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This month's Fast Company pays homage to great design and designers, with Marcel Wanders on the cover and colorful stories on Rhode Island School of Design's John Maeda, the eccentric Li Edelkoort and typeface provocateurs House Industries.
Here's someone they forgot:
Over in Brookline, Vermont, this offbeat artist creates the type of eye-popping, innovative American furniture not seen since the early days of Charles and Ray Eames. The pictures here speak way louder than words (the actual furniture raises the decibel level even further; I had the pleasure of laying on the Coin Couch and sitting on the remarkably comfortable Baby Jar Chair in a gallery in Santa Fe), but Swing's truly unique talent is best summarized by writer Michael Persson who said:
"Finding new shapes is like finding new riffs in rock ‘n’ roll. And yet, sitting in a piece of furniture created by Johnny Swing you realize that the song doesn’t always remain the same. Instead, what you are struck with is that new shapes feel as good as they look.
"The self-proclaimed 'junk rat' uses glass jars, coinage and car windshields to make chairs, couches, lounges and things that you can’t quite name. In design, or in Swing’s world of design, this simulation is known as repurposing: taking something that was and making it into something different that is. Such visual cannibalism is a philosophy extrapolated from the artist Marcel Duchamp and the topsy-turvy rationale of pop-aesthete Andy Warhol. For Swing, it’s a balancing act of function versus non-function. The trick is to make opposites attract."
It's a trick he performs brilliantly. This blog doesn't have the clout of Fast Company (well, not yet), but as much as I admire Marcel Wenders, Johnny Swing is Pow!'s cover boy. Check his stuff out:
Very few would argue that the appearance of Sarah Palin on the Republican ticket is the Surprise of the Year...well, so far (who knows what's in store if she and John McCain actually get in). Election years are usually marked by some sort of October Surprise, but the Repubs pulled back the clock by a couple of months with this one, the Pow! that keeps on giving.
That said, what's really interesting is how the whole thing is playing out around the world. On one hand, you have some of Pakistan's rulers drooling and coming on to the VP candidate (keep the Viagra away from the very horny Zardari, shown above, thankfully from the waist up); on the other, this piece from Australia, which likens the whole circus to a new reality show, which it is, but...
Ironically, I came face-to-face--literally--with the Divine Ms. P on Monday in New York, cutting through the skating rink at Rockefeller Plaza on my way to a lunch meeting with saKiya Sandifer. Dressed in red and flanked by two very young CIA men in black, the most recognized woman in America was almost anonymous in the lunchtime crowd.
Dreaming of a fantasy, or nightmare, job? The German employment site jobsintown.de puts you in the picture, literally (via hairstylist smocks)...
And figuratively (via Terry Gilliam-esque fantasy)...
Great examples of the Surprise-generating tactic of Shock and Ahhh...
And big props to faithful FOP Charlie Hoehn for sharing them with us all.
Ah, I love it when I see majestically simple but profound Surprises of inspiration like this...
I don't know if Abbey Island Foods' John Rowe ever read Rich Cohen's brilliant and entertaining "Sweet and Low,"(Cohen's family history about the invention of individually-bagged sugar and artificial sweeteners), but with his Honibe Honey Drop, John may be charting a similar course to the Inventor's Hall of Fame, Sweetener Wing.
A true "why didn't I think of that?" brainchild, the Honey Drop is described as the world's first "100% pure, non-sticky, dried, individual serving of honey," or better yet, "A Honey You Can Hold."
The candy-sized lozenge (also used as both, by the way) eliminates the gooey mess on your fingers, silverware or clothes that's almost inevitable whether you squeeze a plastic bottle, tear open one of these packets, or worst of all, try to spoon a heap into your tea or other hot beverage.
Another great export from Canada's picturesque Prince Edward Island, alongside the potato and Amber MacArthur! And in fine P.E.I. fashion, check out the down home nature of the company's website, where the Rowes invite you to stop on over.
