Business, both big and small, is in desperate need of new ways to inspire bored and cynical consumers who have grown weary of the same old song and dance. In today’s information economy, it doesn’t matter how many people you reach, but how much attention they pay. And the best way to get attention is with the powerful, but largely misunderstood, element of surprise. Pow! Enter Andy Nulman with the art of surprise marketing. Andy Nulman is a wildly-successful businessman and even wilder public speaker who first learned the power of surprise working with Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, and many other comedians as the cofounder and CEO of the Just For Laughs Festival, the world’s largest comedy event. His book shares hilarious and effective surprise promotions that he himself dreamed up for the event and in his current position as cofounder, President, and CMO of Airborne Mobile, which brings brands like Maxim, Family Guy, and the NFL to the mobile media world. Links: Andy Nulman's Blog
Books: Pow! Right Between the Eyes: Profiting from the Power of Surprise
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Fast talking - plaid jacketed hucksters have no place in today's business world. (Ironically, Brad both talks quickly and is fond of plaid.) And with travel costs rising and travel budgets shrinking or being frozen altogether, a new approach is needed. Join Brad as he speaks with two examples of a new kind of salesperson who espouse a new kind of selling. From selection and hiring, to where they'll work, and the challenges of managing in a new world where sometimes the only connection is an email signature and a voice at the other end of the phone. Links: Sales 2.0 Center
Books: Sales 2.0: Improve Business Results Using Innovative Sales Practices and Technology
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Have you ever wondered how some companies just seem to "get it right" when it comes to new products and others struggle with failure? Craig Stull will share his insights on tuning into your customers needs and providing products and services that hit the mark. As the CEO for Pragmatic Marketing, Craig has worked with over 43,000 entrepreneurs including some of North America's hottest companies. During his interview, using ZipCar as an example, he takes Brad through the 6 steps that will create great products from the outside-in. Links: www.pragmaticmarketing.com Books: Tuned In: Uncover the Extraordinary Opportunities That Lead to Business Breakthroughs | 
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90% of sales people hate cold calling. The other 10% are liars. Frank Rumbauskas, New York Times bestselling author of Never Cold Call Again joins Brad as he shows a new way to get customers without the dread of cold calling. Finding customers who are already predisposed to buying your product is half the battle, and Frank describes the first steps to a cold calling free existence for salespeople. Links: www.nevercoldcall.com
Books: Never Cold Call Again: Achieve Sales Greatness Without Cold Calling | 
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Herb Sorensen, Ph.D. is CEO and President of TNS Sorensen, the leader in helping manufacturers and retailers assess product and package performance, the purchase decision process, category management, promotional impact, and shopper behavior. At TNS Sorensen, he provides over the development of new services and research methods, including PathTracker®, the revolutionary electronic shopper tracking and learning system. A biochemist whose training and study has ranged from theology to quantum mechanics, Sorensen brings a broad perspective that provides the basis for his company's uniquely creative, robust, and scientific approach to consumer research. Links: http://www.tns-sorensen.com/Books: Inside the Mind of the Shopper: The Science of Retailing | 
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John Gerzema is Chief Insights Officer for Young & Rubicam Group. One of the early founders of account planning in American advertising, John has guided brand strategies to global business and creative acclaim. Previously, John ran Fallon's international network and founded offices in Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Sao Paulo. He holds a master’s degree in integrated marketing from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and a B.S. in marketing from The Ohio State University. - What does a "brand bubble" mean to businesses?
- How much of the value of a company does the brand account for?
- How do you build an "irresistible brand"?
Links: www.thebrandbubble.com Books: The Brand Bubble Comment from John: I really enjoyed spending time with Brad. It was a great discussion. We talked a lot about how the forces in media and technology are hollowing out brand value.
These colliding forces have also enhanced the consumption of creativity and elevated the market's creative expectations of brands. Consumers are quicker to punish uninteresting brands. Without creativity, brands are commoditized in compressed periods of time.
