Note from Cathy: When reading Dan’s list, it occurred to me that there are several marketing lessons here. Just a few examples:
Item number 7 is a valuable lesson about using your marketing dollars on things that work for you. Many people miss this.
Item number 5 is an important point about what the goal of your marketing and publicity must be. Put it together with item 9, about the failure of interruption marketing, and you have a powerful point about what works and what doesn’t in marketing.
What other lessons do you see in Dan’s post?
1. Best PR campaign ever: Yahoo announces it will reveal a new logo in 30 days. Somehow, USA Today considers this front-page news. Sorry, but a logo announcement is minor news even when it is actually shown. Kudos to the PR geniuses that convinced USA Today‘s editors otherwise.
2. Most incongruous ad: A cable TV company advertises on Sirius XM radio to ask people to get their service so they won’t see ads on TV. There’s a non sequitur here.
3. Best green-light specials: New media barons are buying newspapers in top cities for peanuts. I remember the famous line from Coke’s president when he was asked if creating New Coke was a clever ploy to revive Coke’s brand. “We’re not as smart as you think we are and we are not as dumb as you think we are.” I can’t wait to see what Bezos and Henry have in mind.
4. Worst lamenting of “the good old days.” Media barons of old were no great friends of the people. They were shills for big businesses that bought advertising. They wore their politics on their sleeves.
5. Best insight of the day: Seth Godin hits another home run when he talks about “attention” being the key commodity today. If you can get somone’s attention, you’re golden. If not, you’re sunk.
6. Book I need to read: The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires, recommended by Seth Godin.
7. Best example of a trade-show promo item: NSA gave away an insulated cooler bag with shoulder straps. You’ve seen them at Whole Foods for about $7. You want your promo item to be used. This one will. Print your advertising message or logo on the bag for the world to see.
8. Best example of “there is no such thing as bad publicity.” Yes there is. How would you like to be the author of a book found in the personal reading room of the Boston Bomber? The Wall Street Journal noted that the terrorist was reading a book about how to pick up women. Now there’s an example of a time when you don’t want publicity! I’ll spare his fame here. He’s a good guy and he doesn’t deserve to have his name linked in this manner.
9. Worst way to watch TV: I’ve watched all the Breaking Bad episodes on Netflix, which does not have commercials. For the first time, I watched BB on AMC with commercials. Not only does the dramatic impact fail in comparison to Netflix, but I don’t remember a single commercial for one product today!
Dan Janal, author of Reporters Are Looking for YOU!
