Bull Riding=The Next NASCAR

Sounds crazy? Don't bet against it.
As a matter of fact, smart money is betting ON it--including a few hedge fund traders that have proven to be prescient in just about every move they've made.

Amongst all sports categories, bull riding has had the greatest growth i.e. TV viewership in the last four years, and attendance at major tourneys is increasing by mid double digits.

Why? Think David vs. Goliath. Man Meets Animal in Sporting Arena.
Testosterone at its finest--and the sponsors are quickly beginning to appreciate the many different angles at which they can tatoo their logo. Thrilling, exciting, physically stimulating.

This is a sport that doesn't need a Spice Girl's husband to spice up the entertainment..This is no bullshit bull riding and 20 seconds of pure entertainment.

While soccer tries to be the next football, bull riding IS going to be the next NASCAR. You read it here.

Venture Capital Education

In the course of a recent "pitch" conference call with a prominent VC firm (specializing in BRIC wireless telecom initiatives), the VC said "We need to get more up to speed on the technology, so we'd like to see how it plays out and perhaps visit on the second round"

So that means:
We were talking to a low-level analyst that presented himself as a decision maker. Any VC worth their salt that puts themselves out to investors as specializing in a niche---necessarily implies they are up to speed--and their investors can expect deployment of capital quickly, at early stage companies--so that investors can expect better returns than they might get at another VC firm, or a maybe a private equity firm.

The only way to get an education is to participate or watch. Those that participate share in the glory of the gold medal. In this case, real gold. Those that watch to learn, get a bronze medal. They come in 3 places behind the big winner.

In the world of investing, the first round participants are paying for the first look, and a front row seat. Their returns (on winners) can be 500x initial capital. Can you spell GOOGLE?. OK, there aren't many GOOG's in the course of a decade---but the point is---the second round investor in a company that's proven itself, is passing hurdles without a blink, is going to pay 5x, or maybe 10x the valuation. And is ideally going to earn 4x-5x over the next 10 years.

Or the company is on such a trajectory that they can get bank financing for their next $50 million round.
VC's--or any other "professional investor" that says 'we need to be better educated, and watch the market mature" shouldn't be claiming to be experts.

NBC News Lights Fire Under Flammable Purell

Two weeks ago I touted a new product that can maybe make $3million in 2 years--a well-branded, alcohol-free hand sanitizer.. If you use Purell, or another type of traditional product that you can easily pick up at an airport news stand, or any drug or grocery. Its a $150million/year product.
98% of the products are alchol based--they have a sticky gel application, they often have a fragrance (that is often noxius), and when you use frequently--they make your skin dry/irritated. Sound familiar?... Its the alcohol that kills the germs but also causes the side effects. OK...lets not forget the 11,000 reports of alcohol poisoning attributed to hand sanitizers (mostly kids--they're apparently inadvertently, or not, ingesting the gel by licking it off their hands....taste bad, and causes some medical problems....
Click on the Title Link to see Matt Lauer light a fire on Purell...Its a pretty flammable message that is probably going to torch the current product category

What's the product that solves this problem:
Soapopular
where can you buy it legally? http://www.mgsmata.com

Who else knows about it... ?The smartest merchandisers in the country have already planned national product launches starting in Sept.. You can buy it right now on Amazon.com

