I was in New York on September 11th. I watched how first-responders rushed to the scene and were honored for their bravery. True heroes. As I write this, California is on fire. Four million acres have burned, the most in state history. Firefighters are enduring 100-degree heat, packing heavy gear, surrounded by walls of fire. …
In the past two weeks, nearly 100,000 children have tested positive for COVID19. Meanwhile, parents must decide whether to send their kids back to school. Adults have failed at social distancing. Yet, we expect 8-year-olds to figure it out. It’s beyond frightening. Most schools will offer virtual learning for the foreseeable future. But, easier said …
The band Loverboy got it right. Everybody is working for the weekend. The problem is, weekends are too damn short. We need three days off – every week! Have faith, it’s happening. Three-day weekends are all the rage in Europe. So far, productivity is up, expenses are down and everyone’s happy. Now, will American companies …
Damn those companies that bought-up and dumbed-down the local media. Those out-of-town bastards have sucked the life from radio and TV. Why are they so horrible – when the answer is so obvious? Be Live and Local! Uhhh, no. That won’t help. The truth is, people don’t care where content comes from. We just want …
Please stay on the line. Your call is important to us and will be answered in the order received. Hmmm, I sure don’t feel important. Whatever happened to friendly customer service? What if there was a company whose mission was to super-serve their customers? Welcome to Trader Joe’s, who’s disrupting the grocery business – with …
When I saw this billboard for Pandora, I cringed. It’s hard to watch a respected brand stumble so badly, so publicly. Since its debut as a music streaming pioneer, Pandora’s growth has stalled. Their number of ‘listening sessions’ has dropped sharply as fans abandon them for Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music. But more importantly, Pandora …
With the new year in sight, it’s a time to press the refresh button. The first time I hit ‘reset’ was in college. Dazzled by the promise of a baseball scholarship, I was convinced that I’d play for the L.A. Dodgers. Never happened. Apparently, that requires skill. Turns out, it was for the best because …
When you strip away all the hype, there are 3 fundamental reasons why consumers buy products. Tried it, liked it. Take a test drive, try on a coat, taste a sample egg roll at the supermarket, watch a video on YouTube. This is what fuels experiential marketing. Personal endorsement. Nothing speaks louder than testimonials. Word-of-mouth recommendations from …
I’m suspicious when companies boast, “we’ve been in business since 1980”. So what? If longevity is your strongest benefit, you’re in trouble. Just showing up doesn’t cut it. In fact, it implies that you’re driving through the rear view mirror and still clinging to old ways. Unless you’re a brain surgeon, I don’t care about …
Want your video to be shared by millions? Good luck, it’s impossible to predict what goes viral. Or so we’ve been told. Turns out there’s some science behind viral videos. Since Al Gore invented the internet, researchers have determined why some ads, products and videos catch on, while others are ignored. In his book Contagious, Jonah …
