Rising Star: Search Engine Marketing

Search Engine Marketing or SEM is a big hot potato nowadays. Though the job market of U.S. is in a downward track, and media is hailing the unemployment rate as a big gimmick to attract higher reading rate, one can notice the rising demand for digital marketing professionals, or especially the SEM (Search Engine Marketing) specialist without too much efforts.

 

That’s because the huge advertising or marketing money is pouring into this pool. And the biggest collectors include Google, and Yahoo!. That’s the very distinctive disparity between marketing practice in western hemisphere and the eastern hemisphere. Most of the eastern countries, especially those cities under influence of Communism, tend to larger city size with accompany of a huge population, which is a dense-population city design. Although, their counterparts such as those in U.S., are one the contrary belief set, that a thin-population with smaller city size is better.

 

One of the results is the very dissimilarity in marketing approach. That marketing campaigns in eastern countries gravitate to ground event, while those in western countries often go on-line. And in that light, on-line marketing is stoutly espoused by western marketers and is well nurtured and shaped. Amazon.com and Yahoo.com are among the early birds and took a big bite of market in aggregation. Followers spring up from nowhere in brick-and-mortar business world, but a virtual on-line land. A vast, unexplored, anarchic, uncharted, unlimited world of dreamland.

 

But the rise of Search Engine Marketing is just hit its recent milestone. Google delivered super financial report amid the spreading contagion of ominous financial perform reports. Many companies announced unfavorable balance sheets. Some even declared grave forecast for near future. The Wall-Street is awash in economy bloodletting with damaged layout. But the shining of Google, and in China, the Baidu.com, lit a light in the hearts of investors.

 

Not everything is doomed. The success of Google, with the echoing success of Baidu, the one copied Google’s business model in China market, is indicating a way out. That’s Search Engine Marketing. Don’t get fooled by me, marketing here is incorporating marketing and sales altogether. Along the long long tail of business, small and medium business owners are marking significant contribution to the ascent of on-line marketing, and search engine marketing.

 

Google and Yahoo, the two ancestors of Search Engine Marketing, are on the thrones of nowadays’ marketplace. Hundreds of thousands of small and medium business owners are hopping into the battle fields of Adwords or Keywords auction, and thus spawning the demand of SEM specialist and driving up a huge wave.

 

However, SEM is traditionally deemed more as marketing promotion tactics than a strategic tool. Especially, SEM contributes a lot to the success of seasonal business or promotion, such as the upcoming Christmas and Easter holiday. Marketers are treating SEM the substitute of coupon or direct mail or other traditional promotion approaches.

 

Well, that’s the hackneyed idea of SEM in its short life till now. From my opinion, however, I’m positive of SEM’s marriage with traditional Branding efforts. For big and giant companies, such as IBM, HP, or GE, can SEM be integrated into the big branding strategy? My instincts tell me a possibility exists. Just need a magical ring.

 

Since SEM only can provide limited space for message, such as the upper limitation of 35 characters from Google, the wiggle room is only large enough for a bullet point. However, presumably, a large company such as HP runs Adwords advertising several hundreds in total, the combined space could be good enough to present a holistic message map which would lead a general customer into a hidden generic branding image. However, the integrated SEM plan should be engineered and controlled from corporate, but not the individual product manager or sales director.

 

I do believe there are exceptional marketers who can think out of box, and turn SEM into strategic weapon. Also, I do believe the coming age of SEM in China market is not far away.

Music Make A Man of Me

 

Steve Appleton and his web 2.0 promotion cohort

Steve Appleton is truly inspirational, highly-talented and transcendental musician. The first time when I heard of his music from Tommy Hilfiger London Session, a joint musical event by Tommy Hilfiger and Sony BMG Europe, was electrifying. Among the eccentric music types presented by the cohort of musicians on Hilfiger London Session, Steve is the most outstanding and ingenious performer and singer, and music composer.

 

I have to admit, the contemporary British popular music represented by the performers on Hilfiger London Session is cool and in such a disparate genre from their counterparts in United States. Not quiet a pop music fan myself, not to say a connoisseur myself, I just found the enjoyment of British pop music a total different experience, ultramodern or ultra mundane. Especially, Steve Appleton.

 

His music possesses the power of magic, an eclectic but also eccentric genre. In his own label, Pop, Funk and Acoustic are among the definition of his music texture. As a layman, allow me quote from certain expert in the field, such as Wikipedia, Funk, is a combination of soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic new form of music. And often, the accompanied musical instruments include electric guitar, electric bass, Hammond organ, and drums. Subgenres include Electrofunk, Punk Funk, Funkcore, and Funk Metal.

 

From his bio, Steve describes his blended music taking inspirations from Classic Pop, Reggae, Drum & Bass, and Funk, and formed his distinctive, fresh and original genre leaving for critics to label. Not only a composer, singer and producer, Steve’s live performance is totally a blow, at least, to me.

 

Passion, effusive passion, and the dashing of his shining talents are the magic touch. From his own account, he loves live performance. “I used to improvise a lot and made sure a song never sounded the same twice.” That’s the most enamored part of music attracts him and also the halo around him arresting the audience. Even a watch of video replay would not impair the influence a lot. It’s just snapped.

