Author Matt Taibbi refers to the Tea Party as "15 million pissed-off white people prone to the cynical rhetoric that deregulation is a prudent response to the crisis and recession." I call it masterful marketing that needs opposition.
If it appears that this week's blog is a little sluggish, slightly more obtuse, and at times even lumbering, please forgive me. For days I have engulfed our gross national product, gorged on America's finest processed offerings and became dizzy on caloric confections that had my arteries looking to tag-out. It's completely my fault. Well not completely my fault, mostly its Sarah Palin's. That's right! The de facto leader of the Tea Party movement is the cause of my recent bought of fat back and I want retribution.
From a marketing perspective, it's often easier to sell evil over good, temptation over resistance. These messages appeal more to right brain's emotional thought and usually the visuals are more compelling and flashy.
Today, companies and sectors that need the most marketing expertise are being trumped by the opposition. Health care, education, and capital reform are just three prime examples. However, a scam of epic and almost breathtaking beauty lies with Mrs. Palin's latest skewed diatribe against government involvement in the limiting of sugar served in public schools and the introduction of more fruits and vegetables.
In spite of the fact our children are the most sedentary and obese in history, or the fact that diseases that were non-existent in children ten years ago are now prevalent, she has chosen to make this her latest political agenda against big government, AND currently her marketing is better than the opposition.
Sure, some of the largest donors to her party are the Salt Institute, The Sugar Association, National Confectionery Association and American Beverage Association, but I'm sure that has no barring on her stance.
Department of Health and Human Services and U.S Department of Agriculture - WAKE UP! She's kicking your ass and if you don't start to get your message across in a more visceral way than saying, "eat this, it's good for you," we are doomed to a world were gestational diabetes will be more common than a healthy birth. For now, I will join a gym.
Gregory Salsburg
CEO/The Big STIR
STIR-Communications
Miami | New York | London
c: (561) 386-8064
o: (305) 407-1723
e: Greg@STIR-Communications.com
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thanksgiving
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. No other occasion directs us to be selfless, to give, to think of others and their impact on us in our lives. I have so much to be thankful for, I feel undeserving of my abundance. I wish businesses would operate in a Thanksgiving mindset year round.
This weekend I heard a touching story about a young boy connecting to his grandmother who is suffering from memory loss. The boy's caring actions moved me in such a profound way, it switched my evening's focus and left me proud to know his parents.
It also made me think about passing the Rubicon in life when we so insidiously start to think of our elders as feeble and unaware of current society rather than embracing, learning and giving thanks to them from the life they lead and the opportunities they provided us.
This is a short work week so I will match it with short prose. Thank you all for making this blog grow, for taking the time to read it weekly, send to others and often reach out to me directly. I am very thankful for all of you in my life.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Greg
Gregory Salsburg
CEO/The Big STIR
STIR-Communications
Miami | New York | London
c: (561) 386-8064
o: (305) 407-1723
e: Greg@STIR-Communications.com
This weekend I heard a touching story about a young boy connecting to his grandmother who is suffering from memory loss. The boy's caring actions moved me in such a profound way, it switched my evening's focus and left me proud to know his parents.
It also made me think about passing the Rubicon in life when we so insidiously start to think of our elders as feeble and unaware of current society rather than embracing, learning and giving thanks to them from the life they lead and the opportunities they provided us.
This is a short work week so I will match it with short prose. Thank you all for making this blog grow, for taking the time to read it weekly, send to others and often reach out to me directly. I am very thankful for all of you in my life.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Greg
Gregory Salsburg
CEO/The Big STIR
STIR-Communications
Miami | New York | London
c: (561) 386-8064
o: (305) 407-1723
e: Greg@STIR-Communications.com
Monday, November 15, 2010
Change & Ride the "Mo"
If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. ~ Maya Angelou.
I would be remiss if I didn't point out my favorite indicator that people believe we are turning the corner. I sit on the Board of Directors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida, which had its annual gala in Miami last week, and in spite of a very tough year for charity gifting in general, this evening produced stellar results under the circumstance. Norm Wedderburn, the President/CEO of the Chapter, is truly a marketing and business sage. He has nothing to sell, no leverage to hold over others, and a staff that is overworked, undermanned and highly motivated. His life is to "ask." In truth, all businesses life is to "ask" but most have forgotten and instead try to sell, manipulate, and at time hold hostage there very people that allow them to operate in the first place. Not Norm, he selflessly engages, informs, acquiesces, listens, cares, AND because of that, he receives. I admire him greatly and strongly believe that if more business leaders ran their organizations with the same playbook we would see significant change.
A great deal of our work over the past 18 months has been focused on helping our clients chart the murky and at times treacherous waters of business fluctuations. For some, “the best laid plans" have simply become plans "laid to rest.” For others though, this period has been one to focus on building the foundation for the future. While some sectors have a while until they return to "normal" growth, that should not be mistaken for no growth currently. In fact, most of our clients are having a banner quarter (Sure we think it's because they hired us. Paging narcissistic, party of one.).
