I'm a marketer...

I was just reading some blog entries this evening and came across one that really hit home with me. You see, I'm a marketer...I love it...it's a fun gig. But what I really love is building companies. Anyone who knows me knows that I've made a career out of building companies and selling them off...it's a wonderful life! Being there from the inception to the development, the maturation and then exiting before it gets old and stale...what a great time!

The other thing about me, however, is that I'm a student of history...I especially admire the Robber Barons of the "Guilded Age"...that period between 1865 and 1900 where many fortunes were made through hard work, ingenuity, and hard business practices (not to mention the absence of personal income taxes). I've had many a debate with people about the "evils" of the Robber Barons (people with names like Gould, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Durant, and Harrison) but the one thing that nobody can deny is that these men left something in their wake. A bank, a railroad, a university, a steel mill, oil refineries, etc. These men left a legacy of employment that would serve hundreds of thousands, nay, millions of American families for decades after their deaths. Then comes my burning question...have any of the companies that I've had a hand in building provided for anything more than for those immediately employed..will they be standing 10 or 20 years from now? The answer is most likely, "no." My son asked me one day, "daddy, if you win the lottery what will you do with the money?" I honestly didn't know beyond the typical "pay off the house," "go on vacation," etc. But now I know. I would sink whatever I could into a manufacturing company that would have the best odds of continuing like those manufacturing companies of yesteryear. I would seek to rediscover what our forefathers knew about an honest days work for an honest days pay. I would do all I could in order to create a legacy of employment that would exist long after I'm gone. Perhaps that's already happening with this current company that I run now...perhaps my son will take over the helm one day, employ hundreds of people...then again, perhaps not. But there's just something that tears at my soul when I see "manufacturing," the engine that built the world's greatest super-economy, gone from our American landscape. I'm proud whenever WPM and/or iAdvertizing get to work with a company that actually produces a good, solid, fairly priced product right here in the States. Manufacturing is who we were in the past (right up until recent history), and if that becomes totally lost, marketing won't hold very much luster for me anymore. So I guess I'm here saying (not unlike so man others before me) Let's do all we can to support those who create, craft, build, innovate, and employ...and in so doing continuing a long rich heritage that we can certainly embrace and be proud of. I'm now a "buy local" guy...and I'm not a trendy person..(just ask anyone who works with me)

Best Always,
Dave J.

My Type of Politician

By nature I'm not a political being (I'm in advertising) but it occurred to me just the other day that our politicians could use a little creative thinking (like our designers provide us) when it comes to their jobs and the performance of their required duties. Hypothetically speaking, if I ran for office, I'd use a lot more common sense than I'm seeing exhibited by our current gang of elected officials. Now, before I tell you what I'd do to correct the situation let's begin with some basic assumptions:

1. That our elected officials are there to represent US as citizens. That's their job description, period.

2. That our elected officials are citizens of the United States, just like those they are chosen to represent (again, US common folk).

Now, as I told my wife the other day if I ran for elected office in Washington I'd go for one term and do two things. The first thing that I'd do is run on a platform of COMPLETE REPRESENTATION. Meaning that my political views would be, should be, and are otherwise irrelevant. What I think or believe would not matter in the least. My understanding of representative government is that I'm NOT being put in place to further my own personal or ideological agenda, and therefore, what I believe should NOT count. Instead of staffers manning phones and taking down messages that our current representatives never see and/or pay attention to, I'd set up a website that would contain the following:

a. Every bill on which I would be voting

b. The official language of that bill

c. Lay person language/interpretation of that bill (for those non-lawyers out there)

d. What that bill means to the people I represent (both upside and down)

e. A set of buttons: vote - [] yes [] no

With this straight forward (and very easy to implement) approach every voter's voice could and would be heard. We have the technology to do this now, unlike even a mere decade ago. Oh, and for those of you saying "what about those without computers?" Guess what, Internet Cafe's, Public Libraries,etc... all have computers with Internet access for the public. Access is not an issue. And as a representative I would then cast my official vote "yes" or "no" based off of the direct response from the people in my district. No middle man so to speak...just the unbridled will of the people being conveyed directly and unfiltered to their chosen representative. And yet another benefit...there's a record so I could be held accountable. Did the number of yes or no votes from the website log correspond with my voting record? Holy cow...you mean my constituents could hold me "ACCOUNTABLE?" Say it ain't so! (Oh and by the way, there would be another staffer or two to verify the addresses of the people responding so no "stuffing the ballot box" so to speak). Politicians who employed this would NEVER have to defend their decisions on voting. It would be a simple matter of votes, one way or the other...very binary!

