...tao of marketing and other thoughts

Filed under: Tao of Marketing

 
13
Acceptance

The Market, just as it is, is the truth;
Fear, misfortune, courage, and success are illusions of the mind.
There is nothing to deduce, and there is nothing to figure out;
Within a moment of clarity all is revealed before it is hidden again.

When freed from illusion;
There is nothing to accept.
When freed from acceptance;
There are no illusions.

The Sage performs his work fearlessly;
For, once he has begun, it can be no other way.

The Sage, is neither moved by nor filled with illusion;
Being without favor, the Sage is trusted.

Keywords: BlogZoopa | tao | marketing | tao of marketing | philosophy | Angelo Coppola

Filed under: Tao of Marketing

 
12
Intuition

The five colors are but a limited pallet;
The ultraviolet and the infrared are just as real.
The five tones are but an arbitrary scale;
Still, the ultrasonic and infrasonic arouse the dogs and the elephants.

Consider all that has been touched;
This has been limited by that which can be felt.
Consider all that you has been learned;
This has been limited by that which can be taught.

While fools learn something new everyday;
The Sage unlearns something old everyday.

The Sage is not limited by five senses;
The Sage relies upon his intuition.

Keywords: BlogZoopa | tao | marketing | tao of marketing | philosophy | Angelo Coppola

Filed under: Tao of Marketing

 
11
Void

Art and science shape the bowl;
Still the void inside is what remains useful.
Art and science shape the house;
Still the void inside is lived in and called home.

The utility is in the void;
Indeed, the utility is the void.
The Market is always in the void;
Indeed, the Market is the void.

The Sage uses that which exists
To create useful voids which can be filled.
The Sage brings order to chaos,
By recognizing the potential of what is not there.

Keywords: BlogZoopa | tao | marketing | tao of marketing | philosophy | Angelo Coppola

Filed under: Axosoft, Marketing, Imported

Recently, Joshua Bell, had some fun with an experiment / prank to see what would happen if he stepped down from his venerable $1,000-a-minute gig as "America's Best Classical Musician" and posed as a D.C. street musician.

Would Anyone Notice Him?

Here's the scenario:

• The scene:
• It's rush hour in D.C. - 7:51 a.m.
• Metro at L'Enfant Plaza
  
• Tons of commuters passing by
   
  
• The distraction:
• Joshua Bell, world-famous violinist
  
• $3.5 million dollar Stradivarius
• J.S. Bach's "Chaconne" from Partita No. 2 in D Minor

Bell says this about the piece he selected: it's "not just one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, but one of the greatest achievements of any man in history. It's a spiritually powerful piece, emotionally powerful, structurally perfect. Plus, it was written for a solo violin, so I won't be cheating with some half-assed version."

So What Happens?

You might enjoy having a guess before you look.  I was surprised by the outcome, myself.  A friend was totally unsurprised.  People gladly pay $100 for the cheap seats to witness a Bell performance...what happens when he's an arm's length away?

• You can read the entire story with videos here.
• You can jump straight to the videos:
• Video 1
• Video 2
• Video 3
• Video 4
  
• You can listen to the full audio of Bell's performance here (highly recommended).

What Did Bell do Next?

After his Metro experiment, Joshua Bell packed up his Strad and headed off for a concert tour of the European Capitals.  He did return to the states briefly, however, to accept the Avery Fisher Prize for "Best Classical Musician in America" — a prize so difficult to win, it has not even been awarded for the three previous years.

Lessons?

Maybe "lessons" is a little too strong of a term...but here's what I gleaned.  (Spoiler alert—-if you already know / don't mind finding out the outcome of Bell's Experiment, read on.  Otherwise, come back when that's the case.)

The Power of Niche Marketing

When Joshua Bell decided to perform for the masses, his earnings dropped from $1,000 per minute to less than $60 per hour. Removing all other factors, Bell would seem better off:

• Playing for his fans;
• Playing where his fans are more likely to gather.

The Power of Mass Markets 

Considering his extreme talent, already-attained fame, and the wide-appeal of music, maybe Bell doesn't have to continue staying within his niche.  Imagine what would happen if Bell extended this experiment and spent 6 months playing the streets.  How much more would his fame spread?  How many copy-cat violinists would come out of the woodwork?  And, anytime you saw a street violinist, would you check to see if it was Bell?