However, the one area of concern and discussion is concentrated on creating a positive united mindset. We have spent so much time in precipitous slide to emotional malaise, that for many have become content with mediocrity. A collective shift of confidence needs to occur in order to right this ship and make these small positive upticks unfailing.
For business owners, that means the focal point needs to be back on the workforce and the consumer. In order to survive the past few years, companies did all possible to stay afloat. Some of these changes were positive business decisions and actually should have been made during the best of times. Much can get lost when we are collectively patting each other on the back. However, the same can be true when our time is spent at the water cooler of doom. We made so many alterations to the operational fabric that we didn't focus on how it would continue to fit or feel.
Personnel have been left despondent and reduced to a cog in the process. In earlier blogs we have discussed how we have advised companies to remove all silo lines of communication and create a circular dialogue. Businesses would be amazed how something as simple as providing a voice back to the employee will yield overall productivity and boast moral. Corporate leaders need to get back to leading again and stop covering their asses, while piously tucked in their ivory tower.
Consumers have spent the past few years absorbing the changes small and large. Some popular rolls of toilet paper cost 10% more than two years ago with the roll decreasing in the same sheet count. General net weight of packaged foods have been reduced slightly enough to shave costs and ultimately consumer confidence. Think I am being hyperbolic? How many times have you heard, "I have never worked so hard and made so little as I do today"? How any consumer loyalty remains is beyond me, but there are cases. Companies that have remained authentic to their brands morals will prevail. I view the seemingly minute changes as indicators for future transformation. On November 1st, weeks before the start of the holiday shopping season, a few of the companies that follow our marketing and communications principles, Amazon.com, Target and Walmart, shot the first salvo with free shipping. These companies listened to the cry of the consumer via a recent study by ComScore, which found that 55% of shoppers said they would abandon purchases in the middle of the transaction upon learning that shipping cost extra. I know you may be thinking this is inconsequential, but I argue we must start somewhere.
Bottom line is that we must finish this year strong and carry this "mo"mentum into next year. That means in all areas of your life take a moment and determine what’s working, what you can discard, what can you enhance and what needs to be jump started.
All my best,
Greg
Greg Salsburg
The Big STIR
STIR-Communications
Miami | New York | London
c: (561) 386-8064
o: (305) 407-1723
e: Greg@STIR-Communications.com
I would be remiss if I didn't point out my favorite indicator that people believe we are turning the corner. I sit on the Board of Directors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida, which had its annual gala in Miami last week, and in spite of a very tough year for charity gifting in general, this evening produced stellar results under the circumstance. Norm Wedderburn, the President/CEO of the Chapter, is truly a marketing and business sage. He has nothing to sell, no leverage to hold over others, and a staff that is overworked, undermanned and highly motivated. His life is to "ask." In truth, all businesses life is to "ask" but most have forgotten and instead try to sell, manipulate, and at time hold hostage there very people that allow them to operate in the first place. Not Norm, he selflessly engages, informs, acquiesces, listens, cares, AND because of that, he receives. I admire him greatly and strongly believe that if more business leaders ran their organizations with the same playbook we would see significant change.
A great deal of our work over the past 18 months has been focused on helping our clients chart the murky and at times treacherous waters of business fluctuations. For some, “the best laid plans" have simply become plans "laid to rest.” For others though, this period has been one to focus on building the foundation for the future. While some sectors have a while until they return to "normal" growth, that should not be mistaken for no growth currently. In fact, most of our clients are having a banner quarter (Sure we think it's because they hired us. Paging narcissistic, party of one.).
However, the one area of concern and discussion is concentrated on creating a positive united mindset. We have spent so much time in precipitous slide to emotional malaise, that for many have become content with mediocrity. A collective shift of confidence needs to occur in order to right this ship and make these small positive upticks unfailing.
For business owners, that means the focal point needs to be back on the workforce and the consumer. In order to survive the past few years, companies did all possible to stay afloat. Some of these changes were positive business decisions and actually should have been made during the best of times. Much can get lost when we are collectively patting each other on the back. However, the same can be true when our time is spent at the water cooler of doom. We made so many alterations to the operational fabric that we didn't focus on how it would continue to fit or feel.
Personnel have been left despondent and reduced to a cog in the process. In earlier blogs we have discussed how we have advised companies to remove all silo lines of communication and create a circular dialogue. Businesses would be amazed how something as simple as providing a voice back to the employee will yield overall productivity and boast moral. Corporate leaders need to get back to leading again and stop covering their asses, while piously tucked in their ivory tower.
