Can You Learn to Be Creative?

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of viewing a speech given to the Columbus Metropolitan Club by Artie Isaac - who among many other things, teaches Creativity to MBA students at The Ohio State University.  I was not present for the event, but rather caught it being run on ThinkTV in Dayton as I was ironing my clothes for work.

His speech was great.

First, Mr. Isaac did an excellent job of using PowerPoint to enhance his speech by incorporating images and creative visuals to add his words as opposed to just reading off bullet points one after another.  Better yet, what he had to say was absolutely brilliant.  He spoke from the heart, and with real passion and human emotion.  He used a great mix of facts, figures, humor, and personal narratives to leave a lasting impression through his message.

He spoke of the need for all of us to make time to be more creative, and the importance of creativity in the modern era.  He provided suggestions as to how to revive your inner creativity, and to steal wasted time back into your life.    He also stressed the importance of setting priorities and goals, and of learning to find more flow in daily life.  The best part was that everything he recommended was simple.  The hard part is in the doing it.   Ask him if people can learn to be creative, and he would reply with a resounding yes.  After hearing him present, I would have to agree.

At the end of the hour long presentation, I found myself thinking more about ways that I could bring more creativity into my own life.  I also was thankful that I happened to randomly stumble across his presentation at a time when my television is normally not even turned on.  Chalk that one up for good luck.

Anyway, you should definitely take the time to watch his presentation, and if you enjoy it, visit his web site - Net Cotton Content.  On his site, Artie lists numerous books about creativity, thinking, life, mindfulness, marketing, and business as well as a copy of the syllabus for the class he teaches.  I downloaded a copy, and I am actually going to do some of the assignments myself so as to feed my “creative pet.”

Thanks Artie, for offering me inspiration and making at least one day of ironing 100 % Cotton pants enjoyable.

Net Cotton Content / On Life and Marketing, Creativity and Ethics

The Physics of Marketing - Bernoulli Equation

Daniel Bernoulli observed that in flowing fluids there is a relationship between speed and pressure.  This relationship, known as the Bernoulli Equation went on to inspire the creation of blood pressure monitors, airplanes, and even fuel injectors.

What Bernoulli observed was that moving water created lower pressure.  The faster the water moved, the lower the pressure dropped.   Airplanes can fly, due in part to the fact that the curved shape of the wings allows for the air to travel more quickly over the top than the bottom - thus creating lift by lowering the pressure on the top side of the wing.  A simple explanation is the idea that speed can reduce pressure.

How does this equate to marketing?

My mind gravitates to sales with this one.  Particularly the notion that the speed at which sales are generated reduces the pressure on the rest of the organization.  Thus a good sales strategy seeks to find ways to speed up sales cycles.  This could be accomplished by removing unnecessary steps in the sales process.  Taking time to educate sales personnel properly.  Focus on quality leads over quantity of leads - thus reducing time pressure.  Eliminating unnecessary meetings and paperwork - all of which require time and attention and increase pressure.

Yes pressure is necessary.  There are things that just must get done, and often organizations can only handle so much speed before the system breaks down.  Still, removing unnecessary pressure from sales is a great strategy for increasing the speed at which revenue flows.  Marketing plays a huge role in examining the sales processes and activities and seeking ways to make things more effective.

Often when sales begin to slow, the natural reaction is to “put more pressure on the sales force.”  While this seems like a good idea if they are truly lazy, most often the opposite happens.  Under the increased pressure to do more with less speed diminishes and the numbers fall.  The better approach is to examine how to reduce pressure in the system - better products, more training, better leads, better marketing materials, less paperwork, better service, shorter lead times, etc…

By actively working to support the sales team, Marketing can reduce unnecessary pressure and increase the speed at which a business operates.

What do you think?  How would you apply Bernoulli to Marketing?

Daniel Bernoulli - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Olympic Fun

For the past week I have been completely enthralled with the Olympics.  It is funny, because in the days leading up to the games I was not really all that excited about them.   With the exception of 3 nights of synchronized diving, (Seriously… this should be a 30 second highlight reel, not 3 nights of prime time.) I have been fairly captivated.

Like me, many people have been closely following these Beijing Games.  I will certainly remember the opening ceremony, Michael Phelps and his domination, and I am sure the coming week of games will deliver more momorable moments.

Still one of my favorite Olympic moments was not an actual moment at all, but rather a spoof delivered courtesy of Saturday Night Live.  I remember when this aired.  It cracked me up then, and still does today.  Phil Hartman might just be the most underrated comedian of all time.  Check it out.

