Of course book choices might, at first, be limited by interest, genre, industry, subject-matter, etc. And there are some similar services already on the market, however they are limited to a single publishers catalog and/or an industry-specific association’s library. And they are currently only available via browser access. 

I envision a service where an etail provider (e.g. Amazon, Apple, B&N) provides a subscription service capable of tracking user-access and consumption via proprietary hardware devices (e.g. Kindle, iPad, Nook, etc.). A simple concept that is doable because of existing available proprietary hardware and the ability to aggregate publisher’s content (due to existing relationships). The opportunity here is for an existing provider with a large user-account base (credit cards already on file) to expand it’s exisitng offering into an all-you-can-eat buffet. We’ve seen it for music, movies, and magazines. Why not books?

iTunes is credited with reinventing the music industry and single-handedly destroying the notion that music is best sold as collections. Today the majority of music is purchased one download at a time, but even that is becoming too inconvenient. Consumers are partial to paying a small retainer, when it provides access to everything. And admit it, how many books have you yet to complete? 

Music publishers learned to collaborate the hard way. The book publishers might stand together for a while, but eventually some will cave and we’ll begin to see various channel providers inserting their services into an already stretched distribution chain. 

It doesn’t matter whether I think it’s a good idea. I only think it’s inevitable. Publishers need to see themselves more as content creators and less as retailers. The good news is the amount of available content should sky-rocket and for many, going to market gets easier. 

One last thought on why this WILL work... The concept of self-publishing was birthed through technology and intended to eliminate the gate-keeper, the publisher. However the risk in purchasing an unknown author with a self-published book still remains high. If you want it, you buy it. With half of all books released last year being self-published, a massive increase in titles and available content will continue. A book “streaming” or “all-you-can-read” buffet model just might be the best solution for consumers to discover all that’s available. 

One more thing... did you know you can loan a kindle book to a friend? 

The dominance now enjoyed by organizational brands will eventually translate as equally desirable for — and potentially dominated by — personal brands. There are a few dominant personal brands out there now. However, they are mostly restricted to thought-leadership or industry-leadership niches.

With the onslaught of self-publishing, which is nothing more than having access to a broader marketplace, what other areas of commerce might ultimately encourage the direct access of personal brands to a broader market?

In a way, mobile apps are realizing tremendous growth due to this phenomenon. Thousands of apps that are the work of one individual are now empowered by reach.

Publishing is a great example. The value of the publisher’s brand has diminished due to the increasing value of personal author brands. Yes, authors must also become the brand — a personal brand. Publishers that recognized this potential early and adopted new-model, author-friendly methods not only provided a boost for the authors but also increased the publisher's intellectual property values. Publishers must see themselves as sandboxes for discovery.

I saw the statistic today that last year almost 350,000 new book titles were published in the U.S., and half of those were self-published (selling an average of only 150 copies per title).

It’s time to revisit the long tail model, this time for the purpose of understanding how personal brands will most certainly dominate the tail's far end.

What other industries are poised for growth of the personal brand?

And when was the last time you interacted with someone who didn't carry a mobile device? It’s practically unheard of. There are currently 6.2 billion mobile subscribers worldwide. And remember, earth’s population is only 7 billion. Mobile subscribers are set to outpace the population by the next summer Olympics (2016). 

Mobile devices are becoming synonymous with breathing — they are always on. Over time, could it be possible that humans might become less knowledgeable due to the speed and accessibility of information? Living with this “always on” technology provides instant access to answers. It also challenges what has been considered required learning until now. 

Will elementary students always need to remember that in “1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue”? Or might it be acceptable to be familiar with the role Columbus played in American history, while leaving the details (like dates) to Siri? With respect to my educator friends, I wouldn’t care to predict when this might happen, but I admittedly find it conceivable.

So what does this mean for your brand? 

