thinks

Email or browser? The killer app for the first decade of e-commerce - in all its forms - was email. Whether we were trying to capture consumers’ attention or close a deal with a valued business partner, email was our most valuable internet tool. I personally have unsubscribed from most of the email newsletters I received - certainly those that allow me to subscribe to their feed. I still have an unhealthy relationship with email. But today, the first thing I’ll open is a browser. How about you?

I blogged about the Superbowl ads last month. And Fred Wilson points out that some folks are blogging the Acadamy Awards tonight. But this time, I can’t be bothered. I’m watching the Oscars. It’s fun to watch people squirm when an announcer or award recipient goes off script. Otherwise, it’s a waste of time. Neither the ceremony nor the ads - and let’s face it, the ceremony itself is one long ad for Hollywood entertainment - has any relevance to me. I suspect the same is true for many folks. If you take a look at recent advertising efforts, agencies seem to understand the irrelevance of so-called major TV events. They just don’t know what to do about it. In fact, ad agencies don’t know how to provide much value at all anymore.

First, you had the silliness a few weeks back with Cartoon Network. You remember, the whole bomb scare nightmare. Tremendous publicity. Not all good, you might have heard. The outcome of the advertising stunt gone wrong: Adult Swim’s ratings didn’t improve. Now, there’s a new brouhaha related to a Dr. Pepper promotion. Apparently the agency thought grave digging was an appropriate way to build buzz. In a historic U.S. cemetery containing the remains of John Hancock, Paul Revere and Samuel Adams, no less. As the Bass Ale ad suggests: Brilliant!

Maybe the point is to focus less on advertising or publicity. Maybe companies should actually make products consumers care about. Or at least have the guts to stand up and admit when they don’t.

Do you wear shoes often? I do. Try as I might, I’ve yet to find a satisfying and well-paying gig that allows me to go barefoot all day. One reason I prefer bare feet is the difficulty I have locating comfortable and good-looking shoes. I have wide feet and most stores I visit regularly offer no more than one or two pairs in my size - usually the ugliest shoes in creation.

Having said all this, I’m probably the last person in creation to discover Zappo’s. Here’s why it’s my new favorite online store:

1. Inventory - if the Long Tail.
   teaches anything, it’s that you can’t sell what you don’t have. Zappo’s has terrific selection
2. Customer service - a 365-day return policy, free shipping, ease of use. Very nice.

Can your online store walk a mile in those shoes?

Balance is a tricky thing. Userful, too. Most folks, these days, when talking about balance, refer to the mythical “Work-Life Balance,” which typically indicates your mental state. Then, of course, there’s actual balance, which helps indicate your physical well-being. Here are two exercises to help you reconsider balance, in both forms.

In "You: The Owner’s Manual", authors Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz recommend standing on one leg with your eyes closed. The longer you can maintain your balance, the younger your brain is. Spoiler alert: younger brains are better. According to the authors “…fifteen seconds is very good if you are forty-five or older.” To increase your balance, Roizen and Oz suggest working out with free weights. To increase your overall lifespan, check out the book.

To determine how much balance you’ve got between work and life, try this exercise. Close your eyes and picture what you’d like your life to look like. Imagine that you’ve woken up before anyone in your household. Picture yourself getting up, having your breakfast and getting ready for work. What do you want it to look like? Imagine your family saying goodbye. What do you want that to look like? Now picture yourself going to work. Not the work you do today necessarily, but the work you want to do. What does that look like? How does it feel? Does any of this match your reality? To increase your overall lifespan, check out what you’re doing. And, in GTD terms, figure out if it’s truly important or just stuff you’re keeping yourself busy with.

This is completely off-topic, just as it is every year, but pitchers and catchers report for the Mets today. Instead of getting jaded as I age, every year I get more excited for the start of the season. Play ball!

If you too are baseball-afflicted and addicted to the Amazin’s, check out Metsgrrl. Good stuff, everyday.

I’m shocked by Seth Godin’s latest post. For a guy who usually brings an insightful perspective, I’m stunned not only by the error of his logic, but also how he contradicts huge elements of his own brand completely.

Let’s recap. The basic premise of Seth’s post is that front runners can’t win because they can’t afford to be anything other than conservative and that that behavior causes them to lose. I get where he’s coming from and have seen plenty of examples of companies exhibiting exactly this behavior. But, there’s a fundamental flaw in his argument, one that I’ll get to in a second. Seth illustrates his point using presidential candidates, discussing how the frontrunner rarely wins. And this is where he springs the trap he’s set for himself. Seth creates a false dilemma, essentially claiming that only one company can win while everyone else loses. While it’s true that only one can win the White House, in business everyone can win. Equating business to running for president ignores how successful companies create new markets to differentiate themselves from their competitors. In fact, Seth himself encourages this behavior in "Purple Cow". And "Free Prize Inside".

Bottom line, don’t let folks put your decision in a box. There are always more than two options - whether you like the other options or not. At the same time, if you want help finding places where your competitors aren’t, check out "Blue Ocean Strategy." Presidential candidates wish they had this many options.