Scientist. Engineer. Technician.

“The first time you do something, it’s science. The second time you do something, it’s engineering. The third time…it’s technology – being a technician.”

 - Clifford Stoll, man of many intellectual hats and author of Cuckoo’s Egg (still a great yarn after all these years), talks at TED in February 2006 

Which one are you in your career? 

Which one does your company value most?

Data makes decision making easy. Data adds credibility to communications. Data clarifies and corrects misconceptions. Data helps provide direction.

When is the last time you dug up some data? 

P.S. If you’re feeling indecisive during this election season, check out the data at Project Vote Smart.  

Visit Web Strategy by Jeremiah for the 2008 list of web marketing tools and tactics.

Thanks for the valuable resource, Jeremiah.

If you don’t know about Squidoo, you don’t know what you’re missing. 

What is Squidoo? Another brain child of Seth Godin, Squidoo is a community of single-page websites (each called a “lens”) built with passion and creativity by people like you and me – about the topics of our choice.

Squidoo is like a virtual erector set in that you are supplied all the building parts and limited only by your imagination – except, with Squidoo, anyone in the world can potentially see your creation when it is finished. And also, with Squidoo, your final product is auto-adorned with Internet ads.

Yes, that’s right. Squidoo cleverly combines the compassion of community and the passion of people with the business of advertising.  Upon completion, your lens is auto-populated with relevant Google ads. You can also choose to display items for sale from Amazon, CafePress, etc. And if someone buys an item via your lens, you generate a portion of the proceeds – for yourself, charity or a combination of both.

The best part? Creating a lens is so easy that my mother could do it (actually, to be fair, my mother is pretty tech savvy – but you know what I mean).

I have to admit…after creating my first lens (the operative word being “first”) about identity theft, I am completely hooked by Squidoo’s far-reaching, yet benevolent, tentacles. It’s no wonder – the Squidoo community’s vibrant and sunny disposition makes it difficult not to keep returning. And each visit provides a purely painless and pleasant user experience (how rare is that?!).

Folks, do not delay. Build your lens today. Squidoo is an effervescent experience that Squi-don’t want to miss!

P.S. Don’t forget to stop by my new Squidoo lens: Protecting Your Identity: Start with the Basics. I welcome your feedback and suggestions! 

Comcast is cutting off customers who download too much.

Is this a strategy to add value to its bottom line? With a policy such as this, Comcast will also have the added bonus of ticking off its customers.

Worse still, the “policy” is not consistent or concrete – as it pertains to volume or geography – according to subscribers cited in this CBS News story. At the end of the day, Comcast customers with a hearty bandwidth appetite are in a lose-lose situation because the company “provides no tools for monitoring bandwidth, and does not give any specific guidance.” 

Comcast’s decision to cut the bandwidth cord on heavy users is foolishness. The reasons why it’s foolish vary depending on your perspective…as a consumer, as a marketeer, as a field technician for Comcast. However, I am compelled to highlight this key financial reason, which was so eloquently illuminated by The Motley Fool:

“Given its triple-play option, the last thing Comcast would want is to lose three connections of revenue from a peeved subscriber. Psst, Comcast. Want to know how you keep those greedy customers? Charge them for their heavy habits!”

     Jester hats off to The Motley Fool for its sound business and marketing advice. 

Image: GuildWiki – Available under the CC 2.0 by-nc-sa license.

Did you ever market a product or service that was in high demand? <NEED>
Did you ever market a product or service with a limited supply? <SCARCITY>
Did you ever market a product or service that was mission critical? <FEAR>
Did you ever market a product or service that was required by law? <RISK>

In each case, your job was probably a bit less challenging than other marketing jobs. You might even say it was “easy” at times.

Why? Need + Scarcity + Fear + Risk = EZ Sales and EZ Profits.

It’s rare to provide a product or service that appeals to all four of these purchasing motivators. Even if you had a product or service that represented a mere triple threat, such as Need + Scarcity + Fear, you’d be in great shape from a marketing perspective.

FOOD PRODUCTION is a prime example of a triple-threat service that would make your marketing job a breeze. Check it out:

<NEED>
The US population increased almost 50% in 55 years. Top this off with current demand for food-based biofuels and you get an exacerbated need.

*Does not include figures for undocumented immigrants, which are projected to be between 10 and 20 million people.

<SCARCITY>
The number of farms in the US shrunk by 61% during the same timeframe.

<FEAR>
In May 2007, the US Department of Agriculture released a report regarding the world’s grain supply, which is at its lowest level in 47 years (the length of time this data has been tracked). The report also provided grim predictions for the supply of other food sources.

Moral of the Story #1
If you own a farm, HOLD. If you are thinking about owning a farm, BUY. 

Moral of the Story #2
Marketing a triple-threat service like PRODUCING FOOD could very well end up being one of the easiest jobs in the world. 

Chart sources: US Department of Agriculture, US Census Bureau, and http://www.agclassroom.org/gan/timeline/index.htm

UPDATE as of 25 September 2007: Australia Cuts Wheat Forecast by a Third and Global Dairy Demand Drives Up Prices

If your brand extension is not relevant or logical to the core brand, you risk diluting the power of each.

Derrick Daye gives fine examples. Seth Godin frames a thoughtful brand formula.

Bottom line: Stay true to your core brand and your customers will be true to you.

Note: I will be taking a very short leave from Diablogue. We’re moving out of state and we hit the road tomorrow. CU L8R.