Management Blog

Introducing pay-what-you-want advertising

An American advertising agency is offering clients the opportunity to ‘pay what they want’ for creative services, Springwise reports.

According to the article, Agency Nil is in a position to make this happen by employing recent graduates and advertising professionals who are in-between jobs.

Clients submit a work request to Agency Nil and in return receive creative by deadline. The big difference is that it’s up to the client to decide what the work is worth.

The only fees agreed upon up-front are travel, proprietary research tools and production costs.

To date the people behind Agency Nil say they haven’t had a client that has decided to pay nothing, and if one did it is unlikely they would do work for them again.

You’ve got to give it to Agency Nil for wanting to break the mould. Could this be end of advertising fees as the business world knows them or is the innovation an unsustainable recession gimmick?

Hard work can make for a happy marriage: survey

New research suggests men who work long hours are no more likely to divorce than those who stick to the nine-to-five regime, The Australian reports.

In fact, the Melbourne Institute survey found the optimal working arrangement is one in which the man works between 41 and 49 hours a week. 

Researchers believe one possible explanation is that the extra money brought into the relationship thanks to working longer hours has the potential to keep couples together. 

In addition to its marital status findings, the report suggests there was an impressive increase in household wealth creation in Australia between 2002 and 2006.

It’s claimed domestic income rose by 35 per cent over this ‘golden period’.

Older workers 'envy' Gen-Y: study

Members of Generation Y are no more demanding than previous generations and could be missing out on jobs as a result of generational envy, a new study has found.

Research by the UK's Ashridge Business School argues Generation Y members have been the victims of largely media-driven claims that they are difficult, management-issues reports.

It's suggested envy might be behind this image problem, with older generations projecting a degree of jealously over how the youth of today acts and what they are permitted to get away with.

Contrary to popular belief, the study claims Generation Y members are hard working, ambitious and motivated.

Researchers also suggest the demographic grouping has a strong desire to learn, preferably through digital channels.

Has Generation Y been hardly done by? Are you secretly jealous?

How Twitter is changing business

Hillary Clinton might not know or care about the difference between Twitter and a tweeter, but the rest of the world appears to be increasingly curious about microblogging.

But while it's easy to see how people might enjoy sharing tidbits about their personal lives, just how does this fervor for social media messaging translate to the business world?

In a recent investigation into the topic Time magazine says Twitter is set to change American business in 10 ways. In summary, here are a few of the identified game-changers:

• Hyper-local marketing - an inexpensive way for small businesses to connect with customers and communicate new products, offers and discounts
• Market research - keeping an eye on what consumers say about your product or service via microblogging takes the time and expense out of the feedback process
• Twit-pay - systems that connect Twitter to bank accounts are being developed to facilitate a quick means of paying for goods and services
• Turning old into new - rather than competing with old media, it's claimed Twitter is providing broadcasters and newspapers with an vital new content channel

Trend watch: Random acts of kindness

The Hyatt hotel chain in the US has launched a new benefit for members of its Gold Passport loyalty program - the provision of random acts of kindness, Springwise reports.

The idea is to spoil hotel guests with pleasant surprises during their stay with gestures such as paying for bar tabs, complementary messages or breakfast treats.

Turkish credit card company Wings has also launched a plan to add a little kindness to its offering. It has partnered with restaurants in Istanbul to foot the bill for random diners who use their Wings card.   

Springwise says the giveaway movement is indicative of a corporate generosity trend that's emerging to win back the patronage of disillusioned consumers.

The trend also reflects the 'freeconomics' paradigm, but is random generosity here to stay or just a recession gimmick?

CSR via mobile phone

The Canadian not-for-profit Mobile Movement is taking the process of community program mentoring for developing countries to a whole new level of accessibility.

According to Springwise, the organisation has recently been established to connect entrepreneurs in the developing world with mentors in the wealthy countries via mobile phone.

The mobile phone channel was adopted to communicate with young social entrepreneurs who may not have readily available access to a computer.

The approach offers, for example, farmers the opportunity to text message or email their mentors for advice at any time of day, or craft-markers the ability to send photos to designers for guidance.

Mobile Movement's first project is taking place in Kenya with 15 youth groups from impoverished areas working on schooling and agricultural programs with guidance from mentors in North America.

Ignore everybody and get creative

Creativity isn't a gift some of us have and other don't.

It's a talent that everyone has to some degree, and one that can be nurtured to flourish and grow, according to the new book Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod.

A glowing 800ceoread review says the book offers a number of insights into how new ideas emerge and how to make a living as a creative worker.

A couple of the noteworthy tips showcased in the review include:

• "Selling out is harder than it looks. Diluting your product to make it more commercial will just make people like it less."
• "If your plan depends on you suddenly being a discovered by some big shot, your plan will probably fail. Nobody suddenly discovers anything. Things are made slowly and in pain."
• "The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours. The sovereignty you have over your work will inspire far more people than the actual content ever will."

Potential readers are warned the book might not be for everyone with some pages featuring cartoons that are more blunt and profane than they are warm and fuzzy.

For a taste of MacLeod's vision, check out gapingvoid.

Grey entrepreneurs are on their way

Global economic uncertainty has seen the rise of a new kind of new business operator in the US - the grey entrepreneur, Business Week reports.

According to the article, many over 55s feel that starting their own business is the only solution after being forced to enter a highly competitive, youth-focused employment market.

The article warns Boomer startup founders that they may encounter a steeper learning curve about all things small business than they expected. Long working hours are another tough wakeup call.

But what Boomers do have in their favour is wisdom, and a desire to be good by doing good: it's argued older workers possess the knowhow to create both new opportunities and social change.

A happy little new Vegemite

Iconic Australian brand Vegemite is set for its first makeover in 85 years.

According to a recent Age article, Vegemite manufacturer Kraft recently sought the advice of over 300,000 Australians before tinkering with the spread's famous recipe.

Apparently the new version of Vegemite – which carries the working title 'the new Vegemite experience' – looks and smells like traditional Vegemite but will be smoother and easier to spread.

As for the taste, the report suggests the new Vegemite recipe will contain cream cheese – a development Kraft hopes will encourage Australians to consume the spread at all times of the day.

The new Vegemite will hit supermarket shelves in early July. The product will carry a label reading 'Name Me' to encourage consumers to dream up a name for the new version.

Anyone disturbed by the thought of a Vegemite and cream cheese hybrid can relax, Kraft has no plans to stop making the original recipe Vegemite.

Curing email addiction

Do you look for new email every 10 minutes during the day? Check your email as soon as you get home from work? Read new mail during television ad breaks?

According to a recent flyingsolo.com.au blog post, these are a few of the signs you could be an email addict.

But before you start looking for the nearest branch of Emailaholics Anonymous, the post suggests it is possible to break your addiction by changing a few habits.

One of the best tips offered is to only have your email program open for uninterrupted blocks of the day rather than allowing yourself to be constantly distracted by the new mail icon.

B-net's Team Taskmaster blog offers a 'two computer' approach that puts email even further out of sight and out of mind.

It's suggested you turn off your desktop PC's email program and do most of your thinking work at your desk on that computer.

To keep your email handy (but not too handy), the post advises professionals to sit their laptop on the other side of the office with its email program fired up and ready for allocated email periods.

Worth a try, or more trouble than it's worth?