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Category: Business Model
Monetizable Sentiment Indices
Quick Read: Recently we've seen how being able to smartly parse the chatter on social media becomes valuable – especially for speculative trades. This heralds an interesting opportunity: i.e., monetising such knowhow of social sentiment, at scale.
Have you heard of BUZZ – the social sentiment ETF?
Social Media ETFs
In a previous post, we argued that there is a certain premium attached to being able to smartly parse and capitalise on the knowhow of the social media chatter on forums like r/WallStreetBets. This is best exemplified by the recently launched ETF by New York asset manager VanEck the 'Buzz NextGen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index'. Quoting the FT article..
The Reddit rebellion might have died down for the moment, but New York asset manager VanEck is betting that there is long term value in listening to social media chat and is launching a social sentiment exchange traded fund. The fund will invest in the stocks being most talked up on social media. (..)
Its underlying benchmark, the Buzz NextGen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index…aggregates investment-related content from social media sites such as Twitter and StockTwits, blogs and news articles. Machine learning and artificial intelligence are then deployed to attempt to "identify patterns, trends and changing sentiment which can affect market-based outcomes". The 75 US large-cap stocks judged as having the highest degree of positive investor sentiment and bullish perception then form the portfolio, which is rebalanced monthly. (..)
Source: Financial Times
The following tidbits from the interview with Jamie Wise, CEO of Buzz Holdings and the originator of the index, shed more light on some further specifics related to the ETF.
"This is not a Reddit meme stock ETF," said Jamie Wise, CEO of Buzz Holdings. "This is about the broader conversation around stocks mentioned on social media platforms. We are using broad social media sources, principally Twitter and StockTwits." Wise said it also uses Yahoo Finance, Benzinga and Reddit.
How to determine "social media buzz?" Wise says the index uses natural language algorithms that examines whether the comment is positive, negative or neutral, then ranks each stock based on the degree of positive sentiment and breadth of discussion. That's key to understanding the index: stocks are weighted by sentiment, not market capitalization, and no one stock can exceed 3% of the index. It is rebalanced every month.
"We are aggregating the collective sentiment of the community" that comments on stocks on social media, Wise said.
Is social media popularity a good way to pick stocks? Can stocks be manipulated on social media? Well the jury might still be out on that. But given the current dynamics, it is more likely that the larger question here might soon be skewed towards 'when' vs 'if'.
Extending this thought further
If we are to extend this concept further, new opportunity pools could become evident. Start with any category where popular social sentiment matters, and you would see a monetizable product waiting to be packaged and sold. Few examples:
Today, there are social media networks for sports gamblers like BetSperts, but if and when these networks manage to capture, index and channel the emergent sentiment on their platforms, they could very well monetise the same. (obviously this would be subject to the prevailing legal, regulatory and policy frameworks.)
The idea: Derivatives for sports betting based on social sentiment indices built on realtime social media chatter. (BTW did you try Locker Room – the Clubhouse for sports fans, insiders and athletes?)
In 2003 iTunes revolutionised music ownership by letting customers purchase and download the music they want for just 99 cents per song. Now, how about letting the general public participate in the actual funding and co-ownership of their favourite artiste's tracks/albums by facilitating fractional ownership à la securities on the stock market.
The idea: Letting artistes raise funds for their album(s) through an IPO kind of offering to their fans/community. The value of these 'stocks' could be pegged to the sentiment/chatter/metrics on platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud etc. And we could have 'exchanges' that facilitate trading of these 'stocks' among the community. (Taylor Swift would perhaps not have to bother with her rerecordings then)
SoundCloud seems to have already taken a step in this direction by launching 'fan powered royalties' last week.
Source: SoundCloud
Quoting from SoundCloud's press release announcing the launch..
Fan-powered royalties levels the playing field for independent artists by tying payouts to fandom. Artists are now better equipped to grow their careers by forging deeper connections with their most dedicated fans; and, in turn, fans can directly influence how their favorite artists are paid. Fan-powered royalties reflect feedback from the independent artist community on SoundCloud who want equitable payouts, transparency, and control over their own careers.
Essentially, any context where popular sentiment (now readily available through the hose pipes of social media) lends itself to be indexed and tracked, could potentially be transformed into a monetizable opportunity to unlock value and disintermediate the equation between creators and fans.
And we might perhaps see more such opportunities becoming evident thanks to the alignment of these three forces:
the emergence/growth of platforms that democratise and aggregate media of all types on the Internet
the rapidly growing creator economy and associated ecosystems and
the rise of new modes of interdependencies between (1) and (2) connecting the users' utility, consumption and communications patterns at scale
Even then we are perhaps just seeing the tip of the possibility iceberg.
[Featured Image: Source]
Chaitanya Chunduri	Business Model, Concept, Consumer Behavior, Culture, Finance, Innovation, Insight, Media, Music	1 Comment March 9, 2021 March 9, 2021 4 Minutes
Narrative Violations and Narrative Primitives
Quick Read: Sometimes narratives could have 'violations'. And sometimes, what might at first appear to be a 'violation' could prove to be intrinsic to its narrative. Knowing the former from the latter could help unlock great value – across verticals or contexts.
Making sense of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" is said to be difficult.
It is considered by many to be one of the most revered and feared compositions in Jazz history. In fact generations of Jazz musicians are known to approach 'Giant Steps' as the pinnacle in Jazz improvisation.
Why? This video could provide a delightful crash course of an answer.
Or take Afrobubblegum – the new film genre redefining on screen representation of Africa.
It refers to fun, fierce and frivolous African art that has joy and hope at the centre of it. The pioneer of this style, Wanuri Kahiu a TED fellow and a Kenyan filmmaker says "We're so used to narratives out of Africa being about war, poverty and devastation. We believe that Africa is joyful and full of pride and respect and hope," and continues to champion the need for such art that captures the full range of human experiences to tell vibrant stories of Africa.
And tell she did!
In 2018, Wanuri Kahiu's story of young lesbian love, Rafiki, made international headlines for being the first Kenyan film programmed at the Cannes Film Festival in 71 years of French Riviera cinema history.
What is common between Wanuri Kahiu's 'Afrobubblegum' and John Coltrane's 'Giant Steps'?
The genre of Afrobubblegum or the Jazz track 'Giant Steps' standout because they 'violate' the popular narratives around their respective art forms or subjects. They are examples of what venture capitalists call Narrative Violations.
Narrative Violations
While the term could seem like a fancy jargon to reference the essential characteristic of what makes something a 'contrarian bet' to a VC, I should admit that it serves its semantic purpose of helping us put a label on something specific through descriptive and non ambiguous terminology.
Perhaps it is this pull that made Geoff Lewis and Eric Stromberg – the founders of Bedrock Capital – write a manifesto for their firm titled 'In Search of Narrative Violations' stating the following..
Some recent 'Narrative Violations' listed on Bedrock Capital's manifesto letter
The letter in its entirety is eloquent and makes for a great read and ends on an inspiring note saying..
"..As our keystrokes hunt for the next narrative high, thousands of possibilities that will never be remain trapped beneath our fingertips. When we allow popular narrative to dictate who, where, and what is worthy of our time or capital, breakthroughs that could transcend remain overlooked, underestimated, or simply fade away.
Against all odds, a few brave entrepreneurs violating the narrative today will come to define profound new truths tomorrow. We're on a mission to find them"
To be clear, the concept of 'Narrative Violations' has also had its fair share of critiques for being too reductive. It was even declared 2019's 'VC Bingo' buzzword of the year.
Nonetheless, I find the concept to be a clarifying filter that helps me process or question most things with a healthy dose of scepticism and encourages me to seek out edge cases in popular rhetoric, including say even that around the concept of 'Narrative Violation' itself.
Consider this question.
What if, sometimes, narrative violations are part of the narrative?
i.e., what if a 'violation' is actually an inherent part of a larger pattern that constitutes the narrative itself? Like say, a recurring motif that becomes apparent if only one were to step back and consider the big picture. Being able to see if and when that is the case could help us identify emerging paradigms and recognise how such paradigms propagate.
For e.g., after the dotcom bubble burst in 2000, Carlota Perez published her seminal book Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital arguing that the 'burst' was completely normal and qualified it by drawing patterns from four similar epochal periods over the last two centuries: the industrial revolution, steel and railways, electricity and heavy engineering, the automobiles and mass production.
Across each of these periods, she pattern matched its associated moments of 'crash' (the equivalent of the dotcom bubble burst from 2000) and recognised such instances as inalienable parts of larger cycles that play out over several decades (as opposed to say some inexplicable violations to the popular narratives of their times).
Source: Carlota Perez, Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital,2002
The master stroke of her framework is that it inherently provisions for moments of 'big bangs', 'bubbles', 'crashes' and then again necessary 'recompositions' as part of a single unified narrative that cohesively explains the interplay between financial capital and technological revolutions. And then continues to shine a spotlight on how this narrative seemed to have repeated itself across ages almost inviolably.
(Bonus reads: Two of my favourite thinkers, Alex Danco and Ben Thomspon have recently used Carlota Perez's framework to write about Debt Financing and Paradigm Shifts in tech. Highly recommended reads indeed.)
To reiterate, a key takeaway for me here is the idea of the narrative as a paradigm that propagates.