 

Piano plays a unique role in his music. Classic piano in the jungle of electric dins produces a very distinctive experience. The crescendo of piano notes and the delicate balance with electric guitar, bass, and drums, feels like a crisp and fresh breeze among the thickness of urban life, or the taste of menthol superimposed upon the tip of your plain tongue.

 

Not too much information can be trawled out of the internet, except the cohort of facebook, myspace, bebo and yourtube. And the limited music tracks released for on-line audition. Seeing Stars, The Bright Side, When The Sun Comes up, and Dirty Funk. Even you can’t find the lyrics on-line, which indicates a rising star still in his incubating stage.

 

Thanks a lot to RCA, Sony Music Entertainment, and the promotion through on-line tools, which, MySpace alone, is boasted of the accumulation of 9000 loyal fans on-line.

 

The only downloadable track, Music Make A Man of Me, gives you a perception of his music. And see if the telepathy can play the magic on you.

 

For more information of Steve Appleton, visit his myspace website: http://www.steveappletonmusic.com/

Century Duel: Baby Boomer VS. Seniors

In the aftermath of the last debate, Obama and McCain are en rout to their last duel rendezvous, Nov. 4, the national election of Presidency. And this battle is symbolic as well as emblematic, the Baby Boomer’s representative, Obama, versus Senior’s delegate, McCain. It is the last wrestling between the two most powerful generations in the du jour history of U.S.

 

This years’ presidency primary election is full of theatrical elements. The three contenders, Obama, Hillary, and McCain, each has unique position not only in contemporary history of United States, but each materializes a cornucopia for the back-stage sectional constituency. Obama, with his African-American lineage, is the first to be nominated ethnic presidential candidate ever in the history of America. Hillary, though not the first women presidential candidate, came so close to the presidency as to promote herself the highest point along the women enfranchising movement. McCain, I am not sure if the oldest presidential candidate, in his senior age still runs for the acme of his career life and with strong military service profile.

 

Apart from the political background, the last two warriors, each stands a distinctive demographic group. With Obama the Baby Boomer and McCain the Seniors. Born in August 4, 1961, Senator Barack Hussein Obama II without doubt fells into the realm of Baby Boomers, believed to be born into 1949 to 1964, the so-called Me Generation. And John Sidney McCain III, born in August 29, 1936, can’t escape being branded as Seniors. These two largest and most influential demographic groups are sending their chosen warriors for the find battle. Baby Boomers wanted to seize the power of the world ever the first time in their generation and the Seniors with the current power in hand would not yield a easy divestiture.

 

Let me produce you some supporting points for my argument. As the market already avowed, the Baby Boomer generation are widely known for their self-identification, or the Me attitude. With the many researches done on this generation, the Baby Boomers are believed to be idealists with the mission as “Changing the World” sealed in their minds. Which, you can see the obvious linkage to Obama’s message, “Change”. And on the other side, Seniors, as their generation’s painful sufferings, had gone through wars. McCain, the one survived Vietnam War, was once bombed, shot, injured, and tortured, with life time long physical limitation as the reminisce of warfare.

 

I am not here touting one over the other. And advocate one against the other. The symbolism of the final election is a strong signal for a power shifting. Senior citizens, the largest and active and most influential blocks of voters in America, are in control of U.S. now with their silver-hair delegates in the white house bustling and busy. Their generation shaped the world by launch of Iraq War. Also, upon the brim of the dominance, another round of economy recession is hyping this world. Still, the juicy of power is lingering around their lips, with age debilitating their mentality and physical body, they are still active, energetic, and involved. McCain at his age of 72, is running for American Presidency! Guys, show some respects! The silver hair deserves respect and esteem.

 

But Obama is another miracle. Though not awash by bullets and war heads, Obama is the typical Baby Boomer. A divorced parent at his age of two, the death of the paternal side came at age of 21 and death of maternal side at age of 34. During 2008 Civil Forum on the Presidency, Obama openly acknowledged his greatest moral failure occurred during high school when he succumbed to marijuana, cocaine and alcohol. But he survived, and thrived, after his greatest moral failure. How to overcome the mental trauma, I can’t figure out, but nevertheless, Obama lived out. He attended Columbia University and later Havard Law School, and he served as community organizer and strode through the lungs of American politic hierarchy, and was able to compete for the American Presidency as the first African-American minority.

 

Considering Obama’s thin profile as a politician, one could not pay much regard. With McCain’s senior age, one was balking. The power of the U.S., and thus figuratively, the power of the world should accord to whom?

 

With another global economical downturn triggered by U.S. market, with so many financial scholars, experts, and analysts debating heatedly over the boiled market, with Iceland verged on bankruptcy as a country, people are calling for a dues ax machine. Though such calling can’t be satisfied by either Obama or McCain along, with their campaign polices no significant overpowering in present.

 

It boils down to the basics of gambling. You should choose one from the two, with strong belief in Baby Boomer or Seniors. Or do you believe in the eclipsing of Seniors over Baby Boomer or the stronghold of Seniors will last for another 4 years? Make your choice!

Tommy Hilfiger: Transfiguring with Gen-Xer

The lasted Hilfiger London Session is incredibly awesome, astounding, and spectacular! If you only watch it online from www.tommytv.com.

