How do you market your great grandfather’s ratty old cardigan?

Call it a “Boyfriend Sweater” and watch the tweeniboppers line up.

In 2004, American Express wanted to make a point (maybe two). If you buy with them, you’re insured against damage, theft etc. Was it worth the zillions I’m sure they paid Seinfeld (not to mention the special effects guys) to make that point? And what’s with the “A uniform used to be worth something?” bit when they don’t even do the classic Carl-Malden-flash-the-American-Express-card-to-show-who-he-is thing? Just confuses the issue, doesn’t it? Directed by Barry Levinson (who did Rainman, Risky Business, Tootsie…) What do you think? Love to hear from Seinfeld marketing expert, Bill Gammell on this one…

Here’s another one hucking American Express Roadside Assistance. Love the dramatic cowboy music but not sure they needed 12 times the normal 30 seconds to make that point…

It did get them on The Today Show with Matt Lauer.
Superman & Jerry Seinfeld on The Today Show

David | MySpace Video
Amazing what a little (a lot) of money can do…
Tsufit

So, I’m finishing up Kenneth Roman’s The King of Madison Avenue while starting Accidental Branding by David Vinjamuri. The later book reminds me of my intention to get on the mailing list for the J. Peterman catalog, something every marketer and copywriter should do. So I pop over to the website and find the following copy selling a 50’s style summer sundress, The Chelsea Floral Sundress:

“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are chirping, and an appointment with your dentist, who had scheduled extensive but probably unnecessary work, has been cancelled.”

Reminds me of Ogilvy’s famous copy for the Hathaway Shirt in the 50’s which should also be studied. These guys know how to tell a story. And marketing is all about the story. What’s your story?
Tsufit
PS Yes, J Peterman, portrayed by an actor on Seinfeld, is a real guy and there really is a Peterman catelog that’s every bit as delicious as the one on the show.

On page 18-19 of Step Into The Spotlight!, I tell the story of how a client had recommended a book to me (Blink by Malcolm Gladwell), I hadn’t heard her and I ended up finding it myself and recommending it to her. Kinda happened again today.

Out of the blue, I called a blogger to thank him for plugging my book on his blog. We get to talking. Turns out he’s an interesting guy. So this guy, Paul Nazareth, asks me if I’ve heard of this guy, Terry O’Reilly. I say no. So he promises to send me links to this great CBC radio show and says, he knows I’ll love it ’cause it’s all about persuasion. I tell Paul about 3-4 books I’m currently reading (Richistan (a behind the scenes peek at what it’s like to be rich– made me feel better. Doesn’t look like the rest of us are missing all that much) and The King of Madison Avenue — a biography of David Ogilvy recommended by Dan Kennedy in his fabulous book, No BS Marketing to the Affluent) and I’m about to tell him about the next book in line on my nightstand, when I notice that the author of the book is “Terry O’Reilly”. We laugh about that and after I get off the call, I notice the hand written scribble I’ve made says “The Age of Persuasion”, the book he recommended to me, the very book on my nightstand. Ironically, I discovered the Age of Persuasion just by seeing it on the same bookshelf as Richistan and The King of Madison Avenue and took a chance on bringing it home. A day later and I’m having this conversation with Paul. i

I’ve said it before. Most entrepreneurs don’t know what they’re really selling. This chick does.

Instead of hitting us over the head with all the reasons we should join her website creation workshop, she focuses on one, the freedom and lifestyle (is that two?) we can enjoy if we have an internet business, which all starts, we are told, with a website. Notice how the music builds, the background voice tells us “Anything is possible when you believe.” What would otherwise seem hokey becomes masterful ’cause it makes her point brilliantly. It’s a Monday, she has no boss to report to and she gets to be a ham at Sea World with her kid, while promoting her business. Where do I sign?

Just announced. Ellen Degeneres is leaving American Idol. This is the right move for her for countless reasons and there are lessons here for any entrepreneur.

It’s not because she’s not in the music biz. It’s not because she didn’t like saying hurtful things to contestants or because of her heavy work schedule although I’m sure those are true also. The real problem is that the show dwarfs her. As a comedienne, she had the stage to herself. As a talk show host, it’s her show done her way on her stage. She can mold it to suit her style, low key, sweet and quirky. Simon’s presence on American Idol was so big, it dwarfed Ellen. Paul Abdul managed on that show and had a cute little back and forth thing with Simon which Kara appeared to mimic. But Ellen’s presence was bland, completely watered down, diluted, something a performer or entrepreneur must never let happen. She rarely displayed the wonderful sense of humor that got her famous the first place.