Secondly...I would go to Washington to officially bring to the membership a motion for the 28th Amendment of the Constitution. This amendment would read something like this:

The Congressional and Executive Branches of the United States government shall pass no law, binding upon the citizenry of the United States, that shall not be equally binding to all members and staff of Congressional, Executive, and Judicial branches of the United States government.

It would pass folks...I'd love to see the politician face his or her district voters and try to explain WHY they did not vote for a Constitutional Amendment that made them equal to us. It simply would not happen.

Now I've mentioned these two items to several dozen people over the past few weeks...both Democrat and Republican alike, and not one of them said "that's a bad idea Dave...as a matter of fact most of them said, "Run Dave...I'd vote for you on those platforms." Now if someone as mentally challenged as I am can come up with a solid idea for both absolute representation and equality between government and citizens why aren't others? Have you heard one politician espouse either of these ideas...if so, please let me know. I want to support him or her.

Best Always,
Dave J.

AMAZING ARTICLE

I had the following article sent to me by a friend who is also in the advertising business. He looked it over and with what's being reported came to the same conclusion as me...that if indeed we will be able to see the various "real time" importance and/or relevance of one social topic compared to another we and our clients can adjust strategies "on the fly" with greater accuracy and results.

Enjoy
Best Always,
Dave J.

Watching the Internet Think
By John Brandon
- FOXNews.com



The Web is an organism, and science can graph it. Through mesmerizing, flowing images and pulsing charts, new Web sites show who’s talking about which topics and how the Internet is connected -- even which colors are popular this season.

It's literally the pulse of the Web. Want to try it for yourself? Here's the best sites to visit.

Digg Labs
No one can match Digg for monitoring the hysteria of the moment -- links can soar to 5,000 Diggs in just a few days, and no one really knows why. Digg Labs helps you get a visual handle on the hoopla.

There are six labs, but each one taps into real-time Digg information. It's not experimental -- these are real Diggs from actual users, but the method of showing the data is unusual. Stack drops small tiles onto a graph that slowly builds into popular Diggs. Swarm is like a beehive where actual digg topics latch onto one another, following the progression of anonymous users.

Arc is - as you can guess - a group of Diggs that move around a circle. Larger text sizes means hotter topics. Big Spy -- perhaps the least useful tool -- shows larger text sizes for the most popular topics. And Pics is all about popular photos and graphics. (Be careful with this one at work, it can show you pornography on rare

Knowing that these tools can drain your Internet connection of all life and vitality, Digg Labs will pause automatically if you leave them open in your browser for too long.

Google Trends
Google Trends lets you compare terms such as "Barack Obama" and "Sarah Palin" to see who is more popular on the Web, and there's an interesting way to visualize the answers: When you search, you can view a bar chart with spikes that shows not only search topics (such as "Tiger Woods") but commentary from real posters on the Web, what Google calls real-time search. These comments include blog posts, social networking updates, and Twitter status.

"As the amount of information on the Web grows, the need for new ways to parse that information grows too," said Dylan Casey, product manager at Google. Casey explained that graphing tools give you the big picture, just as a ski resort might report on average monthly our yearly snowfall levels. The averages help you plan your ski trip beyond just knowing how much it snowed in the last week.

Using Google Trends, it's possible to see a graph over a historical period too -- say, for three years -- to see if the topic is becoming more popular. This could help a golf club manufacture plan a new product -- or a new advertising campaign boost interest.

