Someone tell the suits to quit trying so hard.

The other day I went on awwwards.com looking for some inspiration (yes while I was drinking a whiskey)

I was looking for web development enlightenment and what I found had nothing to do with html and css.

You often see big companies or small companies obsessed with pushing their products.

This curler will curl you hair forever.
This sock will sock your foot for eternity.
This wine will keep you drunk all year.
Some people buy it, I sure as hell do not.

The reality is that no one cares. Consumers are inundated with the same mess from tons of firms and it just does not work. That is why marketing has been a creative field. It is no longer A + B = C, it is F + D = Z and Z is 10 times more sales than C. In layman’s terms, the new age of marketing is triumphing over the dated tactics.

Successful campaigns are creating this feeling:

Trust me I have drank a lot of whiskey.

Next time I am in the liquor store guess what do I plan on buying?

This is a prime example of the product making a statement larger than life. Perhaps you do not comprehend? The short commercial is not about Tullamore Dew. It is about celebrating the moment, celebrating life. Enjoying the time we have, feeling the rain on your face or in this case your whiskey.

Or is this marketing campaign about Tullamore Dew?

That my friend, is a good commercial

As we go through life we learn there is an art to everything. A special approach to making the perfect cup of coffee, grilling an amazing steak and carrying on a productive conversation. More often than not we overlook the artistic approach we should take to crafting a document as simple as a press release.

If you spend some time researching the matter of press releases, you see the formulaic approach exude itself. Insert basic information here, insert quote here, insert motivating paragraph about product/ transaction/ launch / etc. here.

Uhm boring.

Will that drive traffic to your site?

Will that embody your brand?

Will that increase the mailing list signup 10 fold?

No.

Your team has been working on your product for months or years. You know it better than anyone else. The ins and outs, the pros and cons, you have them memorized, they sit on a sticky note pasted to your bathroom mirror.

1. Make sure the press release embodies your site.

The press release may go out to a few writers. It may go out to some friends. Hell it may even go to your local paper. Most importantly it will go on your site. It will be a mission statement of your brand, it will define where you have been and where you will go. It better talk about all the amazing aspects of your website. It better talk about the extraordinary aspects of your company. Get me (the consumer) excited!

2. Bullet point the awesome aspects of your site.

In todays world no matter how much people love your brand, they barely read your content. Make sure you cater to those individuals that are just “too busy” —  highlight the most important points. This will ensure you capture those cool kids that only care about the highlights (or that blogger/ writer that only has 30 seconds to read your email).

3. Make it personal

Yes I know quotes are boring. Though speaking from the heart is never boring. Have someone who is close to the project and values the new site give you a quality quote. Key work, quality. Make sure this embodies how the customer feels so the old customers can relate and the new ones can start using your site. This will ensure the press release has a personal feel.

4. Flaunt your company

Be it at the end or the beginning make sure you write about all the awesome things your company has done or will do. Why do this? If I stumble upon your site what do I want to know? I want to know about your site/company. I just learned about your new website and/or website upgrade. Now I want to know why you are awesome.

The above formula works great for relaunching a site or launching a new site. It does not work best for a new product or app launch. You need a little more excitement than the above formula.

What can I say, I am a nerd. I click where I am not supposed to. I spend all day looking at websites every websites html and CSS. In my time off I code things for fun (yes it has put strains on my love life). It makes reading an article take an extra 10 minutes. I would not suggest it…

How did they do that here?

Why did they do that there?

Why am I not doing that in my stuff?….

Luckily for me the other day I broke MailChimp. Not really really break it. Just broken enough so that I got a well deserved laugh.

I have built plenty of 404 error pages. I even spend some time looking them up to be more creative with my mine. Life is about pushing the limits of creativity in all aspects of your work, but I digress.

If you are bored and want more 404 error pages I suggest you read 33 brilliantly designed 404 error pages. That article did nothing less than inspire me.

What is so brilliant about the MailChimp graphic highlighted above you ask?

Well do not you fret, I have all the answers.

To begin with, it focuses on the current branding of the company. Who uses MailChimp and does not love that little monkey? Mixing him or her (we are not sexist here) with a well known historical figure Sherlock Holmes you now have thoroughly connected with your audience. The branding team has evoked a well known historical figure and the light bulb has popped on above your head.

If you just observe the image you would be confused. A monkey blowing bubbles = no bueno (no good). By adding the clever language below the image. Boom! The creative humor of Sherlock Holmes is evoked.

The smartest aspect of this piece is the theme. The idea that you are searching for something that is missing. It makes perfect sense. You are clicking away and bam! The page you clicked on is missing.

MailChimp’s word play is just brilliant and eases the pain of not ending up where you wished to be.

The thing you should take away from this, that brilliant idea that will change your life — details are everything. Dot your t’s and cross your i’s. Wait, wait, I may have that wrong…

Anyways, it is those little details your customers remember. No matter what business you are in, it may be a smile, a “how are you today”, a hand written thank you note and the list goes on. The devil is in the details and the details are in all your future successes.

I have always aimed to make difficult things easier. Not because I am lazy, but rather, because I think life should be simpler. Daunting tasks should not be so daunting. Changing careers should not be impossible.

That is where jobsindumbo comes in.

Our team strives to give job seekers the easiest and most efficient access to NYC based startup jobs.

Your future belongs to you.

As a job seeker you deserve to work for a company that matches your short and long term goals. You want your work to count. You want your contributions to have a direct impact on the company. You want the NYC startup experience.

As a startup founder or HR Exec you want quality team members. You want individuals that want to work in NYC. You want individuals that have a vested interest in your company. Most importantly you want to add skilled members to your team.

Here at jobsindumbo we have experienced headaches from both sides of the equation. So we decided to develop a solution for both the job seekers and job posters.

Hopefully our job board will change the way you interact with strut up jobs in NYC.

Follow us on twitter @jobsindumbo or post/find a job today at jobsindumbo.com.

The world of technology has changed dramatically since, well, yesterday. Expansion in the world of computers is exponential.

Exponential — increasingly rapid.

What does this mean for business owners?

It has a vast array of repercussions. The one I want to focus on currently is wireless internet. There was a time when only a select few “joints” around town provided internet. Those days are long gone.

Todays consumer have certain expectations. This goes above and beyond wireless. Hopefully you are an expert in your field of business and already know what the customer demands. When it comes to the infrastructure you provide, you must provide just that – infrastructure. A solid building is no longer sufficient and other permanent amenities are require.

What are the customers expectations today? Good service, quality product and wireless internet. That has been the norm in most hotels and resorts for the last few year. It has morphed from a paid amenity to a free service that is a must.

The coffee shops were some of the first to join the club. Starbucks (and other purveyors of the coffee bean) have been providing quality internet to the public since I can remember. The businesses that have provided this wireless are still around providing it for a reason. In layman’s terms they saw what their customers wanted and acted upon it, providing them the much coveted wireless internet. We are currently seeing a shift towards providing wireless internet in all aspects of hospitality and service industries.

That is right.

Next time you are out at a lovely dinner it will not be your wife asking you to put your phone down and engage with her, but rather: “Honey what’s the wireless passcode?”

Next time you are getting your car serviced.

Next time you are getting your nails done.

Next time you are buying, well anything.

You as a customer will expect a wireless passcode.

You as a business owner best provide that service.

Wireless internet is now a first world expectation. So as a business owner you better hop on the bandwagon before it is too late.

My office (landlord, grocery store, etc.) provides guest wireless, why doesn’t yours?