Archive for the ‘Brands / Marketing’ Category

27 August 2010

So What?

by Bill Alberti

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All posts by Bill Alberti

A recent study conducted by Boston Consulting Group illustrated a disconnect between internal insight teams and their business line counterparts (i.e., their clients). The biggest gap between what the insight teams thought they were delivering and what the business lines received was the answer to a fairly simple question, “so what?”

A recent study conducted by Boston Consulting Group illustrated a disconnect between internal insight teams and their business line counterparts (i.e., their clients).  The biggest gap between what the insight teams thought they were delivering and what the business lines received was the answer to a fairly simple question, “so what?”

A full 73 percent of insight teams thought they consistently answered this question about the data they provide (p.15).  This is in contrast to the 34 percent of business line personnel who agreed with them … a gap of 39 points … the largest in BCG’s study. 

This gap poses an interesting challenge to insight teams.  To think beyond the finding.  To not only articulate the insight, but to communicate a point of view about it.  And to make sure the insight is actionable. 

The truth is, an insight is only as valuable as the impact it creates.  That may be a hard truth for some to accept.  One might say, “If I do my job finding insights, I can’t be held accountable for what happens next.”  Maybe not.  But it’s not likely you’ll be promoted either.  By thinking about the possible impact an insight could have, you are elevating your role from one of research vendor to business partner.  And as a partner, there is more opportunity to inspire your audience and help them solve problems.  If you can effectively communicate how the business can act on and benefit from the insights you are uncovering, the insights become inherently more relevant, meaningful and impactful … and so do you.

Maybe the question you should be answering isn’t “so what?” but “what if?”  To help people think of the possibilities and opportunities created by the insights you are uncovering?  This doesn’t require you to have all the answers, but it does require you to think in context of business problems and possible solutions.  To me, that’s a more powerful place to be … evolving from one who is answering questions to one who is helping solve problems.

So what if you focused more on solving problems than simply answering questions?  What if you started to answer not only the “so what?” but the “what if?”  What if you focused more on the impact of the insights than you did on the methodology of finding them?  Could you transform the insight function within your organization?  Could you transform your organization?

One Response to “So What?”

  1. Barry Silverstein says:
    August 31, 2010 at 3:47 pm

    Great points Bill. Sometimes this can come from not being close enough to a client’s business to be thinking about problem solving and the “what ifs”. It’s a shared responsibility for the client to bring the insight team into their business and the insight team to be thinking proactively about the business. When that happens, real magic can take place.

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19 August 2010

The Customer is (Almost) Always Right

by Nora Tickell

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All posts by Nora Tickell

We’ve all been there. The frantic phone call to try to get your cable fixed. The standing in a post-holiday line to return that not-so-perfect sweater your aunt bought for you. While there are undoubtedly a number of times when these interactions go off without a hitch, the ones that come to mind first are often the ones that leave us most jarred, jilted or just plain angry. As consumers we have been taught that we deserve to get what we want, when we want it. (See my colleague Sarah’s post from last week…)

We’ve all been there.  The frantic phone call to try to get your cable fixed.  The standing in a post-holiday line to return that not-so-perfect sweater your aunt bought for you.  While there are undoubtedly a number of times when these interactions go off without a hitch, the ones that come to mind first are often the ones that leave us most jarred, jilted or just plain angry.  As consumers we have been taught that we deserve to get what we want, when we want it. (See my colleague Sarah’s post from last week…)

However, a recent article from “US Airways” magazine (yes, my iPod battery died on a recent flight and I started exploring the in-flight reading material) got me thinking about the other side of the equation: the customer service representative. How do we really interact with these people?  While many of us likely dread the call to question an electricity bill or cancel a gym membership, I wonder what can be done to make these relationships more effective.  How can we make these interactions more about collaboration and problem-solving than venting and blame-placing?

The above article emphasized how important this relationship really is: “Customer service and customer relations management is going to be so critical to all corporate futures. […] It’s going to be all about cultivating, exploiting and collaborating with consumers.”

So, where do we go from here?

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17 August 2010

The 30,000 Foot View: How KLM stays “in-touch” with customers

by Jennifer Adams

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All posts by Jennifer Adams

I have always loved flying. Now, I don’t mean just the hurtling through space in a comfortable cabin with movies, wine and dinner at my discretion. I mean everything about it—from the preflight wandering of airport bookstores and people-watching—to the in-flight blissfully out-of-time, disconnected from the world, “me time” with no chiming BlackBerry or demanding email—to my ultimate safe arrival somewhere across the globe that always has me marveling things like: “Seven hours ago I was in London, now I am in New York—that is crazy!”