I am flying while I write this. Luckily, I was upgraded on this flight and
am currently being offered snacks and drinks and food and blankets and pillows.
And smiles.
Not so for my friends (and myself most often) back in economy.
Now, I bitch and moan a lot about airlines, but the "cash grab" they have instituted is pervasive throughout the entire travel economy. I just got back from a very fine stay at San Francisco's InterContinental Hotel, where I had to lay out $4.50 for a Clif Bar, $9.00 for a bottle of water (didn't; did the tap instead), $34.95 for three days of Internet and so on. God forbid if I even TOUCHED something in the mini-bar; the sensitivity of it's hair-trigger motion detection system would ring up a charge if I even breathed on an item.
Doesn't that make me feel like a responsible adult...
Compare this to a recent stay at Santa Fe's Inn of The Five Graces.
Granted that the per-night charge was rather elevated, but inside my room was a fully-stocked fridge of iced-tea, Perrier, cheese, chocolate and all sorts of other goodies. Take what you please, please. (Never mind the bowl of salsa and chips upon my arrival, and the cookies before bed every night.)
Instead of nickel-and-diming me, they made me "feel" that all this stuff was free, but more-than-recouped it on my inclusive room charge. I don't know what they pocketed, but it has to be way more than the InterContinental, or the Hilton, or the Marriott, or the Doubletree made off me my last six months as I munched on convenience store-bought energy bars and fluids that I schlepped into my room instead .
The lesson here? Being petty gives people the chance--the RIGHT!--to bitch. Being generous, even if it's a hidden generosity, Surprises people, generates a much more positive flow of words about you...and brightens your bottom line in the process.
This from faithful FOP Mark Waldman:
"14-year-old Jesse Gold is a singer/songwriter who has been posting his songs to
You Tube. 
Recently, another 14-year-old, jazz singer Nikki Yanofsky who is working on a
music video with Wyclef Jean showed him Jesse on You Tube.
Wyclef was so
impressed with Jesse's songwriting and guitar playing that he called Jesse to
invite him to the One x One Charity Concert in Toronto to meet him.
In the
middle of the concert he Surprised Jesse by telling the audience he had spoken
to a young guitar prodigy on the phone a few nights ago and he asked
Jesse to come up on stage and play.
This is the video of his guitar solo at the
concert."
Wyclef had the power to lay down some major Surprise smack, and managed to give a kid--and an audience--a thrill of a lifetime. You have the same power to do the same to a client, a customer, and your audience. You don't have to be Wyclef Jean...you just have to want to do something Pow!
Best example of the power of supreme Surprise marketing in months. Straight from the mouth of the Associated Press:
PITTSBURGH - Sidney Crosby delivered for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Again.
This time, he did it off the ice. Crosby, coach Michel Therrien and eight other players hand carried season tickets to 35 randomly selected Penguins ticket holders on Wednesday.
Crosby, wearing a Penguins
jersey and blue jeans, took tickets to Mount Lebanon resident David
Disney (photo at right), a season ticket holder since the Penguins' inception in 1967,
and Karen and Guy Bradford of the Edgewood section of Pittsburgh.
"It's a pretty unique thing we do," Crosby said. "I think it's nice we do it."
None of the families were told in advance the players were coming.
Joining Crosby in knocking on front doors were Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal, Sergei Gonchar, Brooks Orpik, Maxime Talbot, Tyler Kennedy, Pascal Dupuis and Jeff Taffe.
"This is a tremendous opportunity to say thank you," Penguins president David Morehouse said.
The
Penguins sold out all of their home games for the first time in team
history last season while reaching the Stanley Cup final. They also
expect another full-season sellout this season.
Talk about Pow! moments! Sometimes, it's heartening to think the message we espouse incessantly here at Surprise Central is actually getting through.
Being "renowned" for something is not the same as being "memorable" for something. The latter is way better.
This was the debate that I had with my buddy Mitch Feinman at the San Francisco meal cited in yesterday's post, where we debated the dulling "fine-ness" of our experience.