1. Creating a strong presence in mobile is more important than any other channel. If you're doing anything, do mobile. Don’t just think apps, think multiple apps. 
2. Provide desirable industry-specific information to your constituents via mobile strategies. This will give you an advantage — findability. Focus your efforts on providing branded answers to common questions within the scope of your industry. Be the go-to source for relevant information, and provide it for users on the go. 
3. Create a specific mobile strategy to help those within your organization better understand mobile trends. Repurposing existing web tools will not be adequate for mobile. A mobile strategy leverages information for mobility's sake. What does it mean to access information on the go? What information is uniquely mobile for your brand? Build around that.

A few more thoughts on how mobile impacts learning ...
 

At the start of my first year in high school, my favorite teacher took the time to explain the importance of what it means to "learn how to learn," rather than only focusing on what is being taught. This idea of how to learn changed my entire outlook on education, and I am thankful for her insight (and better grades).

The fact that textbooks have existed for many years does not support the idea that simply having access to information eliminates the need for learning the information. However, the reality of how fast we access information ultimately impacts the learning process, which is different for everyone; and therein lies the question. Whether the information is stored in our mind or in our hand, it comes down to how fast we can access it and what we can do with it once we have it. The fact remains: information doesn’t infer knowledge, just as knowledge doesn’t infer wisdom.  


  

One of the easiest ways to ascertain one’s business experience is in their ability to easily recall decisions they’ve made that ultimately proved to be wrong. Yes, it’s a simple thought, however the most experienced leaders will easily recall more than their fair-share of situations where they’ve made decisions which proved to have less than adequate results. It comes with the territory of time. 

Too often we approach making decisions as simply an effort to predict a defendable outcome; rather than making it our best-effort toward the most desirable outcome, and without regard for failure. In essence, we are too often tempted to ask “what if I’m wrong” during the decision-making process. 

It’s this reality of impending change that significantly elevates our fear during decision-making. We cannot begin to contemplate every potential for change and therefore are limited to best-judgement based on our current best-condition (but then so is everyone else).

We need to value and applaud those willing to make the decisions. Right or wrong, strong leaders elevate the value of the decision-making process above the predicted outcome. And yes, we live with the results while repeating this never-ending process. 

• “Landing Your First Job" — Kathryn Lorenzen, Career Coach, Landajob Advertising & Marketing Talent
• “Building Your Professional Footprint” – Duane Hallock, Regional Director, Communications | Public Information Officer, American Red Cross of Greater Kansas City
• “2012 Digital Trends” — Dustin Jacobsen, Chief Stategy Officer, Flat Square Technology Group, Inc.
• “Something Creative” – Brian Brooker, Chief Creative Officer, Bernstein-Rein Advertising
• “Managing Stress on the Job” – Jim Bonafide, MS, LCMFT, Shawnee Mission Medical Center
• “Women in Leadership” — Shelley Winkler, Equipping Pastor, Heartland Community Church
• “Navigating Workplace Personalities” — Ruthie Harrison, Human Resources Director, BNIM

From this concept, I developed a simple daily reminder; where availability begins - scarcity must be rediscovered.  This is a real challenge for many missional organizations. Once the mission becomes commonplace, or the market is flooded with competition (yes we should use the word competition), the mission is perceived as less valuable in the marketplace. Suddenly, that which was once scarce now becomes widely available and commonplace. 

Understand, the innate value of the mission rarely needs to change. If the mission is valid, it should be non-negotiable.  And therein lies the challenge for most missional organizations. Unfortunately, a noble mission is no guarantee of success. 

Here are your two options for when you find yourself in this situation (and notice I said ‘when’)...

OPTION 1 - Maintain your current engaged stakeholders by attempting to keep them distracted from any competing voices. While this might be possible, it's not probable and certainly unsustainable - at least not past the lifetimes of your current stakeholders. Ultimately the mission will die along with it's stakeholders (including you).

OPTION 2 -  Continually rebrand the mission with methods that are in-vogue, or at minimum trending upward. The mission remains sacred, however the methods continually evolve, and are updated. Determine to accomplish your mission by those methods perceived as scarce. It gives you the exclusive entree, and once you've repeated the cycle a few times, you'll be really good at it. 

Just to be exceptionally clear, I am recommending Option 2. 


 

But just suppose you were prepared to allow customers to either love you or hate you, then you just might become more interesting and potentially a remarkable brand... and by that I mean a brand worth talking about. 

