Personal and professional development for technology professionals.
» Bringing Ideas To Life. With Love!
By Rajesh Setty on Mon 04 Aug 2008, 6:15 PM - Leave Comment
I know. Jiffle should have created this screencast to show how to use Jiffle. Mea Culpa.
Hari and I are thankful to Andrew MacNeill who has created a cool 5 minute screencast on “Using Jiffle to Schedule Meetings”
Here is the link:
Screencast: Using Jiffle to Schedule Meetings
(Courtesy: Andrew MacNeill)
Have a great week ahead!
Posted under Announcement, Compelling Offers.
By Rajesh Setty on Thu 31 Jul 2008, 2:35 PM - Leave Comment
Imagine you are running a restaurant. Won’t it be nice to have your customers take a copy of your menu with them. It’s like a walking advertisement.
What would make someone pick up a menu and take it home?
Here is one answer:
Create compelling content targeted at your regular customers. Pack so much information in them that they want to take it home and read it. Make it so compelling that they will share it with their friends.
That’s what you see at Bucks Woodside. The menu is almost like a nicely created newsletter with relevant information to target audience (technology professionals, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists etc.)
You feel compelled to pick up that newsletter (sorry menu) and spread the message.
Now the real question:
What can you do in your business that will make it a “no-brainer” for your customers to spread your message.
Posted under Business Models, Compelling Offers.
By Rajesh Setty on Sun 27 Jul 2008, 5:44 PM - Leave Comment
That’s what was the price at a gas station in San Jose 
Here is the photo
Enjoy!
Have a great week ahead!
PS: For those interested in specific details, it’s an ad from Toyota for their Hybrid I think . A fine example of an offline contextual ad.
Posted under Compelling Offers, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Thu 10 Jul 2008, 9:57 AM - Leave Comment
Take a look at the picture below (Photo courtesy: Kiruba Shankar). This is from an ad for the Samsung Refrigerator.
You would think that this is like any other advertisement. It’s not!
You will have to click through this link to find out how this advertisement is really implemented. (Hint: It is really not an advertisement but an Advertisement Experience)
Kiruba Shankar: An Awesomely Innovative Ad
Simply Brilliant!
Food for Thought: How can you create such an experience for one or more of your products or services?
================
Update – July 10, 2008
I have recieved a few emails asking me why I am asking people to click through to Kiruba’s blog when I could just explain what this advertisement experience is – right here on my blog.
The answer is simple.You see – my first four published works were fiction. Specifically they were murder mysteries and spy thrillers. So I love suspense and wanted to create some suspense on the blog.
Just kidding..
Really, this interesting ad experience was discovered by Kiruba (who is a long-time friend) and rightly you should hear about it from him. Explaining everything on my blog and giving just a credit link won’t do justice as people may not click through the credit link
Anyway my $.02 only. There is no right or wrong way in these things. You do what your gut says. Sorry for those who thought I created an inconvenience.
Posted under Business Models, Compelling Offers.
By Rajesh Setty on Tue 27 May 2008, 10:04 PM - 2 Comments
Think of a typical startup and you will see three kinds of people involved:
1. Bedrock: These are people that will make and fulfill the promises of the startup. These are the people at the core of the startup
2. Getters: These are people who will make money when the offers made by the startup are being accepted.
3. Givers: These are people who will give the money to the startup (and in turn to the Givers) by accepting offers that are made by the startup
Take for example CDBaby. One of the core offers made by the startup is to sell music by independent musicians. The people who work at CDBaby (may be employed by CDBaby or may be not) are the Bedrock of the company. Independent musicians are the Getters and the customers who buy this music are the Givers.
When entrepreneurs are validating the startup idea, entrepreneurs may get into a trap of validating only with the Getters and forgetting the Givers. Getters are always excited about good avenues for getting their products out and making money. So they will most probably support you with your idea. Day in and day out if you focus on “Getters” you will continue to get positive validation.
Ultimately as you know all three categories of people are important and for a startup to gel well you need to focus on all categories of people.
Wish you the very best.
Posted under Business Models, Compelling Offers.
