Singularity n. A point of infinite density and infinitesimal volume, at which space and time become infinitely distorted according to the theory of General Relativity. According to the big bang theory, a gravitational singularity existed at the beginning of the universe. Singularities are also believed to exist at the centre of black holes.
– The American Heritage Science Dictionary
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/844f5fa0-2d74-11de-9eba-00144feabdc0.html
Niels B Christiansen, President of Danfoss, the environmentally conservative company explained it was important for him to drive his Porche Cayenne 4,2 V8 Turbo as a signal value for Danfoss customers. Peter Friis the local Google Sales Director in the Nordic region has doubtlessly the same signal value for clients in mind when he parks his Google Bicycle alongside the environmentally conscious company leaders, and signs contracts for millions.
Bernstein Research predicts a 20% to 30% drop in 2009 TV station ad revenues. This morning Lars Thunø, research director at DR delightedly explained in Berlingske how Danes are spending 3.5 hours per day stuck to the TV box. The same people according to the data, spend just under an hour on the computer per day, and the conclusion was obvious: advertisers should spend more on TV advertising than on line!.
What was not highlighted was the fact that TV viewers on average spend under one hour on all three public services DR channels combined, and without any advertising. The time for TV advertisers is split between state owned TV2 channels and others. This is an increasingly fragmented broadcast TV market, where coincidentally a significant viewer population either multitask with mobiles and gaming consols, or engage in ad- skipping. Granted TV broadcasting can be communal as when we watch a football match or movie, but even here this happens at most once a week in the average household.
TV is more a background phenomenon today, much like radio or furniture and art on the wall. Engaged dialogue is effectively a web or mobile experience where the user is fully conscious of the interaction and advertising works when the user chooses to make it relevant, otherwise ads will not exist. Give me one hour of focused interaction per day rather than 3 hours of background noise!
Corporate Social Responsibility is the new Mantra of the big wheelers. Annette Stube, Director for CSR at AP Møller Mærsk let it be known yesterday at the venerable Headquarters of AP Møller in Copenhagen; all corporate decisions would be viewed in a socially moral context for the group of 110.000 employees worldwide. Head of Group for the Environment, Joseph Nazareth, declared all environmental decisions would be scrutinized for growth through the environment; and described the climatic challenge as a business opportunity. This is Denmark’s largest company with shipping and oil exploration interests. Particularly the media was singled out as a target ’stakeholder’ with specific mention of tabloid newspapers, where socially critical stories must be managed. The Web, well she had no idea how to tackle this, and, yes she had heard of social networks. But what to do about them, the jury is out! I believe this to be fairly representative of the way large companies view their social environment. With more than 1.8 million Danes engaging on Facebook with all kinds of social concerns (the highest in the world for any nation on Facebook), here we have a major global corporation worried about a paper tabloid that sells less than 100k copies per day. OK what an opportunity to get with it!
