We all know about the iPad – the poorly named tablet from Apple that is basically a large iPod touch with a bit of Mac power added in. But, just today, Samsung unveiled their new tablet – the Galaxy – which they are hoping will not only be a strong competitor, but the iPad Killer.

Haven’t heard about the new Galaxy? Check out the launch video:

I think if everything they promise actually works, and you can get it with Verizon service, there is a very good chance that the nickname “iPad killer” will be true!

So what do you think? Is the iPad untouchable or will the Samsung Galaxy have a chance of taking over some of the market share? Which would you prefer

Time – that illusive thing we all wish we had more of. Unfortunately, we can’t make more time, but what we can do is make better use of the time that we do have. So, next time you have 10 minutes to dedicate to something that can help you to build your business, try one of these:

• Send a personal thank you note to a recent client
• Write some notes on a new blog post
• Check on the conversations on twitter
• Ask a question on your business facebook page
• Review the copy on your site, make sure it’s up to date
• Organize your office so you can find things easier
• Share a link to an interesting article with your followers
• Make sure all important emails have been responded to

What else can you do in 10 minutes to change the flow of your day and improve your business?

Facebook: It started as a social experiment by a college kid and his friends (we’ve all heard the Zuckerberg story, and soon, we can watch it!). Now, it is powerful, huge and definitely here to stay for at least the next 5 years (really, who knows what’s going to happen after that?). But, Facebook is no longer just about college kids and chatting with friends. Facebook has become the new it place for businesses to build branding and reach out to their customer base. By the thousands, companies are setting up groups and fan (like) pages in order to have one more way to send messages and reach out to customers, and potential customers.

While there are many just taking the leap and going head first, many are unsure of what to do. It is intimidating to take the leap into something new, especially when there are so many businesses already doing it – many very well, and many, not so much. The ones that do it well have found great results – even without having to create completely custom FBML coding. A great example of page with tons of fans, tons of comments and a simple page? Buffalo Wild Wings! With over 2 million fans, they are really doing something right. They run contests, ask questions, people share pictures and have created a really awesome community. While I can’t tell you if it has improved their business fiscally, I have a hard time believing it hasn’t had at least some effect!  But not everyone can (or will) do this.

It is because of the fear of failure, and the desire to succeed that we are often asked the question: How do I know if I need a Facebook Business page?

So, we have put together a list of 10 reasons your business might want a facebook business page. These reasons are fairly basic, as need to be delved into much further before actually making the leap, but they give you an idea.

1. You sell a consumer product.
2. You sell a service that is tangible.
3. You create something people like to share.
4. You are in an industry that people get involved.
5. You have a business that people can gather around.
6. You want to create a feeling of community around a subject.
7. You want to open lines of communication.
8. You want a place to share with your audience.
9. You want to give away prizes and specials.
10. You understand that people want access to you.

As I mentioned, not all businesses are right for facebook pages. It takes the desire and effort combined in order to make it work. You must dedicate time and energy to build it, just as you would any other marketing tool!

Do you have a facebook business page? Does it work for you?

Yesterday, I got a real, honest-to-god printed invitation to an event next month. It is for a new location of a business, who is very active in the twitter and facebook community and has a solid following. It was well done, very elegantly put together and seemed like they put a lot of effort into it – but what surprised me was the fact that it was mailed to me.

In the last few months, I have received over a dozen beautifully designed event invitations, sent through twitter, facebook, evite and even my rss feed. All of the invitiations wanted email responses, or a virtual reply. This was the first time I had received an event invitation (other than for a family event or wedding) that was not sent via the web. What was even more strange was that they wanted a virtual reply to the mailed invite…I couldn’t just click yes, or reply, I had to actually create a new email, make sure to type the email address correctly and send out a reply. I guess I am just a little surprised that with the ease of use of a facebook event, twitter invite, evite or even creating a blog invitation, a company would spend the money (and waste the paper) to create and mail this invitation – when they already have twitter and facebook at their fingertips.

