him to bring together writers, animators, actors, and production folks to produce great content. His Adam Smith-like warning was that if he doesn't get paid, he won't continue to do it.
It's no different in the newspaper business. Unless it develops a model to continue profiting from the aggregation of columnists and reporters, columnists and reporters will have to change and adapt. Matt Drudge, although in a sometimes questionable manner, has done so. We have also seen the onslaught of blog networks whereby writers get together to co-join blogs with the hope of sustaining.
I'm not suggesting that every reporter and columnist should be a blogger, because I don't think the economics necessarily work. But newspapers will certainly have to adapt by taking control of their strengths. Yeah, I can get the newspaper for free online...but I can't read it over coffee, take it on the plane, or clip something for someone in the same way. And, yes, I can go to ESPN.COM to check the score of the Magic game, but I can't read about the goings-on with the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation and the inner politics of getting the new arena built. Enough folks will pay the Orlando Sentinel to pay the Scott Maxwells of the world to help us understand the world around us. But the newspaper industry needs to continue to develop its proposition for doing so.
Outback Steakhouse Does Online Ordering Right
|
|
Posted By Matt Certo on 01/15 at 10:41 PM |
We recently tried the online ordering system at Outback Steakhouse. I went to the Web site to simply download the menu for phone-in service, but decided to try the online ordering system as they seemed to be promoting it.
I was very impressed by the ability of the online system. You could really tell that the logistics had really been pondered. I think the user interface could use a bit of work in an effort to make things more intuitive, but it was certainly adequate.
The system allowed me to select various menu items, add special instructions to certain items (hold the onions, please), and used dynamic menus to present me with salad/site item choices. It also asked me what Make and Model of car I would be picking the order up in. What impressed me most was the ability to set my own pick-up time. Since I wanted to see the last 15 minutes of SportsCenter, I gave myself an extra 20 minutes by selecting my desired time from a drop-down selection.
I arrived a few minutes before the designated time. The attendant came out curb-side and, recognizing my car, asked if I was Matt! Pretty impressive. She took my card, came back with my receipt and order 1 minute prior to my requested pick-up time. Needless to say, I was very impressed.
My only complaint was that the "medium" steak I ordered was a bit on the rare side. I have to say that the convenience and ease of the online ordering system made up for any shortcomings in the order. I would definitely recommend it!
US Regulators Clear Google-DoubleClick Deal
|
Posted By Keith Ort on 12/20 at 10:31 AM |
Google’s three billion-dollar acquisition of DoubleClick was approved by the FTC this morning. They aren’t out of the woods yet as the deal will not be 100% finalized until approval is given by the European Commission which has a self-imposed deadline of April 2nd to complete its review. Should the deal receive full sanctioning, it will broaden Google’s reach for online advertising by giving them access to major advertisers such as Sports Illustrated, Friendster and MTV Networks whom DoubleClick has exclusive contracts with.
Google To Fight delicious
|
|
Posted By Keith Ort on 09/20 at 01:49 PM |
Google will be joining in the social bookmarking arena with Google Shared Stuff in the near future. While the beta has yet to come, it does exist on their web servers completely incomplete or ready for any significant amount of use. As far as I am aware, it was first uncovered by Google Operating System. This could be the next product they launch now that their Powerpoint fighter, Google Presentation, has been integrated with Google Docs. Now if they’d only add some new features to Gmail and bring it out of beta.