Red was by air. Blue was by rental car.

After diverting our plane to Evansville, Indiana, from our intended destination in Indianapolis:

1. American Airlines couldn’t think through the severity of the lack of visibility. They said:

• were going to try to land in Indianapolis. There was no try. Then they said
• we’d be stopping in Evansville to refuel and wait for the fog to clear in Indianapolis. Upon landing, however, they took it all back, telling us
• they’d be arranging for a bus to drive us to the Indianapolis airport, 180 miles north.

2. American Airlines couldn’t figure out that people might be hungry and/ or thirsty and might need change for the two vending machines in our holding pen. (We weren’t expecting a handout. We just needed some dollar bills.)

3. American Airlines couldn’t figure out that offering a few bucks per person toward a sandwich and a drink could make each of the 100 or so stranded passengers just a little happier — maybe even convert them into fans of the airline.

4. American Airlines couldn’t offer something special to the couple who was obviously exhausted and traveling with an infant.

After discussing our options, my wife and I opted for a rental car for just $138 (a National Rent-a-Car gouging to top off the day) and drove to our final destination in Greenfield, Indiana, just 230 miles away. All things considered, we made the right choice. Our almost-three-year old agreed.

No one stood out as a leader. If just one person wearing an American Airlines uniform had done something remarkable (really, it wouldn’t have been very difficult considering), the story each passenger would tell about being diverted to Evansville would be far different than the one they’re telling today.

It’s amazing companies of this size possess such little ability. In a situation like this, companies need to put on the customers’ shoes, own the situation, and respond with both immediacy and empathy.

Yesterday, they weren’t even willing to ask for my shoe size. But it’s never too late, American. It’s 8 1/2.

How’s your flying been over the holidays? Has any company done anything that’s really stood out? Love to know. Hope you’re all well, happy, and safe.

This post is in reaction to the Whopper Virgins campaign currently garnering some not-so-stellar publicity. See Charlie Gibson’s ABC World News Webcast here.

Everyone used to have just an opinion. Now the opinions are attached to microphones like twitter, facebook, xyz.blog.com, etc. and the speakers are pumping everyone’s praise and vitriol into management offices everywhere. Undoubtedly, as more and more people adopt social media, the volume will soon be turned to eleven.

Marketers have to realize now that they’re not going to please all of the people all of the time — and that’s ok. It’s not only okay, it’s the whole point. That’s why a target audience is never defined as “everyone”. If “everyone” is your target audience, you’re on the road to failure. There just isn’t enough money to reach “everyone” and you’d be a fool to try. If you’ve done your homework, you will have further solidified your audience, making them that much more loyal.

If marketers don’t realize this before they begin experiencing increasing mass market pressure to kill a commercial, a print ad, anything that just rubs them the wrong way, they’ll just wind up as puppets of popular opinion, continually pulling the plug on every idea that actually grabs people’s attention and incites a reaction — good or bad.

Dear Marketers: it’s time to 1)  grow a set, or 2) subject yourself to a life catering to mass mediocrity.

I’m pretty sure the first choice will be much more profitable.

Thoughts? Opinions? Love to hear ‘em. My speakers are always on.

The moment the dogfish leaped ashore, I was hooked (pun intended). For the next 45 seconds, I was taken for a ride down a bizarrely sweet road that ended with the concept heading over a cliff. Great visual effects. Great music. Great directing. Great editing. Even with all those greats they are no substitute for the most important great of all: the idea. This is truly a very long way to go for a dogfish sandwich.

Agree? Disagree? Feel free to do either by leaving a comment.

Hope you’re well.

I would love your most candid commentary on this TV commercial. Thank you.

As consumers’ attention spans continue to shrink, marketers need to focus on brevity and simplicity.

Take this Wii TV commercial, for example. The only words in the voiceover are “Rated E for Everyone.”

The visual hook is immediate and powerful. The message is focused, unspoken, and unmistakable: Anyone can play any instrument with the Wii.

Unless you’re working on your website, you don’t have to explain everything you do in every piece of communication you create. Focus on what makes you unique, so your audience can follow you there.

So — what’s your company’s singular message? Can it be made simpler? And heck, if you need any advice, feel free to drop a note.

Thanks for stopping in. Hope you’re doing well.

I recently received an email from a friend and colleague in television production who, upon clicking on my twitter URL at my email’s footer, wanted to know more about twitter, why I thought it was important, and why I even bothered with it.

I responded by offering a link to “If I Started Today.”, an article by @chrisbrogan.

