P&G AdSpend, Facebook Linked to Layoffs

  This article suggests that a not unexpected round of belt tightening at P&G is being caused by lower cost  online advertising in venues like Facebook and Google.  It does not look like a causal thing.  Just the usual periodic reexamination of available resources and tasks to make business more efficient.

Site Visits and Store Visits

A study linking brand site web site visits and in-store spending.  " ... According to a recent study, conducted by Accenture, comScore and dunnhumby USA, people who visit the websites of consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands end up purchasing 37 percent moreworth of goods from the brand in question in brick-and-mortar retail establishments than people who don’t visit such sites.... "

Chaos of Unstructured Data

From O'Reilly Radar:  Thoughts from a practicing CTO on the chaos of unstructured data.

" ... The heart of data science is designing instruments to turn signals from the real world into actionable information. Fighting the data providers to give you those signals in a convenient form is a losing battle, so the key to success is getting comfortable with messy requirements and chaotic inputs. As an engineer, this can feel like a deal with the devil, as you have to accept error and uncertainty in your results. But the alternative is no results at all.... " 

Private Label Cost Pressure

A good broadly ranging WSJ article.  Private label prices are increasing, but they are being increasingly pushed by retailers.  (Subscription) " ... Every year, U.S. shoppers buy more generic goods, many of them trading down from more expensive, name-brand labels to save money. But consumers are developing loyalty to store brands for reasons besides price, and that could be a problem for food and consumer-products companies as the economy rebounds. In some cases, consumers even pay more for store brands, many of which have been positioned as gourmet or specialty items. ... "

Half of US Shoppers Use Phones for In-Store Research

This look at a PEW report has gotten quite a bit of exposure.  It was an angle we looked at very closely, even well before the Smartphone explosion.  Early on we tracked the use of ordinary cellphones to see if people called their friends to  see what products their friends thought were best, or what the best price might be for a product.    And based on those results, if it made sense to provide text based services like shopping lists and connections to contextual promotions.  It is remarkable that  50% of US shoppers are now engaged with the shopping process using phones.

Text Mining the Voice of the People

In CACM:  Statistical techniques help public leaders turn text in unstructured citizen feedback into responsive e-democracy.... "  Good thoughts, though I worry how easily this could be manipulated.  Simpler people oriented methods are more likely to be secure.

Museum of Mathematics

In New Scientist: Mathematicians have launched an ambitious campaign to raise the profile of their discipline, by opening a museum of maths in the UK. Geoff Wain, who is leading the initiative, points out that every other subject has a variety of cultural and educational hubs for people to visit, so why not maths? “Where would you go to find out about mathematics?” he says. “There’s absolutely nowhere in this country, it’s very sad.” ... '

Good idea, but I would rather have it liked to or within something like Wikipedia, where it is more likely to be found.

Big Data Startups

A look of a number of startups that intend to improve the use of big data.   I have not looked at any of these to date, but some of the plays are interesting and well worth examining,

Gamification Portal

The Community portal for the gamification Wiki has been updated.  A useful place for information about the topic, vendors and examples.  Also a good example of a community updated Wiki.

A Community of Startups

Just pointed to: AngelList:   AngelList is a community of startups—started by the dudes who do Venture Hacks. Meet the team. Browse startups and investors.   More to follow.

Corporate Blogging Decreases

In ReadwriteEntrprise an article discusses a study on the decrease of corporate blogging.   Have been blogging since 2001.  First inside the enterprise with a group of interested participants, then outwardly facing, and finally independently.   I still think it is a powerful concept, appropriately supported by social networking of other kinds.

More About the Future of Retail

A good piece by Greg Satell in Innovation Excellence on the Future of Retail.  Always an important topic here.  Can we completely reinvent the retail process in engaging ways? 

"  ... What’s the next big thing in digital? Mobile? Social? Online video? Those are things moving fast but the trend with the most potential for significant economic impact is, in fact, retail.
The sleepy, boring business of selling things to consumers is pepping up and becoming a hotbed of innovation. Technology and consumer trends are combining to create a shopping experience entirely different from anything we’ve seen before.... "

Tibco Social Platform

I admit to having been unaware of the Tibco social platform, Tibbr .  I was involved with the enterprise rollout of their Spotfire data visualization package, which is impressive.  Now their Tibbr social network adds geolocation.  I have been examining several cases where companies are using social network dynamics for collaboration and integration, so will take a closer look at Tibbr.  Contact me with thoughts.

Artisan Videos

Link to some fascinating artisan videos.  Just videos of people who are very skilled in what they do, doing it very well.  As  the post says, hard not to watch.  It is something that has always fascinated me, probably because what I do well has always been very abstract, rather than physical.  Have a  deep respect for this kind of skill.

Evolution of QR Codes

Report on the use of QR codes and the rapid changes in their effective use. They evolve along with the increased us of smartphones.   I was at a local Panera today talking  startup strategy, and was amazed again at the number of people gathered to talk tech, demonstrate and look for the next big thing.   All connected in new ways.  I saw someone repeatedly scanning QR codes in a magazine.

Whats Wrong with the Internet?

In the CACM.  Bufferbloat: Whats wrong with the Internet.  A Group discussion with Vint Cerf, Van Jacobsen, Nick Weaver and Jim Gettys.  Good thoughts.Where do we go from here and how will it effect the entrepreneur?  The enterprise depending on the net?

SFI and Big Data at Davos

Interesting piece about SFI and the leverage of big data. I am skeptical, it is about leveraging the data, regardless of size or complexity.

Cisco Simplifying Interfaces

A really good idea.   We worked with Cisco from the early days of their looking at advanced collaboration.  it is good to see them thinking a simplified and unified design.  You often need these capabilities quickly and easily available.  Increasingly we need the multiple person collaboration, screen and context sharing in place as well.  Bring it on.  Contact me for more thoughts about the essential elements.

3D Printing and Virtual Reality

In MIT Technology Review:   When I first read the title of this article I thought:  Well yes, they are very different.  One provides interaction in a digital space, the other delivers physical things.  The article does a good job in taking the comparison further than that and is worth the read.   Virtual reality also has the opportunity to integrate abstraction into 3D as well.  A favorite topic of mine, that aspect has not yet been leveraged enough.  How can we bring data into physical-virtual spaces? 

Lead With a Story: Storytelling in the Enterprise

A former colleague Paul Smith, is coming out with a book on storytelling in the enterprise.  " ... Paul Smith is director of Consumer & Communications Research at The Procter & Gamble Company and a highly rated leadership and communications trainer for P&G’s management training colleges.... ".  I am currently working on several projects that have storytelling components.  It has a powerful engaging capability.  You can preorder the book on Amazon.  

" ... Storytelling has come of age in the business world. Today, many of the most successful companies use storytelling as a leadership tool. At Nike, all senior executives are designated “corporate storytellers.” 3M banned bullet points years ago and replaced them with a process of writing “strategic narratives.” Procter & Gamble hired Hollywood directors to teach its executives storytelling techniques. Some forward-thinking business schools have even added storytelling courses to their management curriculum ...  "