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Welcome To My Den
This is the new, improved and reincarnated Dunn's Den. This blog is about marketing, advertising, social media and the goings on in my local community; from MY VIEW!
I look forward to connecting with you!
The only true mission of any organization is survival.Companies where “excellence” is embedded in its culture are invariably in the spotlight, run by overachievers and are candidates for hostile takeovers. Companies that live by tidal trends will sink or swim, and frequently drown in the undertow.
But our computer simulations prove that survival correlates best with unobtrusiveness, and all major trends are doomed to collapse from their own weight. Survivors coast under the radar.
Therefore, we are pleased to offer these “Guides for Cautious Executives” who yearn to stay in the back of the pack.Mediocrity, once achieved, cannot be denied.It will carry a company through thick.
We asked what organizations are truly mediocre models.Our average panel voted these companies, brands and entities to be unexceptional:
Ford
France
The Pirates
MSNBC
Kmart/Sears
We examined them carefully, and concluded that they will probably live long lives, unconcerned and oblivious.Can you think of some more living mediocrities?
Cautious managers are not in the limelight. We have a process that identifies nega-trends, based on the Principle of Omission. We studied whatever is not in the news, what is not a fad.We have proven that nega-trends, once identified, can be used to justify the most comfortable course.
Combining the habits of the most mediocre institutions with nega-trends, we’ve come up with eleven immortal “Guides for Cautious Executives,” If you observe them dispassionately, you can achieve everlasting indifference.
Here are the first five. We don’t want to overburden you cautious ones, so we’ll save the last six for the next issuance.
1. Innovation: There’s nothing new under the sun. Innovators are degenerate boat rockers.The patent office should have closed a century ago, because there is nothing left to invent.New products are for high rollers; you should “Know when to fold ‘em,” and that’s now. Don’t try anything new and risky.
2. Human Resources: The touchy-feely black hole. People are the way they are and you can’t change them. You shouldn’t try.Watch out for today’s fads, such as “Talent Management” and “Succession Planning.” These are the fruits of the educational “Self Esteem” movement and, heaven forbid, could lead to “Social Computing.” Don’t try to understand people and change them.
3. Solution Selling and Customer Relationship Management: No match for a shoe shine, a cigar, and a smile.If your salesmen talk like psychologists, they will drive you right to the couch.Good ol’ boys are the way to go. Your customers should just buy your products, not you.
4. Strategic Planning: Contemplating the Corporate Navel.Mediocre planning must be pure, uncontaminated by mention of implementation or accountability.We must fight the alarming tendency to shorten the time-frame of planning.Forget about the next three years and concentrate on the far future, when things should calm down.Remember:
Planning should be done only by planners, not doers.
Any plan of less than a ten-year vision is an exercise in expediency.
Communication of the plan should be limited to those empowered to revise it.Broader exposure can cause corporate unrest.
5. Corporate Culture: A Bias for B.S.Action is the natural enemy of mediocrity. Therefore, a company that has a bias for action will operate in the high-risk mode.Fortunately, action can easily be diverted into pointless activity, and activity diffuses into B.S. When this becomes ingrained, managers need not worry about such ugly phrases as “task orientation” or “management by objectives.” Some tips:
Preach and live the doctrine that contemplation is the highest calling.
Leave no stone unturned.If all are turned, turn them back. Further study is prudent.
Always play for the tie.
Think about these five Guides.Start to slow down.Next time we’llreveal more.
Trends are fickle.They seem unstoppable, but something happens. They end up falling by their own increased weight, they get tired, or someone comes up with a better idea. They aren’t irresistible forces after all. They get overtaken by events.
The ancient Persian proverb says, “Even this shall pass away.” The smart money says, long term bet against the trend.
Up until now, I agreed with that.Americans’ nature, fearlessness and ingenuity will find a way to thwart any problem.
But there’s a current problem that I don’t see an answer for, short or long term.
I haven’t heard of the solution for rising oil and food prices.Have you? I don’t have faith that our politicians will find a way out.
If there were a way to harness all the talents of our private sector’s entrepreneurship and creativity, we would come up with brilliant, breakthrough answers.
Imagine you were on a team whose mission was to stop those rising prices. You have no restrictions, no boundaries. Turn your imaginations loose. And imagine if you could tap into all the greatest brains in history—Edison, Newton, Bill Gates, Lincoln, and all those hidden inventors working in their garages.What would they come up with? Ethanol and wind power won’t do.
We can’t just muddle through. Some people out there are out to get us. We must have ideas and will power.
So will this be the first time that present trends will continue? They can’t. Three hundred million Americans can’t let that happen. Twenty years from now will we be able to look back and say we rose to the occasion, or that we went quietly into the night?Your ideas?
“Say whatever you want, anywhere,” said the professor, “But I don’t have to listen.”
