Archive for December, 2009
We absolutely know what you were thinking about this past year?
What do the Iran election, Michael Jackson, Google Wave, Harry Potter, American Idol, the Superbowl and #musicmonday have in common?
Dissecting Thanksgiving
Hopefully everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend. So, what did you feast upon? 
Thanks to the ability to monitor online trends, we can pick apart not only what we cooked (minute by minute, it turns out) but how the digital revolution we’re all experiencing gets played out on the most American of holidays. A look at the top 50 search terms on “how to make” for Thanksgiving food items and their patterns, state-by-state, is a blast. Take a look!
To persuade…quantify value
While we all think about energy conservation now and then, it’s not top of mind for most. Businesses and consumers still take electricity for granted. 1E is out to change that. 1E is a software company that pioneered the concept of IT Power Management. They have a mission to address PC energy waste, and have developed products to address the issue.
But engaging energy buyers can be a real challenge for marketers. To get their attention, you have to quantify value, and when it comes to this, 1E is a true artist.
This company came to my attention when I started to wonder what it costs to leave my home computer on overnight. An online search turned up their PC Energy Report 2009. What an eye opener. In their report, you’ll learn that half of US employees don’t turn their computers off every night, and companies with over 1000 computers waste about $26,000 per year in energy. They project that if every single PC in the world was turned off for one night, we’d save enough electricity to power the Empire State Building – inside and out – for more than 30 years. Wow.
1E’s report draws from the research of Harris Interactive, and consciously speaks to the wide variety of individuals who may be in a position to influence a sale…the IT leader, general consumer, corporate energy buyer, social responsibility officer…every audience gets something functionally relevant. They use their research data to great persuasive effect, cutting through any conceivable objection or complacency.
By the time you finish the scannable 17-page report, you’ll want to join the cause and turn off your PC at night. But you’ll also have a model for a very persuasive whitepaper that uses research to quantify value…and elicit an almost visceral response.
