How many times have you been on your way to a business meeting or in the middle of an important call when your cell phone or PDA has died? Often, when this has happened to me, I haven’t been near an power outlet to quickly recharge my phone in time to finish the call. Or, I’ve been in the car and realized that my car charger is inconveniently sitting on my kitchen counter back at home.  

For those of us who have experienced phone charger angst, information published yesterday about a patent that Apple has filed for integrating solar cells into portable devices – with the goal of eliminating the need for wires to connect them to a power supply – is welcome news.   

While I’m not currently an iPhone owner, it sounds like the perfect candidate for testing this new type of solar power. Depending on the timing (I can’t find information anywhere about how long we’ll have to wait for solar-powered handheld devices), and if it really works, I will definitely consider scrapping my Blackberry for an iPhone – just to avoid the hassle of charging the thing. Well, that and to help our environment, of course.

Recently, Vodafone also announced plans to go solar with solar-powered phone chargers and universal phone chargers for Vodafone-branded handsets. So, Apple isn’t alone in its quest to use natural resources to make our lives a bit easier and greener.

Until solar-powered phones and other handheld devices become a reality, I suppose there’s no way around phone charger angst. But, at least we can look on the bright side, in anticipation for the day when even more of our energy needs will be powered by the sun.

Do you ever tire of the advertisements flying at you from every which direction? Or, do you even notice anymore?

Each and every day we are hounded with messages from companies trying to sell us their products. Ads are impossible to escape. Even the bottoms of the security bins at the airport are covered with media these days. But, the Internet and new technologies like DVRs (which let us fast forward through those often pesky ads) have changed the advertising landscape, making advertisers, and the media companies who host their ads, scramble to find new ways to get their messages out to key audiences.

According to a recent article by the Associated Press, many traditional media companies, with CBS in the lead, are taking risks with what’s being called the “Big Bang Theory” – offering incentives on the Web to get people to watch programming and tune into ads elsewhere, like on their TVs at home. 

The goal is to increase online viewership without jeopardizing traditional TV ratings and DVD sales, while making more money off of Web programming.  Though such a structure, companies can acquire new revenue streams online, and can ask for more money from advertisers, as the Web provides a better mechanism for demographic targeting and tracking viewer numbers, and provides the ultimate added benefit of letting viewers immediately act on ads by clicking through to make purchases.

Other forms of online media, such as live video broadcasting (courtesy of sites like Ustream.TV), also provide advertisers with compelling new ways to reach viewers. Much like TV, live video shows on the Web – e.g. a snowboarding tournament or a live concert - many times offer natural breaks in programming that allow for mid-roll ads. This gives marketers the opportunity to appeal to viewers while they wait for their show to come back online. And, unlike TV these ads can’t be avoided by pressing fast-forward on the DVR.

Of course the Internet is still somewhat unchartered territory for advertisers. But, as they determine how to navigate the landscape, and get better at targeting us with the messages that matter - both online and off - hopefully we’ll reap the benefits.

Either way, brace yourself. Because love them or loathe them, advertisements, much like the Big Bang theory, won’t be going away any time soon.

advertising, CBS, Internet, Internet advertising, Language, live Web video, marketing, media companies, Web advertising

I find it very ironic that today, on Blog Action Day, where  bloggers around the Web are uniting to discuss the environment and propose actions we can take to ensure a better, healthier future for our children and our children’s children that Greenpeace has publicized findings that point to Apple’s iPhone being less than ‘green.’ 

An independant study found iPhones to contain high-levels of chemicals that have been classified in Europe as toxic to reproduction. While these chemicals have not been banned from mobile phones, they have been prohibited from use in all toys or childcare products in Europe. Sounds serious to me; yikes.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been unsure of the benefits of the iPhone from the get go. Sure it looks pretty and sounds like one of the coolest gadgets around, but at what cost? Not only is the coveted iPhone expensive, but now to find out that it contains environmentally ruinous chemicals - chemicals that have been eliminated by other mobile phone manufacturers - I’m even less likely to spend any of my hard earned ’green’ on such a product.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big Apple fan. In fact, I’m not quite sure what I would do without my iPod. But, because so many companies have made significant progress towards going green, I’m surprised and disappointed that Apple, a company named for something that supposed to keep the doctor away for Heaven’s sake, is so behind the times. 