All the best, John
john gerzema
chief insights officer / y&r
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| Martha I. Finney is a writer and consultant specializing in employee engagement and leadership communications. A business journalist for 20 years before entering the consulting field full-time, she brings the qualitative perspective of workplace passion and problem-solving to clients who value the transformative power of engaged employees throughout the organization. Her clients and leader interviews have come from such organizations as the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency; Intuit; Hewlett-Packard; Newell Rubbermaid; Caterpillar; Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide; Marriott; America Online; Yahoo!; the New York Philharmonic; Textron; Charles Schwab; Industrial Light and Magic; AFLAC; Walt Disney Studios; Deloitte Touche and U.S. Geological Survey. Links: www.marthafinney.netBooks: Rebound: A Proven Plan for Starting Over After Job Loss | 
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Martin Lindstrom knows a little something about marketing. The thirty-eight year old guru and author of BRAND sense--hailed by the Wall Street Journal as one of the ten best marketing books ever published--is advisor to such venerable clients as McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, Microsoft and The Walt Disney Company. He opens the interview by asserting that cigarette labels don't only not work, but they actually increase the desire to smoke in smokers. If you're in marketing, this is a must-listen. Links: www.martinlindstrom.com Books: Buyology | 
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Former Editor-in-Chief of the National Post, Matthew Fraser now makes his home in France. He's now a Senior Research Fellow at INSEAD, one of Europe's top business schools. His discussion of social networking is one of the most thorough on the subject. Brad and Matthew discuss the past, present and future of social networking, including a discussion about the evils of Facebooking (it can wreck your marriage). August 2008 saw the crash of the market. Now the question remains, "Now What?" Garth joins Brad to discuss how to prepare for the worst, and put yourself in the best possible position to survive this economic crisis. |
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Read more... [Matthew Fraser - Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom]
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Michal Port runs one of the largest and most respected coaching programs for small business owners in the world at www.MichaelPort.com. Diverse in his personal life as well, Michael blends his yoga teaching past with his martial art present—holding the rank of black belt. With all this success, his most significant accomplishment and responsibility is probably just like yours, the job of being a devoted parent, son, friend and citizen. Links: www.michaelport.com Books: The Think Big Manifesto: Think You Can't Change Your Life (and the World) Think Again | 
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Skydiver, marathon runner, cat owner, entrepreneur? No wonder he's been described as "crazy". But in the same breath he was also called "effective". Peter will share some of his most radical ideas about social networking and PR Stunts. Brad will pick this pundit's brain (Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC have all used him as an expert on marketing) for tips that business owners and marketers can use to supercharge their marketing efforts. Peter’s PR and Marketing clients have included the Snapple Beverage Group, Walt Disney World, Vantage Point Venture Partners, American Express, Discovery Networks, New Frontier Media, OpSec Security, Napster, Juno, GenuOne, Dream Catcher Destinations Club, Harrah’s Hotels, and many others, and he sits on the board of both Scott-e-Vest, the world’s first technologically enabled clothing line, as well as TripLife. Big Ideas: - Good PR can be a result of good karma - the trick is in generating the good karma
- There are alwas people who say "no" - they're called stoppers - and there's a four step plan for dealing with them
- When a crisis hits: be honest and respond quickly
- Great PR can drive your sales up 129%
- Peter Shankman may be a living solution to our energy shortage - listen to the interview, you'll hear what I mean
Links: shankman.com Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Geek Factory (PR Firm) Books: Can We Do That!: Outrageous PR Stunts That Work And Why Your Company Needs Them | 
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New York Times Magazine columnist Rob Walker joins Brad and talks about how what we purchase in some ways, defines us. He challenges us to be more aware of the connection between what's going on between our ears and what's going on in our wallet. He dispels some of the myths that we've been told such as "no one pays attention to advertising and brands anymore". Instead, he claims that the messages are moving into all areas of our lives becoming, what he calls, murketing. Books: Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are Comment from Rob Walker: I had a great time on the show, Brad was a true pleasure to talk to -- smart and informed, but easy and funny, too. It's unlikely I'll ever meet him at a party, but failing that, it was very nice to meet him on-air. Rob Walker Author - Buying In | 
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Former Chief Creative Officer for McDonald's USA joins Brad to share his insights on marketing during uncertain economic times. We'll ask him about how brand and marketing differ and how small businesses can build market share in the shadow of industry giants. Comment from Roy: The time went by like two seconds. I really enjoyed Brad's interviewing style and pacing. His questions were energizing and very to the point. I hope I can come back again soon and spend more time talking about the early days of mcdonalds and my thoughts on marketing today. Again, thanks, and anytime. Roy | 
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Marketing