Such a narrative construct that propagates needs to be essentially indivisible, should have a full self contained arc of a structure to serve as a standalone story if need be and be able to play out as a cohesive whole even with trivial variations in contexts or actors.
Matthew Ball has a term for this – The Narrative Primitive.
In one of the most intellectually stimulating podcasts I have listened to in the recent past, Matthew Ball joins Patrick O'Shaughnessy to discuss movies, the Metaverse and more and refers to the concept of 'Narrative Primitive' to explain why the worlds of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the Star Wars stand out as expansive and immersive. The following lines from the podcast's transcript shine light further.
… "how would you have told the story 80 years ago if you had all the tools available? How are those stories going to change in the next 10 years?" And in some instances that is unlocking what you might call a narrative primitive, that's perhaps some of the reasons why the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the tales of Star Wars are so expansive today, so immersive."
Now, when I consider these two concepts – Narrative Violation and Narrative Primitive – together, I am tempted to posit the following.
The essential insight that rock star traders, venture capitalists and story tellers possess is this – they know a good narrative when they see one. And more importantly they have an eye for a narrative violation. Because they think in narrative primitives.
Noteworthy ingredients – that may or may not have gone into the making of this blog post:
[Music]: The essential John Coltrane playlist
[Books]: Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital, The Master Switch
[Blogs]: Debt is Coming by Alex Danco, The End of the Beginning and its follow up article by Ben Thompson
[Podcasts]: Nairobi from TED's Pindrop Podcast, Ep. 185 movies the Metaverse and more from Invest like the Best by Patrick O'Shaughnessy
[Featured Image: Pendulums on freepik]
Chaitanya Chunduri	Art, Business Model, Business Strategy, Concept, Consumer Behavior, Innovation, Insight, Music, Narratives, Story Telling	Leave a comment September 7, 2020 September 8, 2020 5 Minutes
Santa Claus and Peppa Pig
Quick Read: If 'brand' is a story and if 'we' constitute a culture, interesting things begin to happen when a culture seeks a story or when a story seeks a culture – all in that classic quest for resonance.
When a Culture Seeks Out a Story
Rovaniemi – is a Christmas lover's dream. It is a Finnish town that has – over the years – established itself as the home of Santa Claus. This sleepy town of around 60,000 inhabitants manages to attract over 500,000 visitors annually from all over the world all seeking the story of Santa Claus, or in other words the experience of the brand Santa Claus.
It has the Santa's office where people queue up for a brief 3 minute meeting with him, Santa's post office that receives a flood of letters from all around the world addressed to "Santa Claus, Lapland", the Santa's official elves and you get the drift – essentially the entire Christmas package that you could ever ask for.
Santa Claus at Rovaniemi. Source
While this could constitute a fascinating case study in itself about the power of an iconic brand as an enduring story, the last 18 – 24 months have seen an interesting phenomenon emerge.
Let's start with the letters. The Santa's post office is said to have received upwards of 500,000 letters in 2018. Till 2017, most of the letters used to come from the UK. But now China is said to be way ahead. Apparently the Post Office is said to have received more than 100,000 letters from China alone last year. (source)
Now the visitors. By some accounts in 2017 alone, close to 580,000 visitors flew into Rovaniemi (double the number in 2010) and much of that growth is said to be driven by visitors from China. In fact as per this article..
Now, just about everywhere in Rovaniemi accepts Alipay, Alibaba Group's mobile payment system, which is also available on Finnair flights from seven Chinese cities to Helsinki. …At (hotels) you can pay in Alipay and communicate with reception using WeChat, the ubiquitous Chinese social media/messaging service.
Xi Jinping with Santa. Source
Now this is the interesting thing.
Christmas is not an official holiday in mainland China, and has in fact increasingly been banned in various cities in recent years. On Dec. 15 2018, security officials in Langfang, a city in Hebei province, issued a notice prohibiting the display of Christmas materials and spreading of "religious propaganda" in public areas including schools and plazas. The notice also warned against selling Christmas products and instructed local workers to ensure a "healthy and orderly environment" during the Christmas period. One city even said it would fine individuals caught selling or making fake snow. (more on that here)
But Chinese visitors and letters addressed to Santa from China constitute the majority. Why?
Most Chinese children may not be fully aware of Christmas's religious background nor of China's complicated relationship to the holiday. But the story of Santa Claus and Christmas – the universal values of generosity, hope, and gratitude, could be what's driving them to write to Santa Claus or visit the town of Rovaniemi.
In many ways this phenomenon could be said to be the classic example of a 'culture' seeking out a 'story'.
Nothing represents this sentiment better than the following lines from a letter written by a 19 year Chinese girl to Santa (as quoted in this article)
"In China, we don't have Christmas, and family is more important than gifts," she wrote in both English and Chinese. "But you know, one small present can mean so much to a child, and bring so much happiness. Although you don't really exist, kindness does. In my heart, you represent kindness."
When a Story Seeks Out a Culture
If you are not a parent, let me quickly get you up to speed on Peppa.
Peppa Pig. Source
Peppa Pig is a British preschool animated character that has spawned a multi billion dollar worth empire of TV series, toys, books, films, theme parks, merchandise and even video games. Each day this muddy puddle loving pre-school character has been winning legions of little fans from all over the world.
In 2018 Peppa's memes were banned from social media platforms by Beijing. So its chances looked dicey in China.
Well that was till early this month.
By mid January 2019, Peppa Pig has been experiencing a huge boost to its popularity in China after the runaway success of a trailer released to promote a Peppa Pig film.In fact the trailer's Mandarin hashtag #WhatisPeppa had been viewed more than 1.45bn times on popular microblogging platform Sina Weibo and the official video had garnered hundreds of millions of views across various streaming platforms. (source)
This short video, co-produced by Canadian media group Entertainment One and China's Alibaba Pictures story has supposedly found its best resonance with the Chinese audience given the timing of its release – the Chinese New Year marking the start of the year of the Pig – and for realistically depicting how societal changes such as urbanization and generational culture gaps have had an impact on Chinese families.
Given this, the short video makes for an uplifting story of the potential that could be unlocked when we have a story that successfully seeks cultural resonance.
Now Try This Exercise
Think of a phenomenon gone viral or a campaign that back fired. And for each such example that comes to your mind:
Identify if the brand or the central theme has a clear story to tell, a positioning that it seeks to carve out in people's minds with a clear and a consistent narrative. Is it coherent or half baked? Is that rooted/ does it seek to root itself in the zeitgeist of the times or does it look like it is pushing its luck by tapping into a topical trend?
Now, look at the recipients of the story (or sometimes the seekers of the story). Is there a tenet that unifies them – a common characteristic, a cultural theme that binds them? Can there be a common story that could appeal to this culture? Or is the underlying cultural theme too fragmented or too nuanced that no single story could have a satisfying chance to resonate with it?
Chances are that, a successful campaigns/ popular phenomena would always be rooted in strong stories appealing to strong cultural themes or the other way round. Have either one of these stand on weak or flimsy grounds you have a recipe for a backfire.
[Featured Image: Peppa and Her Family Dress up as Santa Claus for Christmas, Video thumbnail]
Chaitanya Chunduri	Advertising, Art, Branding, Business Model, Concept, Consumer Behavior, Creative Executions, Insight, Marketing, Narratives, Story Telling	1 Comment January 30, 2019 5 Minutes
Expressions and Insights
Quick Read: No matter what we do, we tend to express ourselves. And these expressions can lend themselves to interesting insights.
A very popular class of Kenneth Goldsmith at the University of Pennsylvania is called "Uncreative Writing". As part of this course, students are forced to plagiarize, appropriate, and steal texts. In fact, they are said to be penalized for originality, sincerity, and creativity.
What does the course do?
As Kenneth elaborates ..
What they've been surreptitiously doing throughout their academic career—patchwriting, cutting-and-pasting, lifting—must now be done in the open, where they are accountable for their decisions.
Suddenly, new questions arise: What is it that I'm lifting? And why? What do my choices about what to appropriate tell me about myself? My emotions? My history? My biases and passions? The critiques turn toward formal improvement: Could I have swiped better material? Could my methods in constructing these texts have been better?
Not surprisingly, they thrive. What I've learned from these years in the classroom is that no matter what we do, we can't help but express ourselves.
No matter what we do, he says (and I repeat), we cannot help but express ourselves. And this forms of expression if interpreted and analyzed could lend themselves for some valuable insights.
Let us take a few examples from the most unlikeliest of the sources of expression.
The link between crime and ink
People choose to draw stuff on their bodies because of what that specific tattoo means to them. With one of the hotbeds of tattooing being the American prisons, The Economist set about to investigate what inferences it could possibly draw about a life of crime from different types of tattoos.
Source: Robert Gumpert
Their question: If people's ethnicity and sex determines their tattoos, can the same be said of their types of crime?
Using data from the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) – a downloadable database featuring records for all the 100,000 inmates currently incarcerated in the Florida state prison system – The Economist built a series of statistical models to predict the likelihood of criminals committing specific crimes based on their demographic traits and choices of tattoos. (see table below)
Source: The Economist
For example, their analysis had found that inmates convicted of property crimes and weapons-possession offences have the most tattoos, while sex offenders, particularly those convicted of paedophilia, tend to have the fewest. For a full commentary on this revealing analysis read the full article here.
