Why Amazon is missing an opportunity with the Kindle

I know that Seth has talked about the failures/shortcomings of the Kindle before.

Today, I saw this article and it made me think about what an opportunity Amazon was missing.

So, now, we have Netflix.

And we have the Netflix of magazines.

Why isn’t Amazon fighting to become the Netflix of books?

Think about it. They have a device that can make delivery of the books quick and easy. They have the inventory of books available. Why not (as Seth suggests) make a subscription service for books? Basically, copy the Netflix business model for their books.

Not only does it tie people tighter to Amazon, but it would certainly boost sales of the Kindle.

It just seems that people/businesses are scrambling to be the “Netflix of [their industry]” and the one company that would seem like the best fit for the business model is completely ignoring the opportunity.

Technorati Tags: Kindle,Amazon,netflix,marketing

Twebinar…Tweriffic

Ok, so…lame title.

Anyway, I attended the “Twebinar” put on today by Chris Brogan and David Alston.

Overall, I think it was a great concept (I mean how could it not be with a guy as smart as Brogan behind it!)…with some room for growth.

I think the idea of a “backchannel” on a webinar similar to what ou find at a normal seminar event is intriguing. The ability to connect with other viewers is a very interesting concept and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

Sure, there were some issues with the video and bandwidth, but you’ll have that type of stuff. That’s easy enough to overlook.

A couple observations, though:

• Some parts felt a little bit like they were preaching to the choir. The people there likely already had bought into social media and I would have liked to see it dig in a little more to the specifics than it did instead of trying to sell us on the value of social media. That said, they know the type of attendees that were there and maybe the majority DID need to be sold on the effectiveness.
• It was A LOT to cram into one hour session. I think they could have done a series of 10-12 of these, each running an hour with each person that was interviewed. I would love to see that be the next step that now they expand into longer form twebinars with each presenter.
• While Twitter stayed up, it still made things difficult to not be able to track direct messages. So, you had to pop between the video, Twitter and Summize to follow along. I would have loved to see the Twitter feed and the ability to update built right into the video window to make commenting on something that just happened interesting.

One thing that I found interesting was the number of people who then connected on Twitter as a result of the posts flying around during the event. Very cool and it goes to show that we certainly are a community oriented bunch.

Overall, I think it was a great event and I can’t wait to see how other members of the community now take this and build on it.

Technorati Tags: twebinar,twitter,Chris Brogan,David Alston,marketing,public relations,social media

It’s a “Right Now” world on the web

Hugh has a great post in which he explores the history of his cartoons drawn on the back of business cards. It’s an interesting read and REALLY makes me want to read his book when it’s published.

He said one thing in there that really stood out to me. It doesn’t even seem to be designed to be a piece of wisdom. It’s just one of those little gems that gets included when a guy as smart as Hugh starts talking.

He says, of the time when was first posting his cartoons on the web,” This was the era of Technorati.com, when people wanted to start seeing what was happening on the web RIGHT NOW, not just historically.”

That really hit me.

I read it a few times.

Then I read it a few more times.

I think that sums up the major difference between the people who “get new media” and those that don’t. The people that don’t are still stuck in viewing the internet as a historical medium. To them, a website is something you put up once and then it stays there, never to be changed.

That’s why so many sites are essentially electronic brochures. It’s a historical commentary you push out to anyone who’s interested. You did the writing once, now people can go out and find what you did yesterday, last week or last year. It removes the responsibility and difficulty from actually talking to a person/customer. You don’t have to come up with a new way to talk to people, or present what you do.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the archival aspects of the web. I love how you can find something years after it’s out there…often even if the person doesn’t want you to find it.

But, I think the new web…the new way of looking at business and marketing on the web, is all about what’s happening RIGHT NOW. We can find out what people are doing right now, what they’re thinking right now. This is the key characteristic of “web 2.0″ (if I can still use that term!). We are connecting right now.

Socially, the adoption is huge, and it’s working it’s way into the world of business. But, the ones who do it right understand that you need to be able to connect with and talk to your customers right now, in a way that is relevant to them. If you don’t they’ll go find someone who will.

Search is no longer just a what happened yesterday. It’s now a “Twitter world” of, “What are you doing right now?”

Technorati Tags: gapingvoid, hugh, marketing, internet, web

This Week in Photography

If you’re not listening to This Week in Photography (TWIP) and you like photography…you’re missing out!

Check it out here: http://www.twipphoto.com

Marriott Gets Customer Service Right

So, earlier this week I stayed at the Richmond Marriott West in Glen Allen, VA. I was there for work, so it was only a couple days, but the hotel made a wonderful impression on me.

How? Well, it was a few little things.

First, the bed was probably the most comfortable I’ve slept in…anywhere.

Beyond that, the staff was friendly as you came and went, they had someone there greeting you, etc. These are all pretty basic things that add to the whole.

What really stood out to me was two things that happened when I wasn’t even there. The staff made up my room while I was at all day meetings. Now, I will admit that I’m not the neatest person when it comes to my hotel rooms…this stay was no exception. I had clothes laying around, some old newspapers on the floor and on top of those, the envelope from a card my wife had put in my suitcase (awww.) I came back, the room was cleaned, the newspapers were gone, but the ENVELOPE was sitting on the chair. Obviously the person who cleaned could tell it could be something special and chose to leave it in case I wanted to save it. Very nice touch.