My friend’s reaction to the article is important (published below, in part, and with his permission), because this is exactly how I thought about social media prior to delving in with reckless — and strategic — abandon.

Michael,

Thanks…like a good book with intellectual questions and pursuit between the covers, I think I’ll have to read this a few times to get it to soak in. Because on the first pass, I can honestly say, I don’t get it.

I hope that’s because social media is currently a shape-shifter, and hard to wrap your mind around, as it develops into what ever it will end up being.

But unfortunately, I think a portion of this is because of my old school way of thinking.  Two examples-

First, I have always thought a person should keep his/her personal stuff personal. Making those things public was a process of developing any  relationship rather than a requirement of modern living.

Second, the quality or act of being humble is dead. This is now the “look at me” “please listen to me” world.  I have never subscribed to the idea that anyone was necessarily interested in what I was saying or thinking - simply because I was saying or thinking it.

To that end, I’m quite sure most people would find disagreeable the things that I generally say or think.  And as a result this new world will have to teach people like me to be more careful of our thoughts and words in the hopes of making them relevant and attractive to…anyone.  Ouch – the mind police are real.

That was about two weeks ago. Today, @cdesmarais follows 5 people, has 5 followers, and 10 updates. His first post reads:

3,2,1, action - O.K. mark this moment in time when I offically enter the new world. adn early resolution?! - Learn the new social media. 3:58PM Nov 24th from web.

Are people reacting any differently when you talk about social media? Better? Worse? Love to know.

Thanks for stopping in. Hope you’re well.

When the icons start shaking and you’re having a bourbon with your father-in-law, sometimes you get a little silly.

Case in point, Scrapple — a delicious melding of “Scrabble” and “Apps” that will have you saying, “Dude, this is totally and utterly ridiculous!”

What words can you spell with your apps? Got ideas for rules? A point system? Log in when you’re drinking something harder than O’Doule’s and comment away.

Thanks for stopping in. Hope all’s well.

A nice spot featuring the stars of Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch series tells viewers to “give the turkey the bird” and choose crab for Thanksgiving.

It’s a simple strategy, delivered with a simple message, supported by creative, compelling reasons to act.

Though it may not convince many to opt for crab over turkey, it turns these gruff captains and deckhands into endearing personalities you’ll want to tune in for — even with the use of a bleepin’ expletive delivered through a genuine smile.

Have you made your audience re-think the usual? Has it worked? Has it opened up new markets?

Hope you’re well and had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

The further we tread through the warm 2.0 bouillabaisse, the more I consider our current modus operandi and human physicality to be incapable of accommodating the increasing demands of a new world order. If we are to survive, certain things will almost inevitably happen:

1. Time: The 24-hour clock will become a 28- or 30-hour clock. 24 hours is an already-insufficient amount of time to get everything done, and get sufficient rest to recharge.
2. Business: Hours spent physically at work will be reduced by half, smarter companies will reduce that time by more, allowing personal time and work time to coexist and make satisfied, productive employees.
3. Data: Server storage systems will come standard with every new home. Most likely, they’ll be buried in the yard to keep them from being eyesores.
4. Brain: The cerebral cortex will grow more dense to accommodate the increasing need for information storage and recall.
5. Fingers: Both the thumb and pinky finger will grow more muscularly complex to facilitate 2-finger typing on mobile device.
6. Eyes: will move independently of each other so that we can tweet and drive safely.
7. The End: Custom tombstones will be ready in 24-48 hours after tweeting your own epitaph. Some will be very very funny.

Thoughts? Predictions? Epitaphs?

Hope you’re well, and thanks for stopping in.

When was the last time you cleaned out your marketing? Gave it a good scrub? Cleaned the shelves? Looked behind the milk? Checked the expiration date on the cheese? Tossed the marinara sauce with a thin epidermis of… what is that, cotton?

If you haven’t done it in the last six months, do it now. Your brand needs you.

Grab every piece of communication you currently use and spread them out on a table or two. All of them. Business cards. Print ads. Brochures. Newsletters. Signage. Everything. And don’t forget to print out your website.

Now step back.

Is everything cohesive? Is everything written in the same tone? Does it all create the image you want to convey? Is everything up to date? What can you improve on? Most importantly, what can you obliterate from the process?

Branding starts from within.

If you can’t smell the bad cheese or see the black potato that’s somehow growing an onion, someone will — soon. And it may be someone really really important — like a current or potential customer.

What other things can businesses do to streamline their processes? Improve their image? Or just plain evolve?

Hope you’re well, and thanks for stopping in.