The Colossus of Mountain View, California
Google has two syllables, but is the first word that comes to everyone's mind when looking up a new restaurant or simply looking up a fun, new factoid. As you very well may know, the DOW set a record yesterday, closing at 14,253.77. What you may not know is that Google's stock soared to 838.60 per share, up nearly 300 points in one year. Both of these things are good, not just for the domestic economy, but for the vastly interconnected global market which reflects even the most subtle doubts investors may have. Google is not content to sit idly by and rest on its laurels. The fledgling company has plans to one day supplant Apple's vaunted mobile operating system with their Android OS. There are also rumors of Google wanting to compete with Amazon in the realm of same-day shipping on products. If that weren't ambitious enough, there are even whispers of further television and even game console innovations that could potentially revolutionize the industries. I know Google's share price is quite lofty for anyone to think about buying in, but I promise you, it's NOT GOING DOWN. So what does all this talk about Google and its success have to do with Mad Men Marketing? Well, the digital realm is our wheelhouse (pardon the baseball terminology), and we have a Google certified Analytics consultant, and I will be taking the test to become Google AdWords certified as early as this weekend. This will lead to improved optimization for all of our clients. I don't plan on stopping there either. In a short time, I will begin studying for my Analytics certification as well, which would make us a Google Analytics certified COMPANY, a title that VERY FEW companies can boast. At Mad Men Marketing, like Google, we're not content to proceed with business as usual. We will continue to broaden our horizons, educate ourselves, and acquire new skill sets that will yield incomparable results.
Maximum Warp…ENGAGE!
In a race to the finish where there is no end in sight, I have to believe that Mad Men Marketing is the front-runner in our industry. The interaction between clients, customers, and ourselves is the engine that drives this company, and if the first quarter of 2013 is any indication, our young company will be taking not just Jacksonville, not just the southeast region, but the WORLD by storm. We are constantly thinking of ways to expand our brand of consumer-driven business to the masses all over the world. These places include, but are not limited to: Spain, Australia, England, India, and China. That being said, we are still very hometown proud. Jacksonville is where I've called my home for the last 4 years. It's a vibrant city on the verge of some very positive things, and we are pleased to spread the word about our fine city throughout the global business community. Nothing is ever static at Mad Men, and I expect new and exciting things for the next 3 quarters. What will that mean? More personnel, refined procedures, increased qualifications and comepetencies, more global outreach, more improvements here at the office both aesthetic and practical, and a more fluid, more transparent agency to suit the needs of our customer base. The most exciting thing is that I don't know what to expect, but we're certainly a company that's exploding in terms of size and capabilities.
Ketchup Kingpins
I'm not saying that this was a bad move at all. It's a good acquisition, but it deviates from the formula that's made Mr. Buffett the investment Demi-God that he is. Keep in mind this is the same guy who invested in the tobacco industry because he said that they cost a penny to produce, could be sold for a dollar, and were addictive. What can you really do with a ketchup company besides make ketchup? Perhaps partner with a really good french fry company? Maybe promote your brand and try to get it in every restaurant possible? It's a good marriage for 3G because they just paid 3 billion for Burger King, and looking ahead, can use the Heinz and Burger King acquisitions to increase their footprint on the global food service industry. They're looking at this move, not just as acquiring a product, but a distribution network as well, which is definitely a commendable way to think of it. After the acquisition, it's important to mention that stock shares of Heinz jumped 12.02 at closing. Score one for Mr. Buffett, but he is undoubtedly the public face of this deal. This is really a giant leap forward for 3G and a win for globalization as a whole.
Prosecution and Pugilism
So my query is: “When did fighting become synonymous with legal representation”? Instead of fighting for me, why can't you navigate the pitfalls and professional loopholes of our legal system? Is it because fighting for me makes me think you're a little more altruistic than you may be? Should I be dredging up images of crawling through the mud and the blood in war-torn 1971 Vietnam? Are lawyers depicted as heroes? In most cases, certainly not. Speaking with many people on the subject, the perception is that these people overcharge and have more hidden fees than a budget airline. I've never been to a boxing exhibition in my life, but I'm certain many people would love to get in the ring with an attorney and put their fighting acumen to the test. However, since the phrase is clearly not going anywhere anytime soon, an amazing promotional campaign could have a tie-in with boxing in the form of a weigh-in sponsorship or a still photo with a sponsored fighter posing with the attorney, perhaps with some novelty boxing gloves with the firm's logo. These are the things we think of in the 'ol Mad Men dream factory. If we had a lawyer vs. contender photo on a Ring Magazine kind of ad, or a sponsored weigh-in (which while brief, is highly publicized), then that attorney would definitely be interacting with their potential clients, and in the process, might humanize themselves a bit.
“Farther Relates to Distance; Further is a Definition of Degree. You Should Have Said Further.”
One example I can give you is a recent interview of a former collegiate professor of mine. This is an accomplished man in his field who is the chair of his department, and he hails from Argentina. His surname is pronounced (gah-sho), but it is spelled “Gallo” which would lead most Spanish-speaking people to believe that it would be pronounced (gah-yo). Argentina, however, uses a dialect of Spanish similar to Castellano in Spain and their “ll” sounds like a “sh”. The interviewer used neither pronunciation, and I'm assuming she didn't bother to ask him politely how he pronounced his name, but she opted for the Americanized (gal-low) pronunciation when that English short “a” vowel sound doesn't exist in that language. In no way did this seem to bother Dr. Gallo, but to the listening audience which included myself, it sounded careless and unprofessional.
I've perused many websites, and scholarly journals, and other media. There is often a rough draft quality about many things I read. I often think to myself, “Clearly, writing in a public forum is a component of this person's job. Why aren't they better at it?”. The bottom line is this: The devil is in the details. If you want to affect public opinion with the written word, come with your “A” game, and read what you write aloud to yourself before posting it, or allow a colleague to read over your post. You'll be glad you did. You may only get one new customer out of a thousand, but sometimes it's a high-profile customer, and it could be worth it.