Do you still use the mail for invitations or have you moved it all to the web?

50 years ago, if a new product was introduced into the market, it was advertised through the newspapers, magazines, word of mouth and radio ads. Ad directors needed to be creative – really think through exactly what they were putting to paper, since it wasn’t cheap to run ads. They included all the details they could – people actually read the ads, curious to see the new specs and why they should be interested. These ads sold cars! I remember talking with my grandparents about old advertising – and how much they loved it. It was true – the companies put everything on the line, and their eggs in one basket. They needed these ads to work or they weren’t selling their products. They also remember the door to door salesmen – everything from the vacuum cleaner to steak knives, brought and demonstrated in home to show the public just how amazing the products really were. It was a different time for ads – and branding.

Now, we have TV, the web, social media and advertising has changed dramatically. While print advertising still exists, it has become less and less prevalent as traditional media slows. It is still necessary for branding, but print alone will not market your product. You now need to add in television, radio, social media and new technology. Of course, this is a double edged sword. While it does allow companies to diversify their marketing and  increase the touches to the customer, it can also allow for more branding problems and the need for a better strategy. You can’t just jump on twitter and be a success, just like facebook and blogging won’t save a bad business. True branding still requires the same thing it did 50 years ago – a good message, quality products and a strong brand.

Which brings me to today’s question: If you were to release a new product into the market today, how would you do it? Which tools would be the most important? The least important?

Share your thoughts!

Last week’s article from the Washington Post on the new 6 bladed razor from ShaveMate was one of the funniest (and most ridiculous) articles I have ever read. Luckily, it wasn’t the Washington Posts fault. The humor and laughter can all be blamed on those who were interviewed – The Tomassetti brothers who created this razor and Damon Jones of Gillette. Let me share with you some of the best pieces of the article…

WP asked why they felt the razor needed 6 blades (the most blades on any available razor), and the Tomasetti’s responded,

“It’s not just the blades,” says Lou Tomassetti who, along with his brother Peter, invented the Titan. “It’s really everything you need in one.” The Titan, he explains, also comes with shaving cream in the handle and a moisture strip.

“If you go out and try to buy equipment for shaving today,” Lou continues, “it’s very complicated.”

“You might have to buy batteries,” Peter adds.

“ShaveMate is really a lifestyle change” from all that, Lou says. “It’s a shaving revolution.”

Really guys? Shaving supplies are so complicated that you had to put everything into one? I’ve seen my husband shave…it really doesn’t look all that tough. So, maybe it’s just these guys thinking shaving is difficult. Certainly the Gillette gentlemen, the ones who first started the trend of adding more blades did it for a better reason? Nope…apparently to them, it is very technical science!

“It’s a scientific approach called ‘progressive geometry,’ ” says Damon Jones of Gillette. “It’s scientifically proven that multiple blades” will cut closer than just one. Shaving with a three-bladed razor is equivalent to shaving three times with a single blade — but, Jones says, even smoother.

“We use technology that’s used in the semiconductor industry and the automotive industry to get the spacing just right between blades,” he says. (Note: Maybe this is why the Mach ads featured cars?) “We’re talking microns,” Jones says. “It’s a very deep technical science.”

Okay, now you’ve got to be screwing with me…you use the automotive industry to get the spacing right?! Now I am really laughing.

Chime in guys – what do you think? Do you really need a 6 bladed razor?

Lexus has always been a luxury brand – and the vehicles are easily equated with style and class, and money. Despite the fact that Lexus’ is not a cheap vehicle, Lexus has never been seen as a contender in the fast, sleek and sexy sports car world. But with the new Lexus LFA, they are attempting to changes their affiliation.

Hitting 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, places it into contention with the Ferrari’s and the Lamborghini’s. Of course, it is also in the same price range. Which is a huge jump. Most Lexus vehicles range from $40,000-$100,000 whereas the new LFA supercar comes in at $375,000 (base msrp). So my question is: How will they compete?