Living With Epilepsy

The September 2008 issue of Parents Magazine has a great article about a Massachusetts family and how they dealt with their son’s epilepsy.  (Unfortunately it was not posted on their web site, and did not turn up in numerous web searches.  Should you find a link please let me know)

The story centers around a young boy named Michael, who suffered from 2 types of seizures that sound very similar to those that my son experiences.  The similarities between the descriptions their lives to our day to day reality was striking.  Michael’s parents spoke about how their child suffered through hundreds of seuzures a day, and how they “got used to living in crisis mode.”

I don’t want to paint this as a negative story, as it was actually quite informative and inspiring.  As parents of a child with epilepsy, we are often asked what our family life is like.  This article really sheds light into much of what life is like for us, and I imagine what life must be like for many other families who have a child suffering through epilepsy.

Their story has a happy ending, as their son Michael has now been seizure free for some time thanks to the right medications, early detection, and a lot of luck.  I am thrilled for Michael and his family.  I imagine that having Michael seizure free must be a wonderful feeling - one I hope we might experience someday.  Reading this article helped to further that hope.

One thing that we definately share with Michael’s family is this.  Our experience, like theirs, has taught us not to sweat the small stuff in life any more.

The article also features the following facts about Epilepsy: (Taken from the Parents article)

• The Brain is made up of 100 Billion nerve cells, which communicate with each other and the rest of the body.
• A seizure is triggered by abnormal electrical activity that causes a change in sensation, movement, behavior or consciousness.
• Doctors diagnose epilepsy after a child has two or more unprovoked seizures, which means that they aren’t caused by something external, such as a fever.
• Epilepsy is actually an umbrella term covering many diseases and syndromes.
• Epilepsy affects about 3 million people in the United States, and 45,000 children are diagnosed with epilepsy each year.
• There are 30 types of seizures, which can last from a few seconds to two minutes or longer.  In rare cases, they can be fatal.
• Drugs, surgery, or a special high fat / low-carb diet are effective in about 80% of cases.  Kids may be good candidates for surgery if their seuzures - unlike Michael’s - can’t be controlled with medication and are caused in a specific area of the brain.

If you would like to learn more about epilepsy or need help dealing with epilepsy, please visit the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio at www.ohioepilepsy.org

The Epilepsy Foundation is always looking for volunteers.   If you would like to join in the fight against epilepsy, please visit the volunteer page of the EFWO site.

From Dayton to Hog Heaven…

One of the coolest stores in Dayton, Ohio is F&S Harley Davidson.  Located on North Dixie Drive, the store is family owned; run by Jeff Stolzenburg, his sister Jenny, and his parents.  F&S is a massive complex, filled with beautiful Harley Davidson motorcycles, Harley merchandise, a conference center, storage facility, repair garage, parts warehouse, and more.  They even have free coffee for guests, and I love free coffee.  One step through the front door, and you immediately begin to picture yourself out on the open road riding one of these beautiful machines.

When I worked in Dayton as an Account Executive, F&S was one of my favorite clients.  They were always fun to work with. They were not afraid to push the boundaries, and they sell an unbelievable product to a very loyal customer base.  Truly a dream account.  I still keep in touch with Jeff and the F&S crew, and they even hosted a fundraiser for the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio for free last March.  Great people, and a great place to visit if you have never done so.

With that said, this year is Harley Davidson’s 105th anniversary.  The company is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the anniversary, and Dayton will be included in the mix as several corporate executives from HD will be leading a cross country ride right through Dayton.  The group, which should be sizable, will be stopping at F&S in the afternoon on Monday, August 25th, and staying into the evening to answer questions, press the flesh, and greet the Harley faithful from the Miami Valley.  This should be a really cool event, and something that you Harley enthusiasts out there will not want to miss. When the ride leaves Dayton, the group will be headed to Wisconsin, where the company is based, to continue the celebration. Word on the street is that it is going to be legendary, with big name acts playing private shows over several days!

Part of the fun in Wisconsin will be the newly opened Harley- Davidson museum, featured in this month’s issue of Wired.  Harley fan or not, this is a great example of pulling people into the experience of the company and its devoted followers.  There are very few companies that could open a museum people would actually want to visit.  I stand in awe at the way in which Harley-Davidson has managed to cultivate such fierce loyalty amongst its customers.  If I ever find myself in that part of the county, I am going to make it a point to visit. Clearly there is a lot to learn about motorcycles and even more to learn about marketing.

New Harley-Davidson Museum Is Heaven for Hells Angels

The Adventures of Johnny Bunko

Looking for a little inspiration to move you forward in your career.  How about a comic book?  The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is the latest book by author Dan Pink, who also penned A Whole New Mind - another of my favorites.  The book is done entirely in the popular style of Japanese animation known as Manga.  Who knew that manga could be so enlightening?  The characters are particularly funny, with career counseling coming from a fairy who appears when the main character breaks open carry out chopsticks.  Not exactly the run of the mill career guide.

