2/5/09: - 8:52 PM: In the process of updating the layout to my taste. The page layout will be erratic for a while.
Its funny the number of times I have been logged out today while reading my subscribed feeds on Google Reader.
A similar problem was reported on Dec 22, '08 on Google Groups. More on this later.
I was reading a feed on the financial crisis and the need for US to maintain world confidence... And right below the feed was an advertisement for LK Advani as PM?
Now this is new! A little researching showed that he threw his online campaign open by launching his website and blog on Novermber 08. What I noticed is the heavy use of Google AdSense network by him and words like fundraising, economy, economic confidence are being used by him. Infact, in a matter of minutes, I spotted him on atleasts 3 of my regular feeds (Indian Stock Research (word-economy), Tech feed (word-fundraiser) and business (word-economic confidence).
What's interesting is that these ads don't feature the "Ads by Google" text though they are being shown by Google. I think this oversight by Google is a heavy mistake.
I believe Google opened a dedicated political ad sales office, with 25 staffers, in Washington DC sometime in Jan this year.
"You can geotarget as finely as a zip code, so almost to within a mile or so radius of where the voter is. If you want to reach a voter in New Hampshire it means you're not wasting media spend on users in Vermont who can't vote. Refine it even more if you just want to reach women by running on sites like MarthaStewart.com," said Peter Greenberger, head of elections and issue advocacy at Google's Washington office.I wonder if Google has any such advocacy group in India? And also think that Google should not allow its adwords & adsense technology for use for any political campaigning in India.
update Feb 04, 09: A few other words taken up by him..."bad to worse", "vision", "United States", "blog","case","founder","justice","prospect". BTW, I started noticing his add's on a lot of articles on 'twitter'. More on this later
Just caught an ad for Google Mobile for India...
The page has a nice interactive demo as well has a text box to type in your mobile number and start getting info on your mobile. Of course, by sending an SMS you are bound to Google, YouTube and Google Maps Terms of service.
The question is how soon is Google going to monetize this service by inserting ads. Its a no brainer if they succeed, they will mint millions tapping into the India mobile phone user base which is 4-5x India internet user base.
My workgroup in office is in the midst of a turmoil. Archaic processes, change of leadership, strained team dynamics and average business performance in these challenging times have led to the cause. We are now in the midst of a rethink exercise for the future. I think these articles from HBS are extremely useful in this situation...
Why Don't Managers Think Deeply?
Professor Jim Heskett poses this provacative question to HBS Working Knowledge readers.
The Seven Things That Surprise New CEOs
In the newly released book On Competition, professor Michael E. Porter updates his classic articles on the competitive forces that shape strategy. We excerpt a portion on advice for new CEOs, written with HBS faculty Jay W. Lorsch and Nitin Nohria.
Strategy Execution and the Balanced Scorecard
Companies often manage strategy in fits and starts, with strategy execution lost along the way. A new book by Balanced Scorecard creators Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton aims to make strategy a continual process.
Creating a Positive Professional Image
In today's diverse workplace, your actions and motives are constantly under scrutiny. Time to manage your own professional image before others do it for you. An interview with professor Laura Morgan Roberts.
Seven Tips for Managing Price Increases
Consumers get hit with the price-increase hammer every time they drive past a gas station. Harvard Business School professor John Quelch offers tips on how marketers can cope with inflation and consumer sticker shock.
Marketing Your Way Through a Recession
In a recession, consumers become value oriented, distributors are concerned about cash, and employees worry about their jobs. But a downturn is no time to stop spending on marketing. The key, says professor John Quelch, is to understand how the needs of your customers and partners change, and adapt your strategies to the new reality.
2900 days after Windows XP and 700 days after Office 2007 were released, my company finally decided to install them on my Machine. Now that's speed of adoption!
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