There is something that everyone has that is precious, from Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to the homeless person living under a bridge. Everyone has the same amount – no more, no less. Most people would kill to get more of it. Most people waste a great deal of what they have of it. And it is the most precious commodity to every marketer. What is it? Read the rest of this entry »
Here’s the thing…Christmas is a Christian Holiday. There. I’ve said it. 20 years ago, this wouldn’t have been an Earth-shaking admission. (Actually, 20 years ago, it would have been a “no, DUH!” moment.) Today, however, we’ve gone from the secular humanists/atheists/liberal left cabal attempting to get the 10 Commandments and manger displays off courthouse lawns to a direct assault on the meaning of Christmas (nee: “Christ Mass”) itself.
Color me disgusted.
You don’t see Christians trying to ban Halloween (which was a blending of a Wiccan festival and a Christian one – the word “Halloween” comes from “All Hallowed’s Eve” – the day before All Saints Day). You don’t see test tube babies protesting Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day. And you don’t see welfare recipients protesting Labor Day. (Although, I suspect now that I’ve mentioned it, it’s only a matter of time.) So why can’t the loony left leave our holidays alone? Read the rest of this entry »
“Don’t confuse me with facts…I’ve got a good theory going here.”
How many times have you heard that? As marketing guys, we deal in perception as well as fact. It’s our job to create narratives to convey ideas. Unfortunately, marketing can be used as a weapon by the unscrupulous, to distort facts and spin the truth. When ideology gets in the way, you can have a clash between facts and feelings that creates a conflict worthy of the Hatfields and the McCoys.
Take for example, the recent discussions over the rights of gun owners versus those who style themselves as “gun control” advocates. Read the rest of this entry »
It takes a lot of discipline to be a good marketer. A lot of people think that good marketing just happens – sort of a “big bang” of ideas, without any backstory as to where all that creative matter came from. Count me as one who believes in “intelligent design” as applied to marketing. (For the record, I’m an “intelligent design” adherent when it comes to creation, too. One of my favorite creation jokes is where a bunch of scientists go to God and say, “We can create life – we don’t need you.” God says, “Okay…let’s see.” The scientists reply, “FIrst, we take this dirt…” God interrupts, and says, “Not so fast…use your own dirt.”)
Anyway, a lot of the people I talk with/consult for/deal with have a very, shall we say “organic” view of marketing. Sort of like that cartoon by S. Harris:
A lot of people have asked lately, “given that the economy is in the tank, and is likely to be there for a while, what do you suggest we do for marketing.” That’s a great question, and – as you might expect – the answers are not cut and dried, easy, or obvious. In fact, the solution for marketing in this economy is a little different for every client. However, there is one, overarching suggestion that I can make to just about everybody.
I work with a lot of start-ups. I’ve got one going myself. I love entrepreneurial ideas…the whole concept of being creative and starting a company to push new ideas hits me where I live. The problem for me, though, is once you get past the creative aspects, inevitably, you run into a point where you have to talk dollars…and sense.
It’s way too early to know what America’s gonna look like in the post-January 20th world, with Barack Obama in the position of Commander-in-Chief and the most powerful elected official in the free world. But we can make some intelligent guestimates about what may be in store for us, marketing-wise. The following are a bunch of random speculations about the opportunities and challenges that will be on the horizon soon… Read the rest of this entry »
Let me get this out of the way first: I was wrong. I was wrong, because I thought that McCain would pull off a come-from-behind, skin-of-his-teeth victory, and keep the country from going over to the way of the far Left. Consider this my mea culpa.
There were some interesting insights that we can gleen from the election, however, as marketers. Read the rest of this entry »
After what seems like a decade of debates, centuries of commercials, and eons of excess, the day has come to vote, and put this madness to rest – for at least a few months.
Thank God.
No matter how the election turns out, I look forward to watching television broadcasts bereft of ads slinging mud, making unsubstantiated claims, and generally boring me to death. (Whoever came up with the idea for DVRs gets to jump the line into Heaven, in my book.) I can’t think of a more important election within my lifetime – or one that I’m more eager to see done and over.
I voted over a week ago. I’m not alone…a staggering 46% of Texas Panhandle residents voted early. (By comparison, that’s close to the total number of ALL the people that voted in the last Presidential election – early voting, absentee voting, and regular voting combined.)
The time for bending people’s ears about who’s the better candidate – and who will lead us down the road to destruction – is, mercifully, over. If you haven’t already voted, I encourage you to do so – no matter who you support. Voting is a precious right in America, and we should never take it for granted. Whoever is elected (fair and square, I hope and pray) faces some huge challenges – perhaps bigger challenges than any President in history will confront. I pray that God watches over this election and guides us all to vote for those who will put country before party, and what is right before ideology, working not as politicians, but as statesmen (and stateswomen) and servants of We the People.
Now go vote and let’s get this thing over with, so the nation can begin to heal from this long, divisive campaign.
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Here’s the thing…Christmas is a Christian Holiday. There. I’ve said it. 20 years ago, this wouldn’t have been an Earth-shaking admission. (Actually, 20 years ago, it would have been a “no, DUH!” moment.) Today, however, we’ve gone from the secular humanists/atheists/liberal left cabal attempting to get the 10 Commandments and manger displays off courthouse lawns to a direct assault on the meaning of Christmas (nee: “Christ Mass”) itself.
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