Remembering Chet Currier

I was sorry to hear the news of his passing. He was an "old time" journalist who understood the new world. Most important, he was a kind and generous friend.

I first met him many, many years ago at AP. I was visiting Mark Potts, a former colleague from our college paper. Mark was banging out market reports and Chet was doing the crossword puzzle in between flurries of activity.

Recently our paths reconnected through our church. His wife, Carol, also taught at our children's school. He moved out to California to help Carol take care of her mother. While out there he stayed with Bloomberg.

Chet understood what it meant to create unique and interesting content with disregard to the medium. He understood the world was changing but one thing didn't -- good articles.

I'll miss him.

Here's the announcement from Bloomberg:

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Chet Currier. Chet joined Bloomberg in 1999 and was known by his colleagues as a reporter with thorough knowledge of the financial world and a commitment to accurate, clear and concise journalism. As a columnist who wrote a twice-weekly column on mutual funds and personal investing, he often took contrarian positions and gracefully showed investors how conventional wisdom was often wrong. After a 37-year journalism career, including 29 years at the Associated Press, Chet will be greatly missed by his co-workers and the millions of readers familiar with his byline.

From Jon Friedman:

WEDNESDAY PET PEEVE: It's a shame that the public doesn't get to know the people behind the bylines. Chet Currier, 62, who died this week, was someone you would have wanted to hang out with. A dedicated stock-market and investing writer for decades, he was also a mentor. Chet, who worked for the Associated Press for 29 years, always encouraged colleagues and counterparts alike. I wish there were more Chet Curriers.

Here's a collection of articles on Chet:

CNBC -- Peter Schacknow
Jim Kingsland

For those on the East Coast, services are August 25 at Noroton Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m.

Outlets, where are the outlets?

Is it my imagination is there a decrease in power outlets at airports? Not having the advantage of using the airline lounge today I spent the past 30 minutes scurrying around Kennedy Airport looking for power for my laptop.

When I did find a rare one there was a rather large crowd plugging in. Seems airports would find it worth their time to add a few more outlets.

Maybe it's a conspiracy by the airlines to force people to join their lounges.

Travels -- London

Am here for two days (long by my standards.) Amazing amount of rain, even for London standards. Tons of flooding outside the city. Did watch darts and cricket on TV to expand my sports horizon.

Was pleased to drive by Buckingham Palace and learn the Queen was home because the Royal Standard was flying.

Recent reads -- The New Rules of Marketing and PR

The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly
David Scott

Kind of a lengthy title but the main point -- it's about something I've heard called conversational marketing. I am sure there are countless other ways to describe this but it's all about creating content and information that people want to read about.

A few key takeaways:

You need to create content that exists somewhere for people to find. That way, when someone is interested, they will find you.

Pushing out content is only ideal if extremely targeted. Sending press releases is not the way to do this, unless you know your audience is interested.

You need to start the conversation without selling. Making a pitch lessens your credibility.

People appreciate a certain degree of objectivity.

Making money off social networking

The phrase I always despised was "monetize." It was used to describe how someone would make money off tons of online traffic.

Kara Swisher has an interesting look at all this with a visit to Facebook. I've become more interested in how Facebook connects people but am still not sure how it's going to become a business. It's true it attracts a lot of eyeballs but now what?

Am hoping it succeeds but not sure how.

Making money off social networking

The phrase I always despised was "monetize." It was used to describe how someone would make money off tons of online traffic.

Kara Swisher has an interesting look at all this with a visit to Facebook. I've become more interested in how Facebook connects people but am still not sure how it's going to become a business. It's true it attracts a lot of eyeballs but now what?

Am hoping it succeeds but not sure how.

Going local

The Washington Post's announcement that it will create a separate site to cover Loudoun County is one of the first encouraging bits of news I've seen in a while. (Somehow, the phrase "hyper local" has been applied to this trend.)

This is the result of Rob Curley's creative mind and is something smart newspaper executives will follow. The Internet has always been about local.

The difference between this effort, and others, is that there's a staff dedicated to gathering news and info. Other efforts have hoped (prayed?) that users would contribute content. They will. But only if there's a solid foundation to build on.

