Just Over the Horizon

September 30th, 2010

This is my “just back from vacation” article. You remember vacations, right? The place you go to relax and forget about “real life,” the place you go to re-think and clear your head. That place. My place this year was Edisto Island, S.C. pictured here by my friend John Sinclair and taken from the deck of the house a bunch of friends shared for a week. Just look at that moonlit horizon. You remember horizons, right? The imaginary line that recedes as you approach it. Happiness is like that for some people. Are you one of them? Do you think of happiness as being out there for you “someday, maybe, as soon as…? Just like those horizons?

Now before you get offended and write me a snippy little email, consider the words of a man who lived 2,000 years ago. “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn…‘” Evidently people two thousand years ago – just like people today – believed moods were the result of circumstances and environment. But unless you suffer from a chemical imbalance, I believe your mood is the result of where you’ve chosen to focus your attention.

While I didn’t really want to come back to work, from vacation (sorry clients- like you but didn’t really miss you), it made me able to re-think what I’m doing and how I do it. Here is my thought: Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in About Us | No Comments »

Little Lies and Small Promises

September 28th, 2010

“I’ll be out of bed in five minutes,” is not a true statement because it’s a promise not meant to be kept. It actually means, “go away, I’m sleeping, I’ll say what I need to get rid of you.”

“Your call is very important to us,” is not a true statement either. The truth is self-evident.

“I promise I’ll tell the manager about this,” is of course not a real promise either. It might be uttered with good intent, or might be designed to get an annoying customer to go away, but still…

You can already guess the problem with little lies. They blur the line, and they lead (pretty quickly) to big lies. The worst kind of little lies are the ones you make to yourself. Once you’re willing to lie to yourself, you’re also willing to cheat at golf, and after that, it’s all downhill.

Companies that refuse to break small promises have a much easier time keeping big promises. And they earn a reputation, one that makes their handshake worth more.

Given that expectation and trust are just about all we have left to sell, it seems to me that little lies and small promises are at the very heart of the matter. And they’re a simple choice, nothing requiring an MBA or a spreadsheet.

It all depends on what you want to stand for.

from Seth Godin at sethgodin.typepad.com

Posted in Creativity, Great Ideas, Highly Recommended, New Ideas, Traditional Media, Trends | No Comments »

Wile E. Coyote, Hero

September 10th, 2010

I sit here today and write after two stunning business losses in two weeks. I shouldn’t be surprised because I hate tire kickers. But more importantly, I hate the time I waste on them even after I promise myself I’ll never do it again.

And then, as if by magic or extra sensory perception, a note arrives in my email from Roy Williams about the lessons we learn—not from the Road Runner, but from good old Wile E. Coyote.

“When we were young and fast and invincible, the Road Runner was our hero. Impervious to danger, the Road Runner ran without tiring, scooted without fear and beep-beeped coolly like a blue James Bond.

But as I look down now from this creaking tower of years, I see it was the Coyote who deserved my admiration. That TV show was never about the Road Runner. It was always about the Coyote. The Coyote was determined.”

And here’s how it went:

In September, 1949, the Coyote – Carnivorous vulgaris – built a catapult. But instead of launching him toward the Road Runner, it launched him straight up into a stone outcropping.

The Coyote crawled out of the hole and went back to work.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in About Us | 1 Comment »

Social Media or Social Media Marketing? At which are you better? Part 2

September 9th, 2010

In my previous entry I wrote about Nordstrom and their commitment to the customer “over” social media marketing. I’ll let you read it to catch up. But to continue the conversation, the differences are vast. It’s the difference between using social media tools and adopting social media philosophy; the difference between sparking posts about your marketing and posts about your product or service; the difference between marketers who focus externally on how the brand is broadcast versus internally on how the brand is realized.

Several years ago I woke up one morning and had a voicemail message; no missed calls, just a message. I clicked my voicemail and listened intently and then humorously as Samuel L. Jackson called me by name, called out a friend’s name and told me some wild story—all while issuing a tirade of expletives. It was a computer generated promotion for the yet to be released movie, “Snakes on a Plane.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in About Us | No Comments »

Social Media or Social Media Marketing? At Which are You Better?

September 1st, 2010

There is a BIG difference.

As a lot of my friends know that several weeks ago I was in a shoe shopping mood. I put it out on Facebook for some suggestions of where to go, knowing all along where I was most likely to go, but still wanted to see what people would suggest. Here’s how it went:

Retailer #1- I spent 15 minutes trying to find someone to offer assistance. The only employees to be found were behind checkout counter with a long line. I left frustrated.

Retailer #2- I walked into a store that looked like hell’s storage room (or my teenage son’s bedroom) with deep piles of shoes that hadn’t been restocked, used footies, etc. I left disgusted.

Retailer #3- I finally went to Nordstrom at SouthPark Mall. As always, the store was clean and well staffed. I got attention and helpful assistance from a sales associate and guess what— I bought shoes.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in About Us | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »