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January 31, 2008

Super Cost

Love this question … What would you do with $3 million?  That’s the cost of one Super Bowl ad.

Not that we don’t all love Super Bowl ads (what else is there to talk about on Monday morning?). But one wonders what that fleeting 30-seconds might have bought.  How much viral marketing could you have done? What about great media relations? Or how about something just a tad more targeted?

And then there’s the bigger social questions I’ll just add another thought for an extra serving of guilt. Did you know $3 million can also buy HIV vaccine for a year for 5,000 really sick people in Africa? Just sayin’.

Enjoy the Bowl.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 04:49 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 30, 2008

Marketing Ambiguities

I have a lot of ambiguities in my life. I tell my students to break all the rules, but I often find myself towing the company line. I revel in my “Berkeley days,” but warn my kids if I ever find anything illicit in their hands, I’ll cut off their limbs. My novels are smutty, but I live my life as close to Pilgrim as one gets in this century.

My so-called ambiguous life is reflected in my feelings about John Lennon. Here is why I love/hate the artist:

  • Introspective songwriter who wrote brilliant lyrics, but ultimately a pop star idolized by bizillions
  • Gallant husband of a woman vilified by the press, but horrible misogynist
  • Part of the Beatles – the group we ridiculed a “Boring Old Farts” during my days in England, but composer of songs that survive generations
  • Writer of “Imagine,” but most sardonic person of his time
  • And, writer of the saddest song in history -- “Beautiful Boy” (because we all know the outcome), but the man who callously abandoned his first son

There’s a new exhibit of John Lennon, the musical muse. I’m not interested, probably because I don’t want to be swayed in either camp about John Lennon anymore. He is my hero/villain. Leave it at that.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 07:22 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 29, 2008

Rambo Redux...Again

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Hey, I love marketing -- even obnoxious marketing, but these so-called grafitti posters for the new Rambo movie are, well, overdone.  And does that drawing really look like the 61-year-old actor? Kudos to the San Franciscan who parodied the posters with portaits of Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (October 20, 1854 – November 10, 1891), a French poet best known for his letters who died prematurely at the age of 37. Now that's clever and informative.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 05:51 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 28, 2008

Marketers in Cubes

Can you put marketers in cubes?  Ok, it’s not like we’re higher on the food chain than everyone else (and believe me, I know organizations that put marketing slightly above worms and dead plants). But marketers do stuff on a daily basis that doesn’t mesh with cube culture:

  • We think -  We can do more than just “make the logo bigger.” Actually, we like to think about how to do something completely different and “never been done before.” I prefer complete silence when I think ... and ya can’t do that when Doofus Dan in the next cube is talking to shipping or accounting all day long.
  • We write – Now, writing is not always thinking. Sometimes it’s damn mechanical. Nevertheless, it demands our attention. And I’ll tell you, one’s attention wanders when there’s a convo about someone’s weekend “playdates” transpiring in the next cube.
  • We collaborate – Marketers like brainstorming. We throw out the ridiculously silly stuff and then come back to it and try to make it into something ingenious. Sometimes it works, sometimes it seems like a massive waste of time to non-marketers who often tell us to pipe down and get our "real" work done.
  • We get inspired – When I want to write something outrageously wonderful, I read five pages of Nabokov. Yup, I’ll crack open a book in my office and just read. Now, most 9-to-5ers would think this is massive screwing off. But it’s not. It’s how I get my brain in gear. I know someone else who listens to symphonies … loudly. Again, not good in a  cube.
  • We screw up – Marketing is a very public profession. Most of our stuff gets put on a billboard, on the Web or in some publication. So, our mistakes are really, really public. And when  someone tells us we misspelled “government” on 40,000 brochures, we start to cry … often loudly. Edna in the next cube probably can’t take the emotion.

Ok, I’ll admit. I don’t work “cube style” anymore. But I’ve paid my dues. I’ve even worked in a newsroom where I sat computer-to-computer with the another reporter (who took off his socks and clipped his toenails). But I’ll go on record to say, “Free the marketers from their cubes.” It’s just not right.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 05:48 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 26, 2008

Represented

Your maven now has a literary agent. Her name is Christine Witthohn. Yay! Marketing fiction is H-A-R-D. But it's been fun, too. Wish me luck .... and publication!

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 04:31 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 25, 2008

Pretttiest Can in the Neighborhood

I know that we're all supposed to be toting arounc reusable canteens  and  hydrating our little bodies with tap water instead of clogging up landfills with empty bottles and cans of water. But aren't these little cans of Perrier gorgeous?  Heck, I'd keep the can and recycle it as a flower pot or somethin'. Now that's thinking all ecological, isn't it?  perriercanettes-796056.jpg

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 02:19 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 24, 2008

Beneath the Surface

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Just when you thought computers were getting smaller, here's a huge-ass Microsoft offering that's the size of a coffee table. Take a look at Microsoft Surface, which is supposed to make computing more of a social experience. While I can definitely see this in the boardroom, I'm not so sure about my livingroom. What happens when someone spills chocolate milk all over the Surface? Yikes, you just shorted out Mom's bizillion dollar computer!