Another smart aspect -- creation of databases. There's countless opportunities at a local level: gas prices, church schedules, lunch menus. You name it. Communities live off this stuff.
This effort will be interesting to watch.

Update: Richard Waters has an interesting perspective on how this will work. Most important, he wonders how many other big media companies are thinking this way. My guess is few.

Man the lifeboats

One of those stories that I no longer consider news: Newspapers' Ad SalesShow Accelerating Drop

Total print and online ad revenue was down 4.8% to $10.6 billion in the first
quarter from a year earlier, according to the Newspaper Association of America,
compared with its full-year decline in 2006 of 0.3%.

Mark Potts has a good summary and comments.

Travels -- Michigan City, Indiana

Stopped here for a few hours to visit friends. Had stayed here two years ago on the way back from Mac and enjoyed the Indiana dunes far more than I thought I would. (Part of the problem growing up in the Northeast is you think the beaches and waterfront is second to none.)

Very casual, low key. No pretension. Just what I like.

Staying connected

There seems to be a flurry of activity on the several sites I am part of. Not sure if it's increased awareness on my part or if the owners of the sites -- LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook -- have figured out to if not make the sites more useful, at least promote them better.

Take LinkedIn, for example. Seems everytime I go on there the home page has some very clever teasers. By examining my profile they can suggest people from my past. This is, what I believe, is driving an increase in requests from others. (It's certainly not my personality not my value as a member of their network.)

The problem is I now have profiles on all three sites and it's hard to keep things up to date. This is particularly true between the directory sites, LinkedIn and Plaxo. Although, I notice you can, for a fee, synchronize the two. Nice feature. But I still have LotusNotes at work so I am now dealing with more than one contact list. (The fact that I have LotusNotes is probably more my problem than LinkedIn's or Plaxo's. LotusNotes has such small market share it's a wonder anyone collaborates with them.)

My main beef with LinkedIn is that I don't really use it, other than as a scoreboard to see how many people I have listed. I am up to 66 but there are others in my network above 500. Damn. I've got to get to work. I have also done some mother in law research and seems many people have the same opinion I do. Mark Potts goes a step further and claims the whole thing is a waste of time.

I am not sure it's a complete waste of time but a few thoughts:

One of these models is going to take off. Seems the one that will is the one that connects the others the best. All have realized they need to talk to each other.

I see young people living and breathing by this stuff, particularly on Facebook. I am not crystal clear how this will impact my life but it's impacted others.

I actually like the Plaxo model -- relying on people to update their own contact info. Others think it's an intrusion. I don't agree but realize one must be careful how often you ask for updates. Once a year seems about right.

Mahalo

I've decided to not just watch the Web 2.0 world (however it's defined) but also to be an active participant.

I've signed up to be a PTG (part time guide) for the new Mahalo. In short, I will be trying to create pages of links on various subjects. I certainly won't get rich at this but I am interested mostly in how it works.

Am on vacation so no time to create some pages but I got many pages of instruction and my inbox is already swamped with threads of conversations on various matters. I have some plane time ahead of me. That will be a good time to digest all this. Will keep you posted.

Recent reads -- A Walk in the Woods

A Walk in the Woods
Bill Bryson

My favorite summer reading so far. The first half will make you want to walk the Appalachian Trail. The second half of the book will convince you that anyone who has ever done this has achieved something truly remarkable.

Lots of very funny stories by a gifted storyteller. Interspersed with some serious passages that makes anyone realize our forests are in decline and need help. Lots of help.

Recent reads -- Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich

Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich
Mark Kriegel

I grew up admiring Pete Maravich and his play. As always, life is more complicated than it appears and this biography provides an interesting look into a very complicated, and unhappy at times, life.

So while millions admired Pete Maravich and his abilities, most didn't realize how much work it took and how much he did it to please his father. A warning for all fathers who live their lives through their children.

Recent reads -- Send

Send
David Shipley and Will Schwalbe

A book on sending email? Sounds a bit much. But as email becomes an increasingly important communications tool a book like this, unfortunately, is necessary. Much of what is in here is basic common sense. However, it amazes me how much drivel I get over email.

