Dell to Layoff 900

Just heard that Dell is laying off 900 workers in Austin. Not sure what department(s) are getting hit. I'm sure we'll hear more soon.

Update: North Austin Desktop PC plant to be closed by end of 2008. This is part of worldwide cutbacks at Dell. The work might be moved to a newer plant in North Carolina.

Austin's T3 on Front-page of USAToday

Austin's own T3 was recently featured on the front-page of USAToday.

Here's the web version of the article:

Day care's new frontier: Your baby at your desk

T3 has gotten lots of good press out of their "T3 and Under" program...including this early post by yours truly:
T3 VIP on GMA

I love a good benefit that is not only good for many employees, but also can garner some great press.

WPP Project DaVinci Newspaper Ad

The "fine" print (a brief summary with a bit of color):
Marketing is rocket science.
WPP needs people with "unbelievable smarts" to make Project DaVinci work.
They want to build "a marketing group driven by the brightest minds, not history."
"In fact", like you don't know this already their "first" (and only) "client is Dell", so you'll get to work only on Dell stuff all day long.
They are looking for folks to sit in cubes and work as "project managers, copywriters, art directors, and strategists."
If you are smart and in advertising and you aren't a good fit at Project DaVinci, check out the job postings at NASA.
"PROJECT DAVINCI: FOUNDERS WANTED projectdavinci@wpp.com"

Who's Watching Who #29

Here's a Who's-Who of folks that have checked-out the blog
and/or emailed us to praise/complain, and/or any combination thereof over the past week:

Amazon - online retailer
Aquantive - Microsoft's digital marketing group
Blackbaud - software used by non-profits
Burson Marsteller - PR Agency - Worldwide
Convio - Nonprofit Marketing - Austin, TX
Crispin Porter + Bogusky - Ad Agency - All over the place - these guys love Adomatica
CNET - online content powerhouse
DDB - Ad Agency - Worldwide
Dell - PCs - Austin, TX
Demand Media - recent buyer of Austin-based Pluck
Digitas - integrated strategy, technology and marketing solutions - Worldwide
Foote Cone & Belding communications - a Interpublic Group shop
Google - Search Engine - Worldwide
GSD&M Idea City - Ad Agency - Austin, TX
Hydra Network - Advertising network - Beverly Hills, CA
Johnson & Quin - Direct marketing print house - Niles, Illinois
McCann-Erickson - Ad Agency Group - Worldwide
Media Temple - Web Hosting - Culver City, CA
Neiman Group - Ad Agency - PA
Ogilvy and Mather - Ad Agency
Pepper Hamilton and Sheetz - Lawyers
SpringBox - Interactive Marketing - Austin TX
Stalelife - Creative Agency - Austin and Chicago
WPP Group - Agency Network - Worldwide

So, you visited Adomatica in the past week or so and don't see your name or company listed? Email me and I'll list you next week.

Need $1899 (for Cancer Research)

Here's the deal:
1. I'm trying to raise $4000 for cancer research and patient services.
2. I'm doing so by running the San Diego marathon in June.
3. I'm training and running as part of Team in Training.
4. I'm currently $1899 short.

This is where you come into play. Make a donation to my fund-raising effort and I will, in turn, post about your company, your blog, pretty much whatever you would like within reason*. Once you make a donation, please send me an email (robert at adomatica . com) to let me know the company or blog or whatever you want me to post about.

More info and the online donation form can be found here:
Robert Gilbreath's Marathon Info and Donation Website

* within reason means no porn, nothing I am morally opposed to, and I can refuse your requested site/blog/topic if I feel I have a valid reason to. That being said, I'm sure I can post something that, along with the great feeling of helping those battling cancer, you'll be happy with.

"Personality Not Included" Interview

I first saw Rohit Bhargava speak last October at the Texas eMarketing Summit. He gave a presentation titled "10 truths of Marketing in a Web 2.0 World". At the time, I was roughly a month into this blog and I thought to myself that Rohit would be someone who I would love to interview. Well, I recently got my chance as part of Rohit's book ("Personality Not Included") launch.

