Over the past few weeks I have been toying with the concept of David vs Goliath and vise versa. What happens when a company needs to play both roles at the same time when fighting the same enemy. How do you use a slingshot and a sword at the same time? You are wondering what I am referring to.

Well lets start with Microsoft vs Gooogle this week we hear google is launching a new Chrome operating system to compete with Microsoft, right after the big M announced the bing launch to bite into the big G’s territory in search.

I think professors and marketing people will debate this battle and how it plays out for centuries to come however I think we need to understand at least now what it means and how can we learn from this epic battle.

Another interesting one is Myspace vs facebook, now with facebook starting music and myspace playing catchup, it is reminding me of the days when freindster was on top. how does this happen and why? please comment I am going to have think about it over the weekend and hopefully come up with something.

I would like to thank all those who have shown interest in my tweet-so much that you demanded more explanation to my 140 character post where I said, ““Pinny Has an interesting new explanation for an eye for an eye ping me if you want to hear“” Well, here we go:

I was listening to a sermon on an eye for eye and was perplexed that  through my life the explanations given for that verse were always negative. Why? So I went on a journey to find the positive interpretation of an ” eye for and eye.”

Here is how I learned the lesson, please do comment.

Last week I was in the airport waiting for a flight and as any traveler with some status, I tried at the I tried to get upgraded. The woman at the counter insisted first class was full and she could not upgrade me.

No worries. I went through customs and proceeded to the gate and sat there waiting for my flight. The Air Canada ticket agent at the gate kept looking in my direction while she was checking people on the plane. She looked ay me so much, that it was making me very uncomfortable and I was thinking the worst.

My turn came and I stood in front of the woman. She looks at me and smiles, “Are you Rabbi Pinny who taught my child?”

I was shocked and answered “sure that’s me.” She said, “Let me see what I can do for you” and starts typing on the computer. I was intrigued and she came back 2 minutes later and said, “Rabbi here you go thanks for your help.”

I look at my ticket and instead of 34c I was seated on 2c and that is where I got the lesson. Kaballah teaches us that the right eye represents kindness and the left eye represents strength (severity), and eye for eye can mean let us replace our negative pessimistic outlook (left eye)  with a positive kind and open mindedness (right eye.)

Can you think of times when you could replace severity with positivity? Please share your stories and let me know what you think.

After a long period of trip and conferences i am so glad to
settle down and focus on work. One thing really resonated with me at the
shop.org conference, my meeting with Tamra
Adlin the persona guru. She got me thinking about the question I get asked so many times “Pinny how
does a Rabbi become a diamond seller”? I believe one can not ask for a
better training, being taught to value the soul more than the dollar has given
me the opportunity to see the world not as dollar signs but more a what
business should be, an exchange of goods and energy where both parties equally
benefit. Imagine the average consumer would find out he is referred to as a
market share and a number on the graph, and not a person! I remember so clearly
when I was studying in London England in a small school and the Dean knew me by
my first name, we were students, humans who had souls however when I moved to
NY to study it all changed I became a number just another paying individual who
occupied a seat. The memory that resonates the most with me was when I started not
coming to classes the dean called me into his office for the first and only
time. It is refreshing today that companies are starting to see personas, it
gives a whole new perspective on personalizing the
experience.   

My Early student Rabbi days

You Vote Video

But if you really don’t care and think Obama is going to win anyways here is an amazing primer for faking the vote.

The Onion: Pretend You Give A Care About The Election

However in all my research no one touched upon this unique method, this Australian shared with me his innovative rather painful invention. if you need a small jolt pull out the hair on your head, if you are really dozing off try the hair on your chest (males) and if that doesn’t do it the hair in your nostril will keep you awake for a good hour.

sorry for the delay in posting I have been away for awhile and totally overwhelmed with the holidays (teaching) enjoy the presintation on the AHA Moment

Track 3: The A-Ha Moment. Creative Out-of-the Box Marketing Concepts by Retailers
Pinny Gniwisch, EVP, Marketing, ice.com and Jacob Hawkins, SVP, Overstock.com
Islander Ballroom H

Have you ever noticed an idea or concept that made you say “I should have thought of that”! Jacob Hawkins from Overstock.com and Pinny Gniwisch from Ice.com are going to examine in detail examples of various retailers that have pushed the boundaries for traditional marketing strategy. In this interactive session, Pinny and Jacob are going to share some of their personal favorite “A-HA Moments” and debate whether they are examples of successful creative marketing or poor decision making that dilutes the brand, wastes money, and causes customer confusion.

It should be fun i just love Jacob from overstock.com, he being a 6′9″Mormon and me being a 5′9″ Jew is always a funny site and then we go at it the results have always been great.

Then I am part of a great cast of real superstars who will present “24 tactics to make you more money this week” my feeling is that this presentation will be by far the best of the conference Allan Dick from Vintagetub put it together what a gem.

Track 4: Tactics - 24+ Specific Things You Can Do To Make More Money Next Week
Mod: Allan Dick, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Plumbing Evangelist, Vintage Tub and Bath

Panelists: Sam Decker, CMO, Bazaarvoice; Todd Friesen, SEO Ninja, Todd Friesen Associates; Sheldon Gilbert, Founder and CEO, Proclivity; Pinny Gniwisch, Founder and VP, Marketing,ice.com; Brian Klais, Vice President of Search, Netconcepts; Jeff Molander, Principal, Molander & Associates; Brian Platter, General Manager, Home Delivery, Peet’s Coffee & Tea; Brian Smith, co-Founder, SingleFeed
Islander Ballroom I

Forget the grand strategy talks; ignore the expensive, time-consuming software implementations; discard the hard-to-measure long-term plans - this session is about specific, actionable tactics you can use to make money NOW. Our panel of experts are going to give you killer tips to improve your Paid Search, Natural Search, Affiliate Marketing, Email Marketing, Web 2.0, Shopping Feeds, Technology Issues, and Site Optimization.

We’re going to be moving fast so we will have a handout for session attendees with all of the gory details. This is the session you want to attend if you want to get your hands dirty and improve the bottom line.
It will also help you convince your boss that you came to the Summit to make money – not just party in Vegas.

A Comcast Technician Sleeping on my Couch

Getting the worlds hardest stone into a shape that can catch people’s eye from all the way across the room is not something
easy to do and it is this that people are really paying for. The same can be
said about a company that with the right planning and transparency we can lead
the way in the world of pull and that the Push world is coming to an end (we
will speak about this another time)

Three 6 Mafia they were very generous

Joey Pantoliano AKA Joey Pants discusses jewish guilt and his Mother making him nuts

Kevin Sorbo AKA Hercules tells Pinny about his Mom, what a Mench

Natassia Malthe (Elektra, Maxim model) talks about her Mom

Constance Zimmer ( boston legal, Entourage) talks with Pinny, what a smart cookie