R|com Creative Blog

Jessica Sanders "make.believe" commercial was shown all over CES

The new year began well enough, with a trip to Las Vegas to work for both clients and our own technology interests at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). It was a nice change from recent shows, with lots of positive energy, not to mention a wealth of new and exciting technology. In a time when people are out of work, tempers are on edge, and people are distrustful of almost everything, it was really nice to speak to so many upbeat people, see so many fun, new products, and in general, to start the year off on a great note.

From a techie perspective, there was a lot to like. Let’s touch on a few of the more memorable things. Sharp’s QuadPixel technology was really terrific to see. Bright and even perhaps overly colorful, there are a ton of possible applications. The LG OLED television was similar in terms of being both impressive and perhaps too colorful. Images tended to look like they were painted on the screen. Nobody every looked that bright in real life – but it looks cool!

On the phone front, the appearance of the Android operating system (based on Linux) in phones from Motorola (like the Backflip) and others was really great to see. On the other side of the coin, I would say that Palm is dead, but perhaps still staggering along. It’s odd that so many former Apple execs are at Palm, and the company is to totally out of the mix moving forward. Oh, well!

There were “tablet” computers everywhere, from HP, Lenova, ICD, Dell and others. Essentially, they’re all laptops without the folding case. With a touch screen and fast display refresh, some are interesting to see, but I think the thing that’s missing is that each of these new boxes seem to be focused on the hardware specs, rather than the user experience. It will be interesting to see what Apple comes up with later in the month, when they are expected to introduce a similar type of device.

Lots of manufacturers were showing off 3D television. Panasonic had a 152-inch (yup!) plasma 3D television. It was a movie theater screen – but sharper. I don’t know how any of us feel about 3D, as you need two eyes for it to work and everyone must wear those silly glasses.

On a related note, Panasonic was showing off a prototype of a prosumer 3D HD video camera, and that was freakin’ awesome. If 3D is gonna be a big hit, producing shows must be simple and straight-forward.

There was lame stuff too…

Intel was showing off a medical monitoring system that permits patients to be linked to their physician via a secure link. The doc sees his patients daily health stats in a sort of triage view (red, yellow, green). It isn’t web enables, is expensive, and is just, well… so 1995. The concept is awesome and powerful, but isn’t not what the world is doing now… Docs want to see this type of data on their mobile device, and they want to be able to click and point and adjust appointments, meds, etc. Relying on a dedicated piece of hardware and software is… well, I already said it.

The folks at Visteon are still in business, but their technology is two years old – they showed off the same stuff we collaborated with them on more than a year ago. No doubt they have new things in the pipeline, but it wasn’t obvious at the CES. We wish them all well, however!

The BING section of the Microsoft booth was nearly always empty. The BING exterior display and transport stage was always empty.

If you haven’t been to one of these shows before, they’re beyond what anyone can take in during a single visit or even over four days. There are the main show floors, where you can take in Microsoft, Intel, Panasonic, Sony, etc. Adjacent to the main floorspace, there is an auto pavilion, which was also filled with iPhone and related solutions – including a projector for your iPhone. Actually, we saw three examples of the iPhone projection hype, and they all suck. Keep pushing though, as the idea is a good one (unless the new Apple iSlate or whatever is better).

At the Venetian Hotel, the top floors are jammed with audio manufacturers. Each one rents a suite and inside, they show off their speakers, mono amplifiers, DVD players and even, um… turntables. That’s right – vinyl is back. It sounds great, but the turntables cost what a laptop does – a good one! So, walking these floors is kind of odd – lots of geeks and people who like to sit alone in their “audio rooms” and so on. We did get to check out lots of hot audio, however.

For us, the coolest thing we saw at the show was in the Sony booth. First, they offered a glimpse at the consumer version of their new AVCHD HD video camera. It rocks the planet. Our team will certainly use the the new professional version. Just going through the paces with the prototype was worth the trip.

The second thing we saw that we loved was a Sony feature on its new marketing endeavor. Called make.believe, it features a series of creative film directors, including my half-sister, Jessica Sanders. Her commercial spot is really fantastic and was a huge hit at the show.

