July 3, 2008
Seriously, this is getting out of hand. You all have to stop this!
I mean it. I’m way to busy to run the country too! But thank you, I’m flattered. Really.
Update: Happy 4th of July to my stateside readers. It’s quite a country when literally anyone can be President. From a marketing perspective — this is the election version of being Elfed.
MoreJune 26, 2008
Two very nice things happened over the past couple weeks. This blog was named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the 15 Entrepreneur Blogs Worth reading.
Then….as if that wasn’t cool enough, a blogger I have just discovered, Mark Nagurski from Really Practical Marketing wrote about a Marketing Minute post on his blog. He said, in part, "The more I read from Drew McLellan the more I want to buy him a beer…"
So of course, I commented on his blog, saying that I was printing off his post and if we were ever in the same place (he’s in Ireland) I was totally calling him on the beer offer. Come on…the man said free beer.
Mark goes one better and finds YouGotBeer.com. He was literally able to buy me a beer over the internet. I got an e-mail notice that he had bought me a beer. I go to the site and choose which restaurant (and there are several) I’d like to get my beer from and voila, they send me a gift card!
Being mentioned in the Wall Street Journal AND a free beer. It doesn’t get much better!
The other blogs mentioned in the WSJ article are:
The Eco-Capitalist
Get Elastic
Seth Godin
Guy Kawasaki
Lifestream
Malcolm Gladwell
WorkHappy.net
Small Biz Trends
Duct Tape Marketing
Drew’s Marketing Minute
Holly Dunlap
Justine Ezarik
Honest Tea
Craig Newmark
Mark Cuban
June 14, 2008
The world, but especially here in the United States, is still stunned by Tim Russert’s sudden death yesterday. The accolades and eulogizing has begun as people grapple with his passing and I have no doubt much will be written about the native New Yorker and political junkie.
I must admit, this is not an entirely objective commentary. I liked Tim Russert a lot. I respected him for his knowledge and ability to reduce the complicated to the simple. I trusted him.
I trusted him. There’s the key sentence.
Tim Russert earned the country’s trust. Which is the sign of a brilliant journalist but it is also the foundation of a brilliant brand. How’d he do it?
He was passionate: Tim Russert loved the political process. He loved asking tough questions. The crazier it got, the happier he got. His passion was contagious. His reporting took us past the hype and the circus and got us interested in the real deal.
He was authentic: He never tried to be anything other than what he was — a kid who grew up in Buffalo, NY. The son of a sanitation worker. A working class Irish Catholic. He brought his life’s experiences to his work. It made him tangible to us. He wasn’t all that different from us. Even though he hung out with Presidents.
He was likable: He was affable. He talked like a normal person. He used stories to explain complex topics. He wasn’t over-polished or perfect. His hair was always a little mussed. He reminded me a a big, friendly dog. There was nothing scary or intimidating about him. He was a guy that you knew would be cool to just hang out with.
He wore his emotions on his sleeve: While his reporting stayed objective, his enthusiasm for the whole thing was apparent. He loved what he was doing, he loved talking politics. He loved the battle and the debate. That was a big part of how we knew he was authentic. He didn’t try to keep us at arm’s length. He invited us in to share in what he loved.
He was consistent: Tim Russert was grounded. He had a code of ethics and morals that created his course of action. He defined his own professional (and I suspect personal) right/wrong meter and he used it to guide him. He understood his own brand and the beliefs that the brand was built upon. That allowed him to deliver a consistent product every time.
There will be much talk about Russert’s impact on politics and journalism over the next few days. And rightly so. He was brilliant at his craft.
But I suspect many will mourn his passing for the same reason that I do — I liked and trusted him. That’s rare in today’s over-spun media world. And it’s equally rare among brands.
The sign of an extraordinary brand is that we can’t imagine what we’d replace it with. The next few months are going to be very heated as the United State’s next president is elected. I can’t imagine who could possibly take Tim Russert’s place.
He will be sorely missed by me and by many.
Update: Jim Kukral used this post as a launching pad for his own thoughts on Russert in his daily video series, The Daily Flip.
