Is this somewhat familiar? - IT products especially. But really any project, campaign etc.!

IO Interactive spends 1/4 of a billion launching Hitman

At a presentation a few days ago Janos Flösser, managing director, IO Interactive, revealed the astonishing numbers they spend on launching the next version of Hitman. Approx 110 millions in development costs - and then even more than the double on marketing the game. In total appx. 250 millions to launch the next version. It is crazy and as Janos said - if we fail (sales) - our company is no more. It´s amazing that we have a player out of Denmark - "making it" - on this extremely competitive market. Fantastic.

Its only virtual money - but you get in the news :-)

Sometimes it is really funny what hit the newspapers. I never planned to even win or make anything out of this game - except some fun. Then suddenly it appears that I have been ahead of everyone - more than 20.000 investors for 2-3 month. And I have even won real stocks on the way. And even had a 2 pages article in Børsen (Danish Financial Time). And people push all kinds of stock related questions to me now :-) I wish I had made private investments - since 250.000 DKK now is worth 300.000,- but it is unfortunately only virtual money in an online game with the newspaper..... Darn.... ;-()
2 pages in Børsen - due to winning virtual money: http://www.renecrone.com/Boersen%20stocknewsl.pdf

Band Makes Number 1 through digital downloads

I happen to fall over this story from UK, that the band Arctic Monkeys made UK chart number one some weeks ago (and music history) when, even though the CD was out, their single 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' went to number one through digital downloads.... Not that I am an upright fan - its more the digital concept.

Meanwhile, some very big corporations are investing goodness knows how much money into the physcial format known as HD DVD and Blu-Ray. Might be they have to realise, that the kids don't need physical format anymore? Arctic Monkeys.

What is it?

Fantastic ad - http://www.whatis-it.com/.
What is it?
Advertising going netwice - these days...

CPH on craigslist

As Copenhagen presently experiences various formal analysts praise as a trendy, cool and wanna goto city, a more "undergroundish" appraisal is getting CPH on craigslist. The San Fransisco based phenomenon - they wouldn´t live without over there. Since the CPH part is still rather new - users hasn´t loaded that much content yet. That will come soon. www.craigslist.com

We are the worlds "happiest" people!

This is fun - though I find it quite difficult to figure this tool out. The world database of happiness: http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl/. But never the less - a local paper interviewed the guy doing the analysis. Concluding from the analysis - that the Danes should be the most happy people in the world. With a scale from 1 to 10 - Denmark scored 8 together with Malta and Switzerland.

"Click around. It'll either make you think about happiness in new and revealing depth, or it will make you happy to discover that even if you never study happiness, you can still experience it."

Brain research on the use of celebrities in advertising

This is from "fast take" - quite interesting. But somewhat not surprising or? And the tendency is even increasing.... quote:

"Seven of the ten most-recalled ads of 2003 included celebrities. To use a celebrity spokesperson or not, that is the question -- at least in the insular world of Madison Avenue. This summer, it seemed as if medical science had taken a step closer to finding a definitive answer when researchers at UCLA and CalTech found that simply flashing the letters "H-A-L-L-E-B-E-R-R-Y" triggered a strong cognitive response in a single human brain cell. The letters drew the same reaction as a picture of the Academy Award-winning actress. The trick also worked with Jennifer Aniston and the Sydney Opera House. Although this brain research is preliminary, the implication is that fame -- or at least familiarity -- tops everything when it comes to stimulating recall. In other words, it's possible that celebrities are actually taking up residence in individual neurons. "

CPH: The Worlds 6th. most used congres city!

According to a 2004 research by Union of International Association´s our city Copenhagen is the 6th. most used congres city in the world and the 5th. most in Europe - going 2 places up from previous years analysis.

It´s impressing noting who´s below CPH. Ahead is: Paris, Vienna, Brussels, Geneva, Singapore. And below is: Barcelona, London, Berlin, Seoul.

Congratulations Copenhagen! Just being on the top 10 list is impressing. But even reinforcing the position is overly impressing.

Barcelona gets you!

CPH is definetely a great city. Though just coming home from a site inspection in Barcelona. I am so thrilled with this city too. You can sense the creativity and lightness of living - all over the place. Great architecture, great new shops, bars, restaurants, music places etc. etc. Don´t know where to start/end. Just: If you haven´t been there - go there. There is really exciting inspiration for everyone.

