The Susan Boyle Phenomenon

Even today, everyone likes a pleasant surprise. And if the content is markedly different from the packaging, the reaction is even more profound. Think about it the next time you are launching a product or an idea. The Shakespearean philosophy of appearance deviating from reality has held true for over 400 years.

A Resurrection of Academic and Athletics?

You know the old saying: "Once you go Greek, you're good for a week!" And while that really is a adage I just made up, it seems to hold true. Our Greek forefathers promoted both mental and physical fitness and I see this personified in the third annual Great Richmond Region Adventure. Solve a clue. Haul ass (on foot mind you) to the Richmond attraction referenced in the clue. It's an athletic geek's dream! And of course I plan to copy the event at Smith Mountain Lake in a slightly modified fashion...Smart Cars, Hybrids, and Segways will be allowed to account for our slightly more mature demographic...

As I have said in previous posts, there is no such thing as an original event concept. But I can sure as heck tweek it to fit my purposes.

A Tribute To Horton Foote

Playwright and screenwriter Horton Foote passed away yesterday at 92. Foote's brilliance was in his simplicity. He took the likes of "ordinary" people and gave them a wider audience through both the theater and film. He is most widely known for bringing "To Kill a Mockingbird", "A Trip To Bountiful", and "Tender Mercies" to the screen. All films won their leading men Academy Awards. A true actors' writer...

As we all brainstorm on how to build a better mousetrap, keep in mind the power of simplicity and the ability of the human mind to interpret.

Mucinex Equals Inspiration?

It appears that a combination of Mucinex, Benadryl, and Advil (well, really the generic versions of all three) might just be the key to jump starting the creative process. I would like to say, for the record, that I am a fairly creative person to begin with. However, there are certain quiet gloomy days when the buzz of the heat pump and the sporadic rumbling of a car driving by do not perpetuate those brain bursts of ideas and the energy to follow up on said ideas. Or the humility to accept a client's less-than-enthusiastic response to another fundraiser or concert series.

The simple fact is that not many folks in my line of work are looking to create a new event, especially one that requires the initial expenditure of reserve funds. I really think the level of seratonin released is directly proportional to the amount of money in their bank accounts (relate back to the generic reference in the first sentence). HOWEVER...

It is my argument that right now is exactly the time to create a new funding or marketing initiative that is based on the concept of a "special" event. People want an affordable distraction from the news. They want a distraction from the cold weather. People want to feel like they can pull together to have a positive impact...SOMEWHERE...and not simply be at the mercy of a nebulous pain in the ass called "The Economy."

Therefore, I vote for Dr. Richard Florida's "Creative Class" to pop a Mucinex, Benadryl, and Advil and focus on an initiative in the Historic Richmond Region that deserves attention. Ideally, when the pills wear off, enough people will be behind the initiative to perpetuate the motivation.

Word. Marketing's Secret Alliance w/ Style Weekly

Is it just a coincidence that my blog of yesterday evening featured the same topic as the just-released Style Weekly? Is anything EVER a coincidence? Is it a coincidence that Roop spelled backward is Poor and that I just spent my last dollar on fast food from Bullets and a car wash?! The parallels are almost celestial...

Resurrect Easy To Love!

Not that it ever really went away, but seriously...why the hell didn't "Easy To Love" really catch on in Richmond? My former organization of employment (I fondly recall as my last "cool" job) was but a minor partner in the entire branding process (because we only added $3000 to get our place at the table of the fancy breakfast meeting). However, I consider the "Easy To Love" soups to nuts brandificatoin process my foray into the world of intercept studies, identifying points of differentiation, top of mind awareness, etc, etc, etc.

And it was COOL!

And the Carboon Leaf/Regan collaborative theme song was kick ass... Probably the only time you can witness me driving down Monument Avenue with all the windows and sunroof open on the Tahoe trying to harmonize with a gospel choir...Eeeaaaasssssyyy Toooo Loooove...HALLELUJAH!!

Great brand...great song... So what's the problem?!

My personal opinion based on 12 years of living in the Historic Richmond Region has to do with identity. Everyone in Richmond identifies with something. South of the River, North of the River, East End, West End, Kroger's, Ukrop's, Near West End, FFV, prep schools, church...if you can find a moniker, you can find a group to identify with it. It is within these groups of identification that people build up walls. Wall keep out new ideas and keep in a defensive reaction to change... New ideas are immediately suspect. Better yet, within the walls of defense (which I believe are still erect in Windsor Faaaahms) smoulder a sense of posture. And that posturing becomes to stiff that all new ideas BOUNCE are deflected and dismissed.

And that, Marjorie, just so you know and SOME day your children will know, is the reason the Easy To Love tag line, logo, and theme song remain relatively undiscovered.

Fad = Information Overload

If Facebook is the new myspace, then what is going to be the new Facebook? I don't think twitter is the answer. The novelty of Facebook has to do with reading as MUCH or as LITTLE about your friends as you like. Twitter errs to the "LITTLE." So what is the next addictive internet incarnation? And just how many more applications can we download to our Blackberrys????

Inquiring minds want to know.

This new intervention (internet + invention) must be discrete. One must secretly be able to give the appearance of feverish research on the WWW or at least texting some HYT. Yes, Facebook does count a viral marketing...at least that is how it must show up in a daily report. But let's return to the issue at hand. Facebook's new intervention...

It must remain as far ahead of the curve as possible. Which means in less than a year, it will be used solely for cyber sex or internet dating (RIP myspace). And if society continues its downward spiral of WTF's, IDK's, BFF's, and ROFLMAO's, the new Facebook must be succinct.

This is what I envision. Something on order of a lipstick or chapstick. It buzzes once for coffee, twice for dinner, and thrice for BC. The consumer may then discretely apply the product and check out the miniature screen for name, time, and location.

Watch Apple launch this by the end of the week...