Microsoft Pivot
Presented at the TED conference recently, Microsoft Pivot is a remarkable tool that lets you research Web information in real-time with a simple bar chart -- and it's a great way to watch Wikipedia.

Normally, Wikipedia entries are self-contained -- you can look up Barack Obama and read his biography, for example. But what if you wanted to research his accolades? Pivot shows you he was the Time Magazine person-of-the-year. You can then "pivot" this data and see every person-of-the-year, or click filters to see only African-Americans. This type of data exploration just isn't possible otherwise.

"Anything visual is more immersive," explains Brett Brewer, the Microsoft general manager in charge of Pivot, which is part of the Live Labs project. Pivot presents data in a way that makes exploration easier and leads to amazing discoveries. This kind of visualization uses a stock set of data -- say, Sports Illustrated covers or Wikipedia posts -- but could be used for any live data on the Web, such as accident reports. Pivot can show mortality rates, for example, letting you pivot the data to see in real-time that young men die in more car accidents than women.

Trendistic
Twitter.com has become a news outlet of sorts -- people tweet on topics almost immediately after they occur, and sometimes during the event itself. That's what makes Trendistic.com so valuable: the site shows the pulse of the Internet, including the most popular celebs, news topics, and gadgets. Are people talking more about the NBA or MLB?

Sociologists study these patterns by performing surveys and interviewing people (read any of Malcolm Gladwell's books, including his latest) but Trendistic is a picture into the soul of the Web. For any term, you can also see real tweets and start following what they say from your own Twitter account.

Cosmic 140
Another chart that shows Twitter trends, Cosmic 140 is the creation of Information Architects a Web design firm. The map -- which has not been officially released -- is amazingly complex, showing a "cosmological" chart that shows the most important Twitter users and how they are all connected to each other, starting with the three Twitter founders.

Explains founder Oliver Reichenstein, "We chose Twitter because (unlike Facebook) it allows us to access specific data and it features a lot of high profile people that define the new nodes based on tweets per day, number of tweets, and tweet content."

Trendrr.com
Trendrr.com, like Google Trends, shows topics as trends on the Internet, but goes a few steps farther. For example, the service can shows trends in how people are commenting on YouTube videos or track individual terms and phrases on Twitter. Broadcasters might use it to find out what people are saying about a new TV show, based on Facebook updates, Twitter comments, and actual usage data. In some ways, this is better than Nielsen Ratings system because it tracks real-time posts and commentary.

"People can use graphed Web info as a tool for business intelligence, to gain deeper market insights, for research or to keep tabs on an industry, product, and term," says Mark Ghuneim, the CEO at Wiredset, the marketing and strategic planning company that created Trendrr. "By visualizing Web data in graphical ways we can glean more important insights, faster."

It's not over yet!!

Good morning everyone. (all one of you that's following this blog *snicker*)
Normally I get on here just to hear/see myself think and there's something that I just have to put down...if, for no other reason than to help me think through it...Namely where I believe that economy is going. I hear so many pundits speak of "happy days" being here again, but I'm just not seeing it. (I know that this doesn't necessarily have to do with advertising, but it does affect our clients) I'm seeing some tentative job growth but as most of my life was spent in the financial services sector I'm not seeing the real rebound that's been expected. Certainly not a rebound that would be indicative of a stimulus package of just under a $ trillion dollars. Here's what I believe is happening. I believe that companies have gotten "lean and mean" out of necessity (I know we have) and I believe that those with necessary services and/or products have been making quite a bit of money in recent quarters. Now, do I believe that that will translate to job? Yes, but not immediately. I believe that those companies will spend that money on greater efficiencies brought about by software and equipment upgrades, which, in some cases, will eliminate the need to bring back certain types of employees. Sorry, but it's the truth. I believe that only after that spending cycle has come to a slow will companies then be able to determine what (if any) spaces they have to fill. Look for the always needed sales person, IT person, and customer service folks. Don't look too hard for anything middle management, or even lower "C" level management for that matter unless you're terribly specialized. Even then you might be better off hanging out your own shingle. Oh, and if you're going to do that, become a sole proprietor and contract out help as you don't want to get caught (as so many small businesses will) paying for increased employee health care costs. Not a terribly rosy scenario, but I was never good at the whole "up with people" thing. And this doesn't even include the debacle that is "COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE." That's another story for another day, but just consider that most small business' fixed capital expenses come from salaries, raw materials and what? OVERHEAD...one of the efficiencies they'll be looking hardest at is unloading that expensive office space. And who is in a position to come in and pick up the leases...even with modest job growth. There's just not the appetite (even among contrarians) to pick up such assets, no matter how cheap. Not when they can create better and more efficient means of production, sales, distribution, marketing, etc., which leads directly to a better bottom line. If this turns quickly, look for just as quick a reversal...and this time the government won't be able to offer a bail out...Why? Because the American people just don't have the money (because as we all learned in our early civics classes, the government has no money except for what is given to it by the people) AND WE'RE BROKE!
I hate to sign off as usual with such a dour entry, but I do sincerely wish anyone reading this...