There was other stuff that made Vegas fun…

First of all, if you haven’t been to the new City Center, stop everything and check it out. It’s freakin’ amazing. There are so many interesting angles, fresh oranges in the walkways, amazing shops, and a really fun atmosphere. It’s crazy, just like everything in Vegas, but it is really worth a look.

City Center is the most expensive private real estate venture in the U.S.A.

And not only is City Center cool, the new Aria Hotel and Casino is just about the coolest hotel (except for the Four Seasons!) you’ll find anywhere in a big city. It’s totally hip, has a great waterfall, water “fireworks” and the best restaurants anywhere in town. When there, you must try out Julian Serrano, one of the most remarkable places to enjoy some wine, good friends (thanks Ronnie V and Melissa) and great food.  In addition to the Aria, the new vDara Hotel is also pretty cool.

The folks at Kinoma are doing well, and it was a blast to share a great dinner with Mitchell Weinstock, an old and dear friend who runs BizDev for the Kinoma clan.

The Golden Nuggett opened their new Rush Tower and it’s fantastic – really nice. If you’re headed to Vegas for any reason, it’s worth checking out.

So, the year started out well in Vegas. There is new techie stuff coming, and people seem to be eager for optimism. It will take some real energy, including new jobs to make a difference, but the spirit was good! Here’s to a great 2010. Be good to your friends and family.

As 2009 comes to a close, many of us are probably feeling some degree of relief. It has been, by all accounts, a challenging year. I know that our family, friends, and clients have spent considerable time dealing with the stress of economic, military, and other challenges. We all know someone out of work. We have all read about the conflicts that are continuing in multiple arenas. Emotions have been running high – and the challenges we all face, regardless of position or wealth, remain enormous.

This holiday season, our team is focusing on looking forward to a better 2010 for our clients and personal relationships. It is our wish that all of us can collaborate on things that will help us see these challenging times through – and will ultimately lead to a better future for those we love and care for. Regardless of religion, ethnicity, employment or political affiliation, there is plenty of common ground on which we can stand together.

Nearly 100 years ago, the world was at war. In 1914, the British and French were engaged in what would soon be outdated combat with the German army. The loss of life was beyond comprehension, and the most tragic battles were still to come. Yet, something remarkable happened at Christmas in 1914.

photo credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In many places, beginning on Christmas Eve, enemies and combatants stopped fighting. It is now historically referred to as, “The Christmas Truce.”

In the Ypres area of Belgium, Germans and British soldiers were hunkered down in trenches just hundreds of feet from one another. During the early evening, Germans began decorating their trenches. They put candles in trees and began singing Christmas carols. As their voices carried across the battlefield, the British were amazed to hear “Still Nacht” (Silent Night). The British responded with their own rendition of the much-loved song.

Singing escalated into holiday greetings shouted across the “no man’s land” of the battlefield. And shortly thereafter, soldiers from both sides climbed out of their trenches, walked exposed and without shelter into the night and began to greet their “enemies” with handshakes and in fact, gifts. Whiskey, bread, jam, chocolate and cigars were traded, along with more song.

The truce spread along the lines. Wounded soldiers left on the battlefield earlier in the day were rescued and removed to have their wounds treated. And the dead were buried. Proper burials for soldiers on both sides were performed, and both sides stood, side by side, to pay their respects.

It has been reported that on that Christmas day – December the Twenty Fifth, Nineteen Hundred and Fourteen, instead of firing bullets and shells at one another, the British and Germans played football. Apparently, there were many matches played all along the lines, and more food, song, and drink were shared. So too were addresses, as many soldiers befriended those they were shooting at just days before – and promises were made to visit once the war was over.

Although there is no concrete evidence to support the length of the truce, some written reports indicate the cessation of hostilities lasted until New Year’s Day.

The following year, a similar truce occurred, this time between French and German troops. A repeat of the previous year’s truce took hold in some places, and in fact, through to the end of the war, soldiers collaborated in multiple areas with informal armistice agreements. While the politicians and senior commanders were continuing to plot war, the combatants were plotting peace.

