MyBrainBlog

GitomerGroupies.com

2008-11-14T22:55:00.002-05:00

I'm experimenting with a new blogging tool I found at tumblr.com -- not really impressed with ability to customize so far (but it IS very simple to use.)

I get daily Google alerts on a variety of topics, and one of them is set to notify me of anything related to "Jeffrey Gitomer." He's a favorite sales guru (correction, he's THE sales guru) and I thought I'd simply repost the alerts Google sends to my email each day.

Once I got the site up and working for a couple of days, I had the thought to include a Gitomer quote to accompany each day's links. Today I started adding an embedded Gitomer video from YouTube.

I'm having some fun with it, and thought I'd share it with you.
http://www.GitomerGroupies.com

Tell me what you think...

Kukral The Counterfeiter

2008-11-09T10:50:00.005-05:00

Did Jim Kukral just become a counterfeiter?

Witness...

My header graphic for my new FiveBuckBrainstorms.com project...

Jim's image used to promote his Affiliate Summit Discount Coupon...

Hmmm...

You make the call!

Yeah, It Was Me

2008-11-07T07:51:00.008-05:00

Several people have asked me if the text message (via Twitter) displayed during NBC4's election coverage in Columbus, Ohio was indeed THE "dontheideaguy." I've only ever heard of one person willing to claim the name so... yeah, it was me.

The folks at NBC4i.com (Jason_WCMH, Denise_WCMH, and NBCSquire in particular) have done a really phenomenal job in embracing and utilizing Twitter as a way to connect with their audience. On election day, they created a special Twitter account specifically to collect voter's experiences. They sent a tweet to their other followers (NBC4i allows their producers and on-air talent to create their own Twitter accounts) inviting them to share their experiences with twitter.com/decision2008 and see their tweets during the election results that evening. Mine was one of approximately 20-25 tweets featured in rotation, but once results started coming in the tweets disappeared.

Kudos to NBC4i.com for even attempting this merging of traditional and new media. It was reasonably successful, but I don't think they took it far enough. Here are four ideas on how they could have further improved on their efforts.
1. More is More
There really weren't that many tweets featured (I saw mine rotate at least six times.) Perhaps that means re-tweeting the invite and asking your followers to pass it along, or maybe seeking the follower's opinions earlier in the process, or making the question broader -- but I think it would have been better to have more voices heard and opinions shared.

2. Extend The Feature
The Twitters were really only running across the bottom of the screen for a short period of time. Once the election results started filtering in, the tweets were replaced by poll results. A better design of the screen layout would have allowed a single scroll feed of tweets to accompany the voting results. Having both elements side-by-side would have further engaged the conversation of Twitterers. I know my group tweeted through the entire election coverage and through President-elect Obama's speech.

3. Complete The Circuit
The two elements (on-air and Twitter) did not seem integrated enough. The Decision2008 tweets should have led people to the tv coverage and the tv coverage should have further involved the viewers through Twitter. I think adding the Decision2008 Twitter feed to the NBC4i election coverage website would have strengthened the connection between media elements.

4. Keep It Going
The election page on the NBC4i website could continue to stay lively by inviting Twitterers to contribute their AFTER election thoughts during this historic time. There has been incredibly intelligent discourse from all political parties (not just the 'sour grapes' being covered by some/most media) about how, in hindsight, the election will seem like the "easy part." All the really hard work will begin in just a couple months. Discussions on what the President-elect's strategy should be in preparation for taking over our nation's highest office are everywhere, and everyone has an equally valid opinion on what that strategy should be. Be the catalyst for these conversation to continue.

Keep encouraging and spreading these discussions, and the traffic to the politics page on NBC4i will continue to populate with an excited and engaged audience who knows their voice is being heard. And they'll credit NBC4i with helping that to happen.

...if you want more ideas on this subject, you're just going
to have to buy a Five Buck Brainstorm like everyone else!

The $5 Brainstorm is BACK!

2008-11-02T08:42:00.007-05:00

That's right -- the official DTIG brainstorms for a sawbuck have returned! Rejoice all ye who suffer from a lack of lightbulbs of inspiration. The regular readers of MyBrainBlog are probably familiar with my Five Buck Brainstorms (formerly known as "EconoStorms") -- but for the rest of you, here's a brief introduction.