One big insight based on this analysis is that tattoos tend to be supremely effective in predicting recidivism – the tendency of an ex convict to relapse into criminal behavior. (Of the inmates who have been re-incarcerated, 75% percent had tattoos!)
So non profits like Homeboy Industries – one of America's largest gang rehabs – have free tattoo removal services. For, the act of removing tattoos reflects a genuine investment in ones change and thereby almost guarantees a step change in how you see yourself.
Bespoke fashion: an investment in self expression
Getting a pair of bespoke shoes is considered an epitome in luxury grooming for men.
One, because of its obscene cost. And two because it requires a considerable investment of time—typically, you fly off to Europe to get your feet measured and place the order (or the shoemaker flies in to your city), there may be two-three more visits for fittings, and then you wait anything from 9-12 months for the final shoe.
These connotations of luxury don't still capture the essence of the bespoke fashion movement, until one begins to see it as an investment in self expression.
Bespoke, thereby, is a journey where you typically start with shirts, move to suits, and then some men take the logical next step to shoes as a final expression of their overall style and look. So next time you see someone with a bespoke suit you know where they are in their journey of self expression.
Source: Berluti, Mastery of Form
Now, given that there's greater variety in women's body shapes than men's, one would expect a greater choice for women's bespoke fashion. Interestingly it's the other way round.
Cost is one challenge – more curves mean more measurements, more places a garment might need to be adjusted and more time getting the fit just right, making the whole process more expensive.
But the key challenge could be in being able to support for the underlying vocabulary of self expression dormant in women's custom clothing. After all, bespoke fashion for women is an ocean of choice for personal expression that goes beyond just body fit, spanning attributes like apparel, color, fabric, style, occasion and perhaps even mood.
Now that's one heavily under served segment in the super lucrative world of bespoke fashion – if only one could demystify the method to the madness of the infinite variations of expressions that constitute women's custom clothing.
Anyone that's sartorially linguistic?
(Featured Image: Bespoke Shoes by Gieves and Hawkes)
Chaitanya Chunduri	Art, Business Model, Business Strategy, Concept, Consumer Behavior, Design, Marketing	4 Comments January 3, 2017 3 Minutes
Modern Molinism
Quick Read: Want a sure shot ticket down a rabbit hole? Your bet: Choice Design. So much for free will.
Morioka Shoten Ginza is a book store in Tokyo where you wouldn't have a problem with deciding which book to buy.
Because in any given week it sells copies of a single title. Each title is displayed for six days in a row—Tuesday to Sunday—and then swapped out for a new book.
Yoshiyuki Morioka – the founder of this "single room with a single book" concept believes that focusing on a single book would help foster a deeper relationship between a book and its reader and drive up the pleasure of reading to a whole new level.
Additionally, every evening an event is organised to discuss the book and connect its author with readers, while pieces of art that relate to the book are displayed around the store for the readers to soak in and enjoy.
(Morioka Shoten bookstore: Pic Source)
Unsurprisingly this approach of 'choice design' combats decision fatigue and stifles crippling indecision that customers tend to face in a conventional book store set up – online or offline.
Result: An invisible hand that influences its customers' free will, subtly leading them from a cursory browsing mindset to that of a deeper meaningful engagement leading to purchase.
One customer at a time. And one book title at a time
According to Morioka, the store has sold more than 2,000 works since it opened last year and attracted numerous visitors from all over the world. (source)
Meanwhile at the other end of choice spectrum
A unique adventure beckons you with the promise of debilitating you with mind boggling levels of choice at every turn of the journey.
Sample this.
You're sitting alone in your apartment minding your own business when, out of nowhere, someone bursts through your front door. So what do you do?
(Source: Clickventures)
So begins your adventure that starts off on a simple note.
But even before you realise, you will soon find yourself deep down a rabbit hole staring into frustrating levels of complexity and a ridiculous set of choices being thrown at you at each turn.
And surprisingly you find it addictive!
Clickventures, as they're called, are exercises in absurdist escalation.
Despite the apparent air of triviality around them, each clickventure is an evil design experiment that lies at the intersection of comedy, interactive fiction, game design and behavioural research.
No wonder, brands are not far behind in tapping into this space.
For e.g, Old Spice has created a wild and wacky choose-your-own-adventure social experience on Instagram with Wieden + Kennedy.
The more you click, the further you go and the more wackiness you can experience. Exactly like in the Clickventures. Try out few of them here and see who wins.
Your "free" will?
A basic tenet of Molinism is that in addition to knowing everything that will happen, God also knows what His creatures would freely choose if placed in any circumstance.
It's essentially a doctrine which attempts to reconcile the providence of God with human free will.
Molinism is perhaps still going strong in the 21st century. It's just that these molinists go by a slightly different name today.
And they subscribe to a doctrine that attempts to reconcile the providence of an invisible hand (also known as the 'choice designer') with human free will.
Now, did I just call marketers, the modern day molinists?
(Featured Image: Quote from the cult movie The Matrix)
Chaitanya Chunduri	Branding, Business Model, Concept, Consumer Behavior, Design, Marketing	Leave a comment April 20, 2016 April 29, 2016 2 Minutes
Targeting Boredom
Quick Read: Marketers have always tried to dial up and capitalise on their consumers' active interest and consideration levels. Now what if they could also leverage the lack of it?
Let's take boredom.
A common human emotion, boredom often makes us to instinctively reach out to our mobile phones.
With our attention spans thrown into a state of suspended animation, it is natural that we see ourselves seeking solace in the infinite scrolls of updates, tweets, videos, pics etc.
In fact there is research to prove that our boredom levels can be inferred from – surprise surprise – our mobile phone usage alone!
By leveraging features related to our mobile phone usage like recency of communication, usage intensity, time of day and demographics – the research has successfully built a machine learning model that can infer our state of boredom with an 83% accuracy!!
(Pic source)
Interestingly, results from this research also suggest that people are more likely to engage with 'recommended content' when they are bored than when they are not.
Presumably because our 'conscious choice' takes a back seat when we are bored making us open to nibbling at a bit of whatever gets thrown our way.
Now these findings could have huge impact on targeting possibilities for marketers.
What if we could target not just by conventional cuts like demo, psychographics, affinities etc, but also by temporal mental states like say being bored, being excited, feeling low, feeling on top of the world etc?
Not too unrealistic a prospect. Is it?
But when that happens, we are looking at dramatic implications for brands from across a range of industries – be it for media platforms marketing content, or for e-commerce players seeking to deploy real time pricing interventions etc.
Now that's interesting.
(Featured Image Source)
Chaitanya Chunduri	Advertising, Business Model, Concept, Consumer Behavior, Marketing, Mobile	2 Comments December 8, 2015 1 Minute
Annotations About Annotations
Quick Read:Who would have thought what had begun as a traditional 17th century readers' habit of jotting down some thoughts and gossip on the margins of a sheet of paper could turn out to become a concept for world domination?
Annotations are in vogue today!
In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was traditional for newspapers to include space for readers to jot down thoughts, gossip, and observations before passing along their copy to others. Some papers kept their margins wide for such notes; others, like the very first American newspaper, Publick Occurrences, included an entire blank page.
Annotations are an extension of that tradition.
(Annotations in Boston Gazette and Country Journal (1770): Source)
…Saying this, Quartz – a popular blog, annouced the opening up of its margins to users' comments – also known as annotations.
Medium – the acclaimed blog publishing platform – introduced this concept of 'notes' that let readers comment (annotate) on specific paragraphs of the story instead of at the bottom of the piece.
Today Soundcloud allows users to annotate audio; Gawker Media allows users to annotate images and New York Times experimented with annotations around news as a more participative means of user engagement.
Annotations – as a creative narrative device
Even novels have begun to adopt annotations as a narrative device. S. – a novel previously featured on BrandedNoise – has at least four different interconnected narratives unfolding at the same time. One such narrative is the dialogue between a guy and a girl who read and discuss a book through their notes passed on to each other written as annotations.
(This is how an actual page of S. looks like. Image source)
If there is one book that you should buy – even for the sheer experience of just leafing through its pages and marveling at its creativity and design. This is it!
'Annotations' as a billion dollar idea?
Genius.com – a Andreessen Horowitz backed startup – is believed to be testing a new feature: the ability to annotate any page on the web, adding a new stratum of knowledge to the largest store of information in human history.
Currently in beta, the new functionality lets users add genius.com/ to the beginning of any URL to access a version of the page on Genius. The page is fully annotatable, so users can highlight and annotate any text on the page and view others' annotations. (source)
(Annotations from Genius.com: Image Source)
Enough and more is already being written about Genius.com and its stated goal of "annotate the world", with some even predicting that Annotate would soon transcend into the class of those fundamental verbs of contemporary culture, such as Google and Like!
Bonus read: Recently a mysterious billboard had appeared on the streets of Manhattan. (see the featured image above) Whereas most billboards are logo delivery vehicles, this one is unclaimed. The billboard is the work of Emily Segal for Genius.com. A great post on this avante-garde marketing campaign here.
Chaitanya Chunduri	Advertising, Branding, Business Model, Concept, Consumer Behavior, Design, Innovation, Marketing, Media, Narratives	4 Comments March 1, 2015 March 2, 2015 2 Minutes
The Simmel's Barrier
Quick Read: A Milan store with debranded perfumes helps consumers find the perfect scent without being distracted by the label. But is branding a barrier in consumer experience?
