October 26, 2006
i.t. cork podcast
Welcome to the IT@Cork pre-conference PR podcasts. In this podcast series, kindly sponsored by Blacknight Solutions, we are talking to some of the speakers in the upcoming 2006 IT@Cork Business and Technology conference.
In this podcast, second in the series we are talking to Hugh MacLeod. Hugh is a blogger, cartoonist and rogue marketer. Hugh coined the phrase Global Microbrand referring to the extremely low-cost, hyper efficient brand strategies he used to gain two small companies global recognition.
Here are the questions I asked Hugh and the time in the interview I asked them:
How did a cartoonist get into marketing? — 0:22
For anyone who is unaware, can you tell us about the Cluetrain Manifesto and then segue from that into the term you have coined, the Global Microbrand? — 07:43
But you have used blogs as a cheap way to get brands out there… — 14:17
And you have done the same for a small South African vineyard, Stormhoek… — 20:24
Can you speak to sales increases for Stormhoek over the last 12 months? — 25:51
It was one of my better podcasts, I thought. You decide.
[I’m speaking at the IT@Cork conference in Ireland on November 29th.]
Yes, I agree. Tom gave you the time to elaborate on topics and you covered the stories comprehensively.
Nice to get this big picture stuff once in a while. It’s more difficult to see when we’re all in the thick of everyday blogging and social media marketing etc.
Such is podcasting. Well done.
Delighted to hear your podcast! Excellent! When will you be speaking in London in the near future? Thanks!
Where is that damn podcast! Want to listen to it before providing comment!!
Rock on Hugh!!
OK Hugh… This over-the-top passionate ancient (increasingly fit) guy just had to open his eyes to find the OUTSTANDING podcast!
Recommend in the strongest possible terms that you have this podcast professionally recorded (the sound on the current podcast is not the best) and then post it on Gaping Void as this will enable everyone to hear your voice and to learn a ton of very interesting and useful stuff about your background, your ideas and about the exceptional work you have done for English Cut, Stormhoek et al.
The knowledge available on this podcast is AWESOME and the interviewer asked AWESOME questions and you provided AWESOME answers and insights!
People want to learn and know stuff, and they take a delight when this happens. For example, I didn’t know that you knew how to build sites! And, I didn’t know that you helped build the English Cut site… How cool is that!!
Rock on Hugh!!!!
For example…
Sheamus, as producer of the podcast, I too was very disappointed with the audio quality. I spent several hours on audio cleanup however it was the best we could do with the limited resources available to us at time of recording.
Glad you managed to find it and that you enjoyed it so much.
Damn dialup! It’d take me a week to be able to hear it…grr…
Sigh. I’m sure it was great…and I’ll take not being able to get broadband in return for living out here in the sticks.
Love the cartoon accompanying this post — made me smile greatly.
Hugh, some interesting insights. Particuarly “open-sourcing” the packaging design for the latest Stormhoek wine. The result speaks for itself. Interested to see how engaging the customer at this level drives the brand into the mainstream.
Disagree on your take on Apple and their product design process. Here’s a quote from Steve Jobs that’s nearer the mark “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”
– BusinessWeek, May 25 1998