As Don The Idea Guy, I offer brainstorming services to individuals and groups in order to generate ideas that help solve business and marketing challenges. These services range from formal consulting contracts, project-based ideation, and group facilitation of the brainstorm process. As a way to introduce people to 'my way of thinking' I started selling ridiculously low priced micro-brainstorms to people online. The intent was to provide a low-risk demonstration of my idea creation capabilities, fund my movies/music/books budget, and have a bit of fun in the process. What I didn't count on was it working so well that I'd only be able to do it for limited periods of time -- well, it's that time again. ;)

There's now a fresh new page to promote the service, and I'll keep it active for as long as I am able to complete these Five Buck Brainstorms in a timely fashion. Give it whirl and see what you think -- it'll be the best $5 you've ever invested in one of your projects.

Rise of the YouTube Candidate pt.3

2008-10-15T15:05:00.002-04:00

If you missed Part 1 and Part 2, follow the links to get some background (if you're interested), but the past posts aren't specifically needed to recognize what sort of impact the article linked below can have on voters, the polls, and the election.

YouTube has partnered with PBS to ask Americans to share their Election Day voting experiences on a new YouTube video channel, Video Your Vote.

The respect and credibility of PBS combined with the reach, candor, immediacy and activity of the most viral video site to date? The Rise of the YouTube Candidate is more likely than ever!

It's Drink Pink Day!

2008-10-14T00:40:00.004-04:00

October 14th is the first official "Drink Pink Day!"

This is one of my most favorite ideas of the year -- Wendy's asked WBNS-FM (Mix 97.1 - 80s, 90s, Now!) for help in promoting a community day where they would donate a percentage of sales generated during a specific time period on a specific day to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research. While this is absolutely a generous thing to do, I've heard of these fundraiser days being held at most any restaurant in town and knew we could create something a lot more impactful and memorable.

We knew Wendy's was interested in promoting their new strawberry Frosty, and an idea was born...

For one entire day, Wendy's would donate a dollar from every "pink" Frosty sold to help fight breast cancer. "Drink Pink Day" was the only imaginable name for such an event, and the client LOVED the concept. I knew this could be a BIG idea if we could make it even moderately successful in such a short time frame (one week!) We had to define the specifics, build a website, and raise awareness ASAP.

The programming and promotions team at the radio station really got behind the project wholeheartedly. Web guru Brian Vaughn created a lively microsite (http://www.drinkpinkday.com/) that not only provides details of the promotion, but allows visitors to send an email alert of the event to their friends as well as receive a reminder on the day-of the promotion. Wendy's has even provided a coupon for anyone sending a card as further motivation to "do good."

We've run web banners and added in-content announcements on mix971.net (and even created an extremely cool branded background on the site for today-only!) We've Twittered about it and created a FaceBook Group (over 100 members in just a couple days) and now the big day has arrived...

I hope that if you're in Central Ohio today that you will visit a participating Wendy's restaurant to enjoy one of their new Strawberry Frosty Shakes -- and help support breast cancer research through the donation made from the purchase of every pink Frosty.

Celebrate Drink Pink Day!

Legends Never Die

2008-09-27T11:38:00.004-04:00

Paul Newman was a guy I looked up to as an incredible human being. His talent on screen was unquestionable, but the actions he took to make the world a better place were something to which to aspire.

To know that "Newman's Own" products started as a gift to friends and ended up becoming a gift to children dealing with cancer is an amazing story. The video below was posted to the NewmansOwn.com website today to honor Paul Newman's memory, and I wanted to share it here. The story was inspiring to hear -- a simple idea that changed the world.

Should any idea we create hope for anything less?

Here's information on how to keep this legend's legacy alive.

Old School Attitude Lesson

2008-09-24T08:55:00.005-04:00

It may have simply been intended for teaching the "n't" contraction for "not" -- but when I stumbled across this video this morning, it seemed more like a lesson in attitude.

I've been thinking a lot about attitude lately. Perhaps it's because I've encountered some 'challenging' ones that I have allowed to affect (infect??) my own. I'm hoping the little ditty above will run through my brain the next time I feel the need to grouse and growl.

Other resources that help me focus on creating a positive attitude:
Napoleon Hill's Positive Action Plan: 365 Meditations For Making Each Day a Success
Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude
Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude
How to Be Happy, Dammit: A Cynic's Guide to Spiritual Happiness

How do YOU prevent night from falling on your own sunny disposition?

The Post It Experiment

2008-09-17T10:39:00.003-04:00

EepyBird (those guys who did the Diet Coke/Mentos video) are back -- and this time in an entertaining video experiment that uses Post It notes.

The video below is entertaining, fun, amusing, involving, engrossing, tells a story, viral, engaging, and over three minutes long.

