Cup-a-Joe

Education it’s not what it used to be . . . or so goes the mantra uttered by many baby boomers and their parents.  And it’s true.  It’s not what it used to be especially when it comes to technical/vocational training.  As our society has become more complex and the demand for better educated individuals has been voiced over the past two decades, the solution has been a focus by our country’s educators to improve education in the United States. Yet, I’m concerned about the results. read more »

I was attending a meeting this week in Austin, Texas hosted by the Texas Society of Association Executives (TSAE) regarding advocacy.  The featured speaker was Margaret Spellings, former U.S. Secretary of Education during the Bush Administration.  The program was beneficial, but what was really interesting were the participants.

There was a room of 40 folks, many who are full time lobbyists.  Nearly 70% represented either the medical or education industry, which says a lot about whose voice is heard in Austin.  What I truly found ironic was the person seated to my right led the charge by Texas educators to replace printed textbooks with digital media.  When I introduced myself and who I represented, I felt her desire to be somewhere else – but fortunately she stayed, and we were able to have an intelligent conversation regarding education and media.

What if found fascinating was that those of us in the print industry easily get blinded by our history and our love for process.  We forget that print is just another method of communicating.  As she and I spoke, I realized that she had nothing against print per se, but that digital media provided flexibility necessary in today’s world of education.   And that my friends, is why it’s so important for us in the print world to better understand our customer’s business. 

If our customers need another form of communication/technology to solve their challenges, we should find a way to provide them with that form of communication.  Waiting for them to make that decision for us is not an option. Today’s world does not belong to the meek, but the swift of foot.

I’m observing the European meltdown, and the literal Greek Tragedy, which is presently occurring.  Although one wishes to blame the Greek populous and poor management by its politicians, it’s really all about entitlement.

Over the years, the Greeks have become accustomed to generous (by world standards) entitlements which quickly became their God-given right.  Now, when it’s time to re-trench for the good of the country, the riots have begun. read more »

For the past decade, we have heard from the manufacturers of variable print equipment about the power of 1:1 marketing.  Yet, it’s been a very slow struggle to get there.  Initially it was technology.  Remember the first variable print engines? RIP processing speeds?  The cost?  The quality (lack thereof)?  Those are no longer issues.  Yet, the needle is still moving slowly. 

A recent study by the Annenberg School for Communication, UC Berkeley School of Law, and the Annenberg Public Policy Center shines an interesting light on how consumers react when they realize how data is gathered.  Check out this interesting summary on Print In The Mix.  The issue of 1:1 marketing is a lot more complex than what one is led to believe.