Author Archives: markkolier

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About markkolier

Futurist, entrepreneur, left lane driver, baseball lover

Why wouldn’t Google buy Ford or GM?

On my mind often is the development of the Google car.  I’ve posted about it more than once  http://wp.me/pn6jX-Ny  as I feel that this is one of the most interesting and potentially useful technological innovations – ever. It came to mind … Continue reading

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The future will include mobile phone usage on planes

With the FAA’s recent decision to approve the use of electronic devices beyond airport gates and tarmacs, the vitriol and outrage against people talking on their mobile devices on planes is deafening.   Let me go on record as not being … Continue reading

Posted in Airlines, Customer Experiences, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The end of bookstores is NOT at hand

The New York Times story last week regarding bricks and mortar AND online bookstore Barnes and Noble  noted that The nation’s largest bookstore chain, Barnes & Noble said on Tuesday that its revenue decreased 8 percent, to $1.7 billion, in … Continue reading

Posted in Best business practices, Brand Advertising, Customer Experiences, Marketing stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

When Google drives your car

When I talk with people about the idea of driverless cars – i.e. Google driving you around, most people agree that it could happen in their lifetime.   I laugh a bit and ask if their idea of a lifetime is … Continue reading

Posted in Customer Experiences, Living in the World Today, Technology | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Marketing November 22, 1963

It will be fifty years tomorrow from that fateful day that by some accounts ended the innocence of the United States.  (Although that expression is thrown around too much as far as I am concerned – think 9/11).    To attach … Continue reading

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Will AOL’s Tim Armstrong ever find a way to make Patch.com profitable?

Three years ago I posted that local newspapers needed to change to continue to be relevant.  Three years later not much has changed except that there are fewer local newspapers.   I thought that AOL’s http://www.Patch.com might fill the void (Tim … Continue reading

Posted in Best business practices, Communication, Community, Content Marketing, Newspapers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Singles Day in China and the future of Chinese brand development

Earlier this week you might have heard about China’s incredible ‘Singles Day’ sales of not quite US $6 billion that occurred this past Monday 11-11.    Alibaba (full disclosure a recent client) has promoted this ‘holiday’ since 2009.  Last year on Nov. … Continue reading

Posted in Advertising, China, China Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Welch’s and Mott’s – two separate American brands but yet so much the same

Being a man of a certain age, when it comes to food I grew up in what consider to be an iconic age of American food brands.  Included in our refrigerator right now is a bottle of Welch’s White Grape … Continue reading

Posted in Advertising, Brand Advertising | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

After twenty years I have finally moved to Mac from PC – mostly

Prior to moving full time this year to an office in midtown Manhattan I had been a dedicated PC platform guy.  I always have used and liked (and still do) Microsoft Outlook. Word, PowerPoint and Excel.    Sure we had Macs … Continue reading

Posted in Marketing stuff, Technology, Television advertising | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

You’d miss Daylight Savings Time more than you think

If you are extra-sleepy this Monday morning of November, you are probably blaming it on the ‘time change’.   The U.S. still adheres to the semi-annual moving of the clocks one hour forward on the first Sunday in April (spring forward), … Continue reading

Posted in Living in the World Today | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments