a groovyweb by isman tanuri

The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 came around last Sunday. I eventually ticked another item off my New Year’s Resolutions list by completing the 21km half-marathon, my first ever, but not without pains and frustration. Despite being able to run continuously for 90 minutes and feeling strong and tireless at the 14km mark, I had to switch to brisk walking because of a prior niggling injury to my right ankle. That meant shifting my weight to the left leg, and soon I was cramping out on that leg. One thing led to another and soon both legs were developing muscle pains.

Thinking is a Painkiller

I began writing this blog post in my head for the next 5km. That somewhat took away the troubling thoughts that I will not reach the Finish Line in 2.5 hours (my goal on the outset). In any case, many of my blog posts had been written while on my daily runs. The experts do say that running makes you smarter. I certainly like the tone of that.

As I have been reading Chris Anderson’s The Long Tail lately, naturally my mind drifted there. Observing the massive throng of people (well, mostly folks speeding past me), a theoretical connection clicked, from which more thoughts poured in.

Here’s the result of killing pain with brain juicing.

The Marathon is A Long Tail Business

In his book, Chris Anderson generally explains the concept of The Long Tail as the explosion of niche products and customers. With the digital revolution and easy access to choices, consumers are buying extensively from a range of “non-hit” products and non-traditional retail sources. We were too smitten with buying branded products, undoubtedly shaped by popular culture in the ‘70s-‘90s, but now we are buying deep into catalogues of obscure products. Amazon.com and iTunes are examples of The Long Tail business, retailers who offer unlimited product choices. Many other small- and medium-sized businesses are also thriving in the Long Tail economy, catering to an extended range of niche market segments.

In marathon running, The Long Tail theory holds water too. At the front of the pack are the well-oiled professional runners whom we can imagine as the corporations and big businesses of the world. These are the runners who will lead far ahead of the competition, dominate the race, first to the Drinks Stations and eventually winning the money prizes. But what about the rest of the competition? (Imagine sole proprietors, small- and mid-sized businesses as runners that make up the rest of the competitive field)

This is where the Long Tail kicks in. There are enough opportunities for everyone else at the back. Everyone gets an opportunity at the Drinks Stations or a banana treat. Everyone gets a path ahead to run along. Even the last competitor in the field gets a medal eventually.

To illustrate, earlier on in my career, then-girlfriend (now wife) and myself started a music label business together. Fruit Records, the label we own, was too small to compete with the bigwigs of music distribution, such as Warner Music or Sony BMG. We were also a wee player in a network of thousands of independent music labels around the world. Getting prominently ahead of competition is a tough proposition.

We decided that we needed a niche business strategy to complement our niche product genre (in this case, independent guitar pop bands) and we were very successful with it (view my Fruit Records’ portfolio.) We found customers and distribution all over the world, in Poland, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Peru, Finland, New Zealand and many other exotic locales. Our bands travelled the region to perform and, to our surprise, the long-tail fans appeared in huge numbers! When we put on concerts in Singapore featuring foreign artistes, we were equally-bewildered at the breadth and demographic make up of our audiences. It was certainly an unforgettable experience in the Long Tail economy.

In essence, just as in marathon running, as long as a business attempts to stay in competition, the Long Tail will bring its niche rewards and satisfaction, personal or commercial. Businesses must be willing to develop its own niches and audience in spite of fierce and numerous competition. Perhaps winning or dominating the marketplace is out of the question for most businesses but if they stay focused and strategise for the long-run, there are enough opportunities to grow from strength to strength into a sustainable enterprise.

Personal Learning and Business Lessons in Marathon Running

Before the 14km mark, I was pretty sure of a good finish. I felt good and my aggregate time would have put me in good stead for a sub-2.5 hour finish. Then the pains started and all plans went awry. So a new strategy was required: a run-walk trot and my goal was adjusted to a sub-3 hours finish.

If you look at my official running stats’ analysis, 1541 runners passed by me in the last 7.2km alone. Blah. Every metre of that last stretch was frustrating. I kept trying to increase my ‘trot’ speed to a jog but every 10 metres or so, I had to abruptly stop because either the right or the left leg was on the verge of cramping. After a while, I decided to listen intently to what my body was trying to tell me. I assessed the situation and managed my expectations. I told myself that if I were to get cramps, I might slow myself further and derail any hope of a sub-3 hours finish. I stopped pushing myself too hard. Gratefully, I managed to jog the last 500 metres. Sweet.

When I acknowledged the fact that I was not going to meet my original goal (sub-2.5 hours), I decided to look at the bigger picture. What is my end-objective? To complete the run. Timing became secondary and, in my head, I was already planning ahead to 2010’s Singapore Marathon in my head. Learn from the mistakes of this maiden experience and come back stronger next year.

Before the marathon on Sunday, I was frequently asked “So is this a precursor to next year’s full marathon?” Of course, the egocentric, competitive maniac in me proclaimed “Yes!” to every one of those questions. How humbled have I been since.

I have reassessed and realised that I do not have all the strengths of a marathon runner. My bulky size means I am not built for long-distance running and, because of my age, the impact of constant running may actually be detrimental to my knees and joints in the long run and limit further physical activities. That is a big consideration.

I am also not equipped with the mental confidence and conviction that I am able to finish a full marathon. Yet. Expectation #fail.

But what I have got going for me is the experience of a first half-marathon and the belief that I can perfectly manage the 21km distance. Knowing my body, I am also convinced that I can do exceptionally well in this category with better preparation and training. Therefore, with all these understanding, I choose the option to excel. So it will be the half-marathon again next year (rather than being mentally-defeated in the full marathon.)

