Result Driven Innovation

Apple is widely viewed as one of, most innovative company in the world. But innovation at Apple comes cheap compared to other tech companies: Of the industry’s 50 most prolific investors in research and development, Apple spends the least as a percentage of revenue.

Apple spent $844 million on R&D in the calendar year 2007, just 3.2% of its revenue over that time. In contrast, Microsoft, which spent the most on R&D of any tech company, spent $7.4 billion, or 12.8% of its revenue, according to numbers compiled by CIO Zone.

In all, the top 50 R&D spenders plowed more than $50 billion into new products and services in 2007, spending an average of 9.7% of revenue on R&D.

The rest of the top 10 is a who’s who of tech companies. After Microsoft came IBM ($6.2 billion), Intel ($5.8 billion), Cisco ($4.7 billion), and H-P ($3.6 billion). Oracle ($2.5 billion), SAP ($2.3 billion), Google ($2.1 billion), Sun ($1.9 billion), and AMD ($1.8 billion) rounded out the top 10.

Google’s total was $890 million, or 74%, more than it spent on R&D last year, according to CIO Zone, making it the biggest mover in terms of dollars spent. Yahoo, which spent $1 billion R&D in 2007, increased its spending 30% from the year before. Other companies that increased R&D spending greatly are VMWare ($286 million, up 93%), Red Hat ($91 million, up 47%), and Salesforce.com ($64 million, up 43%).

Consequently, it is important that how to manage R&D process effectively rather than high budget expenses.

Social Media Challenge

Universal McCann has released a new report on the impact of social media (such as blogs, social networks, online video) on the media landscape. It surveyed 17,000 Internet users worldwide in March 2008.

The report found that social media, in particular blogs, are "becoming a more important part of global media consumption for internet users than some traditional media channels." The report also found that social media is a global phenomenon (29 countries were surveyed), although there are cultural differences in how people use it.

The report states that "video clips, blogs, podcasts, social networks and RSS are all essential components of the online media diet." Here are some of the key findings:

- 83% watch video clips, up from 62% in the last study in June 2007
- 78% read blogs, up from 66%
- 57% of internet users are now members of a social network
- RSS consumption is growing rapidly up from 15% to 39%
- Podcasts are now mainstream digital content, listened to by 48%

Social networks have been "a key driver for the growth of social media":

- 22% of social network users have installed a widget or applications
- 55% have shared photos
- 22% have shared their videos
- 31% have started a blog
- The world’s biggest social network is MySpace with 32% weekly reach followed by Facebook on 23%

The report also states that social media is a global phenomenon:

- Top markets for blogging – China 70% of internet users write a blog, Philippines 66% and Mexico 60%
- Top markets for social networking – Philippines 83%, Hungary 76% and Poland 76%
- China is the world's largest blogging market with 42m bloggers versus 26m in the US

Those last stats will be an eye opener for many, because the US web tech market gets most of the attention of the blogosphere and mainstream media. But with China having 42m bloggers compared to the US's 26m, there is large scope for social media to flourish there - even despite China's political issues with social media.

Source: Richard MacManus

Marketing 2.0

Classical marketing communication as we know it
but, what we have now is

and now, we talk about; Viral Marketing (every one wants his ad, brand spreading like a virus) Contextual Avertising (Adsense), Mobile Marketing (waiting for broadband), Blogs, RSS, Email Marketing, Search Engine Marketing SEM /SEO (the new paradigm), Advergaming, Rich Media, Broadband contents etc.

We know that a positive comment about a product or service is still more powerful than any commercials or print ads, even more if that comment comes from someone you know and trust, and bad comments can often do more harm than advertising can makeup for.

Until now, those comments take place in cocktail party. Very few people know about them now the place is the blogosphere, where everybody can read them. And comment about them.

They are Google friendly; imagine a database in wich you can search lots of conversations about your products,with good and bad opinions...

Hyper connectivity leaves no room for mistakes. Therefore, advertising will need to adapt and learn to communicate with consumers in a fair, transparent way. Consumers now have access to information they didn’t have access to before, and they will use it to judge advertising campaigns, and invalidate them whenever possible. Word of mouth is now supported by blogs, and it can be a powerful tool to create a strong brand, or to damage a stablished one.

Internet is a big loudspeaker, that tell everybody about the brands, companies, and every single product. So we should begin to hear what is happening, don’t we?

Design Your Flash Disk

Pexagon provides creative customization facilities to the customers. You can design your own flash disk with respect to your preferences.

Pexagon presents 14 different colors opportunities and enables that customers can process any script or logo on their flash disks.

It's a counter example of mass customization.

Ultimate Web Portal Promotion

Volkswagen's new portal Tv spot is really amazing. Creatively explains how they contstructed the web portal

They Changed the World: Bill Gates and Steve Jobs

To create a new standard, it takes something that’s not just a little bit different, it takes something that’s really new and really captures people’s imagination and the Macintosh, of all the machines I’ve ever seen, is the only one that meets that standard.”
–Microsoft founder Bill Gates, 1984

If I were running Apple, I would milk the Macintosh for all it’s worth–and get busy on the next great thing. The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago.”

–Steve Jobs, 1996

Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg conducted an interview with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the D5 conference.

Everyone should watch this video and think about it. These guys changed the world behaviour, hence we have to know what kind of people they are...

2008 Presentation on Youth Marketing

| View | Upload your own

Lost: Viral Marketing Campaigns

Popular TV Series LOST uses integrated marketing communication tools effectively. Specially focuses upon viral marketing campaigns.

Lost supply boxes (Dharma Boxes) around Lisbon, Portugal to remind everyone that season four premieres on the Fox channel today.

This viral campaign causes that island mystery surrounds Lisbon Streets.

Natural Creative Advertising

Creative Advertising successfully uses nature.

Mc Donalds Wi-Fi Campaign

Wireless Internet Service is now available in Mc Donalds restaurants. Mc Donalds launched a successful advertorial campaign for Mc Donalds Wi-Fi.