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January 2014
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July 2014

February 2014

Mundane or Epic

 

Epic content is rare

You know it when you see it

It stands out from the drone of the average

And it doesn't waste our time

Epic content surprises, delights, transports us

It provides a reward for the time and attention we provide

And it is worthy of being shared, discussed and revisited

The Howard Stern interview this morning with Donovan was epic

Beautiful the Musical is epic

Bugaboo stroller day trip maps that show you where to stroll in major cities are epic

Epic stands out

It drives organic search results

And it makes a real difference when differentiating brands in a world that produces an abundance of the mundane

 


T-Mobile Guts And Glory

When you are the #3 brand in a category  you aren't even in the game.

Brands never change places and for good reason. You don't matter.

Consumers ignore your advertising with the usual "we cost less" and our "features are better" messages. 

The game is over, might as well sell the company like P&G did to all of their #3 brands, unless......

You go nuclear.

You blow up the category.

With a solution to a real consumer problem.

T-Mobile has gone nuclear and CEO John Legere pushed the button.

They solved the biggest problem in the category, the complexity of switching to another carrier.

Instead of making the switch a consumer headache, they took it on.

They became the "uncarrier."

They are eliminating confusion around fees for International Data.

"Redefining a stupid broken arrogant industry"
"Upgrading when you want"

And the big idea "refunding every switching fee"

Screen Shot 2014-02-08 at 12.10.47 PM

Amazing how simple advertising becomes when you actually say something.

And how persuasive it is when you solve an industry problem.

Screen Shot 2014-02-08 at 12.09.59 PM

It's Nuclear Advertising.

And it works.

I just bought 100 shares of T-Mobile stock.

Can't wait to watch the stock rise and the category leaders fall.

PS: Peter Deluca, SVP Brand & Advertising at T-Mobile - if this is your work, awesome job.

 

 

 


Sometimes You Need A Rotation

Disheartened at work?

Being asked to produce results with declining budgets and little support?

Is success evasive and hard to define?

Intensity that used to get you out of bed in the morning now keeping you from rising early?

Maybe you just need a rotation off the front lines of marketing for a while.

Time to refocus and learn new channels and techniques.

Time to get back to experimentation and away from bosses that fail to articulate what success looks like.

To quote the army, time for "training and readiness" to improve so that you are ready for the next challenge in order to meet the "requirements of future missions."

Everyone needs time to reflect, take stock, and refocus.

Careers evolve. What happens going forwad is unpredictable. But with each day comes new discoveries and opportunities. All you need is the time off the front to find them.