May 29, 2012
“BURST” (?)

In this week’s The Economist, an author describes May 18th, the day of the lackluster Facebook IPO, as (maybe) the “day the bubble in social media burst.” That’s a provocative statement, as is the evidence presented in the article, which you should read.

Couldn’t help but remember a conversation we had with a CFO about three months ago. He is in his mid 50s and having seen and analyzed IPOs of the past three decades said out loud, “I don’t see it. I can’t trust that kind of valuation. It feels like hype.” His much younger assistant chimed in. “But it’s Facebook. The entire world is on it.”

Call it a generational divide or whatever you want, one thing is sure: this is just getting exciting (and maybe little scary, too).

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May 15, 2012
Innovation in (local) Organization

This thing called Text Blast caught our eye this morning. We’re pretty involved in our neighborhood happenings, but it’s hard to keep up all the time. There is a need to (very simply) technolize (that’s a word!) community mobilization and local information. After all, even our Moms text us now… all the time.

So, at a glance, we’re fans. Thumbs up. RT. +1.

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May 1, 2012
It's an election year and you know what that means... Infographics! (Click for a good one)

Via TakePart.com

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April 23, 2012
The award for Best Copywriting goes to…. Management

The award for Best Copywriting goes to…. Management

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April 16, 2012
This is fun.

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April 10, 2012
18 months. $1 Billion. 1%. Instagram in #s.

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April 7, 2012
Wkend RollUp - Issue ONE

Starting now, we’ll be rolling up a few stories from the past week or so that caught our eye. Let’s begin…

Drop it like it’s hot. First off, we love Dropbox. It’s a time-saving, organizational gem for our virtual lives. Some Wall Street analysts agree because “The Box” (as we call it) got a $4 Billion valuation and then some. Here’s a look at the hype from the WSJ.

I’m sorry, I got distracted and completely forgot about your battered corporate reputation. Also from this week’s WSJ, a look at PR nightmares or lack thereof.

Cautious Optimism, meet Cautious Capitalism. Having traveled to Cuba in 2001, we admit our fascination with the (slowly) modernizing market in Cuba and what it could mean for our corner of the world (and Cubans especially). The Economist’s recent special report fanned the flames of our interest. The Australian defines recent changes in the island nation as “Cautious capitalism,” which after 50 years of a US trade embargo is cautiously optimistic. Read up and pay attention. No doubt, it will get interesting.

Looking Down South. Since we recently returned from a trip to South America, which took us to Argentina and Brazil, we’ll be calling attention to a relevant piece about one or both of the countries for our first few RollUps. On our journey to Buenos Aires we spent part of a day at Globant, a BA-based global software development company, which is a description that fails to capture the incredible things going on there. Globant’s recent white paper on “Big Data” is a big step forward in understanding the strategic complexities of a modern business. Give it a read, even if you don’t know all the words.

Thank You and Good Day.

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April 2, 2012
Best information and advice for marketers we've seen so far in the new Timeline world.

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March 24, 2012
Give early and give often. Swell is a young company. We gotta a lot growing to do. But even in our infancy, we understand how crucial small businesses are to our communities. That’s why we’re giving back, starting now and forever. And that’s why we’re proud to support LIFT Communities, a student-powered non-profit organization with two resource centers in our hometown, Philadelphia. LIFT engages talented volunteers/advocates to work one-on-one with underserved community members to combat poverty and expand opportunity for all people in our community. Please join us on Thursday, April 12 from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia for LIFT Philly’s Annual Spring Benefit. Learn more about LIFT’s innovative model for change and inspiring work, served with complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Learn more and RSVP right here.

Give early and give often.

Swell is a young company. We gotta a lot growing to do. But even in our infancy, we understand how crucial small businesses are to our communities. That’s why we’re giving back, starting now and forever. And that’s why we’re proud to support LIFT Communities, a student-powered non-profit organization with two resource centers in our hometown, Philadelphia. LIFT engages talented volunteers/advocates to work one-on-one with underserved community members to combat poverty and expand opportunity for all people in our community.

Please join us on Thursday, April 12 from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia for LIFT Philly’s Annual Spring Benefit. Learn more about LIFT’s innovative model for change and inspiring work, served with complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

Learn more and RSVP right here.

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March 2, 2012
March Madness

We’re packed. Bags are waiting at the door. We’ll be leaving this hemisphere (and season) for a few days to enjoy some summer weather and gain some new perspective on life and business in BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA and SAO PAULO, BRAZIL.

And as soon as we land back in the USA, we’re heading to The Motor City: DETROIT, MI.

Roughly 12,000 miles to cover.

Easy.

Look for pictures soon.

Buenos Dias. 

Tchau. 

Later.

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