I was astounded to read a Twitter thread from a go-getter named John Plumstead, who harassed 58,408 people to get one or two deals. He can do this because there is no cost to harassing people. Let’s change that. Plumstead’s business is finding property owners in financial distress and buying their properties for less than…
In his latest cartoon, Tom Fishburne of Marketoonist expertly skewered those “brand promise” statements you often read (and retch at). He’s completely right that corporate values and “reasons to believe” are filled with cliches and buzzwords. But why? Why is so hard for brands to differentiate? Having helped several companies write these sorts of statements,…
This ad for “Amazon Token” on Facebook intrigued me. Is that Jeff Bezos pitching me a cryptocurrency? So I clicked through. What I found is a slick, well produced, seductive website . . . that I’m pretty sure has nothing to do with Amazon. They’ll be happy to take your crypto money — in the…
Tesla announced a humanoid household robot Thursday, with a prototype due out next year. It made headlines even though there was nothing to see but an actor in a suit. Elon Musk was just musing out loud with slides and silly props. This is not new. Most of what Musk announces has no dependable release…
As a freelancer, I occasionally need people to act as a reference for me. This is not a request I make lightly. Here’s how I maximize the chances of success. 1 Provide three solid references If you want to work with me, I will provide three solid references. Each will get back to you quickly;…
An Italian study shows that men testing positive for COVID-19 have three times the likelihood of suffering erectile dysfunction compared to those without a positive test. SCRIPT: 30-SECOND VACCINE SPOT (ED) Interior, casual restaurant. A man, mid-40s, good-looking but not strikingly so, slightly balding, sits at a restaurant table opposite an attractive woman, brunette, several…
Customer experience surveys shouldn’t give me a choice between whacking hard-working staff and approving corrupt and busted systems. Let me tell you what’s wrong with your systems, not your people. It’s nearly always the systems that are at fault for problems If there’s one thing I learned from the brilliant Harley Manning and Kerry Bodine,…
Those who are not afraid of COVID-19 are behaving irrationally. It’s time to use emotional and graphic advertising to change their minds about vaccination. It worked for smoking; it will work for COVID. Content warning: today’s post contains graphic and disturbing images. If these scare you more than COVID, please get your priorities straight. We…
We trained an artificial intelligence program on 11,216 descriptions written by realtors to sell homes. Then we asked it to generate a few of its own. Results below: This 1803 farm house includes a rustic hand pump. Secluded location at cul-de-sac in dead-end unpaved gravel-and-glass-shard road. 5 BR, 1 ⅘ bathrooms in a colonial ranch-style…