The book is an easy read, makes some very meaningful points about how to approach your professional career, and the comic book format makes it particular enjoyable to read.

There are 6 key points outlined in the book.  Here they are with a few extra notes to add context.

1. There Is No Plan - I know this one very well, having been involved in companies that have gone through downsizing, mergers, acquisitions and other assorted craziness.  Pink asserts that you can either make “safe” decisions that may lead to something better someday, or make decisions that lead to the opportunities to learn exciting new things, build skills, and enjoy life now.
2. Think Strengths, Not Weaknesses - Pink references Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, one of my favorite authors, and discusses the idea of leveraging that which you love and are good at to make a living.  Instead of trying to improve upon that which you despise or struggle with, focus on your strong points.  This will ultimately lead to a job where you can achieve “flow” on a regular basis - with time flying by as you enjoy and are engaged in what you do.
3. It’s Not About You - The most valuable people use their talents to bring out the best in others.  If you want to improve your life, start by improving someone else’s.
4. Persistence Trumps Talent - The best of the best are those who stick with it in the tough times.  For musicians and athletes alike, it comes down to practicing hard every day.  The same is true in business.
5. Make Excellent Mistakes - Too many people get hung up on trying to avoid failure at all costs.  In doing so, they never try anything new.  It is ok to fail, as long as it gets you closer to excellence.
6. Leave An Imprint - Life is short.  Do something that matters.

Whether you like business books or not, this one is a must read.  It is so different from most of what is out there and presents the message in such an innovative way, that you are sure to think a little differently about work by the time you get done reading it.

Ja Mata

The Adventures of Johnny Bunko

2008 Tour d’Burg!

The 2008 Tour d’ Burg.  What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon - surrounded by family and friends, gathered in downtown Miamisburg, watching hundreds of great cyclists compete for the Ohio State Championship.  Even better we got to cheer for my brother in law Geoff, who was competing in the race - his last as a category 5 cyclist.

To our delight, Geoff finished 2nd in his race - one that saw a handful of cyclists sprint it out for the last 300 yards to the finish line.  Geoff made a late push down the final straight-away and overtook 2 others just as he crossed the line.  It was thrilling to watch.  My wife and I, and everyone else there were jumping up and down and cheering as Geoff rode past us triumphantly.  I think he had the loudest cheering section of anyone in the event. It was awesome to see him come across the finish line with such enthusiasm.  I know how much he loves cycling and how hard he has worked to get good at it.  It was a moment to remember.

This was our second Tour d’ Burg - and again it was a great day. The Miamisburg Police Department handed out free bike helmets for children, vendors handed out clickers, noise makers, and trinkets, and there was face painting, balloons, games, and food vendors galore.  The event was not overly crowded, but had enough people there to make it an exciting event.

I hope that Miamisburg will continue to put this event on, as it is quickly becoming one of my favorite summer happenings.  I also hope that Geoff will be riding in next year’s race.  Although the competition will be stronger, I know Geoff has what it takes to bring home a trophy or two for the day’s efforts.  And if he rides in a better category, that just means that our cheering section will have to step it up next year too - which of course will be fun.

Did you attend the Tour d’ Burg?  What did you think of the day?  Will you go again?

Here are some pictures of the event, courtesy of another great brother in law - Chad -  who served as the unofficial photographer for the day’s events.

Tour d’Burg 2008 | 2008 Tour d’Burg!

If I Was In Charge of Verizon…

If I was in charge of Verizon, the first thing I would do would be to take the large group of people, known collectively on TV as “the network,” - seen following around the “can you hear me now?” guy in the commercials - and reassign them to work in Customer Service.  In fact I would make the core focus of the company customer service. I would make going to the Verizon Store something you love to do - not loathe to do.

Note to Verizon.  I can hear you.  Great job on the network thing.  Now that we have established that fact, let me hear you be nice, thoughtful, and helpful.  Make me feel like bypassing the iPhone and AT&T (who could also benefit from this) or Sprint, or whomever, was the right choice because you actually care about your customers.

From the billing process, to telephone help desk, to the in store service and sales experience, there is huge opportunity for you to improve what you do, while setting a new industry standard for excellence.  Be the first to own this space and make service the cornerstone for your future growth.  Can you hear me now?

What would you do first if you were in charge of Verizon?

The Physics of Marketing - Absloute Zero

At just about -273 degrees Celsius, you reach the point at which all molecular motion ceases.  There is no heat.  None.  This is known as Absolute Zero, and it was developed in large part by Lord Kelvin.  In his honor, the Kelvin Scale, in which 0 degrees equals -273 C,  was named.  While scientists have some close to reaching absolute zero in laboratories, it may be impossible to accomplish because the act of measuring would require some level of heat be introduced.  Still, scientists have gotten really, really close to this temperature that is really, really, really cold.

