Author Archives: Steve Mays

Speak when spoken to

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I am clearly incapable of remaining silent for 24 hours. I fantisize about this from time to time but can’t summon the will to try it. So I’m wondering if I could go for a day only speaking in response to a direct question. No follow-up queston, I remain mute. I could puss out by allowing me to ask a direct question.

I’d really like to see a transcript of everything said to me and by me for a full day. I’d go through it line by line, deleting stuff that didn’t need to be said. You know there wouldn’t be much left.

Somewhere in the archives there’s a post in which I speculate a word rationing plan. I get 1,000 words alloted for every 24 hours. My iPhone app counts my words and gives me updates on remaining. Once gone, can’t talk. Have to rely on 100 pre-recorded phrases to interact with others. Would the quality of my discourse go up given such a limitation?

Stay tuned.

“Threads of advertising-sponsored content”

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“Advertising is becoming content, not message. Or, more specifically, the message is knit into the content.  Under that scenario there is no 30-second spot per se, there are simply threads of advertising-sponsored content.

Creating “content that people choose to watch (and share)” (and listen to) is the job of every company that calls itself “media.”  This goes to the heart of radio’s revenue model because it is clearly out of step with the direction of clients and their agencies.

This is why the structure of so much of radio is outdated.  We have sellers who move spots and programmers who mix music. What we need amongst these are content creators who match consumers with clients in the presence of our brands by bringing compelling ideas to life.”

— Mark Ramsey Media

Shortmail

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Shortmail.com is designed to create a digestible inbox. By limiting messages to 500 characters, Shortmail is “stressing conciseness.” Like Twitter, Shortmail features a character counter which tracks each letter typed–reach the max, and Shortmail will not allow you to send the message. The same restriction applies to messages received. — More at FastCompany

You can Shortmail me at: smaysdotcom@shortmail.com

Your business card a billboard for your brand

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“In my universe a powerful brand should be able to explain their mission in a single paragraph–the fewer words, the better. But what most brands forget is that their business card is indeed their ‘napkin,’ a blank canvas enabling them to communicate the essence of their brand (or fail to do so).

We live in a super-cluttered world where no one has time for anything. We’re bombarded with text messages, TV commercials, billboards and online ads, and so companies need to know what they stand for. It’s a fact that you cannot remember more than three television commercials in a row, let alone recall the design of your average business card unless they manage to rise above the cacophony and stand out in a way that’s completely relevant.”

—Fast Company

nd.

Einstein on Buddhism

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“The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.”