An unknown British soldier wrote home about the truce, and in part, his letter reads:

This will be the most memorable Christmas I’ve ever spent or likely to spend: since about tea time yesterday I don’t think there’s been a shot fired on either side up to now. Last night turned a very clear frost moonlight night, so soon after dusk we had some decent fires going and had a few carols and songs. The Germans commenced by placing lights all along the edge of their trenches and coming over to us, wishing us a Happy Christmas etc. They also gave us a few songs etc. so we had quite a social party. Several of them can speak English very well so we had a few conversations. Some of our chaps went to over to their lines. I think they’ve all come back bar one from ‘E’ Co. They no doubt kept him as a souvenir.

I exchanged one of my balaclavas for a hat. I’ve also got a button off one of their tunics. We also exchanged smokes etc. and had a decent chat. They say they won’t fire tomorrow if we don’t so I suppose we shall get a bit of a holiday… perhaps. After exchanging autographs and them wishing us a Happy New Year we departed and came back and had our dinner.

We can hardly believe that we’ve been firing at them for the last week or two. It all seems so strange. At present its freezing hard and everything is covered with ice…

And so, in this new century, with new challenges and obstacles to overcome, I would like to wish you the happiest of times possible. Reach out and find someone in need of a smile, and share something festive with them. Their smile will certainly be contagious and hopefully we can all enjoy the holidays together. And may 2010 bring you new prosperity, hope, and good health.

Kind regards,
David Barrett & everyone at R|com Creative!

P.S. If the Christmas Truce is of some continuing interest to you, the “Truce” is dramatized in the 2005 French film Joyeux Noël (nominated for “Best Foreign Language Film category at the 78th Academy Awards). The Christmas Truce was also briefly portrayed in Richard Attenborough’s 1969 film Oh What a Lovely War.

A number of books have been written on the Christmas Truce, including Stanley Weintraub ’s Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce, which chronicles the event itself from first hand accounts.

As twilight settles over LA, the Swift Water team from 88s swings into action.

It’s difficult to go anywhere these days without hearing about how the Canon 5dMKII and the 7D are changing the indie film world. And while that’s true, it’s also true that the 7D is a remarkably capable still camera as well.

The Canon 7D represents part of a new arsenal of equipment for our team. We’ve spent the past year evaluating various bits of kit, and with the knowledge that we’d need to use the gear for a wide range of projects, the 7D became a leading contender. The remarkable reviews by noted DP Philip Bloom and some of his amazing 7D videos didn’t hurt either.

Just this past week, on December 7th, while on location in Los Angeles, our LAFD radio crackled with a river rescue assignment. This was a wet week in the City of Angels, and the risk of being swept away was higher than normal (normal is no worries, as the LA River is man-made and is concrete and dry!). Even with rush hour traffic, we were able to safely get on scene within a few minutes. A homeless person, perhaps living in the vegetation in the center of the concrete channel was trapped – not in water, but unable to get off his “island.”

Swift Water Experts from LA, Glendale, and Pasadena rescue a stranded person.

Cameron took the trusty HD video camera and I grabbed the Canon 7D. We’d only taken possession of the camera a few weeks earlier, so this was going to be an interesting assignment. The sun was already down and it was twilight. How would the Canon hold up in extremely low light?

Several things happened: The homeless person was rescued successfully, uninjured, and in need of only fresh clothes (regardless of the weather). And, the Canon 7D really came through. I mean – it was a joy. The viewfinder makes it easy to properly frame images quickly, and the information provided helps me, as a photographer, make decisions about each visual setting prior to exposing a frame (on a CF card, too!). And, finally, every other photog or videographer on scene had a comment to add: “Oh, is that the new Canon? Nice!” Even a river rescue firefighter stopped to say, “I love that camera! Have you seen the HD video that comes out of it?” Um… yes! I shoot HD video with it!

As the rescue was executed, the light of day was gone. Yet, the 7D continues to deliver detailed images with limited noise.