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 02:34 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 23, 2008

Agent Orange Underground

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Found this strangest of Web sites through Adrants. Orange Underground encourages people to do strange things with Cheetos. No, not that kinky strange, but non-edible things.  It’s similar to when Mentos encouraged us to make volcanoes with their product and Diet Coke.  Hmmm, when a food product advises consumers not to eat it, but to play with it … makes you wonder, huh?

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 02:34 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 22, 2008

Delivering Your Message

On the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., it seems appropriate to recognize the great orators. Dr. King was one of the world's great communicators and his message changed our country.

But even if you’re not delivering one of the most important speeches of the 20th century, there are lessons. Read this article from the Wall St. Journal to fully understand its impact.

If you’re called to make a speech, it doesn’t matter if you’re using Powerpoints or a teleprompter (I’ve seen it go both ways – horrible speeches by people both with and without these tools).  But you’ve got to connect with the audience. And you’ve got to prepare (hey, all you corporate execs, how about asking the marketing dept. for some pointers?). A presentation requires skill and polish. Take it seriously. You just might deliver the speech of your lifetime.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 02:03 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 18, 2008

Worst Brand Extension

precious+moments+angels.jpgThere is something so awful about this, it really doesn't need a narrative. Brandweek named Precious Moments coffins as the worst brand extension of 2007.
 
Amen. Who on earth wants those doe doe-eyed creepy kids staring at you for all eternity? Not only is it inappropriate, it makes my toes curl up.

Also on the list ... Humane Society Dog Lovers Wine Club (28.4%) and Girls Gone Wild apparel (14.9%). Hold on.. Girls Gone Wild apparel? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of GGW?

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 06:27 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 17, 2008

Greener Apple?

So, Apple introduced a super-thin "airlike" laptop. Sounds cool. Really.

But a new Apple only prompts more folks to ditch their old hardware and that means more computer junk in the world. And tossed computers often land up in China and other developing countries where young people are paid minimal wages to dismantle the parts, exposing themselves to a multitude of toxins.

Want Apple to do more? Take a look at this site from Greenpeace. It looks suspiciously like Apple's actual site, but it's a call for a favorite company to do something that will make them even cooler...much cooler. 

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 06:05 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 16, 2008

Congratulations, It's Long Grain

_archive_dakigo_sakumi.jpgCheck out these birth announcements from Japan (courtesy of Daddytypes). Junior's picture is imprinted on a bag of rice, which is filled with just enough rice to match the little bundles's birthweight.

Just a thought: Twenty years later, you get a forklift at your door with a wedding announcement scaled to the happy couples' combined tonnage. Whew. That's allota rice. 

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 01:52 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 15, 2008

Lost in Translation?

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There's something to be said for an in joke. Oceanic Airlines is the fateful airline taken by the fictional characers on Lost. This billboard has been posted across the country to publicize the return of the show.

 Few will get it. Those who do will wink and nod.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 07:27 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 14, 2008

Marketing the Novel: Maven in a New World

As my manuscript gets passed from one literary agency to another, I am learning a lot more about the funky world of literary agents. Feels a little like when I was just starting out in marketing (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) and learning the ropes of marketing/p.r.

  • First of all, I am trying to figure out what gets their attention. Turns out it’s much like getting a reporter’s attention – you need the “elevator” speech in the first paragraph. Without it, they just hit delete.
  • Short is better. Agents read voraciously (I’m impressed that many read a manuscript in less than a week), but it’s only if they’re interested. The initial query’s gotta be tight (think 30 second spot).
  • There’s also a certain amount of timing. One agent told me she opened my pitch because it was the day after she cleared her inbox of 500 pitches sent during the holidays.
  • If you’re a marketer, so much the better. My prob is that I don’t have much experience in the writing biz. But I do have substantial marketing chops. I’m told that helps, since it seems agents want someone who can approach book marketing with a certain DIY.
  • Grow thick skin. I’ve received several letters of interest, but also plenty of rejects.  At first, I wanted to demand “why?” but I’ve learned to just go onto the next prospect. Like any marketing campaign, you’re not going to hit a high note with everyone. You just hope someone’s going to be enthused enough to bite (keep your fingers crossed for me).

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 05:34 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 11, 2008

Eerie Ads

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From boingboing, which picked them up from copyranter … these foreboding ads featuring the World Trade Center. Left: Pakistan International Airlines, 1979. Center: Asbestos Corporation Limited, 1981. Right: World Trade Center, circa 1984. Whoa.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 06:52 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 10, 2008

Missteaks Get Made

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Well, Hillary was supposed to have won NH because she showed she was human. And that was a good thing.

