Top 25: Technoratified

With a nice mix of boredom, writer's block and curiosity, I figured now is as good of a time as ever to technoratify Mack Collier's iconic Top 25 Marketing blogs.

So, here it is, the Top 25, shuffled to reflect rankings through the technorati lens...

1. Seth's Blog - #35 (14265 links from 5716 blogs) VG - 1
2. Creating Passionate Users - #115 (7439 links from 3067 blogs) VG - 4
3. Gaping Void - #121 (9141 links from 2935 blogs) VG - 2
4. Church of the Customer - #1566 (2009 links from 910 blogs) VG - 9
5. HorsePigCow - #1684 (2516 links from 872 blogs) VG - 8
6. Coolz0r - #2569 (1832 links from 666 blogs)  (Is Coolz0r evil?) VG - 6
7. Brand Autopsy - #2994 (1414 links from 591 blogs)
8. What's Next - #3054 (1440 links from 587 blogs) VG - 11
9. Duct Tape Marketing - #3479 (1051 links from 533 blogs) VG - 3
10. Jaffe Juice - #4599 (1434 links from 441 blogs) VG - 16
11. Marketing Shift - #5174 (901 links from 404 blogs) VG - 5
12. Diva Marketing - #5680 (1699 links from 374 blogs) VG - 18
13. What's Your Brand Mantra? - #8379 (632 links from 274 blogs) VG - UR
14. Logic + Emotion - #8678 (843 links from 266 blogs) VG - 14
15. Viral Garden - #9055 (907 links from 257 blogs) - VG - 10
16. MP Daily Fix - #9476 (619 links from 248 blogs) VG - 7
17. Experience Curve - #10816 (497 links from 220 blogs) VG - 17
18. Marketallica - #11775 (398 links from 203 blogs) VG - 20
19. ProHipHop - #13136 (1430 links from 184 blogs) VG - 21
20. Beyond Madison Avenue - #13527 (461 links from 129 blogs) VG - 22
21. Emergence Marketing - #14520 (348 links from 168 blogs) VG - 13
22. Movie Marketing Madness - #14725 (820 links from 166 blogs) VG - 24
23. Brains on Fire - #23515 (478 links from 109 blogs) VG - 23
24. Marketing Nirvana - #34204 (200 links from 77 blogs) VG - 19
25. Studio UES - #82144 (93 links from 34 blogs) VG - 25

Obviously, there is one glaring omission with the New School of Network Marketing not showing up on the technorati list. For whatever reason, it wasn't giving her a rank, so I couldn't really put it here.  Hopefully next time, if there is a next time, that will be fixed.

The biggest change of all comes from What's Your Brand Mantra? After dropping out of the Top 25 in Alexa, it still retains the #11 ranking here.  The jumps for both Creating Passionate Users and Church of the Customer were especially interesting, as well, with CPU winning the salutatory position, and CotC six spots higher.

Well, there you go. Mack, I hope you enjoyed this one especially. 

Honest Marketing? I call bullshit.

Business Week had a hilariously depressing story (subscription) about Safeway's marketing strategy, which is basically, don't roll out some multi-million dollar campaign until you can be what you say you  are.

"To escape, Safeway had to pull off a challenging feat. While continuing to offer popular food brands at low prices, it had to add higher-quality fare and transform its sterile aisles into a more stylish environment. Most important, consumers had to believe the change was for real, not just window-dressing. That's a tall order for an 80-year-old retailer whose customers associate it with fluorescent lighting and Oreos. So the company used what management gurus call authentic marketing: the art of telling consumers a story they want to believe, then delivering the products and experience that make the story real."

That's right people, honest marketing across all touchpoints has been anointed with a new moniker from the management guru's over at Safeway, "Authentic Marketing."

I kind of chuckled through the article because it just seems so ridiculous.  This is news?  Don't make your advertising bullshit, and expect your dumbass customers to be blindly led down the primrose path?

