Pow! Right Between The Eyes! Andy Nulman's Blog About Surprise

Looking Back With Virgin Eyes

Another Father's Day postscript if I may...

I have to say, although somewhat biased but not much, that my sons are brilliant.  My 17-year-old, Hayes, designs furniture for the future, while my 20-year-old, designs much of the future itself. 

One of these days, I'll share pix of Hayes' industrial-influenced residential creations with you, but today, I wanna show you Aidan's new work, a blog called (no relation to Madonna or Richard Branson):

Like A Virgin

The concept is simple, but amazingly sticky and profound--in essence, Aidan visits the first post of famous and favorite blogs and rates them.  Like seeing old high school pictures of today's superstars, the flashbacks are sometimes tell-tale, often polar-opposite to the present, but always fascinating nonetheless.

He came up with the idea while battling a little writer's block trying to compose a first post for another new blog (called "The Projectionist") he was putting together with a friend.  He figured seeing what other first posts were like would give him the inspiration needed...but I don't think he counted on THIS MUCH inspiration. 

Today he goes big and dredges up the first post of Mark Cuban.  Check it out, and suggest your favorite blog (but don't try this one; I was honored to be his debut debut post yesterday).

A Quarter-Century of Whacking

Big day, and very special day, around Surprise Central, as the book that changed everything is being re-released in a revised and updated version...25 years later.

Faithful FOPs know my admiration for Roger von Oech and his groundbreaking creativity primer "A Whack on the Side of the Head."  As I've mentioned here before, when I was in University, my buddy Sheldon Davis and I were disciples of Roger's. He was a Surprise marketer's dream (yes, I was a budding one even back then) and as students, we eschewed the boring texts our profs assigned us and read Roger's stuff instead.  I've been influenced by the man ever since.

I've read 'em all since, folks, and I've re-read this one over the weekend and a quarter-century later (!!!), it doesn't just stand the test of time, it is even MORE relevant today. 

What's more, I passed along a copy to my son Aidan who, at 20, is about the same age as I was when I first picked this up.  And guess what...even that Gen-Y-er digs it big-time.

This is like the Bible of Business Books...well, at least the "How To Win Friends and Influence People." A Whack has already sold over a million copies around the world in 17 languages. If you haven't read it yet, do yourself the favor.  Rarely is such profound advice this much fun.

Congrats, Roger.  What an accomplishment.  Let's meet up here 25 years from now for your golden anni...and Pow!'s silver.

 

Hey Everybody! Look At Me!

Stand out or step back. 

That's always been a motto of some sorts around Surprise Central. It's been the subject of many a blog posting here, like this one, and these two about my beloved Corvette (which celebrates its seasonal, coming-out-of-storage party this week). 

And now, there's a book about it. 

It's called Step Into The Spotlight, A Guide To Getting Noticed and it's sparkingly-written by a woman who goes by the mono-moniker Tsufit. 

A former Dean's List litigation lawyer, Tsufit cast off her professional shackles and followed her passion into the world of showbiz.  She did stand-up comedy, acted, recorded a CD before settling into her current passion of corporate coaching, saying (and I love this) "I show business how to use show business to get business."

The book is a primer on making noise and attracting eyeballs and ears to you and/or your message, and is highly endorsed by yours truly.  You can't expect Pow! if you don't stand out; there's no Surprise by blending in. 

And if you can muster up about one-100th of the chutzpah that Tsufit oozes, you'll be a magnet for attention.  Check her out, and buy the book, by clicking here.

Pay Attention--Attention Pays!

As a follow up to yesterday's post, let's dig a bit deeper to fully understand why the proliferation of recognition for the power of Surprise, straight from the mouths of three brilliant Web 2.0 gurus, Max Levchin (co-founder of PayPal and current CEO of social network widget factory SLIDE), Chris Anderson (author of the book and creator of the concept The Long Tail) and Seth Godin (well, you know who).

Levchin believes that the future of advertising relies less on how many people see/hear an ad, but how "engaged" consumers are with them.  As he says:

"The metrics for success
are going to shift away from
who can provide the most reach
toward who is paid the most attention."

Meanwhile, Anderson's next great debatable theory (as discussed here a few weeks ago) is the rise of giving things away, to be solidified in his next book "Free."  As Brandweek puts it in a short piece on the author/thinker:

"Free's argument is that
in the digital age,
it's more important to get attention than immediate payoff."