I have always loved flying. Now, I don’t mean just the hurtling through space in a comfortable cabin with movies, wine and dinner at my discretion. I mean everything about it—from the preflight wandering of airport bookstores and people-watching—to the in-flight blissfully out-of-time, disconnected from the world, “me time” with no chiming BlackBerry or demanding email—to my ultimate safe arrival somewhere across the globe that always has me marveling things like: “Seven hours ago I was in London, now I am in New York—that is crazy!”

How crazy that transportation across space and time is—from a sheer logistics standpoint—I never really thought about it until I began, three years ago, to manage for KLM its In touch Community of Elite flyers from the Netherlands, U.K., Germany, Norway and Sweden. Before then, I never spent much time considering how much thought goes into getting 300+ people to their destinations, on time, in comfort, fed and entertained, without incident. … But now, I arrive at the airport and ask myself, as KLM asks its members every day in the In touch Community: What does efficient boarding mean? What is important in an airport lounge? How is the food? … the seat comfort? … the entertainment? What would make me more loyal to this airline? And how would I bring innovation to the industry? Now, as I board my flight, sip my wine, eat my meal or simply watch the wheels alight on the ground of Schiphol, I can’t help but notice the details.

Charles Hageman, Research Analyst for KLM and the driving force behind the In touch Community, never forgets the details, as he meticulously ensures that Elite flyers’ answers to all those questions get funneled throughout the KLM organization, to over 200 different people across functions and roles. His next magic trick? Opening the community up to the larger Air France-KLM organization, and expanding community membership into France, Spain and Italy. I, for one, cannot wait for even more reasons to interact in the In touch …with Air France and KLM Community with fellow travelers and help guide the innovation of an industry and brand that has transported me—on time and in style—across the world.

Charles recently sat down with Tamara Barber at Forrester Research to discuss the origins and impact of the In touch Community. You can read that case study here and also watch a video below of Charles talking about the community:

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11 August 2010

It Takes an iVillage: A conversation with Candice Carpenter Olson on the evolution of community

by Diane Hessan

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All posts by Diane Hessan

One of the most iconic symbols of the early days of online community is iVillage – and the company’s founder and former CEO, Candice Carpenter Olson, recently visited us at Communispace. It was fascinating to hear about her original vision for iVillage, her philosophy about how women would connect with each other on the web, and her next big idea in the learning space.

One of the most iconic symbols of the early days of online community is iVillage – and the company’s founder and former CEO, Candice Carpenter Olson, recently visited us at Communispace.  It was fascinating to hear about her original vision for iVillage, her philosophy about how women would connect with each other on the web, and her next big idea in the learning space.

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6 August 2010

Marketing is Dead

by Charlotte Birkner

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All posts by Charlotte Birkner

Well actually it’s not; marketing is more powerful than ever these days, as the latest Old Spice campaign can attest! But, who started this whole viral, user-generated, guerilla, social marketing concept anyways? Lately people have been saying it was the Grateful Dead.

Well actually it’s not; marketing is more powerful than ever these days, as the latest Old Spice campaign can attest! But, who started this whole viral, user-generated, guerilla, social marketing concept anyways? Lately people have been saying it was the Grateful Dead.

Unfortunately, I never became a Deadhead. But, I did admire the stuffed animal Dead Bears during trips to Newbury Comics, with my dad and brother, back in my middle-school days, and even bought a purple-and-green one. Little did I know, I too was part of their strategy. The CEO of HubSpot recently co-authored a book entitled “Marketing Strategies of the Grateful Dead,” which was reviewed in the Boston Globe last week.

They write that the band cultivated a loyal following by giving things away — letting people record their concerts and freely distribute music, going around their promotions department and building their own mailing list, and even letting people buy premium tickets by mail (what, mail? yeah in the “olden days” you had to get tickets right at the box office, so this was pretty cool). They also encouraged “artisans” to “co-opt the band’s fan base by selling compatible, often handmade, products at performances,” says the Globe article, hence my Dead Bear. 

