My favorite / least favorite brands

20070612
(answer to the question "What is your favorite brand?" by Interbrand)

Funny. All my top of mind brands are media (France Football, The Economist, BBC) Then I realize there isn't a brand I could put in such a list as yours. I respect many companies and naturally I do have favorites (ie models, authors, designers, cars...), but I'm more interested in the content than the shell, and I don't feel affection for a brand or a label. Even if it does happen (hard to avoid), I don't like the idea of having something writen (nor some logo) on me. I reckon it may have something to do with my being an author. As Roy Disney brilliantly reminded us, brand is for cattle. Being loyal to a brand is being as dumb as a cow. You are loyal to people or things you trust.

PS : be careful : picking faves could be dangerous when working for Interbrand !

20070612
(answer to the question "What is your least favorite brand?" by Interbrand)

That one I can answer a little bit more easily.

Since we're on LinkedIn, I'll start with a shared connection : Hummer.

My hall of shame : Microsoft, Halliburton, Bud, Wal-Mart, Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Billy Graham, The Sun (a UK toilet paper brand passing for a newspaper brand), World Wrestling Entertainment, The New York Yankees, The Carlyle Group and the Discovery Institute.

At the risk of infuriating a few contacts, I'll put a slice of Dunkin' Donuts, Taco Bell, A&W Root Beer, Jif et al on top of it (barf bag, anyone ?)

About great technos and great business models

200703
(answer to the question "Does a great business model foster great technology, or does a great technology foster great business models ?")

I've survived a couple of start-ups in the innovation field and I know two things : great technology can be a curse, and failing to deliver a death warrant. If I get your question right, you have both techno geniuses and marketing whizz kids, and you are wondering what a brainy manager would do to get the most value out of this explosive combo.

First : lock patents, don't waste your gems and don't let them go. They shouldn't feel like they are locked in a monolithic joint playing a "us vs them" game. You foster innovative approaches in general and as a general you must take decisions. If time to market is key, keep a playing ground for research - give your techies time to work on pet projects in exchange for the delivery of the dreadful quick-and-dirty gizmo your salesforce requires. Market the smart upgrades while selling the monster. It may work even if you are not Microsoft.

Actually, that's the essence of Google part II (growing into a powerhouse beyond the initial innovation) : the new bricks added to the edifice are either smart tools fresh from the lab or quick and dirty me-too products launched basically to fill the blanks, the time for competitive upgrades to be completed. You may not be able to stretch your staff that far, but at least mentioning Google could help stretch the smile on your investors' face for a while.

Red Blogule to XP - XP-hate

Archives 20031015 (see blogules 2003)

Why dub this Microsoft OS "XP" ? Because it helps you expiate for all past and future, actual and virtual crimes. There's more color in it but make no mistake : the black box gets even more hermetical and darker. XP ? The highest stage of microsoftism... till the next version comes. The heaven for bugs and troyan horses. I can see them run across my computer like a bunch of Ingalses on the prairie. Except back then, in computer free America, you rode the horses and not the opposite.

SM on a forum (as "Acidbrain")