Green Initiatives & Red Economies Don't Always Mix

Being green in a down economy isn't always that easy. Yes you want to conserve energy, use less water, use mass transit to get to work, but green products aren't always the least expensive alternative. Shopped at specialty stores and gourmet food store lately? Yeah they offer healthy and eco-friendly alternatives to many cheap products and foods but specialty usually means expensive.

Business As Usual, As Green As Possible

Especially in this down economy you still may need to print reports for clients, keep lights on so workers can get their jobs done (without a lot of optomitrist appointments with employees complaining about strained eyes), and run massive servers to keep computers going.

Ask yourself this, if you can either choose to go out of business and layoff thousands "or" be the greenest company on the planet, which one would you choose? Point made. Be green, but be smart.

Virtual Media: Unemployment's Solution

Many loose their jobs as the financial industry falls and the brick-and-mortar retail world crumbles. What are the jobless to do? A growing industry is virtual media. The Internet is taking away jobs from brick-and-mortars but the appetite for Internet media is growing exponentially.

Amateur Media Goes Mainstream
With the influx of amateur news at Current.tv and Internet episodes on YouTube, TV viewers want millions of choices for entertaining content and news that is not satisfied by current Dish and Cable TV providers. People from different countries are moving around the world and their media content isn't.

This means you can produce your own content and support it with advertising, thanks to the Internet. Choose a topic you are interested in and produce news, episodes, or infomercials. For now it can be a side job to make some money until you find a new job. In a year or so you will be able to access any content anywhere with your mobile device, laptop, or desktop computer. Use a special box, like the one from Roku, and you can watch this content on your home's TV.

A Web Cam and a Dream
Unemployment is a problem but the solution is learning new talents to supply the demand. In this case it takes a web cam or camcorder and a good idea for Internet content. Add advertising and you have a great part-time job.

Super Bowl Ads: A Captive Audience

With the Super Bowl on the heals of the NFL Divisional Playoffs, I sit in a sports bar getting ready for a good old football time. Many times people have access to a TV remote and can change the channel during commercials or use Tivo to delay the game and skip over commercials. What about all those NFL fans that are away from home, in bars, at a friend's house, or watching on their mobile device? A captive audience for football fun and super bowl ads. Reuters reports that a 30-second 2009 Super Bowl Ad will run you $3 million.

Super Bowl Ads of the Past
Everyone remembers the Go Daddy girl commercial in 2005. It single handedly
launched Go Daddy as the premiere web host on the Internet. This commercial made Go Daddy a household name and they didn't stop from their. Every year since they capitalize on the success of the 2005 Super Bowl Ad with another just as funny.

Super Bowl Ads for 2009
Of course we will see another Go Daddy ad with "Danica get's steamy." Hyundai will join the elite with a Super Bowl Ad to promote the Genesis Coupe. One notorious Super Bowl advertiser, Fedex, will be opting out of the $3 million ad. What funny Super Bowl ad will take their place?

The newest trend in Super Bowl ads is a 3D ad to promote DreamWorks' movie trailer for Monsters and Aliens and a Sobe ad to be named later. Over 125 million 3D glass were distributed for this monumental event. You can save your 3D glasses and watch My Bloody Valentine or break out your copy of Rad Racer for the original Nintendo NES.

Get your engines started and get ready for this race.

Check out a collage of 2008 Super Bowl Ads:

Dear Diary: Brick-and-Mortar Bubble Bursts

We all remember 2000-2001 when anyone and everyone started a website, got funded for a new web venture, and money was being thrown around the stock market on Internet IPOs. The Internet finally came of age but the teen years were tough. We realized that it is not just good enough to be on the Internet but we had to actually make money (really?).

Jack and Jill Went Up The Hill
The best of the bunch survived the crunch and the rest came tumbling down. Now the Internet can vote, drink hard alcohol, and stay up all night without a curfew. Unfortunately, brick-and-mortar got old and stogy, and is now.

Circuit City Came Tumbling Down
Just when you thought that brand was king, down with Circuit City. Big brands have ruled the retail world for over 100 years. Macy’s closes 10 stores, Mervyn’s liquidates and disappears, and many other big brands are laying off employees and closing up shop. Did you know that Internet retail sales were up 4% in 2008, from 2007? Shocking, who could have seen that trend coming? Lower overhead, less labor costs, open 24/7/365, and the ability to be anywhere and everywhere around the world; someone was asleep at the wheel!

Status Quo is Status No
The lesson is not just about the brand but about diversification. Status quo is status no. “Everyone else is doing it,” they say. “I want a piece of that pie.” Well the pie is in short supply. Maybe Marie Antoinette had it right, “Let them eat cake.” Stay ahead of the curve, try to conserve, or get what you deserve. Now wave bye-bye to those big old stogy guys and say hello to Web 2.0.