(This post filmed on a Flip digital camera. So there, Cisco.)
UPDATE: An email from Flip clarifies what’s next, support, etc.:
Cisco recently announced that it will be exiting the Flip business and support customers and partners with a transition plan. Cisco will continue its focus and commitment to deliver best in class solutions that extend the network as a platform, from businesses into the home through its Linksys products and consumer TelePresence solutions with ūmi. More information can be found at Cisco’s consumer website.
Flip Future
Thank you Flip fans for all your support and comments about Flip and our team here as we begin our transition plans to close the business. However, do know we will continue to provide technical support for Flip video cameras until 12/31/2013 and Flip cameras will be available through our online and in-store retail partners as well as our Flip store while supplies last.
We know you have lots of questions for many of you have inquired about what is going to happen to Flip in the future; if FlipShare software will still work; and if we will continue to support you in the use of your Flip? We have many of these answers for you today and will continue to update you here on our site.
Flip Support:
First, we want everyone to know that if you own a Flip or are considering buying one, we will continue to support you within the terms of our warranty which is 1 year from purchase date (US and Canada). For customers that have issues that are not covered by our warranty or that are outside their warranty period, Cisco will continue to provide support for a nominal fee until 12/31/2013. E-Support will also continue to be complimentary and available until 12/31/2013. Details and updates about our support and service as well as our warranty policy can be found on our website.
Using FlipShare:
FlipShare software will continue to be fully functional and will be supported until 12/31/2013. After that time Cisco will no longer support the application though it may remain functional as a software for offloading videos, editing, organizing and archiving. Video sharing will no longer be supported past 12/31/2013. Continue to check back here on updates on FlipShare.
Flip availability:
Flip will continue to be available through our online and in-store retailers as well as our Flip store while supplies last. If you are looking for a customized Flip you can still order here at our website while supplies last.
If you are looking at buying a video camera – it’s the perfect time to take advantage of the easiest to use video camera in the world! We will continue to honor our support and warranty commitments and FlipShare software as mentioned above.
The Flip Team:
The teams have been reading your comments from emails and our social media community pages and are touched by the overwhelming number of thoughts and messages. We hope you will continue to have fun with your Flip video camera, and we appreciate your loyalty and business.
Fellow entrepreneurs, do you get tired of hearing steroidal rhetoric like “go big or go home” or “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing“? Ever feel guilty that your best wasn’t rocketing you to the top of the bestseller list or the front page of the business section?
There’s definitely a lot of people who feel that if you aren’t number one, you’re a loser. (Reminds me of a bumper sticker from my childhood that read “If You Ain’t Country, You Ain’t Shit.” Okaaaaaay…so does that mean that if you indeed are “country” that also means you are in actuality “shit“? Just wondering.) While I appreciate that we should always strive for greatness, all too often those “inspirational” quotes amount to nothing more than a beat down.
I earn enough beat downs from life. I don’t need silly axioms from the wide world of sports to make me feel like a loser ’cause I don’t earn Zuckerberg-size coin. How about you?
Perhaps there are other success yardsticks worth considering?
Are you doing what you love? (Specifically: Are you making a decent living? Serving your customers to the best of your ability? Employing people? If you said yes to most of those questions, I’d say you’re doing something pretty special). You’re following your bliss. You’re not working for the man. You’re creating something that’s yours.
I enjoy writing fiction and have a novel out there twisting in the winds of the indie book circuit. It was a labor of love to write the book, rewrite it about five times, have it edited, get a cover made and push the work out there for all to see.
Occasionally some people hear about the book and give me a (unintentionally patronizing) smile and say “Don’t quit your day job.” Who said I was going to? I write because I enjoy it. Illusions of being rich and famous were shattered 20 years ago with my first fifty rejection slips. I’m just blessed and happy to have a solid group of readers who enjoy my work. I feel the same way about running my PR firm.
I filed paperwork to found the company a year ago and started working part time on it in March of 2010, then full time in mid-July. I signed several clients immediately and have gained seriously great ground since. However, I’m not “number one.” (Heck, I’m not even a number.) I am, however, making a living and growing steadily as I work with some pretty great clients.
Do I hope to be a “big deal” someday? You bet. But I don’t get caught up in that. I try not let it get me down when I consider that it will be a long road of hard work with no guarantees of “big” success.
Seth Godin captured the way I feel about being a writer and entrepreneur perfectly:
“…you should play the game for the thrill of playing it, for the benefits of playing it to a normal conclusion, not because you think you have any shot at all of winning the grand prize.”
We’ve worked with several non-profit events–usually in the role of encouraging businesses to be sponsors. Depending on the event, it can be a really great opportunity to not only do a great thing for your community, but also enhance your company’s image.
Sponsorship—whether by a donation of time or money—promotes a company to a specific target market, while also contributing to the community. It’s important to make sure a sponsorship opportunity is compatible with the company’s overall marketing strategy and core values.
“We’re a local business, and this community has been fantastic to us, so [sponsoring the Jacksonville Open is] an opportunity to give back, particularly given the economic times we are in and that not everyone can do this,” McLauchlan said.
The key is “make sure a sponsorship opportunity is compatible with the company’s overall marketing strategy and core values.” In other words:
If you own a liquor store, sponsoring a marathon might not be to your advantage.
An “Air Sex” competition (Google it) at a local bar might not be a great fit if your business caters to families.
It’s usually a good idea to chip in as a sponsor of your city’s biggest July 4th event if you want to establish or maintain your hometown bona fides.
Pick one or two reputable community organizations or causes to sponsor. Quality, not quantity, will be better for your budget and overall image.
You get the idea.
Just be sure when you sponsor an event you get a little bang for your buck. Of course, you’re not going to get exact, dollar for dollar equivalencies like you would buying ads, but make sure you do get links on websites, logo placement on collateral and of course, free tickets for your key staff if possible.
If you do sponsor–show up. If your company buys a table at a dinner or auction party, be there. While your sponsorship is appreciated, an empty table with a sign reading “Sponsored by ACME” can make the sponsorship seem a little hollow–and you’re cutting your sponsorship’s PR value in half. Seal the deal by being present at the event. If you can’t go, send staff who will represent your company well. If you sponsor a festival, ask employees to wear company shirts to the event.
We think it’s important as a “corporate citizen” to sponsor or volunteer at community events. Besides the PR bonus, it just feels good to do good. Give it a shot.
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Dan Coyle takes a break between sets at KCRiverFest in Kansas City to talk about his use of social networking and PR to market his music. More about Dan’s music and touring schedule at www.DanCoyle.com
