This will be my second SXSW, though the first living here in Austin. In fact, I’ve only lived here for a little over three months so I’m still learning the city and finding those hidden gems that make Austin unique. When I read an article in The New York Times titled “36 Hours: Austin, Tex”, Read More...

Here’s an example of how powerful brand positioning can be. This is what Gold’s Gym has historically been known for.  The logo implies it’s a place for bodybuilders – people so strong that the barbells actually bend under the pressure of all that weight! Now look at today’s campaign: Know Your Own Strength, whose manifesto Read More...

Feel the ground rumble. From far and wide, they approach. The herds of tech addicts charging forward with their smartphones held high. Vans fueled with spent cooking grease carrying sleep-deprived filmmakers into the city limits. The endless line of tour buses filled with worn-out roadies and blissed-out bandmates. SXSW 2012 is upon us. It’s been Read More...

Dear Barb and Laurie, Like both of you, I’m a woman who works in advertising and marketing. Like both of you, I’m also a mother. I have two daughters, ages 12 and 14. I watched the Super Bowl with my younger girl Sunday night. And when your “Body Paint” and “Valentine’s Night” commercials played, I Read More...

In the midst of SOPA and PIPA losing support, it looks like the anti-piracy attack just took another blow. Except this time it’s personal, and it hits close to home for many individuals whose source of entertainment streams via internet. Federal prosecutors cracked down on popular file-sharing sites Megaupload and Megavideo for copyright infringement on Read More...

If I had a dime for every time someone asked me “What was the coolest thing you saw at  CES?”…It is an almost impossible question to answer.  And it’s not just due to the whopping 1.8MM  sq ft of exhibit space, the 2,700 exhibitors or the 20,000 new product  introductions on the floor.  In an overwhelming Read More...

It seems like every other day, there’s a new crowdfunding website coming online, trying to help entrepreneurs and indie filmmakers raise money for a project they’re passionate about.  Some of the ones you’ve probably heard of: Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Start Some Good. But what if you’re already an established small business and you want to Read More...

Explained most simply, it’s an online pinboard, or some may call it an “image sharing network.” I’d agree that it’s both of those.  And a whole lot more.  It’s social bookmarking that makes sense and is highly fueled by recommendations from friends. Or people you choose to follow. (Similar to Tumblr in that sense)  I Read More...

Taking a closer look at the interaction between Twitter and TV, one can quickly notice that the online audience still falls quiet when something relevant or important comes up on TV. Part of this is because TV still has the authority and credibility it was born with. Think about it – it’s still a big Read More...

News broke today that the founders of locally-founded and well-loved Gowalla are packing up their passports and heading for Palo Alto to join the Facebook team. I’m sad to see Gowalla go (I preferred it to FourSquare) but really interested to see what the meeting of minds will bring. Gowalla recently changed up its format, Read More...