The last word goes to Godin, who in commenting on Anderson's theory said that:

"Attention is a valuable asset
that used to be a commodity."

Who is paid the most attention will rely heavily on how one generates the most attention...the all-important catalyst best left in the capable hands of Surprise marketers.  Generating attention is our raison d'etre.

Yeah, I know there ain't too many of us around.

Yet.

Biz Books Bite Back

On the back page of this month's Fast Company, Elizabeth Spiers takes venomous aim at Business Books, which she calls "the modern era's second-worst literary promulgator of intelligence reduction." 

"Contrary to what your parents and teachers told you." she jabs, "reading does not necessarily make you smarter."

Ouch.

As a perhaps-too-fervent reader (and sometimes writer) of the said literary works,  I would be incensed if I only knew what "promulgator" meant.  Okay, I kid. 

While Elizabeth has a point (indeed many biz books are repetitive, uninspiring and propagate theories that are obsolete by the time you plod through the volume), it's unfair to tar the entire genre with the same poisonous brush.  Like the diverse array of novels at our reach (which Elizabeth is about to delve into with the release of her first "And They All Die In The End"), the biz book shelves are stocked not just with the regrettable and forgettable, but the well-intentioned and the classics.  Giving up on them would be like abandoning the drinking of wine after being disappointed by a few five-buck bottles of plonk.

But I came here not to bury Elizabeth, but to praise Jospeh Jaffe, Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton, three biz book authors who do the field proud.  And for different reasons.

Joseph just released Join The Conversation, his second great thought-provoker (following in the footsteps of "Life After the 30-Second Spot").  There are those in the biz book world who regurgitate the current jargon; Jaffe helps create and add relevance to it.  He's a different kind of smart. 

The book is a breezy read, filled with brand-name examples (both widely well-known and uniquely personal) and pertinent illustrations.  But what sets it apart from the type that Spiers rails against, is the depth of its subject matter (marketing as conversation and vice-versa), and the way it exploits it to explain it.  In other words, the book itself is more a conversation than a lesson, a list of rules, a pedantic Harvard treatise or a self-obsessed rant.  And the way in which Joseph has chosen to market it--reaching out to the marketing community and harnessing the social media power of his connections--shrewdly proves his hypothesis.  Prophecies have rarely been this self-fulfilling.

Followers of his popular blog JaffeJuice or clients of his innovation agency crayon may find some of what's inside Join The Conversation somewhat familiar...but unfortunately, not everyone reads marketing blogs or has the guts to hire a guy like Joseph.  This is one of those books that will pop the eyes of newbies, allow us usual suspects to follow along with a wink of recognition...and perhaps give Elizabeth Spiers second thoughts.  You can pick it up by clicking here.

But even if Spiers has a most carbonized hard-ass, she has to find a bit of love in her heart for the work of Drew and Gavin.  Last year, they launched The Age of Conversation (that's a heckuva lotta conversations on the bookshelves, dontcha think?), a collective of 103 marketing writers from 12 countries (including a most honored yours truly), where everyone contributed for free and donated all proceeds of the project to Variety , The Children's Charity. 

Well last week, the most dynamic of duos announced The Age of Conversation  2: Why People Don't Get It, which has attracted close to 300 potential authors to its swelling pages.  Details on release date et al will be coming soon, so check this space. 

In the meantime, if you STILL haven't picked up your copy, I'm urging and imploring you to HOLD OFF until March 29th, when the authors and friends are gathering together for a Bum Rush on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other book retailers.  The Bum Rush was initiated by Chris Wilson of freshpeel, so I think it's only fitting to send you and some link-love over to him to find out the greater details and reasons why.

So there we go, Elizabeth.  We biz folks may not be writing War and Peace, but with initiatives such as The Age of Conversation, at least some of us are trying to end the former and bring about the latter.

This Boss Works For YOU

Well, this is indeed a pleasant Surprise to close the week. 

The story I wrote for Lawrence Kirsch's collaborative Springsteen fan book "For You Bruce," highlighting our backstage meeting 27 years ago, was excerpted and appears on RollingStone.com.  Check it out below of by clicking here. 

Not only does this heighten my excitement for Sunday's show here (my 11th time seeing Bruce), but for the gathering of worldwide fans and contributors at La Brasserie Brunoise, a restaurant just outside the Bell Center, for a pre-show pre-party...because anyone who's ever seen The Boss can tell you, the show IS the party.

