So mama don't take my Kodachrome away

"When I think back

On all the crap I learned in high school

It's a wonder

I can think at all

And though my lack of education

Hasn't hurt me none

I can read the writing on the wall"

"Kodachrome

They give us those nice bright colors

They give us the greens of summers

Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah

I got a Nikon camera

I love to take a photograph

So mama don't take my Kodachrome away.'' - Paul Simon

Mama's not taking it away, Kodak is. I know it's business. I also know it is sad when the icons of our life go away. Kodachrome was older than most of us (74). It has a rich history that is pervasive throughout every family photo album as well as every photo magazine of the 20th century.

Here is a link to a tribute from Kodak.

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=2/6868&pq-locale=en_US&_requestid=9264

Another tribute from the Chicago Tribune.

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/06/kodachrome_rip_worlds_a_winter.html

Well... I am trying a mobile post. Not sure how it will work, but it goes to show where mobile devices have evolved. I have 3000 steps left to walk. Later.

Reaching the Peak of Inflated Expectations

I attended the Microsoft Connected Health Conference in Bellevue, WA last week. There were devices and applications on display and in discussion that may someday help all of us take better care of our health.

For me the best part of the conference was the keynote address on Friday morning by Mark Smith, MD, MBA President and CEO of the California HealthCare Foundation (http://www.chcf.org/). It was a brilliant talk. Dr. Smith certainly knows his subject and even better knows how to get the message across to his audience. here is a doctor that is not afraid to speak out on how his contemporaries are afraid to change the system. He touched on everything from retail clinics to e-visits to the reimbursement system. You can get a feel of his topic at the web site. This pdf has some very thought provoking information (http://www.chcf.org/documents/policy/TelehealthAltersMedicalEcosystem.pdf).

Now you may be asking, "what does all this have to do with the Hype Cycle". Well....Dr. Smith feels (and I agree) that today the connected healthcare market stand at peak of inflated expectations. We are all excited about the power of connected health, but the reality is we have a long way to go. Patience mat be the operative word. In the meantime take a look at Dr. Smith's work. I think you will find it fascinating.

Why Walmart Is Getting Serious About Marketing

Walmart is my largest retail partner, so this article from Ad Age didn't surprise me. It did however make think about how important marketing is to the success of every business, even one of the world's largest.

"... is forcing Walmart to become a better marketer and merchandiser, said Chief Marketing Officer Stephen Quinn in an interview the day prior to the company's June 5 shareholder extravaganza. "While it's very exciting to be opening new stores and building your base out that way, it clearly is the kind of game where there has to be some natural plateauing," Mr. Quinn said. Walmart's new reality means "you're going to have to work a lot harder in an existing neighborhood to get them to consider other categories or to build that emotional bond with them."

The economy has made Walmart the secret store for many people. I am delighted to see that they are not sitting back and collecting the dollars.

Marketing clearly has assumed a more important role at Walmart under Mr. Quinn, a veteran of PepsiCo's Frito-Lay. "Certainly it's not a marketing-led company in the way a lot of package-goods companies would consider themselves to be," he said. "So I have to be careful not to overstep what it really is. But I do think marketing has a seat at the table. ... This company had a strong merchant and operations culture, and now we've added this third leg of the stool."

Even better Walmart is really trying to understand the customer.

Walmart really doesn't need to attract a different customer to succeed, Mr. Quinn said -- just do a better job of selling to and maintaining the loyalty of its existing customers.

I look forward to more from Walmart, the marketer.

10 Digital Marketing Ideas...

Warning - Shameful theft of someone else's great blog

Jim Lefevre has a lot to say about some great Digital Marketing ideas.

http://jlefevere.blogspot.com/2009/06/10-digital-marketing-ideas.html

Hope you enjoy as much as I did.

P.S. it's ok to comment on the dominant size of Jim's name at the top of his blog (see the picture). I already did.

Just Having an iPhone App Isn't Enough

Michael Learmonth contributed a great article to Advertising Age (June 3, 2009) http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=137069


Everyone is on the App bubble, but the devil is in the detail or as Michael points out the marketing support.
With nearly 48,000 iPhone applications in circulation, it's easy to forget how young the mobile "app economy" really is. The iTunes App Store has been around only 11 months; it registered its billionth download after nine months.

It all sounds good. Probably too good.

There's a myth that there's easy money out there," he said as part of a panel of mobile experts at the CaT: Creativity and Technology conference in New York, hosted by Advertising Age and Creativity. "Most apps don't make any money, so it's really about publicity."
Increasingly, apps have to be supported by traditional marketing; otherwise they have little chance of making it to many iPhone screens. "The App Store is not a marketing vehicle; it is a distribution vehicle," said Raven Zachary, president of digital creative firm Small Society.

As dominant as Apple has been in the field of mobile applications and smartphones, the panel stressed it's still early. The gold rush may be over, but an era of truly useful apps that enable commerce and turn mobile phones into devices that control other devices is upon us.

I think Michael is right on target. The opportunity is still there, but it is a marketing opportunity not a get rich quick scheme. Just don't forgot to support it with traditional marketing.

Need to Check Your Cholesterol? There Will Be an App for That

From the June 1st Ad Age, a very interesting article on iPhone Apps. Looks like everyone is trying to figure out how to use these in their business model. http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=136991

Interestingly (is that a word) the same issue has an article about the trouble with beer companies tweeting. http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=136986

I don't know about you, but I think social media is here to stay.