Steve Jobs was absent from Macworld Expo this year
where he has presented the keynote speech every year
since 1997 (WSJ 1/5). Apple also said it is
pulling out of the tradeshow, explaining that “it
prefers to hold its own events” and that tradeshows
“have become a very minor part of how it reaches
customers.” Adobe Systems, Cisco and Sanyo won’t be
exhibiting at the Consumer Electronics Show (USA
Today 1/5). “New products get launched on blogs.
There is no reason to go through all the hassle and
expense of trade shows anymore,” says an analyst.
COSTLY: Apple’s
bill for Macworld was more than $25 million
The American
Electronics Association and the Information
Technology Association of America have merged to
for the Technology Association of America (Business
First 12/8).
MERGERS:
Expect more association mergers in today’s tough
economic environment as costs and redundancies come
under strong scrutiny.
Facebook increased membership from
100 million in August 2008 to 150 million in January
2009 (slate.com 1/14). This translates to an
average of 374,000 new member signups per day. For
an excellent article on non-user attitudes towards
Facebook, click on
http://www.slate.com/id/2208678/
COMMENT: Even the Mafia is on Facebook.
“Italian authorities have begun investigating
Facebook discussion groups devoted to convicted
Mafiosi” (NY Times 1/20)
The
National Football League, regarded as the most
financially successful sports league, is eliminating
150 jobs from its staff of 1,100 (Boston Globe
1/10). Another sign of the economic times: the
National Association of Home Builders
is cutting $11.5 million from its budget and
eliminating 52 staff positions (Washington
Business Journal 12/9).
STAFF: Make
reductions strategically, not expediently.
The United
States Chess Federation, the game’s governing
body, is embroiled in a sordid board controversy (NY
Times 1/4). A suit has been filed in Illinois to
remove two board members. The situation involves
“sexually explicit Web postings, accusations of
stolen e-mail messages and allegations of harassment
and slander.”
GOVERNANCE:
Aren’t boards fun?
Consumer magazine advertising is in a tailspin,
dropping almost 12% in 2008, weakening as the year
progressed and ending with a 17% decline in the
fourth quarter (WSJ 1/15). In January the
17% drop continued with some harsh specifics: Wired
down 47%, Architectural Digest down 46%, Vogue down
44%.
DOUBLE WHAMMY: Tough economic climate and
shift from print to digital impacting ad spending.
Read on…
For the first time, more people get their news from
the Internet versus print newspapers: 40% for the
Internet, 35% for newspapers (NY Times 1/5).
Newspapers are actually holding their own, but the
Internet jumped from 24% to 40% as a news source in
one year.
QUESTION: What is your print to digital
strategy?
How long will the
recession last? “I see another full two years almost
before a significant gain,” says the chief economist
for the Portland Cement Association (WSJ
1/21)
COMMENT:
Many think it may be 2011 until we get real relief.
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