Wine tasting is arguably a junk science.
There have been several studies conducted over the years to debunk the accuracy of wine tasters in assessing the attributes of wines. A common theme of most of these experiments is an assessment of our capability in being able to accurately identify and analyse multiple sensory stimuli at the same time.
One such landmark study in debunking the expertise of wine tasters is called 'The Color Of Odors'. It investigated the interaction between our vision of colors and odor determination and found out that by a simple act of artificially coloring a white wine with a an odorless dye, you can fool not 1, not 2 but an entire panel of 54 wine tasters into getting it classified as a red wine!
The insight? By just throwing in some basic visual stimuli you can effectively screw up your olfactory assessment skills.
Now add in the other 3 senses and it is not hard to begin pitying ourselves for the sensory overload that we subject ourselves to on a daily basis.
Sensory Overload
The wikipedia page on Sensory Overload speaks about Georg Simmel – a renowned sociologist who writes about an urban scenario of constantly appearing stimuli that trigger our brains' senses. Interestingly he calls for a barrier that must be erected to protect the individual from this constant stimulation in order to keep one sane.
The new Desirée Parfums store in Milan has identified a particular marketing element as its 'Simmel's Barrier' to protect its customers from sensory overload. What does it do?
It organises its fragrances by aromatic quality, rather than brand. According to this source, when walking into this store, customers aren't subconsciously guided towards the most expensive perfumes like they might be in another store. Instead, the outlet has decanted all of the fragrances it sells into nondescript tester bottles, which are organized by their olfactory quality.
Assistants guide customers through the options available, helping them to find their perfect scent while also teaching them about the different qualities that make up a perfume. Only when they get to the counter so they get to find out which fragrance they're buying.
With perfume stores using branding as their 'Simmel's Barrier', wine stores might not be far off from adopting the same.
Have you heard of any other examples?
(Featured Image: Jacquelinewilkinson)
Chaitanya Chunduri	Branding, Business Model, Consumer Behavior, Design, Marketing, Retail	Leave a comment December 31, 2014 December 31, 2014 2 Minutes
Fracking The New Oil. Digitally
Quick Read: If data is the new oil, how do we go about extracting and refining it – at scale? Introducing Digital Fracking and a few notable examples.
Fracking, at its core, is an aggressive, invasive technique for extracting valuable raw materials out of hard to reach out places.
(Fracking. Image Source)
While this term has traditionally been used in the context of oil mining, this can equally be applicable to data, to arrive at the concept of Digital Fracking. A few examples first:
Have you read this recent story of a brilliant entrepreneur who's been making money off you without you even noticing? He is Luis von Ahn, the Carnegie Mellon Professor who pioneered innovative interventions to extract value from what normal people normally do online. Some extracts from the story,
The ESP Game
A tremendous number of unlabeled images are floating around on the web, which impairs everything from the accuracy of image searching to the blocking of inappropriate content. So, in 2005, Von Ahn launched a fun game called the ESP Game.
The concept is simple – The program would randomly pair each player with another user on the web, and show them a series of images. Both players were instructed simply to "type whatever the other guy is typing." The more overlap you produced, the better your score was.
Result: Within just four months, it had lured 13,000 bored web surfers into producing 1.3 million labels for roughly 300,000 images (source). And was subsequently acquired by Google and relaunched as Google Image Labeler (2006 – 2011).
Most of us would know what a CAPTCHA is. Essentially, it is a program that protects websites against bots by generating and grading tests that humans can pass but current computer programs cannot. By showing a distorted string of letters for example.
Now did you hear of reCAPTCHA? Most of us would have at least been subjected to it albeit unwittingly.
Launched by Von Ahn, the brilliant twist of reCAPTCHA is that this test isn't just verifying your humanity. As this article says, it's also putting you to work on decoding a word that a computer can't. The first word in a reCAPTCHA is an automated test generated by the system, but the second usually comes from an old book or newspaper article that a computer scanner is trying (and failing) to digitize. If the person answering the reCAPTCHA gets the first word correct (which the computer knows the answer to), then the system assumes the second word has been translated accurately as well.
In 2009, Google acquired reCAPTCHA and put the program to work on a tremendous scale, digitizing material for Google Books and the New York Times archives etc.
(Source: Google reCAPTCHA page)
And then more recently Von Ahn came up with Duolingo – a free language learning program that is again a crowdsourced text translation platform at its core.
As he says, "It's just taking something that people do anyways, and trying to extract value out of it." See his amazing TEDx video where he explaine these in greater detail.
Drug Side Effects
Researchers estimate more than 90 percent of drug side effects go unreported. And it can take years for the FDA to detect a pattern of problems that leads to changes in how a drug is prescribed. While on the other side of the spectrum, hundreds of millions of people are waking up every morning and writing about their personal experiences on forums and social networks.
Armed with an insight on this gap, two start ups – Treato and Epidemico have begun treading the path of fracking the social networks and online medical forums to mine data on drugs and their potential side effects for pharma companies and patients.
(Treato)
Today, major pharma companies pay Treato and Epidemico for more detailed analyses of what patients are saying about their drugs: how they're using the medication, what reactions they experience, or why they switch from one pill to another. (source)
Extracting Value From Online Reviews
And then there's HugDug (a recent project by Seth Godin) – a brilliant intervention that has been able to hit a sweet spot between two disparate concepts – affiliate marketing and generosity. I keenly look foward to HugDug achieving scale and becoming a truly unique example of Digital Fracking by extracting value from tons of reviews lying out there.
As Von Ahn says "Look how many hours have gone into building the Panama Canal or the Pyramids – and with all the people that are on the web now, you can get a lot more hours."
And to that point, the most important question that's answered by the concept of Digital Fracking is this: How do you extract those hours – At scale?
(Feautured Image, Source)
Chaitanya Chunduri	Business Model, Concept, Consumer Behavior, Innovation, Marketing, Social Network, Software	5 Comments May 24, 2014 3 Minutes
Straddle Categories, Redefine Competition
Quick Read: Straddling categories can sometimes help redefine competition and build a unique position in the market place.
"If I should have a daughter, instead of Mom, she's gonna call me Point B … "
began Sarah Kay, in a talk that inspired two standing ovations at TED2011.
Sarah Kay is called a genius. She has invented a new medium, a new way of sharing an idea. It's called Spoken Word Poetry. Arguably others have done spoken word poetry before, but not like this.
Mixing in the magic of her poetry, presence, and exuberant energy her art form straddles two categories – poetry and theatre. This unique combination has helped her redefine her 'comparison set' – not poets and not theatre artistes, but someone at the intersection of both to become a truly unique voice to reckon with.
Today she is the founder and co-director of Project V.O.I.C.E., founded in 2004, a group dedicated to using spoken word as an educational and inspirational tool. Her TED talk has been loved so much that Seth Godin has published her poem 'B' by himself.
Why Do We Love Some Comic Strips More Than Others?
Most of us have our favorite four paneled comic strips that we enjoy and share on a regular basis. Why do we love them so much? Is it because they resonate with us at a deeper level? Is it because they have that spark of insight – a blinding flash of the obvious? Or is it because they remind each one of us that we are not alone?
(Source: Calvin and Hobbes)
Seth is a cartoonist, illustrator and book designer based in Guelph, Ontario. Based on his research on Charles Schulz's Peanuts, his insight is that most of the best known four paneled comic strips have one thing in common – they straddle the art forms of graphic design and poetry and occupy a truly unique space of artistic expression. He calls such comic strips Visual Haiku and elaborates..
It seemed so clear that his four-panel setup was just like reading a haiku; it had a specific rhythm to how he set up the panels and the dialogue.Three beats:doot doot doot— followed by an infinitesimal pause, and then the final beat:doot. Anyone can recognize this when reading a Peanuts strip.These strips have that sameness of rhythm that haikus have — the haikus mostly ending with a nature reference separated off in the final line. (source)
(Source: Peanuts)
What Sets Brita Filters Apart?
Ever heard of Brita Filters? A leading company in portable household water filtration, its products are distributed in more than 60 countries world wide. But what sets it apart is how it straddles categories and redefines competition. As per this HBR article..
Brita filters compete against other filters when they are placed in the kitchen appliances section at big-box stores, for instance. But Brita changes both its comparison set and the economics of the consumer decision when the filters are placed in the bottled-water aisle at supermarkets. Here Brita filters have a competitive cost advantage, delivering several more gallons of clean water per dollar than bottled water. Of course, not all buyers of bottled water are buying solely for the criterion of cost (some are buying for portability, for example), but for those who are, Brita is an attractive choice.
As the article goes on to say, in choosing how to position products, there's a tendency to pay attention to the size and growth of the market and overlook the intensity and identity of the competition. Such times, all it might take is to challenge our playing field (the category) and see new niches emerge for tapping into a new consumer base.
Opportunity – it seems – could sometimes be rife at the intersections.
For artistic forms of expressions or water filters.