Consumers have spent the past few years absorbing the changes small and large. Some popular rolls of toilet paper cost 10% more than two years ago with the roll decreasing in the same sheet count. General net weight of packaged foods have been reduced slightly enough to shave costs and ultimately consumer confidence. Think I am being hyperbolic? How many times have you heard, "I have never worked so hard and made so little as I do today"? How any consumer loyalty remains is beyond me, but there are cases. Companies that have remained authentic to their brands morals will prevail. I view the seemingly minute changes as indicators for future transformation. On November 1st, weeks before the start of the holiday shopping season, a few of the companies that follow our marketing and communications principles, Amazon.com, Target and Walmart, shot the first salvo with free shipping. These companies listened to the cry of the consumer via a recent study by ComScore, which found that 55% of shoppers said they would abandon purchases in the middle of the transaction upon learning that shipping cost extra. I know you may be thinking this is inconsequential, but I argue we must start somewhere.
Bottom line is that we must finish this year strong and carry this "mo"mentum into next year. That means in all areas of your life take a moment and determine what’s working, what you can discard, what can you enhance and what needs to be jump started.
All my best,
Greg
Greg Salsburg
The Big STIR
STIR-Communications
Miami | New York | London
c: (561) 386-8064
o: (305) 407-1723
e: Greg@STIR-Communications.com
Monday, November 8, 2010
Empathy
At dinner last week with the CEO of a regional bank, I was asked what I believed to be the most important quality of a business leader today. Without hesitation, I reasoned “empathy.”
In today’s capricious economic climate, many individuals have been living with emotions perils that in spite of best efforts to squelch, assault the workplace. Additionally, the recent convergence of convergence has made “work life” and “personal life,” simply “life.” We are acutely connected to all that we embody with limited resources for escape. As such, a leader’s job is to understand their employee’s (and if possible clients/consumers) emotional pulls and pushes and understand how to guide the progress forward.
I am not suggesting there is not a need for compartmentalization of personal issues in the workplace and that all issues should be used as a reason for lack of productivity. Nor am I suggesting that as Ari Gold on “Entourage” suggests, “let’s hug it out” will be a solvent either. I am merely suggesting leaders tend to work in a silo way too often and have forgotten that without a productive (not happy) and focused, workforce accomplishment will be minimal. Taking the time to truly connect on a visceral and authentic level can garner positive returns in efficiency.
Leaders often flatter themselves with the idea that the burdens they insist on carrying are unique and original. But, really, nothing is less original. Truth is that we are all in this together so if helping the emotional load of individuals can yield success in the masses I say sign me up. It also feels great.
Also remember, we see ourselves in our love for others ...
All my best,
Greg
Greg Salsburg
The Big STIR
STIR-Communications
Miami | New York | London
c: (561) 386-8064
o: (305) 407-1723
e: Greg@STIR-Communications.com
In today’s capricious economic climate, many individuals have been living with emotions perils that in spite of best efforts to squelch, assault the workplace. Additionally, the recent convergence of convergence has made “work life” and “personal life,” simply “life.” We are acutely connected to all that we embody with limited resources for escape. As such, a leader’s job is to understand their employee’s (and if possible clients/consumers) emotional pulls and pushes and understand how to guide the progress forward.
I am not suggesting there is not a need for compartmentalization of personal issues in the workplace and that all issues should be used as a reason for lack of productivity. Nor am I suggesting that as Ari Gold on “Entourage” suggests, “let’s hug it out” will be a solvent either. I am merely suggesting leaders tend to work in a silo way too often and have forgotten that without a productive (not happy) and focused, workforce accomplishment will be minimal. Taking the time to truly connect on a visceral and authentic level can garner positive returns in efficiency.
Leaders often flatter themselves with the idea that the burdens they insist on carrying are unique and original. But, really, nothing is less original. Truth is that we are all in this together so if helping the emotional load of individuals can yield success in the masses I say sign me up. It also feels great.
Also remember, we see ourselves in our love for others ...
All my best,
Greg
Greg Salsburg
The Big STIR
STIR-Communications
Miami | New York | London
c: (561) 386-8064
o: (305) 407-1723
e: Greg@STIR-Communications.com
Monday, November 1, 2010
What You Don't Know
"Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it." - Michelangelo
By all accounts, my father is a supreme erudite, the highly successful founder of an established law firm with an impressive history of guiding his clients to monumental success. He would often proclaim, “what you don’t know will kill you.” I heard it so many times I hummed it like a mantra. It sounds impressive and when shouted across a desk prior to walking into a legal battle it’s hard to dismiss. Most scholars and leaders of business would subscribe to my father’s way of linear thinking. Teacher’s lesson plans have little room for interpretation, deviation or original thought. Many businesses follow suit. I love my father, but, he could not be more wrong.
So much for my portion of the will.
