Big Move in the Scrabulous vs Hasbro Battle

So, just when you thought Scrabulous was dead…..when you thought they had no letters left to play, the team of Rajat and Jayant came back with “Quartzite” for a Bingo Triple Word Score.

It seemed like the war was over when the guys behind Scrabulous bowed to the legal pressure from Hasbro and pulled their wildly successful application from Facebook.   I stated that I hoped Hasbro would simply pay the guys what the game was worth and buy the application – and the users – from them.

But instead, the tables have been turned and the guys from Hasbro must have the same look as the Seattle City Council Members who were shocked that Clay Bennett was moving the Sonics.

In a Kasparov-ish type move, the Scrabulous guys have relaunched Scrabulous as “Wordscraper.”  Now at first look, the board and the game sucks.  Then you look at the rules, and you see that in Wordscraper, you have the ability to create your own board.  You can create ANY TYPE of board you want.  Maybe you want 20 Triple word score spots.  Or…….maybe you want the board to look just like a real Scrabble board…….In just a few minutes, if I wanted, I could make a board that looked like a real Scrabble board and use that for every game moving forward.

This my friends, is what it looks like when 2 smart guys take a winnable battle against a board room full of people without a creative thought in their head.  Congrats to the Scrabulous – I mean Wordscraper – guys who just played the death blow in this silly Facebook battle vs Hasbro.

Bonanzle Review – “The Best eBay Alternative We’ve Seen”

Bonanzle, a young and exciting company we recently started working with, just received a fantastic review from Ecommerce-Guide.com.

An alternative to Craiglist and Ebay, Bonanzle is designed to make it easier for people to buy and sell products online.  Given the state and direction of the economy today, any way to make it easier to move used merchandise is positioned to do well.  Some choice quotes from the article:

“You get Bonanzle
— an eBay alternative that is quite simply, the best I’ve seen in my
four years of reviewing and writing about start-up marketplaces aimed
at taking sellers away from eBay.”

The Bonanzle platform was designed in-house from
the ground up, so not only does the site look very different from other
alternative sites, but this is the reason why the tools and features on
this site are so radically different.

The best way to experience Bonanzle is simply to log
on and try it. What you will find is that Harding and his team of
self-titled “action-minded experts” have managed to offer sellers more
features in this one site than any alternative to date, yet keep the
entire site and selling process simple, compact and super-easy to use.

Check out the whole article, and please Digg it or add it to Delicious if you would be so kind.

Facebook Jails Scrabulous, Worker Productivity Rises 4000%

One of the most prolific time wasters on Facebook has been sent to Application jail.

In a move that shouldn’t surprise many people, Scrabulous, the blatant rip off of the board game Scrabble, finally suffered the legal ramifications that everyone could see headed its way.  According to the report from Silicon Valley Insider:

“Last week, Hasbro, manufacturer of the board game Scrabble, filed a
lawsuit against developers Rajat and Jayant Agarwall, who founded the
popular Facebook app two weeks ago. SAI’s Michael Learmonth says that a
DMCA takedown notice likely
ended the game’s two-year run. This is the same tactic Viacom used
against Google’s YouTube last year.”

Now, if a bunch of medium sized brains from Hasbro were able to sit in the same room, they would offer the developers the cash it would cost for them to redevelop the game themselves, plus some premium for every install they’ve already generated, and simply add Hasbro branding all over the place.  In my experience, while Scrabble is a tedious, obnoxiously long game for the dining room table, it is perfect for an online asynchronous world where you can take a few weeks to complete a match with a friend from across the country.  So here’s hoping someone makes sense of this whole thing before I find another similar way to waste a few minutes a day, like Chess or Risk.

The Oddest, Most Uninterpretable, Top 50 List Ever Created

So, FastCompany, a publication I really enjoy, just released a Top 50 list of “Reader Favorites.”

In their opening paragraph, they say: “You nominated companies. You rated them. You commented on them. In the
end, we have the 50 companies that you, our readers, have chosen as the
most innovative.”

Now I looked through this list.  And I now have absolutely no idea how I would ever create an ad that could run in Fast Company.  Sure, there are a few companies in here that make obvious sense (like FedEx and Zipcar), and a bunch that I don’t know anything about.  But here are some questions I have:

  • How does a top 50 list of “Innovative Companies” not include Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft or Amazon? 
  • The Boston Red Sox?  Innovation?   Huh? 
  • Weber Shandwick?  A PR firm?  Interesting.

