Brains on Fire

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  7.20.11 – Geno speaks – Social Media Masters

  Posted on June 8th, 2011 by mc and currently 0 commenting.

  Geno owns the title of Social Media Master, don’t you think? He’ll share his wealth of knowledge in this series hosted by the Social Media Club. If you’re in the Atlanta area on the afternoon of July 20, drop in to learn how to take your social media skills to the next level.

  Learn more and register here: http://smm11atl.eventbrite.com

  

  Tags: Atlanta, geno church, Social media, Social media club
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  79 Days and Coke

  Posted on June 8th, 2009 by Spike and currently 3 commenting.

  I finally made it to the World of Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, and wasn’t disappointed. As seems to be the case with the brand of Coke, they did a great job. You can learn about the history and origins of the brand, see a 4-D movie, watch how the brand has had such a huge influence on our world over the years and even taste Coke products from all around the world. (Not to mention you get a free old school glass bottle coke on the way out.

  But the part that really stuck with me (even though it’s tucked away in the “Pop Culture Gallery”) was the huge FAIL that was New Coke. On April 23, 1985, after 99 years of what everyone come to know as Coke, the company changed the formula. Sure, they based the change on over 200,000 taste tests and sure, they were trying to do something about their market share slipping away to Pepsi. So they took a big risk. And had a big fail.

  It only took 79 days for Coca-Cola to admit it screwed up and brought back “Coke Classic.” New Coke became Coke II and then just faded on into the sunset.

  What’s my point? That not many people even remember Coke’s monumental mistake. That you don’t want to screw with what makes you “you” when you’ve got a great thing going. That the path of every great company is littered with mistakes, big and small – because it’s the only way we learn.

  Here’s to the 79 days we can all look forward to or look back on that makes us better for it.

  Tags: 79 days, Atlanta, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Museum, Coke, Coke 2, Coke II, New Coke, World of Coke
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  Ever Been to Greenville, SC?

  Posted on May 29th, 2008 by Spike and currently 12 commenting.

  No? Well, Relocate-America.com just named it the #4 best place to live in the nation.

  The list was based on ‘an area’s growth, its educational and employment opportunities, crime rates and housing options before granting it a spot in the top 100. Environmental highlights also play a role, with a city gaining points for good air and water quality or the strength of its recycling efforts.’

  We are often asked why Brains on Fire is HQed here. And we tell them that we choose to live here. They find out why when they come and see us. We are far removed from the Madison Avenue BS. It is not too big and not too small. We have what I consider to be the best airport in the world (oh so easy to get in and out of). There’s hardly any traffic. Our cost of living is right at the national average. We have one of the largest cycling communities per capita in the nation. We have a mini-Fenway downtown. Downtown is unbelievably cool. BMW’s North American headquarters is here (and the only North American museum). As is Michelin‘s. And many others.

  I’m not from here. And the same goes for over half the people at Brains on Fire. I actually thought I’d always end up living out West in the Rockies (I did a brief stint in Vail a long, long time ago). But there’s just something about this place that’s 45 minutes from the Blue Ridge mountains and Asheville (#7 on the list), 3 hours from the beach and two hours from either Atlanta or Charlotte (#1 on the list this year).

  And if you want to talk about how communities work, then come live in one first.

  The list goes on and on. And while it’s great to see Greenville on the list, I’m also kinda sad. Because I think it’s one of the best-kept secrets in the nation.

  Home, sweet home.

  Tags: Asheville, Atlanta, BMW, Brains on Fire, Charlotte, Greenville, Madison Avenue, Michelin, Relocate-America.com, South Carolina
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  5.8.08 – Cordell speaks – PRSA Georgia Annual Conference – Atlanta, GA

  Posted on March 6th, 2008 by Cordell and currently 0 commenting.

  Title:
  How PR Practitioners Can Build a Sustainable Word of Mouth Movement

  Location:
  Atlanta, GA

  Check out the conference here.

  Tags: Atlanta, GA, Greg Cordell, PRSA, Speaking
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  CAUTION: Potential horn-tootin’ ahead.

  Posted on January 30th, 2008 by Robbin and currently 4 commenting.

  Is there a doctor in the house?

  Yup.

  Dr. Justine Foo is joining Brains on Fire as lead strategist for our insight team this week.

  Justine is whip smart and will be a remarkable addition to Brains on Fire. She’s also going to add to the conversation around here. She’ll join our blog in the next week or so. So keep an eye out for her point of view in the coming weeks. Here is a small bit of Justine’s bio:

  Dr. Justine Foo brings a unique combination of psychology, neuroscience, marketing and organizational consulting experience. After receiving her Ph.D. in Complex Systems and the Brain Sciences, Justine went on to join BrightHouse, an ideation company in Atlanta, where she conducted some of the first brain imaging studies to investigate how individual preferences are represented in the brain in collaboration with scientists at Emory University. Though labeled ‘the world’s first neuromarketer’ by the NY Times in 2001, Justine’s focus has not been on using neuroimaging to test specific ads or products. Rather she believes the bigger value lies in helping companies to gain a deeper knowledge of human behavior and motivation and to leverage this knowledge to strengthen both internal and external relationships. As a consultant, Justine has provided scientific insight and strategic thought for clients like Georgia-Pacific, Delta Airlines and Turner Entertainment Networks.

  P.S. The muli-talented Jenn is following her passion for writing and will step into a new role here as lead of all things written (exact titles will work themselves out in our usual way). She, of course, will still remain a vital part of the insight team.

  Tags: Atlanta, Brain Sciences, BrightHouse, Complex Systems, Delta Airlines, Dr. Justine Foo, Emory University, Georgia-Pacific, Insight Team, Jen Goff, Lead Strategist, Marketing, Neuroscience, NY Times, organizational consulting, Turner Entertainment Networks