Sometimes it's the little things that matter most. How many times have we witnessed organisations spending massive amounts of money to advertise or re-brand their offering only to be let down when it comes to actually interacting with them?

And how often do we hark back to the past and yearn for a time when life was simpler and slower and customer service mattered? There is a reason companies like Ikea or Virgin enjoy repeat business - they sweat the small stuff. Whether it's being able to return an item easily or use a web site designed for you rather than the designer, they just seem to get it right.

So this week we bring you an entertaining TED lecture, an article on nostalgia and  an example of the book of the future. In the meantime the internet flavor of the month, the Old Spice commercial , has been cleverly appropriated by The Harold B Lee Library, part of the Brigham Young University in Utah.

Where would we be without books? And for as long as the written word has been around, we've been adapting the means by which we record, distribute and read them.

The latest evolution is the e-book or e-reader. And while Kindle, Kobo and i-Pad are well known, this one, Kno, has caught our eye. Developed specifically as a digital textbook, the people at Kno say they have listened to students, parents and educators because 'the textbook is a pretty cool example of technology itself. It works all the time, it’s flexible, it’s seamless to move forward and back. It was going to be tough to beat it.' 

It seems that everything old is new again - whether it's a band from the 70s or a product from the 80s - we're seeing perennial favorites remixed into relevance today.

And tapping into this powerful emotion can reap huge rewards when working with your alumni and community members. In the latest issue of Scientific American Mind, an article by Jochen Gebauer and Constantine Sedikides explores the research on the affect nostalgia has on psycholgoical well-being. As first century Roman poet Marcus Valeris Maritial wrote, 'to be able to look back on one's past life with satisfaction is to live twice', what opportunities are you giving your community to re-engage and re-ignite their connection with your institution?

In this entertaining 12 minute TED lecture, Rory Sutherland explores the notion that too much of today's life is occupied with flashy, expensive gimmicks that get in the way of simplicity.

It may seem that big problems require big solutions, but ad man Rory says there is a tendency for organisations to become completely disconnected to what actually matters to us in daily life. Watch and ponder whether there are any 'potent small things' you could do for your community.