Let's continue using the aforementioned--and mercifully anonymous--restaurant as our example. An eatery can be "renowned" for its cuisine, its signature dish, its wine list, its clientele, its scene, and so on. That's what gets you through the door. The first time.
"Renowned" establishes your baseline.
It's your oxygen, your lifeline, your constant.
Its what you do on top of that baseline that makes you "memorable." Or not. "Memorable" is the one-time special, the event, the Surprise offer.
It's your nitrous oxide...
...the gaseous mix that makes people giddy and talkative. "Memorable" needs to be renewed. Constantly.
Problem is that most people stop at "renowned." It becomes the laurel that is lazily rested upon.
"Renowned" is what gets you in business. "Memorable" is what keeps you there.
"Renowned" are the reviews that hang on your walls. "Memorable" are the reviews that are spread by your customers.
Here's one way to ensure failure of your business--do nothing wrong.
Last night I had a pleasant meal in a pleasant restaurant in San Francisco's Mission district. There was absolutely nothing wrong with anything. The food was okay, so was the wine, the dessert and the decor. In the parlance of relationships, everything was "fine."
The problem was that nothing was truly "right" either. Nothing stood out. No Pow! moments.
Yuck.
By forcing yourself to do something "right," you will inevitably do something wrong. You'll delight many, and piss some off in the process.
No problem. In fact, a double dose of Surprise opportunity. By going for something really "right," you give people the chance to become raving fans, and give them something to "write home about." And if someone's "right" is your "wrong," at least it gives you the chance to "right" it for them...and convert these people into raving fans.
Nobody raves about beige, or neutrality. No wrongs do not make a "right" either.
Here's the most important lesson I learned in my Collaborative Challenge outreach to you all:
Authors help authors
In this era of social networking, I guess I shouldn't be all that Surprised. While I expected a breadth of ideas (which I indeed received) to help push my upcoming book, the real shock was the depth of them. The profundity of generosity emanating from other authors was staggering. Links, book downloads, leads to media sources, offers to talk together or to talk to groups...astonishing. Starting today and over the next few weeks, as promised, I'll lay down some of these ideas and who they come from.
Equally as important as the ideas themselves were the stories of the people who sent them. For example, Dave Lefkow's lawsuit-seeking concept was:
"Get a big foam boxing glove
(preferably half as big as you)
and go around punching people in the eyes."
Uh...well, don't think so. First of all, half as big as me ain't all that big, and as anyone versed in Newtonian physics knows, any physical action is met with an opposite and equal reaction. It would be tough to promote a book from a hospital bed or jail cell.
But the real find in Dave's idea was Dave himself, or more specifically, his brainchild, Bacon Salt...an invention set to fulfill his "Never Ending Quest to Make Everything Taste Like Bacon," including steaks, croutons, eggs, corn, tomato soup and even ice cream. (That's him and his partner Justin above.)
Bacon Salt's website is a delight, as is the company blog; great product, great idea and great spirit.
But hidden within the site is Bacon Salt's true Pow! You ready for this?
It's certified KOSHER!!
Dave, as great as Bacon Salt is, and I'm sure it is, THIS is the talking point. Kosher Bacon Seasoning is what will generate buzz, heat, chat, attention and controversy. I shouldn't have to happenstancedly stumble upon this as the 4th point in the "Buy It" tab; this should be front and center on every page!
So, with the Jewish Holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur coming up, I think I will try out Bacon Flanken, Bacon Matzah Ball Soup and Bacon-Flavored Brisket on my extended family.
And do so totally guilt-free!
One of the best, and most Surprising, business books of the year comes from a most unlikely source--Kanye West.
As I'm sure you all know by now, I read 'em all, but Kanye's mini-opus entitled "Thank You and You're Welcome" is one of 2008's fave finds, a concise handbook of common sense, common decency and street wisdom.