CEO and the Brand

	July 16, 2007

IN THE LEAD By CAROL HYMOWITZ

Some CEOs Advertise The 'Me' Brand -- With Limited Success July 16, 2007; Page B1 Companies budget large amounts of money to develop brands that stir excitement and cement loyalty from customers. "Fly the Friendly Skies" still evokes United Airlines and an era of hassle-free travel. The "snap, crackle, pop" of Kellogg's Rice Krispies brand conjures up for many consumers an image of a cereal that's fun for kids. Now, some top executives are branding themselves as distinctly as they brand their companies' products. They want to ensure their names also are quickly recognized and tied to a particular sentiment. They believe they have to do this to retain the support of increasingly fickle directors and investors. A strong public image may also help them build alliances with government officials and business leaders across the globe. And in the Google age, they want their names to be more prominent than those of their rank-and-file employees, who are competing for high placement on search engines and social-networking sites. FORUM 1 Have you ever worked for a company, where the company image hinged upon a single individual? Do you think that executives should put themselves in the spotlight? Share your thoughts2. Building a personal brand gives the executives fame beyond their companies. Numerous retired CEOs, from GE's Jack Welch to Citigroup's Sandy Weill, are on speaking and publishing tours making sure their names remain in bright lights. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs have demonstrated the benefits of linking a strong name and personality to their unique products. Martha Stewart, founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, has turned her name into one of the most successful brands in business. It is on her bedroom sheets, dishes and other household products; her magazine; her television show; and, most recently, her architectural designs of new homes. (See related article3.) Ms. Stewart's 2004 conviction for lying to prosecutors over a stock sale, followed by a five-month prison stay, hasn't damaged her image as a maven of trendy and tasteful living. Oprah Winfrey has used her name to build a powerful brand that emphasizes self-empowerment, reinvention and spirituality -- themes that she has said are at the center of her life and that she highlights on her TV talk show, Web sites, magazine and other ventures. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson portrays himself in his own books and in media interviews as an unorthodox pathfinder and a daredevil who has escaped death by shipwreck, gunfire and balloon crash. He uses this image to snag deals and realize novel ideas across a broad spectrum of industries represented by the 200 companies he operates. His customers can fly Virgin Atlantic, take balloon rides and buy mobile-phone service, life insurance, bridal gowns and pop music. Yet, corporate executives should be wary of too much personal brand-building. Unlike entrepreneurs who boost their companies when they promote themselves, an executive at an established corporation who brands himself is competing with his company's image. Such executives risk quashing the spirit of teamwork essential to innovation and productivity, and they tend to fail to do vital succession planning. A high-profile CEO can make sense for a company that "is seeking a stronger identity in the financial markets," says Gurnek Bains, chief executive of YSC, a London-based corporate-psychology consultant. "But all our research shows that it's humbler executives with less ego -- the ones who stay very connected to their employees and customers -- who get the best results for their businesses." Tom Kuczmarski, a consultant on business innovation and a professor at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, adds: "When you're the rock-star brand at the top, you're conveying to people in the ranks that they're second-class citizens -- and you stop thinking about how to develop the next group of people who will run the show." At Toyota, President Katsuaki Watanabe isn't a household name. Unlike some of his counterparts at other auto makers, such as DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche, Mr. Watanabe likes to keep a low profile and has never appeared in his company's ads. Yet, consumers have made Toyota the most profitable car maker in the world. The company is expected to sell some 9.34 million vehicles this year. Other successful CEOs forgo developing a personal brand to focus on building bench strength in leadership. Procter & Gamble's A.G. Lafley, following a company tradition, assigns new M.B.A. hires to be brand managers for products such as Tide detergent and Clairol hair-care items. The work stresses the importance of knowing everything possible about customers' buying habits. Mr. Lafley teaches by example. On his own business travels around the world, he quietly talks with customers in supermarkets and even, sometimes, their homes, asking them which products they like and use most frequently. Most corporate chiefs know success doesn't rest on one charismatic leader. Companies such as Intel, PepsiCo, Goldman Sachs and General Electric also are known for developing leaders up and down their ranks. Only the most confident CEOs are willing to advertise their employees more than themselves. • Email me at inthelead@wsj.com4.

The Hand That Controls the Sock Puppet Could Get Slapped

John Mackey and Patrick Byrne..and the First Amendment...
What complete and total moron believes that the Chief Executives should be allowed to manipulate public opinion by surreptitiously publishing comments that are misleading, and otherwise designed to sway people into believing things that might not be totally true?.

Ok, so George Bush says I'm way out of line--and probably believes that shareholders, just like voters, should expect their CEO's to be the DecisionMakers--and are allowed to do and say whatever it takes to improve the share price of the stock.
Or maybe he would only apply that rule to Halliburton?

Sure the Constitution includes an amendment that ..it might be the 1st one....but didn't your elementary school teacher tell you that anything you put into digital format can be traced back to you...? Here's the Rule. If you don't want it to appear on the front page of the NY Times (or Washington Post) with your real name as the author, then don't write it down...this applies to email, text messages, blogs, faxes and postings on websites..GET IT?

Are you using the right hand sanitizer??

If you don't carry around a small bottle of Purell, I promise that you know someone that does, and they probably also have larger dispensers for their home, office and/or car. Why--can you spell F-E-A-R? Asian Flu, Bird Flu, you name it, we're all getting freaked out about the little germsn and mutants that are so easily transported.
What do you think you're touching when you pull that shopping cart out of the stack at the local A&P? Or how about when you (finally) put your hands on the arm rests of a plane, train or bus seat? How about when you open and close a taxi door?

