Seinfeld & Gates Microsoft Ad #2

Okay, so I may not have been the biggest fan of the first ad (it was kind of like the first few seasons of Seinfeld - it was alright).
However, this second ad (more like a webisode at 4:30 minutes) is much better in terms of the entertainment value. I’m still a [...]

Sequins and soul

Sequins are important to us (and no, I’m not talking about the clothes that Richard Simmons wears). They are the flash, the shiny things that catch our eye – a cool direct mail piece, a sleek and metallic colored stereo system (mostly men fall for this one) or a great sale.
But there [...]

Violate the category, not your brand

We all know that you must differentiate your brand or it will blend in with the surrounding landscape of the crowded marketplace. A good way to do this is to violate a category worldview.
Take the category of rock bands in the 1960’s. Most felt like they knew how a rock band should [...]

Lame advice: We want holes!

Lame advice: People don’t go to the store and buy a ¾” drill bit. What they really want is a ¾” hole.
Not exactly. I cannot think of anyone that wakes up in the morning, stretches and while brushing their teeth thinks to themselves, “You know what I need? More holes!”
Sure, when you [...]

26 reasons why I love marketing

I must confess that I wasn’t always in love with marketing - in college, there was another. I started out as Architecture major in college (who didn’t?). After some time, I realized that it wasn’t for me. But I still wanted to find something that allowed me to be creative [...]

2 reasons why people are talking about you

Word of mouth has been around since Eve talked up the virtues of the fruit to Adam. And since this time, people have been sharing stories for two main reasons:
Show how much they know - They want to be the “go to guy” (or gal), they want to look smart, or to grow [...]

The REAL power of a brand

I’ve been on sort of a branding kick lately so here we go….
A brand is a conduit to an expected emotional benefit we seek (to fit “in”, not to look stupid in front of our peers, moments of happiness to share with others, etc.). So the real power of a brand lies in its [...]

One essential ingredient for true word of mouth

Many times when I talk to people about my love for marketing they say, “Oh, advertising is important” or “I wish I was good at sales.”
Advertising and sales are only part of marketing (and if you wait for these post launch activities, you’ve failed).
The best way to get true word of mouth is to infuse [...]

Seinfeld on Marketing: Good attracts good

Friday Happy Dance time! In this episode of Seinfeld on Marketing, Elaine is talking to her bitter friend, Cynthia, who is having a hard time finding the right guy:

CYNTHIA: There’s just no men out there, you know? I mean the problem is that the good ones know they’re good. And they know they’re [...]

Awe + some

By definition, to be awesome means you “awe” only “some” people. So to be truly awesome, start by excluding those who will not be awed by what you offer (they’ll only drag you down anyway). The “some” will then be free to sing your praises and to overpower the steady drumbeat of mediocrity [...]