To add to the Dead “buzz,” an article in the March issue of The Atlantic talks about how it was the Dead’s lyricist, John Perry Barlow, who made this connection way back in 1994, in Wired Magazine, saying that “the best way to raise demand for your product is to give it away.”  He went on to say in the Atlantic article “if I give my song away to 20 people, and they give it to 20 people, pretty soon everybody knows me, and my value as a creator is dramatically enhanced.” That’s a pretty good Customer Value Proposition if you ask me!

In terms of connecting with their market and creating loyal customers, the free model worked pretty well for the Dead. But, how is it working today for other companies? Well, consider how we are all marketed to online.  About five minutes ago, I got an email from Virgin America saying that if I buy a plane ticket in the next 24 hours they will donate $5 from my purchase, and for every ticket sale, to an educational cause. Wait, I have to pay? Well, I think it’s pretty popular because I just clicked on the link and I’m still waiting for the page to load. Or, when I followed one of my favorite clothing companies on Twitter and they sent me a 25-percent-off coupon; thanks guys! While I’m not getting “free” stuff, I already know which dress I’m buying with the coupon, so I’d say the strategy is working pretty well!

What do you think? Can companies create brand loyalty by giving things away? Or is the Dead’s strategy just going to Hell in a Bucket?

3 Responses to “Marketing is Dead”

  1. Barry Silverstein says:
    August 6, 2010 at 1:46 pm

    One good contemporary example might be Apple and its free apps. Of course the Apple devices are not cheap, but they build a lot of brand loyalty with the downloadable apps., many of which are free.
    Taking it a step further, Google has done pretty well with free search.
    Couple of current examples where companies build value and loyalty through “free” services to consumers.
    Barry

  2. Jeff Dale says:
    August 8, 2010 at 11:17 pm

    Great post Charlotte! My feeling is that free marketing is a great way to gain visibility and “share of mind”, but often fails at gaining “share of wallet”. A quick example from my experience:

    I manage marketing efforts for two local dance studios. I produce videos of various performances by the dancers and give free DVDs and video links away to students. This added value increases loyalty among customers. It also builds visibility as these students share the videos with their friends and family.

    On the other hand, we tried giving away a free month of dance classes to anyone who refers a new student (an attempt to increase enrollment). We distributed this info on a certificate to over 300 active students, and not one redeemed it!

  3. Aviva says:
    August 9, 2010 at 9:53 am

    The Dead’s strategy is definitely alive and well today, even in the music industry. Amanda Palmer, a Boston-based solo artist and member of the Dresden Dolls, is notorious for reaching out directly to her fans and being extremely generous with her content – and her fan base is nothing if not loyal.

    Jeff, I think the key to making these promotions do help you grab that share of wallet is looking at your business model and figuring out how you can use free or discounted services to push your high margin, or highest demand, products, while delighting the customer will extras. So for example, concert ticket sales might have been the top priority for the Grateful Dead, and their customers essentially acted like marketing agents for ticket sales.

    Really interesting post, love the blog!

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27 July 2010

Can McDonald’s Pull Off “Local”?

by Lou Tamposi

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All posts by Lou Tamposi

Local is all the rage right now. Everywhere I turn, I see restaurants and stores pitching their food as locally grown and sold. I think this is pretty fantastic (though it certainly can get out of hand—I recently saw a “locally raised and organically fed filet of rabbit with a side of natural root of summer squash and a home-grown fat of pig garnish”), so I was especially intrigued when I saw that McDonald’s has recently launched a “locally sourced” food campaign in Washington state.

Local is all the rage right now. Everywhere I turn, I see restaurants and stores pitching their food as locally grown and sold. I think this is pretty fantastic (though it certainly can get out of hand—I recently saw a “locally raised and organically fed filet of rabbit with a side of natural root of summer squash and a home-grown fat of pig garnish”), so I was especially intrigued when I saw that McDonald’s has recently launched a “locally sourced” food campaign in Washington state.

The premise is simple—McDonald’s claims that 95 percent of the fries and Filet-O-Fish sandwiches and 88 percent of its apples served in Washington come directly from within the state. These are pretty interesting statistics, especially because McDonald’s is seen by many as a big bad corporation—the antithesis of local. If you take a look at the microsite for the campaign, you can see the full list of specific products, and where they come from in Washington. Nifty stuff, and, if nothing else, they’re offering a free medium fries just for checking out the site. You can bring that one right to your nearest Washington McDonald’s for about 28 free fries from Washington, and 2 from god knows where else.