Like his innovative albums and concerts where he collaborates with other talent for a veritable "one + one = three" equation, Kanye wrote his book with J. Sakiya Sandifer of "Think Think Think and Think Again" fame. In its 50 or so pages, all black with varying styles and colors of neon font, the two offer theories, spout aphorisms and ponder conundrums (conundri?) like:
I wonder...would you rather have 100% from an average person or 10% from someone who is outstanding?
or, the favorite of everyone here at Surprise Central:
Believe in your flyness...conquer your shyness
Best of all, in true Surprise fashion--and in homage to its title--the book was given away as a parting thank you gift to everyone who attended Kanye's concerts this past tour. If you weren't lucky enough to be part of that crew, you can pick up the book by vising Kanye's site or emailing [email protected].
Despite the fact that I vehemently disagree with his front-cover quote ("Guys don't wear orange or citron") and am living proof to the contrary, the Fortune Magazine story on fashion magnate and J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler was notable for all of us here at Surprise Central due to this very astute quote, vindicating our oft-repeated call for a continually expanding the boundaries of delightful extremes:
"Designer goods have become too available,
either through their own distribution
or through logo counterfeiting.
The more you see of anything,
the less special it becomes.
"It's like the first slice of pizza vs. the sixth.
The first you're like 'God, this is amazing!'
The sixth you're like, 'Enough already'."
Think of your business, and where you are on the newly coined "Pizza Scale of Pow!" Are you on that first, piping-hot bubbling slice, or that coagulating, tepid sixth?
During my recent sojourn in Santa Fe, I had breakfast at a superb little patio within the Inn of the Five Graces. On the menu were several mouthwateringly-described items, including the "Southern-Styled Pancakes." Being a lover of all cuisine with Southwestern flair, and having wolfed down my share of pancakes in my day, I asked our sunny waitress what unique attributes "Southern-styled" brings to the common pancake.
Without losing a beat, or her smile, the waitress explained:
"Oh they're just regular pancakes.
They're good, but I can't say they're special.
I guess everything around here has to be
Southern-this or Southwest-that."
I was taken aback and bummed, but almost immediately blog-inspired, 'cuz that's when I got to thinking: In modern marketing, what's more important, the truth, or "the story"?
The waitress went against the grain, and probably against her employer's protocol, with her deflating menu-item explanation. As marketers, we work hard and long to find our "hook," the point-of-difference in our products to help move them out the door. No matter how hard we work, no matter what education and tools we put in place, it's all for naught when the last-mile deliverer contradicts, counteracts and essentially castrates said point-of-difference right before the customer's hungry eyes. Without "the story," we might as well be 1970s Russia--everything in grey, delivered in grim silence by the undead.
So what do we charge her with--insubordination? Grounds for dismissal? Or great customer management?
Had sunny waitress held tight to the restaurant's description (oh, I don't know, by saying "Made with Southwest-bleached flour and cooked in a skillet still reeking from last night's jalapeno pepper shards"), maybe I would've ordered and been subliminally led to taste such a difference in these everyday flapjacks. More likely though, I would've been the one to say "Oh, they're just regular pancakes" instead of her.
And then it's a lose-lose.
To this marketer, namely me, there's a fine line between "the truth" and "the whole truth." Sometimes, the whole truth IS the story, but most often than not, the story dances on the fine line between the two.
So I guess, in answering my own question, the truth is more important than the story...if the story has no connection to the truth. If, as Seth Godin put in in yet another one of his bestsellers, "All Marketers Are Liars," we have to avoid being called on one at all costs. If your product or service doesn't have a story, don't make one up. Instead, make a difference in your product or service so that it can have one.
By the way, the result of the saga: after her pooh-poohing of the pancakes, the waitress pulled my attention to something she said was truly remarkable and Southwestern--the chili-topped breakfast burrito, which she described as "heavy on the eye and nose, but light on the tummy."
She was right.
End of story!
Two mentions over the holiday weekend filled the Blackberry with email and kept the servers humming.
