Shake No More?

I'm already seeing the signs of the end of the handshake as we know it. I received my fist bumps in Portland last week and even on the train in CT today, a good friend opted for a wave versus shaking hands -- all of this of course due to the fear of H1N1. Sociologists I'm sure are already having a field day looking at how these greeting behaviors are already changing. I predict, particularly among Gen Y and beyond, the handshake will slowly fade as it is for women who rarely shake hands. Who knows, maybe we'll see a return to the salute or the bow as in Japan. For me, I'll keep shaking hands and keep my Purell at the ready.

Micro-Licensing

All right, I'm going on record to coin a new phrase - "micro-licensing." Given the rise in social networking and the personalization of the Internet, traditional licensing for non-profits may be outdated. A new craze may well take hold: micro-licensing where non-profits and potentially brands literally provide use of their logos for fundraising and other needs. Imagine for a moment the famed (RED) campaign appearing for one month at your local pizza parlor. Or, consider a one-day promotion with your local gas station where proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. This "pop up" social marketing, could be an excellent way to keep non-profits and other organizations raising money through our current recession and beyond (see link.) In my view, micro-licensing could be a great alternative to cumbersome multi-year agreements between non-profits and brands and could help take advantage of our desire to do good...without too much of a commitment.

The Return of Greenspan

I'm going on record that man or woman, Democrat or Republican, our next president is going to coax Alan Greenspan out of retirement for a two-year assignment as chief of the Central Bank. Far fetched? Crazy? Maybe, but with the way the economy is going and with the relative failure of Bernanke, I can't see how the new president wouldn't bring back the Maestro. Besides, the speaking circuit is going to get pretty boring at some point and my guess is he is missing the fun.