The question is—does a big company going local mean anything to you? If you heard that your local McDonald’s used locally sourced ingredients, would you be more likely to succumb to your Big Mac cravings? Or, do you think this campaign, with its varying “participation and duration” clause, is a sham to “localwash” consumers? If it’s successful, should McDonald’s try to expand the idea throughout the country? You tell us!

2 Responses to “Can McDonald’s Pull Off “Local”?”

  1. Nina Kentsis says:
    July 28, 2010 at 8:49 am

    This is interesting because many large companies are trying to do this, including Wal-Mart. While I don’t eat at McDonald’s, and I’m not sure how many people like me would be swayed to do so because of a campaign like this–or even how many regular customers care about this kind of information–I think it’s a good thing. Companies like this have the power to move markets and to change the way we eat. For example, when Starbucks decided it didn’t want the milk that it served to have rBGH, I’m sure it had an effect on milk production in this country because Starbucks buys so much milk.

  2. Geri Koeppel says:
    July 30, 2010 at 7:43 pm

    I don’t care if McDonald’s grows their own food in their parking lots or on their roofs; I won’t eat it because it’s uber-processed and full of chemicals. They are missing the point of eating locally and seasonally, and attempting to pander to a demographic that probably never will be customers anyway. Or, more likely, they’re giving current customers a way to justify their bad eating habits, which they don’t need — folks who eat fast food will eat it no matter what. Either way, I think it’s wrong-headed.

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13 July 2010

Old Spice’s “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” Campaign is Fantastic

by Lou Tamposi

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All posts by Lou Tamposi

Old Spice has been getting all sorts of praise for its “Man your man could smell like” advertising campaign. The premise is simple: jacked dude explains to women that if their men used Old Spice, they could smell like him—while all the while he is shirtless doing amazing feats (and riding horses… backwards). It’s cracked me up from the start and is absolutely brilliant in its absurdity. Understandably, the ads were instantly viral.

Old Spice has been getting all sorts of praise for its “Man your man could smell like” advertising campaign. The premise is simple: jacked dude explains to women that if their men used Old Spice, they could smell like him—while all the while he is shirtless doing amazing feats (and riding horses… backwards). It’s cracked me up from the start and is absolutely brilliant in its absurdity. Understandably, the ads were instantly viral.

With their new series of ads though, they’ve taken brand participation to a new level. The Old Spice twitter handle is written in the “voice” of the actor, which is funny and is a great way to make the brand accessible. But tweeting isn’t all—the company is also taking the time to individually respond to “@OldSpice” tweets with commercial-style video responses.

So when Kevin Rose, the founder of Digg.com tweeted “i’m considering buying old spice body wash just so they keep making these epic commercials – http://bit.ly/K87jz” while also complaining about a fever in a later tweet, Old Spice guy responded with this:

Absolutely love it. Now, I may not be a marketing guru, but I do think I know funny. And this, dear readers, is funny. Funny things get passed around and talked about. And that, I’m pretty sure, is marketing gold.

So what do you think: Is this an effective campaign? Do you think that as brands look to engage deeper and deeper with their customers we will be seeing more of this direct participation? Or, even more importantly, does a funny, viral campaign even affect sales? Will Old Spice be able to measure the effectiveness of this campaign?  Let us know what you think in the comments!

5 Responses to “Old Spice’s “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” Campaign is Fantastic”

  1. Steffani Cameron says:
    July 13, 2010 at 8:37 pm

    The thing that makes this advertising campaign so effective is it’s just ludicrously funny, and because no one knows Mustafa’s name (and he’s been signed as “talent” to NBC for a series to be developed), everyone keeps calling him “The Old Spice guy”. Brand, brand, brand.

  2. Lou Tamposi says:
    July 14, 2010 at 9:24 am

    Steffani–I completely agree. If nothing else, this keeps the Old Spice brand buzzing. Do you think Mustafa is so linked to Old Spice that if and when NBC develops a series around him it will generate even more hype for Old Spice?

  3. Mike P says:
    July 14, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    Hype is 1 thing, but a more interactive and engaging experience with the brand would be to follow up with free “product” or attach coupon codes or other incentives to get people to purchase the product. That is a more integrated campaign, IMO

    Mike Pascucci
    @mikepascucci

  4. Barry Silverstein says:
    July 14, 2010 at 1:54 pm

    I agree it’s a brilliant campaign. It has brought an old, tired brand back to life. It’s not often agency and client teams are able to be bold and use humor in a way that has this much impact. I wonder what if any copy testing research was used or if they just went for it?
    Very cool.