There are some really “cool” things that happen to certain elements when you approach absolute zero, such as condensates - super cold liquids that can overcome adhesion and gravity to spontaneously flow out of their containers.  Needless to say, funny things happen near absolute zero.

So, from a Marketing Perspective, what is analogous to absolute zero?

I am inclined to say that the concept of the Long Tail, introduced by Chris Anderson, is analogous to this concept in some way.  The Long Tail states that, among other things, the internet empowers infinite consumer niches, and thus in a digital world where inventory is not much of an issue, there is a demand for just about everything.  So, that record you and your buddies made in the garage in 1976 might have one person out there somewhere, besides you, who is interested in it.  That record - once thought to be completely void of heat - now possesses a minuscule amount of movement.

Marketing professionals are paid to move products and services away from absolute zero - as far away as possible.  Marketing is some sense is about using resources for generating heat around a product or service, capitalizing on the Second Law of Thermodynamics (Thanks Geoff) to maximize the return on investment.   As the product life cycle would dictate, nothing lasts forever and today’s hot product becomes yesterday’s news pretty quickly.  Marketing moves on, and the product or service often loses heat until it finally dies - theoretical absolute marketing zero.

Still, the long tail being what it is, absolute zero for a product may never actually be reached.  As products or services approach this temperature, weird things happen.  Small groups of people may decide that they don’t want to let go of a product or service, and demand comes from seemingly out of nowhere to defy conventional wisdom.  That is why someone will pay $27.00 for the Shirt Tales lunch box on ebay.  Sometimes this remains isolated and sometimes the product begins to generate heat again and moves away from Absolute Zero.  Pabst Blue Ribbon comes to mind as a brand that was once near death, and then, somehow got to be trendy.  Now, bars in Columbus, Ohio can’t keep enough of it in stock to meet demand.  While this definitely differs from the absolute laws of physics, the ideas seem to be similar.

I am curious to hear from you on Absolute Zero.  How can you apply this to Marketing?  Please share your thoughts and join the discussion with your comments.

The Physics of Marketing - Second Law of Thermodynamics

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that in a closed system entropy always increases.  That means that when you put Coca-Cola in a refrigerator, the Coke will get cooler - but the refrigerator will put out heat into the world in order to make that happen.  Yes the inside of the refrigerator is cool, but put your hand on the back, and you will get the idea.  To make the inside of the fridge cool, the heat energy must be dispersed out of the system.  Cold objects have low entropy, or disorder, and hot items higher entropy (think of those hot molecules wildly bouncing).  Heat does not flow from a cold object to a hot one, but rather from hot to cold until an even temperature is reached.  The Coke does not absorb the heat from the air in the refrigerator making the can warmer, but rather, as would be expected, the can gets cold.

I must admit that relating this concept to marketing has been a challenge, so I am really hoping to get some good feedback from the scientists out there.   Still, I will take a stab at it, and hopefully learn in the process.

The thought that comes to mind for me revolves around product launches.  A hot new product is introduced, like the iPhone.  With a good marketing campaign, this product creates tremendous disruption in the marketplace.and as people begin to use it.  Over time it becomes adopted, prices come down, and the heat generated by the product dissipates.  The product introduced disorder, which ultimately created change dispersed throughout our universe.  The iPhone will yield cheaper copy cat products, and the technology will eventually become integrated into the population. (Now this example assumes that the product is successful)

Know that because of this law, the heat of success will cool.  You had better be able to introduce further innovation if you want to remain viable.  Why has Apple had such a good run?  They have continued to introduce entropy into the marketplace with hot new exciting products.  iPod, Shuffle, Nano, MacBook, MacAir, iPhone, etc…

Another example that came to mind was the idea of maximizing your strengths as opposed to trying to focus on areas of weakness.  By focusing on strengths, you are more likely to produce change - resulting in entropy.  Focusing on doing what you do well, finding ways to do it better, and developing ways to add new and innovative value is similar to creating something hot and sending out that energy.  Weakness on the other hand, represents low entropy to me.  If you struggle in an area, chances are your improvements will be marginal at best.  Thus you are only going to go from cold to slightly less cold.  You are unable to impact change with the weakness approach.  Ultimately if you can generate enough heat with your areas of strength, you can make weakness irrelevant - because the final level of entropy will be elevated to a greater extent.   Be the best in the world at what you do best, and hire that best in the world where you are weak.

I would love to hear from you.  How would you relate the Second Law of Thermodynamics to Marketing?  Please share your thoughts on this by leaving a comment.  Educate me and the rest of the world with your brilliance.

Next Page »