We asked ourselves one very important question when thinking about great brands. What do great brands have that other brands don't have, or are missing? 

The simple answer to this question: GUTS.

Yes,...GUTS. It takes GUTS to launch something new, or different. Whether you're in the product or service space, it's not relevant. You could be a start up, or a cash cow, it makes no difference. At the end of the day great brands are built from GUTS. The know how, the strategy, the marketing plan, the branding solutions, are all very important, also. But, they come later. 

Why do you need GUTS to build a great brand? Well,...brands that win in any marketplace are constantly pushing the envelope, or innovating. They never settle. They're relentless in their ability to engage, connect, and turn heads. When times get tough, they're challenged and they fight back. This is why they win. This is why they're great. 

Fear not, there's hope. We're firm believers that there's always hope. If a brand recognizes what it's going to take (GUTS) to make it great, then it's already on the right track. So, take the next step...you owe it to your brand, your team, and mostly...yourself.

You thought Netflix was cool,...well check out our start up 'pick of the month': Rent the Runway.

Rent the Runway is a site which allows you to rent a dress for the night - a Netflix model for chic designer clothes.

According to TechCrunch.com, 'The startup does exactly what it’s name indicates: it allows anyone to rent designer clothes for a fraction of the price.' They buy pieces directly from top designers and then offer rentals at just 10% of retail prices. Users add it to their basket, tell them when you’d like it delivered, and it’ll appear on your doorstep. After the date, or wedding, or cocktail party, is over, just repack it in handy, pre-paid packaging and just drop it in a mailbox. They will take care of the dry cleaning.

Here's why we love them so much: 

1. The model (value add) is fundamentally different than anything else out there. 

2. The business model leverages technology to connect people with rental designer clothes.

3. This business has great potential for growth (community building, market expansion, etc...).

Is Bing (Microsoft's Decision Engine) the next Yoogle! (Yahoo! meets Google)?

Well,...only time will tell what Bing will become. But, what we do know is that Bing is growing faster than ever, and they keep gaining market share. Take a look at these numbers as they show the year-over-year query growth rates for bing in the past several months:

December, 2009: 49.4%, November, 2009: 46.0%, October, 2009: 30.8%, September, 2009: 30.7%, August, 2009: 31.8%, July, 2009: 15.6%

What we love so much about it is that they're radically different than other search sites. As a "decision engine", Bing presents charismatic photography when you first land on the site (this changes daily) and you're able to go through compelling images (i.e., breathtaking shots) of different places, countries, animals, or even events. As we speak, they're showcasing images relevant to the 2010 Olympics, set in Vancouver.

There's a reason for their growth, aside from the fact that they're spending countless dollars on advertising/PR initiatives. It's that they're not trying to be different, they truly are different. Hence, they're able to connect with those they'd hope to connect with on a weekly, daily, and even hourly basis. 

Bing has won our hearts and we believe will continue to push along, ultimately taking the lead in the search, or rather, "decision" space. Why would you want to search (generically) when you can make "decisions"? What Bing has built/is building will fundamentally change the game. But, it doesn't have to stop there. This shift can be applied to any business/company that sees value in doing something different. In being able to connect the right way.

If you're truly ready to make the shift, then now's the time. Otherwise, "bing and decide" ;).

Image taken from Apple.com. Excerpt taken from TechCrunch.com

The iPad Comes With iBooks And Will Cost $500 To $830

Steve Jobs revealed the Apple iPad today, its much-awaited tablet computer (see our live notes). Jobs positions it as a third computing device between a laptop and a smartphone geared towards the “key tasks” of Web browsing, email, sharing photos, watching videos, playing games, and reading digital books. All current iPhone apps will run on the device, as well as new games and digital books designed specifically for it. An enhanced iPhone SDK released today will support both the iPhone and the iPad.

Some specs: The device has a 9.7 inch display, weighs 1.5 pounds, and is half-an-inch thick. It is powered by new chip made by Apple itself, a 1 GHz A4 and will come with 16Gb to 64 GB of storage. It supports WiFi, has an accelerometer, compass, and built-in speaker and microphone, just like the iPhone. The screen is a full capacitive multi-touch screen. Battery life is supposed to be 10 hours. In addition to WiFi, it will have a 3G option from AT&T. The Wifi-only version, with 16GB of memory, will cost $499. A 32GB version will be $599, 64 GB will be $699, and with 3G from AT&T it will cost $829 (for the 64GB version). AT&T will offer two data plans: $14.99a month for 250 MB of data or $29.99 for unlimited. All the 3G iPads, however, will be unlocked, meaning they can be used on other carriers as well.

On-stage, Apple highlighted the iPad’s use as a digital reader. The iPad comes with a new app called iBooks and an iBooks store. Apple partnered with five publishers to make books available for sale through the iBooks store. “Amazon has done a great job of pioneering this technology,”says Jobs referring to the Kindle. “We’re gonna stand on their shoulders and go farther.” The iBooks support the ePub format, allows readers to flip through pages and supports pictures, video, and other graphics. The first book available will cost $14.99.

It is clear one of the main functions of the iPad will be as a reading device. Martin Nisenholtz from the New York Times showed its own app onstage for the iPad, which looks like a larger, lusher version of the one which is now available on the iPhone. “This is the next version of digital journalism,” declares Nisenholtz. We’ll see.

Who ever said that TECH guys can't have fun...? In this clip, you'll see Mr. Bill Gates having some "fun" at the Sundance Film Festival (video put together by CrunchGear/TechCrunch - www.crunchgear.com, www.techcrunch.com).

Enjoy!