When Volkswagen split from their ‘traditional’ $25-$45,000 cars and created the Phaeton which started at above $75,000, they made a huge error. The cars did not sell well, and despite recent face-lifts and changes, they still are not selling well. Why? Because people who are Volkswagen buyers are not traditionally those who are willing to fork out more than $50,000 for a car.

So with Lexus attempting to make the leap from style and class to high-priced sexy vehicles, I worry if they won’t face the same problems that Volkswagen has.

But, no matter the battle ahead, I am certainly impressed with their commercial. It certainly makes me think about them in a new light…that is one very sexy car.

If you’re Koleston Naturals Hair color, it’s done by placing a billboard where the changes in the sun level will change the hair color on the billboard:

The image above is a time lapsed series of a billboard in Beirut, Lebanon from 2007. The billboard captures the image, and hair, of a beautiful woman, designed to show the beauty of natural hair color that Koleston Naturals provides. I personally love the simplicity and creativity of the ad – using natural light and natural changes to capture the Blondes, Redheads and Brunettes of the world. What I also appreciated was the fact that they let the nature and the picture speak for themselves. They didn’t need to tell you that Koleston hair color was all natural, made to be gentle on the hair and protect it’s natural beauty…they didn’t have to. The billboards told the story without the words. The only thing I see as problematic is that if you were to just pass by the billboard (unless you planned on hanging around for a few hours), you would only ever see one color. And if you only saw it at night…it wouldn’t seem as impressive. With that said, this is still one of the most impressive pieces of creative marketing I have seen in awhile.

Have you seen other ads that are capitalizing on nature? Share!

75 years ago your marketing was entirely based on print and word of mouth. There was no internet, no TV commercials, no billboard advertising. If you wanted people to know about you, you had to run newspaper or magazine ads, go door to door meeting people and hope that others would spread the good word about your business. This meant that your customer service had to be top notch. Every detail of your business needed to be perfect so that you didn’t miss the sale for a slip of the tongue or a mistake in marketing. You had to understand your ideal client so you didn’t waste time or energy marketing to the wrong people. You attended events in the hopes to meet the right people – and when you did, you didn’t ask for their email or cell number, you planned a face to face meeting at an office to discuss how you could work together. There were no shortcuts, no simple ways to reach somebody, nothing that made business easy at all. And yet, thousands of businesses grew, improved and became huge successes. Why? Because they worked their butt’s off, understood what it took to  succeed and never let laziness or short cuts inhibit their success.

Fast forward to today – the land of laziness in business. You can send an email from the road, tweet in bed and cold call from anywhere in the world. It doesn’t take much to create a website, and there are tons of places you can market yourself for next to nothing. And all this has led to disaster for many companies. It is  more important now than ever before to make sure that every detail of your business is perfectly in order, because your customers can reach you faster and in more ways! Companies who don’t remember the past  – or don’t appreciate how to really connect with customers – are letting social media tools run their marketing and are hitting a brick wall. Social media is not the answer to marketing, and it is definitely not a solution to save your business. In fact, unless you already have a steady marketing strategy based on the old ways of actually having quality products and customer service, social media will bury you alive.

Is your business being lazy or are you using these tools to capitalize on the changing market?

Sherwin-Williams new series of paint chip commercials is as gorgeous as it is creative and brilliant. They came onto the scene with this one:

And I fell in love. The simplicity of turning our world into their paint chips captured my attention, the music was simple and their tagline, classic. They allowed us to really feel like we were in a world of their colors, and that there was nothing their paint didn’t fit.
When they followed up that commercial with this one, they out did themselves.

Personally, I love the frog and the cardinal the most, but the entire commercial is beautifully done. Every single detail of every single object is made from paint, and if you pause the commercial at the right points, you can actually read the names of many of the paint colors, which means people can actually choose favorites from a commercial. My one hope is that those who work for the stores are well versed on the commercials so that were I to come in and say “I love the colors of the cardinal”, they could pull out the 30 or so paint swatches that make up the body for me to look at.

Well done Sherwin-Williams, well done.