Wednesday, August 31, 2011

More Than Money

In a curious piece in the New York Times, Andrew Ross Sorkin questioned why there was no public record of Apple founder Steve Jobs' philanthropy.  Despite a net worth in the billions, Jobs and his wife appear to leave no trace of charitable giving to any organization. They do not belong to the exclusive "Giving Pledge" group led by billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, and a whispering campaign is now audible about Jobs' commitment to philanthropy.

I'm sure the opinions of other billionaires and the media are far from Steve Jobs' psyche these days as he battles for his life and continues to fret over his company's fate from the chairman's office.  Whatever money Mr. Jobs chose to give (or not) to worthy causes is a personal matter between him and the good Lord. If he never gave a dime to a down-on-his-luck panhandler on the corner, Jobs could still rest easy for all the good he has caused in this world through his works.

We should keep in mind that several of the fabled 20th century robber-barons and industrialists cleansed their hands and souls by establishing huge endowments to aid the public good. Today their foundations carry on their legacies by doing good throughout the land in their names.  Steve Jobs may end up bequeathing a well-funded foundation or something of the sort, which would cast him into posterity.  On the other hand, he may very well  let his marvelous products, and the joy they bring to hundreds of millions of people, quietly extol his virtue.  

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Netflix Just for Kids

Recent news by Netflix that it will launch a "just for kids" tab on its online offerings is cool, but wrought with landmines.  The company must be careful to safeguard the data and privacy of its underage users.  It should proceed step-by-step with self-regulatory privacy enforcement, and shore up its data security mechanisms.  If Netflix can perfect this model, it could be come a strong competitor in the online children's content space.  Stay tuned.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Save the Children

Children under the age of 13 are inherently vulnerable to marketing messages.  That is the rationale behind the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which  requires, among other things, that online marketers get parental consent before engaging these young consumers.

When the FTC found out that a company was using a mobile app to collect the data of thousands of kids, and did not notify their parents, it filed a case and compelled the company to stop the practice and pay a fine. That was the right thing to do.  Although the choice of communications platforms have expanded, the basic principles remain the same.  Children are a special and protected category, and responsible marketers should go the extra mile to take care of them, even as they employ new and cool ways to connect.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Day-to-Day Leadership

"Any idiot can face a crisis.  It's day-to-day living that wears you out," Anton Chekhov, the noted Russian physician and playwright once said.  

So it seems with the state of business in America these days.  We move from one crisis to another, each coming much too quickly in succession.  For the most part, though, leaders rise to the occasion, as evidenced by the debt ceiling debate (debacle), the Standard & Poor's downgrading, and the chronic and continued joblessness.

What our business and political leaders have significantly less success addressing, however, is the day-to-day drudgery that saddles most Americans.  Making the ends meet is a constant and consistent challenge for the average family. Whether it is paying the mortgage, coming up with college tuition, or handling higher gas prices, the day-to-day living is wearing the public out. 

Now that business leaders, especially the big guys, know these things, we all must wonder what they can do on a day-to-day basis to help their employees, staffs, small business partners, vendors and suppliers weather the daily storm.

(c) 2011 Adonis E. Hoffman