Greenpeace has asked that Apple initiate a global take-back policy on the iPhone until it is considered a more environmentally-friendly product. It will be interesting to see how Apple responds. Either way, until I’m sure that Apples are indeed healthy, I’ll be looking for alternative sources of nutrition.

Apple, Blog Action Day, environment, green technologies, Greenpeace, health, iPhone, iPod, Language

From time to time, in keeping with the focus of this blog, I like to call out nuances in the English language that are of particular interest to me. One of these nuances is the widespread use of slang and how it is incorporated into our every day communications (see my previous post).

I, as most of us, am familiar with slang terms coming across in daily conversations, and as such the transformation of ‘proper language’ doesn’t faze me too often. A few weeks ago, however, a client brought to my attention a new (well, new to me) term that I found particularly interesting – cake.

Cake, in English dictionary terms means - a sweet, baked, breadlike food, made with or without shortening, and usually containing flour, sugar, baking powder or soda, eggs, and liquid flavoring. But, according to the slang dictionary, cake refers to both easy (like easy as pie, but using ‘cake’ instead) and money (like dough, with a ‘cake’ substitution).

Plenty of people, particularly those who run in financial circles, are well aware of the term cake and its multiple definitions, so it is only fitting for a company that strives to make it easy to tap the wisdom of the crowds to turn financial investment data into contextual and actionable information (with the goal of helping you manage and better make money) would call themselves Cake (Cake Financial to be exact).

Cake officially launched today at the TechCrunch40 conference in San Francisco. Check it out – www.cakefinancial.com. I for one am looking forward to using the new service – and getting a piece of the pie cake.

Oh, and check out this video for even more of a taste of what Cake Financial is up to…

cake, Cake Financial, dictionary, financial services, investing, Language, money, online investing, slang, wisdom of crowds

I’d venture to guess that at least 99 percent of us have moved at least once in our lifetimes. In fact, some of us have moved multiple times - to new homes, new offices, new cities and even new countries. Yet despite our experience or inexperience with packing it up and moving it out, the process never seems to get easier. 

I, as a remote employee, am exempt from Eastwick’s move today to its new digs in Mountain View.  I’m not complaining. But, I would like to provide what little assistance I am able to from my desk in Chicago. Thus, I have prepared a few easy-to-follow Moving  Day Communications Tips that will hopefully help make the transition a smooth one for my fellow Eastwikkers: 

1) Listen Up - To ensure that you’re well informed about any and all moving guidelines that have been carefully prepared for you in advance by HR and others, pay attention to instructions. Ask questions up-front if you need more information about packing, unpacking, timing or other logistics. Practicing good listening skills will make you a more productive mover. 

2) Make a Lasting Impression - After making a grand entrance and a positive first impression, pulling off a tasteful exit is equally as important. You want people to remember you and remember you well. Therefore, be mindful of the fact that your neighbors will have a job to do. Being conscious of the noise level and making sure you don’t do things like block the street or driveway access will go a long way toward preserving the relationship and leaving on a good note.

3) Keep it Fun - As we’ve already mentioned, moving can be stressful and isn’t always regarded as being enjoyable. But, it doesn’t have to be a drag. If you remember your sense of humor, keep conversations light and make an effort to laugh together during the move, the time will fly and before you know it, you’ll be all settled in to the new office. As Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.”

4) Mind Your Ps and Qs - Good moving etiquette means following the Golden Rule, being on your best behavior and minding your language. This tip falls directly in line with tips 2 and 3 and won’t be difficult to follow. Instead, lessen tension with plenty of kind words and smiles, which always have a nice ripple effect. 