Then, I went into the bathroom. I had left items strewn about the countertop that morning. A toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and a few other things. When they cleaned the bathroom, they took those items and put them all on a washcloth they had laid out. Now, I know that many places they wouldn’t care or would choose NOT to do such a thing because they were told not to touch customers’ personal items. But here, they added a human touch that really went a long way with me.

Like I said, little things…but they made a big impact. What little things can you do today to make a big impact to the people you want to choose your company?

Technorati Tags: Marriott, marketing, customer service, hotel

Seth’s right that “you’re right.”

Seth has a great post that speaks to something that happened to me in my recent customer service call referenced in my last post.

Once I finally got someone on the phone again and didn’t cut out, I had to work through various levels of experience to fix the problem. The first person was basically useless except to tell me that their company didn’t have any training with Firefox. Good idea…I don’t think it’ll catch on. It’s not like you’re a technology company or anything.

Then, the second person, who I spent a good hour with, determined that I was having a browser problem. And the way he said it was very condescending. Not, “I think it could be something with your browser,” but much snottier. Plus, he seemed like that’s how he wanted to leave it. Not try to find a way to fix it but to just say it’s a browser problem and try to get me to hang up to solve it myself.

Finally, he passed me up the chain to the next person. That person had me change a couple settings in the router’s control page and everything started working perfectly. Hmmm, must have fixed the browser problem.

I know it’s hard sometimes to not just tell a customer they’re wrong, but that’s a dangerous game to play…for a couple reasons. 1) They may not appreciate being talked to that way and choose to not do business with you again, or 2) they may be right.

Don’t ask for my information if you’re not going to use it!

Why do companies ask for information but not use it?

I was on the phone the other day getting tech support in setting up a new router. The first thing the rep asked (after the requisite phone menu) was my name and phone number, as well as my email.

About 20 minutes into the call, after a few unsuccessful attempts to fix the problem, my phone lost the connection.

Now remember when I said the first thing they asked for was my phone number?

Why didn’t the rep realize the connection was lost and call me right back?

I’ll bet they won’t have any problem using my number when they want to telemarket. If you ask a customer for personal information and then a situation presents itself through which the use of that information will build the relationship with the customer, doesn’t it seem natural to use the info?

Now I have to call back again and start over with a new rep. I understand that the call being dropped was my fault, but it seems that it was a missed opportunity for the company.

Good idea…but can I get Stormhoek?

Saw this post today about a new site called WineSide.

I think this is an outstanding idea.

Basically, you can get trial size tubes of various wines to determine what is your favorite. I think it would be stupid for a wine maker not to get involved if they have the opportunity.

Think of it this way. Wine basically comes in one size…for the most part. For some wines, that one size is fine because to buy that bottle isn’t very painful to the shopper. But, you get into some of the finer wines, and that bottle can get pretty pricey. I know…big revelation there huh? I know I have passed up trying certain types of wine because I figured that if I spent that money for the bottle and didn’t like it I’d be out all the money and stuck with 3/4 of a bottle of wine I don’t like.

Traditionally, this was addressed with wine tastings. That’s fine, but what if someone doesn’t have the ability to get to a tasting? The wine maker is missing out on those customers because they may not be inclined to buy a bottle of expensive wine on “spec.” It’s like a wine tasting in the digital age.

I think it’s important for any company with a product or service that can at all do something similar to this to do it as quickly as possible. If you remove some of the doubt and fear from choosing a new product, you greatly increase your chances of attracting new customers.

Technorati Tags: wine, marketing, business

A novel in Google Maps…wow!

Found this post today.

This is too cool. The story takes you through the locations in Google Maps. At each point it gives you a bit more of the story and then shows you where it’s taking place. At certain points you also get photos showing you landmarks or other items the story talks about.

I haven’t seen it use the Street View yet, but if that becomes part of it, this could get VERY interesting.

Either way, it’s amazing where these tools are taking us.

Technorati Tags: novel, google maps, cool

Decide on a story first

Seth has a great post today called “Which comes first (why stories matter).”

Essentially he says that if you don’t have a story, the work you do ends up being random. This random work causes “the story to be confused or bland or indifferent and it doesn’t spread.”

I couldn’t agree more. It’s basically the old adage of if you don’t know what you’re shooting for, you’ll never hit it.

This applies not only to us and how we do our work, but companies and how they are positioned. It is SO important to decide on a story, decide on what you stand for and then work in a way that portrays that story. Unarticulated priorities lead to confusion and ultimately mediocrity.

On the other hand, a clear message - or story - leads to ease in decision making.

Remember the story about Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines teaching the secret of running Southwest? He is quoted as saying, “We are THE low-fare airline. Once you understand that fact, you can make any decision about this company’s future as well as I can.” That’s dedication to the story the company wants to tell. It also makes things easier because it’s the measuring-stick you use to make any decision.

Does this match our story? No? Well, then we’re not doing it.

The problem is that so few people/companies take the time to really determine what they want their story to be and take the steps to make sure that everyone is dedicated to make that story a reality. They get so busy “doing” that they forget why they’re doing it. They just spend all day doing things to keep up that so many people never really think about why they’re doing it.

Or, their story is so vague and “all encompassing” that it’s ineffective as a measuring stick.

Find a story, a simple one (hat tip to Made to Stick) and make that the deciding factor in any decision for yourself or your business.

Technorati Tags: story, seth godin, marketing, business