 

The latest financial report of Tommy Hilfiger is another upbeat against the downcast rhythm of wall-street. And the announcement of partnering with Macy for an exclusive distribution deal detonates Hilfiger’s resolution of winning back American market and replicating another European market victory, if Godspeed.

 

According to recent figures, Hilfiger global sales rose 31% to $1.01 billion in the six months that ended Sept. 30, 2008. Having made the success in European market transformed this once hip-hop image into upscale state, Hilfiger now is facing a depressed American retail market. In U.S. market, sales of Hilfiger retrograded from $1.7 billion in 2002 to $836 million in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.

 

The weak U.S. retail market is getting weaker in tie with the unpromising U.S. economy. In the upcoming holiday season, analysts have already sent woes over the merchandisers, and not only some would decrease sales, but also another would balk. And the best venue, according to industry prediction, would be the value and discount warehouse clubs and superstores.

 

But that’s not Tommy Hilfiger. Change is in the codex of Tommy Hilfiger. And Hilfiger is ready for a grown-up generation of Gen-X.

 

Gen-X is growing older. No longer the anger youth, the generation born under the shadow of Baby Boomer and the generation without feeling of identify. Gen-X is believed to be born in the year around from 1962 to 1979. Now, this generation has steadily stepped into their thirties, which is the mainstream bread-earner and money pocket holder.

 

And the taste of Gen-X is changing. Instead of seeking the alter ego, the only distinctive characteristic, Hip-Hop, is under going a domain shift. The music genre holding dear to this generation is constantly though slowly trickling into the next younger generation, Gen-Y. People grow up and mentality evolves too, that’s law of nature.

 

Thought not purposely, maybe by a God’s lightening, that’s a good stroke of luck, Tommy Hilfiger associated with Hip-Hop during its early success. The “Hip-Hop” generation, as being defined by freelance journalist Kitwana, is black Americans born between 1095 and 1984, nevertheless coincidently coeval with the Gen-Xers. Then, there is no wonder the affinity between the two culture spheres grew into a mesh. And the two groups, though one with the origin of African American lineage, finally melted into one culture group.

 

Nihilism in rap music and gangsta film were the symbolism of this generation, who under the shadow of their direct successful parents, the powerful Baby-Boomers. And some renowned brand temporized the opportunity. Tommy Hilfiger is one of them. Unintentionally, Tommy found a way to unit with music for its brand promotion. In 1994, urban artist Snoop Doggy Dogg showed up on Saturday Night Live wearing a red, white and blue Tommy Hilfiger rugby shirt. That’s the beginning of a generation legend. Booming with the prevalence of Hip-Hop music and the stars, Tommy went through a golden business age in ninetieth. In citation of some historical numbers, the company’s sales jumped from $25 million to $227 million and skyrocketed to $847 million in 1998 and hit $1.64 million in 1999.

 

Though the glory were still cherished by Tommy, and the rivals were never stop trying to nail it down, the Croesus’ kingdom of Tommy has been undergoing metamorphosis as the Gen-Xers aging.

 

Taking the emblematic Hilfiger London Session, recently on stage in London, is a symbolic of generation transfiguration. The once Hip-Hop music has been given way to Jazz, Country and music blending with classic elements. The musicians, including John Legend, Zarif, The Metros, Steve Appleton, Wyclef Jean, etc., the average age of the celebrities is around 30. Partnering with Sony BMG Europe, Tommy is beefing up its success in this market, upscale collection apart from its youth texture.

 

Tommy’s strategy in Europe market is sell less for more. An annual sales jump from $110 million in 2001 to $ 1.1 billion last, Tommy is invading the upscale outlets instead of wholesale and discount outlets.

 

As people grow into their thirties and even early forties, they begin to take seriousness towards work and life. Their tastes naturally evolve into upscale and starting to tapping luxury when their pocket of money swells. So does the brand of the merchandize attached to them. And that’s Tommy’s choice.

 

In an exclusive distribution deal with Macy, Tommy first migrates its point-of-sale to an upscale venue which often is often patronized by white-collars and accomplished professionals or managers in their thirties. And in this endeavor, Tommy hopes to circumvent the floppy retail market and win against a certain recession in near future.

 

Whatever the effect on market would be, the maneuver taken by Tommy at least is a gesture to revivify market morale, and show confidence and faith to call for a resilient market.

 

Maybe that’s a way out.

 

“Why are you nervous?“ Rose sung. “The Bright Side”. Steve Appleton hailed.

Next Big Thing: Minority Market, Generation Y and Obama

When the last debate between Senator Obama and Senator McCain was down, everybody is looking forward to the last election. And when it comes to Oct 18, another powerful endorsement is extended to Obama by Colin Powell which sent the search key words of ‘Colin Powell’ higher on Yahoo.com’s ‘Today’s Top 10 search’.

 

Well, that’s not a big surprise, no matter how many overt and tenable reasons Powell could enumerate, there is still one thing holding subliminal and firm, the fraternity within minority communities.

 

A forming major minority market: joint force by Generation Y and Obama

 

Reading of Obama’s bio, though born in 1961, a year belongs to late Baby Boomer or early Generation X, Obama appears having little connection with Generation Y, the next largest demographic group beside Baby boomer, with around over 70 million in count. Born from around 1977 to 1996, this generation believes to take up 20% of today’s US population.