Interesting "how far" a city like Barcelona really is in terms of modernism - and how some of the old kept elements like the tapa bars, the markets etc. seems to be so more than right than ever. An exciting city indeed.

I wonder when we will see indoor food markets like this one on the Rambla in Copenhagen? (Grøntorvet is nothing compared!) The time seems so right for it these days. High quality food, specialities, anything you can think of..... Maybe just a matter of time?

My Sarah - isn´t she lovely

Skype - Morten Lund

Unbelievable. Skype´s been sold for an incredible sum of money. The guy behind the Skype guys - Morten Lund. Small investor but large "investor/venture capital-sales" supporter for the 2 Skype guys. He´s really to be admired for helping these guys out - getting Skype in the sea. I met him many years ago - and always thought he was kind of "crazy". Never to figure out if it where purposely or simply his personality :-). Never mind - I have the deepest respect for what he has accomplished and for him as a person. Congratulation for the selling of Skype Morten. www.mortenlund.blogspot.com. I can´t wait for the next chapter.

The Android is here - check Replee Q1

Replee Q1 - name of one of the very human androids. Check this out. www.androidscience.com
Under links you will find some video clips on this....Really amazing !!
A little scary too....

THANK YOU CLIENTS!

6 month has past now - since starting my own venture. It´s been quite a journey. No regrets at all - only constant positive surprises and experiences. Thanks to my clients and their great trust and loyalty to me in this start up phase it has been a great first 6 month experience. Setting out with a start that I could only have dreamed about.

THANK YOU CLIENTS FOR STAYING WITH ME IN THIS FIRST PERIOD.
I will do my best to avoid disappointing you. I am so thankful.

Thank you, merci og tak. :-) ! ! ! !

my pride and joy 

www.clashcph.dk

I am proud to be working with some really great young people out of the Copenhagen street community, Rasmus, Alex, Tobias and many more. Hard working, inspirational and simply great people. I feel really good about this concept that we have set in the sea now - however small - great in its thought and great fun too for all parties. I believe a fine example of corporate working together with culture/community - on the behalf of culture/community rather on the behalf of corporate. A really nice understated cooperation between AXE and the subcultural environment of Copenhagen. For more see: www.clashcph.dk - strictly for the young community of Copenhagen.

Copenhagen - can we compete with "the best cities" of the rest of the world?

The other day I had the great honour to be invited to participate in a focus group with Wonderful Copenhagen and some big guys from the international meeting industry - doing some consultancy work with WOCO - to check out how CPH are doing as a city for placing international business meetings, congresses and so forth. Compared to - or with a focus to be more competitive than - other great meeting cities. Like Barcelona, Vienna, Cannes etc..

As usual discussions focused on PRICING. E.g. hotel pricing and hotel standards. Yes that is true - it´s an issue. But are we competing on price. Are we competing on hotel standards. Yes of course we are. BUT is it not so basic and obvious an issue. I mean there is some key basic product features with any products - that simply needs to be in place. That´s no need for a discussion. High quality products - competitive pricing. I believe it will fix itself - long term. But I think discussing this - is just placing the discussions in a safe field for anybody. But is it the problem? Will it help. Well maybe a little. But - I mean it is obvious that a car needs quite new wheels to not run of the road - just as any city needs decent good quality hotels to not miss visiting guest opportunities. Okay I do know that hotel standards are generally speaking not at as high a level as in other cities - and of course that needs focus - it is indeed important. But when that works - what can we then focus on? When the car is running - the basic features are in good competitive quality and pricing? The car takes you cost efficiently and safely from a to b. Is that the car (city) we want to sell. Do we believe we have any chance winning with only that?

Any product today - and that goes for a city as well - needs to compete on experiences. Be it the "buying" experience, the visiting experience or what ever experience is sorrounded by using the "product". Consider Dell. They are competing aggressively on the price (and the buying experience). I believe we don´t want to be a Dell city. Do we. We want maybe to be a Dell city - basicly (hotel standards, price/quality wice, ease of contact etc.). But will we win over the other cities only by this. No we will not. When all the others cities has that same thing in place. What do we have then - that really differentiate us from the other?

We need to take a look on how to differentiate - how to make it a fantastic experience "using and staying" in our city for business meeting and conferences. So - we need cooperation, creativity, ongoing innovation and open mindedness.