Oh yeah, and it's an advertisement for OfficeMax.

If more attempts to promote products were more of the former and less of the latter, fewer people would TIVO past commercials or make fridge runs between programming breaks. Why don't those lame video web banners contain content like this? Why aren't video pre-rolls more entertaining than the content you're trying to access? Was there some class wannabe marketers took that told them advertisements had to look like advertisements?

Saving Superman's House

2008-09-08T08:15:00.005-04:00

Author Brad Meltzer (Book of Lies, Justice League of America) sheds light on the fact the house where Superman was born -- the home of Jerry Siegel -- has fallen into horrible disrepair and can only be saved by ordinary people.

http://www.ordinarypeoplechangetheworld.com/

From the website:
"The house where Google was created is saved. The farm where Hewlett Packard was founded is preserved. And Richard Nixon�s house is a museum. But the house where Superman -- one of the world�s most recognized heroes -- was created? It�s a wreck. So, with the creation of The Siegel & Shuster Society, we hope to raise enough money to repair the house and make sure it will be saved, restored, and there so you can take your kids one day."

I am Superman.

Rise of the YouTube Candidate pt.2

2008-08-25T12:09:00.002-04:00

Not sure if you missed my original post on the Rise of The YouTube Candidate, but here's another indicator in recent news. Microsoft is teaming with Rock The Vote to register voters via Xbox 360 and Xbox Live.

One small step away from actually voting via connected media.

Dumball Machine

2008-08-21T10:26:00.004-04:00

Everyone has "that" question.
It's the same people asking the same question ...over and over and over and OVER again.

You make the answer to "that" question available by every means at your disposal -- You create an informational sheet and distribute it to everyone in the group. You create a document and post it in a Share drive accessible by everyone. You print out a copy and put it in a binder on your desk. You even create a keyword that sends info instantly via text message! BUT, people still come and ask you that damned question rather than using one of the (many!) ways of getting that information themselves.

I've long believed that innovation comes complete dissatisfaction with the way a particular thing is currently done, and from relieving pain. And believe me, that question has become a HUGE pain-in-my-youknowwhat!

Introducing the Dumball Machine!
The Dumball Machine is just like a gumball machine, except that instead of dispensing rock-hard sugary treats whose flavor evaporates after only a few seconds -- this machine dispenses the stock answer to "that" question (to which the answer apparently evaporates just as quickly.)

From this point forward, anyone bugging you with a question you've answered so many times that the words are like razor blades whenever you speak them, can now be directed toward the Dumball Machine. For the low price of 50-cents their question can be answered immediately! You can even include a free toy for that extra incentive needed to make them part with those two shiny quarters.

My Dumball Machine currently provides the answer to the standard sizes, shapes, and positions of web banners that can appear on our radio station websites. What information would YOUR Dumball Machine dispense? Add it to the comments below!

Note: You will soon be able to order your own custom Dumball Machine from www.DumballMachine.com!

Need Ad Impressions? Try Pennies.

2008-08-14T08:47:00.004-04:00

Anyone who knows me knows I all but despise banner advertising as a means for reaching an online audience. Some banners advertising can be effective for that generic all-encompassing category of marketing referred to as "branding" -- but if you're actually trying to take advantage of all the tracking and measurability that online advertising can provide (and heaven forbid SELL something!) banners suck.

I found this post from zoomdoggle.com the other day that provides a detailed account of their attempt at "luck-vertising." You've probably all heard that it is good luck to pick-up a penny if it is heads-up. These guys have taken that cliche and are in the process of turning it into gold... well... maybe copper.

I thought it was a clever idea, but when the drew the analogy to cost-per-click advertising -- I knew they were on to something.

"Advertising online starts at about a nickel per click. This cost just one cent per message. The metrics don�t quite add up that way, but the face remains, yesterday (the day we spread the luck) was out best traffic day yet. That said, it was well worth the effort. From here on out we�ll be distributing $5 in pennies per week. That�s 500 hand-labeled coins. If you find one, pick it up. And drop us a line."

If anyone IS considering banner advertising, my advice is to give luck-vertising a shot first. With a well-planned message and landing page, I'll bet you a shiny new penny your conversion rate will be higher than a typical banner campaign.

At least that's my two-cents worth...

See You at the Debates, Bitches!

2008-08-06T17:50:00.003-04:00

I don't even LIKE Paris Hilton -- but after seeing this rebuttal video to McCain's "Obama Celebrity" I just might have a little more respect for her sense of humor...