  5. Jack Cahill says:
    July 14, 2010 at 4:37 pm

    I agree with Barry. I remember the first time I saw this ad, I did a double take and thought to myself, “that was Old Spice?!”. Great job of making me start thinking “cool” about a brand I had pretty much forgotten about. And Lou, it cracks me up everytime too. Nice post.

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6 July 2010

Another Reason To Hate The Yankees

by Guest Blogger: Patrick Griffin from Griffin York & Krause

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Every April, hope springs eternal for all 30 teams across Major League Baseball. For some teams, that hope can peter out after a poor couple of months. The knock on Major League Baseball is that the same few teams make it to the playoffs every year, without the parity seen in other leagues. like football’s NFL.

But today, in July, MLB wants to give you a reason to believe in your team. More specifically, they want you to give them some cash to give you a reason to believe in your team.

Every April, hope springs eternal for all 30 teams across Major League Baseball. For some teams, that hope can peter out after a poor couple of months. The knock on Major League Baseball is that the same few teams make it to the playoffs every year, without the parity seen in other leagues. like football’s NFL.

But today, in July, MLB wants to give you a reason to believe in your team. More specifically, they want you to give them some cash to give you a reason to believe in your team.

That’s why they introduced Postseason Ticket Reservations, the newest and boldest ruse by MLB to get fans (along with their wallets) involved in the game. Pick your favorite team, and pay a fee ($10–$20 per reservation) to reserve the right to buy tickets for specific playoff games at face value. The fee is the same for every participating team — so yes, it costs the same to reserve a ticket for a Red Sox playoff game as an Orioles game. (I had to retype that last part a few times — I can’t type when I’m laughing.)

Anyway, every team participates, except the Yankees (shocking). The fee is not refundable, as you might expect. So if a Baltimore fan pays $41.00 for the chance to buy a couple of World Series tickets, and the team loses 112 games, the bookkeeper … err, uh, MLB pockets your money. It’s easy to complain about the League’s greediness here, but really, they are giving the average fan a chance at a unique experience and a monetary reason to stay involved through the dog days of July and August. Except for Yankees’ fans, whose team doesn’t seem to care about them.

So, do you like what MLB is doing here? Will you be betting on your team’s playoff future?

*Pat Griffin is the author of Pay No Attention to That Man Behind the Curtain where he explains how we have arrived at the confluence of media and technology, and how under this new paradigm neither will ever be the same.

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1 July 2010

FIFA Fever: Athletic brands take front stage

by Lorena Leonard

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All posts by Lorena Leonard

The World Cup has always been surrounded with ad campaigns from various brands trying to get a piece of the action, and this year is no exception. Some of the world’s top brands that have partnered with FIFA include Coca Cola, McDonald’s, VISA and SONY, to name just a few. In an event of such magnitude, athletic companies compete for center stage. Adidas is FIFA’s official partner but other companies have done their part to make themselves visible to the worldwide audience the World Cup draws. PUMA is one of these athletic brands that created an elaborate campaign to attract global audiences.

The World Cup has always been surrounded with ad campaigns from various brands trying to get a piece of the action, and this year is no exception. Some of the world’s top brands that have partnered with FIFA include Coca Cola, McDonald’s, VISA and SONY, to name just a few. In an event of such magnitude, athletic companies compete for center stage. Adidas is FIFA’s official partner but other companies have done their part to make themselves visible to the worldwide audience the World Cup draws. PUMA is one of these athletic brands that created an elaborate campaign to attract global audiences.

PUMA enlisted the collaboration of much sought-after artist Kehinde Wiley to create four original pieces of artwork featuring three of the best football players in Africa –Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon, John Mensah of Ghana, and Emmanuel Eboué of the Ivory Coast. The theme of this campaign was “African togetherness.” The company also created a unity uniform for African national teams.

PUMA has differentiated itself from the other athletic brands by relying on their long-established relationship with African football. Unlike the other brands, PUMA has had a presence in Africa for over a decade, sponsoring football teams in many African nations. Because the 2010 World Cup was held in Africa, creating this campaign was a clear fit for PUMA.

Additionally, the company introduced The PUMA Africa Collection, an apparel line inspired by the Kehinde Wiley portraits. And as part of their social responsibility efforts, PUMA is donating a portion of the Africa Unity Kit sales to programs in Africa that support diversity.

