Blog Yes & Know

To state the obvious, perhaps?

Doesn’t it seem like all of us folks are “living” more of our lives online. Starting with job hunting or house hunting, learning what technology companies are doing, reading the …

Exploiting the Mobile Market

Key questions software executives need to answer if they are to take advantage of this emerging space.

Is SaaS Right for You?

Most articles about Software as a Service (SaaS) focus on its many benefits, but only a few talk about its drawbacks. In almost breathless tones, IDC forecasts that SaaS will grow at 21% a year through 2009, reaching $10.7 billion. With last week’s launch of a SaaS offering by SAP and the ongoing launch of Microsoft’s Windows OneCare Live, the 1,000 pound gorillas are taking the field. With SaaS services vendors pitching their services to one and all, there’s little focus on the pragmatic questions of why SaaS is appropriate and when is the right time to make the move. We look at who cannot afford to miss the SaaS boat and who might benefit from a later departure. Our clients are especially interested in understanding SaaS with regards to desktop applications.

Getting the Low Down that Matters

Do you know what your customers are thinking? Do they love you or hate you? Are they in the market considering other options right this very minute?

The Art of Selection: The Killer Idea

There’s a process we use at Rubicon that sounds kind of mean. Us, mean, you ask? Never! But the name of our process certainly sounds tough; it’s the Murder Board process. It’s where the collective brains of the organization get together to discuss options and alternatives for client solutions. And you know what we do? We kill loads of good ideas to get to the best idea. It requires discernment, and an idea of what is really needed. Rather than ever present what I dub “the 99 idea slide,” we aim for the best idea that will cause success.

Is Loyalty About the “First Click,” Or Does That Happen Much Later?

That’s the question that’s been banging around our brains since reading an article on the front page of the Wall Street Journal on Microsoft and PC makers negotiating on the “first-boot sequence.” The article argues that in the first five to ten minutes after an OS is first installed, most consumers choose software and services they will often use for a lifetime. The comments from Microsoft suggest they think “loyalty is won at set-up.”

Reformation in the Hardware Pricing World

The role of software is becoming increasingly important, and not just for traditional software companies. Perhaps this is nowhere more true than at hardware-focused companies facing the commoditization of their hardware. Hardware without software is nothing more than useless metal and plastic. But if the software is so valuable, why do hardware companies generate so little revenue from it?
Here are three recent examples in how hardware and related pricing models are being transformed:

Customization Marketing Done Wrong

When Mike Mace joined Rubicon, the rest of us got a chance to see a grown man wear funky white tennis shoes to work, and well, get away with it. Mike has been wearing Jack Purcell shoes as long as Nilofer has known him (15 years). They are practically part of his personality. Turns out that you can get these custom made to your liking, online. So when Christmas rolled around, this inspired a present. Initially, we thought Nike (which now owns the Jack Purcell brand) was cooler than cool, but as we worked our way through the process we found five areas that “broke” an otherwise fabulous idea, and inspires some lessons for good personalized marketing.