“What is the difference between unethical and ethical advertising? Unethical advertising uses falsehoods to deceive the public; ethical advertising uses truth to deceive the public.” – Vilhjalmur Stefansson, Born, Nov. 3 1879. The first thing that we need to get out of the way to have this discussion today is the mistaken notion that “deception”
“Ethical” Advertising Is Still Deception? (Yes, And That’s Okay.) Read More »
“It is a sign that your reputation is small and sinking, if your own tongue must praise you.” – Matthew Hale, Born Nov.1, 1609. The guy I am quoting above is sort of right, but also sort of wrong. Right when it comes to the details, but open to misinterpretation when it comes to the
Toot Your Own Horn, But Play Other People’s Songs Read More »
“BLT Prime at Trump National Doral is essential after a long day on the golf course. The popover bread alone is enough to keep me coming back!” – Ivanka Trump, Born Oct. 30, 1981. How to make money: sell your shit. Sell it. No, shut up. Sell it. Don’t have something to sell? Find or
Sell Your Soul (Or At Least Sell *With* Soul)… Read More »
“Think and grow rich.” – Napoleon Hill, Born Oct. 26, 1883. This guy? Huge phony. A scammer and a liar. It’s true. If I’m the first guy to tell you, I’m sorry. He’s real popular in bizopp self-help entrepreneur-bro circles. Some people swear by his written wisdom, and some successful people at that! So Hill
The Guru Game, Stripped Bare For Your Enjoyment Read More »
“Art is the elimination of the unnecessary.” – Pablo Picasso, Born Oct. 25, 1881. We can all use a little more of Pablo’s kind of art in our lives and businesses. Are you getting bogged down on a project because of how you imagine it has to be? Look at it. Break it into a
Distill Your Offer Down To Its Essence (By Boiling Away The Unnecessary) Read More »
“I always aspire to that, where it feels like the film was made by the characters as opposed to the filmmakers. I try to be invisible.” – Spike Jonze, Born Oct. 22, 1969. When you create marketing messages for clients, it should be this way, too. You’re creating a message from the client to their
“It’s taken me all my life to learn what not to play.” – John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, Born Oct. 21, 1917. In persuasion, saying too much is a mistake. You need to say exactly enough, and no more. You want the mark’s memory and imagination and desire to do all the heavy lifting. Because their
Salesmen Know What Copywriters Don’t: When to Shut Up Read More »
“People just need to be confident in their own skin and be proud of themselves.” – Bristol Palin, Born Oct. 18, 1990. Yeah. That’s right. Malign the source if you must. But wisdom is found in the interpretation… And the fact is, this is every single person that buys any old thing, hoping that thing
The True Face Beneath Every Person’s Public Mask Read More »
“Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace.” – Eugene O’Neill, Born Oct. 16, 1888. This quote can give you a lot of insight into the consumer mindset. Let’s break it down. 1. Obsessed. That’s how people feel about the need to acquire
“I just sit at a typewriter and curse a bit.” – P. G. Wodehouse, Born Oct. 15, 1881. Oh, Pelly-boy, that may have cut the mustard back in your time, but these days you have to be a complete artist. Cursing is when you wish ill upon your enemies. As in, I pray to White
An Education in Bad Language for the Beginning Potty-Mouth Read More »