He earned $37 from non-fans (presumably).  But this was his first go.  After several more gigs, more media coverage, and the word of mouth that would surely ripple outward from each performance, I believe Bell would eventually have crowds forming around him.  His music could sell better than ever, more musicians would take to the streets, and to cap off his 6-month tour he could probably fill a stadium. 

When he returned to the symphony halls of the world, he'd earn triple what he earns now.  Not to mention, it would cement his fame for generations, if not longer.

Would You Walk On By?

I couldn't help but wonder how many times I've stared genius right in the face and ignored it.  It's astonishing to see someone with Bell's one-in-10-million talent (are there even 650 others?) so thoroughly paid no mind.

<Blank>, Escher, Bach

I used an M.C. Escher illustration in a previous post.  J.S. Bach is no small part of this one.  That leaves...

Filed under: Axosoft, Marketing, Imported

"Geek Marketing Should be Like a Good Lover"
- Kathy Sierra, Creating Passionate Users

"Marketing is a conversation, but most people don't speak geek."
- John Dodds, Make Marketing History

The world's most famous geek marketer, Seth Godin, recommends Geek Mafia for weekend reading to his blog readers. On weekdays, he passionately argues that everyone in an organization, including the geeks building the product, need to be marketers.

Eric Sink, geek entrepreneur, has written extensively about marketing for geeks. He says, "...most geeks tend to shy away from marketing, citing their lack of creativity and graphic design skills. But these are typically not the differentiators which determine whether marketing is competent or not."

===

So what about the conventional wisdom that states, (if not explicitly, then implicitly) that geeks need to stay out of marketing? Personally, I think that qualifies as an old wives tale, often perpetuated by geeks who'd rather be playing World of Warcraft than participating in a marketing brainstorm. There are just too many examples to disprove the assertion.

All you have to do is look at any successful ISV founded and run by a geek, and chances are you'll find some brilliant marketing decisions behind the success of the company. There are plenty of examples of geek-run companies that lost their souls (and sales) when they were taken over by purely fluff-marketing driven CEOs implanted by short-sighted VCs.

Obviously, the word "Geek" conjures up different images for different people. At Axosoft, a development-driven company, it's a term of endearment that refers to an intense focus, creativity, and imagination without regard (necessarily) for the status quo. At a suit-and-tie fortune 500 corporate office, it might mean "the nerds in IT who dress dumb (but probably make more money than me, dammit)" or "the dorks in that department we should outsource to Bangalore..."

It's in the spirit of the Axosoft definition that we are launching The Geek Marketing Contest.

I Should Enter this Contest If...

If any of the following statements is true, you should really consider spending a minute or two on submitting your great geek marketing idea(s), you've got an excellent chance of winning $5,000 from a blog comment!

• I double checked to make sure 1001110001000 equals 5,000 in the promotional image
  
• Weird Al Yankovic is my favorite musical artist, and White & Nerdy is my personal anthem
• I'm thinking about what angle to take when I blog about this
• I'm reading this after 2 a.m.
• I like Picard better than Kirk
• I like Kirk better than Picard
• I can't decide if I like Kirk or Picard better
• IMO the biggest philosophical question of the day is whether or not Google is the new "God"
• I know what LOL, ROTFLMAO, DQMOT, RTFM stand for
• I met my significant other on Second Life

...and if all of the above statements are true, what are you waiting for? You're probably over-qualified to solve this problem: what's the best way to sell bug tracking / project management / help desk software to geeks? Just think of the screaming quad core dual processor with accompanying 30" LCD you can throw $1001110001000 (base 2, that is — $1388 HEX, if you prefer) at!

Geek Marketing Makes Sense

Guy Kawasaki once said, "I would bet that approximately twenty-five people help Steve [Jobs] with his keynotes including product managers, VPs, PR flacks, IT geeks, and CEOs of partners and vendors." Even marketing extravaganza's like a Steve Jobs keynote aren't complete without geeky input.

For me, the M.C. Escher piece above ("Drawing Hands," 1948) evokes a sense of emergence, balance and harmony.  Along those lines, there's a similar sense of rightness I get about this contest.  I'm excited to enlist ideas from the tens of thousands of OnTime users and other smart people all over the world. Axosoft's marketing style strives to be like a transparent discussion between intelligent people with mutual respect for each other.  Please accept our invitation to join in with your perspective, and, just so you know, we're not afraid of the edges.

May the force be with you.  Engage!