In Summary…

As I have illustrated above, marathon running-style, there are many business lessons to be learned while distance running. In the course of doing business, I believe organisations must be willing to pause and consider the following:

• Listen internally and intently to the business and the marketplace
• Look at the bigger picture and plan sustainable long-term objectives
• Assess situation and re-strategise, if necessary
• Manage expectations and adjust goals, if required
• Understand strengths and weaknesses and use this knowledge to excel in the field, rather than being an also-ran or overrun by competitors

Oh, and by the way, I managed to achieve my sub-3 hours goal. My official finish time for the 21km half-marathon was 2hrs 58mins. Next year’s personal benchmark has been set. Doubly sweet.

So now, who’s taking up the challenge for next year’s Singapore Marathon? If you’re inspired by this post and signing up for next year’s run or you simply have views on this post, would love to hear from you in the comments.

Conversations. Being social is about being conversant. In all of its forms, be it business discussions, friendly discourses or family chats, it follows a certain, two-way norm: a question, an answer, then repeat. A question, an answer, then repeat. An almost cyclical activity, but really valuable in facilitating the exchange of information and sentiments between two or more parties. Conversations can build passion or bring us to tears. Which is pretty much the foundation of many great social communication strategies. So, let me ask this, why then do brands on social media ignore the conversation?

Writer’s note: I approached this as a balanced study and I will highlight both questionable and best practices. Sometimes I do wonder though, what if the designated ‘social media person’ in the company goes on vacation leave? I’ve noticed this happening before where conversations totally dropped off the radar. Hence my belief that social media is a shared responsibility of an enlightened open organisation. Anyone and everyone can speak and will speak. More on this in posts to come.

Starbucks Singapore’s Facebook page leaves many questions unanswered. Like literally.

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Recently I was asked this question ‘Tell me why Wisma Atria should have a Twitter account’. Wisma Atria is a major mall on Orchard Road, Singapore that has pretty much reinvented itself with a facade change and cool-factor repositioning. A quick check shows that Wisma Atria is already on Twitter although I can’t be sure if that is indeed Wisma’s or a Twitter-squatter. Looks derelict to me (with 4 dubious followers) and 0 tweets.

There are many things that a business can achieve on Twitter and on social media in general, including close interaction with customers, shouting out ads, news and discounts, content distribution and much more. Brand reputation management is also a real possibility if Twitter is set up to alert.

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This literature review was written as part of my final project for the BA (Hons) Marketing Management program I had attended. I personally thought it was a lot of fun getting this together, especially enjoyed the tons of reading. A lot of insights and new ideas were formed during the process of writing this. See if you enjoy it too. Do leave a comment if you don’t :)

You may wish to download the PDF for later viewing.

Update Dec 1 ‘09: I received an overall Distinction grade for the Final Year Project, of which this Literature Review is a major component.

How can a company who gives its product away for free be extremely profitable (billions in revenue!)? Chris Brogan says it nicely here on how Red Hat does business by involving the community.

In a really connected world, no one can go it alone. Apart from the community that supports and develops your products (in tech at least), listening to your customers (end-users) must be the easiest way to gain insights, to polish your wares. But sadly, that is not always the case.

This Red Hat video says it very well and succinctly. The community-driven enterprise: it works!

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By now you must have realised my fascination for augmented reality. It has all been really ‘cool’ without much real-life application (yet) outside of games and layering the real world with the internet. Fancy but still too techy for most folks.

This is something else. The United States Postal Service has come up with a brilliant use for augmented reality. For the CUSTOMER. Not an exhibition.

A breakthrough perhaps in a real life use for augmented reality (anyone else seen anything similar being developed? Please comment if you have.) So, have you ever wondered if that teddy bear gift you bought will fit in a packing box for shipping? Now you can find out yourself with a camera and internet connection. No need for ‘guess-timation’ or looking out for that measuring tape that is never around when you need it.

Can SingPost develop something like this? I say it would be the norm rather than a novelty in the not-too-distant future.

Excellent, this is technology for the customer. Watch video below and be convinced.

Facebook is a great place for small businesses and startups to stay in touch with their customers online. In fact, there are many other social media tools that can help SMEs get around the big revolution that is the social Web 2.0. Fika Cafe is a new food place, serving Swedish food in a quaint district of Singapore. Fika’s on Facebook too and the subject of my case study.

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My favourite shoe folks, Zappos, (disclosure: never bought anything from them, but maybe that should change soon) has launched a no-brainer.

They’ve called it the Internet Vendor Mentor program. Rolled out by the Customer Loyalty team, they had vendor folks from Birkenstock and Munro over in Zappos to sit in with the employees who are actually selling their products. What better way to know how your sales are are being managed than to sit right in, butt-to-butt, with your salesperson! 

Two major benefits of doing this:

1. For vendors: Other than being able to meet Zappos up close and providing guidance, the sessions allowed them to listen in to customers’ experience of buying their products online. The kind of questions they ask, the type or make of products they like. Any concerns that might. Very meaningful insights by really listening to your customers.

2. Zappos get to show off Zappos and what they stand for. I am sure the vendors go away knowing that their shoe-buying customers are in good hands and very well taken care of.

Absolutely Amazing Bonus: Listen closely, at 0:55, the Zappos customer consultant is giving directions to a Clarks store to a caller on the line! That is ZERO revenue and accidental COST incurred for Zappos! Can anyone else claim to such ‘shenanigans’?

I am sure all of these ‘live’ Zappos customer service goodness are rubbing off on these vendors. I had earlier posted on Zappos’ culture, watch the video if you are still unconvinced that this is the best company to work for :)

Still unconvinced? Read actual CEO’s email to employees (on acquisition by Amazon), can’t get any more open and transparent than this.

C