At Kodak, Some Old Things Are New Again

Eastman Kodak, which once considered itself the Bell Labs of chemistry, has embraced the digital world and the researchers who understand it

New York Times, May 2, 2008 — Steven J. Sasson, an electrical engineer who invented the first digital camera at Eastman Kodak in the 1970s, remembers well management’s dismay at his featMy prototype was big as a toaster, but the technical people loved it,” Mr. Sasson said. “But it was filmless photography, so management’s reaction was, ‘that’s cute — but don’t tell anyone about it.’ ”

Since then, of course, Kodak, which once considered itself the Bell Labs of chemistry, has embraced the digital world and the researchers who understand it.

The Iger difference

Bob Iger has led a renaissance at Disney. But can he withstand a bad economy and the tech revolution in the media business?

FORTUNE, April 11, 2008 — At a time of upheaval in the media business, Walt Disney has had a string of hits the likes of which it hasn't had since, well, the early tenure of former CEO Michael Eisner in the 1980s. Three years after succeeding Eisner - and confounding skeptics in the process - CEO Bob Iger talked to Fortune's Richard Siklos about buying Pixar, pulling Disney (DIS, Fortune 500) out of a creative slump with new megafranchises like "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical," working with Steve Jobs, and wrestling with the image of a certain mouse. Edited excerpts:

Digital Engagement Top of Mind at IAA World Congress†

Online Is Not Just a Sales Channel, and Technology Will Only Increase Engagement With Consumers

Advertising Age, April 8, 2008 — The International Advertising Association's 41st annual World Congress is themed "What's Coming Next." The consensus among executives gathered here is that more focus will be placed on using digital creative to engage users rather than just advertise to them.

Life on the Edge: Learning from Facebook

The social network provides important lessons for executives—and a key forum for innovation and experimentation

BusinessWeek, April 2, 2008 — For most business executives, Facebook remains a remote, somewhat mysterious, online frontier. Many executives harbor strong doubts that Facebook is at all relevant to "real business." After all, isn't it just a bunch of college kids sharing photos of drinking exploits and trying to hook up with each other?

Let's start with the stats. Facebook now brings together 66 million online users. While many of these users are students and recent graduates, users 35 years old and older account for more than half of Facebook's daily visitors and are the network's most rapidly growing demographic. Currently the average Facebook visitor spends about 2.5 hours per month on the site, which was founded in February, 2004, and was valued at $15 billion three years later... continue reading

The Brand Called Obama

Win or lose, Barack Obama's rise changes business as usual for everyone. Here's why.

Fast Company, March 19, 2008 — The fact that Obama has taken what we thought we knew about politics and turned it into a different game for a different generation is no longer news. What has hardly been examined is the degree to which his success indicates a seismic shift on the business horizon as well. Politics, after all, is about marketing — about projecting and selling an image, stoking aspirations, moving people to identify, evangelize, and consume. The promotion of the brand called Obama is a case study of where the American marketplace — and, potentially, the global one — is moving. His openness to the way consumers today communicate with one another, his recognition of their desire for authentic "products," and his understanding of the need for a new global image — all are... continue reading

Move Past Stereotypes and Connect With CIOs†

Hook Up: Why the IT Organization Doesn't Have to Be a Marketing Obstacle

Advertising Age, March 3, 2008 — Chief marketing officers work tirelessly to meet the needs of their customers, who are demanding a higher level of personalization as they interact with marketers. CMOs want to implement better websites, more-effective customer-relationship-management systems to boost customer service and e-mail-message relevance, and self-service options in stores and online. Unfortunately, they commonly face a major obstacle: the chief information officer and IT organization, who often respond to requests for projects with the same answer: no.

But with technology playing an even greater role in marketing activities and the importance of the customer experience, CMOs need to put an end to this pattern and form strategic relationships with their CIOs.

Thinking About Tomorrow†

How will technology change the way we shop, learn and entertain ourselves? How will it change the way we get news, protect our privacy, connect with friends? We look ahead 10 years

Wall Street Journal, January 28, 2008 — Let's get this out of the way first — in the next 10 years, no one will travel to work by jet pack or have robot maids that serve dinner. But technology will continue to transform the rituals of everyday life — sometimes in startling ways.

Imagine televisions that project 3-D images into the middle of the living room, for a theater-in-the-round experience. And while we won't get those robot maids, our appliances might start "talking" to us through email alerts, letting us know when a part is getting worn down and needs to be replaced.

Many other changes will be more subtle, as technology finds new ways into our daily routine.

Publicis, Google to Exchange Execs†

Companies Plan to Share Talent, Collaborate to Develop New Products

Advertising Age, January 23, 2008 — Publicis Groupe and Google are collaborating to develop new products and tools and exchange talent by embedding executives in each others' companies.