So Powershop lowers switching costs, but as you can see from the headline it also lowers actual costs. So how much can you save? If you are like me – then a lot. I was using Contact, who like the other companies, charge in two ways – cents per unit consumed (kWh) and a service …
Author Archives: Lance Wiggs
Powershop lowers switching costs – and that is good
A while back Ari from Powershop gave me, and a few others, a demonstration of Powershop – a new way to buy electricity. It’s pretty cool – you can choose which supplier you buy your units from each time you buy. I loved the idea. It reduces the pain and cost of switching from one …
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Why this site is in #blackout
#blackout Section 92A of Amended New Zealand Copyright Act comes into effect on the 28th of February, 2008. The chilling effect of 92A has been reported here before – one email to an unused address, and a family’s internet connection was switched off. It is pleasing that MP’s from all sides have indicated that this …
#blackout – is self regulation the answer?
Here is a commentary on the change to the copyright act, section 92A, and the #blackout protest. Its by my father, Glen Wiggs, who is a lawyer and ex-head of the Advertising Standards Authority, a self-regulating organisation here in NZ. Dad is currently the Adjunct Professor of Advertising Regulation at Sunshine University, and an expert on …
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Bad news for Cricket: Sponsor Standford is being investigated
Via the WSJ it appears that Stanford International is under investigation: Stanford International Bank Ltd. of Antigua recently failed to provide some $16 million in funding to a small Florida telecommunications firm, while a small Alabama health-care firm said it was unable to complete a roughly $62 million merger after funding fell through. ….The disclosures …
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How bad things get when it’s only the brand
There is very little you can say to defend this leaked (I hope) report on Pepsi’s new logo (big pdf). Go and read it if you have not already – it will affect you in some way. I felt ill. A few snippets to show just how far removed Pepsi’s branding people are away from …
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It’s the products not the brand
A timely find – a viral video about Trader Joes – a small USA chain of food stores that are lots of fun to shop in. The products at Trader Joes are high quality – and that is especially relevant in the USA where (Whole Foods aside) it’s all to easy to buy processed rubbish. and from …
It’s the Gelato, not the brand
Somewhat by mistake I found myself reading something that Kevin Roberts had written – he apparently has a blog in NZHerald. This post was about new Queen Street, Auckland, Gelato shop – Giapo, and here’s what he had to say about it: The store has been created as a Lovemark and is dripping with Mystery, Sensuality, …
Five ways to increase your free time
This is Indexed once again sums up a complex thought on a card. Most people are in the middle of this curve, and would really like to be at the far end. But why not move the curve? Why not give ourselves more personal time, even if we don’t have a wad of cash stashed …
Lower the barriers to raise car ownership
New Zealand has the third highest car ownership per person in the world, the economist informs us. That’s amazing, especially as tiny Luxembourg tops the list. It’s especially amazing when you are standing at a rental car counter during summer and unable to get a car. Luxembourg is only 80 x 30 kms, and while …
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Finda and Yellow: they had already lost
Business listings is a winner take all game right? After all – why would you have more than one set of Yellow Pages in your house? So Yellow’s purchase of Finda is a great move. Right? Well not exactly. When was the last time you used Wises, Finda, Yellow Pages or UBD? My answer is …
Well done Green Cabs. Now – about that website?
A big change when I came back to Wellington late last year was the emergence of Green Cabs. What an overdue idea, and what a great one. It’s a triple play – better for the environment, better for the drivers and better for customers. Their fleet of bright green Toyota Prius cars cost …
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Drink Chai Tea if you support Obama
We hear that Obama is bringing fresh change to the White House. Perhaps least, the NYTimes reports, is the change of preferred Presidential drink: Honest Tea. Honest Tea (Horrible Flash Website warning) was co-founded by Yale Professor Barry NaleBuff, with a former student of his, Seth Goldman. They were appalled at the sickly sweet unhealthy iced …
eBay should buy Trade Me, but they won’t
Apparently rumours are circulating about Trade Me and eBay – not that I heard about them until just now. Mod has squashed them anyway, but oh what fun. The problem is that eBay traditionally purchases auction sites, then brings over the content to their own site and use their own model. They struggle to see …
Final Ferrit: The governance failure
Part four of a four part take on the end of Ferrit. We started with Market Space, then site idea and execution, and business economics. This is hopefully the last Ferrit post, but the most important in this series The Governance Failure There were failures at a number of levels from Telecom, including poor strategy, …
Lance Wiggs 