Seth Godin - able to leap tall buildings in a single bound?

Okay, I think I have seen it all. Too late to get this for the Holiday season for that Marketer that has everything, but Archie McPhee is selling a Seth Godin action figure (this is real). I’m sure they’ll go fast, so stand in line now.
[Now it make sense why Seth recently got [...]

Seinfeld on Marketing: the gift test

I hope you are all enjoying the Holiday Season. I’ll make this week’s installment short so that you can get back to your regularly scheduled fun. In this episode, Jerry is talking with Elaine about a label maker he received from his dentist, Tim Whatley, after giving him Super Bowl tickets:

ELAINE: Hey. [...]

Seinfeld on Marketing: Festivus

A special treat this Holiday season. In this episode, Frank Costanza relates to Kramer why he first started Festivus, a holiday he invented because he “hated all the commercial and religious aspects of Christmas, so he made up his own holiday.” Enjoy:

FRANK: Kramer, I got your message. I haven’t celebrated Festivus in years! What is [...]

Stop copying me!

Take 10 seconds and study the following two pictures. What do you notice?:

In the picture of the left, you may have noticed the low prices or the funky store font (Anybody in the mood to do the Hustle?). In the picture on the right, I’ll bet you noticed the unusual speed limit of 7.5 [...]

Love, hate and indifference

John Moore over at Brand Autopsy has this gem in a recent post:
“[I]f your product only attracts indifferent customers and fails to attract passionate customers … chances are, that product will not succeed.”
-Well said.
You might intuitively reason that that a bad product with negative feedback is the enemy of an über-product that attracts passionate customers. [...]

I think I may toss my cookies

By way of The Consumerist:

Not Making This Up: The chief operating and development officer of Yum brands, which includes Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver’s and Pizza Hut, is named Mr. Hearl. Mr. Hearl is retiring and will be replaced by Mr. Eaton. Seriously.

Have a great Monday!

Seinfeld on marketing: Love

Happy Friday everyone! In this episode, Jerry and George and discussing George’s new girlfriend.

JERRY: So you like her?
GEORGE: I think so.
JERRY: You don’t know?
GEORGE: I can’t tell anymore.
JERRY: Well do you feel anything?
GEORGE: Feel? What’s that?
JERRY: All right, let me ask you this: when she comes over, you’re cleaning up a lot?
GEORGE: Yeah.
JERRY: You’re just [...]

Lost in translation

Besides English, I have tried to learn two languages in my time – German and Spanish. Unfortunately, German never really stuck. All I can remember is the phrase - “Ich habe lockiges haar” or “I have curly hair”… which I don’t - so even this phrase wont help me out. With Spanish, [...]

Seinfeld on marketing: Double Dipping

It’s Friday (like you need a reminder when its Friday). In this week’s episode of Seinfeld on marketing, George is at a wake of his girlfriend’s deceased Aunt. He is eating at the snack table when his girlfriend’s brother, Timmy, approaches him:

TIMMY: What are you doing?
GEORGE: What?
TIMMY: Did…did you just double-dip that chip?
GEORGE: [...]

It’s Ironic

We know from Marketing 101 and Reis and Trout’s book, Positioning, how important it is to stand for the something in the prospect’s mind. For example:
Volvo = safety
FedEx = overnight delivery
Apple = differently innovative technology
When it comes to marketing’s own backyard, we have a problem. Many people (I’d even say many good [...]