From my perspective the industry seriously needs to coorporate on a much more agressive level. That is what is lacking. And until the industry starts to do that. Each individual part not trying to do everything by themselves - but together and open minded with new perspective and new different thinking players, also from outside the industry. Then maybe we can make it as a competitive city. The creative capital in Copenhagen is certainly at a worldwide level. It´s just not taken into use in the meeting industry. No succesful business in our modern world works that way any longer. Modern business is made of partnering up, "winning" things together - each narrowing in on what they are best at. Copenhagen meeting industry - wake up. Or you will just end up in the ever, never ending nightmare of only competing on price and capacity. Focusing only on that game is in this industry and for a city like Copenhagen - in my perspective a loosers game.

Project Fox

Hotel Fox - The No. 1 lifestyle-address in Copenhagen.
Something really cool happens in this town these days - that really will ring a creative bell outside Denmark. Take a look at this really funky project www.project-fox.org - A new funky lifestyle hotel in the center of Copenhagen - launched by the funds of Wolkswagen and in solid cooperation with the hip young urban artists and designers. Setting new standards for the hotel experience.

This is where the world of communication is turning - eventmarketing when it is at its best - and taken to the max. Read also more on Berlingske.dk: http://www.berlingske.dk/kultur/artikel:aid=548612/
Congratulations Wolkswagen: "A dary move. You are setting new standards".

The best single malt I have ever had

The other day one of my brand new clients - send me a bottle of single malt - and the sweetest thank you letter. Only one month into our cooperation. And only in my second month of business with crone & co at all. Could there be a better time for just that. I am so thankful - since it really fuels my energy - to believe in what I am doing.

Paul Smiths brain on pages

I fell over this amusing book the other day by Paul Smith: "You can find inspiration in everything. If you can´t look again".
You don´t even have to read it - to like it. I didn´t knew that I was a fan of Paul Smith. But I am. It´s an exciting insight into his life, his thinking, his designs, his career..... I haven´t read it through yet. But go and buy it for what ever reason. Fan of Paul, design, customization, design, creativity, innovation...... or?

N.Y. Man to Use Tattoos As Advertisements

Talk about new media - live experiences !!
New York Man Agrees to Have Advertisements Permanently Tattooed on His Body.
Read this: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=453128

Timbuk2.com - enjoy customizing your own bag

Customize your own bag and buy it online. Great customer experience. Fun bags from the streets of San Francisco. I had to buy one for myself and my daughter.

Build your own bag: http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/byob.t2

Man Takes Out Ad to Win Wife Back.

It´s all about emotions!
Ain´t it just a sweet example on how talking straight from the heart - works. No surprise - but often forgotten. True, authentic and honest communication.
That´s the road to follow in both personal and professional communication. It works, it´s catchy. Just read people´s reactions. Sure we don´t know if it ends out with a reunion. But I would be surprised if it doesn´t. No matter. He certainly had his message heard.
Read the story: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=443483
Unfortunately there´s no picture of the ad.

Mac mini! Take a look a this one!

I am a totally PC person - but I am geeting more and more in to them Mac.s - take a look at the latest and greatest from Apple. It´s really tempting to buy one.


Mac Mini

10 years with the Internet

Being in Microsoft 10 years ago - I remember how 1995 (end of 1995) was the year when Gates decided to go for the net - and shifted the whole Microsoft strategy towards an online strategy, and the great browser war, and generally the world wide web euphoria, started. It is quite funny to recall my first contact with the net. Actually I was the first in Microsoft Denmark to get an internet connection. Crazy - but true. Well okay we where only 20-25 persons in Microsoft DK at that time. Also somewhat almost unbeliveable today - but true.

I remember how I really didn´t know what to do with that internet connection - and all the techies - where jumping around to use my connection. However I was the marketing guy - getting the job to publish Microsoft Denmark on the net. Establishing Microsoft DKs homepage. I remember how you just got totally frustrated and confused by clicking around and searching on the net was a vast of impossible, unusable, ridicolous links to all kind of useless and of course sometimes - as if by luck - useful information. It was really chaotic. And then today - see how everyone uses it. How I feel old ..... internet times old - .....talking about these things. Which today seems so obvious as using the tap in the kitchen to get a glass of water. Today I wouldn´t live without it. In 1995/96/97 it was all about getting a company homepage - and every ad for any company focused on www.company.com announcements - and nobody really knew what to do with it - when they first had it. Really funny. Quite bizar - just less than 10 years ago. Just look at it today! Amazing times. Amazing technology.