Think about Ben & Jerry seizing upon pop-culture and current events to launch new flavors. Like "VolunTiramisu" - to honor volunteerism last year. They do this not just for the sake of adding new flavors, but for the opportunity to be remarkable.

Now consider the risk! While some might enjoy the new flavor, others will certainly hate it. Of course Ben & Jerry provide other options, and therefore can afford the risk of introducing quirky new flavors - not in hopes that people will like, but for the sake of being remarkable.  

Now imagine an ice cream shop that only serves strawberry flavor. It might be worth visiting once. In fact it might have some unique experience that keeps you coming back a few times. But unless strawberry is your absolute favorite, without any chance for change, you are highly unlikely to be a regular customer. 

In a dynamic marketplace, consumers not only have a voice but are requiring more choices than ever before... motivated by increasingly diverse and sometime customized needs and wants. It is evident why so many brands are turning to missional-minded models to drive consumer loyalty, increase value, and experience growth. 

The key to accomplish this begins with marketing efforts that build brand-awareness through advocacy. Remember...

1. Loyal customers encourage others by sharing their experiences, regardless of their favorite flavor.
2. Enough options must be established and readily available within the existing brand ecosystem.
3. A perception of brand-diversity and customization should be available and understood.

First of all, a big mistake would be to sit back and wait for this downturn to end. Smart brands will embrace predictive models by investing just ahead of reaching the bottom. In other words, those working with expectation of a turnaround will surely get there first. Yet many are hesitant after several years of struggling. And, this pessimism has impacted consumer behavior.

Symphony Information Resources, Inc. identified the “Downturn Generation” in a study of how consumers are changing and adapting to their new financial situations as a result of the economic challenges. We know characteristics of consumer spending will eventually reflect in business, and vice versa.

Some of these trends should be seen as positive corrections. Shoppers are becoming more strategic and resourceful in planning their purchases.

- 59% of shoppers visit multiple stores for the lowest prices
- 30% are making bulk purchases with others not in their households 

- 34% are collecting, sharing and trading coupons

Once the trajectory is clearly pointing upward, don’t expect many of these changing consumer characteristics to end. Early career professionals and young families have learned lessons that will last a lifetime. Spending behavior is changing and rightfully so (so have giving-patterns and generosity). 

Although consumer spending has tightened, one sign of a turnaround is that charitable giving has increased. In 2011, half of all charitable organizations reported year-over-year increases.

These are the indicators worth watching - with expectation for opportunity to invest in your comeback.

• Why do you want to do good?
• What specific good is a cultural and philosophical match for your company?
• What kind of approach will you take when promoting the good you’re doing?
• Will you continue doing good even if it doesn’t lead to well?

With the increasing availability of mobile tablets, a flourish of apps have arrived to help us better navigate the information flow. These apps can be divided into two categories: Aggregators and Curators. While the sources for information are really the same (i.e. people), the number of sources have skyrocketed due to the access of tools for connectivity (i.e. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook; just to name a few that matter most!). Content aggregators and curators are establishing a new layer between the sources and consumers. It’s worth noting their differences.

1) Content aggregators are apps that allow the user to identify the desired content. These tools usually make suggestions and even report on what’s trending and most popular, but in the end it aggregates the content that you preselect on your behalf (e.g. Pulse, Flipboard, etc). 

2) Content curators on the other hand are very similar, however they insert a layer of editorial. The app works on your behalf to identify, collect, and distribute content based around a niche or area of interest. In fact, the curator app is operates solely to further information in a specific area of interest or industry. (e.g. InsideLine, TeamStream, etc)  

For both methods of delivering content, at their core it remains all about storytelling; and of course timing and relevance is what determines traction of the information. The objective of these apps is to minimize the requirement of the end-user.  

These apps have built upon an idea that someone somewhere always cares - and yet has choices as to how to connect with information. Truth be told, how we  choose to connect will determine a lot about our ability to thrive (and succeed) in our specific areas of interest (or expertise). 

Anymore, we realize information is seldom a mystery, or difficult to find for that matter. The challenge is figuring out a way for information to come to you; thus minimizing the energy required to go find it. Do this and you will potentially recoup significant time in your day. 