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Discover Your Uniqueness

2008-07-31T06:49:00.003-04:00

Featured audio from Larry Winget --
Discovering Your Uniqueness

I like Larry's take on this. "Discover your uniqueness and learn to exploit it in the service of others." Listen to the audio linked above for the rest of Larry's insight into this topic.

Visit LarryWinget.com for additional content from the "Pit Bull of Personal Development." I can't wait to read his new book, "People Are Idiots, And I Can Prove It!" Larry's books are always filled with useful in-your-face realities that will push you forward by the simple fact that "someone called you on your bullshit."

Rise of the YouTube Candidate

2008-07-11T09:49:00.003-04:00

A recent "beerstorming" session with friends lead me to announce my prediction of a YouTube candidate. Not in this election, not in the next election, but sometime in the near future we will see the ultimate write-in candidate rise from one of the social networks.

The introduction of a "Social Media Party" candidate will be predicated upon the need for our current method of voting to evolve into the digital world. We need a reliable and accountable way for people to vote online instead of punching chads and visiting official voting locations. If I can do my banking, pay my bills, and file my taxes online -- I ought to be able to cast a vote online as well.

The video below gives you a taste of the future...

The YouTube Candidate.
Remember that you heard it here first.

Fuelish Ideas

2008-07-10T01:02:00.004-04:00

This idea ain't so new -- I blogged about the concept more than a year ago. Way back in April 2007 to be precise.

I don't care who came up with the idea, or who gets credit -- just about who puts it into action! Gas prices are beyond ridiculous with no end in sight. Something like the MyGallons card could at least allow individuals to feel they have some sort of power (no matter how limited) to save money at the pumps.

God Needed a Laugh...

2008-06-23T15:16:00.002-04:00

I was really saddened to hear about the death of George Carlin this past Sunday. Carlin and Cosby were the very first stand-up comedians I'd ever learned about, and I still remember borrowing their comedy albums from the public library.

Carlin was truly a creative genius and his material will live on for a long time to come.

Comedy Central put together an online tribute page featuring videos of some of his funniest performances. Click the link below and prepare to laugh -- but you might want to turn the volume down on your computer, George always knew that some of the funniest jokes were not 'safe for work.'

Good night Mr. Carlin -- thanks for the laughter and for making me think.

Comedy Central's George Carlin Tribute page.

Third Time is a Charm?

2008-06-22T11:08:00.004-04:00

Movies based on Marvel comic book heroes seem to have two options: Super HERO (Spiderman, Iron Man, Blade) and Super ZERO (Daredevil, Hulk, Ghost Rider.) Another trend is that the movies that start out great get lamer as they go along (Spidey 3 SUCKED) and those that start out bad get better (Punisher 2 -- despite Travolta -- was definitely better than the original Dolph-fest.) Is it possible they've finally gotten it right with the new Punisher movie??

They Punisher flicks have improved with each incarnation, but based on the preview video below I think they may have nailed it this time.

The report also says we can expect to see Frank Castle's uber-geek sidekick "Microchip" portrayed by Wayne Knight (hello... Newman...)

If this third-movie trend becomes a habit, just think what this might mean for the third Hulk movie. It would mean only two more Daredevil flicks to suffer through...

Are You A Bird Brain?

2008-06-04T00:23:00.004-04:00

Are you as creative as a crow?
One wouldn't normally think to look to our fine feathered friends for advice on innovation, but watch the video below of Joshua Klein speaking at TED on the intelligence of crows and you may just end up singing a different tune.

I especially like how he says the idea for this experiment got started because he found it annoying that someone told him something was "impossible" to accomplish. More than a few of my projects have been instigated by the exact same kind of comment!

If the embedded video doesn't work, you can watch the video here.

See Jack? See Jack Twitter?

2008-05-02T11:48:00.002-04:00

I love it when I share an idea with a friend and see them run with it. Such is the case with my new friend, author Gregg Fraley.

Gregg wrote the book "Jack's Notebook" that I blogged about recently, and after linking on a couple social network sites, I suggested that he create a Twitter account under the guise of his book's main character, Jack Huber. My thought was that he could provide value to the Twitter community by sharing the creative lessons learned within the book from Jack's point of view, and at the same time promote his book to an audience who I believe would really enjoy the business fable.

Until Gregg announced Jack Huber's new Twitter account this morning, I'd been unaware there was actually term for this kind of writing -- Flash Fiction. Who knew?

If you're already on Twitter, be sure to Follow JackHuber. If you're not -- it's quick and easy (and free) to sign up. ...And don't forget to Follow Don The Idea Guy!

