Marketing has such a poor reputation that it now has to pretend to be customer service. And it makes me hopping mad. For example . . . The reason is simple. We all want to open customer service messages from our current providers. We are far more likely to ignore marketing messages. The marketers at…
One afternoon a couple years ago I was sitting peacefully in my den reading when I heard a loud buzzing sound. It got louder and softer, but never went away, and I’d never heard that particular sound in my house before. Like any other homeowner, I carefully looked around my house to determine if some…
I was thinking about why I trust one particular doctor more than others. It comes down to two things: expertise and empathy. Neither, by itself, is sufficient. The doctor is Caroline Levine. She is a specialist who I visit at least twice a year, and who is protecting my health from serious jeopardy. She has…
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…