By Rajesh Setty on Tue 20 May 2008, 10:15 AM - 3 Comments
I love it when companies come up with offers that are “timely”. Chrysler’s “Let’s Refuel America” campaign is one such example.
Here are two options:
Option 1:
Buy a car and you get back up to a maximum of $600 per year for next three years.
Option 2:
How about a guarantee of $2.99 per gallon for the next three years
Sort of fine print:
* Only for 87 Octane fuel
* Upto 12,000 miles per year
If you used Option 1, it won’t make news and it is not “advertising worthy”. But if you use Option 2, you can get people to talk about it.
As a consumer what you are getting is “Option 1″ but explained to you as something compelling via the narrative of “Option 2″
I am not saying the offer is good or bad – it is up to the the consumers to decide. My goal is to open the hood and see what is the “real” offer.
Have a great week ahead!
Posted under Compelling Offers.
By Rajesh Setty on Tue 28 Aug 2007, 11:51 AM - 2 Comments
I flew back by Southwest Airlines on my way back from Kansas City yesterday. I have always had good experience with Southwest Airlines just because the crew there are a happy bunch and it’s sort of infectious. I asked for Tomato Juice and some water. I got Campbell’s Tomato Juice and Deja Blue water. Here is what was on those cans:
1. Campbell’s Tomato Juice:
Research studies show that diets rich in tomatoes and tomato products are associated with long-term health benefits. Many nutrition experts advise regularly including tomatoes and tomato products as part of a healthy diet. Tomatoes contain Lycopene – a powerful natural antioxidant found in very few other foods. Scientists are investigating the role Lycopene may play in long-term health benefits.
My $.02:
It seems like researchers are still figuring out what benefits MAY be there by using tomato or tomato based products in the diet. Why make a big deal about it when you don’t have solid data?
2. Deja Blue water
Using state of the art purification systems including reverse osmosis, carbon filtration and ozonation, we deliver a consistent taste and purity.
My $.02:
Too many buzzword for just a glass of water…
3. Lastly, the paper napkins had a pitch for Southwest airlines rapid rewards program. It said:
We’ll celebrate coast to coast
Rapid Rewards 20th Anniversary
Not a member? Join the Fun
southwest.com/rrenroll/20th
My $.02
You are celebrating. That’s great. I am a normal human being and I want to know what is in it for me. Why don’t you make it meaningful to me?
Posted under Compelling Offers.
By Rajesh Setty on Sun 17 Jun 2007, 10:12 PM - 1 Comment
Two weeks ago, I was at the Atlanta airport. One of the many stores in the airport was “Bag Mania”. Here is the photo.
Huge selection with a range of (pricing) options. The setup and arrangement was tempting enough to make you “feel” that you might really need a bag.
Yes, you can’t be everything to everyone but you can be something “really” good to someone!
Posted under Compelling Offers, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Sun 17 Jun 2007, 2:17 PM - Leave Comment
A couple of weeks ago, I was at Elberton, Georgia to attend the wedding of my dear friend Paul D’Souza (photos)
The event was fantastic and I was glad to be there. Of the many things
that were fascinating, a small chocolate fountain caught my attention.
Here is the photo of that chocolate fountain surrounded by small
children.
In a couple of hours, the fruit tray there was empty as children were almost competing to eat chocolate covered fruits. It was fascinating to watch this. Without the chocolate fountain, I can guarantee that there was no way that children would have cleared the fruit platter.
Something to think about:
If the fruits are your products or services and children are your customers, may be what is missing is a chocolate fountain. Do you have a chocolate fountain for your business?
Posted under Compelling Offers, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Wed 04 Apr 2007, 11:20 PM - 7 Comments
One way to know that your brand has got the firepower is when it becomes indistinguishable with the use of the product or service that the brand represents.
Here are some examples
1. Get me a Kleenex.
2. Can you Google it
3. Pick up some Pampers
4. Can you please xerox it for me..
5. Please Fedex it.
6. I am switching to an Apple.
What else can you think of?
Posted under Compelling Offers, Main Page.
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