Yikes...
Whats the point? Hand sanitizer sales in the US alone have doubled in the last 4 years. According to Neilsen, the market has grown from $50 million to $150 million since since 2002.
BUT..the real news is that Purell, which owns 90% or so market share is now getting its comeupance, and consumers are discovering that ALCOHOL-FREE ALTERNATIVES , such as Canada's "Soapopular" brand not only provide the same degree of germ/bacteria killing potency, but alcohol free products are safer and friendlier to use.
No sticky gel
No unpleasant fragrance (Soapopular is fragrance free)
No drying/chapping / irritation caused by alcohol
KID Safe...Want to guess how many incidents of children inadvertently ingesting Purell and winding up in the hospital have been reported this year?? Literally dozens.

Go Alcohol-Free.

Marketing Videos Became a Hit in Their Own Right

Sure, we've all read about the various home-made videos that make it big on YouTube and some not only prove powerful in the course of creating brand/product awareness, but actually turn out to be revenue producers in their own right.

Its a long distance to haul before a video on YouTube turns out to be a stand-alone money maker, but the point of today's WSJ article is that home-grown videos, especially those with a creative and irreverant twist can accomplish more than a $1million ad campaign.

Its about word of mouth!--And if you can add images/audio to the words that attract, inspire, entertain--then you've got yourself a grass roots marketing campaign that, through email alone, can land you a spot on Donny Deutch's next TV show.

Here's an excerpt:
E-commerce started with television commerce,” he said. “The sites who engage and entertain customers will be winning here in the near future.”

Such a prospect is not necessarily daunting to other e-commerce executives. Gordon Magee, head of Internet marketing for Drs. Foster & Smith, based in a Rhinelander, Wis., said a transition to video “will be seamless for us.” The company, Mr. Magee said, has in recent weeks discussed putting some of its product on video “so customers could see a 360-degree view they don’t have to manipulate themselves.”

Because Drs. Foster & Smith lacks a history in video production, Mr. Magee said the company would rely on vendors “who’ll do the video for you and just send you a piece of code to get it on your site. It’ll be an easy switch for most people. And I do think it’ll become a major thing in e-commerce.”

Whether it will be an expensive transition is unclear. In the meantime, Mr. Magee said the company should sustain its customer satisfaction levels as long as it continues to anticipate even basic needs. For instance, he said the company’s customers expect prices on the Web site to reflect what they see in the printed catalog, even though other retailers often post different prices in stores, in their catalogs and online.

Its All About the Video!! What You See is What You Get!

Come on webkins!....Why could you possibly be waiting to introduce video elements to your website???

To Raise Shopper Satisfaction, Web Merchants Turn to Videos

Mike Mergen for The New York Times

By BOB TEDESCHI

Published: July 2, 2007

FOR years Internet merchants have poured millions of dollars into new technologies to make their sites easier to use. So why aren’t online customers happier?

Customer satisfaction levels have remained almost flat through the last several years, according to a survey of about 20,000 online shoppers recently released by ForeSee Results, a consulting and research firm based in Ann Arbor, Mich. The problem, according to Larry Freed, ForeSee’s chief executive, is not so much that consumers have ignored the many improvements made in recent years. Rather, he said, they still expect more from Internet shopping than it has delivered.

“If we walk into a local store, we don’t expect that experience to be better than it was a couple years ago,” Mr. Freed said. “But we expect sites to be better. The bar goes up every year.”

In ForeSee’s latest survey, released last month, just five e-commerce sites registered scores higher than 80 out of 100, and no site scored higher than 85. They were, in descending order, Netflix, QVC.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the pet supplies site Drs. Foster & Smith. It was much the same story a year ago, when just five scored higher than 80, with no site surpassing 85.

“Scores have inched up over time for the best e-commerce companies, but the overall numbers haven’t moved drastically,” Mr. Freed said. “At the same time though, if you don’t do anything you see your scores drop steadily.”

That dynamic has been a challenge for online merchants and investors, who a decade ago envisioned Internet stores as relatively inexpensive (and therefore extremely profitable) operations. Now some observers predict a future where online retailers will essentially adopt something like the QVC model, with sales staff pitching the site’s merchandise with polished video presentations, produced in a high-tech television studio.

QVC.com is evolving in that direction. The Web site, which sold more than $1 billion in merchandise in 2006, has for the last five years let visitors watch a live feed of the network’s broadcast. But in recent months, QVC.com has also given visitors the chance to watch archives of entire shows, and in the coming months visitors will be able to find more video segments from recent shows, featuring individual products that remain in stock.

Bob Myers, senior vice president of QVC.com, said the Web site’s video salesmanship is especially effective when combined with detailed product information, customer reviews and multiple photographs.