Adomatica: What are the top three take-aways for someone reading PNI?
Rohit: I would say the top three takeaways are: 1. Personality matters 2. Being faceless doesn't work anymore 3. There is a way to use personality to humanize your brand, and the book is the guide on how to do it.

Adomatica: How do you define personality as it pertains to a company?
Rohit: The definition for personality I share in the book is "personality is the unique, authentic and talkable soul of your brand that people can get passionate about."

Adomatica: Who are some companies you think have great personalities?
Rohit: It's tough to just choose a few, but I would say some examples in the book that I think are interesting are Trader Joes, Innocent Drinks (from the UK) and Timbuk2.

Adomatica: Where does blogging, social marketing, and web 2.0/3.0 fit into a company's personality?
Rohit: These are very important elements and I have included them throughout PNI as tools to help you bring your personality to life. They are very closely linked.

Adomatica: How did you get into blogging? i.e what was the situation? When? Why?
Rohit: I actually just thought it would be a great place to share some ideas that I had but that were not specific to a particular client project. When I first started my blog, I actually thought I would be writing about user interface design, but then I thought it would be better to keep it more broad to marketing. I was right.

Adomatica: Thanks Rohit

Networking at SXSW

I met Andrew Hyde at SXSWi this year. We exchanged business cards. His was a bit different as it had a drawn portriat of himself on one side and a very web 2.0 set of info on the other. i.e. his twitter username It was also a different size and shape than a normal business card.

Then, about a week later I get a nice hand-written card from Andrew...I good reminder of our meeting and his different, slightly traditional, method of networking is a perfect mix of new and old in my opinion.

Nike Sparq Training for Blogs

SXSW Interactive 2009 Dates

Start making your plans now. SXSW Interactive 2009 is scheduled for March 13th-17th.

Cube Farms Cause Brain Damage

Tick this off as another reason I hate cubes:

Brain death by dull cubicle

CMO Makes Earth Shattering Revelation

"Our opportunity is to gain marketshare while other retailers are struggling. That's what we are focused on." Richard Gerstein - CMO of Sears (as quoted in the March 17th 2008 issue of BrandWeek.)

I think gaining marketshare should always be a focus. The root of the problem with Sears is not just gaining marketshare, but it's winning marketshare back in the form of previous customers who are now shopping at Target, Wal-mart, online, and elsewhere.

Adomatica's New Researcher and Analyst

We love her fresh take on things and her forward thinking regarding web 4.0.

GSD&M Loses Another

Calm down, calm down, don't get your panties all in a wad. GSD&M didn't lose another client or lose more employees due to another round of layoffs. They just lost one of their interactive media planners / search engine marketing folks to another Austin agency.

Moses Chang has joined Adlucent, an Austin-based search engine marketing/technology firm, as an account manager. In this role, Moses is responsible for the management and development of client marketing campaigns on major PPC (pay per click) engines (Google, Yahoo! and MSN), as well as facilitating client communications. Prior to joining Adlucent, Moses worked as an Interactive Media Planner for GSDM's Idea City. At GSD&M, he was responsible for managing PPC search campaigns for BMW, AT&T and John Deere. Moses received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas, with a minor in business.

Also, and this has nothing to do with Moses, GSD&M, or Adlucnet, this is the 100th post for 2008. I'll try not to break my arm as I pat myself onthe back.

Tricky Direct Mail Marketers

Ok, so you tricked me by using a single sheet of bubble wrap to give
the appearance of a padded envelope...an envelope that might have
contained something of value.

Rackspace Career Fair - Many Open Positions

We're not all about snarky comments here at Adomatica. Here's info that a contact just sent me on a career fair. I believe that these openings are in San Antonio and Austin.

Company: Rackspace
Job Title: Rackspace Career Fair
Description: When: March 29, 2008 @ 9:00am – 2:00 pm

Where: Rackspace Headquarters 9725 Datapoint Drive Suite 100 San Antonio, Texas 78229

Bring your resume!
All candidates will be considered!
They will conduct face to face interviews!
Hiring decisions will be made on the spot!