Freedom of speech is constitutionally guaranteed, within some limits. A person can’t endorse the violent overthrow of the government, libel his neighbor, or shout fire at a rock concert. An advertiser has to be able to prove his claims.(A politician? He can say anything. Truth has nothing to do with it.)
To be heard, you have to earn it. Deaf ears abound. Advertising is a numbers game.You can buy rating points or circulation, but not listeners or readers, certainly not believers. The value and importance of your message will determine its delivery.
Is that fair?Shouldn’t every product or cause have equal chance?
Well, they do.You can but time, space or a theater. What if nobody came?(You can always rent actors or paid mourners.)
There’s talk of bringing back the “Fairness Doctrine,” which dictates that radio stations must give “balance.” That means airing equal time for opposing viewpoints. The problem (among many) is that equal time doesn’t deliver equal amounts of listeners. For some unknown reason, conservative talk shows attract far greater audiences than liberal hosts. So if stations have to make time available to each, their audience would shrink.And so would advertising revenues.So much for fairness.
The justification for the “Fairness Doctrine” is that since radio frequencies are limited, the government owns them and can license them. Ergo, they can police and control their content to assure equal access to all points of view. But what does that mean—equal number of listeners, the same time slots?Who will monitor and decide?And where will stations find liberal talk masters that will be as popular as Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh? So much for free speech.
If the government does this, somehow varying causes will find a way to be heard. Unless the internet is the next thing to be regulated—-.
For those of you who do not know, North Fulton has it’s very own football team called the Georgia Generals. They are a minor league football team which plays at Northview High School, located in Johns Creek, GA.
This Saturday, July 12th marks their season opening game vs. Macon Tiger cats.
If you are looking for a great place to take the kids and have fun this Saturday, stop by the game and see what all the buzz is about.
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Here is the press release for the game:
DJ Shockley to Help Kick-Off Georgia Generals Minor League Football Season this Saturday July 12th in Johns Creek
This Saturday, July 12th, the Generals open the 2008 season in Johns Creek vs. the Macon Tiger Cats. After posting an impressive 9 – 3 record in the inaugural 2007 season, the Generals look to improve in their second year and again march into the NAFL playoffs. The Tiger Cats, also a 2007 playoff team, will surely prove to be a tough opponent.
Both Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Falcons fans will be thrilled with a pre-game appearance by Atlanta Falcon quarterback D.J. Shockley who will be performing the ceremonial coin toss to start the game.
Halftime festivities will feature the introduction of the 2008 Georgia Generals Dance Team and a performance by Atlanta’s Old School Drumline.
Gates open at 5:00 p.m. and kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for this game are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and online via ticketmaster.com. Kids ages 12 and under wearing a sports jersey will get free admission.
The Generals play their home games at Northview High School in the north Fulton city of Johns Creek.
If you would like to meet the coach of the Georgia Generals (Nathan Gibbs), please click on the video below. Nate discuss the Georgia Generals and who they are, what they do and what you can expect at a game.
The running of the 39th Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree 10k Road Race is over, and as usual I didn’t win.But as a marketing man, I was struck by the enormous scope of the event and the vast implications to the sponsor and to the city of Atlanta.
If you listed some qualifications of a winning brand, this 10k has them all:
Total Awareness. You could not be unaware that it was happening.
Immediacy. TV cameras, helicopters, clocks, real-time energy.
Involvement. 55,000 citizen/runners, thousands of volunteers, untoldnumbers of watchers and rooters.
Loyalty. The most frequent conversation starter as we waited to begin was, “How many times have you done this?” Many answered, “At least 10.”
Good Will. Comrades all in a pilgrimage, a journey to the unknown. And a lasting warm feeling.
Good planning and communication. It seemed like everything was thought of.
Rewards and benefits. Self esteem, bragging rights, good health, fun.What more could a brand offer?
Can an event such of this be called a “brand”? Well, it has uniqueness, longevity, and dividends to the owners. It has a lasting value to the AJC, and to the whole metropolitan area. If it were not continued, it would be missed.
Here are a few random observations that may or not be related to branding or marketing:
I didn’t mind waiting. My group didn’t start until 9:00, but the fastest ones began at 7:30. I usually don’t suffer delays gladly.
I didn’t mind walking a half mile from the finishing line to where I got my T-shirt.How many brands enjoy that kind of forgiveness?
I identified with the participants. I felt part of a team, young or old, male or female. (I noted and don’t understand the proportionate lack of ethnic minorities. I do understand the scarcity of the obese.)
I felt good and righteous. Despite the fact that I trained and hydrated according to instruction, my knees still hurt hours after the fact and Ivegetated the rest of the day. But I was proud, and resolved to do better next year.
My only advice to the operators of the Peachtree Road Race is that it is not broken, so don’t fix it.Tweak it a little. This brand is a treasure.