The thing is, THIS IS NEWS!  It's just another indication of the fact that advertising DOESN'T WORK in a black hole.  No matter how many dollars you have to spend, there is no long term benefit in throwing advertising dollars at a problem that has nothing to do with advertising.

It's possible for bad advertising to fuck up a great product, but it's not possible for great advertising to save crap.  Trust me.  Box up some crap, and try to sell it.  If you're not as chic as this guy, then it won't sell.

It also says a lot about our industry when we actually have to segment a part of our work as authentic, like it's some new, emerging skill set.  Clearly, we have some work to do in transforming our image, and that starts with all of us designating everything we do under the heading of "Authentic Marketing."

Smile, Smile...The House is on Fire

We all have fires to put out.  Most of us have a fire on our desk every twenty minutes.

There's always something freshly burning, needing attention now.  But if you let the fires win, you lose.  The fires just serve as a distraction, and half the time, they're not really fires at all.  If you start losing sales, it's easy to freak out, call it a fire, and start throwing buckets of water on it.

But, what if you just let it burn?  Just let it burn through your desk, your computer, the whole damn building.  What then?

We put out these fires because that's what we're wired to do, whether it's right or wrong.  The hard thing to do is to let it sear, singe and smoke, and then rebuild, fresh from nothing. 

So, here's my suggestion.  The next time a fire starts burning, pull out a bottle of Jack, pour a drink, and enjoy the nullification of the old guard, the unwillingness to change, the voodoo metrics, the shouting and consumer torture.  Smile for your good times, the Cannes awards, the old battles and be proud of the work that's been done.

But know what's true now.  The customer has always been smarter than they were given credit for, but now they have the tools to prove it.  Let it burn, and celebrate with them, because you are them.

photo by trishalicious via flickr

Me X Time = MeTime

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/99392 w=400&h=300]

everyday on Vimeo

Noah Kalina took a picture of himself every day for 6 years.  2356 consecutive days of changes in styles,  apartments, tastes...  Six years of maturation, refining of thoughts and attitudes.

At an average of 3000 advertising messages he likely received per day, that's over 7,000,000 different ads Noah combated throughout this time.  With all the changes in such a short period of time, did he ever jump demographic groups?  How many of these marketers treated him any differently in 2000 than they did in 2006.  The answer is probably very few.  Most just saw an 18-29 year white male.

This is a visual representation of the fact that it's time we stop treating human beings as numbers, or just parts of a whole.  It's ridiculous to assume that a single person is roughly the same at 28 as 22, it's even more insane to aggregate that across multiple people. 

It's important that we recognize individualistic differences across not just the greater marketplace, but especially among our own customers.  How many of those companies shouting the 7 million messages actually took the time to understand Noah, and build a product or series of experiences that grew with him, and appreciated his developing wants?  Again, probably not very many.

Is it easy to approach Noah as Noah, and identify his particular needs? No, it's not.  And it probably never will be, but that doesn't mean we should just give up and identify him like the first line on his personal ad. 

26, SWM...How much of the story does that tell, really?

Trust them and They Will Trust You

We all want to be fulfilled, and we love to surround ourselves with things that make us feel whole.  So, why do we, as marketers strive to steal time, rather than supply our fellow humans with the things that make us human.

Today, we are safe and boring, but fragmentation will make tomorrow blossom.

Today, we treat consumers as solitary, homogenized masses.

Tomorrow, we will let them be as they are; lovers, conversators, teachers, learners, discussers, developers, growers, neighbors, communicators, entertainers, and on and on.  Consumers are social beings, and soon, they will be treated as such.

Today, consumers are not only not allowed to be smart, but despised and degraded for this "affliction."

Tomorrow, we will empower and inspire.  We will encourage curiosity and exploration.

Today, we make bland and unappealing products, messages, and touchpoints because it's easier, faster, and safe.

Tomorrow, we will be interesting and surprising.  We will demand experiences that empower their sensibilities and appreciation for beauty.

