60 Second Impact
March 2006
| Contents 60 Second Articles |
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| 60 Second Articles March 2006 Estimated Reading Time: under 60 Seconds per article 60 Second Articles: 1. Doing What It Takes To Stand Out In A Crowded Marketplace 2. Attention Ford & GM: It's All About Product Creativity 3. Blind Spot Detection. Why Didn't I Think Of That? - Part 1 4. USB Coffee Warmers. Why Didn't I Think Of That? - Part 2 5. The 60 Second Close: The Power Of Ideas 6. Mini-review; Small Giants by Bo Burlingham ********************* 1. Doing What It Takes To Stand Out In A Crowded Marketplace � Imagine being one of the many companies that sells bottled water to offices. How would you stand out from the others? What would you do to make your company and your product more visible, especially when selling an undifferentiated commodity, like water? � Highland Water in Denver came up with a brilliant answer�the company put their deliverymen in kilts. Results? The kilt-wearing, bottle-toting deliverymen of Highland Water are drawing attention and sales are increasing. � The company has integrated the campaign into its seven trucks and vans with the message, "Men in Kilts Deliver" showing a plaid lad in a kilt, delivering water. � The magic question is, "what can you do to make your company and product more visible?" (Source: Denver Post) ********************* 2. Attention Ford & GM: It's All About Product Creativity � Rocked by the news that Ford is planning to lay off 20,000 to 30,000 employees by the year 2012, and add that to the layoffs already planned by GM, one has to wonder what's going on in the auto industry. This isn't a Tyco or an Enron scenario where greed has dissipated a company. It's simply a story of not enough sales to cover the expenses. So, the easy remedy is to cut expenses, otherwise known as payroll. � The true problem is that most of our domestic auto manufacturers have lost their creativity in producing cars that make potential customers say, "wow!" � The bottom line? It's all about creating and designing a product that turns heads. It's all about unleashing the excitement, for which over the past few years, there has been very little. ********************* 3. Blind Spot Detection. Why Didn't I Think Of That? - Part 1 � It's happened to all of us at one time or another�changing lanes on a highway, thinking all is clear, only to find there's another car close to you, hidden away in that "blind spot." � Changing lanes is about to get a whole lot safer as technology has come to the rescue with a seemingly easy remedy to the blind spot problem. � Valeo Raytheon (www.valeoraytheon.com) has developed a radar-based automotive blind spot detection system. When the system (which utilizes short-range radar sensors on the rear bumper) detects a moving object in the blind spot, the driver is alerted. ********************* 4. USB Coffee Warmers. Why Didn't I Think Of That? - Part 2 � Working away at your computer and your coffee is getting cold? Suddenly, it loses its taste and you miss out on your much needed caffeine rush. � To the rescue with this problem of inconvenience is a tremendously creative idea�a USB Coffee Warmer that plugs right into your computer, and keeps your coffee or tea warm. Want one? Check it out. http://www.chowschina.com/products/9809.htm ********************* 5. The 60 Second Close: The Power Of Ideas � The influx of new ideas and creativity is essential in keeping your company profitable. Need help in developing ideas? Take advantage of our power. Our power of ideas. Call us; we can help you get there � faster than ever � with great ideas. 6. Mini-review; Small Giants by Bo Burlingham � Small Giants is one great small book that is an "easy read" for people that enjoy business books. It tells the story of thirteen highly successful, mostly privately held companies that choose a factor other than growth to define success. � How and why these companies are successful have something to do with the charisma and talent of their owners, but there's more than that. The author describes an element called "mojo" that seems to be an essential element of each company's culture. � If you are an entrepreneur, you'll love reading this book. It will become a guide for you to create "mojo" in your organization, regardless of its size. Best Wishes Chris Lambrecht |