Anyway, here’s the list:
1. Marathon Technologies
2. Data Robotics, Inc.
3. Sales Spider
4. Consorte Media
5. YouMail
6. Greenplum
7. Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc.
8. Slalom Consulting
9. Persistent Systems
10. VBT
11. JVKellyGroup, Inc.
12. BlogHer
13. Bluepulse
14. Our Hope Place
15. Illumina
16. Bomgar
17. Amerikal Products Corporation
18. Brand Sense Partners
19. Datran Media
20. KACE
21. Ovation Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
22. Paramount Defenses Inc.
23. GridApp Systems
24. The Rubicon Project
25. Varonis
26. mSpot, Inc.
27. Mozilla Corporation
28. Fenway Sports Group/Boston Red Sox
29. Operative
30. Salesforce.com, Inc.
31. Peanut Labs, Inc.
32. Validus DC Systems, LLC
33. 11i Networks Inc.
34. Imagekind
35. Fresco Microchip
36. Canaan Partners
37. Zipcar
38. ActiveCare Network, LLC
39. Lehigh Technologies, Inc.
40. Citrix Systems, Inc.
41. BDNA
42. Allvoices.com
43. Weber Shandwick
44. AECOM
45. The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies
46. 4Home
47. Junk my Car LLC
48. Luminex Corporation
49. FedEx
50. SynthaSite

Geek Out With Cool Sports Technology

So, this “marketing” web site is about as cool as it gets if you are into sports and technology.

Supporting their Olympic effort, Nike has launched NikeLab.com, a place to see all the latest gizmos and gadgets their athletes will be using at the games.In addition to product specs, you see interviews with the actual product designer.It’s a place you could get lost for a while in, so save your viewing for the evening.

Some technologies you may want to check out include the following:

  • Precool Vest
  • Basketball Uniforms
  • Volleyball Zesti
  • Rowing Omada

Seattle Craigslist Alternative

Seattle Craigslist is a favorite place for millions of people to buy and sell used items online.  As they say in their tagline, Seattle Craigslist “provides local classifieds and forums for jobs, housing, for sale, personals, services, local community, and events.”

 I’ve recently come across an alternative to Seattle Craigslist, at www.bonanzle.com.  (Full Disclosure – I like their idea so much, I am helping them with some marketing.)

While Seattle Craigslist is simply a text based classifieds section, Bonanzle is built on Ruby on Rails, and offers easy image upload, advanced communications between buyers and sellers, easier ways to create stores, and a host of other useful features.

So if you use Seattle Craigslist, and are looking for an alternative with more bells and whistles, check out Bonanzle, and let me know what you think.

Seattle Craigslist Alternative Bonanzle

Behind the Scenes at an Original Planning Meeting for the White River Amphitheatre

I recently attended a show at the White River Amphitheatre.  I was curious how the thing was conceived, so I found some notes from an early planning meeting….

——————-

(Setting: Starbucks, 2001)

Melvin: Well, Tommy,
Carline, you say you have a proposal for the new outdoor concert venue?

Tommy: We do.  Can we show it to you now?

Melvin: Please do.

Carline:
Thanks.  We couldn’t get our printer to
work, but we sketched it out on these napkins.  Will that work?

Melvin: Perfect – not a
problem at all.

Tommy: So first off,
thanks for the opportunity.   We have
really thought about this a long time. 
And after careful review, we think we have the perfect location for a
concert arena marketed to Seattle citizens.

Carline: Yes, the
perfect spot is………..halfway between Auburn and Enumclaw.

Melvin:
I’m intrigued.  Please explain.

Tommy:  Well you see, Seattleites never go to Auburn
or Enumclaw.  They have this impression
that it is either too rural, or too far away. 
By forcing people to attend shows down there, we will raise the profile
of these vibrant towns.

Melvin: I see.  Now, I’m concerned about the fact that there
is only a single 2-lane road from Auburn to the proposed arena site.  Walk me through how this would work from a
traffic perspective.

Carline: Both Tommy
and I feel very strongly, that part of the problem with today’s society,
especially the young people, is that people are in too much of a hurry.  If you have one lane in, people will be
forced to take their time and really enjoy the camaraderie of being together.

Tommy: Yes, there is
an old proverb – “The joy is in the journey, not the destination.”

Melvin: Does that
tie into putting the arena on Muckleshoot land?

Carline:  Exactly.

Melvin: So that
proverb is Native American?

Carline:  No not at all.  We think it’s Buddhist.  But Buddhism originated in China, and India is
close to China.  Native Americans here in
the US have been referred to as “Indians.” 
So this ties together ancient teachings and wisdom of both
spiritualites.