 

Marching towards year of 2009, the one after the most fascinated presidential election of 2008, most of Generation Y will be turning age of from 13 to 37, or in other terms, starting to occupy the majority of workforce and the consummation will hit the year of 2012. A emerging and potentially huge market is coming into landscape.

 

The distinctive trait of Generation Y is its most diversified population. The so-called minority, Hispanic, Black and Asian takes up as much as 40% of the total Generation Y according to Bureau of Censors, 2000. Among them, 17% percent goes to Hispanic, the largest minority group; and 16% goes to Black or African American, the equally important ethnic group; and 5% goes to Asian, comparably small but can’t be overlooked, since Asian-American women is the most highly educated of Generation Y according to Bureau of Censors, 2002.

 

Yes, the Generation Y is the most tolerable generation towards ethnical differences. And how about if Obama elected? The first minority president in American history?! Wow, that’s a blockbuster though would not surprise the world when the long and weary election year of 2008 drags on and on. It’s still too early to predict the domestic policy of President Obama, but whatever it is minority would be a big beneficiary without doubts.

 

It can be favorably inferred a President Obama would facilitate a looming minority market constructed by Generation Y. Or, a minority market is turning into majority force in the upcoming 5 years.

 

If there is any Next Big Thing that can inject some optimism into the depressing market morale as of the time of an unavoidable and forthcoming economy recession, Generation Y and the minority market should be given the credit.

 

 

Feel the pulse of market: early influence from Generation Y

 

As to the many propitious omens foretelling a formative generation Y in workforce and marketplace, one can get a feel from the job market.

 

When you turn to Monster, Careerbuilder, or Yahoo!HotJob, you can find many marketing jobs relating to on-line marketing or internet communication. Demands for viral marketing specialist, manager, or even director are burgeoning and challenging traditional marketers.

 

MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook, YouTube, Google……you can name them. All of the most fashion communication on-line tools are within the radius of a tech-savvy generation Y. Since Baby Boomer and Generation X, Generation Y is the generation grows up with PC and laptop. Unlike their predecessors, Baby Boomer grows up with TV and Generation X with MTV, Generation Y takes advantage of computer since every early age and grows a finger-player and on-line goer as they heading manhood. According to Bureau of Censors, 2001, 71% of Generation Y between 15 to 17 were on-line. And that means as of year 2008, 71% of Generation Y between 22 and 34 are on-line, at least.

 

That’s the coming of predominance of web 2.0 as the key marketing instrument. And that partly explains the success of Obama, his prevailing digital strategy for presidency competition reaps the needed ballots and sends him all the way to the last debate. From September, Obama amazingly raised record $150 million fund.

 

The rising demand for on-line communication is largely ascribed to the influence of generation Y. According to NPD Group research, young web users between 13 to 34 years old are significantly more likely to visit social networking sites and visit them more often. And this age group also represents the most active on-line shopping user. And they are also the big force behind the reviving icon of Apple ipod.

 

 

It’s better to think of Generation Y and a major minority market NOW. However, the best staring point is market research deep down into minority communities. According to Bureau of Censors, nine out of ten children under 12 have friends outside their own ethnicity, this means although minorities take up 40% of marketplace, their influence shares with the non-minority consumers.

 

The next generation consumer market is a multi-culture market, with strong characteristics from both sides intermingled and merged. If one can sense and capture the emerging trend, that’s the next big thing to survive and revivify the economy downturns.

Is Frugality a Business?

The first time in the past one year that the word of FRUGALITY caught my ears was during last Sunday’s 16^th ACSE Annual Conference, which is Oct 12th. The guest speaker, Congressman Danny Davis put a heavy phonetic emphasizing on it when addressing a question about tax raise. And he even cited the case of himself that he actually had been driving the same car for over 10 years without near-term plan of replacing it. Also, he calculates the oil saving by planning prudentially his travel plan.

 

The next time the word of FRUGALITY being thrusting into my attentions was during my leafing through the recently BusinessWeek this afternoon, and actually, BusinessWeek was running a cover story on the theme of FRUGALITY. And in the cover story, several cases were reported as the typical harbingers for the upcoming economy declining. Several emblematical middle-class families were telling their frugal lifestyle starting from near recent years. A fortiori, a guy named Ned Penberthy, a 53 salesman who lives in Pelham, N.Y., has switched his habitual usage of shaving cream to shaving soap by which could save him $6 per year. Though sounds eccentric and a little hysterical, he annexed certain meaning to his seemingly degradation, “It’s not much, but there is a psychological benefit.”

 

Well, well, is only the populace of America running a foreshadowing? Let’s look at the business market. Among the most impacted areas, I’d like to bring the outsourcing business up to the front. Many attentions have been given to financial services market, but how about the negative waves being forced out of the epicenter? Outsourcing, especially off-shore outsourcing is one among the far-flung deteriorating global economy landing. Another report by BusinessWeek pulls our eyes to the distant country, India. Tata Consultancy, the one boasted top-notch and beneficiary of global outsourcing movement, now is suffering the pains not empathically but physically. Traveling, electricity consumption, and even the use of Microsoft applications have been put stringent controlling.

