Links – 31st April 2008

Quite a lot of links this week (I had a quiet weekend) but the highest quality update so far. Some really excellent articles in here – well worth a bookmark!

Blog-related:

• Clay Shirkey’s widely blogged-about speech on social surplus NB: I have left comments on several blogs about this. I agree with his underlying point – there is a social surplus and creating great things like Wikipedia take up relatively small chunks. But social surplus is something that I think we are running short of already, and there does need to be a balance between active and passive entertainment. TV and gin are friends, not the enemy! A great, thought-provoking speech though – required reading for those yet to see it

• How Newton’s law works with brands (David E Bowman) NB: I love this theory encapsulating mass and proximity – simple and beautiful

• The full Heroes media experience (Fast Company) NB: When the makers of Heroes say there is a 360 experience, they aren’t kidding. Transmedia in all its glory

• How can we measure innovation? (Freakonomics)

• Pre-experience design (Russell Davies) NB: Extremely thoughtful post on the importance of the entire brand experience – the product as the service and so forth

• And Russell Davies again on the importance of design in advertising NB: I love the phrase Beating people over the head with crap is less and less viable. That will make for a smaller industry but hopefully a better one.

• Nigel Hollis and Hayes Roth answer questions on branding (Financial Times)

• Shops should pay more attention to the fitting rooms (New Statesman) NB: Another example of customer service being overlooked

• Thoughtful piece on Yahoo! becoming more open (Groundswell)

• Excellent, mind-bending essay on Schrodinger’s puzzle and the ever-changing digital sphere (Zero Influence)

• Record labels want a music tax – and it could work (Slate) NB: Though this would be the “thin end of the wedge”, to use a phrase I have heard a lot recently (after having never heard it before)

• Bertlesmann succeeding where others are failing (CNN)

• Wieden+Kennedy’s philosophy in illustrated format

• Does the new Cadbury advert show that creatives cannot direct? (Brand Republic)

• There are now more and more writers but less and less readers (New York Times) NB: This parallels (although direct causation may be tenuous) rising levels of content creation and interaction at the expense of passive consumption online

• White paper on content marketing strategies (Junta 42)

• On a similar theme, attention-deficit advertising (Business Week) NB: Linking on from the product as a service to the advertising as a service. If a company can provide something useful and brand it, it is win-win. Research shows people are willing to accept advertising if they are opting in to receive something useful

• A Miller sponsored blog is causing Budweiser’s ire (Wall Street Journal) NB: All is fair and love and business, but I personally find this a bit low and unnecessary

• Jeff Jarvis vs. Michael Tomasky on citizen journalism (Comment Is Free)

• Mechanisms for brand marketing integration (Branding Strategy Insider)

• Were Mesopotamians the first brand addicts? (New Scientist)

• Wiley have put a load of science books online for free perusal

• ebay fraud (The Register)

• 17 creativity-sparking websites (Lifedev)

• P&G are allowing their (potential) consumers a say in where they advertise NB: I don’t see the benefit of this – which niche but mobilised group can shout loudest?

• 10 worst job interview questions (Business Pundit)

• Starbucks coffee at home NB: Brilliant new website, again linking back to providing something useful for consumers. Apparently, the Africa Fatula is the coffee blend for me

Random

• World’s biggest useless things NB: This really struck a chord with me. One that I can’t really describe. Both melancholic and uplifting. How something essentially meaningless can reward people with pride and achievement. An analogy to blogging??

• How to touch up pictures (Wired)

• Fascinating blog of a person who is spending 12 months learning where all of his food came from, and how it is produced

• 7 sandwiches trying to make it in New York (New York Times)

• Free Tibet flags are being made in China (BBC)

• Did this man live to the age of 256? (Wikipedia)

• Extremely intricate Lego creations (otbeach)

• Many graphs showing the frequency in spam over time (xtdnet)

• Supermemo – the memory-improving tool recently featured in Wired

• Ways to trick out your desktop (Lifehacker)

• Guerrilla gardeners (Guardian)

• 15 great Kurt Vonnegut quotes (AV Club)

• Microsoft create an armband to control our fingers (New Scientist)

• Profile on Christopher Hitchens (Prospect)

• The “Amen break” drumbeat and the golden ratio (Constructing the Universe)

• Is anti-virus software overrated? (Lifehacker) NB: I had a tremendous amount of hassle trying (and failing) to change virus-scan software last year. Seems anti-virus companies are monotheistic

Among these excellent posts and articles, those I would recommend most highly are:

Blog-related: Clay Shirkey’s widely blogged-about speech on social surplus, How Newton’s law works with brands, Pre-experience design, White paper on content marketing strategies, Wieden+Kennedy’s philosophy in illustrated format and Starbucks coffee at home

Random: World’s biggest useless things, Guerrilla gardeners, 15 great Kurt Vonnegut quotes and The “Amen break” drumbeat and the golden ratio

Phew!

sk