Friday, May 31, 2013

RampUp 2013: On Big Data

I attended the RampUp 2013, LiveRamp Summit yesterday. It was held in the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. Approximately two-third of the 1,000+ attendees were from outside California.

What is RampUp?

It's an educational forum uniting data, advertising and technology. The purpose of this year's summit is to engage in dialogue around the convergence of offline and online data (Big Data) in digital advertising.

Big Data is one of the latest key buzzwords in the evolution of marketing. Marketers face a fundamental challenge today, as they're inundated by mass amounts of data from every direction. How do marketers transform all that data into actionable information while creating meaningful relationships with their customers?

Big Data is BIG! 

Here's some high-level stats and comments from some panel discussions:
  • In 1970, there wasn't a single iota of data in existence; by 2003, there was 1.5B gigabytes.
  • There's about 5B gigabytes of traditional data being used by major brands today, coupled with another 5B gigabytes of structured data funneling through ad exchanges and social networks daily.
  • Sorting through this mass amounts of data is a fundamental challenge for companies--there aren't enough data scientists to "off-board" all the data.
  • Off-boarding this massive amount of data requires not only science but art--relying solely on system algorithms is insufficient. A human element is needed to factor in the strategic considerations.
Look out for future posts where I'll cover more specific information from the summit including attribution, re-targeting and highlights from keynote speaker Neal Mohan, Google's VP of Display Advertising.


Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Everything's negotiable. How much do you want to bet?

Negotiating is part of everyday life. You may find yourself negotiating the terms of your lease, how much you'll sell your home, even where you'll have dinner tomorrow.

If you're not already negotiating, you should be; and you should do it whenever you can. You'll be surprised with what you can get just by asking.

When my wife and I purchased our Saab a few years ago from a Lexus dealership, the car didn't include the rear cargo cover. I called the Saab dealership to find out if they had one in stock and how much it cost. 

$450!

After getting over the initial shock, I asked the parts guy if the cargo cover ever goes on sale (Note: There's an art to negotiating. You don't want to ask for a discount off the gates. You need to engage in some dialogue first). He replied, "How about I give you a 15% discount?" To which I replied, "How about 20% and you have a deal." He said okay and there you have it.

Negotiating even works on eBay. I've made it my ritual to ask before bidding on an item. It works on any type of auction--even those that already have bids on them.

If you don't ask, you'll never know the outcome and miss an opportunity.

Now I do want to throw out a caveat. You can't just walk into Nordstrom and ask for a discount, or go up to your boss and ask for a raise. There's a time and place for negotiating. Use common sense and good judgement.

Which reminds me...I found a pair of sneakers on eBay and pinged the seller about lowering her price. She just responded and says she'll knock off $10 from her Buy It Now price.

Excuse me while I go negotiate.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Prolific Oven, yes. Prolific grammar, no.

I tried Prolific Oven's (Santa Clara Rivermark location) Eggs Benedict breakfast and I have to say it was quite tasty and reasonably priced. I give them props for being prolific at food preparation, but when it comes to grammar, they need a bit of help.

The possessive case in grammar can be tricky and often trips people up. Case in point, Prolific Oven's sign above their beverage bar. There shouldn't be an apostrophe in "Coffee's."

Sure, it's only one stinking sign, but that's no excuse! The rule of proofing what you publish still applies, no matter the scope or amount of copy.


Let's not forget there's a brand at stake, so pay attention.

Now I'm curious. Does the Prolific Oven location across town have the same goofed sign? 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Bill Gates coined the phrase Content Is King?!

Yep.

In 1996, Bill Gates coined the phrase Content Is King. Since then, the amount of content that's been created has grown exponentially (understatement).  

Companies need good and relevant content to expand their brands and influence. Whether it's branded content, sponsored content, native advertising or whatever, content is ubiquitous these days. Bill Gates may be right (again?) after all.

Go to Twitter and search any topic and you're presented with a plethora of content. Google the same topic and you're just as overwhelmed.

How do you sort through all that information in some well-thought-out, methodical fashion? If you're reading this blog post, I'm referring to you.

Please respond by posting your comment below. My inquiring mind wants to know.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Dissecting the Oakland Raiders logo while eating a Vietnamese pork roll sandwich

I frequent Cam Hung in Sunnyvale to get my occasional Vietnamese sandwich fix. It's the closest to an authentic Vietnamese sandwich in my 'hood (sorry, Lee's Sandwiches). Next door is a liquor store with an Oakland Raiders logo displayed on their window.