 

Frugality is like a pandemic and even global-demic contagion traveling around the globe with or without noticing. It’s the next significant trait of global economy not far away.

 

However, if taking a different look, can frugality be a business opportunity? Or put it to extreme, could the whole existing global economy system be going an overhaul if Frugality becomes predominant?

 

One of the spawning heralds is digital marketing. During the trimester of the economy depression, the very early stage indicator could be attributed to the increasing demand for digital marketing or on-line marketing specialists on the plummeting job market. GM just announced its escalating plan for a 1,600 worker lay-off over the next few months. Industry analysts are giving out a woe by predicting GM’s hitting minimum amount of cash flow sometime next year. 

 

While, in my guess, part-time worker or even unpaid internship will be plenty on the job market in accordance with the dismal market dynamics. But, the arising needs for on-line job would signal some shifting trends in job market. And for the purpose of alarming professional training seeker or student alike, a tuning towards on-line/internet job orientation is recommended and credible. The victory of Obama which sent him to the final debate with Senator John McCain and successful defeated Senator Hillary Clinton, the former first lady and the most formidable rival, and the success of raising a monolithic mega donation fund, should in large be credited to the adoption and maximum utilizing of on-line technology.

 

Turning to on-line for business and operation is only one and currently perceivable change. Some corporations are taking serious of Frugality in their business textures. Costco, for instance, is bragged by BusinessWeek as the pioneer in putting Frugality into their operation strategy. Many creative approaches being forced out, and exertions being demanded to keep the commodity price daily lower and stable and constant are priorities of Costco. They are after cost cut relentlessly and even the brutal pains caused are reasonable expenditure. However, the sooner Costco find a unprecedented way of doing frugal business, the better Costco can beat the downturns of economy.

 

As to small business and entrepreneurs, Frugality is perhaps a new continent for business start-ups. Here, creative business ideas can get sparked and inspired. Used commodities market is a tangible profit at sight. Go beyond used car, the business can extend to used toy, used furniture, used sporting good……you name them. WinMark, the long-existed used goods seller and moderator, has embraced this upcoming frugal economy since the turn of year 2000. And now, its burgeoning business has brought some 861 stores national wide.

 

But, think beyond used commodity. Can we think out of the boxes? To give the Frugal Economy a fresh and strong boost? A big jump-start? Just give it a thought, a golden mine is not a California nostalgia.

Chinese American Scholars Community Strengthening Career Building in Face of Economy Adversity

On Oct. 12^th, 2008, Association of Chinese Scientist and Engineers USA (ACSE) held its 16^th annual conference at Holiday Inn, Rolling Meadows of Illinois. The topic of this year’s annual conference features Green Resources, Leadership and Career Development, Investment and Health. Facing the upcoming economy deterioration of North America, as one of the leader of Chinese American communities in US, the Chinese American Scholars Community tries to cope with positive strategy and prevail proactive attitudes among Chinese Community in North America, which would contribute to the economy stability in short and long term.

 

The Main Venue of ACSE 16th Annual Conference

The annual conference was presided by Dr. hong Jiang, ACSE Vice President. The newly elected ACSE President, Dr. Haibo Guo, made the opening speech. Honored guest speakers of 16^th ACSE annual conference are: Mr. Ping Huang, the Consul General of Consulate General of People’s Republic of China in Chicago; US Congressman Danny Davis; Representative of Mar. Rod Blagojevich, Governor of Illinois State; Representative of Mr. Emil Jones, Jr. Illinois Senate President; Mr. Moses Shang, Chairman of Illinois Asian American Advisory Council for Senate President; Mr. Gene Lee, Deputy Chief of Staff at Mayor Office of Chicago; Mr. Kevin Song, Chief Representative of China NDT in USA; and Dr. Hong Liu, Chairman of Chinese-American Association of Greater Chicago.

 

Keynote speakers includes: Ms. Angelica O. Tang, Regional Representative of US Department of Labor; Mr. Rory Gopaul, VP of Carbon Solutions Group; Dr. Nancy Ho, Professor of Purdue University and Mr. Eduardo Conrado, Corporate VP of Motorola.

 

Ms Angelica gave the general introduction of the major actions the Bush administration has taken to life the current economic crisis, the progress of promoting minority participation of US workforce achieved by US Department of Labor under the leadership of Secretary Elaine L. Chao, and the personal strategy combating the current economy downturns. Ms. Angelica delivered her keynote speech with effusive energy and upbeat spirits which inspired the presenting audience of Chinese American Scholars as well as members and students at large.

 

Mr. Roy Gopaul gave a very informative brief on the business of Carbon Solutions Group (CSG). Being a former proprietary energies and currencies derivative trader at Chicago Board of Trade, Roy helps to manage the environmental asset at Carbon Solutions Group. As a pioneer in new and sustainable green energy field, CSG works on the trading and development of energy generation technologies, encompassing bio mass, hydrogen, livestock waste, wastewater, etc. And the successfully carried Carbon Credit Trading project by CSG opens not only a promising chance for a resilient US economy but also the entrepreneur initials for scholars, students and unemployed.

