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Google Launches the DaVinci Code Quest

One of the surest ways to confirm your uber-geek status is to be able to solve riddles, puzzles, and other mental challenges.  Google first made it’s mark in this world with their innovative recruiting billboards in the valley designed to drive techno-geeks to a secret URL to test their intellect in order to get a … Read more

Coke Has to Make Every Drop Count

Last week Mark Ritson of the Design Bulletin shared an insightful view of the Cola Wars between Coke and Pepsi.  Rather than focusing on battle between Coke and Pepsi, Mark rightly illustrates how Pepsi has won the war by successfully diversifying its brand to represent more than just the carbonated beverage category.  Coke is still … Read more

Support the Cancer Mosaic

Lance Armstrong is a phenomenon, from his heroic story of conquering cancer to the yellow  LIVESTRONG wristbands that launched one of the strongest social marketing campaigns in recent history (not to mention a new global fashion trend).  Currently, his nonprofit – The Lance Armstrong Foundation is promoting the LIVESTRONG Challenge, a call to supporters of … Read more

Wirefly.com Masters the Art of Rebate Phishing

Rebate Phishing: The practice of luring customers online to make a purchase with the promise of receiving a nonexistent rebate check in return. Recently unleashed from the bonds of my 2-year mobile phone contract, I went online this weekend to search for a new mobile phone.  Within seconds, I ended up at Wirefly.com – one … Read more

5 Ways Marketing Can Save the US Airline Industry

There are few other industries that have suffered as much across the board as airlines in America.  From bankruptcy to solvency to operational issues – flying domestically in the US is not what it used to be.  There are news stories about 30 million bags being lost, service deteriorating, employees protesting, and airlines folding.  Yesterday’s … Read more

Are Domain Names the Next Tagging Phenomenon?

Tagging is in right now.  From a network for teens to Yahoo’s purchase of del.icio.us and Flickr … everyone in the industry is betting big on tagging.  And why shouldn’t they?  Search is no longer the only way to find information online. Jakob Nielson (the controversial usability guru) even categorized search engines as leeches. That … Read more

Boeing Uses Blog to Counter Airbus Marketing

A recent post from the VP of Marketing for Boeing (Randy Baseler) illustrates the perfect way to use a blog for public relations and to get your corporate viewpoint transparently into the online dialogue.  It’s an ongoing challenge for Boeing to connect with consumers, considering most of the relationship a individuals have with the travel … Read more

The Greatest Viral Marketing Tool Ever

Google, by virtue of the sheer volume of their daily visitors has built into their site what might be the greatest viral marketing tool ever … their corporate logo.  And on occasions outside of the standard American holidays, they often use the logo to promote their cause, product, holiday or scientific endeavour of the day.  … Read more

Spun and Peerflix – Online DVD Trading Then & Now

One of my favourite holdover sites from the dot-com era that is still around today is Spun.com.  I have always loved the idea of creating used cd and dvd store online for people to sell their old stuff and use credits to buy new stuff.  I think I still have a spundex somewhere.  I came … Read more

Nike Survives Ill-fated JoinBode.com Effort

Using celebrity spokespeople can be a tricky thing – especially when it comes to athletes and sports sponsorships.  Nike and Visa both learned this with their ill-fated Olympic sponsorships of Bode Miller and Lindsay Jacobellis, respectively.  Both turned out disappointing performances, with Bode Miller coming off as a total ass yesterday with his declaration that … Read more

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In addition to Non-Obvious Thinking, Rohit is the author of 10 books on trends, the future of business, building a more human brand with storytelling and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world.

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