These Books Have My Name All Over Them

2008-04-30T07:42:00.003-04:00

There are few things I like better (after that fine product made by Mr. Guinness!) than a really great book -- unless it's a really great book signed with a personalization by the author. I've been fortunate to receive two such books in as many weeks, and although I haven't had a chance to fully read them as of yet, I wanted to quickly share them with you.

My friend David Yorka (Community Action Hero) over at SuperPowersActivate.com invited me to a book signing by Dan Pink for his new book "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need." I was unable to attend the event due to a schedule conflict, but in true hero style I received a signed copy to "Don The Idea Guy" just a few days later.
It was a great gift, because when Dan published his first book "Free Agent Nation", I had attended a signing with the intent to 'sell him an idea' -- which turned into a fun project creating printed t-shirts proclaiming status as a 'Citizen of the Free Agent Nation.' We've stayed in contact ever since, and I was really disappointed I couldn't see him when he was in town. A brighter, more accessible 'big shot author' you couldn't hope to meet.

The second book originated by way of a PR agent seeking reviews for a new 'business fable' book titled "Jack's Notebook: A business novel about creative problem solving" by Gregg Fraley. I like to support all things creative and any of my idea guy/gal brethren, so I agreed to read and post a review if they could get the author to send me a signed copy of the book for my personal bookshelf. A couple weeks later I received a 'lumpy envelope' (is there anything better to find in your mailbox??) with a signed copy of the book directly from the author along with a personal note. Heck, we're even friends on Facebook now. ;)

I haven't had a chance to really dig into either of these books yet, but they've certainly found their way to the top of my reading stack. If any BrainBlog readers have read (or are in the process of reading) either of these books, drop me a line and tell me what you like best about them.

Surfin' Shelfari

2008-04-22T10:25:00.002-04:00

I really like the shared bookshelf at Shelfari.com -- hence the new widget below my blog entries. Any other Shelfari users out there that would like to link as friends on their site?

You can find my shelf by clicking this link.

A Bit O' Lit

2008-04-03T10:38:00.003-04:00

If you spend all your time reading email instead of literature, you might want to try a little recreational reading in bite-sized bits.

DailyLit.com sends books in serialized 'episodes' right to your email inbox. Each installment can be quickly consumed in as little as 5 minutes (and you already know you can access email from just about anywhere -- that's why you can never find time to crack a 'real' book!)

Choose a book from over 750 titles and select the frequency of the emailed episodes (daily, weekdays, or Monday, Wednesday and Friday.) If an episode leaves you with a cliffhanger that you simply can't wait to see resolved, there's also a 'send next part immediately' option.

More than 250 titles are available free of charge, with the rest sold using a 'Pay-Per-Read' process which allows you to abandon books in which you lose interest. There are even sample installments available at no cost.

Visit DailyLit.com to learn more.

NametagTV is On The Air!

2008-02-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

The most approachable guy in the world -- Scott Ginsberg (That Nametag Guy) has launched his latest and greatest project NametagTV.com! I know he's been working hard on this project over the last year, and Scott has truly hit a homerun.

NametagTV.com has four specific content channels: Sales, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Frontline. Each channel already has a wealth of content to view, and I know Scott is determined to keep this site fresh and filled with valuable information and advice on becoming a more successful human being.

The design is simple and friendly (you might say it's a very 'approachable') and includes an RSS feed for his videos (Yay! More food to feed my iPod!) Scott has included direct links to each of his episodes, as well as embeddable code to make it easy for others to feature his content on their website (as I have done below.) If I had to take one poke at the site, it would be that the videos won't function unless you have the latest version of Flash. Since it's so reliant upon using that version, I think I would have added a bit more emphasis on that fact -- though Scott DOES include a small line of type beneath the player stating as much, along with a link to the required download.

A couple more quick ideas I'd like to see on the site...
1. Include a bit more text info in the episode descriptions.
2. Within those episode descriptions, include an email link to get the free article featured in that episode, or to actually download the file itself.
3. I know he's using DIGG and Del.icio.us links, but why not use sharethis.com to include all those and more -- plus the built-in send-to-a-friend feature.

...But it's easy to look at it now that it exists and think about things to change and improve. The important thing is that he created it to share with all of us! Do yourself a favor and stop wasting time in front crap on your "normal" television set, and make an appointment to tune into valuable programming content that will make you more successful in business and in LIFE. Tune into NametagTV!

Here's one of my favorite episodes so far...

Video not working? Click here for Adobe Flash 9