Astonish Your Customer(s)

Oh my god, is there an Apple or Steve Jobs bubble?

How would you describe the present state of the Apple business - (fill in a grandious superlative here).

Suffice it to say that the enormity of the company's sucess and momentum is eye-popping and seems to have no end in sight. Cash is piling up like insects mating, they have not one cent of long term debt, the stock has been bid up very high and rivals just keep dropping by the wayside. 

But, there are no cries or even specualtion that there is an "Apple Bubble". 

Why not? 

Because Apple keeps introducing stunningly useful products - products that solve everyday probelms and add delight to peoples lives - delight that is realized on a minute by minute basis throughout a person's day.  

Maybe there is a Steve Jobs bubble, though.

If/when Jobs ever steps away from the business, we'll finally find out just how essential Steve is to Apple. His true legacy will be just how strongly he has ingrained his mindset, imagination, instincts, attittude, focus and boldness. 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B. 

K.I.S.M. - Keep It Simple Marketer

"We don’t get them to try our product by convincing them to love our brand. We get them to love our brand by convincing them to try our product." 

"Marketers always overestimate the attraction of new things and underestimate the power of traditional consumer behavior." 

"If the message is right, who cares what screen people see it on? If the message is wrong, what difference does it make?"

"All ad campaigns are branding campaigns. Whether you intend it to be a branding campaign is irrelevant. It will create an impression of your brand regardless of your intent." 

"There's no bigger sucker than a gullible marketer convinced he's missing a trend." 

"Nobody ever got famous predicting that things would stay pretty much the same." 

"Brand studies last for months, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and generally have less impact on business than cleaning the drapes." 

"As an advertising medium, the web is like communism. It's never very good right now, but it's always going to be great some day."

Thank you Bob Hoffman of www.adcontrarian.blogspot.com

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

Happy-Happy

A couple times a year I'd come into the house and my mom would joyfully say, "I got you a happy-happy". 

Happy-Happy was the term she used to describe a "gift" she got you for no reason - just to be nice, surprise you, say I love you. It was usually something small but always personal and heart-felt. 

That's the kind of person my mother was. 

What a great gift ... to a family member, friend, co-worker, customer. 

The world needs more people giving others a Happy-Happy (starting with me). 

I love you Mary Kelly Concannon and wish I were more like you. 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B. 

 

Another edition of: What do I really know

Have you ever been a customer of a business or just a mere observer and think to yourself: How do they stay in business? 

Building on that, have you ever had that feeling about a business that seems to thrive? 

Radio Shack is one of those businesses for me. I never go there, I never and I mean never hear a friend say that they bought something at radio Shack, yet the company posts (mostly) amazing numbers year upon year. 

Yet another example, in a long line of examples, that should make me question my judgments and instincts. 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

Is Type "A" something to flaunt

For the millionth time I heard someone proclaim "herself" a Type A personality. 

That seemingly self-aggrandizing proclamation gets under my skin. 

In what other way do people diagnose themselves publicly? Do you ever hear someone say ... I'm really funny, I'm really good looking, I'm an incredible athlete, I'm a great Dad? 

In most instances when I hear someone proclaim "I'm a real Type A", I think ... too bad for you (and the people closest to you), or so what, or you must be insecure, or thanks for the warning. 

Do people who say that think their audience is impressed? In this world of personal-branding, is that a impactful branding statement?

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.