The Soft Pitch

No red carpet or Joan Rivers asking what folks wore to the ceremony because there was no ceremony.  Knowing me there will be an event in 2010. Even without fanfare it was pretty cool to announce the best viewed tech videos for 2009. Avnet OnDemand, the first video portal for the technology distribution industry, features a broad range of videos from Avnet and our tech manufacturers. Avnet OnDemand showcases videos featuring new products, hot trends, services and technical tutorials – all in one place – making it easy for viewers to access a broad range of information. More than 300 videos have been posted to the site since its inception in March of 2009.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE

The top 10 most popular videos of last year based on user traffic.

Top Ten Videos in 2009:

1. Digital Video Surveillance Kit/Analog Devices

2. Xilinx Spartan- 3A Evaluation Kit

3. Behind the Wheel –Actel Igloo

4. Meeting the Power Requirements for Xilinx Spartans®-6 and Virtex®-6 Families

5. Avnet TS – Avnet SolutionsPath™ Primer

6. TI Fusion GUI Demonstration

7. Challenges and Chances of the Energy-Using Products Directive (EUP)

8. Analog Devices BF518F FMC Development Kit

9. Continua Health Alliance Certified USB Demo

10. Lattice ECP3 Tri-Rate SMPTE Demo

I’m very proud that Avnet was the first to introduce an educational video portal in the technology distribution industry and it has been a big success based on the number of views. Avnet OnDemand saw more growth than we anticipated, and we will continue to continue to develop it going forward. It’s truly a win-win situation when we can offer the tools to accelerate success for the viewers and content providers. Avnet OnDemand is where our customers and business partners will want to come for practical information that will help them get to market faster. Bottom-line this was an awesome project we developed with New Angle Media and Charlie Babb. Getting this done was not easy starting with a vision and blank slate. But we know we have a good thing going, plus other Avnet groups like EBV have their own channels. We are a thought leader and this type of innovation helps…like X-Fest and other educational programs Avnet is known for. We have some more plans for the site…stay tuned…and congrats to the winners.

For more information or to check out the latest videos on Avnet OnDemand go to: www.AvnetOnDemand.com.

Whether you love him or hate him, Jim Cramer of Mad Money grabs attention.  Right now, I’m lovin’ it.  Cramer interviewed Avnet Chairman and CEO Roy Vallee    yesterday, calling Avnet the “largest supermarket of tech in the world.”

It’s hard to describe distribution to my friends and neighbors – “Oh, you’re a middle man.” Well sort of – but so much more.  I always point out to them that only the very, very large companies can buy direct from companies like IBM, HP and Intel.  So, say you need some chips to go into a heart monitor you’re building or a GPS unit and your company isn’t one of the “big guys” – who you gonna call?  Avnet. And you’re most likely going to talk to one of Avnet’s design engineers to make sure you’ve got the right chips, best processors, power supply and other components for your design. You may even ask for help understanding the latest technology and designing it into your product. If you’re a regional hospital looking to upgrade your storage capacity in order to house all those medical files and oh, by the way let’s make it so our doctors and nurses can access them easily when they need them, who you gonna call? An Avnet partner who understands the technology probably better than you and can get it for you when and where you need it – and that partner, in turn, will work with Avnet to design a solution that will help the doctors get the information they need when they need it.

After all, you and I don’t buy Frosted Flakes directly from Kellogg’s.  Your neighborhood grocer probably doesn’t either.  Only the largest of grocery chains buy direct – for everybody else there is the “supply chain” which gets products from the producers to the end users.

Clearly Cramer gets it – and loves Avnet.  Here’s a quote from the Mad Money blog, Mad Cap Recap:

“So, why should investors care about Avnet? Cramer said AVT is a technology distributor that deals with both components and final, finished products. This means the company has its finger on the pulse of the tech sector and a better sense of how these tech companies are actually doing than any other business out there right now.”  I added the bold, but the words belong to them!

You can watch Cramer’s interview of Roy on the Mad Cap Recap .

 One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something.

Henry David Thoreau, poet, writer, philosopher

Sandeep Patel, internal software account manager at the Oracle Division of Avnet Technology Solutions UK, decided to wager more than most would ever consider. Every two years Comic Relief organizes a UK-wide fundraising event called, Red Nose Day. On Red Nose Day everyone across the UK is encouraged to put on a Red Nose and do something silly to raise money for disadvantaged persons in Africa and the UK. Well, Patel decided to wager his long locks of hair. He was willing to shave his precious hair off if the division could raise £1000 by days end.

Sandeep Patel Before

“It was a spontaneous suggestion from my colleagues to take part, but we had the opportunity to change peoples’ lives for the better –how could I decline?” said Patel in an e-mail. Because Patel decided to take action and do something, he helped inspire the whole office. By 9:30 a.m. the donation Web site was up and running and within one hour, approximately £850 was raised.

