Posts Tagged “marketing”

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 »

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:

Read the rest of this entry »

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. 

Synergy. Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Businessmen are a hardy bunch, and Capitalism is a demanding mistress. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

What is coffee, really? Hot water run through some ground, roasted beans. What’s a soft drink? Carbonated sugar water. Pretty simple stuff, really. Yet, people are willing…nay, eager to pay $4 for a cup ‘o Joe at their local Starbucks, and $2 or $3 in a restaurant for a Coke or Pepsi.

What makes people willing to pay a premium for something with such a small cost of goods, and little inherent value?

I hate to harp on this “perception” thing (again) but people perceive that Starbucks coffee is better than Folgers, and they’ll pay more for it (plus the “experiential” thing that the Starbucks store represents).  In a restaurant, when you want a Coke, you pay for it – without stopping to think that you can buy a case of Cokes at Sam’s Club for the same money you spend to buy a 12 oz. Coke while dining out.

Now THAT’S marketing. Read the rest of this entry »

For some reason, liars are funny. At least, when it’s obvious they are lying. In marketing, we get accused of lying all the time. In fact, my wife is convinced we’ll burn in Hell, just for being in marketing biz. But when liars are used for comedic effect, the result can be some advertising with impact, and longevity.

Perhaps the most famous liar of the last 20 years of advertising has been the Joe Isuzu character brought to life by by actor David Leisure and created by the NY ad agency, Della Femina, Travisano, and Partners. The Isuzu spots featured Liesure’s Joe Isuzu as an over-the-top pitchman, willing to say anything, no matter how outrageous, to sell a car. Here are some examples, thanks to Wikipedia: Read the rest of this entry »

When I began working in the marketing/advertising/design world, computers were something that only large corporations used – no such thing as a “personal” computer. If you wanted to create artwork that printed using more than one color, you needed Amberlith or Rubylith, and an X-acto knife. White Plaka and Liquid Paper were an illustrator’s best friends, and my biggest problem was keeping a set of Rapidograph pens free of India Ink clogs.

Things have changed. Read the rest of this entry »