Surprise Central Soulmates

You'd figure that after over 200 years of dealing with it, the city of Chicago would know how to deal with winter. 

Yet once again last week, in the space of three days, the quagmire named O'Hare airport was closed three times...which is the main reason why my trip to the RAC conference was a relative bust.  A vast amount of attendees were held up by the weather, and those who actually made it into Chicago were consumed with how the hell they'll be getting out of there. 

None-the-less...I managed to meet two companies that are true soulmates of Surprise central. 

The first is called Accessvia, who provide in-store signage and desktop publishing apps to the retail trade.  Snore, right?

Wrong.  These guys had:

• the best giveaways (including a coloring book that was the best sales-message-disguised-as-entertainment that I've seen in ages),
• the best in-booth promos (two in fact; a coloring contest and photo shoot) 
• the best logo (many, in fact; all featuring their black cat mascot) 
• the best slogan ("The Eternal Order of Accessvia") 
• the coolest CEO (the Richard Branson of printing, Dean A. Sleeper) 
• the best use-of-funds (sponsoring Made To Stick author Dan Heath's keynote and book-signing), and
• the best stunt (an Airborne-reminiscent dollar-bill blast to drive home their message that working with them and "money will fall from the sky").

Printers.  Incredible.

Despite this, they STILL weren't the most outrageous scions of shock at the conference.  That honor goes to a tiny Portland, Oregon company called Voodoo Doughnuts, who have generated a tidal wave of media buzz by doing to donuts what Cirque du Soleil did to the circus. 

This sure ain't your father's Dunkin' Donuts or Tim Horton's.  In addition to some X-rated competitions (check out The Annual Cockfest here), Voodoo Doughnuts also offers live concerts, legal Weddings and real Swahili lessons in their one and onlystore.  At the conference, stylish co-founders Kenneth "Cat Daddy" Pogson and Tres Shannon threw down their renowned "Tex-Ass Challenge," where contestants must wolf down a super-sized donut--the equivalent of a half-dozen regular treats--in less than 90 seconds.

The wildness carries onto their all-made-by-hand donut menu as well.  My faves include an actual Voodoo Doll donut (which "bleeds" raspberry jam when jabbed with pretzel-stick "pins") and a Bacon-Maple Bar complete with real bacon strips.  By the way, they taste good, too.

With offers of expansion and franchises flying fast and furious, one hopes that Cat Daddy and Tres can capitalize on their creative concept without watering down the spirit, originality and oversized gonads that has generated such well-deserved buzz.  And such majestic Pow!

Take Two

Well, Gavin and Drew are up to it again. 

After the success, both financially and critically, of their Age Of Conversation community book project, the dynamic duo--kindred spirits but separated by about five continents--are launching AOC 2.0.

And this time, much to the delight of everyone here at Surprise central, with a bit of a twist.  Namely, it's up to you to decide the topic of the book from a choice of three:

• Marketing Manifesto
• Why Don't People Get It
• My Marketing Tragedy (and what I learned)

Although I am EXTREMELY partial to number 3, the vote is an open one, and I urge you to click over here and log in yours.

Last year, I had a blast penning my ode to loudness, and if the cards fall in the right spot, I know I can whup ass with some tales of misery and imagination.

If, uh, they let me back in again.

(Seriously speaking, the best part of the whole adventure was linking up with and meeting the 99 other chapter authors, each and every one bright, forward-thinking and benevolent.  Here's to the return trip!)

Buying Into It

Well, I'm back from the incredibly-run Shop.org conference in Orlando, and the buzz on Airborne's new retail mobile marketing initiative has been, to say the least, positive. 

The conference blog encapsulated my keynote quite completely, as did Giselle Abramovich at MobileMarketer, while Andy Sernovitz (that's he and I below) went one step further with his videoblog.  And this update just in: Simon Rodrigue of HomeDepot passes on these kind words.

Meanwhile, the guy who seemed to get it most was (no Surprise here) Mitch Joel...not only because he had me to deal with in shopping centers and restaurants for three days, but because of his ever-expanding, acutely-astute marketing savvy.

Next up, we take this show on the road to Chicago, for the annual Retail Advertising Conference, on Feb. 6. 

This could be the start of something big...

(UPDATE:  Already seems to be.  Got sent this late-breaking story about Google's reaction to Mobile Marketing by both Mitch Joel and Barry Welford.  Thanks guys!)

 

Don't Wanna Brag But...

When I call 'em, I sure call 'em!

End result of tonight's "Test The Nation" on CBC (which was a first-class operation and a superb networking blast, by the way):

My team, the Bloggers, win...not just as predicted, but as boastingly GUARANTEED last week right here.

Also as GUARANTEED here, top scorer over-all was a blogger, my buddy Rick Spence with an incredible 57 out of 60 correct (I had a mere 51 correct, FYI). Not only does this increase bragging rights, but it saves me $500.

Well, not really, as I'm still gonna donate it to a charity, but at least it'll be out of goodwill, and not for losing a bet.

I'm on a prognostication roll. Super Bowl predections, anyone?

UPDATE:  Below is a pic of yours truly holding the most prestigious trophy hardware since Lord Stanley's Cup.  Thanks to the fastidious Craig Silverman (who has yet to catch one of the many errors here at Surprise Central) and his blog for it.

 

Nice shot, but somewhat festishly perverse, dontcha think?

Book 'Em

You know how much I read, how much I love to read, and how much I love giving out reading material as gifts.  Well, with Xmas just a few days away, here are two very self-centered but worthwhile recommendations (in other words, books that actually stooped to the level of having me contribute to them).

The first is the oft-mentioned, idea-filled and charity-benefitting "Age of Conversation."  Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton's brainchild has now hit the big-time, being sold on Amazon.com, with all proceeds still being donated to Variety the Children's Charity.  Find out more, and buy the thing for crissakes, by clicking here.

The second is a unique Bruce Springsteen coffee table opus put together by my long-time friend Lawrence Kirsch. "Kirschie" and I shared many adventures and misadventures in the late '70s and early '80s when I was the Entertainment Editor of the Sunday Express newspaper.  But enough about stories I can't print due to fears of lawsuits from record companies, elderly waitresses and assorted rockstars...

A renowned rock music photographer (that's his shot on the book's cover at left), Lawrence channeled the Web 2.0 staples of user-generated content and community into hardcover form, where fans (including yours truly) contribute personal stories and photos of their passionate admiration for The Boss. 

Lawrence had told me about this one years ago when it was in its embryonic stages, and the result is way more than I could have ever imagined; a classy, elegant chronological chronicle of one of the great artist/fan relationships in showbiz history.  Getting great buzz, too.  And deservedly so.

Order yours here, but do so quickly, as the initial limited edition has less than 100 copies left to sell.

Delivering On My Promises

It's good to have friends, particularly if they're in the Tax department or in the media.

Rick Spence, a long-time member of the People I Dig list (see left), is a member of the latter, and was kind enough to give credence to the relatively nascent (well, to the general public at least) discipline of Surprise marketing in today's National Post.  You can check our Rick's column by clicking these blue letters.

Nicely written and well appreciated...but I DO have just one minor correction/addendum, if I may.  To close the story, Rick wrote:

Does he practice surprise marketing as Airborne's chief marketing officer? "We'll be doing it next year with some of our marketing and promotion incentives," Nulman promises.

Well...to be frank, Surprise marketing is what GOT Airborne to where it is.  Examples are many, including the oft-told tale of the Donald Trump Dollar Bill Toss and the Free Beer panel discussion, not to mention our infamous Maxim parties (no links folks, sorry!). 

Indeed there's more to come, but there was a lot that went, too.

Okay, so now that THAT's cleared up, why not pay Rick a visit at his entrepreneurial blog.  Tell his server I sent ya.

Reverse Shoplifting (A Consultant is Born!)

At the risk of being All Dan Ward, All The Time!, I pass along this news because of the effect of my devious hand within it.

About a month ago, my blogging buddy Dan wrote me the following:

I'm looking for some cool (i.e. inexpensive but effective) ways to spread the word about my latest book, The Simplicity Cycle. I know, that's what everyone is looking for... but I was wondering if you have any ideas or suggestions, particularly of the Surprising variety.

I'm already blogging about it, giving away the PDF version for free, pursuing some trade pubs…but I suspect that's all the obvious stuff... and I was hoping you might have a thought or idea for me...