In this case, I was most impressed with the image quality in near black conditions. As night fell, only the jumpy circle of light from a hovering LAFD helicopter lit the area. Overall, it was dark enough to want a flashlight. Yet, the 7D really brought the story to life. See the images attached to this story. No light. Really.

During the coming few weeks, we’ll offer up some field review entries, and hopefully share how the 7D is being integrated into our equipment inventory. Consider this entry to be a bit of rah rah over our delight with this new bit of kit. And if you have a Canon 7D, we’d love to hear from you as well.

NOTE: Our team works closely with the Los Angeles Fire Department, and as such, shooting video at incidents such as this are an ongoing and normal part of our activities.

R|com Creative is pleased to announce the launch of a client website for AutoPacific. The autopacific dot com website is a corporate presentation of the company’s research capabilities. With headquarters in Tustin, CA, and regional support in Michigan, AutoPacific delivers a wide range of services, including forecasting and custom research.

The new website was developed using our WebManager Pro content management system (CMS). WebManager Pro is a fully functional, multi-dimensional content driven web publishing application. AutoPacific staff may create their own content, edit, publish, archive, etc., all without asking for any assistance from a web designer or engineer. In addition, new content in new areas, including the creation of new pages, sections or other core components can be developed without demanding the assistance of a vendor.

R|com also supports development of other web-based solutions for AutoPacific, including their online research/survey application, and their industry leading automotive evaluation solution.

An example of web design, including specific theme, function, and purpose.

Our people are often asked, “What’s your design style?” We have many pat answers, including, “your style is our style,” and, “whatever you want it to be,” and my favorite, “crayons.” But the key point we try to make is: design is totally subjective, so the bottom line is that it had better work.

There’s no point to any design if it doesn’t accelerate an idea, a product, a service, or a person. There are plenty of designs that are drop-dead gorgeous, but ten minutes later, you can’t remember what the purpose of the design was – or what it was about. This is especially true for the Internet, as many print designers have stepped sideways into the World Wide Interweb (apologies) and their ideas are as 2-D (read flat) as a sheet of 110lb matte stock.

We design for results. That means we are concerned that our client’s requirements be met not only in the boardroom, where satisfaction has no relationship to market success, but in practice, too. If our client’s don’t see a spike in sales, or an increase in website visits, we haven’t done our job.

Many people think design is all about looks. It really isn’t. Design involves how things fit together. How things work. How easily they are understood. I’ve seen people take other people’s designs and stamp their own logo on top, giggling at how they were able to leverage someone else’s work product. While that’s certainly both lazy and unethical (without permission), it does speak to the potential effectiveness of the design.

Design should either be timeless or totally time-based. When was the Coca Cola logo invented? Who cares? It’s timeless. What about Google’s logo? It’s freakin’ ugly, but it’s also effective – and it speaks to a specific time – and it will likely evolve over time as well.

The timer on your grandparent’s VCR? Bad design.

The iPod. Great design.

No matter what the product, service, or purpose, good design isn’t good at all unless people react to it. We’re very sensitive to that issue – and it’s one reason we enjoy every new challenge we’re presented with. Have a design idea? Let us mull it over and give you some comps.

R|com Creative is working with the Los Angeles Fire Department to create a new series of education materials based around an important initiative called Ready, Set, Go! Essentially, there has been some ongoing debate about the value of staying at your residence, as opposed to evacuating. In Southern California, we live in not only earthquake country, but wildfire country as well. And when they strike, people often prefer to stay and protect their property.

The initiative for not leaving, often referred to as “Stay and Defend,” was gaining ground earlier this year with several departments, as there have been some stories of people who have elected to ignore officials and as a result, participated in saving their structures. It’s important to remember that many homes don’t burn as a result of the fire front in a wildfire. They burn because of spot fires that start as the fire moves through, and without resources to suppress those spot fires, the home burns.