Best Always,
Dave J.

Amazing

This past week, while on vacation (yep, actually took one) I was thinking on the value of social networking. I have come to the conclusion that one of the most valuable services we offer here at WPM/iA is our social marketing service where we handle the day-to-day details for our clients. The reason being...IT'S TOO TIME CONSUMING! I mean, between two Twitter accounts, a blog, personal and corporate Facebook accounts and a LinkedIn account profile it a wonder that I have any time during the day to get business done. So, the question then becomes one of priorities...run the business or provide content to all the different profiles out there. And I'm guessing that it's not any different for other business folks out there. And now, just today, I read about "Bubbling" (see excerpt from AdAge)

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In India, thousands of consumers are going from tweeting to bubbling. A hot new social-networking service dubbed Bubbly, which is essentially a voice-based Twitter, is quickly gaining popularity among Indians. And thanks to Bollywood celebs being early adopters, Bubbly is growing and with virtually zero marketing spend.

So, with this new "turn of the crank" set to slam onto America's shores within the next year the question becomes crystal clear. Obviously there will be wave after wave of new technology to keep us ever-connected to one another, but which ones will be most effective and not take up too much time out of my day. I hope I'm up to the task of determining the correct path, not just for myself, but for our clients. Looks like I've got a lot of homework to do!

Best Always,
Dave J.

Completing the circuit

It was pointed out nicely today that I have been absent from my blog post. Not that many people actually read my rantings and ravings but for those few that do, no, I did not die. But rather I came to the realization some time ago that business is much like life in that the more self-sufficient you can be the better your chances for success. So, with that in mind I set about making it happen...we have the WPM Group which provides consulting and full-service advertising...we have iAdvertizing.com which provides companies with high-quality, affordable marketing and advertising, and now we have__________________(the project I've been working on). This new project is something that I just have to keep under wraps for right now as it's a potential game changer for the outdoors industry. It has to do with what I've done for the major part of my professional adult life. It is the missing piece to the puzzle for the other two entities mentioned above. It helps to complete the circuit by taking the strengths from the divisions we already have and brings business to them...we won't be totally depending on outside sources to make our markets for us. I would encourage those of you who have staked your own claim in the world of business to think along the same lines. What can you do that will help lessen your dependence on other business referral sources. What can you add to your offering that will bring more business to your door automatically. I'll be on the road for the next little while but when I am back in the office and fully re-engaged I'll throw back the curtain on this "venture" and connect the dots for those of you who are interested. I really think you'll like what you see! I know I do, so far!

Best Always,
Dave J.