“E-commerce started with television commerce,” he said. “The sites who engage and entertain customers will be winning here in the near future.”

Such a prospect is not necessarily daunting to other e-commerce executives. Gordon Magee, head of Internet marketing for Drs. Foster & Smith, based in a Rhinelander, Wis., said a transition to video “will be seamless for us.” The company, Mr. Magee said, has in recent weeks discussed putting some of its product on video “so customers could see a 360-degree view they don’t have to manipulate themselves.”

Because Drs. Foster & Smith lacks a history in video production, Mr. Magee said the company would rely on vendors “who’ll do the video for you and just send you a piece of code to get it on your site. It’ll be an easy switch for most people. And I do think it’ll become a major thing in e-commerce.”

Whether it will be an expensive transition is unclear. In the meantime, Mr. Magee said the company should sustain its customer satisfaction levels as long as it continues to anticipate even basic needs. F

Some businesses, however, have managed to build extensive customer service systems without spending much money — and build them in a way that, they say, improves their overall customer satisfaction levels. Take, for example, Lala.com, the online barter service for CDs and DVDs.

When the company began last year, it did not have enough money to hire an extensive customer service staff. But the site’s founders created online discussion boards to encourage a sense of community among customers. Shortly thereafter, they witnessed customers helping others with problems or questions, and a de facto customer service team was born.

Now, according to Anselm Baird-Smith, one of Lala’s founders, customers find help through so-called guides — a designation earned by a few thousand volunteers who have shown a propensity to answer questions in the forums. Not only do the customers get help, he said, but the volunteers are more loyal to the site than they might otherwise be.

“Those guys like coming to our site, spending a few minutes and contributing,” Mr. Baird-Smith said. “People like being known in their own community.”

Its About Time: SmartAds from Yahoo!

duh...displaying an ad based on the profile of the reader...

Online Customized Ads Move a Step Closer

By LOUISE STORY

Yahoo will announce new tools for online advertising today that could pull the company ahead in the race for what is called “behavioral targeting,” that is, the ability to better tailor online advertisements to the people most likely to buy.

The product, Yahoo SmartAds, would help marketers create custom advertisements on the fly, using information on individual buyers and information on real prices and availability from the vendors. For example, a person who had recently searched for information about blenders might see an ad from Target that gives the prices for the blenders that are on the shelves in the store closest to that person’s home.

The Internet has long promised this kind of one-to-one marketing, but it has often been difficult for advertisers to customize display advertisements with a broad reach.

“Ad agencies have been really struggling with how to scale the value proposition of the Internet,” said Todd Teresi, senior vice president of display marketplaces at Yahoo. “We now can get scaleable one-to-one marketing.”

The announcement of SmartAds also comes while Yahoo is recovering from an extensive reshuffling in the executive offices, including the departure of its chief executive, Terry S. Semel, and Wenda Harris Millard, the company’s longtime chief sales officer. Yahoo has struggled to catch up with Google in search advertising and has disappointed investors with its ad sales the past few quarters.

SmartAds is one attempt to catch up. Although the technology is complex, the goal of SmartAds is simple: show the right advertisement to the right person at just the moment that he is about to pull out his wallet to make a purchase.

“This fills a need that some advertisers have needed for a while — applying personalization to display ads, so they work like search and listing ads,” Mr. Kenny said. “Yahoo has a real advantage in SmartAds because of the data from their big and engaged audience, the combination of deep display and improving search capabilities, and the new changes to work with us at the technology level instead of just selling inventory.”

How Marketers Hone Their Aim Online

Can you spell behavioral targeting? Of course you can....but are you embracing it?

If you're not, you need to adjust your behavior. The driving force behind Web 2.0 and Web 2.5 billion dollar acquisitions isn't content--its search technology that empowers advertisers to strategically place their ads exactly where their most likely customers will be looking.
10 different ad placement agencies are leading the charge---and however nascent stage their applications are right now....this is where you want to allocate ad spend dollars.

Speaking of innovation, Synovativ's AdDiem --a desk top electronic billboard that I mentioned six months ago is making big inroads---the latest adopter : NASCAR....its a brilliant approach to staying in front of your customer, and not only delivers timely updates (daily) about your latest offerings, but its a trojan horse device that can be used for you to sell advertising on top of...and it cost pennies to implement....do end users get annoyed when a pop up appears on their PC screen at a pre-determined time every day? Some do , but audits indicated less than 14% remove the applet...and the balance of users will click thru at least three times. Not bad!