 With such efforts and immense amounts of cash that go into campaigns aimed at huge sporting events drawing even bigger audiences, as we are seeing in the World Cup, I can’t help but wonder how effective this particular sponsorship is in terms of revenue. It is clear that supporting a social cause, like the one PUMA is doing with diversity programs in Africa, is viewed positively by the consumer; but does this actually translate into dollars for the company? Will consumers buy the Kehinde Wiley-inspired items because of the “African togetherness” theme this campaign communicates or simply because the styles are appealing to the consumer? Or is it really just FIFA fever that is driving consumers out to their favorite sporting goods stores to buy World Cup apparel? 

I encourage everyone to chime in. From a marketing perspective, do you think these types of sponsorships really bring in big money for a brand or are other factors playing a role? Have you purchased World Cup apparel? Why? Do you support one brand over the other? Are social responsibility efforts important in your purchasing decisions? Or did you just like the style, regardless of the brand or the company’s support for socially responsible causes? 

If you’d like to see the portraits, merchandise, and making-of videos of PUMA’s campaign visit: http://africa.puma.com.

2 Responses to “FIFA Fever: Athletic brands take front stage”

  1. Janet Bednarz says:
    July 4, 2010 at 2:47 pm

    Lorena – This is a true confession of a born-in-America Baby Boomer: the World Cup is barely on my radar screen. My brother-in-law is from Spain, and every four years he rattles the chains of his provincial in-laws to get with the World Cup program! But we barely do. I keep an eye on the headlines to see how Spain is doing – but that’s about it. So…I have not purchased World Cup apparel.

    I do pay some attention, however, to the socially responsible actions of sports apparel brands. For example, I avoid Nike products because a number of years ago they were exposed for engaging in exploitive sweatshop practices in oversees manufacturing facilities. Their continued endorsement of Tiger Woods as a Nike spokesperson has alienated me even further.

    Patagonia, on the other hand, is an excellent example of being an environmentally and socially responsible business, so I try to buy their sports gear when I can.

    I like what PUMA is doing in Africa. Will it give them a good return on investment? Probably not with American-born Baby Boomers like me. But perhaps yes given the rich diversity of World Cup enthusiasts around the globe.

  2. Lorena Leonard says:
    July 6, 2010 at 8:58 am

    Janet, thanks for your message… your point of view is quite interesting! I wasn’t aware of Nike’s involvement in sweatshops and I’m glad you brought that up. I don’t necessarily lend all of my support to a particular brand because of their social responsibility efforts but it does help. However, I am appalled by companies that are involved in immoral manufacturing practices and I try to boycott these -such as Guess, whom I’ve been boycotting since the 90’s for having children in sweatshops in Central America.

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25 June 2010

The Me Networks

by Karen Barone

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All posts by Karen Barone

To paraphrase Billy Idol, I’ve been “social networking with myself.” It’s not as dirty as it sounds, I promise.

Forget therapy. So long, self-help books. I’ve got two online sources that will put you back in touch with YOU.

I give you:

To paraphrase Billy Idol, I’ve been “social networking with myself.”  It’s not as dirty as it sounds, I promise. 

Forget therapy.  So long, self-help books.  I’ve got two online sources that will put you back in touch with YOU.

I give you:

FutureMe.org.  Now you can send yourself emails in the future.  Need to psych yourself up for that big presentation next quarter?  Send yourself a pep talk to arrive the day of.  Need to change your diet, but don’t think you’ll stick with it?  Send periodic emails that will arrive every New Year’s Day for the next five years.  Note however, you can also send future emails to other people.  Approach with caution lest you end up like a favorite co-worker whose ex-boyfriend recently received an email she sent him SEVEN YEARS AGO via FutureMe.org. (Gulp.)

And if email isn’t enough…how about creating a better version of you with whom you can speak and interact?

I humbly offer:

LifeNaut.com. Through uploaded pictures and information you can create an avatar that can interact with you, and better yet, your loved ones long after you’ve shuffled off your mortal coil.  Sure, the goal is to create an accurate facsimile, but are you going to upload that elementary school report card displaying your “unsatisfactory” in chorus or that unfortunate school photo with the bi-level perm and one hoop earring from 1985? (I may have revealed too much.) No, you’re going to populate that avatar with documentation of your beauty, talent and smarts. 

Of course, there are multitudes of ways to use these sites.  But for me, I’m “friending” myself, hedging my bets and choosing online self-creation over online self-actualization.  Let’s be honest, future imperfection is so 2009.

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