 

Today, we treat the marketplace like a series of numbers, of potential sales, not potential partners.

Tomorrow, we will show how each customer adds to our ideal.  We will destroy the fallacies of reach and frequency, and praise one on one conversations and the establishment of trust.

This post is obviously somewhat in reverence to Chartreuse, but that's alright, I think. It's time we start not just working for the clients we represent, but understanding our delicate relationship with the larger marketplace, and realizing that our jobs cannot be controlled by short term gains at all cost, but should be enhanced by relationships built on the trust that we've earned and inspired.

It's the Links I Love, My Friend

Brand Aura - Pink Air
Jeffre discusses the advantage commercial brands have in creating an aura.  The blog is all about the art of interesting, and chocked full of great reads.

Influence Ripples 2.0 - Logic + Emotion
DA's been on a quest to graphically describe influence in the blogosphere, and along the way has gotten a bunch of help from a few of his blogger friends.  It's been just as interesting watching the evolution of the idea as it is seeing the final product. Check it out (1, 2, 3).  Be sure to read the comments. (See the visual)

Better Advice For Young Planners - Adliterate
Here's a great thought starter for any planner, not just the young ones,  My favorite:

2)Try to be interesting first and right second
I think planners spend too much time trying to be right – to come up with the right answer regardless of whether it is interesting to them, the creative team or the consumer. I think it’s a much better plan to try and find the most interesting thing you could possibly say about the brand or category and then work out whether it is right or could be made right with a little tinkering. Markets are conversations and so brands need something to say that people find interesting. Above all fight cliché in any form.

An Open Letter To Those Born After 1982 (Or The One Thing Your Parents Got Right) - Chartreuse Beta
This is pure poetry in blog form, my friends.  Chartreuse has a certain rhythm to his writing that sort of mesmerizes you into shaking your head.  Plus, his visuals always amplify his words, which is an artform in itself.

Branding Redux - 3 New Rules - Marketing Nirvana
Mario expands on three new rules of branding.  My favorite example was the Junior Bush, using polarization of the country to further his brand.  Increasing his haters also, conversely, solidified his flock, so, you know, he's got that going for him, I guess.  Seriously, Mario's always got great insights, check it.

Voice-In: Give a Girl 5 Minutes and 2 Cents - CK's Blog
Blogging Beauty Christina Kerley offers up a great question, and, as often happens when you ask the right questions, she gets great responses.  Be sure to hit the comment section and enjoy the many reasons why we blog.

Your Sand is Shit

You can't take incremental steps and expect an exponential result.
-Joseph Jaffe

I've been listening to the Jaffe since around episode 15, and reading his blog for years, which of course, in blog time, is just a few months.  But this statement struck a chord with me more than anything else he's said.  It's the thing I whisper to myself any time I feel like taking the easy way out, or just taking a break. It so simply and powerfully explains the difference between winning and losing.

Which brings me to my point.  So often the easy way out is to just do the things that have already been done, to play in someone else's sandbox, and by someone else's rules, when the thing you should have been doing all along is playing a different game. 

So, thanks, Joe. You're keeping my head straight at the times when the safe move is easy, and I appreciate that more than you can know.

(The quote is from American Copywriter #41 - which is one of my favorite single podcasts of all time.  Go listen.  If you don't, four angels will cry.)

photo from katmere via flickr.

It's the Links I Love, My Friend

Lost Remote - Where TV Finds the Future
Brand recall for advertisers supporting ABC's video streaming: 87%.  You had me at hello, ABC (except for the whole broadcasting company thing).

3 Rules for Managing Viral Marketing: What Every CMO Needs to Know - Karl Long (Experience Curve/MP Daily Fix)
Lately, I can't go two blogs without seeing Karl's ideas popping up.  Here, he crystallizes differences in running a traditional marketing campaign and viral marketing initiatives.  While traditional marketing has been all about the big idea, now it's turning to a series of small ideas that may turn into bigger ideas. 