Optimism for 2010

It's been quite a while since my last post but that's partially due to being busy and partially because of a prolonged illness. I do sincerely hope that the new year has brought you all health and a sense of hope for the coming months. I have found myself taking stock of what has transpired over the past couple of years and find that I am optimistic about the future...perhaps without good reason, but I'm choosing to be that way nonetheless. If there's one thing that has occurred to me over the past several quarters it's that I'm blessed. Blessed to live in such a wonderful country (even though the politicians are trying to ruin that just as hard and fast as they can), blessed to have a wonderful family, and blessed that I have the choices to believe as I want, do what I want for a living, and associate with whom I want. It's those simple things that have me hopeful for the future. I wish you all that same kind of hope as we move forward throught the new year. I, personally, believe that there is more opportunity out there than ever before in my lifetime and I cannot wait to take advantage of it. Until next time...

Best Always,
Dave J.

Different Size, Different Strategy...

Most of today's business leaders have been told since their days in college that to market their business successfully they need to "not step on toes." Now, on the surface this may seem like (and actually be) sage advice, however, I have a different take. If you're a smaller player in a niche market why not go BOLD. Let it be known that you're Christian, or Muslim, or African American, Native American, Traditional, Progressive, Conservative, etc. Make some noise...This is your chance to differentiate yourself from others and bring people that are like you to your door. And for those of you who are skeptical consider this well known mantra of advertising/marketing..."people buy what they know," and if they're comfortable with your belief system, point of view, etc. that's a touchstone that will engender feelings of comraderie that may just get them to use your service and/or buy your product rather than that of a competitor who has not planted their flag in the ground. If you're a smaller player, really, what do you have to lose? Just something to think about as you position your company and your corporate message for 2010 and beyond. Wishing all of you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Best Always,
Dave J.

TURTH ABOUT TAXATION - middle class...

If you ever wanted the truth about increased taxation in a nutshell here it is. And the only reason I mention this on our blog is that some of you who read my random thoughts are small business owners and middle/upper-middle class Americans. Some of you may have venture capital, some may have a wealthy Angel investor...whatever the case, if I can provide you with some common sense information that helps you position your business for the upcoming year I'm more than happy to do so:

Something to think about ... higher rates inevitably pressure wealthy taxpayers to withdraw captial from taxable, productive business and instead invest in tax exempt securities (such as municipal bonds or overseas) - the end result is that the wealthiest segment of the tax base begins to dry up as their money is diverted into tax-free channels that neither benefit the overall business landscape (creation of jobs) or the government (taxes). This ultimately leads to the squeeze on the only target left for the government to pursue...the middle class.

Now, I'm sure that you'll realize that the relevance of this message is as sound today as it has been in the past. It's just common sense... Higher taxes will lead to less money to go around for small business. I don't say this to scare anyone, but just to make you aware of the very simple, yet effective mechanism that is being put into play.

Best Always,
Dave J.

Happy Thanksgiving and The Scrantons

I took this holiday weekend to rest and relax with my family. But as so often happens, after 4 days we all needed some "alone time." My time was spent reading on my favorite subject...the industrial rise of the American Super Economy from the 1840's through the early 1900's. This weekend's reading included the history of the Scranton Group/Family (Scranton, PA) who founded one of America's earliest and most successful iron works, rail lines, and towns in the wilderness of Lackawanna Valley, PA. For any entrepreneurs out there who may read this blog I encourage you to look up the story of the Scranton family/group. These men had vision, but encountered obsticles ranging from poor site location, difficult materials sourcing, political haggling (town of Wilkes Barre didn't want them) to the cry from Socialist leaders to re-distribute the wealth they amassed. Now, one thing should also be noted...most of the Scranton group died in abject poverty. Only three of the original 8-10 group members had any money at all when they died. I don't tell you about this story to impress you (as if I could) regarding my reading selection, but rather to impress upon other entrepreneurs that all of the headwinds we encounter today were also present in 1840! As we go forward into 2010 it will be important to realize that we are not alone in the challenges we face. Men and women of vision who have come before us also encountered issues of a similar nature and that were no less troublesomme. For those of you who have plantd your flag in the ground and staked out your claim, I salute you and wish you all the best today and always!

Dave J.

