iPhone launch: rehearse what product introduction should be

iPhone is out for Oscars. If you didn't get a chance to see the movie on Apple homepage, have a look it here on Marketing 2.0 from YouTube.
This movie -- created by TBWA Media Arts Lab, Los Angeles (a unit of longtime Apple shop TBWA/Chiat/Day) -- has been screened 3 times during the Oscar broadcast and marks the first time since long that Apple advertises for a not yet available product. It is a clear indication that the buzz is going to get huge.

Steve Jobs previewed the iPhone during the MacWorld conference, early January in San Francisco - watch his Keynote address and rehearse again how product introduction should be done even when the product is not yet around ;-) . As usual, Apple demonstrates its ability to redefine an entire market by setting the bar about design and usability. Stay tuned, I'm convinced the iPhone is going to be a big hit if priced properly.

More than 1Billion Internet users WW

This is the kind of data you often need but do not have at hand. Internet users, defined here as someone who uses the Internet at least once per month, reached 1 Billion individuals in 2006 according to the ITU i.e. 17% of the world population.

The US is still the leading market but China will probably take the lead before the end of the decade says eMarketer. South Korea has the most important penetration ratio with 70.5% of its population already Internet users. In Europe Germany is the widest market with 39.4M Internet users. Take a look at the chart above for more details.

Morgan Stanley in The State of the Internet, Part III forecasts interesting demographics and behaviors that we should integrate in our Marketing 2.0 plans:

• "The Internet continues to go global
• Online video is gaining momentum
• User-generated content properties have moved to the top of the pack, owing to their focus on community and personalization
• Longer term, monetization should grow faster than usage, which should grow faster than users. Global Internet thesis calls for 10-15% user growth, 20-30% usage growth, and 30%+ monetization growth." -- Morgan Stanley
  

Don't worry fellow e-marketers, our business can only grow!

My Sun's journey is over: Marketing 2.0 can be on your side

31 January was my last day at Sun Microsystems Inc. After a passionate and exciting 4 years journey I'm now headed to new ventures. As many Sun alumni, I miss the people more than anything else.
What stroke me when I joined back in 2003 was the Sun's bold approach to IT. "The network is the computer" tag line was not just a marketing gimmick, but a genuine belief aimed at changing the way the world would see and appropriate computing forever. The Internet bubble left Sun in a bad shape with a 50% revenue decrease at that time, but the dot com spirit was still there because it was more than just a business opportunity, it was a raison d'etre.
This way of living digital got in my face when I first joined an internal meeting. I saw executives just sliding their employee badge in a Sun Ray, a thin client device, retrieving instantly their environment and the slides they were about to present though miles away from their usual office. Where is their laptop was I thinking to myself? What a strange crowd! Network Computing was a reality and it works great fellow marketers.

I experienced many times Scott McNeally's ability, Sun's CEO at that time, to make unconventional assertion without shaking and against everyone else opinion -- that he used to call "conventional wisdom" with despise. What is amazing is that he was very often right. Scott demonstrated a true inspiring leadership during tough years at Sun. Innovation, humor, and resilience were his attributes. He was easy to access to when present on Sun's campus. Simply human but so smart.

Jonathan Schwartz took over in May 2006. A very bright executive, very passionate. As Sun is achieving its turnaround, Jonathan will have to face a tremendous challenge. He's more than up to it, he can succeed glamorously. Just one recommendation Jonathan, if I may. Don't loose sight of Sun's human capital. I did witness several talented people leaving Sun despite their willingness to stay. It is sad and sends the wrong message. Sun used to be a very good company to work for and attracted the brightest contributors. Good luck to you and good luck to Sun and my ex-colleagues.

As a matter of fact, I get back my freedom of speech and I'm now able to comment on Sun's strategy independently. I'll use that. This also set me free to engage with you if you need some help in your projects. Marketing 2.0 can be on your side.

Michael Dell returns as the CEO: the shake-up is on its way

I've been commenting and highlighting for some time what was appearing to happen at Dell -- you can read all Dell related posts on Marketing 2.0. Dell customers should be glad to see Michael Dell return as the CEO of the company he created and by the way investors as well. Why? Mainly because Michael Dell has always been focused on customers satisfaction.
Let's take a close look in the coming weeks to the concrete changes Michael Dell will initiate to turn things around. To begin with his recent e-mail to Dell employees already indicates that he will attack bureaucracy and develop its global services business.

I would repeat my recommendation, in a pure Marketing 2.0 inspiration:

"Appoint a Marketing 2.0 executive that you'd call Chief Voice of Customers Officer, with Web 2.0 as the only authorized marketing media. Engage the customer community in a genuine, transparent and honest 2 way conversation with your brand."

Of course this is not to be considered as the only thing to be done, but one that could not be forgotten. Customer loyalty is key to any business growth and trust is key to customer loyalty. Trust nowadays demands transparency and genuine customer centric business state of mind. Good luck Michael.