If you are lucky, when you’re young you learn the importance of failure. I didn’t until later in life. Not because I was so successful, but rather so fearful of what I didn’t know. The lesson I often learned was “don’t try.” I mean, who wants to be killed?
No matter what you know, what you don't know always remains more important in your business journey and life progress. That’s right what you don’t know will not only NOT kill you, it shouldn’t be debilitating, but actually liberating. If you remain in a constant search for what you don't know, the chances of your growing and learning are much greater. It’s at odds with what I was taught by my father and throughout the educational system, which provides us with a false sense of confidence that the more we know the more successful we will be, the measurement tool of grades equals life preparedness.
What we don't know allows us to tap the opportunity to apply trial and error, to learn and grow. The greatest inventions in history came from the R&D portions of companies or people’s brain. Trial and error with an emphasis on error are what moves progress forward. Quick trail and success is either luck or a concept not pressing the innovative boundaries. When you have the most on the line and the least going for you, you learn the most about yourself. That is particularly true with personal change or attempting something anew.
I grew up with learning disabilities including dyslexia. That meant the wiring in my brain gave me unusual aptitudes and abilities that tended to make me go about life differently than other people (that difference scares teachers and parents). I struggled with tasks that many people find easy. I couldn’t read or spell until high school. Grammar school was filled with years of torment and negative exertion.
I had to struggle in life, making many mistakes in a quest for success, but I always kept going. I have since won awards for my writing and lead companies with their complex business thought. I do not say this to impress you, but to impress upon you that I could never have accomplished anything until I realized that what I didn’t know was equally part of my arsenal.
Learning to embrace the unknown is another way of learning to love thinking differently. If you think differently, you are going to fail now and then, but you are also going to achieve wonderful successes. If you are in constant fear of what you don’t know and the consequences of pending doom, no one would get off the starting line.
"I have not failed," Thomas Edison said at one point in his experiments to find long-burning filament. "I've just found ten thousand ways that don't work."
Yes, he was dyslexic, too.
All my best,
Greg
Greg Salsburg
The Big STIR
STIR-Communications
Miami | London | New York
c: (561) 386-8064
o: (305) 407-1723
e: Greg@STIR-Communications.com
By all accounts, my father is a supreme erudite, the highly successful founder of an established law firm with an impressive history of guiding his clients to monumental success. He would often proclaim, “what you don’t know will kill you.” I heard it so many times I hummed it like a mantra. It sounds impressive and when shouted across a desk prior to walking into a legal battle it’s hard to dismiss. Most scholars and leaders of business would subscribe to my father’s way of linear thinking. Teacher’s lesson plans have little room for interpretation, deviation or original thought. Many businesses follow suit. I love my father, but, he could not be more wrong.
So much for my portion of the will.
If you are lucky, when you’re young you learn the importance of failure. I didn’t until later in life. Not because I was so successful, but rather so fearful of what I didn’t know. The lesson I often learned was “don’t try.” I mean, who wants to be killed?
No matter what you know, what you don't know always remains more important in your business journey and life progress. That’s right what you don’t know will not only NOT kill you, it shouldn’t be debilitating, but actually liberating. If you remain in a constant search for what you don't know, the chances of your growing and learning are much greater. It’s at odds with what I was taught by my father and throughout the educational system, which provides us with a false sense of confidence that the more we know the more successful we will be, the measurement tool of grades equals life preparedness.
What we don't know allows us to tap the opportunity to apply trial and error, to learn and grow. The greatest inventions in history came from the R&D portions of companies or people’s brain. Trial and error with an emphasis on error are what moves progress forward. Quick trail and success is either luck or a concept not pressing the innovative boundaries. When you have the most on the line and the least going for you, you learn the most about yourself. That is particularly true with personal change or attempting something anew.
I grew up with learning disabilities including dyslexia. That meant the wiring in my brain gave me unusual aptitudes and abilities that tended to make me go about life differently than other people (that difference scares teachers and parents). I struggled with tasks that many people find easy. I couldn’t read or spell until high school. Grammar school was filled with years of torment and negative exertion.
I had to struggle in life, making many mistakes in a quest for success, but I always kept going. I have since won awards for my writing and lead companies with their complex business thought. I do not say this to impress you, but to impress upon you that I could never have accomplished anything until I realized that what I didn’t know was equally part of my arsenal.
Learning to embrace the unknown is another way of learning to love thinking differently. If you think differently, you are going to fail now and then, but you are also going to achieve wonderful successes. If you are in constant fear of what you don’t know and the consequences of pending doom, no one would get off the starting line.
"I have not failed," Thomas Edison said at one point in his experiments to find long-burning filament. "I've just found ten thousand ways that don't work."
Yes, he was dyslexic, too.
All my best,
Greg
Greg Salsburg
The Big STIR
STIR-Communications
Miami | London | New York
c: (561) 386-8064
o: (305) 407-1723
e: Greg@STIR-Communications.com
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