“The target of £1000 had been reached by 11:15 a.m. but the funds kept coming in,” said Patel. By days end approximately £1600 was raised and Patel knew what had to come… on went the razor and off went the hair! Patel said everyone in the office was extremely positive about his new look.

Sandeep Patel After

Because Patel made just one commitment, he rallied an entire office and made a very big impact for the organization. I think it’s not always about how much you do but what you do and this story shows exactly how that can work.

“Don’t be put off by raising money for charity –the generosity of your colleagues and friends will amaze you,” said Patel. “They (your colleagues) all want you to do well and get the most you can for the charity of your choice. So go for it!”

I agree, go for it and see what you can do by doing something.

Cory Fetter

This is the first time Avnet employees will enjoy this public holiday by not having to work.  As a I reflect on Dr. King’s impact on diversity in the US, black pride, deserved opportunities, and impact on the world…wow what a courageous man and a great communicator.  But if Dr. King was not struck down by an assassin’s bullet at 59 would there be a National Holiday to remember him? I’m sure he would have done even more, but his death galvanized the civil rights leader’s deeds to everyone to create the holiday.  If not, I wonder if it would be Jackie Robinson Day?

I’m a baseball fan. Jackie Robinson was a true man of courage as well and one of the most famous men of all time.  A great college athlete, military officer and a very good baseball player. He was not the best player in the Negro League when Brooklyn Dodgers’ GM Branch Rickey tapped him to break the color barrier. In fact, some black players were jealous he was picked. But Rickey gambled on his personality and talent to change the game and the US culture as well. Rickey was right and the plan worked…he not only succeeded on the field by being an all-star, MVP, helped win the Dodgers a world series and was selected to the Hall of Fame, but he really changed sports, public opinion and life as well…setting the stage for Dr King to really change social injustice and positively impact the African-American community in the 50’s and 60’s.

I’m glad MLB retired Jackie’s number 42 on every team and remembers him each year. I made sure he was an autograph I got for my collection. If I could meet a person from the past I would like to meet him.

FYI, A star 16 inch softball player that was on the Harlem Globetrotters, Nate “Sweetwater” Clifton was the first black signed by an NBA team…the NY Knicks. He played his first game on Nov 4, 1950.  Another Earl Lloyd played a few days before him. In the NHL the first black was Willie O’Ree when he put on skates for the Boston Bruins. Fritz pollard is the best known black in football in 1921 but in the NFL, it was Kenny Washington who was the first to sign on with the LA Rams in 1946.  None of them had to fight the demons Jackie Robinson fought or were as successful. 

Dr King’s holiday does make me think about his impact on life…what a legacy.

More on black history and other pioneers…http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmfirsts.html

I love working with new people — they have fresh ideas, try things I hadn’t thought of, and see with a perspective that challenges me to look again at a challenge, an issue — even listen to new musicians or read books I would have glossed over.  So, I’ve asked Cory Fetter to write for Soft Pitch and he’s going to be specifically looking at what Avnet employees are doing in the community around the globe.  Cory is an intern who joined the Avnet team a few months ago.  He’s helping us understand better how to reach college students and (I hope) learning a little bit about the inner workings of a Fortune 500 company at th same time.

Here’s his first post on a group of Avnet employees in Minnesota:

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
    -Margaret Mead

I think whether it’s a small or large group, Avnet employees are changing the world and this couldn’t be exemplified any more than by the EM Bloomington branch in Minneapolis Minnesota. They were able to raise $200 and more than 200 toys for the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation.

When speaking with Gib Bendell, supervisor of sales and marketing at the Bloomington branch, I couldn’t help but think about a recent article that I read titled, “Happiness Can Spread Among People Like a Contagion, Study Indicates”  by Rob Stein in the Washington Post. The study that he is referring to in his article was conducted with more than 4,700 people that were followed for over 20 years. Stein wrote, “Happiness is contagious, spreading among friends, neighbors, siblings and spouses like the flu, according to a large study that for the first time shows how emotion can ripple through clusters of people who may not even know each other.”

I believe that not only does giving to others evoke happiness but the simple act of giving can spread to others throughout the office, just as this study suggests. “It was really positive,” said Bendell. “The people were checking the box on a daily basis to see how we were coming along and on days when it was filling up faster, you could definitely hear about it.” The giving frenzy wasn’t just confined to the Avnet employees. Bendell said they had noteworthy support from local suppliers, saying that at least a dozen came in and donated. Thanks to their efforts, many more kids this year will have a happy holiday on Christmas.

Whether it’s down the street or across the world, Avnet employees are helping out wherever and whenever possible. So, don’t hesitate to get up and do something, even if you think you don’t have enough support, because even the smallest effort can spread like wildfire and change the world.

 Cory Fetter