One Size Fits None - Advertising Ourselves to Death
Theater owners and movie makers alike better sit down for this...Only 9% of people ages 21-24 would travel to a theater to see a movie rather than watching at home.  That's an industry in some serious trouble.  How about they try not charging 6 bucks for a box of junior mints?  Or, how about they try to make the theater experience, uhh, not shitty?  Nahh, that's just stupid.

"Customer Service" is Officially an Oxymoron - Beyond Madison Avenue
All you can do is shake your head at this story.  Cingular/AT&T is willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to getting new customers, but not just a little time and flexibility to keep Danny, a customer of four years.  What a bunch of friggin' morons...

Do you have an Outbound Marketing Department? - Marketing.fm
Eric talks about the stories you tell by each piece of communication that goes outside your office.  What does a sloppy email or a shitty secretary say about your company?  These small, easily glossed over things can seem so trivial, but go a long way to define what type of company you are.

The Fix is In 6: Commoditization Across Agencies

(5) Commoditization Across Agencies
With hundreds of agencies in the advertising landscape, you must, at some point, ask yourself, why the hell would a company choose you, and not just go for the lowest bidder?

That’s a damn good question considering most agencies say and do the same thing. If you don’t believe me, go to their websites, and read their mindless dribble. It’s all the same, rhetorically, and philosophically. Essentially, they all will say that they’ll make the best use of your dollars, and get to the right people in the fragmented media environment. The only difference from website to website is, essentially, the background color.

The fix:

Stand up and be heard. Obviously, there is and will always be some level of cross-over of capability. That’s to be expected, especially today, when competitive advantage is fleeting. So, winning means enticing the mind. We make connections by joining teams and choosing sides. Stop putting a foot in everybody’s camp, because then, none of them trust you.

Take a stand for what you believe in. Set boundaries. Be firm. What are the lines that you are not willing to cross for a dollar, for a million dollars, for any dollars?

As a side note, if you read Richard Edelman, you’ll see this idea in action with this post. He openly talks about having a fundraiser with Ned Lamont, and tied Ned’s campaign principles into his own. I wonder how Walmart, an Edelman client, felt about that affiliation.

Edelman wasn’t afraid to define himself, because that’s who he is. He didn’t try to be a Republicrat, just to blandly please everyone he works with or may work with some time in the future. Relationships are based not just on sameness and agreement, but also in disagreements, acceptance and trust. And it sure is easier to trust someone who isn’t afraid of their own opinions.

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It's the Links I Love, My Friend

Social Media: Who's Hot, Who's Not - The Viral Garden
Mack takes a look at the rankings of the top Social Media sites.  YouTube continues to kickarse. I hope they keep hanging on, but some other smaller sites have a more sustainable model. How will they make money?  That's the billion dollar question.

Blog Traffic #2: Excuse Me, Who Are You? - Okdork.com
Noah makes a case for finding a narrow, but engaging topic for your blog.  I listened and started a puppy dentistry blog.  It didn't work.

Blog Interview with Jeremiah Owyang - Marketing Nirvana
Part 1
Part 2
Mario and Jeremiah delve into the wonderful world of corporate blogging, and trust me, we're all better for it.

Why the Agency.com YouTube Pitch Ruled - Experience Curve
I've been squarely in Karl's corner throughout this whole agency.com fiasco.  I see it like this, on a scale of 1 to 10, they get 10 points for having some big ol' balls, and a 5 for execution, which gives them an average of 7.5.  Not too bad.  (5 comes from 1 pt for going viral and 4 pts for whenweroll blog).

On being human... - CK's Blog
CK makes the case for the humanization of Apple in their newest ad campaign.  Really, I would consider myself not a fan of the new campaign, but the point of the post couldn't be more spot on.  Sometimes products are treated as if they are just the things we own, when really, they are the things that define who we are. They're an extension of our own personalities, desires and needs, and should be marketed/treated as such.

Get it while the gettin's good!