So the good news for you is that there will be no more blog posts until the 30th.
The bad news – at least for some planners in Amsterdam – is that over 2 days, they’ll be spending a total of 8 hours with me.
In a small room.
What am I talking about?
I’m off to do this.
Yes, over 8 painful, slow, hours … some poor, innocent victims will learn how NOT to do stuff.
In some ways, that is as valuable as knowing how to do stuff.
Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
It will be interesting to hear what they think they learnt when I finally let them out of my [locked] room … especially now I have passed my official teacher exams, so – in theory – can do this for a living. Admittedly, not to planners. And not in Amsterdam. And not over 8 hours.
So basically not like this in any way whatsoever.
Anyway, spare a thought for these poor souls – and Mr Weigel, who has to then spend a few days in Zurich with me – so enjoy the peace and see you soon.
Filed under: Communication Strategy, Crap Campaigns In History, Fake Attitude, Marketing Fail
I get a lot of junk email.
Admitedlly not as much as when I was at cynic when Andy stupidly signed up at some ‘free porn password’ site that then inundated our inboxes with all manner of questionable material, but a lot all the same.
Many of the junk messages I get nowadays are marketing related, which is even more depressing than waking up each morning to an email box bursting with offers of dick extenders or sex with ‘hot and horny grandmas’.
What makes it even worse, is all of them are just shit.
Here’s a perfect example of what I get …
Rubbish isn’t it?
What makes me angry is they way they try and sound like they’re doing me a favour when all they’re actually trying to do is drum up some support for their conference, magazine or – in this case – webcast.
But there is one issue they have failed to take into account …
I DIDN’T ask for it.
I’d NEVER ask for it.
I have NO desire to know about it.
Maybe I’m biting my nose to spite my face. Maybe it will be super-interesting and informative … but if they don’t even know how to market to someone who is in marketing, I’ll take my chances.
Which leads to the point of this post.
Many people think marketing and advertising is about conning the audience into action.
Maybe that was once the case.
Maybe that’s what some companies still try and do.
But in my experience – and as one of the few ‘rules’ Wieden lives by – you don’t get anywhere unless it is founded on fundamental truth and so trying to engage me on a subject that I didn’t ask to know about and to not express it in a way that makes me see the personal advantage I’d gain from knowing about it … they’ve failed in every way.
EVERY. SINGLE. WAY.
Another example where people confuse alienating for marketing.
So a few weeks ago, I was walking through a shopping mall when I came across these …
Now I appreciate as someone who never wears socks because he always wears Birkenstocks, I may be missing the point, however I have a few questions I’m hoping you can answer for me.
1. What exactly are ‘fashion socks’?
2. Why does the packaging feature men talking on the phone?
3. Are the men actually talking to each other and comparing notes?
4. If the socks are ‘fashion’ garments, why are the models wearing boring suits?
5. Am I taking some dodgy sock packaging way too seriously and need to shut the hell up?
Answers gratefully received. Thank you.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration
Yes, this is the shortest post ever.
I thought I’d be nice to you given it’s a Monday.
It would be even shorter, if I hadn’t written this.
But it’s a message that will resonate with one person in particular.
I hope.
They know who they are.
I also hope.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment
Yes, I’m back.
Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
No, I don’t know what the guys really thought of what I taught them, but I know this … it wasn’t nearly as useful as this would have been to me, when I was a kid studying maths.
How good is that!
Why the hell didn’t they teach me to do subtraction like that when I was at school.
Given I once got 2% in a maths test, Mrs Kirk – my maths teacher – has a lot to answer for.
Which I’m sure my students in Amsterdam are also thinking about me as well. Bugger.