 

Dr. Nancy Ho articulated her research on renewable resources at her senior age, and vigorously introduced the cellulosic ethanol-producing yeast (Ho-Purde yeast) which is the height of her career. Being a research professor in the School of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University, Ho’s devoted her Ho-Purdue yeast to the conversion of cellulosic biomass to ethanol, which would generate infinite and profound impacts upon US economy as well as society. Applying Ho-Purde yeast, ethanol producer can gushing ethanol from wheat straw on industry scale. Some estimates extrapolate a 30% corn residue left behind in the cornfield after harvest could generate 4-5 billion gallons of ethanol per year on a conservative basis, or a 15 or more billions of gallons from a radical view.

 

Mr. Eduardo Conrado anchored this year’s ACSE annual conference by his career life achievement sharing as a minority employee in Motorola, from the lowest rung to position as high as corporate vice president. As a Latin American immigrant, Conrado successfully marched his way to the highest management of Motorola. Now, serving as Corporate VP of Global Business & Technology Marketing with a sales of $36.6 billion in 2007, Conrado established himself an epitome for minority workforce in USA. His speech communicated a strong signal to Asian Americans, that a well-calculated and executed personal career strategy could work one up to the peak of glory.

 

In the afternoon sessions, different aspects of career development were addressed. In the session of Career and Leadership Development, selected panelists made cogent and instructive suggestions on career building and developing. Lee Liu, Senior Director of Global Staffing, Human Resource of Motorola; David Lum, Director of Government & Public Safety Business of Motorola; Nick Shyamani, Co-President of Motorola Asian Business Council; and Lynn Qian, Senior Product Manager and Co-President of Motorola Asian Business Council, took questions from audience including students and newly graduates. Coaching on preparation for job seeking and career commencement, the panelists also shared insights of leadership building in conjunction with parenting issues for parents in employment.

 

In the session of Health, joint speakers shared their knowledge and hands-on experience dealing with cholesterol, plumbing system of human body and Chinese traditional medicine which are beneficial to occupational diseases and office health issues, speakers including Dr. Xing Wang, Professor of Biology from Harry S Truman College; Dr. Ning Z. Wu, M.D. of Comprehensive Urologic Care from Lake Barrington, IL; Anton J. Rittling, DC of Chiropractic Health Service of Chicago.

 

In the session of Investment, invited speakers shed lights US stock market, real estate investment, mortgage selection. Joanna Wang, Financial Planner from Prudential; Jane Lee from Re/Max; Shirley Jiang, President of Broker Prosperity jointly gave consultations.

 

Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, Governor of Illinois Rod R. Blagojevich, Senate President Emily Jones, Jr., and Chicago City Mayor Richard M. Daley sent official congratulations to the success of 16^th annual conference of ASCE.

 

The Association of Chinese Scientists and Engineers-USA is one of the largest Chinese-American professional organizations headquartered in Chicago with regional chapters in 15 states. Founded in 1992, the ACSE has developed into a non-profitable professional organization with more than 2500 members from 30 states of USA, over 50 percent holding PHD degree, covering fields from Telecommunication, Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Intelligent Transportation, to Business Management and Administration, Finance, Environment, Bio-technology, and Law. For more information of ACSE, please visit www.acse.org.

  

 

 

 

 

The Pursuit of Happiness

This blog I dedicate to my recent reading of ‘200 Events that Shaped the Nation: What Every American Should Know About American History’.

 

Not a historian leaning myself, but an avid reader of historical events and figures, I always find the use of some reading of history would tremendous improve one’s understanding of current events, affairs and phenomenon. The inner linkage between the past and the present, always as manifest as one can observe, could easily empower one’s piercing the veil of current world.

 

It’s like blind walking, I mean, without the knowledge of history, one looks at the landscape of U.S. without seeing, one listens to the voices of people without hearing.

 

In the 200 Events, one came to understand the behind-stage forces that built the American Dream. And the deep-rooted and intricate threads led to today’s society of U.S. And also, it helps to unravel the mystiques to my accumulated splinter impressions of America nowadays.

 

First puzzle, why there are so many Spanish descendants? And why the Spanish community is so strong as many job description enlisted bi-lingual as prerequisite which means Spain a second language? That links way back to the formation of United States. The Spain Empire was the first to build colony in the land of North America, and along with Great Britain, formed a paramount influence over the later born United States. Though the once most powerful Spain Empire is now retired to a minor country, but the influence once cloaked over the vast land of north America, Mexico and Cuba left a legacy of millions of descendants and made Spanish the second language now in America.

 

Second puzzle, why there is this St. Patrick day so important as to give the unique standing of Irish community in U.S.? During the past one year staying in Chicago, I seldom witnessed several public parades and one among them is dedicated to Irish community and the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The introduction of Irish immigrants started from late 1700 and early 1800, during which the Industry Revolution had expanded from U.K to U.S. Many mills had been erected along riverside, and to the purpose of lowering down cost, cheap labor from Ireland and other European countries were pulled to U.S. Among them, the majority was Irish workforce. Hitherto the Irish community remains another big portion of immigrant in today’s American population.

