Brainy Broads

Are your ears burning?

What are people saying about you? More importantly, what are your customers saying about you?

Traditional surveying and focus group methods have long struggled to tap into crucial "word of mouth" information. But more and more, people are expressing their opinions online, especially within the newest social networking sites and services.

It's difficult to datamine these sites, and while the Brainy Broads are more than happy to do that work for you, there are a few very new online tools that you can use.

With Omgili, you can search what people are saying online because Omgili gathers its data directly and in real time from blogs, forums, and other discussion-oriented sites and services. While Omgili is general, there are industry specific tools as well.  For example, with Snooth, if you are a wine maker or otherwise invested in opinions about specific wines, use this site to find ratings, reviews, and demographic information by and about the people who like (or don't) your wine.

As always, if you'd rather let us do the legwork or have us delve more deeply into datamining the dark web, contact the Brainy Broads.

Lucky Number 7

If you follow our blog, you know the Brainy Broads like a little wine. We also like our planet. And with my Portland, OR garden dying in this freakish heat while Texas experiences more rain in a day than they normally see in a year....  Well, let's have a glass of cool pinot blanc in the shady part of the garden and figure out what we're going to do about it.

Tomorrow we're going to observe 7-7-07 at our favorite neighborhood wine shop Cork. They will donate 7% of gross sales on Saturday, July 7 to NativeEnergy, which helps build new renewalable energy projects. Cork also has artisan chocolate and olive oils if wine isn't your preference.

If you'd like ideas about how to grow your business green -- or which rosé is our favorite this summer* -- contact the Brainy Broads.

* Brandon is enjoying the Mulderbosch while Samara prefers the Patton Valley.

April Showers Bring Summer Flowers

We believe in the importance of professional development and lifelong learning, both professionally and personally. The Brainy Broads spent the Spring months attending relevant conferences, learning new skills, and building partnerships. We're ready to get back to work!

It's a Green Spring

When we reported Green is the New Black, early 2008 was the target date for the arrival of SmartCars in the USA.  If you live in the Portland, OR area, you're in luck.

SmartCars are now available here through Oswego Luxury in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

If you get one, promise to take the Brainy Broads for a spin!

YOU need help!

Time Magazine may have named you the Person of the Year, but even the great among us need help from time to time. The Brainy Broads are here to help. Although our work is largely with organizations, businesses, or firms, we do welcome projects where we can work with individuals.

One recent example: A professional receives a promotion that places him in charge of a project  in an area outside his expertise, with a challenging timeline, a large staff, and a budget to rival a small oil-producing nation. Mr. X shakes off his panic and contacts the Brainy Broads.

We created a toolkit with necessary information about the field, expected best pratices, tools for planning, training, and evaluation, and contacts within the field whom he can rely on for support.  With a little help from the Brainy Broads, he can proceed with confidence and focus on making the project a success.  Good luck Mr. X!