Available Positions:
Java Developers
Datacenter Operations Technicians
Technology Sales Representatives
Sales Account Executives
Window Systems – Admin/ Engineers/ Architects
Linux Systems- Admin/ Engineers/ Architects
Email Administrators
Back-Up Administrators
Storage Engineers/ Architects
Network Security Engineers
Product Marketing
Product Management

Pre-register by sending your resume to Jobfair@rackspace.com

This will reduce your wait time and ensure a place in line!

Adomatica's 200th post

This is officially the 200th post to Adomatica.

Thanks to all our readers, comment posters, and even those lurkers who never comment or email us.

In honor of our 200th post, We've updated our header and will be doing so on a somewhat regular basis. Please send your suggestions for future tag-lines. Here's the first/current one:

Who's Watching Who #28

Here's a Who's-Who of folks that have checked-out the blog
and/or emailed us to praise/complain, and/or any combination thereof over the past week:

Aquantive - Microsoft's digital marketing group
BBDO - Ad Agency Network - Worldwide
Burson Marsteller - PR Agency - Worldwide
Clay Finlay - global equity management firm - NY, London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo
Convio - Nonprofit Marketing - Austin, TX
Crispin Porter + Bogusky - Ad Agency - All over the place
DDB - Ad Agency - Worldwide
Dell - PCs - Austin, TX
Demand Media - recent buyer of Austin-based Pluck
Deutsch - Ad Agency - LA, NY, and Toronto
Digitas - integrated strategy, technology and marketing solutions - Worldwide
501 Studios - Creative office space in east Austin
GSD&M Idea City - Ad Agency - Austin, TX
Grey - Ad Agency - Worldwide
HomewAway - Vacation Rental Homes - Austin, TX
I love Inns - B&B website
Lally Mcfarland & Pantello - Ad Agency
Leo Burnett - Ad Agency - Worldwide
Martin Williams - Ad Agency - Minneapolis, MN
Meredith - Media and marketing company - from sea to shining sea
Mindshare - Global media network - Worldwide
MRM - relationship marketing news and tools - Worldwide
Neiman Group - Ad Agency - PA
Ogilvy and Mather - Ad Agency
Omnicom - You know these guys - Everywhere
Pepper Hamilton and Sheetz - Lawyers
Schematic - Interactive Ad Agency - Multiple US locations
Wieden & Kennedy - Ad Agency - Worldwide
WPP Group - Agency Network - Worldwide

So, you visited Adomatica in the past week or so and don't see your name or company listed? Stop that whining in your head and just email me. I'll list you next week.

Also, I got a ton of visits over the last couple of weeks from a construction company...I didn't list the company, but you know who you are are you should drop me an email.

Cartoons on the back of business cards

If you attended SXSWi last week, you might have gotten one of the "BIG BAGS" filled with magazines, postcards, and misc info crap. The best thing about the bag was the bag itself. It was an actual cloth re-usable bag with a big Adobe logo on one side and a drawing by social marketing renaissance man Hugh Macleod on the other side.

Ok, so the bag itself is not really the cool part, Hugh's drawing on the bag is. Hugh is known for his witty blog , gapingvoid.com, and his cartoons on the back of business cards.

Learn more about Hugh Macleod via his Linkedin profile
Follow Hugh via Twitter
Get business cards with a cartoon on the back

One of my current favorite Hugh Macleod cartoons.
© Hugh MacLeod - gapingvoid

Avenue A / Razorfish Appoints Shiv Singh to Social Lead

Avenue A / Razorfish has appointed Shiv Singh to lead its Global Social Media Efforts. Avenue A/ Razorfish has offices in markets across the United States including New York and Austin, and global operations in Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom.

The "agency believes that social influence marketing can transform the way customers purchase online." Now that is a statement that is easy to get behind....come on, who isn't tooting the social media horn these days?

