Week of June 2, 2008

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

A full week in town,  I had a very distinct and organized plan to get some major projects done, but it’s funny how plans that you think will yield a determined result kind of get lost in the spontaneous nature of a chaotic world. 

 

Chris Ryan, my business manager started lining up work faster than you can blink and BAM – the weeks plan lay in ruin and new ideas full of potential were getting ready to launch.  Sooooo, it was up at 3:00 AM every day to make things happen.  I’m a little tired but full of new energy.

 

Next week I have three major presentations and on Monday night, one of my favorite authors in the world, Lee Child is coming to town! 

 

I have one of those weird jobs where I can’t wait for Monday!

 

ANNOUNCEMENT:  On July 15 I will be hosting a full day CREATIVE VENTURES learning experience that will be open to the public.  The day will be devoted to a multimedia, interactive workshop teaching the two core skill sets that everyone needs to be successful – the ability to communicate and the ability to think.  MARK YOUR CALENDAR.  What a great early response, THANKS!  This program is filling up, so to get a seat contact Chris Ryan at cryan@paradigm.com or give him a call at 214-697-2700.

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

The idea of innovation often gets thrown into the development of technology and new ideas, but some of my favorite examples come from the courage to move an existing idea to a new place by a creative surge.

 

The Boisset Family Winery, the 3^rd largest in France, was looking for the opportunity to tap into the continued explosion of wine sales in the United States:

 

• US wine consumption topped 300 million cases in 2007.
• The largest growth is in the 21 – 31 year old demographic with explosive growth in the $12 to $15 per bottle range.
• 70% of all wine is consumed on the same day of the purchase.

 

They were looking for innovative methods to capitalize on casual wine sales.

 

Enter French Rabbit (http://www.frenchrabbit.com/ ) a wine that breaks the existing tradition of a bottled delivery.  They use a special Tetra Pak, basically a cardboard container with a metal finish.  It is one of the most innovative packaging solutions to deliver a specific product to a specific demographic group, plus it’s a huge benefit to the environment.

 

• 40% of the total weight of wine is in the bottle where the Tetra Pak is only 4%.
• To move the same amount of wine in bottles would take 28 trucks where Tetra Paks reduce it to ONE!
• A 1 liter carton gives customers 33% more wine
• The carbon footprint of a Tetra Pak is 10 X smaller than glass.

 

It will be an interesting case study to watch.  Check out the web site.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:     This may surprise you, but I’m not a Sex in the City fan and with Laura involved in a huge Yoga retreat, there is nothing out there that attracts me to the movies this weekend.

 

NetFlix Fans:  High Fidelity –   A clever and quirky little comedy with John Cusack.

 

TV:    Try In Plain Site, the new series from USA on Sunday nights.  All about the witness relocation program.

 

BOOKS:  Sway; The irresistible pull of irrational behavior by Brafman & Brafman.  This book really interests me as I, like you, see irrational behavior all the damn time!  I would love to figure out what those folks are thinking!

 

MUSIC:  I was watching the documentary Don’t Look Back about Bob Dylan’s first tour of England.  There was this scene typical of a musicians jam session.  The British singer Donovan did a nice little song, but then the guitar passed to the 23 year old Dylan and he sang an inspired version of It’s All Over Now Baby Blue and everyone in the room stopped dead in their tracks.  I imagined all of them thought – WOW, Damn, what he is doing is not what I am doing!  Here is the version he delivered that night in concert.

 

 

 

WEB SITES:   Looking to keep your innovation chops going.  Check this out!

 

http://futurethinktank.com/?gclid=CIiYqIqn3pMCFRKpxgodLB16WQ

SOUTH OF NORMAL

In the war to save the environment, battles wage on every front.  Wired Magazine (one of my all time favorites) did a really South of Normal article in their June 08 (15^th Anniversary Issue) about the way the media has us thinking about the green movement and some radically different thoughts we need to start paying attention to:

• LIVE IN CITIES:  1 reason, the wonderful wilderness has no mass transit!  The average household can reduce its CO2 emissions by 30% by taking mass transit.
• AIR CONDITIONING IS OK:  That guy chopping wood to keep his mountain cabin warm in the winter is more harmful than the guy keeping his Las Vegas condo cool.  There is an 8 X greater factor of the release of CO2 caused by heating a home than by cooling a home!
• HYBRIDS MIGHT NOT BE THE LONG TERM CAR ANSWER:  Pound for pound making a Prius contributes more carbon to the atmosphere than making a Hummer, due to the nickel battery.  A Prius would have to travel 100k miles to achieve the carbon savings from driving a 1998 Tercel.

This is a really interesting article!

 

“Are you crying like a fire in the sun?”

Bob Dylan

 

Drop me a note with your comments at creativeventures@nova1.com.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.