5) Give Thanks - It’s always important to show your appreciation to those who were responsible for the hardest parts of the move. Planning for a major relocation takes a lot of time and effort, much of which you won’t see. So, be sure to give praise where it’s due - to those who made the move possible, kept it well-organized and made it a more happy and exciting experience. 

Chicago, communication, Eastwick, Eastwikkers, etiquette, Golden Rule, HR, impression, Language, Mountain View, moving, relocation

 A friend of mine recently mentioned a new book she is reading called X-teams: How to Build Teams That Lead, Innovate and Succeed, by professors Deborah Ancona of MIT’s Sloan School and Henrik Bresman of INSEAD. One of her observations about the book resonated particularly well with me. The section was about a Microsoft marketing manager who was able to successfully raise awareness across the entire organization for a new generation of computer users she called “Netgeners” - an important new target demographic for Microsoft. What intrigued me about this entry was the method the marketing manager used to achieve her goal - classic storytelling.

According to the book, the manager “created a story that brought the situation to life - by comparing and contrasting the Net generation with the ‘PC generation’ and the ‘TV generation.’ She became a crusader to push the company to figure out how to serve these new, young technology adopters before someone else stole them away. She shared the Netgen story with people in every Microsoft division. One meeting would result in three more. One person would hear the story, and then they wanted the entire team to hear it…until thousands of people had heard it from the bottom to the top of the organization.”

We hear and tell stories all the time. Our lives are filled with them - in both our personal and business dealings. Stories are told at bedtime, discussed at the dinner table, conveyed via email, by phone and around the water cooler. Stories are also told by business leaders in order to (hopefully) inspire a call to action.  Stories are told pretty much everywhere we go, except maybe the doctor’s office waiting room or the inside of an elevator. But stories, if not well thought out or organized may not be enough to inspire. They require a ‘plot’ or structure to bring them to life (e.g. action, conflict, resolution) and to help people better understand how the stories can catalyze action. 

Instead of utilizing proper storytelling techniques, companies often attempt to incite action by developing compelling phrases or words – conveyed via memos - they hope will motivate. But while even well-written memos may have an impact on a number of people, it takes a real story to inspire the masses. 

Eastwick Communications, the agency for which I work, understands that, if executed correctly, storytelling can be a powerful way to engage multiple audiences and motivate customers, partners, investors and others to take action. Eastwick’s unique StoryBoard service is based on the premise that “messages communicate, stories motivate.” I have personally witnessed the StoryBoard techniques in action and have seen success garnered for clients through helping them to communicate and ‘live’ their brands more effectively.    

While it may not always seem apparent, every one of us and every business has a plethora of interesting stories to tell. Now is the time to start mining for, capturing and using those stories to build community, develop best practices, promote change within an organization and to better convey values.  

So, the next time you want to communicate something important to a group of people or an entire company or community, remember - everyone loves a good story.  

communications, Eastwick Communications, INSEAD, Language, Microsoft, MITs Sloan School, plot, story, StoryBoard, storytelling, X teams

Not many of us remember what it was like trying to keep in touch, whether for business or for personal means, without technology. Tools such as email, instant messaging, social networks and blogs have made our lives more interconnected - albeit overloaded. And  even those of us who seemingly lack the time to pick up the phone or visit a friend or colleague in person can somehow find time to email or send an IM.

 While technology is ideal for helping us maintain relationships from afar, a new Tech Connect report conducted by MidwestBusiness.com finds that communication via technology does not replace good ole’ face-to-face interaction. The report suggests that being creative in order to conduct business or personal communication ‘in the flesh’ - by simply adding a lunch date or an after work event to your weekly roster - will be a rewarding experience, resulting in more solid, worthwhile relationships.

While making more of an effort to reinstate face-to-face communications can help build and maintain greater associations with colleagues and friends, our friendly PDAs, cell phones and PCs won’t be going away any time soon; meaning that the 200 plus emails, dozens of IMs, multiple phone calls and numerous text messages we receive on a daily basis will still accompany us wherever we go. So in addition to pursuing more in-person interaction, CIO Update has provided a list of 10 tips and tricks to help minimize information overload, and facilitate more productive electronic communiqué.