(Featured image: Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson May 05, 2014)
Chaitanya Chunduri	Art, Business Model, Business Strategy, Consumer Behavior, Design, Marketing, Retail, Story Telling	3 Comments May 5, 2014 May 7, 2014 3 Minutes


Mackenzie River, major river system in the drainage pattern of northwestern North America. Its basin is the largest in Canada, and it is exceeded on the continent only by the Mississippi-Missouri system. The Mackenzie system drains an area of some 697,000 square miles (1,805,200 square km), which is almost as large as Mexico. From the headwaters of the Finlay River, which flows into Williston Lake (the impounded waters of the Peace River) west of the Rocky Mountains, the entire river system runs for 2,635 miles (4,241 km) through the lake-strewn Canadian north to empty into the cold and often-frozen waters of the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic Ocean. The Mackenzie itself is 1,025 miles (1,650 km) long, according to the conventional measurement from Great Slave Lake. The river is generally wide, mostly from 1 to 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km) across, and in island-dotted sections, 3 to 4 miles (4.8 to 6.4 km) wide. It has a strong flow. Its lake-covered triangular delta measures more than 120 miles (190 km) from north to south and is about 50 miles (80 km) wide along the Arctic shore.
The Alaskan mountain ranges and the Mackenzie and Yukon river basins and their drainage networks. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The headwaters of the system include several large rivers, which themselves drain vast forested plains of northeastern British Columbia and northern Alberta. These drainage basins include the Liard River (about 107,000 square miles [277,100 square km]), the Peace River (116,800 square miles [302,500 square km]), and the Athabasca River (36,800 square miles [95,300 square km]). Much shorter rivers flow into the system from the east, draining the low rocky hills of the ancient structural mass known as the Canadian Shield. The system also includes the huge Great Slave Lake (11,030 square miles [28,570 square km]), Great Bear Lake (12,100 square miles [31,340 square km]) in Northwest Territories, and the smaller Lake Athabasca (3,060 square miles [7,925 square km]) between Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The whole region is subject to a harsh winter climate, and its resources are few and less accessible than those of southern Canada. Yet it is one of the few great unspoiled areas of the world, offering a varied wildlife and spectacular scenery.
The Mackenzie River itself begins at the western end of Great Slave Lake, at 512 feet (156 metres) above sea level. Deep (more than 2,000 feet [610 metres] in some places), clear water fills the lake's eastern arm, and shallow, murky water is found in the western part. Because of its large size and the extent of its winter ice cover, Great Slave Lake is the last part of the Mackenzie waterway to be free of ice in the spring, with some ice remaining until mid-June in the lake's centre.
The ice on the Mackenzie River begins to break up in early to mid-May in its southern section, being preceded by breakup on the Liard River. Tributary rivers are free of ice before the Mackenzie itself, and high water and flooding are common during the breakup period, particularly when ice dams form. The ice across the lower Mackenzie River breaks up in late May; the channels in the Mackenzie River delta are usually free of floating river ice by the end of May or early June, with the western channels being influenced by the earlier breakup of the Peel River. Sea ice usually remains offshore from the delta in the Beaufort Sea during June, particularly if prevailing winds are onshore.
The head of the Mackenzie River is about 6 miles (10 km) wide where the western end of the Great Slave Lake narrows and is filled by one large island and several small ones. The river narrows to less than 900 yards (825 metres) in width near Fort Providence, and it is there that ice bridges are built across the river in early winter to carry truck traffic along the branch of the Mackenzie Highway that reaches Yellowknife, the capital of Northwest Territories, on the northern arm of the Great Slave Lake. Ferries are used for this crossing in summer, but all road traffic ceases during the breakup period in May. Branch roads extend to Fort Simpson and Fort Liard; except for a winter trail that is used only occasionally, there are no through roads farther north along the Mackenzie River valley. Mills Lake is a shallow broadening of the Mackenzie River west of the village of Fort Providence. To the west the river again narrows to about a mile in width, and the current is fast at Green Island Rapids, about 12 miles (20 km) east of Fort Simpson. There is, however, a channel among the boulders in these rapids that is deep enough for the flat-bottomed barges pushed by shallow-draft tugs that operate out of the southern Great Slave Lake terminal of the town of Hay River and along the Mackenzie.
At Fort Simpson the Liard River (693 miles [1,115 km] long) joins the Mackenzie from the west from its source in the southeastern Yukon territory. The contrast between the muddy, silt-laden water of the Liard and the clear water of the Mackenzie is sharply apparent in the river after the junction, as these "two rivers in one" remain separate in terms of certain physical properties for about 300 miles (480 km) downstream. At Fort Simpson, as for much of its course, the Mackenzie flows between steep, gray gravel banks, 100 to 200 feet (30 to 60 metres) high, which obscure the view of the adjacent lowlands from the river.
Along most of its course, the Mackenzie flows through the Mackenzie Lowlands region, which is about 250 miles (400 km) wide near Fort Simpson. Although it is classed as forested—mainly with a few species of coniferous trees, such as black and white spruce, and some balsam poplar—much of the region away from the tributary rivers is covered by swamps, muskegs (bogs), and lakes, as well as many open areas of grassy vegetation and low bushes. The Mackenzie Mountains rise steeply on the western side of the Mackenzie valley to elevations of 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 metres); since the tree line is at about 3,000 feet (900 metres), the upper slopes are barren. The eastern edge of the Mackenzie Lowlands is formed by ancient hills of the Canadian Shield, which slope up to elevations of about 1,000 feet (300 metres).
The Mackenzie Lowlands are underlain by flat-lying sedimentary rock of the Cretaceous (i.e., about 100 million years old) and Devonian (about 400 million years old) periods. Little of this rock is exposed at the surface, however, because it is mantled with glacial and alluvial deposition of clays, sands, and gravels.
North of Fort Simpson the Mackenzie River is a little less than 400 feet (120 metres) above sea level, is 1 mile (1.6 km) wide, and flows between steep banks. The mean annual discharge is measured at 239,000 cubic feet (6,770 cubic metres) per second at Fort Simpson; the average monthly flow at high water during the summer (May to October) is more than 365,000 cubic feet (10,340 cubic metres) per second, and this seems to derive equally from the Liard and upper Mackenzie. The latter supplies a larger share of the river's volume during winter.
North of the trading post at Wrigley, the Redstone and Keele rivers enter from the west; they have deep canyons where they break out of the Mackenzie Mountains but flow across the lowland as shallow, braided streams. These rivers and the others that drain from the Mackenzie Mountains have their peak flows in June after the snow melts in the mountains and become shallow rivers in late summer. The Mackenzie River picks up relatively little volume within its valley lowland, as the average summer precipitation recorded at dispersed settlements is only about 7 or 8 inches (175 to 200 mm); total annual precipitation throughout the Mackenzie valley is 10 to 14 inches (250 to 355 mm).
At the village of Fort Norman the cold, clear water of the Great Bear River enters from the east. This short river empties out of Great Bear Lake and is navigable for shallow-draft vessels, except for a short portage around rapids about 30 miles (50 km) east of its mouth. Once more, there is a distinct summer demarcation for 50 miles (80 km) northward in the Mackenzie River between its silt-laden water and the clear water from the Great Bear River on the eastern bank. At Norman Wells the Mackenzie River broadens to about 4 miles (6.4 km) in width and is less than 175 feet (53 metres) above sea level. The mean annual discharge of the river there is 302,000 cubic feet (8,550 cubic metres) per second, but flows during the summer months usually will average 460,000 cubic feet (13,030 cubic metres) per second.
The Mackenzie Lowland is only about 30 miles wide in this section, being broken by the treeless summits of the Franklin Mountains, which rise to elevations of little more than 3,000 feet (900 metres) on the east side of the river. Small lakes are not so common across the Mackenzie valley in this area as they are on the lowland west of Great Slave Lake. Forest vegetation is scanty except in the river valleys and in areas of better drainage; most of the trees are stunted spruce.
Where the Mountain River joins the Mackenzie from the west there is a fast-water section known as Sans Sault Rapids; the river drops about 20 feet (6 metres) within a few miles. There is ample depth of water for the shallow-draft barges during July, but, despite deepening of the channel by rock blasting, shallow water is sometimes a navigation problem in late summer. South of the Indian village of Fort Good Hope, the Mackenzie narrows as it flows between 100- to 150-foot (30- to 45-metre) perpendicular limestone cliffs known as The Ramparts. North of Fort Good Hope, the Mackenzie crosses the Arctic Circle. It is slightly entrenched and meanders across its flat valley floor, its banks being 2 to 3 miles (3.2 to 4.8 km) apart; low islands are numerous, and shifting sandbars are a problem for the riverboats. Where the Arctic Red River enters from the south, the Mackenzie again flows between steep rock walls, which rise up to 200 feet (60 metres) directly from the water.
The Mackenzie River delta begins at Point Separation. The mean annual discharge of Mackenzie water into the delta, measured at the confluence of the Arctic Red River, is 340,000 cubic feet (9,630 cubic metres) per second, increasing to an average of 540,000 cubic feet (15,290 cubic metres) per second in summer. From the south the Peel River is the last major tributary of the Mackenzie, although it actually flows into the Mackenzie delta to the west of Point Separation. The delta covers about 4,700 square miles (12,170 square km) and is a maze of branching, intertwining channels, numerous cutoff lakes, and circular ponds. These lakes are an excellent habitat for muskrat, and the trapping of these animals became the main source of income for the Indian and Inuit (Eskimo) inhabitants of the delta in the period 1920–60.
