Mike Trotzke

Sometimes I’m so proud to be born and raised in Terre...

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:15:38 -0400

Sometimes I’m so proud to be born and raised in Terre Haute, IN ER Fail

What The Combine technology conference has to offer Indiana

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:37:37 -0400

What The Combine technology conference has to offer Indiana :

Bloomington, Indiana will be hosting the inaugural year of The Combine from September 9th through 12th. You might expect that the first year for this type of event would struggle to draw much in the…

Let's all rally around corporate hatred!

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:23:40 -0400

Let's all rally around corporate hatred!:

betsytrotzke:

Listened to NPR’s Morning Edition this morning. There was an an interesting interview with Financial Times columnist Lucy Kellaway who recently wrote about the world’s collective hatred for BP. She illustrated that our collective hatred for corporations and their leaders is a relatively recent phenomenon that can be attributed to four factors:

Emotional hangover from the credit crunch;

The exorbitant salary of executive leaders;

“The internet and social media (“with its power to turn personal emotion into a global epidemic overnight”); and

The personification of business brands

The first three factors seemed pretty obvious. In fact, I wondered why NPR considered this worthy of an interview with Kellaway at all. Not exactly profound information being shared here. But, the last factor intrigued me.

In the past decade, companies have put a great deal of effort into creating brand images that are closely tied to personal values. I personally loathe branding exercises that start with, “If Volvo were a person, what would he be like?” And when we talk about aspirational brand development, we walk a fine line.

As Kellaway puts it, “the more successful they are in creating such a personality, the more there is to love - and hate.” It’s about time that we considered the consequences of brand development that is more tied to who we want to be, then who we actually are.

We fail as marketers if that is our focus. Branding begins with who we are and how others feel about us — today. We can influence perception with carefully crafted messaging, marketing and brand development. And, companies can and should make organizational, philosophical and tangible changes to they way they do business. In no other way is your brand more affected.

But, in a world of instant communication, it’s now more clear than ever that brands reflect who we are, not who we want to become at some undetermined point in the future. If that’s your focus, then you’ve already failed.

Listen to the NPR Interview with Lucy Kellaway. Read her Financial Times column (“BP has become the company we all love to hate”).

Making Java seem sexy is an impressive feat.

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:19:40 -0400

Making Java seem sexy is an impressive feat.

This is Hot.

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:34:30 -0400

This is Hot.

Another sweet game coming out for iPhone and iPad: Neuroshima...

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:15:45 -0400

Another sweet game coming out for iPhone and iPad: Neuroshima Hex App

Okay I tweeted about this already, but this kid is so awesome I...

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:57:18 -0400

Okay I tweeted about this already, but this kid is so awesome I had to post one of his videos here. Watch them all. He basically reviews all my favorite games and he does an awesome job explaining them. Games with Hayden

Roll Through The Ages is an awesome little dice/board game that...

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:03:00 -0400

Roll Through The Ages is an awesome little dice/board game that makes a great iPhone app. It’s designed by one of my favorite game designers, Matt Leacock (Pandemic, Forbidden Island).

My only complaint is that the rules on the iPhone version are a pretty weak if you’ve never played it before. If that’s the case, you can check out this video review to help get up to speed on the rules.

betsytrotzke: Just spent a great Memorial Day weekend camping...

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:44:38 -0400

betsytrotzke:

Just spent a great Memorial Day weekend camping with friends and family. After I got home, I spent hours researching online for new campfire recipes and shopping for more gear. Admittedly, I felt like I was betraying nature by giving up technology for a weekend only to return home and spend hours on the computer. But, then I saw a commercial for “Coleman -The Original Social Networking Site.” (Click for version with voice over by Sam Elliott.)

Appealing to my love of both camping and the Internet, how could I possibly resist? The campaign evokes timeless images of crackling campfires and meals under open skies with friends and families. Coleman also does a good job supporting the campaign’s theme through a campaign website, wallpapers, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. Even better, the campaign includes iPhone apps. The Coleman Lantern app is a virtual lantern to use in the woods. There is also a Creepy Campfire Tales app complete with sound effects.

Kudos to Coleman for extending the “social networking” campaign effectively online. I hope to see them continue the campaign with other marketing tactics.

I guess SproutBox lives in the valley of death. Well, at least...

Tue, 18 May 2010 10:33:37 -0400

I guess SproutBox lives in the valley of death. Well, at least if you believe funding only works the one— the only— the Silicon Valley Way (fresh from 1959). Go ahead, just walk right up those stairs to the mezzanine. It’ll be fun.

Seed money - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

How Venture Capitalists are Using Social Media for Real Results

Tue, 18 May 2010 10:23:24 -0400

How Venture Capitalists are Using Social Media for Real Results

Yeah Awesome. The Trotsky - Trailer

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:18:28 -0400

Yeah Awesome. The Trotsky - Trailer

Finally: Carcassonne for iPhone and iPod Touch

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 09:49:15 -0400

Finally: Carcassonne for iPhone and iPod Touch

Arin: I'm pregnant.

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:27:56 -0400

Arin: I'm pregnant.
Ben: Oh. My. God.
Ben: What order are we going to show it the Star Wars films?

Days of Wonder Launches Small World on the iPad Boardgame News

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:37:50 -0400

Days of Wonder Launches Small World on the iPad Boardgame News

Holy Awesome! ThinkGeek :: iCade - iPad Arcade Cabinet

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:40:13 -0400

Holy Awesome! ThinkGeek :: iCade - iPad Arcade Cabinet

Investor see, founder do. - (37signals)

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:26:00 -0400

Investor see, founder do. - (37signals)

Folds Does Merton Chatroulette Piano Ode to Merton

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:58:01 -0400

Folds Does Merton

Chatroulette Piano Ode to Merton

I was inspired by someone at Microsoft to write the following: As you may recall, I mentioned over...

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:15:00 -0400

I was inspired by someone at Microsoft to write the following:

As you may recall, I mentioned over coffee that I felt there may be a disconnect between the corporate vision and some of the deliverables and action items on our current agenda. Can we get together for a pre-meeting with some key enablers and download on how we can leverage any objections into value adds? I’m thinking if we go offline and align our challenges to the team, we can fast track a home-run integrated solution that would be a win/win for all the douche bags involved.

What kind of crazy voodoo is this. You don’t have to...

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:49:00 -0400

What kind of crazy voodoo is this. You don’t have to sacrifice any chickens to get this to work do you? Comment on John Nack on Adobe: Video: Sneak peek of Content-Aware Fill in Photoshop