Dell-WPP's Da Vinci Hires GM

Dell-WPP's Project Da Vinci agency has hired Valerie Hausladen as its general manager of operations of its Austin office (Her Linkedin profile is already updated). The currently being staffed-out agency will also have shops in San Francisco and New York. Hausladen was the consultant who helped Dell in its search for a new agency, a search that obviously resulted in the selection of WPP and the creation of Project Da Vinci. Before her time as a consultant, Hausladen's last agency experience was as President of Tocquigny, as Austin-based interactive marketing agency. Prior to that, Hausladen was Director of Marketing for Dell Higher Education and Dell Public.

I've sent Hauslden a few questions via email...we'll see if she replies.

SXSW - 2008 Theme Song

I associate moments in time with certain songs. For example, the song "Out of Touch" by Hall and Oates (and that whole damm album actually) makes me think of going to New Orleans with my parents for the 1984 Worlds Fair.

My latest song to event connection is what I'll call the theme song to SXSW 2008 - "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by Daft Punk - it was playing before Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Yahoo's Sarah Lacy took the stage for the infamous keynote/interview.

Feedback and Da Vinci Questions

This note just came in via email:

"hey there, i like checking in with your blog. i think there needs to be more agency gossip. keep up the good work.

say, do you know when this davinci behemoth is opening it's doors? also, do you know if there is central site for hiring? i'm looking for a position in media and i can't find anything on the wpp site and listings i've seen on job sites are for project managers and such. i'd imagine they'll be hiring for all positions, right?

anyway, dig the blog and thanks! V"

V- Thanks for the nice feedback. Happy to hear that not everyone thinks my blog is in poor taste. I've heard that media positions will not be available in Austin as WPP plans to keep those spots in NY. Something about keeping all those current/deep ties alive and not try to rebuild relationships.

Readers- Anybody know anything about where to see/apply for Da Vinci job openings? Please post via a comment.

Thanks and happy Thursday to all.

Directions to Da Vinci

We've cracked the code and are releasing the location of Dell/WPP Da Vinci's Austin Office!
Their office will be located in the newly remodeled Capital Tower at 206 E. Ninth Street - downtown Austin.

Here are special directions for all you planning on jumping from your current ship (or being made to or already made to walk the plank):

nFusion - Go from working for an agency run by some ex-Dell folks to an agency run by some Dell folks.

GSD&M - I bet you lushes can't get from west 6th to east 9th without stopping at Key Bar, Donn's Depot, or Molotov lounge so these directions attempt to route you three blocks north of the bars on west 6th.

T3 - WARNING...these directions take you directly to Da Vinci. Considering that you might get sued for working for Da Vinci or Dell, I suggest you take an alternate route and enter the building from the back to shake anyone that might be tailing you.

Airport - ok, so I know there are a few ad folks from outside of Austin that might want to work for a WPP shop based here. I have two things to say to you: 1. These directions swing you around east Austin, but, by all means, take a more direct route to get a taste of the 'other Austin'. 2. Stay the hell out of Austin...unless you are in search marketing...then come to Austin and I'll talk to you once you're here or the layoffs happen.

SWSW - Sarah Lacy Speaks Out

As if the time on stage with Zuckerburg and the aftermath wasn't bad enough...today Sarah Lacy Twittered this "years of high heels have apparently shortened my hamstrings beyond repair!"

Sarah, I'm sure you'll keep standing tall...your book is coming out soon and I heard you've got an idea for another one already. (Also, if you actually see this post, Twitter it.)

Da Vinci - Not interested in award winners

Here's a piece of an article recently posted to the online version of the
Austin American Statesman regarding Dell/WPP's Da Vinci (with my thoughts in parenthesis):
-------
The new agency in Austin will work with Mark Jarvis, Dell’s new chief marketing officer, and Casey Jones, vice president for global marketing, as well as and Dell’s worldwide marketing and communications teams in Round Rock and elsewhere.

The approach of creating an agency geared toward one large client created some consternation in the advertising industry (of course it did, along with layoffs), but it also sparked a heated and closely watched competition for Dell’s advertising business. WPP eventually beat out Interpublic Group of Cos. (I wonder if Interpublic will be thankful for the loss in the near future), the other finalist for the account.