Being in the midst of Airborne and Just For Laughs madness, I didn't give it much thought.  But sure enough, in the midst of a drive to a cousin's wedding, the following mad idea of "Reverse Shoplifting" invaded my mind, and I wrote Dan back:

How many hard copies do you have?  Take a bunch, put a sticker on them saying something like "Here's a Simple offer.  Take this book home.  IT'S FREE!!  All I ask in return is that you blog about it!" and leave it in the business sections of big bookstores. 

This will create buzz, perhaps even scandal, but lemme tell you, it will spread the word.

Well, gotta give Dan credit.  He has cannonball cojones, and decided to take the plunge.  As we speak, a team of equally daring friends, including Gabe Mounce, Eric Hoelmer, Chris Quaid, Trevor Gay and Dave Hurd are sneaking into bookstores in England, New York, L.A., Las Vegas and Washington D.C. to plant Dan's giveaways.

Stories of reverse shoplifting and other mayhem to come (I hope!), but with this post, I have accomplished two things:

1. Earned my own copy of The Simplicity Cycle
2. Established the Pow! Marketing Schemes & Dreams Consultancy

Alright...who's next?  ;)

The Age Of Conversation...Starts Today

Screw Harry Potter and his Deadly Hollows!

The REAL big buzz in the publishing world belongs to The Age of Conversation , a collaborative effort dreamed up and meticulously guided by Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton.  It comes out today, but last night there were midnight bashes in online bookstores throughout the world, with kids and adults alike dressing up as their favorite The Age of Conversation contributor, munching on Alpha-Bits cereal (the official foodstuff of the AOC) and downing unprecedented amounts of smart drinks.

I could ramble about what it's all about and how it all came together, but Drew and Gavin have done such a phenomenal job of that with a blog, I would be adding nothing but babble.

Here's what I will say about the project, though:

1) Even more important than the book's subject matter is its soul.  This is a book with a heart; ALL proceeds from ALL book sales will be donated to Variety, the Children's Charity.  And there are three ways to buy 'em, ensuring that all along the reading spectrum --from the digital downloader to the hardcover hoarder-- can buy the book in their fave format via Lulu.com.  Here are the more-than-reasonable prices:

• The e-book--$9.99  ($7.99 going to charity)
• The Paperback--$16.95 ($8.10 to charity)
• The Hardcover--$29.99 ($8.55 to charity)

2) This is no cliché or butt-kissing--I am TRULY honored to be part of the project.  I worked like a looney to be eloquent and relevant in my piece, entitled "How to be LOUD!"

3) And why did I work so hard?  'Cuz I had at least be as good as this group of prestigious peers, who all deserve a round of applause for gathering thoughts and banging the drums to raise the level of support and donations for The Age Of Conversation.  Check 'em all out:

Gavin Heaton
Drew McLellan
CK
Valeria Maltoni
Emily Reed
Katie Chatfield
Greg Verdino
Mack Collier
Lewis Green
Sacrum
Ann Handley
Mike Sansone
Paul McEnany
Roger von Oech
Anna Farmery
David Armano
Bob Glaza
Mark Goren
Matt Dickman
Scott Monty
Richard Huntington
Cam Beck
David Reich
Luc Debaisieux
Sean Howard
Tim Jackson
Patrick Schaber
Roberta Rosenberg
Uwe Hook
Tony D. Clark
Todd Andrlik
Toby Bloomberg
Steve Woodruff
Steve Bannister
Steve Roesler
Stanley Johnson
Spike Jones
Nathan Snell
Simon Payn
Ryan Rasmussen
Ron Shevlin
Roger Anderson
Robert Hruzek
Rishi Desai
Phil Gerbyshak
Peter Corbett
Pete Deutschman
Nick Rice
Nick Wright
Michael Morton
Mark Earls
Mark Blair
Mario Vellandi
Lori Magno
Kristin Gorski
Kris Hoet
G.Kofi Annan
Kimberly Dawn Wells
Karl Long
Julie Fleischer
Jordan Behan
John La Grou
Joe Raasch
Jim Kukral
Jessica Hagy
Janet Green
Jamey Shiels
Dr. Graham Hill
Gia Facchini
Geert Desager
Gaurav Mishra
Gary Schoeniger
Gareth Kay
Faris Yakob
Emily Clasper
Ed Cotton
Dustin Jacobsen
Tom Clifford
David Polinchock
David Koopmans
David Brazeal
David Berkowitz
Carolyn Manning
Craig Wilson
Cord Silverstein
Connie Reece
Colin McKay
Chris Newlan
Chris Corrigan
Cedric Giorgi
Brian Reich
Becky Carroll
Arun Rajagopal
Andy Nulman
Amy Jussel
AJ James
Kim Klaver
Sandy Renshaw
Susan Bird
Ryan Barrett
Troy Worman
S. Neil Vineberg

So what are you waiting for?  Buy the book!

