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Eurekster’s Chief Scientist Dr Grant Ryan has a reputation for technology innovation, but it is smart thinking about getting products to market that gives him as much pleasure. A PhD in ecological economics, Grant rode the crest of the original dot-com wave, selling his search technology company Global Brain to US giant NBCi. Grant and his fellow shareholders bought the…
The Press, September 2009 Every night we see them on TV. Famous people, more often than not sports stars, hucking some sort of product or service. Some are painful, some entertaining but is it smart marketing or a waste of precious promotional dollars? If there was a world championship of celebrity endorsers, the likely winner was in New Zealand last…
The Press, June 2009 “Terrible tragedy in the South Seas. Three million people trapped alive,” Tom Scott famously wrote of New Zealand in a 1979 Listener article. 30 years later and we can’t keep people out, as New Zealand tourism continues to grow. Making a significant contribution to this growth has been New Zealand Tourism’s ‘100% Pure’ marketing campaign, which…
The Press, April 2009 You know banking has changed when London bankers are wearing mufti to avoid getting beaten up in the street. While the level of anger might not be as intense in New Zealand, our financial sector is certainly altered. But what hasn’t seemed to change is their marketing. And it needs to. A few months ago banks…
The Press, November 2007 Yellow or not? That’s the question many businesses ask themselves once a year. Sometimes it feels almost like extortion – I don’t know if this will work for my business but can I afford not to advertise in the venerable book. As internet-based directories grow should you be shelling out to appear in the Yellow Pages…
The Press, February 2006 “I’m sure we’ll be able to successfully market your product, Mr Ferguson. I’ve got one of my best liars on it right now.” This quote from a recent cartoon in a US newspaper reflects popular perception. Marketing is at worst a synonym for lies, at best prone to exaggeration. So how effective is it to lie…