best of 2007

NOTICE: All the links in this post go to the old blogspot location. If you’d like to read these posts, please browse the best of 2007 tag. Thanks.
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January will mark the end of my third year of blogging. And 2007 has been another good year. I’ve been a marketing business speaker to seven groups including my first barcamp. The Shotgun Marketing Blog has bounced all over Advertising Age’s list of the top marketing blogs. I was lucky enough to put another author credit to my name with a marketing book that was released in late summer. And a local marketing group named me as their marketer of the year.

As I did in 2006 and 2005, I’d like to showcase some of the year’s best posts. What makes them the best? These are posts that either got a lot of mileage around the web, were heavily commented/linked to, or are just posts that I liked alot.

— Don’t Trust Bloggers
They have shifty eyes.

— This Old Pledge Week
Are you killing your own customer base?

— Delivery
What if your pizza guy starting delivering pizza like you send spam email?

— Salespeople Types
You’ve met all these people.

— Guerrillas peeing in the ocean
Guerrilla marketing’s impact may be small if you don’t do it right.

— What are you selling?
If you don’t know — how will your customers?

— Square Hole — Round Peg problems
Stop using old answers to new marketing problems.

— Even God has brand problems
Your customers may not love you even when you provide what they need.

— Artificial Networks
Make sure your marketing network is real.

— Marketing Haiku
Marketing knowledge delivered in 19 17 syllables

— Old Media
Changes in media are not on the way. They’re here.

— Mr. Splashy Pants
Non-profits (and for-profits) need to embrace new blood.

If you’re a new reader, this will give you a chance to catch up. And if you’re a long time reader, thanks for sticking with me.

the great hoosier nonprofit tour

If you’re involved in the management of a non-profit organization, you’ll want to make plans to attend one of these events in January.

I will be presenting my keynote entitled — Selling Good Works : Fundamentals of Marketing a Non-Profit Organization on two consecutive days in Northern and East Central Indiana.

On Thursday, Jan 10, I will be presenting it to the Advertising Federation of Fort Wayne. And then the next day on Jan 11, I will be presenting the same program for the Muncie AdFed of East Central Indiana.

My non-profit marketing presentation addresses the unique marketing opportunities and challenges faced by charities, public service agencies, and other types of non-profit organizations. More information about the topic can be found on my speaking page.

Both organizations have opened the meetings up so that all non-profits in the area can attend. But you will need to RSVP. Instructions for doing so are in the links above.

spam that I had to open

So from Pat, Vanna and from all of us to all of you, have a festive Christmas.

old media

There’s lots of buzz about today’s news of the FCC relaxing media ownership rules.

Five or ten years ago, I would have been incensed about the decision. If you look back in time, you’ll see that every time the FCC “relaxes” the rules, monopolistic control of the media takes a big leap. And I’m sure this time will be no exception.

However, with today’s news, I really could care less. And this decision only affects the top 20 markets. Small markets are ignored. Big whoop.

Five or ten years ago, traditional media were still the only real game in town. Monopolies needed to be avoided. It was a sacred privilege and responsibility to own a transmitter or a printing press. That immense power needed to be spread out.

But today, everyone is the media. One of my big money quotes in my speaking engagements is that now everyone owns a printing press through the publishing power of the web. You’re reading my latest edition right now.

I’m fascinated with how traditional media are struggling with the rapid changes that continue to pop up. They’re moving in slow motion. And they’re wasting time arguing about things that are secondary to the threat that’s facing them.

It’s almost like the horse buggy manufacturers arguing with each other while Model T’s zip by outside.

The danger is that I don’t think “new media” is ready to take over the watchdog responsibility from old media. There’s not enough experience there. There’s no accountability. And there’s a lack of legitimacy from the powers-that-be. (A blogger and a newspaper reporter ask for an exclusive interview with the mayor — who do you think gets it?)

There will be (and already is) a major backlash about this FCC decision. But it’s a waste of time. It’s not about who owns the pipes or how many pipes they own in any market. It’s not about who owns transmitters and printing presses.

Today, it’s about who owns the content that the masses want to consume. And they don’t care how it’s delivered to them.

Mr Splashy Pants

Greenpeace has been running a poll to name some whales that are traveling in the Pacific.

29 of the 30 nominations are for either mythical, Zen-ish, or new-age-type names like Kaimana, Shanti, and Aurora.

And then scanning down the list, you see “Mr. Splashy Pants“.

And he’s winning the vote. Overwhelmingly.

While there was some noted vote tampering (votes that are not going to be counted), the reason that Mr. Splashy Pants is winning is because he went viral on the net through blogs and other forms of social media.

Greenpeace saw the opportunity and grabbed it. They’ve extended the voting to capitalize on the buzz. They quickly mobilized to develop Mr. Splashy Pants merchandise. They’re embracing it on their blog.

The entire affair is getting lots of press and it will probably pop up in the MSM in next few days. It’s an immeasureable PR coup for the cause.

But when you read through the comments on their blog and posts on other blogs, you’ll find some Greenpeace supporters who are not happy at all about the name.

One of the main reasons that so many non-profits (and for-profit businesses) languish is that they spend most of their time talking to the people who are already familiar with the cause and are already ardent supporters. While it’s important to cultivate your core, you have to find new people in order to grow. For some of the inside core, this feels like outsiders are hijacking the organization.

Some people are so comfortable and locked up in the “normalcy” of the cause or the business that they can’t see the massive opportunities right below the surface.

This seems obvious — but the best way to get attention is to stand out from the crowd.