Bark and Scratch

A few people who read Tuesday's post about Graham Smith called to ask: "Why would such a successful advertising guy go into dog training?" 

Well, there are two answers.  Firstly, Graham LOVES dogs.  We should all be so passionate about our work.

Secondly is this Surprising statistic, culled from Brandweek:

According to the American Pet Products
Manufacturers Association,
Americans spent $38.5 billion on their pets last year

To put this in perspective, that's about $18 billion more than the U.S. Government allocated for foreign aid.

So, if you believe in reincarnation...

Major League Bummer

Pardon the pun (you’ll understand why soon), but…bummer!

For the first time in seven years, I won’t be in New York traipsing about the massive Licensing Show for Airborne Entertainment. What’s keeping me home is a minor medical operation I have to undergo (see this Thursday’s post), but that’s not the bummer.

The real drag is that I will miss Craig Yoe’s somewhat cracked, very cheeky stunt.

Craig, the owner and chief creative bonkbrain at YOE! Studios has been lamenting—and rightfully so—how traditional and dull the once wild ride of the Licensing Show has become.

This year, he’s decided to do something about it. Here’s an email I got from him last week:

Yo, Andy!

I love the Licensing Show and the great people who run it, but we've been talking about how to make it even more fun.

OK, here's my Big Idea:

1. First thing Tuesday morning (tomorrow!) come get your YOE! Studio Th0ng at our booth #1549 (see a pic of the th0ng above).

2. Scurry to the restroom and put it on--under your clothes.

3. At precisely 12 o'clock noon everyone is to stop what they are doing and drop trou and sing in unison (to the tune of "Ding Dong, the Witch Is Dead") the following lyrics:

Ding dong, show your th0ng,
It feels so good, it can't be wrong.
Ding dong, show the world your th0-o-n-n-n-g-g-g...

4. Then at the conclusion of the song hug your neighbor and then un-drop your trou and continue on with the all-important task of being a licensee or a licensor (or a supplier to those folks like YOE! Studio). That's it! It's that simple.

This will be SO COOL! Imagine, people from many different countries, people of different color, people of different ages, people of different shapes and sizes all united together singing and celebrating our "th0ng-ness." Being open, being free, not only dropping our trou, but dropping our pretensions, dropping our inhibitions, dropping our darn pride that keeps us apart. I'm getting all choked up just thinking about how wonderful this is going to be as I am sure you are, Andy.

You're welcome.

Craig Yoe (~;O#))>

YOE! Studio

Will it work? Gee, I hope so. I’ll have the Airborne folks in attendance try to eye-witness and snap a photo or two.

But no matter what, it warms the heart of all of us at Surprise central that people like Craig still exist…and are willing to try and convert industry tight-asses into collective bare-asses.

A word of advice to Craig: Buddy, you’re playing with Supreme Pow! I know the folks who attend the Licensing Show. You’d better put the Paramedics—and your lawyers—on red alert.

Good luck!

Freebooks!

Today's a holiday in Canada and what better way to celebrate it than to give you guys a bunch of free books.  Yup, we're opening the vaults here at Surprise Central, and don't worry, these are all of the downloadable type, so no waits, no shipping charges and no taxes.  So, as the legendary Bob Barker useta say, "Whatta we have for them, Johnny?"

Well, first up is my Australian friend Adam Lawrence of Work.Play.Experience blog fame. An "experience designer" (note to self: find a way to use that superb title somewhere somehow),  Adam has written an ebook called 12 Showbusiness Tools for Your Business, which teaches how to bring some Hollywood (or the Aussie equivalent) flash to the exec suites.  You can get it by clicking here.

Next is Dan Ward, of Project Blue Lynx.  Dan is working on a book (and ain't we all?) called The Simplicity Cycle, and as a sneak preview, he sent me his Change This manifesto of the same name.  he asked me for my cents, so let's just say that I thought it more than good enough to pass along to y'all.  Enjoy it by clicking here.