Melvin: Yes, that’s
very moving.  Please continue.

Tommy: Plus, The traffic
situation will encourage carpooling, so every concert attendee will leave a
smaller carbon footprint on their way to the event.  And since they won’t be able to drive more
than 4 miles per hour, everyone will get much better gas mileage than if they
were driving on a freeway.

Melvin: That’s
really fantastic.  What about public
transportation?

Tommy: We kind of
figured that neither Sound Transit or local metro buses really want to deal
with crowds that may be drinking at the event. 
So again, having one way in and out makes a bus route unnecessary, and
even silly.  We were afraid that if we
build buses or trains into the transportation plan, we’d get pushback.

Melvin: Yes, that
was really smart.  Now, who would handle traffic
control?  Is that Seattle PD?

Tommy: Actually no.
SPD has a ton of experience organizing traffic flow around Mariners, Seahawks
and Husky games.  Do they really need to
handle anymore?

Carline:  I mean, it really isn’t fair.  When you think about it, the King County Sheriff’s
department doesn’t get any chances. 
Because SPD steals all the big gigs, the King County sheriffs have no
skills, competency or ability to handle traffic flow.  How
can they be expected to grow professionally if they are denied these chances?  It just – just – makes me so mad.

Tommy: We talked to
them, and they said if they had the chance to run traffic for this, in about
15-20 years they would have developed the intelligence and competency to handle a 5,000 person
event. 

Melvin: Well it’s
clear they deserve the chance to learn.

Carline: I’m glad
you feel that way as well.

Melvin: Do you think
that could create problems on the roads?

Tommy:  Well, we think we can alleviate some of the
road problems, if we make sure there are only 2 lanes out of the arena parking
lot.  If we limit it to let 2 cars out every 5
seconds, then that’s 24 per minute.  On a
night with 12,000 cars, it would take about 500 minutes to get everyone out.  That should really keep the roads from being
too clogged.

Melvin: That really
is clever.

Tommy: Carline, tell
him the best part.

Carline: Ooh, ooh.  This is
what I’m most excited about.  We can have
the King County Sheriffs direct people down different country roads, having
them wind around for no apparent reason, and completely devoid of logic. 
But from the air, what you’ll see is this amazing array of parking and
headlights that will create organic, wonderful shapes along the ground.

Melvin: That sounds
beautiful.  Will people like it?

Carline: Like it?!
They are going to love it.  Close your
eyes and imagine this with me if you will. 
You start the day with a 2-3 hour long drive with your close friends and
family, communing with each other through a marvelous journey of patience.  Then you enjoy music, art’s purest form.  The love spills out into the parking lot,
where you sit for hours reminiscing about the magic you have just been exposed
to, sharing your feelings with strangers and friends alike.  And then, on top of it all, you are
transported into a real life piece of living art.  You are now PART of the art of the evening,
one set of lights among a giant sea of red and white bulbs.  You are at the same time an individual, and
part of something much bigger than yourself. 
It will be truly nirvana like.

Melvin: Oh I’m
tingling just thinking about it.  How do
we staff the parking lots?

Tommy: Again,
embracing the art has wonderful business results.  In most lots, with multiple exits, you’d have
to hire people with reasonable skills in deduction, logic or basic
organization.  But in this set up, since
the art of chaos is the end-goal, we can hire a much different set of
employees.

Carline: Yes, we
felt that we need Yin and Yang together for perfect harmony.  And if the people attending the events can
afford expensive tickets, we needed poorer employees to balance that out.  We can employ anyone, regardless of
education, income, ability to speak, or really, even to see.  All they need to do is hold a flashlight and
point people towards nothing.

Melvin: So they
would offer no advice or facilitate the exit in any way.

Carline NO! THEY CAN’T!!!!!
I’m sorry.  But for the art to be truly
free-forming, people must be allowed to choose their own way.  They have to actively decide to get in the
line.  If they are told to skip the
lines, the entire chain would be broken. 
We can’t allow the employees to have the ability to be helpful at all.

Tommy: Plus, from an
economic perspective, this gives you the chance to hire people who really have
no other ability to work.  It’s very
socially conscious.

Melvin: I love
it.  Great for the soul, great for the
economy.  I gotta say, you guys are
really knocking the cover off the ball here. 
One last question.  I notice in
your design of the building itself, you have the stage amphitheatre face one
direction, with a closed back.  But then
you put all of the food and drink all the way behind the stage.  I’ve been to shows before where they put the
food courts high and far away, but in front of the stage, so people could walk up from their seats to buy food and drink and
still watch the show.  Walk me through
your idea here.

