Change Agents

Wal-Mart is going green. The company, which is often criticized for its labor practices, is getting serious about sustainability. The truly interesting thing here is how this initiative perfectly fits their corporate culture, for sustainability pactices, when properly implemented, will lead to reduced costs and increased profits. Speaking in London on Feb. 1, Wal-Mart President and CEO Lee Scott said: "Sustainability …

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Jeff Jarvis interviewed scholar and author David Weinberger on camera at Always On in Manhattan last week. Beet.tv has the full transcript of the interview. Here's one bit from the Cluetrain conductor that I enjoyed: Entering a conversation in order to influence it is almost always a corrupting influence on a conversation, although there are exceptions. I spoke with David briefly at SXSW in 2003. He seemed like a …

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Ervin Peretz, a 37-year-old Google programmer, just might be a genius. He opened Terra Bite Lounge, a coffee shop in Kirkland, WA that has no prices for any of the food or drinks it "sells." Instead people volunteer money if and when they choose. Those who do pay simply put whatever they want into a drop box. According to Seattle Times: The idea emerged during a booze-fueled debate in a Saigon bar, where Peretz and …

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Years ago, McDonald's relied on creative franchisees to concoct new items in the back of their kitchens. Restaurant owners invented the Big Mac, the Egg McMuffin and other favorites. Those days are long gone. Today a chef trained at Culinary Institute of America devises new menu items for the quick serve giant. The Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.) has the story. Mr. Coudreaut borrowed edamame, a type of soybean …

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Spencer Morgan's New York Observer article on internet video star Ze Frank is highly informative. Here's some of what I learned by reading the piece: Mr. Frank has high powered Hollywood agents and will soon have a deal. United Talent Agency owner Nick Stevens said to him, "We’ll do this, we’ll do that, we’ll pump that area." DreamWorks is laden with waterfalls and free ice cream. In March of 2001, Mr. Frank was an …

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Former executive editor of the Harvard Business Review, Nicholas Carr, looks at the Pranksteresque moves of Steve Jobs. It's hard to imagine the pleasure Steve Jobs must receive from singlehandedly upstaging the entire Consumer Electronics Show. There was just one moment during his two-hour presentation yesterday (at MacWorld) when he went off script, but it was a telling one. His clicker failed, and while he waited …

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Brandweek is running a bit of a scare piece on a new crop of companies offering à la carte marketing services. Companies like Spot Runner, PayPerPost, PayPerClip, Current TV, BrightCove, BrandWizard, Google's AdSense for radio and newspapers, and, yes, YouTube, now offer cheap, fast, online commercial creation, media placement and public relations services without the need for a traditional full-service agency. And …

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The Philadelphia Inquirer is sending 17 percent of its newsroom staff packing today. The New York Times has some reactions from staffers. “The guillotine has finally fallen,” said Dawn Fallik, 36, a medical reporter for The Inquirer who has been at the paper for four years and will be laid off. “In a way, it’s kind of a relief. I loved being a reporter, and I hope to continue writing,” Ms. Fallik said, “but I’m open …

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