Monthly Archives: April 2017
Curb Your Sales Pitch
When someone (or some company) gets it, as in really gets it, that’s worthy of a spotlight.
Apple is the tech company that doesn’t act like a tech company. And, because of that approach, Apple became the leading personal technology firm in the world. Maybe they took a page from Jason Alexander’s book pamphlet Acting Without Acting.
When you’re browsing in a store without any specific focus, do you find it helpful or less than helpful when the salesperson approaches/sprints to you with their commission-based agenda? Most people, I would imagine, would respond with annoying less than helpful. As consumers, we’re well aware that the employee is the store’s personalized informational resource. But, like most situations in life, we’ll ask for help when we need help.
Turns out, Apple executive Angela Ahrendts feels the same way. Ms. Ahrendts recently sat down for an interview with Norah O’Donnell on CBS This Morning.
Apple’s mentality of selling without selling is certainly a multi-faceted, top consumer strategy in the digital era. And this modus operandi should be applied to more than just selling tech products or acting. If you act like a salesperson, you’ll be treated like a salesperson. But if you act differently than people expect, then you’ll be treated differently than people expected.
Imagine the possibilities.
The Doctor is In
(Monorail scene in Jurassic World. Image from Now You Know Facts Online)
Dr. Ian Malcom’s clever book placements in Jurassic World were no coincidence.
The actor, who co-starred in 1993’s Jurassic Park and 1997’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park, will appear in Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s next Jurassic World film.
–Rebecca Ford, The Hollywood Reporter
Jeff Goldblum’s return sparks a few thoughts:
- Given the late casting, was Jeff Golblum supposed to be in the Jurassic World sequel from the inception of this new trilogy’s story development? Or was this late casting news intended to keep plot details as secret as possible, on a literal need-to-know basis for the public?
- The storytelling gate has been opened, if only slightly, to begin to gradually weave the original cast back to the Jurassic universe before a dramatic Act III entrance in the third film of this trilogy.
- The story and character arc for Dr. Ian Malcolm must be quite good to entice Jeff Goldblum to return 20 years later.
Without context or plot details (or seeing the film, quite frankly), it’s difficult to make a final, definitive judgement on this casting move. Having said that, welcoming Jeff Goldblum to the Jurassic World sequel is very exciting. From 10,000 feet, this decision seems like a great bridge not only from the original film (and The Lost World) to this new sequel, but also in bringing back the tone and wit of Jurassic Park that was noticeably absent in Jurassic World.
Otherwise, this forthcoming sequel may feel a bit chaotic…aside from all of the dinosaurs.
P.S. I wonder what Ellie Sattler’s book title would be?
Don’t Bite the Hand (With the Apple) That Feeds You
In the case of Uber, their app is proving to be just the appetizer to their much larger financial feast.
And it’s been recently revealed that one of their servers is not happy.
The business landscape in the United States, and around the world, continues to flatten and be driven by seemingly boundless innovation within marketplaces both new and established. Whether you are pro or anti-taxi (or neutral), there’s no doubt that the car driving service Uber is providing competition to those famous yellow cars and vans. Having used Uber on many occasions with friends, I have no complaints as a rider. The immediacy, timeliness and incentive to impress is certainly a valuable change of pace from having to wait for a taxi that may or may not show up when needed.
However, as is the case with any business, the front room flash and dash rarely tells the whole story of its backroom operations.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, to his credit, is flexing his muscles for a necessary and positive stand regarding proper business practices in the ever-evolving and mysterious tech space. While Tim Cook will never achieve the fandom or dedicated following as the late Steve Jobs (can anyone?), Mr. Cook has, in recent years, proven to be an impressive CEO in the grounded, traditional sense. His repeated stands for customer privacy rights is painting a rare picture of a tech giant who is genuinely attempting to grow and innovate within the technology industry while striving to prioritize essential protections for his consumers.
The abbreviated expression is, “an apple a day…” Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Kalanick was likely reminded of just how many people use an Apple each day.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 