Craigslist - Whew

This past Sunday I decided to put an ad on Craigslist for designers to come work with our agency. Boy was that ever like drinking from a fire hose. Within a span of 24 hours we had over 500 resumes, portfolio links, and letters of introduction. I was/am amazed! To all those that sent in your information I am truly grateful and also impressed. I sincerely wish that I had time to speak to all of you but that's way more than I or my staff can handle right now (with trying to keep up with clients and all). That being said I wish everyone out there a very Happy Thanksgiving and hold the very best of thoughts for you as we head towards 2010!

Best Always,
Dave J

8 Items for business success :58 seconds to read

Want to be successful? ...sure! There are tons of books and/or online informational sites that can give you "keys" to success. But when it comes down to it, the following 8 items will serve you just as well (in a broad sense) as anything out there. I've spent my life building companies and these following items have played the major part in every success I've had. Pay attention and satisfy these simple requirements and you'll be well on your way to building a successful/profitable business.

Your product and/or service must be fully developed and ready to roll out

Too many business professionals are in such a rush to get to market that they roll the vehicle off the line before all 4 wheels are firmly in place. Keep the news of your launch to yourself and very few others beforehand if you're worried about the competitive conditions in the marketplace...finish up the offering, THEN LAUNCH!

Your product and/or service must fill a need for "the masses."

Old adage in the food business..."feed the masses (think McDonalds) and you'll live with the classes - feed the classes (upscale dining) and you'll live with the masses." It's the same with any product or service. The broader the need or want for what you have, the more upside potential.

Your product and/or service must be priced fairly

More important than ever these days...with people watching their pennies and the availability to price compare over the Internet you had better have done your homework on what is fair to charge.

Your product and/or service must be different and/or better from other solutions currently available.(Have a unique value proposition...don't have one? Come up with one...otherwise you're just more "white noise" in a busy marketplace)

I cannot stress this one enough. If you're not the first into a particular competitive set you'd have better built the better mousetrap and have done so in such a way as people are going to recognize that it's better. And you'd better have a good one sentence "grabber" that will convey the unique/better nature of your offering!

Your marketing must answer the question as to how your product and/or service, in some way, makes the consumer's life better.

Everything we purchase answers this question. Whether it's the clothes you buy that you believe make you look slimmer, the truck that has enough payload capacity to get your jobs done, the home that's in the right neighborhood/school district, to the church that has the pastor who's message really feeds your soul. Each and every selection/purchase we make we "feel" as though makes our lives better. Customers must readily be able to determine how your product and/or service makes their life better. Only then will they purchase!

Have a strategy for getting the product and/or service and subsequent value proposition in front of the masses. (repeatedly and effectively)

People won't buy it if they don't know it's there...DUH! (no, seriously, there are people out there who don't realize this...I'm not kidding...hard to believe, I know. But they're out there - and we wonder why 80%+ of new businesses fail)

Realize that in marketing the message is more important than placement and frequency. (It's more about what you're saying and if your audience can relate)

I can go out and say iAdvertizing is great, we do, x,y and z for you...blah, blah, blah, but if I say. "iAdvertizing clients make more money..even in this crappy economy!" You get the idea...

Follow through ...Work, work, work! the above items and you're well on your way!



Best Always,
Dave J.

The New Robber Barons

Those who study American history are undoubtedly familiar with the late 19th century titans of industry who were dubbed the "Robber Barons." They were named such for their cutthroat business tactics and their iron will. They were seen as the Great White Sharks of industry...devouring all who opposed them and accumulating great wealth.

