ZZ Corner || Ocassional notes in English

Inflection point?

"... Let’s today step out of the normal boundaries of analysis of our economic crisis and ask a radical question: What if the crisis of 2008 represents something much more fundamental than a deep recession? What if it’s telling us that the whole growth model we created over the last 50 years is simply unsustainable economically and ecologically and that 2008 was when we hit the wall — when Mother Nature and the market both said: “No more.”

We have created a system for growth that depended on our building more and more stores to sell more and more stuff made in more and more factories in China, powered by more and more coal that would cause more and more climate change but earn China more and more dollars to buy more and more U.S. T-bills so America would have more and more money to build more and more stores and sell more and more stuff that would employ more and more Chinese ..."

Thomas Friedman @ NYTimes again. "The Inflection is Near"

Making money from money

"As a country, too many of us stopped making money by making “stuff” and started making money from money — consumers making money out of rising home prices and using the profits to buy flat-screen TVs from China on their credit cards, and bankers making money by creating complex securities and leverage so more and more consumers could get in on the credit game."

Thomas Friedman, "Obama's Ball and Chain", NYTimes.com, 4/03/2009

Oversimplified, but so true. And even more true for Latvia. It's all about value creation. If you (country, company, personally) do not create value for others, true value I mean, sooner or later you are in trouble. As a country, as a company or personally. 

But actually there are few more great metaphors in this commentary. 

Dan Wieden on 2009

"We are full-steam ahead on digital and we're thinking of some ancillary surprises. If you can't redefine what an advertising agency is in the next couple of years, I think you've got some big problems. It's turned upside down, but for us, it's the most exciting of times."

via welcome to optimism

Global economic crisis - simplified and visualized

Simplified and visualized story on the roots on economic (credit) crisis. And in the same time - short, simplified intro in how economy works. In a simple, animated 11 minutes film:  

"I LEGO N.Y." @ NYTimes.com

For those who love NewYork. And for those who loves simple, creative experiments. Designer Christof Niemann has published great series of photos "I LEGO N.Y."

Few out of 21 pictures published in NYTimes blog:

(c) Christoph Niemann

(c) Christoph Niemann

(c) Christoph Niemann

(c) Christoph Niemann

Great new Cadbury TVC - from creators of "Gorilla" and "Airport"

Just few hours ago the new Cadburys video was published on Internet. It continues the line started by "Gorilla" and "Airport". For me last one is by far the best one both for brand and in terms of social effect it can create. I already can see crowds of kids passing the Cadburys shelve and asking for one. And zillions of kids trying to do something similar. 

Google business model and strategy

Great presentation on Google strategy and business model.

All about Google