Just as this “Stay and Defend” option began to get people’s attention, Australia suffered through a terrible wildfire incident and many lives were lost. Australia has been known for its serious wildfire devastation, including Hobart in 1967 (1400 homes lost, 62 dead); Victoria in 1983 (2400 homes lost, 71 dead), Canberra in 2003 (500 homes lost, 5 dead), and Victoria in 2009 (3000 homes lost, 173 dead). Many of the victims in the Victoria fires this year elected to stay behind, and then attempted to evacuate, but too late. They were caught on the road and died.

Ready, Set, Go! as an initiative is being supported by a wide array of Southern California emergency services agencies. The Los Angeles Fire Department’s position is clear: If there is a wildfire, prepare your home and family, get set to evacuate if required, and when asked, or even before that, leave the area. Your home can be saved. Once you die, coming back is apparently problematic.

Our program will include a series of components – and it will highlight the use of digital technology and Web 2.0 capabilities. A video/DVD will tell the story of why its important to leave and how to prepare. A brochure will be available to schools, senior centers, council district offices, and LA City Fire Stations. Separately, a digital magazine will be created and it will be available to anyone who is interested in the Ready, Set, Go initiative. And finally, information will be available via the MySafe:LA public education website.

We’re enthused about the project, and once complete, are committed to seeing it reach as many people as possible, so the citizens of Los Angeles can be properly prepared.

The 30th Annual Telly Awards have been announced and R|com Creative has earned three separate awards in this year’s competition. We are honored that the Telly Awards have seen fit to honor us for our film and video endeavors.

Earthquake 9-1-1 earned awards in the Charitable and Public Safety categories.

Firing Up Our Future, the DVD produced to support the 2008 Greater Alarm Gala for the LAFD Museum and Memorial earned an award for fund-raising.

“These awards are really for our clients, and for our crew, as they are the ones we endeavor to please,” David Barrett, managing director for R|com Creative said. Producer and Director Cameron Barrett added, “we are thrilled that our peers find quality in our work, and adding these new awards to our long list of past achievements is an honor.”

For three decades, the Telly statuette has been a symbol of creative excellence. Each statuette is hand-crafted by the same firm that produces the Oscar® and Emmy® Awards.

This is the final cut for the short film about Carol Anne McGuire and her program of music and education: Rock Our World.

In 1516, Thomas Moore authored Utopia, the story of an ideal society, based on an imaginary island. He was beheaded in 1535 when he refused to sign the Act of Supremacy that declared King Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church of England. During the last decade, Moore became a saint, and was previously canonized by the Catholic Church. Since Moore’s Utopia, there have been many other examples of socialism, in dreams and in practice. And today, a new form of socialism is emerging. Social Media.

Social Media is not your father’s socialism, however. Whereas socialism traditionally is about centralized authority, property owned in common, Government controlled information, and limited resources made available by the State, social media is quite the opposite: Shared use, but with protection via Creative Commons licensing, unlimited resources (cloud computing), real-time opinions, and real-time worldwide sharing of ideas, ideals, and communication.

Today, the Internet is generating a new form of social collaboration. You can find anything on the web, you can speak to everyone instantly via Twitter, tell everyone what you’re reading using StumbleUpon, share your finances with Wesabe, and create a worldwide movie premiere with YouTube and similar services.

Today, in the world of technology, it is the collective that is the driving force of change. It has been written that more than 60,000 man-years of work were poured into the latest release of Fedora Linux. More than 10 million registered users contribute to Wikipedia. 350 million people watch YouTube videos every month and the number climbs continually. There are more than 3 billion photos and videos on Flickr. These people are all living in a socialized environment. It is a game-changing influence on our culture. And nobody, least of all your father, can stop it.

Like traditional political socialism, people not involved in this culture shift are afraid of it. “Twitter makes no sense,” says one fifty-something to me when asked about it. “YouTube is for kids with no life,” another Gen Xer scoffs. But social media is not just for kids. It’s for anyone and everyone who wishes to engage the world – and to make their life, their loves, their business better.

