Hello and thanks for coming. Chances are that if you're reading this, you are backtracking to see how this whole thing got started, 'cuz during the first couple months of posting, I think NASA's Mars Rover saw more traffic than I did.
But the barren wasteland of this space back then allowed me to gather my thoughts, post prolifically and build my case to convince you of my premise, the raison d'etre of this blog.
So drumroll, please...
The element of surprise is the most important aspect of contemporary marketing.
That's the premise. Shocked? Don't be. Or rather, I'm happy that you are. Just proves my point. Surprise is that "Pow! Right Between The Eyes!" moment that jumpstarts a modern marketing relationship.
And it's more important than ever in our world of tough, jaded consumers; consumers who have access to more information and opinions than any society in history. They know it all, have seen it all, and have commented on much of it. When it comes to price, quality, service, the experience, they know what they want. They want it all.
The way I see it, consumers won't accept trade-offs. They expect everything to be right. Every time. And there's only one way to please people who expect it all:
Give 'em what they DON'T expect!
You know, in my many diatribes at conferences and at Airborne Entertainment's famed Monday Morning Meetings, I have always shouted that consumers don't know what they want.
Well, I lied.
They know what they want.
They WANT to be led.
They WANT us to lead them.
They WANT to follow.
And despite the sucky Holiday Inn slogan ("The Best Surprise is No Surprise"), they WANT to be surprised.
That's what I hope to convince you of throughout the lifeline of this blog. Yeah this may evolve into a book or morph into another one of my speech topics, but for now, I hope to keep surprising you with theories, anecdotes and examples.
And I hope to hear from you.
So go ahead...
Surprise me.