‘Made to Stick’: Remember the Sensory Dimension

Finished reading Made to Stick and enjoyed its many valuable insights about “Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die,” as the subtitle says. I hope to write at length about some notions like how objects can have intentions, and how smart the section was on remembering to appeal to people’s more noble sides, the impulses higher Read More …

Cold Buttons

I don’t understand commercials that make users of products look stupid. OK, it’s fine to postmodern and make fun of yourself (thereby engendering trust), but, hey, if it’s not funny and the user looks like a schmuck, well, why do I look like a schmuck and buy your product? First, tonight, I see a T-mobile ad Read More …

Ads on Trucks’ Back Doors, Mud Flaps

Instead of Yosemite Sam and “Back Off!” you’d see Yosemite Samsonite and “Half Off.” Instead of “How’s my driving?” you’d see “What’s in your wallet?” Instead of silver silhouettes of Playboy bunnies, you’d see an ad for the return of the Volkswagen Rabbit. Yeah, but who wants to see this? Especially since, sooner or later, every static Read More …

Charity Match Website

Here’s a win-win for charities and advertisers. It’s a site where companies get good publicity in exchange for matching contributions to charities. Plus it’s a way for philanthropic, benevolent souls to get more bang for their buck. Basically, works like this: Charities and companies with existing matching-contribution programs sign up, agreeing to link to the Read More …

Paypal Piggy Banks & Advertising Coins

Let’s hope that ads eventually make all Internet sites free. But now you’ll find publications like magazines that charge dollars for reading current articles, or for accessing archives. How about some ecoonomy of scale? Charge way less, so you get more customers, producing as much revenue if not more. Here’s a way for Paypal, or someone other online paying Read More …

Pimp the State of the Union

Seriously, why should a big-time TV event like this fail to generate any revenue for anybody? The networks run no ads, the government gets no rights fees, and a handful of major networks alienate chunks of their TV-addicated audience. So revamp the speech to have commercial breaks, and sell the exclusive rights to one network, or one broadcast and Read More …

Chattercise

No, I’m not talking about burning off calories by talking. Just seems that exercise would be more fun if it had an element of socializing. Noisy machines, regimented classes, the need to grunt while weightlifting, the love of quiet in yoga … they all work against talking. So why not design routines to be compatible with conversation? First, have participants stand in Read More …

Persuasion in a Nutshell

By themselves, logical statements don’t persuade. And neither do examples or metaphors. But put all three together, especially if the statements are short and memorable, and maybe you have a three-part formula for making a little magic happen. Jesus told parables, and his ideas sure caught on. He had some snappy sound-bites, too, like “He who shall save Read More …

Vocabulary Balls

Who says Jack can’t play and learn at the same time? Suppose balls and bats and hockey sticks were covered with vocabulary words. With definitions, of course. Casually, those words would work their ways into minds and conversations. Heck, maybe cover a whole playground with words, names and ideas worth learning. Those in some jokes for Read More …

‘Simple premise, simple promise’

That’s my new guidepost as I refine some board and card games I’ve designed. For an idea to succeed, it has to be simple enough to immediately grasp. And not just grasp the concept, but what it offers the user/player/buyer. It’s OK if complications ensue. Take Monopoly. A game of buying and selling real estate. Promises you’ll Read More …