Jann Freed adds her thoughts to the discussion, calling Russert a sage.
Steve Cranford shouts out to this post over at Whisper Brand.
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June 12, 2008
It ‘s been a very difficult and tragic few weeks here in Iowa.
Between tornadoes destroying towns like Parkersburg and taking the lives of 4 boy scouts last night and the flooding that is destroying homes, businesses and putting lives in jeopardy — we’re feeling a little picked on.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the e-mails and calls from all of you, checking on us and offering your prayers and thoughts.
One of the silver linings of a disaster/s is watching humanity at its best. Sure, there will probably be some people who try to take advantage, but for the most part — people are scrambling to find ways to help. Fund raising efforts to re-built Parkersburg have exceeded expectations.
People and businesses aren’t waiting to be asked, they are just showing up to help with the sandbagging and flood rescue efforts. 
Businesses who are out of harm’s way are offering extra office space to anyone displaced by the water. Hotels are making rooms available to families who have lost their home. Volunteers are calling a hot-line number to find out where they are needed and going without question. Restaurants are delivering food to sandbagging sites.
And the rain beats on relentlessly, adding to the danger and challenge of trying to prepare/recover.
It reminds me of how we as a nation responded after 9/11 or Katrina. When someone’s in trouble — it brings out the best in us. People don’t stop to ask "what’s in it for me" — they just act honorably and give.
I thought about twisting this story into a marketing lesson (because you know I‘ve done that before!) but I decided a lesson in humanity and human kindness was probably a better choice for today.
While the power of the rushing water is awesome, the power of the human heart is even more awe inspiring.
Update: Sorry — should have been more clear. Yes…me and mine are fine and dry. Had some serious basement flooding damage but in the grand scheme of things, that’s nothing. House is in the ‘burbs so we shouldn’t be at any high risk. Might lose water/power for a few days. Office is downtown, but I think we are on high enough ground. Time will tell. As best I know, all the Iowa bloggers you know and love are also safe and dry.
Photos courtesy of Des Moines Register’s online photo galleries.
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May 26, 2008
Gas prices are scooting over $4/gallon here in the states and yet consumption has not shown signs of significant reduction. How can that be?
That’s the question that reporter Gail Rosenblum of the Minneapolis Star Tribune posed to me late last week. Her article, Paying a lot for gas, changing lifestyles a little" appeared in Friday’s edition of the Star Tribune.
While I know this specific topic (gas prices) is on everyone’s mind, it seems to me that the conversation Gail and I had is even more interesting when you step back and look at consumer attitudes about prices in general.
Two years ago, we were in a tizzy over gas prices. We couldn’t believe they were going to be $2/gallon. We were outraged. We were going to cut back. (Of course, we didn’t) Fast forward to today. Imagine if I stopped people on the street and asked them what they would think of paying $2/gallon for gas. They would weep for joy. In fact, it would sound too good to be true and they’d ask me "what’s the catch?"
Ahhh, the elasticity of price perception.
Why do I think this is worthy of some thought? A few things to note:
The elasticity of price is a one-way street (we are never happy about going higher in price after the marketplace reduces costs.)
The elasticity of price is fast-acting (we get used to the higher price pretty quickly.)
The elasticity of price works best for necessities (we can cut back on stuff we don’t "need" but endure price hikes on stuff we think we do need.)
So how could you apply this thinking to how you set prices? If everyone in your industry is lowering prices because of the recession — how will this hold them back when they’re ready to re-raise their prices? How will it affect you if you resist the urge to lower prices now?
Related posts:
Should you lower prices in a recession?
Are gas prices affecting your spending habits?
How sharp is your pricing strategy?
May 4, 2008
More than a month ago, Robyn McMaster tagged me, asking me to share a quote that I found to be inspirational and dedicate it to at least three other bloggers who, for me, embody the quote. (Robyn was tagged by Joanna Young)
Robyn’s quote, which she dedicated to me, Liz Strauss, Chris Brown, Gavin Heaton and Ellen Weber was:
The brain is designed to grab what input it can and then
boil it up into a froth of understanding.
