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Obviousness

Waving a not-so-fond farewell to "we've just always done it that way"


Cake, icing and the Visa Business NetworkSeptember 17

I have this theory. Let's call it the Service Layer Hypothesis.


I can't claim to have come up with on my own. It's something the smart folks I work with have been batting around (and sometimes even putting into practice) for a few years now. 


Here it is:


In order to thrive in a networked world, big brands need to move from product sellers to service providers. 


It's a simple idea, really. Based on the belief that on today's web brands need to go well beyond campaigns and brochure-ware if they want to remain relevant. 


Instead, the theory goes, they should launch online services that compliment their product offerings, embody the ideals and aspirations at the heart of their brand and, most importantly, provide real utility for customers. 










Innovation and EvolutionFebruary 21

The question: What do misconceptions about evolution have to do with marketing and innovation?

I love it when something you’re reading that is theoretically miles away from the your job/life/field of interest jumps off the page and gives you’re a flash of unexpected insight that hits close to home.

This happened to me recently on a flight back from Oklahoma (long story). The unexpected source was an interview (unfortunately only excerpted online) with Mary Midgley in The Believer.

I had previously never heard of Mary. It turns out she is an English moral philosopher and the author of many books, including Evolution as Religion. The basic premise of that book appears to be something like this:

We’ve come to think of evolution as more of a myth or religion than a scientific theory. This fact, combined with some common misconceptions about the theory itself, hav





Ma.gnolia link dumpJanuary 16
Here are some highlights from my Ma.Gnolia bookmark feed, which, combined with Facebook activities, has replaced actual blogging for me.

Recent tidbits from my Ma.gnolia bookmark feedApril 4 2007
In case you didn't know, there are two flavours of feed on offer here.

Posts have been admittedly quiet lately, but I've been sharing loads of links via my Ma.Gnolia bookmark feed.
Here are a few recent favourites . . .

  • MisEntropy: Where's the long tail of brand communication?

    Posted: Wed, 4 April 2007 16:01:43 PDT

    MisEntropy: Wheres the long tail of brand communication?

    This ebook offers a fresh and interesting way to look at marketing through the lense of the Long Tail. Here's a quote that got my gears moving . . . "In effect, the communication for every brand represents an individual market in which different messages for that brand compete for consumer attention and time."

    Tags: marketing, brands,






Northern Voice Wrap-UpFebruary 26 2007

I spent Friday and Saturday at Northern Voice.

A lot of information went into my brain during that time. Some of it survived.

So what is Northern Voice? The organizers describe it as “Canada’s Blogging Conference”. It’s really about a lot more than just blogging, though.

A more accurate but much more wordy description would be “Canada’s Conference for People Who are Interested in the Power and Potential of the Social Web and it’s Impact on All Aspects of Our Lives.”

Attendee-wise, there was a great, eclectic mixture of folks at the event. This mix included but was not limited to journalists, educators, activists, marketers, entrepreneurs, photographers, artists, writers, uber-geeks, web designers and at least one guy who dressed like a dragon because the people who read his blog voted and decided that he should.

For me, this mixture demonstrates exactly why I get so excited by this stuff—it has the potential to change so many aspects of our daily life.

As far as the sessions went, here are a few of my favourites:

  • I’ve