And last, and certainly not least, is one I actually put my two cents into.  It's yet another do-good/feel-good project from Drew McLellan of Drew's Marketing Minute (he and Gavin Heaton are also about to release The Age Of Conversation, so stay tuned for more details on that collaborative effort).  Drew rounded up about a whack of us blogger types, and asked us for our advice for the planet's 2007 Graduating Class as they embark on "their first real job hunt."  The result is a free ebook kinda called A Fighting Chance.  Click once and get it here. 

Along with my diatribe, you'll read sage wisdom from the likes of:

Aaron Potts
Andy Brudtkuhl
Andy Wibbels
Ann Handley
Ann Michael
Anne Simons
Becky Carroll
Bob Glaza
C.B. Whittemore
Carolyn Manning
Chris Cree
Christine Brown
CK
Darren Barefoot
David Reich
Delaney Kirk
Derek Tutschulte
Designer Mike
Doug Karr
Doug Mitchell
Drew McLellan
Joan Schramm
Kevin Hillstrom
Lewis Green
Liz Strauss
Mario Sundar
Mark Goren
Mark True
Mary Schmidt
Nick Rice
Patrick Schaber
Paul McEnany
Phil Gerbyshak
Roberta Rosenberg
Roger von Oech
Rosa Say
Seth Godin
Sharon Sarmiento
Stephanie Weaver
Steve Miller
Steve Sisler
Terry Starbucker
Toby Bloomberg
Tony D. Clark
Valeria Maltoni

So there--a little link love and a lot of respect.  Enjoy 'em all!

Tag! Mitch Is It!

The ubiquitous Mitch Joel writes an eloquent response to my human tagging post of last week in his Twist Image blog.  In it, he makes the case for being remembered by being memorable, saying:

"Social media is heating up the online channel and Marketers can’t forget that creating a lasting impression in face-to-face situations (think about Norm from the old sitcom Cheers) is becoming more challenging (as Andy so illustratively demonstrates).

I don’t think it can be facilitated by simply “tagging” people in real life. I think the real opportunities lie in individuals developing their personal brands so the people they’re meeting remember them."

Now, as the King of Personal Branding (now there's a sobriquet for the quote sheet, my friend), Mitch travels the country teaching common folk how to develop theirs.  And as anyone who has ever seen him can attest (and lemme tell you, these days, from The Power Within to keynoting at the Canadian Marketing Association's National Convention, he is EVERYWHERE evangelizing this message), he makes a strong and entertaining case for it.

But here's the one problem I see, Mitch:

Some people's Personal Brands are boring

In other words, it just may be that one's personal brand is a dull one.  It may be unique, but not exciting.  Despite the shade, a grey accountant or middle management suit is still grey. Try as they may, some folks just add to the background instead of cutting through it.

And if so, these people need one of two things:

One of my "tags"...

Or one of your Personal Branding Workbook CDs.

Or both!

The King Of Truth

One of the ancillary benefits of doing The Power Within speeches in Ottawa and Vancouver back in March was meeting Gary King, who works with Tony Robbins. 

An acclaimed speaker in his own right, Gary's motivational take is a unique one. A la Jim Carrey in "Liar Liar" a near-death experience has left him incapable of telling a lie (hmmm...I guess that means that he really DID like my shirt), so Gary has made it his calling to spread the word on The Power Of Truth.

One of the great evenings I spent this year was in the company of Gary and W Mitchell (another unique speaker, believe me), where he told us of his 24-Hour Truth Challenge; "Your life, health and peace of mind will never be the same," he promised.

"But I'm in the wireless business," I protested.  "I don't know if I could do 24 minutes of truth!"

Well, I tried it (albeit over a weekend).  And--truth be told--it was actually kinda fun.  Granted, there's a fine line between saying everything you're thinking and telling the truth, but the result was liberating.

...AND educational as per generating Surprise.  This was an additional, unexpected benefit.

In marketing, consumers have become incredibly skeptical after years of dealing with untruths in all shapes and sizes. Their levels of trust have been worn down and their callouses of cynicism have hardened to carbon.  They are expecting the lie, and are hunkering down to deal with it. Just about every time.

Just think of the supreme  Pow! you can generate just by telling the simple truth.   Arguments are suddenly deflated, negativity is flushed away, and the path to dealing with the problem or the situation has been exponentially widened.  Imagine how much better your headspace would be, and how you'd be able to make alternative plans, if the airline explained why your flight was delayed...if the taxi driver admitted he was lost...if the waiter confessed he forgot to put in your order...if the blogger said he couldn't think of a fourth example to round out this paragraph.