 

Third, the controversial and boiling presidency election of 2008 gave rise to the last-for-ever social concerns over racism. Obama, the first black candidate, and Clinton, the first women candidate, combined to boost movement for the right of blacks and women suffrage to a new height. And as one looks back to the history of U.S., these two issues always stay as permanent undercurrent forces twisted and wrested and shaped this society. Even the Great Society by Lyndon Baines Johnson had granted the “abundance and liberty for all”, one can still observe the seesawed tracks marked by assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the uproar of black activists. Also the radical movement for women equality carved many facets of today’s U.S.

 

Forth, the check and balance of Executive, Legislature, and Jurisdiction contribute to the success of America and continue to build social justice into people’s lives. Even the size of a city as one always would come to a puzzling that why it’s so small with no or only a few tall buildings? During the Federalist Papers produced by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, such argument was upheld: the various needs and interest of citizens over a large area would prevent a single special interest from gaining control. That’s a brilliant reflection of the core of check and balance, that the thinner-spread the population the less chance of power centralization. And the gathering of tall buildings or skyscrapers would prone to the engendering of inflated power over people’s liberty. And later, Sears was able to grab the business opportunity of this city planning laid out by founders of U.S, that by mail-order that Sears sold goods to peasants in a far-flung land and able to amass great wealth into today’s Sears’ Group.

 

Well, I think I cannot enumerate the many enlightening I received from the brief history of United States. Such as the Great Depression after World War I and its final solution was World War II! The famous Baby Boomer coming after World War II between 1946 and 1964 is dragging U.S. into senility society now some 50 years later. And the trigger of a possible another round to Great Depression is looming around the corner when this land is foaming with a huge senior citizenry.

 

Other interesting findings includes the origin of basketball was on the demand of creating an indoor sport which could utilize the indoor gyms during winter. And the background for film, The Assassination of Jesse James, is the context of an after civil-war American society. Also, some other famous gangs and mafias were formatted during that post war period.

 

Well, well, many trickles converge into a river. And after all, I’d like to use the case of Wright Brothers as the ending of this blog, that the Pursuit of Happiness as defined as one of the three main objectives of U.S. in the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, is the ultimate drive for the success of this immigrant country. Starting from bolts and nuts, the Wright brothers flew their first plane in 1903 after their initial interest was spurred in 1896. The thirsty for liberty and passion for life finally guided them to the Pursuit of Happiness and by 1909 the Wright Brothers organized the Wright Company which being large-scale manufacture of plane.

 

Thumbing through the history of United States, it is one stroke by anther painting the original idea of this country, the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”.

Law, Etchics and Web 2.0

This topic was brought up during several gatherings between friends.

 

One side argues the American Law system is incomplete and leaves plenty of gray rooms or even loopholes to be good-willy utilized by foreigners sometimes. Another line would hold the native Americans even lower-rank people are not able to detect these loopholes due to their holding of high level of ethics by nature and education not available to third-world countries, such as China.

 

A third point of view would attribute the difference to the different law system adopted by each country: the common law system embraced by U.S. and the continental law system from the heritage of Great Britain. The previous is built upon precedent and the later is operated on scriptures pre-written.

 

Since I am not a law expert and only got a shallow taste from my Business Law course during my MBA study, I would cast this argument a different view.

 

From my standing, Law and Ethics within the confine of a society is a pair of balanced forces. The two as instruments work together to maintain the stability of societies. And in most cases, we can see complementary effects taken places. Where the law system is much more detailed and frequently regulated, the ethics in the same confinement would tend to deterioration. On the contrary, where the law system is light and loose, the ethics would be upheld with high standard. Thus the controlling body is able to stabilize the society and to develop it healthily.

 

This culture difference is significant and manifest when one travels to a totally different social setting. One with different moral upholstery would easily identify gray areas in a dissimilar law system. Or we could say, one can craftily use some techniques to avoid or take advantage from the existing law system.

 

However, such a behavior or intention is not agreed by the majority both from domestic as well as foreign land. In this unbalanced world ecosystem, there would always be different countries or nations with graded or even sharp different balance of law and ethical complexes. In the interaction and intercourse between these dissimilar entities, the first applied rule should be, as I advised, should be culture difference self-awareness with the aide of third-party information. And as I am experienced, a preliminary course of brief history education of the host country would be instructive and elucidating.

 

As all, law and ethics in a social setting is the natural result of evolution in that piece of land where people come and go. A summary learning of history events in an organized way would be a Midas touch for the first entry.

 

Such reality is laid in the front of the first user of Web 2.0. Without the authority of law and self-regulatory system of ethics, it’s always a frustrating and fruitless try for the newcomers. Many had already suffered fraud and scum during their first try of internet surfing, such as the usage of local tabloid portal like craigslist.org. New emerging internet deceptions have got disguised in creative chapters that sometimes even the veteran could not easily identify the odds. Incrimination is out the question in the theater of on-line community as a result of retarding constitution for this piece of virtual land.

 

A check and balance system should also be engineered and introduced into the on-line community with the advent of thriving Web 2.0 colony. Facebook, BlackPlanet, Myspace, Youtube, Eons, Twitter, MyBatanga, Eventful, AsinaAve, Linkedin….these already existed and more neophytes are defining the emerging on-line community world-wide. A sharp distinction in this global virtual land is the boundary setting by languages and interests rather than physical borderlines. Being an uncharted land, people thronged in this vast community are subject to no pre-set rules and kings.

