Kindle, Nook, Vook and other business and life outlooks

It’s that time of year when we draw up an anticipated inventory of outlooks on the way we communicate. The list brings together tried and tested formulas and new concepts that will impact on our everyday business and life.

1. Remaining relevant. We have to continually heighten the desirability quotient of our products and services. Otherwise, more aggressive competitors can grab them from us. Slot in features and functions that will bring in niche elements that cater to the fast-changing and discriminating lifestyle standards of targeted consumers. The need to find differentiating marketing attacks that carry useful offerings to specific audiences who prefer practical products that are appropriate will be a staple. And if we suitably match the indicated needs, positive reception and benevolence will not be far behind. Having a competitive edge is vital and to survive the harsh competition, creativity coupled with a good nose for what’s in and what’s out are critical parts in our business arsenal.

2. Being heard. There is no stopping the sales pitches that will hit the airwaves, print pages and the Web in 2010, which is a national election year. Our product ads will compete with the political ad noise that will increase from February to May. During these months, it would be wise to use mass-media communication that cuts through or perhaps look for other channel opportunities that will ensure efficient delivery of our propositions amid the clutter. The importance of social media, mobile communication and interactive channels will grow even more and will require communicators to efficiently integrate messages given the multiplicity of venues that can be tapped to get in touch with markets that are now highly segmented.

3. Launching something unusual. We have to be reminded that the death of a product is inevitable for anything that gets too reasonable, too reachable, or just too popular — masyadong masa or palasak, in local parlance. We are required to float something evidently new, rare or at best differentiated, appealing to the empowered in-crowds who can be swayed to join our bandwagon. It may be labeled special or some kind of luxury but today, luxury has taken on a new essence that goes beyond the ostentatious display of wealth. It now means finding the appropriate status trigger for the appropriate audience. Luxury, as we know it now, is one of the last industries to go 2.0 or to have embraced the Web. Daryl Lee, president of global communications planning at Universal McCann observed, “As we watch the rise of the luxury geek, we will see luxury leapfrogging other categories in digital marketing.”

4. Maintaining conversations with consumers. We have to put in place an honest-to-goodness feedback mechanism that will allow us to join dialogues with consumers who form their opinions from reviews they read from a variety of media platforms. We must join the world of open communication, ask for comments and suggestions, issue apologies, correct misperceptions or post rebuttals on unfair or inaccurate reviews.  Our business goals and strategies must be clear in expressing our willingness to listen, to seek opinions and to generate ideas that will address our audiences’ needs. Several business cases remind us that the reason many companies are struggling is because they’ve never had the all-important conversations with people whose support they should seek and nurture.

5. Going green. Being environment-friendly has become even more critical after our harrowing Ondoy and Pepeng experience last year. Companies and individuals alike are strongly urged to help in whatever way they can to make the green initiatives happen, like cleaning up the Pasig River, managing waste and reducing harmful energy consumption. Talks on climate change have hopefully emboldened our desire to actively participate in the noble efforts to save Mother Earth. Sustained communication about the long-term effects of global warming on those living in low-lying areas, along coastlines, in areas whose people are attempting to grow crops in rapidly shifting weather conditions, among other dangerous places and situations, must be implemented. Going green is a challenge not only to government but to industries and citizens as well. Collectively, we have to march on chanting, “Conserve, conserve, conserve!”

6. Showing a softer side. In the aftermath of catastrophes, whether acts of God or manmade, businesses must put on their social-responsibility cap. Time and again, research reveals that consumers respond positively to brands that are perceived to be good corporate citizens, those who give back to the community that brought them market leadership, great sales and industry recognition and those that are moved by the idea that business cannot thrive in an uncared for and unhealthy society for long.

7. “Kindling,” “Nooking” and “Vooking.” We can’t overlook the advantageous impact to a country whose people read, from books to any printed material that can bring a wealth of knowledge. Today, reading has turned electronic as well. Amazon kick-started a reading trend when it introduced Kindle, a gadget that allows the downloading of 390,000 books, as of last report. It has turned into the fastest-moving item on Amazon.com. Now we can read our favorite authors and titles, not by turning pages, but by clicking away and getting linked. Not to be outdone, Sony came out with the Sony Reader and Barnes & Noble launched Nook, expanding the options for new interface reading.  According to a recent release, Nook has become a certified bestseller and was sold out during the holidays in the USA.

Now here comes the Vook, a video-book hybrid created by Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books. As The Washington Post reported, “interspersed throughout the text are videos and links that supplement the narrative. It’s a dizzying experience, but it is an example of a new genre that has been alternatively dubbed v-book, digi-book, multi-media book and Cydeck.” Reading has traditionally been an instrument for developing our power to imagine and create. Some educational neuroscientists, though, have greeted the advent of Vook with caution, saying that it might adversely affect the way we think and ideate. As David Sousa, author of How The Brain Learns To Read, shared, “In classrooms today, we find that kids are not able to do imagining and imaging as exercises as well as they once did, because video is doing the work for them.” We are indeed living in a video-dominated world, but as we move toward newfangled devices, let’s never, ever surrender the power of human imagination and creativity.

8. Enjoying life. In a broad sense, happiness is the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life. Simply, it translates to living in a great country with a loving family, a rewarding job and well-meaning friends who adhere to the principles of “helping relationships.” There’s no race or country that doesn’t crave happiness.  As US President Barack Obama retorted, “All of us deserve to pursue our own version and our own measure of happiness.” Without question, happiness can vary in meaning and appreciation. Let’s capture the true elements that make us happy and live them out this year and beyond.

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E-mail bongosorio@yahoo.com or bong_osorio@abs-cbn.com for comments, questions or suggestions. Thank you for communicating.