The perpetually frozen subsurface known as permafrost lies a few feet beneath the surface of the islands in the delta and exists discontinuously beneath the entire Mackenzie Lowlands north of Great Slave Lake. Depending on the type of vegetation cover, the top few inches to several feet of ground above the permafrost thaws during the summer months. Northern construction of airfields, roads, and pipelines has to be adapted to these permafrost conditions; houses and other buildings are usually placed on wooden piles that are sunk and frozen into the permafrost for stability. One of the distinctive features of the town of Inuvik is a utilidor, a linear boxlike metal container raised slightly above the surface of the ground, in which the separate sewer, water, and heating pipes are placed. Mackenzie River water-transport routes terminate at Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic coast northeast of the delta; there cargo is transferred to other vessels of greater draft, which serve the small settlements, radar stations, and oil-exploration sites along the western Arctic coast.
The Mackenzie River basin is sparsely populated. Its natural resources are few, and they are less accessible than comparable resources in southern Canada. Fur-bearing animals were the resource attraction of the 19th century; although they are still trapped throughout the forests of the river basin, particularly by the Indian population, furs now constitute a minor element in the regional economy. Muskrat, marten, beaver, lynx, and fox are the main pelts sought. The forests in the southern part of the basin have been utilized locally for lumber and pulpwood in the Peace River area. The small conifer trees have future value as a source of pulpwood.
Agricultural land is developed only in the south, particularly in the Peace River area. Settlers moved into the Athabasca River, Lesser Slave Lake, and Peace River areas in large numbers after 1920, when the farmlands of the Canadian prairies were almost all occupied. When railroad connections were established southward to Edmonton, Alta., these farms were able to produce grain, livestock, and legume seed for external markets. A few farms and many gardens produced well along the Mackenzie River before 1940, but the improved transport since World War II has permitted most food to be imported. With July mean temperatures averaging about 60 °F (16 °C) and daily temperatures reaching only into the 70s and sometimes 80s (i.e., between about 21 and 29 °C), climate does not prevent the growth of certain crops.
Minerals—particularly petroleum and natural gas—are the economic basis of some of the larger settlements in the basin. The first oil field was discovered at Norman Wells in 1921, but production did not begin until the 1930s. A small refinery at Norman Wells produces petroleum products for the industries, transport, and homes of the northern parts of the Mackenzie River valley, and the oil field there was enlarged in the 1980s and connected by a pipeline to Alberta. Other oil and natural gas fields have been discovered near the Mackenzie delta and offshore in the Beaufort Sea. The largest fields are in the southern parts of the river basin, in northwestern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia. The oil and gas from them also is carried southward by pipelines to be distributed from Edmonton, Alta., to refineries in southern Canada and the northern United States. An enormous reserve of petroleum lies in the Athabasca Tar Sands along the Athabasca River north of Fort McMurray; production there was initially limited by high development costs, but it increased in the 1980s as oil fields in Alberta were depleted.
Metallic minerals have been found along the eastern and southern edges of the basin. Valuable uranium ores were produced on the eastern shores of Great Bear Lake (1933–61) and on the northern side of Lake Athabasca (1950–80) in northwestern Saskatchewan; and the richest uranium mines yet discovered in Canada began operation in the 1980s on the southeastern side of Lake Athabasca. Gold mines long were the resource base of the city of Yellowknife, though they had been replaced with diamond mines by the early 21st century. Lead and zinc mines on the southern side of Great Slave Lake were depleted by 1990; the size of these deposits had been large enough, however, to bring the first railroad into the Northwest Territories, which was built in the 1960s from the Peace River area to the town of Hay River.
The water of the upper Mackenzie River system was too far from large industrial and urban markets to be used for hydroelectric power until the late 1960s. At that time the Peace River was dammed as it broke out of the Rocky Mountains and a large storage lake formed westward in the Rocky Mountain Trench. Electric power is transmitted south 600 miles to Vancouver, B.C. Otherwise, the only developed waterpower sites are on the Snare and Taltson rivers, which drop westward out of the Canadian Shield to the Mackenzie Lowlands and supply power to the mines and residents at Yellowknife. There is no utilization of the water of the Mackenzie River itself, except for river transportation.
Two of the large lakes of the Mackenzie basin are sources of lake trout and whitefish. Lake Athabasca was first exploited during the 1930s, and Great Slave Lake was opened to commercial fishing after 1945. In the latter lake, fish are caught in both summer and winter and transported south by truck or rail to urban markets in both Canada and the United States. The catch is controlled by seasonal quotas that prevent depletion of the species. The cold water of Great Bear Lake has some fish, but they grow too slowly to sustain anything but sport fishing. Fish of the Mackenzie River are netted by some local residents to supplement their imported food.
Explorers and fur traders pushed westward across Canada in the late 18th century to the headwaters of rivers that flowed into Hudson Bay, seeking to tap the fur resources in the lands beyond. In 1778 one of them, Peter Pond, found Portage La Loche (Methy Portage) connecting the headwaters of Churchill River with the Clearwater River, itself one of the east-bank tributaries of the Athabasca River. In 1789 Alexander Mackenzie made his historic journey northward from the trading post of Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca, exploring, with a crew of 12 in three canoes, the full length of the river that now bears his name.
Other fur traders of the North West Company followed early in the 19th century, establishing posts at several sites along the river and on its headwater tributaries. From the mid-1820s, supplies were carried in by the distinctive York boats, shallow-draft vessels with a sharply angled stern and bow. In 1884 the first steamer began to operate northward from Fort McMurray, at the junction of the Clearwater and Athabasca rivers, to Fitzgerald on the Slave River. At this point there are 16 miles of rapids in Slave River, the only break in 1,700 miles (2,740 km) of shallow-draft river navigation from Fort McMurray to the Arctic Ocean. In 1886 the first steamer began operating north of Fort Smith—on the present border between the Northwest Territories and Alberta—taking supplies to the Mackenzie River trading posts and bringing out bales of fur. During the period 1920–1940, flat-bottomed stern-wheelers operated on the Mackenzie, but they were replaced after 1945 by small diesel tugs that could push several barges.


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In the context of EcoPeace Middle East's recently released Regional Integrated NGO Master Plan, the key challenge in sustainable water management is to overcome the water scarcity related problems in the Jordan Valley. This means creating a sustainable water supply system that meets the current and future domestic and agricultural water demands; and at the same time preserves the water resources for future generations and for the environment. This requires an Integrated Water Resources Management regime for the whole (Lower) Jordan River, based on international co-operation among Israel, Jordan and Palestine, supported with adequate water management tools (like WEAP) to ensure sustainable water supply and an increase of the baseflow and rehabilitation of the ecological values of the Jordan River.
One of the related key challenges is to achieve full treatment of wastewater generated in the study area and full reuse for agricultural purposes. This will both reduce public health related risks and strengthen the agricultural sector. This requires development of a detailed technical and financial plan, including designs and tender documents, for full scale collection, treatment and reuse of the locally generated wastewater flows, including domestic, industrial (mainly oliveoil wastewater in Jordan) and manure management.
Another key challenge is to restore the function of the lower part of the Jordan River as a natural river and water conveyor in the valley for supply purposes, by keeping its flow as long as possible in the river. Rehabilitating the river will include actions in terms of realizing at least one minor flood (c.a. 20-50 m3/sec) per year. In order to bring back the original habitats of the river, also the flow bed of the river are to be widened to about 50-70 m in the north and at least 30 m in the south, with flood plains on both sides.
The salinity of the Jordan River has a natural tendency to increase downstream. This is caused by natural drainage of brackish groundwater into the river, particularly in the southern part of the valley near the Dead Sea. The key challenge is to prevent any inflow of salt or brackish surface water into the river above the point where the river would still be fresh, i.e. above the confluent with Wadi Qelt. This implies bypassing the salt water from the Israeli Saline Water Carrier (SWC), the brackish water from the Israeli Fish Ponds, and the brine from the Abu Zeighan desalination plant to a new outflow located south of the river's confluent with Wadi Qelt, close to the Dead Sea. If this will be done, the river will be able to provide water of good quality for different user functions. In terms of chloride concentrations this means a maximum of 400 mg/l for drinking water purposes; 600 mg/l for fresh water irrigation; and 1500 mg/l for irrigation of date palms.
Another key challenge is to maintain total agricultural water demands at the same level as today, with the exception of Palestine which is currently heavily underdeveloped in terms of agriculture. To achieve a sustainable water balance within the valley and sufficient flows in the river it will furthermore be required that around 2020 Israel will largely cease pumping water to the extent possible out of the valley from the Sea of Galilee through the National Water Carrier (NWC), meanwhile maintaining its present agricultural water consumption within the valley; that the Sea of Galilee will be kept on a medium water level between the top and bottom red lines ("green line" as defined by the Israeli Water Authority); and that by 2050 Jordan will stop diverting water from the Yarmouk and other tributaries to the Kind Abdullah Canal (KAC) to the extent possible, and instead will use the Jordan River as main conveyor for its irrigation supply purposes. In addition, by 2050 Palestine would also use the Jordan River as its main water conveyor, meaning that the planned development of the West Ghor Canal will not be built.
These challenges require a series of related interventions, including adequate water data monitoring and modeling; promotion of water saving and water demand management measures in all sectors; provision of related training and institutional strengthening support services; improved regulations and enforcement on groundwater abstractions to stop groundwater depletion and salination; and implementation of efficient water pricing policies and related enforcement.
