Monthly Archives: June 2015

The Ontogeny of Technology.

By
Steve Poppe
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Back to the future – here we go. Here’s a thought on the evolution of technol-oyee, as my old friend Tom Wan used to call it when he first came to the states: hardware begets software, begets devices, apps and now, drum roll, chips.

ontogeny recapituates phylogenyThere’s a scientific theory of evolution called ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny. It means that the entire evolution of mankind can be seen in the development of a two cells coming together to eventually form a baby. One cell, two cell, reptile, bird, mammal, man. Pert cool. Anyway, if you follow the hardware, software, device, app and chip advances serially, it takes you to the Internet of Things (IoT). And the IoT is going to need lots of chips. Back in the 90s, chips were also the haps. They had names like The Hobbit and made by important companies like IBM, AT&T, Qualcomm and Intel. The latter kicked some earnings ass until it missed the boat on the ontogeny of tech. Yesterday Intel announced it is buying their way back back by agreeing to buy Altera. IBM is getting back in the chip biz as well having also made a recent purchase. Will Google, Apple and Verizon be far behind?

Chips fab plants are not inexpensive to develop. Start-ups beware.  They require lots of energy and water. Feel me? These plants, at some point, will need to be in the states (don’t ask) so for the IoT to happen, the last of big business moves in chips have not happened…by a long shot. Invest a shekel, make a few.

Peace!

 

Marketing is Politics.

By
Steve Poppe
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0

Just talking to my son Derek who works for a political consulting firm about canvasing efforts this past weekend on behalf of a group trying to get a bill passed to ban toxic chemicals locally. The group pays canvassers a nice amount per hour (over the minimum age) to ring door bells and get people to call their representatives. The program supervisors know if people break out their cell phones while the canvasser is there, the calls get made. A couple of hundred call to the local rep. in a weekend are often enough to make an impression in a local pol’s vote.

As someone who grew up in the advertising and marketing world, I know that the best selling outcomes occur when you get someone to “feel something, then do something.” That’s what the canvassers are all about. If the call to the local representative is the “do” then the learning exercise for the canvasser is the “feel.” When it comes to toxic chemicals in the environment the feel shouldn’t be too hard. But how about getting a homeowner to sign a petition for an unknown candidate? Or to vote for a bill that goes against one’s personal politics?  

Dig in and find the feeling you’re looking to tickle…then back out what stimulus is needed to engender that feeling. Heady work. Smart work.

Marketing is politics and politics is marketing.

Peace.

 

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