Perfect is the Enemy of Good and is Killing me

This post originally appeared on LinkedIn and was my first article there.

Ages have passed since the last post on my blog.

Reading The 7 Secrets to Writing Killer Content on LinkedIn I figured out what the real problem is. I've been following all the tips and tricks by (1) generally talking about the arguments I know, (3) thinking of my audience, (4) devoting attention to the headline, (5) getting plenty of inspiration from surroundings, (6) giving proper credit and (7) abundantly sharing.

There's just one secret that I cannot follow. It's rule number 2. I don't write often.

Perfect is Killing me. 

I've plenty of draft posts saved in Blogger on arguments like outcome-based (gain-sharing) consulting projects, Hadoop and MongoDB, managing a distributed team, working with partners and many others. That said, I never press the share button as there's always something more to include. More details to add. More corrections. More thoughts.

More and more is resulting in nothing.

"Dans ses écrits, un sage Italien Dit que le mieux est l'ennemi du bien. (In his writings, a wise Italian says that the best is the enemy of the good)" -- Voltaire

There will be a day when all the words will become flawlessly interwined and generate a laudable argumentation. But maybe not. I won't wait anymore for the perfect moment. Partially completed stories can be perfected together. Unpublished thoughts are useless.

And you? Do you face the same issue?
(Photo: Arielle Fragassi, Flickr)

Ogilvy's take on the Social Enterprise

I just stumbled into the Social Media Week 2012 opening keynote from Global Managing Director of Social@Ogilvy. I fully endorse the idea that there's an inevitable shift in the enterprise and companies should leverage that to improve customer relationship, communication and even employee retention. Presentation is embedded below, for all those interested.

The Insidious Plot to Socialize the Enterprise from Social@Ogilvy

How to Build an International Brand

Lately I've been reading articles on how to build international brands. While it's not that easy to transform a syrup into a global brand, there are some steps that should be taken. Smaller firms can benefit from them too.

Begin at the Beginning
First things first, everyone should get it right from the beginning. Global-always-on companies are now the standard and even local brands, sooner or later, should jump into the unknown and embrace the world as a market. If the branding strategy is heading into the right direction since its infancy, time won't be lost afterward trying to re-position the image. Brand is an intangible asset that allows you to ask for a premium on your products and at the end you'll have a good return on your investment.

What Should you do Then?
There are a lot of excellent tips in Inc's article, however I dare to summarize all of them in two words: respect and knowledge. Respect local habits, styles and preferences. You won't be successful in front of a diverse audience if you consider them similar to you. Cultural sensitivity is at the heart of your branding campaign. Know the foreign market, embrace their universe and understand what makes people proud to be citizens of that country. Rely on someone who as a direct knowledge of that market. It could be a local company or a global partner with local specialization.


Success is Never Granted
It's not a given that you'll be successful in front of a foreign audience and there's no recipe that guarantees that. Your brand is a hope. You're making a promise that people are buying into and you need to deliver whatever that product or service is.You need to ensure that your customers' experiences with your product, your business, and your staff are positive and your brand will be enriched. Delude your customers and your promise will vanish.

Will you be successful? Time will tell.

What are we talking about? What's publicime?

It's the beginning of a new year and along with wishes and dreams, I'd like to start with concrete actions. I've always had two passions: technology and advertising. I devote most of my life to the first one as it helps to pay the bills and care for my family, but I realize that the latter gives me equal joy and kindles my dreams. The first is logical, the second is foolish. The first is real, the second is imaginary. One touches minds, the other moves hearts. Together, they're the essence of me.

This blog is meant to complement the logical side of me and I plan to discuss things like marketing, advertising, public relations and communication. I'm sometimes enchanted by advertisements and I believe I can reach a difficult goal: Making readers love communication and advertising! That's why I've started this blog.

I'm going to move all the non-technical content from my other blog to begin with. They'll be published with the original dates. Feel free to reach out to me, even just to say hello!
Luca

Apple's March 6 Event

Disclaimer: I've always admired Apple, so any opinion expressed in this post may be influenced by my passion toward that company.

TNBI - The Next Big Idea

I've been really impressed about Apple's event of March 6th, where Steve Jobs introduced new features of iPhone 2.0. It's really amazing how many people care about Apple's moves in the industry and how disruptive is their influence.

But what really impressed me was the choreography of the event. Everything has run smoothly, without any glitches or problems. There were no classic slides, but all was clearly emphasized with white on black.

At the end a really inspiring speech of KPCB's John Doer announcing iFund: a $100M investment initiative that will fund market-changing ideas and products that extend the revolutionary new iPhone and iPod touch platform.

Take a look at:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/iphoneroadmap/

Kudos for Apple and for their ability to inspire others.