In terms of water governance, the challenge will be to strengthen the authorities, including JVA, PWA, in their role as regulator of the water sector in the Jordan Valley. This includes skills with regard to water data collection and management; water resources planning; efficient operations of the water storage and supply system; and strengthening the co-operation with the local water user associations. It also includes monitoring, regulations and enforcement of surface water and groundwater abstractions; protection of sensitive shallow aquifers, efficient tariff policies, and monitoring reduction of agricultural pollution loads.
Note: This is the second article in our special series on 'Regional Integrated NGO Master Plan for the Jordan Valley'.
Tagged Agriculture, Dead Sea, Desalination, Jordan Valley, Olive Oil, Palestine, Pollution, River Rehabilitation, Wastewater, Water, Water Management, Yarmouk. Bookmark the permalink.


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Car review, take the raise: how to claim the reward
Shannon Bailey November 2, 2021 3 min read
This was supposed to take place on November 1, but thanks to the holiday, the increase in the cost of repairing a car came into effect on November 2, which varies depending on whether you go to the civil authorities or a special service center.
In the case of the audit in civil transport offices, in fact, the cost is 54.95 euros against the previously expected 45, an amount that rises for private affiliated centers: in this case, VAT must be added to the base price (22%), the car rate (10.20 €), and postage costs (1.78 €), for a total of € 79.02, up 18% from € 66.88 paid now.
The increase came with an amendment to the 2021 budget law, and with the issuance of the executive decree by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, in addition to the new tariff, an official concession was granted to motivate car owners. to check the car.
Review the bonus, how it works and who can request it
In fact, the legislation provides for a "safe vehicle voucher" of 9.95 euros, 4 million euros of which were allocated from 2021 to 2023, for a total of 12 million. Recipients are people who will submit their vehicle for inspection between November 1, 2021 and December 31, 2023, and can apply for a bonus of €9.95 from the date the selected digital platform comes into operation.
The site will be the only tool through which a contribution can be requested, after registering on the platform using a Spid, an electronic ID card or a national service card. The platform will be operational from December 21, 2021, and the application can only be submitted after the review has taken place. So be careful: unlike other bonuses, the contribution will not be paid in the form of a discount on overhaul, but later by payment to the current account, and it is valid only for one car and only once in the three-year period .
See also Electric cars: Sales fell in Italy. Because?
When applying, it is necessary to indicate the registration number of the vehicle to be repaired, which should be in the name of the person requesting the bonus or to the company in the case of the applicant being appointed by the company itself, the date of the comprehensive repair, the IBAN that will be added to the payment, the name and name of the account holder Current or partner and e-mail address of any communications. It will be up to Consap to verify whether the applicant is truly deserving of the award.
Car Check What the law says
Vehicle inspection is mandatory and subject to Article 80 of the Highway Code. The law stipulates that it be carried out every two years, the only exception is the first, which must be done within 4 years of the first registration within the month of the issuance of the registration certificate. For anyone who drives a vehicle without an overhaul, an administrative fine of 169 to 680 euros is imposed, which can be doubled in case of repeated omission of the repair.
With the penalty, the suspension is also triggered from circulation until the review takes place. If you drive a vehicle that has been suspended from circulation pending the result of the audit, another administrative penalty is applied in amounts ranging from €1959 to €7,837. In addition to this is also added the administrative seizure of the car for a period of 90 days, and in case of repeated violations, the administrative confiscation.
Shannon Bailey
"Infuriatingly humble social media buff. Twitter advocate. Writer. Internet nerd."
See also Open or closed on November 1, 2021?
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Bio Kitchen is the name of our premium range of organic and biodynamic staple foods in clear glass jars which are naturally sweet and full of flavour. No need to soak. Colourful.
Use in salads, soups, grain dishes, make a spread or pate.
Good beans, mixed and black. Very tasty!


We do not accept tires...white goods...batteries and liquids. No hazardous waste!!
We are a state-of-the-art GA EPD and US EPA permitted solid waste disposal facility with all the latest environmental safe guards including leachate collection and groundwater protection. The trash cells are lined with HDPE to contain and manage the waste in a responsible environmental manner. We have received a 100% compliance from the GA EPD the past 10 inspections covering 5 years.
M - F 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.


Men's SAUCONY® RIDE 8 :: Rev up your running comfort with the newly updated Men's Saucony® Ride 8 that now fits better than ever without adding any extra weight! Soak up the Ride 8's smooth transitions and responsive feel that this series is famous for, while treating your feet to even more amazing comfort provided by this shoe's new FlexFilm no-sew overlays. Your feet will stay cool, dry and comfortable mile after mile thanks to the open air mesh and moisture-wicking liner. Plus, you're sure to be spotted when you're striding after dark in the Ride 8 because this running shoe also features silver reflectivity at the heel for enhanced visibility.


Colorful stripes that look like watercolor brush strokes coordinate nicely with Koret's active set—and your casual denim, too! Long sleeves and side slits. Lightweight cotton/spandex jersey stretches a bit for comfort. Machine wash & dry.
The upper paragraph says Long Sleeves, the Details tab says 3/4 sleeves ! Which is correct ?
BEST ANSWER: I would have preferred the 3/4 length sleeve, however I received a long sleeve. I am 4ft 11 inches and I order Petite whenever it is available. I can't remember if petite was available, but I received a Medium., So much for ordering online. The shirt is long in the body and sleeve. I use it wehen I am cleaning my apartment.
Mine is the multi blue one and it has long sleeves. I bought it back in the spring of last year - I think.
The ones I have (3 different colors) all have long sleeves. They are comfortable! Hope this helps.
The one I have has long sleeves. I have had some compliments on it. I wear it to Yoga classes.
I've got long arms...what is the measurement from center back to the end of the sleeve for the Misses L?
Is the arm length shorter for petite sizes?


Stark Tech provides Printed Circuit Board layout services, which includes high speed PCB Layout and design Solutions that are economic, scalable and future oriented. We design the circuit according to the specifications given by the customer, regarding of what is expected for the circuit to perform (i.e. elements to monitor, elements to sense, element to control, etc). We carry out the electronic circuit design to fit what the customer expects.
This specification covers the areas of Power, General Electronics, Embedded Systems.
Stark Tech provides complete PCB documentation which includes the hardware dimensional drawings, schematic, BOM, Gerber file set, component placement file and layout file.
Stark Tech provides PCB assembly and fabrication service that uses latest technologies. We are specialized in High Frequency Single sided and double Sided PCB.
Our services are flexible and based on the customer needs and can handle low volume and high volume production of both high and low-mix products with equal efficiency. Attractive fabrication cost and on time delivery to the customer. We offer Lead Free boards with appropriate materials and Getek, FR406, FR4, Rogers, Polyimide, Teflon and hybrid materials. Final finishes include ENIG Immersion gold, Immersion White Tin, Immersion Silver, Selective gold and both hard and soft gold body finishes.
We can handle complete product life cycles starting from Design, Manufacturing, Assembly, shipment product to the market around the globe. The quality of our manufacturing services is the best in the industry and we have consistently demonstrated our commitment to meet and exceed customer expectations.


The Warriors' pre-season has been dominated by speculation around what captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will do when his current contract expires at the end of 2018.
New Zealand Rugby and the Blues are reportedly tempting RTS with a code switch, while South Sydney, Wests Tigers and Gold Coast are three NRL clubs that have been mooted as eager suitors for the brilliant fullback.
Given the Warriors' on-field struggles, many commentators are declaring it a foregone conclusion Tuivasa-Sheck will jump ship, under the bogus pretence that his career has gone backwards since returning home at the end of 2015.
The 24-year-old may very well decide to chase a Rugby World Cup dream in the 15-man game, or take up one of which are sure to be many attractive offers from an Australian NRL club. But if RTS does decide to exit Penrose, it will be for his own reasons – and nothing to do with the absurd, stereotype-driven rhetoric spouted on both sides of the Tasman in recent weeks and months.
Tuivasa-Sheck's supposed regression since linking with the Warriors was a recurring theme on FoxSports talk shows and Aussie journos' Twitter feeds in 2017. The blue-chip fullback, they contended, had become another victim of the mythical career black hole that is joining the Warriors.
Granted, his highlights reel was nowhere near as spectacular as previous seasons at the high-flying Roosters – but under the circumstances, Tuivasa-Sheck was superb.
Firstly, it should be remembered (and was bizarrely overlooked) that he was coming back from an ACL injury, the worst a rugby league player can get and the most difficult to return from, suffered just seven games into his initial season with the Warriors.
Playing behind a pack that was routinely steamrolled week after week, most of his work with the ball was coming off the Warriors' try-line, frequently taking it upon himself to make tough mid-set hit-ups to help his side out of trouble.
The opportunities to sniff around for offloads were scarce, due to the conservative approach employed by the Warriors last year. Lengthy injury layoffs to halves Shaun Johnson and Kieran Foran – who played together just 12 times in 2017 – made for a disjointed year offensively for a fullback slotting into a new team. Yet Tuivasa-Sheck was still the team's most effective attacking player.
The numbers back up the argument that RTS had a strong year: he finished fourth in the NRL for average run metres (181.4), while his tallies of tries (10), try assists (8) and line-breaks (16) were all top-five amongst the competition's No.1s, and the only fullback to better his tackle-break count (106) was James Tedesco.
