Although this won’t be posted until I am nestled in the so-called comfort of the Westlake Hyatt, I am writing as I fly at some unknown altitude across a country I would much rather experience at a much more leisurely pace.
Despite taking an earlier flight back on Thursday last week, the weekend went fast. I watched a lot of basketball. As a Carolina Alum, I was ecstatic to watch the Tarheels steal a game from Virginia Tech with a last-second jumper and, thankfully, fend off an extremely determined Clemson team to win a second straight ACC Tournament Championship for my alma mater. It may have been luck. It may have been the “never-say-die” determination they’ve had in so many come-from-behind wins this year. It may have been both. Regardless, they pulled out the wins when they needed them. Congrats to the Tarheels.
Amid the many requisite hours of basketball watching, I did manage a trip to the book store.
I just finished the most recent Seth Godin book, “Meatball Sundae.” If you are a marketer and haven’t read it, do yourself a favor and pick it up. You won’t regret the time you spend reading it, nor the $20 you’ll spend to acquire a copy of your own. Godin’s writing style and never-ending supply of real-word examples bring the principles of “new marketing” to life.
In the end, the book is inspiring. It forces you to think. The clarity with which Godin presents his thoughts makes me jealous beyond belief. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve danced around the same basic thoughts he discusses. I’ve talked about the same themes with co-workers, bosses, friends. They’ve agreed. They’ve added insightful points of their own to my half-baked ideas. But we’ve all failed to put such a fine point on it. The idea of simply adding the next “tasty treat” to your marketing until you have nothing but a disgusting mess – the meatball sundae with whipped cream and sprinkles on top. Brilliant.
The book is rich with trends for businesses and marketers to exploit in today’s new consumer-driven marketplace. One of the final chapters very effectively summarizes Godin’s principles and trends by focusing on how they apply to Disney today. And if you know anything about me, you know that that chapter made me think the book had been written specifically with me and my Disney-maniacal ways in mind.
Don’t miss a chance to read it for yourself. I’d offer to give you my copy, but I have a feeling I’ll be reading and re-reading it for reminders and inspiration quite a bit over the next few months. Sorry, you’ll have to get your own.
So, the next week of working in California begins as I make my way through the air. I know that in two hours or so, I will be landing in Los Angeles, but I can’t tell you exactly where the journey will end this week. It should be a busy week. It should be fun. Quite a few meetings planned. Quite a few deliverables to produce. Quite a few answers to uncover, document and interpret. Wish me luck. Or maybe just determination. Or maybe both. Let’s see what I managed to learn from the Tarheels. And Mr. Godin.