Do you think bosses of marketing people should also take into account that we're all human? I say this the night before I realized I made a bad mistake at work, and now I have to confess in the morning. Something incorrect went out to the wrong key people. My error. Really. I can't deny it. I should have been more careful.

In marketing, almost everything you do is public. That means small mistakes have the potential to become big public ones It is a fact of life of this marketing biz. I've come to realize this over the years, but whenever they happen it hurts...bad.

Yes, marketing and p.r. people need to be on their toes all the time. It truly is the name of the game. And we learn this lesson over and over again.

Damn. 

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 06:43 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 09, 2008

Note from Hil

 

This popped up on my email approximately 30 minutes after CNN projected the New Hampshire results:

Dear susan,

You and I surprised a lot of people tonight!

In the days after Iowa, I turned to you and asked you to stand with me. When I needed you most, you came through with flying colors.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

All the best,

Hillary

Now, I am in no way a big supporter (I believe I bought bumper sticker). But I am impressed by the speed of this note from "Madame President." 

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 06:34 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 08, 2008

Customer No Service

 On the phone for more than 2 hours with Verizon, trying to get my wireless connection back up.

The first attempt ended in a ridiculous stalemate with the “tech op” who insisted I didn’t have a wireless connection.

I am on my second hour now. I have sat through a monologue that told me to power down the computer. Then, I was told to go to the Web site. And now I have that ridiculous “ride-a-pony” hold music.

Argh. When will companies stop treating the American public like idiots and start actually providing help when help is needed? We have truly come to then end of civilization.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 06:21 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 07, 2008

The Best Marketing is Often Free (Or Very Cheap)

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I've just discovered the Web site Neatorama, which is true to its name. A radio station in Glasgow City Center, Scotland, came up with this ingenious ... and cheap ... promotion. An "air" guitar stand invited people to help themselves so they could play while they were listening to their station. Do you think these guitars can play the riff from Stairway to Heaven?

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 06:10 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 04, 2008

Mom's At the Laptop Again

I really like this article from Steve Rubel’s Micropersuasion blog.  He asserts that the livingroom with the big t.v. in the corner is no longer the hub of the household (remember when Mom served up one of those aluminum-wrapped Swanson’s and presented it to you as your eyes were glued to the set?).

 

Sure there are big screens and plasma screens to clog up your livingroom. But today, the social hub is where the computer resides. For me, that’s by the heating vent in my bedroom, laptop on lap. My kids know that’s where they’ll find me.  I never bother with the “idiot box.” It never sends me messages and, as Rubel points out, wasn’t even the first to tell me Benazir Bhutto was killed.

 

Where’s your computer/laptop situated? Chances are, the rest of the family knows where it is…and where to find you.

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 02:11 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 03, 2008

Why I'm Not a Hard-Line Brander

Branding. Even the word conjures up something painful. You think those cows relish having some rancher's logo on their ass?

After a marketing career that sometimes seems to have begun when Gutenberg was just starting to churn it up, I have become ambivalent about branding. Make no mistake. I completely agree that one must be consistent in messaging, keeping the brand promise and all that vital stuff.

But the logo-police, never-varying, don't change-it-up attitude of some branders gets to me.  Too much consistency isn't just boring, it poisons creativity. And that's not good.

Take Google. They play with their logo in creative ways. That's good. That makes branding interesting. Apple changes its look almost yearly.  Target puts its logo on a dog's eye. That's different, but at least they change things up.

What I'm getting at is that brands aren't all that serious, don't-touch-it or don't-change-it propositions. Have fun. Be creative. Be a better marketer. 

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 07:25 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 02, 2008

In With a Whisper

Is it just me, or did New Year's seem awfully sedate to you?  I was in San Francisco, home of the wild NY gatherings in Union Square, et. al., but aside from the usual momentary rowdiness of large crowds staring at a clock on the Ferry Building, there wasn't much of a hull-a-ball-oo. After midnight, everyone kind of tipped their hats, wished each other a grand '08 and went to bed.

A few possibilities for the big yawn that started the year:

  • Everyone is just tired of the incessant pitches to buy-buy-buy throughout December -- there just isn't the energy to make anything grand of New Year's. And besides, when was the last time you bought someone a New Year's gift?
  • Baby boomers truly did take over the world and people are just really old and tired. All of this "staying up past midnight nonsense" doesn't cut it after 45.
  • We're starting '08 a little jittery. It was a tough time economically speaking. Many folks lost their homes and there's more to come.
  • We're saving it up fo '09, the "end of the error" and all of Bush politics.  Then, we'll truly party.

 
And speaking of heavy-duty marketing, Macys San Francisco had Valentine's Day candy on display on New Year's Eve. Sheesh.
 

Posted by Susan C. Solomon at 06:26 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)


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