A lie is something you deal with alone.  As Gary says, "There is no such thing as an inconsequential lie."  Each one starts a domino effect that ripples wide and long.

The truth is something you deal with with others. 

And in the relationship called marketing, you NEED others to deal with.

Gary King...you are indeed one.

 

Mark of Excellence

One of the great aspects of blogging is the community that it develops. 

I have met some of the smartest people I know since starting up the Pow! engine; in fact, I'm expecting to meet even more as a bunch of bloggers gather for drinks and dinner tonight across the street from my office.

Community also means doing for one another, so when a fellow blogger embarks on a mission, a noble one at that, we come together to help him out.

FOPs will recognize the name Mark McQueen of Wellington Financial .  He's one of the "People I Dig" over to your left, and he's helping raise funds for a needed piece of medical equipment at Toronto's Sunnybrook Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  If you do nothing else, at least click here and read Mark's reasons why; every click is a caring one. 

And every dollar goes to help someone who's in a situation you pray you will never be in yourself.

Go get 'em, Mark!

Amazing Grace

If there was ever a guy who could change the much despised cable TV industry, it's Dean MacDonald. Deano's an old friend with an infectious personality, whose self-deprecating wit belies his razor-sharp brilliance. 

Despite his overly-corporate photo at right, Dean's also one of the most creative and ballsy businessmen I have ever met.  When he's in the zone, he makes Richard Branson look like an actuary.

After leaving the top position at one of Canada's cable behemoths a few years ago and learning what NOT to do, Dean bought a rural based cable network and molded it in his own image, building it into the 5th largest TV/internet/phone service provider in the country. 

He calls it The Amazing Persona. 

No, that's not its slogan; leave it to Dean to create the only cableco in the world with an adjective in its actual name.  Check it out here.

Having the word "Amazing" connected to any service company (particularly a cable company!) is like having the word "Kosher" connected to a bacon cheeseburger.  Yet that's the Surprising standard Dean has set for his organization. 

Now if only the rest of the industry could follow suit...

Lube Is All You Need

A publicist friend who is astute but shy (let's call her "Please don't use my name!") called to say she agreed with yesterday's post about the concept of "selling" vs. "making it easy to buy."

But then she added her pearls of wisdom:

"You can't call Oprah to do something on you.
You've gotta do something to make Oprah call you."

No, I Won't Back Down (Again!)

One of the drawbacks of being the worldwide spokesperson for Surprise is being confronted by all comers and asked to do sumpin' different all the time.  Like the toughest guy in the bar (a title I never remotely held, by the way), I find myself wielding all sorts of in-yo'-face challenges here at what should be my serene Surprise Central hideaway.

(Not that I am foreign to these expectations, mind you. As CEO of Just For Laughs, I was besieged constantly by seemingly well-meaning people asking me to tell them a joke.  "Did you hear the one about the pain-in-the-ass accosting the fed up executive?" I used to reply.  But once again...I digress.)

The latest "double-dog dare ya" comes from Robert Hruzek, owner, author and operator of the Middle Zone Musings blog and social lounge.  Robert is hosting a writing contest, one which features mercifully-brief six-word stories (something we both were enamored with after reading a bunch of 'em in the November Wired evidently), and closes relatively soon...this Sunday, to be exact.

Using the largesse Texans are renowned for, my Houston-based blogging buddy had tossed two gauntlets my way:

1. To actually write one of these six-worders
2. To be a "Surprise" judge and pick the story with the best Surprise ending

Well, the last guy to back down from a Lone Star State challenge ended up being President of the United States, and I can't do any worse than him, so pardon me as I bend down to pick up these gloves and throw them right back with two resounding Yups.

Robert, I guess I can judge the swarm of stories on my flight to your somewhat chilly state on Monday (I'm heading to Dallas for the NHL All-Star Game, Kemo Sabe Stetson in hand).  Avalanche me.

And as for my story, here goes:

"Why six?" smirked the contrarian.

Thank you.  You've been a wonderful audience.  WInners and details to come soon, I suppose.

 

Worth A Buck...At Least!

A brilliant man, my friend Austin Hill.  Check out The Million-Dollar Blog Post, his Holiday Gift to the World.  A great salesperson selling a great idea makes for one easy sell.  Austin, I'm in, and here's proof!