Filed under: Axosoft, Apple, Imported

If you've read Hamid's blog article titled Axosoft Gives OnTime Team Apple TVs, then you know a lot of us here at Axosoft have been playing with a new toy lately.  Thank you, Axosoft!  Here are some of my most notable impressions regarding the product after having used it for a couple of days:

1. Holy Crap!  I need a new TV.
   I wouldn't be writing this article at all if not for a good night of blackjack on Friday night.  (Dan, thanks again for choosing gambling over other "activities" for your bachelor party!  Had we not done all that drinking beforehand, I'm just sure I wouldn't have gone for that last "all in.")  Those winnings went straight to Costco for a 32" LCD HDTV.  All in all, the AppleTV + compatible television only ran me $270 out of pocket.  Great success!
   


2. Wow! That Was Easy.
   Plug it into the TV, plug it into the wall...you're done.  Well sort of.  That's sufficient for AppleTV to find your wireless network and for you to start browsing through Apple's library of movie trailers and top content. 
   
   To hook up to a local instance of iTunes, you have to point your AppleTV to the source, and then go over to that iTunes computer to type in a security PIN number that's displayed on your TV.  Easy enough, and you only have to do it once.  Now, you can watch or listen to that iTunes library to your heart's content by streaming it over your network.  Add more libraries similarly...I only have one.
   
   
3. To Synch or Not to Synch?
   Initially, I saw no reason to copy any content over to the AppleTV, since my laptop running iTunes is almost always on and stationary.  Then, I realized that the only way to view photos is from the local AppleTV hard drive.  I had to head back over to my laptop and change the AppleTV's settings so that it synched up photos (this works the same way as synching up photos on an iPod Video or Nano).  More set it and forget it...
   
   It synched up thousands of photos relatively quickly.  I didn't time it, but it was much faster than doing the same thing on an iPod.  I'm not positive, but my guess is that it doesn't compress the photos (at least not as much)...it just sends them over to the AppleTV's hard drive.  Even for a couple of gigs, it wouldn't take too long.
   
   
4. Streaming Works Great.
   Since my computer is always on and always running iTunes...I decided to synch nothing but the photos.  Until I tried watching a photo slide show, that is.  No music.  Since it uses the AppleTV as its source for the photos, it can't grab music from another source...e.g. your iTunes computer.  So, I had to go back to the PC to synch up my "Pictures" playlist.  Set it and forget it.
   
   After a few moments the 20 or 30 songs in that play list were copied over.  Now, images of my childhood dog, my 3-year old's first birthday, and what not could float across the screen with the added level of emotion that comes from Bobby McFerrin humming and whistling "Don't Worry, Be Happy."  Cheesy? Maybe.  OK, definitely.  But, it works.
   
   (Hat tip to Darcy for pointing out you can point to your iTunes source, and then put it in screensaver mode.  Just set your screensaver to pictures with music, and there you go)
   
   
5. I Have to Convert My AVI Files.
   Since iTunes doesn't play nice (out of the box, anyway) with the AVI file format, I'm going to have to convert about 20 or 30 AVI files I have of movies, tv shows, and home video (most of my library is already iTunes compatible, though).  This is kind of a pain, but I found an application that's been working great so far.  It's free and promises no spyware: Jodix Free iPod Video Converter.  It's a little slow and a little bit of a pain...iTunes should do this, just like it converts .wma files to .mp3 format, IMO.
   
   
6. I Need to Subscribe to More Podcasts.
   First of all, watching video podcasts in your living room rocks.  I used to do it sometimes with my iPod Video / dock / AV cable...but it wasn't...let's say, elegant.
   
   Now that I have easy access to all of this Indie goodness, I want more of it.  Scoble (web site), Ask a Ninja (web site), and my various Discovery and National Geographic feeds need some friends.  It was back to the PC yet again to surf through iTunes' Video Podcast catalog.  I'd say I subscribed to at least 10 - 15 new ones. 
   
   The most memorable is Happy Tree Friends (web site), which appeals to the violent-and-twisted-humor center of one's brain.  I recommend watching the "Eyes Cold Lemonade" episode to see if it hooks you, too, in that "I'm not sure if I want to watch another but can't help myself" sort of way.
   
   Of course, I also added more news, comedy, and instructional Podcasts, including a couple of really good Photoshop feeds that look promising.
   
   
7. There are No Parental Controls!?
   Wow, this seems like an obvious 1.0 feature to me, because I have kids, and Apple dropped the ball.  Currently, there are only two pretty good parental controls I could find:  a) Hide the Remote; b) Remove and hide the power chord.  Not so fancy.
   