Regular communication with its various stakeholders is critical for sustaining any brand. Stakeholders are customers, prospects, constituents, vendors, employees, community, media, among many others. And each group is interested in a unique message specifically crafted for them.  

Unfortunately, when a specific group of stakeholders captures too much of the communication pipeline, the remaining stakeholders can suffer. To prevent this, it's important to maintain a regularly scheduled stream of information with each audience at all times.

Here are three tips for improving communications:

1. Regular communiques assures each group of stakeholders that they are informed and up to date. Identify those unique groups and start a conversation that is specific to them.
2. Streams of ongoing information builds up trust and reinforces a common vocabulary that allows all stakeholders to address issues with same language. (When stakeholders talk past each other, it’s usually due to a lack of common vernacular.)
3. Remember, top down communication is yesterday’s model. We live in a world wired for social interaction, which means peer-to-peer communication is critical. Communication is a two-way street. Make sure you are obvious and accessible in the conversation. 
   

It's important to identify or provide the necessary technology to connect the various brand stakeholders and then step back and see what happens. Let go of the fear that suggests someone might say something wrong or negative. Yes, it’s the real world. Of course people are going to say things that you, the brand manager, disagree with. Remember, it’s usually a vocal minority ... so empower the vocal majority who are more than willing to speak up on your brand's behalf — given the opportunity. 

Well-established companies are also vulnerable to a high buoyancy factor. Like large ships in calm seas, well-established companies incorrectly view sustainability as effortless. All is well when not much is changing in their industry. However, industries experiencing rapid change cannot sustain a high-buoyancy state, and reinvention is often a requirement.

The most obvious solution is distributing the cargo between smaller business units. Interestingly, the same cargo-mass divided among smaller vessels moves just as much cargo. And, although it may require a higher cost of goods, it can generate greater profit opportunities in the long run. Why? Because smaller vessels can access far more ports of entry. 

Give caution to temptation for sacrificing efficiencies and productivity for the sake of growth. Although there may be more efficient and/or more productive approaches, they may come at greater risk (high buoyancy) as well as greater limitations (access to fewer ports). 

Softbook rushed its original eReader to market assuming that publishers would soon figure out how to give consumers access to ebook content (this was long before Amazon eBooks existed). It didn't happen soon enough.

Phillips rushed the development of high-definition television (HDTV) without thinking about the need for cameras, editing, playback, and broadcast transmission, which took another two decades to develop before public consumption was a reality. (Interestingly, you won't find anything about HDTV development on their Wiki page.)

I left wondering if there should be a Marketing Tactics Museum. Surely, of all the marketing tactics that have come and gone, some would be worthy of display. Like the notorious “phone call during dinner,” or the “picture on the milk carton,” and what about the “toy surprise in the cereal box" or the startling “images of starving children”? 

I realize that we don't consider tactics to be on par with advertising icons pitching products and representing memorable brands. And as we now know, some of the tactics of yesterday are now considered shameful (although I hope we never consider images of starving children as shameful.)

Shameful tactics are those which appeal to our feelings of guilt. Unfortunately, they are also the tactics we have become desensitized to over time (e.g. violence in the media — and that's not a good thing.)  However, it is only when shameful tactics are no longer effective that marketers stop using them.

The takeaway is that you can always rely on a few proven tactics that never go out of style. The msot successful tactics are those that appeal to the kindness and generosity of the human spirit. Appealing to guilt is cheap and easy, while appealing to kindness requires much more creativity and insight. People will always be willing to give something to someone a world away simply because they are kind and generous. This type of approach fosters a more sustainable campaign than one appealing to guilt. 

Harvey Gabor, art director for Coca-Cola, achieved this so well when he imagined what it would feel like to buy the world a Coke in 1971.  Google recently invited Harvey to re-envision his "Hilltop" campaign in a new campaign. However, this time it was done interactively and online. Brilliant tactics might evolve, but they never go out of style. 

Check it out.

These words speak to their commitment to innovation.

Both are great words. 

They are bold. They raise the bar. They challenge everyone in the room to believe.