Which one are you?

Missionary

Mercenary

When it comes to these three questions: 1. Where is the world right now? 2. Where is it going? 3. And why?, no one is exploring these questions better than Charlie Rose.

At the recent TechCruch Disrupt Conference, Charlie sits down with John Doerr, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (a venture capital firm). Together with KPCB's partners, John has backed many of America's best entrepreneurial leaders, including:

• Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt: Google
• Jeff Bezos: Amazon
• Scott Cook, Bill Campbell: Intuit
• And the founders of Compaq, Cypress, Macromedia and Symantec

What I liked about this interview is that John mentions some pretty significant ideas that are worth their weight in gold. They should especially be taken note of if entrepreneurs, companies and organizations want to stay relevant, as trends in today's emerging market continue to devour and dispose of traditional business practices.

For me, one sentiment that is noteworthy, is Doerr's comments on the next wave of evolution for the internet, which he mentioned will be about people, places and relationships.  I couldn't agree more.

Another consequential remark that he made was when he talked about the reason behind the success of many of the current tech behemoths (Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook). He talks about their founders being missionaries (individuals interested in culture and on a mission to create something great for customers) instead of being mercenaries (those who are paranoid, are driven by fear and mainly looking for the deal). The contrast that John draws between the two is intriguing.

Ultimately, not just in the tech world, but across all industries, those who flourish and build strong communities around their brand will be determined by how you engage the battlefield; as a missionary or as a mercenary.

Check out the discussion between these two gents. Some pretty good stuff.

The old can always be new

                                                               images by Robert Weingarten

About a year ago I wrote a post entitled just because it's old doesn't mean it's irrelevant. The premise was that even if something happened in 1795, if looked at from the right perspective, could be incredibly relevant and valuable - right here, right now. 

In writing this, what factored into my ideas was my own work in an old world environment.  As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia, about a decade ago, I'd regularly come across donkey carts, homestead huts and the himba, making me wonder if I was in the 20th century. The juxtaposition of the current year, and seeing what I was seeing, would sometimes be a head trip.  

Being in that environment for 2 1/2 years, I definitely learned that just because some things are old (and even ancient), definitely doesn't mean they're irrelevant.

The idea of old being valuable resurfaced again a few days ago when I came across an article by Ivana Taylor. She was discussing a book she was reviewing entitled “Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive,” written by a colleague of hers, Eric Wesner.

After reading about one hundred pages (her curiosity piqued), she sent an email to Eric asking why he wrote the book. Here's what he said:  

“I was really impressed by the caliber of Amish companies.  All the informal indicators were there; these small shops were very busy, they were getting a lot of outside attention, and even in plain Amish society you could see indicators of financial success among the business people.

I ran my own business in Amish  communities.   After selling in non-Amish communities, you see certain cultural contrasts.  And that is what intrigued me.  This includes everything from an appreciation for books, to an inherent anti-waste mentality, to an emphasis on relationships."

As you read through the article you get the sense that Ivana was really getting alot out of the book. She goes on to mention a couple of principles that Wesner discusses, which I found to be pretty powerful:

• The two “F-words” Amish businesses deal with: Fear and Faith.  They don’t pretend to know everything.  In fact, they acknowledge that fear of the unknown is real.  But then they lean on their faith to get through it.
• Relationships are everything.  It starts with their relationship with God, then with their family, their community and their customers.  Each one is a natural and authentic part of their daily lives.  In a conversation with Jonas, Werner learns that “If you’re a servant-leader, that means other people are going to come first.  People have to be very important to you…you’re not in it for the dollar anymore, you’re in it to help people.  And the profits?  They come.”

As Ivana begins wrapping up her article, she hits on a number of very salient business points that Wesner mentions. Some very valuable ideas she shares with respect to his ideas on sales and marketing:

• Marketing won’t solve the fundamental problem of a sub par product.
• A business' unique story can form the basis of its marketing approach.
• Marketing is relationship building.  Those who follow-up with a personalized response get noticed.

In today's hyper-digital world, where (in some circles) the shelf life for things is as long as it takes for one tweet to get replaced by the next, some old school perspectives on how to build a business, may be something that you'll want to pay a little bit more attention to.

It's a Unicorn

                                                                    image by Alan Leatherbadrow

One of the most powerful and engaging ways to discuss who you are, where you come from, or what you are about, is through the power of stories. Stories take us on trips to distant worlds, instill optimism, make us laugh, and maybe even shows us the darkest sides of our nature.

Stories allow us to be creative, imaginative, and to express the mundane and realistic to the far reaching and fantastic.

Interestingly enough, Philips has placed itself in the space of creative storytelling. The brand, famous for its televisions, is using the power of narrative in blurring the boundaries between advertising and home  entertainment. 

In 2009 Philips launched an online advertising campaign surrounding their movie theater-proportioned 21:9 LCD television set, titled Carousel, which went on to win the most prestigious award in the advertising industry, at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. The film is just 2:19 long – kind of a subliminal message connecting the product with the film.

It’s filmed in one continuous tracking shot and features stop-motion special effects. There is no dialogue, no movement, a sort of 'a picture is worth 1,000 words' 2:19 of cinematic appeal that gives the viewer the freedom to create a script in their own mind.

And now Philips has created Parallel Lines – five short films, in five genres, by five of RSA's (Ridley Scott Associates) hottest directors. All the films contain the same six lines of dialogue; “What is that?”, “It’s a unicorn”, “Never seen one up close before”, “Beautiful”, “Get away, get away", and “I’m sorry”.  What's incredible is that even though all the films contain the same word-for-word dialogue, they couldn't be more different from one another.

The first is The Hunt from Jake Scott and features a story about two hunters. . .  