One saw Pow! cited by the omnipotent Mitch Joel as one of his "Five Blogs That Move The Needle" (and as complimentary as that was, even more so was seeing the other four I was grouped with). Click here to check out the entire post...and the other four.
The other was 12 years in the making, but a truly great Surprise. In 1996, when I was still CEO of the Just For Laughs Festival, I invited cartoonist Lynn Johnston to the event. We had great success with animators like Chuck Jones, Joseph Barbera (the second half of Hanna-Barbera) and Jay Ward (of Rocky & Bullwinkle fame), and since her comic strip "For Better or For Worse" was the most popular in North America, we figured she'd be a natural progression for our up-close-and-personal talk/Q&A sessions at the Gesu Theater.
Well, we were right. Crowds jammed the place in droves, and bestowed upon the quite flabbergasted Ms. Johnston with the type of treatment usually reserved for our mega-star Gala hosts of the era, like David Schwimmer, John Candy, Lily Tomlin or Kelsey Grammer.
Given the fact that I was producing a Showtime TV show for the event the night of her performances, I missed seeing her live, but couldn't miss her radiant aura when we met at the Delta Hotel later that evening. In appreciation for her Festival experience, she gave me a signed original strip, which hangs above the desk where I compose most Pow! posts.
But that's not all. It appears that Lynn's appreciation lasts long, as I witnessed on Sunday, with the panel at right...part of her "Farewell" wrap-up strip, which you can see in its entirety here.
Alright my loyal FOPs* and FOPETTEs*, Labor Day may be over, but it's time to put you guys to work.
To be more specific, you guys who want to embark on a mission with me and work together to do something unique, special, wild, great...and greatly appreciated.
As you know by now (perhaps ad nauseam), Pow! The Book is coming out in exactly six months. And given the nature of said book--exploiting the element of Surprise in marketing--it requires some mighty Surprising marketing tactics to help exploit it. In other words, I don't think the perfunctory websites and press releases are going to do the trick.
I've come up with a few such tactics myself, but given the collaborative nature of Web 2.5, given your passion and intelligence, given that I am a firm believer in "The Wisdom of Crowds," I realize that I could do a whole lot better working with you than working at you.
So here's the deal--with your interest (and most likely your career) in marketing, what I'm looking for are those ideas that you always wanted to do, but for some reason couldn't and didn't. Maybe they'd be right for the Pow! book.
I am looking for you, if you are amongst the frustrated, the beaten down, the downtrodden, the "stuck inside the box" and those whose envelopes are constantly being pulled instead of pushed.
My book is looking to embrace, and put into play, your way-way-way out-there ideas for it; the type your employer was always too conservative to go with you on, the type that you may have been afraid to bring up, the type that nobody in their right mind would ever even contemplate. As you should know by now, I am in my left mind.
Here's the plan: We've got a book to market. There's a small budgetary wallet to fund some of the outlandish things you may come up with, but not a whole lot (think like a guerilla, not the Pentagon, please). If you'd be so kind, and so bold to help out, drop me a quick email outlining your Pow! marketing idea at [email protected]
Over the next three months, I'll post your most do-able and/or the most
daring, and hear out the rest of us on them. Then, once the devil's
advocates have made their case, and the hole-pokers have finished
jabbing, we'll put some on them into play...
...and wait for the ensuing explosion!
By the way, what do you get for helping? Good question. I'll have some free copies of Pow! The Book
and some other cool merch that I am busy gathering. But let's face it,
if either one of us would be doing this for the money, we'd be doing
something else. I can offer you BLARING CREDIT,
eternal gratitude, and the respect of your peers. And maybe a case
study that will convince your boss and/or clients to do your next "We Can't Do That!" idea.
So ladies and gents, break open that lock-box. Comb through the slushpile. Bang your head against the wall. I need ya! The Pow! Book needs ya! And I can't wait to work with you!
*For the uninitiated, a FOP is a Friend Of Pow, and a FOPETTE is a member of the FOP Youth Wing.
