Since 1998, we have been reflecting on marketing, design, code, and much more.
Before you ask yourself “What? Queen?” let me explain. Normally you’d hear the phrase “Content is king,” but this particular piece is being written by a female. A female working in a predominantly male tech industry. So for at least today, ladies and gents, we are taking a page from the Brits: the queen rules. […]
A friend called recently and asked, “What’s the purpose of a web site?” He was in a conundrum. Faced with updating (and hopefully upgrading) his company’s site, he was overwhelmed with suggestions, requests, possibilities and options. He was frustrated, irritated and exasperated. His question, in this context, was intended to elicit a response that he […]
Here’s a statistic for you: More than half of the people reading email right now are doing so on a smartphone. (Source: Litmus) Here’s another one: 68% of Gmail and Yahoo emails are opened on mobile devices. (Source: Litmus) And finally: Both of those numbers are probably woefully underestimated since they are from 2013. (Source: […]
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but none of us are spring chickens anymore (if we ever were). As my friend Todd is fond of reminding me: Time is marching on, my friend. And, unfortunately, it seems to be stepping at an ever-increasing rate of speed. Case in point: we’re […]
Remember George Costanza’s wallet? George was one of the four main characters on the hit show “Seinfeld” and had a wallet so full of junk that he was unable to sit upright. In fact, George’s wallet was so ridiculously large (Jerry called it “morbidly obese”) that it exploded, casting his receipts into the streets of […]
There was quite a kerfuffle earlier this year when the news broke about the surveillance tactics being employed by the National Security Agency (NSA). Many people were concerned that the government was listening in on their phone calls and tracking their movements. Several years ago (pre-September 11), I worked at NSA, so I heard this […]
Tyner Pond Farm is a Rare Bird client, and on behalf of them and all those who support locally grown food, Hoosier farmers and all things good for Mother Earth, we invite you to give those great causes an important boost. Chase Bank’s Mission Main Street Grants program will award grants of $250,000 each to […]
Last year, about this time, I penned a blog post intended to help people make the most of their trip to Indianapolis for Exact Target’s annual marketer-stravaganza, Connections. While initially intended for first-timers, it turned out to be helpful for veterans as well. In retrospect, this shouldn’t have been surprising: every year is so uniquely […]
It’s State Fair time in Indiana. As the newest member of the Rare Bird staff (aka “Baby Bird,” which perhaps is not the most apt but is, so far, the least head-scratching of my proposed nicknames), I decided to find out how my fellow birds feel about this Hoosier tradition. Here, for your edification, entertainment, […]
Have you ever had to buy something you knew very little about? Something like a vacuum cleaner, a gas grill, wiper blades, or maybe even replacing your brake pads? For some of the smaller items, like the wiper blades, you may do what I do: pick the one with the median price. If you do, […]
You may have noticed some subtle changes going on around you. More and more people are wearing odd bracelets emblazoned with small LED lights, some even show scrolling words that refer to their current ‘fuel’ levels. While it might look like a bit of avant garde jewelry, it’s really the latest in wearable technology and […]
Even in this age of hyper-communication, where people are willingly sharing all kinds of things with each other on social networks, there is one area of our lives where we quiet down completely. On the one hand, it’s not surprising. The topic is uncomfortable and the potential for misunderstanding is large. On the other hand, […]