The next film, Darkroom from Johnny Hardstaff, a dark and almost pornographic glimpse into a hotel room where a woman is tied up in a heart-shaped bathtub. The unicorn here, is on the sexy side. . .

Then there' The Gift from Carl Erik Rinsch. A futuristic film that takes place in Russia and features robots and an interesting look at technology and possession. This film has been lauded so much by viewers that they're demanding it be turned into a full-length film. A unicorn in this future. . .very interesting. . .

The fourth film is El Secreto de Mateo from Greg Fay, a story of a brother and sister in Mexico who have each other – and a unicorn – to help them with their 'outsider' status in the world.

The final film is Jun and the Hidden Skies from Hi-Sim, an animated short. Hi-Sim is able to change the focus of the film, almost tricking the dialogue so that it applies to a dragon rather than a unicorn. As a playful animation, is a nice departure from serious nature of the previous shorts.

Philips being present to where the market is and understanding customer as producer, is extending the reach of the project to you, with a competition to discover a sixth entry to the series. The same dialogue constraints will apply to all entries, with the winner bringing home cash, a Cinema 21:9 TV, and some other Ridley Scott related rewards. In case you're interested, the 8th August is the last day of entry.

Give me Culture, or give me Death!

Ok folks, by a show of hands how many of you like pollution?

Anybody. . .anybody. . .

Ok. By the amount of hands that have gone into the air, it looks like no one does.

Makes sense to me. Pollution, when you see it, is unattractive, irritating (in a best case scenario), and when you are faced with it, your immediate reaction is a visual distaste (it's nothing inspiring to look at).

Well from where I sit, large chunks of advertising are visual pollution. I completely agree with Lee Clow when he says that, when done right, brands can be made inseparable from culture (unable to distinguish where one starts and the other begins). When the advertising that expresses what the brand is about, takes the opportunity to seduce you, something stirring happens.  More often than not, though, that's not the case. So much advertising is not culture.  Lots of it is uninspiring, smoggy, visual pollution.

If a company does an ad and you can't tell whether it's about culture or the brand, then I feel whether by design or by accident, you've moved to the next level.

Enter Nike's new 3 minute epic dubbed "Write the Future". Created by ad agency Wieden & Kennedy and directed by  Alejandro G. Inarritu ("21 Grams," "Babel") the spot communicates: this is the culture of the World Cup. Not this is an ad for Nike.

The article by Ad Age, discussing it, landed in my inbox this past Thursday. And when I began seeing response after response, speaking to the fact that it felt more like a 3 minute roller coaster ride into the culture of international soccer, than a branded ad, then I think my thoughts are this:

Wieden & Kennedy + new Nike spot = epic win.

Below are a small sample of comments that I cut and paste from the article's comment section. They definitely show that this video is more than just advertising. . .it's culture.

By adkid | Detroit, MI May 20, 2010 04:16:38 pm:HOLY CRAP!! It's like boiling down the hyper connected, pop culture/social media obsessed world we live in into a 3 minute piece of video bliss. But does the brand have enough presence? I remember it was about Renaldo more than I remember it being about Nike. Still. Pretty kickass.

By Tom | Atlanta, GA May 21, 2010 08:41:29 am: The Song is Hocus Pocus From The Dutch band Focus. It's from 1971 and reached #9 on the Billboard chart in the US during the Spring of 1973. It's really perfect in that spot. It feels like an ad for soccer more than Nike. Strategically a win for soccer than is a win for Nike- particularly in the US.

By mikedickman | Lighthouse Point, FL May 21, 2010 10:01:03 am: I didn't know it was a Nike ad when I began to watch, or began to write this post, I am not sure I would remember now. Nike = soccer?

By LINDA | MIAMI, FL May 21, 2010 09:51:03 am: Great energy. Builds excitement. Very light on branding. NIKE who?

By pedropey | arlington, VA May 21, 2010 11:57:15 am:

The best Nike ad ever? No.

The best Nike soccer ad ever? possibly.
The best Nike ad in the past four or five years? Most definitely.
It's got everything for everyone. Even non-fans will have to admit, it's entertaining and exciting. For die hard fans, some of the moves are the best filmed soccers moves ever.
Kudos, WK Amsterdam.

Sundancing with Kenyan Sci Fi

Unexpectedness happens when seemingly disparate ideas come together. Perceptions of who we are, how ideas are defined, and the labels under which things are identified can be called into question.

This is what I love about the intersection. When concepts, entities, or beliefs that typically don't occupy the same time and space come together, they can present us with a fresh perspective on what's possible.

This is what I love about the short film, Pumzi, by writer/director Wanuri Kahiu, which played at this year's Sundance film festival. It was brought to my attention (a few months back) by my good friend Ngozi Odita, founder of SHAE, when she saw a screening of it at this year's SXSW festival, and shared it with me.

This is what happens when you converge East Africa, science fiction and cinema. You get an atypical look at what a developing country is all about.

The film's setting is a dystopian future 35 years after water wars have torn the world apart. East African survivors of the ecological devastation remain locked away in contained communities, but a young woman in possession of a germinating seed struggles against the governing council to bring the plant to Earth’s ruined surface.

According to Wahuri the film, "started off as a small script about what kind of world we would have to be if we had to buy fresh air." Her creative process in itself is very interesting as she researched classic 1950s films to create her movie's futuristic sets, comparing the processes of matte painting and rear screen projection with indigenous African artwork.

Kahiu’s future plans include expanding Pumzi to feature length as well as nurturing her local film community.

“I would like to work and build an industry, so that everyone walks away well-paid, with great hours,” Kahiu said. “Just a humane society, of sorts.”

Well all I can say is; handle your business Wahuri. I'm pullin' for ya lady!