The recent elections in Iran have created a remarkable research opportunity for anyone interested in social media. At first, the idea that despite barring the media from protests, the thrust behind the protests and publicity involved with the disputed elections was driven by social media tools, notably Twitter. A closer look reveals some bias: President Ahmedinejad’s supporters are known to lead rural lifestyles, have less access to wealth, are less educated and more likely to speak Farsi than Mousavi’s supporters. As such, does this mean that a picture of the protests via social media overstates Mousavi support or understates Ahmedinejad support?

The same issue relates to the blogosphere.  Nearly all blog posts are written in Farsi. Many of those that are not are in English. Does this type of access create a political barrier to true collaboration and freedom of speech? Overall, the use of these tools, including Twitter are making a difference. The Iranian Government has shut down cell towers, closed Internet cafes and demonstrates an ability to control the Internet, but only within its borders, and likely only for a limited time. In Iran, social media is creating change – Anne-Marie Corley wrote a powerful article about this in the MIT Technology Review. Read it.

Certainly, one could argue that the concept of collective development and distribution at little or no cost might destroy Capitalism. The current banking and economic woes of the United States and in fact the world show evidence that such is not likely the case, although there are plenty of people making “socialism” accusations at the current political power base in Washington DC. But the U.S, and the world are essentially market-driven societies. When a problem or question is thrown into the marketplace, the market typically responds – yes or no – and the question is solved. The prosperity that America so enjoyed for the past few decades was created by the use of market forces overcoming social problems.

Today, it’s clear that social media can play an increasingly important role in our mainstream society. From emergency services to personal sharing of ideas, fears, and opinions, these tools are bringing millions of people together in search of common answers. Revolutions have been started with far fewer numbers than that.

If you are a positive person, you might say the U.S. auto industry is reinventing itself right now. With GM and Chrysler both looking to start anew, Ford has been able to stay clear of shrapnel, although it too has suffered substantially as a result of the overall economic situation in the United States, not to mention the rest of the world.

But Ford is truly using the downturn in the economy and the drama with its Detroit cousins to get up and deliver. While quality may have been their long-term mantra, Social Media may now be at the top of their marketing agenda.

Scott Monty is the head of Social Media for Ford. He clearly gets it. On a daily basis, Monty is working to let people know that Ford is not a building, not a car, but a company that is made up of people. Not only does Scott understand Social Media as a marketing tool, he understands the audience. GM and Chrysler both use the typical Social Media mechanisms, including FaceBook and Twitter, but just like their current overall situation, the effectiveness of their use of these tools leaves something to be desired.

According to Trendrr, a Social Media trending firm, in May of 2009, Chrysler had approximately 850 Twitter followers, while GM blew past them with more than 5,000 followers. On the other hand, Monty’s Twitter audience jumped to 20,000 people. That’s not even in the same solar system.

Ford created an effective and useful promotion using YouTube to market the introduction of the new Ford Fiesta. By creating a series of contests, Ford drew thousands of submissions, created a steady stream of Twitter “tweets,” and got substantial blog and news coverage. The bottom line: Ford reached a broad audience, interacted with them, and saved literally millions of dollars in advertising.

We like to collaborate with our clients to ensure they understand both the commitment that is required when diving into the Social Media pool, and the rewards for a job well done. It isn’t a mysterious endeavor, but it does require care, focus, and a strong understanding of whom the customer is, what they expect to see, hear, and read – and how to share things that will generate a response.

If you’re interested in how Social Media can work for you, please give us a shout. We’d love to hear from you.

We’re continuing to make changes to our suite of web tools, including our content management system. The key for us is to keep our software both evolving and in line with current server solutions. To that end, we’ve added some additional security features, and have upgraded the system software capabilities (database, Apache, etc.) to ensure ease of installation or upgrading.

One of the things that always concerns me is the constant nature of web evolution. It always seems to be a matter of tossing what you had in favor of what’s new, and the relative costs that go along with that. We would prefer that our customers evolve as their needs to – but also based on their usage of the tools they’ve engaged us to provide. The net result is that upgrading with our team is painless, fast, and often involved additional capabilities as well.

