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.

Don't Replace the Live Drummer with a Drum "Machine"

As I was sitting here on vacation it dawned on me that as we move headlong into the age of "digital marketing," that "creativity" is taking a back seat to technology and metrics. Whether a banner ad is blinking, partially or fully animated, swirling, etc. it's still a banner ad and it seems as thought the technology to make it dance and sing (along with the immediate tracking and desire of/for the all-important click-through) has taken the place of delivering a significantly "creative" message. When speaking to Todd (our CEO) about this yesterday AM he said, "sure, it's like all those bands out there who found that they could get by with a drum machine instead of a live drummer." The machine did a great and "predictable" job. But, with the live drummer you had a creative mind that could improvise and potentially make the song better and/or more interesting." This is what I would caution small businesses against these days...whether it's an in-house person you rely on for marketing, or an outside group, don't give up the compelling and otherwise relatable message in exchange for a simple/predictable "click through" vehicle. Now, don't get me wrong...we're ALL FOR DIGITAL MEDIA...we just believe that any banner or online ad you put together (or is put together for you) must still have a "Creative" component that the viewer will relate to and will therefore get them to view your product in relation to his or her own life. The Drum Kit is good, The Drummer is Better!