I never said that I told you so October 1, 2009
Posted by David Gillespie in business strategy.Tags: Australia, Glenn Wheatley, iPod, James Blunt, Mobile phone, music, Radio network, Stripe Radio
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I’m not one to revel in another’s misfortune (unless it’s James Blunt of course, he’s first to go when the revolution comes). I couldn’t help but smile however when I got wind of Glenn Wheatley’s Stripe radio network having closed its doors in June this year. For those that don’t know (and that would seem to be everyone given it has joined Pets.com in the place bad ideas go to die), Stripe was going to be radio you paid $10 a month to access on your mobile phone.
Long time readers may recall me writing about this last July when news of its impending launch first came out. Rather than re-word it, I’m just going to paste what I wrote:
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- Why would I pay $10 a month for radio on my phone?
- Particularly me who does not listen to radio at all?
- Why in an age of increased personalisation will I believe you can satisfy me with someone else’s taste-making?
- Why create a service that relies on early-adopter up-take when the early-adopters do not listen to radio or value music in pure ones-and-zeroes terms?
Now, I imagine much of the VC money has already been sunk, unfortunate for those involved. If you guys with the money could just begin to understand that broadcasting in a one-to-many model is dying and being replaced with niche-casting and many-to-many, you might have a hope of creating something with lasting value.
This last quote from Programming Director Jarrod Graetz is killer:
“A great advantage of our service is that you don’t need a new device or gadget to hear us. If you’ve got 3G coverage, you can access your favourite music and programs from your (3G) mobile phone, and of course on broadband internet. No ad breaks, less interruptions, more music. We position ourselves as “What you want on radio” because we believe Stripe delivers what Australia wants.”
The bolding is mine (the lack of vision entirely their’s). I may not need a device to hear you, but I have a device anyway, it is called an iPod. It comes with NO interruptions and ONLY my favourite music and programs. See, it doesn’t actually matter if you do serve up what I want on radio, because I don’t want radio.
Ever.
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*ahem* All together now…
TOLD YOU SO!
Marketing Quote of the Day October 27, 2008
Posted by David Gillespie in marketing, philosophy, work/life.Tags: Bob Dylan, Dylan, music
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Image via Wikipedia
Courtesy of Bob Dylan.
You can’t be wise and in love at the same time.
That is all.
Without passion we are nothing January 11, 2008
Posted by David Gillespie in philosophy.Tags: music, MySpace, passion
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I try to keep this blog free of introspection, philosophising and general ponderance of things not related to marketing, digital strategy and the things that go on around those broad categories. Anything that falls outside of that either remains inside my head or (less frequently than I’d like) winds up on my MySpace blog, a page that for obvious reasons exists to promote my musical endeavours.
Today though I posted a piece on passion, and it was a pleasure to write, flowing effortlessly without much pause for thought. Living life with passion is something I am a big believer in, and it’s something more important than marketing or why Facebook is so successful. If you’re wondering what it is that really gets you up out of bed each morning, go have a read. Better yet, step away from the computer and take a walk. Without your phone.
Everyone has a quiet voice that comes to them, but not everyone takes the time to listen. That is where you’ll find your passion, believe me it is waiting to be heard.
The Agony and the Apathy December 14, 2007
Posted by David Gillespie in blogging, Video Games, web 2.0.Tags: Auran, life, music, Video Games
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As an epilogue to yesterday’s post, it’s amazing to see the folk that come out of the woods when you surface among a section of society you stepped away from. I haven’t been actively involved in games for a couple years, but as sad as yesterday’s news is, it’s wonderful to be back in touch with a bunch of people I hadn’t spoken to in years, even if most of them were calling to offer condolences for a job I hadn’t lost.
I was also reminded though of the volatility that exists within the online gaming community. It isn’t hard for me to recall posts I made to a forum of comments I made when I was a hardcore gamer. To see some of that venom directed towards Auran and in some cases me, got me thinking about things I had said, comments I had made from the outside looking in, invariably through frosted glass, only able to make out faint shadows inside but still taking it upon myself to pass judgment on what I believed lay before me.
One of the things that I love about the Web 2.0 revolution that is currently sweeping across the web, marketing, communications in general, is the exposure of real people and real lives. Hardcore gamers players are among the earliest of early adopters of technology, but with that comes handles, alter-egos and a whole lot of posturing built upon an identity that gets donned only from behind the safety of a computer screen. Parts of this remained core to my presence online until recently, I only just finally changed my email address to have my actual name in it, and I’d change the address of this blog if I had a simple way to do that (anyone with an easy tip there feel free to drop me a line). Putting yourself online and moving beyond a pseudo-identity leaves you open in a way that my online experience hasn’t been previously.
But it falls inline with the person I am when I’m offline, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.