On multiple occasions each year, we go through all of our servers, review the software being used, and work to ensure there is a solid solution in place to meet the needs of our clients. While we charge our clients for annual maintenance support for their installed applications, there is no requirement for us to maintain the latest versions (or most stable versions) of software for each box. But, as a matter of course, we keep that issue on the table and review our systems on a quarterly basis. It keeps us busy, but it also provides our clients with some confidence that we’re involved in their success.

Looking back nearly 25 years ago, I was sitting at my table in my hotel in San Francisco, probably about two in the morning, wondering what the reaction would be to a new game my software company was about to launch. I was looking at our distribution plan and I was uneasy. I was terrified that we would fail. Just hours earlier, my co-founders and I were sitting around a table, shrink wrapping the product together, with a major trade show taking place the following morning.

Less than a year before, I had sat at lunch with the Japanese President of the computer company I worked for, and he explained to me that as far as he was concerned, there was no opportunity for success without failure. He praised me for trying new things relative to the job I had been given to promote a new operating system for an innovative new personal computer. He told me a remarkable story about the differences in theory behind Japanese research and American research – not really related to the people, but to the need for instant success, and the fear of failure. I remember it well, because I was fired the next morning by my American supervisor for taking too many risks. It was the only time in my adult life that I was fired from a job. But it gave me the opportunity to start something new, and to create new products and ideas that evolved into something successful.

It was about the same time that I became really excited about motorsport in general, and Formula One and CART IndyCar specifically. There is a purity in racing. Everything is measured. Everything is calculated. And there is no room to hide. You win, or you lose. And everything is on the table for everyone to see. It is the perfect technical competition and when properly done, the ideal opportunity for one person to excel based on the performance of a team of people. Wow.

At the time, Honda was not involved in U.S racing, but they became involved a bit later and they were terrible. Engines blew constantly, and even with superstar drivers, they couldn’t get their act together. But, after a few years, they improved and then, they won a championship. Today, every engine in the IRL Indycar Series is powered by Honda. So, they can’t lose in that formula.

Today, I’m reminded of that for several reasons. The economy is forcing people to get serious about understanding where they stand, where their professional and personal lives stand, and what they can do to reinvent, or even invent for the first time – something successful. I’m also reminded about that because I’m seeing new innovation all around me at the moment. And there are ironies as well. Honda just quit F-1, and racing guru Ross Brawn picked up the team for a song and with the Chinese Grand Prix about to take place, has outpaced everyone, winning both races so far in 2009, and giving the entire paddock fits with every rising sun.

I’m reminded of it because I’ve had the chance to spend time with some of the people I collaborated with 25 years ago, including software genius Bill Volk. And I am reminded of the value failure can have when creating something successful every day at R|com, my current adventure. We’re helping our clients with new ideas, new products, and new vision, and it is leading to some exciting new opportunities.

And, I’m reminded of it by a short film. A really interesting film by Honda, part of their Dream the Impossible documentary series. The film is called Failure: The Secret to Success. I think everyone should watch it.

What a great idea! After a trip to San Diego, my wife and I passed by a California Pizza Kitchen on our way home and decided to stop. “I haven’t been there for a long time,” I remarked, “and I wonder how they’re doing in the climate?”

The food was fine – Pepsi quality still, not terrific like the early days. But, the place was clean, the service fast, and the people polite. That makes for a fairly winning combination in my book. Still, it wasn’t until we were paying the bill that I realized someone with some talent was working in marketing.

Our server appeared at the table with a yellow card. “Here is your ‘Don’t Open it’ card.” It almost guarantees that whomever receives it will return to CPK for another meal. It’s really a terrific idea – here is how it works:

After you dine in at a CPK, you receive a yellow card that proclaims, “Don’t Open it!” If you open the card, the content is worthless. If you return to CPK (at least one day later), the manager will open the card and there is a 100% guaranteed gift inside. It could be a free meal, or a year’s worth of frozen pizza pies, or perhaps $50,000. Every card is a winner. Ordinarily, I might have said, “not bad. We’ll try this again in a few months,” or whatever. Now, thanks to the “Do Not Open Me!” card, I will be back… just make the check out to…

The LAFD uses Twitter to broadcast updates on Major Emergencies

There’s been a lot of buzz about Twitter of late. No wonder. With millions of users, and truckloads of new people signing up every day, it’s now easy to follow the antics of your friends, co-workers, or even Darth Vader. Much of the recent buzz has centered around the possible acquisition (assimilation?) of the company by Google. Other news stories and editorial pieces have asked if Twitter is for real, or is just a flash in the pan.