This morning I have just returned from Asheville, NC where my family and I visited (for the umpteenth time) the Biltmore Estate. This house, for those who may not know, is still America's largest private residence...3 times the size of the White House. This massive estate was built by George Washington Vanderbilt, youngest grandson of "The Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, founder of the family fortune and who, along with John Jacob Astor is widely accepted as one of the "original" Robber Barons. Now, this trip to Biltmore, as I've already stated, is one that our family has made many times before, but today it just seems a bit more relevant. You see, when I returned home I sat down at my desk, opened my e-mail and actually watched an info-mercial (yep, guilty as charged) on the Internet about the "New Robber Barons." This particular pitchman said that the new robber barons were the folks who signed up for a specific type of commodity trading account, and therefore it was implied that those who did not, by default, were excluded from ever hoping to achieve the greatness in industry that is each American's to seek. I thought this to be a bit dismissive and otherwise slighting! You see, the robber barons of old (Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Morgan, Gould, etc.) and the inventors that followed (Ford, Edison, Dodge, Bell, etc.)gained their success through foresight and innovation. Was such an info-mercial as I watched last night around for them or when current titans such as Bill Gates or Steve Jobs had their groundbreaking ideas and helped to usher in the mass-acceptance of the computer age? Would they have been excluded from success for not taking advantage of such an offer? I believe not! This type of advertising, preying on people's fear while conjuring up the ghosts of past success is, to me, like saying to a new driver..."make sure to only pay attention to what's going on inside the car or only in the rear-view mirror." We all know that driving this way will put you in a ditch...but fast! I'm rambling about this today, but it just seems to me that if we're really trying to empower and energize people to become the next innovator and/or Captain of industry, a better approach for those wishing to become such is to study the past, but look steadily forward, rely on your own steam, and figure out what issues and/or needs need to be addressed to make the country a better place. Create, innovate, serve...for the one thing that (for all their faults) the Robber Barons of old did...they created! Sure, they were tough-minded, iron-willed, and in some instances just not nice people, but in their collective wake they left mines, railroads, refineries, pipelines, banks, brokerages, etc. Items and institutions that would serve our country, produce jobs, and propel us forward for many generations to come. That's what will bring America back...creation of opportunity...not setting up some personal commodity trading account! Want to be a New Robber Baron, think like an old Robber Baron...now you'll have to excuse me... I have to get out there and create something!
Best Always,
Dave J.

What the Heck?!?

Is this really supposed to get me to buy tires...the Michelin man is being made over as a tire chucking super-hero?!? Holy cow! I'm really at a loss for words and that rarely ever happens.

Best Always,
Dave J.

When good things happen...

You know, I absolutely love it when good things happen to good people. Recently we've had the opportunity to do some work for ConnectionForce. This morning we put out a press release for them and they got "picked up" by some of the most high-powered media outlets out there. Congratulations gents!

Best Always,
D-

Darn that BONG!

If there's one thing in business that will lose clients faster than anything else, it's lack of communication. Now I run an ad agency...so by the very nature of my business there is an inherent level of Client-Chasing that goes on. However, there are those times when people say, "Dave I love what you do...I believe that it could be of benefit to me and my organization." I had one such instance happen at a recent entrepreneurial meeting. What seemed to be a very professional person said, "I would love for you to come speak to my organization" (a non-profit professional group). I've done this dozens of times before and I agreed as I believed that our service could indeed help them. She followed up with me and said that she'd like to iron out details...cool. Things seemed on track. Now, since that call I've left two messages and ... (cue the crickets). Nothing, nadda, zip, zilch, zero. Now, when it comes to my business, it's alright and I'm not going to chase the speaking engagement as I do have plenty to keep me busy, but for her... in my mind that's now a different story. I now have a suspicious bent as to what type of corporate leader she actually is and by default HOW her operation runs. That may or may not be fair, but let's be honest folks...it's human nature. None of us like to be brushed aside, especially when we feel as though we're doing someone a favor or can help them in some manner. The moral to the story is that prompt attention to everyone who calls (from the inbound sales call to the high-dollar) client is of utmost importance. More so now that ever before...for we truly live in a long-memory world and people are talking and sharing more than ever. Michael Phelps will never be able to deny his bong-hittin' days to his grandchildren because that 'ol Internet thing has a LONGGGGGG memory. Even if you are waiting on some information before getting back to someone...if the end of the day has arrived just punch them up and say "Mary, just wanted to get back to you and let you know I hadn't forgotten about you...just as soon as I hear back from John I'll give you a shout." Now Mary will go home feel like you care and just perhaps tell millions of people through her own connections!

Best Always,
D-