Remain Relevant in Changing Times

Books on a cell phone: giving novels the finger - and thumbs!

I can't even imagine reading an entire novel on a cell phone screen, let alone write one. And yet, that's exactly what's happening in Japan, according to today's Wall Street Journal story, "In Japan, Novelists Find a New Medium." (subscription required)

It seems that the fiction market is enjoying a comeback of sorts, thanks to the ease with which novels can now be delivered right to the palm of your hand. Novelists are banging out their stories one key at a time, mostly using their thumbs. One featured novelist has already written eight books and has a loyal following that apparently appreciates her willingness to suffer through sore pinkies and broken blood vessels on their behalf.

Not surprisingly, readers are primarily teenage girls whose love for this entertainment-on-the-go is also influencing what books go to print ("Love Sky" sold more than 1.3 million hard copies!) and even to movie format.  In fact, one of the reasons the books are so popular is because they tap into the way young people often think - in movie scenes. That makes both writing them and reading them even easier for all involved.

And talk about getting instant feedback! Since the stories are usually written in chunks and delivered in almost-real-time, writers can get feedback that offers encouragement, or even suggest changes to the storyline. In other words, the novels themselves become more relevant even as they are being written. Novelists can choose to weave in a national event happening on the very day they're writing, for example. I love the idea of the interactivity, but can't say I much cotton to the notion of reading more than 100 characters or so on a tiny cell screen.

It'll be interesting to see if this genre takes off in America. As one who still likes to pick up a paper off the driveway and actually turn the pages while I read, I can't imagine ever reading anything longer than a quick text message from one of my daughers on my cell phone. Besides, these Boomer eyes would need a screen the size of checkbook to be able to hang in there long enough to finish a novel.

I feel sorry for people who read this way. They're not getting to enjoy the smell of the paper, the great sound a cracked spine makes or the joy of finding a long-lost, much-needed receipt stuck between the pages as a bookmark.

Business cards are more relevant than ever!

Sorry it has been a while since I've posted to this blog. I didn't take the summer off; rather, I started a new blog to coincide with new responsibilities I have at Edelman. I am spending a good bit of my time helping organizations understand how best to market to Boomers. That's how it came to be that I'm now writing www.BabyBoomerInsights.com, a blog that offers insight about how Boomers think, act, and make purchase decisions - all based on research. Stay tuned to find out about some original research findings Edelman will soon be releasing. You just may be surprised by some of the nuggets in there! In short - in my world, few things are as relevant as Boomers.

Meanwhile, I just had to bring to your attention an Associated Press article I read last week in the Atlanta Journal Constitution about business cards. The timing was almost eerie because just 48 hours before this article appeared,  someone asked me if I thought business cards were  on their way out, given people's love affair with  Blackberrys, the iPhone and other PDAs. I hadn't seen any research on the subject but my response was, "I sure hope not."

Despite being addicted to my Blackberry (but I confess, I'm seriously lusting after the iPhone), I still like collecting business cards. I rarely throw them away and to I've collected about 1,000 over the past five years or so. I keep them in zip lock bags in the bottom drawer of my desk. I love technology, but a little piece of me never trusts it entirely, so I see my card bags as extra insurance. Besides, I love to look at the weight, size, design and colors of business cards. You can tell something about a person by what they choose to put on a small rectangle. Vcards just aren't the same.

Apparently, a lot of people agree with me. According to the AP article, business cards are becoming even more popular, despite the ease with which we can all exchange information electronically now. In fact, even kids are getting in on the act, designing "calling cards" that have only their MySpace or Facebook information on them. In other words, they're using offline techniques to drive people online to check them out. Very clever. And very real world. I almost always look up a web site I see on a business card I've acquired at a networking meeting.

These days, I often get a LinkedIn invitation following a networking meeting I've attended or spoken to. Apparently, some people use LinkedIn as an electronic rolodex, rather than as the networking tool it is intended to be. See my post just before this one if you want to know what I think about the "Link hos."

Anyway, I think it's fascinating how people are using their business cards to remain relevant, from offering multimedia mini-disk cards to stock ones with embedded computer chips that let you download information into your computer. But nothing replaces a beautifully-designed, high-quality card that makes you want to know more about a person.

So, spend the money and take the time to really think through your business card. Unless you have an unusually gifted knack for design, don't do it yourself. Hire a professional. After all, your card may just be the ticket to getting your intended audience to check you out.