The joy of stats

Messages have a greater possibility of resonating when they are based on hard data and delivered with a touch of theater. Some people have that talent. I really enjoyed the video below “200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes” from the BBC 4 Series "The Joy of Stats" hosted by Swedish Professor Hans Rosling graphically illustrating global development over the past 200 years.

We're only scratching the surface of how new media has the power of transforming education and impacting millions of people around the world. Fascinating times.

Learning new chords

Somewhere I read that you should try to learn something new every year. So, at the end of last year, I signed up for weekly golf lessons and every Wednesday night I've been taking electric guitar classes.  Both activities have been extremely rewarding.  Golf has helped me focus, strategize, learn how to read the field of play, recognize that little details make a huge difference and meet some interesting people along the way.  Guitar has been a wonderful way to engage with my daughters through the joy of music since they are also learning how to play.

I feel like trying something completely new helps rewire your mind in different ways. It challenges you to be open to new concepts, forces you to practice, experiment, fail and try again. In many ways, there's a direct correlation with the innovation process, from having the intellectual curiosity to explore new ideas that lead to the formulation of hypotheses, and the discipline of researching over and over again to find the right insight.  

As I start thinking of 2010, what new skills will I be adding to my life experience?

New world-class Science Museum in São Paulo

Yesterday, I took my daughters to São Paulo's new science museum called Fundação Catavento - a fascinating world-class learning experience.  We only covered the first floor dedicated to space, Brazilian geography & wildlife, the human body, as well as, a hall with fun games teaching kids the principles of physics.  The space is very well designed, providing children with all sorts of fun interactive ways to learn.  We will explore the second floor next time we go.

The museum is located in the beautiful Palácio das Indústrias, which used to be the town hall, in a deteriorated section of São Paulo.  I hope this museum will help revitalize the city's downtown area, similar to what has happened in many other urban areas like in St.Paul with the Science Museum of Minnesota or Birmingham with the McWane Science Center.  

I was thrilled to read that the mastermind behind this museum is a man named Sérgio Freitas, an electric engineer who became a well-known bank executive.  His vast intellectual curiosity led him to travel the world visiting museums and selecting interactive displays and exhibits that became the basis for the Catavento project.  

São Paulo is fortunate to have a man like Sérgio Freitas who leaves a wonderful legacy to all of us.

Tim Brown from IDEO on the power of play

This month posted on TED, a deliciously inspiring speech with Tim Brown, CEO of innovation and design firm IDEO, called "The Powerful Link Between Creativity and Play" as part of the 2008 Serious Play Conference.

He talks about how certain behaviors we have learned as kids (exploration, building, role play) can be powerful tools in the process of creative thinking.

Click below to be inspired...

A Very Special Week

Just landed after one week at IMD - International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne.  I just can't say how much I enjoyed the experience of taking time out from the office, immersing in self-awareness, spending quality time with professionals from around the world, and learning from outstanding professors. The tough part is coming back and jumping into the hectic day-to-day, without stepping back to reflect on how so many new concepts can effectively generate a conscious improvement in leadership skills.  I went through a powerful learning and emotional journey this week.  I will be working hard to keep this special feeling alive.

Cultural Movement vs. Advertising Campaign

I have to confess that a few months back when I saw Argentina's Doritos TV Campaign 'Que Vuelvan Los Lentos' (Bring back slow dancing) I didn't quite get it.  In a terrible brand manager attitude I kept asking myself what was the product link between slow dancing and our famous tortilla chip brand.  

This week in London, I had the opportunity to watch Carlos Menendez, PepsiCo Snacks' Marketing Director for Argentina/Chile, present the strategy and I realized how wrong I was and how powerful the campaign really is.  Well, let me step back.  It's not really a campaign.  The Doritos Team in Argentina launched a cultural movement.  In his own words a 'crusade'.  A crusade to bring back slow dancing to a generation that is all about electronic music.

The new agency we are working with in Brazil, Strawberry Frog, talks a lot about the need to evolve the traditional advertising campaign and create cultural movements where brands embrace a cause... and hopefully inspire others to follow, interact, express themselves, take part in.  A powerful concept.

And that's exactly what happened in Argentina, Doritos did launch a TV movement to bring back slow dancing but the movement created a life of its own.  Thousands of communities were formed in social networks, dozens of radio stations and clubs altered their music programming and a slow-dancing flash mob (probably the world's first) took place at the Buenos Aires planetarium, bringing thousands of teens together.

Thanks Carlos Menendez in showing me the power of a true cultural movement, where the brand plays a strategically important role as an enabaler in bringing a memorable experience to consumers.  And how the message is just a spark that can transform in something very big. Great story.

Audio Guides as a Learning Tool for Schools

In the past weeks, we have visited a number of great museums, from Tate Modern in London to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. In every one, we have used audio guides, which add more depth to the museum experience. I couldn't help to think that, with the proliferation of iPods and podcasts, school and university professors should be incorporating this simple technology as an interesting learning tool. It could potentially become an incredibly powerful way to allow students to engage in a more experiential learning process beyond the classroom. To inspire them to explore the many cultural and historic sites within their own communities... a modern spin on the old field trip.