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The Best Reality TV Shows Sell Hope and Happiness

Most reality TV shows make me cringe. I’m not sure why anyone would find the lives of Beverly Hills housewives and bearded duck-hunters so fascinating that they tune in to watch in record numbers. But when a friend asked me to name my favorite TV shows, I realized that my …

Is Your Marketing Blending In or Standing Out?

It was the spring of 1966 and we were almost teenagers. Me and my buddies from the sixth grade at St. Nicholas Grade School were pretty excited about going to our first mixed party of boys and girls. We wanted to stand out…show the girls how we were different. We …

Why is there so much lying in marketing?

Want a fast car? The Isuzu Impulse was faster than a speeding bullet. Want a roomier car? The Isuzu Impulse had more seats than the Astrodome. On a budget? The Isuzu Impulse cost just one dollar. Why do you find those statements hard to believe? Is it because they were …

Real-Life “Linked In” Lessons in High School

On my first day as a freshman in high school, I spent a lot of time picking up books that seniors and juniors knocked out of my hands. The perpetrators would be laughing 20 feet down the crowded hallway before I could even react. I had to scramble to pick …

Keep Your Eyes (and Your Marketing Message) on the Prize

A few years ago, I heard Sam Rutigliano, the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns, use a story about his dog to explain why his Kardiac Kids were one of the most successful Browns teams ever — even though they didn’t have the most skilled players. Coach Rutigliano told …

Incentives — How We Are Inspired to Take Action

“Papa! Papaaaa!” pleads my two-year-old grandson Nico. He’s standing on the edge of the pool. I’m in the pool, treading water. He’s getting ready to jump in but he wants me to climb out of the pool and jump with him — as we’ve already done 23 times in the last 24 …

Marketing Lessons from Our Mothers

Think of all the marketing lessons we learned from our mothers. Naturally. Free. With no college tuition. All we had to pay was attention. Here are a few lessons I learned from my marketing teacher (my mom): Incentives: “You better clean up your room before your father gets home.” Sampling: …

Can You See Your Position Clearly?

Just a couple weeks ago, I went to see the 3D version of the Superman movie “Man of Steel” with one of my adult sons. About a half-hour into the movie, I got up and went to the concession stand for popcorn. Within a few minutes I returned to the …