 

Once again, we would find an old familiar setting applied to this new world: the formation of U.S. Colonized by piece of piece land, the first 13 states were able to sever from all the colonizers by the war of Independence. Shall we anticipate such historical process once again taking ground in this new on-line world formed on the applications of web 2.0? We can’t rule out the possibility. After all, history enlightens the understanding towards new instances.

 

In lacking of a jurisdiction, execution and legislature system, the building of ethic system seems the paramount task during the forming stage of this New world. And the burden somehow now is carrying by the first plutocracy with board members such as Google, Amazon.com, and Yahoo.com, etc.

 

Consent to terms of use is not of an education purpose but a more without-recourse expediency. Though the provision of these terms-of-use do offer a solid ground for on-line ethical groundwork, these magnates are not making use of them in a much more meaningful way.

 

Maybe it’s time to ponder over the possibility of forming a ethical system for web 2.0 world.

Web 2.0 Triggered the Long Tail of Mass Communication

Nowadays, marketing in west part of the globe is showing significant trait that bearing the burden of US economy distress. The newly emerging and outstanding trait as we may aware of is the use of on-line marketing.

 

On-line marketing is the crucial fruition of the development of web 2.0 applications. Overwhelmingly used and deeply planted into the heart of new generation, the technology of Google, Facebook, Linkedin, Myspace, Twitter, and many other on-line venues are merging with integrated marketing communication tactics. In some cases, even the digital marketing is the strategy itself.

 

Let’s take the success of Obama over Clinton during the first half of 2008 US presidency election. The victory is achieved by vastly utilizing the viral communication techniques. Log onto Obama official blog, you can see a area dubbed OBAMA EVERYWHERE. Where you can find Obama online and make friend with him? Let’s take a look. Facebook, BlackPlanet, Myspace, Faithbase, Youtube, Eons, Flickr, Glee, Digg, Migente, Twitter, MyBatanga, Eventful, AsinaAve, Linkedin, DNC Partybuilder, etc. Wow, what a holistic lists of web 2.0 applications? Even you can use the case of Obama as a success story and good learning material for mass communication! And by this way, Obama was able to collect the tenuous ballots scattered long and long on the mass communication tail, which is the root of grass-root at lowest cost or even no cost at all!

 

It’s no wonder Clinton fired her campaign manager too late only to loss the whole battle. Although as the former first Lady, and so powerful woman ever in the history of America, with the support form her two-term-president husband Bill Clinton, and the background as a white senator of New York, Hillary Clinton couldn’t recover her vantage point as the brunt of web 2.0 encroached her whole grounds without the slightest notice. That’s the power of on-line marking or viral communication!

 

Take another success story as I’d like to peg down. The idea.com storm! The first user of idea.com according to BusinessWeek could be attributed to Dell. The once starch personal computer builder. The early success of Dell comes from its innovated on-line order strategy which integrated the whole supply chain and allowed the techniques of JIT manufacturing and storage into reality. For so long a time, Dell is deified as the JIT paradigm. However, criticism surfaced as more an more PC manufacture seek the other way to corner Dell in marketplace. That’s the personalized ear bestowed other PC vendors a new chance to beat Dell. HP for example, would hawk Personalized Computer and paint laptop and desktop vivid colors to enliven the computer as the emblem of personal character rather than bleak machine. A rabid surge of industrial design followed by the success of Motorola Razor cell phone worldwide has led the world business leader a strong belief of the design as integral part of wining strategy.

 

Then Dell seems falling behind the tides of personalization. Has Dell? No. The Dell guys are smart enough to gather new edge. There came the ideastorm.com. Dell is gathering and garnering ideas from worldwide customers! The categories of Ideas amounts to over 30, covering from products to sales to marketing, and even to environment issue and corporate affairs. Even a category dubbed WOMAN INTEREST definitely devoted to woman computer users. What an exploiter of Dell! The cheapest way to exploit worldwide talents at low cost! And customers are telling Dell every secret of winning business all over the world as long as they speak and write in English! No wonder you can get dizzy by a shining and flamboyant outer face of a Dell laptop carried by someone in a city train!

 

Another success user of idea.com is starbucks. My Starbucks Idea also directs confluence of customer talents into the downcast Starbucks business. You can get a feel of starbucks idea.com at http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/apex/ideaHome. This portal offers every Starbucks coffee lover a place for making Starbucks coffee and cafeteria personalized and drive every bit of profit on the long tail of coffee consumption to the hand of Starbucks. Categorized under three main themes, Product, Experience and Involvement, Starbucks, although as a follower of Dell, definitely started to win solid grounds in marketplace after reporting of business loss early this year.

 

It’s no wonder the demand of digital marketing professionals has roared and dominated the marketplace in west part of this global. With the penetration of web 2.0 into grass-root in this hemisphere and having taken solid hold of general customers, and the negative influence of economy deterioration, on-line avenue has appealed more and more marketing and advertising fund since the power of Google has crunched the business world in English speaking countries.

 

The Long Tail era of mass communication has come! And digital communication is wining the majority of marketing strategy. One oversight of the engulfing trend would lead to nowhere but a defeat in worldwide business world. And a genius utilization of this trend can supply one with the most ambitious and cheapest victory ever can be imagined in the history of business world!