John McCrone
First…lofty praise that I’ll do my best to live up to and second, that’s an impressive group to be sharing an attribution with. Thank you.
I have given this quite a bit of thought. I’ve actually had my quote identified for several weeks but just wanted to let it simmer for a bit. I used the quote on the program for Blogger Social’s Saturday night dinner program, knowing I’d write more about it here.
I think one of life’s most valuable skills is to see people clearly. To know not only who they appear to be, but who they truly are and who they aspire to become.
My secret weapon for figuring that out is to observe who they surround themselves with. I don’t believe there is anything more telling. We choose to spend time with people that we connect with, that have similar hearts and values. We surround ourselves with people who not only support us but inspire us to be even better than we are today.
So with that, I dedicate this quote to some of my amazing friends, who I am proud to be measured and judged by.
Tell me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.
Assyrian Proverb
My thanks to you: Gavin Heaton, CK, Lori Magno, and Luc Debaisieux. To be judged by your presence in my life is a good fortune I’m not sure I deserve but I will gladly accept.
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May 2, 2008
Phew — I just finished writing my thank you notes to a few people who went way out of their way at Blogger Social. Now I just need to address them and off they go.
I come from a long line of thank you note writers.
The rule was straightforward and simple when I was growing up. Within 3 days of Christmas, we had to sit down and write our than you notes. Because my birthday is 4 days before Christmas, I got doubly slammed. We’d come down for breakfast and there would be a list of who we needed to thank, some note cards, and a pen.
There was no wiggle room and believe me, I knew there was no debate. A generation later, my daughter suffers this same fate.
When was the last time you got a handwritten note from someone? How did it make you feel? Last week, I got a note from Valeria Maltoni. In my response to her, I said…"It’s such a rare art today — the handwritten note. I think it honors both the receiver and the sender and as always, I appreciate your thoughtfulness."
There’s a grace in handwriting a note. It transmits how much you value the other person.
When was the last time you sent a client a handwritten note? What do you think would happen to your relationships with your clients if you carved out enough time to write one thank you note a week, until you had written to all your clients?
Is it worth ten minutes a week to find out?
(If you need to get a note out in a hurry — try Send Out Cards. It’s a very viable alternative.)
MoreMay 1, 2008
One of the biggest benefits of online communication is how quickly something can be created and shared. Works well for marketing and it also works well when the community needs to be alerted to something.
Today we quickly got word that Tim Jackson (aka MasiGuy), a much loved and respected marketing & cycling blogger was in a serious cycling accident Tuesday night.
While competing in a race, he hit the boards in the 24th lap of a 25-lap contest and sustained a concussion, broken ribs, a few of his neck bones are fractured, his thumb was badly severed and required surgery.
Fortunately he was wearing a helmet or this story would probably not have a happy ending. Tim’s going to have a doozy of a recovery but no doubt he’ll be back in the saddle as soon as he can be.
What can we do? What we do best. Rally around him, send encouragement, and if you can afford to, give him a little help financially to get through this tough time.
Read updates about him, leave a message and learn about the Get Well fund at this post right here.
MoreApril 17, 2008
It’s April. Which means that all of you seniors who are graduating in a few weeks are getting a serious amount of pressure from Mom and Dad to send out those resumes.
And so you will. I thought I might offer a few helpful hints.
It’s tough enough to get a job in this field. Don’t let laziness or sloppiness make it even harder for you. I know you think the above is an exaggeration but I just deleted an e-mail that made 4 of the 5 listed mistakes. All in one cover letter!
Want more….read this free e-book written specifically for college grads and this post on what I would do if I were a college grad, looking for that first job.
Last piece of advice — hang in there. It’s as much fun and as rewarding as you think it will be.
Okay, I lied. One last thing. If you are going to try to impress me with your creativity — then A) Be creative. and B) Don’t let spelling and punctuation errors spoil the delivery.
Check this out. See if you can spot the errors (both in the video and description). Instead of helping himself by going above and beyond, he’s just proven that he hasn’t even mastered the basics.
MoreApril 15, 2008
I’ll be damned. Don’t believe me? Check it out or order it here. (Hey Seth…I want an affiliate’s cut!)
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