Tommy:  Well there are a couple of thoughts.  One, it’s really just rude to get
up and leave a performance and go order food and drink.  The artists train for years for this,  so we really don’t want to encourage people
to be distracted.

Carline: Also, we
have a severe problem with over-eating in this country.  We can cut down on the number of calories the
attendees consume, by making it nearly impossible to buy food.  You’ll also notice that there are not nearly
enough stands to accommodate everyone, and that buying food would require at
least a 30 minute wait in line.

Melvin: (Laughs) Oh
I noticed that – very savvy move.

Tommy: But I bet you
did not notice one other little part of the design.  There’s not enough storage to hold food to
feed 25,000 people.  So even if they
wanted to eat fattening food, were willing to walk behind the stage, AND wait
30 minutes, we have it set up so when they get to the front of the line, all
they can order is a coke.  You see, there’s
just no way to serve everyone.

Melvin: Wow, you are
right, I completely missed that.  And I
thought I had you guys on that one.  Well
played.

Tommy: Thanks.

Melvin: Last
question.  Suppose Seattle builds an
outdoor amphitheatre?  Would we suffer?

Tommy: We looked
into that.  An outdoor concert venue inside
Seattle proper is necessary, would be profitable, and could easily be part of a
larger overhaul to Seattle Center.  It’s
a project that makes sense both socially and fiscally, and would benefit
hundreds of thousands of people,  so
there’s really no threat that the City Council will ever consider it.  Right now, they are focused on self-cleaning
toilets that a few homeless people might use. 
That’s really more the kind of project they are interested in.

Melvin: Great
point.  Well I’ve seen enough.  Everything seems perfect.  When can you guy start work?

Tommy:  Well I need to talk to my mom, but Carline
and I get done with school at 2:40 every day. 
So, if one of our parents can drive us, we could be here by 3:00. 

Melvin:
Perfect.  Let’s get this project moving!

 

Real Life Deal or No Deal for the Blogosphere

So how much are 2,200 women bloggers worth?   According to NBC, about 5 Million Bucks in Series B investment, which nets out to close to $2300 per blogger.

The deal includes the following:

As part of the arrangement, iVillage, Oxygen.com and BravoTV.com will feature select BlogHer content, while BlogHer’s network is expected to return the favor to varying degrees.

Reaching out to the BlogHer Network has been a common strategy of start-ups who don’t have $5,000, much less $5,000,000 for marketing.  The "Mommy Blogger," which as a term delights and disgusts different people, is an incredibly powerful evangelist for certain product groups.  The process involved digging through the network, finding the right email address, crafting a perfect message, sending an email, and praying. If it works, you get free promotion.  if it doesn’t, you burned a few hours.

But now it will be interesting to see what kind of influence the NBC buy-in will have on this network.  For one thing, I don’t know how much each individual blogger gets from this deal, but I assume it’s a negligble %.  It will also be interesting to see what happens to bloggers in the network if they rip on NBC programming, or promote programming of other networks.

Regardless, it’s a nice acknowledgment that the BlogHer network has become a powerful piece of the social media matrix.   Congrats on the investment.

 

Creative Pricing Based on Scarcity

So we’re going back to making this a marketing blog rather than a place for me to be mad about losing the Sonics. 

If you read other marketing blogs, you probably have already come across this pricing strategy.  Seth Godin commeted on it, and it is an interesting concept for an online space – letting people choose how much they want to pay based on how "prestigious" they want their version of a product to be.

In this execution, it’s t-shirts.  Pay more money to get the #100 in the set than #1.  This artifically inflates the average price of the total shirt run.  (However, I’m not sure I understand why #1 isn’t the most expensive.)

I’m not sure how applicable that model is for mp3’s, software or anything else that you want to sell 100,000 of.  But is is similar to an industry in the UAE, where people bid on License Plate NUmbers  Here’s an excerpt from a good read:

Soft-spoken and modestly dressed, 34-year-old Al-Mannaei says he closely controls supply, releasing low-digit plates “almost scientifically.” The result, he says, is a frenzy for even mediocre numbers. In the last two auctions, three-digit plates fetched between $123,000 and $150,000 each, more than double the prices last fall. In the 10 auctions held so far, buyers spent roughly $120 million for 900 plates; the government plans to use the money to build a new trauma hospital for traffic-accident victims.

So I think the point is that we have a pretty untapped ability to start monkeying around with pricing models in the world of online selling.  And I haven’t seen anyone who has really nailed it yet, so there’s lots of room for good experimentation and clever ideas.