You gotta see this video!" ace ResearchWorks strategist Ross Dammann gleefully exclaimed. And he was right. Watching the parody of Microsoft "improving" iPod packaging is as funny as it is poignantly instructive. It's several years old; and not much has changed. Check it out:

Here are three key takeaways:

1. Purpose: The job of retail packaging is first to get the customer to notice the box and look at it, then to engage them enough to dig deeper. That's it. So K.I.S.S.

2. TMI: Like with other forms of seduction (hey, it is what it is), revealing all right away is NOT the best approach. The package should not try to convey every detail. It's Too Much Information. Usually, less is more (hence, my top secret code name Les S. Moore, since you were wondering).

3. Think/Feel/Do: Every communication piece should be subject to the think/feel/do test. Yes, even Apple stuff. In advance, determine what you want target customers to think, feel, and do when they see the package. Then use those objectives to make sure the creative execution hits the mark. It's a simple, powerful, and ego-free form of assuring purpose-driven communications and accountability for results.

Happy and persuasive communications!

On October 1st, I wrote a blog entry called The "Socially-Enabled" Search War: Facebook vs. Google and the "Like" Button. What I talked about - "social search" - is heating up! Today, Facebook and Microsoft's search engine Bing announced that they're teaming up to provide a personalized search experience using Facebook Instant Personalization. That means when you search for say a seafood restaurant in San Diego, you'll get the usual Bing results, plus results with a Facebook icon to indicate restaurants your Facebook friends like. More details on Mashable.

It's all based on Facebook profiles and "Like" data. (Hey, maybe LinkedIn should do a similar arrangement but from a business perspective, like when searching for a new project manager, recommendations from people in your network will show up). Next are plans to show search results from "experts" along with friends and the usual results. I see a social, connection-based internet (most likely some form of Facebook) becoming the default interface for the whole internet. Lots of major assumptions about friends, affinity and social judgement underneath this growing trend. What do you think about all this? And of course, what do YOUR friends think?!

Microsoft opened its fourth retail store recently - this one in San Diego, the same day Apple launched iPhone 4. According to blogger Joe Wilcox, the Apple Store (a stone's throw from the Microsoft store in the Fashion Valley mall) had about five times the crowd.

Microsoft was giving away lots of freebies, while people were waiting for hours to give Apple money. I wonder where Microsoft got the idea for their retail stores?? I'm waiting to see a TV ad (in the spirit of Windows 7 ads) with Steve Jobs in front of a Microsoft store saying... "My idea."