If you don't want to buy this, the main message is contained in the authors' URL: Think Before You Send.

Recent reads -- Season of Life

Season of Life
Jeffrey Marx

I stumbled across this one. Jeffrey Marx takes football (something my sons are getting more and more involved with) and uses it to teach a few life lessons mostly about what it means to be a man and relationships between men. Joe Ehrmann, formerly of the Colts, is a great inspiration and has done something we all strive to do but many times fall short -- have an impact on others.

Travels -- Mackinac Island

Here for the annual trek. We're not part of the Chicago YC Mackinac Race but seems that way.

The trickle becomes a flood

This report by Wachovia Equity Research confirms what most people already know -- the migration of ads from newspapers to online is only getter worse (or better depending on your perspective.)

Nothing dramaticly new except this comment at the end of the E&P article:
Wachovia estimates that Internet advertising would have to grow 15% per year over the next decade to reach the ad dollars spent on newspapers (or about $35 billion). But that scenario doesn't have to play out in order for the Internet to "have significant impact on the advertising industry as a whole," wrote Wachovia analysts. "It's already having an impact."

At least one newspaper executive will cite this as an example there's nothing to worry about since there's plenty of time. Just remember - all leaks not addressed lead to a sinking.

Travels -- South Bend

A quick stop on our way north. Took a tour of the Notre Dame campus and luck was with us. Got a tour of the stadium, locker room and got to stand on the field. My sons, all ND fans, were speechless. We now have photos they will cherish the rest of their lives.

Travels -- Chicago

Even though I am from NY, it's a skyline I've always loved. Traveling through on the way to vacation. Hot, hot.

What's in a name?

"Branding", however it's defined, has always befuddled and amused me. It's something that everyone talks about but everyone disagrees on its definition.

Here's a good commentary by Seth Godin on how not to name products and how to really confuse customers. He uses Apple as a good example:

First, Apple was a brand that modified a noun. Apple Computer, Apple II, Apple III. Then Macintosh was a brand that was modified by a brand that modified a noun. Apple Macintosh computer. Then Apple Mac IIfx computer, etc.

Then Apple was a brand that modified a brand that modified no noun at all. Apple Newton.

Then Apple modified its own subbrand by adding the letter "i" in front of it. Apple iMac.

Then they went back to the Newton strategy, with a twist: Apple iPod. The thing is, the "i" in Mac modified something we knew what it was (a Mac). But what's a "pod"?

Wait, it gets a lot worse.
. . .
Good point.

Why sharing isn't always the right thing to do

Mark Potts points out the recent surge in LinkedIn in activity and wonders about its value.

I too wonder if this is something of real value but continue to play along because somewhere in the back of my brain I keep thinking this will prove of value down the road. I just can't articulate it.

Now we have Richard Waters of the FT pointing out one downside to sharing your network. At some point you do have to wonder how much you really want to share.

The signs are obvious

There are certain signs that you're in a business that is contracting. The Burlington Free Press has eliminated free parking and bottled water.

“Essentially, (Publisher Jim Carey) said the paper is not making enough money
and they have to make cuts somewhere,” said one Freeps journalist. Carey told
workers that management is “trying to avoid layoffs, though that is under
discussion.”

Talk about foreshadowing.

What is branding?

I've heard countless explanations, most of which are just hot air. Stan Slap (yes, that's his name) had some interesting comments at the May Microsoft CEO Summit on branding that I thought made a lot of sense.

"Branding is creating faith in three groups that absolutely can't be fooled. Your manager culture, your employee culture and your customer culture."

"Branding is not an action, it's a reaction."

"The purpose of branding is not to communicate your intent to the world. Branding is why the world should care."

Slap (hard to write that) argues this is the role of the CEO, not the CMO. It's not a marketing and advertising excercise.

Can't we learn to all get along?

The Washington Post outlines guidelines for its writers to produce the quality of journalism often reserved for print only. Anything that mentions "collaboration" or "partnership" means there's a gulf that needs to be bridged. This memo will not solve the problem as long as there are two entities creating the news product. Until you have one newsroom this just won't work.