The project to consolidate Dell’s advertising and marketing into one agency account was spearheaded by Jarvis (What's the average tenure of CMOs these days?). Dell had set out to create an advertising partner that would “spend 100 percent of their time thinking about our customers (I guess someone has to think of Dell's customers), rather than how they will get the next assignment,” according to an entry by Jarvis on www.direct2dell.com, the company’s official blog (Who outside of Dell reads the blog?).

Rather than looking for talent focused on nabbing industry awards for their creativity (ok so maybe the title of this post should be - Da vinci - Not interested in award winners or creatives), Jones said, “we want people who get up and come to work every day at the agency for the same reason we do: to create success for Dell. (I won't mention the ~successful~ Dell MP3 player)”
-------

Lucky Mother Pluck-ers

Austin-based web 2.0 company Pluck, who was recently purchased by Demand Media, made a bunch of Pluck-ers happy early last week. Word on the street is that Pluck-ers were paid cash money for their vested "shares" of Pluck and were given "shares" of Demand Media for their non-vested Pluck "shares".

Ok, so this is not earth-shattering news, but I think it's great to see a post-dot-com-bust company do well and reward its employees while other companies are failing or laying people off or selling out for low amounts.

Wednesday's Work Whereabouts #6

Some Wednesdays I post jobs...today is one of those Wednesdays
Job Seekers: If you apply for one of these, please tell them you heard about the job on Adomatica.
Job Fillers: If you get an applicant who mentions Adomatica, please let me know.

Internet Sales Director - LIN Interactive - Austin, TX
Multiple Opportunities - SpringBox - Austin, TX

If you are a company recruiter, head hunter, etc send me your opportunities and I'll post them ~next~ Wednesdays.

Hasn't agency gossip done enough harm?

"Hasn't agency gossip done enough harm?" That was the subject of an empty email someone just sent me.

Here are my answers:

1. You tell me.
2. No, people need to be able to vent and what better place to do so then Adomatica?!?
3. Adomatica is not all about gossip, I happily post ~real~ news too.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Who's Watching Who #27

Here's a Who's-Who of folks that have checked-out the blog
and/or emailed us to praise/complain, and/or any combination thereof over the past week (It was a busy week with SXSW Interactive in town):

Allison and Partners - PR Agency for YouTube and others - West coast, DC, and NY
Aquantive - Microsoft's digital marketing group
BBDO - Ad Agency Network - Worldwide
Crispin Porter + Bogusky - Ad Agency - All over the place
DDB - Ad Agency - Worldwide
Dell - PCs - Austin, TX
GSD&M Idea City - Ad Agency - Austin, TX
HomewAway - Vacation Rental Homes - Austin, TX
McCoy's - Building Supply Centers - Texas and beyond
Media Temple - Business class hosting - LA
Neiman Group - Ad Agency - PA
Ogilvy and Mather - Ad Agency
Omnicom - You know these guys - Everywhere
Powered - Marketing Services - Austin, TX
Warner Music Group - Music Label - Worldwide
Wieck Media - PR with digital push - Dallas, TX
WPP Group - Agency Network - Worldwide

So, you visited Adomatica in the past week or so and don't see your name or company listed? Maybe you visited a week or so ago and have never seen your name or comapny listed? Quit f@*king hoping that I'll list you and just email me. I'll list you next week.

And sometimes no walls either

Did I mention the sliding-glass-wall? Today, we're enjoying the live
music happening down the street.

Click Forensics gets $10 million infusion

Austin-based and Austin Ventures backed Click Forensics has landed $10 million in venture funding which puts its raised total to $15 million in the last two years. The company develops software that detects fraudulent internet activity. Their main focus is detective fraud in the paid search arena. The Click Fraud Network, as they call it, uses algorithms to sniff out suspicious clicks and other possible problems. Other investors include Shasta Ventures and Sierra Ventures.

SXSW - Final View / Picture

SXSW - Scalable Web Ventures

The panel was made up of the big wigs from Digg, Flickr, Wordpress,
StumpleUpon, and Media Temple. Seen here on stage with large projector
in the fore ground. :-)