He was deservedly name the Warriors' Player of the Year and finished equal-12th in the Dally M Medal with 17 votes. Billy Slater (20), Tedesco and Tom Trbojevic (both 18) were the only fullbacks to poll higher.
And all of this after taking on the captaincy role at the age of 23 in a team that only won seven games.
Electrifying at the World Cup before New Zealand dropped their bundle against Tonga and Fiji, Tuivasa-Sheck provided a timely reminder of what he can do when his team's forwards get on top of their opposites, and he duly picked up the Kiwis' Player of the Year award.
Tuivasa-Sheck's stint at the Warriors has been judged harshly against his breakout 2015 campaign with the Roosters, when he received a seemingly never-ending stream of plaudits.
In his first season as the Tricolours' No.1 after the retirement of club legend Anthony Minichiello, the hot-stepping 21-year-old claimed the Dally M Fullback of the Year award, won the Rugby League Week Player of the Year gong, was nominated for the Golden Boot, and skyrocketed to fourth spot (after ranking No.76 the previous season) in Rugby League Week's annual '100 Best Players in the World' list.
Don't get me wrong, he deserved all the wraps – but he was playing in the NRL's dominant team, which claimed its third straight minor premiership. The Roosters boasted the biggest, baddest forward pack in the competition, ensuring the likes of Tuivasa-Sheck were getting the majority of their possessions on the front foot and at the advantage line.
RTS's defensive workload was also lighter, making 2.4 tackles a game compared to 3.5 this season, and he had the luxury of combining with the stable, experienced and consistent trio of James Maloney, Mitchell Pearce and Jake Friend.
Given those inherent advantages – and the esteem his stellar 2015 season is held in – RTS's stats weren't that much better than his numbers for the Warriors last year: 27 games for 12 tries, 10 try-assists, 16 line-breaks, 174 tackle-breaks and an average of 216.4 running metres per game. He also polled 16 votes in the Dally M Medal, one less than in 2017.
The most ludicrous argument being tendered is that Tuivasa-Sheck needs to leave the Warriors to 'realise his potential'; apparently, the club's lack of success is holding him back.
Was Cronulla legend Andrew Ettingshausen any less great because he played only three finals matches in the first 12 seasons of his career? Ditto Stacey Jones, who spent his entire 261-game premiership career with a generally more dysfunctional version of the Warriors? Kurt Gidley at the Knights? Nathan Merritt at Souths?
If RTS can only truly be a top-shelf player in a star-studded team already in premiership contention (and to be clear, I don't believe that's the case), then he's not the marquee man everyone thought he was.
It's partly a by-product of the NBA mentality, where the game's megastars gravitate towards each other to maximise their chances of winning championships on stacked rosters, and players' legacies are largely judged against how many rings they won. But that doesn't translate to a more tribal, team-oriented sport like rugby league.
"It was a similar decision that I made in the first stage of moving out of Auckland – I had to get out of my comfort zone and see how good I was at Sydney Roosters. (I feel like) I've proven myself a little bit, but coming back home to Auckland I'm trying to prove myself again.
If playing for the All Blacks in a Rugby World Cup is an itch the former schoolboy union gun has to scratch, then inevitably New Zealand Rugby will win out in the RTS bidding war. And good luck to him.
But if he stays in league, leading the Warriors to their maiden title represents the biggest challenge – and achievement – available to him in the code. Even skippering the club to a finals return would be an enormous notch on his belt, and far greater than anything on offer with a rival NRL team.
If the Warriors' lack of success is supposedly a prime motivator behind Tuivasa-Sheck's feelings of discontent at the club, why would he join the Rabbitohs, Tigers or Titans?
Souths are coming off back-to-back 12th-place finishes and have massive holes in their roster. The Tigers have been far bigger basket-case off the field than the Warriors and even less successful on it, with their finals drought also stretching back to 2011 and landing in the bottom four in four of their last five campaigns. Another club with a tumultuous recent history, the Titans have made the finals once in the past seven seasons and have two 14th-place finishes and a 15th since 2014.
If Roger wants more rings, it's just as likely he'll find them at the Warriors as those three battling outfits.
Midway through last season I sat in the press box at ANZ Stadium as the Warriors capitulated to Parramatta, biting my tongue until it was raw and bloody as the hometown journos cackled about the ongoing failure of Warriors recruits to deliver.
Sure, there's been a few notable disappointments over the years: Dennis Betts, Matthew Ridge, Denan Kemp, Dane Nielsen, Todd Lowrie, Jayson Bukuya. But it's only since the big-money gamble on Sam Tomkins back-fired that the Warriors have picked up an undeserved reputation as career poison (Issac Luke's poor form over the past two seasons hasn't helped, nor did Kieran Foran's injury-hampered stay).
My answer to that is as follows: Jason Death, Robbie Mears, Kevin Campion, PJ Marsh, Richard Villasanti, Brent Webb, Ruben Wiki, Steve Price, Nathan Fien, Michael Witt, Brent Tate, Wade McKinnon, Micheal Luck, Jacob Lillyman, James Maloney, Nathan Friend – and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
All exceeded varying expectations to provide outstanding value to the Warriors.
Every club has had a multitude of recruits that for whatever reason didn't fire; the Warriors haven't been burned any worse than anyone else.
Snaring Tuivasa-Sheck's signature was a massive coup for the Warriors and it would be a significant blow if chooses to leave. But possessing a marquee fullback is not the be all and end all for the club.
The successful Warriors sides of seasons past have featured comparatively low-profile No.1s such as a twilight-years Ivan Cleary, a previously unknown Brent Webb, journeyman Wade McKinnon, makeshift Lance Hohaia and boom youngster Kevin Locke.
The Warriors boast accomplished fullbacks Peta Hiku, Gerard Beale, David Fusitu'a and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad on their books already should RTS leave and they decide not to chase another custodian, which would free up a big chunk of salary cap change to spend in other areas.


We invite you to The Great Baby Fund Bake Off to raise funds for The Brightman Baby Fund and Tamba's TTTS Appeal. Help us make a difference in not only Caroline and Lee's lives but help to fight TTTS and prevent future deaths. And all you have to do is come and eat some cake!
1 cake included with entry. There will be plenty of other cakes to try and buy as well as teas, coffees and bar!


. I come from a Middle Class, Nuclear Family with Traditional Values. I have completed my B.Tech. and currently work in the Bank Sector as an Engineer - Non IT.I am father A K Sinha staying in Delhi and l looking for suitable match for my son who is B Tech in computer science and working in USA. He 27 yrs old and height 5'11".we are Srivastava Kayastha family of BIHAR.
My name is Mohnish Vaidya. I have completed my M.S. in Computer Science from University of South Alabama,Mobile, United States. I grew up in a Upper Middle Class, Nuclear Family with Moderate Values.
I am simple and planning to stay few more years in US.
My name is Abhi and I am studying in New York ,USA. I have completed my graduation in 2016. I grew up in a upper middle class, nuclear family with Traditional values.
I am working as a Software Professional in the Private Sector. I have completed my M.S.(Engg.). I grew up in a Middle Class, Joint Family with Moderate Values.


"Yamaha DX7 – SuperMax'd – Good Shape, Very Clean.
This is a classic of FM synthesis. This is the original which has a lovely rich dark sound. It has a grittier sound than the DX7II, which in my opinion gives the original more character.
The SuperMax upgrade turns the DX7 into a monster, it still has all the grit but sounds really Huge.
into new sounds, and various other features.
Fully Functional. Keys feel good on this one!
" For sale is my Yamaha DX7 Digital Programmable Algorithm Synthesizer 61-Key Keyboard. Condition — For parts or not working. However, it does power on and might be easily repairable.
I purchased this new in 1986. I used it on hundreds of gigs. But for the last two decades, it sat in my office and was used only for sequencing. However, last week when I turned it on, you hear noise coming out of the main output as well as the headphone jack. Underneath, you can hear the keyboard playing faintly. So, it might be an easy repair.
Also the power cord looks like it's about to come undone — I've had it taped for many years and it's powered on.
As you can see in the pictures, some of the plastic covers are worn off. However, that's just cosmetic — all the buttons work! Also, the B with the raised key also works!
I have the original owner's manual.
Lots of functions which all work. Very versatile synth.
"The synth powers on and makes noise..
However the machine is not working properly 100% of the time. The machine is temperamental.
There is one dead key and it is pictured.
Cosmetically it is not the prettiest.
"I have two and didn't realize !
" Yamaha FB-01 FM Sound Generator – MIDI Connectivity – VINTAGE!
Think: "Big Hair", "Glam Rock", "Glitter"… The FB-01 is Deep in That Zone. If you are mining the Sound That Was The 80's, You Need 80's Vintage Gear!
# Yamaha DX7 II D with Grey Matterr E!
DX-7, DX-7 II, Yamaha @ 29 March 2019, Comments Off on Yamaha DX7 II D with Grey Matterr E!
"This DX7 is the IID model with Grey Matter E! installed. Fully tested to the best of my ability. I don't have access to a breath controller, but everything else is confirmed working.
There's a hole drilled in the top left corner and there are 2 places on the front panel that the paint was repaired. See the pictures.