The three tips I find most valuable are:

1)  Don’t email someone and then two seconds later follow-up with an IM or phone call.      

2) Do not overburden colleagues with unnecessary email, especially one word replies such as “Thanks!” or “Great!” and use “reply to all” only when absolutely necessary. 

3) Recognize the intended recipient of any communications is not a mind-reader, so supply details in your messages accordingly. 

I’m going to take a stab at following these seemingly simple guidlines with the hopes that the relationships I’ve already built and those that are ripe for the picking will be the better for it. Hey - if nothing else, I’ll hopefully get a few good meals out of the deal.

blogs, business lunch, business meetings, CIO Update, communications, electronic communications, email, instant messaging, Language, public relations, social networks

For my inaugural post on the new Eastwick Communications agency blog - on the topic of dialogue and the quest for more effective communication - I thought it important to write about a subject that would make somewhat of an impact. Or, to use a term that I’ve heard more and more over the last few years - impactful; I wanted my first post to be impactful.

Might I start by saying that this particular word, ‘impactful’ always leaves an impression when I hear it? Maybe it’s because until a few weeks ago, the word had yet to make it into most dictionaries and was considered to be utter slang by traditionalists. In fact, as I write this post, MS Word doesn’t recognize impactful as a proper English term and is underlining the word in red. Hmm - I digress.

To accomplish the feat of making this post impactful, I have chosen to focus on a topic of debate in certain circles, particularly among those who have been trained in conventional writing environments - the proper use of the English language.  

Many people in business and education, and those on the street, have been using unconventional terms such as impactful (instead of ‘essential’ or ‘having an impact’), agreeance (instead of ‘agreement’) and my favorite irregardless (instead of ‘regardless’) for years. So, why is it that until recently these words appeared in very few, if any, dictionaries? And, the more important question: why have these words now been deemed appropriate for the dictionary when they weren’t so before?

Could it be that such language use is a reflection of the dumbing-down effect of the Internet, in which badly written, badly spelled and ignorant text is widespread? Or, is it just the opposite and we are experiencing a new phenomenon through which the Internet has accelerated the evolution of word creation; a process, now unmediated, that has been taking place as long as we have had language?

A search on Yahoo! for the term ‘agreeance’ produces 80,000 results; ‘impactful’ produces 641,000 and ‘irregardless’ returns a whopping 718,000 pages - yikes! Mind you, a number of these pages contain arguments about whether or not such terms are suitable for consideration as English language standards. But, surprisingly, many of the results are from actual application in files such as blog posts, press releases, brochures and other documents.

So, what am I getting at? I suppose it all boils down to a matter of opinion. Whether you’re of the ilk to dislike such creations, feeling that they are the product of badly-educated writers, or you sit on the other side of the fence in support of the ongoing creation of new words, the fact remains that as people coin new terms and those new terms grow in popularity and use, they will inevitably make it into our dictionaries and will thus become (to the dismay of some) ‘proper.’

From a historical perspective, I find it interesting that in the nineteenth century, respected writers were careful to avoid inventing new terms, though it seems as if they did so unknowingly. For example, Thomas Hardy once wrote: “Once or twice recently I have looked up a word in the dictionary for fear of being again accused of coining, and have found it there right enough - only to read on and find that the sole authority is myself in a half-forgotten novel.”

If you decide it suitable to use novel English terms in your communications, might I issue a word of caution? Although offbeat new expressions now appear in the dictionary faster than we can memorize what’s right and wrong, if you use some of these lesser-known words in business communications, you run the risk of sounding uneducated or worse yet, finding yourself in a state of ignoral. Yes, ‘ignoral’ – the state of being ignored – has also made it into the dictionary.

communications, English terms, impactful, Language, proper English, respected writers, slang, word creation