   In my case, having kids ranging in ages from 3 - 12, I need configurable controls with at least two levels.  This way I can have one setting that blocks XYZ for the 3-year old and a subset of XYZ for the 11- and 12-year olds.  This can easily be added as a software update, so I hope it is coming soon.
   
   I hope I'm wrong about this, actually...does anyone know different?
   
   
8. I Can't Buy Movies with My Remote!
   Dammit.  Now, I didn't mind all of the back-and-forth between the living room and the PC for the initial "set it and forget it" configurations.  But lacking the ability to purchase online means a lot of recurring back-and-forth, and it's not for global settings.  It's just a pain...even if I could use the exercise.
   
   If I see some iTunes content I like, I can't buy it on the spot.  Not to mention, I can't even browse the iTunes catalog from my sofa.  This should have bothered me when I was looking for new Podcasts...don't know why it didn't...must have been too happy...or maybe I just never really thought about subscribing to podcasts from my couch before. I know it would have been a pleasant surprise if I could have, though.
   
   I have thought about buying movies from my sofa, though.  I've actually bought them via PPV.  When you can't buy a movie on the spot, it's less enticing...you may as well see what's on TV or go check your email.  Since this seems to be another "problem" they can fix via a software update, I expect to see it soon, considering it's needlessly costing them way too much in movie sales.
   
   
9. Flaws & All — It Just Works!
   Even though there are a few things I don't like or that I wish were different, I don't feel Apple has over-promised or under-delivered.  Maybe the fact that it was a gift helps, in that regard.  Overall, I'm very happy with the unit, and having used it, would definitely pay the sticker price.  I'd love to be able to surf, watch videos from other sources, and do a lot more in general, but I think it'll be coming.   And I have a lot today, as is, that I didn't have yesterday.
   
   
10. The Implications are Great.
    I suspect there aren't all that many AppleTV's out there in consumers hands yet.  But there will be soon.  I suspect the demand isn't anything close to that of iPods or the upcoming iPhone.  But, I also suspect that people who have them will love them and talk about them all the time.  I'll go a step further and say that when their friends see these things, they're going to want one, too.  Volume will grow steadily, and then take off.  I had people over twice this weekend, and there's a darn good chance both will be purchasing AppleTVs in the near future...they loved it.  I wouldn't be surprised if we see an iPod-scale coup.
    
    My other predictions guesses:
    
    We're going to start to see a lot more video podcasting.  It's just too easy to get on TV now, and become a "micro star" or better.  The barrier to entry is low, and nothing's stopping anyone from doing a show they'd enjoy doing.  People will continue to look for good quality, independent programming.  AppleTV will help introduce video podcasting to entirely new segments of the population...and some of them are going to want in on the production side of the action.
    
    Another nail in commercial television's coffin. If YouTube, Google Video, blogs, and all of the other web-based options weren't enough...now this.  I know my broadcast / cable TV viewing time just dropped to almost zero, even though I'll probably be watching my television a whole lot more.  I can't stand programs interrupted by commercials every few minutes anymore...and I don't like my kids being exposed to thousands of hours of advertising, either.  It's too easy to get good quality stuff now without the disruptive ads.
    
    Another point worth mentioning is the tremendous appeal of amateur-produced content.  Sometimes it's not as slick, but that's often more than compensated for by the genuine material.  The bar is being raised now.  Low-budget can be profitable and prosperous within a niche — the broadcasters have been so limited, because they have to appeal to the masses.  The lowest common denominator worked in the old model, and it'll still be around in the new model — don't get me wrong.  But we haven't even scratched the long tail possibilities yet.
    
    Video Piracy and Online Purchasing are going to increase.  Piracy and legitimate purchasing have always been two sides of the same coin, growing and shrinking pretty much proportionally.  Video producers ought to learn from the RIAA debacle and NOT SUE THEIR FANS.  Instead, they need to figure out how to make it easier to purchase their goods than steal it.  Making it available in iTunes would be a great start.  iTunes then making it available via a couple of clicks from the sofa would be another great step. 
    
    They can't make it cheaper, but they can sure make it easier.  The video world needs to find a good way to adapt — now, before it's too late.
    
    Hard Drive sales are going to go up.  They already have been, really, but now I'll need more storage than ever before to keep all of these Podcasts on.  My 1/2 terrabyte won't last much longer. My habits are changing, and those habits require disk space. It's all good, though: I'd rather add a terrabyte drive or two versus shelf space for CDs and DVDs.
    