It’s challenging to be a star on a panel. The only time it works is when each panel member, each co-star, has his or her own distinct personality and stays in character the whole time. And while Ellen does have a distinct personality when showcased to accentuate her talents, on Idol, she became just a regular Joe. Just another accountant…

It’s important as a star, as an entrepreneur to create the ideal platform to showcase your particular talents, your particular style. Simon Cowell has been the star of American Idol since day one and continued to be the star till the day he said goodbye. Simon did share with Oprah (and a few zillion other people), that even though Simon’s exit had bee planned a long time ago, no one bothered to share this with Ellen who found out only after it had been publicly announced that she was joining the panel. But that’s not the real issue.

Ellen, if you had given me a call before signing on in the first place, I woulda told you to pass on Idol. You were, you are, already a big star. You don’t need it. It couldn’t have made you bigger, only smaller. And that’s what it might have done if you have stayed on. Good call on bowing out while the bowing out is good.

A big part of standing out is knowing what to say “no” to. A sculpture is made by taking away everything that doesn’t create the image. So too for entrepreneurs who want be stars.

NEWS BULLETIN: This Just In: The Toronto Sun and US Magazine report (just an hour ago) that Kara DioGuardi has been fired from American Idol and that Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez just might round out the panel with Randy Jackson.

I don’t watch The View. Some of us work during the day–writing silly little blog posts etc. But I was a little disappointed that I missed Obama, the first reigning (sitting?) American President in history to be interviewed on a TV talk show, disappointed until I saw this clip. Doesn’t look like I missed much. The presidential election debates were a lot more exciting.
The man does know how to work the crowd though. Great answers to Elizabeth Hassel’em’s questions. He’s smoother than Cary Grant, more poised than Sidney Poiter. I’m sure that doesn’t hurt in the International Diplomacy Dept.

More interesting to me was Obama’s confession that a 20 year old does the president’s tweeting for him! We appreciate your transparency Barack but isn’t the point of tweeting to cut through all the layers of hype? Obama has JayZ on his ipod but not Justin Beeber. Just the stuff one needs to know about the President. I must admit, it is kinda cool that he sounds like a real guy.

So exciting to get unexpected lumpy mail. Today’s haul included 3 marketing books (one of the benefits of being a blogger–Thanks Todd And for dragging me to blogging…and thanks to Wiley & Entrepreneur Press).

The one I opened first (while waiting outside the donut shop for my kid finishing her shift) was David Meerman Scott’s latest, Marketing Lessons From The Grateful Dead. I loved Bill Gammell’s Seinfeld on Marketing, I loved writing Step Into The Spotlight! ‘Cause ALL Business is Show Business! (what’s not to love?) and I’ve very excited to read David’s latest book (a collaboration with Brian Halligan of Hubspot) ’cause it reinforces what I’ve been preaching for years, there’s SO much that business can learn from show business.

The Grateful Dead were one of the few (only?) bands that not only allowed audience members to record their concerts, but they even encouraged it by setting up specific areas so the fans (who would at other concerts be ejected from the stadium) would have room for their recording equipment. It’s a lot easier to share stuff without the friction of charging (as Seth Godin would describe it) for the recordings.

Brilliant of David and Brian to piggyback on a phenomenon, a band that has had raving fans/evangelists since 1965, Deadheads who will buy anything with the words Grateful Dead on the cover. Built in audience before they even scratch the surface of the business market.

Off to read more…
Tsufit

A client asked suggested I see a movie, Love Happens, with Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart about a self-help guru who wasn’t walking the talk. (Lame movie. Don’t waste your time.) It appeared to be a thinly veiled parody of Tony Robbins even down to the walking on hot coals bit. And yet, the guru formerly known as Anthony J. Mahavorick appears to be the real deal. Despite chat forums discussing whether he’s a hypocrite ’cause he’s now with Sage instead of former wife Becky, the guy has a sense of humor and even parodied himself in Shallow Hal. But how will he fare on the little screen all by himself? Preview below. Will you be watching?

So I’m watching last comic standing tonight. Nobody is all that funny. What ever happened to Paul Foot? But I did notice something. That it’s more important to have an interesting colorful persona than to have “good jokes”. Several of the comedians were funny on paper. One even got the compliment that if the show were called Last Comedy Writer Standing, he’d win. But that’s not what it’s called and it’s about more than good jokes. It’s about integrating them into an intriguing or colorful persona. So far, two of the comics have done that. Mike DeStefano, the thug with a heart o’ gold. Charlie Brown meets the Absent Minded Professor, Jonathan Thymius.
But still no Paul Foot.
Roy Wood Jr. has fabulous clever material but I have no sense of who he is or why I should care. It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out. Entrepreneurs should take note. An intriguing colorful persona or brand will take you a long way…