Archive for January, 2006

Monday, January 30th, 2006

Simplicity

Funny how simplicity seems to resonate through the ages. Try this – do a search on simplicity and look for quotes using a variety of variables. You will be amazed at how many scientists, philosophers, designers, thinkers, and doers – you name it – believe that simplicity is a powerful advantage for getting things done.

Think on this – as complicated as the world might seem at times and as convoluted as it gets, most of the so-called “laws of the Universe” are pretty simple. It’s funny how the best creative ideas seem to mirror the simplicity theme too. You know what I mean – those completely obvious solutions that make you slap your forehead and say, “why didn’t I think of that?” But you didn’t…

  • "Simplify, simplify."
  • Could 'simple' (as we are discussing here) be a quality or concept that we, as humans, can all eventually grasp? A lowest common denominator perhaps and something that we can't truly understand why we relate to? - like Kant's Transcendental Idealism, if we want to continue the Philosophical theme. It may take us years to reach (i.e. laws of the universe ...
  • I agree with your view 'keep it simple, stupid', however I don't agree with your view that if you have to explain an idea it has failed. Think back to 'Plato's Cave' - the point that every individual/organisation is different and has a different 'Plato's Cave' life experience. Baring this in mind, communicating an idea has to be adjusted ...
Tuesday, January 24th, 2006

Ben Franklin

One of my favourite historical figures of all time – ranking right up there with Leonardo, Michelangelo, Beethoven and the Beatles – is Benjamin Franklin. This month was his 300th birthday. Bummer I wasn’t invited to the party…

Much like my other heroes, Franklin was a renaissance man. A poor boy, the youngest son of a youngest son (he was number 10) he arrived in the city of Philadelphia poor, and died an icon.

  • to lisa's comment: I agree that even changing needs (not: takes) it's time. unfortunately, I have the feeling that today "in this modern world" change often is seen as a means to an end. the ability to step back and think things over - at least for a while - has been amputated by all the blessing of modern communication. if ...
  • Weigh in and win....I guess I could have written Free Sex and seen the results -- seems to work on the web.....but that wasnt the point -- my expectation for this blog as outlined in the first posting was that it be a place to build on thinking; ideas; concepts and that folks who took the time would do so ...
  • so,where is the prize? I come cause your subject also, don't tell it's a unfulfilled promise ^0^
Monday, January 16th, 2006

Dumb and Dumber

What is it about technology that creates so much fear and trepidation in the marketing world? Say the word and people tremble. Ask a question and executives break out in a sweat. Yet, is it worth delivering an idea and seeing nothing much happen? Despite the trembling and the sweats and the fear and trepidation, is it not worth a try?

It seems that maybe the terror of the unknown and the anxiety about failure, or possibly the dread of looking un-cool/un-hip, causes panic-related paralysis. It is considered better to ignore, hide behind ROI, budgets or resource allocation and hope that time is on your side. Either you will have moved on to another job and it becomes someone else’s problem (a real issue in a world where the average CMO is in the position less than two years, where they go for the short term instead of rocking the boat); or the sheer size and momentum of your business hides everything but the big obvious marketing initiatives – a phenomenon we have seen many times… And of course, does it really?

  • Peter Drucker never faced Cylons. Or maybe he's a Cylon agent.
  • It's true... 'Computers are dumb.' Until the communicators move into a new medium that medium doesn't reach it's full potential. It happened in Mail - where it was more important you knew 'the formula' than anything insightful about your audience. It happened in Online - where the early agencies were all technicians. And it will happen with the next new ...
  • "Feel the fear and do it anyway" - I think it is a mind-set thing, there are business people who are 'yes-people' for a simple, boring, no-risk, stand-still approach to business - the 'dinosaur companies of this world' and there are a small proportion of people who are willing to put their head above the parapet and say what they ...