Twitter is for real – and perhaps more so because of mobile devices. The combination of 140 character micro-blog style entries and the broadcast abilities from computer to mobile device make Twitter a powerful technology. but Twitter isn’t just for kids, my sister-in-law, or even Demi Moore. Twitter can be an important business and public outreach technology as well. (See? I buried the lead again!)

Twitter is not limited to social commentary. It can be used for a wide variety of important communications solutions. Imagine setting up your servers to tweet you if they encounter pending failures or issues. Many law enforcement and fire agencies are now using Twitter to broadcast emergency incidents, evacuations, and street closures. Public safety, notably in a large city, can be an excellent environment in which to use Twitter.

Twitter is an ideal tool for a trade show, as it would allow reminders for keynote presentations, special events, prizes, etc. And, the most common device to receive these tweets is a mobile device. Now, combine the analytic results of such activities and any entity using both technologies can improve their communications, outreach, and effectiveness.

When our team works with clients who are interested in developing better relationships with their customers, or who wish to reach a wide audience easily, we are careful to give proper consideration to how the technology might be used. Just having the technology isn’t enough. There is work involved after the technology is installed or configured. The fantastic thing is, these technologies are avaiable to us, and our expertise lies in how to best use these new tools to improve business, communication, and in some cases, life itself.

When biz is down, there are many ways to deal with the situation. Unfortunately, one of the most common is to pull back, freeze up, stop everything, and then repeat. It’s a huge component of the reaction to some remarkable events in our domestic, not to mention international economy.

But it doesn’t have to be a complete standstill, “deer in the headlights” type of year. No, this can be the year of invention, evolution, and progress. And to do so, you’ve got to get competitive in the truest sense of the word. I’m often asked about our competition. My reaction is always the same: “Our competition is ourselves. It’s the brochure that was delayed at the printer. It’s the employee who was less than polite on the phone. It’s any number of things, but overall, if we do our job properly, nobody can compete.”

And when I speak about competition, I’m referring to the idea that if you have a good product, good service, and you can support your clients, you have a winning formula – assuming of course there is a need for your product or service.

So, what are we doing this year?

I’ve created a checklist for our company – and it’s one that we’re going to share with our clients – with you – and anyone who is interested. It’s a list that if followed will help your business grow (and ours, too).

To give you a preview, here are the top ten items (Read a la Letterman):

Number Ten: Think Community. The world has changed. Now, get with it and change, too – or get left behind.

Number Nine: Small is the New Big. Small business thrives in this economic environment.

Number Eight: Understand Competition. Are you it? Does someone offer the same solution, but with something you don’t?

Number Seven: Focus on Your Expertise. If you are an expert, flaunt it. If you aren’t one – become one.

Number Six: Create Your Online Presence. If you aren’t online, in today’s world, you’re not open for business. It’s time to open the doors to the Web and use it for profit and gain.

Number Five: Know What Your Customer Wants. ‘Nuf said.

Number Four: Promote Your Business, On- and Off-line. If nobody knows you, your client base will be very small.

Number Three: Build Your Brand. What makes you and your firm or service different? Tell everyone!

Number Two: Reinvent Your Sales Team. Don’t just go back to the well with the same old pitch. Make it count. New ideas, or even new people, may be the answer.

Number One: Have a Plan. You’d be surprised at how many people – and companies do not.

We’ll be creating a fun, short, white paper on “Ten Ways to Build Biz in 2009″ and offering it to anyone who is interested. Oh – and we’re also trying to follow our own advice. Let us know what you think.