The Raiders logo is probably one of the more recognizable in football. As I sat in my car pounding down a tasty pork roll sandwich, I began to wonder. Logos are such a core part of a company's identity. How was the Raiders logo conceived? Who's the guy with the patch on his right eye? Sure, I recognize the logo. I've seen it all over the place, but how much do I really know about it?

It turns out that the Oakland Raiders logo has quite a history. And like true Raider fashion, they were embroiled in controversy even at their inception (I guess you gotta hand it to them for brand consistency). The guy sporting the eye patch is modeled after Randolph Scott, a Western films actor from the 1950s.

I won't say which Bay Area team I'm a fan of. But I will say this. When it comes to Bay Area football, you're either a 49er or Raider fan...very black and white, with no shades of gray (no pun intended).

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Even state agencies can benefit from spellcheck

My wife and I were driving home the other day and she mentioned that she read this article about a misspelled highway sign on Interstate Highway 880. Now that would be a typo! I thought to myself.

Sure enough, it appears that Caltrans misspelled the city of "Milipitas" by adding an extra "i." Even state agencies can benefit from spellcheck (or proofing) before putting up a new sign off the highway.

I wonder if there's such a thing as correction paint for correcting typos on large, green signs?

Thankfully, the error will be corrected with no taxpayer expense (hopefully this statement isn't a typo).

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The most fashionable trash bin west of the Mississippi

I've been driving down this stretch of road in Sunnyvale for many years and I can't believe I only noticed it this morning! This is a testament to why you should keep your eyes open to your surroundings, as you may just catch a glimpse of something extraordinary.

Or not.

It's non other than a trash bin! But not just any trash bin. This is from the fashionable variety. Trash bins are typically blue in Sunnyvale. Not this one, no sir. Someone actually took the time and effort to paint it yellow and add green polka dots. The trash bin persona has just been elevated to a new dimension! Pure genius. If I had a trash bin, it would look like this. For sure (one caveat, however: I'd put on some coats of paint).


Here's a true story. I used to have a short sleeve, navy blue shirt with white polka dots that I used to wear all the time (an understatement). I would have slept with it on if I could. When my wife and I used to travel more frequently, that shirt would be in all of our pictures. Italy. France. Sweden. Philippines. Aruba. You name a vacation spot, my polka dot shirt was there! Pretty hilarious, you say? My polka dot shirt meant I could always travel light.

Who's laughing now?

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Add pineapple juice and you might just find your new favorite

I just got a taste of my own medicine. I preach about being open minded when trying/doing new things (the "glass half-full approach" as my wife calls it); well, my eight-year old just gave me a lesson.

She always likes to have a snack when she gets home from school. She usually serves herself. I noticed she placed the blender on the kitchen counter, so I'm thinking a smoothie is in order. She proceeds to add her ingredients...blueberry yogurt, fresh banana, frozen strawberries, milk and ice. She asks me if we have anymore orange juice (either she doesn't remember she finished it for breakfast, or just thinks we have an endless supply).

I reply no. She's a quick-thinking 8-year old and says, "Then we'll add pineapple juice instead." (oh, okay...she remembers we have pineapple juice, but not orange juice). She proceeds to go to the garage (yes, we have another fridge). She pours in the pineapple juice and starts mixing it all together (ears covered and all from the blender noise).

I would have never thought to use pineapple juice, but I gave it a whirl and found my new favorite.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Tires are brands too. Just ask Walmart chairman Rob Walton.

This past Monday, I had my Highlander's tires rotated at Discount Tire in Mountain View. I've been going to these guys for well over ten years and I'm proud to be a loyal customer.

In the waiting area, a vertical banner dangles from the ceiling promoting the book, "Six Tires, No Plan: The Impossible Journey of the Most Inspirational Leader That (Almost) Nobody Knows." With a title (and underdog undertone) like that, I've got to check that book out! Since I'd be waiting around for another 40 minutes or so, I figured I'd download a sample and have a read.

The book is about Bruce Halle, who founded Discount Tire two years before Sam Walton opened his first Walmart store back in 1960. In the foreword, S. Robson Walton, Chairman of the Board of Walmart Stores, Inc. writes, "While Halle's story is less studied than Walton's, the growth of Discount Tire offers significant insights into the creation of a sustainable, productive business."

Walton also writes, "Most business schools and students invest substantial energy in the study of brands. Often, the corporations studied are mature, with established strategies and mission statements. In many cases, it would serve these scholars well to start at the beginning, at the founding of the companies they study."

I just finished the second chapter. You can get started by reading the Foreword by Rob Walton.