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October 2007 - Posts

Open and Honest Communications...

One of the hallmarks of blogging and the whole web 2.0 era is that we are adding transparency and removing the veneer of BS from our corporate selves. To do this, we speak with an authentic voice. Sometimes the truth hurts, but if you are committed to
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Web 2.0 Booth Buzz...

Our game plan for the Web 2.0 for business is coming along . Perfect? No. Disaster? I don't think so. For the booth, we've got 2 stations, one about the MSFT technology set that enables Web 2.0 strategy deployment. The other is a rotating set of partner-built

How to Prove to Your CFO That Marketing Works

This just in...HT to Allison Dawson. Could be interesting... 11/15/07 10:00am PST 90 minutes online- FREE Marketers face daunting challenges in their organizations. There is never enough time to do everything asked of them. The sales team often doesn’t

Is Microsoft a Social Object? Is Your Company?

Hugh Macleod has a great post that helps explain what is at the heart of the social networking phenomenon, namely the social object . It can be anything that arises passion in people. Sports, technology, a cause, whatever. People gravitate towards the

Marketing is Internal As Well...

When we talk about what makes a " remarkable " experience, we usually talk about dealing with customers, but that same approach can and should transcend EVERY single part of an organization. Including employees. I called John Jewsbury today (it's his

World Class Marketing in a Web 2.0 World...Part 1

If you are reading this blog, odds are you fall in the middle of the dark blue curve. White collar jobs that are "middle of the pack" in the career ladder. And, I daresay, that is where most marketers sit. With a hat tip to Dan Pink for the original citation,

Nice Touch....

Now, I'm not looking for a new patio, but if I were, this is a great way for me to find out which company my neighbor used without even asking. Talk about giving your customers a megaphone ...
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More Powerful Than Microsoft...

Think that one person can't match the marketing firepower of a company with a billion dollar marketing budget? Think again. The fact is that the game has changed and it's critical that Microsoft-and every other company-understand this. Why? As Jackie
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What is Microsoft's Web 2.0 Strategy?

Last week I introduced the Marketing Challenge: Microsoft in Web 2.0? for a conference on Nov. 1. Now we've launched a wiki for customers to help us figure it out.... If You Were Steve Ballmer.... The strategy for the event itself is still developing,

Thinking Holistically About Your Event

Roxane and Diamond Technologies are hosting the Microsoft RV next Tuesday and they have left no stone unturned in rallying people to attend the event. Instead of a direct to client perspective alone, they have worked with an "influencer" model, reaching

The World Is Flat Indeed...

Think the game hasn't changed. My buddy Ben Vollmer needed a logo done for a volunteer organization he heads. One that would have cost, "easily $200" he says. Instead, he went to www.getafreelancer.com and some guy in Romania does it for $40. So, two

Advertising Direct Hit...

It's rare these days to see an ad that REALLY gets your attention, but this one certainly did for me. If you are concerned about Identity Theft, this one is going to grab you. Whoever this guy is, he certainly believes in his product. Is he lying? I doubt

Giving Your Fans a Megaphone...

Enabling Technologies and Ellie Vollerthum have taken the The "Raving Fan" Strategy... and made it their own. What's the Raving Fan? It's about flipping your event from a 1-way broadcast of you talking AT your event attendees to creating a conversation

Book Review: Never Eat Alone

The question I've got about Never Eat Alone is whether someone who is not already committed to the concept of networking as a critical strategy would take the ideas and run with them. For hardcore networkers, this book is a must read ( My LinkedIn Profile

Marketing Challenge: Microsoft in Web 2.0?

Intro I'm going to take a Web 2.0 (read: collaborative, social-network based) approach to a business/marketing challenge. What should Microsoft do to credibly make a case as a legitimate participant in a Web 2.0 for business conference? Note: Follow this

Little Things Make a Difference

Within 2 days, I've read twice ( here and here ) about Virgin America and the fact that they have plugs on their planes. Build something great. And then make it easy for people to tell (and show) their friends.

Webcast 2.0

You know that feeling you have on a webcast that not everyone is paying attention? Or, how some of us (guilty as charged) attend webcasts from home in less than full professional dress (unshaven and t-shirts). Well, that era is slowly coming to an end.

Book Review: Juggling Elephants

I stopped by the mailbox in my office on Wednesday and found Juggling Elephants in an envelope. No indication whatsoever from whom it was sent. I don't know if it was a message that I need to get my act together or just that I might enjoy it, but a parable
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Leaving $5000 on the Table...

Please don't do it. I hate when partners don't leverage everything we can offer you. If you are both a Microsoft and HP partner , you can apply for up to $5000 towards your marketing budget. ( Get the welcome kit here ) Here are some examples of applications

Book Review: Wikinomics

You've heard of Wikipedia , no doubt. What Wikinomics proposes to do is explain how the concept of mass (often, voluntary) collaboration (the wiki principle, as it were) among co-workers, peers, producers, consumers, partners, suppliers, etc. is going
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Gates vs. Jobs in PowerPoint...

Looks like the creator may not be the winner...
 
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