One of our current projects is with a client with a reputation of being extremely protective of their brand. They know the value of having customers distribute their brand message yet they’re struggling with the lack of control that entails. Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle rearing it’s ugly head. This is the same dilemma political candidates had …
Author Archives: Garrick van Buren
More Slack Keeps Projects on Track
Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. There is a very great distinction because when you are planning for an emergency you must start with this one thing: the very definition of ’emergency’ is that it is unexpected, therefore it is not going to happen the way you are planning. – Dwight D. Eisenhower Swap …
First Crack 10. Europe For Beginners
St. Paul, MN, the feel of Europe without the pain of a poor exchange rate and a review of Steffanie Mueller’s Deutsche fur Anfanger podcast. Intro: Christopher Mark Brooder from CMBDG. Listen to Europe for Beginners [11 min]
First Crack 09. Wheels of Italy
An iChat conversation with Christopher Mark Brooder from CMBDG.com covering high-end audio video equipment and the Minnesota-based Wheels Of Italy group. Intro: Bill Boulger from IndieTickets.com. Listen to the Wheels of Italy [16 min]
First Crack 08. Advertising is Broken
A rant on the inherent conflicts between advertisers, traditional media publishers, and the new participatory media. Intro: PodCat from Podcat’s Best of Podcasting. Listen to Advertising is Broken [13 min]
Pajunas Hosts More Than Your Website
Like a midwestern version of Gate 3 Work Club, Allie at Pajunas is offering monthly office subscriptions. That’s right, for a couple hundred dollars a month, you can move your start up out of your house and into downtown St. Paul’s fantastic Renaissance Box. I spoke with her at the Pajunas open house tonight. We …
Find Failure Fast
“If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.” – Thomas J. Watson Sr, founder of IBM “…fail faster so [you] can succeed sooner.” – David Kelley of IDEO I’ve got any number of projects in the works at any given time (current count is north of 20). Last year, there was …
First Crack 07. Upcoming Shows in Minneapolis with Bill Boulger
A conversation with Bill Boulger of IndieTickets.com about the Minneapolis music scene, and the bankruptcy of First Avenue. Listen to Upcoming Shows with Bill Boulger [19 min]
Best Buy Focuses on Personas
Best Buy has taken the first step in their persona-centric model. According to the Wall Stree Journal’s Analyzing Customers, Best Buy Decides Not All Are Welcome, the sales associates have received training to briefly interview customers to determine if they are a Barry, Jill, or Ray Buzz. In an effort to keep their store relevant …
First Crack 06. Blogumentary, Democratic Strategies, Non-English Podcasts
This weekend, local documentarian Chuck Olsen kicked off this year’s City Pages Get Real Documentary Film Festival at Oak Street Theatre with Blogumentary. Intro: Tod Maffin & Sean from I Love Radio. Listen to Blogumentary, Democratic Strategies for 2008, and the Joys of non-English Podcasts [21 min]