    My surfing time is going to go down.  Finally, here is an example of Internet technology that's going to help me spend less time in front of the computer...or at least that's how it will feel.  The Internet is becoming more invisible...Nintendo Wii, PS3, Xbox Live, etc.  When you use it less, you use it more.  That's just about the best definition of "full adoption" I can come up with...the Web is being woven into the fabric.

Filed under: Axosoft, Marketing, Imported

An article from the Small Business Trends blog points out that the "About Us" page on corporate web sites is both often-clicked by visitors and often-ignored or neglected by those in charge of the site. On Axosoft.com, it's always ranked in our Top 20 pages, and I've read plenty of formal and informal data that indicates this is typical for other sites as well.

A few months ago we started playing with our About Us page. And, by "playing," I really do mean having some fun with it. We put aside the blah-blah-bland corporate-speak in favor of creating something that more genuinely reflects Axosoft's personality. Shouldn't About Us actually convey what we're all about?  If so, we're about a lot more than an address, phone numbers, a contrived mission statement, and some clever way of saying, "here's what we do and we want to do it for you."

Hopefully our new About Us page gets across a whole lot more: that we're dedicated people; that there's a cool story behind OnTime and how Axosoft got started; that we have a strong guiding principle that keeps us focused; that we make bold promises and we're not shy about making them publicly; that we're interested in learning new technologies; and that a little thought went into our company's name. If you look closely, you'll see we started small and have come a long way.  If you look even closer, you'll see that a little boxing helps us get along.

If your company's About Us page has been neglected...I recommend sprucing it up right away.  Sometimes you have to put aside some of those tasks you just know you absolutely have to do, so you can do something important instead.  The one page on your site dedicated to telling me about your company is important.  Way too important to ignore.  Faxing your ad I/O? ...not so much.

Does your company have a unique way of conveying its personality online?  Leave a link in the comments section or send me an email...we'd all love to check it out.

Filed under: Axosoft, Marketing, Imported

Thank you for reading my blog.

Who am I?
I’m Angelo Coppola.  I work for Axosoft – which makes me (what is sometimes referred to here as) an “Axon.”  I’ve been a full-time Axon since June of 2006.  I live in Arizona with my family – that’s three daughters, ranging in age from 3 to 12 (hence the shiny head), and my far better half, my fiancée, Amy. 

I have two dogs…one’s a honey-colored terrier mix / mutt that I fell for at the local pound (HoneyBear).  And, the other’s a black Pug that I fell for a few years later…at the local pound (Boodah).  Someday, I hope to add a pair of Dobie’s to the pack.  I enjoy training, and they’re an exceptionally intelligent breed.

What do I do?
I’m fortunate enough to be doing what I love:  identity, marketing, communication, web design, and managing an incredible group of people who teach are my betters in the areas of customer support and education.  One of my primary aims is to promote the idea that every Axon is a critical piece of Axosoft’s marketing puzzle…that all of our decisions tell a story about who we are, and the collection of all our stories together tell the Axosoft story.  After all, what is a company if not its people?

To me, generally speaking, marketing isn’t about advertising.  It’s especially not about advertising for advertising’s sake.  It’s not about pretending to be everything to everyone.  And, it’s not about pretending to be anything at all.  In some companies, these principles would grind all active marketing to a screeching halt.  In most cases, I believe that would be the right thing to do, too: stop and start over fresh.

Good marketing is about investing in a product you are passionate about and doing such a good job at it that other like-minded people will become passionate about using it.  When you start there, as Axosoft has, you’re setting up a solid foundation for a healthy system: employees are passionate, customers are passionate, and as that passion intensifies great things can happen with both groups motivating the other to push toward and find the edges. 

Instead of force-fitting some pre-determined fantasy of a marketing plan, one can and will emerge.  Instead of going after total control of the product, its customers, the market, your competition – you can take on the responsibility of nourishing a growing entity that’s already heading in the right direction.

What’s the Point of this Blog?
During the course of almost any given day, and certainly within the typical week, I encounter a lot of interesting situations.  Most of it’s marketing-related.  Certainly, I’m projecting my own subjective ideas of “interesting” and “marketing-related” onto those situations.  I guess, to me, almost everything’s marketing-related.

Some of it’s worth writing about and sharing.  And that’s what I intend to do.

Also, during the course of most days, I haven’t been generating enough opportunities to interact with this company’s better half – its customers.  We’re two sides of the same coin, and I hope this blog will give us a chance to communicate better.

Filed under: Tao of Marketing

Filed under: Tao of Marketing

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Enough