When a project is starting to come together, we al…

When a project is starting to come together, we all experience a few mixed emotions. Will it succeed? Did I think of everything? What will my audience think? What will my management think? Is my resume up to date?

Natural feelings to be had. They contribute to what I think of as the marketing high and the marketing low. The high really is a giddy feeling, a sense of joy and enlightenment. It means that you walk through a crowded airport and (a) see your ad on the wall, (b) here someone talking to someone else about your product, (c) see your product on the cover of a magazine, and (d) get the phone call from your boss congratulating you on the big win. Unlike so many other endeavors, a marketing win is very visible to the world at large. If you are the guy who launched the iPod, you are feeling pretty good. If you are the guy that launched the Newton, you are hiding your head.

The marketing low, interestingly enough, has many of the same events with a very different outcome. You walk through the crowded airport and see your ad on the wall and realize the product is not available at all in the color shown. Everyone is talking about it because of the news coverage over the lawsuits against you for illegally sampling music for the ad. The magazine cover includes the headline “10 Biggest Marketing Mistakes”. That phone call from the boss begins with “You are fired” and goes downhill from there.

Either way, sometimes I think that marketing people just can’t win. The tide can turn against us so fast that it makes the head spin. Today’s hero is tomorrow’s consultant.

Technorati Tags: Marketing

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Something strange happened in blogspace and my blo…

Something strange happened in blogspace and my blog seemed to have disappeared for a few days. Add that to the fact that I have been to darn busy to update it and many people think I have left the planet (not yet), lost my mind (already accomplished), or gotten tired of the conversation (how could I?).

So, the blog seems to be working again and I am nearing the end game for a lot of projects at work. That means soon I can spend some quality time spinning tales of marketing, technology, and anything else that pops into my head.

I think it is interesting how the blog creates a connection with readers that is unique from other connections, even when those people are friends and family. I talk with some of my friends on a regular basis, but those are some of the same people who wonder what happened to me when I am not blogging. It is as if there are two of me — the blogger and the everything else.

Now that there are two of me, I can accomplish more. I can send email to friends and simply refer them to my blog to find out what is going on. In fact, I can just do an update here every day and not have to talk to my friends about myself at all; we can just focus on them and their needs.

Perhaps I am being too sardonic here. Could that be the case?

My lovely daughter, who turned 2 last week, pretty much repeats every word she hears from her parents at this point. It is time for us to start censoring our language a little bit so she does not get bad ideas at this point. Not sure which words and phrases to eliminate though. It is actually a pretty tough call — would I rather she learn some things from me or from the kids at daycare?

I will be sure not to use the phrase “intelligent design” around her, for fear she might think it a construct that holds any water at all.

Likewise, make sure she understands that Roe v. Wade is the law.

And, of course, ensure that she knows that she understands that “democracy” and “capitalism” are both important words, but not necessarily interchangeable.

Plus, ensure she knows how to say “Burger King” but does not realize that it a real place, not just her father’s commercial obsession. My goal is to not have her enter a fast food restaurant (also known as QSR) until she is at least 18.

Now, off to lunch for me. Whopper today?

Technorati Tags: blogs, Burger King, Downfall of Civilization, Intelligent Design, Stupid Politicians

Why is my blog missing?

Why is my blog missing?